Okay, that headline is a bit dramatic. I mean, Canada has cities like Vancouver and mountains like the Rockies. Not to mention Quebec City. But I’ve felt for years that the people and culture of our Maritime provinces and Newfoundland (I think I’m supposed to call it Atlantic Canada) are perhaps the most unique part of this country, and an area we should be pushing much, much harder.
I have ideas about a lot of things, as my family can attest. But one thing that’s often struck me is how different Atlantic Canada is from the USA’s New England. They’re right next door, but they’re vastly different places.
Small villages in Newfoundland are some of the prettiest places in Canada. – JIM BYERS PHOTO
Maine and New Hampshire and Vermont are very pretty, don’t get me wrong. The mountains and those tiny villages with white steeples and the craggy coastline are terrific. But the people don’t have exactly have a reputation as being wild and crazy. Nice, but a tad cautious.
There are folks like that in Atlantic Canada, too. But Maritimers and Newfoundlanders (especially Newfoundlanders) are mostly outgoing and wildly welcoming.
I think there are some personality differences between the two regions. But what really sets the Atlantic Canada region apart in my book is music. Our most raucous, rollicking, feel-good musical area is easily Newfoundland and the Maritimes, home to fiddle-crazy pubs and parties and wonderful people.
New England? Not as much. At least not in my experience. I mean, James Taylor comes from out that way but I don’t remember running into funky pubs with Irish tunes and fiddles in my various trips through Vermont and New Hampshire.
A lively round of spoons playing at the Glenora Distillery pub on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. – JIM BYERS PHOTO
One could argue that the most musical area of the United States, the place where music seems to randomly erupt most often on the streets and bars, is New Orleans. Nashville and Austin are great, I hear, but I think you could make the point that New Orleans is the most joyous musical area of the United States. And what group of people migrated to Louisiana a couple hundred years ago, bringing their fiddles and musical heritage? Why, the Acadians who were expelled from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada, that’s who.
Whatever the historical background and whatever the reasons, there’s no disputing that Atlantic Canada is home to wonderful music and a magnificent, vibrant culture. Anyone who’s walked into the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou (located on Cape Breton in Nova Scotia) knows it’s one of the finest spots on the planet for a pint and some fiddle music. Ditto for the small pub at the nearby Glenora Distillery. Or any of the dozens of pubs in St. John’s, or just about any small town in Newfoundland. Not to mention New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Anyone who’s been to Newfoundland knows they might be the best people on the planet; warm and welcoming and willing to give you the shirt off their backs, even if it’s the only one they have and the wind is whipping off the Atlantic in January. If you don’t believe me, catch a performance of the Tony Award-winning play Come From Away, the magical production that focusses on how folks in Gander, Newfoundland looked after stranded foreigners when planes were forced to and there on 9-11. I’ve been to Newfoundland three times now, and I think that play perfectly encapsulates the embracing attitudes of Newfoundlanders.
Celebrating Acadian Day in Fredericton, New Brunswick. – JIM BYERS PHOTO
Folks in other parts of Atlantic Canada seem a bit more restrained to me, but just as nice.
I think what I’m trying to say is that Atlantic Canada is a wildly distinct area of the country that really stands out. And deserves a lot more tourism support than this latest $11 million injection. I know Ottawa provides support for a lot of things in this part of the country, but if our Prime Minister was really on the ball he’d see that supporting tourism in Atlantic Canada is an easy way to make more money and boost the economy of the area, thus giving the entire country a lift.
HERE AND THERE
The jetboats at Skippers Canyon are a great way to enjoy the wilder side of New Zealand. – JIM BYERS PHOTO
Actor Bryce Dallas Howard and National Geographic have put together a great video series highlighting some of the awesome things to do in New Zealand. I’ve been twice and loved every minute of both trips … On Saturday, August 26th Whispering Springs Wilderness Retreat will open its gates to the public, providing Torontonians with their very own glamping destination. Located an hour from the Greater Toronto Area, Whispering Springs Wilderness Retreat will introduce urbanites to a new, luxe way of experiencing the great outdoors. With elegant log-framed safari tents, king-size beds, soaker tubs and private outdoor dining areas, this is camping like never before … According to The Moorings, the world’s premier yacht charter company specializing in tailor-made luxury vacations, there has been a 50% increase in bookings to Croatia over the last year. Of course, Croatia being featured in HBO’s Game of Thrones over the last six seasons hasn’t hurt … Tomorrow (July 20) marks 50 years since Lars-Eric Lindblad led the first tourist expedition to the Galápagos. In partnership with National Geographic, Lindblad Expeditions continues to offer nearly weekly voyages to the Galápagos year-round. Click here for a cool video on Lindblad’s half-century of visits to the islands … Hotel VIA in San Francisco officially opened last month. The 159-room independent hotel is the first ground up build boutique hotel to open in the city in nearly 10 years and is located across from AT&T Park, the fabulous ballpark for the San Francisco Giants. Guests rooms have unobstructed views of the park and the hotel also has the city’s first rooftop lounge, with 360 degree views of the park, San Francisco Bay, the downtown skyline and more. The hotel offering special introductory rates (20% off) through the end of July. Rates start at $199/night, which is dirt cheap compared to most San Francisco properties … Ritz-Carlton recently announced it is getting into the cruise business. Now Sandals Resorts owner Butch Stewart is talking about a Sandals cruise line, with trips that would include a pre or post-cruise stay at a Sandals Resort. It’s a smart move that capitalizes on the well-known Sandals name, I think. Ditto for the Ritz-Carlton concept.
