We left Maine after driving on Interstate 95, past Houlton, and entering Canada at Woodstock, in New Brunswick. The border guard (or are they now called agents?) took our Canadian passports, looked at them and then us to make sure there was a vague resemblance between photos and people. She then asked, “Do you have any firearms?” to which we could honesty reply, “No.” She then asked about recreational drugs. Again we could honestly reply in the negative. One final question involved what is technically referred to as a slew of products, to which we also replied that we did not have any of them. Our passports were handed back, and we were allowed into Canada on highway 95.
Our first stop was at …
Fredricton
Of course I realize that nobody is interested in the city hall, only the fountain in front of it. A nude cherub = Putto with Fish (official name) = Freddy the Nude Dude (popular name) was donated by George Edward Fentey (1812 – 1899), sometime mayor and architect, in 1885. Since 2013, the original Freddy is kept safely inside the city hall, while a replica entertains tourists.
Located in downtown Fredericton we encountered the New Brunswick College of Crafts and Design, with its goal to prepare students for success with design and entrepreneurial skills. Programs include: 1-year Certificate Programs in Foundation Visual Arts (FVA) and Advanced Studio Practice. 2-year Diplomas in 3D Digital Design, Ceramics, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Jewellery/Metal Arts, Photography, Textile Design, and Wabanaki Visual Arts = history and traditional crafts of the Wolastoqey, Mi’Kmaq, and Passamaquoddy First Nations cultures in Atlantic Canada. This can be transformed into a 2+2 = 4-year Bachelor of Applied Arts Degree with the University of New Brunswick, also located in Fredericton.
Sports enthusiasts may want to find somewhere else to live, as Fredericton has no professional sports teams.
In New Brunswick we stayed at the BayBreeze restaurant and motel in Pocologan, run by Greek immigrants John and Maria. They had lived in Canada for about as long as we had lived in Norway. John is a couple of years younger than I am, but continues to work. This enterprise is seasonal. They also spend time in Ontario, visiting their daughter and grand daughter. They also spend time in the village in Greece, where they have their origins.
Saint John
Canada Day, 2025-07-01 and we are heading off again to Saint John (yes, without an ‘s as in Saint John’s, the capital of Newfoundland). We had been there for a quick visit the day before, but this time we were going to explore the city for real. It is located 43 km north-east of Pocologan, where we stayed.
While there were lots of people, and almost as many Canadian flags, in downtown St John. One of the more interesting natural phenomena was the Reversing Falls. The primary industrial operation near the falls is the Irving Pulp & Paper mill. The mill is located on the west side of the gorge. The Irving family has been described as having an economic monopoly in New Brunswick. Yet, their origins are modest. James Dergavel Irving (1860 – 1933) started the family business empire by opening a gas station in Bouctouche, approximately 40 kilometres northeast of Moncton. Since then the range of businesses owned has grown to over 250 located throughout Canada and the United States. In 2017, the various petrochemical, logistics, retail, and media companies were estimated by MacLeans to be worth $14.5 billion at the end of 2024.
The cormorants at the Reversing Falls provided the most entertainment. At the far end they would fly forward, then allow themselves to drift down with the current. Presumably, when the current flowed in the opposite direction, their flight path would be reversed. I did not wait to see.
The 8.9 km2 Rockwood Park claims to have six or ten lakes (sources vary) and 55 trails (sources are consistent). We circumnavigated Lily Lake and enjoyed the sculptures found there.
One of the first sculptures we encountered with Sunshine and Moonlight over Saint John (2012) by Japanese sculptor Hiroyuki Asano (1963 – )
The Day of Mourning was first observed in 1984 by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and later adopted by the Canadian Labour Congress. The date was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the first Workers’ Compensation Act in Ontario, Canada, in 1914. In 2023, the latest year for which I have been able to obtain statistics, there were 1 057 workplace fatalities recorded in Canada. Among these deaths were 29 young workers aged 15-24.
The Day of Mourning monument in Rockwood Park, Saint John, New Brunswick, was unveiled on a National Day of Mourning (2011-04-28) to honor workers who have died, been injured, or become ill due to workplace hazards. The monument depicts workers lifting a beam, with two ghostly figures representing lives lost with a woman on a crate symbolizing unsafe conditions. A canary on the beam also serves as a reminder of the use of canaries in mine shafts to detect toxic air. The Day of Mourning is observed annually on 04-28. It was made by Fred Harrison and Darren Byers.
Georgian (as in the European country) sculptor Jhon Gogaberishvili (1953 – ) is responsible for this artwork found in Saint Stephens, New Brunswick, titled, Time and Universe (2014). Saint Stephens is situated on the east bank of the St. Croix River, which forms a large section of the border between Maine and New Brunswick.
Pocologan to Moncton
Our route from Pocologan to Moncton took us along the highway 1 freeway, before we turned off onto highway 114. allowing us to drive through Mechanic Settlement. Yes, it has to be one of the most appealing location names in all of Canada, for people with an interest in technology. Soon we reached Fundy National Park (FNP). In 2025, free admission to Canadian national parks was available to us, and everyone else, from 06-20 to 09-02, inclusive, as part of the Canada Strong Pass initiative. The Canada Strong Pass is not a physical or virtual pass that you need to get. One just shows up at the included attractions.
After leaving FNP, we encountered the fishing village of Alma, where one could appreciate the tidal height differences, and its inventory of modern fishing boats.
After stopping and admiring the village, we continued on to Hillsborough, where the New Brunswick Railway Museum is located. It has the largest collection of railway artifacts in New Brunswick, about half being from passenger operations, while the other half is of freight, maintenance-of-way and service equipment.
The museum is also home to one aircraft, a preserved CF-101 Voodoo fighter jet, an all-weather interceptor aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force between 1961 and 1984. They were manufactured by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri.
Also near Hillsborough is the Weldon Private Park, where we stopped for a few minutes.
We did not spend much time in Moncton itself. About 46% of the Moncton’s population is bilingual and understands both English and French. The only other Canadian cities that approach this level of linguistic duality are Ottawa, Sudbury, and Montreal. Moncton became the first officially bilingual city in the country in 2002. This means that all municipal services, as well as public notices and information, are available in both French and English. It is also the fastest growing metropolitan area in Canada.
I remember Jane Cooper telling everyone in our class at John Robson Elementary School, about visiting Magnetic Hill, an optical illusion, on the outskirts of Moncton. About seventy years later, we paid our CAD 10 entrance fee, and experienced it. My advice to readers is to save their money.
My advice to readers is to save their money.
Love it!