OneCity
THREE PARKS
Moncton
They don’t call it the ‘hub city’ for nothing. Not only is Moncton, N.B., a rail and road
axis for the Maritimes, it’s also a short drive away from three spectacular national parks.
By Kim Keitner with photography by John Sylvester
1. FUNDY NATIONAL PARK
What has the force of 8,000 locomotives, is as tall as a four-storey building and travels hundreds
of kilometres every day? The tides of Fundy, of course, which are among the highest
in the world. Their constant ebb and flow has carved the southeastern New Brunswick
shoreline into a series of dramatic cliffs and awe-inspiring sea stacks. See it for yourself in Fundy National Park, about 80 kilometres
southwest of Moncton. The tides may not be at their peak power in the park, but you can still hike past wave-sculpted coastline
and through the wooded beauty of the Acadian highlands on the linked trails of the 45-kilometre Fundy Circuit. Low tide offers
opportunities for the adventurous to explore the ocean floor. If all that fresh air makes you hungry, head to the village of Alma,
just outside the park’s western gate, and visit a local seafood joint.
www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nb/fundy/index.aspx
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| Click map to enlarge |
2. KOUCHIBOUGUAC NATIONAL PARK
Pronounced “Kou-she-boo-gwack,” the park, a 90-minute drive north from Moncton on Highway 11, sits on the Northumberland
Strait, which claims some of Canada’s warmest ocean waters. Named for the river that cuts through it, Kouchibouguac (a Mi’kmaq
word meaning “river of the long tides”) is home to seven preserved ecosystems; its 238 square kilometres of protected land contain
bogs, salt marshes, tidal rivers, lagoons, abandoned fields, forests and barrier islands. Visitors can observe hermit crabs,
sand shrimp and jellyfish in their natural habitat on guided “lagoon life” eco-tours, which are offered in French and English
for free with admission to the park. One can also watch large colonies of grey and harbour seals, up to 1,000 on a good day, which
frequent Kouchibouguac’s barrier islands at low tide. For those who prefer nature at night, the lack of light pollution in the park makes
it ideal for star gazing — it was designated Canada’s sixth Dark Sky Preserve during the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.
www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nb/kouchibouguac/index.aspx
3. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
When Jacques Cartier first sailed to Canada’s eastern shores in 1534, he wrote, “all this coast is low and flat, but the finest
land one can see and full of beautiful trees and meadows.” Stretching 40 kilometres along the northern coast of Prince Edward
Island, the province’s eponymous national park is one of Canada’s smallest — but with its signature red sandstone cliffs and rolling coastal dunes abutting the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the park has some of Canada’s nicest beaches. It’s also a destination for bird lovers: more than 300 species, including the common tern, osprey and endangered piping plover, have been spotted on the beaches and cliffs and farther inland. Another popular feature is Green Gables House, the inspiration for the setting of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 classic Anne of Green Gables. It takes about two hours to drive to the park from Moncton via the Confederation Bridge.
www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/pe/pei-ipe/visit.aspx.
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