Noticed in New Brunswick

When I traveled through New Brunswick a few weeks  ago I saw a few areas that will likely look a lot different once summer rolls around.

In 1755 the “Great Expulsion” was when the British Governor decided to round up and expel the entire Acadian community, over eleven thousand French settlers, from Nova Scotia. He used the war with France as an excuse, but it was really a land grab for the most fertile soil in the province. They were scattered to other British colonies, some to France, others went to Louisiana and some even went into hiding in New Brunswick.

Having not gone to school in Canada I knew nothing of these things, and discovering how "French" New Brunswick still is was very much a surprise to me.  Everywhere I went I was greeted in French and it was admittedly uncomfortable to answer apologetically in English.

Not even any English on the Billboards!

Luckily I took 4 years of French in high school (34 years ago!) and by the end of my week in New Brunswick a lot of it was coming back to me and I was understanding about 25% of the conversation. It will be interesting to see how well I'm comprehending after a few more visits.

Moose crossing signs are different in every province, and I always enjoy when they picture a moose next to a vehicle.  A reminder of how big they really are never hurts, right?

I noticed a few distilleries, including Blue Roof Distillers located not far from the Confederation Bridge to PEI whose potato mascot still looks more like a peanut to me.  Nevertheless, I have discovered this year that I enjoy a nice gin, which they create in addition to vodka, so I will have to stop in for a tour.

I got out for a walk in the woods near Bathurst at the Daly Point Nature Reserve when the sun was out. With 100 acres of salt marsh, wooded plots and an extensive network of trails it should be a good place not only for walking on future trips but for wildlife spotting as well.

Stoplights were a bit confusing in New Brunswick

The next morning I woke to a snowstorm and had to drive 250 km through the mountains to Edmundston.  Definitely my least favorite day of the trip.  One thing I will say about Canadian drivers, I have seldom seen anyone off the road in any of the provinces I have driven this winter.  In Wisconsin I saw people in the ditch all the time in similar weather conditions so the conclusion I draw is motorists are more cautious and therefore have less incidents.

Once I reached Edmundston I had the option of thanking God or getting a drink.  Bourbon in my hotel room restored my shattered nerves nicely, I'll tour the lovely church another time.

Moncton public art

New Brunswick has a few larger cities, Moncton is the largest with a little over 70,000 inhabitants.  I'd forgotten how stressful it was to find parking in a big city, and even though I'm eager to see what public art and museums these places have to offer I'm always happier when I get back out on into the countryside.

Speaking of the countryside, we have sunshine and temps almost reaching 50F/10C today and tomorrow.  Time for this country gal to get outside and play again!