Canada Guide
The Maritime Provinces
Canada's Maritime Provinces – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island – are the country's three smallest provinces, and their combined population of around two million has been largely confined to the coasts and river valleys by the thin soils of the forested interior. Even today, the bulk of the Maritimes remains intractable – 84 percent of New Brunswick, for example, is covered by pine, maple and birch forest – and this rough and ready wilderness combines with a ruggedly beautiful coastline to form one of Canada's most scenic regions. The chunks of fertile farmland that punctuate the forests are also appealing, principally in the undulating fields of Prince Edward Island (PEI) and the lowlands around New Brunswick's Grand Falls, both of which produce massive crops of potatoes, and in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley, a major fruit-producing area.
Most visitors to the Maritimes come for the coastal scenery and the slow pace of the "unspoilt" fishing villages, but the Maritimes were not always as sleepy as they appear today. When the three provinces joined the Dominion in the middle of the nineteenth century, their economies were prospering from the export of fish and timber and the success of their shipyards. But, as opponents of the confederation had argued, the Maritimers were unable to prevent the passage of protectionist measures favouring the burgeoning industries of Ontario and Québec. This discrimination, combined with the collapse of the shipbuilding industry as steel steamers replaced wooden ships, precipitated a savage and long-lasting recession. Within the space of thirty years, the economic collapse transformed most of the Maritimes from a prosperous, semi-industrialized region to a pastoral backwater dependent on the sale of its raw materials – chiefly wood and fish. In recent years, tourism has helped to keep the region's economy afloat – the tourist industry is extremely well organized, though out of season – before mid-May and after mid-October – many attractions and B&Bs are closed.
Highlights
1 Halifax The British lost the US, but they intended to hold on to Canada – as the stirring militarism of the Citadel demonstrates.
2 Lunenburg This handsome fishing port is small-town Nova Scotia at its prettiest, its hilly streets dotted with charming Victorian mansions.
3 Annapolis Royal The perfect place to unwind, with some great B&Bs, public gardens and a postcard-pretty coastal location.
4 Cape Breton Highlands National Park Rearing coastal headlands and plunging forested valleys provide some of the finest hiking in Atlantic Canada.
5 Bay of Fundy The swirling waters, whale-watching and record setting tides of the bay are at their most pristine in Fundy National Park.
6 The Beaverbrook Art Gallery This beguiling gallery in Fredericton has an outstanding collection of Canadian paintings.
7 Fort Beauséjour The grassy ditches and earthen mounds of this old British fort offer superlative views across the Bay of Fundy.
8 Prince Edward Island National Park A splendid beach of pristine, red-hued sand set against the deep blue of the ocean.
9 Charlottetown It's hard to resist the leafy, amiable charm of this delightful town and capital of Prince Edward Island.