Fundy kids steal intermission at Hockey Game

Among several events that took place during the Canada Games this month to promote the Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign was the delightful intermission performance at the men's hockey final. Young hockey players from the region donned special "VoteFundy" hockey jerseys with 7s on the back then skated out to form a giant 7. Over 10,000 spectators were urged to vote for Canada's Bay of Fundy in the global campaign by texting FUNDY to 77077 or in French BAIE to 77077 ($0.25 per text vote!).

Text Voting for Bay of Fundy announced at national press conference!

We're thrilled to be hosting the Canada Games in our region this week and next. The Games take place every 4 years and are the country's biggest winter sporting event. With so many Canadians attending and watching on TV, it's also a great chance to share the Bay of Fundy's quest as the only Canadian site in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign.

Our first VoteFundy event took place at the Opening Ceremonies on February 11 (see pix of me and the Premiers of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia!).

Then today I was thrilled to be joined by our two Tourism Ministers and a couple of young hockey players to announce that text voting for Bay of Fundy in the campaign has been set up for all Canadian mobile devices: simply text the word FUNDY in English (BAIE in French) to the phone number 77077. Each text vote costs you $0.25 and you can text votes as many times as you like. We used the backs of our hockey jerseys to remind folks attending the press conference about the text voting number: 77077!

Snow cliffs ~ thick & furious

Luckily for the Canada Games, now taking place in our region, we've had an unusual amount of snow this winter. The Bay of Fundy is in the 'snow belt' on the east coast of Canada anyway but even still there are many years when the snow comes late and melts early.

This year's significant accumulation makes for some interesting sights as the winter photo series here on my blog illuminates. Top among these sights are steep, craggy Bay of Fundy cliffs blasted with a thick layer of snowy sediment, such as those pictured here.

This lucky shot taken a few days ago in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia: high tide local cove in the foreground and Cape Blomidon - 8km across the Minas Channel - in the distance.

Vote Fundy campaign joins hands with Canada Games!

Big excitement at the official Opening Ceremonies of the 2011 Canada Games in Nova Scotia tonight: I joined the two "Bay of Fundy Premiers" to promote our vote Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign.

Darrell Dexter (Premier of Nova Scotia), David Alward (Premier of New Brunswick), and I had a great time welcoming visitors at the entrance to Halifax Metro Centre with our votemyfundy.com giveaway magnets.

We met lots of folks from across the country and had a few laughs when many asked, incredulously, "Are you fellas really the premiers?" Yes, we assured them, they really are our two premiers. I even have the photo to prove it!

A trip on the mystical Fundy ferry...

One of the best ways to close the travel loop around our horseshoe-shaped bay is to traverse its entrance aboard the Fundy ferry.

I took this 'shortcut' across the bay today but not before I ran into a business colleague in Saint John, New Brunswick, who shared this mystical photo of the ferry. He's been living in the Fundy city for several months and was in the right place at the right time to capture ferry photo on one of last weeks -15 C days - an occasional winter sight on the coldest of days when our bay churns up sea mist.

Today's trip across to Digby, Nova Scotia from Saint John was clear and bright by comparison. The kind of trip which, in the summer, might net you a lucky whale glimpse on the horizon.