Bay of Fundy Lobster map

I just customized a wee map of our four lobster seasons here in the Bay of Fundy (zones 34, 35,36,38). Even though lobster is available year round in restaurants throughout the bay, it's always nice to know when it's lobster season in the local area. Even after having grown up here I still find it amusing to watch the boats motor in on the incoming tide to unload their traps.

Bay of Fundy - One of Canada's 7 Wonders?

CBC introduced a new contest this week that met with a great flurry of interest from our little corner of the country. I went to the CBC website earlier this week to nominate the Bay of Fundy - that is, the whole Bay of Fundy. Apparently lots of other Fundy folk did the same because Sounds Like Canada host Shelagh Rogers noted on Friday that Niagara Falls and the Bay of Fundy were the two most popular nominees so far!

Anyone who knows the Bay of Fundy can make a compelling case for it to be considered for this accolade. The Bay appears on various international list for great Wonders of the World but is perhaps less appreciated here in our own country - kudos to CBC for making Canadians more aware of these special places in Canada. If you'd like to vote for the Bay of Fundy, visit the CBC website.

It could be because I'm Pisces...

It could be because I'm Pisces but I've got a great interest in coastal art - fish in particular. This morning I was delighted to see a friend in the Bay of Fundy region selected as feature Artist of the Day by Art News Canada.

Choleena DiTullio is Fine Arts grad who uses acrylic as her primary medium. Her recent experimentation with phosphorescent painting has been very well received. Inspired by the natural phenomenon where deep-sea fish use bioluminescent nodes to glow in the dark, her artwork 'charges' in the daylight then creates a whole new painting for the wall on which it is hung after lights-out. Her work is in private collections across Canada, in the U.S. and Australia.

If you are in the Bay of Fundy region you can catch some of Choleena's work at the fabulous Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, New Brunswick.

I love this artist's view into the undersea, afterhours life of our Bay!

(The above sketches have been posted with Choleena's permission.)

Art mimics life 200+ million years ago

I went to a really interesting art unveiling on Sunday at the Fundy Geological Museum in Parrsboro. The Atlantic Geoscience Society commissioned five paintings that depict our region during the Triassic and Jurassic periods. To create the paintings the artist, Judi Pennanen, had to work with a team of experts to piece together everything known about these periods. The team included botanists, geologists and paleontologists.

The paintings will hang in the Fundy Geological Museum which is dedicated to the Triassic-Jurassic periods. All of the animals, all of the plants in the paintings are based on the fossil records found in Nova Scotia, which played a very important part in the formation of the Bay of Fundy region as we now know it.

Here are two of the photos as published in the newspaper today. The first on depicts what the region would have looked like 200 million years ago; the second shows a Prosauropod, a Jurassic-era dinasour that was found near Parrsboro.

Whale blog

Here's a link to a really cool whale blog, hosted by whale watch operator Quoddy Link Marine in St Andrews, New Brunswick. One of their staff, Danielle, a whale reseacher keeps a really detailed blog about whale sighting, whale info, etc. Things are gearing up for the season so take a look.

Lobster will soon be back!

I was reminded by Belle this morning that the spring lobster season opens soon on the Bay of Fundy. When we got to the wharf for our daily walk she scooted right over to the edge to 'inspect' a boat that had popped into the water since the day before. Lobster fishing seasons rotate around the Bay - ours here in Parrsboro goes from now until the end of July before resuming again in the fall. I'll see if I can track down a map of all the various lobster seasons in the Bay of Fundy. After all, one should never have to find oneself without lobster.

Making maple candy

The six-week maple sugar season officially ended this weekend. I dropped by our family farm and restaurant and was put to work spreading a batch of maple cream. Maple syrup is heated to a fudge-like temperature, stirred with a wooden paddle to aerate then quickly smoothed over a set of pretty candy molds. Don't worry, I wasn't too hard done by - got to eat a few sample scraps to, ahem, test quality!!

Ride 'The Bubble' on the Bay of Fundy

I mentioned the Reversing Falls Jet Boat Ride as a favourite Fundy activity earlier this week but forgot to note that the same company also offers another, more extreme adventure for the crazier among us: a "Bubble" Ride through the Falls rapids.

This exercise involves being harnessed inside the inflatable bubble frame show here then tumbling through the rapids, spinning in whirlpools and flipping through white caps. Note: you've got to be super-fit to maneuver this creature!

High-low tide video

While I was in an exploratory mood this week, I popped over to YouTube to see what sort of Bay of Fundy content I might discover. Found this ancient video clip from Britannica The voiceover is a bit groovy but it features an excellent timed video of the tide coming in so take a look! Another successful qualifier for my Bay of Fundy high-low tide collection!

Jet Boating in the Bay of Fundy

I finally figured out how to archive my previous posts in categories, as you can see in the sidebar. Now that summer is on its way I plan to add my best choices of Cool Things To Do around the Bay of Fundy. Here's a fun activity to consider if you are going to be visiting the Bay this summer: Thrill Ride with in Reversing Falls Jet Boat Rides in Saint John, New Brunswick.

The thrill ride is a great opportunity to feel and appreciate the power of Fundy's tides as the outflowing St John River meets the incoming tides. It's 20 minutes of pure exhilaration as you blast through the tidal rapids. Ah yes, plan to get totally, fabulously wet on this adventure. It's a blast!

Spring has sprung!

Just had a note and these photos from Trish Fry at the Annapolis Historic Gardens. Trish has a great photographic sense and is always on the lookout for 'curiosities' in the gardens.

I toddled around the Gardens with my camera a couple weeks ago, when it appeared that spring was well on its way. Since then things have been cool and slowed the plants down a bit, but the Gardens are beautiful as the early spring colour unfolds.The Witch Hazels are still in bloom (in the rose garden), the heaths are blooming (winter collection), and early bulbs throughout.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd share a few sunny spring photos with you, just to remind you that spring really is on its way! Trish

To see some of Trish's other pics check out my November posting: Bay of Fundy At Bloom in November?

Maple marinade recipe

With the abundance of maple syrup we have in the region our culinary inclinations extend well past pancakes. Here's a maple marinade for chicken or pork chops that I've been using for years:

Maple Marinade

1/2 c maple syrup
3 tsp Dijon mustard
zest & juice of one lemon
4 tsp balsamic vinegar
6 twists of freshly grated pepper
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 c. olive oil

Blend all ingredients, refrigerate for 24 hrs. Marinate meat for 45 minutes minimum. BBQ or roast meat, basting with marinade. Serves 4. To pump up the punch, consider adding more ginger, garlic or even chopped chili peppers!

This recipe came from Elaine Elliott's Maple Syrup cookbook.

Maple syrup FAQs

It seems like just about every sub-topic related to living here by the Bay of Fundy has its own set of frequently asked questions and maple syrup making is no exception. Here are a few that I've heard at our maple farm along with my answers:

1. How many litres of sap from the maple tree does it take to make one litre of syrup? By the time the sap is boiled down to syrup, 40 litres of sap has become one litre of syrup.

2. Can you make maple syrup out of all maple trees or just sugar maples? Techically, you can make syrup out of sap from other maples but Sugar Maple sap has a higher natural concentration of sugar so it is greatly preferred. (The other maple saps would take much more boiling to get them to the sweetness of sugar maple syrup).

3. What sort of spring weather favours sap production in the trees? Sap 'prefers' cool nights and warm days. My uncle cheers at daytime temps of plus 5 to plus 8 degrees Celius and a good overnight frost or temperature around minus 5.

4. I've heard that maple sugar is actually good for you, is that true? Everything I've heard and read about this indicates that yes, maple syrup is actually good for you. It is know to contain potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, manganese, phosphorus and iron as well as the B complex vitamins. It also has antioxident properties that have been compared with well-known antioxidents broccoli and green tea.

It's maple season here on Bay of Fundy

Well, so much for winter! The last couple weeks of warm winds and melting snow have heralded the arrival of "Sugar Season" on the Bay of Fundy....maple sugar season! Many families like ours have been tapping Sugar Maple trees here for generations.

We've a maple sugar making family in the upper part of the Bay of Fundy for over 100 years. We only tap about 4000 trees (fairly small amount compared with some other farms) but that's enought to keep our family, our town, our visitors and quite a few restaurants in Halifax supplied with real maple syrup for a year.

By the way, we jokingly call imitation table syrup telephone pole syrup since it compares that unfavourably with the real stuff!

East Quoddy Lighthouse painting

I've visited most of Bay of Fundy lighthouses around the Bay of Fundy (both those accessible by foot and some only by boat) - I have to say I've got a bit of a thing going for lighthouses in general. Here's another of Nita's lovely paintings: the East Quoddy Lighthouse on Campobello Island. The East Quoddy Light is accessible on foot at low tide but the path is a little trickier at high tide.

1st Swim of 2007!

Well, of course, it was Belle (my yellow lab) who went for a swim, not me! The weather has turned warm and springy and most of winter's ice cakes have melted. Belle couldn't resist hopping into the harbour for a dip last evening...brrrrrr! Personally I'd rather be on the Bay most of the time than in it!

A Facelift for the Princess of Acadia

Here's a bit of news about an extreme makeover Bay of Fundy style! While I was in Saint John last week I learned that the ferry between this Fundy city and the town of Digby on the Nova Scotia side of the Bay (the Princess of Acadia) is scheduled for a complete refurb this spring. Owners, Bay Ferries, have actually hired an interior decorator to spiff up this well-loved ferry link between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The two main passenger spaces is being fully recarpeted, all furniture is being reupholstered, the seating configuration is being changed, and the company will be adding new computers stations for passengers. This, combined with a new fare structure, is expected to renew interest in traversing the Bay of Fundy by ferry. The crossing only takes about 3 hours - I think it sounds like an awesome Bay of Fundy mini-cruise!

Saint John farmer's market

I had the good fortune to be in Saint John, New Brunswick this week for a few days of meetings.

A full city block in length, this amazing 125 year old Market runs downhill from the "head of the Market" on Charlotte Street, gently sloping to the Germain Street entrance, a full 20 feet below. At both entrances hang the same gates that have swung closed at the end of each business day since 1880.

Whenever I'm there I always make a point to stop by the City Market for fresh baguettes, odd fruit that I can't get at home in the country and, as you can see in this photo, a few fine fishes. It rates right up there in my 'must' experiences around the Bay of Fundy!

Musquash Estuary becomes Canada's newest MPA

The Bay of Fundy's Musquash Estuary has just been officially designated as Canada's sixth Marine Protected Area (MPA).

It is a rural, relatively pristine area with little development, and an outstanding example of a fully functioning estuary and salt marsh complex.

Located approximately 20 kilometres southwest of the city of Saint John, New Brunswick, the Musquash ecosystem provides a rich habitat for a variety of plants, commercial and non-commercial fish species, and other wildlife. The Musquash Estuary is highly valued by local residents, government agencies, and conservation organizations in the region.

This is one of David H. Thompson's photos of the Musquash Marsh. For more of David's photos or to learn more about Marine Protected Areas.

Sign of Spring on Fundy Bay

One sure sign that Spring is starting to arrive around the Bay of Fundy is the return of fog. Once winter sets in it's too cold to be foggy, since fog forms as warm, moist air drifts over a colder surface being cooled from below. I'm quite fond of fog - I find it enchanting, mystical and lovely to breathe in big, generous gulps. I smiled in my sleep last night when I heard our fog horn sound in the middle of the night for the first time in 2007.

How to dig clams on the Bay of Fundy

My recent attempt at creating a new Bay of Fundy sport (ice cake scambling) put me in mind of one of our longtime coastal activities - clam digging. The vast expanse of the Bay of Fundy's intertidal zone (the ocean floor that is exposed at low tide) proves to be an excellent area for digging bar clams.

Tools required for this exercise include: pitch fork, bucket and clothes that you don't mind getting really muddy.

Small holes in the sand/mud are your first clue that you are in 'clam country'. When you spot one, poke the pitchfork gently into the hole or step near the outside edge of the hole . If water spurts up, start digging with the pitch fork and retrieve the clam or cluster of clams.

If you're interested in digging clams while you visit the Bay, consult the local Department of Fisheries and Oceans for details on the clamming season and safe digging zones.

New Bay of Fundy high/low tide

Those of you who've been following my blog (love ya!) and new readers will not be surprised to learn that I kind of 'collect' sets of high-low tide photos.

OK, some people collect stamps, but hey, if you lived where I live you couldn't resist doing this either.

Artist Mary Sheehan Winn took this set from her beachside cottage in Parrsboro (on my dog walking route). Oddly, Mary and I had never 'met' until we crossed paths in the blogosphere! I rather pride myself on discovering and welcoming the 'summer people' (it's a small town, what can I say...). I'll look forward to sharing a cuppa tea with Mary when she arrives this summer!

To see other high-low tide sets, check out these previous posts: Road Under Water, Two Islands, Flower Pot Rocks.

More tidal power for Bay of Fundy

More news on the tidal power front this week: A U.S. company plans to generate electricity with new technology by tapping the tides of Passamaquoddy Bay, an inlet of the Bay of Fundy surrounded by New Brunswick and Maine.

Ocean Renewable Power is zeroing in on the waters off Deer Island and are suggesting that the company's first tidal power generators could be operating in the bay as early as 2009. They are creating a floating structure that contains four turbine generators.

Ocean Renewable Power's initiative is just one of the recent projects aimed at harnessing the tidal powers in the Bay of Fundy, considered one of the best sites in the world for such attempts.

In mid-February, Nova Scotia Power announced that it was teaming up with an Irish company to try to build one of the world's largest single underwater turbines in the six-kilometre-wide Minas Passage by late 2009.

See my previous posts about in-stream tidal power.

Chock 'a block on Digby Neck

Just had this note from whale watch operator, Tom Goodwin (Ocean Explorations) in Tiverton on Digby Neck at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy.

There's been quite a bit of ice out here. .... With especially cold weather (like Jan '04 and Feb '07), we get alot of ice forming in St.Mary's Bay which then floats off with high tides and drifts around to the Bay of Fundy, through the passages with the tide(s). This is a photo of the car ferry that runs from the mainland to Tiverton, pushing ice out of the way as it goes.

Ice cake "scramble"

Let me introduce you to a new Bay of Fundy winter sport: ice cake scrambling. This involves climbing small ice bergs deposited in the intertidal zone (beach) after the tide recedes. The tricky bit is that some may dissolve beneath you as you clamber up and over over.

Since I first observed the early ice sheets forming in January they've really picked up some oomph and chunked up into mini-icebergs. I'm sure they are a severe navigation factor but I do find them interesting explore at least when they drop on land. This morning I gave up my dog walk and opted for ice cake scrambling instead. (Belle enjoyed the climbing too!)

N'ice Lighthouse

This winter may just have to go on record as one of the best years for ice cakes in the upper Bay of Fundy. My normal dog walk into the intertidal zone at low tide was significantly impeded today by globs of ice cakes. Those in the foreground are about 8 ft high...I'll have to get back over with better climbing gear!

Massive moosehead in the Bay of Fundy

Just when I thought I'd seen every interesting perspective of the Bay of Fundy....

A chance Internet search by a Nova Scotia man living in Saskatchewan revealed a natural oddity that the rest of us had never noticed: the world's largest moose head.

John Patterson, of Meadow Lake, SK, couldn't resist sending Moosehead Breweries a Google satellite image of an area near Walton, NS that clearly shows a giant Bay of Fundy sandbar shaped exactly like the brewer's moose head logo. "What struck me was how detailed it was and to be in the middle of Moosehead country made it that much more intriguing," he said.

Ian Spooner, Professor of Environmental Geoscience at Acadia University in Wolfville, NS, said the naturally occurring phenomenon is actually a delta formed by an offshore accumulation of sediment enhanced by flood and ebb tide currents, as well as the shoreline geography. "The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world so there is considerable energy influencing the deposit build up here. Fortunately the satellite photo was taken at just the right moment - a few minutes earlier or later and the image would look different."

"When Mr. Patterson e-mailed us we thought it was a joke, but when we checked the image ourselves we couldn't believe our eyes," says Moosehead President Steve Poirier. "...It's great to see that Moosehead is part of the Nova Scotia landscape," he chuckled.

Tidal power enviro research

Good news this week on the tidal energy front:

The Nova Scotia government is investing $250,000 to research tidal power. The funds will be given to the Offshore Energy and Environmental Research Association to do a Bay of Fundy tidal power environmental impact assessment.

Am I crazy or has anyone else noticed that 'green is keen' all of a sudden?

See previous Bay of Fundy tidal energy posts: in-stream turbine photo #1, photo #2, map of Minas Channel.

Winter at 'The Rocks'

It's easy to love the Bay of Fundy in spring, summer and fall with all the sea-sky blues & greens and cliffscape cobalts & terra cottas. But in winter the tone of everything changes...really rather enchanting once you get used to walking around inside sepia photos! Here is a rare image of the 'famous' Hopewell Rocks in winter: strong, dramatic yet somehow peaceful. Thanks to Rocks staff Francine LeBlanc for sending along this stunning image.
Links to some of my earlier Fundy winter pics: Icecakes & Oatcakes, Winter Arrives on the Bay of Fundy

New York Muscat icewine too

If you confess to buying wine by the label (as I shamefully admit I do) you will also be enticed by the Grand Pre Winery's gorgeous wine bottle works of art (many available poster-size in the wine shops). Here is their New York Muscat icewine label and description.

New York Muscat Icewine

This Icewine has been left to ferment in cask, producing a complex and layered wine. It displays rich notes of papaya, preserved peach, dried apricot and Bartlett pear, in perfect balance with a crisp lively acidity that lingers on the palette. Enjoy these great flavours on their own or to compliment dessert and cheese.

This wine has won gold as well as bronze at Canadian and International Wine Competitions, as well as platinum provincially.

The Grand Pre Winery Estate is open yearround in Grand Pre, near Wolfville, on the Nova Scotia side of the Bay of Fundy.

Sample Vidal icewine

No, I am not offering free Grand Pre Winery samples here on my blog but rather a free view of their sample Vidal Icewine label, as well as its description:

This Vidal Icewine was hand picked at the end of the old and the beginning of the new millennium. It displays notes of apricots, lemon, blood orange and marmalade. It is balanced with crisp acidity and a long, lingering, sweet finish. Sip this rare treat by itself or as a sweet compliment to a dessert. (Bronze medal winner at 2001 All-Canadian Wine Championships. Bronze medal winner at 2001 Canadian Wine Awards).

The Winery is open year round and offers wine tastings in the wine shop as well as fine Northern European cuisine in their restaurant, Le Cave.

Ice wine anyone?

Did you know that some of Canada's best ice wines come from Domaine de Grand Pre Winery here on the Bay of Fundy? Although originally invented in Germany (eiswein), Canada is now known to have the most famous (and expensive!) ice wines.

Icewine is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, so the result is a concentrated, often very sweet but refreshing wine.

Because of high sugar levels it may take months to complete the fermentation (compared to days or weeks for regular wines). This, combined with lower yield and difficulty of processing, results in ice wines being more expensive than other wines.

So, not only can you enjoy the viewscapes around the Bay of Fundy, but you can enjoy such interesting tastes of our region as well - year round!

The art itself

Whoops, how rude of me, I forgot to include a sample of Mary's fine work in that post earlier today. With permission, here is Parrsboro Lobster Boat.

Says Mary: I sat on the sand at low tide and painted this lobster boat waiting for the tide to come in. The landscape is a stunning contrast of reds and purples in the mud and rocks and deep blues to Carribean-like teal greens in the water. Enormous craggy cliffs rise hundreds of feet along the shore conjuring dramatic paintings every where the eye looks. The light is shimmery, like island light and the mornings are frequently foggy, even as the sun tries to break through.

I can't think of a better way to enjoy a few hours here on the Bay of Fundy with eyes wide open! Terri

More Bay of Fundy-inspired art

Just received this interesting note from painter, Mary Sheehan Winn, who lives in New England but has an interesting Bay of Fundy connection:

Hi Terri, small world...I was cruising the blogosphere and came to your blog through the artist Nita Leger Casey. I was sure I recognized the Parrsboro Lighthouse in your photo. My husband's family was from the area and each summer we vacation in a cottage on the Bay there. I have hundreds of photos of your area which I feel is the best place my husband has ever shared with me. I also adore Parrsboro's Main St. gallery: The Destination Gallery, probably the most beautiful gallery I've ever seen. I'm sure I'll be back to read your blog many times before coming to Parrsboro in person in June. ~ Mary

Yes, Mary, I do actually live in Parrsboro but I love the whole big beautiful Bay of Fundy! I have the dream job of working with the tourism industry to share it more meaningfully with the world ~ lucky me! See you around town. Terri

Fundy sardine boat plans promo trip

Historic sardine vessel, the Bernadine will take on a new life this summer as floating Bay of Fundy promoter.

She'll be plying the waters of the St Lawrence River, summering in ports from Quebec City to the shores of the Great Lakes. The Bernadine (built orginally in Black's Harbour, New Brunswick in 1942) measures 85 ft stem to stern and is one of the oldest working wooden boats still sailing North American waters.

Skipper Charles Creaser describes some of the vessel's restoration work leading up to the trip:

Up on deck, the front of the wheelhouse was removed, and a new extension built on. The whole wheelhouse interior has been lined with N.B. cedar. Necessary repairs and painting of the deck, and new navigational equipment makes the boat a real show piece, both aesthetically to the casual observer, and to the knowledgable boatman. It has a custom made, user-friendly gang plank, built by the craftmen at Comeau Marine Railway on the other side of the Bay of Fundy in Meteghan, N.S. where all of the repairs were completed.

For more info on the Bernadine's awesome adventure (or to find out how to promote your Fundy business on board) email Charles: charleswymancreaser@hotmail.com. Imagine this delightful floating Bay of Fundy ambassador cruising various Ontario and Quebec ports...what a great idea, Charles!

Blue Cheese Mussels

It's been awhile since I posted a favourite Bay of Fundy mussel recipe. This one is a bit unusual but excellent - if you like blue cheese that is!

Blue Cheese Mussels

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stick celery, sliced
½ stick of leek, sliced
1kg mussels, cleaned
100ml white wine
30gr butter
60gr blue cheese, broken into small pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
1 handful of fresh spinach leaves
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

• Place oil, onion, celery and leek in a pot and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

• Add mussels, white wine, blue cheese, spinach, lemon juice and cook until mussels have opened.

• Add butter and parsley, stir and serve.

• Serves 3-4.

Previous mussel recipes links on my blog: Green Thai Curry Mussels, Spiced Beer Mussels, and Mussels Panagea.

Ice crusted vessel on the Bay

Just received these photos from one of our Bay of Fundy whale watch operators: Brier Island Whale & Seabird Cruises. There is certainly no whale watching at this time of year (starts in the spring!) but it's nice to see that Shelley is keeping a pretty close eye on activities down at the wharf.

Hi Terri – thought you’d enjoy seeing an interesting winter sight here on Brier Island at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy. While we don’t usually get much snow, we DO get some interesting ice formations during the winter fishing season. Here’s a photo of a vessel docked just below my house. The Mega Nova Ice 2 shows how ice formed on a slant as they were steaming into the wind. As a lobster boat it’s out on the ‘high seas’ - well, as much as 20 nautical miles off shore - every day and thus has many opportunities to get ‘decorated’ with ice. Keep warm! Shelley

Salty business

I just heard about a small Maine Company, Quoddy Mist Sea Salt, that is using the briny seawater that surges up the Bay of Fundy to harvest an unusual product: salt.

As a bit of a foodie myself, I've noticed a trend toward gourmet salts - now widely available in fine restaurants and health food stores.

The processing of common table salt typically removes the minerals, including iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and iodine. But gourmet salt companies have figured out a way to purify the salt water but leave in higher percentages of the healthy minerals.

This is how the brine-to-salt process works: draw in seawater, filter it, heat it, evaporate it, grind it and package it. A byproduct of the process, which is strikingly similar to that used by maple syrup producers (we'll talk about that next month!), is distilled water. Currently Quoddy Mist discards the water back into the bay but the company is looking for a market for the pure water.

The end product can look like giant icicles, tiny snowflakes or little squares - lovely to see and taste!

Time & tide

I've noticed that the tide is frequently used as a metaphor in literature as something unstoppable or unharnessable by humans. Consider the famous tide quote: "Time and tide wait for no man" by Chaucer. Even still in common English when our circumstances change the tide is said to be 'turning' and we often speak of moving 'with' or 'against' the tide. Because most coastal locations around the world have some sort of tide (though admittedly not as big as ours here in the Bay of Fundy), it's just too tempting to create these handy tide metaphors.

Bay of Fundy wins 2nd Green Award

Just got back from Halifax where the Bay of Fundy Tourism project that I manage won a 2nd award for its green business program!

Received at the annual Gulf of Maine reception, this Department of Environment award recognizes the success of our non-profit association in developing and implementing environmentally responsible tourism principles.

Our eco-business program works directly with tourism operators to identify and reduce environmental impacts of their businesses.

Here's a photo of our team accepting the award. I am joined by staff from the Eco-efficiency Centre (who delivers the eco-biz program for us) as well as folks from NS Tourism, Culture & Heritage and the Tourism Industry Association of NS.

In October, 2006, we received national recognition for our program when we were awarded the Parks Canada/Globe & Mail Sustainable Tourism Award at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada conference in Alberta.

A whale on my lawn?

Great snow around the Bay of Fundy today. Had a bit of fun in my back yard sculpting this whale out of snow.

Taking action against LNG

I've had several emails from Bay of Fundy folks wondering what they can do to voice their concerns about the LNG proposal. One of the best things we can do is sign the new petition that urges the Canadian government to declare the effected area an "Emergency Marine Protected Area".

A vital Canadian resource can be protected with an Emergency MPA. Existing social assets such as traditional fishing, tourism, aquaculture, etc. are maintained by this process. New industrial developments , however, would be forestalled until it is shown that they will not negatively impact the existing natural and social environments. This could be just the way to end LNG's move up the coast!

If you'd like more info on other citizen initiatives regarding this project, check out the website www.savepassamaquoddybay.org. Or if you'd like to know more about possible effects on Fundy whales, see my November whale post or visit my colleague Art's Bay of Fundy whale blog.

Cold days = warm spa treatments ~ Fundy style!

The colder it gets this winter around the Bay of Fundy, the more enticing a Fundy-themed spa becomes. Many accommodations around the Bay offer spa experiences. These photos from Inn on the Cove in Saint John, New Brunswick, show a full body Phytomer mud wrap using marine nutrient rich mud and a Bay of Fundy hot stone massage overlooking the bay. Sounds good to me!

Feeding the Gulls!

I came across this typical Bay of Fundy winter sight while walking the dog this morning. Food for shore birds is scarce this time of year so many people share stale crusts of bread with seagulls. If encouraged, gulls will appear out of nowhere to feast just outside our back doors but I, like most Bay folks, like the excuse to go to the beach to feed 'em.

Nice ice in the Bay of Fundy

The past few winters around the Bay of Fundy haven't been cold enough to produce ice cakes of any decent size. When I was a kid I remember some the size of a car. However, this year we've had enough of a cold snap to witness the formation of sheet ice in Fundy's many sheltered harbours. Here's a photo taken in the inner Parrsboro harbour this morning. The only thing missing is the eerie creaking and groaning of the ice as it shifts from the flow of tide beneath.

Plein Air Painting on the Bay of Fundy

In my frequent travels around the Bay of Fundy over the past decade I've witnessed many photographers (professional & amateur) and painters 'in action' capturing images of our Bay.

I came across one such artist recently: plein air painter Nita Leger Casey. Nita lives in New England but has spent many summers painting the Bay of Fundy in the areas around Campobello Island in Passamaquoddy Bay.

Here's a sample of her work (used with permission). To see more, visit Nita's blog Gingerbread Art Studio.

Enviro impacts of in-stream tidal energy

I've been searching everywhere for comprehensive environmental impact assessments of in-stream tidal energy. I guess because there haven't been any major in-stream tidal energy projects, there also isn't much available in the way of research results.

The environmental and societal impacts of the old style tidal barrage (think: dam) have been well documented: significant damage to estuarine ecosystems including destruction of habitat for fish, bird and other organisms, disruptions to commerical & recreational navigation, as well as significant alterations to river currents & sediments.

It appears that these factors would not come into play where in-stream tidal energy is concerned. Why?
1. in-stream turbines are located individually underwater, therefore no dam blocking the flow of water,
2. small marine life can pass through the slow turning blades (larger creatures are diverted by screens on some turbines),
3. early simulation appears to indicate that in-stream turbines (because they are capturing only a portion of the energy of the current) will not cause silt build up or significant alterations to marine currents.
If this is the case then in-stream tidal energy would be the greenest of the alternate energy technologies!

Joggins Fossil Centre design

Just received this great concept photo from the team involved in the development of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs project on Chignecto Bay in the upper Bay of Fundy.

The 13,000 sq ft centre will house a gift shop, lab, about 6,000 ft of exhibition space devoted to the significance of the cliffs and will greatly improve access to the fossil beachs.

Wonderful to see that the building's design incorporates local sandstone as well as a couple of innovative 'green' features: a vegetation roof and a wind tower to provide electricity.

The Centre, which will open later this year, is expected to attract about 40,000 visitors annually from all over the world. I can't wait to head down there to see the finished product!

For more info on the Joggins Fossil Cliffs see my December post about its UNESCO World Heritage bid or visit the project website for frequent updates.

Snow bug at the beach

Ooooooh, too cold to do my usual dog walk from town to the beach this morning (-21 C) so I heaved Belle in the back of my VW bug and drove over. Went for an awesome walk and I just had to capture these silvers & blues when we got back to the car. Another beautiful day on the Bay of Fundy!

Save Passamaquoddy Bay from LNG

My final New Year's wish for the Bay of Fundy is in such stark contrast to the green tidal energy project I've been describing...it's bizarre!!

This wish involves controversial proposal to build a $700 million dollar liquefied natural gas plant at Maine's Mill Creek where the St. Croix River meets Passamaquoddy Bay just 20 kilometres south of the Canada-U.S border. At least one nearly 1000-foot-long LNG tanker is expected to pass through Head Harbour each week. Even before the plan has gone through environmental reviews on both sides of the border, our government says it will not allow LNG tankers through what it claims are Canadian waters. Yay Canada! but...

I've read that the United States says we will be violating international laws by refusing to allow liquefied natural gas tankers through Head Harbour. Canada says LNG tankers in Head Harbour are environmentally dangerous, potential threats and just plain not wanted!

I'm not alone in wanting to see this project cancelled - hence, it's magical position as New Year's wish #1.