Saint John, New Brunswick: A Naturally Air Conditioned City
The City of Saint John is wrapped around the mouth of the St. John River in southern New Brunswick. It is commonly referred to as the air-conditioned city and is well known for the Reversing Rapids. When the tide rushes in, its strength causes the powerful St. John River to reverse its direction and rush upstream over the jagged rocks. The Falls Restaurant, open all year, has a good view of the falls and great dining too. Reversing Rapids Jet Boat Tours are available to those who wish to experience the tide’s power up close and personal.
The famous industrialist, K.C. Irving, did a lot of his business here. Today his family carries on with Irving commerce and industry. The Irving sign is extremely familiar to Maritimers.
Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada; many enterprises have long been established here. Moosehead Breweries Limited. And T.S. Simms Company. Ltd. have been in business for more than 135 years. Wasson’s Drugs was established in Saint John 100 years back. Visit the Saint John Town Market on Charlotte Street to discover everything from produce to crafts, clothing, and souvenirs.
Harbour Station opened its doors in 1993. It’s an enormous complex where sports, exhibitions, varied forms of entertainment, and civic events are held each year. Ice hockey is a fave at Harbor Station, the QMHL Sea Dogs are most popular. The renovated Imperial Theatre in uptown Saint John provides the city with fine entertainment in luxurious surroundings. The acoustics are outstanding! The Jeux Canada Games Aquatic Centre attracts sports fans for swimming and diving teams; family swims are available. Canoe and underwater diving lessons are also available.
High on a mountain in Saint John West sits the Carleton Martello Tower. It’s a National Historic Site. Construction began back in 1813 when Saint John was still the Capital of New Brunswick. The tower is publicly accessible through a second-story entrance. During WWII the tower held important communications equipment. An exhibit at the site explains its role in the war.
Saint John is fortunate enough to contain several beautiful parks. The Irving Nature Park and Rockwood Park are 2 of the nicest. Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre, an education centre for residents and tourists, is situated at beautiful Rockwood Park. If you love that ‘country in the city ‘ feeling, you must certainly visit Saint John’s parks.
Accommodations are widely available at the Coastal Inn, the Delta Brunswick and the Hilton Saint John to name only a few. All have packages customized to specific interests. For example, Shamper’s Bluff Inn at Kingston provides unrestricted usage of canoes, kayaks, and bicycles.
Saint John is the perfect town to experience the various Bay of Fundy attractions from. It’s only a short drive to the famous bay of fundy whirlpool and if you are willing to drive a little further, a must-do activity is shubenacadie river rafting. Since the town is so close to the water, mist rolls in intermittently helping to air-condition the entire area. Ships anchored at Saint John Harbour add to the view while crossing the Harbor Bridge.
Canada Games Aquatic Centre