BriDGe OVer trOuBleD Waters: saint John harbour.
photos: malcolm brett
Sjoa
sLiCK City WhiteWater
Saint JohnbY Doug sCott
I
n 1783, an industrious group of nearly 10,000 Loyalists fleeing
the American Revolutionary War left New York and arrived at
8
the mouth of the St. John River. In two short years, the hard-work-
ing Loyalists turned this simple British fort into Canada’s first
BEST URBAN incorporated city—Saint John. With its ice-free port and easy access
harry Cox.
WHITEWATER to high quality lumber, Saint John quickly became one of Canada’s
most important centres of industry. The Loyalists’ work ethic has
1 saint John, new brunswick
prevailed for more than 200 years and today Saint John is the indus-
2 Montreal, Quebec
factoids
trial engine of the Maritimes. Home to Canada’s largest oil refinery,
3 Pueblo, Colorado
» population: 122,000
two pulp and paper mills, a power plant, a natural gas terminal, a
4 ottawa, ontario
» average house price: $178,000
5 Watertown, new York
brewery and enough coffee shops to float an armada of kayaks, Saint
» average rent: $650
6 reno, nevada
John is an unabashedly blue collar town. But when the shift ends, » number of gear shops/guide
7 Cambridge, ontario
working stiffs from every walk blow off steam at one of the country’s
outfitters: 8
8 Missoula, Montana premier—and little known—urban park-and play-spots.
» McDonalds: yes—6
WhiteWater LoWDoWn launch here and paddle four kilometres and historic imperial theatre, or listen to saint
saint John owes its remarkable whitewater to
east to park-like Partridge island, a former John’s up and coming musicians at Lily’s Café in
the city site’s particularly unique geography. Just
quarantine station and fort during both
rockwood Park. summers in saint John are also
five minutes from downtown, the st. John—one
World Wars.
a great time to experience the east Coast music
of eastern Canada’s largest rivers—meets the
MoUntain BiKinG: a five-minute drive from up-
scene. in July, the salty Jam Festival brings
world’s highest tides (up to 40 feet) at the Bay
town, 890-hectare rockwood Park is one of
together all types of music from folk to reggae
of Fundy. Kayakers at reversing Falls—so named
Canada’s largest urban parks. twenty-seven
for three days on the waterfront.
because, at high tide, the influx of seawater cre-
kilometres of mapped trails and many more
ates rapids that run upriver—are the beneficia-
of signed singletrack cut by local mountain
LoCaL hero: harrY Cox
Salida
ries of this volatile confluence. the rapids vary bikers keep riders, runners and hikers busy
“you don’t stop kayaking when you get old;
from class i at mid-tide (when the elevations of after work.
you get old when you stop kayaking.” this
river and sea are the same) to class V at high sKiinG: in winter, the renowned Maritime storms
sentiment would sound trite coming from
and low tides (when the difference in elevation dump an average of three metres of snow
can top 14 feet). and with features constantly on the city and rockwood Park can become
anybody but harry Cox, the 60-year-old dean
appearing, disappearing and moving around, a wonderland for cross-country skiers and
of new Brunswick kayaking. a retired chemical
the variety is a real treat. For challenging down- snowshoers—until the next rains, anyway.
engineer, Cox isn’t content to spend his golden
river paddling and a change of scenery, head
years lounging in a rocking chair. if he’s not
east to the Broad and Forty-Five rivers in Fundy
grub, Pub anD hubbub
putting the young punks to shame at reversing
national Park (class iV–V, 2 hrs). stop for breakfast at slocum and Ferris in
Falls, he’s likely with the Canadian Freestyle
the saint John City Market, or grab a snack
Kayaking team (he’s the manager), at the pool
Cross-training at Pete’s Frootique. opened in 1876, the City teaching neophytes to roll, lecturing high school
sea KayaKinG: irving nature Park, on the city’s Market is north america’s oldest and has long
students about following their passions, or even
west side, provides direct access to the been the city’s social focal point. For evening driving an ambulance as a paramedic. one
Bay of Fundy. For a scenic, historic day trip, entertainment, check out a show at the grand thing you won’t find Cox doing is sitting still.
26 Rapid spring 2010
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