For whatever reason, New Brunswick isn't usually considered a top priority when first-time travelers begin hatching plans to visit the eastern provinces. Even within Canada, the province is as well known for its pulp mills, industrial forests, cargo ports, and refineries (Irving Oil is based here) as for its cute villages, high tides, fresh air, or friendly locals.
And to foreigners? The place is mostly confused with the same-named city in New Jersey. Either that, or it's viewed as a place to be driven through as quickly as possible en route to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Rest assured, though: New Brunswick does have pockets of wilderness and scenic beauty that equal those anywhere in eastern Canada, and plenty of great cultural offerings. (FDR was crazy about the place.) This province's appeals are just a bit less obvious than those of, say, Cape Breton.
So you'll need to do a little homework before heading there, but if you do, you can definitely cobble together a number of fun excursions taking in the province's variegated landscapes. You can lounge in surprisingly warm ocean waters lapping up on sandy beaches that hold their own to anything Prince Edward Island's got to offer. You can shutterbug it on rocky, surf-pounded headlands that look like the far shores of Newfoundland. You can gape at huge tides that will stun the kids with their drop and power. You can even browse through a chocolate museum (which must be the best idea for a museum by anyone, anywhere, ever).
You could also make time to explore a salty, pubby maritime city, Saint John, that makes a nice run at copying Halifax's mix of arts, culture, beer, and a busy working harbor.
Some weather-numbers watchers claim this province has the warmest summers and sunniest winters in the country, on average -- and the provincial tourism commission has been all too eager to jump on these stats as proof that there's something magical here. But I think that's missing the point. I don't think they need to reach so far.
My advice is just this: Go explore New Brunswick beyond the highways, beyond the first glance. Do that, and you'll find it to be a place full of lovely landscapes, friendly locals, and fun things to do.
Indigenous Cultural Experiences in New Brunswick
The 15 First Nations communities in New Brunswick are a vital part of the province's heritage with more Indigenous names for rivers, towns, and landmarks in this region than in any other Atlantic province. These include Madawaska, meaning "land of the porcupines" in the Wolastoqey language, and Escuminac, which means “look-out place” in the Mi’gmaw language. There are many opportunities to experience the unique culture of each First Nation, whether through attending a summer powwow, sampling traditional food, participating in a smudging ceremony, or listening to aboriginal stories and folklore. Here are three of our favorite immersive experiences.
The Elsipoqtoq Heritage Path Tour at the Elsipogtog Mi'kmaq Cultural Centre on 29 Big Cove Road (tel. 506/ 521-0308) is a 1.5-hour experience that has won awards for excellence in Indigenous tourism. It begins with a traditional greeting and smudging ceremony with aromatic sage and sweetgrass in a community-raised teepee, followed by teachings by a knowledge keeper to connect past customs to present ways. On the outdoor Heritage Path, visitors learn about traditional uses of plants as medicine, explore authentic wigwams, longhouses, and sweat lodges, and gain insights into ancestral life. Tours are held Tuesday to Friday from mid May to the end of October, the cost for adults is C$57, seniors C$51.50, students C$50, and youth ages 7-13 C$37.
First Nations Storytellers (tel. 506-333-9690), founded in 2021 by Dave Smith and Gail Bremner, offers tours in the Saint John area that bring to life the First Nations’ connection to the land and its rich history. Smith is a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, a period from the 1950s to the 1980s when Canadian authorities implemented policies to forcibly remove Indigenous children from their communities and place them for adoption with white families. Now he’s dedicating his life to teaching the culture that was taken away from him. His most unique guided experiences involves kayaking at sunset from the South Bay region of the Wolastoq (Saint John River) toward Grand Bay, then stopping at a beach for a small bonfire to enjoy traditional bannock and smoked sturgeon. Indigenous Storytelling Walks are also available in uptown Saint John, winding through a historical portage route and over archaeological sites that reveal the often-overlooked influence of the Wolastoqi and Mi’kmaq peoples. Another top offering: a guided snowshoeing tour.
Wabanaki Tree Spirit Tours and Events (tel. 506/461-6806) Cecilia Brooks, an elder of Wolastoqey, Mi'kmaq, Mohawk and Korean ancestry leads a walk through Fredericton’s Odell Park, where trees are up to half a millennia old. Participants learn about edible and medicinal plants, their properties, and the rich history of the Wabanaki people. Along the way, they sip on tea made from balsam fir, which has historically been used by Indigenous peoples for its high vitamin C content and hear about natural remedies that have treated ailments for generations. Guests are often amazed by the practical uses of plants they would normally overlook and the cultural stories tied to these natural resources. The two-hour tours cost $60. Guide Cecilia is also the owner of Soul Flower Herbals, which makes body care and wellness products in small batches from locally harvested raw materials.
