Just north of St. Martins on the Bay of Fundy is Fundy National Park just outside of the village of Alma. Let’s explore what’s here, starting with the visitors center for our Headquarters campground (a number of other campgrounds are in this park).
Headquarters visitors center – so welcoming
From the visitors center we could see a big grassy area and then the bay below. This park area is a stopover spot for migrating monarch butterflies.
Milkweed offers a favorite food for migrating butterflies.
When we first arrived, the bay was at low tide. Some red chairs by the edge of the grassy area pulled us toward them.
1 set of chairs overlooking the bay
another set of chairs were in the sun
a panoramic view of the bay at low tide
So what are these chairs about?
They are placed in Canada parks across the country so visitors can discover breathtaking landscapes. These were the first we’ve seen and wish the park sold miniature chairs as Christmas ornaments for a souvenir.
Here are the views the next morning as the tide was in.
red chairs where Barney was waving
another look at this view
looking another direction
information signs along the grassy area
Red River Resistance in 1869 was led by Louis Riel.
He headed the provisional government that protested the transfer of land without the consent of its inhabitants. After negotiations with Ottawa, the region joined the early Canadian Confederation and became a province of Manitoba in 1870.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier held the office of Prime Minister as the first francophone to do so when he was elected in 1896. He worked to achieve a united Canada through encouraging vast migration to the West, unprecedented industrialization, creation of provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and establishment of the Royal Canadian Navy.
Women fought overseas and at home for the war effort and the right to vote during WWI
Overseas they served as paid nurses and volunteers. At home they worked in factories, worked the land, ran patriotic organizations to send supplies to Europe, and parented without their husbands. Their accomplishments drew great respect and were a key factor in winning the right to vote.
honoring Canada’s involvement in the Battle of the Atlantic in WWII
This battle was an intense 6-year struggle throughout WWII to supply the defense of Britain and the Sovient Union to enable the liberation of Europe. This defense included the St. Lawrence where 23 ships had been sunk by German submarines within sight of Canada’s shores. Much thanks goes to the Canadian sailors, airmen, merchant seamen, and shipbuilders.
walk to Alma
From the visitors center we could walk down the hill to the village of Alma.
walking down the hill
almost there – the harbor is on the right
Welcome to Alma!
Molly Kool (from previous post) grew up in Alma. This restored historic home (circa 1840, post & beam construction) was her childhood home.
She became the first female seafaring captain in North America.
opening to the harbor – tide was out this morning
See the boats resting on the ground?
Later in the afternoon Barney drove into town for gas and took this picture of the opening to the harbor at high tide.
views of Alma
main street
moose #3
Kelly’s Bake shop was the home of the famous NB sticky buns.
We so enjoyed these treats that really were sticky.
Collin’s Lobster Shop provides lobsters to all of the restaurants in the village and to restaurants and grocery stores outside of Alma.
pool of live lobsters
can’t believe Barney was willing to pick one up
and here’s the beauty
cooked lobsters were also available for purchase
Denise who was working there today told us that local fishermen were either fishing for lobsters or scallops, depending on the month. Extra lobsters were caught in-season and stored in wire cages in the water. When the shop got an order, they pulled up the cage and pulled out as many live lobsters as they needed. This way fresh lobsters were available all-year round.
And then we saw this partially enclosed area at the edge of town.
We found out that it was a hockey rink. In winter, the sides were fenced in, and the area was flooded so it could freeze over and make an ice rink for hockey. In Iowa where I grew up, the city parks staff flooded tennis courts and baseball fields that would freeze over so we could have outside skating rinks during the winter.
And of course we were finally ready for lunch.
Emma was our server for lunch and was a delight to talk to. She’s never read anything by Jane Austin, so I encouraged her to read about her namesake.
With this list of desserts, we almost gave in. What would you have chosen?
This is our lunches. I had lobster-stuffed mushroom caps. So good.
Finally it was time to walk back to our campground.
We walked up these steps.
And then took a break before we tackled the next set of steps.
