Day 25: Charlottetown PEI to St Andrews NB

Day 25

Miles 326 (7217)
Two Lanes 204 (5836) 81%
Top Down 326 (6354) 88%



We awoke to a warm and cloudless day. July 1. Canada Day. It is timely that we are in PEI on this Canada Day. The birth of the country occurred in meetings held here in Charlottetown in the mid 1860's. On July 1, 1867 Canada received its Independence from Great Britain.

Well sort of. Britain continued to control all foreign policy and left its troops stationed in Canada. The troops did not leave until 1906. At the end of WW I, Canada had to fight Britain to be allowed to be an independent signer at the Treaty of Versailles. And it was not until 1926 that the British Parliament actually passed legislation allowing Canada to be free, and Britain did not recognize Canada as an independent nation of equal status until 1931.

A lot has been written as a metaphor about how Britain as parents handled its various children. In the early 19th century Britain, through her powerful navy, became the largest empire in the history of the world. She had control over Canada, Australia and New Zealand, India, South Africa, Burma, and parts of Indonesia. The "oldest" child was the future USA. Born in 1607 at Jamestown, the US was much older than British Canada. Parts of Canada became British only after the war with France ended in 1763. India and Aussie/NZ were not settled/occupied until the late 18th and early 19th century.

The first child (USA) finally had enough of parental control and rebelled in 1776. The Brits made sure no other child would behave this way. They squelched rebellions in Canada (we never learned about that: Nova Scotia 1830's), India, and South Africa. Finally Canada was allowed "to have its own apartment". But Britain still controlled whom it made freinds with outside of the family, and had an armed guard living in Canada's house. After many years the guard was removed, and after many more years Canada was able to choose its own friends in the international community.

In the meantime the Brits picked a fight with the US in 1812 attacking Washington DC and buring the Capitol (the last attack on the continental US until 9-11. Th Brits also sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War by running ships through the Union Blockade. Britain wanted the South's cotton for its mills.

Good son. Bad son. Canada. US. The family metaphor is quite compelling.

We left the island province of Prince Edward Island by crossing the Confederation bridge. The Bridge crosses 8 miles of the Northumberland Strait between PEI and New Brunswick. It was completed in 1997. The round trip toll is $42.50 !

Prior to the bridge all passengers and freight traveled by ferry. This was often problematic as the strait is covered in thick ice during winter months. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the ships were often underpowered and could not break thru the ice. Ice boats were used: wooden boats with runners that were pulled across the eight miles. Doesn't sound like fun.

For more info on the bridge go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederation_Bridge

For the live bridge web cam: http://www.confederationbridge.com/en/webcam.php

As we entered New Brunswick we saw a sign for an winery! In New Brunswick. We drove the country road to it and found Winegarden Winery. Immigrants from Germany they have been making wine, brandy and kirsch for 30 years.

We drove past the Bay of Fundy, home to some of the largest tides in the world. The peak tide during full moon at the top of the Bay is 56 feet! Common tides are 25-35 feet. That is a tide that would drown a two-three story building. And in Saint John the river has a rapids close to the Bay, and during the flow tide the rapids run backwards (Reversing Falls Rapids).

We ended the day at Fairmont Algonquin at St. Andrew's by the Sea. This is an old Canadian Pacific resort hotel. And we watched fireworks from a patio table at the shore, looking across the river at the shore of the USA. St. Andrew's, NB and Calais, Maine (pronounced "Callous" ...just like Cairo, Illinois is pronounced Kay-ro) have a competition each year. Sitting about 3 miles apart across the mouth of the St. Croix River, St. Andrews shoots them off on the 1st of July and Calais on the 4th. The waiter told us "We kick their ......." but the man at the next table said, in a below the belt hit, "But they have better fish and chips".

Footnote: Our history books are so Anglo-centric, I bet you did not even know that in the mouth of the St. Croix River, on St. Croix Island (3 years before the first permanent English settlement occurred at Jamestown -- 1607) , the French made a permanent settlement here in 1604.





JULY 1: CANADA DAY! On this day in 1867 Canada was given limited freedom from Great Britain. It was not until 1906 that British troops left, and it was not until 1931 that the British Parliament acknowledged that Canada was an equal and sovereign nation.

The Harbor at Charlottetown



White and Red everywhere!



Detours for small town parades.



The Confederation Bridge: 8 miles long and not cheap (the fare is for round trip). It is the longest bridge over ice covered waters in the world.






Erosion causes by tidal action in the Bay of Fundy




Red Squirrel



The rain squall: Linda drove thru it at 85 with the top down. The faster you go the less rain gets in the cockpit. We were nearly dry as the wipers were on full blast!