Atlantic provinces - Atlantische Provinzen

As Atlantic provinces (engl. Atlantic Canada) become the four easternmost provinces on the Atlantic Ocean Canada designated: Newfoundland and Labrador as well as the three "sea provinces" Maritime provinces or short: Maritime) New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

The four provinces in Canada, across their different characters, form a culturally independent region in which not only English, but also French and Celtic influences are clearly noticeable.

The Atlantic provinces are a destination for individualists who love the sea and are primarily looking for scenic beauty on vacation, which can also be rough. The climate in the Maritimes is moderate thanks to the strong Atlantic influence and the weather in midsummer is mostly mild and friendly; In Newfoundland and in Labrador, the cold Labrador Current and the lack of higher mountains determine the predominantly cool and humid climate.

Hardcore individualists can try Labrador, which offers endless, pristine tundra landscapes with subarctic and arctic climates, is hardly accessible by roads and lives in the coastal region of Innus and Inuit.

Regions

Atlantic provinces
New Brunswick (New Brunswick): 
The province in the northernmost Appalachian Mountains is the only officially bilingual in Canada.
River Valley·Appalachian Range·Acadian Coastal·Miramichi River·Fundy Coastal
Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia): 
The peninsula is a traditional center of lobster fishing.
Northumberland Shore·Cape Breton Island·Eastern Shore·Halifax metropolitan area·South Shore·Yarmouth and Digby·Annapolis Valley·Minas Basin
Prince Edward Island: 
The densely populated island offers beaches and lovely hilly landscapes.
North Cape Coastal Drive·Green Gables Shore·Red Sands Shore·Charlottetown metropolitan area·Points East Coastal Drive·Magdalen Islands
Newfoundland and Labrador: 
The northernmost of the Atlantic provinces comprises two parts that are clearly different in terms of landscape, climate and culture.
Newfoundland·Labrador·Saint Pierre and Miquelon

places

New Brunswick:

Nova Scotia:

Prince Edward Island:

Newfoundland:

Labrador:

Other goals

The one also located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence Anticosti-Island and the protected as a national park Mingan Archipelago do not belong to the Atlantic provinces, but to the Quebec Province.

The archipelago in the south of Newfoundland Saint Pierre and Miquelon is not Canadian, but a French overseas territory.

background

Nova Scotia gained worldwide importance as the center of sailing shipbuilding in the 19th century. The one built in Maitland in 1872–1874 William D. Lawrence was one of the largest wooden sailing ships in international maritime history, with a gross registered tonnage of 2,459.

At the time of the European colonization of the region, Labrador Innu and Inuit, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island were home to the Beothuk, Mi'kmaq, Maliseet and Abenaki peoples. The first Europeans to get to the region were Vikings, who reached Newfoundland and Labrador around the year 1000. In 1961, the Norwegian Helge Ingstad discovered the remains of a Viking settlement near the village of L’Anse aux Meadows on the extreme northern tip of Newfoundland, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Landed in 1497 John Cabot, Italian navigator in British service, in Newfoundland, which also officially became British in 1583, and in Labrador. After Cabot discovered large deposits of cod off the coast and the sailors Giovanni da Verrazano and Jacques Cartier had explored the region further - Cartier discovered Prince Edward Island, among others -, many French immigrated to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia from the early 17th century and founded the colony Acadie. After many years of military conflicts with the British, especially in Europe, the region fell to England with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The French-speaking population was deported in 1755 when they refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the crown. New England farmers followed suit, and after 1783 also many royalists who refused to accept the outcome of the American War of Independence. The Cape Breton Island, which had also become British in 1763, took in emigrants from the Scottish highlands. New Brunswick became province and separated from Nova Scotia after the Acadiens deported years earlier were repatriated and at the same time there was a wave of Scottish immigration and, later, an even larger immigration from starving Ireland.

When the Canadian Confederation was founded in 1867, which claimed a certain degree of independence from Great Britain, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were part of it from the start. Prince Edward Island followed in 1873.

Newfoundland, which was a self-governing colony when the Canadian state was founded (1931), did not join until 1949. The island - for centuries Canada's poor house - has been one of the country's most prosperous regions thanks to an oil boom since the turn of the 21st century.

language

English-Gaelic place-name sign in Nova Scotia

English is easy to get along with anywhere in the Atlantic provinces.

In New Brunswick, 32% of the population are native French speakers, in Nova Scotia and on Prince Edward Island around 4%, in Labrador and Newfoundland less than 1%. Real opportunities to speak French can only be found in the north and east of New Brunswick and in parts of Digby County (Nova Scotia).

Even where French is the dominant mother tongue, English as a second language is usually mastered at a very high level. When in doubt, say hello, “Bonjour, hello” and then express your concerns in the language that you speak better yourself.

In the east of Nova Scotia and on Prince Edward Island, many residents speak English as well as Scottish or Irish Gaelic, a few hundred of them at a native level.

Arrival and mobility

By plane

Halifax Stanfield International Airport

The most important airport in the Atlantic provinces for international traffic is the Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) in Nova Scotia, which is served not only from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, JFK and Newark, but also from Frankfurt, London and Reykjavik. The St. John's International Airport (YYT) on Newfoundland is served from Newark, Dublin and London, among others.

The international airports at Gander, Stephenville (both Newfoundland), Fredericton, Moncton (both New Brunswick) and Charlottetown Airport (Prince Edward Island) are only of regional importance. In addition to the ones mentioned here, there are a number of smaller airports in all four provinces.

When visiting Labrador, it is generally advisable to travel by air. Happy Valley - Goose Bay Airport is serviced by Halifax and Newfoundland. You can also travel to Labrador by car; but that takes e.g. from Montreal to Labrador City more than 16 hours, and if you want to go to the sea, e.g. up to Cartwright, you are even on the move for 30 hours.

By train

Route of the Ocean-Line

The state-owned Canadian rail company Via rail operates the in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Ocean-Line that Montreal and Quebec connects with the following cities:

The journey from Montreal to Halifax takes approximately 22 hours and costs $ 233.86 for a single trip for 2 adults ($ 660.20 with a 2-bed cabin; as of summer 2015).

By bus

Numerous bus companies offer overland connections in the Atlantic provinces. Here is a selection:

  • MaritimeBus. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick.
  • DRL. Newfoundland.

In the street

Cabot Trail
Trans-Labrador Highway

Your own (rental) car is not only the cheapest, but also the most practical means of transport in most parts of the Atlantic provinces. Except for Labrador, all regions have high-speed motorways, including the Trans-Canada Highwaywhich - only interrupted by the Channel-Port-aux-Basques - North Sydney ferry connection - runs from St. John's on Newfoundland via Truro, Amherst (both Nova Scotia), Moncton and Fredericton (both New Brunswick) to the Canadian west coast. The traffic density in this part of Canada is low - especially for Central European travelers - and driving is quite relaxed. There are some dream roads of the continent in the Atlantic provinces, including the Cabot Trail on the Cape Breton Island. If you are not in a hurry and don't have a child in the back seat for whom cornering becomes blumerant, you are generally best advised to drive coastal roads in this region, because they are always extraordinarily beautiful. A holiday in the Atlantic provinces can really be spent driving one coastal road after the other and stopping along the way to take in the beauty of the rocky shores, the beaches and the cliffs.

Labrador can be reached by land from Baie-Comeau, Qc on Route 389. The road is paved except for two sections of approximately 100 kilometers each. From Labrador City the continuously paved Trans Labrador Highway leads to Happy Valley - Goose Bay. From there the Labrador Coastal Highway leads via Red Bay to Blanc Sablon, Qc. The first and last 80 kilometers are paved on it. Most of the coastal towns can only be reached by plane or on the water.

On the water

The MV Atlantic Vision operates between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

The following ferry connections exist to the Atlantic provinces and within the Atlantic provinces:

Tourist Attractions

New Brunswick

Prince Edward Island

  • Island Hill Farm, Hampshire. Island Hill Farm on Facebook.Operating farm with a petting zoo that welcomes visitors.
  • Brackley Beach, Brackley Beach.
  • North Rustico Beach, North Rustico.

Nova Scotia

  • Sable Island National Park
  • Grand Pré. Cultural landscape shaped by French settlers, UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Newfoundland

Labrador

activities

Coast in Newfoundland
Humpback whales off Nova Scotia

For the inquisitive

  • Visit museums to study the culture and history of the Aborigines, Acadians, Scottish and Irish immigrants, regional seafaring.

For connoisseurs

  • Drive off coastal roads and stop at every beach, every lookout point, every stop and admire the landscape.
  • Drive from lighthouse to lighthouse.
  • To take a walk on the beach. Bathing is at most because of the predominantly ice-cold water Northumberland Shore possible.
  • Whale watching. In addition to fin, humpback, blue and porpoise whales, dolphins and seals cavort in the waters around the maritime provinces and Newfoundland. Whale watching is offered on the zodiac (turbo inflatable boat) and on the excursion boat; here and there you can even snorkel with whales.

For those who want to exercise

  • Kayaking.
  • Hike. Beautiful and well-documented trails can be found especially in the national and provincial parks.
  • Cycling is very popular in the region, but because of the many hills it is more for advanced cyclists.
  • Motorcycling. The coastal roads are teeming with curves, and New Brunswick and the Cape Breton Island also offer charming low mountain ranges.

kitchen

A poutine prepared in the traditional Acadian way

Seafood dishes such as lobster (steamed or as a lobster roll), but also fish & chips and other fish dishes, seafood chowder, crabs, crabs and mussels are popular with tourists and locals alike.

In New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, traditional Acadian cuisine can be found here and there, with dishes like Poutine râpée (Potato dumplings with a pork filling) and Rappie Pie (a stew or pie-like potato dish with meat filling).

A typical dish for that Annapolis Valley is in Nova Scotia Hodge Podge, a stew made from fresh garden vegetables.

Traditionally, algae (dulse), often used as a snack to nibble on. Blueberries grow abundantly in the area and are also common in local dishes. It is often sweetened with maple sugar, which is made from maple syrup.

A must-try on Prince Edward Island are the ice cream products from the Charlottetown-based manufacturer Cows Creamery. A particularly popular type of ice cream that can be found in New England is found almost only in the Atlantic provinces grape nuts (By the way, grape-nuts are not nuts or grape seeds, but a breakfast flake made from wheat and barley).

In all parts of the region - with the exception of Labrador - wine is grown at least here and there. There are 3 wineries on Prince Edward Island, 5 on Newfoundland and 13 in New Brunswick. At the top is Nova Scotia with 32 wineries, the most famous of which are in the Annapolis Valley can be found.

Similar to the USA, the serving and sale of alcoholic beverages is subject to strict government supervision in Canada. No alcohol is allowed to be sold to anyone under the age of 19 in any of the four provinces. If you want to buy alcoholic beverages outside a pub, you can only do so in state Liquor stores to do; in Nova Scotia these are often associated with supermarkets. The regulations are most liberal in New Brunswick, where licensed small wineries and breweries are also allowed to sell directly, and designated restaurants are allowed to allow guests to drink their own wine. Alcohol should only be drunk where it is served or in the privacy of a hotel room, for example. Anyone who drinks in public places such as parks or beaches is liable to prosecution everywhere in the Atlantic provinces; the same applies to motorists in whose passenger compartment the bottle of an alcoholic drink that is no longer originally sealed is found; such bottles always belong in the trunk.

nightlife

In larger towns - especially in those that are a bit more touristy - you can find taverns, alehouses, cafes, bars, pubs, wine bars, lounges and nightclubs everywhere, many of which also offer live music. On the Cape Breton Island It is worth looking out for places where Irish or Scottish folk music is played in the evenings.

security

At dusk you have to deal with the risk of accidents involving wildlife.

The crime rate is low, especially in the less densely populated areas. Larger risks to beware of are getting lost in the wilderness, being surprised by bad weather in remote locations or - especially at dusk or in the dark - bumping into wild animals in the car, which should be taken into account that a moose can have as much mass as an old VW Golf, namely 800 kg.

climate

Summer is short in Newfoundland and Labrador.

New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia have mild summers with maximum daily temperatures of 23 degrees. It is a little cooler on the southern tip of Nova Scotia and slightly warmer in inland New Brunswick. It rains frequently, but mostly only in the form of short showers; the majority of summer days are sunny. Newfoundland has mean daily maximum temperatures of 16 to 20 degrees in midsummer, with the region around St. John's being slightly warmer than the west and north. If you feel cold, it is better to visit Newfoundland only in July or August, because the summer is very short here.

Winters are mild in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and the coastal New Brunswick regions; because the ocean stores the sun's heat well into winter, the mean temperatures are barely below –10 degrees Celsius even in January. Those who like it icy and snowy should travel to the interior of New Brunswick, where -15 degrees are normal and average in January.

Labrador is much further north and has a subarctic or arctic climate. In the interior, i.e. around Labrador City, the July temperatures are similar to those on Newfoundland, but in January you have to be prepared for average temperatures of -22 degrees. On the coast, the winters are slightly milder, but even in midsummer you usually only get 15 degrees at noon.

literature

In German language

  • Andrew Hempstead, Mark Morris: Canada - Atlantic Provinces - Nova Scotia - New Brunswick - Prince Edward Island - Newfoundland & Labrador, Michael Müller, 2009, ISBN 978-3899534993
  • Mechtild Opel: Canada's Maritime Provinces including Newfoundland and Labrador. Travel guide, Reise-Know-How-Verlag 2008, ISBN 978-3896622075

In English

  • Chloe Ernst: Scenic Driving Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Globe Pequot Press 2011, ISBN 978-0762764815
  • Fodor’s Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada: with New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland, Fodor’s 2014, ISBN 978-0804142038
  • Trudy Fong: Maritime Provinces Off the Beaten Path, GPP Travel, 6th edition 2007, ISBN 978-0762744176
  • Andrew Hempstead: Moon Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Moon Handbooks, Avalon Travel Publishing, 7th edition 2015, ISBN 978-1631210372
  • Barbara Radcliffe Rogers, Stillman Rogers: Adventure Guide to Canada's Atlantic Provinces: Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Labrador, Iles de la Madeleine, Adventure Guides, 3rd edition 2005, ISBN 978-1588435132

Web links

Full articleThis is a complete article as the community envisions it. But there is always something to improve and, above all, to update. When you have new information be brave and add and update them.