Bay Of Fundy: New Brunswick's Northeastern Border

New Brunswick, a province in Canada, is bordered by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast. The Gulf of Saint Lawrence is one of two main discharge basins in the province, the other being the Bay of Fundy to the south. The Saint Lawrence basin is fed by several rivers, including the Saint John River, the Miramichi River, the Belle Kedgwick River, the Northumberland Strait, and the Little Main Restigouche River.

The Gulf of Saint Lawrence

The gulf is an important waterway for shipping and transportation, as well as for fishing and tourism. The gulf is known for its high tides, which can reach up to 50 feet (15 m) in some areas. The gulf is also home to a diverse range of marine life, including whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and various species of fish.

The gulf has a long and fascinating history, with early European exploration dating back to the 16th century. The gulf has been a site of settlement and trade for centuries, with the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet people inhabiting the region long before the arrival of Europeans. The gulf has also played a significant role in the development of the Maritime provinces, with the establishment of colonies and the growth of industries such as shipbuilding and lumbering.

Today, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence continues to be an important part of the region's economy and culture, with tourism and marine activities being a major draw for visitors and locals alike. The gulf offers a range of outdoor activities, including boating, fishing, kayaking, and wildlife watching. The gulf is also a popular destination for those interested in history and culture, with many historic sites and communities along its shores.

The Bay of Fundy

The tidal range in the Bay of Fundy is approximately 16 metres (52 feet); the average tidal range worldwide is only one metre (3.3 feet). Some tides are higher than others, depending on the position of the moon, the sun, and atmospheric conditions. The tides in the bay are semidiurnal, meaning they have two highs and two lows each day, with about six hours and 13 minutes between each high and low tide.

Because of tidal resonance in the funnel-shaped bay, the tides that flow through the channel are very powerful. In one 12-hour tidal cycle, about 100 billion tonnes of water flows in and out of the bay, which is twice as much as the combined total flow of all the rivers of the world over the same period.

The Miꞌkmaq fished in the Bay of Fundy and lived in communities around the bay for centuries before the first Europeans arrived. The first European settlement was French, founded on Saint Croix Island in Maine, and then Port Royal, founded by Pierre Dugua and Samuel de Champlain in 1605. Champlain named it 'Labaye Francoise' (The French Bay).

The Northumberland Strait

The northeast side of New Brunswick, one of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories, is bordered by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The Northumberland Strait, a body of tidal water, is also located in this region, between Prince Edward Island and the coast of eastern New Brunswick and northern Nova Scotia.

Geography and Climate

Tourism and Economy

History and Culture

The coastal areas of the Northumberland Strait were settled by Acadian French from the early 16th century and by English, Loyalists, and Scots in the 18th century. The strait is named after HMS Northumberland, the flagship of Admiral Colville. The strait is famous in folklore for regular sightings of the Ghost Ship of Northumberland Strait, a flaming vessel that appears in its middle waters. Additionally, the ice boats, small rowed boats that made dangerous crossings during winter to transport mail and passengers before the era of ice-breaking ferries, are also culturally significant.

The Saint John River

The river is regulated by hydropower dams at Mactaquac, Beechwood, and Grand Falls, New Brunswick. The river is mostly calm, except for waterfalls at Grand Falls and at the Beechwood Dam. The river is prone to flooding in the spring, and major flooding has occurred several times in the past, including in 1923, 1936, 1973, 2018, and 2019. The severity and frequency of flooding are expected to increase with climate change.

The river's headwaters are in the New England/Acadian forests of Maine and Quebec, including the Southwest, Northwest, and Baker branches, and the Allagash River flowing into New Brunswick at Edmundston, where it is joined by the Madawaska River. The middle section of the river runs from the confluence of the Aroostook and Tobique rivers, flowing southeast to the Mactaquac Dam. The lower basin, 140 kilometres (90 miles) to Saint John Harbour on the Bay of Fundy, consists of lakes, islands, wetlands, and a tidal estuary. The final tributary, the Kennebecasis River, is a fjord with a sill, or rise in depth near the mouth of a fjord caused by a terminal moraine.

The Webster–Ashburton Treaty following the Aroostook War established a border between New Brunswick and Maine along 130 kilometres (80 miles) of the river, while a tributary forms 55 kilometres (35 miles) of the border between Quebec and Maine.

The Miramichi River

The estuarine portion of the Miramichi River downriver from Newcastle in the city of Miramichi flows through a drowned river valley. Sea level rise in Miramichi Bay has flooded the mouth of the Miramichi River with saltwater. The estuary comprises the inner portion of Miramichi Bay and is protected from ocean storms in the Gulf of St. Lawrence by barrier islands. The estuary is significant in that it is a highly productive ecosystem, despite its relatively small size.

The estuary is a highly dynamic environment, ranging from the high outflows of freshwater during the spring freshet, to the low outflow and rising saltwater content during the summer period, to fall ocean storms and nor'easters that reshape the barrier islands and the old river channel. The inner bay measures only 4 m deep on average, with the navigation channel measuring only 6–10 m, resulting in significant warming of estuarine waters during the summer months. The diurnal tide cycle ranges only 1 m on average.

Atlantic salmon fishing is restricted to fly fishing only, and all large salmon caught must be released alive to protect the spawning population. Since this fishery is highly regulated, all anglers should contact the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources to obtain the specific rules and regulations for each river and tributary in the Province of New Brunswick prior to fishing, as special licences, salmon "tags", and permits are required.

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