Unspoiled natural parks with views carved by the Bay of Fundy, steep, history-lined streets bustling with Maritime charm. Uptown arts, dining and entertainment inspired by the passion of the region. Whether it's through the people you meet, the places you visit, or the sights you see, the spirit of Saint John is always clearly in view. Cruise, Drive, or Fly Saint John, on the Bay of Fundy. With natural wonders around every turn, and powerful tides rising as high as a four-storey building, Saint John is a place where fog rolls in from the Bay of Fundy and the locals call it "natural air conditioning", "dulse" is considered a delicacy, and famous Moosehead beer is brewed right here. Explore the colourful past of Canada's oldest incorporated city, (est.1785) a bustling port with a small town feel, and where fresh seafood is served up with big helpings of Maritime hospitality. Saint John, where lighthouses and covered bridges dot the landscape and endless stories are waiting to be told.


City Profile
Saint John, New Brunswick is located on the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the St. John River, with a population of approximately 70,000, and 100,000 in Greater Saint John which includes the neighbouring communities of Rothesay, Quispamsis, Grand-Bay Westfield, and St. Martins. Saint John has a temperate coastal climate ranging from 22C/71F in summer, to -3.9C/25F in winter.

Travelling Distances
Saint John is a 90-minute drive from the U.S.A. border at Calais, Maine.
It is a 3-hour drive from Bangor, Maine and an 8-hour drive from Boston.
It is a 3-hour ferry crossing to Digby Nova Scotia, and a 4-hour drive to Halifax, NS.
There are daily direct flights to Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto on Air Canada & WestJet.

Tour Ideas
There are many ways to experience Saint John.
The only problem you may have, is narrowing down what to see!

Step back in time
Lace up your walking shoes and take a step back in time on one of three historical self-guided walking tours. See gargoyles spitting coins, Victorian- era homes, and the gothic style Stone Church. Visit Loyalist House which survived the Great Fire of 1877, and stop by the Old Number 2 Engine House Museum to learn how volunteer brigades battled blazes with hand pumpers. Hop on a trolley ride through the award winning Trinity Royal Heritage Preservation Area and enjoy an expansive view of Saint John Harbour at the foot of Canada's longest, steepest main street, with historical references on every corner, from the former home of traitor Benedict Arnold, to Canada's Oldest City Market whose ceiling resembles the inverted hull of a ship. See artists at work and shop for fresh produce, seafood, and locally made crafts.

A Day by the Bay
Saint John is known as the anchor of the Bay of Fundy and home to some of the highest tides in the world, rising and falling as much as 28 feet, twice daily. How about taking a thrilling Jet boat ride through the Reversing Falls or tumbling through class 5+ rapids in a giant hamster wheel?

A life size skeleton of a rare North Atlantic Right Whale known as Delilah is on display at the New Brunswick Museum, and tales of the Marco Polo tell the story of how the Fastest sailing Ship in the World was built. Visitors can play a round of golf, hike, or bike Canada's largest urban park, 2,200 acre Rockwood Park, or hang with the monkeys at Cherry Brook Zoo. Catch a breath of fresh sea air at the Irving Nature Park where more than 250 species of birds have been seen during migration.

Reminisce about days gone by, on an old fashioned river cruise aboard the MV Voyageur II, and spot lighthouses and bald eagles all within the city limits! The 450-mile St. John River is known by boaters from around the world, as the Rhine of North America.

Arts & Culture Abound
With its vibrant artistic community Saint John has a number of charming art galleries and antique shops. Royal family followers will want to visit the Hayward China Museum.
Out-of-towners always enjoy having a rest at the life-like Timepiece outside Market Square, sculpted by John Hooper, one of the city's most prominent artists. Be sure not to miss the many exhibits at the New Brunswick Museum, the oldest continuing museum in Canada, which, like Loyalist House and Barbours General Store, is filled with period artifacts accompanied by delightful stories of the city's lumbering and shipbuilding past. Researchers will also want to make use of the extensive archives on Douglas Avenue and visit the Jewish Historical Museum.
Relax with a delicious meal and a good laugh at musical comedy shows at the Phoenix and Water Street Dinner Theatres, or follow the footpaths of King's Square laid out like the Union Jack and take in one of many cultural performances at the breathtaking Imperial Theatre restored to its 1913 splendor.

Backroads Beauty & Day Trips
Saint John is a great base of operations to set out on many day trips and scenic drives. Jump on one of several free cable ferries to the Kingston Peninsula where you'll discover rolling farm fields and weekend country markets with home churned butter and hand made quilts. Don't forget to make a wish as you cross the kissing bridges of King's county, the covered bridge capital of Atlantic Canada!

Explorers will love shelling at the caves in St. Martins, and hiking, biking or driving the 11km Fundy Trail. It's one of the remaining undeveloped stretches of coastline north of Florida.
Just over an hour's drive away, pitch a tent or RV in Fundy National Park, and walk on the ocean floor at low tide at the flower-pot rocks at Hopewell Cape. Head out whale watching in St. Andrew's by-the-Sea, or tee off on some of Canada's top golf courses. In the fall, the foliage is ablaze in a rich tapestry of colour, providing plenty of picturesque photo-ops. Visit the most photographed lighthouse on the Bay of Fundy, or Roosevelt's cottage on Campobello.

Quick Facts…Did you Know?

- Saint John was named by French Explorer Samuel de Champlain on St. Jean Baptiste Day June 24, 1604
- After the American Revolution 14,000 British Loyalists fled the colonies and settled in Saint John making it the first official city in Canada in 1785
- In the mid-1800's over 30,000 Irish immigrants fled the potato famine with dreams of a better life, but many arrived with typhoid fever and were quarantined on Partridge Island, now one of the city's 22 national historic sites.
- Over 20,000 people have been laid to rest at the Loyalist Burial Grounds
- The graveyard below the Carleton Martello Tower constructed by the British Army to protect Saint John during the War of 1812 was not originally a cemetery, but was disguised as one to dissuade polite soldiers from attacking the Tower by the most direct route (photo)
- The Great Fire of 1877 destroyed over 1600 buildings, including the entire business district
- Loyalist House survived the fire because servants put wet towels and sheets around it to ward off flames
- Rockwood Park features 13 man made lakes and encompasses 870 hectares or 2,200 acres, making it one of the largest urban parks in Canada. It was designed by Downing Vaux, the son of the partner of Frederick Law Olmstead who designed Central Park in New York City.
- Saint John had the First river cable ferry invented by William Pitt and was installed on the Kennebecasis River near Saint John, early 1900s.

What's NEW!
- Saint John will host Saint John 225! - the Dominion Conference of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada July 10-13, 2008 with members from all over North America attending. 2008 is the 225th anniversary of the landing of the Loyalists in 1783.

- Saint John is a growing port of call with 82 cruise ships bringing over 180,000 cruise visitors and 90,000 crew in 2008. This will be a record cruise season with the highest number of cruise guests and ships calling between May 31-October 28th. Carnival Cruises will offer seven 4-day cruises direct from New York to Saint John.

- Saint John has several major developments, including:
- Four new hotels (Hampton Inn & Suites, Amsterdam Inn, Best Western, Chateau)
- Improved Air Access:
- WestJet has year-round daily discount flights to Toronto 6 days a week.
- Air Canada has also increased service, offering five daily direct flights to Toronto (peak season) three to Montreal, 4 to Halifax, and a new direct flight to Ottawa.
- A new shopping centre, (East Point) is Atlantic Canada's newest open-air boutique style shopping complex.
- Both the Delta Brunswick & Hilton Saint John Hotels, and the Saint John Trade & Convention Centre are undergoing major refurbishments in 2008.
- The Marco Polo replica of the fastest sailing ship in the world built in Saint John is nearing completion.
- A new Port terminal is planned for the waterfront with a new Bay of Fundy interpretation centre.
- More waterfront development is in the works, including the extension of Harbour Passage waterfront walking trail now over 3 km long, a possible new waterfront casino, hotel, condos, commercial and retail space, educational technology complex, all connected to the Inside pedway for 2009.
- Princess of Acadia Ferry to Digby, Nova Scotia has undergone an extreme makeover.


For more information, contact:
Tourism Saint John
Tel: (506) 658-2990 Fax: (506) 632-6118
P.O. Box 1971, Saint John, New Brunswick Canada; E2L 4L1
Toll Free (North America): 1-866 GO FUNDY (463-8639)
E-mail: visitsj@saintjohn.ca
Web: www.tourismsaintjohn.com