Saint John Things to Do

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The 243 hectare Irving Nature Park opened back in 1992 "for the enjoyment of the people of New Brunswick". Since then, thousands of locals and visitors alike have walked down the park's eight hiking trails, spent a day at the beach or gone on birdwatching expeditions in this previously endangered area that has been cleaned up and returned to its natural state by the Irving family. A road goes all around the park, and it is possible to park your car at the beginning of each hiking trail or special feature, such as the seal observatory deck, the look-out tower, or the picnic and barbecue area. The Irving Nature Park is open to visitors free of charge daily, from sunrise to sunset.

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The Irving Nature Park in Saint John consists of two large sections: the Sheldon Point section and Taylor's Island section - separated by the grand Saint's Rest Beach. The park is privately owned and well maintained by the Irving interests. It is accessible free to the general public.

Taylor's Island is the most glorious place I've ever seen for jogging because of the very soft footing plus the lovely views. Taking the circumferential trails it is a bit over 7 km around the island. There are facilities: benches, picnic tables, toilet facilities - but it never feels crowded - and mostly it feels like being alone. There are a few interior trails through the island too, plus a long boardwalk out into a tidal estuary and also a viewing tower near Saints Rest Beach.

In the winter the rocky little islands off of the shore trail attract crowds of sun-worshiping seals. There isn't much snow in the winter so people continue to use the trails. The cross country skiers use the park roads (closed to traffic in winter) if there is enough snow, but generally Saint John doesn't offer practical skiing.

Even in the summer the water in the bay is frigidly cold because tidal turbulance disrupts thermal layering of the water.

Only the first and last of the 5 pictures with this tip were taken in summer: the rest are winter pictures.

This authentic country store was floated to St. John by barge from its original location further up the River in 1967. The store is filled with authentic merchandise of the Victorian era and houses a combination barber shop / dentist’s office, just as it did in earlier days.

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When St. John River meets the Bay of Fundy in a narrow rock gorge, this natural phenomenon occurs twice a day when the highest tides force the St. John River to reverse its flow. Yes, I did say it only occurs twice a day so if the timing is not correct, you will be disappointed.

One thing that we noticed throughout our visit to Saint John was the pride with which locals view their city. All you have to do is to look slightly bewildered or lost, or perhaps just be looking at a city map and - voila! - a local "host/tourguide" will appear to help you out.

There was one fellow who we ran into just at the edge of King's Square. He asked where we were from (for some reason, he didn't think we were locals ). He then proceeded to tell us all about the local FREE sites, within an easy walk. He talked with pride about the City Hall's spiral staircase, the past glories and beautiful restoration over at the Imperial Theater, and he also mentioned the local historic fire station museum - which unfortunately was not open on the day we were in Saint John.

When we were in the City Market, Bonnie and Sara met an artisan/owner over at the Bay of Fundy Red Clay stand. He was making kilned ornaments and objects d'art from the unique red clay found around the edge of the local Fundy Bay. He immediately realized that they were visitors, and he gave Sara a tiny little clay lighthouse, it resembled the Peggy's Cove lighthouse over in Nova Scotia, at least a little. It was designed to be a Christmas tree ornament, and he said he wanted her to hang it on her tree and to remember the friendly folks and town in Saint John. NO sales pressure, not even a word about buying anything. TRULY, it was just a man being proud of his town and friendly to visitors from far away.

If you do get a chance to visit the Bay of Fundy Red Clay stand at City Market, please do look for Daniel Roberts, the owner and artist. There is a photo of him down below. Tell him the folks from Florida said "hello and Merry Christmas". The kind gift he gave to our daughter is on our tree this year, and we'll think of him and Saint John every year from now on.

Saint John is a terrific place. Interesting history, shops, culture.... all in all, a great destination. But, her greatest asset are her proud and helpful townsfolk. Thanks to all of you, we had a great time.

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The Brunswick Square Shopping Center, located just to the west of the Saint John City Market, has it all. From the New Brunswick Museum to the City Library, to a plethora of upscale shopping venues, shoppers will definitely enjoy a visit to this huge and modern shopping mall. The shopping center square is defined by Prince William Street, Germain Street, King Street and Union Street.

In addition to all the shopping, there is a top-level hotel on the premises, the Delta Brunswick

Among the categories of stores and items for your shopping pleasure are:

* Aesthetic Services
* Banking
* Books
* Children Shops
* Cosmetics and Drug
* Electronics
* Fashion
* Food Court
* General
* Gifts
* Hairstyling
* Health and Wellness
* Home Decor
* Jewelry and Accessories
* Restaurants
* Shoes and Handbags

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The present Trinity Church in Saint John was constructed in 1880, right after the "Great Fire of 1877". Inside over the west door, there's a coat of arms - a symbol of the monarchy - which was rescued from the council chamber in Boston by a British Colonel during the American Revolution. With Saint John being so historically loyalist, this revolutionary refugee was deemed a worthy addition to the Trinity Church.

While the church has a long history, it is today an active Anglican church with a spirited congregation.

As for the building itself, the style of architecture is Early English Gothic, and typifies the architecture introduced in New Brunswick by Bishop Medley. The church itself was designed by architect W.T. Thomas of Montreal. The walls are built of limestone of rough ashlar, laid in regular courses, with freestone trimmings on a heavy base of granite. The pillars in the nave are formed of one piece of polished grey granite, with carved capitals surmounted by freestone arches. The interior woodwork is of black ash with black walnut moldings.
The church is 150 feet in length. The chancel is forty feet deep and thirty-three feet wide. The nave is 62 feet wide overall, and 110 feet long with an expansive height of 64 feet. The nave originally seated 800 people, but today accommodates about 650 people.

The bell tower and steeple rise to the majestic height of 210 feet and is topped by a weathervane in the form of a six foot long wood gilt fish. The fish was the early symbol for Christianity, and is still used today. The tower contains a clock and a ring of nine bells, a gift installed in 1882 by the City of Saint John. The clock was constructed to chime the quarters and strike the hours on the bells. By means of a carillon, tunes were played on the hours of three, six, nine, and twelve. On the largest bell, which weighs 19 cwt., is cast the following inscription:

"In Memoriam the
Loyalists 1783: Faithful alike to God and
the King"
Originally the bells were rung by hand, but can now be played by music drum disks or a small keyboard.

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The Saint John's Stone Church is the first stone building constructed in Saint John. The original purpose of the church, beyond ecumenical tidings, was to serve the soldiers garrisoned at nearby Fort Howe. The stone itself was originally brought over from England, serving as ship's ballast.

FWIW, the English were big on bringing church stones over from the mother country. I remember the Anglican cathedral in Hamilton, Bermuda as being the same situation - constructed from "imported" materials.

This particular church very much resembles the Gothic style of churches built in England from the 12th century on. The spires contribute to Saint John's reputation and nickname as "The City of Spires".