The Fundy Trail runs along the shore 10 km east from St. Martins. It is designed for use by both bikers and hikers, affording access to the shore of the Bay of Fundy, site of the world's highest tides which, in some areas, reach over 50 feet. The Fundy Trail is an Attractions Canada “Natural Outdoor Site” winner. Along the trail one will find scenic lookouts, footpaths to beaches and walks on the seafloor (when the tide is out), and a suspension footbridge.
The Big Salmon River Interpretive Centre is a historical re-creation of the area’s logging, fishing, and shipbuilding days with interpretive displays, historic artifacts, guided tours to Sea Captains Burial Grounds and day adventures for the whole family to the famous Hearst Lodge. Many lookouts are wheelchair-accessible. Parking lots, washrooms, and rest stops can be found all along the trail.
In the nineteenth century, St. Martins was one of the leading four or five shipbuilding centres in New Brunswick, owing to its location on a small inlet and a ready supply of shipbuilding timber. The shipbuilding industry long gone, today the town is a quiet little fishing village, home base of a small fleet of fishing boats.
Note in one of the photos that the fleet in the harbour has no water under it, sitting high and dry. This is a sure sign that St. Martins is on the Bay of Funday, home of the
World's Highest Tides.
From its origins in the late 18th century, the shipbuilding industry profoundly influenced New Brunswick history. Craftsmen in the colony built over 6,000 vessels during the 19th century, a third of the total tonnage produced in British North America. At numerous centres such as Saint John, Moncton, Miramichi and St. Martins, the presence of abundant timber and affordable skilled labour allowed builders to assemble vessels for export, mainly to the United Kingdom. New technologies eventually brought a decline in a commercial industry that had prospered in the province for over a hundred years.
From the CNHS Plaque at the Village
A Place of Tidal Wonder
St. Martins is a place of tidal wonder at the heart of the Bay of Fundy. Life here is governed by the rhythm of the world's highest tides. A colourful fleet of fishing boats wait in the Bay for the high tide to rise and fill the empty harbour with water so that they can unload their catch.
Walkers and hikers consult the tidal charts to find the best time to walk the ocean floor out to sea caves, caverns and arches. The tide rises, soon erasing their footsteps, filling the caves and caverns with water. Beaches, the harbour and the sea caves change twice each day, every time you see them they are different.
The tide races and rages around the scenic Quaco Head Lighthouse, creating treacherous beauty that through history, sank great sailing ships. The tide fills and recedes each day from vast salt marshes, creating an incubator of life that sustains the entire Bay of Fundy ecosystem.
St. Martins in a place of great natural beauty and is the gateway to the Fundy Trail, the last undeveloped stretch of of wilderness coastline in North America. Walking trails and a low speed roadway wind along the coast past waterfalls, secluded beaches, picnic areas and breathtaking vistas across the Bay to Nova Scotia.
From St. Martins
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