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 St. Martins Visitor Centre - St. Martins, NB Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 21.567 W 065° 31.967
20T E 301630 N 5026002
Today a quiet little fishing vilage, St. Martins has surrounded a small harbour on the Bay of Fundy since its founding in 1783. The town's first lighthouse, Quaco Head Light, was put into service in 1835.
Waymark Code: WMXKHZ
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Date Posted: 01/24/2018
Views: 2
St. Martins is one of those towns fortunate enough to have a very interesting building with which to house their visitor centre. In its case it is a lighthouse built in 1983 to display the lantern room from the 1883 Quaco Head Lighthouse. The 1883 lighthouse was built to replace the 1835 lighthouse which burned in 1881. The 1883 lighthouse was, in turn, replaced by a newer light in 1966, mounted atop a fog warning building already in place on Quaco Point.
The St. Martins visitor centre was built in 1983, modelled after the 1883 Quaco Head Lighthouse. Now resting atop the lighthouse/visitor centre is the original lantern room from the 1883 Quaco Head Lighthouse. One may now climb to the top of the lighthouse and experience a sensational view of the area from the lantern room.
This lighthouse/visitor centre now stands at the north end of St. Martins' harbour, just northwest of the Vaughan Creek covered bridge. On the west side of the harbour is a small park with a CNHE plaque recounting the shipbuilding days of St. Martins.
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.
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 Visit Instructions:
If you choose to visit a Lucky 7, please include a picture of the target of your favorite Waymark in the grouping. Include yourself in the picture if possible.
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