Tag Archives: New Brunswick facts


Interesting Facts about New Brunswick

Looking for some interesting facts about New Brunswick, Canada? Did you know that sardine cans and snow blowers were invented in New Brunswick? From a place where cars roll uphill and rivers flow backwards, here are some New Brunswick facts worth knowing.

Parlee Beach Photo credit: tourismnewbrunswick.ca

New Brunswick Fact #1: New Brunswick is home to the warmest saltwater beaches north of Virginia. Check out Top 7 Beaches to Visit in New Brunswick to discover some of New Brunswick’s best beaches. 

New Brunswick Fact #2: New Brunswick has the world’s largest lobster. The sculpture – sorry folks, this sucker never cruised the waters! – is 11 meters long (35 feet), 5 meters tall (16 feet) and weighs in at an astonishing 90 tonnes or about 198,416 pounds! You’ll find the lobster in Shediac, NB, aptly dubbed “The Lobster Capital of The World.”

McCain Logo

New Brunswick Fact #3: McCain Foods Limited , the multi-billion dollar company famous for its frozen French fries, is Canadian born. The McCain brothers’ first French fry plant was created in 1957 in their hometown of Florenceville, New Brunswick.

Old Sow Whirlpool

New Brunswick Fact #4: The largest whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere, and the second largest in the world (the Maelstrom Whirlpool of Norway holds the title of the world’s largest whirlpool) can be found between Deer Island and Indian Island, New Brunswick and can be viewed from Eastport, Maine. The whirlpool is called “Old Sow” because of the sounds it produces.  According to BayofFundy.com, “Old Sow is reported to be most active about 3 hours before high tide. This activity continues for about two hours and takes the form of a collection of small gyres, troughs, spouts and holes and on the rare occasion will form one large funnel. This area, which has been reported to be as wide as 76 meters (250 feet) in diameter, can best be described as turbulent water. However, during spring tides (high water tide caused by a full or new moon) combined with high winds or a tidal surge will increase Old Sow’s activity causing more intense funnels and formations.

Miss Canada 1923 Winnifred Blair

New Brunswick Fact #5: The first Miss Canada, Winnifred Blair, was from Saint John, New Brunswick. She was crowned on February.10, 1923.

New Brunswick Fact #6: Where are the highest tides in the world? The Bay of Fundy, of course! Tourism New Brunswick say, “They rise at a rate of one metre (3.3 feet) per hour. The tides yield many edible treasures, among them mineral-rich sea salt and “dulse” – dried seaweed, which can be eaten as a snack or used to flavor soups and stews.

Footnote: The writer in me can’t help but wonder why the Canadian tourism website spells the word flavour the American way. Humph.

New Brunswick Fact #7: Due to the Bay of Fundy’s incredible tides, the Saint John River flows backwards twice a day, every day. According to GreatCanadianRivers.com, “Then, a startling phenomenon occurs. The water level in the Bay of Fundy continues to rise above the level of the river. The force of the incoming tide overpowers the current of the outgoing river, and the water of the Saint John begins to flow upstream – completely in reverse. New rapids form in the river, flowing in the other direction, and the effect of the tide is felt as far upriver as the city of Fredericton, almost 120 kilometres northwest of Saint John.”

New Brunswick Fact #8: The longest covered bridge in the world can be found in Hartland, New Brunswick. The covered bridge is 390 meters (1282 feet) long.

New Brunswick Fact #9: The oldest Canadian museum is found in Saint John, New Brunswick. “Although many people are aware that Saint John, New Brunswick, is Canada’s oldest incorporated city, few are aware that it houses Canada’s oldest continuing museum. The New Brunswick Museum was officially incorporated as the “Provincial Museum” in 1929 and received its current name in 1930. Its history, however, can be traced back another 87 years to 1842, when Gesner’s Museum of Natural History opened to the public in Saint John.” says the New Brunswick Museum website.

Magnetic Hill, New Brunswick

New Brunswick Fact #10: Moncton, New Brunswick is home to Magnetic Hill. Objects seemingly roll uphill on Magnetic Hill. Put your car in neutral and, like magic, your car will roll uphill all on its own! Check it out here.

Inventions from New Brunswick: Some great inventions that have come from New Brunswick include (Source: Tourism New Brunswick):

• Scuba tank, James Elliot and Alexander McAvity, Saint John, 1839.

• Compound steam engine, Benjamin F. Tibbets, Fredericton, 1845.

• Snow blower, Robert Carr Harris, Dalhousie, 1870.

• Sardine cans, Henry T. Austin, Black’s Harbour, 1932.

• Clothes washer with roller wringer, John E. Turnbull, Saint John, 1843.

• Combined hot and cold water faucets, Thomas Campbell, Saint John, 1880.

• Crossword game, Edward R. MacDonald, Shediac, 1926.

• Dump-box for trucks, Robert T. Mawhinney, Saint John, 1920.

• Ganong Brothers Ltd., St. Stephen, are the first in Canada to produce lollipops (1895), to use cellophane packaging (1920), to make peppermint rolls (1926), and to sell Valentine candy in heart-shaped boxes (1932).

More New Brunswick facts…

Do you know some facts about New Brunswick worth sharing? Perhaps you know, for a fact, that some of the world’s best artists come from New Brunswick or that New Brunswickers are the best at cramming the most crap in their car as possible. Don’t be shy, leave a comment to let us know your New Brunswick facts!