New Brunswick is also the gateway to Atlantic Canada and borders on the State of Maine and the provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia. Its capital is Fredericton, its largest city the old Loyalist seaport of Saint John.

New Brunswick (pop. 751,171) is a seaside province boasting 2,253 km (1400 miles) of coastline but it's also a province with 66,000 square km (25,482 square miles) of forest land, several world-famous rivers, countless lakes and streams. It has more inland waters for its size than any other area on the continent, which is one of the main reasons this seaside province plays host to thousands of sportsmen each year.

New Brunswick is a holiday land, easy to get to and easy to tour. It offers the excitement of a trip abroad combined with at-home convenience, communities as French as France, as British as tea - Loyalist seasoning and Acadian joie de vivre.

New Brunswick is fun for everyone, with beautiful sandy beaches, hiking, canoeing, windsurfing, golfing, seaside fairways and fishing from wharves, in the sea or on inland water. Specialties like dulse, fiddleheads and seafood are vacation bonuses.

New Brunswick is for all seasons with colourful summer festivals, breath-taking fall foliage, the sparkle of freshly-fallen snow, and maple sugar parties. Antique auctions and fine quality handcrafts are never out of season.

New Brunswick is a land of contrasts with a unique vacation experience. The quiet charm of rural countryside and the magnificent grandeur of the sea. A land steeped in history with 20th century urgency throbbing in many of its streets.

New Brunswick is Canada's Picture Province, a spectacularly beautiful place to relax and enjoy with its benign climate, excellent accommodations and superbly maintained parklands.

New Brunswick is hospitable. No matter where you journey in New Brunswick you will find our citizens eager to extend a bland of hospitality unique to the area. "Hello - Bonjour" - either of these greetings says Welcome New Brunswick style.

Richibucto

Situated south of Kouchibouguac National Park, Richibucto is the portal to a world of ocean marvels and cultural wonders.

A rich and vibrant history: The history of Richibucto goes back as far as 1604, when Samuel de Champlain decided to establish a colony there. In 1621, Sir William Alexander (King James' secretary), claimed the lands. Even though the French immigrants had settled there 17 years before, they did not possess any legal documents attesting to their ownership. It was the same for the powerful Mi'kmaq nation, omnipresent in this region.

The history behind the name Richibucto comes from an Amerindian legend. It is said that "The Great Spirit" told the Chief of the Algonquin Tribe that came from the Great Lakes, that there existed a "wonderful land in the direction of the sunset, along a superb river of fire. The Chief set out to find this river of fire. It was only when he entered Richibucto harbour that he saw a sunset, "a flamboyant red sky that was mirrored in the water". He settled there and named the place Richibucto, river of fire.

Richibucto would grow in scope with the colonization by the English who were to develop commerce and industry in the region. Shipbuilding, the lobster "canneries", the fishing industry, the retail industry, the hotel business, as well as the exportation of logs to England would make Richibucto the 3rd largest port in New Brunswick. The abundance of white pine led to the establishment of a substantial milling operation and eventually a shipbuilding industry second only to Saint John's.

Today, Richibucto has one of the most important ports for coastal and deep-sea fishing on New Brunswick's east coast, with some 100 fishing boats. Its retail business sector is also very developed, which makes it the most important economic centre in Kent County.

Your kayak will split the warmest waters north of Virginia. To your right, a pack of seals jumps into a wave; to your left, a procession of plovers sweeps down on the beach. And behind you... the town of Richibucto awakens.

Today, the churches, the food and the celebrations have kept the flavor of yesteryear in this bilingual (French and English) community of shipbuilders.

You will discover many attractions in the area: Bonar Law Historic Site, the Pays de la Sagouine, Kouchibouguac National Park, two Economuseums: the Olivier Soapery and Hudson Oddities, the St. Ignace and Bouctouche golf courses, the Irving Eco-Centre - la Dune de Bouctouche, the St-Èdouard Winery - La ferme Maury, Big Bear Safari and Eastwinds Buffalo Ranch. Richibucto truly has much to offer, so come... Drop anchor!

Purchase succulent seafood at the local fish shop or enjoy a lobster feast in one of our excellent restaurants. Add a little spice to your trip by taking part in the Richibucto Scallop Festival, held in July. The festival presents a parade of illuminated boats, music under the big tent and many activities for the whole family. Enjoy a quiet moment riding a bike or rowing on the dunes, lagoons, marshes and sandy beaches. Don't forget your binoculars and your camera to capture the more than 220 species of birds. Most of them can be observed at Mooney Creek!

Kouchibouguac National Park

Welcome to this special Canadian Heritage protected area. One of two wilderness Canadian national parks in New Brunswick, Kouchibouguac is a fascinating mosaic of bogs, salt marshes, tidal rivers, sparkling freshwater systems, sheltered lagoons, abandoned fields and tall forests which characterizes the Maritime Plain Natural Region. Natural wonders abound in this Park that boasts the second largest tern colony in North America. As well, the 25 kilometres of shifting sand dunes are home to the endangered piping plover and witness to colonies of both harbour and grey seals that frolic in the sunshine on certain sections of the dunes.

The name Kouchibouguac (Kou-she-boo-gwack) is of Mi'kmaq origin and means "river of the long tides". Established in 1969, this 238 square kilometre national park provides a host of exciting family activities. The 60 kilometres of cycling paths are always popular with both hikers and cyclists. Canoeing/kayaking, swimming, camping, bird watching, as well as cross country skiing, snowshoeing and tobogganing in winter are also available in this natural land of enchantment located on New Brunswick's eastern coast line.