Your sea kayak, play boat, and canoe will all find a special tryst in this eastern Canadian city

Daydream a little bit and imagine a place where you can drive out of the city’s core, and 15 minutes later you are taking your boat off the car, ready to paddle. Now imagine a little bit more, and in this dream city you have to decide which boat you will paddle that day—your play boat, your sea kayak, or maybe your canoe. Now dream big and imagine that all the paddling in this city is on some of the best water in North America. You have just conjured up Saint John, the industrial harbor city in New Brunswick.
Saint John is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean’s Bay of Fundy, at the mouth of the St. John River. Because of its unique funnel shape, the bay experiences the world’s highest tides and, combined with the river, make the city a paddler’s nirvana.

Saltwater
Sea kayakers often put in at the half-mile-long, gently sloping Saint’s Rest Beach on the city’s west side. This beach is part of the Irving Nature Park, a 600-acre allotment donated and maintained by the Irving family, New Brunswick’s most influential and powerful family of industrialists. At high tide there is only about 50 feet of beach. But at low tide, the hike to the water’s edge is closer to 300 feet. Since the tide goes from low to high approximately every six hours, you have to be resigned to a bit of a portage.
Paddle east from the beach for about two miles to Partridge Island, located at the mouth of Saint John Harbor. Now deserted, this approximately 25-acre, park-like island was the site of Canada’s first quarantine station, the first lighthouse in New Brunswick, and the world’s first steam foghorn. The federal government now owns the island, and if you don’t mind ignoring the No Trespassing signs, it is worth exploring to see the World War I and II gun emplacements. You’ll find a great view of the city from the dilapidated wharf that is clinging precariously to the shore. Sea kayakers here need to be aware of safety concerns. Ships, fog, and frigid water are some of the things to watch for.

Whitewater
In each tidal cycle, more than 100 billion tons of water flows into and out of the Bay of Fundy. As the tide rises, the force of this massive amount of water flowing into the bay actually forces the St. John River to flow upstream at the Reversing Falls Rapids. As the tide drops it is almost as if the water is being sucked out of the river. These changes of direction create a unique play spot.
Kayakers congregate at Reversing Falls Park—located directly behind Harbour View High School—to challenge some of the most interesting whitewater in the province. The continuously changing play spot, thanks to the tides, offers stellar paddling every day of the year. Waves and holes appear, disappear, and move. A word of caution though, it is not a place for neophytes.

Canoeing
The St. John River separates the uptown core from the city’s west side. With its headwaters in northern Maine, the river flows more than 400 miles before emptying into the Bay of Fundy. For a long stretch, the St. John forms the boundary between the United States and Canada. The river was New Brunswick’s first highway, with riverboats moving produce and people up and down its length. Now it is an unspoiled and sparsely populated waterway.
Go to Tucker Park in the city’s upscale Millidgeville suburb to access the St. John. A short paddle downriver sits the 108-year-old Royal Kennebeccasis Yacht Club. Straight out from Tucker Park is Starr Island, and downstream are the islands known as The Brothers. These islands are beautiful spots to stop, have lunch, enjoy the view, or even camp for the night. Paddlers should also keep their eyes open for osprey and bald eagles. When you are paddling around here, it is sometimes hard to believe you are in the middle of an industrial city and not in Canada’s wilderness.

Tourist Time
Visitors with a sense of history or a love of architecture will want to spend some time exploring the uptown (Yes, it’s called uptown here) core. Saint John is Canada’s oldest incorporated city, and the history is almost tangible. Visit the Saint John City Market—Canada’s oldest continuously operating farmer’s market—and look up at the ceiling and see how the roof is constructed like an upturned ship, a testament to the city’s shipbuilding heritage.
Just north of the market is Wellington Row, where in one city block you’ll see buildings built from 1785 to 1935. Perhaps the architectural highlight is one of the few Carnegie Buildings left in North America, now used as an art gallery.
And don’t be surprised if you feel a sense of déjà vu while walking around the uptown. Saint John has stood in for Boston and New York in a few Hollywood movies.

Meal Time
The place to see and be seen at lunch is the City Market. Grab a table at one of the many delis or eat outside along the Harbor Passage that rings the inner harbor.
For dinner go to Reversing Falls Restaurant (506-635-1999) and enjoy fresh lobster, salmon, or other indigenous seafood while looking out over the reversing falls.

Beer Time
For music and suds, the first place to go is O’Leary’s Pub, a laid-back Irish bar that often features good local bands. The Saint John Alehouse, located on the Market Slip has a vast selection of bottled and draft beers, standard and unique pub food, and outdoor seating.

Bed Time
Located in the Heritage area of uptown Saint John is A Tanners Home Inn, a dog-friendly B&B located in the Heritage area of uptown. The inn, built in 1878, was originally a wealthy leather tanner’s home. The Delta Hotel is located on King Street and is connected to the City Market by indoor pedway. Campers may want to stay at Rockwood Park, the largest urban park in Canada located less than 10 minutes from the city core. Take your hiking boots and mountain bikes.