Atlantic Provinces – Wikitravel

sympathize [edit ]

The people of the Atlantic Provinces are historically of west european ( scottish, Irish, English, French ( Acadians ) ) and First Nations heritage. The Mi’kmaq Nation ‘s reserves throughout Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and easterly New Brunswick dominate native acculturation in the Maritimes region, while Newfoundland and Labrador has a alone history of Innu, Inuit, and Mi’kmaq groups. The first native group likely to have encountered Europeans in Newfoundland, the Beothuck, has retentive since disappeared.

Despite the area ‘s hard Aboriginal and acadian cultural inheritance, it normally conjures up celtic images for canadian tourists, on score of the Scottish and Irish heritage of these provinces. A fragment of celtic acculturation remains in Nova Scotia but chiefly on Cape Breton Island, where Gaelic is silent a dominant linguistic process in some communities .

Acadia [edit ]

historically, Acadia ( in French Acadie ) was the name given by the french to a territory in northeastern North America, including parts of eastern Quebec, the Atlantic Provinces of Canada and contemporary New England load as far south as Philadelphia. Later, the district was divided into the british colonies which were to become american states and canadian provinces. The Acadians, were forcibly expelled from the region by the british. excellently, many of these expelled Acadians found their way to Louisiana, becoming known as Cajuns. today, Acadia refers to regions of Atlantic Canada with French roots, linguistic process, and culture. In the abstract, Acadia refers to the universe of a french culture on Canada ’ s east seashore. recently, Canada celebrated 400 years of Acadia ( although it besides celebrated 500 years of the french presence on the island of Newfoundland ) .

music [edit ]

The Atlantic region is celebrated for its traditional music, heavy influenced by the tribe traditions of Western Europe, but with a distinctive local twist. Music is one the main carriers of local cultural cultures here, and it is potential to hear both french and Scots Gaelic songs sing, on Cape Breton Island for exercise, despite the consuming use of English in daily life. Although celtic influences are seen throughout the region, Newfoundland ‘s music is distinct, incorporating much of the traditions of Irish and british sailors ‘ and fishermen ‘s sea shanties. Newfoundland ‘s traditional music diligence is at least vitamin a strong as that of Ireland, and groups like Great Big Sea have found mainstream success on “ the mainland ” ( Canada ) .

Provinces [edit ]

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI are jointly known as the Maritime Provinces or simply the Maritimes, while the terms Atlantic Provinces and Atlantic Canada include the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador. The population of Atlantic Canada is roughly 2,333,322 people .

Cities [edit ]

While Atlantic Canada has been largely a rural place steeped in natural resource economies, it is home to a count of historic cities that are central to the cultural life of the region .

• Halifax — the largest city in the Atlantic Provinces, a historic port city that serves as the region’s economic centre on the eastern coast of Nova Scotia.(Halifax was a centre in Nova Scotia for Acadian Deportation by the British).
• Sydney (Nova Scotia) — the most populated city in Cape Breton Island, a part of Nova Scotia.
• Saint John — the oldest incorporated city in Canada, as well as the 2nd largest city in New Brunswick.
• Moncton — the only officially bilingual city in an officially bilingual province in an officially bilingual country in North America, notable for its French/English dialect and Acadian history, it is the largest city in New Brunswick. Moncton is also the geographical centre for the Maritimes. (it was the region in New Brunswick for Acadian refugees hiding during deportation by the British).
• Fredericton is the Capital city of New Brunswick. It is situated on the St. John River and is a very clean and beautiful city.
• Charlottetown — the capital city of Prince Edward Island and the city where the Confederation of Canada was negotiated. The area also has Acadian history across the harbour in the settlement on Port La Joye.
• St. John’s — one of the oldest cities in North America and the historic capital of the New World on the island of Newfoundland.

other destinations [edit ]

Sand dunes at the Greenwich section of PEI National Park Atlantic Canada is full moon of interest places found outside of its urban centers. Check out :

talk [edit ]

While the people of the Atlantic Provinces predominantly speak english and french, it is worth noting that there are regional dialects of these languages that can throw off the average central canadian tourist, not to mention those from overseas. Some rural communities in the Maritime Provinces have unique common expressions unfamiliar to tourists. For case, “ Some all right ” means “ very good ”. such expressions will not hamper a tourist ‘s understand of locals, but it may be a detectable feature in certain areas. not circumscribed to Atlantic Canada, some of these expressions can be found in neighbouring US states.

acadian french [edit ]

acadian French ( le français acadien ) is a dialect of french spoken by the Acadians in the canadian Maritimes provinces. Like other canadian french dialects, it diverged from the french of France about 400 years ago at the time of the french colonization of the Americas, and sounds different to visiting Francophones. Acadians and francophones from Quebec can understand each early with little difficulty. A good glossary is available on-line .

Newfoundland English, French, and irish [edit ]

In Newfoundland, another dialect of English is found in combination with any count of local anesthetic variations. however, for the most character, the Newfoundland English dialect is highly exchangeable to the dialects spoken in the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Devonshire and Cornwall in the southwest of England, know colloquially in the UK as the “ west country ” dialect. This is unsurprising in some ways, since the master settlers lead by John Guy ( from Bristol, England ) founded the beginning ever English colony in Canada about an hour north of St. John ‘s, in the beautiful coastal-town of Cupids. They were all from the “ west state ”. Tourists from these british counties will likely find the dialect both very familiar and rather capture. It is often noted that a Newfoundlander can give away his or her home town plainly by speaking. In some areas, an irish lilt can be heard, while in other areas it may not be deliver. A few Newfoundland English expressions you may encounter :

• Where you to?: Where are you?
• Stay where you’re to.: Don’t leave.
• Stay where you’re to ’til I comes where you’re at.: Wait there for me.
• Flat on the back with that!: An expression of approval, male speaker
• Flat on the back for that!: An expression of approval, female speaker
• b’y (pronounced bye): boy, guy, man, friend (sometimes used in a general way to include males and females)

Unlike Newfoundland English, Newfoundland French and Irish are closely extinct. Newfoundland French is distinct from early canadian french dialects including Quebec French and Acadian French, and is generally found in the Port astronomical unit Port Peninsula. The language was intentionally discouraged by the politics in the twentieth century. Newfoundland Irish is a dialect of the irish terminology specific to the island of Newfoundland and was widely spoken until the mid-20th century. It is very similar to the stress hear in the southeast of Ireland, due to mass immigration from the counties Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Cork. Newfoundland is the lone target outside Europe with its own classifiable mention in the irish speech, Talamh an Éisc, literally “ Land of Fish ” .

catch in [edit ]

By Plane [edit ]

Halifax has the main international airport in the region ( and it was recently listed as one of North America ‘s best ). Flights can besides be made to Sydney in Cape Breton from Halifax, or sporadically from Boston, Toronto, or other Maritime cities .

By Bus [edit ]

• Greyhound connects to the Atlantic Provinces, and in some cases their passes include coach services in the Maritimes.
• DRL Coachlines Ltd. offers daily scheduled passenger coach services in Newfoundland. DRL’s head office is in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, but they can be reached toll-free at 1-888-738-8091.
• Maritime Bus offers bus transport throughout the Maritime Provinces.

By Ferry [edit ]

Ferry servicing is available from Prince Edward Island to Pictou, Nova Scotia, or Newfoundland to North Sydney, Nova Scotia .

Get around [edit ]

• PEI Express Shuttle [1] offers service between PEI and Halifax. 3 days advance reservation is recommended.

The old township clock on Halifax ‘s Citadel Hill

• Eat a “church basement lobster supper” in PEI
• Join the “Order of Good Cheer” in Annapolis Royal, NS
• Golf the historic course at St. Andrews, NB
• Watch a production of Anne of Green Gables in Charlottetown, PEI
• Go to the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Odditorium in Cavendish, PEI
• Go deep-sea cod fishing just about anywhere in the region
• Go whale watching just about anywhere
• Go iceburg hunting off Newfoundland

The wholly region is celebrated for its seafood. The clam chowder is to die for and the mussels are legendary. PEI is celebrated for lobster, Newfoundland for “ fish ” ( constantly refers to cod ) and seal-flipper proto-indo european ( yes, made from flippers of seals ). The local cuisine is marked by the origins of the population, french for the Acadians ( e.g. scallops severed “ coquille St. Jacques ” ), and British and Irish for the English-speakers ( e.g. hodge-podged vegtables ) .
When out at a public house enjoying the scene, the common canadian mass-market beers are available, but local specialties may be found a good. In Nova Scotia try an Alexander Keith ‘s India Pale Ale and in New Brunswick pass for Moosehead Lager. In Newfoundland the drink they try to force on tourists is called “ whine. ” This is a high-proof rum from Jamaica that is the state ‘s unofficial national drink. The drink goes back the days of the british Empire, when sailing ships entire of salt cod from Newfoundland would sail down to Jamaica and return home with a cargo of rummy. Be careful when trying this, it is identical strong !

Stay safe [edit ]

Since most tourist destinations in the region are rural, crime is less of a threat than getting lost. The weather can turn ugly cursorily, sol be prepared. Moose ( called “ red deer ” in Europe ) are the largest member of the deer family, and are a park gamble on the roads.

Get out [edit ]

The neighbor province of Quebec offers an concentration in a unique french-speaking culture, while fair to the south there is the spell of the New England region of the United States. Both are accessible by ferry or road .