Built anew each year, the Hôtel de Glace in
Valcartier Vacation Village entertains
approximately 100,000 visitors and is
open from January to late March
(www.valcartier.com/en/accommoda
tions/ice-hotel).
7
CLAWS CÉLÈBRE:
NEW BRUNSWICK
Shediac, a cute Acadian fishing community,
bills itself as the "Lobster Capital of the
World." Whether or not that's technically
true, this town obviously loves the King of
Crustaceans. One is proudly displayed on its
coat of arms; another—a 55-tonne whopper,
albeit made from metal—is its main attrac-
tion. Moreover, since 1949, it has honoured
the catch du jour each July during the nine-
day Shediac Lobster Festival. A favourite
event returns this year: "La Grande Table," the
famous lobster dinner served on a gigantic,
long table where hundreds of people gather
for a delicious locally sourced meal
(www.shediaclobsterfestival.ca).
8
CLIFF NOTES:
NOVA SCOTIA
The Joggins Fossil Cliffs on Chignecto Bay are
more than just another pretty rock face. After
all, they provide an unparalleled look at what
life was like 300 million years ago during the
Pennsylvanian "Coal Age" of Earth history.
Some 200 species of fossilized plants and
animals have been discovered here, among
them Hylonomus lyelli, the earliest known
reptile and the first known vertebrate able to
live entirely on land. Cited by Charles Darwin
in The Origin of Species, this 15-km-long (9.3-
mi.), tide-washed UNESCO World Heritage site
has been dubbed the "Coal Age Galápagos"
(www.jogginsfossilcliffs.net).
9
A RECORD-BREAKING BRIDGE:
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Although P.E.I. joined Confederation in 1873,
the province wasn't physically connected to
the rest of Canada until the billion-dollar
Confederation Bridge opened between
Borden-Carleton and Cape Jourimain, New
Brunswick, 124 years later. Comprised of
almost 13 km (8 mi.) of curvaceous concrete,
the so-called "fixed link" qualifies as the
longest bridge in the world spanning ice-
covered water. It took a team of more than
5,000 workers four years to build this
11-m-wide (36-ft.) engineering marvel;
motorists can cross it in a mere 12 minutes
(www.confederationbridge.com).
10
MIXED SIGNALS:
NEWFOUNDLAND &
LABRADOR
The provincial capital's leading landmark,
Signal Hill, is crowned by an imposing stone
tower, which was erected to commemorate
the arrival of Giovanni Caboto in 1497.
The Genoese explorer is better known to
anglophones as John Cabot. Coincidently, all
of the modern-day visitors who tweet about
the tower or post cellphone pics of it to
Facebook and Instagram owe a debt to another
trail-blazing Italian, Guglielmo Marconi.
The radio pioneer ushered in the era of
global communications when he received
the first transatlantic wireless signal here on
December 12, 1901 (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/
signalhill).
20
SHEDIAC, NB • DESTINATION CANADA
SIGNAL HILL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, ST. JOHN'S, NL • DESTINATION CANADA
