St John is the largest city in New Brunswick, Canada. It is located in the south-central part of the province on the Atlantic seaboard. St. John sits at the mouth of the St John River, on the Bay of Fundy.
A natural happening in St. John is the reversing falls, which occurs when the highest tides in the world force the St. John River to reverse its flow. The St. John River joins the Bay of Fundy at a narrow rocky point. As the tide in the Fundy rises, the St. John River loses the battle and is pushed back, which causes the waters to flow upstream.
The St. John City market located in the center of St. John is the oldest Canadian farmer’s market. The roof of the market place is designed like an inverted hull of a sailing ship. The market was built in 1876 and sells local produce, lobster, salmon, dried seaweed and other items.
The Loyalist House built by David Daniel Merritt a local merchant is the oldest wooden structure in the business district. In 1877, a fire destroyed almost the entire downtown business district but the Loyalist House survived.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine is a beautiful “neo-Baroque” building standing stately over the city as a religious and beautiful architectural landmark.
The Brunswick Square Shopping Centre is the “Atlantic Canada’s longest indoor climate-controlled pedway system.” Within the Centre you will find excellent dining, shopping, and entertainment. Specialty shops, fast food spots, and restaurants are abundant.
The Hayward Fine China Museum displays many pieces of fine china and earthenware. The St. John Jewish Historical Museum displays Jewish life in St. John since the arrival of the first immigrants in 1858. In 1842, Dr. Abraham Gesner started the New Brunswick Museum. Dr. Gesner discovered kerosene. The museum houses archives of history, and has an expanded section where you can see a full-sized mastodon and whale. The Firefighters Museum (Old No. 2 Engine House) is located in the old Engine House. It was built in 1840. The Museum of Marine Art exhibits many different types of sand and artifacts beaches and shipwrecks.
In 1913, the Imperial Theatre opened. Many great names walked the stage of the Imperial Theatre, Harry Houdini, Ethel Barrymore, Victor Borge, and others. The theatre underwent many changes over the years. In the late 1920’s it became a movie theatre. In 1957 it closed and was bought by the Full Gospel Assembly of Pentecostal Churches. Later reconstruction began to bring the theatre back to its original state. In 1994 it was reopened.
Prince William's Walk takes you a tour of some of the most beautiful streets in St. John. Prince William and Germain Streets are home to some of the most magnificent buildings in Canada. Some of the sites you will see on the tour are the Old Post Office and City Hall, the Three Sisters Lamp, which was used to help guide ship pilots safely into the harbor at night, Market Slip, and the Churches of St. Andrew and St. David.
Barbour’s General Store is named for G. E. Barbour a spice merchant. The store is filled with merchandise of the Victorian era and still has a barbershop and dentist’s office just as it did when it was built. Redcliffe Quay is a former slave confine converted into a shopping area featuring some of the finest dining and stores. Heritage Quay is a duty-free seaside shopping mall with a wharf, boardwalk, and pier.
Rockwood Park is a 2200-acre park frequented year around. From picnics to swimming, camping, canoeing, hiking, and kayaking Rockwood Park is always bustling with adventure. You can also play a round of golf at the Rockwood Park Golf Course and enjoy a day at the Cherry Brook Zoo, which is located on the park property. The zoo is home to over 30 species of endangered and exotic animals.
Fort James is a British fort built to protect the entrance of St. John’s harbor in the 17th Century. Another British fort built in the late 1770’s to protect the British Island from the French is Fort Barrington.
Cedar Valley Golf Club is a 6,000-yard, par 70 course with spectacular views of the sea.
