Canada’s lesser-known Atlantic coast is heating up this winter

Toronto. Montreal. Vancouver and Quebec City – when it comes to Canada, its most popular cities are fully revealed.

But there is a much more rural, small-town and special side to our neighbor to the north – its more remote Maritime Provinces. French-inflected New Brunswick, colorful Nova Scotia and gloomy otherworldly Newfoundland are worlds unto themselves, each with a flavor that slips through time.

Just a few hours away by plane, the Maritimes are relatively easy to reach and filled with monumental architecture, stunning icebergs and pristine wildlife. They make for an easy escape from Gotham over and over again.

French-fried flax

Most people think of Quebec as Canada’s only French province. But New Brunswick is Canada’s only bilingual province—meaning that French and English are codified equally by law (Quebec is officially only francophone).

The province’s French roots are different from Quebec: this is the heart of Acadian country, home to the descendants of French settlers who arrived during the 16th century. In fact, the word “Cajun” comes from the word Acadian – as a result of some Acadians coming down to Louisiana to join their fellow Catholics in the former French colony.

Today, Acadian culture is still alive and well in New Brunswick, where most people speak French and English, often at the same time.

Amidst this cultural mix, New Brunswick offers some of North America’s most stunning natural beauty. Make your base in Moncton, where New Brunswick’s French and English cultures collide and explore stunning scenery, including the Bay of Fundy, to witness the highest tides in the world.

Twice a day the tides rise up to 35 feet due to the Bay’s unique shape, like water pouring into a giant bathtub. The bay is an easy drive to New Brunswick’s dense and verdant Acadian Forest, another setting of geological firsts.

Where the northern boreal forest and the southern deciduous forest collide, a mix of hardwood and softwood species thrives unlike anywhere else on the continent.

Beyond its natural beauty, New Brunswick also offers an incredible range of flavors and tastes. The recently launched Good Cheer Trail salutes New Brunswick’s status as one of Canada’s leading independent brewers.

The trail, which spans across the province, uses an interactive map to help visitors explore local breweries – whether on foot, bike or even wheels.

If you’re traveling with kids, consider a stop in Dumfries for the more family-friendly From Sap to Sugar tour to immerse yourself in New Brunswick’s centuries-old maple syrup traditions.

New Brunswick is too modest to attract traditional five-star behemoths, but Saint John, its former capital (now Fredericton), recently saw the debut of the stylish Crowne Plaza Saint John Harbour. The property offers 135 stylish rooms and is located close to the airport, the city center and directly on the city’s picturesque harbour.

New glory

Locals may affectionately call Newfoundland “The Rock,” but its booming capital, St. John’s (not to be confused with the city above) confirms that Canada’s easternmost province is anything but a rough place.

Flush with oil and natural gas dollars and blessed with an almost otherworldly sense of natural beauty, St. John’s and the surrounding countryside is a small town/big country break from the conventional.

A British dominion until 1949, Newfoundland was the last province to join Canada. Some 75 years later, Newfoundlanders still cling to their unique heritage, centuries-old customs, legends and cuisine. From cod pots to whale pods, icebergs to jelly-colored row houses, Newfoundland is a land of cinematic scenery and warm, friendly people.

This year, Newfoundland and Labrador celebrates 75 years of union with Canada with the Year of the Arts. The ongoing event features a wide range of festivals, music performances and art exhibitions celebrating local artists, writers and musicians.

Make your base in St. John’s – ideally at the Ryan Mansion, originally built in 1911 by the immensely wealthy Ryan Brothers in 1911 and a Queen Anne-era testament to the fortunes of the cod industry. Its design celebrates the high aesthetic ideals of the period and comes complete with a grand white English oak staircase designed by the same craftsmen who worked on the Titanic.

While you’re in town, be sure to shop for the best locally made items. The Newfoundland Chocolate Company is family-owned and operated, producing hand-crafted chocolate bars, bark, truffles and drops from both European chocolate blends, as well as single-source varieties from South and Central America.

Despite their cosmopolitan ingredients, the delicacies respect local traditions and are filled with freshly picked berries and laced with Screech, a local rum.

A St. John’s sartorial staple Johnny Ruth takes its name from a Romanian-American immigrant who sold clothing and crafts throughout St. Louis. John’s in the 1940s. More than half a century later, his namesake store carries a predominantly Canadian-made selection of women’s outerwear, jewelry, shoes, skirts and dresses, including all-weather goods, ideal to combat the local weather. The store’s in-house line of all-natural soaps and body products are as good for your skin as they are for the environment.

Finish the day with a stop at the Quidi Vidi Brewery, located in the eponymous waterfront fishing area directly visible from the pages of Melville.

This hops hall has become Canada’s largest microbrewery (shrimp, anyone?) since opening its doors in 1996. Today, it brews more than half a dozen beers and flagship beers, all made in batches of small and served across Canada.

Although 1892 Traditional Ale is Quidi Vid’s best-known label, Iceberg is perhaps the most unusual. It is created from glacial water harvested each summer from passing icebergs. Enjoy it all during a brewery tour, which includes fresh samples from the tap for adults, along with brewery basics for aficionados.

Finally, for those who can swing it, stay at the extraordinary Fogo Island Inn, a decade-old innovative tourism initiative. Designed by architect Todd Saunders, a Newfoundlander now based in Norway, the inn is a boxy masterpiece of contemporary design, perched on stilts and almost eerily floating on the sea.

The hotel’s chef uses only local produce for the restaurant, which has been voted one of the best restaurants in Canada.

Community events, rooms furnished with handcrafted pieces based on traditional island crafts and intensive island tours offer a truly immersive and unforgettable experience.

‘Send it to me by fax

Geography, ethnicity, economy: These are the factors that traditionally define city districts. But for Halifax, the Halifax Explosion of 1917 nearly leveled an entire quarter of the city, paving the way for the city’s current incarnation.

The explosion resulted from a collision between the French-flagged SS Mont-Blanc and the Norwegian-flagged SS Imo — both in service during World War I. Loaded with explosives, Mont-Blanc crashed into Imo, resulting in an inferno that killed 2,000, injured another 9,000 and destroyed more than 1 square mile in size, most of it along the northern edge of the city. More than a century later, the Halifax Explosion ranks as the world’s worst man-made accident.

The Big Bang sent this once vibrant manufacturing district into a period of economic and cultural decline. But in recent decades, the North End has regained a sense of vibrancy, particularly within the historic Hydrostone District completed between the World Wars. Eco-friendly galleries, restaurants and retail complexes, such as The ‘creative intersection’ of fashion and art is giving the North End a truly global and cosmopolitan edge.

In between are the storied row houses of the North End, all elegantly laid out in their pastel-painted glory.

Make your base at the Prince George Hotel, with 203 rooms located just below the city’s massive castle and within walking distance of Halifax’s main historic sites, such as the Harbour, its Convention Center and the Botanical Gardens.

The pool is a great way to keep the kids busy. Speaking of adults, Prince George is within walking distance of Brooklyn Warehouse (Brooklyn Warehouse.ca) in the heart of the North End. Owner George Christakos and chef Graeme Ruppel dined at more than 30 Brooklyn bakeries before finalizing their source-local/chef-global menu.

Inspired by the Slow Food movement, most of Ruppel’s food is organic and farm-to-table. The place is big on beers, with more than a dozen beers, many brewed from Halifax, along with a small list of reds, whites and rosés. There are also cocktails – just don’t think about ordering a Manhattan!