THE ST.JOHN RIVER - NEW BRUNSWICK'S GREATEST WATERWAY

The St. John River is the largest river on the eastern seaboard and was named by one of Canada's greatest explorers, Samuel de Champlain, as he sailed into its mouth at the Bay of Fundy on June 24, 1604.

For the Maliseet, or Wolastoqiyik who had camped along its banks for centuries, the Saint John was known as the Wolastoq; for them, it was a bountiful river that led to a bountiful sea. It was their refuge, but it was destined to become the refuge of other cultures, at first the Acadians, and then the Loyalists, who fled  to the safety of its valley.

The river became an important trade route for French, English and First Nations traders throughout the 17th and 18th centuries of European exploration and settlement. The tremendous flow rate of the river and its tributaries during the spring freshet led to the development of the timber industry in western New Brunswick as the river became a conduit for log drives to saw and pulp mills in the south.

It is this same spring freshet which has proved disastrous to property owners along portions of the river over the years, particularly when ice jams can cause extensive flooding. The Saint John River has also been of tremendous importance to the development of western New Brunswick in the form of a transportation artery, particularly prior to rail transport when paddle wheelers clogged its waterways.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the river became a major source of hydroelectric power which the construction of dams at Beechwood and Mactaquac where large reservoirs have been created by damming its flow.

In recent years, the river has seen a rise in recreational boating and ecotourism.

Stretching 673 kilometres/418 miles from its rugged headwaters in the woods of northern Maine, running southeast to its mouth in the Bay of Fundy, Saint John, NB 

The St. John is also the second longest river on North America's Atlantic coast and the river in Fredericton is nicknamed the "Rhine of North America", in reference to its popularity for recreational boating.

With Fredericton being the navigational headwaters of the beautiful St. John River, and accessible from the Bay of  Fundy, more and more visitors from the lower St. John River and the United States arrive to the Capital via pleasure craft.

MARINAS IN THE FREDERICTON AREA:

• Regent St. Wharf, downtown Fredericton.  Ideal for boaters who want to enjoy all that downtown has to offer; historic and cultural sites, unique specialty shops and restaurants are all within walking distance of the Wharf. 
  Services: security gate, water, dumping station,electrical hook-up, and a Port Warden on duty 10am-10 pm daily, July and August (May, June and September, weekends only).
  Fees: overnight stay - $ 1.00/ft.
  Contact: Port Warden on VHF Channel 68 or Tel: 506-455-1445
• Fredericton Yacht Club, 361 Lincoln Rd., (below the Princess Margaret Bridge), offers temporary docking and a launch ramp. Visitor mooring facilities available July and August. Tel: 506-452-1028 or 506-455-7429. Website: www.fyc.ca
• Mactaquac Park Marina                       Tel: 506-363-4747
• Oromocto Boat Club, Oromocto         Tel: 506-357-4400
• Gagetown Marina, Gagetown              Tel: 506-488-1992

Boat Launches: (Free to public with vehicle parking available on site):

• Carleton Park Boat Launch, Union St. (Fredericton North)
• Morell Park Boat Launch, Waterloo Row (small craft only)

Click here for Canoe and kayak rentals  

THE RIVER TRAILS NETWORK

Sparked by North American's interest in historic river routes as well as increasing enthusiasm for trip-related canoeing and kayaking, water trails are emerging in North America. Water trails are designated water routes between specific points indicated on a map or guide, which may have day use sites, camping sites, and other service amenities. Typically, they emphasize low-impact use and promote stewardship of the water resource.

New Brunswick, with its wealth and diversity of fresh water rivers, is in a prime position to benefit from the development of river trails. In this regard, the St. John River Society is now developing The River Trails Network an interconnected 230 kilometre system of water and land trails in the Lower St. John River Valley. The network will extend between Mactaquac Dam and the Reversing Falls, and include all major tributaries of the lower river as well as Grand Lake. 
www.stjohnriversociety.com