I love magic tricks and like most people I like to know how they’re done. Once I find out though, I get a bit sad as now I know it won’t be fun to see the trick again. This is sort of how I felt about the Reversing Falls (the top tourist attraction in St. John New Burnswick).
Since we’d already seen the power of the high tides all along the Bay of Fundy ( click each link for here for Burntcoat Head, Three Sisters and Hopewell Rocks posts) we knew that when the tide came in twice a day, its massive force would override the natural flow of the St. John River into the Bay of Fundy, making the river appear as if had reversed. For this reason, the attraction was a bit of a let down. If we’d started in St. John though, we’d have thought it splendid! Watch the time lapse below and notice (after the camera falls over) when the river starts “flowing upstream”.
What I wasn’t expecting from St. John was its fetching little downtown!
We parked at Kings Square which was established in 1734. This wonderful park, laid out in the shape of the UK flag, is full of inviting benches and numerous statues and monuments dedicated to great Canadians and war heroes.
King’s Square
From there we walked down the hill, headed towards the wharf, stopping along the way to peer in confectioners, gift shops, record stores, restaurants and pubs. Being the oldest incorporated city in Canada (established in 1497) and one where prominent Loyalists settled during the American Revolution, there are plenty of history tours in the area and I wish we’d planned to do one. As we only had the afternoon, we decided to at least stroll through the heart of the area to check out the architecture.
One thing we’ve frequently seen on our eastern North America tour is that there was no shortage of fires in the 1800s that wiped out many older structures and St. John was no exception. Following the “Great Fire” of 1877 that destroyed more than 20 streets, the Loyalists rebuilt, giving St. John a legacy of wonderful Victorians. We zig zagged between Germain Street and Prince William Street, pretending to pick out our next home.
It’s impossible to miss the imposing English Gothic-style Trinity Church in the area. It wasn’t open, but is supposed to have an amazing organ and chimes that strike each hour. We also sauntered over to Stone Church, which is the second oldest church in the city. St. Andrew and St. David Church saw its first sermon in 1817.
Trinity Church 
Stone Church 
St. Andrew and St. David
Had we more time here, in addition to a history tour I would have liked to have seen a performance at the Imperial Theater. Built in 1913 as a vaudeville house, and extensively reconstructed in 1994 it’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful theaters of its time. Ah well…we can’t see it all so St. John will get added to my revisit list should I ever get the chance!
On to our final stop in Canada…St. Andrews!
