By Brian Owens, The Courier
With political tensions keeping many Canadians at home and a full slate of summer events planned in communities throughout Charlotte County, tourism operators are expecting big numbers for the upcoming season.
“I think it is going to be an extremely busy summer in the whole region,” said Chris Aerni, owner of the Rossmount Inn just outside St. Andrews.
John Craig, Mayor of Eastern Charlotte, agrees.
“I think the current political environment in North America will be good for tourism,” he said. “It’s keeping Canadians in Canada while we still get Americans coming across because their dollar is strong.”
Aerni said bookings for the Rossmount, especially long-range ones, have been up since the beginning of the year, with the number of bookings by January comparable to what he would normally expect to see in April.
“People are booking much earlier than normal,” he said.
He attributes this both to the current weakness of the Canadian dollar—which always leads to more Canadian guests, especially from Quebec—as well as many Canadians deciding to forego trips to the United States.
“What has changed is the number of Canadians who have no interest in crossing the border,” he said. “That’s the biggest reason for the increase.”
And political tensions do not seem to be dissuading Americans from visiting either.
“People love driving into a friendly country,” he said.
The organizers of St. Stephen and Calais’ International Homecoming Festival, set for Aug. 6–10, expect that the same will hold true for their event.
“This is our 52nd festival and we look forward to celebrating as an international community again this year,” said Patty Anderson, reception and hospitality attendant with the Municipal District of St. Stephen. “Both committees and port authorities really see this as a positive event and would love to see it continue.”
The opening “Hands Across the Border” ceremony on Ferry Point Bridge is going ahead as usual, with the encouragement of both countries’ border protection agencies. The parade on Aug. 9, which usually alternates its starting point between the two communities, will start in Calais again this year, as that makes the border-crossing logistics easier, said Anderson.
The Bay of Fundy International Marathon, however, which runs between Campobello Island and Lubec, Maine, on June 22, has already seen border issues affect participation. Tightened rules at the U.S. border have forced some changes.
Previously, runners checked in with each border post prior to the race and were not required to carry their passports. This year, passports will be collected and held by race and border staff and returned at the end—leading to some participants (around one in every 25, according to race organizers) dropping out or deferring their entry until next year in the hope that relations improve.
“[The new rules] have caused some concerns, and some runners have decided not to participate,” said Dan DeLuca, one of the race organizers. “But most who registered will do their best to abide by that requirement.”
Around 550 of the 600 spots in the race are filled, with runners from four Canadian provinces and 36 U.S. states. This year marks the first time the race will be run since 2019 after being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re really excited to be re-upping this event for 2025,” said DeLuca. “It was a fantastic event with great heritage, so it’s exciting for us to bring it back this year.”
What’s going on
With every community hosting a variety of events throughout the summer, there are lots of opportunities to get out and explore what’s on offer in Charlotte County.
Canal Beach just north of St. George opens on June 7, and Craig says each community in Eastern Charlotte is hosting something unique. St. George will have a small Canada Day event, as well as Thursday night concerts at Magaguadavic Place and the three-day Summerfest from July 18–21, featuring a concert by the band Slowcoaster. Beaver Harbour is holding events for New Brunswick Day throughout the weekend of Aug. 4. Black’s Harbour’s long-running Fog Festival will be held Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
Sally Leggett, executive director of Explore St. Andrews, said they are hoping to sponsor at least 20 festivals and events in the town over the course of the summer, kicking off with the annual Paddlefest music and nature festival this weekend.
Other highlights will include Canada Day celebrations, Broadway by the Sea, the Indulge food festival at Kingsbrae Gardens, and Pirate Fest at the Huntsman Aquarium.
In addition to the Homecoming Festival, St. Stephen will also host events for Canada Day, as well as its usual series of outdoor concerts on Thursday evenings and the annual Chocolate Festival.
