<<

250 Years of Anecdotes on the Petitcodiac Tidal Bore

(Dieppe - February 13, 2001) - National Heritage Week, with the theme this year being on "our waters" saw the launch this morning of a unique project entitled 250 Years of Anecdotes on the Petitcodiac River Tidal Bore, researched and prepared by the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper.

According to the spokesperson for the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper, Daniel LeBlanc, « the initiative is the first detailed project on the Petitcodiac River tidal bore in 50 years. »

Numerous written testimonies, some dating as far back as 250 years, describe the passing of the Tidal Bore in various settings, with the unique perspective of its observers. French Officer de Léry's account of the bore is the oldest written account of the Petitcodiac bore so far traced and dates back to 1750:

"The current flows up the river with such speed that, as the tide begins, it builds up a volume of water two or three feet thick that a galloping horse can't keep up with. The current is just as fast at rising and at falling tides."

Later in 1812 Mgr. Plessis, then Bishop from Quebec on mission to l'Acadie (Maritime Provinces), describes the arrival of the bore in very vivid terms:

"At Peticoudiac, it can be heard coming from very far away, making a loud noise. It is a furious torrent, rising six to ten feet above the level of the river, running up with a rolling motion and terrible sounds of smashing. Misfortune awaits any rowboat, or any schooner for that matter, found in its path."

Assembled at the Crystal Palace Convention Centre in Dieppe, business people from the region's tourism industry and the public witnessed the unveiling of poster especially designed for the event, and saw video footage of other tidal bores in the world. This unique natural phenomenon can be seen in some sixty rivers and estuaries around the world, including the Inner Bay of Fundy and Cook Inlet in Alaska, the only two areas in North America where the phenomenon takes place.

The bore on the Qiantang River in China, known as the black dragon, attracts over 250,000 visitors in the fall of every year, to witness the excitement of the largest tidal bore in the world. In England, surf board enthusiasts have created a sensation during the past ten years, riding the wave of the bore in the Severn River on a distance of many kilometres, while thousands of spectators watch the show. In Nova Scotia, some 30 people work in the new industry created by the tidal bore on the Schubenacadie River, where thousands of tourists ride the bore waves in zodiac during the summer, an activity which generates millions of dollars in the local economy.

With this project, says LeBlanc, we hope to better inform the players in the tourism industry and in the public of how remarkable and unique the Petitcodiac River tidal bore was and can be for this region. It's a project which aims to preserve an important part of the natural heritage of this region, as well as awaken our senses to what is happening elsewhere in the world. » The project in its entirety can be seen on the Riverkeeper web site at www.petitcodiac.org.