Dispatches from the sunburned wastelands

This afternoon, while we were sitting on the porch watching a little river creature (I think it was a river otter) swimming along the muddy banks of the now-fast-receding river (spring's almost over), I thought I should prabaly share a little more about the little village I now temporarily call home. The Village of Gagetown is situated on the banks of the Saint John River, about 65 km south of Fredericton, on the old Fredericton-Saint John Highway. The Village was founded in 1783, and is said to be one of the oldest English settlements in New Brunswick...However, apparently it used to be a French settlement called Grimros, before some ethnic cleansing took place. There are still some 200 year-old buildings around, if you know what to look for. The village was laid out in a classic grid pattern, although today few of the lots are occupied (in those days people obviously thought that big things were in store for the village).

It always amazes me that such an old part of North America remained relatively undeveloped (and still a little wild) for so long...Taking the scenic drive down the river to the city of Saint John, you can be forgiven for thinking that you're still in the 19th century...There must have been the idea of dozens of little villages, a long time ago - people must have thought that it would be developed like England, but now, all that remain are the names of those long lost places. Even the railroad is gone, with just a dirt track now used by All-terrain vehicles. Not that I am complaining - there are deer (and moose) around every corner, and the birdlife is spectacular, and most people from the American side of the border waxes lyrically about the place.

At least, that's my nostalgic thoughts, until the house starts to shudder when they do bombing on the nearby military base. A few decades ago, when the new military base was being developed close to the village, it was named CFB Gagetown, and locals obviously thought that things were, at last, beginning to happen. Unfortunately, none of the expected development took place on this side of the base, and instead the town of Oromocto, on the far western side got all the attention. The Village remained the little sleepy backwater that many people around here prefer it to be (I'm sure).
The two main industries today are tourism (in Summer), and apple cider...It's a really nice spot, with a lot of tourists coming for the beauty of the river...This past weekend there were a horde of Harley-Davidson bikers roaring through the village, and hanging out in the Old Boot Pub (picture on the right). A lot of the yachters that sail their boats up and down the Saint John River apparently frequent the Village in Summer. The Gagetown website has a little more detail on the village.

Posted by HannesB at 10:19 AM Comments