Nova Scotia's CAT ferry service to Maine announces sailing schedule for summer 2025
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CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
A pitch to build Canada's first dark sky corridor along the Fundy Coast
A group of New Brunswickers are pitching a plan to create a dark sky corridor along the Fundy Coast in a bid to preserve the night sky for stargazers. A group of New Brunswickers are pitching a plan to create a dark sky corridor along the Fundy Coast in a bid to preserve the night sky for stargazers. Fundy-St. Martins is coastal and quaint. It's hugged by red cliffs and sea caves shaped by the Bay of Fundy, that boasts of having the world's highest tides and draws more than 150,000 tourists each year. But for many locals, the best show is at night after the sun sinks into the horizon and stars appear. 'These stars and these nights, I feel that many people have taken it for granted,' said Drexel Tjui, who moved to St. Martins from Ontario four years ago. He finds the starry sky he can see from his house relaxing and peaceful. Sometimes when he looks up, he thinks of family members who've passed away. Each observation brings him perspective. 'It's just that how small we are as a living species and this whole system,' Tjui said. Far from big city lights in more populated areas, the darkness in Fundy-St. Martins exposes much of what lies beyond the earth. Maps measuring light pollution around the world rank the area on the lower end the spectrum, meaning it's a great place to see stars. 'We see the Milky Way stand right up. You see that ancient nebulous cloud streak right across the sky,' said Stéphane Picard, an astrophotographer who runs an astrotourism and consulting business called Cliff Valley Astronomy. He notes that light pollution prevents 60 per cent of Canadians and 80 per cent of Americans from seeing the Milky Way from where they live. 'Not only is the world's population losing its dark sky, they've lost that intimacy with the dark sky,' he said. It's part of the reason Picard is working on a community initiative to make the municipality of Fundy-St. Martins and nearby provincial parks designated dark sky sites to preserve it for stargazers and limit light pollution. Fundy National Park and Irving Nature Park in Saint John are already certified as dark sky locations. Picard's dream is to add more and create a dark sky corridor that would stretch from New River Beach Provincial Park to Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. 'At least six certified dark sky sites in the stretch of about 160-180 kilometres, which would be the highest concentration that dark sky sites in the world,' he said. In the middle of the corridor is the community of Fundy-St. Martins. St. Martins & District Chamber of Commerce sees astrotourism as a way for people to come to the region, play and stay. 'Having something like this amazing dark sky and the fact that we've protected it brings people here. It's a web of win, win, win,' said Elaine Shannon, President of the St. Martins and District Chamber of Commerce. She points out it's not just about business, but the bigger picture. 'It's good for the humans that live here. It's good for the wildlife and it's good for the ecology,' said Shannon. Jim Bedford, Mayor of Fundy-St. Martins, said the village council has given the dark sky committee a letter to move forward so they can apply for grants but a lot more work needs to be done, including more public consultation and figuring out if the community must change its rural plan. Bedford sees the benefits of astrotourism but also notes residents still have a lot of questions about how it affects them. He thinks it'll take more public consultation. 'There's still a lot of work to be done before we get to that point to say, yes, you have the blessing of council and then you have our vote to move forward with this,' Bedford said. Canada already has pockets of dark sky sites and reserves as astrotourism grows and people seek chances to connect with nature. But to see a corridor all along the Fundy Coast would be a first in Canada, according to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 'This is a really exciting proposal,' said Ashley Northcotte, the Communications Coordinator at the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 'Canada is really uniquely positioned, if this happens to go through, to be in a position to be a leader in dark sky preservation,' she adds.
CBC
7 hours ago
- CBC
What's open and closed in Hamilton this Civic Holiday
Social Sharing This Civic Holiday, several city services and all administrative offices will be paused or closed in Hamilton. Here's what you need to know for Aug. 4. Transportation Hamilton Street Railway buses — including MyRide in Waterdown and Trans-Cab service — will operate at the Sunday service level. Last trips will depart downtown at around midnight. DARTS will be running on holiday service hours, with all subscription trips cancelled except for dialysis. Passengers must reserve in advance to ride. Parking officers won't enforce routine complaints from Sunday at 5:45 a.m. to Monday at 10 p.m., but may still patrol certain areas. Waste collection There won't be compost, recycling, yard waste or garbage collection on Monday. Waste collection will occur one day later for the rest of the week. Community Recycling Centres will be closed Monday. Closures City of Hamilton service closures include. Adult Day Program at Macassa Lodge. Animal Services Office and Shelter. ATS Customer Service Office. Dental clinics and bus. Hamilton Civic Museums. Hamilton Farmers' Market. Hamilton Municipal Parking System Office. Hamilton Public Library branches. Health Connections. Housing Services Office. HSR Customer Service Centre. Licensing and Bylaw Services phone queue and service counters. Municipal Service Centres. Ontario Works Program and Special Supports Program. Provincial Offences Administration Office. Public Health Vaccine Records Line. Recreation Centres and Arenas, though outdoor pools will open for regular hours. Tropical Greenhouse at Gage Park. Van Needle Syringe Program. Mail Canada Post is closed on provincial and territorial holidays like Monday, with no collection or delivery of mail. Post offices operated by the private sector may be open. Private businesses Civic Holiday is not a statutory holiday, so businesses may open if they choose. Check specific shops' hours to find out if they're open.
CBC
12 hours ago
- CBC
Fate of next year's Vancouver dragon boat festival in doubt due to FIFA World Cup, organizers say
The organizers of the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver say it appears next year's races will be cancelled because of rules surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Dominic Lai of Dragon Boat B.C. says Vancouver's host city agreement with FIFA prohibits cultural and sporting events in the city within a certain time frame and restricts events within a certain radius of B.C. Place, which is set to host seven World Cup matches between June 13 and July 7. The event, which organizers describe as North America's largest dragon boat festival, takes place in False Creek, a short distance from B.C. Place, usually around the summer solstice. "We tried to come up with alternate solutions, and we presented these solutions to the city and the province," Lai said. "But ultimately, we still haven't got any confirmation of any type of support for it, and we're in a tough place." Lai says organizers are working with the city and province in search of a solution, but as it stands, they face a financial deficit. The City of Vancouver says it is collaborating with organizers of sporting and cultural events taking place between June 4 and July 14 "to ensure that events don't conflict geographically, and that there are sufficient City resources to support a safe environment for all to enjoy." The city also said it is working with event organizers and FIFA to minimize impacts, and it expects "most annual events to proceed in some form, though some may see adjustments in timing, location or scale." A statement from B.C.'s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture says the province "is aware that this event is impacted by the World Cup and understands that major events can create challenges for communities — sometimes requiring established events to change timing or location, and we appreciate how difficult those adjustments can be." Lai says adjustments mean Dragon Boat B.C. faces a financial deficit, and poses existential questions. "FIFA is a behemoth. It will do what it does. It's the world's largest sporting event for a reason, and they have a standard of excellence they need to deliver on," he said.
