We arrived at St. Jacques New Brunswick on 17 July 2024 for four nights. Our campground was Camping Panoramic '86 and is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains and the Madawaska River runs by it. We could see ski slopes from our campsite and they were not bunny slopes! Four nights at a stop means 3 days for site seeing, so we planned to see Grand Falls and Edmundston New Brunswick. We also bought groceries and spent an afternoon at the pool. Grand Falls was the highlight! We thoroughly enjoyed walking all the trails to see different angles of the falls and the town of Grand Falls itself is charming. After lunch we went to see a Cathedral the visitor center told us about. It is beautiful and we decided to attend mass there on Saturday at 7:15pm. The mass was interesting in that it was led by lay people. It was the same as a mass, but no priest and consecration of the gifts at the altar. We assume the communion we received had been consecrated before mass.
This is the first stop in our Canada travels where only French is spoken. Everywhere else we've stayed, English was offered if not the primary language. Anita speaks and understands enough French to communicate, but Steve has been sort of left out. Even the 2 TV channels we got from our antenna had only French. The visitor centers we visited had one person who spoke English, but the rest only spoke French. So, I guess we really felt like were in a foreign country for the first time since entering Canada yet we're just over the river from Maine! Locals here go to Maine for dinner, gas, music, etc.
Ski slopes across from Camping Panoramic '86 campground
Grand Falls New Brunswick Visitor Center 19 July 2024
The falls in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter
Grand Falls New Brunswick Visitor Center 19 July 2024
Hydroelectric plant tunnel construction
Grand Falls New Brunswick Visitor Center 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick Visitor Center 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick Visitor Center 19 July 2024
City of Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Ron Turcotte on Secretariat statue in town of Grand Falls
Grand Falls New Brunswick Visitor Center 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick Visitor Center 19 July 2024
City of Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Malabeam
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Rock named "Camel's Back"
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
One section of steps was closed so we only got about 300 steps instead
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Grand Falls New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Basement
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Basement has a crypt, a chapel and an open area with tables/chairs for socials
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Basement
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Edmundston New Brunswick 19 July 2024
Basement
On 20 July we walked around Edmundston. We had heard about trails through the town and along and/or over the Madawaska River. We also went to see a building in St. Basile which we had seen from the highway. From the highway, it looked like a church with a dormitory attached. We felt like we were trespassing on private property when we walked around there. We looked up the history of St. Basile online: In October 1873, seven Hospitallers of Saint Joseph of Montreal (a religious order) arrived in Saint Basile. They came to replace the Sisters of Charity of Saint John, N. B. , who had supervised the Academy of Madawaska from 1857 to 1873. Some Hospitallers became teachers, but they had the intention of also opening a hospital. Many sisters from the Jeanne Mance, Maillet and Hotel Dieu communities worked at the nursing home until 2002, when a lay administrator took over. Saint Joseph Nursing Home has been part of the Catholic Health International System since 2001. Today "Hotel Dieu" serves as a residential property for elderly in various stages of need. "Hotel Dieu" means Hotel of God.
Edmundston New Brunswick 20 July 2024
Edmundston New Brunswick 20 July 2024
Hotel Dieu in St. Basile New Brunswick 20 July 2024
Hotel Dieu in St. Basile New Brunswick 20 July 2024
Hotel Dieu in St. Basile New Brunswick 20 July 2024
Hotel Dieu in St. Basile New Brunswick 20 July 2024
Hotel Dieu in St. Basile New Brunswick 20 July 2024
Hotel Dieu in St. Basile New Brunswick 20 July 2024
Hotel Dieu in St. Basile New Brunswick 20 July 2024
Cemetary in St. Basile New Brunswick 20 July 2024
We arrived in Levis Quebec today (21 July 2024)!
What an interesting stop. Mike and Deb Belock