Ben shares:
I grew up in Greendale (West Saint John). I have lived in Maine, Fredericton and Moncton over the years, and I am currently living in the north end of Saint John. No matter where I am living though, I usually choose to come back to the Saint John region on my weekends off from work. My daughter was also born in Saint John and lived here for several years. She is currently in Dieppe and comes to Saint John on weekends.
My daughter and I love spending our free time in the Saint John Region. We often hike the Split Rock Trail, the Irving Nature Park trails, the Rockwood Park trails, the trails in St. Martin's, the Fundy Trail Parkway and the trails around New River Beach. We kayak often on Chamcook Lake (St. Andrew's), in the Cambridge Narrows, Hampton, Darlings Island, Welsford, Fredericton and even Maine (but our favourite spots are on the Kennebecasis and Saint John Rivers)! When possible, we will also paddleboard in the same areas. In addition, we enjoy competing in 5 km races in KV and Saint John on weekends.
In 2020-2021, we lived next to Dominion Park Beach. While there, we spent every free moment kayaking, swimming and hiking in the area. My favourite moment in recent memory was definitely last summer when my daughter, her cousin and I would kayak out on the river (near Dominion Park) while the sun was setting. We are very lucky to have Dominion Park in the city.
My daughter and I love Saint John and the Towns by the Bay for a variety of reasons. Mostly because we have access to so much water. Living in Saint John, we can access the ocean, lakes and rivers within a very short drive. This allows us to strap down a few kayaks and get on the water quickly. We also enjoy going to the Queen's Square and Kingston Farmers Markets. There are incredible festivals on the Saint John waterfront, and the Harbour Passage is always a great place to walk!
I believe it's the people who make Saint John and the Towns by the Bay an incredible place. We are fortunate to have such kind and welcoming people in our city who are proud of where we live. And, we are always happy to welcome people choosing to live here, and tourists visiting from around the world!
