There’s a new tourist guide out for those who prefer to explore close to home in the Maritimes — or away from the crowd.
Hidden New Brunswick & P.E.I. features more than 100 “off-the-beaten-path” destinations that, according to author Scott Osmond, have an unsung “wow factor” and great stories to tell.
“I don’t think people really appreciate just how much is in each province,” he said. “There’s so much out there to explore.”
This is Osmond’s third instalment in a series published by Boulder Books that began with his native Newfoundland and Labrador in 2022 and was followed the following year by Hidden Nova Scotia.
Included in the latest guide are secret tunnels, waterfalls, sites of plane crashes and shipwrecks, deserted military structures, “ghostly” theme parks and crumbling industrial relics.
(Submitted by Boulder Books)
Osmond thinks these places are of importance, both from a tourism perspective and to show people what’s in their own backyard.
“I really do think it’s a shame that people don’t see their own province before going out and seeing the world,” he told Information Morning Saint John.
In the last couple of years, he’s travelled all over, visiting each of the places he’s written about.
“There’s so much in the backcountry — places that aren’t the easiest to get to without a very long hike or a very long ATV ride,” he said.
Remnants of massive structures
He was especially struck by the remnants of New Brunswick’s industrial logging and mining history, including old dams and hydroelectric facilities.
“These were massive structures built throughout the late 1800s and the 1900s. They were used to power the mills and communities that were nearby, and so many of these are still around,” he said.
He tried to showcase some places that are easier to access — that are, effectively, hidden in plain sight.
Pinder Dam in Temperance Vale, N.B., is among the locations in the book. Osmond writes that the dam is one of the last traces of sawmills in the area dating to the mid-1800s. (Submitted by Boulder Books)
For example, some overgrown cemeteries and lighthouses that are no longer in use have cultural or historic significance, said Osmond. They’ve been forgotten or aren’t recognized to the extent they should be.
“They’re not really recognized the way that many other tourism places are, but have rich history or connection to the community,” he said.
Osmond also found remarkable natural features that don’t get much attention, such as spectacular waterfalls, sea arches, caves and other unusual rock formations.
“You walk into it and it leaves you kind of speechless,” he said.
Osmond got a taste for this type of exploration as a child growing up in Newfoundland. There wasn’t a lot to do, he said, so he spent a lot of time wandering around back roads, and often stumbled across mysterious things like old concrete foundations seemingly in the midst of nowhere.
Information Morning – Saint John7:20New book about lesser-known NB and PEI destinations
Scott Osmond is the author of Hidden New Brunswick and PEI.
He takes enjoyment in now being able to share the stories behind that sort of thing.
Among other things, he found large buildings lost in the woods of New Brunswick.
“They make for wonderful places for photography,” he said. “It kind of gives us a tangible piece of history that we can connect back to.”
Osmond’s new book is available at any major bookstore, or from Boulder Books and other online sellers. Signing events are to happen in Alma on Saturday and in Fredericton on Sunday.