The Maritimes – a semi-elusive region in Canada that has a reputation for seafood and friendly people. The three provinces that make it up band together tightly, bonding over everything from their often overlooked beauty, to the distinct dialects and coastal lifestyle.
Above all the little complexities that make the area extraordinary, there's a unique pride that often comes with being a Maritimer. That pride crosses the provincial boarders of P.E.I, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, and is something I've come to find intrigues people from elsewhere in Canada and beyond.
I grew up between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, raised in the tiny bubble that is Atlantic Canada. It's a somewhat insular place to grow up, proven by the fact that I went off to university in Ottawa and tried to order garlic fingers and donair sauce — it was a sad night when I realized this didn't exist outside the boundaries of the Maritimes — only to receive something called Crazy Bread with a red sauce (??).
My university gradation coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant moving back home to New Brunswick, where I — like most other people — hunkered down for the following two years. After that I went off to B.C., where I lived for couple of years and got to explore the other coast of Canada.
Now I'm back, having followed the trend of many Maritimers in always returning home.
After chatting up people from the West Coast and Ontarians alike, I've learned that ears always perk up when they find out where I'm from. There's a fascination when it comes to the East Coast, although most people I met from away had never even visited. The common consensus was that most knew very little about my home. The result of that has been me turning into the personal salesman of Atlantic Canda.
I was out in B.C. showing pictures of the Fundy Footpath to my hairdresser, telling my co-workers how they needed to visit the sandy shores of Nova Scotia in the summertime, and explaining the joys of having Cows Ice Cream in P.E.I.
Shock crossed the faces of many who I ranted to, making me realize that Maritimers might just need to brag a little more often (hence the purpose of this series).
Maritimers don't brag
Most Maritimers are extremely proud, but despite this I've found that some of the parts of my home I love the most are relatively unknown beyond our community or are completely underrated. This series is going to brag (loudly and proudly) about the area I've grown to appreciate even more after living away.
You can follow it and read all about a unique part of the region with every instalment — from off the beaten path destinations to the many intricacies of living here.
Ontarians, don't be alarmed when we wave
I'll rarely pass up the opportunity to roast Ontario, so it's fitting that the first story of this series had to do just that. I don't know what we have against Ontario honestly (I lived there and had a great time), and the feud is pretty one-sided from what I've seen, but I grew up hearing the term "Onterrible" thrown around a lot.
The nickname is harsh, to be fair, but the province does have its drawbacks, which were especially obvious coming from the East Coast.
One of them was again made abundantly clear to me the other weekend while I was attending the Juno Awards in Halifax. Unsurprisingly a lot of the artists and other members of the media were in from Ontario, and for many of them it was their first time stepping foot in the Maritimes.
I can't tell you how many times throughout the weekend I heard people going on about how friendly Haligonians are. It's something I didn't really note growing up here, but this sentiment was echoed in my own experience when I moved away.
@narcitytoronto@BrettKissel shouts out East Coast hospitality and his love for Halifax at the 2024 Juno Awards! #junoawards #junoawards2024 #brettkissel #countrymusic #countrymusiccanada #halifax
Even more-so in the smaller Atlantic Canadian towns I've lived in you're getting waves from strangers on the sidewalks, "hellos" from people you don't know one bit, and conversations striked up in check-out lines.
Living both in Ottawa and Vancouver, I rarely experienced this on the same level. Like most places when you go outside the big city it tends to get more friendly, but the casual sociability always fell short of what I experienced on the East Coast.
I missed the sense of community while living away above anything else. Partially that's because it's my home, but there's something comforting about a friendly wave and a hello when you pass by your neighbours, as opposed to avoiding eye contact.
My experience was one thing, but time and time again when people visit the Maritimes I hear about the warmth, the welcome, and the chattiness. Even in Halifax — our biggest city — you get a small-town feel that's refreshing, especially if you're coming from the likes of Toronto.
Maritimers are eager to show off our home (case in point, this article), and that means visitors getting swarmed with recommendations of where to go and what to see when locals find out you're from out of town. That's the kind of hospitality that doesn't go unnoticed amongst visitors, and from what I've seen, keeps them coming back.
Without the draw of a big event like the Junos it's somewhat hard to get them here though, considering it's not the most convenient place to travel or the most talked up when it comes to Canadian destinations, but once people come they often fall in love.
When I asked people what specifically they loved most about the city this weekend, the answer was almost always the people – second only sometimes to the seafood. The people though, that's where we shine.
If you couldn't care less about a wave and a smile stay tuned, because next I'll be breaking down the unsung destinations of the Maritimes, which will undoubtedly make you at least tempted to visit.
