The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Growing up on the East Coast of Canada is a very different experience from growing up in the rest of the country. I didn't really understand how unique it was until I went to school in Ontario, then eventually moved to the West Coast — and found that no one could relate to my key childhood memories.
I grew up in Nova Scotia with my older brother, Connor, and my older sister, Emily. Then, I moved to New Brunswick in middle school, getting to experience life all around the East Coast.
Whenever I bump into an East Coaster in Vancouver — where I live now — there's an instant connection. It's an unspoken bond we all have, and it's like finding a piece of home while away.
My summers were filled with ocean swims, sailboat trips, and Cows ice cream. Childhood winters were spent skiing at Wentworth, having massive snowball fights, and lots of snow days.
The thing about growing up on the East Coast is that there's not a whole lot to do, so almost every kid ends up going for the same weekend trips, after-school outings, and summer adventures.
Whatever Maritime province you're from — P.E.I, New Brunswick, or Nova Scotia — there's no denying that we share some very specific moments that bring the nostalgia rushing in.
Newfoundlanders are also East Coasters, as an Atlantic Canadian province, but tend to have their own unique traditions on the island.
You're not a true East Coast kid unless you can relate to at least a few of these things.
You went surfing or swimming in freezing cold water
Morgan Leet as a kid surfing in Nova Scotia.
This is me getting one of my first surfing lessons from my dad — and looking pretty annoyed about how cold the Atlantic Ocean is.
Being right on the ocean, it's super popular to catch some waves at one of the East Coast beaches.
In Nova Scotia, you'll always see a flood of surfers at Lawrencetown Beach or Martinique Beach.
You saw Theodore Tugboat in person
Morgan Leet and her two older siblings.
My sweater in this photo shows how much I adored Theodore Tugboat. It was a super popular TV show for all kids in Canada — but I got to see him in real life.
For a long time he was docked in Halifax, so kids from all around the Maritimes could visit.
You cried when Rainbow Valley shut down
Morgan Leet as a kid, crying.
In 2005, tragedy struck the hearts of all Atlantic Canadian kids.
Whatever Maritime province you were in, it's likely that growing up you made the trip to P.E.I. to go to this iconic amusement park. There were rides, attractions, and waterslides. It was every kid's dream in the summertime to go, and it gave us memories for life.
When I was seven years old I had to face the cold hard reality — that Rainbow Valley was officially shutting down.
You went sailing
Morgan Leet as a kid sailing with her father, grandfather, and brother.
I was super lucky that my parents had me in sailing school a lot during the summer. Although I was never actually good, it was super fun.
As you can see from the photo of me, my brother, my dad, and my grandpa — we loved being out on the ocean.
Especially in Nova Scotia, sailing is a huge thing. Most Maritimers have been on a boat at least once.
You had a tire swing in the backyard
Morgan Leet with her two older siblings on a tire swing.
In bigger Canadian cities you don't often get to have a lot of backyard space. Growing up on the East Coast, we had more room to play and hang tire swings.
Ours was shaped like a horse, but lots of people had a trusty old tire on a rope — and it could entertain for hours.
You cut down your Christmas Tree
Morgan Leet cutting down a Christmas tree in Nova Scotia with her siblings.
Another benefit of not being in a big city like Toronto or Montreal was being able to take a short drive to the woods. This meant that every year we got to cut down our very own Christmas tree!
I'll never forget walking through the forest, on the hunt for the perfect Charlie Brown tree.
You could run around with friends
Morgan Leet playing outside as a kid.
It's not like I was strolling around Downtown Halifax alone at night — but in a lot of the places that I lived on the East Coast, I was safe to walk alone with my siblings or some friends.
Everyone basically knows each other in Atlantic Canada, so kids run around their neighbourhoods a lot more.
You got fresh lobster off the side of the road
Morgan Leet with her dog and siblings at a beach in the East Coast.
There are a lot of benefits to living by the ocean — like the beaches, swimming, and surfing.
Maybe the best part though is the fresh seafood.
In the summertime, you'll almost always spot someone selling lobster on the side of the road. That might seem super weird to someone from Ontario — but for us, it's just an opportunity for a tasty dinner.
You climbed this anchor
Morgan Leet and her brother climbing an anchor in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
This anchor, called Bonaventure Anchor, is in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax.
It's a popular place to take a stroll in the city, and the anchor is every child's climbing dream.
Odds are that if you're an East Coast kid — you've been to the top.
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