Saint John

Saint John is the second-largest city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, with 68,000 residents (2016). It is in the south of the province on the Bay of Fundy

Understand
Saint John is a city whose population is composed almost entirely of the descendants of Irish immigrants and British loyalists. Canada's oldest incorporated city, Saint John's metro population is approximately 125,000 and it routinely plays host to cruise ships and individual tourists from all over North America. (To avoid confusion with St. John's (Newfoundland), Saint John is never spelled St. John - locals will be very quick to point this out.)

Until 2003, Saint John had a long history of shipbuilding at the city's dry dock, which is one of the largest in the world. Saint John now has fast growing research and information technology sectors, and it has a growing sector of tourism, with over 1.5 million visitors a year and 200,000 cruise ship visitors a year, creating a renaissance in the city's historic downtown (locally known as uptown).

History
Mi'kmaq and Maliseet Aboriginal peoples lived in the region for thousands of years, calling the river Wolastoq, and what is now the Saint John region, Menahkwesh, before European settlement.

French explorer Samuel de Champlain landed at Saint John Harbour on June 24, 1604 (the feast of St. John the Baptist). This is where the Saint John River gets its name. After over a century of ownership disputes over the land surrounding Saint John between the French and English, the English deported the French colonists in 1755 and constructed Fort Howe above the harbour in 1779.

Saint John, as a major settlement, was established by Loyalist refugees of the American Revolution when two fleets of vessels from Massachusetts, one in the spring and a second in the fall, arrived in the harbour. These refugees wished to remain living under Great Britain and were forced to leave their U.S. homes during the American Revolution.

In 1785, the City of Saint John was formed from the union of Parrtown and Carleton. Over the next century, waves of Irish immigration, namely during the Great Famine via Partridge Island, would fundamentally change the city's demographics and culture.

Climate
Temperatures in Saint John vary by season. In the summertime temperatures can reach a high of 22°C, and in the wintertime they can dip to -15°C. Rain is common in the spring and autumn, but it usually doesn't rain much in the summer. Fog is not uncommon during the summer months. There is the occasional heavy snowfall in the winter; however, snow is usually more abundant the more north you travel away from the Bay of Fundy.

By car
Driving to Saint John is usually not a hassle, unlike in many other cities. However, traffic has been steadily increasing. And for travellers driving from Fredericton to Saint John on Highway 7, care is required because of the risk of moose collisions at certain times of year and certain times of the day.

Saint John is 107 km (66 miles) from the Calais/St. Stephen border between Canada and the United States of America. Driving distances from major cities are 496 km (310 miles) from Portland, Maine, 940 km (588 miles) from Montreal, Québec and 424 km (265 miles) from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

If you're travelling from southern Nova Scotia, your best bet is to take Bay Ferries from Digby. There are three crossings daily from mid-June to mid-October, these take 2½ hours on average. During the rest of the year there is at least one crossing daily and they usually take 2 hr 45 min. $37 per adult passenger and $119 for a car (April 2017). Book online, and check on at the terminal to get your boarding pass when you arrive. Restaurant, cafeteria and wifi on board.

By bus

 * Operates the following routes to Saint John:
 * Between Saint John and Moncton including a stop in Sussex. Travel time to Saint John from Moncton is 2.25 hours.
 * Between Saint John and Fredericton including a stop in Fredericton Airport. Travel time to Saint John from Fredericton is 1.25 hours.
 * Travel to Saint John from the following destinations involving same day transfers is as follows:
 * From Charlottetown (5.25 hours) with transfers in Amherst and Moncton
 * From Edmundston (5 hours) with a transfer in Fredericton
 * From Bathurst (7.5 hours), Campbellton (8.75 hours), Halifax (6.25 hours), and Miramichi (6.5 hours) with a transfer in Moncton
 * From Antigonish (7 hours), North Sydney (9.75 hours), Sydney (10.5 hours) with transfers in Truro and Moncton
 * From Antigonish (7 hours), North Sydney (9.75 hours), Sydney (10.5 hours) with transfers in Truro and Moncton

Airlines

 * Canadian airlines serving Saint John Airport:

By train
There is no passenger train to Saint John. Via Rail serves Moncton, from which a two-hour bus ride reaches Saint John.

By boat
Saint John also boasts a booming cruise ship industry and has cruise ships enter the city's dock on a regular basis.

Saint John's Market Wharf also provides a convenient if unserviced space within the harbour for pleasure boaters, making it easy for power or sail vessels coming in from the Fundy to berth and enjoy the Uptown shopping or dining. Longer term moorage is not available in the harbour, although it is available several miles up the Saint John River. There are no fuel or marine services at the wharf, and the wharf is used by local fishing boats and by pleasure craft.

Saint John can also be reached by ferry coming from Digby, NS. As of 2024, it is operated by Bay Ferries Ltd. Check the schedule because crossings are dependant on weather and technical conditions and subjected to change. Crossing time in peak season is approximately 2 hours 15 minutes and 2 hours and 30 minutes during off season. Parking is available at the Saint John and Digby ferry terminals.

By taxi
There are several companies available in Saint John for this service. Most companies accept debit and credit cards in their cabs, but be sure to ask for this service as it may not be available in all cars. Approximate prices for taxi services in Saint John, based on one person in the taxi and no stops are as follows:
 * East Side to Uptown or North End: $7-10 (and vice versa)
 * East Side to West Side: $12-15
 * North to South End: $8-10

If you are staying outside of the city in Rothesay or the surrounding area, expect to pay above $15. Cab rides to the airport can run in the $20 range. For people who need to make a short stop to pick up cash or something quick, most drivers will charge you an extra buck. But make sure you ask, because they are supposed to charge you for another stop. Some will do this right off the bat if you don't ask. Also, most cab drivers are more than happy to have your repeat business, so if there is someone you like ask for their car number and next time you call you can ask for the same person.

Within the Uptown it is possible to travel on foot between the City Market, Brunswick Square Mall, Market Square, the Canada Games Aquatic Centre, Mercantile Centre and Harbour Station via underground and pedway connections without venturing outside (the "Inside Connection"). This is very useful during the winter. During the rest of the year, Uptown Saint John also offers a very pleasant and fairly accessible walking experience, with clear, well-maintained sidewalks and crosswalks, and fairly straightforward navigation. (Unlike many older cities, Saint John's Uptown is laid out in a simple grid design.)

There are eleven car rental dealerships in the city including an Avis Rent-A-Car at the Saint John Airport.

Buy
The City Market uptown is the oldest operating farmers market in Canada, with fruits, vegetables, fresh seafood, Java Moose (a local brewed coffee house with good take-home coffee beans), and on Saturdays, various vendors with foods from around the world. Uptown is also home to hundreds of independent shops with a wide variety of food and merchandise. A stroll down King Street finds stores selling local arts and crafts, while across the street the Brunswick Square Mall offers commercial stores (clothes, shoes, cards, books, music, Laura Secord chocolates). On Germain and Canterbury Streets (both off King Street) independent merchants offer used books, records and international cuisine.

There are eight local shopping centres of varying quality; a few are mere strip malls or have fallen into the "dead mall" pattern of discount stores, vacancies or non-retail uses such as telephone call centres. The largest local malls are McAllister Place and East Point Shopping Centre in the east end, or Brunswick Square and Market Square uptown. The city's east side is also home to numerous big-box stores, mostly chains ranging from clothing to hardware to electronics.

Eat
A variety of locations for dining in are available in Market Square. For the more thrifty traveller an eatery is located in Brunswick Square, or try the side aisles of the City Market for fresh salads, sandwiches, and other local fare.

Sleep
Finding a place to stay in Saint John shouldn't be a hassle. For those of you who prefer a comfortable stay near everything you could wish to see, try one of the hotels or B&Bs in the uptown. Hotels in Saint John cost on average $120 per night for a single. However, if you are travelling on a budget there are still some comfortable motels around the city.



For camping underneath the stars, Rockwood Park or the village of St. Martins are suitable choices.

A few cottages or country inns may be found in the city, with many more in the suburbs and nearby country.

Connect
Internet access is available in several areas within the "Inside Connection", including a convenience store in Market Square and an Internet Cafe located en route between Market Square and Brunswick Square. In addition, many coffee places also offer free wi-fi. Any Java Moose or Starbucks locations will offer this. Also, on King Street in the uptown area, there is UZone which is an internet cafe. They also offer by-the-hour video gaming and LAN gaming.

Stay safe
Saint John is safe compared to most cities; however, it is a good idea to walk on well-lit busy streets after dark and not on darker side streets. Street crime is rare but not unheard of. You are relatively safe in the commercial/retail area of uptown, where the hotels are located. The South End, also known as "uptown", can be dangerous in certain areas, as well as the North End.

Go next

 * Bay of Fundy - Fundy National Park offers great hiking and camping.
 * Moncton - The largest city and the largest metropolitan city in New Brunswick.
 * Sussex (New Brunswick) - The "Dairy Centre of the Maritimes". Main attractions: Poley Mountain Ski Hill (winter) and the Atlantic International Balloon Fiesta (2nd weekend in September).
 * Fredericton - Historic capital of New Brunswick.
 * Digby, NS - It's scallops are renowned as the best in the world