Experts say the river is getting progressively shallower and narrower and is becoming useless to even the smallest of commercial vessels.Īnother problem is the disappearance of the once-plentiful salmon and shad stocks. Since the construction of the causeway, heavy deposits of silt have accumulated on the riverbed and riverbanks and this buildup of thick clay has blocked the mighty tides from the Bay of Fundy halfway up the Petitcodiac. The causeway stretches across the Petitcodiac, linking Moncton with the community of Riverview on the south side. The size of the tidal bore began to change after a one-kilometre-long causeway was built in 1968. For them, the restoration of the tidal bore makes good economic sense. Today, Moncton’s railway industry is in decline and more and more people have turned to tourism for business opportunities. The industry associated with the railway grew and Moncton became widely known as The Hub of the Maritimes mainly because of all the railway lines leading into and out of the city. During the post-Confederation period, Moncton evolved into a railway centre. Eventually, Moncton abandoned its commercial dependence on the river and the shipping trade and began to focus on a new era brought on by railway transportation. The local economy also benefited from the fact that some of the ships were built in local shipyards before the age of wood and sail gave way to the era of steam and iron. The true peak of the river trade occurred during the late 19th and early 20th centuries when hundreds of ships moved in and out of Moncton’s port. Up until the 1960s, the river was seen as an important waterway for commercial shipping. The waters of Shepody Bay lead to Chignecto Bay and then on to the Bay of Fundy beyond Fundy National Park. Its waters pour down from the low hills north and west of the Greater Moncton area and eventually disappear into an estuary formed by its junction with the Memramcook River in Shepody Bay. The Petitcodiac drains the southeastern corner of New Brunswick. The tidal bore is the front edge of this changing tide, but for many onlookers, the rapid, visible rise in the water level of the Petitcodiac is just as fascinating. The tides are higher than the river’s level and this causes water to flow back up the river as the Bay of Fundy fills at high tide. The massive tides of the Bay of Fundy–the highest in the world–push a wall of water back up the Petitcodiac drainage basin past Moncton. Twice in 24 hours, the Petitcodiac River empties and fills. The arrival of the bore is truly an interesting one. People on both sides of the debate have made their positions known and have carefully explained why they feel the way they do, but before I zero in on the controversy, it would be useful to describe what the tidal bore is and why it occurs. Many Monctonians would like to see it returned to its former glory, but there are others who do not share this view. Even Ripley’s Believe It Or Not had heard the mighty sound and described the bore as one of world’s great natural wonders.īut while the Petitcodiac Tidal Bore is a lot smaller than it used to be, it’s still an intriguing piece of Moncton’s history and continues to draw thousands of tourists to the city each year. The tidal bore, they told me, was no ordinary wave. Both had described a wave several feet high that roared past the boats on the river. It was only 60 centimetres high, and as I stood there watching it I recalled the stories told to me by my father and grandfather. The tidal bore was not the massive wave of lore. All three of us watched as the crest of water crept around a lazy bend, bringing with it an even, rushing sound and the salty scent of the Bay of Fundy. It was then that the three of us became acquainted with this amazing natural occurrence, for right there–moving slowly toward us–was a shimmering wave that spanned the width of the muddy river. I hesitated for a moment because even though I had lived in Moncton, N.B., for two years, I had yet to witness the natural wonder that’s known around the world. Right next to me was a couple visiting from South Africa and both of them were very excited about the Petitcodiac Tidal Bore’s imminent and supposedly awe-inspiring arrival.After some friendly conversation, the visitors asked if I had seen the tidal bore. The first time I saw it I was standing on a promenade overlooking the river. The leading edge of the tidal bore arrives in
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