What's New

Things change slowly in eastern Canada, and sometimes they don't change much at all. Nevertheless, there are a few recent developments to note and a few big ones that will affect your trip planning.

Planning Your Trip

As of January 2007, all U.S. citizens must show a passport to enter Canada and reenter the U.S. A visa is still not required for this trip. This rule may be amended in 2008, but if you already have a passport, definitely bring it with you anyway.

Canada has also eliminated the popular Visitor Rebate Program. Until 2007, the steep 14% HST (federal plus provincial) tax in the three Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI), as well as the 10% provincial tax on PEI, were fully refundable so long as you kept receipts. From now on, you won't get anything back. Ouch.

If you prefer traveling overseas to the Atlantic Provinces rather than by air, there's been a little juggling of ferry services and schedules. There's no longer an overnight cruise service connecting Portland, Maine, with Yarmouth, Nova Scotia; instead, there is now a fast ferry service operating along that route three to four times per week. Note that the addition of a new route to Portland has also cut down on ferry sailings from Bar Harbor. The formerly twice-daily sailings from Bar Harbor have been reduced to just three to four per week.

The fast (though sometimes bumpy) Bay Ferries CAT ferry service (tel. 888/359-3760; www.catferry.com) operates both of these routes. All departures from Maine are early in the morning; returns from Yarmouth are timed for the afternoon. Check the CAT website for fares and schedules.

VIA Rail, Canada's national rail line (tel. 888/842-7245; www.viarail.com), continues to improve its summer-only "Easterly" class of service on the overnight run from Montréal to Halifax. The Easterly, which began operations in 2006 as a luxury version of the year-round Ocean train service, offers all-inclusive meals, sleeping accommodations, exclusive access to lounges and a panoramic car, and continuing presentations from an onboard educator about Maritime province culture and history. The Ocean runs daily each direction except Tuesdays, while the Easterly option is available from mid-June through mid-October.

Going to New Brunswick? The overnight Ocean also makes stops in Campbellton, Miramichi, Bathurst, and Moncton before noon of the following day en route to its final destination of Halifax.

Exploring Nova Scotia

The award for the best-named new festival goes to Nova Scotia's Lobsterpalooza (tel. 902/270-3330; www.lobsterpalooza.ca), a monthlong provincial bash of lobster suppers, cultural events, and tours spread across various parts of 'Scotia (though many are concentrated on Cape Breton Island). Check with the festival office about the 2008 schedule, when the events will take place from May 25 through June 30.

Halifax's farmer's market, formerly a delightful Saturday-morning-only affair, will possibly acquire a more permanent home at Pier 20 on the city's waterfront. Check with the market's website, www.halifaxfarmersmarket.com, for details of the project.

Tall ships will return to Halifax harbor in 2009. (They were most recently there during the summer of 2007.) The fleet, participating in a 2009 rally event, will arrive in Halifax in July after a series of races beginning in Spain.

However, there's a bit of sad news, as well: The lovely Manse in pretty Mahone Bay, one of Atlantic Canada's finest and friendliest inns, has closed. Up on Cape Breton Island, the Duffus House Inn in Baddeck has also closed.

Surfing is suddenly popping up as an outdoor option in Nova Scotia. Who knew? At least two surf schools have opened for business, capitalizing on the Atlantic surf breaks along the South Shore and off Lawrencetown Beach near Halifax. Contact the Dacane Surf Shop (tel. 902/431-7873; www.hurricanesurf.com) or the Rossignol Surf Shop (tel. 877/990-3733 or 902/683-2140; www.surfnovascotia.com) for more information. Just remember to rent a wet suit: That water's cold.

Finally, it's getting easier to get to Nova Scotia. American Eagle (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) recently added one daily flight in each direction between New York's LaGuardia Airport and Halifax Stanley International, in small 37-seat jets, and Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com) has also introduced a similar once-daily service each way, using 50-seater Bombardier jets.

Exploring New Brunswick

New Brunswick continues reaping awards: Fredericton's farmer's market was named one of the top eight such markets in all of Canada by Harrowsmith Magazine (and they should know). Meanwhile, the Lunar Rogue Pub -- also in Fredericton, curiously enough -- was anointed Greatest Whisky Bar in the World by Whisky Magazine, who also should know.

Access to New Brunswick continues to improve. Where you once had to fly into Saint John first and then change planes, Continental (tel. 800/523-FARE; www.continental.com) now flies direct from Newark, New Jersey's Liberty International Airport to Moncton.

In the summer of 2007, Carnival Cruise Lines (tel. 888/CARNIVAL; www.carnival.com) unveiled a series of 4-day weekend summertime cruises from New York City to the Bay of Fundy and back. Optional shore excursions during the day and night at port in Saint John have previously included a bike tour of local covered bridges, visits to a dairy farm, kayak trips around the bay, and a visit to the Moosehead Brewery. A limited schedule of the cruises will continue in the summer of 2008.

Exploring Prince Edward Island

As usual, the biggest news on PEI is Anne-related. The island will go gaga for the 100th anniversary of the June 1908 publication of Lucy Maud Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables with a full program of events, including a children's literary festival, readings, plays, and the release of a new prequel novel written by a local children's author. Canada Post will also create two new stamps to commemorate the anniversary. Check the provincial tourism office's special Anne page at www.gentleisland.com/anne for more details and an event schedule.

And there's good news for Northeasterners who don't want to drive to the Anne proceedings: Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com) has begun offering a new direct summer flight service from Boston's Logan International Airport to Charlottetown.

The Links at Crowbush Cove, considered by many to be the island's best golf course, has changed its fee structure to an intriguing all-inclusive model: The greens fees now get you not only all the golf you can play but also as many pull carts, tees, buckets of range balls, and short little pencils as you can handle.

In Charlottetown, the bike-rental shop Smooth Cycle has relocated to University Avenue.

Exploring Newfoundland & Labrador

There's a new Aveda-products spa in Newfoundland, the Found Spa, located at the Humber Valley Resort near Corner Brook. It offers a full selection of treatments in a lovely lakeside facility broken into four treatment rooms with distinct themes: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. There's also a deck, gardens, and an outdoor hot tub. Contact the resort (tel. 866/686-8100 or 709/686-8100; www.humbervalley.com) for details.