Saint Andrews, N.B., seeing busiest summer in years

Saint Andrews, N.B., is experiencing a strong tourism season so far.

Even on a Tuesday, finding a parking spot in downtown Saint Andrews is no simple task.

The New Brunswick town is enjoying a busy start to their tourism season. The coastal community draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the ocean shorelines every summer.

Around town there are licence plates from Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and even Alberta. There was also no shortage of Maine license plates, as well as travelers from New York, Connecticut, Florida and Washington.

Sabrina Ritter is a bartender at the Season’s Bistro along the waterfront. This is her fourth summer working at the restaurant and says this is the busiest year she has worked.

“We’ve had people come all the way from the States, from France,” she says. “I love that so many people come to this spot and that I get to meet so many people from all over.”

It’s a sentiment shared by other businesses around town, including some of its national historic sites.

Nancy Lockerbie, executive director of the Van Horne Estate on Minister’s Island, says bookings from May and June were up 22 per cent this year compared to last. That includes doubling the number of guests from the New England states.

She points out the island is a part of the Canada Strong Pass, which means those under 17 can visit the estate for free, while people between ages 17 and 24 are only charged half price. Lockerbie also highlights a number of events planned on the island this summer that are playing into the higher visitor numbers.

“It is wonderful, the variety,” says Lockerbie. “We can attract seniors, adults, families, there is something really for everyone.”

One of the town’s more popular attractions are whale watching tours that take people out to the Bay of Fundy multiple times a day.

Danielle Dion is a senior naturalist with Quoddy Link Marine, one of four tour groups that operate along the water. She says while the groups are “competitors,” they all work together to help give tourists the best possible experience.

As for who is hopping on the boats, she says it ranges from people who reside in Ontario and Quebec, and even folks who live a day’s drive away.

“We have people from Fredericton and Saint John who say they haven’t been [to Saint Andrews],” says Dion. “Some have never been to Saint Andrews and then others haven’t been in years. Everybody’s coming down to check out Saint Andrews these days.”

Many travelers stay in one of the over 200 rooms at the historic Algonquin Resort.

Brandy Atkinson, director of sales and marketing, says she has had people stay from all over, and is proud to play a small part in the town’s growing reputation.

“I’ve been here just under a year, and I cannot be more than happy to be here,” Atkinson says. “The resort itself with all the investments is making a huge difference. The little town of Saint Andrews is honestly a secret gem that everybody needs to be here and come visit.”

Chamber of Commerce president Les Knight, who also operates the New Brunswick Bed and Breakfast, says businesses in town essentially have just a handful of months to make their money for the year.

He says at his bookings are up 30 per cent this year, many of whom are either from Ontario or the U.S.

“They’re almost like family, so it’s great to see them coming,” Knight says of the American tourists.

“They haven’t stopped coming. I think it’s actually getting better, especially after last year in the tariffs. It really brought the Americans that want to support Canada back up here for sure.”

That includes Gina Johnson from Connecticut, who raves about the tight-knit downtown community.

“We always come here if we’re in Maine,” she says. “We always make it a point to come to Canada.”

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