Located in the heart of Nova Scotia is a historic waterway that connects the Halifax Harbour to the Bay of Fundy. That’s right, 114km long and winding through the entire province, one coast to the other, this natural beauty is called the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway. A hidden gem right under your nose here in Nova Scotia, many know of its unique history, and inspiring scenery, but did you know it is also the perfect place to plan an amazing getaway?
Flowing from town to town, lined with incredible businesses and parks, here, you can truly plan a trip with a combination of your favourite interests. From hiking the many nature trails to grabbing a meal at a local cafe, shopping local to spending an unforgettable night in a riverside accommodation - The Shubenacadie Canal is a traveler’s paradise.
There is actually so much to see and do in this area of the province that it can be hard to decide! We recently spent time in the area, and here is our suggested itinerary for exploring the canal in one day:
Breakfast in Dartmouth - We love Two if by Sea Cafe
Visit the Fairbanks Centre and paddle through Shubie Park
Hike (or bike) the Shubie trail section to the Portobello Incline Plane
Enjoy lunch in Enfield - We loved our meal from Rob Bitar’s
Visit a local shop - there are tons to choose from, we visited Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop
Visit the Tinsmith Museum
Grab a drink at Coldstream Clear
Stay at Riverside accommodation - We stayed at Gravity Luxury Domes
Visit the Fundy Tidal Interpretive Centre
Have Lunch in Maitland at Frieze and Roy and its in-house Mudslide Cafe
1. Breakfast in Dartmouth - We love Two If By Sea Cafe
Starting your day in the downtown Dartmouth area you will find there are tons of fantastic cafes and breakfast spots to choose from. Hypnotized by the comforting smell of buttery baked goods and coffee, our first stop on this trip was the lively Two If By Sea Cafe. Featuring a bright and cozy atmosphere, we indulged in homemade prosciutto and provolone croissants paired with their locally sourced Anchored Coffee. While this would be the perfect spot to linger over a cuppa, meet a friend, or read a book - the Shubenacadie Canal was calling our names!
2. Visit the Fairbanks Centre and paddle through the Shubie Canal
Diving into our adventure-filled day , we made a visit to the Fairbanks Center at the entrance of Shubie Park. Open to the public year-round and free of charge to visit, this Centre features exhibits and displays showing how the Canal waterway works, providing visitors an insight into the area’s rich history and natural environment. There’s even a scale model of the locks along the canal! Next to the Fairbanks Centre, you will find an outlet to rent kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards from Wildwood Water Sports. Or, if you have your own boating gear you can bring it here and there are many places to launch. Offering a perfect place to experience a peaceful paddling adventure, you will fall in love with the waterway's lush forest surroundings and natural beauty. We actually brought our dogs along with us in the kayaks and they loved it! Accompanied by curious ducks beside us and beautiful songbirds above, we glided through the tranquil waters of Shubie Park, realizing what a gem of a unique experience this is within the city. But don’t worry, if you’re not a water enthusiast we encourage you still visit to check out the trails here.
3. Hike (or bike) the Shubie trail section to the Portobello Incline Plane
From Shubie Park you can drive 10 minutes down the road and between Lake Charles and Lake William find the Shubenacadie Portobello Incline Plane. Now a beautiful trail where picturesque waterside views await, it used to be the site of a marine railway (one of two along the canal) that carried vessels over a distance of approximately 600 feet horizontally, while lowering and raising them about 33 feet. Largely untouched since its use in the 1870s there are now interpretive panels to inform visitors of what stood before them and is buried beneath the ground. We loved this area as a great spot to walk our dogs and take in the reflective views, imagining how different it would look with boats passing through over 150 years ago.
4. Enjoy lunch in Enfield - We loved our meal from Rob Bitar’s
As you roll into Elmsdale you will be hungry for a good lunch stop and treating yourself to Rob Bitar’s won’t disappoint. Recommended by so many people, we were excited to check it out! Our food was fresh, delicious, and the service was super friendly.
5. Visit a local shop - there are tons to choose from, we visited Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop
Craving something sweet, we popped into Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop before leaving Elmsdale. Browsing a selection of handcrafted chocolates, truffles, fudges, candy, and more, this is a chocolate lovers’ heaven! It was hard to decide because there was so much to choose from, but we ended up agreeing on chocolate peppermint patties and velvety truffles. Neither of which lasted long!
6. Visit the Tinsmith Museum
Following the twisting and turning river north of Elmsdale, you will find the town of Shubenacadie and the Tinsmith Museum. Built in 1896 this fascinating store is filled to the brim with over a century’s worth of antique artifacts and displays. Everything from household goods, farm tools, clothing, furnished rooms, military displays, and more help visually tell the history of the building including the important role it played in manufacturing milk cans across Nova Scotia in the 1900s. There’s also a craft shop with locally made creations.
7. Grab a drink at Coldstream Clear
Next, we drove another 10 minutes down the road to the town of Stewiacke. Here you can wave hello to the life-size replica of a mastodon, play mini golf, hike a nature trail, or visit the Coldstream Clear Distillery tasting room. After a day of adventuring, we couldn’t resist a cold beverage. Specializing in handcrafted Nova Scotia spirits, we tried one of their signature cocktail flights - how beautiful does that look! They also have a lovely patio you can enjoy but by then it had started to rain so we stayed cozy inside.
8. Stay at Riverside accommodation - We stayed at Gravity Luxury Domes
Keeping with our Shubenacadie river theme, we found the perfect place nestled along the high banks of the river edge called Gravity Luxury Domes. Open year-round, this unique accommodation provides guests with a luxury glamping experience, each dome having its own stone patio, propane tabletop fireplace, and an incredible view of the Shubenacadie River. Immersed in nature, this location is fantastic for bird-watching. We spotted multiple eagles from our dome window and even got to see some Shubie rafters playing in the waves below out experiencing the tidal bore. Lulled to sleep by peaceful rain hitting the dome, this is the perfect spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, while truly getting to experience the river’s beauty. In the morning, feeling refreshed from the comfortable night’s sleep, we enjoyed breakfast in bed with a view of the river. Love when places have full kitchen areas to make our own food!
Other Places we have stayed and loved nearby include:
9. Visit the Fundy Tidal Interpretive Centre
Located in South Maitland, the Fundy Tidal Interpretive Centre is a fantastic place to learn about the world-famous Bay of Fundy tides and tidal bore - a natural wonder that occurs on the Shubenacadie river daily. We loved reading and learning about the history and wildlife in the area from the interpretive displays, followed by heading out to view the river from the observation deck. If you time your visit around the tidal bore schedule, you could even witness it pass by! We waved hello to the rafters below, a wonderful way to wrap up our appreciation for the Shubenacadie Canal.
10. Lunch in Maitland
Before heading home, we grabbed lunch at Canada’s oldest general store - Frieze and Roy and its in-house Mudslide Cafe. Their club sandwich and fries are so good!
