Crossing Canada Day #19: Returning to New Brunswick

We continue our Chronicles of Crossing Canada. Welcome back!

We got up and out of our comfy bed in truck-house at about 7:30 AM. Aunt Michelle had already been up and gone to work. We showered in her condo, then locked up and rolled out, heading East towards New Brunswick.

Pond de Québec by Jaime Lee Lightle (2022)

The telescreen (the new term we use for the apple map) took us on a route north of the St-Lawrence, bi-passing Montreal. Our pace was smooth, the view, spectacular. The highway cut through the Laurentian Hills (French: Laurentides), to our south, glorious farm fields

Getting gas was no easy feat, but I did get to practice my French. Through Trois Rivières, then over the bridge from Quebec City to Lévis....weeeeee...the Pond de Québec is so high! Driving through the province of Quebec, we saw very few pickup trucks and campers passing us going westward. It appears fewer people travel this route and I’m not sure why. It’s a darn shame because this route is spectacular.

On the bridge. Photo credit: James Lightle

The closer we got to New Brunswick, the more bitter and sweet I felt. We are the same people who started this journey 19 days ago, but the amount of appreciation I felt in my heart for this great-big country had grown 100-fold. Regardless of what my birth certificate or passport said, I felt more Canadian somehow. But the end of our travels was near, and this made me sad.

At the border of New Brunswick, we were greeted with a sign (in English and French) that read: “we are happy you came back”. I read this sign as though this message was just for us. The beautiful Appalachian Mountains were highlighted with the colours of fall – red/orange highlighting the contours of the foliage.

Welcome back. Photo credit: Jaime Lee Lightle

We arrived at the Jim’s parents place, no worse for wear. Jim’s dad commented that it looked like we lost weight. They hugged us with relief. We shared some of our snapshots and stories from our adventure.

There was some election talk at the Lightle’s. We watch the election poll coverage on the news which showed just how divided our country was politically.

Potato cheese onion pie for supper and date squares for dessert – trying to put the pounds back on. This would be our last sleep outside of our home province. All I know was that I was nervous about the return home. What would we be returning to? We knew we our province would be implementing vaccine passports effective in October.

Jim writing….

We got up and showered. Michelle was at work, so we were not able to say goodbye. We will see her again; I could feel this in the bottom of my heart. Jaime drove the first leg of the Journey today. She drove like a champ until Lévis where we switched out. I was relaxed and able to continue the drive as chipper as can be. The drive through New Brunswick was the classic 110km/hr speed limit which made for a quick drive. The Fall colours were starting to take effect in the northern part of the province. The hues of oranges and reds dotted the landscape. We arrived at my parents’ house and had supper: Potato cheese onion pie.

Laurentides by Jaime Lee Lightle (2022)

It was during this time in September (2021) that the provinces were vying to roll out their own versions of the vaccine passports. I felt at the time that they would not be implemented until the Federal election was over, however. What is a vaccine passport to me? Vaccine passports (vax pass) give those who have spent the last two years in fear with a certificate that gives them privileges to participate in “discretionary activities”. I felt then and I still feel now that these mandated privileges create and reinforce a two-tier society in our country. Why? Because around 7 million Canadians would be excluded from these privileges because of their personal choice. I have said this throughout this whole plandemic that I am more afraid of bullets and bombs than COVID. I believe that Canadians need to open their eyes to see that fear is the seed of division, and hate, not a virus. I pray that it is not too late for Canada. I pray to the good Lord above that the truth will be revealed during this election. God gave us truth through the holy spirit. May the truth come to the light.

We arrived late at my parents. We were hoping to see my niece and nephew, but they were already in bed. So, my brother Greg and his wife Sarah took turns visiting us.

We talked about what we saw as we crossed this beautiful country. It was eye opening; the country was so divided. The election signs that we witnessed as we drove were vast and diverse, just like the makeup Canada, although the signs of support for the Liberal party were mainly in the cities. This really made me think, why are cities so disconnected from the truth that surrounds them? I think that the people of the cities need to drive across this country so they can see the number of trees, oil, food, and vast open land there is. Hey, I am talking to you Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal and even you small town dwellers: Drive across Canada and see it all! (do not fly over it). You will come to understand that the strength of this nation is not found in the metropolises but the in small rural communities and the hinterland places. These very same communities grow all the food you eat and harvest the wood used to build your houses. There are thousands of communities that keep this country going. Our large cities just absorb all the resources and products like the consumers they are. I will say this again, “Hey kids, go drive across Canada, you might be surprised”.

As I was sitting downstairs, my mother came over and handed me a knife, a knife that looks like a Rambo knife. I have not had this knife in my hand for years. It was my old combat diver knife. It is an Aqua lung brand. Still in its sheath. I took it out to see how the old girl was holding up. Still large, still strong, still solid. A reminder of what I once was and what I was capable of in my past. I thanked her for giving me the Aqua lung back.