Saint John, NB, June 29, 2011 – Hundreds of people gathered on the Saint John waterfront today to form a giant human 7 to encourage Canadians to vote for Canada’s Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders of Nature competition. The crowd was led by the founder of the New7Wonders Foundation Bernard Weber, as well as the director of the New7Wonders of Nature competition Jean-Paul de la Fuente, who arrived from Switzerland to speak to the group about the global significance of the competition.
“The New7Wonders of Nature competition celebrates the most incredible, awe-inspiring natural wonders on this planet. It’s very fitting that we were able to visit the Bay of Fundy near Canada Day to celebrate the fact it is among the 28 finalists,” Weber said. “That tells you how significant this region is on a global scale. The world’s highest tides are truly an amazing natural phenomenon. Canadians should be very proud.”
Hundreds of Canadians formed a giant 7 on the Saint John, New Brunswick, waterfront in time for Canada Day to encourage votes for the Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign. The Bay of Fundy is the only Canadian finalist in the global competition. Vote for the Bay of Fundy at votemyfundy.com or by texting FUNDY to 77077 ($0.25 per text).
The human 7 is part of a national campaign by Bay of Fundy Tourism to boost awareness and generate national pride for Bay of Fundy as a means to encourage voting and ensure Canada’s entry reaches the top seven in the New7Wonders of Nature competition.
The New7Wonders representatives were joined by federal and provincial representatives, including the Honourable Rob Moore, MP for Fundy-Royal, the Honourable Trevor Holder, New Brunswick’s Minister of Tourism and Parks, as well as Terri McCulloch, executive director of Bay of Fundy Tourism.
“The Government of Canada is proud to be a part of the initiative to make the Bay of Fundy one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature,” said the Honourable Rob Moore, MP for Fundy-Royal, on behalf of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie. “We encourage all Canadians to vote for the Bay of Fundy which will increase the profile of one of our natural wonders and showcase Canada as an exciting, international tourism destination.”
“With the world’s highest tides, world-class tourism opportunities and an incredibly diverse natural environment, the Bay of Fundy deserves to be one of the New7Wonders of Nature and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are teaming up to raise awareness and help make it a reality,” said Minister Holder. “This is a great example of how provinces can work together to promote regional success.”
Canadians can continue to support Bay of Fundy’s quest to become one of the New7Wonders of Nature by voting for the Bay of Fundy online for free at votemyfundy.com. They can also vote from their mobile phones by texting FUNDY to 77077 ($0.25 per text vote). Voting continues until New7Wonders of Nature declaration day November 11, 2011.
“The crowd gathered here today is a great example of the enthusiasm and pride we as Canadians feel for our country. Canada Day is the ideal time to demonstrate that pride by voting for Canada’s entry in the international contest,” added McCulloch.
About the Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a 270 km (170 mile) long ocean bay that stretches between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on Canada’s east coast. The Bay of Fundy is best known for the highest tides in the world and has been compared, in marine biodiversity, to the Amazon Rainforest. The Bay is the summer feeding area for half the world’s population of endangered North Atlantic Right Whales and 12 other whale species. It is home to the world’s most complete fossil record of the “Coal Age” (300 million years ago) as well as Canada’s oldest dinosaurs. The Bay of Fundy is home to two UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (Bay of Fundy & Southwest Nova) as well as the Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Stonehammer Geopark in Saint John.
About Bay of Fundy Tourism
Bay of Fundy Tourism is the official nominating committee of the Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign. The organization’s mandate is to raise the profile of the Bay of Fundy as a Canadian nature tourism icon. This non-profit association is supported by Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture & Heritage; New Brunswick Tourism & Parks; the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and Regional Development & Tourism Associations.
-30-
A photo accompanies this release. For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Terri McCulloch
Bay of Fundy Tourism
or
Holly Dunn
m5pr
or
