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National Geographic photographer Matthieu Paley explores the hidden treasures of Canada’s Eastern provinces that promise unforgettable experiences, tantalizing tastes, and the warmest of welcomes.
Video by National Geographic CreativeWorks
Published January 22, 2024
Last fall, on a crisp September morning long before the sun had found its way to the horizon, National Geographic Photographer Matthieu Paley embarked on an adventure with a lobster boat crew in New Brunswick, set against the backdrop of the longest coastline in the world. His aim: To gain a deeper insight into how the untamed landscapes of Canada’s eastern provinces have shaped the local inhabitants and how, in turn, they have left an indelible mark upon the land.
While capturing the team of three hauling traps, he discovered that his preconceived notions of their work and the individuals behind it had been completely shattered.
“They start at 4 a.m. and they don’t stop,” Paley recounts of the lobster fishers. “There’s about an hour until they reach the area where they have set the traps and then it’s bam, bam, bam!”
This was Paley’s first extensive journey to Canada, and it certainly won’t be his last. As a seasoned traveler with experience in over 90 countries and a proficiency in eight languages, Paley was eager to capture Canada’s essence across a series of visits to the provinces stretching along the country’s eastern coast. What he found exceeded his expectations, encountering people whose fervor and purpose are worn openly and authentically.
For instance, when conversing with lobster boat captain Junot Leblanc about his occupation, the steadfast man with a rugged beard and an unwavering gaze didn’t dwell on the physical exertion, but rather spoke of his passion, dedication, and familial bond. “He was almost poetic as he spoke about his connection to the ocean,” shares Paley, “and how it must be in your heart.” Paley found that this intimate connection quickly established itself as a common theme throughout his travels in the region. In New Brunswick, he discovered that letting go of time, engaging in meaningful conversations, and truly listening allows strangers to open up their homes, share their lives, guide you through their homelands, introduce you to their communities, and impart “their” language.
Paley describes it as a place where stories come alive, Indigenous pride is celebrated, and environmental aspirations take shape. This profound connection between people and place, history and time followed him at every turn during his journey through the east.
In New Brunswick’s Metepenagiag Heritage Park, Stephen “Eggeun” Paul, a proud member of the Mi’kmaq community, opened Paley’s eyes to his commitment to reviving his ancestral culture through First Nations Tourism. Together, they cast lines for salmon on the Miramichi River and foraged the coastal forests for fiddleheads, a green, edible plant that’s a local delicacy.