This is a city where small town courtesies still exist and where residents say "thank you" to the next person behind them waiting in line to use the bank machine. They even wait for the pedestrian sign at crosswalks to change before crossing the street.

Known as the Fundy City, Saint John (don't dare write it St. John or St. John's because locals will know you're from "away") was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1785 as Canada's first incorporated city. Although struck by a disastrous fire in 1877 which destroyed the city's central business district and much of the residential South End citizens rebuilt the city, this time out of brick and stone and on an even grandeur fashion than before. This is the Saint John you still see today when you walk the downtown area. It's filled with beautifully restored turn of the century buildings, with lots of interesting trivia.

City Sights
"The city today is still a bustling sea port and over 55 cruise ships arrived in the harbour last year and disembarked about 88,000 passengers onto the streets of downtown Saint John," said Margaret Senna, Visitor Services Co-Ordinator for Saint John. "Much of the trivia of this downtown area would go unnoticed unless they were with a knowledgeable tour guide."

Karen McLean is one of these guides. "Visitors are always amazed at the things I point out that are staring them in the eye." Tours meet at the City's Market Square Time Piece. Meticulously carved wooden people by Saint John area artist, John Hooper hold up this clock. These are attraction themselves and most visitors can't pass by without having a photograph taken with the carved life size figures.

As you walk historic King Street you'll find Old World style and new century style. There are still buildings with white crosses painted on the outside. Karen explains, " after the disastrous 1877 fire merchants decided to paint the +s on the building so firefighters would know where their valuables were stored in the event of another fire! Tell the 'bad guys' this is no longer where they store their valuables."

Perhaps one of the most interesting buildings is the Saint John City Market on Charlotte Street. The market was opened in 1876 and survived the great fire which devoured most of the city around it. Open year round you can experience a traditional "farmers market" -- the aroma of fresh food and colourful displays of produce, meats and seafood. You can even pick up a popular East Coast treat known as Dulse (dried seaweed) at Slocum and Ferris, the oldest proprietor in the building. It's extremely high in fibre but stinks to high heaven. Locals refer to the Dulse as the wiseman's popcorn. To wash it down, have a cup of freshly ground Foghorn coffee at Java Moose found in the market.

The downtown district boast several magnificent churches. One of them, Trinity Anglican Church sits high on a hill over looking the majestic harbour of Saint John. Built in 1882 it is said that the soil for the foundation of the church was transported from England. The church welcome visitors Monday through Friday from 9:00a.m. till 4:00 p.m.

The Imperial Theatre, on nearby King Square South, is also open to the public for a nominal fee. This 1913, 850 seat structure over the years has featured such greats as John Sousa, Al Jolson, Edgar Bergen, Ethel Barrymore, Houdini, and Gracie Fields.

Natural Beauty
There is more to Saint John than historic buildings. One of the most popular attractions is the Reversing Falls near the edge of the city. Here the St. John River flows into the Bay of Fundy at low tide but collides with the mighty force of high tides causing the river to reverse its direction, creating some of the most spectacular whirlpool, whitecaps, and rapids in the world. One of the best ways to experience this phenomenon is aboard one of the Jet Boat Sightseeing Tours, which operate from Saint John Harbour. However, you'll have to descend an extremely steep set of stairs to board the craft.

Another place to explore is the amazing Fundy ecosystem in Irving Nature Park or walk the trails in the 2,200 acre nature Rockwood Park in the middle of the city. This is the largest urban park in North America. Here you can bird-watch, golf, horseback ride, or canoe or kayak.

George Bailey is a professional photographer and writer. He lives in Niagara Falls, Ontario and is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada. You can reach him at GBailey@regional.niagara.on.ca All photos courtesy of George Bailey.

Look Out for the Moose Over 250 moose-vehicle collisions occur on New Brunswick, Canada, each year with serious injury or death occurring to the occupants of the vehicle. Most weigh in at 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds) and stand 2 metres (6 1/2 feet) tall which often results in the animal impacting the windshield and roof of your vehicle. The reason is that most often roadways run through areas of prime moose habitat. They have to cross the road to access their home area. Moose are also attracted to the roadsides where they feed on the vegetation. Finally, they also come out of the bush to gain relief from flies in the open windswept right-of-ways. Although they are reported year-round, the most critical months are during the busy tourist season of June, July, and August. The majority of the collisions occur between dusk and dawn, when driver visibility is severely limited and the moose are most active. They are especially hard to see at this time because they are dark brown and their eyes do not reflect light like those of a deer. Here are a few suggestions to avoid painful encounter with a moose. Slow down at night. This will allow you more time to respond. Pay attention to the Warning Signs. They are usually most accurate. Always scan both sides of the road ahead as far as possible. If you have a passenger have them do the same. If you do see an animal use extreme caution because moose are highly unpredictable and they may charge your car. Be sure to keep your windshield clean and your headlights adjusted. Use high beams whenever possible.

For More Information Tourism Saint John One Market Square Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, E2L 4Z6 1-866-634-4444 www.TourismSaintJohn.com Reversing Falls Tourism Centre (seasonal) 1-888-634-4444 Reversing Falls Jet Boat Tours 1-888-634-8987 www.JetBoatRides.com

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