Serenity on Mersey River

By Hélèna Katz

A wooden boardwalk runs parallel to the edge of the Mersey River and wends its way past five Sioux-style tipis and down to Harry Lake. Then the trees open up to a clearing and the dock comes into view. The bright yellow boat stays inside the accessible launch, cradled by the dock on three sides. A green plastic chair sits strategically beside the launch and a bar rests motionless above the boat. Everything is ready for a paddling excursion out on the lake.

Mersey River Chalets, in Maitland, Nova Scotia, is more than a place to stay. This wilderness resort was built to make outdoor recreation accessible to people with disabilities. Signs in both English and German are evidence of the place’s origins.

Martin Schuth was tired of travelling to places only to discover that they weren’t accessible. The German native got excited when he saw this beautiful piece of pristine land in southwestern Nova Scotia. The group of 10 people he headed up bought and developed it into a four-season, barrier-free resort. "It was his dream to have a place in the woods," says manager Tim Atkins.

An accessible wharf and boat launch make it possible to canoe or kayak. Wide nature trails and boardwalks lead visitors on a tour around the wooded property. Other activities include basketball, volleyball, tennis and badminton. When the weather is warm enough, you can try the outdoor hot tub for a little relaxation.

"There are no boundaries here," Atkins says. "A person can get up in the morning and do something." That sense of freedom can have a strong impact on visitors. "I’ve seen people come out of their shell because they aren’t so dependent."

At our chalet, a ramp runs along the side of the cottage and makes its way across the patio to the door. The fall foliage frames the stream before us. Inside each of the seven chalets, the bathroom door slides open and shut to make it easier to manoeuvre a wheelchair. A curtain delineates the roll-in shower in the corner. Minus a telephone and television and with trees forming a canopy over our cabin, we’re relaxing in the serenity of nature.

If you want to try some slightly different accommodations, Mersey River has fully accessible tipis on platforms down by the water of Lake Harry. Each one has between two and five beds as well as some storage shelves for your gear. Two shower rooms are nearby, as are the kitchen facilities and a large fire pit for gathering in the evenings.

We eat supper in the comfortable Cascades Restaurant, right by the building that houses the reception desk. A large granite fireplace sits in the centre of the dining room, with tables placed around it. I’m delighted to find tasty salmon on the menu, as my dinner companion orders a meat dish. This restaurant respects dietary needs, including those of a semi-vegetarian. The next morning we opt for breakfast in our cabin, as we look out at the river before us. I wish we could stay longer.

Then it’s time to pack up the car again and head off to Kejimkujik National Park, just five km away. On the drive over, a deer nonchalantly crosses the road behind our motionless car. It pulls up some grass for a snack and then heads into the brush to join a couple of its mates. It seems oddly unconcerned about the humans in the metal can on wheels who stop to watch. Kejimkujik encompasses 381 square kilometres and contains about 40 species of animals, ranging from small mice and porcupine to deer, large moose and bears.

After stopping by the Visitors’ Centre to pick up a map and get some recommendations, we hit the trail. "Keji," as the locals often call it, has a choice of 15 day hikes ranging from a 0.3-km loop to a longer six-km return trek. Trails go through forests and past rivers and lakes. Five of them, up to nearly two km in length, are wheelchair accessible. Some offer a glimpse of the history of the area.

Mersey Meadow offers visitors eight interpretive signs that identify the predators in this area. Over the span of a kilometre, Rogers Brook passes through a grassy meadow, a red maple floodplain and a hemlock forest. Grafton Lake is a 0.4-km loop where interpretive signs describe the old fish hatchery and some of the natural changes that occurred after the dam was removed.

Two years ago, Keji was recognized as a National Historic Site because of the presence of the Mi’kmaq Nation here "since time immemorial." It was particularly popular with the natives in the fall and winter months because of the abundance of caribou, moose and freshwater fish. Spring and summer was spent harvesting saltwater fish on the coast.

Although they left few traces of their presence, researchers have identified more than 60 Mi’kmaq sites around Kejimkujik. They include the remains of seasonal camps, burial grounds, fish weirs, portages and trails. They also left behind more than 500 petroglyphs in Keji, making it the largest collection of carvings in stone in eastern North America. Some petroglyphs show men and women wearing traditional clothing, others the type of canoe they used and still others portray spiritual images.

If you’re hankering for a bit more civilization, you can always head over to Annapolis Royal, about a half-hour drive from Mersey River. It’s across the river from this historic town that French explorer Samuel de Champlain settled with his men at Port Royal in 1605.

With narrow, tree-lined streets, the town retains much of its historic feel. It has more than 150 heritage buildings, including the oldest wooden house in Canada. The deGannes-Cosby House was built in 1708. Pick up a copy of the "Footprints with Footnotes" brochure at the tourist information centre for a walking tour of the village of just 700 people.

The Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens offer 10 acres of gardens spread along more than 1.5 km of pathways, most of which are wheelchair accessible. Created in 1981, it has such themes as a rock garden, as well as 2,000 rose bushes tracking the history of their cultivation.

After a taste of civilization, it’s time to return to the peace and serenity of Mersey River Chalets and Kejimkujik.

(Hélèna Katz is a freelance writer living in Montréal, Québec.)


IF YOU GO:

From Halifax: Take Hwy. 103 to Bridgewater, exit 13, and follow signs to Kejimkujik National Park. From Digby or Yarmouth: Take Hwy. 101 to Annapolis Royal, exit 22, and follow signs to Kejimkujik National Park. Mersey River Chalets is five km north of the park.

CONTACTS:

Mersey River Chalets and the Cascades Restaurant
R.R. 2
Caledonia, NS
B0T 1B0
Phone: (902) 682-2443
Fax: (902) 682-2332
Website: www.merseyriverchalets.ns.ca
E-mail: info@merseyriverchalets.com

Kejimkujik National Park
Box 236
Maitland Bridge, NS
B0T 1B0
Phone: (902) 682-2772
Website: www.parkscanada.pch.gc.ca