Belleisle
18. Gillis of Belleisle Winery
#1826 Route 124, Springfield - Lemoyne Star pattern
Gillis of Belleisle Winery is a modern take on a centuries old tradition. The winery sits at the head of the Belleisle Bay, its vineyards covering the hillsides where cattle once grazed on this former dairy farm. The dairy produced milk and cheese which was sold locally, or shipped to Saint John onboard steamers like “Hampton” and “Springfield” which plied the Belleisle Bay. Now, the fertile soil produces Marquette and Osceola Muscat grapes for wine.
Gillis of Belleisle also produces seasonal fruit wines, such as blueberry, apple and cranberry, a nod to the economy of earlier settlers who made use of all available food sources in this fertile river valley. In designing the main building, great care was taken to blend in with the heritage and tradition of the farm and the surrounding community. Local artisans were engaged to custom-design and build the structure. The manager's mother, Judy, chose the Lemoyne Star for the winery. She began sewing when she was 12 after learning from her favourite Home Ec. Teacher. Twenty years ago she pieced her first quilt and hasn't stopped since. She has passed her skills onto her daughters and granddaughters. She describes the Star as "the first difficult block I encountered" and often returns to it in her quilt projects.
19. Pleasantview Hotel
#2127 Route 124, Hatfield Point - Brick variation Pattern
The Belleisle Bay at Hatfield Point is one of the most beautiful spots on the St. John River system. The area has long been an attraction for visitors seeking the best rural scenery in New Brunswick. The Pleasantview Hotel at Hatfield Point is a former riverboat inn that has hosted many such travelers. The main house dates from 1830, with parts of the building dating from 1787. The hotel is steps away from the former riverboat wharf where passenger steamers like the ‘Madawaska”, “Belleisle”, “Hampton”, “Springfield”, and others once tied up, dropping off traveling salesmen, holiday makers, and the day’s newspapers, then making the return trip with local produce to be sold in Saint John.
In 1920, three such travelers arrived by steamer at Hatfield Point – Ben Shanklin from Springfield, Massachusetts and Laura & George Shanklin from St. Louis, Missouri. The trio traveled to Hatfield Point to visit relatives and made a record of their journey which they later published. The description of their stay in Hatfield Point and travel on the steamer “Hampton” provides a lovely glimpse of this bygone era: “[We] went through the old boat from the engineer’s room to the top deck. At a distance we were waving our hands goodbye to the folks on the shore, and off we started down the Belleisle river. The captain gave us the freedom of the boat, and Laura blew the whistle at every landing. What a beautiful sight as we saw the old river so quiet and the most wonderful hills on both sides…..” Many original features of the Pleasant View Hotel have survived to this day, including a red and white “brickwork” pattern quilt with a flaw in the design that was the inspiration for this block.
20. Bates Landing
#888 Route 850, Long Point - Century Farm pattern
The Bates farm, nestled along the shores of the beautiful Belleisle Bay in Long Point, is part of a long and historic past in Kings County. Mathew Bates settled here in 1836 beginning generations of farming on this spot by his descendants. The farm was recognized nationally by Canadian Heritage in 1967 for continuous operation since Canadian Confederation in 1867. Their quilt block is a variation on the Centennial Farm recognition sign that was granted to the farm on that anniversary. Today, this still vibrantly active property is approaching its 150th anniversary as a Canadian heritage farm. The produce currently grown by the fifth generation Bates family is sold at retail stores, local farmers markets and here at their own roadside market. The Bates Landing market is located across from the Belleisle Bay Ferry Landing, which also holds historical value as the longest cable ferry in Eastern Canada. The Bates’ heritage farm has grown in recent years to include “Bates Barn” – a special event location housed in a new barn situated on the hill with a commanding view of the bay.
21. Elmhurst Outdoors
#65 Ganong Road, Erb's Cove - Maple Leaf pattern
For over 20 years, Gig & Denise Keirstead have offered visitors the best of New Brunswick outdoors! In 1994 they opened their doors to visitors to experience a traditional maple syrup operation. The success of their “walk through time” interpretive sessions led to the development of special programming, including visits to their lodge for handmade pancakes and maple syrup. The beautiful setting in Erb’s Cove soon evolved to include cross country ski and snowshoeing trails, as well as canoeing and kayaking. Now, visitors can enjoy all four seasons with cross country skiing on 12 kms of groomed cross country ski trails, snowshoeing through the winter, maple syrup farm tours, homemade pancakes with maple syrup and maple sugar-on-snow in the spring, canoeing and kayaking in the summer, educational programs for school groups and Thanksgiving Weekend events in the fall, and meeting facilities throughout the year. A special winter highlight is moonlight snowshoe excursions by the full moon. No visit is complete without a stop by the lodge for beautiful home cooked treats by the fire!