Metal detecting is a hobby that can be as simple or complicated as you make it. It’s also a good way to find old coins, jewelry, and other things from history. If you’re looking for treasure in New Brunswick, here are some of the best places to look.
-The Fundy National Park- This park has 170 square kilometers of forest for you to explore. You can either go with an organized tour or on your own with a metal detector, as there are plenty of sites already mapped out by other people who have been there before! The Fundy National Park was created in 1994 and offers outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing within its boundaries. There are also campgrounds if you want to stay awhile.
-Lower Sackville- Certain areas of this town are pretty well known for metal detecting. For example, there is the site of a house that was built in 1806, called the Young House. It’s easy to find because it’s right next to a creek and has two large stone pillars at either side of the road. You can also look at the area around Jack Purcell Avenue where people used to salvage metals and explore land during the 1900s and before.
-Beaverbrook Park- The Beaverbrook Museum has information about all sorts of parts from old ships, including old cannons and foundry machinery and machinery from different parts of New Brunswick. There are also fossils and relics as well as numerous rose bushes. You can’t go without paying the fee, but it’s a great place to visit if you’re interested in finding old bits of history.
-Saint John- The Greenspun Heritage Center is in the downtown area near the waterfront. This museum features artifacts such as ship models and scrimshaw carvings, various types of weapons, and an antique shop with antiques from every era going all the way back to colonial times.
-The Carleton Place National Historic Site- Part of this park is an old prison from 1822 built by British soldiers who wanted to show New Brunswick that they were trying to help its people become better citizens.You can see a buzz saw, gunsmithing tools, and even some actual old documents from the 1700s that have been recovered from an old building that is part of the park.
-Fredericton- There’s a great collection of buildings in Fredericton called the Black River Settlement. This was founded by King George III to be some sort of model town for his colonies. Beautiful buildings are restored and they host events such as bingos (blind man’s bluff), ballroom dances, and church services. It’s free to enter but you’ll need to buy tickets at a stand at the side entrance. There are also several parks in this city, the biggest one being the East Point Park that is located a few kilometers north of downtown. Just south of there is the new public library; this building was opened in 2004 and has an interesting design, with a circular design that looks like it is spinning around but there’s a second row of columns inside.
-Moncton- The Moncton Cultural Centre is located in the Moncton International Airport and offers a variety of cultural events, art shows, and exhibitions. It also has a film theatre and a library with free wireless Internet access for the public. The airport allows metal detecting on certain areas during certain times but you’ll need to check with your airline first as some may require you to leave your detector behind.
-Saint Andrews- This area is filled with old buildings from all over New Brunswick that date back to colonial days such as the many mills that once operated there. Some of these buildings have been torn down while others have been restored and added onto throughout the years. The Ste. Anne’s River runs through this city and it has a small park on the west side of it with a gazebo where you can sit under a tree and relax while surrounded by nature.
-Woodstock- This area is full of old buildings such as the Big House, which was built in 1871 as a relocation house for families that were too far from their original homes to bring everything with them. You can tour this house and see how it was used by families over the years until some of them moved out to newer homes about 100 years later. There are also several connections that lead to other places throughout the area, such as cranberry bogs, ice houses, and iron furnaces.
Tips for metal detecting
-Be very careful where you destroy an area, as it is hard to get another one built in its place.
-There are certain types of detectors that you might want to invest in, such as the Garrett AT Pro. They are professional machines and will last a long time. If you’re planning on doing a lot of detecting, it’s good for you to know how to use one of these.
-If you need something done right, go with a professional who knows what they are doing. It’s also important to have someone that can teach you what they do if the idea of metal detecting is new to them so they can teach you the proper ways and methods of using the device before starting anything else.
-Be sure to research about a lot of the objects you might find before you start looking for them, as digging a hole in the ground and finding nothing is not fun. It is best to know more about your spot before you start looking for anything.
-Before starting to dig, walk around the area first to see if there’s any metals that might be interesting. If there isn’t much metal in the area, you can either move on and look somewhere else or do your search with a smaller device such as a small detector. You can also use a metal detector app on your cell phone if you’re willing to give up on finding anything else.
