📄 Video Description: Discover the magic of Minister’s Island, located just off the coast of St. Andrews, New Brunswick. When the Bay of Fundy’s powerful tides go out, a natural sandbar roadway appears, letting you walk or drive across the ocean floor! But time it right—because when the tide returns, the road vanishes beneath the sea.
Join me as I explore this historic island, once the summer estate of Sir William Van Horne, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway. We’ll visit the grand mansion, scenic walking trails, and the incredible tidal swimming pool built right into the shoreline. Minister’s Island gets its name from Reverend Samuel Andrews, a Loyalist Anglican minister who fled the American Revolution and settled here in the late 1700s. But the island’s most famous resident came much later: Sir William Cornelius Van Horne.
Born in Illinois in 1843, Van Horne became one of the most powerful and visionary figures in Canadian history. He was the President of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), and under his leadership, the CPR completed Canada’s first transcontinental railway in 1885 — a massive feat that helped unite the country from coast to coast.
In the 1890s, Van Horne fell in love with the beauty and isolation of Minister’s Island, just offshore from St. Andrews. He purchased most of the island and built an opulent summer estate he called Covenhoven — a 50-room mansion made of red sandstone and timber. He also built:
A massive barn for his prizewinning Clydesdales and Dutch Belted cattle A carriage house and greenhouses A circular bathhouse carved into the shoreline, with stairs leading into a natural tidal pool Van Horne used the island not just for retreat, but also for innovation. He experimented with agriculture, livestock breeding, and even grew exotic plants in his greenhouses. He entertained royalty, dignitaries, and artists, making Minister’s Island a hub of elite summer society in the early 1900s.
After his death in 1915, the island changed hands several times. Eventually, the property fell into disrepair. But thanks to the efforts of the Province of New Brunswick and preservation groups, the island was designated a Provincial and National Historic Site, and restoration began.
Today, visitors can walk through Van Horne’s restored mansion, explore the historic buildings, and experience the Bay of Fundy’s tides in one of the most fascinating and accessible living museums in the Maritimes.
📍Experience one of New Brunswick’s most unique coastal wonders with breathtaking drone views and local history. 🎥 Subscribe for more hidden gems from across the Maritimes! Music by https://www.epidemicsound.com Filmed with DJI Mini 3 Pro or GoPro If You Enjoyed my Video buy me a Coffee https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RobertDow1963 Filmed in 4K #StartLivingNow #MinisterIsland #StAndrewsNB #BayOfFundy #ExploreNB #CanadianHistory #VanHorneEstate #OceanFloorDrive #NewBrunswickAdventures #MaritimeCanada #HiddenGems
00:00Wow it's hard to believe that this is the bottom of the bay here by Ministers
00:07Island standing on the bottom of the bay what a beautiful place this place does
00:16not get enough advertising it's well worth the visit
00:30home point updated
02:30This roadway over here to Ministers Island, it's all natural.
02:37It's not man-made.
02:38And it only uncovers when the tide goes out, and then you can drive across it.
02:46There's only a few hours every day that you can drive across here and go over to Ministers
02:50Island, but Ministers Island, it's a beautiful place.
02:54It's well worth a visit.
02:55Like I said, it doesn't get enough advertising.
03:01It's a beautiful place.
03:03A lot of history here.
03:04It's a beautiful day.
03:34Wow, that's quite the burn.
03:57Hi, how are you?
04:05Good, how are you?
04:06Oh, good.
04:12An operating farm.
04:14The farm was said to be one of the finest and best run small farms in the country.
04:21The barn was one of the largest in Canada.
04:26Originally 23 buildings stood on this property, many of which were part of the farm's operation.
04:33In addition to this farm, the property had implemented barn ice, creamery sheds for chickens, pigs, and ducks, boiler house, green house, turkey run vineyards, and house for farm workers.
04:53The barn designed allowed for cattle on the lower level to be fed through openings in the upper level.
05:03Similar to openings allowed manure from the cows and horses to be added to the compost area in the basement.
05:11The workers in the barn wore white lab coats.
05:15The story goes that Van Horn on a site to the barn saw the workers staring out the window to ensure maximum productivity.
05:26He had windows moved up above the sight line.
05:33Oh, look at that.
05:36Old car, old Ford car.
05:39Wow.
05:40That's something.
05:41Longest trees are not in the middle for the tree.
05:46Many.
05:47Yeah.
05:48This way.
05:49That's great.
05:50Oh.
05:51Sweet.
05:52Slow.
05:54Slow...
05:55Slow.
05:56Of course.
05:58Slow.
05:59Slow.
06:00Slow.
06:01Slow.
06:02Slow.
06:03Slow.
06:08Slow.
06:09French Canadian cattle were developed during the 16th and 17th century in Normandy and
06:32Brittany for hardiness and productivity Sir William selected and imported these animals as they were
06:41well adapted to the Canadian climate soil and available forage food small and long small and
06:52long-lived with exceptional docile temperament French Canadian cattle were born pale and became
07:00black or dark brown as they aged often developed in the light colored muzzle light colored muzzle the
07:10utter stomach and chest may also have occasionally white spots valued for their milk which was sent
07:20via the underground pipe system to the creamery next door for processing there's your operating
07:28Scotland's southern uplands was brought to Canada in 1898 the Asher breeds associated of Canada was
07:46formed with a representative attending from Ottawa around the Maritimes in 1930 Sir William's daughter
07:54Andy Van Horn hosted and donated judging prizes from the annual usher cattle breeds day however in 1955
08:05his great-granddaughter Beverly Ann sold the herd became because she had no interest in maintaining
08:11the firm the Katie the Canadian usher breed is now famous throughout the world for its genetic contribution
08:21to dairy cattle the superior quality famous for their functionally conformation assures are free of genetic
08:32genetic disease give birth easily and are adaptable adaptable to variable environment environmental conditions
08:43and this way Shakira
08:47wow this is quite the barn it was huge
09:03she's friendly she loves everybody she's gotta say hi to everybody
09:33this must be where they kept the pigs and the sheep
10:03all the different farm equipment hand tools used here on the farm
10:33a bunch of pitchforks and some size
10:59the creamery the milk produced by the dutch belted belted cow was piped from the barn to this building
11:20the deep stone walls glazed tile interior and whitewashed coffee ceiling were designed to keep
11:32the interior cool for the preparation of the milk cream and butter excess raw milk was sold to local
11:40dairies when van horn family were not on the island dairy products from the creamery were shipped
11:48by the train from the bar road station to montreal for their enjoyment
11:53this is the creamery where they made the cream from the milk of the cows
12:03wow look at that barn on the outside of that barn that's amazing that is something else that is huge
12:24in 19 or in 1790 reverend andrews built his house on the island which was purchased for 250 pounds sterling
12:42there after it became known as ministers island with the bar under water for a large part of the day visiting
12:54the parishioner and getting into town for church services was not easy except for a brief interlude
13:01minister's island remained entirely in the andrews family until 1891 when a large parcel was sold to sir william van horn
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