NewsBreak26 With Vicki Hogarth: Campobello Island, Katy's Cove And Ministers Island Host Major Events

The second annual Our Amazing Place Southwest New Brunswick took place on Saturday, this year on Campobello Island. 13 teams from across the Southwest region of our province travelled by boat from Saint Andrews to compete in an all-day island adventure, learning all about Campobello's rich history, modern-day community and local businesses along the way. Inspired by the hit reality competition show The Amazing Race, Our Amazing Place has teams compete in challenges at a multitude of different locations, such as taking part in a series of fishing industry related challenges at Point Star Fisheries and historical trivia challenges at Roosevelt Campobello International Park.

Each team in the friendly competition played for a local nonprofit or charity. Every team took home at least $50 for their organization of choice with the grand prize of $500 going to The Stone Setters team who played for the We’ve Got Your Back program.

The day was an opportunity to learn more about a part of southwest New Brunswick as well as the amazing people, businesses and non-profits that make our corner of the world such a special place to call home. CHCO's full coverage of this year's event, which was once again organized by Kim Reeder and a group of local volunteers, will be featured an upcoming edition of Southwest Magazine.

To top off the day, on the way back to St. Andrews aboard Cruisin with the Whales, competitors were treated to a sighting of two humpback whales. First, Chevron, an adult male, showed his tail, followed by Cork, an adult female. The two humpbacks having being swimming together as a duo in the Bay of Fundy for at least six years.

That wasn't the only exciting whale sighting in the Bay of Fundy this weekend. The Benson family of Grand Manan saw Old Thom, the lone orca whale who is the only known North Atlantic killer whale to swim regularly in the Bay of Fundy with a pod of about 200 dolphins. Old Thom has reached legendary status in our part of the world since his first sighting in 2006, inspiring collectors item merchandise as well as his own Wikipedia page. The Bensons were in a boat off the shores of Grand Manan when the rare sighting took place.

Hundreds of people descended on Katy's Cove over the weekend for the second annual Race by the Sea dragon boat festival, which took place at Katy's Cove in St. Andrews on Saturday. 13 teams from across Eastern Canada as well as many local Charlotte County teams took part in the competition, with the Waweig Warriors Hockey Team taking home the first place trophy

Finally, yet another festival had its second incarnation this weekend. EarthFest took place on Ministers Island, offering the nearly 400 festival goers a chance to connect with nature on the island's many trails and scenic locations as well as an opportunity to partake in environmental and cultural workshops, and to meet representatives from local environmental groups working to create a brighter, greener future for Southwest New Brunswick.