Youth boost New7Wonders bid

Canada’s Bay of Fundy announces youth ambassadors for New7Wonders of Nature campaign Canada’s only finalist in the global New7Wonders of Nature campaign is now getting a little help from a pair of youth from each side of the Bay of Fundy. Ava Benedict, 7, of East Noel, Nova Scotia and David Ingalls, 10, of Saint John, New Brunswick are busy encouraging youth to vote in the competition.

Promoting the youth vote is exciting work for these two official Bay of Fundy youth ambassadors as both are attending campaign promotional events and working in their respective provinces to raise awareness of opportunity for youth to support the Bay of Fundy in the campaign.

“The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world and I have gone in them,” says David. “The tides are as high as a five-storey building and rise and fall two times a day. It’s really cool that our tides are five to ten times higher than tides in the rest of the world. The Bay of Fundy also has tons of marine life and fossils.”

Both David and Ava enjoy beachcombing at low tide, building sand castles, and taking a swim in the Bay’s refreshing waters. But it’s not all fun and games, as the two youth ambassadors, identified by special t-shirts, are quick to chat up tourists and locals alike to encourage votes for the Bay of Fundy.

“One of the appealing aspects of this campaign is that children around the world can participate in the online voting,” says Terri McCulloch, Executive Director of Bay of Fundy Tourism. “All they need is an e-mail address to vote online through www.votemyfundy.com. The enthusiasm of our youth ambassadors is contagious; when they attend campaign events with us and talk about the Bay with such passion it gets other children excited about the Bay of Fundy’s chances.”

For young Ava, who grew up just a few kilometers from the world’s highest recorded tides, having the Bay of Fundy recognized as one of seven winners announced on November 11, 2011 will mean a lot to her and to the region.

“Right now my favourite spot is Burntcoat Head. I’ve also had fun walking on other beaches and exploring the little caves along the cliffs at low tide. I hope everyone votes for the Bay so more people get to come here and see what it’s all about,” Ava says.

David recognizes that for the Bay of Fundy to be a winner in the competition it will take the efforts of Canadians of all ages.

“I voted for the Bay of Fundy because I love it here,” he says. “It was easy to vote online and I ended up learning about other cool places all over the world too.”

There are two ways for the public to vote for the Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign: free voting online via www.votemyfundy.com or by texting FUNDY to 77077 on any Canadian cell phone (cost: $0.25 per text vote).