The Holy Grail?  Pirate loot? Shakespeare’s manuscripts? Could any of these treasures be buried on Oak Island, a 140-acre isle located in Mahone Bay on the south shore of Nova Scotia? Many believe just that and since the late 18th century, treasure hunters have poured massive amounts of money, time and resources in the quest to discover what secrets and riches it guards 

The latest treasure hunters to stake their claim are Rick and Marty Lagina, two brothers from Michigan whose escapades are being filmed by the History Channel in the reality series, The Curse of Oak Island. It’s the highest rated show on the channel with 4.1 million viewers, and I’m one of them, having binged-watched all eight seasons in four months during our spring Covid lockdown. 

The brothers’ finds were fascinating, challenging the historic timeline of European contact in North America. Not only were the storylines riveting but so was the place itself. Each time I saw the aerial view of the forested island and the Atlantic shoreline, I commented how wonderful it would be to visit. 

So, this August our family drove 1841 kilometres from Toronto to Oak Island on a treasure-themed road trip in the Mazda CX-5. We may not have found any pirate loot, but we discovered a treasure trove of natural and cultural riches. From the vistas of the Saint Lawrence, Atlantic Ocean and Appalachian Mountains to the colourful, historic fishing villages of Kamouraska, Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg, we hit the jackpot.

Bas-Saint-Laurent Region, Quebec

Our first destination was Eastern Quebec’s maritime region south of the Saint Lawrence River, where we spent two nights at Universel Hotel in Riviere-du-Loup. It was the ideal home base to explore the bounty of the region.

Bic National Park: Located in the St. Lawrence Estuary, this 33.2 km protected wilderness reserve showcased the coastal landscape and a unique geology and eco-system. On our first foray into the park, we walked along rose-striped granite shores so beautiful that I wished I was able to paint. Next, we rented bikes and rode the trails through the forest and along the shores of Bai du Ha! Ha! (not kidding about the name). At Pointe-aux-Epinettes, we were thrilled to observe seals lounging about the rocks. Harbour and grey seals were among the 15 species of mammals that make this park their home along with 226 species of birds.  

Lake Témiscouata Park: Established in 2009, the park highlights the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, the glacially-sculpted landscape and Lake Témiscouata. A morning hike up Montagne-du-Fourneau (Furnace Mountain) took us through the forest along moss-covered boulders, ledges and cliffs. The panoramic view of the lake and the valley was worth every step to get up there. 

www.quebecmaritime.ca/en/ 

Oak Island, Nova Scotia

“You have reached your destination,” our GPS chimed. We were staying at the Oak Island Resort & Conference Centre, and though it wasn’t on the famous island that bears its name, the property was directly across from it. 

We had a clear view of the wooded island and we stared at the place that had kept us glued to our TV all spring. It looked smaller than we had imagined. Equipment trucks crossed the causeway, which was built by treasure hunters in the mid-sixties, and we wondered what they were doing. Did they find the shipwreck that they believed existed in the man-made swamp? 

We had the chance to get closer to the island the following day on Tony Sampson’s Salty Dog Tour. Tony is a professional diver who has been on the show since season one, carrying out underwater missions like searching flooded mine shafts.

A natural storyteller, he regaled us with tales of pirates, sharks, mysteries and, of course, Oak Island, while we motored around the island in his comfy Tritoon boat. We stopped at the ‘Oak Island Triangle’, where countless electronic failures and unexplained phenomena have occurred; Smiths Cove, where the 14th century Knights of the Templar iron cross was unearthed and the Money Pit. 

Would this be the season the Lagina brothers find the treasure? I wished them all the best, but as far as I was concerned, the Holy Grail was all around us. In the past two days, we had sat on the rocks of the Atlantic Ocean at Peggy’s Cove, admired the majestic Bluenose II at full mast in the colourful village of Lunenburg, kayaked in the calm protected waters at Blue Rocks and dropped our jaws more than a few times at the views we encountered on our drives through the region. Other visitors have felt the same according to Tony.

“With the popularity of the show, we’ve had a lot of tourists come to see Oak Island, and they fall in love with Nova Scotia”.

www.novascotia.com/ 

2021.5 Kuro Edition Mazda CX-5

It was fitting considering our treasure-themed road trip itinerary that we had a gem of a vehicle to try out. The CX-5 is Mazda’s best-selling SUV with more than 30,000 sold in Canada last year. 

First impressions are everything, and this compact gave me a spark of joy when I opened the door and saw the red leather seats.  “Oooh, very nice,” I said under my breath, enjoying the feeling of the smooth leather and admiring the shade of red, which was sporty, confident and fun. An element of surprise played into my visceral reaction since it contrasted with the vehicle’s more muted exterior. Though the metallic grey with its blue undertones was distinctive, it conveyed a more subtle, practical impression. This combination of practicality with a dose of zip is an apt description for many aspects of the CX-5. This compact SUV works for families for all the right reasons, notably comfort and safety. But its handling and feeling on the road added the zest.

Comfort is important on a long-distance road trip, and we appreciated the well-contoured seats that sat high on the road with plenty of room around them. The cargo area held a surprizing amount of gear with ease. In the passenger areas, there were versatile and functional caches integrated into its design. The door pockets, for example, were larger than usual and were lined with a textured material to keep objects from moving. 

Even more important on a family road trip is safety. The Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring alerted us when a vehicle entered the blind spots, and icons in the mirror showed clearly when it was safe to pass. Other safety features included, Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning System, Lane-keep Assist System and Radar Cruise Control. Once activated for speed and distance, the cruise control kept a set distance between us and the vehicle ahead, automatically accelerating and braking as needed. 

The technology was intuitive, and it was easy to connect the 10.25-inch large centre display to our phones to access Google Maps and Spotify playlists. The next model will feature more connectivity, and customers will be able to monitor and control the vehicle through the MyMazda app.

However, what distinguished the Mazda CX-5 apart from other vehicles in its class was its superior manoeuvrability and engine responsiveness. The dynamic all-wheel drive system, which took into consideration factors like weather and road conditions, ensured the power was evenly distributed, providing a superior connection to the road and an extra spark. Just like the red leather seats.