Aerials: Campbellton & Area [2015]

1. The early morning sun glances off the Restigouche Estuary. At this point, Campbelltonians are patiently lining up at Tim Hortons for their morning coffee. From left to right, the three main streets in this photo are Roseberry, Duncan and Lansdowne.

2. Looking southeast: that strange hump to the far right is the Sugarloaf Mountain.

3. The RCMP Detachment [right] and the former Hotel Dieu Hospital [left], now the Health and Wellness Centre [Training, Employment and Development]. Guess which famous politician was born at the stately Hotel Dieu? Rene Levesque. The former reporter, founder of the Parti Quebecois — and Quebec Premier — came into this world on 24 August 1922.

4. Looking east towards the Restigouche Estuary, which eventually empties into the Bay of Chaleur, which eventually empties into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which eventually …

5. Looking northeast from Sunset Drive. To the far centre-left is Walker Brook.

6. Sunset Drive with a familiar Campbellton landmark, Sugarloaf Mountain, in the background.

7. Prince William Street [looking north]

9. East end of Arran Street. The RCMP Detachment is to the far left.

10. One of Restigouche County’s most beautiful houses of worship, First Baptist Church on Andrew Street. The church was the home of the Speed Demon Soccer Club [1961-1977].

11. In lower centre of photo [at 4 Central Street] is the Notre Dame Des Neiges Catholic Church.

12. How’d you like to work on this steeple?

13. The majestic steeple of First United Church [16 Aberdeen Street]. The sprawling complex in centre left is the beautiful Campbellton Centennial Library.

14. Looking East. Roseberry Street is to the far left. It leads straight to the First Baptist Church.

15. Part of Campbellton’s waterfront; the lighthouse is in fact a hostel.

17. Looking west. The large complex on the lower right is the Memorial Civic Centre.

18. Eastern end of Campbellton. Bottom left is Mundle’s Service Ltd. The street running north and south is Ramsay.

19. What’s a shot of Campbellton without the J.C. Van Horne Bridge? The bridge opened in 1962. On the other side of the Restigouche River is Pointe-a-la-Croix, Quebec [formerly Cross Point] and the Mi’kmaq Native community of Listuguj.

21. The runaway balloons [soon to be flyaway balloons] were part of a car sales event in the parking lot of the Quality Hotel. I figure the balloons were anywhere from 10 to 80 feet in the air when the Phantom swooped down to get this cool shot.

22. Right smack in the middle of this picture is the beautiful home of Ron and Joanne Reid, just south of Water Street.

23. Looking east from near the “Subway” which, by the way, is not a fast-food joint. In Campbellton, the Subway is a train overpass.

24. Looking southeast. That bit of water [upper left] is the southern lip of the Restigouche Estuary.

25. Marie Reine Catholic Church, 500 Vanier Street in Richardsville, immediately east of Campbellton.

26. McLeod’s Siding [east of Campbellton]. Looking east. This is the original highway to Dalhousie.

27. The tower portion of the City Centre Mall in Campbellton is starting to look like downtown Detroit.

29. Sugarloaf Senior High School [lower left]. Looking west.

30. Can you pick out the former Campbellton Composite High School?

31. Tingley Crescent … looking east from above the parking lot of the Sugarloaf Senior High School.

32. You’ve heard of crop circles? Well, Campbellton has crop rectangles! Campbellton Community Garden is north of Dover Street and immediately west of Andrew Street. The garden at Tingley is supported by the Restigouche Chapter of the Community Inclusion Network, a group set up to help reduce poverty and increase self-sufficiency.

33. The former Campbellton Composite High School, now a middle school. The building was constructed in 1925 in what was then the edge of town. The original building had a stairway leading to the second floor and out front there was nothing but a manicured lawn. The gym [left of structure] wasn’t part of the original building; neither was the ‘add-on,’ seen protruding on the right.

34. Adam Street [looking north]

35. Looking north towards the Restigouche River and the Province of Quebec.

36. Looking east from the Campbellton Rural Cemetery, which in my day was known as the “Protestant Graveyard.” Looks like more development happening in the lower-centre of photograph.

38. The western end of Duncan Street. My childhood home — 90 Duncan — is the house with the aluminum roof, centre-left of photo. Two adults and five kids in a small house like that — and we thought nothing of it! In 1950, the average single-family Canadian home was under 1,000 feet … in 2000, it was nearly 2,300 square feet. Today, of course, the houses are getting smaller.

39. We also didn’t think a lot about how beautiful the area was. As kids, we simply took it for granted, not unlike children I suppose growing up in the Rocky Mountain towns of Banff and Jasper. That changed however when I travelled and saw other parts of the world. Few places had mind-blowing vistas like Campbellton and area.

41. Western end of Roseberry Street.

42. Looking west towards Atholville, Tide Head and the Matapedia Valley.

43. Alexander Street [running north and south] is to the far left. In the 1950s there was only a field. There was no senior’s complex nearby either. No one got old back then.

45. The water tower [also known as the pump house] on the eastern edge of Atholville, looking towards Campbellton. I’m told it was a great place for parking.

46. Looking southeast from the water tower. At the far centre-right is Walmart. And Tim Hortons, look how tiny it is. Yet it draws so many.

47. Atholville, looking east towards Campbellton. To the far left is the pulp mill, the largest employer in the area.

48. Atholville. The 3-storey apartment complex is at 300 Notre Dame Street.

49. Atholville, looking west towards Tide Head and the Matapedia Valley.

50. Tide Head. The building with the red-roof is Sanfar Cabins and Resorts.

51. Tide Head looking east, towards Campbellton. That strange hump [top centre right] is the Sugarloaf Mountain.

52. The Phantom does a 180 and gives us a view west, towards Tide Head and the Matapedia Valley. Far beyond the mountains are, let’s face it, fairly unattractive places like Montreal and the Centre of the Universe, Toronto.

53. Matapedia. Check out the bird that’s about to check out the quadcopter. Competition.

54. Motel Restigouche in Matapedia

Here she be: The Chinese-made Phantom 2 Vision Plus drone. Flight time: 20-25 minutes, depending on age of battery, height attained and speed. The 3-axis camera shoots 1080p video, 12mp stills, both wide-angle and normal view. Everything is monitored from a smart phone, such as an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy. How can such a tiny camera produce such photos? Amazing!

Here’s the rear-end of the unit … that’s the battery compartment sticking out. I painted the two lead prop guards red so that I see where the Phantom is pointed.

54. Here’s an uncropped photo showing the Phantom’s red prop guards and white landing gear. Because of its 3-axis the camera remains fairly level and steady, even on windy days. The camera also shoots 1080p video. The new, improved [and more expensive] Phantom 3 shoots 4K video, which is really sharp stuff. Broadcast quality.