What is Bayview Wonder?

Bayview Wonder is a serial memoir being written in real time by lifelong Minnesotan JJ Akin. He’s a burnt-out workaholic on the brink of middle age who is currently in the process of immigrating to his wife's hometown in Nova Scotia.

Join him on the journey from the Land of 10,000 Lakes to the rural Northumberland Strait lobster fishing community of Pictou, Nova Scotia—and for humorous and heartfelt reflections along the way.

Where are these places in Nova Scotia?

Check out this map of coastal Pictou County, Nova Scotia.

Pictou is a town of 3,100 residents. It is the shire town of Pictou County.

Bayview is an unincorporated community northeast of the Pictou town line.

Caribou is another unincorporated community to the north of Pictou. It’s the home of the Caribou Wharf.

Pictou Island is a six-mile by 1.5-mile island on the Northumberland Strait between mainland Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

The Northumberland Strait is part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the North Atlantic Ocean. Because of its relatively shallow ocean waters and the impact of the Gulf Stream, the Strait is known for having some of the warmest ocean waters north of Virginia.

New Glasgow is a town of approximately 10,000 residents across Pictou Harbour from the town of Pictou. With nearby towns of Westville, Trenton, and Stellarton, along with some rural areas, the area’s population is closer to 35,000.

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