Tintamarre National Wildlife Area

Tintamarre National Wildlife Area (NWA), in New Brunswick, is a significant area for wildlife. It is particularly important for the production of waterfowl and marshbirds.

Description

Tintamarre NWA is located along the upper fringe of the Tantramar Marsh at the head of the Bay of Fundy in southeastern New Brunswick. Established in 1977, the NWA protects 1960 hectares (ha) of natural habitat types, such as:

• freshwater wetlands
• peatland
• upland habitats

The NWA supports waterfowl and marshbirds by providing migration and breeding habitat. It also provides valuable habitat for many other species of birds and wildlife.

The name "Tintamarre" is often associated with an early French word meaning loud noise or "uproar." This comes from the sound made by the wings of many waterfowl rising from the marshes. The name may have an even earlier indigenous route as Tantama or Tantamalg, likely the original name for the area.

Tintamarre NWA is comprised mainly of a series of three shallow lake basins named the Jolicure Lakes. The basins are surrounded by wetlands ranging from fens and swamps to treed bogs. Portions of the wetlands and sections of reclaimed tidal marsh have been converted to shallow impoundments. These enclosed bodies of water make up 15% of the area. The rest of the NWA is split among smaller areas of forested and cultivated uplands.

Prior to the establishing of the NWA, there were attempts to drain and cultivate the land for agriculture. This altered several of the wetlands. Conservation efforts have restored and improved productive freshwater wetlands. These efforts included collaboration with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).

Tintamarre NWA provides breeding and staging (e.g. resting and feeding) habitat for several species of waterfowl. Habitat management has resulted in significant increases in waterfowl and waterbird production. The shallow flooded impoundments provide nesting habitat for a variety of marshbirds. They also provide high quality muskrat habitat. Northern harrier are frequently sighted within the wildlife area. The uplands provide nesting habitat for passerines. This site has been used extensively for wetland research projects.

Find more information on the Tintamarre NWA in the summary table below.

Management

Under the Canada Wildlife Act, NWAs are protected and managed in accordance with the Wildlife Area Regulations. The primary purpose of NWAs is to protect and conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat. For this purpose and according to the legislation, all activities in a NWA that could interfere with the conservation of wildlife can be prohibited. Consequently, most NWAs are not accessible to the public and all other activities are prohibited in all NWAs. However, some activities may be authorized through Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations or the issuance of permits as long as they are consistent with the management plan goals for the NWA. For more information, consult the NWA Management and Activities section.

Access to Tintamarre NWA is not restricted and activities may be permitted according to the conservation objectives of the NWA management plan. Any authorized activities are listed in Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations; signage is also posted at access points.

Authorized activities listed in Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations for Tintamarre NWA, include:

1. wildlife viewing
2. hiking
3. participating in a group meal or group event involving 15 or more people
4. pperating a vehicle, other than a snowmobile or an all-terrain vehicle, on designated roads and in designated parking areas
5. swimming
6. non-commercial picking of edible plants and edible mushrooms
7. boat launching and boat landing
8. motorized boating with a motor of less than 10 horsepower
9. non-motorized boating
10. cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and skating 
11. sport hunting, including with dogs off-leash when hunting waterfowl or upland game birds, if the hunting is carried out
    1. in accordance with any applicable federal permit and any authorization required by the laws of New Brunswick for sport hunting in that province, during the periods authorized by those laws; and
    2. without the use of toxic shot 
12. sport fishing, in accordance with any applicable federal permit and any authorization required by the laws of New Brunswick for sport fishing in that province, during the periods authorized by those laws
13. trapping in accordance with any applicable federal permit and any authorization required by the laws of New Brunswick for trapping in that province
14. activities referred to in items 1 to 10 and 13 from sunset to sunrise, in addition to during the period referred to in subsection 3.1(3)

More information on access and permitting for Tintamarre NWA can be obtained by contacting the Environment and Climate Change Canada regional office.

Map of the area

This map is for illustrative purposes only and should not be used to define legal boundaries.

Summary table

Note: If there is a discrepancy between the information presented on this web page, any notice posted at the NWA site and the law, the law prevails, as it is the legal instrument authorizing the activity. 

Contact us

Environment and Climate Change Canada - Atlantic Region
Canadian Wildlife Service
Protected Areas and Stewardship
17 Waterfowl Lane
Sackville, New Brunswick
E4L 4N1

Toll-free: 1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca

Related links

• Tintamarre NWA Management Plan
• Tintamarre NWA pamphlet
• Tintamarre NWA on Google Maps (Please note that the Google map is a complementary source of information and does not represent the official map or site name)