These natural wonders in Canada were lost to Fiona
By Alexandra Mae Jones
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TORONTO (CTV Network) — An iconic sandstone rock formation in P.E.I and a striking solitary tree in Nova Scotia are among the natural landmarks destroyed by post-tropical storm Fiona.
Both destinations for photographers, the Teacup Rock and the Shubenacadie Tree are being mourned by residents and tourists alike as Atlantic Canada slowly takes stock of everything stripped from them in the storm.
Teacup Rock was a teetering tower of sandstone hidden away in Thunder Cove Beach on Prince Edward Island. Once connected to the other sandstone cliffs around it, it had since been eroded away by the water into a teacup shape, tapering to a thin base.
But now, one of the most photographed locations in the province is gone: photos taken since the storm show that Teacup Rock was washed away in the storm, with only the flat rock it stood on remaining.
In the wake of the news that the rock was gone, numerous people took to social media to share vacation photos of them with the iconic rock, expressing their sadness that it was now gone.
Marg Chisholm-Ramsay was one of those who walked down to the water to snap a photo of where the rock used to stand.
“I’ve seen many great things in my travels, the Great Wall of China, Giza Pyramids, and the Lion of Lucine in Switzerland, but to me the Thunder Cove teacup was more Magnificent because she formed herself from nature,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“The Teacup has seen baby announcements, gender reveals, family pictures, marriage proposals and even had ashes spread nearby her. She was there for significant life events for anyone that wanted her.”
Welcome PEI, a tourism website for the province, still included directions for how to find Teacup Rock as of Monday evening. There, they noted how fragile the rock was, stating that it was made of sandstone while imploring tourists to “avoid climbing on or near the Teacup.” An iconic tree in Nova Scotia that was often sought out for photographs was also struck down in the storm.
On Saturday morning, when photographer Len Wagg’s wife told him she’d heard the tree was gone, he thought at first that she meant a tree in the backyard.
“She said, ‘No, The Tree.’ Everybody kind of knows what the tree is,” he told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.
Wagg stopped by the tree while out taking photos to see if the rumours were true.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t survive,” he said.
The Shubenacadie Tree, nicknamed for the nearby village, was estimated to have been around 300 year old. Standing alone in a field, it provided a striking image for photographers, tourists and locals.
“It was a magnificent red oak tree, and, you know, it’s been around for a long time, it’s hundreds of years old,” Wagg said.
He shared the news on social media, accompanied by photos of the tree in each season, and his post was flooded with people sharing their fond memories of the tree.
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Sonja Puzic
