Lake Utopia (New Brunswick)
Encyclopedia
Lake Utopia is located in eastern Charlotte County
, New Brunswick
.
The southern shore of the lake
is one kilometer northeast of the town of St. George
. The lake is connected to the Magaguadavic River
by the second deepest natural canal in the world.
Lake Utopia is a popular recreation destination for eastern Charlotte County with swimming, boating and fishing being popular among year-round residents and cottage-goers. Fish in the lake include smallmouth bass
, trout
, perch
and river eels.
Lake Utopia is approximately 7 kilometers long and between 0.8 and 2.8 kilometers in width. The lake level varies throughout the year, as more or less water is allowed through a hydroelectric
dam
on the Maguadavic River in St. George. The lake is surrounded by mixed Acadian
forest and its shoreline is dotted by both rustic camps and large summer homes.
Canal Beach is the major swimming destination on the lake's western shore. It occupies a 0.5 kilometer stretch of shoreline and the town of St. George's recreation department has placed white sand for swimmers and sunbathers.
Immediately north of Canal Beach is the natural canal which connects the lake to the Magaguadavic River. Canal Beach is equipped with a beach volleyball court, a playground, a canteen, washrooms and changing rooms.
On the eastern shore of the lake is a smaller, less popular swimming location called Scout's Beach (named after a Scouts Canada
camp at that location). Scout's Beach is known locally as a "party spot" and the beach is host to two or three large gatherings every summer.
As noted in research by cryptozoologist Loren Coleman
, the locals have called this cryptid "Old Ned." It has a decidedly long and bulky cetacean appearance, and may be representative of an unknown group of animals that travel back and forth between Lake Utopia and the Atlantic Ocean in routine cycles related to breeding and feeding.
Sightings:
1867 - Sawmill workers claim to see something 30 feet (9.1 m) long and 10 feet (3 m) wide thrashing in the lake. Similar reports the following days.
1868 - A Saint Croix Courier reporter says he and one other witness saw the monster.
1872 - Natives describe a terrifying monster with a large head and bloody jaws following their canoes.
1891 - William Francis Ganong records in his notebook a description of a monster provided by a lumberman who claimed to have seen it 20 years prior. "It was dark red in colour, the part showing above the water was 20 feet long and as big around as a small hogshead; it was much like a large eel."
1969 - The Saint John Evening Times Globe reports on an interview with Mrs. Fred McKillop, who said she saw a huge creature 18 years earlier. "It looked like a huge black rock... It moved up and down the lake, boiling and churning the water, making great waves."
1982 - Sherman Hatt says he and his family saw a large creature that looked like a submarine with spray coming from both sides and a hump out of the water about 10 feet (3 m) long.
1996 - Roger and Lois Wilcox were canoeing on the lake when they saw ripples break the placid surface 100 metres away from them. It was heading toward Cannonball Island, a common monster sighting spot. Wilcox reports the monster as being 40 to 50 feet (15.2 m) long, undulating upward, not sideways.
Charlotte County, New Brunswick
Charlotte County is located in the southwestern portion of New Brunswick, Canada.In most of the county, fishing and aquaculture dominate the local economy, although the town of St. Andrews is a tourist mecca and St...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
The southern shore of the lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
is one kilometer northeast of the town of St. George
St. George, New Brunswick
St. George is a Canadian town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.St. George is nicknamed the "Granite Town" and is located on the Magaguadavic River between Passamaquoddy Bay and Lake Utopia. It is 70 km west of Saint John....
. The lake is connected to the Magaguadavic River
Magaguadavic River
The Magaguadavic River is a historic Canadian river located in the province of New Brunswick.The name "Magaguadavic" is a Maliseet / Passamaquoddy term that is believed to translate into "River of Eels". It is most commonly pronounced "mack-uh-day-vick" or "mack-uh-day-vee".-Description:With a...
by the second deepest natural canal in the world.
Lake Utopia is a popular recreation destination for eastern Charlotte County with swimming, boating and fishing being popular among year-round residents and cottage-goers. Fish in the lake include smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
and river eels.
Lake Utopia is approximately 7 kilometers long and between 0.8 and 2.8 kilometers in width. The lake level varies throughout the year, as more or less water is allowed through a hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Maguadavic River in St. George. The lake is surrounded by mixed Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
forest and its shoreline is dotted by both rustic camps and large summer homes.
Canal Beach is the major swimming destination on the lake's western shore. It occupies a 0.5 kilometer stretch of shoreline and the town of St. George's recreation department has placed white sand for swimmers and sunbathers.
Immediately north of Canal Beach is the natural canal which connects the lake to the Magaguadavic River. Canal Beach is equipped with a beach volleyball court, a playground, a canteen, washrooms and changing rooms.
On the eastern shore of the lake is a smaller, less popular swimming location called Scout's Beach (named after a Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada
Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association that, in affiliation with the French-language Association des Scouts du Canada, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement...
camp at that location). Scout's Beach is known locally as a "party spot" and the beach is host to two or three large gatherings every summer.
Lake monster
Local legend has it that the Lake is inhabited by a sea monster known as the Lake Utopia Lake Monster. The story goes that long ago two Maliseet Natives were canoeing on the lake when suddenly the monster appeared and chased them from one end to the other. Since the arrival of Europeans to the area in the late 18th century, the story has continued, with new sightings being reported every three-five years.As noted in research by cryptozoologist Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is an author of books on a number of topics, including cryptozoology, who was born in 1947 in Norfolk, Virginia and grew up in Decatur, Illinois.-Education:...
, the locals have called this cryptid "Old Ned." It has a decidedly long and bulky cetacean appearance, and may be representative of an unknown group of animals that travel back and forth between Lake Utopia and the Atlantic Ocean in routine cycles related to breeding and feeding.
Sightings:
1867 - Sawmill workers claim to see something 30 feet (9.1 m) long and 10 feet (3 m) wide thrashing in the lake. Similar reports the following days.
1868 - A Saint Croix Courier reporter says he and one other witness saw the monster.
1872 - Natives describe a terrifying monster with a large head and bloody jaws following their canoes.
1891 - William Francis Ganong records in his notebook a description of a monster provided by a lumberman who claimed to have seen it 20 years prior. "It was dark red in colour, the part showing above the water was 20 feet long and as big around as a small hogshead; it was much like a large eel."
1969 - The Saint John Evening Times Globe reports on an interview with Mrs. Fred McKillop, who said she saw a huge creature 18 years earlier. "It looked like a huge black rock... It moved up and down the lake, boiling and churning the water, making great waves."
1982 - Sherman Hatt says he and his family saw a large creature that looked like a submarine with spray coming from both sides and a hump out of the water about 10 feet (3 m) long.
1996 - Roger and Lois Wilcox were canoeing on the lake when they saw ripples break the placid surface 100 metres away from them. It was heading toward Cannonball Island, a common monster sighting spot. Wilcox reports the monster as being 40 to 50 feet (15.2 m) long, undulating upward, not sideways.