This cache is dedicated to my brother Gustave. There were 16 children in our family and Gustave was the oldest boy. He grew up in a very small fishing village called St-Simon on the north-eastern tip of the Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick. The name of this cache is written in the same way a real Acadian would shout “I caught a fish!” This puzzle cache won’t require brain-steaming research and I hope that you will enjoy a review of Canada’s east coast history.
1 ) In the 1500-1600’s, usually from March to October, European vessels sailed to the east coast. Spain, France and what other country would send their fishing boats for a good catch of cod at that time?
D = The number position in the alphabet of the 7th letter of this answer x 3
2 ) What Aboriginal community did these European fishermen encounter in the area of St-Simon at that time?
G = The number position in the alphabet of the first letter in this answer minus 9
In the Bataille de la Ristigouche, Captain Antoine Charles Denys de St-Simon and his 47-man crew, most from Normandy, scuttled in a beautiful bay to hide from a British vessel. Capt. St-Simon and his men spent the winter in the area before the captain returned alone to France in the spring. A few men put down roots in Caraquet, and Bas Caraquet and the rest of the former crew established a settlement that they would call St-Simon.
3) How many days did the Bataille de la Ristigouche between the British and the French last?
C = Answer + 3
4) Find the postal code of Latitude 47.72944 and Longitude 64.81688.
H = The 4th character of the code + 1
F,I & A = The 6th character minus 5
In the late 1970’s the fishing fleet was rejuvenated with modernized trawlers. The traditional fishermen resisted the new trawlers but the fish processing companies, buoyed by profits, imposed their control. The fishermen were required to learn new techniques and gain better knowledge of the area’s marine life.
L’école des Pêches à Caraquet added courses to offer this required training. Gustave was one of the first students at that college.
5) In what year did this college open?
E = The third digit of the answer- 2
In July 2013, “Le Centre d’interprétation du patrimoine et de la culture de St-Simon” opened its doors to exhibit artifacts from the time of the Bataile de la Ristigouche, as well as many objects from previous and later occupants of the area. The organization, “Les épaves de la Baie de St-Simon Inc.” was responsible for the creation of the centre d’interprétation.
6) In what year was the enterprise “Les épaves de la Baie de St-Simon Inc.” founded?
B = The total of all the digits of this answer minus 5
Gustave loved to sit by his kitchen window and observe the many kinds of birds that visited his bird-friendly garden. The hummingbird was one of his favorites.
7) What is the French translation for hummingbird?
J = The letter placement in the alphabet of the first letter of the answer
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
N49 AB.CDE W123 FG.HIJ