Just over Roosevelt Bridge at Lubec, Maine, is a special Canadian place, called Campobello Island.  It’s where FDR summered over 56  years and referred to as his “beloved island”.   There is another extraordinary property on this picturesque island, located at 868 Fundy Drive.  It’s a nature lover’s Paradise! 

Live where eagles soar and whales frolic right outside your window!  This is so much more than a year-round luxury vacation home, this is a Lifestyle, all its own!  If you crave privacy and serenity, away from today’s busy world, you can have it here.  On 137.68 private acres along the bold ocean front of the World famous, Bay of Fundy in the Atlantic Ocean, tranquility lives.  Known around the globe,  for the world’s highest tides, at 52’ twice daily. In one 12-hour tidal cycle, about 100 billion tons of water flows in and out of the bay, (between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, touching on the Gulf of Maine), which is twice as much as the combined total flow of all the rivers of the world over the same period!

The Bay of Fundy is teeming with wildlife and is a critical habitat for many species of whales and dolphins. Home to over eight species of whales, with a whale population that can exceed 300 at any one time, the Bay of Fundy is a fantastic destination for whale watchers!  At this home, you can be thrilled to watch them right from your deck!  This unique eco system lures  wildlife to its rich feeding grounds.  Humpback, Minke, Fin and Right whales as well as seals, Atlantic white-sided dolphin and harbour porpoise spend their summers here, using the bay as a feeding ground, nursery and play area. They feast on the enormous amounts of krill, squid and schools of young herring, pollock and mackerel, l found in the bay as a result of the powerful Fundy tides.  The lobster here is amazing, as is the crab, periwinkles, shrimp, and scallops.  A plethora of fish, including shad, flounder, tuna, sea sturgeons, salmon, cod, herring, pollack, hake, haddock and halibut make their home here.  Pick dulse (a much beloved local delicacy) and seaweed (common salad ingredient in Asian cuisine) right off your own shore.  Do you enjoy deep sea fishing?  Nothing beats a feast fresh from the sea. 

For those into sailing, the Bay of Fundy is as good as it gets!  With great proximity in the Atlantic Ocean along the Eastern Seaboard, along the shores of New Brunswick and up the deep-water, St John River, at Saint John New Brunswick, known to sailors, as the Rhine of the Americas!  You’ll quickly see why the New York, Boston and Newport Yacht Clubs make an annual run up this river.   Dock your boat at Market Square and explore Canada’s first city, Saint John, with its many historical attractions including the world famous, Reversing Falls.  And as you’re sailing don’t be surprised if a 40–60-foot whale breaches beside you.  Afterall, that’s a common occurrence here.

The contemporary style, clean lines, and the latest in amenities of this home, ensures every comfort, while window walls with great expanse of glass capture every angle of the extraordinary sunrise/sunset views over the ocean.  Each being unique, this extraordinary sight never gets old!  Gleaming Cappuccino marble floors, 10-19 foot ceilings, attention to detail, and spacious rooms abound throughout with deck access from seven rooms including the great room, master bedroom, kitchen, family room and guest bedroom suite all on the main level plus the games room and one bedroom suite on the lower level.  All bathroom ensuites are finished in a choice of Mountain White, Snowy Cliffs or Zodiac Calcutta marble and all door hardware is by Baldwin and plumbing fixtures are by Kohler, considered the global leader.  The exterior is solid wood, low maintenance Cape Cod, dipped siding as well as Granville, Corinthian and Tassel granite stone out of Maine (no imitation stone façade here).  The granite stones are 8”-20” long, and 3-5” thick.

Designed by US architect Neil Hodgson, AIA, out of Washington DC, no stone has been left unturned, with extensive planning and select on-site positioning, carrying out construction to completion.  Upon entering the triple arched, covered entry to the marble-lined foyer, the clear blue, majestic ocean comes into view immediately.  From the moment you walk into the foyer, you know, this is somewhere very special!  The great room expanse opens before you with its soaring 19 foot maple lined ceiling, marble flooring and 55,000 BTU propane fireplace with huge flames for cool nights!  Custom built-ins surround the fireplace creating ample niches’ for your collectables.  Stroll out onto a deck, breathing deeply the fresh sea air.  Watch eagles and osprey soar over the surf, wings spread wide, catching the updraft, eyes sharp, ever searching for young herring among the surf. If you’d enjoy a break, from the everyday hustle and bustle of a busy life, this is about as good as it gets!  A solid maple staircase leads to the loft overlooking the great room and ocean beyond.  What a wonderful space for children and grandchildren to plan sleep-overs.  It’s like having a tree house within the home!  A marble guest powder room is located adjacent the foyer.

The 1000 square foot kitchen/dining room overlooking the water, is a chef’s dream with gorgeous Carrera marble counter tops and slab marble backsplash. Top of the line GE Monogram™  appliances including, double ovens, double dishwashers, gas range with built-in grill, built-in full refrigerator, built-in full freezer, microwave and a 70-bottle, full height wine fridge.  Nineteen foot ceiling with contemporary lighting, butcher-block cutting board, deep dish sink plus prep sink, large walk-in pantry, and marble flooring completes the picture.  A cozy pellet stove takes the chill of cool mornings.  Large windows capture every angle of waterfront while a garden door provides direct deck access for alfresco dining and barbequing with friends.  This is a kitchen designed for entertaining family and friends in style!  Watch the fishing boats glide past with today’s fresh catch of lobster and don’t be surprised if a nice feast arrives at your door, as New Brunswickers are known across the country as the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.  This is what Maritime living is all about, friends, family, relaxing and fresh ocean feasts!

Off the kitchen we find a nice-sized laundry room with built-in cabinetry, deep stainless steel set tub, marble flooring and sunny window with natural light (so you can tell the dark navy from the midnight blue).

In the east wing is the impressive primary master bedroom suite with walls of glass, direct deck access, nineteen-foot ceiling, maple flooring and cozy 40,000 BTU propane fireplace for added ambiance.  It opens onto the walk-in closet and spa-like ensuite bathroom with marble flooring, double marble topped vanities, 11.6’ double travertine shower with built-in seats, handheld plus rainfall shower and deep soaker tub overlooking the ocean.  The flush is a top of the line, Kohler, motion activated, tankless, Smart Toilet with Bidet feature and touch-screen remote, controlling all your preferences from heated seat to bowl illumination, water temperature to self-cleaning wand, with the lid opening and closing as you approach and leave.

The home office has an interesting location, in the center of the home with large interior window overlooking the foyer and maple staircase to the loft.  Through a wide solarium-styled, sunny hallway, we come to the home gym complete with sauna.  Plenty of space here for yoga and extensive exercise equipment while the lovely ocean view ensures everchanging natural scenery as you complete your walk/run on the treadmill.  When you’re finished, pop into the cedar sauna, for a feeling of complete relaxation.

In the West wing we have the family room with maple hardwood floor, cozy pellet stove, high ceiling, huge windows overlooking the ocean and direct deck access.  This room doubles as a sitting room for the adjoining impressive main floor guest suite, perfect for visiting families with a large bedroom with deck access, walk-in closet, full marble bath and the sitting room (perfect for children with the use of a hide-a bed).  It’s a beautiful layout, as everyone has plenty of space, luxury and privacy!  Guests will never want to leave!

Two maple staircases, one east and one west, lead to the lower daylight, walkout level with 10’ ceilings,  maple hardwood flooring and huge window walls overlooking the ocean plus direct deck access.  This extensive covered deck with genuine solid granite columns, runs almost the full length of the house.  It’s the perfect place on hot days if you want the fresh air without the direct sun and for rainy days as you relax with a good book, listening to the sound of the rain bouncing off the rocks and the water, as waves lap along the shore. The pride of this level is the rec room overlooking the ocean boasting direct deck access, large cozy fireplace a stunning copper-topped wet bar with beverage fridge.  Friends and family will love this space as they take in the view, enjoy a game of pool, a refreshing drink and the crackle of the natural wood-burning fireplace.

On this level we find three additional bedroom suites (bringing the total to five) all with marble ensuite bathrooms, huge windows, ample closet space, maple hardwood floors and 10’ ceilings.  There is also a second powder room and a second laundry room found here for guests’ convenience.

The heating is efficient, electric radiant heat throughout, enhanced by two pellet stoves, two propane fireplaces and one wood-burning fireplace.  The water source is a drilled well and the septic system is 1000-gallon concrete tank.  High speed internet is provided by Bell Starlink and a landline is available.  The propane tank feeds the two gas fireplaces and kitchen countertop gas range, averages $132 per summer.  The electrical is 400-amp entrance and the power cost is $3800 per year.  Although the home is used primarily in summer months, the heat is kept on year-round.  There is underground wiring near the house.  Garbage is picked up on Thursday’s and every fourth Thursday is recycle pickup.  A four-car insulated garage ensures your vehicles are out of the weather but it’s also perfect for sea kayaks, motorcycles, side by sides, snowmobiles, etc.  If you enjoy the great outdoors, you need a place to keep these toys.  If you enjoy a quieter side of nature, the cedar jetty leading to the shore is a peaceful place for morning yoga and a good stretch before you start your early run.  Also, although privacy is ensured, it’s always good to know there are neighbours in the immediate vicinity, if you ever need to borrow a cup of sugar or a helping hand.

Besides miles of biking and hiking trails, at two provincial parks, one of the island treasures is the Herring Cove Provincial Park Golf Course, just three minutes from the house. This 9-hole, Geoffrey Cornish design, course, offers many challenging holes while providing a spectacular view of the Bay of Fundy.

Just five minutes down the road is the Roosevelt Campobello International Park and famous summer cottage of the 32^nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  FDR sailed these waters as a young man and spent many pleasurable summers here at his cottage with his wife Elenore.  Besides the interesting cottage and tons of memorabilia,  there are miles of nature trails for hiking and biking.  The 2600 acre Park is on Canadian soil which has become part of America’s heritage and which is being preserved for the future through the commitment of the citizens and governments of both countries.  Roosevelt Campobello International Park is the only park in the world jointly managed, staffed, and owned by the peoples of two countries and administered by a joint commission.  When you visit this area, you’ll see why FDR treasured his time here.

Former U.S. Secretary of State, Senator from Maine, Governor of Maine, Edmund S. Muskie said it best: “Campobello – …air so crisp one can almost shape it, so heady that to breathe it is intoxicating. …Soft meadows and glowing woods, … vistas that embrace the solidity of the coast and the exuberance of open water. … sudden coves, weathered piers, the look of endurance and the evidence of man’s enduring.

Conveniences available on the island include groceries, household items & other necessaries,  liquor store, gas bars, gift shop and farmer’s market (on Saturday’s).   IGA for major grocery shopping and bakery, is 10 minutes away in Lubec.

Campobello Island is a two-hour drive from BHB, Bar Harbor Airport, serviced by American, Delta, Cape Air and United Airlines with a direct flight from Boston.  It’s two and a half hours from BGR, Bangor International Airport, serviced by American, Allegiant, Delta, Jet Blue and United Airlines with direct flights from New York (JFK, LGA & EWR), Washington DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Charlotte, Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.  It’s a four-hour drive from Portland, Maine and two hours from Saint John, New Brunswick, with direct flights on Air Canada from Montreal and Toronto and direct flights on Flair Airline from Orlando.  The property is 357 miles by car from Boston.

 If you’re ready for clean fresh air, an abundance of tranquil nature, blue ocean and a contemporary luxury home in the middle of a softwood forest only 10 minutes from Maine, then look no further.  This rare find is everything you’re looking for and more.