By Heather Killen
Spectator
NovaNewsNow.com
The Bay of Fundy can ride high with a new wave of support during last phase of its international bid to be named one of the new New7Wonders of Nature.
This online contest opened in 2007 with about 440 sites in 200 countries competing for the distinction of being named one of the New7Wonders of Nature. Now in its third and final phase, the Bay of Fundy is the only Canadian contestant left on this international stage of 28 finalists that includes sites such as the Amazon, Vesuvious, and Kilimanjaro.
Until now, votes were accepted online at votemyfundy.com with only one vote allowed per email address. Now people can vote as many times as they chose from a mobile phone, by texting the word FUNDY to 77077. Each text vote costs $0.25 and will count as one vote for the Bay of Fundy.
Fresh Momentum
Terri McCulloch, executive director Bay of Fundy Tourism, said she hopes this new voting system will add fresh momentum to her group’s bid to be included on the list. She announced the text voting campaign on February 17 during the 2011 Halifax Canada Games.
“Text voting infuses new energy and potentially millions more votes into Bay of Fundy’s campaign during these months leading up to the declaration of the final seven,” said McCulloch. “People are asking what else they can do, in addition to online voting, to support Canada’s finalist. Text voting offers Canadians a new way to propel the Bay of Fundy to the podium in November.”
Only five of the 28 global finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign have activated their text voting option so far. If everyone spent a dollar and voted four times the Bay of Fundy would have an even better chance on the world stage.
McCulloch added that while the Bay is up against some pretty stiff competition with renowned sites including the Grand Canyon, the Galapagos Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef, she is confident the Bay will hold its own against any wonder of the world.
“People talk about the Grand Canyon and I always like to say that not only do we have the highest tides of the world, the volume of water in these cycles would fill and empty the Grand Canyon four times each day,” she said. “Man that is a pile of water.”
Diversity of Species
Furthermore while people talk about the rich diversity of life found in the Amazon, the Bay has a comparable range and diversity of species and is connected to the rest of the world through the rich varieties of migratory birds and whales that regularly pass through the region on their way to warmer climates. Moreover, the largest mussel reef in the world is found just off Briar Island.
Voting Continues
Voting will continue until the campaign’s conclusion on Nov. 11. Text message votes will be added to online votes at the campaign headquarters in Switzerland.
Percy Paris, minister of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism, and New Brunswick Tourism and Parks Minister Trevor Holder were both at the press conference held last week at Celebration Square, in Grand Parade.
National Pride
“There is a feeling of great national pride here at the Halifax Canada Games,” said Paris. “It is the perfect opportunity to showcase Nova Scotia and New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy, Canada’s only finalist in the global New7Wonders of Nature campaign. We encourage all Canadians to show their support and vote, either online or by text.”
The text voting service for Bay of Fundy in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign works on all mobile networks across Canada. Text voting is now available, along with the previous option of voting online through votemyfundy.com.
