Canadian celebrities are lending their star power in support of the Bay of Fundy as a finalist in the New7Wonders of Nature contest.
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick joined forces earlier this year to promote the Bay of Fundy in the hopes of making it a finalist in the contest, which will name the top seven natural wonders of the world.
Both Premier Darrell Dexter and Premier David Alward have appealed to the public asking them to cast their vote for the Bay of Fundy, which is now one of the top 28 finalists. It is also the only Canadian finalist.
A new video promoting the campaign has been released and it shows a muddied Alward and Dexter representing both sides of the bay.
They are also joined by well-known Canadians such as Jann Arden, Joel Plaskett, Measha Brueggergosman and the anchors of Canada AM, all sporting muddy faces.
"Many Nova Scotians have taken in the amazing experiences offered on our spectacular bay," said Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Percy Paris in a statement released Tuesday.
"This video will help Canadians realize its awesome power and beauty. We are letting people know that time is running out. The Bay of Fundy is Canada's finalist and people must vote as often as they can before November 11 to make it one of the official New7Wonders of Nature."
Opera singer Brueggergosman grew up near the Bay of Fundy, and she says she is determined to reach out to Canadians to convince them to vote.
"As Canadians, we understand how amazingly beautiful our country is and it's time we shouted it far and wide," said Brueggergosman. "The Bay of Fundy deserves to be officially recognized as one of the world great natural wonders and we've got to vote to make it happen. I can't encourage Canadians strongly enough to text or vote online, tweet it, Facebook it, and tell all their friends and family to do the same!"
More videos from other Canadian celebrities are expected to follow, and Canadians everywhere are being encouraged to submit their own videos explaining why they voted for the Bay of Fundy.
The Bay of Fundy boasts the highest tides on the planet at roughly 16.2 metres and 100-billion tones of sea water flow in and out of the bay twice daily. The extreme tides create a diverse marine ecosystem and coastal rock formations have formed in the area.
Many migratory birds and 12 species of whale, including the rare and endangered right whales, call the Bay of Fundy home. It is also one of the world's most significant plant and animal fossil discovery regions.
The contest closes on November 11 and Canadians can vote online at votemyfundy.com, through the New7Wonders of Nature Facebook page or by texting FUNDY to 77077 on any Canadian smartphone for 25 cents per vote.
Other finalists include the Grand Canyon, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Amazon Rainforest.
