RMR: Rick Visits Sable Island

Rick visits one of Canada's newest national parks off the coast of Nova Scotia.

[@Retired_Gentleman]

I was fortunate to spend a day on Sable Island in the mid-seventies. My father, a Marine Aides Technician with the Coast Guard, obtained permission for me to accompany him to the island on one of his trips there to service the two automated lighthouses on the island. It was a beautiful but very isolated place and a trip I'll never forget.

[@artist45]

My family lived on Sable for 3.5 years til 1960. They had to come off because of my impending birth :) My dad, mom and two sisters LOVED their life on the island, and because my existence on this planet started there, I'd love to visit one day. Back then there were horses that were trained for saddle riding...that was their main transportation on the island. No trucks back then. Loved this video!

[@samslick9000]

Where did the horses get fresh water?

[@artist45]

There are fresh water ponds on the island. When it's particularly dry, the horses have to dig in the sand to find water. That's what I've been told.

[@samslick9000]

Where do the horses go during hurricanes. Wouldn't the waves wash them off the island?

[@artist45]

The island is big...it is a sand bar, but it's 26 miles long and 1 mile wide at it's widest (from what I remember). The waves don''t wash over the island. There are no trees on the island but they amazingly survive during harsh weather. Definitely survival of the fittest. Aside from the horses, there are people who live there...some year round as my family did.

[@samslick9000]

I would expect Perfect Storm-type waves to annihilate Sable.

[@susiearviso3032]

The horses look so chubby and happy. I love it.

[@jimjam002also]

You miss seeing the dead horses, many horses die, because they eat so much sand their teeth get worn out, then they can’t eat, then they die

[@miraleatardiff8543]

@@jimjam002also And then there are the cases of sand colic.

[@Lou72939]

I love Rick Mercer. "I thought this was the trip I wasn't going to be in mortal danger!" He's my favourite Canadian!

[@XDarkVixenX]

i would absolutely love to go there one day. Rick ur awesome!!

[@strangedee1]

I think both Ontario and Nova Scotia are both wonderful in their own way, and one isn't necessary "better" than the other. :)

[@Lemonhead86]

I knew there were sharks on the coast sometimes but not so many that you wouldn't want to go swimming. I wish he let her finish her answer.

[@LadyLightningstorm]

Wild horses in Canada. Yes!

[@STUDIOIRVINGKENNEDY]

great to see sable again, i was there in 2009 for a week, painting, the most amazing place on this great earth. what happen to gerry forbes, he wasn't present in the video; good to zoe though. thanks, and next time you go let me know i'll hitch a ride...heeeheee

[@angusdrummond6719]

Beautiful.

[@maxscameraguy]

Thank you for giving me a geography lesson. I wonder how the island was found to begin with.

[@wbell539]

Many ships 'found' Sable Island when they were wrecked there. :-)

[@Italia311]

good. nice vacation spot.

[@hooplan77]

one of the last truly pristine places left

[@tarynbyers7317]

I love the seals and horses

[@Fissey_Gaming]

It has the biggest seal colony in the world

[@guytitanic]

Leave to Rick to find humour on Sable island

[@Admiral8Q]

I love Zoe's jacket! So many pockets!

[@EMERALD451]

Those are some well fed horses.

[@CanadaRulez4Ever]

finally they've found the "Middle of Nowhere" !

[@Lhene9]

Nova Scotia's interesting because it has one easily definable culture. It's easier to grasp what a place is about when there's one main influence. Ontario's a huge hodgepodge of things, so it's that much harder to define, and you have to dig through the layers to get to the really interesting stuff. For the record, I think the cultural mosaic in Ontario makes it really fascinating. And I can always find new things to try, even within my own neighbourhood.

[@klx110man18]

what do the horses do if a hurricane comes?

[@zekemowad6501]

Like where do you even get groceries? I don't think I could make it 😯

[@zekemowad6501]

Very beautiful but I wonder how people survive out there. In seclusion. What do you do for medical treatment? Not sure how people would operate in those conditions

[@sylvainchamoux5120]

C'est une ile qui se trouve au Sud des côtes de L' Acadie

[@enkhbaatarchuluunbat9355]

Wild horses look like in my country (Mongolia). It could be from us...

[@Jeff-lh2fz]

Jokes but Hey Tazdude. Go Zip around a Nascar circuit.. Wow ppl are so negative. Fun times. Rick's got the best job on the planet. No lies. go RMR!

[@79tazman]

Typical Canadian they got to have beer even on Sable Island

[@corinneb9433]

Typical Americans. Always being annoying.

[@Kikilang60]

I heard that Sable Islands is unstable, and will soon go under the waves. I wound if there is a way to stablize the islands.

[@supergirljadg]

woah woah, let's not start a fight people

[@Zamolxet]

... How do those horses live?

[@TheSemiProGamer]

that island is about 100 kilometers from me, how do i get a plane out there

[@83056]

I didn't know we had a Sable Island in N.S. *No skinny dipping*

[@kockarthur7976]

4:33 Assistant to the field research apprentice!

[@vishnumohan5813]

ജൂലിയസ് മാനുവൽ...🔥

[@BackyardBS103]

How did they get a truck there? It’s not like they can land a cargo jet there....

[@stephaniemacwhirter110]

there's this thing called a boat

[@spaztickolon]

I have to agree with you. I live in Toronto. Loads of "culture" but very superficial. The east coast of Canada is head and shoulders above Ontario, and frankly most of the rest of the country. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and especially Newfoundland - literally the best part of Canada.

[@claytoncurrie4058]

spaztickolon you forgot about PEI budd

[@fishing_amy]

Hard to believe they culled the beautiful horses 🐴

[@franek_izerski]

Great white sharks in the Northern Atlantic?? I did not know that.

[@Fissey_Gaming]

The population in Atlantic canada for great whites has grown incredibly. There’s this shark tracking app called ocearch and I’m from Alberta but we go to pei every summer and I always use that app and website. Atlantic canada during the summer and September is filled with great whites

[@Fissey_Gaming]

There’s tons off pei and in the bay of fundy right now

[@awesomeskier12345]

UGH I WANT HIS JOB :/

[@sailorcheri]

@canadarulz4ever look up Pitcairn Island. Now that's REALLY the middle of nowhere ;)

[@misshiss4040]

Its a strip of sand in the middle of the atlantic ocean people..... theres a million islands like that closer to civilization with actual hotels or Inns to stay at, and doesnt require renting a 5,000 dollar per day charter plane to get there !!!!

[@conniekrasowski9949]

I would love to go there I have a horse and I want to go to sable island

[@adacskipper]

That is a very good point. I guess I'm tired of Ontarrio because I live in a very rural area, where the main intrest is farming. There's not many new things to try out. I guess I need a holiday...;)

[@cooldallasshields3439]

Rick Steves vs Canadian Rick. Who's cooler?

[@dagmowi]

Clearly you've never been to Thunder Bay

[@jamesmcgiver5245]

how you know Johnathan Shepard is a true Canadian...1:37

[@CptSchmidt]

No you don't. Ontario receives transfer payments just like Nova Scotia. Go close another factory, stomp out workers' rights, and re-elect Rob Ford, smart one.

[@jrcigarful]

What's with the canned laughter?

[@jenelaina5665]

It's not, it's being shown to a studio audience.

[@strangedee1]

I knew the maritime is a beautiful place but I never realized it was this breathtaking! Too bad it is just as expensive (or even more so) to vacation in Nova Scotia as it is to fly out of the country for an all inclusive!! :(

[@yellowklayman]

If that was off the coast of Ontario it would be filled to the brim with condos.

[@atticusfredericks6210]

Took a live studio audience along with him ?

[@fabulousprofound]

after we criticized others for letting their party balloons little the ocean... i wonder where that weather balloon ended up?

[@xx1527]

Yes and domestic!

[@PattyMill]

No internet? Eek!

[@DJea-ni2yk]

Sorry but, the music SUCK'S!!! AND it's TOO LOUD!!! Unsubscribing!!!

[@jb95467]

That's not the geographic center of Canada!

[@kockarthur7976]

The awkward and mildly inappropriate canned laughter is so damn.... funny

[@bobfurman862]

It is so expensive to go to Sable Island, it is such a delicate ecosystem. It seems a bit irreverent to allow a TV host clearly accustomed to doing jokey fluff pieces to waste such an opportunity. This was a job for a serious journalist. Kudos to the staff serving on Sable Island for enduring such an annoyance.

[@beefchicken]

🙄

[@lilkitten545]

beautiful island, and please people, leave Ontario alone :s

[@ryanlangille8690]

so I hoped that Rick would include the Overrun grey seal population... but I guess he has forgotten his Newfoundland heritage. we'll just put a couple close up shots of a few.

[@Lhene9]

I don't think you've been to Ontario... It's a nice place. Parliament buildings, contains the largest city in Canada, second-highest producer of maple syrup, largest population in Canada, great universities, lots of art galleries. Saying it has "no culture" just means that you've bought into stereotypes and haven't taken the time to really get to know it.

[@tylerboy1333]

Horse things.

[@Lhene9]

Aww. Don't go to the touristy places. They are generally not worth it :P

[@adacskipper]

Erm.. It's not about money. Ontario as absolutely no culture. At least non that it keeps for any length of time...

[@andrewtaylor1513]

Too much time spent on the guy. He could probably land on Pluto and spend 2/3 of the time in front of the camera. Some people really just want to be on tv.

[@thechief4114]

the canned laughter is so off putting, love Sable Island however

[@adacskipper]

I live in Ontario... But I admit I was too harsh. You're right of course. It's just that I find Nova Scotia much interesting than Ontario and I'm getting a little tired of Ontario's politics...

[@xx1527]

Hello Rick! Sorry to post here & hoping you could reply asap! Can you not go out to B.C, help us, help the horses? Plz stand by! - Facebook event = Protest Westwold Horse Slaughter Plant October 19, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.

[@jenniferwilson6853]

lol

[@berniebanner9960]

Ugh. That fake laughter is brutal to listen to.

[@AdenMcIsaac]

100th comment

[@AdenMcIsaac]

99th comment

[@jimjam002also]

It is know that 6% or more of the horses die every year, one year 150 died from lack of good food, Horses should not be there

[@adacskipper]

I always avoid those places. They never show what the place is really like.