Flag of New Brunswick

Flag of New Brunswick

Facts

  • Population » 747,101 (2016)
  • Languages » English and French
    • Only Canadian province to recognize both French and English as official languages (others recognize either French or English)
  • Currency » Canadian dollar

Geography

  • Area » 71,388 sq. km
  • Easily accessible from Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and the US State of Maine.
  • Highest Peak » Mount Carleton, 820 m (2,690 ft) is also the highest peak in the Maritime Provinces
  • New Brunswick is located east and south of Quebec. It also borders Maine, USA to the west, and Nova Scotia to the south. Prince Edward Island is accessible by a fixed link, a bridge that connects with NB.
  • Cities (by population): Saint John, Moncton, Fredericton (Capital), Dieppe, Riverview, Quispamsis, Miramichi, Edmundston, Bathurst.

Maps

Tourism

  • The Bay of Fundy, which lies between N.B. and Nova Scotia, has the highest ties in the world.
  • The town of Hartland features the Hartland Covered Bridge, longest covered bridge in the world at 390 meters long.
  • NB encompasses rivers, pine forest, the Appalachian mountains, the beautiful Saint John River Valley, the enormous tides and marine life of the Bay of Fundy and other coastal regions, and many historic sites, yet it is known as the “Drive-Through Province,” a reference to the under developed and under served tourist industry in the province.
  • Most visitors find little reason to visit or stay and simply drive through on their way to the other three Atlantic Canadian provinces.

National Parks

Provincial Parks

Overland

  • The rural nature, rural makeup, and declining population means there are many overlanding opportunities
  • Due to the lack of tourism infrastructure and outdated ideas, NB is more often considered the drive-through province for persons on their way to more interesting places (Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Maine)

Notes

  • New Brunswick was originally named New Ireland.
  • New Brunswick is the only Canadian province to recognize both French and English as official languages.
    • Approximately one-third of New Brunswickers self-identify as francophone.
    • The first European settlers, the Acadians, are descendants of French colonists of Acadia, a French colony in what is now Nova Scotia.
    • Many of the English-speaking population are descended from Loyalists who fled the American Revolution.
    • There are frequent tensions between the French and English-speaking communities. Many English-speaking citizens blame bilingualism for NB’s woes and do not recognize the competitive advantage this could provide them.
  • NB is composed of mostly rural areas and communities. With a decreasing population, many of these communities are in decline and disappearing.
    • In an effort to reduce costs, the Government of NB has been quietly encourages its citizens to move to larger cities, leaving many rural communities without adequate services and declining infrastructure.
  • NB has the lowest education and literacy rate in Canada. New Brunswick residents are also rated as the unhealthiest in the country.
  • Despite its rich natural resources and diverse population, NB’s outdated ideas and an inability to attract and retain industries, leads it to have the most poorly performing economy of any Canadian province.
    • An insular mindset makes it difficult for new industries and ideas to take hold. Change and growth is arduous and slow.
  • Talented people, young people, and others motivated to live a better life, are leaving NB. Other provinces offer greater opportunities, culture, and a healthier lifestyle.
  • The provincial government historically runs a large deficit. With a high debt load, the province depends heavily on large federal government payments.
    • The citizens that do stay have, in large part, developed a sense of entitlement to these federal cash transfers, welfare programs, seasonal employment insurance, government employment, and other government handouts and are not motivated towards self-sufficiency.
    • Many successful New Brunswick citizens (eg: McCain’s, Irving’s, etc.) have left their home province decades ago to live in more progressive areas.
  • The major newspapers in the province were all owned and tightly controlled by the Irving family. In 2022, these media outlets were sold to Postmedia. Postmedia is majority owned by US-based Chatham Asset Management LLC.

Media

Resources

This page was updated May 20, 2023