New Brunswick: A Beautiful Blend of People and Places

One of the less well known parts of Canada for tourism, New Brunswick is nevertheless, one of Canada's most beautiful and unspoiled provinces. An area of large tracts of untouched forests and peaceful farmlands, river valleys, ocean islands, beautiful coastal trails and roads, magnificent warm water beaches, amazing cliff and rock formations, and much more; it is obvious that New Brunswick has an outstanding variety of interesting attractions and facilities for the traveller. The province's rich cultural heritage is an interesting one, with considerable influence from the original French-speaking Acadian settlers and from Empire Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province; most of the native French speakers also speak perfect English. For a good visual overview of this province visit our New Brunswick Photo Gallery.

An Aerial View of Fredericton, New Brunswick

This heritage is well reflected in the wide variety of events and entertainment, museums , and the excellent cuisine, which combines different ethnic and cultural roots with the easy availability of tremendous seafood and fresh produce. New Brunswick has an incredible selection of bird life and the high tides that the area is known for have created a variety of natural phenomena. New Brunswick has three major cities. Fredericton the capital, has an interesting historic character, Saint John is a truly novel seaport, and Moncton is mainly a service centre, but with many unique features of interest to tourists. The pace of life is definitely more relaxed here, and the friendliness of the people is legendary.

HISTORY

The first inhabitants of what is now New Brunswick were groups of Algonquin speaking First Nations people - the Mi'kmaqin in the north and the southern Malecites and Passamaquoddy tribes. Jacques Cartier, during his exploration of eastern North America, first recorded the area’s existence in 1534. Settlement did not begin until 1604 when Samuel de Champlain established a settlement at the mouth of the St. Croix River. Though this was unsuccessful, French settlement began in earnest and by the end of the 17th century the area was well settled. The French introduced a method of farming near the Bay of Fundy utilizing dikes. The area of French settlement in what is today eastern Canada became known as Acadia, and included modern-day New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Rivalry between the British and the French for this territory ensued, and this culminated in the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713. At this time, Acadia became British territory. However tension between the two countries were manifested in struggles in this part of North America. The British were unable to secure the boundaries of the territory that had been ceded to them. In 1755, full-scale war broke out. At this time the British forced French Acadians to commit themselves to the British crown, or else face exile. Many of the Acadians who fled ended up in Louisiana, where their descendents still reside. The term 'Cajun' (as the Louisiana-French culture and people are known as) is derived from 'Acadian.' Others settled in the more remote regions of what is now northern New Brunswick. Acadian culture and language has developed separately from that of the rest of French Canada, and today the Acadian community and its culture thrives alongside the English-speaking community. Despite past injustices, New Brunswick serves as an excellent example of a harmonious society.

After the Treaty of Paris in 1763 many people loyal to the British Crown emigrated from the soon to be United States, to eastern Canada. After the revolutionary war thousands of refugees from the 13 former colonies, preferring to remain British subjects, moved to Nova Scotia. Up until that time Nova Scotia encompassed what is now New Brunswick. With the big increase in population Nova Scotia was split, and the province of New Brunswick was founded. Throughout the early 1800s, largely due to the great supply of timber, New Brunswick grew and prospered. The ships that carried New Brunswick's square-hewn timber to the world returned with immigrants. In those days ships were constructed of wood, and with New Brunswick's major timber supply, shipbuilding was also a major industry.

On July 1st, 1867 New Brunswick was one of the founding provinces of Canada. As with so many regions of Canada the arrival of the railway in 1876 greatly influenced the growth and economy of New Brunswick. However it did not bring the prosperity that it usually did. Instead, the railway and economic policies allowed Québec and Ontario to compete with New Brunswick. These provinces could provide the same products in much greater volumes, and so New Brunswick lost many of its advantages. At the same time, ships began to be constructed of iron and steel, and so New Brunswick's shipbuilding industry went into decline - perhaps a blessing in disguise, as the province's forests were becoming depleted. Although lumber, fishing and mining industries slowly expanded, by the end of the 1800s the province's prosperity was rapidly diminishing.

From this time until well after World War II, New Brunswick was unable to regain much of the economic success of the 19th century. Although the province had a moderately successful pulp and paper industry, there was considerable disparity between the Maritime Provinces and the rest of Canada, which was enjoying considerable growth and relative affluence. The Federal Government of Canada intervened to try and redress the balance. However this took a long time to show any effects, leaving New Brunswick dependent on federal expenditures and projects for a considerable length of time. Later the provincial government addressed the internal disparities between people of Acadian descent, who had a high poverty rate, and other residents of New Brunswick.

ECONOMY

In 1969 New Brunswick became Canada's first, and so far only, officially bilingual province. This has certainly aided the economy, as New Brunswick's large, truly bilingual population, in combination with government incentives, has brought many service-oriented businesses to the province. In 1970 the city of Saint John became North America's first deep-water oil tanker port. Oil refining here became a major economic player, and the city has very much gained economically from this and a reviving shipbuilding industry brought about largely from orders for the Canadian Navy. Significant deposits of potash and precious metals have recently been discovered, as well as the already established mining of copper, lead and zinc. Lumber, pulp and paper still play a major role, as does fishing, in particular for lobster, crab and sardines. Potatoes grow well here, and New Brunswick's seed potatoes are exported worldwide. It can certainly be said that today, New Brunswick is well on the road to a stable and diverse economy.

CLIMATE

	Fall Colours in New Brunswick

Summers in New Brunswick are rarely very hot, but the weather is comfortably warm. The province's proximity to the ocean keeps coastal areas slightly cooler in the summer than further inland. New Brunswick has incredible beaches, and the ocean temperature is remarkably warm. Rain is fairly frequent, especially in the south. August tends to be the driest summer month. With New Brunswick's abundance of forest and woodland, fall is spectacular, and rivals better known areas in New England for its autumn colours. Winters are cold, especially in the northwest of the province, where temperatures can slip down to -30ºC (-22ºF). In the south and coastal regions, once again the ocean acts as a moderator, and temperatures are warmer. There is a lot of snow, which always brings a lot of recreational opportunities. Cross country skiing on the province's many trails is world class.

TRANSPORTATION

New Brunswick is well positioned to be a transportation hub. The Trans-Canada Highway passes through New Brunswick, making the province an important link between Québec, Ontario and Nova Scotia. There is also ferry transportation to Newfoundland and Labrador. The remarkable Confederation Bridge (the longest in the Western Hemisphere) links Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick to Borden, Prince Edward Island. There is a good network of inter-provincial buses, as well as links to the North American network of Greyhound. VIA Rail Canada serves several points in New Brunswick from Québec and Nova Scotia, with good connections in Montréal to Toronto and VIA's transcontinental train service to Western Canada. There are several airports in New Brunswick, linked to Halifax where connections to the rest of the world can be made. Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton are also linked to Montréal and Toronto, and from Moncton there are flights to Hamilton and Winnipeg by low-cost carrier.

FEATURED ATTRACTIONS

A Covered Bridge

Covered bridges, which are found in many places throughout northeastern North America, are particularly prevalent in New Brunswick. The province has no less than 74 of them, located mostly on secondary roads. The reasons for building covered bridges were that by covering the bridges, the timbers used in the construction of a wooden bridge and the floor of the bridge are protected from the elements and thus prevented from rotting. A wooden bridge that is covered will last about 80 years, whereas one that isn't will last about ten. Also to an animal, the bridges appear like a barn, which makes crossing them far less stressful than crossing a bridge with a rushing river visible underneath. A third, but less functional use was that, covered bridges were a great place for courting couples. The world's longest covered bridge is located at Hartland northwest of Fredericton. The Hartland Covered Bridge is 391 m (427 yd) long.

	Rock Formations at the Bay of Fundy

The high tides of New Brunswick certainly provide a good selection of natural phenomena for the visitor. The shores of Fundy National Park have the highest tides in the world. Erosion from these tides has caused some very interesting cliff formations. The cliffs have been likened to giant plant pots rising up from the beach. There are many excellent trails to enable visitors to see the cliffs; at low tide, the beaches are particularly wide, and are perfect for great hikes along the shore. Another phenomenon that the high tides of the region cause, are tidal bores. This is when the incoming tide suddenly causes the water in a river to switch from flowing downstream, to rapidly flowing upstream. The changes in the depth and width of the river are often dramatic and occur remarkably quickly. Occasionally the upstream flow resembles reverse waterfalls or rapids. The two most well known bores are the Reversing Falls in Saint John on the Saint John River, and the Tidal Bore at Moncton on the Petitcodiac River. It is best to ask locally to find out the times of the tides, and the best locations to view this unique sight from.

Shediac is a coastal summer resort just 22 km (14 mi) northeast of Moncton. It has a definite Acadian flavour, and is very popular and extremely hospitable. The beaches are wonderful, and benefit from the sandbars and shallow water, which make them, and other beaches on the Northumberland Strait, the warmest beaches north of North Carolina. Shediac is a great place to sample lobster, and a whole industry has been established here to enable visitors to enjoy this delectable crustacean at its finest. You can take a trip out to sea with lobster fishermen and learn everything you ever wanted to about lobster. Prices often include a good sampling of the local seafood. If you can make it here in early July, the annual Shediac Lobster Festival takes place. Shediac has some excellent establishments to enjoy the local specialty, among these is Fisherman's Paradise which offers a full lobster feast.

Attractions that tell the Acadian story and that showcase the Acadian culture should be part of any visit to New Brunswick. A place of great merit in this regard is the Acadian Historic Village located 14 km (9 mi) west of Caraquet. It is of a similar concept to many of the excellent historical villages found throughout Canada. The interesting feature of the Acadian Village is that it very authentically portrays the harsh conditions which Acadians were forced to live in after the British expulsion policy, and so accurately enables visitors to witness one of history's injustices. Because of this the Acadian Historic Village is a very valuable learning tool as well as being entertaining. The village recreates the years from 1780 to 1880. One just has to compare it with the recreation of a Loyalist settlement at King's Landing Historic Village, to see the contrast in life in the two societies during the same time period. This is not to say that the village is not an enjoyable experience. You can observe costumed guides undertaking a typical day in the life of an Acadian, sample Acadian cuisine in one of the three restaurants or visit the 26 reconstructed buildings in the style of the period represented. There are special childrens' programs where participants get to dress in Acadian costume, and take part in a seven-hour historical experience. This is an outstanding learning experience for children.

King's Landing Historic Village is situated between Fredericton and Woodstock. This village typifies 19th century New Brunswick pioneer life for those of British descent. There are around 100 costumed guides here and 11 houses, plus farms, a grist mill and saw mill, a school, a store and a theatre. The village has a good selection of special events held throughout the year. For children, there is a similar program to the Acadian Historic Village. You can eat in the King's Head Inn and savour typical pioneer food and beverages.

The Saint John River

One of the most beautiful features in New Brunswick is the Saint John River Valley which winds its way for over 700 km (435 mi) diagonally across much of the province, from the north-western corner by the Québec border to the Bay of Fundy by Saint John. It has been compared to the Rhine in Germany, but fortunately without the industrialization that has marred much of the landscape of that great river. The scenery along its whole route is very pleasant and starts with rolling hills near the Bay of Fundy. North of Saint John through Fredericton to Woodstock, the scenery is particularly picturesque. The banks are tree-lined and lush green farm meadows are on either side. North of Woodstock the river passes through some of the great forests of the province. The whole valley is a very popular route for visitors, so it is important to book accommodation in advance. Two highways pass along the river. The faster and busier Trans-Canada Highway is mostly on the river's west bank. The quieter Highway 105 passes directly through some of the small villages, and is largely on the east bank of the river. The scenery is of equal quality along either route.