Reasons for Immigration to the New Brunswick Province in Canada

Capital

• Fredericton

Population

• 7.5 million

Interesting Facts

• New Brunswick one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally bilingual province (French and English) in the federation.
• New Brunswick is known for having a strong sense of community.
• Residents have built a warm and friendly atmosphere to the province that is recognized instantly by visitors.
• The inventor of the ice cream cone was born in Sussex corner - the Dairy Capital of Canada, mid-way along the Fundy Coastal Drive.
• The Miramichi River in the heart of salmon country. The river boasts the best salmon fishing in the world.
• The world's longest covered bridge is in Hartland. It's 390 metres long and spans the Saint John River. Covered bridges are called Kissing Bridges.
• The world's biggest lobster "lives" in Shediac. It's 10.5 metres long, 4.5 metres high and weighs 90 tons.
• New Brunswick is the second largest peat exporter in the world and every July, the people from Lamèque celebrate the harvest during the Peat Moss Festival.
• The low cost of living in New Brunswick means that even with a modest income, one can live a comfortable life.
• Housing costs is very low.
• The cost of heating, power and food are likewise substantially lower than almost anywhere in North America.
• Provincial personal income taxes are slightly above the Canadian average.
• The province is also very safe, with crime rates far below the national average.

Climate

• In New Brunswick, January is the coldest month of the year and July is the warmest.
• During the summertime along the coast, the average daytime highs are between 20 and 22°C. During winter, the average temperature is -7.5°C.
• Inland temperatures of 25°C and greater are experienced during the summer. The winters are very cold and the average temperature is -12.2°C

Shopping and Sport

• Champlain Place Shopping Centre in Dieppe, offers over 160 stores and services. It is the largest shopping centre in the Maritimes. It’s centralised location makes it a convenient shopping destination for residents of New Brunswick. The adjecant Chrystal Palace Amusement Park completes the package.
• Numerous sports are played in New Brunswick, including rugby, football, boxing, swimming, curling, hockey, volleyball and golfing to name but a few.

Job Situation

• New Brunswick's urban areas have modern, service-based economies dominated by the health care, educational, retail, finance, and insurance sectors.
• The rural primary economy is best known for forestry, mining, mixed farming, and fishing.
• Many companies are choosing to locate customer service and technical support call-centers in New Brunswick.
• Information technology has also been a growth industry for the province, and a major beneficiary of investment.
• Manufacturing is also a major employer in the province and has been on the rise in the recent years.
• Tourism has been a major source of job creation in the last decade.
• Unemployment is at 8.9%.
• The average annual salary is $46000, the lowest in Canada.

Schooling

• In New Brunswick, all citizens and permanent residents under the age of 20 are entitled to free education through the end of high school through the public school system.
• As a bilingual province, New Brunswick has parallel public school systems in both English and French for kindergarten right through to Grade 12.
• New Brunswick is a leader in the use of technology in education, and 100% of its public schools have internet in the classroom.
• The province has the highest high school graduation rate in Canada at 86%.
• Postsecondary education in New Brunswick is provided by four top quality publicly funded universities with seven campuses throughout the province.
• Brunswick has the third highest undergraduate tuition fees of Canadian provinces, at an average of $5,000.

Housing

• The average price of a house in St. John is below $160,000.

Healthcare

• New Brunswick provides universal, publicly funded health care to all citizens and legal residents of Canada. In other words, most basic health services in Canada are offered at no direct cost to the patient. Certain procedures that are not deemed necessary (such as elective cosmetic surgery and a number of dental care procedures, for example) are generally not covered. New Brunswick Medicare pays for most medically required services provided by medical practitioners.  In addition to Medicare, health insurance can be purchased from major private sector insurers.

Towns and Cities

• Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces. The community has the nickname "Hub City" because of its central location and also because Moncton has historically been the railway and land transportation hub for the Maritime Provinces. The city of Moncton is the second largest city in New Brunswick, home to over 120 000 people, just slightly less than Saint John. It is not likely to stay in second place for long however, as it is the fastest growing urban area east of Toronto. The majority of Moncton’s residents speak English, but over 30% of the residents primarily speak French. The only cities in the country that are as bilingual as Moncton are Ottawa and Montreal. Moncton is also home to the Universite de Moncton, the largest French-language university in Canada outside of Quebec.
• Saint John is the largest city in New Brunswick, with approximately 130 000 residents. Saint John is a very bilingual city split rather evenly between English and French as working languages. The city’s residents are very proud of their individual neighbourhoods, and tend to identify strongly with them, creating a sense of smaller communities within the larger city.Saint John has a strong industrial base and is home to the greatest concentration of industry found on the Atlantic Coast anywhere north of New York City. In recent years the city has seen a significant amount of redevelopment that has revitalized lands formerly used by the railway. The result is an increasingly vibrant city that is attracting businesses in the service industry.
• The provincial capital, Fredericton is home to approximately 85 000 people. Government and education are the main employers in the city, with both federal and provincial administration as well as two universities, the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University. With a strong student population, the city has a lively culture and is known for its annual Harvest Jazz and Blues festival which attracts international artists to the city. The city also has a growing Information Technology sector, helped by its high percentage of residents with post-secondary education.