New Brunswick

New Brunswick

1 Location and Size
2 Topography
3 Climate
4 Plants and Animals
5 Environmental Protection
6 Population
7 Ethnic Groups
8 Languages
9 Religions
10 Transportation
11 History
12 Provincial Government
13 Political Parties
14 Local Government
15 Judicial System
16 Migration
17 Economy
18 Income
19 Industry
20 Labor
21 Agriculture
22 Domesticated Animals
23 Fishing
24 Forestry
25 Mining
26 Energy and Power
27 Commerce
28 Public Finance
29 Taxation
30 Health
31 Housing
32 Education
33 Arts
34 Libraries and Museums
35 Communications
36 Press
37 Tourism, Travel, and Recreation
38 Sports
39 Famous New Brunswickers
40 Bibliography

ORIGIN OF PROVINCE NAME: Named by King George III of England in honor of his German lands, the Duchy of Brunswick-Lunenberg.

NICKNAME: Picture Province.

CAPITAL: Fredericton.

ENTERED CONFEDERATION: 1 July 1867.

MOTTO: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored).

COAT OF ARMS: In the center, the provincial shield of arms displays (in a fashion similar to that of the provincial flag) a golden lion at the top and an ancient oared galley riding waves below. Above the shield is an Atlantic salmon carrying a royal crown on its back, on a coronet with four maple leaves, which rests on a helmet. Supporting the shield are antlered white-tailed deer on both the right and the left, each with a collar of Maliseet wampum; from the collar of the deer on the left hangs a small shield displaying the Union Jack (the flag of Great Britain), while the other deer's shield has three fleur-de-lys on a blue background. Beneath the shield the provincial motto appears on a scroll, with a grassy mound, purple violets, and fiddleheads.

FLAG: The flag is based on the province's coat of arms. The golden lion appears in the top third against a red background; the ancient oared galley is displayed in the lower two-thirds riding waves represented by blue and white wavy lines, all against a golden background.

FLORAL EMBLEM: Purple violet.

TARTAN: Blue, forest green, and meadow green, interwoven with gold on red.

BIRD: Black-capped chickadee.

TREE: Balsam fir.

TIME: 8 AM AST = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

New Brunswick borders Québec on the north, Nova Scotia at the Chignecto Isthmus on the southeast, and the US state of Maine on the west. It is almost rectangular in shape, extending 200 miles (322 kilometers) north to south and 150 miles (242 kilometers) east to west. It is more or less surrounded by water on three sides (the Baie des Chaleurs to the northeast, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait to the east, and the Bay of Fundy to the south). New Brunswick has a land area of 28,400 square miles (73,500 square kilometers).

2 Topography

The northern part of the province is quite mountainous, the tallest peak being Mount Carleton, which is 2,690 feet (820 meters) high. The interior consists mainly of a rolling plateau, flatter in the east and more hilly in the southeast. The main rivers are the Miramichi, Nepisguit, Restigouche, and Saint John. Known as oa-lus-tuk or "beautiful river" to the Indians, the Saint John River waters the fertile lands of the western part of the province over a distance of 451 miles (725 kilometers). Downstream, in the Madawaska area, the river traces a natural boundary between the state of Maine and Canada.

Twice a day, with the rising tide of the Atlantic Ocean, 110.2 billion tons (100 billion metric tons) of water stream past a rocky headland in the Bay of Fundy. The tides rushing back to the Saint John River actually force the river to temporarily flow upstream at Reversing Falls. The current created is practically equal to the flow of all the world's rivers over a 24-hour period. The eastern end of the Bay of Fundy has tides of nearly 50 feet (15 meters), the highest in the world, which would be sufficient to completely submerge a four-story building.

New Brunswick: Population Profile

Estimated 2006 population	729,997
Population change, 2001–2006	0.1%
Percent Urban/Rural populations, 2001
Urban	50.4%
Rural	49.6%
Foreign born population	3.1%
Population by ethnicity
Canadian	415,810
French	193,470
English	165,235
Irish	135,835
Scottish	127,635
German	27,490
Acadian	26,220
North American Indian	23,815
Dutch (Netherlands)	13,355
Welsh	7,620
Italian	5,610
Métis	4,955

Population by Age Group

Major Cities by Population

City	Population, 2006
Saint John	68,043
Moncton	64,128
Fredericton	50,535
Dieppe	18,565
Miramichi	18,129
Riverview	17,832
Edmundston	16,643
Quispamsis	15,239
Bathurst	12,714
Rothesay	11,637

3 Climate

The climate is generally drier and warmer inland than in the coastal areas. The highest recorded temperature in New Brunswick was 103°f (39.4°c) on 18 August 1935 at Nepisiguit Falls; the lowest recorded temperature was −53°f (−47.2°c) on 2 February 1955 at Sisson Dam. The beach waters on New Brunswick's Gulf of St. Lawrence coast are the warmest of any along the Atlantic north of Virginia.

4 Plants and Animals

Hundreds of thousands of piping plovers and other shorebirds annually take flight from the salt marshes along the coastline at Marys Point, near Riverside-Albert. Every summer, more than 20 different kinds of whales come to the Bay of Fundy to feed in the plankton-rich waters, which also attract large schools of herring and mackerel.

In 2006, there were three plants listed as endangered: Boreal felt lichen, butternut, and Furbish's lousewort. There were two plants listed as threatened: Anticosti aster and Gulf of St. Lawrence aster. Also in 2006, there were five bird species listed as endangered or threatened, including the Eskimo curlew and the piping plover. Four fish species were threatened or endangered, including the Atlantic Salmon and striped bass. The sea mink, great auk, Labrador duck, and passenger pigeon have all become extinct.

5 Environmental Protection

The New Brunswick Department of Environment and Local Government is responsible for preserving, protecting, and enhancing the environment for the benefit of all residents. Major regulatory legislation the Department oversees includes the Clean Water Act, the Clean Environment Act, the Clean Air Act, the Pesticides Control Act, and the Beverage Containers Act. As well, it monitors compliance and initiates enforcement of these acts. It also performs a stewardship role in managing issues that require proper environmental management.

New Brunswick has substantially reduced airborne emissions from pulp and paper production facilities, asphalt plants, and other industries since 1973, when the Clean Environment Act was instituted. But prevailing winds carry a great deal of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide from the highly industrialized areas of central Canada and New England into and across the province. As a result, the amount of acid deposited in New Brunswick from acid rain is high. The highest measured ground-level ozone (a main ingredient of smog) in Canada was recorded in the summer of 1993 in Fundy National Park. In 2002, however, sulphate in precipitation, a main indicator of acid rain, was about 10% lower in New Brunswick than in 2001.

The Watershed Protection Program protects 30 designated watershed areas throughout the province; about 300,000 residents (40% of New Brunswick's population) rely on these areas for fresh water. The program aims to control the quality of water resources by keeping chemical contamination and physical damage to a minimum, and by controlling runoff and erosion from agricultural operations.

Solid waste generation amounts to about 0.5 tons per person per year. All provincial dump sites closed in 1998. By that year, 300 "open dumps" had been replaced with six regional sanitary landfills and five transfer stations. In order to reduce the solid waste stream, the government has initiated recycling programs and encourages backyard composting. Over 1 billion beverage containers and over 3 million tires have been diverted from landfills and the landscape.

In 2002, a total of 413,606 metric tons of non-hazardous waste was disposed of in public and private waste disposal facilities in the province of New Brunswick. Of that total, residential sources accounted for 203,506 metric tons, while industrial, commercial, and institutional sources accounted for 154,812 metric tons, and construction and demolition sources accounted for 55,288 metric tons.

6 Population

As of 1 April 2006, the population of New Brunswick was estimated at 729,997, down from 752,345 the year before. New Brunswick was one of six Canadian provinces or territories to experience a drop in population from the previous year. The coasts and river valleys are the areas of heaviest population. Saint John, Canada's oldest incorporated city, is the largest city, followed by Moncton and Fredericton, the provincial capital. Saint John had a population of 68,043 in 2006.

New Brunswick had one of the oldest populations among the provinces. The median age in 2001 was 38.6. Seniors age 65 and older made up 14% of the population in 2006. Between 1991 and 2001, the number of preschool children age four and under fell 20%.

7 Ethnic Groups

The heritage of New Brunswick's people is a blended one, combining elements of the French, British, Scottish, and Irish traditions, with later elements of German, Scandinavian, and Asian. The little municipality of New Denmark boasts North America's largest Danish colony. The Aboriginal peoples (Native Peoples) of New Brunswick number over 23,815, most of them Micmac and Malecite.

8 Languages

New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province. In 2001, 64.6% of New Brunswick's residents reported English as their mother tongue and 32.9% declared French as their first language (the highest percentage outside Québec).

9 Religions

Besides Québec, New Brunswick is the only province where Catholics form the religious majority. In 2001, 54% of the population, or about 386,050 people, were Catholic. There were about 263,075 Protestants (36.5% of the population), including Baptists, United Church of Canada members, Anglicans, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, and Lutherans. New Brunswick also had about 1,275 Muslims, and less than 750 people each of the following: people of Eastern Orthodox faith, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus. About 57,665 New Brunswickers had no religious affiliation in 2001.

10 Transportation

The TransCanada 2 highway enters New Brunswick from Québec in the northwest and connects Edmundston to Fredericton by following the Saint John River before continuing on to Moncton and Nova Scotia in the southeast. Provincial highways traverse New Brunswick and connect with I-95 and US Highway 1 at the Maine border. In 2005, there were about 13,521 miles (21,760 kilometers) of provincial roads and highways and 600 miles (965.6 kilometers) of national highways. As of 2005, there were 478,825 registered motor vehicles, with 2,820 registered buses, 13,677 registered motorcycles and mopeds, and 42,110 off road, construction, and farm vehicles. There were 72,535 registered trailers. Urban transit utilizes over 60 buses. Acadian Lines, the inter-city transit system of New Brunswick, handles about 1.7 million passengers each year with services in 35 municipalities.

The world's longest covered bridge, spanning the Saint John River, was completed at Hartland in 1899. New Brunswick has some 2,900 bridges, seawalls, causeways, dams, and other water-related structures. Over 3.8 million passengers used the New Brunswick ferry services in 2004–05. In 2004, there were approximately 1,114.7 miles (1,794 kilometers) of freight and passenger rail track operated by seven companies. New Brunswick has four airports with scheduled service. These handled over 924,000 passengers in 2004. There are about eight other regional and local airports. The province also has five marine cargo ports. The port of Saint John handled over 26 million tons of cargo in 2004.

11 History

The existence of New Brunswick was known to the Europeans as early as the 1400s. At that time, daring people of Basque descent (people of unknown origin who lived in northwestern Spain and nearby France) fished the waters surrounding Miscou Island in the northeast of the province. The region was already inhabited by the Malecite and Micmac Indians. The Micmacs were the first to greet French explorer Samuel de Chaplain and his associates when they landed in New Brunswick in 1604. From the very begin-ning, the Indians established good relations with the French in two key ways: by helping the French settlers, known as Acadians, to adapt to their new country, and by taking part in the French attacks on New England.

Great Britain and France quarreled over the New Brunswick area for the entire seventeenth century. Control passed back and forth between the two powers until 1713, when all of Acadia was given over to the British under the Treaty of Utrecht. Great Britain called the region Nova Scotia. After a while, the French lost interest in the Acadians and instead turned their attention to New France and the developing fur trade there.

By 1755, England had established its dominance as a colonial power in the northernmost sections of North America. Some Acadians, however, steadfastly refused to swear their allegiance to the British Crown. British leaders were outraged. Fearing that the security of the Crown was being compromised, they decided to deport, or send away, those Acadians who would not pledge their loyalty to Britain. The off ending Acadians were sent south to the area of North America that would later become the United States. It was not until eight years later that they were allowed to return to their homeland.

In 1783, the western part of Nova Scotia became the home of thousands of British Loyalists who had taken flight in the aftermath of the American Revolution. These American colonists, wishing to remain faithful to the British Crown, founded communities in the northern part of the province. The settlement of large numbers of Loyalists created tension between the eastern and western parts of Nova Scotia. In June of 1784, the western half of the region became the separate province of New Brunswick. More than eighty years later, in 1867, New Brunswick joined other provinces to form the Dominion of Canada.

A Shaky Economy

After Confederation (the joining of the provinces), it seemed that New Brunswick would become a prosperous industrial center. The country's new railways brought an increase in population and new business to the province, but—for a variety of political and economic reasons—New Brunswick did not gain economic strength until well into the 20th century.

Back in the late 1800s, in an effort to stimulate trade in central Canada, the new government placed high tariffs on foreign goods coming into all the Maritime Provinces (provinces, like New Brunswick, that were situated near the water). New Brunswick's economy suffered significantly when its industries were forced to bring in expensive goods from Ontario and Quebec. In addition, the strength and prosperity of the area's shipbuilding industry declined rapidly after lighter iron-hulled ships were introduced. Saint John, a particularly prosperous shipbuilding centre, was among the cities hardest hit by this advancement. Saint John was dealt another blow in 1877. On a day now remembered as "Black Wednesday," a fire raged through the city leaving 13,000 people homeless and causing over $27 million in damages.

Premiers of New Brunswick

TERM	PREMIER	PARTY
1866–67	Peter Mitchell
1867–70	Andrew Rainsford Wetmore
1871–72	George Luther Hatheway
1872–78	George Edwin King
1878–82	John James Fraser
1882–83	Daniel Lionel Hanington
1883–96	Andrew George Blair	Liberal
1896–97	James Mitchell	Liberal
1897–1900	Henry Robert Emmerson	Liberal
1900–07	Lemuel John Tweedie	Liberal
1907	William Pugsley	Liberal
1907–08	Clifford William Robinson	Liberal
1908–11	John Douglas Hazen	Conservative
1911–14	James Kidd Fleming	Conservative
1914–17	George Johnson Clarke	Conservative
1917	John Alexander Murray	Conservative
1917–23	Walter Edward Foster	Liberal
1923–25	Peter John Veniot	Liberal
1925–31	John Macaulay Baxter	Conservative
1931–33	Charles Dow Richards	Conservative
1933–35	Leonard Percy de Wolfe Tilley	Conservative
1935–40	Albert Allison Dysart	Liberal
1940–52	John Babbitt McNair	Liberal
1952–60	Hugh John Flemming	Conservative
1960–70	Louis Joseph Robichaud	Liberal
1970–87	Richard Bennett Hatfield	Conservative
1987–97	Frank Joseph McKenna	Liberal
1997–98	Joseph Raymond Frenette	Liberal
1998–99	Camille H. Theriault	Liberal
1999–2006	Bernard Lord	Conservative
2006–	Shawn Graham	Liberal

Canada experienced losses of over 68,000 soldiers in World War I (1914–18), and veterans returning to New Brunswick faced a bleak future of scarce, low-paying jobs. At the same time, tariffs (taxes) on imports kept prices for consumer goods high. Overall, Canada experienced a period of rapid industrialization in the 1920s. Improvements were made to railways and roads, and this helped trade to flourish. Automobiles, telephones, electrical appliances, and other consumer goods became widely available. Consumer confidence led to the rapid expansion of credit, which allowed businesses to grow. But the Maritime Provinces did not enjoy the same rate of economic expansion as the rest of Canada. Before any solutions to the problem could be implemented by government agencies, the entire Canadian economy was devastated by the Great Depression, a period of severe economic downturn that began in 1929.

The effects of the Depression on Canada were compounded by droughts and frequent crop failures—bad news for a region that still heavily relied on agriculture. Social welfare programs expanded rapidly during the 1930s, with much of the monetary burden being placed on the local governments.

Following World War II (1939–45), consumer spending and immigration to most of Canada increased significantly. In New Brunswick, however, the economy remained at a standstill. Education and health care were poorly funded, and in the 1940s and 1950s the rates of illiteracy and infant mortality (death rates among newborns) were among the highest in Canada.

It wasn't until 1960—when Louis Joseph Robichaud was elected Premier—that New Brunswick's economy and social conditions began to improve. Under his administration, over 125 new laws were passed. These laws helped create sorely needed social services and encouraged economic development. During the 1960s and 1970s, new highways were constructed, hydroelectric plants were built, the mining and forestry industries were expanded, and manufacturing continued to grow. New companies such as Lantic Sugar, the largest sugar refinery in Canada, and T. S. Simms Co. Ltd., the largest brush manufacturing company in Canada, moved to Saint John and boosted the city's economy. In more recent years, New Brunswick has expanded into high technology and describes itself as the Call Center Capital of North America. Call centers for more than 50 major companies such as Xerox, IBM, and Air Canada are located there.

The Québec Question

Canada's unity has been threatened by the possibility of Québec's secession, or separation, from the rest of the country. Québec is a French-speaking area that places high value on the preservation of its French culture. The Meech Lake Accord (1987) and the Charlottetown Accord (1992) both proposed the recognition of Québec as a "distinct society" within the nation. The Canadian government had hoped that these accords would alleviate Québec's fears of cultural loss and discrimination while maintaining a unified Canada. Québec's separation issue remains unresolved, and New Brunswick is stuck in a particularly difficult position because of its geographical location. If Québec ever becomes a separate state, New Brunswick will be isolated, or cut off, from the rest of Canada, and that would no doubt have a profoundly negative effect on the province's already weak economy.

Facing the Future

New Brunswick was under the leadership of Premier Bernard Lord from 1999 until 2006, when the Liberal Party's Shawn Graham became premier. Although social services such as health care and education are now comparable to those in other Canadian provinces, the unemployment rate is still high and the average income remains low. The government's main challenge in the 21st century is to strengthen New Brunswick's economy.

On 26 April 2004, the issue of same-sex marriage (SSM) in the province became an issue when four New Brunswick same-sex couples filed suit at the Court of Queen's Bench against the province and the federal government to legalize their right to marry. In September, the province's justice minister, Brad Green, said that New Brunswick would wait until the federal government had passed legislation legalizing such arrangements. On 20 August 2005, SSM in all jurisdictions within Canada became legal, when federal law C-38, passed in July of that same year, went into effect.

12 Provincial Government

The structure of the provincial government reflects that of the federal government. For example, the provincial premier, as the majority party leader of the legislature, functions much like the Canadian prime minister. Provincial legislators, like their federal counterparts in Parliament, are elected to represent a constitutional jurisdiction and pass legislation. They do so as members of the 55-seat Legislative Assembly. A provincial lieutenant-governor approves laws passed by the legislature, much like the Governor General at the federal level. There is no provincial equivalent, however, to the federal Senate.

13 Political Parties

The Liberal and Progressive Conservative parties control local politics in New Brunswick. The Liberal Party receives much of its support from the ethnic French and Irish Roman Catholic communities, while the Conservative Party is backed largely by ethnic British and Protestant people.

A general election was held on 18 September 2006, ushering in a new premier, Shawn Graham of the Liberal Party, and shifting control of the provincial legislature to the Liberals. After the election, the Liberal Party held 29 seats to the Progressive Conservative Party's 26. The New Democratic Party failed to win any seats.

14 Local Government

The provincial government provides all municipal services for rural areas. Cities are required to have 10,000 inhabitants for incorporation; towns, 1,000. Villages need no specific minimum population for incorporation. As of 2006, there were 8 cities, 26 towns, and 69 villages.

15 Judicial System

The Canadian Constitution grants provincial jurisdiction over the administration of justice, and allows each province to organize its own court system and police forces. The federal government has exclusive domain over cases involving trade and commerce, banking, bankruptcy, and criminal law. The Federal Court of Canada has both trial and appellate divisions for federal cases. The nine-judge Supreme Court of Canada is an appellate court that determines the constitutionality of both federal and provincial statutes. The Tax Court of Canada hears appeals of taxpayers against assessments by Revenue Canada.

New Brunswick's provincial court system consists of a Provincial Court, which deals with most criminal offenses, family law matters, and young off enders; the Court of Queen's Bench, which hears the most serious civil and criminal cases; and the Court of Appeal, which is the highest court in the province. There is also a probate court and a court of small claims.

In 2005, there were 834 violent crimes per 100,000 persons, and nearly 2,723 property crimes per 100,000 persons.

16 Migration

Historically, migration in the province has involved the forced deportations of Acadians (the descendants of the original French settlers) and their return during the early to mid-18th century, and an influx of British Loyalists from the American colonies following the American Revolution later in the 18th century.

In 2001, 35.4% of all immigrants living in New Brunswick had come from the United States, and 23.6% from the United Kingdom. Almost 15% came from other Northern and Western European countries, mostly from Germany.

The most interprovincial migration is with Ontario. In the period 1996–2001, New Brunswick had a net loss of 8,425 people or 1.2%.

17 Economy

The most important areas of New Brunswick's economy are finance, insurance, and real estate; community and personal services; manufacturing; government; construction; retail trade; utilities; transportation and storage; wholesale trade; logging and forestry; mining; agriculture; and fishing and trapping.

In 2005, New Brunswick's gross domestic product (GDP) totaled c$23.727 billion, up from c$22.976 billion the year before.

18 Income

Average weekly earnings in 2005 were c$663.20. Average family income was c$49,700 in 2004.

19 Industry

New Brunswick's leading manufacturing industries are paper, food, and wood products. Other manufacturing sectors include beverage and tobacco products, machinery, and transportation equipment manufacturing. In 2005, the shipment value of all manufactured products totaled c$14.454 billion, of which paper manufacturing accounted for c$1.890 billion, and food c$1.610 billion.

A total of 35,900 people were employed in the province's manufacturing sector in 2005, or just over 10% of all those actively employed.

20 Labor

In 2006, the labor force included about 385,200 people. About 350,200 were employed and 35,000 persons were unemployed. The unemployment rate was 9.1%. The hourly minimum wage as of January 2004 was c$6.20. In 2005, the average hourly wage among all industries was c$16.67.

In 2005, the sectors with the largest numbers of employed persons were: trade, 58,200; manufacturing, 46,800; accommodation and food services, 22,200; 35,900; health care and social services, educational services, 26,400; transportation and warehousing, 21,200; public administration, 21,100; business and other support services, 21,000; construction, 18,600; other services, 16,400; professional, scientific, and technical services, 15,100; finance, insur-ance, real estate and leasing, 13,500; information, culture, and recreation, 12,500; forestry, fishing, mining, and oil and gas, 11,600; agriculture, 6,800; and utilities, 3,300.

21 Agriculture

In 2004, there were 3,034 farms in the province, with a total area of 947,797 acres (383,560 hectares). The same year, there were about 100 food processing companies. About 17,780 people were employed at farms and processing plants. Total farm cash receipts were at about c$419 million in 2004. exports of agricultural and processed food products reached about c$366 million. The largest export market is the United States, followed by Venezuela and Japan.

Potatoes were the most valuable commodity in 2004, with a value of about c$87 million. Fruits and berries (including blueberries and raspberries) were valued at c$17 million that year and vegetables at c$6 million.

22 Domesticated Animals

New Brunswick produces enough milk and poultry to satisfy local demand. Ninety percent of New Brunswick's dairy cows are Holsteins. In 2006, of a total of about 90,500 head of cattle, over 19,000 were dairy cows. The province has some 300 dairy farms, which produce milk, but-terfat, and cream. In 2005, milk and cream production totaled at over 129 million liters valued at over c$82 million.

In 2006, there were 106,000 pigs and 9,300 sheep and lambs. Total farm receipts from livestock operations in 2003 were c$202.9 million. The poultry population in New Brunswick in 2005 included 17.4 million chickens valued at c$45.7 million and 362,000 turkeys valued at c$4.5 million. Egg production in 2005 was valued at c$28 million.

About 500 commercial beekeepers produce honey and wax from 4,900 hives. Minks and foxes are raised for their pelts.

23 Fishing

More than 50 varieties of fish and shellfish are caught in New Brunswick. There are over 8,000 anglers operating from almost 3,000 boats, with an additional 12,500 persons employed at fish processing plants. Lobster and snow crab are the most important fish products in value. Lobster accounts for over 43% of all shellfish caught by value. The town of Shediac is known as the "lobster capital of the world." In 2004, New Brunswick's fish and shellfish landings totaled 105,861 metric tons, valued at c$192.15 million, most of which was sent to the United States.

Fish farms are growing in importance. An average 98% of all fish farm products are Atlantic salmon. Oyster and mussel farming account for the rest.

As of 2000, there were 53,132 residents actively engaged in sport fishing within New Brunswick.

24 Forestry

Forests occupy some 15 million acres (6.1 million hectares), or 85% of the land mass. Consequently, wood and wood products are a cornerstone of the economy, with black spruce and fir the leading species. Furniture-making by Acadians became prominent during the 18th and 19th centuries from such plentiful local wood as pine, birch, maple, and butternut. Crown (provincial and federal) lands account for 48% of the province's forests, while industry owns 20%, and private woodlot owners account for the remaining 32%.

In 2004, New Brunswick produced 140.69 million cubic feet (3.984 million cubic meters) of lumber. In 2005, forestry directly accounted for 16,000 jobs. The value of New Brunswick's forestry exports in that same year was c$1.936 billion, of which softwood lumber accounted for c$486 million, wood pulp c$305 million, and newsprint c$135 million.

Three nurseries are maintained at Kingsclear, Madran, and St. Paul de Kent to produce seedlings for Crown land and some private woodlot reforestation.

25 Mining

In 2005, New Brunswick was Canada's leading producer of zinc, antinomy, peat, bismuth, and lead. In 2005, Zinc was the leading metal with production at 245,796 metric tons valued at over c$393 million. Much of the metal mining occurs in the counties of Restigouche, Northumberland, and Gloucester. In 2005, the total value of metallic minerals was c$564 million. Peat was the most valuable non-metallic mineral mined in 2005, with a value of c$67 million. The total value of non-metallic minerals (except fuels) was estimated at over c$111 million.

26 Energy and Power

The first coal mined in North America was taken in 1639 from the shores of Grand Lake, and coal is still mined near Minto. Natural gas, oil, oil shale, and albertite (a rare solid hydrocarbon) are found in southeast New Brunswick near Hillsborough. Crude oil and natural gas production began at Stoney Creek near Moncton in the early 1900s, but production ceased in 1991. As of 2005, there was no reported crude oil or natural gas well activity. However, New Brunswick does have Canada's largest oil refinery, located in St. John, with a capacity of 250,000 barrels per day.

New Brunswick has deposits of bituminous or soft coal. In 2002, a total of 60,408 metric tons of coal were mined, all of it used to supply heat and power.

The majority of New Brunswick's electric power comes from thermal (steam, nuclear, internal combustion, and combustion turbine) sources. In 2004, the province's installed power generating capacity stood at 4.433 million kilowatts, of which thermal power generation accounted for 3.5 million kilowatts of capacity, followed by hydroelectric at 927,770 kilo-watts of generating capacity. Steam generated power capacity accounted for the largest portion of thermal generating capacity at 2.28 million kilowatts, followed by nuclear at 680,000 kilowatts. Electric power output in 2004 totaled 20.772 million megawatt hours, of which thermal sources accounted for 17.758 million megawatt hours. As of that same year, the province had no wind, or tidal generating capacity.

27 Commerce

In 2005, international exports by New Brunswick amounted to c$10.7 billion, while imports that same year totaled c$8.01 billion. The United States was the largest consumer of New Brunswick's exports at c$9.7 billion, followed by Japan, the Netherlands, and Germany. The United States was also the leading source of imports to the province that same year at nearly c$2.5 billion, followed by Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

In 2005, general merchandise store sales amounted to over c$993 million. Total retail trade that year amounted to c$8.3 billion.

28 Public Finance

The fiscal year runs from 1 April to 31 March. For fiscal year 2006, total revenues came to c$6.507 billion, while total expenditures stood at c$6.413 billion, which left a surplus of c$93 million. The largest expenditures were health, education, debt charges, social services, and transportation and communications. As of 31 March 2004, the province's total net direct debt amounted to c$6.816 billion.

29 Taxation

In 2005, the provincial personal income tax system was set in four brackets with rates ranging from 9.68% to 17.84%. The retail sales tax was 8%. Major excise (consumption) taxes were levied on gasoline at c$0.145 per liter and cigarettes at c$23.50 per carton (in addition to the federal tax of c$15.85 per carton). In 2005, corporate income taxes were rated at 13% for large businesses and 2% for small businesses (with an annual income of c$450,000 or less). For 2007, the small business tax was scheduled to be reduced to 1% for businesses with an annual income of c$500,000 or less.

The average family of four (two parents and two children) in 2003 earned c$68,105. Such a family paid c$30,727 in taxes.

For 2005/06 it was estimated that the province collected c$924 million in personal income tax, c$142 million in corporate income tax, and c$735 million in general sales tax.

30 Health

In 2005, there were an estimated 7,023 live births in New Brunswick, a decrease of 63 from 2004. There were 6,446 deaths in 2005, an increase of 128 from 2004. Reported cases of selected diseases in 2002 included salmonellosis, 114; chicken pox, 31; giardiasis, 94; and gonococcal infections, 29. The incidence of cancer was estimated at 3,600 in 2001. Between November 1985 and June 2003, 307 residents had become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

31 Housing

New Brunswick had 283,820 households in 2001, with an average size of 2.5 persons. There were 206,765 households living in single-detached houses, 3,525 households living in apartments in buildings with five or more stories, 10,565 households living in mobile homes, and 62,960 households living in other dwellings, including row houses and apartments in buildings with fewer than five stories.

The value of all residential construction in 2002 amounted to c$996.6 million. From 2001–05, there were 19,719 new housing starts in the province.

32 Education

Public education classes and services in New Brunswick are delivered in both English and French. There are 9 anglophone (English-language) public school districts and 5 francophone (French-language) districts. As of 2003/2004, a total of 118,869 students were enrolled in the province's public elementary and secondary school systems down from 131,586 in 1997/1998. The number of elementary and secondary school teachers has also declined, but only slightly, from 9,729 in 1997/1998 to 9,613 in 2003/2004. Spending on the province's public elementary and secondary schools totaled c$995.7 million in 2003/2004, up 11.2% from the previous year, and from c$847 million in 1997/1998.

As of April 2006, there were 3 public, 12 private, and 12 community college or university campuses in New Brunswick. A total of 25,555 students were enrolled in the province's colleges and universities in 2003/2004, of which 21,125 were full-time and 4,430 were part-time students.

The province's universities and their 2003/2004 full-time enrollments were as follows: the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton and Saint John), 9,000; St. Thomas University (Fredericton), 2,800; Mount Allison University (Sackville), 2,250; and the University of Moncton (l'Univeristé de Moncton), 5,000 students. The New Brunswick College of Craft and Design at Fredericton is the only postsecondary institute of its kind in Canada.

33 Arts

New Brunswick's performing arts companies give about 500 performances before a total attendance of over 200,000 each year. The Capitol Theatre in Moncton features plays, musicals, and dance troupes. The Playhouse in Fredericton offers performances in dance, music, and theater. Based in Saint John, Symphony New Brunswick performs some 30 concerts a year in Saint John, Fredericton, and Moncton. There is a vibrant film industry in New Brunswick. There are also artists and photography cooperatives, and many galleries. Per capita provincial spending on the arts and culture in New Brunswick in 2000/01 was c$55. In 2002/03, the Canada Council for the Arts provided grants worth c$2.2 million to the arts in New Brunswick. The largest percentage of funding went to theater, followed by visual arts and writing and publishing.

34 Libraries and Museums

The New Brunswick Public Library Service (NBPLS), a partnership between the provincial government and participating municipalities, is part of the New Brunswick Department of Education. As of 2005, the system included 51 public libraries, 11 public-school libraries and 4 bookmobiles. NBPLS regional libraries include Albert-Westmorland-Kent, York, Chaleur, Saint John, and the Bibliothéque Regionale du Haut-Saint-Jean. The University of New Brunswick's libraries in Fredericton are the province's main academic libraries. The Harriet Irving Library at The University of New Brunswick is also a depository library for the United Nations.

In 2006, there were about 118 museums in the province. The Owens Art Gallery in Sackville opened in 1895, making it the oldest university art gallery in Canada. Moncton has the Lutz Mountain Heritage Museum, the Moncton Museum, and the Musée Acadien de l'Univeristé de Moncton. In June 1997, the New Brunswick Internment Museum opened in Minto to preserve the history of the imprisonment there of Jewish men and boys (1940–41) and Germans and Italians (1941–45). Local interest museums include the Central New Brunswick Woodmen's Museum in Bolestown and the Atlantic Salmon Museum in Doaktown.

35 Communications

As of 2001, New Brunswick had 16 AM and 22 FM radio stations, and 12 television stations. As of 2005, about 49.4% of the population had home access to the Internet.

36 Press

In 2005, daily newspapers in New Brunswick included the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal (Saint John), the Daily Gleaner (Fredericton), the Times & Transcript (Moncton), and the French-language L'Acadie Nouvelle (Caraquet). Also in 2005, there were 18 weekly newspapers in the province.

37 Tourism, Travel, and Recreation

Tourism is a vital part of the province's economy. In 2001, tourism revenues were c$900 million. In 2002, about 2 million non-residents visited New Brunswick's tourist attractions, including its two national parks and numerous provincial parks. The eroded "flowerpot" rocks along the shore of Shepody Bay in the Bay of Fundy, Hopewell Cape, are a main attraction. Numerous beaches and dunes line the coastline. Mount Carleton in the Appalachian range is Atlantic Canada's highest peak.

Fredericton annually hosts the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival; Canada's Irish Festival is held in Miramichi. The annual Chocolate Festival in Saint Stephen is a tribute to the Ganong candy factory there, where the first chocolate bars were developed in 1910.

38 Sports

Though the province does not have its own professional teams, amateur and minor league sports are popular. The province hosts three major junior hockey teams affiliated with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (a development league of the National Hockey League): the Acadie-Bathurst Titans, the Saint John Sea Dogs, and the Moncton Wildcats. There are four teams affiliated with the Maritime Junior A Hockey League (affiliated with the Canadian Junior A Hockey League): the Miramichi Timberwolves, the Moncton Beavers, the Restigouche Tigers, and the Woodstock Slammers. The Woodstock Slammers won the Kent Cup as league champions in 2006. The New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame is located in Fredericton.

39 Famous New Brunswickers

Andrew Bonar-Law (1858–1923), prime minister of Great Britain from 1922 to 1923, was born in Rexton and was the United Kingdom's only prime minister born outside the British Isles. Canadian prime minister Richard Bennett (1870–1947) was born in Hopewell.

Film mogul Louis B. Mayer (b.Russia, 1885–1957) grew up in Saint John. Actors Walter Pidgeon (1897–1984) and Donald Sutherland (b.1935) also came from Saint John.

Noted authors include francophone (French-language) novelist Antonine Maillet (b.1929) and Anglophone (English-language) playwright Sharon Pollock (b.1936).

James H. Ganong (1841–1888) operated a confectionery in Saint Stephen; in 1910, the family business invented the modern chocolate bar.

40 Bibliography

BOOKS

Campbell, Kumari. New Brunswick. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1996.

LeVert, Suzanne. New Brunswick. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2001.

Walsh, Kieran. Canada. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Publishing Co., 2005.

WEB SITES

Canada Tourism. www.canadatourism.com/ctx/app (accessed on March 29, 2007).

Government New Brunswick. www.gnb.ca/indexe.asp (accessed on March 29, 2007).

Statistics Canada. www.statcan.ca/english (accessed on March 29, 2007).

Welcome to New Brunswick. new-brunswick.net/index.html (accessed on March 29, 2007).