New Brunswick Facts: Explore This Canadian Bilingual Province

Joan Agie
Nov 03, 2023 By Joan Agie
Originally Published on Mar 11, 2022
New Brunswick Facts: Explore This Canadian Bilingual Province
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Read time: 7.2 Min

New Brunswick is a Canadian province situated on the east coast.

New Brunswick is one of four provinces that form Atlantic Canada. It's one of the most extensive provinces in Canada.

Where is New Brunswick?

New Brunswick is a beautiful city located on the eastern seaboard in Canada.

It's counted among the 13 provinces and territories of Canada.

New Brunswick is the largest among the three Maritime provinces of Canada. It ranks at number 11 in terms of area, and has Quebec to the north and Nova Scotia to the east side.

The area is encircled by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast corner, and northern Maine to the west side.

Around 83% of its area is covered with forests. There are over 60 covered bridges in this province, out of which Sussex is the capital of these covered bridges.

Squaw's Cap Look Off is categorized as an 'amazing place', and it's located in Fundy National Park. There are around eight cities, 61 villages, 26 towns, one regional municipality, and eight rural communities in New Brunswick.

Fundy footpath is a 25 mi (41 km) long footpath covering the distance from Big Salmon River to Fundy National Park. Grand Falls is the largest waterfall in this province, situated on Saint John River.

The largest tidal whirlpool of the western hemisphere is Old Sow Whirlpool Off, which can be seen from Deer Island Point Park. There are two national parks in New Brunswick, namely Fundy National Park and Kouchibouguac National Park.

The History Of New Brunswick

New Brunswick has a rich and exciting history. Let's take a look at some historical facts about this area.

New Brunswick was formed when the British Colony of Nova Scotia was partitioned in 1784. Back then, it was originally known as 'New Ireland'.

The area was renamed as 'New Brunswick' in honor of King George III who also held the title the Duke of Brunswick in Germany.

Its capital Fredericton, was named after Fredrick, the son of King George III. It is one of the first places in British North America explored and established by Europeans.

Woodstock is among the oldest towns of New Brunswick, and it is known to be around 150 years old.

Ganong is the oldest candy-maker in Canada and the first to produce a five-cent chocolate bar. The chocolate museum is one of the famous New Brunswick museums situated in St. Stephen. Initially, these chocolate bars made by Ganong's were sold for a nickel.

The wildly popular Bay of Fundy holds one of the highest tides of Canada, with a rising rate of around 3.3 ft (1 m) per hour.

Another large thing to see in New Brunswick is Hartland, the longest-covered bridge in the world.

New Brunswick Museum is the Provincial Museum, located in Saint John, the oldest incorporated city in Canada.

Brayon is a word that refers to a French-spoken person in the Northern New Brunswick region.

Mount Allison University is the first British University to award a Baccalaureate to a woman. This university is also situated in New Brunswick.

The original Acadian Flag adopted in 1884, is currently exhibited in the Université de Moncton.

The Population And Language Of New Brunswick

There are some interesting facts about the population and language of this province. Read on to discover more.

This is the only known bilingual province of Canada, with both English and French as its official languages. Around one-third of the population of New Brunswick speaks French, out of which most of the people are Acadians.

In 2019, the estimated population of this province was around 750,000. With this, it ranked as the eighth-most populous Canadian province.

The first English-speaking university of Canada was the University of New Brunswick, established in 1785.

Around 34% of the residents of New Brunswick can speak both English and French. This Canadian province has continued to be a bilingual province over the last 50 years.

New Brunswick is a place worth exploring for all the nature lovers out there.

New Brunswick Culture

Every place has its culture and traditions. It is always interesting to know about the cultures of any country or state. Here are some of the intriguing facts related to the cultural trends of New Brunswick.

The drinking age in this province is 19 years. According to New Brunswick Liquor Control Act, carrying more than one bottle of beer from outside this province is considered a crime.

The residents of New Brunswick find it customary to tip around 15-20% in restaurants.

Fresh seafood cooked with locally grown fruits and vegetables is the most famous cuisine of New Brunswick.

The locals of this province generally eat an edible seaweed known as New Brunswick Dulse.

This Canadian province has a continental temperature with snowy winters.

New Brunswick culture is influenced by different settlers of the province like indigenous, French, British, Irish, and Scottish.

New Brunswick is home to a large variety of wildlife and marine life with great coverage of evergreen forests.

The best thing about this province is its low cost of living, with affordable real estate prices and all essential medical services covered by New Brunswick Medicare.

The urban life of New Brunswick is delightful, but these small towns have their unique charm with unity among people.

These towns are open for entrepreneurial ventures. Most of the province's economy is based on the forest and agricultural department, but there's a growth in the IT sector in the urban areas of New Brunswick.

New Brunswick has the highest education rate across the country, with almost all schools upgraded with the best technology for teaching.

It has a multi-cultural population celebrating different Irish, Scottish, and Chinese festivals.

The area has beautiful river valleys, and the Fundy Coast is an ideal location for kayaking, swimming, and boat tours.

An annual Irish festival is organized at Miramichi, which includes Irish music and Acadian folk idioms.

The funniest thing about this province is that the meaning of its name is also 'province' according to the English Dictionary.

Baker Walter Donelly is the inventor of ice cream cones and was born in Sussex Corner in Canada. Sussex Corner is also known as the 'dairy capital of Canada', and it is situated along the Fundy Coastal Drive.

Miramichi river of New Brunswick provides the best Atlantic salmon fishing experience.

Every day, the Saint John River flows upstream twice because of the heavy and strong tides of the Bay of Fundy. This is an amazing view that is worth seeing from Hopewell Rocks.

Earlier in the 19th century, mahogany wood used to be discarded, and it was the cheapest wood in Canada. But now with time, it has become one of the most expensive woods.

Although Saint John ranks as one of the most populous cities of New Brunswick, its capital is Fredericton.

You can plan to visit the New Brunswick Potato World Museum and the French Fry Capital of the World in Florenceville, Bristol.

McCain Foods Limited, the famous and multi-billion dollar company known for its frozen french fries, was first established in Canada.

In 1900, McAdam Railway Station was built, which is now known as Heritage Railway Station.

FAQs

Q. What is New Brunswick best known for?

A. New Brunswick is known for the Bay of Fundy, lobsters, and its vast untouched wilderness.

Q. What was the old name of New Brunswick?

A. After partition, New Brunswick was initially named New Ireland.

Q. What does New Brunswick mean?

A. The name was given to the area in honor of the Duke of Brunswick, King George III.

Q. How many cities are in New Brunswick?

A. There are eight cities in New Brunswick.

Q. How did New Brunswick get its name?

A. New Brunswick was given its name in the year 1784 to honor the British King George III, who was also titled the Duke of Brunswick.

Q. Is New Brunswick in Nova Scotia?

A. New Brunswick borders the province of Nova Scotia.

Q. Is New Brunswick in Canada safe?

A. New Brunswick is absolutely safe as it is a community-driven region.

Q. What do New Brunswick people eat?

A. The primary crop here is potatoes and a few popular dishes include Chiard (râpure), Coquille Saint-Jacques, Poutine Râpée, Cipâte, Poutine à Trou, Fried clams, Pets de Sœur, and Chicken Fricot.

Q. What are some traditions in New Brunswick?

A. Traditions here include Winterfesthiver, Acadian Festival, World Pond Hockey Championships, Gathering of the Scots Festival, Foire Brayonne, Kedgwick Fall Festival, Shediac Lobster Festival, Fredericton's annual February winter festival, and Chocolate Fest.

Q. What was New Brunswick's cultural background?

A. The cultural background of New Brunswick varies with British, French, German, African-American, Danish, Irish, and Dutch influences.

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Written by Joan Agie

Bachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy

Joan Agie picture

Joan AgieBachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy

With 3+ years of research and content writing experience across several niches, especially on education, technology, and business topics. Joan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Anatomy from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and has worked as a researcher and writer for organizations across Nigeria, the US, the UK, and Germany. Joan enjoys meditation, watching movies, and learning new languages in her free time.

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