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About New BrunswickAbout New Brunswick - HistoryIn 1783 it was the English who were refugees. During the American Revolution some citizens from the eastern seaboard wanted to remain loyal to the English crown and fled to Canada. So many landed in Saint John that by 1785 they were able to incorporate Canada's first city. Scots and Irish, pushed out of their homes by political pressure and potato famines, arrived in the early 1800s, and in the 1870s a few hundred Danes settled in Victoria County where their distinctive community survives to this day. But by the late 19th century, major immigration floods were replaced by a trickle of settlers from all over the world. Today, although Native, French, English, Scottish and Irish roots run deep, New Brunswick enjoys a vivid, multi-cultural and spiritual heritage. About New Brunswick - GeographyThe magnificent St. John River, often called The Rhine of North America, splits the province from north to south. Anglers, white-water rafters and sailors also appreciate the Miramichi, Restigouche, Nepisiguit, Salmon, St. Croix and Tobique rivers as well as Grand, Chiputneticook, Magaguadavic and Oromocto lakes. About New Brunswick - PopulationMiramichi, established on Jan. 1, 1995, is comprised of several communities in the Chatham and Newcastle area and boasts a population of 18,508. Dieppe became the eighth New Brunswick city on Jan 1, 2003. Dieppe's population in 2001 was 14,951. New Brunswick is Canada's only official bilingual province. About 33 per cent of the population is French-speaking, based on 2001 census results About New Brunswick - IndustryTourismIIn 2001, 1.4 million people visited New Brunswick resulting in revenues of $900 million and 25,000 jobs. This performance makes tourism one of the major economic generators of the province. Visitors to New Brunswick enjoy eating fresh seafood, as well as experiencing the rich culture and heritage of the province, the highest tides in the world, some of the warmest salt water beaches north of Virginia, eco-tourism sites, a wide array of covered bridges and lighthouses, pristine Appalachian range and world-famous salmon rivers.Total accommodation capacity increased by two percent in 2001 to 10,643 available rooms in hotels, motels, Bed & Breakfasts, cottages and country inns. These are Canada Select-rated properties to ensure the meet the expectations of the consumers. However, they do not not include the many private and public campgrounds throughout the province which are also rated. ForestryAbout 85 per cent of New Brunswick's land base is productive forest, providing wildlife habitat, beautiful landscape, limitless recreational opportunities, and high-quality water and air. It is also the economic backbone, directly employing 16,000 people, with wages of more than $500 million annually. Pulp production is valued at more than $1.5 billion each year, while solid wood products are worth about $500 million. The province is considered a North American leader in forest management.ManufacturingIn 2001, over 1,400 New Brunswick manufacturing firms employed more than 43,300 people. The food group continued to lead our manufacturing industries in the number of employees; next was the paper manufacturing group, then wood products, fabricated metal products and non-metallic mineral products. The total value of our manufacturing shipments was $12.2 billion, the average weekly wage was $690, and a total of $391 million was invested in capital expenditures in manufacturing.Statistics Canada data sources: Establishments - Business register file (as of Dec. 31, 2001) Employment - Survey of employment, payrolls and hours (annual average) - CANSIM table 281-0024. Rounded to nearest hundreds: o Food manufacturing - 11,200 o Paper manufacturing - 7,400 o Wood products - 7,100 o Fabricated metal products - 2,900 o Non-metallic mineral products - 1,700 MiningNew Brunswick is blessed with a variety of rich mineral deposits. Mineral exploration and mining play a significant role in the provincial economy. During the last three years, the value of mineral production has varied from $ 857 million to over $ 953 million. The industry directly employed over 3,500 people. The minerals and commodities contributing to this wealth include metals(antimony, bismuth, cadmium, copper, gold, lead, silver and zinc); non metals (marl, peat moss, potash, silica, salt and sulphur); fuels (oil, natural gas and coal); and structural materials (lime, sand and gravel, stone). Our large reserves of lead, zinc and copper are found in the northern part of the province, around Bathurst. Our potash and salt deposits are centred in the southern region, around Sussex. Although peat harvesting takes place primarily on the Acadian Peninsula, the resource can be found in a broad diagonal zone that stretches from the south to the northeast of the province.EducationNew Brunswick is home to four public universities which offer a wide variety of educational settings. The University of New Brunswick, with its main campus in Fredericton and another in Saint John, is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and the province's largest university. St. Thomas University in Fredericton is a small, Catholic institution whose central liberal arts program is complemented by professional programs in education and social work. Mount Allison University, located in the Town of Sackville, offers undergraduate programs in arts, science, commerce, fine arts and music. Universite de Moncton, Canada's largest francophone institution outside of the province of Quebec, has its main campus in the City of Moncton, with satellite campuses in the City of Edmundston and in Shippagan.New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) programs cover the education and training spectrum. There is everything from academic studies to mechanical engineering, from graphic design and pottery to courseware authoring. In all, there are more than 100 regular training programs, plus a selection of industry-oriented, short term training services available to New Brunswick residents and beyond. The majority of college programs involve 40 to 80 weeks of study, with co-op programs longer in duration. The provincially-funded public education system is offered in both official languages. The Province's Education Act distributes authorities and responsibilities between the Province, as represented by the Minister of Education, and District Education Councils, which are elected at the local level in elections held every three years. Generally, the minister establishes and monitors the educational and service standards and policy framework while the DECs, through their superintendents, are responsible for program implementation and operation of the schools. The governance structure also includes school-based advisory committees known as Parent School Support Committees. Members are elected at the school level and also serve three-year terms. For administrative purposes, the province is divided into 14 school districts, nine anglophone and five francophone. ElectricityThe New Brunswick Power Corporation, established by an Act of the Legislative Assembly in 1920, is the province's provincial supplier of electrical energy. With assets in excess of $4.3 billion and 2,500 regular employees, it serves more than 90 per cent of the province's valuable customers, and is interconnected with electrical utilities in Quebec, Nova Sotia, Prince Edward lsland and New England.NB Power operates one of the most diversified generation systems and interconnected transmission systems in North America. NB Power's hydro, thermal, combustion turbine and nuclear plants (it has the only nuclear plant in the Atlantic Provinces) have a combined capacity of more than 4,000 megawatts. The power they generate is delivered by a transmission and distribution network of nearly 32,000 kilometres. Agriculture, Fisheries and AquacultureWith more than 50 species of fish and shellfish harvested each year, commercial fishing is a major New Brunswick industry. The landings value of 2001 was $175 million, an increase of 90 per cent grow rate over the past 10 years. The 2001 export value of fish and shellfish was $680 million, an increase of 164 per cent over the past 10 years. All this activity supported 7, 123 fishermen on 2,770 boats and employed about 12,000 plant workers during peak production periods.With raw material resources in the traditional fishery decreasing, however, the aquaculture sector is a promising new industry with mostly salmon, but also including trout and shellfish. With 2001 salmon production estimated at $196 million, this sector is experiencing rapid growth. Agriculture is as important to New Brunswick's economy as its traditional family values are to its social fabric. Potatoes, dairy products, eggs and poultry account for over 60 per cent of all New Brunswick's farm income, which runs around $412 million a year. We're famous for our potatoes - seed potatoes produced in New Brunswick are exported to over 30 countries around the world and the income from potato sales alone accounts for about 25 per cent of total farm income. In all, about 22,000 hectares (58,000 acres) of potatoes are planted each year. About 133,500 hectares (368,000 acres) are devoted to field crops. Strawberries are the first sweet taste of summer in New Brunswick. Then come the vegetables, wild blueberries and apples, so in the fall, the shelves in supermarkets and roadside stands are groaning under the weight of the bountiful harvest, and commercial food processors are freezing, canning and packaging at a great rate. Because New Brunswick is able to produce all its own forage, as well as about 50 per cent of livestock, feed grain, it is self-sufficient in milk and chicken production. Indeed, rolling hills dotted with cattle are not just a significant contribution to the dairy industry - white sandy beaches, ocean bluffs, deep forests, rushing rivers and majestic mountains, they are an essential part of the New Brunswick landscape. http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/nb/nb-e.asp |
