Travel to New Brunswick – Canada’s only bilingual province
Counted among the Canadian provinces with its capital in Fredericton, New Brunswick with a population exceeding 700,000 people, is a part of the so-called French Canada, and together with Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, is one of the three Maritime provinces.
The indigenous inhabitants of New Brunswick were the Mikmak, Malesite or Wolastoqiyik – people of a kind river, referring to the St. John River and Passamakwoddy – Panwapskewiyik. The settlements of Mikmak were mainly in the eastern part of the province, while the Maliseets were located along the Wolastoq or Saint John River, while Passamakwoddy lived in the southwest of today’s province, around the eponymous bay.
The first study of New Brunswick dates back to 1534 and was carried out by the French explorer Jacques Cartier. The subsequent French contact dates back to 1604, when a group led by Pierre Daggia de Mons was settled on St.Croix Island betwixt Maine and New Brunswick. This colony soon moved along the Bay of Fundy to Port Royal. And for the next 150 years other French settlements were also founded along the St John’s River, in the upper Gulf of Fundy and in Saint-Pierre, which today is called Bathurst. Whole marine region was declared part of the French colony Acadia.
Currently, New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province of Canada, where 64.7% of the populace is English speakers, 32.9% – French-speaking.
The economy of the region is main based on the services sector, in which the prevailing share is occupied by financial, insurance and other services. The region is also known for forestry, mining, developed agriculture and fisheries.
New Brunswick has four state universities, and it should be noted that in three of them practice the study process in English.
These include the University of New Brunswick, founded as King’s College in 1785, the University of St. Thomas, which is one of the oldest academic institutions in North America, and Mount Allison University.
Discover the fascination of the Canadian territories, visiting the province of New Brunswick!
Being sure captivating by its wild landscapes, valleys dotted with farms, fishing villages, parks and islands along the coast, New Brunswick attracts numerous tourists from all over the world. Here you can observe the highest tides in the world, enjoy walks through the streets of picturesque villages and spend time outdoors, taking a great interest in whale watching, kayaking, canoeing or cycling.
The famous Acadian festival is held annually in memory of the history of French culture in the province.
Also interesting is the Chocolate Festival, dedicated to more than 100 years of tradition of making chocolate.