People & Places
New Brunswick beckons
Beautiful scenery, empty beaches and fast-growing cities are just some of the reasons to consider moving to New Brunswick
If that isn't enough, then a new flight route starting in July will connect London Gatwick and the province's main city of Fredricton. Hanna Lindon pre-empts the crowds to discover the New Brunswick lifestyle.
It may be one of Canada's smaller provinces, but New Brunswick has a lot to offer in terms of lifestyle. A combination of pristine beaches, booming cities and relatively mild weather provides the ideal background for leisure and relaxation, while a new initiative on the part of the provincial government is helping to boost the population and open up employment opportunities. "Our province has a goal of becoming self-sufficient and we have recently launched a population growth strategy designed to help us attract more people," explains Brendan Langille, who is responsible for communications for the population growth secretariat. "The IT sector and the trades are booming in our province with several mega-projects on the horizon."
The New Brunswick government hopes to recruit more migrants from the UK to meet its population targets, and Langille reveals that the province is already popular with Brits. "I can say that the United Kingdom is one of the top five countries from which immigrants come through the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Programme," he says. "This may be because New Brunswick is the place to be for top-notch health and education services rivalling any in North America." There is certainly plenty to attract migrants. New Brunswick enjoys a reputation for culture which was cemented when its municipalities, Fredricton and Caraquet, were named 2009 Capitals of Culture. Other attractions include the second-cheapest property market in the country, a crime rate that is among the lowest in Canada, and a tradition of welcoming newcomers and celebrating cultural diversity.
Daphne Spencer emigrated to Rothesay in New Brunswick four years ago, and was amazed at the welcome she received. "Everyone in Rothesay is just so friendly," she says. "When we moved into our house our neighbours either gave us chocolates, cookies, home-made wine or baked us cakes. I was then invited to two girly nights at their houses. One lady even gave me the use of her car!" British emigrants Brigitte and Peter Marsden agree. "One of the things that we like most about New Brunswick is that the people are all really friendly with good manners," says Brigitte. If you find the idea of great weather, friendly locals and cheap property a draw, then here are a few more reasons to consider migrating to New Brunswick.
Scenery
It's impossible to mention the attractions of New Brunswick without referring to the scenery. Secluded bays, rugged beauty spots and mile upon mile of sandy beaches all contribute to the province's charm. Will Hassett, who spent some time living and travelling in New Brunswick, says that the scenery is certainly a top attraction. "It simply takes your breath away," he sighs. "Even if I had lived there permanently, I doubt that I would have got used to the sights – I probably would have spent all the time when I was supposed to be working down at the beach or hiking through the province!" British migrant Loo Elton agrees. "The scenery here, in every season, is stunning," she enthuses. "I don't think I've ever seen so many trees in my life, nor had I ever had deer strolling through my garden, or heard chipmunks chattering in the trees. These are pretty much every day occurrences – things that have made the difference to us." Even after living in New Brunswick for some years, Daphne finds that the beauty of the place still gives her a thrill. "Whether we pass the Kennebecasis River along the valley road when we leave home, or head out to the highway to drive east or west to another town, you see hills, trees and countryside," she explains. "There are no high-rise blocks of flats or multi-storey car parks disfiguring the skyline. It puts you in the right frame of mind for the rest of the day, and you feel like you can face anything. "During the Autumn the leaves were the most amazing colours of red, orange, and yellow. Even walking to school with my youngest son I have my breath taken away continuously and I feel so lucky to have it all, literally, on my door step." On the other hand, there can be disadvantages attached to living so close to nature. "We're sick of skunks," says Brigitte. "Our dog has been 'skunked' twice now. There are also a whole load of biting insects around in the summer, especially mosquitos and moose flies." But she adds that the beautiful summer weather makes up for it. "The winters are freezing cold, but the summers are really lovely and hot, with plenty of sunshine."
Employment
There are plenty of jobs available in New Brunswick – it's finding them that's the problem. "My husband Mark found it hard to get a job, and more often than not it's a case of who you know rather than what you know," says Loo. "It's very important to start networking as soon as you get here. Also, wages on the whole aren't as high as in the UK, although shopping costs twice as much! After a year, I still cringe about the price of cheese and chicken. "Finally, on the whole you only tend to get two weeks paid leave from work a year, and in many cases only two days paid sick leave. This makes it hard if you have children." On the other hand, the recent population drive on the part of the government is helping to broaden the job market and increase the number of employers. The economy can hardly be called dynamic – unemployment hovers around the 10 per cent mark – but the residents of New Brunswick have a higher average income than in any of the other Maritime province.
The big businesses and industries are centred around Saint John, which is where the majority of work opportunities can be found. The city has had its problems in recent years, with the decline of older industries like ship building, but the sectors of brewing, electricity generation, transport, call centres and oil refining still thrive. However, the other major cities of Fredricton and Moncton are generally considered more attractive places to live. Moncton has an increasingly sizeable share in Canada's technology, high-tech and service industries, and call centres thrive there because of the bi-lingual population. It also benefits from being home to New Brunswick's international airport, with flights to France, Germany, Florida and the Caribbean.
Fredriction is a university city, where much of the employment is in recreation, education and information technology. It is the capital of New Brunswick, and has a large government sector. On the whole, the migrants moving to New Brunswick don't do so for the employment opportunities. Most wish to downsize, get closer to nature, and bring up their children in safe and friendly communities. "We knew that the move here was about lifestyle and not about career," says Ally Remmon, who relocated to New Brunswick with her husband and two daughters in 2004. "My husband and I had both had successful careers during our 20s, and we felt that now was the time to think about our families. We didn't want them to grow up in a place where all that mattered was what clothes you wore and how much money you earned – and once we made the decision to emigrate to New Brunswick, we saw them both thriving."
Cost of living
Although the prices of selected goods can be high, the cost of living in New Brunswick is generally fantastically cheap. Moncton has the lowest living costs of any city in Canada and, in spite of the lower wages, you're certain to save on what you were paying out in the UK. "We love the cheap costs of living," says Brigitte, who puts financial benefits as one of the top five attractions of living in New Brunswick. "It's incredibly cheap out here," Ally agrees. "Grocery shopping, house prices, services – everything really." Although New Brunswick residents pay the national tax rates on sales and income, there is no local tax to add to the burden.
Entertainment
There's plenty going on in New Brunswick, to spice up the hot summers and punctuate the long, cold winters. "In the summer the town, Quispamnsis, puts on weekly free concerts on the common and shows free outdoor movies every Friday night, complete with free popcorn," says Loo. "There's lots of other things to do too. We work hard here, just as we did in the UK, but we play hard too. My boys play more football than they ever did in the UK, while my daughter Meg is learning to iceskate and loves it."
Festivals are a feature of everyday life, with everything from seafood extravanganzas to chocolate festivals and aboriginal culture celebrations. Performing arts, music – particularly baroque, the local speciality – and sports are also celebrated at local and provincial festivals. Not surprisingly for a place where nature is always on your doorstep, recreation tends to revolve around the great outdoors. "I've never spent so much time in the open air," says Ally. "We go biking every weekend as a family, plus walking and wildlife watching. Dinah, my eldest daughter, is trying to persuade me to try out some more adventurous sports, but I'm not yet convinced!"
All in all, the feedback from British migrants is that life in New Brunswick is refreshingly old-fashioned, friendly and natural. 'Like the UK 30 years ago' is an epithet that is often used but might actually apply in this case. "To clarify what a positive community we now live in, the initiative for this current school year is to focus on 'What's right with the world'" says Daphne. "How great is that!" And Ally agrees that there are plenty of reasons for Brits to choose the secluded spot as their home. "I can't understand why there aren't more of us here," she says. "People back home are always complaining about crime, cramping, yob culture – well, that's exactly what they don't have here. If you want a wholesome place to bring up your children, then this is it."