Nova Scotia And New Brunswick: Connected Neighbors

New Brunswick is a Canadian province located on the eastern seaboard of the North American continent. It is not in Nova Scotia but is one of three provinces collectively known as the Maritimes, along with Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. New Brunswick is bounded by Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to the west. In 1784, the western portions of Nova Scotia were severed to form the new colony of New Brunswick.

New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province

New Brunswick is one of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories and is the only officially bilingual province in the country. It is bordered by Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to the west.

In 1969, New Brunswick passed the Official Languages Act, recognising French as an official language alongside English. This legislation set out the fundamental right of New Brunswickers to receive services in the official language of their choice from the provincial government.

The province's linguistic diversity is reflected in its population, with about two-thirds of the population being English-speaking and one-third French-speaking. The English-speaking majority consists largely of the descendants of Scottish, Irish, and English settlers from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as those who fled to the region during the American Revolution. The French-speaking minority is made up of the descendants of 17th-century Acadian settlers, along with French Canadians from Quebec.

New Brunswick's bilingual status is constitutionally protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees the equal status of English and French in the province. This means that all provincial legislation, laws, and court proceedings must be available in both languages. Additionally, New Brunswickers have the right to receive government services, such as education and healthcare, in the official language of their choice.

The promotion of bilingualism in New Brunswick extends beyond the governmental sphere. For example, the province's major rivers and streams radiate outward from the interior highlands, providing a natural backdrop to the region's linguistic and cultural diversity. The most well-known river, the St. John River, rises in Maine and flows southeast to the Bay of Fundy, where the high tides create the famous Reversing Falls of Saint John.

New Brunswick's commitment to bilingualism is also evident in its education system, which offers both English-language and French-language instruction. The province has anglophone and francophone school districts, ensuring that students can receive an education in their preferred language.

In summary, New Brunswick's bilingualism is a key aspect of its cultural identity, with the province taking active measures to promote and protect the equal status of English and French in all aspects of provincial life.

The province is bordered by Quebec, Maine, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Bay of Fundy

New Brunswick is one of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories, and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is bordered by Quebec to the north, the US state of Maine to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Bay of Fundy to the southeast. To the east, it is also bordered by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait.

The province's southeast corner is connected to Nova Scotia at the Chignecto Isthmus, which separates the Bay of Fundy from the Northumberland Strait. The Bay of Fundy is a funnel-shaped inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, sandwiched between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The Bay's coastline is indented with coves, natural caves, forests, and sandy beaches. The Bay of Fundy is known for having the highest tidal range in the world, and its tides have created rock formations such as the Hopewell Rocks. The Bay is also a popular tourist destination, with Fundy National Park and Fundy Trail Parkway being notable attractions.

New Brunswick's northern half is occupied by the Appalachians, and the province is dominated by forests, with over 80% of its land covered in trees. The province's climate is continental, with snowy winters and temperate summers.

New Brunswick was inhabited by several First Nations groups, including the Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, and the Passamaquoddy, before European colonisation

New Brunswick, one of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories, was inhabited by several First Nations groups before European colonisation. These groups include the Maliseet, the Mi'kmaq (or Micmac), and the Passamaquoddy.

The Maliseet, also known as the Wəlastəkwiyik, inhabit the St. John River valley and its tributaries, extending to the St. Lawrence in Quebec. The river and its tributaries were central to the lives of the Maliseet, who called it the Wəlastəkw, meaning "good river" for its gentle waves. The Maliseet also participated in numerous raids and battles against New England during King William's War and Father Rale's War.

The Mi'kmaq, or Míkmaw, are indigenous to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the Gaspe peninsula in Quebec, and the eastern half of New Brunswick. They were allies with the four Abenaki nations (Abenaki, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Maliseet) during the colonial wars, forming the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Mi'kmaq population was estimated to be over 3,000 in 1616, though they suffered large population losses due to European diseases, including smallpox, in the preceding century.

The Passamaquoddy, or Peskotomuhkati, are a First Nations people who live in northeastern North America, in Maine and New Brunswick. They have a migratory existence, living in the woods and mountains of the coastal regions along the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine and along the St. Croix River and its tributaries. They dispersed and hunted inland during the winter and gathered on the coast during the summer to farm corn, beans, and squash and harvest seafood.

In addition to these three groups, Paleo-Indians are believed to have been the first humans in the land of New Brunswick, settling there roughly 10,000 years ago.

The province was formed from the partition of Sunbury County from Nova Scotia in 1784

The province of New Brunswick was formed in 1784, when Sunbury County was partitioned from Nova Scotia. This partition occurred due to the immigration of thousands of Loyalist refugees to Nova Scotia, and the subsequent turnover of the western third of Sunbury County to the District of Maine, which was, at the time, still part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

Sunbury County was originally created in 1765, alongside a formal enlargement of Cumberland County to the north and westward. Sunbury County included what was then regarded as the eastern portion of the District of Maine by the Province of Massachusetts. The county seat and its court of general sessions were established at Campobello Island, in Passamaquoddy Bay.

In 1784, Sunbury County, along with the newer, mainland portion of Cumberland, became the Colony of New Brunswick. This was due to the recognition of American independence by the British, which necessitated the turnover of the western portion of Sunbury County. The remaining two-thirds of Sunbury County, along with the newer portion of Cumberland, thus formed the new province of New Brunswick.

The formation of the province of New Brunswick was also influenced by the desire of Loyalists who had received land allocations around the St. John River valley, the Bay of Fundy, or the Northumberland Strait, to be governed independently from Halifax, as it was quite far away. Thus, on June 18, 1784, the British government created the new province of New Brunswick for them.

In the same year, New Brunswick formed its first elected assembly, with Thomas Carleton as the first governor. Carleton chose the hamlet of Sainte-Anne as the provincial capital, which was later renamed Frederick's Town, and then Fredericton, after the third son of King George III.

New Brunswick is one of three provinces collectively known as the Maritimes

New Brunswick is bordered by Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to the west. The province is about 83% forested, and its northern half is occupied by the Appalachians. The climate is continental, with snowy winters and temperate summers.

New Brunswick has a surface area of 72,908 square kilometres and a population of 775,610 as of the 2021 census. Atypically for Canada, only about half of the population lives in urban areas. The largest city is Moncton, while the capital is Fredericton.

In 1969, New Brunswick passed the Official Languages Act, which recognised French as an official language alongside English. About two-thirds of the population are English-speaking, and one-third is French-speaking. New Brunswick is home to most of the cultural region of Acadia and its Acadian French dialect.

New Brunswick was first inhabited by First Nations such as the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet. In 1604, the first New France colony, Acadia, was founded with the creation of Port-Royal. Acadia changed hands multiple times over the next 150 years due to conflicts between France and the United Kingdom. From 1755 to 1764, the British deported Acadians en masse, an event known as the Great Upheaval. This, along with the Treaty of Paris, solidified Acadia as British property.

In 1784, the British created the colony of New Brunswick, separating it from Nova Scotia following the arrival of many Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. In 1867, New Brunswick joined with Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada (now Quebec and Ontario) to form Canada.

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