Land and Culture of Canada: Bounty of New Brunswick

Bounty of New Brunswick

What the biggest province of the Maritimes lacks in coastline, it makes up for in beautiful rivers and sprawling forests. New Brunswick is one of the three provinces that are known as the Maritimes, the other two being the slightly smaller land of Nova Scotia and sweet little patch of land, Prince Edward Island.

It is definitely a picturesque province and a wonderful tourist attraction. Approximately 80% of the province is forest, while the other 20% is agricultural land and urban areas. The beautiful thing about that is about 50% of the province benefits from this by living in rural areas.

Another huge benefit of living in New Brunswick is the low cost of living compared to other places. With real estate costs being lower, it is an ideal place to relocate your family.

Whether you live there or visit, you'll get a culinary experience to remember. There are many unique foods that grow and harvest well in this quaint little province, and the strong influence from the many cultures that have settled in the land bring many tasty dishes and drinks. We've listed a few here, but you can learn more about the food experience of New Brunswick at the Cheeseweb traveling blog.

Fiddleheads
Seafood like scallops, quahogs, oysters, and clams
Lobster
Dulse
Potatoes
Corn
Apples
Maple products (mmmm!)
Fresh berries and so much more!

Bounty of Attractions in NB

New Brunswick is a popular spot for tourist attractions as well. There is so much to explore and see that you will definitely want to come again! Here are a few that we have narrowed down.

Bay of Fundy and Fundy National Park
Shediac Lobster Festival (home of the world's largest lobster)
Hopewell Rocks
Whale watching from St. Andrews by the sea
Reversing Falls, Skywalk, and Stonehammer Geowalk
Magic Mountain
Kingsbrae Garden
Historic Saint John
Grand Manan Island
Kings Landing

Reversing Falls, Skywalk, and Stonehammer Geopark Leonora Enking / photo modified

The province is under the Atlantic Time Zone so be prepared to have an adjustment to the time change if you are travelling there from many places around the world. The locals are usually very inviting and helpful if you ask for directions. There are a lot of fun tourist attractions in just about any place you stop. The largest city in New Brunswick by population is Moncton which is known for Magic Mountain and the Magnetic Hill Zoo. They also have the hill that you turn your car off and it will still move. Thus the reason it is called Magnetic Hill. Just across the road, you can find the Boardwalk where you can GoCart, have water balloon fights, and visit Butterfly World (where you'll find many more activities than just looking at butterflies). Just a half hour away you can go to the famous Parlee Beach and further on Sandy Beach.

New Brunswick is also known to have lots of different festivals for just about anything you can imagine. These are fun family activities that usually bring out huge crowds. These range from Bluegrass Festivals, Winter Carnivals, Friendship Festivals, The Lobster Festival, Kite Festival, Hubcap Comedy, Frye Festival, Balloon Festival, Peat Moss Festival, and we could literally go on for a long time listing them all. Instead, you can go straight to the pros and find out all about them on the Tourism New Brunswick site.

Fun Facts

Every province has its special points, and New Brunswick is no different. We've compiled several random fun facts to share more of the charm and appeal of this fine province.

The only official bilingual province in Canada
Highest tides in the world
Warmest saltwater beaches north of Virginia
More types of whales, and spotted more often than anywhere else
Legendary salmon angling on the Miramichi River
The ice cream cone was invented in Sussex, NB.
Home to the largest tidal whirlpool
The first crossword puzzle game was invented in Shediac.
In 1907, Thomas MacAvity Stewart of Saint John invented the first vortex flushing toilet.
Anesthetic was first used for surgery in Jacksonville.
In 1920, the first dump truck was invented in Saint John.

New Brunswick is quite the different sounding name, so where did it come from? It was taken from the Duchy of Brunswick in Germany. In 1784, the year the province was established, it was possessed by the king of England at that time, King George the 3rd. The capital of New Brunswick which is Fredericton, therefore got named after his brother Prince Frederick.

This is definitely a province that consists of four seasons, and you can enjoy each to the extreme. Summer can be very hot and humid at times, with evenings being the same. You do have the occasional cool evening to enjoy though. Spring and fall can be relatively mild, but watch out for the winters. They are usually cold and lots of snow is sure to fall. There is a saying that if you do not like the weather, wait a bit because it will change. Locals are known to dress in layers as you never know when it will quickly switch temperatures.

Yes, New Brunswick is beautiful, and there is lots to do for tourists during any season. We hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into the wonders of this majestic province.