dexdaw

Hi all, has anyone ever considered New Brunswick, it never seems to get a mention on here. Can anyone whose been there or lived there give me any ideas, particularly the Fredericton area. Industry/Schools/Climate etc. Any info would be welcome.

nubbslad

Hi There
My family and are planning on settling in Saint John New Brunswick we went over for a recce Nov 2005.
We loved it we visited Fredericton while we were there we looked around a school and lots of houses you can PM if you like
Nicki

DavidWright

I have visited NB and have friends from there.
New Brunswick is poor and rural, hence not very attractive for new immigrants. It's also officially bi-lingual so you would really need to speak both French and English fluently to stand any chance of getting a job there, especially a government job.
Much of NB is very scenic, but there isn't exactly much to do. This becomes clear when you see signs urging tourists to come and visit the 'largest axe in eastern canada' or the 'longest covered bridge in the world'. Yep, it's pretty boring.

Butch Cassidy

Then again David a few of us consider Bucks boring, BUT you like it so Its all down to personal taste

Corky

Oh wow....New Brunswick is a lovely province. Don't worry about being bilingual...you will find more english speaking people in New Brunswick than French speaking. The people who were raised in French communties also speak english. Oh, and as for getting a government job and needing to speak french for it. Well first you will have to be a Canadian Citizen to apply for it. Then sit a competion and if you pass the test and get the job and if it is a job that requires you to speak french, the government would offer you french lessons..so don't let the french language put you off New Brunswick.
And as for having the Longest Covered Bridge or the largest Axe! I guess your friends didn't know where to take you.

dexdaw

It appears that everywhere in Canada has goods and bads dependant on who you speak too. Just like everywhere else I guess. The problem is finding the one thats good for you!!

emcy

I have just returned from New Brunswick, planning to move out there soon!
I spent quite a bit of time in Fredericton, I really enjoyed it, the people are friendly, the town is buzzing with lots of different things, and just like anywhere else loads of Tim Hortons! yum!
I especially like the walk across the old bridge into down town.
Where are you living now? Where have you been in Canada?

pennyhp

Hey everyone

seems like there are a few more of us looking into NB.
We have applied under the business PNP for NB. Visited and had interview in July 2005.
We really liked it. It is quite rural but the cities have everything you need. We would like to settle somewhere in the greater Moncton area.
possibly somewhere near the sea.
We made friends while we were out there. They have 2 grown up children living in Shediac which is quite french, but they and their partners don't speak french, and we cetainly didn't find it an issue.
If you are looking at Fredericton then french speeking shouldn't be a problem.

Out of interest are there any more NB hopefuls or anyone there already. We seem to be quite a quiet bunch on the forum.

Pennyhp

dexdaw

So far we've only visited BC. Both Vancouver and the Island. Van was way too big for us hillbillies but the island was really nice. Victorias beautiful but so are the prices. We figured we would cast the net wider to see what everywhere else had to offer. Problem is my arms aren't big enough to throw a net 9000 miles wide!!

There look to be some great houses well within our price range in New Brunswick but, and its a big but, how many recces do you make to all the various places before you decide where's best. Its such a big country and there's only so much money available. Problem is you can't put a price on happiness.

Fortunately (and luckily) employment isn't at the top of our priority list but education, the weather, surroundings and lifestyle most definitely are. Hence the dilemma.

h_henry

We share a lot of your dilemmas! You can only do so many recce trips etc before you have to make a decision on where you are going to live.

I think people put too much pressure on themselves, expecting the first location they live in to be THE PERFECT PLACE. I am certainly guilty of this. Those more pragmatic among us may say it's more likely that the first place will not be the perfect location for you BUT if it's not, you can always try somewhere else. As you say there are plenty of places to choose from . I suppose some of the pressure may come from the fact that none of us want to move all the way to Canada and feel disappointed. Have to have positive outlook and be flexible

JAJ

Only for federal government jobs. Most Provincial governments do not require citizenship.



Jeremy

steve of 5-0

I along with my wife have entered via PNP Business in 2005.
To be frank the "hurdles are easy".
It`s probably because Canadians are going west at present.
In a word the NB economy is near collapse (similar to the bad old days in the UK 1970/80`s).
If you have around about $250,000 when you arrive, you can find a form of income, if you find a job before arriving, it will not be as secure as the UK (unless Government).

I can say if you budget for a lower comparable income then the UK, almost a Part/Time employment lifestyle, you`ll make it.

Logistically you will spend a fortune on fuel for your car, if you locate your self to far from a city.

If you have school kids, unless you pay a premium to live in Moncton or Fredericton, they will have a massive adjustment to make as it will always be a case of "are we there yet?"

We are happy to remain here as my wife and I learnt to hate life in the UK, so we do not miss the UK, at all

AnyaT

I really wish people would stop perpetrating this fallacy. While NB is “officially” bilingual, there is a very real divide between the south (English) and north (French) parts. Unless you plan to live in the sparsely populated far north of NB near the Quebec border, you will not need to speak French. If you plan to live in Fredericton or Saint John, the two largest cities, French is not necessary and not often heard. Moncton does have a substantial French population but its main language is English and that is what everyone speaks. While the provincial government prefers people who can speak both languages it is not a hard-and-fast requirement and most of the civil servants I have worked with there do not speak it. At least 5 generations of my family were born and raised in NB and not a one spoke French.

Also, NB has the healthiest economy and most balanced government budget of the 4 Atlantic provinces. I would not characterize it as "poor."

pennyhp

Here Here

Pennyhp

steve of 5-0

NB is probably the consistently stronger of the 4, just.

Then within Canada it is a place that Canadians regard as very friendly, but not a great place to find work.

We love it here for the people, they are great, but, I do know that many locals are heading west at present.

Many properties for sale now sit empty!