New Brunswick

D

Mining

Mining became important to the economy of New Brunswick with the discovery of metal ores in the northern part of the province in the 1950s. Since that time, much exploration and development has occurred, and in 2004 the industry was valued at 760 million Canadian dollars. The output of zinc accounted for more than half the value of total mineral production. This was followed by silver, lead, and copper. The province also produces significant quantities of antimony and bismuth. The Brunswick Number 12 mine near Bathurst is one of the largest base-metal deposits in the world. In addition, a variety of nonmetallic minerals are mined in New Brunswick, including limestone and gypsum. Other important nonmetallic minerals include potash, salt, stone, sand and gravel, clay, and lime.

Coal production, a long-established industry in the Grand Lake area, remains steady, but its future is uncertain as the province pursues cleaner forms of energy. New Brunswick in 2002 produced 194,000 metric tons of coal. Most of the coal produced is used to fuel New Brunswick’s power-generating plants. Peat, a precursor to coal, is extracted from more than two dozen bogs in the province.

E

Manufacturing

Most manufacturing in New Brunswick is based on the processing of local primary resources. The principal manufactured products include pulp and paper products, food products (especially processed fish and seafood), and beverages. Other important manufactured goods include fabricated metals, nonmetallic mineral products, printing and publishing, and chemicals and plastics.

Manufacturing is concentrated in the Saint John and Moncton areas. Saint John, including Lancaster and East Saint John, is the largest industrial center in the province. Its industries include wood pulp and paper manufacturing; food processing; brewing; oil refining; and the manufacture of clothing, household goods, and ships for the Canadian navy. Moncton’s industries manufacture meat products, fabricated metals, machinery, and fertilizer. Fredericton, an administrative and educational center, has mostly light industries, printing, and high-technology firms. Bathurst, Edmundston, and Dalhousie have major pulp and paper mills.

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F

Electric Power

Electric power, the primary source of energy in New Brunswick, is generated from a variety of sources. A nuclear power plant that opened in 1982 at Point Lepreau, near Saint John, accounts for about one-third of New Brunswick’s electricity production. Half of the electricity generated at Point Lepreau—the only nuclear power station in the Atlantic provinces—is exported to the United States. Other important sources of electricity include coal- and petroleum-fired plants and hydroelectric facilities. Major hydroelectric sites are on the Saint John River at Grand Falls, Beechwood, and Mactaquac. Another hydroelectric installation is near the point where the Tobique River enters the Saint John River.

Natural gas is a small but potentially important source of energy for the province. In 1999 construction began on a system to transport offshore natural gas from Nova Scotia’s Sable Island to the Maritime provinces and the northeastern United States. Most of the gas is currently shipped by pipeline across New Brunswick to markets in New England, but gas shipments to New Brunswick were expected to increase with the development of a natural gas distribution infrastructure.

G

Transportation

Rivers, lakes, and coastal waters were New Brunswick’s early highways. The need to build bridges over numerous streams and unstable soils in many areas delayed road and railway construction. Railroads eventually surpassed waterways in moving freight, and by the late 19th century a substantial road network had evolved.

Today, New Brunswick has about 1,000 km (about 620 mi) of mainline railroad track, operated by the Canadian Pacific and the Canadian National railway systems. Moncton, the headquarters of the Atlantic region of the Canadian National Railways, and Saint John are important rail transportation centers. Lines connect New Brunswick with the provinces of Nova Scotia and Québec and with the United States.

New Brunswick has an extensive road system that includes 7,700 km (4,780 mi) of highways, roads, and streets, almost all of which are paved and well maintained. Most roads, including the Trans-Canada Highway, tend to follow the Saint John River Valley, although good roads link all the major urban areas. The 1997 opening of the Confederation Bridge linking New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island was an important development. The impressive 12.9-km (8.02-mi) structure replaced regular ferry service at the same site.

Major airports with regular service are located at Saint John, Moncton, and Fredericton. Regional airports include those at St. Léonard, Bathurst, Charlo, and Miramichi. There are five seaports in New Brunswick, of which Saint John is the largest. The other ports are Dalhousie, Belledune, Bayside, and Miramichi.

H

Services

Service industries comprise the largest sector of New Brunswick’s economy. They encompass a vast array of activities including business and personal services; wholesale and retail trade; the operation of hotels, restaurants, and recreational facilities; banking, insurance, and real estate; government and public utilities; education and health care; data processing; and automotive repair.

New Brunswick’s trade centers on the export of raw materials and manufactured goods to foreign countries and to other provinces and the import of manufactured goods and crude oil. The province’s leading exports are paper and wood pulp, electricity, processed food, and metals. More than 80 percent of New Brunswick’s exports go to the United States. The value of the province’s yearly imports greatly exceeds the value of its yearly exports.

Tourism is increasingly important to New Brunswick’s economy. By 1999 the number of visitors to the province exceeded 1.5 million annually. Most visitors are from Québec, the other Maritime provinces, and Maine. New Brunswick has also succeeded in attracting substantial numbers of visitors from France, Ontario, and major cities of the United States. Two major national parks, 22 provincial parks, and numerous historical settlements and museums are among the most popular summer attractions. Supplementing the summer tourism season are various tours and festivals in the fall and outdoor recreational activities such as skiing and snowmobiling in winter.

IV

The People of New Brunswick