New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province, with a population of about 775,000 spread over roughly 72,908 square kilometers (28,150 square miles) of forests, river valleys and Fundy and Northumberland coastline. Its cities are small, friendly and closely tied to the water, from the Bay of Fundy to the Saint John River and the Petitcodiac. Several communities hold official city status, but three clearly stand out for size, history and visitor appeal: the Moncton metro area, the port city of Saint John and the capital, Fredericton. The following list is a short introduction to each.

Moncton Metro Area (Pop. ~196,143)

History

The Moncton metro area, often called Greater Moncton, includes the city of Moncton, the largely Francophone city of Dieppe and the city of Riverview across the Petitcodiac River, along with surrounding communities. It is the largest urban area in New Brunswick and one of the fastest growing in the Maritimes. The region was once the home of the Mi'kmaq and later Acadian farmers, and it was a base for Acadian settlement in the 1700s.

Moncton itself was founded in 1766 by Pennsylvania German settlers who arrived on the banks of the Petitcodiac River, and it was named for Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monckton, a British officer who had captured nearby Fort Beauséjour in 1755 (the spelling was changed by mistake). Shipbuilding made the town prosper until the 1850s, and after the industry collapsed, the arrival of the Intercolonial Railway in the 1870s turned Moncton into a major railway center. It became a town in 1855 and a city in 1890, and its role as a hub for transportation and services has continued to the present.

What city is most noted for

Moncton is best known for Magnetic Hill, a famous gravity hill where cars appear to roll uphill, and for the tidal bore, a small wave of Fundy tidewater that surges up the Petitcodiac River twice a day and can be viewed from Bore Park. Magnetic Hill Zoo, the largest zoo in Atlantic Canada, and the Riverfront Trail are other highlights, and Resurgo Place and the Capitol Theatre are important cultural venues. The downtown core has a good mix of restaurants and shops, and the Moncton Market is a favorite for local foods.

Moncton is also a center of Acadian culture, with the Université de Moncton, the Acadian Museum and lively festivals. Dieppe's Dieppe Market and its popular Acadian restaurants are a short trip away, and Riverview has parks and a long riverfront. The metro area is a convenient base for visiting Hopewell Rocks, Fundy National Park and the warm beaches of Shediac and Parlee Beach.

Saint John (Pop. ~69,895)

History

Saint John is often called Canada's oldest incorporated city, and its history stretches back much further. The Passamaquoddy and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) peoples lived in the area long before Europeans came. The French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived at the mouth of the river in 1604, on the feast day of St. John the Baptist, and the city takes its name from that day. French and English traders and forts competed over the area in the 1600s, including Fort La Tour in the 1630s.

The greatest turning point came in 1783, when thousands of Loyalists, refugees from the American Revolution, landed at the harbour, and in 1785 Saint John was incorporated as a city. It grew into a major shipbuilding port and one of the busiest in the British Empire. The Great Fire of 1877 destroyed much of the downtown, but the city rebuilt in brick and stone, and many of the Victorian buildings that fill the uptown district date from that time. Today the port, the refinery and the Irving family's industries still shape the local economy.

What city is most noted for

Saint John's best known natural attraction is the Reversing Falls, where the Fundy tides push the Saint John River backward through a narrow gorge. The Saint John City Market, open since 1876, is the oldest continuing farmers' market in Canada, with a distinctive roof built like an upturned ship's hull. King Square, the Loyalist Burial Ground and the uptown streets of restored Victorian buildings make for good walking, and Harbour Passage links the waterfront to the downtown.

The city also has some of the best museums and parks in the province, including the New Brunswick Museum, the Carleton Martello Tower, Rockwood Park and Irving Nature Park. The Imperial Theatre hosts concerts and shows, and Barbour's General Store offers a taste of 19th-century shopping. Saint John is the gateway to the Fundy Trail Parkway, the sea caves of St. Martins and the Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark, and cruise ships bring many visitors in the fall.

Fredericton (Pop. ~63,116)

History

Fredericton is the capital of New Brunswick and sits on a bend in the Saint John River. The Wolastoqiyik have lived along the river for thousands of years, and French settlers built the Acadian village of Pointe-Sainte-Anne here in the late 1600s. After the British burned the settlement in 1759, the area was reorganized, and in 1783 Loyalists arrived and founded a new town named Fredericton, in honor of Prince Frederick, the second son of King George III.

Fredericton was chosen as the capital of the new province of New Brunswick in 1785, because it was far enough up the river to be safe from attack by sea. The University of New Brunswick, founded the same year, is the oldest English-language university in Canada. The city was a British military garrison until 1869, and it was incorporated as a city in 1848. Government, education and services have made it a steady, welcoming community ever since.

What city is most noted for

Fredericton is known for its tree-lined streets, its riverfront trails and a calm, walkable downtown. The Garrison District, the former British military base, holds the Fredericton Region Museum, the changing of the guard in summer, and many restaurants and shops. The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, one of the finest in Atlantic Canada, sits beside the Legislative Assembly, and Christ Church Cathedral is a landmark of Gothic Revival architecture.

The Boyce Farmers Market, held on Saturdays, is a lively gathering of local growers, bakers and craftspeople. The Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge, a former railway bridge, links the downtown to the north side of the river, and Odell Park offers forest trails close to the city center. Fredericton is also home to a lively arts and music scene, with the Fredericton Playhouse and several festivals, and is a short drive from Kings Landing Historical Settlement.