Fredericton, New Brunswick

For the Canadian federal electoral district of the same name, see Fredericton (electoral district)

Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Fredericton is an important cultural, artistic and educational centre for the province. Fredericton boasts two universities - the University of New Brunswick and the liberal arts focused St. Thomas University. Fredericton is also home to cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the York-Sunbury Museum and The Playhouse, the latter which serves as a venue for local talent/writers. As well, adding to the city's rich cultural milieu, Fredericton is home to the annual Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival every fall which attracts regional and international jazz and blues artists. The city also contains a growing IT and commercial sector. The city boasts the highest percentage of residents with a post-secondary education in the province and one of the highest per capita incomes.

The population of the city of Fredericton is 48,000 (greater Fredericton 81,346, both per the 2001 census), although unofficial reports suggest a number closer to 50,750 (greater Fredericton 84,523) due to the student population which is often not counted in official censuses. The first major expansion of the city occurred on July 1, 1945 when it amalgamated with the town of Devon. Today the city of Fredericton comprises Fredericton proper, and the boroughs of Silverwood, Nashwaaksis, Barker's Point and Marysville, which were incorporated into the city in 1973.

The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province and, along with Moncton and Saint John, is one of the main urban centres in southern New Brunswick. The St. John River flows in a west-east direction, bisecting the city and providing the dominant natural feature for the municipality.

History

Christ Church Cathedral, construction began in 1845 (officially opened 1853). The cathedral is modelled after St. Mary's Church, Snettisham, Norfolk.

Aboriginal, French, and early British settlement

The area of the present-day City of Fredericton was first used for seasonal farming by the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet peoples. Corn was a primary crop they grew in the area. Interestingly, in a sense, the site of Fredericton served as a sort of capital for Aboriginals in the area. Aucpaque, the "principle village" of the Aboriginals in the area, was located a few kilometres up river from the site of present day Fredericton.

The first European contact in the area was by the French in the late 17th Century, who granted the land to Joseph de Villebon. In 1692, he built a fort (Fort Nashwaak) on the north side of the Saint John River, at the mouth of the Nashwaak River. For a period, Fort Nashwaak served as the capital of the French colony of Acadia. After de Villebon's death in 1700 and a devastating flood, the fort was abandoned.

The Fredericton area was first permanently settled and named Pointe-Sainte-Anne (often anglicized to Ste. Anne's Point) in 1732 by Acadians fleeing Nova Scotia after the British took over the territory. Their townsite was on the south side of the river, approximately a mile upriver from Fort Nashwaak. The British captured Ste. Anne's Point after the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755, burning the settlement to the ground. A 1762 settlement attempt by the British was unsuccessful due to hostility of local Acadian and Aboriginal populations. These settlers ended up building a community down river at what is today the town of Maugerville. However, three fur traders manged to permanently settle there in 1768.

The Loyalists and the founding of Fredericton

In 1783, United Empire Loyalists settled in Ste. Anne's Point after the American Revolution, although many died during the first winter in Fredericton which was harsh and long. Those who perished during that winter were buried in what became the Loyalist cemetery, which is still found on the south bank of the Saint John River. When spring came, more Loyalists left the new settlement to take up land grants in other areas of the countryside.

When New Brunswick became a separate colony from Nova Scotia in 1784, Ste. Anne's Point became the provincial capital, winning out over Parrtown (present-day Saint John) due to its central inland location meaning it was less prone to American attack from the sea. A street plan was laid out to the west of the original townsite, King's College (now the University of New Brunswick) was founded, and the locale was renamed "Frederick's Town", in honour of the second son of King George III of the United Kingdom, Prince Frederick Augustus, Duke of York. The name was shortened to Fredericton shortly after the city became the official provincial capital of New Brunswick on April 25, 1785. Thus, in a period of less than three years, the area of Fredericton went from being a sparsley populated region to being the capital of the new colony of New Brunswick.

The same attributes that made Fredericton the capital city also made it an ideal spot for a military installation. Many of the original military buildings downtown still stand, and are now tourist attractions.

A building was constructed to house the provincial legislative assembly in 1788, but it was destroyed by a fire in 1880. Two years later, the present Legislature Building was constructed.

Nineteenth and twentieth century

In 1848, Christ Church Cathedral (part of the Church of England) was built, allowing Fredericton to achieve city status.

A Maliseet settlement, today called the St. Mary's First Nation, was founded on the north side of the river in 1847. However, St. Mary's saw its initial allocation reduced as Fredericton grew and surrounded it.

Until Devon (a town incorporated in 1917 after the merger of the villages of St. Mary's Ferry and Gibson) was amalgamated with Fredericton in 1945, the corporate limit of the city of Fredericton was restricted to the south side. The postwar period (until the end of the 1970s) saw a growth in Fredericton's population - and the development of the flat area along with the establishment of bedroom communities such as New Maryland. This was due to the growth of the provincial government and the universities.

In 1973, the city annexed several bedroom communities, such as Nashwaaksis, Marysville, Barker's Point, and Silverwood. Although all of these names are still in common use, references to simply the "north side" or the "south side" (with the Saint John River being the dividing line) are generally used by local residents.

Historic Marysville

One of the communities annexed to Fredericton in 1973, Marysville, has a unique and distinctive history of its own. Marysville is located on the Nashwaak River - a tributary of the Saint John River - just North of pre-1973 Fredericton. The community is distinguished by its 19th century Mill and historic buildings which include nineteenth century company houses and buildings which are patterned after that of many British industrial towns.

Marysville can be described as a prime example of a nineteenth century mill town. In the 1830s, a saw mill was built on the site of Marysville by two local entrepreneurs. However, the saw mill frequently changed ownership and never showed a profit. It was Alexander Gibson (popularly referred to as "Boss Gibson") who turned this situation around and built a prosperous industrial town. In 1883, under the direction of Gibson, construction began of a Cotton Mill which was state of the art for its time. "Boss" Gibson named the company town, that grew up around the Mill, Marysville in honour of his wife.

In 1908, having faced financial problems, Gibson sold the Mill to a Montreal-based company which, in turn, sold it to Canadian Cottons Ltd. After WWII, foreign competition devastated the Mill's business and it ceased operations in 1954. There were numerous attempts to re-open the Mill however, in 1980, it closed its doors permanently.

The Mill was renovated and re-opened in 1985 as provincial government offices. The Mill still remains the dominant feature in the Marysville skyline.

Neighbourhoods

The City of Fredericton is bisected by the Saint John River - this creates distinctive regions of the city characterized as "The Northside" and the "Southside."

The Southside is characterized by a downtown core consisting of provincial government departments, historical buildings, and numerous business establishments, banks, and law firms. Downtown also hosts many of the city's cultural attractions such as The Playhouse, the York-Sunbury Museum, and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, to name a few. Many notable historical buildings are also located in or near downtown, including many grand Victorian-era residences, the Provincial Legislature Building, and Christchurch Cathederal. South of downtown the city's elevation rises along a gently sloping hill (part of the river valley feature of the city where there is another sloping hill on the Northside). This "Hill area" of the city consists of many middle to upper income neighbourhoods, leading some to dub it "sirloin hill" or "mortgage hill", in reference to the higher housing costs.

The "Hill Area" also includes an area known as "College Hill", where the adjoining campuses of the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University are located, slightly southeast of the downtown area. South of the universities is the Doctor Everett Chalmers Hospital, the main hospital serving central/western New Brunswick. East of the universities is the Skyline Acres/Southwood Park area - a growing suburban district of the city. Further east - on the eastern city limits - is the Industrial Park consisting of box stores, wholesalers, and warehouses.

Southwest of downtown, in the Hill area, is a large preserved forested area - O'Dell Park. Its trails and wooded areas are a favourite for hiking, jogging and cross country skiing for city residents. West of the park is the Hanwell Road, Golf Club Road, and Silverwood neighbourhoods consisting largely of suburban residences.

South of the "Hill Area" - where it plateaus, is a sizeable shopping district consisting of two Malls - The Fredericton Mall and The Regent Mall as well as numerous other retail outlets.

The City's "Northside" consists of several boroughs which were at one time separate communities. These include Devon, Nashwaaksis, Marysville and Barker's Point. These communities are largely suburban neighbourhoods and retail outlets. Union Street, which runs just north of the Saint John River includes numerous retail outlets as well as an eclectic array of businesses including IT firms, law firms, and real estate agents, among others. Also located on the Northside is the Brookside Mall - one of Fredericton's major retail outlets.

Also on the northside is Marysville which is Canada's only intact British-style Mill town. Built in the 19th century under the direction of mill owner and businessman Alexander "Boss" Gibson, Marysville grew into a prosperous Mill town with an ideal location along a tributary of the Saint John River. Marysville still retains many British style dwellings as well as the original Mill which has since been converted to provincial government offices. [1]

The Northside is also home to the Saint Mary's First Nation Aboriginal reserve, which includes a community centre and a shopping centre along with private residences. During the Christmas season, residences of the Saint Mary's First Nations sport some of the most colourful and creative decorations in the city.

Climate and geography

Fredericton: Average Temperature and Precipitation Breakdown by month
Month	Precipitation mm	Temperature (Low Â°C)	Temperature (High Â°C)	Temperature (Daily Mean Â°C)\|-
Jan	92.1	-14.8	-3.8	-9.3
Feb	76.2	-13.9	-2.2	-8.0
Mar	79.4	-7.7	2.7	-2.5
Apr	82.8	-1.1	9.5	4.2
May	84.2	4.4	17.2	10.8
Jun	84.2	9.5	22.5	16.0
Jul	85.3	12.9	25.6	19.2
Aug	87.8	11.8	24.4	18.1
Sep	89.5	6.8	19.4	13.1
Oct	94.6	1.6	13.0	7.3
Nov	101.3	-3.1	5.8	1.3
Dec	97.1	-11.5	-1.5	-6.5
Year	1060.2	-0.3	11.1	5.3

Fredericton is located in the middle of the Saint John River valley, with most of the city's post-war suburban development occurring on gently sloping hills on either side of the river, although the downtown core is flat and lies low to the river.

At an altitude of approximately 17 metres above sea level, the city of Fredericton is embedded in the Pennsylvanian Basin and it contrasts markedly from the geologically older parts of the province. Roughly, there are two distinct areas in the region that are divided around Wilsey Road, in the east end of the city. In one area the underlying bedrock is topographically dominant whereas the other is controlled by Pleistocene and recent deposits leading to the rivers in the area being shallow and wide.

Fredericton and its surroundings are rich in water resources, which, coupled with highly arable soil, make the Fredericton region ideal for agriculture. The Saint John River and one of its major tributaries, the Nashwaak River, come together in Fredericton. The uninhabited parts of the city are heavily forested.

Fredericton enjoys a mild climate compared to most of Canada, although its location away from the coastline means it is more prone to extreme temperatures than most other major cities in Atlantic Canada. The average January low temperature is -15Â°C; while the average high in July and August is 26Â°C. [2]

The city gets a fair amount of precipitation, although major paralyzing snow and rain storms such as blizzards and hurricanes are uncommon compared to more coastal cities like Moncton or Halifax (but do happen on occasion). On average, Fredericton receives approximately 1100 mm of precipitation per year. Snowfall is common between late November and early April, and snow usually stays on the ground beginning in December. Flooding occurs during the spring of most years on area rivers and affects the city's low lying neighbourhoods.

Education and research

Universities and colleges

Looking down the hill from UNB towards downtown and the Saint John River

Fredericton's status as an educational centre is evident in the city's two degree granting universities: the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University.

The University of New Brunswick - commonly abbreviated UNB - was founded in 1785 and - along with the University of Georgia - is the oldest public university in North America. Built in 1826, UNB's Old Arts Building is the oldest university building still in use in Canada. UNB also houses Renaissance College which is a leading elite leadership training institution in New Brunswick. UNB houses a Faculty of Law which is one of two Anglophone common-law schools in Atlantic Canada.

Saint Thomas University is the province's only Catholic university and has been located in Fredericton since 1964, when it moved from its Chatham, New Brunswick campus. Saint Thomas University - commonly abbreviated as STU - is a leading liberal arts university that boasts programs in gerontology, criminology, journalism, social work, native studies, and education.

Adding to Fredericton's cultural and artistic life is the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design which houses the province's leading programs in photography and visual arts. The New Brunswick Community College maintains a campus in Fredericton providing two year degree programs oriented to quick entry into the job market.

Fredericton is also home to a small Pentecostal College, the Northeastern Christian College, located on the city's northside. This college trains and certifies pentecostal Ministers.

School system

Fredericton is home to two public high schools. Fredericton High School, which was once the largest school in the Commonwealth of Nations, primarily serves students on the south side. It is also one of the oldest public highschools in Canada tracing its beginnings to 1785 - having celebrated its bicentennial in 1985. Fredericton High School is home to several important sports teams - including basketball, hockey, soccer, and football - which dominated New Brunswick provincial highschool sports championships during much of the 1980s and 1990s.

Leo Hayes High School, which opened in 1999, serves north side students. In addition, there are four middle schools, fourteen elementary schools and three private schools in the city. A recent issue with middle schools in the city has been the location of George Street Junior High and Albert Street Junior High close to the city centre. This fails to account for the city's changing demographic - which has seen the growth of suburban neighbourhoods. Recent discussions have involved possibly closing down either George Street Junior High or Albert Street Junior to replace them with a suburban Junior High School - possibly to be located in Skyline Acres in the Eastern part of the City.

Fredericton is also serviced by the French language Ecole Sainte Anne which provides K-12 French language education. Ecole Sainte Anne is administered by a school district system separate from that which governs the English language schools in the city.

Research

Fredericton hosts several major research centres - dealing with policy development, agriculture, forestry, and engineering. These research institutions are connected to the City's two universities as well as the provincial and federal government.

The Hugh John Flemming Forestry Centre (including Provincial and Federal Departments) is the leading forestry research centre in Atlantic Canada. This Centre carries out major research endeavours in forestry management and scientific research. The Centre closely collaborates with the Forestry Department at the University of New Brunswick which is one of the top Forestry Departments in Canada. As well, research and development in agriculture and crop development is carried out at the Agricultural Research Station in Lincoln.

The University of New Brunswick is the site of several major research centres in social science, forestry, geomatics and biomedical engineering, and policy devlopment. These include the Centre for Conflict Studies, which carries out research on military and strategic issues and the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, which carries out multi-disciplinary research on family violence issues. Furthermore, the Institute of Biomedical Engineering has completed groundbreaking work on prosthetic limbs to aid war amputees in developing countries.

As well, the city's growing IT sector has been the basis for new research on IT and computer programming development, including the October 2002 opening of the National Research Council of Canada Institute for Information Technology â€" e-Business facility, located on the University of New Brunswick campus.

Economy

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the lumber industry - with corresponding mills - were a primary sector of Fredericton's economy. Over the course of the 20th century, these industries declined and gave way to the provincial government and the universities being the primary employers in the city.

The policies of centralizing provincial government functions during the 1960s under New Brunswick Premier Louis Robichaud -along with the expanded role of the public sector characteristic of the 1960s/70s - led to a sizeable expansion of the city's population. It was during these decades that the Hill area on the city's Southside was largely developed and bedroom communities such as New Maryland emerged.

The 1960s also saw an expansion of the University of New Brunswick - due to increased post-war university enrollments - as well as the construction of the Fredericton campus of Saint Thomas University. Also contributing to this expansion was the move of the Law School to the Fredericton area. This expansion of the post-secondary sector also contributed to Fredericton's population growth during the 1960s and 1970s. Since then, the city's population has continued to grow though at a slower rate due to slower growth of the government sector - along with hiring freezes and in some cases layoffs - during the Frank McKenna and Bernard Lord governments.

In recent years, increased student enrollments at the city's universities have led to greater demand for rental property. This has led to the construction of new university residences and apartment buildings in the city and increased rates of rent - making them the highest rental rates in the province.

It is due to the predominance of the universities and government in the city, that Fredericton has not been subjected to the severe economic fluctuations faced by other Atlantic Canadian cities that have had to deal with mill shutdowns and the decline of the fishing industry in recent decades. It is for this reason that Fredericton is one of the few Atlantic Canadian cities, along with Moncton and Halifax, Nova Scotia that has actually reported a population increase in recent years.

Lately, the city has also tried to entice technology firms, with mixed success. Several local IT companies have specialized in e-Learning services making Fredericton an e-Learning hub of sorts in the spirit of Smartforce (a homegrown e-learning company which saw major downsizing after its heyday in the dot-com era, and was later renamed SkillSoft.)

The city has been investing actively in IT infrastructure. The City of Fredericton was recently the winner of the "Judges Innovation Award" at the 2004 C.I.P.A. (Canadian Information Productivity Awards) due to their "Fred-eZone" free municipality wide WiFi network initiative. This and other innovations by the city's utelco, e-Novations, led world-leading technology company Intel to do a case study on their successes. Fred-eZone spans much of the city's downtown and parts of surrounding residential areas, as well as peripheral commercial areas such as Fredericton's Regent Mall.

Recently, the New Brunswick government has been seeking to attract more immigrants to the province (and consequently the Fredericton area) to increase the labour force and compensate for an aging population.

Culture

The Beaverbrook Art Gallery

Due to the presence of the two universities, Fredericton is more cosmopolitan than many cities its size. This is reflected in cuisine offered by local ethnic restaurants (which include Brazilian, Caribbean, Chinese, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Lebanese, Mexican, and Pakistani foods). There are also several retail outlets that sell ethnic products and artifacts.

Fredericton is an important cultural centre of the region featuring art galleries, the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, museums and theatres which promote local artistic and literary talent.

Architecturally, Fredericton spans more than two centuries. The city features an eclectic mix of buildings and residences ranging from classical Victorian style to modern office buildings and architecture. Fredericton's skyline is also distinguished by many historic churches.

Arts

The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, a prestigious art gallery on the south bank of the Saint John River, is New Brunswick's provincial art gallery and maintains a collection of considerable quality. For example, it has some paintings by Salvador Dali. The gallery was established and built in 1958 by British press baron Lord Beaverbrook as a gift to his native province where he was born and grew up. Gallery 78, located across the street, features works by local artists.

The Fredericton Playhouse hosts plays and musicals throughout the year, and acts as the home base of Theatre New Brunswick (TNB) â€" the province's largest stage troupe. The Playhouse also hosts visiting comedians and musical performances by Canadian and international artists. Officer's Square serves as a venue for outdoor concerts during the summer, featuring a variety of local and national talent. During the winter, Officer's Square is transformed into an outdoor skating rink.

Every fall Fredericton hosts the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival that transforms the mood of the city's downtown by giving it a Jazz spark. The week-long Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival draws artists from all over North America.

Sports and recreation

There are no professional sports teams in Fredericton, although both universities have extensive athletic programs. The UNB Varsity Reds and St. Thomas Tommies are rivals in most sports, and their hockey games are called the "Battle of the Hill". The American Hockey League was once represented in Fredericton, with the Fredericton Express playing between 1981 and 1988, and the Fredericton Canadiens between 1990 and 1999.

Fredericton has several parks, including Odell Park and Wilmot Park. Killarney Lake and nearby Mactaquac Provincial Park have small beaches which are popular in the summer. Skiing (and snowboarding in recent years) at nearby Crabbe Mountain is also a common winter activity among city residents. There are also several cross-country skiing trails that cross the city.

Fredericton is in the process of constructing two sports and leisure complexes which will have several hockey rinks as well as health club facilities and an indoor track.

Government and politics

NB Legislative Building, seat of New Brunswick Government since 1882

Fredericton City Hall in 2005

Administrative structure

Fredericton has a mayor-council and non-partisan form of government, with the mayor and council serving fixed four-year terms (three years until 2004), and elections held in May. The last election was in 2004. The current mayor is Brad Woodside, who first served from 1986 until 1999 but was re-elected in 2004.

The city is divided into twelve wards (six on each side of the Saint John River), with each ward electing one councillor.

The Boyce Farmers Market, open on Saturday mornings, is a place where municipal, provincial and federal politicians frequently visit to mingle with their electorate - something which has evolved into a political tradition. Local MP Andy Scott is a familiar fixture at the market on most Saturdays.

Municipal politics in Fredericton

The population of Fredericton largely consists of social conservatives - especially on issues regarding gay rights, same sex marriage, pornography/strip clubs/prostitution and abortion. However, there is a large and active gay community in the city as well as two universities that introduce liberal/radical elements into the city's politics. Political life in Fredericton is characterized by this cleavage between social conservatives and social liberals. Radical groups, based at the universities, sometimes hold demonstrations.

Woodside made a controversial decision in 1997 by refusing to proclaim Gay Pride Week. When ordered by the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission - upon complaint by gay rights activists led by Allison Brewer (now leader of the New Brunswick New Democratic Party) and Kim Hill - Woodside whispered the proclamation at a city council meeting. He was then ordered again to proclaim gay pride week audibily which he did. Woodside later quit as mayor to launch an unsuccessful bid as a Liberal candidate in Fredericton North in the 1999 provincial election. In 2004 he entered the mayoral race on the final day of nominations, and defeated incumbent Les Hull and councillor Joel Richardson.

Some notable councillors include the long serving Walter Brown of Ward 5 and Tommy Jellinek of Ward 9; and Deputy Mayor Mike O'Brien of Ward 3.

Fredericton and provincial/federal politics

Fredericton is divided into three provincial legislative districts:
* Fredericton North - represented by Liberal Energy Critic T.J. Burke
* Fredericton South - represented by Progressive Conservative Brad Green
* Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak - represented by Liberal Kelly Lamrock

Provincially, Fredericton elected Progressive Conservatives from 1952 until electoral sweep of the Liberal Party in 1987 when they won every seat in New Brunswick under Frank McKenna. Since then there has been greater political alteration in the provincial electoral landscape in Fredericton.

In 1991, the anti-bilingual Confederation of Regions Party won the riding of Fredericton North (along with several other nearby ridings). In 1999 Progressive Conservatives swept all three Fredericton area seats; however, in 2003, Fredericton-North and Fredericton-Fort Nashwaak returned to the Liberals. [3]

Federally, the city forms most of the riding of Fredericton. This riding was formerly known as Fredericton-York-Sunbury but was redistributed prior to the 1997 general election. From 1957 until 1993 Fredericton returned Progressive Conservatives. However, since 1993, the riding has been represented by Liberal Andy Scott.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census year	Population

1871	6,006
1881	6,218
1891	6,502
1901	7,117
1911	7,208
1921	8,114
1931	8,830
1941	10,062*
1951	16,018
1956	18,303
1961	19,683
1966	22,460
1971	24,254
1976	45,248**
1981	43,723
1991	46,510
2001	47,560
	* Boundary change
	** City amalgamated with surroundings in 1973

The population of City of Fredericton is 47,560 (greater Fredericton 81,346, both per 2001 census), although unofficial reports indicate a number nearer 50,750 (greater Fredericton 84,523) due to the student population which is often not counted in official censuses. Along with Moncton and Halifax, Fredericton is one of three Maritime cities to register a population growth in recent years.

Ethnicity

Fredericton's population is predominately white/caucasian. However, a significant black minority has had a long presence in the city and live primarily in the Barker's Point borough. As well, Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL, was from Fredericton. The largest non-white ethnic group in Fredericton are Aboriginals who live primarily on the Saint Mary's Reserve located on the City's Northside.

The 1960s and 1970s began to see the influx of immigrants of Asian and Middle Eastern descent. However, their numbers still remain small. Since 2000, the city's universities - Saint Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick - have seen a growing number of students from overseas attending. However, this population is not permanent and generally not counted in the census.

The ethnic breakdown of Fredericton is as follows:
*White: 45,555 or 97.4%
*mixed race: 640 or 0.8%
*Chinese: 440 or 0.5%
*Asian: 430 or 0.5%
*Black: 370 or 0.4%
* (single responses only)

Religion

Fredericton is a predominantly Christian city with Protestants forming the largest denomination. The city is notable for its many churches - a high number per capita in comparison to most other Canadian cities. The small Pentecostal Northeastern Christian college is located on the city's Northside. While the Roman Catholic population is not as large, the city does boast the province's only Roman Catholic university - Saint Thomas University. Recent issues at Saint Thomas University have concerned whether the university should adopt a more Catholic character.

Fredericton has a Jewish synagogue, an Islamic mosque, and a Hindu temple as well. The importance of these institutions has been growing in recent years warranting visits by prominent politicians in the area seeking election. Fredericton is also distinguished by a sizeable and active BahÃ¡'Ã community. A Unitarian Fellowship has been serving Fredericton since 1960 as a place for people to find a liberal religious home.

The religious breakdown of Fredericton is as follows:
*52.0% Protestant
*29.6% Roman Catholic
*2.1% other Christian
*1.6% non-Christian
*17.4% non-religious

Language

While a predominately Anglophone city, the civil service has seen an increase in the City's francophone population. This population is serviced by the Centre Communautaire Sainte-Anne (which includes K-12 schooling, a radio station, a public library, and cultural centre). As well, Fredericton is serviced by the francophone church located on Regent Street.

The linguistic breakdown of Fredericton is as follows:
*88.2% English
*6.4% French
*0.4% bilingual
*5.0% other

Media

Television

* Channel 4 (cable 3): CBAT, CBC
* Channel 9 (cable 8): CKLT-1, CTV
* Channel 11 (cable 6): CIHF-1, Global
* Channel 19 (cable 11): CBAFT-10, SRC

Radio

* 1260 AM - CKHJ, country music
* 90.5 FM - CJPN, French language community
* 92.3 FM - CFRK, "Fred FM" classic rock
* 93.3 FM - CIRC, automated local information
* 94.7 FM - CJRI, gospel music
* 95.7 FM - CKTP, mixed format, owned by the St. Mary's First Nation
* 96.5 FM - CIXN, "Joy FM" Contemporary Christian music
* 97.9 FM - CHSR, University of New Brunswick & St. Thomas University campus/community radio
* 99.5 FM - CBZA, CBC Radio One
* 105.3 FM - CFXY, "The Fox" active rock
* 106.9 FM - CIBX, "Capital FM" adult contemporary

CBC Radio Two and both Radio-Canada services (La PremiÃ¨re ChaÃ®ne and Espace musique) are provided from transmitters in Saint John. Other stations from Saint John and Presque Isle, Maine can also be heard in Fredericton.

Print

The Daily Gleaner is published Fredericton as a daily and there are also three weekly newspapers available. The Telegraph-Journal, based in Saint John, publishes a provincial edition and has a bureau in Fredericton. Furthermore, the students at Saint Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick both publish their own weekly papers - The Aquinian and The Brunswickan respectively - that are distributed in public areas on campus and in the city in general. In recent years, Fredericton has seen a growth in alternative and independent media newspapers.

Transportation

Airport

Air service is provided out of the Greater Fredericton Airport, located approximately 15 kilometres east of downtown in Lincoln. It is served by two airlines: Air Canada (which operates direct flights to Toronto, Montreal and Halifax), and Delta Air Lines (which has two return flights a day to Boston, Massachusetts).

Public transit, roads, highways, rail services

Fredericton Transit provides public transportation six days a week in the city

There is no rail service into Fredericton. Passenger service was cancelled in the 1980s and freight service stopped in 1995. All railway tracks have been torn up. Fredericton is served by Acadian inter-city bus lines which provides bus transit services to cities in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States.

Fredericton is located just off the Trans-Canada Highway, which bypasses it to the south. Highways 7 and 8 (the latter being a former alignment of the Trans-Canada) connect to the city itself. Two highway bridges, the Westmorland Street Bridge and the Princess Margaret Bridge, connect the two sides of the Saint John River. Those bridges both feed into high-speed controlled-access roads (Highways 8 and 105 serving the city's north side. The city's highway system is mostly complete, and traffic jams rarely occur.

There are some issues with heavy traffic on Regent Street which connects Fredericton to the bedroom community of New Maryland. Traffic does become heavy and slowed during evenings when government employees are returning home from work. However, Regent Street has been expanded to four lanes in many areas to combat problems of clogged traffic.

Streets in downtown follow a grid pattern. In residental areas of downtown, some neighbourhoods are traffic-calmed and include traffic circles at intersections to slow the speed of cars and discourage thoroughfare traffic. Northumberland Street and Odell Avenue have adopted speedbumps to slow fast moving traffic. The pattern of streets in the rest of the city varies including straight thoroughfares (such as Smythe Street, Prospect Street and Regent Street), to curved streets and cul-de-sacs in primarily residental areas.

Fredericton Transit provides bus transit service to most areas of the city. All city buses include bike racks in the summer months so that cyclists can take advantage of bus services as well. Furthermore, during the last budget the Federal Government pledged more money towards urban infrastructure - some of this money will go towards upgrading Fredericton's bus transit system.

Fredericton is also serviced by several cab companies.

Fredericton trail system

When railway service to Fredericton was discontinued in the 1990s, the railway tracks in Fredericton were replaced with walking and biking trails. In 1997, the old train bridge was converted into a walking bridge. The trail system - which is used by residents for walking, biking, and jogging now runs along the south side and most of the north side of the Saint John River, as well as along the Nashwaak River which is a tributary. These trails boast scenic vistas along the river as well as a mix of urban and wooded/natural scenery.

The trail system in Fredericton is part of the larger Trans-Canada trail network.

Attractions

Historical buildings and museums

* Beaverbrook Art Gallery
* New Brunswick Provincial Legislature
* Old Government House
* Historic Garrison District
* York-Sunbury Museum
* Boyce Farmers Market
* Christ Church Cathedral
* New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame
* Gallery 78
* Science East
* Loyalist Cemetery
* Old Burial Ground
* Sir Howard Douglas Hall (Old Arts Building)

Parks and public spaces

Fredericton contains numerous public parks featuring preserved forest lands - such as O'dell Park - along with a botanical garden, and areas for picnics and family recreation. Furthermore, Fredericton features tree lined streets and elm trees in particular which have earned the city its nickname "The City of Stately Elms." Fredericton's parks and public spaces include:
* The Green - along the banks of the Saint John River featuring biking/walking trails, a soccer field, picnic areas, and the Lighthouse which is a restaurant/tourist attraction.
* Odell Park - features preserved forested areas and trails, as well as recreational spaces for picnics and outdoor gatherings, adjacent to the Fredericton botanical gardens.
* Kings Landing Historical Settlement (located in Prince William) - historical recreation of 19th century village. Consists of houses and buildings that were moved to this location to avoid permanent flooding upon construction of the Mactaquac Hydro-electric dam.
* Mactaquac Provincial Park (located in Mactaquac) - beaches
* Kingswood Park
* Killarney Lake Park - beaches and picnic spots as well as nature trails
* Wilmot Park - recreational park in downtown featuring wading pool, playground, and family oriented activities.
* Queen Square Park
* Officer's Square - Venue for outdoor concerts and skating rink in the winter.

References

* Dallison, Robert L. "A Tour of Boss Gibson's Marysville: A Nineteenth Century Mill Town." Fredericton Heritage Trust, 1991.

* Hachey, Philip Osmond "The geology and ground water of the Fredericton district." UNB Thesis, 1955.

* McIntyre, Glen, Bruce Oliver and Bob Watson, "A Valuable and Important Place - Fredericton's Loyalist Origins 1783." A Fredericton Historical Research Project, 1983.
* History of Christchurch Cathedral

External links

Fredericton, New Brunswick: Encyclopedia BETA

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