Fredericton is the capital of the province of New Brunswick and the third largest city in the province after Moncton and Saint John. Fredericton is located along the St. John River, which leads south to the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean and separates the city into two parts. Shopping malls are found along Brookside Drive near the Ring Road and Main Street on the north side of the river, and near the Prospect and Regent Streets area on the south side.
The city’s hospital is located on Priestman Street in the southern half of the city, along with the city’s universities. Apartments are spread across the city, but students will probably want to focus on the southern half of the city near the university campuses, although Fredericton has the highest average rents in New Brunswick, which means renters and students will need to hunt around for the best deal they can get or pay the price for location and amenities.
Fredericton has over 85,000 people and acts as the governmental, cultural, and educational centre for the province, while the larger Moncton is the business centre of the province. University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University both have campuses in the city, while three private universities also make the city home. Fredericton’s school system offers both Anglophone and Francophone schools.
Fredericton has had economic ups-and-downs but remains stable economically since governments and education provided thousands of jobs in the city. Fredericton’s largest employers are, in order, the provincial government, River Valley Health, New Brunswick Power, the local school system, the University of New Brunswick, and the city government which combined provide jobs for 19,500 people. Culturally the city offers museums, theatres, a mix of architecture, two annual music festivals, and a growing film festival. Transportation in the city is generally good with an international airport and public bus service. The city is located on the Trans-Canada Highway but has no rail service.
