FREDERICTON
NEW BRUNSWICK
Community
Profile
•
CANADA
Community
Profile
3
Community Profile
Welcome to the Fredericton Region.......................................... 3
A Perfect Marriage of Beauty and Brains.................................. 4
History............................................................................................. 6
Economic and Population Data.................................................. 8
Location Matters......................................................................... 11
Labour Force................................................................................ 12
Immigration.................................................................................. 16
Leading Edge Technology Infrastructure................................ 18
Commercial Facilities................................................................. 20
R&D Assets................................................................................... 22
Education...................................................................................... 24
Active Life...................................................................................... 27
Climate.......................................................................................... 28
Welcome to
the Fredericton Region
The world is waking up to what’s happening in Fredericton: we were twice listed as one of the world’s
Top Seven Intelligent Communities, named Canada’s Best Micro-City to do business, and took the
crown in 2016 as Canada’s #1 cost-competitive business location.
Our people set us apart. With seven post-secondary institutions within our region, it’s no surprise
we have Canada’s fourth most university-educated population. But even more impactful? Our people
have the longest average job tenure in Canada, saving employers millions in recruitment, training, and
lost productivity.
Our Innovation District, a 2 km radius with 60+ research institutions and labs, produces more than
75% of New Brunswick’s publicly-funded and academic research.
2
We are located in GMT-4.0, North America’s most convenient and cost-effective time zone for doing
business in North America and Europe. And we’re within a short flight or a day’s drive of over 100
million consumers.
World class companies choose to locate here and even our smaller companies consistently punch
above their weight class.
Our region attracts young families, urbanites, entrepreneurs and those who value a cleaner, greener
life. Here, we leave our doors and arrive at work in 15 minutes or less, no matter what mode of
transportation we choose. With all that extra time, our families enjoy world-class cultural assets like
the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival.
Fredericton is a region of the future – sustainable, sophisticated and globally focused.
Let’s talk more.
Mayor Mike O’Brien
City of Fredericton
Mayor Judy Wilson-Shee
Village of New Maryland
Mayor Robert Powell
Town of Oromocto
3
A Perfect Marriage of
Beauty and Brains
Your eye will first be caught by the historic Georgian and Victorian architecture,
crowned by the spire of one of the nation’s finest Gothic Revival cathedrals. The
darkly majestic St. John River will take your breath away as it meanders calmly
and powerfully through the city centre.
But look deeper past the acres of green space, under the canopy of stately elms,
and you’ll discover a pulsing city with one of the most educated, loyal, and driven
labour forces in Canada.
Word is Spreading
Fredericton has been recognized by fDi
Magazine as the #1 Micro-City in North
America for investment and has twice
been named “One of the World’s Top 7
Intelligent Communities.”
KPMG ranked Fredericton #1 in Canada
and the U.S. for business cost (KPMG
– Competitive Alternatives 2016).
You’ll be swept up in a culture of entrepreneurialism so pervasive that it has
produced over $1 billion in start up exits in the past decade.
4
5
You’ll find a city that has been recognized by fDi Magazine as the #1 Micro-City in
North America for investment and has twice been named “One of the World’s Top
7 Intelligent Communities” (Intelligent Communities Forum).
In Fredericton, you’ll discover Canada’s first city-wide, free wireless network and
one of the highest quality and best value fibre-optic telecommunications networks
available anywhere. You’ll find impressive clusters of biotechnology, ICT, natural
resources, and engineering firms that make waves globally. You’ll find a walkable
Innovation District that generates more than 75% of the province’s publicly funded
research.
You’ll see a small city that produces more than 2800 university graduates per
year, taught by some of North America’s most recognized Research Chairs in
engineering, science and technology.
In Fredericton, you’ll find a place that cherishes its past but embraces the future.
You’ll find the charm and ease of life of a small city and the sophistication and
global focus of a major centre.
But most importantly, you’ll experience a kinship and spirit of collaboration that
tells of a people that views your success as a community achievement.
Fredericton is Canada’s
Startup Community
of the Year.
(Startup Canada 2016)
History
The deep waters of the majestic St. John make a natural turn at Fredericton,
carving out the fertile shores and plains that have attracted hunters, farmers,
entrepreneurs and innovators for hundreds of years.
Long before the French or British flags ever flew in our skies, the Maliseet and
Mi’kmaq Indians made the region a seasonal stop for hunting, fishing, and farming.
Queen Victoria
named Fredericton a
Cathedral City in 1845.
French fur traders arrived in 1692, establishing a settlement on the Nashwaak
and St. John rivers. French Acadiens, fleeing from the British expulsion, formed
another settlement in 1732 on the other side of the St. John.
6
The British swept up the St. John River Valley in the tumult of 1758, settling a
few kilometers downriver from today’s city limits. Post American Revolution, more
than 2000 British Loyalists arrived at St. Anne’s Point and began drawing up formal
plans for a town. The area was renamed “Frederick’s Town” in 1785 in honour of
the second son of King George III and declared the capital of the province.
The University of New Brunswick, Canada’s first English-language university,
was established in Fredericton in 1785. It remains one of North America’s oldest
continuously operating educational institutions.
On April 25, 1845, Queen Victoria made Fredericton a Cathedral City despite the
population falling short of the 10,000 required for city status. The consequence
was the stunning Gothic Revival Christ Church Cathedral whose spire still
dominates the skyline today.
Fredericton has grown from a wild fur-trading outpost and seasonal hunting
ground to a thriving cultural, educational, and economic centre. Our elegant
streetscapes and historical charm are the face of Fredericton but our pulse is
driven by our world-leading digital infrastructure, scientific and technological R&D
capacity, and unmatched entrepreneurialism.
7
Economic and Population Data
Total Population
Fredericton CA
and Oromocto
Total Population:
Average Family Income
Total Population
within 100 KM of
Fredericton:
103,500 322,000
StatsCan 2011 Census Data
Fredericton
Moncton
Saint John
New Brunswick
$93,485
Household
Income
$80,500
$86,778
$75,971
$86,295
Top 5
Kingsclear
11.3% 12.0% 10.5%
StatsCan 2011 National Household Survey
$77,226
$68,135
Average Home Prices
Single-Detached New Build
Rent 2-Bedroom Dwelling
Retail Spending
24% Above
Birth Rates Per 10,000
$278K
$176K
$840
Canadian Real Estate Association 2015
Estimated at
national average.
Financial Post 2012
Minimum
Wage
$10.65
City of Fredericton: 113
Oromocto: 140
Lowest Operating Costs
in Canada
New Maryland: 99
New Brunswick: 94
Canada: 109
0
30
60
90
Source: New Brunswick Health Council Community Health Profile
$75,717
MLS Price - Resale
Lincoln
among the healthiest in the province,
with lower rates of heart disease,
diabetes, obesity and smoking.
StatsCan 2011 National Household Survey
Three of the
fastest growing
communities in New Brunswick are
located in the Fredericton region:
City of
Fredericton
Family
Income
Fredericton’s people are
120
2007-2011 New Brunswick Health Council, Community Health Profiles
150
Fredericton, NB
83.3
Halifax, NS
84.5
Charlottetown, PE 83.9
St. John’s, NL
85.4
Montreal, QC
85.2
Toronto, ON
85.6
Winnipeg, MB
84.9
Saskatoon, SK
85.9
Calgary, AB
87.0
Vancouver, BC
86.2
KPMG Competitive Alternatives 2016
9
New Brunswick’s
Capital City
Fredericton businesses have
access to a sphere of influence,
with key government decision
makers readily accessible.
The municipal and provincial
governments work closely
together to ensure Fredericton’s
business eco-system remains
attractive and competitive.
Location Matters
North America’s Most Convenient Time Zone
There’s a reason why export-driven companies thrive in Fredericton. We’re located in GMT -4.0, enabling
businesses to communicate in real time with Europe, Eastern Africa, South America, and all of North
America during standard business hours. No other region can support North American and European
markets as cost-effectively or with the same quality as New Brunswick.
7:00am 8:00am 9:00am 10:00am 11:00am
Noon
1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm
Europe
North America
10
11
Africa
South
America
Within two hours
of 100 million people
Fredericton is located within a two-hour flight or a
day’s drive of over 100 million consumers.
Distance to...
Boston, Massachusetts
Quebec City, Quebec
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Montreal, Quebec
New York, New York
Toronto, Ontario
Land, Air & Sea Transport Links
Fredericton is one hour from New Brunswick’s major deep
sea port, which provides direct sea access to Europe and
the Eastern US.
Situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, Fredericton is
Atlantic Canada’s closest city to I-95—the major NorthSouth corridor for the US Eastern Seaboard.
The Fredericton International Airport (YFC) provides
a number of daily direct flights to Toronto, Montreal,
Ottawa, and Halifax, with service to all major international
destinations.
km
652
500
415
834
1009
1373
miles
407
312
259
521
631
858
ingredient to
“Antheimportant
success of our work is
that all key stakeholders are
very close together. We can
talk to the innovators in the
marketplace, to the leaders at
the university, we can talk to
the leaders of the utility, and
the provincial and municipal
governments. And we can do
it all in one day.
”
Richard Wunderlich, Siemens Canada
Labour Force
Fredericton’s talent pool
Fredericton’s people fuel the economy.
Fredericton’s labour force stands apart from almost all others in Canada. We have
the nation’s 4th most university-educated population. A full 26% of our Millenials and
Generation X residents are bilingual. And our people stay longer in jobs than any other
province in Canada.
Median Commute Times
Labour Force
by Age Group
It’s the stress that doesn’t pay. The longer
the commute, the higher the risk of
increased blood pressure, musculoskeletal
problems, anxiety, and hostility. Fredericton
employees have some of the shortest
commute times in the nation.
Median Age - 2011 Census
12
Canada
New Brunswick
Fredericton
continually refreshes its diversity, skill,
and creativity with influxes of college
and university graduates, immigrants,
and transient workforces.
40.6
43.7
39.3
Fredericton
Source: Statistics Canada 2011 Census Data
Halifax
Montreal
Oshawa
Toronto
13.0 Minutes
20.5 Minutes
29.7 Minutes
31.8 Minutes
32.8 Minutes
Longest Average Job Tenure in Canada
Average Tenure (months) in 2015, all industries.
Canada
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Quebec
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Prince Edward Island
Ontario
Newfoundland & Labrador
British Columbia
Alberta
0
Statistics Canada, Labour Force Historical Review
20
40
60
80
100
120
13
One of Canada’s Most Educated Labour Forces
Above Bachelor’s Degree
No certificate,
diploma, degree
9.7%
15.4%
Bachelor’s Degree
18.6%
Good people make great businesses.
High School
The Fredericton region offers a number of sources for
skilled, educated, and experienced employees.
University Certificate
26.4%
College, CEGEP or
other Non-University
Apprenticeship or
Trade Diploma
3.3%
18.4%
Fredericton’s
Talent Network
Expat
Residents
8.1%
CFB
Gagetown
Source: Statistics Canada 2011 Census Data
Total Labour Force
14
15
Total labour force population aged 15 years and over by
National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2011
All occupations
52,795
100%
0 Management occupations
5,880
11.1%
1 Business, finance and administration occupations
8,590
16.3%
2 Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
4,885
9.3%
3 Health occupations
3,140
5.9%
4 Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services
8,405
15.9%
5 Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport
1,655
3.1%
12,610
23.9%
5,790
11%
8 Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations
860
1.6%
9 Occupations in manufacturing and utilities
965
1.8%
6 Sales and service occupations
7 Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
Existing
Labour Force
(53,000)
Immigrants
+ 6 other
training
colleges
Source: National Household Survey, StatsCan 2011, Fredericton Census Area
Bilingualism
While Canada recognizes
two official languages,
New Brunswick is Canada’s
only official bilingual province.
More than ¼ of Millenials and
Generation X residents
communicate in both French
and English.
Bilingualism by Age Group
+ 2 online
universities
0-19
20-44
25.2% 26.4%
45-64
16%
65+
9.5%
StatsCan 2011 National Household Survey
7
%
of Fredericton’s
population are
immigrants
Immigration
Fredericton attracts
Fredericton welcomes the world. Our region attracts 30% of all New
Brunswick’s immigrants, more than all other communities in the province.
Fredericton’s extensive community resources, education and language
programs, and immigrant-tailored work/entrepreneurship programs ensure
people from all parts of world experience a soft landing in Fredericton.
Top 5 Immigrant Countries of Origin
United Kingdom
United States
South Korea
China
30% of all immigrants
to New Brunswick —
the most of any city in
the province.
Germany
Top 5 Non-Official Languages in Fredericton
16
Korean
Arabic
Chinese
German
Spanish
Immigration Highlights
19 Ethno-Cultural Associations
HIVE: Business incubator to nurture and support
immigrant entrepreneurs
Succession Connect: A program that matches
immigrants with local turnkey businesses.
Business Immigrant Mentorship Program:
Pairing established business people with new immigrant
entrepreneurs to establish networks and provide support
University of New Brunswick: UNB offers immigrantfocused language and business programs
Planet Hatch: Atlantic Canada’s only approved business
incubator for Start up Visas
Fredericton Multicultural Association:
Provides settlement services, language support, and
immigrant-tailored programming
The Cultural Centre: A large multipurpose facility offering
short and long term rental space for cultural groups and
the businesses that support them.
17
Leading Edge
Technology Infrastructure
Digital Product Development Living Lab
Fredericton offers the ideal ecosystem for the development, testing, and launch of next-generation
digital products and services across many sectors. Our high value research capacity, in-market
expertise, sophisticated digital infrastructure, and right-sized market testing arena provide a
strong foundation for R&D operations. Accessibility to key decision-makers and turn-on-a-dime
responsiveness accelerate the development to launch cycle, enabling global players like Siemens
and IBM to get to market faster.
Siemens Smart Grid Development Network
Siemens Canada, NB Power, and UNB jointly launched the Smart Grid
Innovation Network in 2016, a venue to design, develop and test smart
grid related products and services. Aspiring start ups and established
companies design, test, refine, and launch smart grid energy technology
in Fredericton.
18
Fredericton ranked #4
in Canada for best Internet services
(Canadian Internet Registration Authority 2016)
Fredericton has twice been named one of the world’s “Top 7 Intelligent Communities” by the
Intelligent Communities Forum of New York, in large part due to its significant investment in
digital infrastructure.
Fredericton launched Canada’s first free city-wide municipal WiFi network in 2003. Since then,
Fredericton’s municipal telecommunications infrastructure has grown in sync with the needs
of its sophisticated ITC business and research community.
In 2013, Siemens Canada established its Smart Grid Center of Competence in Fredericton,
making the region a global leader in next generation energy technology.
The City of Fredericton created a public
utility to provide best-in-class commercial
internet and fibre services for the business
community at highly competitive rates. With
facilities and customers managed by F6
Networks, GoFred delivers Canada’s best
value commercial internet services, with the
highest speed gigabit service at the lowest
prices in Atlantic Canada. GoFred actively
partners with Fredericton’s business and
research communities, providing a laboratory
and testing environment for internet products
and services. GoFred services include:
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The fastest fibre
money can buy.
At 75% lower
costs.
Fredericton
Canada
Commercial Facilities
Fredericton’s solid inventory of commercial space comes at highly competitive rates — approximately
20% lower than in the United States and 51% lower than other G7 locations. Lease offerings include a
diverse range of spaces in well-planned and conveniently accessible business districts, industrial areas,
and research parks and facilities.
The largest business park
network in the Maritime
Provinces, the RUNWAY
is an 18-km commercial
corridor stretching from the west to the east end
of Fredericton, encompassing four nodes:
• Industrial and Business Parks
• Uptown Commercial District
• Research and Knowledge-based District
20
• Fredericton Airport and Aerospace & Defence
Park (in progress)
Downtown Business District
Downtown Fredericton’s business district offers
cost-competitive Class A, B and C office space in
both modern and heritage facilities, mixed with
restaurants, boutique shopping, cultural facilities,
and high quality accommodations. Queen Street,
the centerpiece of the downtown core, was named
Canada’s greatest street by the Canadian Institute
of Planners in 2012.
Uptown Commercial District
Fredericton’s uptown commercial district is easily
accessible from the highway and is a bustling
area with abundant retail and development space,
including the Uptown Centre, the Regent Mall,
restaurants, banks, hotels, car dealerships and
other goods & services.
Northside Business District
Located across the Saint John River from
Downtown Fredericton, Fredericton North Business
District is home to more than 200 businesses and
is one of the fastest growing commercial districts
in New Brunswick.
Located in the heart of Fredericton’s Innovation
District, the Knowledge Park is a 26-acre campus
with 180,000 square feet of Class A office space
in five state-of-the-art buildings. The area currently
houses more than 40 knowledge companies,
Planet Hatch, Ignite Fredericton, Opportunities
New Brunswick and provides a progressive and
supportive eco-system for start ups and highgrowth companies.
21
Aerospace and Defence Park
Located next to the Fredericton International
Airport (YFC) and in close proximity to Canada’s
largest military training base, the Aerospace and
Defence Park offers prime resources, including
1,000 acres of land available for development
and direct taxiway to the longest runway in New
Brunswick.
Fredericton Industrial Parks
Vanier Industrial Park and the Fredericton Industrial
Park are conveniently located adjacent to arterial
highways, and include a mix of light, general, heavy
and service industrial uses.
Oromocto Business Districts
and Industrial Parks
Oromocto offers a number of highly costcompetitive lease and land purchase options,
including: The Central Oromocto Development;
East Industrial Park; Gateway Business Park; and
Restigouche Road Business Park.
Fredericton offers New Brunswick’s only
knowledge industry technology park, with
180,000 square feet of Class A space on
a 26-acre centrally-located campus.
R&D Assets
Fredericton is the epicentre of research and
development in New Brunswick, with more
than 75% of all publicly-funded research
taking place within the city’s limits. The
cafes, sidewalks and trails of the 2km radius
Innovation District hum as researchers and
entrepreneurs collaborate, innovate, and
commercialize at an impressive rate.
in academic
research funding
(2014)
22
Home to
of province’s
publicly-funded
research
Here are just some of Fredericton’s globallyrenowned research centres and laboratories:
universities
PhDs
granted
annually
research
organizations
training colleges
Over
$1Billion
in technology exits
since 2005
23
Fredericton’s 2 km radius Innovation District houses
two universities, NBCC, 60 research organizations
and multiple funders, start ups, and market leaders.
All within walking distance of each other.
• Canada Institute for
Cyber Security
• Institute for Biomedical
Engineering
• IBM Center for Advanced
Studies
•D
r. Jack McKenzie Limerick
Pulp & Paper Research and
Education Centre
•D
r. J. Herbert Smith
Centre for Technology
Management and
Entrepreneurship
• Information Security Centre
of Excellence
•E
lectronic Commerce
Research & Training Centre
• Canadian Research
Institute for Social Policy
• International Business and
Entrepreneurship Centre
• Canadian Rivers Institute
•P
lanetary and Space
Science Centre
• Centre for Nuclear Energy
Research
• Canadian Centre for
Geodedic Engineering
• Centre for Property Studies
• Construction Technology
Centre Atlantic Inc.
•W
ood Science and
Technology Centre
•R
PC Science & Engineering
•A
tlantic Forestry Centre
1981
CARIS
Dr. Salem Masry
unveils
game-changing
CARIS digital
mapper
1960s
1995
1983
OCEAN FLOOR
NB 1st to use
GIS software to
manage forests
UNB develops
advanced
multi-beam sonar
software to see the
ocean floor
DIGITAL
FOREST
1996
LAND ONLINE
NB 1st to put all
digital mapping
and land
information
online
2001
SPACE PHOTOS
Dr. Yun Zhang
helps the world
see clearly from
space with
UNB-Panfusion
LUNAR MAPPING
UNB maps the moon
for NASA before
Apollo 11
50 years of
geomatics innovation
2015
EARTH IN 3D
Dr. Yun Zhang
releases
3DEarthview
prototype
Education
From pre-school to PhD, Fredericton provides exceptional educational facilities. Two school
districts (French & English) oversee 30 public schools, including three primary and one high
school that operate entirely in French.
Fredericton’s two major universities, the University of New Brunswick (UNB) and
St. Thomas University (STU), share a 47-acre campus known as College Hill that overlooks
the downtown and St. John River valley. UNB, established in 1785, is Canada’s oldest
English language university. STU offers Liberal Arts programs on a picturesque campus
that reflects its Catholic heritage.
The New Brunswick Community College is headquartered in Fredericton and offers 12 fulltime applied learning programs ranging from Mobile Technology Development to Practical
Nurse. The New Brunswick College of Craft and Design delivers Canada’s only postsecondary programs focused exclusively on fine craft and applied design.
24
A number of online and private colleges and training institutions round out Fredericton’s
post-secondary options.
Major Publicly
Funded Institutions
Private and Public
Training Institutions
Canada’s Most
Entrepreneurial University
(Start up Canada)
A Liberal Arts Leader
A National Leader in
Applied Learning and
Research
Canada’s only
college of fine
crafts and
applied design
Online Universities
25
Fredericton, a quintessential
college town, enrolls over 10,000
post-secondary students per year.
Fredericton has
more than 88 km of
linked walk/bike trails
throughout the city,
making active transport
a way of life.
Active Life
Fredericton’s recreation landscape provides four seasons of active
living opportunities. From alpine skiing at the Maritime’s highest
vertical or biking/cross-country skiing on the city’s 88km network
of linked trails, Fredericton is unmatched in New Brunswick for its
recreation infrastructure.
Recreation Highlights
• Currie Centre- a 139,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art athletic and
research facility
• Abony Family Tennis Centre — New Brunswick’s only
indoor tennis facility offering six full courts.
26
• Fredericton YMCA- a 58,000 sq. ft. new construction
featuring lap pool, therapy pool, squash courts, full-service
gym, fitness rooms, gymnasium, and child care facilities.
• Odell Park- 333 acre public green space with arboretum,
playground, cross-country trails, and lodge
• 7 indoor ice skating surfaces and arenas
• 8 local golf courses, including nationally-ranked
Kingswood Golf
• Crabbe Mountain, the Maritime’s highest vertical
• Dozens of kilometres of groomed, maintained crosscountry ski trails
• 88 kilometres of paved/surface gravel bike paths linking
most corners of the city
• Baseball diamonds, basketball and tennis courts located
in major residential areas
• Skateboard parks
• Fertile grounds for hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure
Outdoor Life
900+
154
88km
hectares
of parkland
parks and
playgrounds
of linked
walk/bike trails
27
Climate
Fredericton has four distinct seasons offering snow-covered winter landscapes, lush spring
greenery, warm summer days and vibrant fall forests.
The region’s semi continental climate is influenced by its inland versus coastal location,
resulting in warmer summers and colder winters. The average January low temperature is
-16 °C, while the average high in July is 26 °C.
26°C
2000
average July
high
1100 mm
hours of
sunshine per
year
precipitation
per year
Fredericton Climate Averages
28
J
F
M
A
M
18
J
23
-4
-2
-1
5
A
26
25
S
O
-14
95
73
93
10
13
12
6
7
2
1
-3
-11
86
96
82
88
86
88
Average maximum and minimum temperatures in Celcius.
Precipitation totals in millimetres.
Source: Environment Canada
D
20
-8
-15
N
29
13
10
3
J
Fredericton’s long summer and fall
offer ample opportunity to golf at
one of Canada’s top courses,
Kingswood Golf.
89
106
95
30