Share our similarities; celebrate our differences Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick 11235 Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick Ce guide est aussi disponible en français. Version 3 Revised Spring 2017 Table of contents New Brunswick’s counties 4 City buses 29 Taxis 30 Chapter 1: About New Brunswick 5 Bicycles (bikes) 30 Map 6 Cars 30 Cities 7 Long-distance travel 31 Arts and culture 9 Airplanes 31 Economy 11 Trains 31 Weather 11 Buses and shuttles 31 Shopping 32 Chapter 2: The political system 13 Grocery shopping 32 The three orders of government 13 Second-hand stores 32 Federal – Government of Canada 13 Shopping hours and policies 32 Provincial – Government of Sales tax 32 New Brunswick 14 Keeping up-to-date 33 Municipal government – Daily newspapers 33 your city, town, village or rural area 15 Weekly newspapers 33 Chapter 3: Coming to New Brunswick 17 Internet service 33 What to do before you arrive 17 Television 34 What to do after you arrive 18 Radio 34 The Provincial Nominee Program 20 Chapter 6: Finding a place to live 37 Chapter 4: Help getting started 21 What to look for 37 Immigrant settlement agencies 21 Before moving into a house or an apartment: 37 For entrepreneurs 23 Renting a house or apartment (flat) 37 English-language training 23 Finding a place 37 French-language training 24 If you rent 38 Your rights: 38 Chapter 5: Life in New Brunswick 27 Your responsibilities: 38 Bilingualism 27 If you buy 39 Daylight savings time 27 For what you may qualify: 39 The telephone system 27 Down payment and mortgage insurance 39 Mailing a letter or parcel 28 Finding a home 40 Emergencies 29 Where to start: 40 Transportation 29 Real estate agents 40 This guide was prepared by the Population Growth Division of the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, Government of New Brunswick. The Population Growth Division, working with other branches of the Government of New Brunswick, has made every effort to ensure this publication is as accurate and up-to-date as possible. However, there still be, inadvertently, omissions, errors or inconsistencies for which the Population Growth Division will not be held responsible. The Population Growth Division hopes that all newcomers to New Brunswick will find this guide useful – aware that it is only a guide. So, before making major life decisions, especially (buying a house, for instance), newcomers should get appropriate professional advice (a lawyer, for instance). Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick 1 Making an offer 40 Chapter 10: Money and banking 57 Property tax 40 Canadian money 57 City or country living 41 Opening a bank account 57 If you live in a city: 41 Types of bank accounts 57 If you live outside the city: 41 Chequing 57 Responsibilities of owning a home 41 Savings 57 Chapter 7: Finding work 43 Business accounts 57 Debit cards and automated teller machines (ATMs) 58 Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) 43 Your personal identification number (PIN) 58 Learning English or French for work 43 Depositing 58 International training and international Borrowing 58 credential recognition 44 Credit card 58 Finding a job 44 Lines of credit 59 Employment programs and services 44 Loans 59 Searching a job online 46 Credit 59 How to apply 46 Bankruptcy 60 Doing a job interview 47 Investing 60 Starting a business 47 Savings bonds 60 Commercial real estate 48 Guaranteed income certificates (GICs) 60 Chapter 8: Working 49 Mutual funds 60 About your Social Insurance Number (SIN) 49 Registered retirement savings plan (RRSP or RSP) 60 New Brunswick employment standards and regulations 49 Registered education savings plan (RESP) 60 Public holidays 49 Tax-free savings account (TFSA) 61 Paid public holidays 49 Moving money 61 Maternity and adoption leave 50 Wire transfers 61 Employment Insurance (EI) 50 Western Union 61 To be eligible for EI: 50 Email money transfers 61 Losing your job 51 Money orders 62 WorkSafeNB 51 Banks 62 Canada Pension Plan (CPP) 51 International benefits 63 Income tax 51 Chapter 11: Vehicles and driving 65 Chapter 9: Health care 53 Obtaining a driver’s licence 65 Medical coverage 53 Graduated driver’s licence 65 Tele-Care / Télé-Soins 53 The points system 66 Doctors 54 Driving schools 66 Persons with disabilities 55 Buying a vehicle 66 Emotional health 55 Before you buy, ask 66 Crisis centres (mental health) 56 Price 67 Addiction services 56 Before buying 67 Car loans 67 2 Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick Leasing 67 Lawyers 88 Insurance 67 Legal aid 88 Registration 67 Other lawyers 89 Safety inspections 68 The courts 89 Driving laws 68 Protecting yourself from dishonest people 89 Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol 68 If you are involved in an accident 69 Chapter 16: Faith and religion 91 Places of worship 91 Driving in the winter 69 Hindu Temple 91 Chapter 12: Education 71 Mosques 91 The school system 71 Synagogues 91 Kindergarten to Grade 12 71 English 72 French 72 Chapter 17: Customs in New Brunswick 93 Post-secondary education 73 Families 93 Universities 73 Taking care of children 93 Community colleges 73 The Child Tax Benefit 94 Apprenticeships 74 Holidays and other special days 94 Student loans 75 Other social customs 95 New Brunswick Tuition Rebate Program 75 Chapter 18: Recreation, sport and culture 97 Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) 75 Meeting people 100 Chapter 13: Rights and responsibilities 77 Libraries 101 Your rights and freedoms 77 Appendix A: 103 Children’s rights 78 Essential contact telephone numbers 103 Women’s rights 80 Domestic violence 80 Appendix B 105 Sexual harassment 82 Service New Brunswick centres 105 Senior citizens’ rights 82 Rights of persons with disabilities 83 Service Canada centres 109 Chapter 14: Citizenship and Appendix C: permanent residency 85 Service Canada centres 109 Permanent resident card 85 Becoming a Canadian 85 Appendix D: How to be a good citizen 86 Health-care institutions / services 113 Chapter 15: The legal system 87 Appendix E: The police 87 Community walk-in and after-hours clinics 121 The RCMP 87 Local police forces 87 Dealing with the police 87 Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick 3 New Brunswick’s counties New Brunswick is divided into 15 areas called counties. It is important to learn the name of the county in which you will be living. It will help you find the services and programs that New Brunswick has to offer. 4 Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick Chapter 1 About New Brunswick Did you know that … • New Brunswick is the largest of the three New Brunswick is in eastern Canada, provinces on the east coast of Canada. surrounded by three provinces and one They are called the Maritime provinces or, American state. To the north and west is simply, the Maritimes. The others are Nova Quebec, where French is the official language. Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The Atlantic To the west is Maine, one of the 50 states provinces include the Maritimes and the making up the United States of America. province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The rest of the province is nearly entirely • New Brunswick covers more than 73,000 sq. surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. To the east km (28,000 sq. miles). is the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The warm waters of the Northumberland Strait are between • New Brunswick has a coastline more than New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. 2,000 km (1,400 miles) long. To the south is the beautiful but cold Bay • New Brunswick has eight cities: Bathurst, of Fundy, nearly entirely separating New Campbellton, Dieppe, Edmundston, Brunswick from Nova Scotia Fredericton (the capital), Miramichi, Canada, including New Brunswick, is Moncton and Saint John. connected by a national highway network • New Brunswick has 754,735 people. called the Trans-Canada Highway. The New Brunswick portion consists mainly • New Brunswick is Canada’s only officially of Route 2, which runs more-or-less bilingual province. Its official languages are diagonally from Quebec in the northwest to English and French. Nova Scotia in the southeast. There is also Route 16, which runs from the southeastern corner of New Brunswick, at Route 2 near Sackville, to the famous Confederation Bridge leading to Prince Edward Island. Canada became a country in 1867. New Brunswick was one of the first four provinces to join; the others were Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. The national capital is Ottawa, Ontario. Canada is the second-largest country in the world in terms of area. Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick 5 New Brunswick detailed map Dalhousie Matapédia QUÉBEC Miscou Island 11 Campbellton Île Lamèque Caraquet Shippagan 113 11 17 Saint-Quentin Bathurst Tracadie 185 11 2 Edmundston 8 11 Van Buren Grand Falls/Grand-Sault Chatham Miramichi 2 108 8 1 Plaster Rock 108 109 Richibucto Presque Isle Perth-Andover 11 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Doaktown 126 Bouctouche ÎLE-DU-PRINCE-ÉDOUARD Boistown 2 Hartland 8 Shediac Houlton 15 Woodstock Moncton 15 95 Minto Chipman 16 2 Nackawic 2 Fredericton 10 2 10 Sackville 16 2 2 Amherst 1 2 MAINE 2 Oromocto U.S.A./É.-U. Sussex 104 3 Alma 95 114 McAdam 114 4 NOVA SCOTIA 7 111 NOUVELLE-ÉCOSSE 6 3 1 St. Martins Saint John 111 St. Stephen St. George 1 1 St. Andrews Calais 95 Deer Island Location of settlement services 9 available in the province Campobello Island Grand Manan Island 1 Location of settlement services available in the province. Contact the New Brunswick Multicultural Council for more information, 1-506-453-1091, website www.nb-mc.ca.