My head usually comes out of my ass a long way before I reach Edmunston. Usually somewheres between Plaster Rock and Woodstock. I don’t get your scales comment, being a godless heathen from Ontario and all.
Um… sorry, but not quite everything in my OP was sarcastic. On the other hand, some of the more inflammatory comments (especially the lame inbreeding stuff – but come on, do you really think there are more than 3 degrees of freedom here… everyone does know everyone) were. I do find the bureaucracy in New Brunswick to be much more pernicious than I have seen in Ontario or even Quebec. I genuinely think the government of New Brunswick is inefficient and riddled with nepotism – they want to build a toll highway from Freddy to Moncton, know damn well the feds aren’t going to pony up 50% of the dough since it is a toll highway, then the government goes ahwead and builds it and whines about how the feds should give them more money. Maybe they should, but a little foresight, y’know?
Freddy is beyond any shadow of a doubt a very cliquish town, and while I like the many Maritimers I know there, I think this still is true in spades. You think a town of this size could have a decent seafood restaurant or decent any other type of restaurant. You think it could manage more than one dance bar. This clearly isn’t typical of the New Brunswickers love of fun. But there is lots of money in Freddy compared to other Eastern places and it is sad the people don’t support these things. Saint John has lots of good restaurants. Saint John, from my experience is considerably more friendly than Freddy too.
I have met a few assholes from Nova Scotia (many assholes from Ontario, many sweet people from Nova Scotia too). I have never met an asshole from New Brunswick, though. Doesn’t really fit the character, can’t even picture it, to be honest. Never met an asshole from the Island either. They’re decent people, I genuinely dislike mocking them. Even with their dulce (gross, but my dad loves it) and chicken bones (WTF?).
The Irvings really piss me off. New Brunswickers deserve a decent minimum wage and they deserve decent work. They deserve to share in the wealth taken from their province. They should pay less for gas and should have better working conditions. I really don’t think people from NB are lazy, but I do think many have a laid back attitude towards work in the same way people from England have a laid back attitude towards work. People from Toronto have a crazy attitude towards work. I don’t usually see this as a bad thing, especially for $5.50/hr!
I think Maine does have a reputation for insularity and concede this may be grossly unfair. Maine people are quality folks.
I think the remarks made about UI and fisheries were unfair. On the other hand, I’m getting sick of hearing people refer to Ontario as “the land of milk and honey”. The gap between the rich and poor is on the whole smaller in Ontario than NB; this is not just due to Onrtario being wealthier – I know a UNB prof who accurately summarizes the province of NB as “private wealth and public squalor”. I think he is right. And I think the people here deserve much better.
