On the Eve ofWar
“When Britain is at war, Canada is at war, there
isnodistinction.”
ThatdeclarationbyPrimeMinisterWilfredLaurier in
1910, four years before the onset of the First WorldWar,
resonated deeplywith the people ofNewBrunswick. For
most, it was keeping faithwith their heritage, their home
and their beliefs. But the comingwar would also catapult
New Brunswickers and all Canadians into a new and
different era.
In 1914New Brunswick was a small province, with
a population of about 371,000 people. Still largely rural
with several urban centres like Saint John, Moncton and
Fredericton, its economydependedheavilyon agriculture.
Many New Brunswickers also engaged in lumbering
andfishing. Shipbuildingwas an important industrywhile
communities such as Chipman and Minto carried out
miningoperations.
Provincial societywas still largely traditional, although
changes were occurring. On the eve of the war most
NewBrunswickers had been born in the province.Many
had descended from English, Scots or Irish immigrants
and were intensely loyal to Britain, while others traced
their roots to Acadian ancestors. At the same time many
young New Brunswickers had begun to move away,
often in search of work, and the overall population was
getting older. Although out-migration was partly offset
by new immigrants, NewBrunswick’s relative decline in
population stood inmarked contrast to the rapid growth
takingplace inmanyotherpartsof thecountry.
Propelled intotheFuture:
NewBrunswickand
theGreatWar
Prepared for theNewBrunswickYouthOrchestra
byBrentWilson
GreggCentre for the Study ofWar and Society,
University of NewBrunswick
