As a province, New Brunswick is doing a damn fine job of keeping the number of new cases of the virus nice and low. I’m not an epidemiologist or a doctor of infectious diseases, but I am a writer and a keen observer of human nature. I think I know why.
Full disclosure: I grew up in Ontario and moved to New Brunswick as quickly as I could, when I was 33. I’ve been here 25 years. This is my home, in a province full of people who sincerely want to do the right thing all the time.
Our biggest advantage is low population density. There are only about 800,000 people in the entire province, and we are largely rural, not closely packed together.
New Brunswickers heed warnings. When a storm is forecasted, school and other events are cancelled, and people stay off the roads.
Family is priority number one. I often meet people who tell me “I’m not from around here.” Right away I’m curious. Could they be from another province or even another country? No, they usually tell me they’re from a small town that half an hour away or somewhere else in New Brunswick. They don’t stray too far away from family. That’s why I thought this Easter weekend would be a real challenge for families longing to get together and celebrate. Instead, they’ve shown their love and concern by staying away.