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fiendishlibrarian
Guest
Anyone here familiar with the University of New Brunswick (St. John campus)? Looks like I may interview for a position there.
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shawnmicallef
Guest
St. John is a nice hilly town. Lately i've been wearing a scarf that is New Brunswick tartan. I don't know anything about UNB.
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canarob
Guest
I’m very familiar with UNB's Saint John campus (UNBSJ) as I’m a graduate and my dad is a prof there.
UNBSJ is still a bit of a poor cousin to the larger, more established Fredericton campus; however, it is stronger in a number of areas such as business and nursing, to name a few. It has been trying to get a med school for years (it was built next to a hospital for this reason) and has been growing pretty steadily.
The number of foreign students as a percentage of the student body has increased dramatically over the last few years (mostly from China). People are inevitably pretty surprised at how international the school has become given its location.
The location, overlooking the St. John River, is pretty, but the campus is very unremarkable architecturally. The best thing about the buildings is that they are all connected by underground tunnels.
In terms of the library, it’s pretty small and I have heard in the past that there were plans to expand, but this may have just been rumour. The staff seemed pretty friendly the last time I was there about 5 years ago.
Saint John does have an interesting old Victorian downtown (referred to as uptown; nothing is referred to as downtown in SJ), but UNBSJ is nowhere near it. There have been proposals to start an uptown campus, but I don’t think anything is moving forward. The school is in Milledgeville, which is a good 20 minute drive or 30 minute bus ride away. Milledgeville has a bit of a student ghetto, but is very car-oriented. You really need a car here as the rocky topography has led to the city being spread out pretty awkwardly.
As far as actually living in Saint John, I can give you so pros and cons. The pros would be a very low cost of living (some of the lowest housing prices in all of Canada); friendly people and decent pubs; lots of nature, as you are only 20 minutes from pure wilderness; and, for most people, a more laid-back lifestyle than you could have in one of the big cities.
As for cons, the biggest would probably be the industrial nature of the city. It has the largest oil refinery in Canada, a large pulp and paper mill and a giant liquid natural gas plant is now being constructed. I should mention that the first two are pretty much right in the city, so there have been issues with air quality and odour. The other big employers are Aliant (Bell) and more call centres than you could possibly imagine for a metro of only about 125,000.
Another big issue is poverty and its associated social ills. From Stats Can: the average income in Saint John’s poorest neighbourhoods is about $20,000, which puts Saint John in the bottom five across the country; the unemployment rate in those neighbourhoods is 23 per cent, tied with Saskatoon for the highest rate; and more than 25 per cent of the people in these neighbourhoods are on government assistance.
Other issues include a declining population, a very limited dating scene and distance from major cities.
The weather is a bit hit or miss. The summers are very nice as it rarely gets above 30 and there is less humidity, but the winters are pretty harsh and there are many VERY foggy days.
Not to be picky, Shawn, but it’s written as Saint John to distinguish it from St. John's. It’s further confused by the fact that the St. John River uses the abbreviation of saint as well.
Anyways, hope this was helpful and let me know if you need any more info.
UNBSJ is still a bit of a poor cousin to the larger, more established Fredericton campus; however, it is stronger in a number of areas such as business and nursing, to name a few. It has been trying to get a med school for years (it was built next to a hospital for this reason) and has been growing pretty steadily.
The number of foreign students as a percentage of the student body has increased dramatically over the last few years (mostly from China). People are inevitably pretty surprised at how international the school has become given its location.
The location, overlooking the St. John River, is pretty, but the campus is very unremarkable architecturally. The best thing about the buildings is that they are all connected by underground tunnels.
In terms of the library, it’s pretty small and I have heard in the past that there were plans to expand, but this may have just been rumour. The staff seemed pretty friendly the last time I was there about 5 years ago.
Saint John does have an interesting old Victorian downtown (referred to as uptown; nothing is referred to as downtown in SJ), but UNBSJ is nowhere near it. There have been proposals to start an uptown campus, but I don’t think anything is moving forward. The school is in Milledgeville, which is a good 20 minute drive or 30 minute bus ride away. Milledgeville has a bit of a student ghetto, but is very car-oriented. You really need a car here as the rocky topography has led to the city being spread out pretty awkwardly.
As far as actually living in Saint John, I can give you so pros and cons. The pros would be a very low cost of living (some of the lowest housing prices in all of Canada); friendly people and decent pubs; lots of nature, as you are only 20 minutes from pure wilderness; and, for most people, a more laid-back lifestyle than you could have in one of the big cities.
As for cons, the biggest would probably be the industrial nature of the city. It has the largest oil refinery in Canada, a large pulp and paper mill and a giant liquid natural gas plant is now being constructed. I should mention that the first two are pretty much right in the city, so there have been issues with air quality and odour. The other big employers are Aliant (Bell) and more call centres than you could possibly imagine for a metro of only about 125,000.
Another big issue is poverty and its associated social ills. From Stats Can: the average income in Saint John’s poorest neighbourhoods is about $20,000, which puts Saint John in the bottom five across the country; the unemployment rate in those neighbourhoods is 23 per cent, tied with Saskatoon for the highest rate; and more than 25 per cent of the people in these neighbourhoods are on government assistance.
Other issues include a declining population, a very limited dating scene and distance from major cities.
The weather is a bit hit or miss. The summers are very nice as it rarely gets above 30 and there is less humidity, but the winters are pretty harsh and there are many VERY foggy days.
Not to be picky, Shawn, but it’s written as Saint John to distinguish it from St. John's. It’s further confused by the fact that the St. John River uses the abbreviation of saint as well.
Anyways, hope this was helpful and let me know if you need any more info.
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fiendishlibrarian
Guest
Wow, thanks canarob, I really appreciate the input.
Well, maybe I'll at least interview and see what happens. It's not like I'll be losing the jobs I have, just that a full-time gig at one place would be a nice change. Not sure yet what I'll do. Thanks again for the info though.
Hmm, sounds like York only bigger. I'm used to that at least.The location, overlooking the St. John River, is pretty, but the campus is very unremarkable architecturally. The best thing about the buildings is that they are all connected by underground tunnels
Did a quick search, and it looks like the campus is around 3000 students, so I have to wonder if I can get used to that, given that York has 50k or thereabouts, and UTSC is approaching 10K.In terms of the library, it’s pretty small and I have heard in the past that there were plans to expand, but this may have just been rumour
That's what I feared. I have a car now but I really don't know if I want to hold onto it. Then again, if the housing costs are as low as you say, I can probably get by fairly well.You really need a car here as the rocky topography has led to the city being spread out pretty awkwardly
Don't get me started on THAT topic. The other things you mentioned sound kind of dreary too.a very limited dating scene
Well, maybe I'll at least interview and see what happens. It's not like I'll be losing the jobs I have, just that a full-time gig at one place would be a nice change. Not sure yet what I'll do. Thanks again for the info though.
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canarob
Guest
No problem....
Here are some stats that may be useful:
Population (2005):
126,600 Saint John Census Metropolitan Area (CMA)
Regional catchment and commuter population of 175,000
Workforce (2004 annual averages):
Labour force 66,700
Unemployment rate 7.9%
Annual post-secondary graduates 1,200
Cost of living (2004):
Average house price $116,836
Average apartment rent (2 Bdm) $ 520
Rental vacancy rate 5.8%
Income (2001 Census):
Median personal Income $28,817
Median family Income $50,163
Consumer price index (2004) 124.0
Climate:
Mean daily temperature (July) 17�Celsius / 62.6�Fahrenheit
Mean daily temperature (January) -7�Celsius / 19.4�Fahrenheit
Precipitation, annual 1,434 mm (average monthly = 119.5 mm)
Hours of sunshine, annual 1,895
Here are some stats that may be useful:
Population (2005):
126,600 Saint John Census Metropolitan Area (CMA)
Regional catchment and commuter population of 175,000
Workforce (2004 annual averages):
Labour force 66,700
Unemployment rate 7.9%
Annual post-secondary graduates 1,200
Cost of living (2004):
Average house price $116,836
Average apartment rent (2 Bdm) $ 520
Rental vacancy rate 5.8%
Income (2001 Census):
Median personal Income $28,817
Median family Income $50,163
Consumer price index (2004) 124.0
Climate:
Mean daily temperature (July) 17�Celsius / 62.6�Fahrenheit
Mean daily temperature (January) -7�Celsius / 19.4�Fahrenheit
Precipitation, annual 1,434 mm (average monthly = 119.5 mm)
Hours of sunshine, annual 1,895
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andreapalladio
Guest
UNBSJ is unkindly (if accurately) known as Tucker Park High among those of us who attended the real UNB an hour upriver.
Saint John smells, is damp, and the sun never shines in the summer (Saint John tan is a New Brunswickism for pasty white skin).
Saint John smells, is damp, and the sun never shines in the summer (Saint John tan is a New Brunswickism for pasty white skin).
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interchange42
Guest
My Nova Scotia relatives refer to Saint John as the armpit of the Maritimes. Just so you know...
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