Fredericton
Fredericton
Fredericton, New Brunswick's capital city, is a community of 50,000, located on the banks of the scenic St. John River. The tree-lined streets, stately Victorian-style mansions and plentiful parks make the downtown area, which is only a quick 15 minute walk from St. Thomas, a pleasure to visit and tour. Fredericton is a safe place to study, live and work.
During the academic year, Fredericton's student population grows to 15,000 and the city has much to offer. A fabulous network of walking/biking trails, convenient public transportation and affordable cab fares make getting around the city a breeze. There are four shopping malls and many small downtown shops displaying the work of local artisans and the latest in sports gear and clothing. Every Saturday, the community turns out to enjoy the downtown farmers' market with its fresh produce and flowers, pastries and loaves, international food kiosks, home-style breakfasts, handmade pottery, knits, furniture and jewellery.
In the summer there are free concerts in the park, riverboat cruises, an aquatic centre to rent canoes and kayaks and sidewalk cafes. In the fall and winter there's the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, which attracts world-class musicians from across North America, downhill and cross-country skiing, skating in Officer's Square, galleries, museums and theatre and visiting musicians at the local playhouse.
Climate
Fredericton experiences four distinct seasons. In spite of a winter season in which students will experience freezing temperatures, Fredericton is not a land of perpetual ice and snow!
Summer months (June-August) are warm with temperatures that range from +20 degrees Celsius to +30 degrees Celsius. During the Autumn months (September-November) in Fredericton, students will experience a variety of weather. Some days, especially in September, will be warm at+15. Winter months, January and February, are the coldest months. Snow storms during this time may bring 15-20 cm of snow and temperatures as cold as -20 degrees Celsius. However, average temperature is between -5 and -15.
Many St. Thomas students enjoy winter, with activities such as ice skating, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, winter walking around the city trails and snowmobiling. April and May are Spring months. Temperatures range from +5 degrees Celsius to +18 degrees Celsius. The ground is commonly wet from the melting snow and frequent rainfall. It is important to be prepared for the weather. Life on campus is not significantly affected by cold weather. It is only a short walk between all the buildings at St. Thomas. All buildings have central heating and are well insulated.
Arriving
The province's three major airports (located in Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John) have direct links to international airports in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax. St. Thomas is located 20 minutes from the Fredericton airport. The international code for the Fredericton airport is YFC. Flying time from Toronto is approximately 2 hours; from Boston is approximately 50 minutes; from Montreal is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes; and from Ottawa is approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes.
From the Fredericton bus station, taxis can deliver you to your final destination. Telephone numbers of the taxi companies are listed in the Yellow pages of the telephone directory.