Fredericton is the capital of the New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city; it is the dominant natural feature of the area. One of the main urban centres in New Brunswick, the city had a population of 56,224 in the 2011 census.  It is the third-largest city in the province after Saint John and Moncton.

The first European contact was by the French in the late 17th century. Joseph Robineau de Villebon received a land grant and was appointed governor of Acadia. In 1783, United Empire Loyalists were settled in Ste. Anne’s Point after the American Revolution, having left their properties in the United States. They were granted land in compensation in British North America by the Crown.  When New Brunswick became a separate colony from Nova Scotia in 1784, Ste. Anne’s Point became the provincial capital, winning out over Parrtown (present-day Saint John) due to its central inland location. This made it less prone to American attack from the sea. A street plan was laid out to the west of the original townsite, King’s College (now the University of New Brunswick) was founded, and the locale was renamed “Frederick’s Town”, in honour of the second son of King George III of the United Kingdom, Prince Frederick Augustus, Duke of York. The name was shortened to Fredericton shortly after the city became the official provincial capital of New Brunswick on 25 April 1785.

An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities, the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the Fredericton Region Museum, and The Playhouse, a performing arts venue. The city hosts the annual Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, attracting regional and international jazz, blues, rock, and world artists. Fredericton is also an important and vibrant center point for the regions top visual artists, many of New Brunswicks notable artists live and work there today. Fredericton has also been home to some great historical Canadian painters as well including, Goodridge Roberts, Molly and Bruno Bobak.