New Brunswick FreeProvince Project

Overview

The New Brunswick FreeProvince Project encourages the migration of like-minded Canadians to a relatively small coastal Conservative-voting province of New Brunswick with the goal of restoring, expanding, and preserving liberty. Not pursuing the goal of seceding from Ottawa, the movement advocates for building a vibrant, free-market economy, and increasing New Brunswick’s political and fiscal autonomy.

Inspired by the Free State Project New Hampshire and created in 2021, in part as a response to Canada’s intrusive lockdown policies, the project specifically focuses on influencing the three key policy areas on a provincial level: education, policing, and healthcare. On top of that, individual community members and micro-communities (“liberty pods”) are involved in numerous initiatives, for instance, enhancing school choice options, expanding self-defense rights, protecting free speech and religious freedom, lowering taxes, protecting property rights and the rule of law, and so on.

Strategically, the FreeProvince pursues four goals: inspiring liberty-minded individuals to move to New Brunswick, assisting them with relocation, educating people in the spirit of liberty and the rule of law, and organizing face-to-face events to build a strong community. The project does not promote specific political candidates or parties — instead, it encourages its activists to self-organize in a decentralized, bottom-up manner.

Legal Status

The New Brunswick FreeProvince Project is soon to be incorporated as a not-for-profit organization, a status that allows political campaigning and collecting donations tax-free. The bylaws will be based on those adopted by the Free State Project in New Hampshire.

Current Situation

About 700 people (as of July 2023) have expressed their interest in participating via registering in an online database, with 30–40 core members attending face-to-face strategic meetings. Some 40–70 “liberty pods” (micro-communities) have been created across the province.

The FreeProvince Project celebrated its first “new mover” to New Brunswick in April 2023.

How to Move in

Anyone who has the right to reside in Canada can move to New Brunswick and join the FreeProvince Project. For non-Canadians, see official sources for immigration rules.

In particular, the Atlantic Immigration Program might provide a viable pathway to residency for many applicants.