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communities if they lose their lawyers. There are clearly three major, and dis- tinct, legal centres in the province: Fred- ericton, Saint John, and Moncton. "Here there is a more dispersed practice," says Miller. "You know each other well within the three centres," he adds, "but day to day you don't usually interact with other centres." That is not to imply any lack of collegiality. In fact, quite the opposite. "It's a small province. Everybody knows everybody. There's a spirit of co-oper- ation," says Viola. "I've never felt there was competition per se," he adds. "We've never tried to get business at the detri- ment of our colleagues." Smith says: "We like to say that practis- ing law in New Brunswick offers a better quality of life. I think that is sometimes taken to mean that we don't work as hard as lawyers elsewhere in the country, and while I can't speak for other firms, my experience is that at Stewart McKelvey we work as hard and on as interesting of files as lawyers at any large firm. The difference is that we can have a practice that satisfies our need for high quality work but without some of the downside of working in a large centre." That better quality of life spans two cultures and includes two languages. As Canada's only officially bilingual prov- ince, New Brunswick is home to both English- and French-speaking lawyers and their clients. "Being bilingual is a def- inite asset," says Miller. "Business can be conducted in English or French." Bryden notes: "There are more clients who want their legal work done in French than in other parts of Atlantic Canada. Much legal work is still done in English, espe- cially in Saint John, but there is a demand for bilingual lawyers not only in Monc- ton but in Fredericton, and to some ex- tent in Saint John as well. Bilingualism in New Brunswick is a source of cultural di- versity and distinctiveness, and therefore a source of strength," he adds, "but it's also the case that serving both the anglo- phone and francophone linguistic com- munities presents significant challenges for government." And law firms. In either language, the road ahead looks promising. It pales in comparison to Newfoundland and Labrador, which has now uncorked enough natural resource Chamber of the Legislative Assembly, Fredericton. wealth to remove itself from "have-not" status, and the province does not have the centralized strength of neighbour- ing Nova Scotia, whose capital city is a beacon of business for the entire region. But there are signs of strength. Some of those come in the form of mega-projects with big budgets, big timelines, and big reach. Many, however, are more on the slow-but-sure path. Like the provincial economy itself. Overall, says Finance Minister Victor Boudreau, New Brunswick's economic growth in 2008 is anticipated to be mod- erate, but remain healthy, supported pri- PHOTOGRAPHER : GÉRARD SIROIS marily by capital investment and strong world demand for mineral products. Moderate growth and a slower path is not a bad road to travel, says Bryden. "I believe there are reasons to be optimis- tic about New Brunswick's future and the future of the legal profession in the province, but I don't think there are a lot of easy roads to success in this province over the next few years. "That's not necessarily a bad thing," he adds, "because having to work hard for success can make it a lot more satisfying when it comes." Mais oui. Atlantic Legal Telephone Directory 2007-2008 Includes E-mail Addresses Your up-to-date connection to the east coast legal network This new edition of the Atlantic Legal Telephone Directory gives you up-to-date and accurate names, addresses, and phone numbers for all lawyers and law offices in each of the Atlantic provinces. (Fax numbers & E-mail addresses when provided.) You also have quick, easy access to: • Law / Barristers' Societies • Courts of Appeal • Superior Courts/Court of Queen's Bench • Federal Court of Canada • Government of Canada Departments and Regional Offices • Incorporated Municipalities • Judicial Districts and Judicial Officials • Land Registration and Information Services • The Associations of Land Surveyors • The Law Foundation • Provincial Government Departments • Boards and Commissions • University Law Faculties ... and much more. 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