Letters from the Future

The future is not what it used to be...

New Brunswickers are hungry for hopeful stories of the future to counter the stereotype of “hard times in the Maritimes.” With the climate changing and a pandemic transforming life as we knew it, the future now seems very uncertain. But now is the time to imagine a better future. The future is created from what we imagine is possible. With the right stories to guide us, we can create a healthier, happier province, richer in the ways that matter. Letters from the Future presents a sample of these stories, written by people who care deeply about New Brunswick

The stories detail the hopes and aspirations of New Brunswickers from different backgrounds and different parts of the province. The hopes are for a more equitable New Brunswick, a home where sustainable farming and fishing flourish, where food is secure, where our rural communities, towns and cities are vibrant, where natural resources are used wisely and sustainably, where governance is democratic, and where public projects are community-focused, innovative, and change life for the better. The future our authors envision feature sustainable livelihoods in thriving communities.

Our authors transported themselves to the distant and not-so-distant future and describe what it took to get us there. Our letters dream about what New Brunswick could become if we seize the opportunity to create the province we want to live in—a New Brunswick that confronts climate change and achieves its goal of sustainable living, and a province that helps effectively address the environmental, economic, social justice, human rights, and public health challenges we are currently experiencing.

Each letter offers a different aspect of a possible future. The power of speculative nonfiction reveals what is possible, showing alternatives not yet realized. Dystopic nightmares need not come to pass—although several authors write about such conditions. The fact that New Brunswickers are now beginning some of the great changes envisioned in these letters illustrate that our creative speculations are based on what is achievable in the future. – from the Preface

Daniel Tubb is an environmental anthropologist at the University of New Brunswick. He lives in Gagetown.

Abram Lutes, originally from Woodstock, is a graduate student at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Susan O’Donnell is a researcher, writer and activist and lead investigator of the RAVEN project at the University of New Brunswick.

Ian Smith is a grandfather, Outward Bound Canada Instructor, retired Parks NB Program Manager, outdoor educator, and artist. He lives near Harvey Station.