I won't drone on, but the Appalachian Mountains have long provided a tie between Atlantic Canada and the Eastern Seaboard of the US. Trade and travel west of New Brunswick was much more arduous than to New England. Still is, to certain extent. Granted, the population of NE made it a draw for many Maritimers seeking employment, but the real trade route was always south for us. I don't know a single soul from Moncton, New Brunswick who has no relatives in "The States". The border is viewed, here, as a formality.