Just under 1/3 of the population of NB are French-speakers. They routinely vote AGAINST Quebec independence because then they'd be swallowed up by English Canada, and they don't want to see that happen.
These are people whose ancestors settled in the Maritimes BEFORE English-speaking Loyalists sought refuge up there, and they want to keep their heritage intact. NB is the only truly bilingual province, and they haven't had all the problems Quebec has had. Quebec has done its best to outlaw English, whereas NB treats the 2 language groups equally. Yes, the population is dwindling, but not because of any language problems. It's because the socialists in the Federal government are making it tougher and tougher for them to survive. As I said earlier, their industry is disappearing. Logging and fishing were major industries, but all the regulations have resulted in fewer and fewer opportunities in those areas.
In New Brunswick, many (about 30-35% or so) of the French-speakers are conservative, unlike in Quebec where conservatism is virtually unheard-of...