Bouctouche, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
Bouctouche is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
town in Kent County
Kent County, New Brunswick
Kent County is located in east-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county features a unique blend of cultures including Mi'kmaq, Acadian and English Speaking Settlers...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and in 2006 Census the population was 2,383.
The town is located at the mouth of the Bouctouche River on the coast of the Northumberland Strait
Northumberland Strait
The Northumberland Strait is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada...
, approximately 40 kilometres northeast of Moncton.
History
Bouctouche was originally named Chebooktoosk, a Mi'kmaq word meaning Great Little Harbour. The region was next settled by Francois LeBlanc in 1785 as an AcadianAcadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
community and the community included a few Irish families. Bouctouche was struck by a tornado
Bouctouche, New Brunswick tornado
The Bouctouche, New Brunswick Tornado was a tornado that struck the town of Bouctouche, New Brunswick on August 6, 1879.It is estimated that the tornado was an F3 in strength, and is the easternmost major tornado in North America, though weaker tornadoes and waterspouts have been known to form in...
on August 6, 1879.
Tourist attractions
La Dune de Bouctouche, known by its first inhabitants as the Great Little Harbour, has hiking and cycling trails that are part of the New Brunswick Trail system. There are 12 kilometers of whispering sands making up the dunes easily viewed from a boardwalk along a conservation area known as the Irving Eco Center.La Dune de Bouctouche constitutes a 6.08 mile long ridge of sand formed over centuries by the wind and stormy seas. The dune has almost enclosed the bay area over its full length leaving an opening to the bay at its mouth that is a 1.1 mile wide opening and the dune is still expanding today.
Le Pays de la Sagouine
Le Pays De La Sagouine
Le Pays de la Sagouine is an Acadian celebration in Bouctouche, New Brunswick, Canada, founded by Antonine Maillet. She wanted to show what it was like to live the Acadian life and by writing over forty novels on the Acadians , she did just that...
, based on Antonine Maillet
Antonine Maillet
Antonine Maillet, is an Acadian novelist, playwright, and scholar. She was born in Bouctouche, New Brunswick and lives in Montreal, Quebec....
's award-winning book La Sagouine, is a theme park filled with Acadian entertainment and history. Their activities include dramatic reproductions of Antonine's plays and in 2010 they are taking up the challenge to provide more activities in the English language.
Irving Eco Center Industrialist Kenneth Colin Irving was born in Bouctouche, many of his businesses, including Kent Homes, maintain operations there and the family is dedicated to protecting the area's natural resources with the Irving Eco Center and helping to revitalize the town's economy by supporting a variety of local projects.
Town Council
Current Town Council (2008–2012): Mayor, Aldéo Saulnier; Pro-maire: Roland Fougère; consillors: Mike LeBlanc, Raymond Poirier and Normand Vautour.Council meetings every 3rd Tuesday of the month and all residents are welcome to attend.
Major construction is now taking place on the new James K Irving Civic Center, to be completed in March 2011 and will contain a new arena, town hall, council chambers, meeting space, gym and office space.
Past mayors: Mark Robere, André Goguen, Raymond 'Bou' Duplessis, Laurie Boucher.