Northumberland County, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
Northumberland County (2006 population 48,868), having the largest area of any county in the province, is located in northeastern New Brunswick
, Canada
.
lie in the northwestern corner of the county.
The county is dominated by the Miramichi River
, world famous for its salmon fishing. The lower portion of the river is an estuary
which widens into Miramichi Bay
, a part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
is a local service centre for the county and surrounding regions with schools, hospitals and government offices and retail locations. The county has several saw mills in the city of Miramichi and up the Southwest Branch of the Miramichi River. There were formerly two large pulp and paper mills at Miramichi.
Chatham was also home to an air force
base, CFB Chatham
, until 1996. Renous
, located along the Southwest Miramichi was also home to an army post - a federal maximum security penitentiary
is now located on the site.
Three communities in the county are part of the Mi'kmaq Nation: Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation, at the junction of the Northwest Miramichi River
and the Little Southwest Miramichi River
; Eel Ground First Nation
, close to the junction of the Northwest and Southwest Miramichi Rivers near Newcastle; and Burnt Church First Nation
on the northern shore of Miramichi Bay.
are Acadian
. The former town of Chatham
has traditionally been an Irish stronghold, while its sister town of Newcastle
has had a more English and Scottish Protestant flavour. Both are now amalgamated into the new city of Miramichi
.
Population trend
Mother tongue language (2006)
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...
, Canada
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...
.
Geography
Northumberland County is covered by thick forests, whose products stimulate the economy. The highest peaks in the province, including Mount CarletonMount Carleton
Mount Carleton, in Mount Carleton Provincial Park, is the highest elevation in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and is also the highest peak in the Canadian Maritime Provinces. It is one of the highlights of the Canadian portion of the International Appalachian Trail...
lie in the northwestern corner of the county.
The county is dominated by the Miramichi River
Miramichi River
The Miramichi River is a Canadian river located in the east-central part of New Brunswick. The river drains into Miramichi Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence...
, world famous for its salmon fishing. The lower portion of the river is an estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
which widens into Miramichi Bay
Miramichi Bay
Miramichi Bay is an estuary located on the west coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in New Brunswick, at the mouth of the Miramichi River. Miramichi Bay is separated into the "inner bay" and the "outer bay", with the division being a line of uninhabited barrier islands which are continually reshaped...
, a part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Services
The city of MiramichiMiramichi, New Brunswick
Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay...
is a local service centre for the county and surrounding regions with schools, hospitals and government offices and retail locations. The county has several saw mills in the city of Miramichi and up the Southwest Branch of the Miramichi River. There were formerly two large pulp and paper mills at Miramichi.
Chatham was also home to an air force
Canadian Forces Air Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
base, CFB Chatham
CFB Chatham
Canadian Forces Base Chatham or CFB Chatham was a Canadian Forces Base located immediately south of the town of Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada. Parts are now operating as Miramichi Municipal Airport since 1974 with a partial runway available .From 1970 until 1985 Chatham had a Base Rescue Flight...
, until 1996. Renous
Renous, New Brunswick
Renous is a Canadian rural community in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Located where the Renous River discharges into the Southwest Miramichi River, Renous makes up part of the local service district of Renous-Quarryville....
, located along the Southwest Miramichi was also home to an army post - a federal maximum security penitentiary
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
is now located on the site.
Communities
There are five incorporated municipalities within the county (listed by 2006 population counts and national census rankings):| Official Name | Status | Area km2 | Population | Census Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miramichi Miramichi, New Brunswick Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay... |
City | 179.84 | 18,129 | 213 of 5,008 |
| Neguac Neguac, New Brunswick Neguac is a Canadian village in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Situated on the north shore of Miramichi Bay at the southern end of the Acadian Peninsula, the village is located 44 kilometres northeast of Miramichi... |
Village | 26.69 | 1,623 | 1,518 of 5,008 |
| Rogersville Rogersville, New Brunswick Rogersville is a Canadian village in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Rogersville is the home of two Trappist monasteries, Notre-Dame de l'Assomption Abbey and Notre Dame du Calvaire Abbey... |
Village | 7.23 | 1,165 | 1,866 of 5,008 |
| Blackville Blackville, New Brunswick Blackville is a Canadian village in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.It is located on the Southwest Miramichi River approximately 40 kilometres southwest of Miramichi.-Economy:... |
Village | 21.73 | 931 | 2,149 of 5,008 |
| Doaktown Doaktown, New Brunswick Doaktown is a Canadian village in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.-History:It is situated on the Southwest Miramichi River and was first settled in 1807 for use as a base for the growing lumber industry in central New Brunswick... |
Village | 28.74 | 888 | 2,224 of 5,008 |
Parishes
The county is subdivided into thirteen parishes (listed by 2006 population counts and national census rankings):| Official Name | Status | Area km2 | Population | Census Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alnwick | Parish | 734.57 | 6,152 | 585 of 5,008 |
| Hardwicke | Parish | 278.60 | 2,484 | 1,143 of 5,008 |
| Northesk Northesk Parish, New Brunswick Northesk is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 2,480.-Communities:Parish population total does not include incorporated municipalities and communities within their respective boundaries .*Bear House*Big Hole*Big Hole Tract 8*Boom... |
Parish | 3,352.99 | 2,480 | 1,145 of 5,008 |
| Blackville Blackville Parish, New Brunswick Blackville is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 2,347.-Population:Population trend-Language:Mother tongue language -References:... |
Parish | 823.40 | 2,347 | 1,195 of 5,008 |
| Southesk Southesk Parish, New Brunswick Southesk is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 1,964.-Communities:Parish population total does not include incorporated municipalities and communities within their respective boundaries .*Cassilis*Dennis*Garden Road*Halcomb*Harris Brook... |
Parish | 2,459.43 | 1,964 | 1,326 of 5,008 |
| Glenelg Glenelg Parish, New Brunswick Glenelg is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 1,652.-Communities:Parish population total does not include incorporated municipalities and communities within their respective boundaries .*Bay du Vin Mills*Black River*Black River... |
Parish | 504.80 | 1,652 | 1,497 of 5,008 |
| Ludlow | Parish | 1,016.66 | 1,568 | 1,557 of 5,008 |
| Rogersville Rogersville Parish, New Brunswick Rogersville is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 1,247.-Communities:Parish population total does not include incorporated municipalities and communities within their respective boundaries .*Rogersville*Collette*East... |
Parish | 326.36 | 1,247 | 1,788 of 5,008 |
| Newcastle Newcastle Parish, New Brunswick Newcastle is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 1,209.-Communities:Parish population total does not include incorporated municipalities and communities within their respective boundaries .*Miramichi**Back Lots**Cross... |
Parish | 577.47 | 1,209 | 1,820 of 5,008 |
| Derby Derby Parish, New Brunswick Derby is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 1,068.-Communities:Parish population total does not include incorporated municipalities and communities within their respective boundaries .*Beaubears Island*Bryenton*Derby... |
Parish | 61.02 | 1,068 | 1,967 of 5,008 |
| Nelson Nelson Parish, New Brunswick Nelson is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 814.-Communities:Parish population total does not include incorporated municipalities and communities within their respective boundaries .*Miramichi**Craigville**Ivory... |
Parish | 353.80 | 814 | 2,340 of 5,008 |
| Blissfield | Parish | 1,240.26 | 560 | 2,862 of 5,008 |
| Chatham Chatham Parish, New Brunswick Chatham is a Canadian parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Its population in the 2006 Census was 502.-Communities:Parish population total does not include incorporated municipalities and communities within their respective boundaries .*Miramichi**Bushville**Chatham**Chatham Head**Curtis... |
Parish | 22.26 | 502 | 3,009 of 5,008 |
First Nations
There is one First Nations reservation in Northumberland County (listed by 2006 population counts and national census rankings):| Official Name | Status | Area km2 | Population | Census Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnt Church 14 Burnt Church 14, New Brunswick Burnt Church 14 is a Mi'kmaq Indian reserve in Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Canada.It belongs to the Burnt Church First Nation, of whom about two-thirds of the population live on reserve... |
Reservation | 9.54 | 1,120 | 1,907 of 5,008 |
| Eel Ground 2 | Reservation | 10.90 | 503 | 3,007 of 5,008 |
| Red Bank 4 | Reservation | 16.18 | 383 | 3,374 of 5,008 |
| Big Hole Tract 8 (South) | Reservation | 27.82 | 69 | 4,572 of 5,008 |
| Tabusintac 9 Tabusintac 9, New Brunswick Tabusintac 9 is the Statistics Canada census area designation for what is properly termed the Tabusintac Indian Reserve No. 9, which is a reserve under the governance of the Burnt Church First Nation of the Mi'kmaq people. It is 3268.7 ha. in size and is adjacent to the town of... |
Reservation | 22.00 | 10 | 4,889 of 5,008 |
| Red Bank 7 | Reservation | 10.16 | n/a | 5,008 of 5,008 |
Three communities in the county are part of the Mi'kmaq Nation: Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation, at the junction of the Northwest Miramichi River
Northwest Miramichi River
The Northwest Miramichi River is a Canadian river in New Brunswick. The Mi'kmaq referred to the river as Elmunokun, possibly meaning "a beaver hole" in reference to a deep pool in the river, just below the mouth of the Big Sevogle River, its largest tributary.The Northwest Miramichi River has its...
and the Little Southwest Miramichi River
Little Southwest Miramichi River
The Little Southwest Miramichi River is a Canadian river in Northumberland County, New Brunswick. In Mi'kmaq it is referred to as "Tooadook".....
; Eel Ground First Nation
Eel Ground First Nation
The Eel Ground Band or Eel Ground First Nation is a Mi'kmaq First Nations community of about 800 people located on the Miramichi River in northern New Brunswick, Canada...
, close to the junction of the Northwest and Southwest Miramichi Rivers near Newcastle; and Burnt Church First Nation
Burnt Church First Nation
Burnt Church Band or Burnt Church First Nation is a Mi'kmaq First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada, centred south of the community of Lagacéville and southwest of the village of Neguac on Miramichi Bay...
on the northern shore of Miramichi Bay.
Demographics
The county is a mostly English speaking region in the otherwise Francophone northeastern New Brunswick. Coastal regions of Miramichi BayMiramichi Bay
Miramichi Bay is an estuary located on the west coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in New Brunswick, at the mouth of the Miramichi River. Miramichi Bay is separated into the "inner bay" and the "outer bay", with the division being a line of uninhabited barrier islands which are continually reshaped...
are Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
. The former town of Chatham
Chatham, New Brunswick
Chatham is a Canadian urban neighbourhood in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick.Prior to municipal amalgamation in 1995, Chatham was an incorporated town in Northumberland County along the south bank of the Miramichi River opposite Douglastown...
has traditionally been an Irish stronghold, while its sister town of Newcastle
Newcastle, New Brunswick
Newcastle is a Canadian urban neighbourhood in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick.Prior to municipal amalgamation in 1995, it was an incorporated town and the shire town of Northumberland County....
has had a more English and Scottish Protestant flavour. Both are now amalgamated into the new city of Miramichi
Miramichi, New Brunswick
Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay...
.
Population trend
| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 48,868 | 3.8% |
| 2001 | 50,817 | 2.6% |
| 1996 | 52,153 | 1.6% |
| 1991 | 52,983 | N/A |
Mother tongue language (2006)
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 33,775 | 70.09% |
| French only | 12,670 | 26.29% |
| Other languages | 1,515 | 3.14% |
| Both English and French | 225 | 0.47% |