Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
Perth-Andover 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...
village in Victoria County
Victoria County, New Brunswick
Victoria County is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Farming, especially of potatoes, is the major industry in the county.-Communities:...
, 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...
.
The village is divided by the Saint John River with Perth on the east bank and Andover on the west bank; each was a separate community until municipal amalgamation in 1966. Perth-Andover's population meets the requirements for "town" status under the provincial Municipalities Act; however, it has not applied to change from village designation.
Perth-Andover Electric Light Commission (PAELC) is one of three municipal power utilities left in New Brunswick, and the only one completely independent of NB Power
NB Power
NB Power , formerly known as New Brunswick Power Corporation and New Brunswick Electric Power Commission is the primary and former monopoly electrical utility in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
. The residents of the municipality pay the lowest power rates in the province.
Until the end of county government in 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...
in 1966, Andover was the shire town of Victoria County
Victoria County, New Brunswick
Victoria County is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Farming, especially of potatoes, is the major industry in the county.-Communities:...
.
The mayor of Perth-Andover is Rick Beaulieu.
Perth-Andover is host to the annual Gathering of the Scots Festival in late May and the Larlee Creek Hullabaloo in August. Both events are held at Baird's Campground.
History
Much of Perth was originally part of the territory of the Tobique First NationTobique First Nation
Tobique First Nation is one of six Wolastoqiyik or Maliseet Nations in New Brunswick, Canada.The Tobique Reserve is located on the north side of the Tobique River. The reserve comprises two lots . The Tobique Reserve, established in 1801 with nearly 20,000 acres, was granted after a petition to...
, whose reserve was established in 1801, at the band's request. Due to squatters, the First Nation gradually had to surrender a total of 2,539 acres, much in Perth-Andover.
In 1878 the New Brunswick Railway
New Brunswick Railway
The New Brunswick Railway was a historic Canadian railway operating in western New Brunswick. Its headquarters were in Woodstock.The original NBR lines were built to the narrow gauge of...
opened its line through the community connecting Fredericton and Edmundston, crossing the river from the east bank at Perth to the west bank at Andover. In 1890 the NBR was leased by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CPR). In 1894 the Tobique Valley Railway constructed a line from a junction with the CPR at Perth to Plaster Rock
Plaster Rock, New Brunswick
Plaster Rock is a Canadian village in Victoria County, New Brunswick.Located on the Tobique River, the village was founded in 1881 by Hezekiah Day and named for the gypsum found in the area, which is heated to produce plaster.The cliffs across the river from the Tobique Valley High School expose...
; it was leased by CPR in 1897.
In March 1987 the spring freshet
Freshet
A freshet can refer to one of two things:* A flood resulting from heavy rain or a spring thaw. Whereas heavy rain often causes a flash flood, a spring thaw event is generally a more incremental process, depending upon local climate and topography...
caused several severe ice jams on the Saint John River upstream of the railway bridge in Perth-Andover. On the night of April 1, 1987 an extremely high water level forced residents to evacuate, including a seniors home and the hospital. The morning of April 2, 1987 the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
bridge was demolished by the large ice jam, and many buildings and homes along the river in Perth-Andover were flooded. The destruction of the railway bridge cut off CP Rail's network north of Perth from the railway lines in the southern part of western New Brunswick. This contributed to CP Rail's abandonment of these rural branchlines, which were considered unprofitable by the railway. CP Rail tried to blame NB Power
NB Power
NB Power , formerly known as New Brunswick Power Corporation and New Brunswick Electric Power Commission is the primary and former monopoly electrical utility in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
for failing to control water discharges from its hydro-electric dams on the river. By the early 1990s, the railroad had ended railway from the northern end of the Saint John River valley.
In 2009 the Canadian government accepted the Tobique Specific Land Claim of 10,533 acres for negotiation; this relates to the 1892 surrender which the First Nation claims is invalid due to the failure of the government to get approval by Order in Council. Settlement of the claim will result in compensation; existing landowners will not be affected. The governments and the Tobique First Nation have three years to negotiate a settlement.
Notable residents
- Matt Andersen - Blues musician
- John B. McNair- 23rd Premier of New Brunswick, 1940 to 1952