Quispamsis, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
- For the electoral district, see Quispamsis (electoral district)Quispamsis (electoral district)Quispamsis is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada.It was created as Kennebecasis in 1994 and included the Town of Quispamsis and surrounding communities along the Kennebecasis River Valley...
.
Quispamsis (icon or icon, sometimes shortened to k; 2006 population: 15,239) 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 located in Kings County
Kings County, New Brunswick
Kings County is located in southern New Brunswick, Canada.Both the Saint John and Kennebecasis rivers pass through the county.Dairy farming is an important industry in the area...
, 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...
. It is located 20 kilometres northeast of Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, in the lower Kennebecasis River
Kennebecasis River
The Kennebecasis River is a tributary of the Saint John River in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The name Kennebecasis is thought to be derived from the Mi'kmaq "Kenepekachiachk", meaning "little long bay place." It runs for approximately 95 kilometres, draining an area in the Caledonia Highlands,...
valley.
The name is traditionally pronounced with a weak stress on either the first or last syllable.
Newscasters and voice actors who haven't visited will sometimes put a strong stress on the second syllable; this sounds barbaric to some older residents.
History
The original inhabitants of the area were the proud Maliseet First Nation, part of the great Algonquin Federation. The name, “Quispamsis” was translated from the Maliseet language and means, “little lake in the woods”, the lake being present-day Ritchie Lake. Acadians, British pre-Loyalists and Loyalists settled in the area around 1783, with many receiving land grants along the Kennebecasis and Hammond Rivers.| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 6,022 |
| 1991 | 8,446 |
| 2001 | 13,757 |
| 2006 | 15,239 |
Quispamsis amalgamated in 1998 with the nearby communities of Gondola Point and Wells to form the present community, covering an area of 60 km² and bordering the town of Rothesay
Rothesay, New Brunswick
Rothesay is a Canadian town located in Kings County, New Brunswick. It is a bedroom community of Saint John along the Kennebecasis River.Located along the lower Kennebecasis River valley, Rothesay borders the city of Saint John to the southwest, and the neighbouring town of Quispamsis to the...
to the southwest with the Hammond River
Hammond River
The Hammond River is a tributary of the Kennebecasis River in New Brunswick, Canada.The Hammond River runs approximately 40 kilometres in southern Kings County along the border of Saint John County....
along its northeastern boundary. Quispamsis is the fastest growing town in the province of New Brunswick.
Education
Quispamsis has a number of schools from grades K-12, these schools are:| School | Grades | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Fairvale Elementary School | K-5 | fairvale-elementary.nbed.nb.ca |
| Quispamsis Elementary School | K-5 | quispamsiselementary.nbed.nb.ca |
| Lakefield Elementary School | K-5 | www.lakefieldelementary.nbed.nb.ca |
| Valley Christian Academy | K-12 | www.valleychristianacademy.com |
| Quispamsis Middle School | 6-8 | qms.nbed.nb.ca |
| Harry Miller Middle School | 6-8 | harrymiller.nbed.nb.ca |
| Kennebecasis Valley High School Kennebecasis Valley High School Kennebecasis Valley High School is a secondary school that serves students from grades 9 to 12 in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada.-History:... |
9-12 | www.kvhigh.com |
| Rothesay High School Rothesay High School Rothesay High School is a high school located in Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada. It is part of School District 6.-History:Rothesay High School fills the educational needs for students in grades 9 through 12. The population of 615 students reside primarily in the town of Rothesay. The staff... |
9-12 | www.rothesayhigh.ca |
Rothesay Elementary School
k-5
Parks
There are many ways to keep fit and busy in Quispamsis. There is a wide variety of recreational parks which offer beautiful scenery and unique amenities. Parks open at dawn and closed at dusk.The public parks:
Arts and Culture Park (12 Landing Court) – includes walking trails, WiFi, picnic/chess tables, benches, stage and mezzanine. During the summer months there are outdoor movies free of charge and ice skating during the winter months.
Hammond River Park (28 Reynar Drive) – includes 40 acres of beautiful land, fire pit, barbecue, picnic tables, hiking trails and authentic log cabin which is available for rent.
Off Leash Park (222 Vincent Road) – fenced in area, trails and benches. This park is for all dog lovers. This is an area to let your dog run free and have fun!
Meenan’s Cove Park (199 Model Farm Road) – includes picnic tables, barbecues, beach, boat dock, playground, ball field, walking trails and beach volleyball courts. This park is wonderful for the entire family.
Ritchie Lake Park (Cedar Grove Drive) – includes picnic tables, beach and walking trails.
Quispamsis Recreation Centre - includes two soccer fields, a baseball field, and a playground as well as walking trails.
Facts
- The Gondola Point FerryGondola Point FerryThe Gondola Point Ferry is a cable ferry in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The ferry crosses the Kennebecasis River, linking Gondola Point in Quispamsis on the southern bank, to Reeds Point on the Kingston Peninsula. The ferry carries New Brunswick Route 119.The crossing is in length,...
, linking Quispamsis with the Kingston PeninsulaKingston PeninsulaThe Kingston Peninsula is a peninsula in southern New Brunswick, Canada, located between the Saint John River and the Kennebecasis River in Kings County.The peninsula was the site of the first United Empire Loyalist settlement in New Brunswick in 1783....
, was originally installed by William PittWilliam Pitt (Canada)Captain William Abraham Pitt was a Canadian engineer from the Kingston Peninsula of New Brunswick. He was born January 24, 1821 in Reed's Point, King County, New Brunswick. For over 30 years he operated a small sail and oars scow ferry connecting the Kinstaon Pennsula with the Kennebecasis...
and is the first underwater cable ferry in the world.
- Quispamsis qualifies for "city" status under the Municipalities Act of the Province of New Brunswick, but the town has made no move to change its municipal status.
- The town is home to current NHL player Randy Jones and NHL referee Chris Lee.
- The Qplex, Quispamsis's first multipurpose facility, is currently being constructed. It will feature a NHL sized ice surface.
- Quispamsis is one of the fastest growing communities in New Brunswick.
- The COMEX bus service run by Saint John Transit runs through the Kennebecasis Valley and shuttles commuters from Quispamsis to Saint John every day, Mondays to Fridays. There are a few “park and ride” locations for commuters to leave their car for the day to take the bus into Saint John and along with other standing bus stops along the way.
Notable residents and natives
- Brandon JonesBrandon Jones (singer)Brandon Jones is a Canadian singer/song writer from Quispamsis, New Brunswick. He was a competitor on season 4 of Canadian Idol, and was eliminated on August 1, 2006, placing him 8th.- Canadian Idol :...
, singer/song writer and competitor in Canadian IdolCanadian IdolCanadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons... - Randy Jones, National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
defenceman, for the Winnipeg JetsWinnipeg JetsThe Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association in 1972, moving to the National Hockey League in 1979 following the collapse of the WHA... - Matt Marr, 2nd runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance CanadaSo You Think You Can Dance CanadaSo You Think You Can Dance Canada was a dance competition and reality show that aired on CTV.Based on the original American TV show So You Think You Can Dance, the Canadian series showcased the best in Canadian dancing talent. Each season, the show held auditions in major cities across the...
in 2011