Bear Island (New Brunswick)
Encyclopedia
Bear Island is a Name Place in Queensbury Parish, New Brunswick, Canada, located on the north shore of the Saint John River.
in 1968 and the consequential rise in water levels, Bear Island is technically a misnomer, as the islands no longer exist, and the entire area referred to as Bear Island is on the shore of the dam's 96 kilometer headpond. Many of the area's homes were razed in order to make way for the headpond.
The first permanent settlement in Bear Island was by Revolutionary War
Loyalist
veterans who received minimum 200 acre (0.809372 km²) land grants by King George III on February 2, 1787, with many soldiers arriving that spring. Twelve veterans from the "Guides and Pioneers, Queensbury" and twenty-one from the "Corps of Queen's Rangers" regiments were granted land. Eventually immigrants from Portugal
, England
, Ireland
, Holland, Scotland
, France
and Germany
, and families of former slaves
of African descent would find their way to Bear Island.
The island itself was originally divided into 26 lots owned by settlers on the shore. Due to flooding in the spring, the island was never permanently settled, but rather used for farming purposes enhanced by the rich soil deposited after each flood. Other islands in the area were used similarly.
Originally a farming community, each resident grew vegetables and raised cattle, pigs, hens and horses. Although subsistent in nature, occasionally farming activities would grow into a true industry, such as during the Potato Boom of the late 1920s when residents harvested up to 100 barrels a season for sale. Other residents took up maple syrup
production, even forming the first Maple Syrup Association in New Brunswick in 1959, while others chose to specialize in matters like chicken hatcheries and milk production. Many of these activities as a source of primary income and lifestyle ceased with the destruction of most of the arable land with the advent of the dam.
. Although roads in neighboring communities are regarded as poor, often resulting in damage to local vehicles, Route 105 is respected as of a better quality. However, the community's heavy reliance on Route 105 as its main artery into Fredericton can be problematic, such as after heavy rain in December 2010 caused a portion of the route to wash away. Although many communities to the north do not have cell phone coverage, Bear Island's proximity to Highway 2
and its towers gives it full cell phone coverage. The area is served by highspeed fixed WiFi and satellite services through Xplornet ISP.
History
Named "Island of the Bear" by Maliseet natives, the location takes it name from islands (Big Bear and the Little Bear Islands) in the St. John River. One story claims that bears fished in the narrow channels between the islands, while others claim that bears would frequent the butternut trees native to the islands. With the development of the downstream Mactaquac DamMactaquac Dam
The Mactaquac Dam is an embankment dam used to generate hydroelectricity in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. It dams the waters of the Saint John River and is operated by NB Power with a capacity to generate 653 megawatts of electricity from 6 turbines; this represents 20 percent of New...
in 1968 and the consequential rise in water levels, Bear Island is technically a misnomer, as the islands no longer exist, and the entire area referred to as Bear Island is on the shore of the dam's 96 kilometer headpond. Many of the area's homes were razed in order to make way for the headpond.
The first permanent settlement in Bear Island was by Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
Loyalist
Loyalist
In general, a loyalist is someone who maintains loyalty to an established government, political party, or sovereign, especially during war or revolutionary change. In modern English usage, the most common application is to loyalty to the British Crown....
veterans who received minimum 200 acre (0.809372 km²) land grants by King George III on February 2, 1787, with many soldiers arriving that spring. Twelve veterans from the "Guides and Pioneers, Queensbury" and twenty-one from the "Corps of Queen's Rangers" regiments were granted land. Eventually immigrants from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Holland, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and families of former slaves
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
of African descent would find their way to Bear Island.
The island itself was originally divided into 26 lots owned by settlers on the shore. Due to flooding in the spring, the island was never permanently settled, but rather used for farming purposes enhanced by the rich soil deposited after each flood. Other islands in the area were used similarly.
Originally a farming community, each resident grew vegetables and raised cattle, pigs, hens and horses. Although subsistent in nature, occasionally farming activities would grow into a true industry, such as during the Potato Boom of the late 1920s when residents harvested up to 100 barrels a season for sale. Other residents took up maple syrup
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species such as the bigleaf maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then...
production, even forming the first Maple Syrup Association in New Brunswick in 1959, while others chose to specialize in matters like chicken hatcheries and milk production. Many of these activities as a source of primary income and lifestyle ceased with the destruction of most of the arable land with the advent of the dam.
Geography and climate
Bear Island stretches along the north side of the Saint John River, with Granite Hill to the north and Lower Queensbury to the south. Weather stations in nearby Fredericton record an average of 1,093 mm of precipitation each year, including 241 cm of snow. Geographic landmarks include Howland Falls, an 11-meter, tiered waterfall.Industry
Primary industries include agriculture (i.e. sugar maple farms, Goodines Poultry Farm) and tourism (Great Bear Campground & Sugarbush). As inhabitants of a rural community with limited employment opportunities, many residents are self-employed, running their own business. These businesses provide such varied services as music lessons, landscaping and maid services. Bear Island is also home to the founder of Fredericton's PsInnovations Clinical Practice Solutions which offers virtual support services to professionals in the psychology field.Infrastructure
The primary road through Bear Island is Route 105New Brunswick Route 105
Route 105 is a highway in New Brunswick, Canada; running from Route 10 in Youngs Cove to Route 108 in Grand Falls, mostly along the east and north banks of the Saint John River, for a distance of 307 kilometres.- Route description :...
. Although roads in neighboring communities are regarded as poor, often resulting in damage to local vehicles, Route 105 is respected as of a better quality. However, the community's heavy reliance on Route 105 as its main artery into Fredericton can be problematic, such as after heavy rain in December 2010 caused a portion of the route to wash away. Although many communities to the north do not have cell phone coverage, Bear Island's proximity to Highway 2
New Brunswick Route 2
Route 2 is a major provincial highway in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, carrying the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway in the province...
and its towers gives it full cell phone coverage. The area is served by highspeed fixed WiFi and satellite services through Xplornet ISP.