Campbellton, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
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...
city in Restigouche County
Restigouche County, New Brunswick
Restigouche County is located in north-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county is named for the Restigouche River which flows through the county and is famous for its salmon pools, which have attracted wealthy American and Canadian tourists to the region's summer colonies for decades...
, 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...
.
Situated on the south bank of the Restigouche River
Restigouche River
The Restigouche River is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec....
opposite Pointe-à-la-Croix
Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec
Pointe-à-la-Croix is a town located on the Restigouche River in the Gaspésie region of eastern Quebec, Canada. The town is situated across from the city of Campbellton, New Brunswick. As of 2001, the town had a population of 1,513....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Campbellton was officially incorporated in 1889 and achieved city status in 1958.
Forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and tourism are major industries in the regional economy, while a pulp mill
Pulp mill
A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fibre source into a thick fibre board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical or fully chemical methods...
in nearby Atholville
Atholville, New Brunswick
Atholville is a Canadian village in Restigouche County A4L, New Brunswick.It is located on the south bank of the Restigouche River upstream and west of the city of Campbellton....
is the largest single employer in the area. As part of the tourism "industry", wealthy sportfishermen seeking Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
flock to the scenic Restigouche Valley every summer. The region sees extensive annual snowfall. Alpine and Nordic ski facilities at Sugarloaf Provincial Park
Sugarloaf Provincial Park
Sugarloaf Provincial Park is a all-season park located in Campbellton, New Brunswick. It is situated on the north side of Sugarloaf Mountain, part of the Northern Appalachian Mountains and an extinct late Devonian volcano. The park is accessible by two roads, one which goes up the mountain and the...
provide winter recreation opportunities for both visitors and local residents.
Campbellton is also a retail and service centre for Restigouche County.
History
The area around the site of the present city was settled by FrenchFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
people circa 1700 with a trading post based upon fishing and fur trading with the Mi'gmaq.
It was here that the Battle of the Restigouche, the final naval battle between the English and French for the possession of North America during the Seven Years War, was waged in 1760. It marked a turning point for the settlement.
Robert Ferguson and the development of Campbellton and Atholville
Campbellton and Atholville owed their development to the enterprising immigrants from Scotland. In 1769, only nine years after the Battle of Restigouche, Scotsman Hugh Baillie and a partner set up a fur and salted salmon business on the site that would become Campbellton. The business was sold to London merchant John Shoolbred, who in 1773 established the first British settlement on the Restigouche. His agent, William Smith, brought over eight Scottish fishermen from Aberdeen, Scotland, to work for him. Two of these fishermen were John Duncan and Robert Adams, who brought their families with them as well. These two fishermen devoted themselves to the salmon fishing industry at Old Church Point, today Atholville. In 1794, a Scotsman from Perth named Alexander Ferguson settled in Martin's Point (Campbellton), where his brother Robert joined him two years later.
Considered the founder of Restigouche County, Robert Ferguson established his control over the development of northern New Brunswick during the first half of the 19th
century. In 1803, Ferguson inherited his brother's business and quickly became the largest merchant and exporter of fish in Restigouche. Until the 1840s, he shipped between 1,200 and 1,400 barrels of salted salmon per year. He became the most important landowner in the region. He also operated a flour mill and a sawmill and exported hewn wood. He even constructed his own boats in the village that now bears the name of Atholville. In 1812, he built an impressive residence there that he named Athol House in memory of his native region of Scotland.
Along with others, Robert Ferguson and his friend Hugh Munro formed a group of Scotsmen and Loyalists who exercised control over the region's commerce and public affairs. This made them strongly unpopular with the Acadians and new immigrants, especially the Irish.
In the late 1880s, an Hôtel Dieu was founded by the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph
Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph
The Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph was a religious order founded in La Fleche, France by the Venerable Jerome le Royer de la Dauversiere and Venerable Marie de la Ferre...
, an order that established hospitals and schools in many towns in Canada. In 1910, a disastrous fire sparked by a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
on the waterfront destroyed a large portion of the town. The fire was spread throughout the city by flaming shingles. Campbellton was subsequently rebuilt. In the months and years following the fire, many of the new (now historic) buildings were constructed of brick.
Geography
Campbellton is 20 km upstream (west) from the mouth of the Bay des Chaleurs DalhousieDalhousie, New Brunswick
Dalhousie is a Canadian town located in Restigouche County, New Brunswick.- History :Dalhousie is the shire town of Restigouche County and dates European settlement to 1800. The Town of Dalhousie has been through some very distinct periods between its founding in 1825 and today...
and approximately 100 km northwest of Bathurst
Bathurst, New Brunswick
Bathurst is a Canadian city in Gloucester County, New Brunswick.Bathurst is situated on Bathurst Harbour, an estuary at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River at the southernmost part of Chaleur Bay....
. The city is approximately 160 km northeast of St. Leonard in the Saint John River valley and approximately the same distance from Mont Joli, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in the St. Lawrence River valley. Campbellton was settled by the Scottish including surrounding area like Balmoral, Glencoe, and Glenlevit. Campbellton is named after a Scottish town in the argyle area of Scotland - Campbeltown.
Demographics
Population trend| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 7,384 | 5.3% |
| 2001 | 7,798 | 7.2% |
| 1996 | 8,404 | 3.4% |
| 1991 | 8,699 | N/A |
Mother tongue language (2006)
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French only | 3,870 | 55.56% |
| English only | 2,840 | 40.78% |
| Both English and French | 125 | 1.79% |
| Other languages | 130 | 1.87% |
Arts and culture
Restigouche caledonian society has been in Campbellton since 1898,the society was formed for the purpose of offering relief and assistance to distressed Scotsmen.Events
Annual special events include Promotion Plus in the summer as well as the Salmon Festival in late June. Other efforts to increase tourism include an 8.5 metre (27.88 ft) salmon statue made of stainless steel. Restigouche Sam, as the statue was christened, was donated to the city to honour Campbellton's historical connection with the "salmon-rich" Restigouche River. Several murals have also been created to beautify the city.Educational institutions
Campbellton is home to two high schools: one catering to the francophone community (Polyvalente Roland-Pépin) and the other to anglophones (Sugarloaf Senior High SchoolSugarloaf Senior High School
Sugarloaf Senior High School is an English high school, with French Immersion, located in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada. Its name comes from the nearby Sugarloaf mountain, a local landmark adjacent to the provincial park of the same name.-Student body:...
). It should be noted, though, that the francophone high school has been temporarily shut down due to the poor engineering involved in its initial construction. The other grade schools are Lord Beaverbrook and Campbellton Middle School
Campbellton Middle School
Campbelton Middle School is an English middle school, with French Immersion, located in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada.-Student body:There are approximately 235 students enrolled at Campbellton Middle School, and classes are usually in the 20-25 range...
for anglophones, while École Apollo XI accommodates the young French students.
Anglophone schools are served by School District 15
New Brunswick School District 15
School District 15 is a Canadian school district in New Brunswick.District 15 is an Anglophone district operating 14 public schools in Restigouche and Gloucester Counties.Current enrollment is approximately 4,000 students and 280 teachers...
, while francophone schools are part of District scolaire 05
New Brunswick School District 05
District scolaire 05 is a Canadian school district in New Brunswick.District 05 is a Francophone district operating 22 public schools in Gloucester and Restigouche counties....
.
The New Brunswick Community College
New Brunswick Community College
The New Brunswick Community College is a community college. The enabling legislation is the New Brunswick Community Colleges Act ..-Campus:There are campuses in:#Miramichi,#Moncton,#Saint John,#St...
has a campus in Campbellton which provides instruction in various trades, including woodworking and office administration.