Rothesay, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
Rothesay 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 a bedroom community 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...
along the 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,...
.
Located along 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, Rothesay borders the city of Saint John to the southwest, and the neighbouring town of Quispamsis
Quispamsis, New Brunswick
Quispamsis is a Canadian town located in Kings County, New Brunswick. It is located 20 kilometres northeast of Saint John, in the lower Kennebecasis River valley.The name is traditionally pronounced with a weak stress on either the first or last syllable....
to the northeast. It is served by a secondary mainline of the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
, though there is no longer any passenger service on the line.
The pronunciation of the name is changing, with the second form becoming common in recent years.
History
The town developed first as a shipbuilding centre and later as a summer home community for Saint John's wealthy elite with the arrival of the European and North American RailwayEuropean and North American Railway
The European and North American Railway is the name for three historic Canadian and American railways which were built in New Brunswick and Maine....
in 1853. The new town was named in honour of the visiting Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, later King Edward VII, in 1860 because the area was said to have reminded him of Rothesay, Bute, in Scotland.
On January 1, 1998, the former communities of East Riverside-Kingshurst
East Riverside-Kingshurst, New Brunswick
East Riverside-Kingshurst was a community in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. It was incorporated into the town of Rothesay on January 1, 1998....
, Fairvale
Fairvale, New Brunswick
Fairvale was a community in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. It was incorporated into the town of Rothesay on January 1, 1998....
, Renforth
Renforth, New Brunswick
Renforth is a Canadian suburban community and former village in Kings County, New Brunswick.It is situated on the south bank of the Kennebecasis River southwest of the neighbouring town of Rothesay and northeast of Saint John....
, Rothesay and Wells
Wells, New Brunswick
Wells was a community in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. It was incorporated into the town of Rothesay on January 1, 1998. The town-site is located 6.51 km east...
were amalgamated to form the town of Rothesay. The town motto, Quinque luncta In Uno (Five United In One), represents the joining together of the five founding communities.
Present day
Rothesay contains many historical landmarks such as The Rothesay Yacht Club (many homes pre-date ConfederationCanadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
), natural parks, and modern amenities. The community provides numerous schools, places of worship, and recreation areas, along with the convenience of local commercial retail and large-scale commercial developments in the nearby city 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 1996, the proposition that Grand-Bay and the other Kennebecasis Valley communities amalgamate with Saint John was publicly opposed. Concern that a new city would compete with Saint John for government funding and business came after the province began discussing an amalgamation of the Kennebecasis Valley communities in 1997.
Then in 2008, Rothesay Mayor Bill Bishop and Quispamsis
Quispamsis, New Brunswick
Quispamsis is a Canadian town located in Kings County, New Brunswick. It is located 20 kilometres northeast of Saint John, in the lower Kennebecasis River valley.The name is traditionally pronounced with a weak stress on either the first or last syllable....
Mayor Ron Maloney proposed that the two towns amalgamate to form the one municipality of Quispamsis. The two towns already share a main road, police and fire stations, as well as a public library.
Since then, the issue has yet to really be brought to the table, but residents of the two towns are willing to discuss. Many residents want to see regional cooperation more than a full amalgamation. Rothesay was offered to share in the new sports complex being built in Quispamsis but was declined, even though many Rothesay residents thought it was a good idea. The idea of sharing a wastewater treatment plant is in talks to reduce duplicate services between the two towns.
The area has a highly educated, rapidly growing workforce. Rothesay has been sited to be an area with some of the highest incomes per capita, per the most recent census information.
Notable persons
- Canadian aviation pioneer Wallace Rupert TurnbullWallace Rupert TurnbullWallace Rupert Turnbull was a New Brunswick engineer and inventor, born on October 16, 1870 in Saint John, NB. The Saint John Airport was briefly named after him. He died November 24, 1954...
invented the variable pitch propellerControllable pitch propellerA controllable pitch propeller or variable pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change their pitch...
in Rothesay. - John Peters HumphreyJohn Peters HumphreyJohn Peters Humphrey, OC was a Canadian legal scholar, jurist, and human rights advocate. He is most famous as the author of the first draft of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights....
resided in Rothesay while attending boarding school, although his permanent residence was in the municipality of HamptonHampton, New BrunswickHampton is a Canadian town in Kings County, New Brunswick.Located on the Kennebecasis River 30 kilometres northeast of Saint John, Hampton is the shire town of Kings County...
, less than 20 minutes outside of Rothesay. - Billionaire industrialist James K. Irving resides in Rothesay.