The Canadian province of New Brunswick is divided by the Territorial Division Act[1] into 152 parishes,[a] units which had political significance as subdivisions of counties until the Municipalities Act of 1966.[b] Parishes still exist in law and include any municipality, rural community, or regional municipality within their borders.[2] They provided convenient boundaries for electoral districts[c] and organising delivery of government services for some time after 1966 but were gradually supplanted for such purposes by local service districts (LSDs), which better represent communities of interest. Local governance reforms on 1 January 2023 abolished the local service district as a unit of governance but this did not affect the existence of civil parishes.

Parishes are still used[d] to describe legal boundaries for health administration[6][7] judicial matters,[8] agricultural boards, and some other entities; highway, fisheries and wildlife, community planning, and some other departments use parishes for rural locations, while some forms still use parishes as the only alternative to municipalities when entering one's community.

Provincial government guidelines require capitalising the word parish only if it follows the specific part of the name: e.g., Hopewell Parish but the parish of Hopewell.[9]

Other uses of the term parish

Confusion is caused by three other government uses of the term parish.

List

142 of New Brunswick's parishes are used as the basis of census subdivisions by Statistics Canada.[13] Unless noted, all figures below are for census subdivisions, which do not include areas within municipalities, incorporated rural communities, or Indian reserves. Revised census figures based on the 2023 local governance reforms have not been released.

Name County Population
(2021) 		Population
(2016)[12] 		Change
(%)[12] 		Area
(km²)[12] 		Population
density[12]
Aberdeen Carleton 812 781 Increase 4.0 444.88 1.8
Acadieville Kent 752 709 Increase 6.1 332.08 2.3
Addington Restigouche 698 656 Increase 6.4 933.00 0.7
Allardville Gloucester 1,949 2,032 Decrease 4.1 654.60 3.0
Alma Albert 5 5 Steady 222.74 0.0
Alnwick Northumberland 3,615 3,640 Decrease 0.7 668.84 5.4
Andover Victoria 879 891 Decrease 1.3 123.42 7.1
Baker Brook Madawaska not profiled after 2016
Balmoral Restigouche 309 278 Increase 11.2 1,088.01 0.3
Bathurst Gloucester 4,761 4,797 Decrease 0.8 1,502.74 3.2
Beresford Gloucester 6,226 6,248 Decrease 0.4 455.61 13.7
Blackville Northumberland 1,996 2,028 Decrease 1.6 823.93 2.4
Blissfield Northumberland 491 451 Increase 8.9 1,235.57 0.4
Blissville Sunbury 777 819 Decrease 5.1 341.74 2.3
Botsford Westmorland 1,120 1,058 Increase 5.9 304.62 3.7
Bright York 3,317 3,289 Increase 0.9 403.73 8.2
Brighton Carleton 1,596 1,735 Decrease 8.0 509.30 3.1
Brunswick Queens 224 203 Increase 10.3 703.20 0.3
Burton Sunbury 5,176 5,119 Increase 1.1 258.39 20.0
Cambridge Queens 684 647 Increase 5.7 113.17 6.0
Campobello[i] Charlotte 949 872 Increase 8.8 39.59 24.0
Canning Queens 1,028 924 Increase 11.3 173.25 5.9
Canterbury York 552 525 Increase 5.1 550.7 1.0
Caraquet Gloucester 1,261 1,337 Decrease 5.7 109.32 11.5
Cardwell Kings 1,401 1,353 Increase 3.5 311.87 4.5
Carleton Kent 764 708 Increase 7.9 435.23 1.8
Chatham Northumberland 527 511 Increase 3.1 22.70 23.2
Chipman Queens 853 913 Decrease 6.6 483.45 1.8
Clair Madawaska not profiled after 2016
Clarendon Charlotte 66 63 Increase 4.8 492.11 0.1
Colborne Restigouche 266 227 Increase 17.2 753.38 0.4
Coverdale Albert 4,766 4,466 Increase 6.7 236.00 20.2
Dalhousie Restigouche 1,090 1,067 Increase 2.2 62.62 17.4
Denmark Victoria 1,424 1,471 Decrease 3.2 751.08 1.9
Derby Northumberland 938 976 Decrease 3.9 61.00 15.4
Dorchester Westmorland 438 429 Increase 2.1 90.13 4.9
Douglas[j] York 5,935 5,703 Increase 1.2 1,446.95 4.3
Drummond Victoria 2,095 2,157 Decrease 2.9 1,013.66 2.1
Dufferin Charlotte 565 573 Decrease 1.4 12.34 45.8
Dumbarton Charlotte 346 335 Increase 3.3 373.20 0.9
Dumfries York 420 356 Increase 18.0 298.51 1.4
Dundas Kent 4,332 3,914 Increase 10.7 172.32 25.1
Durham Restigouche 950 1,076 Decrease 11.7 409.78 2.3
Eldon[j] Restigouche 674 672 Decrease 5.9 1,681.46 0.4
Elgin Albert 1,064 892 Increase 19.3 519.54 2.0
Gagetown Queens 324 311 Increase 4.2 234.58 1.4
Gladstone Sunbury 486 452 Increase 7.5 362.08 1.3
Glenelg Northumberland 1,532 1,560 Decrease 1.8 504.78 3.0
Gordon Victoria 1,559 1,493 Increase 4.4 1,430.19 1.1
Grand Falls Victoria 1,077 1,109 Decrease 2.9 158.09 6.8
Grand Manan Charlotte 139 145 Decrease 4.1 5.96 23.3
Greenwich Kings 1,126 1,058 Increase 6.4 114.56 9.8
Grimmer Restigouche not profiled after 2016
Hammond Kings 276 251 Increase 10.0 244.24 1.1
Hampstead Queens 288 277 Increase 4.0 212.39 1.4
Hampton Kings 2,969 2,809 Increase 5.7 121.24 24.5
Harcourt Kent 346 346 Steady 1,169.20 0.3
Hardwicke Northumberland 2,203 2,201 Increase 0.1 275.95 8.0
Harvey Albert 358 333 Increase 7.5 276.85 1.3
Havelock Kings 1,042 1,061 Decrease 1.8 349.22 3.0
Hillsborough Albert 1,397 1,308 Increase 6.8 304.03 4.6
Hopewell Albert 597 647 Decrease 7.7 149.14 4.0
Huskisson Kent 5 15 Decrease 66.7 369.31 0.0
Inkerman Gloucester 2,373 2,366 Increase 0.3 107.63 22.0
Johnston Queens 638 560 Increase 13.9 360.87 1.8
Kars Kings 377 325 Increase 16.0 75.54 5.0
Kent Carleton 1,966 2,153 Decrease 8.7 839.76 2.3
Kingsclear York 2,839 2,822 Increase 0.6 150.11 18.9
Kingston Kings 3,202 2,913 Increase 9.9 200.41 16.0
Lac Baker Madawaska not profiled after 2016
Lepreau Charlotte 803 707 Increase 13.6 209.52 3.8
Lincoln Sunbury 7,519 7,177 Increase 4.8 159.44 47.2
Lorne Victoria 313 464 Decrease 32.5 1,632.21 0.2
Ludlow[k] Northumberland not profiled after 2011
Madawaska Madawaska 0 10 Decrease 100.0 173.42 0.0
Manners Sutton York 1,920 1,777 Increase 8.0 524.75 3.7
Maugerville Sunbury 1,772 1,831 Decrease 3.2 919.94 1.9
McAdam York 61 73 Decrease 16.4 534.77 0.1
Moncton Westmorland 10,704 9,811 Increase 9.1 564.16 19.0
Musquash Saint John 1,253 1,194 Increase 4.9 233.06 5.4
Nelson[j] Northumberland 929 952 Decrease 2.4 353.68 2.6
New Bandon Gloucester 1,200 1,214 Decrease 1.2 359.28 3.3
New Maryland York 2,806 2,606 Increase 7.7 375.02 7.5
Newcastle Northumberland 1,149 1,136 Increase 1.1 578.70 2.0
North Lake York 282 233 Increase 21.0 439.6 0.6
Northampton Carleton 1,875 1,724 Increase 8.8 243.31 7.7
Northesk Northumberland 2,169 2,263 Decrease 4.2 3,346.76 0.6
Northfield Sunbury 577 620 Decrease 6.9 303.27 1.9
Norton Kings 1,325 1,301 Increase 1.8 144.77 9.2
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Madawaska 253 275 Decrease 8.0 186.30 1.4
Paquetville Gloucester 2,250 2,329 Decrease 3.4 220.42 10.2
Peel Carleton 1,198 1,196 Increase 0.2 112.74 10.6
Pennfield Charlotte 2,222 2,170 Increase 2.4 363.75 6.1
Perth Victoria 1,047 1,082 Decrease 3.2 318.10 3.3
Petersville Queens 710 681 Increase 4.3 589.95 1.2
Prince William York 1,083 930 Increase 16.5 284.39 3.8
Queensbury York 1,237 1,174 Increase 5.4 294.35 4.2
Richibucto[j] Kent 2,085 1,872 Increase 11.4 249.21 8.4
Richmond Carleton 1,456 1,303 Increase 11.7 258.80 5.6
Rivière-Verte Madawaska 657 711 Decrease 7.6 715.72 0.9
Rogersville Northumberland 1,072 1,102 Decrease 2.7 326.27 3.3
Rothesay Kings 342 325 Increase 5.2 7.26 47.1
Sackville Westmorland 1,204 1,182 Increase 1.9 578.9 2.1
Saint AndréSaint-André[l] Madawaska 1,794 1,901 Decrease 5.6 136.19 13.2
Saint Andrews Charlotte 550 553 Decrease 0.5 24.27 22.7
Saint AnneSainte-Anne Madawaska 936 964 Decrease 2.9 368.76 2.5
Saint BasileSaint-Basile Madawaska 736 592 Increase 24.3 129.96 5.7
Saint CharlesSaint-Charles Kent 2,024 1,997 Increase 1.4 175.07 11.6
Saint Croix Charlotte 648 657 Decrease 1.4 78.60 8.2
Saint David Charlotte 1,470 1,529 Decrease 3.9 190.39 7.7
Saint FrançoisSaint-François Madawaska not profiled after 2016
Saint George Charlotte 2,495 2,341 Increase 6.6 500.05 5.0
Saint HilaireSaint-Hilaire Madawaska not profiled after 2016
Saint IsidoreSaint-Isidore Gloucester 1,312 1,361 Decrease 3.6 173.14 7.6
Saint JacquesSaint-Jacques Madawaska 1,652 1,596 Increase 3.5 298.44 5.5
Saint James Charlotte 1,024 1,186 Decrease 13.7 552.90 1.9
Saint JosephSaint-Joseph Madawaska 1,549 1,538 Increase 0.7 321.42 4.8
Saint LéonardSaint-Léonard Madawaska 858 975 Decrease 12.0 344.85 2.5
Saint LouisSaint-Louis Kent 1,760 1,802 Decrease 2.3 258.65 6.8
Saint MarieSainte-Marie[m] Kent 1,991 1,972 Increase 1.0 238.32 8.4
Saint Martins Saint John 1,177 1,132 Increase 4.0 629.00 1.9
Saint Marys York 5,084 4,837 Increase 5.1 751.90 6.8
Saint Patrick Charlotte 710 689 Increase 3.0 236.59 3.0
Saint PaulSaint-Paul Kent 877 842 Increase 4.2 228.41 3.8
Saint QuentinSaint-Quentin Restigouche 1,504 1,532 Decrease 1.8 2,474.01 0.6
Saint Stephen Charlotte 1,671 1,839 Decrease 9.1 102.83 16.3
Salisbury Westmorland 3,377 3,388 Decrease 0.3 874.00 3.9
Saumarez Gloucester not profiled after 2016
Shediac Westmorland 5,144 4,789 Increase 7.4 178.79 28.8
Sheffield Sunbury 888 809 Increase 9.8 271.29 3.3
Shippegan Gloucester 4,781 4,800 Decrease 0.4 204.52 23.4
Simonds Carleton 514 473 Increase 8.7 75.57 6.8
Simonds Saint John 3,913 3,843 Increase 1.8 281.06 13.9
Southampton York 1,497 1,484 Increase 0.9 446.85 3.4
Southesk Northumberland 1,666 1,694 Decrease 1.7 2,462.60 0.7
Springfield Kings 1,641 1,525 Increase 7.6 248.53 6.6
Stanley York 920 832 Increase 10.6 1,218.38 0.8
Studholm Kings 3,527 3,522 Increase 0.1 448.98 7.9
Sussex Kings 2,579 2,516 Increase 2.5 243.99 10.6
Upham Kings 1,357 1,269 Increase 6.9 189.21 7.2
Wakefield Carleton 2,722 2,767 Decrease 1.6 196.31 13.9
Waterborough Queens 903 847 Increase 6.6 443.16 2.0
Waterford Kings 491 469 Increase 4.7 221.27 2.2
Weldford[j] Kent 1,335 1,333 Increase 0.2 607.56 2.2
Wellington Kent 3,292 3,079 Increase 6.9 184.80 17.8
West Isles Charlotte 718 797 Decrease 9.9 38.32 18.7
Westfield Kings 2,114 1,962 Increase 7.7 295.34 7.2
Westmorland Westmorland 997 908 Increase 9.8 173.27 5.8
Wickham Queens 409 427 Decrease 4.2 160.54 2.5
Wicklow Carleton 1,591 1,697 Decrease 6.2 195.50 8.1
Wilmot Carleton 969 1,022 Decrease 5.2 191.40 5.1
Woodstock[j] Carleton 2,219 2,178 Increase 1.9 194.83 11.4
Total parishes[n] 227,326 222,338 Increase 2.2 63,325.23 3.6

Former and renamed parishes

Name County Notes
Fredericton York Incorporated as a city in 1848 but still appears in the Territorial Division Act.
Lancaster Saint John Amalgamated with the City of Saint John in 1967.
Liverpool Kent Original name of Richibucto Parish, changed in 1832.
Palmerston Kent Original name of Saint-Louis Parish, changed in 1866.
Portland Saint John Amalgamated with the City of Saint John in 1889.
Saint Mary Kent Original name of Sainte-Marie Parish, changed in 1973. Still in use for some purposes.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Plus the Cities of Saint John and Fredericton, and the Town of Grand Falls, although Fredericton and Grand Falls have both expanded their borders beyond those listed in the TDA.
  2. ^ County municipalities were dissolved; 12 quasimunicipal commissions and 63 local improvement districts were converted to villages; and 85 parishes plus 7 former school districts with fire protection and/or other services were made local service districts.
  3. ^ Parishes were used to define the boundaries of provincial electoral districts in reports from 1974-1993;[3][4] 2006 was the first report to use local service districts to define riding boundaries.[5]
  4. ^ As of July 2021, by more than a dozen Acts and more than fifty Regulations.
  5. ^ Two more parish LSDs - North Esk and South Esk - used different spellings than the parish they were named after; Saint Mary used the parish's old name in English but the modern Sainte-Marie in French.
  6. ^ 1 in Albert County, 7 in Charlotte, 1 in Kent, 7 in Kings, 2 in Madawaska, 2 in Queens, 1 in Saint John, 1 in Sunbury, 4 in York.
  7. ^ Examples include several properties in the village of Eel River Crossing being taxed as part of the village of Charlo in 2014[10] and voting maps released by the Town of Hampton for its shared recreation services in 2016, including the LSD of the parish of Springfield.[11]
  8. ^ 52 parishes have no municipality within their limits; 3 of these have Indian reserves.
  9. ^ The local service district of the parish of Campobello was incorporated as a rural community on 1 November 2010; the parish itself still legally exists and appears in the Territorial Division Act. The data here is for the rural community of Campobello Island.
  10. ^ a b c d e f 2016 figure adjusted for subsequent change in boundaries.
  11. ^ The local service district of Parish of Ludlow was replaced on 10 March 1971 by the new local service district of Upper Miramichi, which also included part of the local service district of the parish of Stanley; Upper Miramichi was incorporated as a rural community on 17 March 2008. The parish itself still legally exists and appears in the Territorial Division Act.
  12. ^ Figures are for rural community of Saint-André, which includes all of parish not included in town of Grand Falls.
  13. ^ The official name is Sainte-Marie in both languages.[1]
  14. ^ These totals are not inclusive of any portions within cities, town, villages, incorporated rural communities, regional municipality, or Indian reserves. Totals are calculated; non-CSDs are not included.

References

  1. ^ a b "Chapter T-3 Territorial Division Act" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Chapter I-13 Interpretation Act" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  3. ^ Graham, G. E.; Lanteigne, L.; Cloutier, Mrs. Benoit; Dick, W. B.; Jonah, H. N. (1974). "Appendix A". Report of the Representation and Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission. Government of New Brunswick.
  4. ^ Creaghan, William L.M.; Jean, Bernard-A.; Clarke, Janice L.; Thériault, Nicole; Doiron, Claire; Toole, Frederick D.; Groom, Mabel (October 1993). A New Electoral Map for New Brunswick: The Final Report of The Representation and Electoral District Boundaries Commission. Province of New Brunswick. pp. 25–133.
  5. ^ Larlee, Margaret; Robichaud, Brigitte; Brown, David; Carrier, Normand; Myers, Richard; Paulin, Réginald; Ward, Pam (20 February 2006). "Appendix B". A New Electoral Map for New Brunswick: Final Report of the Electoral Boundaries and Representation Commission. Province of New Brunswick.
  6. ^ "Regional Health Authorities Act (R.S.N.B. 2011, c.217)". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  7. ^ "NEW BRUNSWICK REGULATION 2009-141 under the Public Health Act (O.C. 2009-460)". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  8. ^ "NEW BRUNSWICK REGULATION 83-120 under the Judicature Act (O.C. 83-707)". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  9. ^ LeBlanc, Valmond (11 September 2020). "Legislate Assembly of New Brunswick Parliamentary Stylebook" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. p. 92. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  10. ^ Let's Grow Together: Your future is in your hands! (Report). Government of New Brunswick. 8 October 2014. p. 6.
  11. ^ "Public Vote for Residents of the Local Service District of Springfield re: Hampton Regional Multipurpose Facility". Town of Hampton website. 2016.[dead link]
  12. ^ a b c d e "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  13. ^ Figure derived from counting parishes still used as Census subdivisions.[12]
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