Administrative divisions of New Brunswick

The Canadian province of New Brunswick is divided into 89 local entities, consisting of 77 local governments and 12 rural districts.

NB's local governance entities.
New Brunswick local governance entities

A local government can be a city, town, village, regional municipality or rural community, mainly according to population.[1] Cities generally provide more services than smaller entities.[2] Services include certain transportation, environmental, security, and recreational and culture services.[3]

Ninety-five per cent of the population lives in a city, town, village, regional municipality, or rural community and can vote to elect responsible local government. Parts of the province not covered by these local governments are divided into rural districts. These are sparsely populated unincorporated areas. Each district elects councillors to form an advisory committee to advise the minister on local matters.

Twelve regional service commissions provide services over larger areas.[4]

History

In 1784 New Brunswick was created via the partitioning of the Colony of Nova Scotia and divided into the counties of NB, which were in turn divided into parishes. By the 1960s the province was a patchwork of incorporated cities, towns, villages, local improvement districts,[5] and local administrative commissions.[6] Under this system, many public services including healthcare, social services, and education were provided by county government.[7] Underfunded poor counties were stuck in a "perpetual cycle of poverty".[7]

In response, Liberal premier Louis Robichaud introduced the Equal Opportunity Program.[8] This reformed municipal taxation, and via the 1966 Municipalities Act[8] eliminated county governments and led to the subsequent centralization of many of their powers. In 1967 counties ceased to exist as government units and nonmunicipal incorporated bodies[lower-alpha 1] were converted to villages. A new governance unit, the local service district (LSD), was created to administer local services like fire departments in some rural areas.[lower-alpha 2] The new villages were given the same municipal powers as towns and cities.[1] Existing cities and towns were not changed,[9] while existing villages[lower-alpha 3] were converted to the new village model.

Regional service commissions were added in 2012.

The 2023 New Brunswick local governance reform was an overhaul of the system as follows:[10]

  • 104 local governments were reduced to 77, primarily by combining existing municipalities. Few municipalities were unaffected by the changes, with some new municipalities created by combining LSDs.
  • Local service districts were dissolved. Some joined existing or new municipalities or rural communities, while remaining LSD areas were combined to form 12 rural districts corresponding to the regional service commissions. A significant number of LSDs were split between municipalities and rural districts.
  • Regional service commissions assumed increased powers; many had their boundaries adjusted.
  • Land use planning was improved.
  • Financing local governance finance was reformed.

Local governance divisions
Name Status Regional service commission Entity number
Acadian Peninsula rural district Acadian Peninsula 4
Alnwick rural community Greater Miramichi 20
Arcadia village Capital Region 66
Bathurst city Chaleur 12
Belledune village Chaleur 10
Beaurivage town Kent 26
Beausoleil rural community Kent 31
Bois-Joli village Restigouche 8
Butternut Valley rural community Kings 79
Campbellton city Restigouche 7
Campobello Island rural community Southwest 55
Cap-Acadie town Southeast 38
Capital Region rural district Capital Region 11
Caraquet town Acadian Peninsula 14
Carleton North town Western Valley 76
Central York rural community Capital Region 70
Chaleur rural district Chaleur 3
Champdoré town Kent 30
Dieppe city Southeast 36
Doaktown village Greater Miramichi 23
Eastern Charlotte rural community Southwest 53
Edmundston city Northwest 2
Five Rivers village Kent 28
Fredericton city Capital Region 69
Fredericton Junction village Capital Region 60
Fundy rural district Fundy 9
Fundy Albert village Southeast 42
Fundy Shores rural community Southwest 52
Fundy-St. Martins village Fundy 46
Grand Bay-Westfield town Fundy 51
Grand-Bouctouche town Kent 29
Grand Falls town Northwest 4
Grand Lake village Capital Region 67
Grand Manan village Southwest 54
Greater Miramichi rural district Greater Miramichi 5
Hampton town Fundy 47
Hanwell rural community Capital Region 62
Hartland town Western Valley 74
Harvey rural community Capital Region 59
Haut-Madawaska town Northwest 1
Hautes-Terres town Acadian Peninsula 17
Heron Bay town Restigouche 9
Île-de-Lamèque town Acadian Peninsula 15
Kedgwick rural community Northwest 6
Kent rural district Kent 6
Kings rural district Kings 8
Lakeland Ridges village Western Valley 72
Maple Hills rural community Southeast 32
Memramcook village Southeast 41
Miramichi city Greater Miramichi 21
Miramichi River Valley rural community Greater Miramichi 22
McAdam village Southwest 58
Moncton city Southeast 34
Nackawic-Millville rural community Capital Region 71
Nashwaak rural community Capital Region 68
Neguac village Acadian Peninsula 19
New Maryland village Capital Region 64
Northwest rural district Northwest 1
Nouvelle-Arcadie village Kent 25
Oromocto town Capital Region 65
Quispamsis town Fundy 48
Restigouche rural district Restigouche 2
Rivière-du-Nord town Acadian Peninsula 13
Rothesay town Fundy 49
Saint Andrews town Southwest 56
Saint John city Fundy 50
Saint-Quentin town Northwest 5
Salisbury town Southeast 33
Shediac town Southeast 37
Shippagan town Acadian Peninsula 16
Southeast rural district Southeast 7
Southern Victoria village Western Valley 77
Southwest rural district Southwest 10
St. Stephen town Southwest 57
Strait Shores rural community Southeast 39
Sunbury-York South rural community Capital Region 63
Sussex town Kings 44
Tantramar town Southeast 40
Three Rivers village Southeast 43
Tobique Valley village Western Valley 78
Tracadie regional municipality Acadian Peninsula 18
Tracy village Capital Region 61
Upper Miramichi rural community Greater Miramichi 24
Vallée-des-Rivières town Northwest 3
Valley Waters village Kings 45
Western Valley rural district Western Valley 12
Woodstock town Western Valley 73

Other jurisdictions of the province

Census areas

Census Canada divides the province into census divisions and subdivisions, population centres, and economic regions (Fredericton-Moncton-Saint John, Madawaska-Charlotte, Restigouche-Albert).

Health authorities

The NB Department of Health funds two health authorities: Horizon Health Network in the central and southern portions of the province, and Vitalité Health Network in the north and southeast. For statistical purposes, the government further divides the province into seven zones, with zones 2 and 3 in the Horizon authority, and the rest under Vitalité.[11]

Protected areas

Indian reserves

There are 15 First Nations in New Brunswick.

Canadian Forces bases

There is one Canadian Forces Base, CFB Gagetown.

See also

fr:Gouvernance locale au Nouveau-Brunswick (local government in NB)

Notes
  1. These were commissions, which received grants from the province and had some administrative powers, and local improvement districts, which were formed to administer purely local services like sewage systems but had no significant powers.
  2. Large areas of the province received only the most basic provincial services like highway maintenance; these were not part of the local service district system.
  3. Port Elgin and the township of McAdam, which was a village for municipal purposes.

References
  1. "Why local governments?" (PDF). Canadian Political Science Association. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. "Rural Districts" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  3. Antoft, Kell; Novack, Jack (1998). Grassroots democracy: local government in the Maritimes. Halifax, N.S.: Henson College, Dalhousie University. ISBN 9780770310141.
  4. "Structure of the new Regional Service Commissions". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  5. Finn, Jean-Guy. "Report of the Commissioner on the Future of Local Governance" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  6. "Municipalities Act, SNB 1966(1), c 20". CanLII. Retrieved 14 May 2023. Section 23 and the Second Schedule deal with the commissions.
  7. Comeau, Jean-Sébastien (2018). "Assessing the Editorial Discourse Around the Equal Opportunity Program in New Brunswick" (PDF). University of Ottawa.
  8. Government of New Brunswick, Canada (30 May 2015). "This Week in New Brunswick History". www1.gnb.ca. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  9. "Working together for vibrant and sustainable communities white paper" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick.
  10. "Path forward". Government of New Brunswick. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  11. "Maps of health zones and NBHC communities". nbhc.ca. NB Health Council. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  12. "What is a Protected Natural Area?". www2.gnb.ca. Government of New Brunswick. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
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