Haut-Madawaska

Haut-Madawaska is a town in the New Brunswick Panhandle, Canada, formed by amalgamating the previous incorporated rural community of the same name with the village of Lac Baker.[3] The town includes the former incorporated villages of Lac Baker, Baker-Brook, Clair, Saint-François de Madawaska and Saint-Hilaire.

Haut-Madawaska
Town
Haut-Madawaska is located in New Brunswick
Haut-Madawaska
Haut-Madawaska
Location within New Brunswick.
Coordinates: 47.308°N 68.497°W / 47.308; -68.497
CountryCanada
ProvinceNew Brunswick
CountyMadawaska
Rural communityJuly 1, 2017[1]
TownJanuary 1, 2023
Area
[2]
 • Land611.55 km2 (236.12 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
3,720
 • Density6.1/km2 (16/sq mi)
 • Change (2016–21)
Increase 0.2%
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (ADT)
WebsiteOfficial website

Revised census figures for the new town have not been released; 2021 figures are for the rural community.

History
Boundaries of Haut-Madawaska as of January 1, 2023.
Boundaries of Haut-Madawaska as of January 1, 2023.

In a 2016 plebiscite, the residents of five local service districts (the parishes of Baker Brook, Clair, Lac Baker, Saint-François, and Saint-Hilaire), part of a sixth local service district (the parish of Madawaska) and four villages (Baker Brook, Clair, Saint-François de Madawaska and Saint-Hilaire) voted 493 to 299 in favour of incorporating a new rural community under the name of Haut-Madawaska.[4] The incorporation took effect July 1, 2017.[1] The plebiscite was the second in as many years. In 2015, a similar plebiscite was held that also included a fifth village, Lac Baker. The residents of all communities involved voted in favour of incorporation as a rural community with the exception of Lac Baker's residents, thereby defeating the proposal.[5] As a result of the 2023 New Brunswick local governance reform, Lac Baker was amalgamated with the rest of Haut-Madawaska in 2023.[6]

Economy

The region's economy is focused on two industry sectors with some of the main players outlined below:

1) Food industry (Saint-François-de-Madawaska is known as the province's Chicken Capital)

  • Groupe Westco (an integrated poultry
  • Nadeau Poultry (a poultry processing plant, part of the Maple Lodge Farms company)
  • Sunnymel (a poultry processing plant, partnership between Groupe Westco and Olymel)
  • Les Industries Corriveau (a processing plant for buckwheat flour)

2) Wood products (part of the Northern New Brunswick wood products cluster)

  • JD Irving Hardwoods (a hardwood grading and kiln drying facility, part of the JD Irving Group)
  • Waska (a manufacturer of cedar shingles)
  • JMN Enterprises (a manufacturer of kitchen accessories, BBQ accessories, and hardwood components)
  • Fiready (a manufacturer of kiln dried firewood)
  • Canusa Cedar (a manufacturer of cedar shingles)

The region is known for its hardworking labor and close to full employment with recurring periods of zero or negative unemployment.[7]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Haut-Madawaska had a population of 3,720 living in 1,658 of its 1,781 total private dwellings, a change of 0.2% from its 2016 population of 3,714. With a land area of 611.55 km2 (236.12 sq mi), it had a population density of 6.1/km2 (15.8/sq mi) in 2021.[2]

Haut-Madawaska population breakdown[8]
Former municipality or
local service district		 Former
status		 Population
(2016)
Baker BrookParish275
Baker BrookVillage564
ClairParish283
ClairVillage781
Lac BakerParish5
Saint-FrançoisParish606
Saint-François de MadawaskaVillage470
Saint-HilaireParish478
Saint-HilaireVillage252
Total population — 3,714

Government

The current mayor is Jean-Pierre Ouellet (a former minister in the provincial government).

See also

References
  1. "New Brunswick Regulation 2017-3 under the Municipalities Act". Government of New Brunswick. March 20, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  2. "Census Profile of Haut-Madawaska, Rural community". Statistics Canada. December 6, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  3. "Local Governments Establishment Regulation – Local Governance Act". Government of New Brunswick. October 12, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  4. "Miramichi picks Adam Lordon as new mayor". CBC. November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  5. "No amalgamation for Sussex area, Haut-Madawaska". CBC. November 9, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  6. Government of New Brunswick, Canada (January 31, 2022). "Maps | RSC 1". www2.gnb.ca. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  7. "Le Haut-Madawaska en recherche de main-d'œuvre".
  8. "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status, and Names Up to January 1st, 2018" (PDF). Statistics Canada. November 14, 2018. pp. 23–24. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
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