Oromocto Welamooktook (Great River) | |
---|---|
Nickname: Canada's Model town | |
Motto(s): Latin: Succesus Per Operam "Effort Brings Success" | |
Coordinates: 45°50′56″N66°28′44″W / 45.84878°N 66.47879°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | New Brunswick |
County | Sunbury County |
Parish | Burton Parish |
Founded | March 16, 1943 |
Incorporated | 1956 |
Electoral districts Federal | Fredericton |
Provincial | Oromocto |
Government | |
• Type | Town council |
• Mayor | Robert Powell |
• Deputy Mayor | Jeff Kirkbride |
• Councillors | Lorraine Dawe, Jeff Kirkbride, Sheridan Mawhinney, Kelly Murdock, Alex Zaporzan |
Area | |
• Land | 22.36 km2 (8.63 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 51 m (167 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Population (2021) [2] | |
• Total | 9,045 |
• Density | 404.5/km2 (1,048/sq mi) |
• Change (2016–21) | 1.9% |
• Dwellings | 3,897 |
Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (ADT) |
Postal code(s) | E2V 2v3 |
Area code | 506 |
Access routes Route 2 (TCH) Route 7 | Route 102 |
Telephone exchange | 357-440 |
NTS Map | 021G16 |
GNBC Code | DATWJ |
Website | oromocto.ca |
Oromocto is a Canadian town in Sunbury County, New Brunswick.
The town is located on the west bank of the Saint John River at the mouth of the Oromocto River, approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Fredericton. The town's name is derived from the name of the Oromocto River; "oromocto" is thought to have originated from the Maliseet word welamukotuk which means "deep water". It appears on early maps as Ramouctou and La Rivière du Kamouctou (Freneuse seigneurial grant, 1684). [3]
It is the administrative headquarters of the Oromocto First Nation band government [4] and the site of Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, which dominates its economy and modern history.
On 1 January 2023, Oromocto annexed the local service district of the parish of Lincoln, excluding the Fredericton International Airport and a highway strip connecting it to the city. [5] [6] Revised census figures have not been released.
The town was initially an Acadian village. During the Expulsion of the Acadians, it was burned in the St. John River Campaign (1758). During the American Revolution, Fort Hughes was built in the community after the rebellion at Maugerville, New Brunswick. (A replica of Fort Hughes was built at Sir Douglas Hazen Park.) In 1783, Oromocto saw a large influx of settlers with the arrival of United Empire Loyalists, with a steady stream of new blood arriving in the area. Many of the Loyalists also moved into surrounding areas, establishing smaller communities such as Lincoln and Geary. [7] [8]
Oromocto was originally a shipbuilding town in the 19th century, but went into decline after the industry closed. During its shipbuilding days, Oromocto produced about 22 ships. This was made possible by an abundance of timber and sawmills, which continued to provide economic stability to Oromocto, even after the shipbuilding business had died out. [7] [8] It remained a small hamlet until it was selected as the headquarters for a large military training area, in the early 1950s. The Gagetown Military Camp (Camp Gagetown) opened in 1955 as the largest military reservation in the Commonwealth of Nations at the time. [9]
Oromocto underwent a transformation during this time as it was designed to be a "model town". It was considered to be at the forefront of such efforts in Canada. Today, Oromocto's entire economy is dominated by CFB Gagetown.
The town's location in the Saint John River valley provides lush vegetation and an attractive waterfront on both rivers. A small park and marina occupy an area on the Oromocto River waterfront near the downtown. The nightlife attraction is Griffon's Pub and Eatery. The town's shopping mall features a Pizza Delight, Tim Hortons, Dollarama, Shoppers Drug Mart, Atlantic Superstore, and a barber shop. A business district in the area of Restigouche Road has become moderately successful, and the town features a small hospital, track and field facilities, and churches. The town is home to a distribution centre for Sobeys grocery stores, a funeral home, library and recreation centre. Where the town borders on CFB Gagetown, there is also a Canex with a salon and barbershop, hockey/squash arenas, swimming pool, and a credit union, along with military vehicles and aircraft on outdoor display.
Adjacent to the town on the eastern limits is the Oromocto First Nations reserve, a small Mi'kmaq/Maliseet community.
Canadian National Railway abandoned its railway line, which ran through the town to CFB Gagetown, in March 1996. This railway right-of-way has been developed as a recreational trail and is part of the "Sentier NB Trail" network. The section of the Sentier NB Trail between Fredericton-Oromocto-Burton also hosts the Trans Canada Trail.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Oromocto had a population of 9,045 living in 3,663 of its 3,897 total private dwellings, a change of -1.9% from its 2016 population of 9,223. With a land area of 22.36 km2 (8.63 sq mi), it had a population density of 404.5/km2 (1,047.7/sq mi) in 2021. [2]
There are two school districts in Oromocto, one providing education in English and one in French, and eight public schools. [11]
Fredericton is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, also known by its Indigenous name of Wolastoq, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the dominant natural feature of the area. One of the main urban centres in New Brunswick, the city had a population of 63,116 and a metropolitan population of 108,610 in the 2021 Canadian Census. It is the third-largest city in the province after Moncton and Saint John.
Edmundston is a city in Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada. Established in 1850, it had a population of 16,437 as of 2021.
Sunbury County is located in central New Brunswick, Canada. A large military base is located in the western part of the county south of the town of Oromocto. The county also hosts forestry and mixed farming. Burton is the county shire town.
Route 7 is 97 kilometres (60 mi) long and runs from Fredericton, near an interchange with Route 8, to an interchange with Route 1 in Saint John. Most of the highway is either a divided expressway or has limited access.
Gagetown is a former village in Queens County, New Brunswick, Canada. It held village status prior to 2023 and is now part of the village of Arcadia. It is on the west bank of the Saint John River and is the county's shire town.
The Saint John River is a 673-kilometre-long (418 mi) river that flows from Northern Maine into Canada, and runs south along the western side of New Brunswick, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean in the Bay of Fundy. Eastern Canada's longest river, its drainage basin is one of the largest on the east coast at about 55,000 square kilometres (21,000 sq mi).
Grand Falls is a town in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada, on the Saint John River. Its name comes from a waterfall created by a series of rock ledges over which the river drops 23 metres (75 ft).
5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, formerly known as and commonly referred to as CFB Gagetown, is a large Canadian Forces Base covering an area over 1,100 km2 (420 sq mi), located in southwestern New Brunswick.
Oromocto was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada.
The history of Fredericton stretches from prehistory to the modern day. Fredericton, New Brunswick was first inhabited by the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet peoples. European settlement of the area began with the construction of Fort Nashwaak by the French in 1692. In 1783, the United Empire Loyalists settled Ste. Anne's Point, and in the next year, renamed the settlement Frederick's Town. The name was later shorted to Fredericton in April 1785.
Grand Lake-Gagetown was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was first created in the 2006 redrawing of electoral districts and was first used in the general election later that year. Its last MLA was Ross Wetmore.
Geary is a Canadian rural community in Sunbury County, New Brunswick. It is often considered to be in four small parts: Haneytown, Waterville-Sunbury, Geary, and French Lake.
The history of New Brunswick covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day New Brunswick were inhabited for millennia by the several First Nations groups, most notably the Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, and the Passamaquoddy.
Blissville is a civil parish in Sunbury County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Hampstead is a civil parish in Queens County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Burton is a civil parish in Sunbury County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Gagetown is a civil parish in Queens County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was first contested in the 2014 general election, having been created in the 2013 redistribution of electoral boundaries from portions of the former ridings of Oromocto and Fredericton-Lincoln.
37 Combat Engineer Regiment is a reserve engineer regiment of the Canadian Military Engineers, part of the Canadian Army. It has its headquarters in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It parades throughout the year from September to June while training continues throughout the summer in the form of courses and taskings. It is tasked to augment the regular force when required. Currently the regiment's Commanding Officer is Lieutenant-Colonel Darren Turner and the Regimental-Sergeant-Major is Chief Warrant Officer Doug Payne.