Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick

See also: History of New Brunswick and List of historic places in Gloucester County, New Brunswick

The village was founded in 1797 by Acadian settlers. The name literally means "little rock", and is pronounced by most anglophones in the region as Petty Roche.^{[ citation needed ]} The name of the village is reputed to derive from the fact that the village's founders disembarked on a small rock. The village was named Little Roche from 1850 to 1854, then Madisco until 1870, and then Petit Rocher. The hyphenated form Petit-Rocher was adopted in 2009. Some old maps have the name Petite Roche (1812) and Sainte Roque or Little Russia (1827). ^[5]

On January 1, 2023, Petit-Rocher amalgamated with Beresford, Nigadoo, Pointe-Verte and all or part of ten local service districts to form the new town of Belle-Baie. ^{[6] [7]} The community's name remains only for address purposes. ^[8]

Petit-Rocher
Dissolved Village
Village of Petit-Rocher Village de Petit-Rocher (French)
Petit-Rocher welcome sign, 2016
Seal
Motto:  Ascencio Populi
Petit-Rocher Location within New Brunswick.
Coordinates: 47°47′36″N65°42′58″W / 47.79333°N 65.71611°W / 47.79333; -65.71611
Country	Canada
Province	New Brunswick
County	Gloucester
Parish	Beresford
Town	Belle-Baie
Founded	1797
Village	1966
Dissolved	2023
Area [1]
• Total	4.52 km2 (1.75 sq mi)
Population  (2021) [1]
• Total	1,954
• Density	432.2/km2 (1,119/sq mi)
• Change (2016–21)	0.1%
• Dwellings	963
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (ADT)
Postal code	E8J
Area code	506
Highways	Route 11 Route 134 Route 315
Petit-Rocher Lighthouse
Constructed	1929
Construction	metal
Height	7 m (23 ft)
Shape	square prism skeletal tower [2] [3] [4]
Markings	grey metallic tower
Power source	solar power
Operator	Canadian Coast Guard
Focal height	7.6 m (25 ft)
Range	15 nmi (28 km; 17 mi)
Characteristic	L Fl W 6s

Historical Census Data - Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick ^[9]

Year	Pop.	±%
1991	1,988	—
1996	2,078	+4.5%
2001	1,966	−5.4%
2006	1,949	−0.9%
2011	1,908	−2.1%
2016	1,897	−0.6%
2021	1,954	+3.0%
Source: [1]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Petit-Rocher had a population of 1,954 living in 890 of its 963 total private dwellings, a change of 3% from its 2016 population of 1,897. With a land area of 4.52 km² (1.75 sq mi), it had a population density of 432.3/km² (1,119.7/sq mi) in 2021. ^[1]

Canada census – Petit-Rocher community profile

	2021	2011
Population	1,954 (+3.0% from 2016)	1,908 (-2.1% from 2006)
Land area	4.52 km2 (1.75 sq mi)	4.49 km2 (1.73 sq mi)
Population density	432.2/km2 (1,119/sq mi)	425.2/km2 (1,101/sq mi)
Median age	56 (M: 55.2, F: 56.8)	51.3 (M: 49.9, F: 52.2)
Private dwellings	890 (total)	938 (total)
Median household income		$55,666

References: 2021 ^[10] 2011 ^[11] earlier ^{[12] [13]}

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick [9]
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2021		1,885		1,690	0.05%	89.65%		145	26.08%	7.69%		35	75.0%	1.85%		20	0.0%	1.06%
2016		1,885		1,700	2.85%	90.18%		115	15.00%	6.10%		20	1.06%	1.33%		20	0.0%	1.06%
2011		1,875		1,750	4.4%	93.33%		100	42.9%	5.33%		25	25.0%	1.33%		0	0.0%	0.00%
2006		1,920		1,830	1.9%	95.31%		70	44.0%	3.65%		20	0.0%	1.04%		0	0.0%	0.00%
2001		1,940		1,795	8.2%	92.53%		125	38.9%	6.44%		20	100.0%	1.03%		0	100.0%	0.00%
1996		2,065		1,955	n/a	94.67%		90	n/a	4.36%		10	n/a	0.48%		10	n/a	0.48%

Tourism

In 2012 and 2013, Petit-Rocher was host to the CCBHA's annual ball hockey tournament with a team from nearby Dundee taking home the Allen, Paquet & Arseneau cup as champions for both tournaments. ^[14]

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Gloucester County, New Brunswick

See also

• List of lighthouses in New Brunswick
• List of communities in New Brunswick

References

1. "Census Profile of Petit-Rocher". Statistics Canada. December 6, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
2. List of Lights, Pub. 110: Greenland, The East Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. Except the East Coast of Florida) and the West Indies (PDF). List of Lights . United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2015.
3. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Canada: Northern New Brunswick". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Retrieved March 26, 2017.
4. Petit Rocher Light Lighthouse Explorer. Retrieved 26 March 2017
5. Alan Rayburn, Geographical Names of New Brunswick, Énergie, Mines et Ressources Canada, Ottawa, 1975, p. 215.
6. "Local Governments Establishment Regulation – Local Governance Act". Government of New Brunswick. October 12, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
7. "RSC 3 Chaleur Regional Service Commission". Government of New Brunswick. January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
8. "Proposed entity names reflect strong ties to nature and history" (Press release). Irishtown, New Brunswick: Government of New Brunswick. May 25, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
9. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
10. "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
11. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
12. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
13. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
14. "Home - Campbellton-Chaleur Ball Hockey".

External links

• Acadie-Bathurst. Petit-Rocher

47°47′2.1″N65°42′57.3″W / 47.783917°N 65.715917°W / 47.783917; -65.715917 (Petit-Rocher)