Alma, New Brunswick

This article is about the village community. For the geographic parish, former local service district, and rural census subdivision, see Alma Parish, New Brunswick.

Alma Salmon River Settlement
Sign at the entrance to the village.
Seal
Alma
Coordinates: 45°36′07″N64°56′36″W / 45.601944°N 64.943333°W / 45.601944; -64.943333
Country	Canada
Province	New Brunswick
County	Albert
Parish	Alma
Municipality	Fundy Albert
Incorporated	1966
Amalgamated	2023
Area
• Total	47.64 km2 (18.39 sq mi)
Population  (2021) [1]
• Total	282
• Density	5.9/km2 (15/sq mi)
• Change 2016–21	32.4%
Electoral districts
•  Federal	Fundy Royal
•  Provincial	Albert
Time zone	UTC-4 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (EDT)
Area codes	506 and 428
Website	www.villageofalma.ca

Alma is a disincorporated Village in Fundy Albert, New Brunswick, Canada. It resides in the territorial divisions of parish of Alma, Albert County. Alma is centered on the small delta of the Upper Salmon River and Cleveland Brook, where they empty into Salisbury Bay.

The headquarters of Fundy National Park is in Alma West, making tourism a major part of the local economy. Fishing, of lobster and scallops, is another primary economic activity.

History

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

Low tide at Alma

The settlement, known as Salmon River Settlement, began in earnest as the lumbering trade took root with the exchange of land-grant title, and construction of a sawmill on the Upper Salmon River by its new owners. Prior to this, Loyalist John Coffin, who held the land grant, caused frustration for would-be settlers because of his absence. Thus began the most vibrant period in the community's history.

Alma's Main Street

The Parish of Alma was created surrounding the community in 1856, commemorating the then-recent Battle of Alma during the Crimean war. ^[2] The Village municipality incorporated in 1966 following sweeping changes that disbanded county councils. 18 years earlier, the federal government had expropriated land in the village and parish west of the Upper Salmon River for the creation of Fundy National Park. Many homes were relocated east of the river as lumber barons gave way to the new land managers, the Parks Canada Agency. In addition to tourism related to the park, lobster and scallop fishing are an important industry based out of Alma's tidal harbour.^{[ citation needed ]}

On 1 January 2023, Alma was amalgamated with the villages of Hillsborough and Riverside-Albert and parts of nine local service districts ^[3] to form the municipal area called Fundy Albert. ^{[4] [5]} "Alma" continues to be the name of the former Village of Alma community. ^[6]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Alma had a population of 282 living in 130 of its 196 total private dwellings, a change of 32.4% from its 2016 population of 213. With a land area of 47.64 km² (18.39 sq mi), it had a population density of 5.9/km² (15.3/sq mi) in 2021. ^[7] Revised census figures based on the 2023 local governance reforms have not been released.

Notable people

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

Alma was the birthplace of Molly Kool, who in 1939 became Master Mariner for offshore sailing, a captain, a first in the Western World, ^[8] sailing a commercial Bay of Fundy scow sloop between ports. A monument on the Alma waterfront marks her accomplishment.

Images

• 
  View from Alma Bridge.
• 
  The village as viewed from the water
• 
  Harbour at high tide.
• 
  Harbour at low tide.

Climate

Alma has a relatively cool, wet and snowy humid continental climate with significant seasonal differences in spite of its near-ocean location. Summers are warm but relatively short, whereas winters are relatively cold but milder than inland areas.

Climate data for Alma (1981−2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	13.9 (57.0)	13.0 (55.4)	18.0 (64.4)	23.3 (73.9)	29.0 (84.2)	30.0 (86.0)	30.0 (86.0)	35.5 (95.9)	29.0 (84.2)	26.7 (80.1)	20.0 (68.0)	16.1 (61.0)	35.5 (95.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−2.5 (27.5)	−1 (30)	2.7 (36.9)	8.4 (47.1)	14.4 (57.9)	18.9 (66.0)	22.1 (71.8)	22.0 (71.6)	18.4 (65.1)	12.6 (54.7)	6.9 (44.4)	1.1 (34.0)	10.3 (50.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−7.4 (18.7)	−6.1 (21.0)	−1.7 (28.9)	4.1 (39.4)	9.5 (49.1)	13.8 (56.8)	17.1 (62.8)	17.2 (63.0)	13.7 (56.7)	8.2 (46.8)	3.0 (37.4)	−3.3 (26.1)	5.7 (42.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−12.3 (9.9)	−11.1 (12.0)	−6.2 (20.8)	−0.3 (31.5)	4.5 (40.1)	8.7 (47.7)	12.0 (53.6)	12.3 (54.1)	9.0 (48.2)	3.8 (38.8)	−0.9 (30.4)	−7.7 (18.1)	1.0 (33.8)
Record low °C (°F)	−31 (−24)	−30.6 (−23.1)	−25.6 (−14.1)	−14.5 (5.9)	−5.6 (21.9)	−0.6 (30.9)	3.0 (37.4)	2.2 (36.0)	−1.1 (30.0)	−9 (16)	−16.5 (2.3)	−28.5 (−19.3)	−31 (−24)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	144.9 (5.70)	107.8 (4.24)	145.8 (5.74)	120.7 (4.75)	126.5 (4.98)	110.0 (4.33)	99.4 (3.91)	93.9 (3.70)	122.7 (4.83)	132.9 (5.23)	158.9 (6.26)	146.6 (5.77)	1,510.1 (59.45)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	67.0 (2.64)	47.1 (1.85)	89.6 (3.53)	101.4 (3.99)	124.8 (4.91)	110.0 (4.33)	99.4 (3.91)	93.9 (3.70)	122.7 (4.83)	132.9 (5.23)	147.4 (5.80)	90.4 (3.56)	1,226.6 (48.29)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	79.2 (31.2)	55.1 (21.7)	54.0 (21.3)	18.2 (7.2)	1.7 (0.7)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	11.7 (4.6)	55.3 (21.8)	275.1 (108.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)	15.0	12.4	14.7	15.0	16.0	14.6	13.9	12.4	12.9	14.2	15.2	15.2	171.5
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)	5.0	4.5	7.7	12.8	15.9	14.6	13.9	12.4	12.9	14.2	13.6	8.0	135.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)	11.2	9.4	8.7	3.5	0.12	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.2	8.3	43.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours	110.5	118.2	148.3	158.3	193.6	196.5	225.7	206.6	159.5	145.0	91.0	90.3	1,843.4
Percent possible sunshine	39.0	40.4	40.2	39.1	41.9	41.9	47.6	47.2	42.3	42.6	31.8	33.2	40.6
Source: Environment Canada [9] [10]

References

1. "Census Profile for Alma". Statistics Canada. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
2. Hamilton, William Baillie (1996). Place Names of Atlantic Canada. University of Toronto Press. p. 43. ISBN   0-8020-7570-3.
3. NB Deptartment of Environment and local government. Local Governments (LG).kml, January 1, 2023 regulation 2022-50 under the Local Governance Act. [accessed Feb. 9, 2024 via Geonb data catalogue http://www.snb.ca/geonb1/e/dc/LG.asp]
4. "Local Governments Establishment Regulation – Local Governance Act". Government of New Brunswick. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
5. "RSC 7 Southeast Regional Service Commission". Government of New Brunswick. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
6. "Proposed entity names reflect strong ties to nature and history" (Press release). Irishtown, New Brunswick: Government of New Brunswick. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
7. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), New Brunswick". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
8. Baird, Donal M. (2001). "Last days of Sail". Women at Sea in the Age of Sail . Nimbus. pp.  2, 215. ISBN   1-55109-267-0.
9. "Alma, new Brunswick". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
10. "Alma, New Brunswick". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 30 March 2015.

External links

• Village of Alma