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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Madawaska County, New Brunswick

Madawaska County (2016 population 32,741), also known as the "New Brunswick Panhandle", is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Over 90% of the county's population speaks French. Its Francophone population are known as "Brayons." Forestry is the major industry in the county.

History

The first inhabitants of what is now called Madawaska County were the Maliseet or Wolastoqiyik, who occupied and used the land along the Saint John River Valley north to the St. Lawrence River and south to the Penobscot River. There is debate concerning the true origin of the word "Madawaska". The earliest settlers were from Quebec. The area was the focus of the bloodless Aroostook War, a border dispute led by businessman and political activist John Baker.

The earliest settlers of the Upper Saint John River Valley have been clearly verified, with census results of the Madawaska region taken in 1820 showing where most families had originated from Quebec.

Census subdivisions

Communities

There are ten municipalities within Madawaska County (listed by 2016 population):

Official Name Designation Area km Population Parish
Edmundston City 106.85 16,580 Madawaska, Saint-Basile, Saint-Jacques, Saint-Joseph
Saint-Léonard Town 5.22 1,300 Saint-Léonard
Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska Village 9.19 957 Sainte-Anne
Clair Village 10.61 781 Clair
Saint-André Rural community 8.04 772 Saint-André Parish
Rivière-Verte Village 6.70 724 Rivière-Verte
Lac-Baker Village 37.18 690 Lac-Baker
Baker-Brook Village 12.27 564 Baker Brook
Saint-François-de-Madawaska Village 6.39 470 Saint-François
Saint-Hilaire Village 5.68 252 Saint-Hilaire

First Nations

There is one First Nations reserve in Madawaska County (listed by 2016 population):

Official Name Designation Area km Population Parish
St. Basile 10 Reserve 3.22 214 Saint-Basile

Parishes

The county is subdivided into fourteen parishes (listed by 2016 population):

Official Name Area km Population Municipalities or equivalents Unincorporated communities
Saint-Jacques 299.49 1,596 Edmundston Ennemond / Grandmaison / Moulin-Morneault / Patrieville /
Petite-Rivière-à-la-Truite / Saint-Jacques / St. Joseph Settlement
Saint-Joseph 322.89 1,538 Edmundston Deuxième-Sault / Francoeur / Lévesque / Rang-des-Bossé / Rang-des-Couturier /
Saint-Joseph-de-Madawaska / Sicard / Toussaint / Violette
Saint-André 128.18 1,129 Saint-André Comeau Ridge / Gaudreau Park / Lévesque Settlement / McManus Siding /
Powers Creek / Saint-Amand / Woodville
Saint-Léonard 343.39 975 Saint-Léonard Bellefleur / Coombes Road / Cyr Junction / Grand-Ruisseau /
Martin Siding / Poitras / Rang-des-Bourgoin / Saint-Léonard-Parent
Sainte-Anne 368.89 964 Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska Fourche-à-Clark / Miller Line Cache / Prime / Rang-des-Deschêne /
Ringuette Settlement / Siegas / Siegas Lake Settlement / Sirois
Rivière-Verte 715.86 711 Rivière-Verte Beardsley Depot / Davis Mill / Montagne-de-la-Croix / Montagne-des-Roy /
Rang-des-Hubert
Saint-François 344.59 606 Haut-Madawaska Concession-des-Jaunes / Concession-des-Viel / Connors / Lac-Unique /
Little River Mills / Mouth of St. Francis / Pelletiers Mill / Val Oakes
Saint-Basile 129.61 592 Edmundston
St. Basile 10 (native reserve)
Boniface Bridge / Green River Settlement / Jalbert / Maillet /
Montagne-des-Therrien / Rang-des-Lavoie /
Saint-Hilaire 41.90 478 Haut-Madawaska Riceville
Clair 43.92 283 Haut-Madawaska Caron Brook / Concession-des-Lang / Concession-des-Vasseur / Crockett /
Les Rapides
Baker Brook 125.17 275 Haut-Madawaska Concession-de-Baker-Brook / Concession-des-Ouellette / Rang-des-Morneault /
Rang-Saint-Joseph / Val-Lambert / Val-Nadeau
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes 187.18 275 Durette Settlement / Flemming / Harrison Brook Settlement / La Montagne /
Lower Siegas / Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes
Madawaska 173.18 10 Edmundston
Haut-Madawaska
Lac Baker 24.30 5 Lac-Baker
Haut-Madawaska
Boundary / Portage-du-Lac / Rang-des-Collin / Saint-Castin / Pelletiers Mill /
Soucy

Demographics

Historical Census Data - Madawaska County, New Brunswick
YearPop.±%
1991 36,554—    
1996 36,814+0.7%
2001 35,611−3.3%
2006 34,071−4.3%
2011 33,422−1.9%
2016 32,741−2.0%

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Madawaska County had a population of 32,603 living in 14,905 of its 15,851 total private dwellings, a change of -0.4% from its 2016 population of 32,741. With a land area of 3,454.97 km (1,333.97 sq mi), it had a population density of 9.4/km (24.4/sq mi) in 2021.

Canada census – Madawaska community profile
202120162011
Population32,603 (-0.4% from 2016)32,741 (-2.0% from 2011)33,422 (-1.9% from 2006)
Land area3,454.97 km (1,333.97 sq mi)3,461.89 km (1,336.64 sq mi)3,463.05 km (1,337.09 sq mi)
Population density9.4/km (24/sq mi)9.5/km (25/sq mi)9.7/km (25/sq mi)
Median age52.0 (M: 50.8, F: 53.2)50.1 (M: 49.0, F: 51.0)47.3 (M: 46.3, F: 48.1)
Private dwellings15,851 (total)  14,905 (occupied)15,774 (total)  15,514 (total) 
Median household income$62,400$53,146$47,385
References: 2021 2016 2011 earlier

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Madawaska County, New Brunswick
Census Total
French
English
French & English
Non-official languages
Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop %
2016
32,105
29,765 Decrease 2.5% 92.71% 1,645 Increase 7.5% 5.12% 372 Increase 24.0% 1.17% 320 Increase 77.8% 1.00%
2011
32,510
30,500 Decrease 2.2% 93.82% 1,530 Decrease 8.1% 4.71% 300 Increase 13.2% 0.92% 180 Decrease 54.4% 0.55%
2006
33,510
31,185 Decrease 4.7% 93.06% 1,665 Increase 6.1% 4.97% 265 Decrease 26.4% 0.79% 395 Increase 119.4% 1.18%
2001
34,845
32,735 Decrease 3.8% 93.94% 1,570 Decrease 14.2% 4.51% 360 Increase 14.3% 1.03% 180 Increase 44.0% 0.52%
1996
36,300
34,030 n/a 93.75% 1,830 n/a 5.04% 315 n/a 0.87% 125 n/a 0.34%

Access routes

Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:

Protected areas and attractions

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census Madawaska, County [Census division], New Brunswick". Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  2. ^ "Rivers of Canada - St. John River : Can Geo Education". www.cangeoeducation.ca. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  3. ^ "Visit of the Bishop of Québec to the upper St.John River valley, 1686". C. Gagnon. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  4. ^ "1820 US Census of Penobscot County, Maine - Matawasca Parish, French Settlement". C. Gagnon. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  5. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Select Region". Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  6. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  7. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  8. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census divisions". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  9. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  10. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  11. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  12. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  13. ^ Atlantic Canada Back Road Atlas ISBN 978-1-55368-618-7



47°25′17.1″N 68°21′38.2″W / 47.421417°N 68.360611°W / 47.421417; -68.360611