Madawaska County (2016 population 32,741[1]), also known as the "New Brunswick Panhandle",[2] 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.
Madawaska | |
|---|---|
 Location of Madawaska County. | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | New Brunswick |
| Established | 1873 |
| Area | |
| • Land | 3,461.89 km2 (1,336.64 sq mi) |
| Population (2016)[1] | |
• Total | 32,741 |
| • Density | 9.5/km2 (25/sq mi) |
| • Change 2011-2016 |  2.0% |
| • Dwellings | 15,774 |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (ADT) |
| Area code | 506 |
History
editThe 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.[3][4]
Census subdivisions
editCommunities
editThere are ten municipalities within Madawaska County (listed by 2016 population):[5]
| Official Name | Designation | Area km2 | 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
editThere is one First Nations reserve in Madawaska County (listed by 2016 population):[6]
| Official Name | Designation | Area km2 | Population | Parish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Basile 10 | Reserve | 3.22 | 214 | Saint-Basile |
Parishes
editThe county is subdivided into fourteen parishes (listed by 2016 population):[6]
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| [7][1] | ||
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 km2 (1,333.97 sq mi), it had a population density of 9.4/km2 (24.4/sq mi) in 2021.[8]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,603 (-0.4% from 2016) | 32,741 (-2.0% from 2011) | 33,422 (-1.9% from 2006) |
| Land area | 3,454.97 km2 (1,333.97 sq mi) | 3,461.89 km2 (1,336.64 sq mi) | 3,463.05 km2 (1,337.09 sq mi) |
| Population density | 9.4/km2 (24/sq mi) | 9.5/km2 (25/sq mi) | 9.7/km2 (25/sq mi) |
| Median age | 52.0 (M: 50.8, F: 53.2) | 50.1 (M: 49.0, F: 51.0) | 47.3 (M: 46.3, F: 48.1) |
| Private dwellings | 15,851 (total) 14,905 (occupied) | 15,774 (total) | 15,514 (total) |
| Median household income | $62,400 | $53,146 | $47,385 |
Language
edit| Canada Census Mother Tongue - Madawaska County, New Brunswick[7][1] | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2.5%
|
92.71% | 1,645 |  7.5%
|
5.12% | 372 | 24.0%
|
1.17% | 320 | 77.8%
|
1.00% | |||||
2011
|
32,510
|
30,500 | 2.2%
|
93.82% | 1,530 | 8.1%
|
4.71% | 300 | 13.2%
|
0.92% | 180 | 54.4%
|
0.55% | |||||
2006
|
33,510
|
31,185 | 4.7%
|
93.06% | 1,665 | 6.1%
|
4.97% | 265 | 26.4%
|
0.79% | 395 | 119.4%
|
1.18% | |||||
2001
|
34,845
|
32,735 | 3.8%
|
93.94% | 1,570 | 14.2%
|
4.51% | 360 | 14.3%
|
1.03% | 180 | 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
editHighways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:[13]
|
|
Protected areas and attractions
editNotable people
editSee also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Census Profile, 2016 Census Madawaska, County [Census division], New Brunswick". Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
- ^ "Rivers of Canada - St. John River : Can Geo Education". www.cangeoeducation.ca. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ "Visit of the Bishop of Québec to the upper St.John River valley, 1686". C. Gagnon. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
- ^ "1820 US Census of Penobscot County, Maine - Matawasca Parish, French Settlement". C. Gagnon. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
- ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Select Region". Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
- ^ a b c "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
- ^ a b Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census divisions". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
- ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
- ^ Atlantic Canada Back Road Atlas ISBN 978-1-55368-618-7