Blackville Parish, New Brunswick

This article is about the civil parish, former local service district, and rural census subdivision. For the village, see Blackville, New Brunswick.

Blackville is a civil parish in Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Canada.^[4]

Blackville
Parish
Location within Northumberland County, New Brunswick
Coordinates: 46°36′N 65°44′W / 46.600°N 65.733°W / 46.600; -65.733
Country	Canada
Province	New Brunswick
County	Northumberland
Erected	1830
Area ^[1]
• Land	823.93 km^2 (318.12 sq mi)
Population  (2021)^[1]
• Total	1,996
• Density	2.4/km^2 (6/sq mi)
• Change 2016-2021	1.6%
• Dwellings	970
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (ADT)
Figures do not include portion within the village of Blackville

For governance purposes it is divided between the incorporated rural community of Miramichi River Valley^[5] and the Greater Miramichi rural district,^[6] both of which are members of the Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission.^[7]

Prior to the 2023 governance reform, the parish was divided between the village of Blackville^[8][9] and the local service districts of Renous-Quarryville and the parish of Blackville.

Origin of name

The parish was named in honour of William Black, Administrator of the province at the time of its erection due to the absence of Lieutenant-Governor Howard Douglas.^[10] Neighbouring Blissfield Parish was named in honour of John Murray Bliss, who was Administrator of the province prior to Douglas's arrival.^[10]

History

Blackville was erected in 1830 by the three-way split of Ludlow Parish,^[11] Blackville being the easternmost and Blissfield in the middle.

Boundaries

Blackville Parish is bounded:^[2][12][13]

• on the north by a line beginning at a point on the York County line near McConnell Brook, then running north 72º east by an astronomic bearing to a point 537 chains (10.8 kilometres) from the Canadian National Railway line through Quarryville on a line running north 22º west^[a] from the mouth of the Renous River;
• on the east by a line beginning 537 chains northwesterly of the above railway and running south 22º east^[a] through the mouth of Renous River to the Kent County line;
• on the south by the Kent County line;
• on the west by a line beginning at a point on the Kent County line about 3.1 kilometres south of Meadow Brook Lake and running north^[a] through the mouth of Donnelly Brook, which is on the southern bank of the Southwest Miramichi River west of Upper Blackville Bridge, to the starting point.

Evolution of boundaries

When Blackville was erected it extended to the Westmorland County line, including much of Harcourt and Huskisson Parishes.^[17] The original boundaries can be seen by prolonging the existing eastern and western boundaries of Blackville.

In 1845 the Kent County line was changed to run southwesterly instead of southeasterly, now meeting the line between Queens and Sunbury Counties. Most of Blackville's territory was transferred to Harcourt and Huskisson Parishes.^[18] The parish's boundaries were essentially the same as they are today.

Changes in the wording of the boundary with Northesk Parish and later Southesk Parish in 1850,^[19] 1877,^[20] and 1954^[21] made little if any difference in the parish line.

Communities

Communities at least partly within the parish.^[12][13][22] bold indicates an incorporated municipality

• Arbeau Settlement
• Barnettville
• Bartholomew
• Blackville
  • Breadalbane
  • Coughlan
  • Underhill
• Grainfield
• Gray Rapids
• Keenan Siding
• Lockstead
• McCann
• North Renous
• Pineville
• Renous
• Smiths Crossing
• Shinnickburn
• The Lots
• Upper Blackville
• Upper Blackville Bridge
• White Rapids

Bodies of water

Bodies of water^[b] at least partly within the parish.^[12][13][22]

• Bartholomew River
• Cains River
• Dungarvon River
• Renous River
• Sabbies River
• Southwest Miramichi River
• Meadow Brook Lake
• Smiths Lake
• South Lake

Islands

Islands at least partly within the parish.^[12][13][22]

• Doctors Island
• Morehouse Island
• Washburns Island

Other notable places

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish.^{[12][13][22][23]}

• Dungarvon Whooper Spring Woodlot Protected Natural Area
• Dunphy Airstrip
• Shinnickburn Protected Natural Area

Demographics

Parish population total does not include former incorporated village of Blackville. Revised census figures based on the 2023 local governance reforms have not been released.

Population Population trend^[24]^[25]^[26] Census Population Change (%) 2016 2,028   8.4% 2011 2,215   5.6% 2006 2,347   3.1% 2001 2,421   7.6% 1996 2,620   6.0% 1991 2,471 N/A

Language Mother tongue (2016)^[26] Language Population Pct (%) English only 1,840 97.1% French only 25 1.3% Other languages 25 1.3% Both English and French 5 0.3%

See also

• List of parishes in New Brunswick

Notes

1. By the magnet of 1814,^[14] when declination in the area was between 16º and 17º west of north.^[15] The Territorial Division Act clause referring to magnetic direction bearings was omitted in the 1952^[16] and 1973 Revised Statutes.^[2]
2. Not including brooks, ponds or coves.

References

1. "Census Profile". Statistics Canada. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
2. "Chapter T-3 Territorial Division Act". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
3. "Chapter I-13 Interpretation Act". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
4. The Territorial Division Act^[2] divides the province into 152 parishes, the cities of Saint John and Fredericton, and one town of Grand Falls. The Interpretation Act^[3] clarifies that parishes include any local government within their borders.
5. "Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission: RSC 5". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
6. "Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission: RD 5". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
7. "Regions Regulation – Regional Service Delivery Act". Government of New Brunswick. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
8. "Municipalities Order - Municipalities Act". Governmentof New Brunswick. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
9. "Local Service Districts Regulation - Municipalities Act". Government of New Brunswick. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
10. Ganong, William F. (1896). A Monograph of the Place-Nomenclature of the Province of New Brunswick. Royal Society of Canada. p. 221. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
11. "10 & 11 Geo. IV c. 15 An Act to alter the Boundary Lines of certain Parishes in the County of Northumberland, and to erect two new Parishes in said County.". Acts of the General Assembly of His Majesty's Province of New Brunswick, Passed in the Year 1830. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1830. pp. 17–18. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
12. "No. 68". Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development. Retrieved 18 June 2021. Remainder of parish on maps 69, 77, 78, 86, 87, 96, and 97 at same site.
13. "216" (PDF). Transportation and Infrastructure. Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 18 June 2021. Remainder of parish on mapbooks 217, 218, 232, 233, 248–250, 264, 265, 280, 281, 297 at same site.
14. "54 Geo. III c. 17 An Act in further addition to an Act, intituled 'An Act for the better ascertaining and confirming the boundaries of the several Counties, within this Province, and for subdividing them into Towns or Parishes.'". Acts of the General Assembly of His Majesty's Province of New-Brunswick; Passed in the Year 1814. Saint John, New Brunswick: Government of New Brunswick. 1814. pp. 16–18. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
15. "Historical Magnetic Declination". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
16. "Chapter 227 Territorial Division Act". The Revised Statutes of New Brunswick 1952 Volume III. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1952. pp. 3725–3771. Scans of this Act may be requested from the Legislative Library of New Brunswick.
17. Ganong, William F. (1901). A Monograph of the Evolution of the Boundaries of the Province of New Brunswick. Royal Society of Canada. p. Map No. 35. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
18. "8 Vic. c. 80 An Act to extend the Division Line between the Counties of Northumberland and Kent to the rear Line of the Counties of Queen's County and Sunbury.". Acts of the General Assembly of Her Majesty's Province of New Brunswick, Passed in the Year 1845. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1845. p. 58. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
19. "13 Vic. c. 51 An Act to consolidate all the Laws now in force for the division of the Province into Counties, Towns and Parishes.". Acts of the General Assembly of Her Mjaesty's Province of New Brunswick, Passed in the Year 1850. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1850. pp. 142–152, 145–149. Retrieved 20 March 2021. Book was poorly proofread, resulting in title typo and reuse of page numbers 145–152.
20. "Chapter 2 The Division of the Province into Counties, Towns, and Parishes.". The Consolidated Statutes of New Brunswick. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1877. pp. 56–85. Available as a free ebook from Google Books.
21. "3 Elizabeth II, 1954, c. 83 An Act to Amend the Territorial Division Act". Acts of the Legislature of New Brunswick Passed During the Session of 1954. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1954. pp. 189–191. Scans of this Act may be requested from the Legislative Library of New Brunswick.
22. "Search the Canadian Geographical Names Database (CGNDB)". Government of Canada. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
23. "Explore New Brunswick's Protected Natural Areas". GeoNB. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
24. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
25. 2011 Statistics Canada Census Profile: Blackville Parish, New Brunswick
26. "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Blackville, Parish [Census subdivision], New Brunswick". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 25 September 2019.