Canterbury Parish, New Brunswick Explained

Canterbury
Settlement Type:	Parish
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Type1:	Province
Subdivision Type2:	County
Established Title:	Erected
Established Date:	1855
Area Footnotes:	^[1]
Area Land Km2:	550.70
Population As Of:	2021
Population Total:	552
Population Density Km2:	1.0
Population Blank1 Title:	Change 2016-2021
Population Blank1:	5.1%
Population Blank2 Title:	Dwellings
Population Blank2:	419
Timezone:	AST
Utc Offset:	-4
Timezone Dst:	ADT
Utc Offset Dst:	-3
Coordinates:	45.845°N -67.535°W
Footnotes:	Figures do not include portions within the villages of Canterbury and Meductic

Canterbury is a geographic parish in York County, New Brunswick, Canada.^[2]

Prior to the 2023 governance reform, for governance purposes it was divided between the villages of Canterbury and Meductic and the local service districts of Benton and the parish of Canterbury,^[3] all of which were members of the Western Valley Regional Service Commission (WVRSC).

Origin of name

The parish was named in honour of John Manners-Sutton,^[4] Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick at the time and later 3rd Viscount Canterbury following the death of his brother. Manners Sutton Parish (originally Manners-Sutton) was erected at the same time.

History

Canterbury was erected in 1855 from Dumfries Parish.^[5] An oversight omits Falls Island in the Saint John River, leaving it outside the boundaries of both Canterbury and Dumfries.

In 1879 the rear of Canterbury was erected as North Lake Parish.^[6]

In 1957 Fall Island in the Saint John River was stated to belong to Canterbury.^[7]

Boundaries

Canterbury Parish is bounded:^{[2] [8] [9]}

• on the north by the Carleton County line, running through Eel River, then by the Saint John River;
• on the east by the eastern line of a grant to Abraham Lint, west of Allandale Road;
• on the southeast by a line beginning at the southeastern corner of the Lint grant and running southeasterly to the northern end of Palfrey Lake, paralleling the southeastern lines of other parishes south of the Saint John River;
• on the west and northwest by a line running up Big La Coote Stream to La Coote Lake, then running north-northwesterly across land to Third Eel Lake, then down Eel River, including Second Eel Lake and First Eel Lake, to the Carleton County line.

Communities

Communities at least partly within the parish.^[10] bold indicates an incorporated municipality

• Benton
• Canterbury
• Carroll Ridge
• Dead Creek
• Deer Lake
• Dorrington Hill
• Dow Settlement
• Eel River Lake
• Hartin Settlement
• Johnson Settlement
• Marne
• Meductic
• Middle Southampton
• Ritchie
• Scott Siding
• Skiff Lake
• Temple

Bodies of water

Bodies of water^[11] at least partly within the parish.

• Eel River
• Saint John River
  • Pokiok Reach
• Big La Coote Stream
• Little La Coote Stream
• Pocowogamis Stream
• Shogomoc Stream
• Dead Creek
• Sullivan Creek
• Mactaquac Lake
• Palfrey Lake
• Skiff Lake
• more than twenty other officially named lakes

Islands

Islands at least partly within the parish.

• Burnt Island
• Carr Island
• Club Island
• Dibblees Island
• Halfway Island
• Mill Island
• Northcott Island
• Wilson Island

Other notable places

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish.^[12]

• Big Falls Protected Natural Area
• Dead Creek Protected Natural Area
• Eel River Falls
• Eel River Protected Natural Area
• Estey Wetlands Protected Natural Area
• First Eel Lake Protected Natural Area
• Maxwell Protected Natural Area
• Oak Mountain Protected Natural Area
• Pocowogamis Stream Protected Natural Area
• Risteen Brook Protected Natural Area
• Skiff Lake Protected Natural Area

Demographics

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

Population

Population trend^{[13] [14]}

Census	Population	Change (%)
2016	525	13.8%
2011	609	9.7%
2006	555	5.5%
2001	587	0.3%
1996Adj	589	3.0%
1996	607	5.0%
1991	578	N/A

Language

Mother tongue (2016)^[14]

Language	Population	Pct (%)
English only	495	94.2%
French only	15	2.9%
Both English and French	15	2.9%
Other languages	0	0.00%

See also

• List of parishes in New Brunswick

References

45.845°N -67.535°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Census Profile . Statistics Canada . 29 October 2022 . 26 October 2022.
2. Web site: Chapter T-3 Territorial Division Act . Government of New Brunswick . 13 November 2020.
3. Web site: New Brunswick Regulation 84-168 under the Municipalities Act (O.C. 84-582) . Government of New Brunswick . 25 July 2020.
4. Web site: Canterbury Parish . Provincial Archives of New Brunswick . 24 October 2020.
5. Book: Acts of the General Assembly of Her Majesty's Province of New Brunswick, Passed in the Month of November, 1854, and in the Months of February, March, and April, 1855.. 1855. Government of New Brunswick. Fredericton. 174–175. 18 Vic. c. 45 An Act to erect a part of the Parish of Dumfries, in the County of York, into a separate Town or Parish.. Available as a free ebook from Google Books.
6. Book: Acts of the General Assembly of Her Majesty's Province of New Brunswick. Passed in the Month of April 1879.. 1879. Government of New Brunswick. Fredericton. 84–85. 42 Vic. c. 42 An Act to erect part of the Parish of Canterbury, in the County of York, into a separate Parish.. Available as a free ebook from Google Books.
7. Book: Acts of the Legislature of New Brunswick Passed During the Session of 1957. 1957. Government of New Brunswick. Fredericton. 201. 6 Elizabeth II, 1957, c. 63 An Act to Amend the Territorial Division Act.
8. Web site: No. 123 . Provincial Archives of New Brunswick . Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development . 25 June 2021. Remainder of parish on maps 124, 134, and 135 at same site.
9. Web site: 365 . Transportation and Infrastructure . Government of New Brunswick . 25 June 2021. Remainder of parish on mapbooks 366, 367, 385–387, 404, 405, and 423 at same site.
10. Web site: Search the Canadian Geographical Names Database (CGNDB) . Government of Canada . 3 July 2021.
11. Not including brooks, ponds or coves.
12. Web site: Explore New Brunswick's Protected Natural Areas . GeoNB . 3 July 2021.
13. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
14. Web site: Census Profile, 2016 Census: Canterbury, Parish [Census subdivision], New Brunswick ]. Statistics Canada . October 7, 2019.