| Oromocto | |
| Native Name: | Welamooktook (Great River) |
| Nickname: | Canada's Model town |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Motto: | la|Succesus Per Operam "Effort Brings Success" |
| Pushpin Map: | New Brunswick |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | New Brunswick |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Sunbury County |
| Subdivision Type3: | Parish |
| Subdivision Name3: | Burton Parish |
| Seat Type: | Electoral districts Federal |
| Seat: | Fredericton |
| Parts Type: | Provincial |
| Parts: | Oromocto |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Government Type: | Town council |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Robert Powell |
| Leader Title1: | Deputy Mayor |
| Leader Name1: | Jeff Kirkbride |
| Leader Title2: | Councillors |
| Leader Name2: | Lorraine Dawe, Jeff Kirkbride, Sheridan Mawhinney, Kelly Murdock, Alex Zaporzan |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | March 16, 1943 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1956 |
| Area Land Km2: | 22.36 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 9,045 |
| Population Density Km2: | 404.5 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Change (2016–21) |
| Population Blank1: | 1.9% |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Dwellings |
| Population Blank2: | 3,897 |
| Timezone: | AST |
| Utc Offset: | −4 |
| Timezone Dst: | ADT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −3 |
| Coordinates: | 45.8488°N -66.4788°W |
| Elevation Min M: | 0 |
| Elevation Max M: | 51 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code(s) |
| Postal Code: | E2V 2V3 |
| Area Code: | 506 |
| Blank Name: | Access routes Route 2 (TCH) |
| Blank Info: | |
| Blank1 Name: | Telephone exchange |
| Blank1 Info: | 357-440 |
| Blank2 Name: | NTS Map |
| Blank2 Info: | 021G16 |
| Blank3 Name: | GNBC Code |
| Blank3 Info: | DATWJ |
| Website: | oromocto.ca |
Oromocto is a Canadian town in Sunbury County, New Brunswick.
The town is located on the west bank of the Saint John River at the mouth of the Oromocto River, approximately southeast of Fredericton. The town's name is derived from the name of the Oromocto River; "oromocto" is thought to have originated from the Maliseet word welamukotuk which means "deep water". It appears on early maps as Ramouctou and La Rivière du Kamouctou (Freneuse seigneurial grant, 1684).[3]
It is the administrative headquarters of the Oromocto First Nation band government[4] and the site of Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, which dominates its economy and modern history.
On 1 January 2023, Oromocto annexed the local service district of the parish of Lincoln, excluding the Fredericton International Airport and a highway strip connecting it to the city.[5] [6] Revised census figures have not been released.
See also: History of New Brunswick and List of historic places in Sunbury County, New Brunswick. The town was initially an Acadian village. During the Expulsion of the Acadians, it was burned in the St. John River Campaign (1758). During the American Revolution, Fort Hughes was built in the community after the rebellion at Maugerville, New Brunswick. (A replica of Fort Hughes was built at Sir Douglas Hazen Park.) In 1783, Oromocto saw a large influx of settlers with the arrival of United Empire Loyalists, with a steady stream of new blood arriving in the area. Many of the Loyalists also moved into surrounding areas, establishing smaller communities such as Lincoln and Geary.[7] [8]
Oromocto was originally a shipbuilding town in the 19th century, but went into decline after the industry closed. During its shipbuilding days, Oromocto produced about 22 ships. This was made possible by an abundance of timber and sawmills, which continued to provide economic stability to Oromocto, even after the shipbuilding business had died out. It remained a small hamlet until it was selected as the headquarters for a large military training area, in the early 1950s. The Gagetown Military Camp (Camp Gagetown) opened in 1955 as the largest military reservation in the Commonwealth of Nations at the time.[9]
Oromocto underwent a transformation during this time as it was designed to be a "model town". It was considered to be at the forefront of such efforts in Canada. Today, Oromocto's entire economy is dominated by CFB Gagetown.
The town's location in the Saint John River valley provides lush vegetation and an attractive waterfront on both rivers. A small park and marina occupy an area on the Oromocto River waterfront near the downtown. A business district in the area of Restigouche Road has become moderately successful, and the town features a small hospital, track and field facilities, and churches. The town is home to a distribution centre for Sobeys grocery stores, a funeral home, library and recreation centre. Where the town borders on CFB Gagetown, there is also a Canex with a salon and barbershop, hockey/squash arenas, swimming pool, and a credit union, along with military vehicles and aircraft on outdoor display.
Adjacent to the town on the eastern limits is the Oromocto First Nations reserve, a small Mi'kmaq/Maliseet community.
Canadian National Railway abandoned its railway line, which ran through the town to CFB Gagetown, in March 1996. This railway right-of-way has been developed as a recreational trail and is part of the "Sentier NB Trail" network. The section of the Sentier NB Trail between Fredericton-Oromocto-Burton also hosts the Trans Canada Trail.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Oromocto had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 22.36km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[2]
There are two school districts in Oromocto, one providing education in English and one in French, and eight public schools.[10]
See main article: List of people from Sunbury County, New Brunswick.