Port Elgin, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
Port Elgin is a Canadian
village in Westmorland County
, New Brunswick
.
Port Elgin is situated near the Nova Scotia
border at the mouth of the Gaspareaux River where it empties into Baie Verte
.
s in 1690, but abandoned after the Expulsion of the Acadians in 1755. The remains of Fort Gaspareaux
are nearby.
British Loyalists
resettled the area, which was named Gaspareaux Town, then renamed Port Elgin in 1847 after Lord Elgin
.
The community was incorporated in 1922.. Although the population of the village rose to around 2,000 in 1920s and 1930s, today it remains at approximately 500. The main industry in the village is Atlantic Windows, which employs 200 persons year-round. The second largest employer is Westford Nursing Home, which has about 30 full and part-time staff. The facility provides permanent care facility for 29 persons as well as one relief-care bed.
. The damage incurred by this storm is thought to be in the area of $900,000.
A second flooding event occurred on December 21, 2010, when storm surge
from an approaching nor'easter
flooded sections of the northeastern New Brunsick coast near the community.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
village in Westmorland County
Westmorland County, New Brunswick
Westmorland County is located in southeastern New Brunswick, Canada. The county contains the fast-growing commercial centre of Moncton as well as its northern and eastern suburbs...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
Port Elgin is situated near the Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
border at the mouth of the Gaspareaux River where it empties into Baie Verte
Baie Verte
-Electoral districts:* Baie Verte , a provincial electoral district in Newfoundland and Labrador...
.
History
The village was founded by AcadianAcadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
s in 1690, but abandoned after the Expulsion of the Acadians in 1755. The remains of Fort Gaspareaux
Fort Gaspareaux
Fort Gaspareaux was a French fort at the head of Baie Verte near the mouth of the Gaspareaux River and just southeast of the modern village of Port Elgin, New Brunswick, Canada, on the Isthmus of Chignecto...
are nearby.
British Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
resettled the area, which was named Gaspareaux Town, then renamed Port Elgin in 1847 after Lord Elgin
James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
Sir James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC , was a British colonial administrator and diplomat...
.
The community was incorporated in 1922.. Although the population of the village rose to around 2,000 in 1920s and 1930s, today it remains at approximately 500. The main industry in the village is Atlantic Windows, which employs 200 persons year-round. The second largest employer is Westford Nursing Home, which has about 30 full and part-time staff. The facility provides permanent care facility for 29 persons as well as one relief-care bed.
2010 flood
On January 2, 2010, the village was hit by a storm surge which pushed cottages off their foundations and led to considerable damage to homes, forcing the declaration of a state of emergencyState of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
. The damage incurred by this storm is thought to be in the area of $900,000.
A second flooding event occurred on December 21, 2010, when storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
from an approaching nor'easter
Nor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
flooded sections of the northeastern New Brunsick coast near the community.