Oromocto, New Brunswick

Oromocto Welamooktook (Great River)
—  Town  —
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Canada's Model town
Motto: "Succesus Per Operam"  (Latin) "Effort Brings Success
Oromocto
Coordinates: 45°50′56″N 66°28′44″W / 45.84878°N 66.47879°W / 45.84878; -66.47879
Country	Canada
Province	New Brunswick
County	Sunbury County
Founded	March 16, 1693
Incorporated	1956
Electoral Districts Federal	Fredericton
Provincial	Oromocto
Government
- Type	Town Council
- Mayor	Fay Tidd
- Deputy Mayor	Shelley Comeau
- Councillor	Michael Comeau, Allison Mockler, Dianne Buchanan, Melvin Vance, Kelly Murdock.
- CAO	Richard Isabelle
- Assist Town Clerk	Cynthia Abbott
Area[1]
- Total	22.37 km2 (8.6 sq mi)
Elevation	Sea level to 51 m (0 to 167.3 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
- Total	8,412
- Density	375.5/km2 (972.5/sq mi)
- Change (2001-06)	5.0%
- Dwellings	3,484
Time zone	AST (UTC−4)
- Summer (DST)	ADT (UTC−3)
Postal code(s)	E2V
Area code(s)	506
Access Routes Route 2 (TCH) Route 7	Route 102
Telephone Exchange	357-440
NTS Map	021G16
GNBC Code	DATWJ
Website	http://www.oromocto.ca

Oromocto (2006 population: 8,412) is a Canadian town in Sunbury County, New Brunswick.

The town is located on the west bank of the St. John River at the mouth of the Oromocto River, approximately 20 kilometres 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 wel-a-mook-took which means "deep water".

History

The village was initially an Acadian village. During the Expulsion of the Acadians, the village 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.)

There are various burial grounds throughout the town. Oromocto was originally a shipbuilding town in the 19th century, but went into decline after the industry closed. 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.

Oromocto underwent a major 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, along with locations such as Richmond Hill, Ontario and Nepean, Ontario. Today, Oromocto's entire economy is dominated by CFB Gagetown.

Census	Population
1871	400
1956	661
1961	12,170
1971	11,427
1981	9,064
1991	9,325
2001	8,843
2006	8,402

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. Nightlife attractions include the former Club Camelot, no longer in operation, as well as Griffon's Pub and Eatery (formerly Bleachers, Crocodile Dundee's) the Oromocto Hotel. The town's shopping mall features Pizza Delight, A&W, Bluenotes, Reitman's, Tim Hortons as well as an Atlantic Superstore location. A business district in the area of Restigouche Road and has become moderately successful, and the town features a small hospital, track and field facilities, and a multitude of 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, lounge, 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 reservation, a small Mi'qmaq/Maliseet community.

Canadian National Railway abandoned its railway line, which ran through the town to CFB Gagetown, in March 1996. Today, this railway right-of-way has been developed as a recreational trail and is part of the "Sentier NB Trail" network. This particular portion of the Sentier NB Trail between Fredericton-Oromocto-Burton also hosts the Trans-Canada Trail.

Education

• Oromocto High School
• Ridgeview Middle School
• Hubbard Ave. Elementary
• Summerhill Elementary

References

1. ^ ^{a b} 2006 Statistics Canada Community Profile: Oromocto, New Brunswick

Harold Peterson middle school

External links

• Town of Oromocto - official website
• Oromocto Watershed Association Inc.

Coordinates: 45°51′N 66°28′W / 45.85°N 66.467°W / 45.85; -66.467 (Oromocto)