Richibucto

This article is about the community. For the geographic parish, former local service district, and rural census subdivision, see Richibucto Parish, New Brunswick.

Richibucto is a former town in Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada.^[2] It held town status prior to 2023 and is now part of the town of Beaurivage.

Richibucto
Location within New Brunswick
Coordinates: 46.68°N 64.87°W / 46.68; -64.87
Country	Canada
Province	New Brunswick
County	Kent County
Town	Beaurivage
Founded	Early 1800s
Incorporated	1966
Area [1]
• Land	11.90 km2 (4.59 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	1,411
• Density	118.6/km2 (307/sq mi)
• Change (2016–21)	11.5%
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (ADT)
Canadian Postal code	E4W
Area code	506
Website	www.richibucto.org

Geography

The town is situated on the Richibucto River where it discharges into the Northumberland Strait.

History

See also: History of New Brunswick and List of historic places in Kent County, New Brunswick

Richibucto had been the location of an annual Mi'kmaq summer coastal community prior to British colonisation.^[3] The town takes its name from "Elsipogtog" or "L'sipuktuk" Mi'kmaq terms meaning "river of fire".^[4] It is believed the term was mispronounced, or misunderstood from the Mi'kmaq language. See Elsipogtog First Nation.

On 1 January 2023, Richibucto amalgamated with the village of Saint-Louis de Kent and all or part of four local service districts to form the new town of Beaurivage.^[5][6] The community's name remains in official use.^[7]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Richibucto had a population of 1,411 living in 649 of its 704 total private dwellings, a change of 11.5% from its 2016 population of 1,266. With a land area of 11.9 km² (4.6 sq mi), it had a population density of 118.6/km² (307.1/sq mi) in 2021.^[1]

Richibucto, NB
Historical populations

Year	Pop.	±%
1971	1,850	—
1976	1,909	+3.2%
1981	1,722	−9.8%
1986	1,609	−6.6%
1991	1,469	−8.7%
1996	1,414	−3.7%
2001	1,341	−5.2%
2006	1,290	−3.8%
2011	1,286	−0.3%
2016	1,266	−1.6%
2021	1,411	+11.5%
[8][9]

Religious make-up (2001) Religion Population Pct (%) Catholic 1,285 95.90% Protestant 45 3.36% No religious affiliation 10 0.75%

Income (2006) Income type By CAD Per capita income $16,541 Median Household Income $34,809 Median Family Income $39,057

Mother tongue language (2016)[10] Language Population Pct (%) French 805 63.39% English 375 29.53% Non-Official Languages 45 3.54% Multiple responses 45 3.54%

Economy

The downtown area, situated on the mouth of the river, has commercial fishing wharves, several restaurants, and local stores. The economy is dominated by lobster and deep sea fishing.

Attractions

Richibucto Head Lighthouse

Richibucto Head Lighthouse in 2007
Location	Richibucto, New Brunswick, Canada
Coordinates	46°40′11″N 64°42′42″W
Tower
Constructed	1865 (first)
Foundation	masonry base
Construction	wooden tower
Height	10 m (33 ft)
Shape	square truncated tower with balcony and lantern[11][12][13]
Markings	white tower, red lantern
Operator	Canadian Coast Guard
Light
First lit	1901 (current)
Deactivated	1901 (first)
Focal height	18 m (59 ft)
Lens	fourth-order Fresnel lens
Light source	main power
Range	14 nmi (26 km; 16 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 5s

St. Louis de Gonzague Roman Catholic Church is a notable Richibucto landmark

• St. Louis de Gonzague Roman Catholic Church was completed in 1965. Designed by Belanger and Roy of Moncton, it was inspired by the designs of the Spanish architect, Félix Candela.^[14]

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Kent County, New Brunswick

• Kate McPhelim Cleary (1863–1905), novelist
• Murray MacLaren (1861–1942), doctor, politician
• George McLeod (1836–1905), politician, lumber merchant, manufacturer, shipbuilder, shipowner
• James D. Phinney (1844–1915) lawyer, judge, politician
• Henry Powell (1855–1930), politician
• Louis Robichaud (1925–2005), former Premier of New Brunswick
• Peter Veniot (1863–1926), former Premier of New Brunswick
• Charles Wesley Weldon (1830–1896), lawyer, politician

See also

• List of lighthouses in New Brunswick
• List of communities in New Brunswick