Becoming a Rural Community
The Rural Community of Upper Miramichi became incorporated on March 17, 2008 by amalgamating 16 small communities in and around Boiestown, New Brunswick. These communities had once belonged to the Upper Miramichi Local Service district. They include: New Bandon, McNamee, Carrolls Crossing, Big Hole Brook, Nelson Hollow, Ludlow, Priceville, Porter Cove, Bloomfield, Hayesville, Holtville, Taxis River, Parkers Ridge, Astle, McGivney, and Boiestown. Our boundaries extend between McGivney and the Village of Doaktown limits along Route 8 and is divided into four wards.
The idea of incorporating the Upper Miramichi area began with a small committee of interested residents. They felt that our area needed to incorporate to have all the communities work together towards the common good of the area. Incorporation would also provide residents with a voice, a means to access public funds, and the ability to move the community forward. The committee lobbied government and soon the committee expanded to include representatives from all 16 communities, as well as staff from the Department of Local Government. This expanded committee went through a two-year process of Roundtable meetings to determine the viability of incorporating the area. The study indicated that the area should move forward by incorporation and went to a plebiscite to determine whether area residents were in favour. Residents voted in favour of incorporation and the Rural Community of Upper Miramichi elected its first mayor and council during municipal elections in May 2008.
