Article

Dalhousie

Published Online September 6, 2012

Last Edited March 4, 2015

Dalhousie, NB, incorporated as a town in 1905, population 3512 (2011c), 3676 (2006c). The Town of Dalhousie, the shire town of Restigouche County (since 1837), is located on New Brunswick's north shore at the mouth of the Restigouche River.

Dalhousie, NB, incorporated as a town in 1905, population 3512 (2011c), 3676 (2006c). The Town of Dalhousie, the shire town of Restigouche County (since 1837), is located on New Brunswick's north shore at the mouth of the Restigouche River. The population is primarily English- and French- speaking.

Dalhousie, George, Earl of
During his tenure Dalhousie founded Dalhousie College and the Québec Literary and Historical Society (courtesy Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library/T31639).

Founded in 1826 by Scottish settlers and named for the governor-in-chief of British North America, the earl of Dalhousie, it developed as a shipbuilding and lumbering centre. It also developed as a tourist destination after the Intercolonial Railway was built through the area in 1875. The Inch Arran Hotel was constructed in 1884 to take advantage of the excellent beaches and sheltered location. Guests such as Sir John A. MacDonald, Sir Charles Tupper and Lord Stanley took advantage of the hotel's features, including long verandas, billiards rooms and bowling alleys, before it burned down in 1921. The French-speaking population comes from many backgrounds: Acadia, France, Channel Islands and Québec, particularly the Gaspe Peninsula.

Lumbering lost its pre-eminence in 1930 with the opening of the New Brunswick International Paper Co paper mill. Chemical plants constitute the other major industry. The town is a year-round seaport and site of a New Brunswick Power 300 MW thermoelectric generating station. The Restigouche Regional Museum has displays on pioneer life and early industries.

The town puts on a number of festivals, including the long-running Bon Ami Festival each summer. Many of the activities take place in Inch Arran Park, on what was the site of the hotel. The park faces a rock formation in Chaleur Bay called Bon Ami Rocks after an early settler, Peter Bonamie.