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.) 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 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. 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 |
| 2011 | 8,932 |
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. The nightlife attraction is Griffon's Pub and Eatery. The town's shopping mall features Pizza Delight, A&W, Tim Hortons as well as an Atlantic Superstore location. A business district in the area of Restigouche Road has become moderately successful, and the town features a small hospital, track and field facilities, and 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, 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.
Read more about this topic: Oromocto
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