# Elgin Parish

Elgin is a geographic parish in the interior of Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada, the only one of the county's parishes that does not border either the Bay of Fundy or the Petitcodiac River.
For governance purposes, Elgin is divided between the town of Salisbury, the village of Three Rivers, and the Southeast rural district, all of which are members of the Southeast Regional Service Commission.
Prior to the 2023 governance reform, the parish was divided between two local service districts, Elgin (often called Elgin Centre) and the parish of Elgin.

## Origin of name

The parish was probably named in honour of Lord Elgin, who was appointed Governor-General of the Province of Canada in 1847.

## History

Elgin Parish was erected in 1847 from the northern part of Harvey Parish.
Located 4.3 km ENE of Goshen: Elgin Parish, Albert County: PO from 1852: in 1866 Elgin was a farming settlement with about 36 families: in 1871 Elgin had a population of 250: in 1898 Elgin was a station on the Elgin, Petitcodiac and Havelock Railway with 1 post office, 6 stores, 3 hotels, 1 sawmill, 1 grist mill, 1 tannery, 1 carriage shop, 1 cheese factory and 2 churches.

## Boundaries

Elgin Parish is bounded:
* on the north and northwest by the Westmorland County line, beginning at the Kings County line and running northeasterly then northerly to a point about 3.2 kilometres east of Sanatorium Road and about 4 kilometres south of Middlesex Road, on the prolongation of the northern line of a grant to Albert E. Rogers on the Petitcodiac River, about 120 metres south of the mouth of Stoney Creek, then running northeasterly along the Rogers grant prolongation to a point about 2.6 kilometres east of Little River;
* on the east by the western line of Hillsborough Parish, a line running south 20º east to the prolongation of the south line of a grant to William Carlisle on the Petitcodiac River, then running easterly along the Carlisle prolongation about 500 metres to a point where Elgin, Hillsborough, Harvey, and Hopewell Parishes meet, about 1.35 kilometres north of Lumsden Road;
* on the south by a line running south 72º west to the Kings County line;
* on the west by Kings County.

## Former local service districts
### Elgin

Elgin (informally Elgin Centre) was established on 23 November 1966 to assess for fire protection and street lighting following the abolition of county councils under the new Municipalities Act, comprising an irregular area around the community of Elgin; First aid & ambulance services were added on 14 March 1973.
In 2020, Elgin assessed for street lighting and community & recreation services in addition to the basic LSD services of fire protection, police services, land use planning, emergency measures, and dog control. The taxing authority was 628.00 Elgin Centre.

### Elgin Parish

The local service district of the parish of Elgin (informally Elgin Parish), comprising all of the parish outside Elgin, was also established on 23 November 1966 but only assessed for fire protection. Ambulance service was added on 14 March 1973. In 2020, it assessed for community & recreation services and basic LSD services. The taxing authority was 614.00 Elgin Parish.

## Communities

Communities at least partly within the parish;
* Church Hill
* Churchs Corner
* Elgin
* Ferndale
* Forest Hill
* Goshen
* Gowland Mountain
* Harrison Settlement
* Hillside
* Little River
* Mapleton
* Meadow
* Midland
* Parkindale
* Pleasant Vale
* Prosser Brook
* River View
* Ross Corner
* Upper Goshen

## Bodies of water

Bodies of water at least partly in the parish:
* Kennebecasis River
* Little River (formerly Coverdale River)
** East Branch Little River
* Pollett River
* Northwest Branch Crooked Creek
* West Branch Turtle Creek
* Blackwood Lake
* Easter Lake
* Wolfe Lake

## Other notable places

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places in the parish.
* Cat Road Protected Natural Area
* Fundy National Park
* Mount Tom Protected Natural Area
* Upham Brook Protected Natural Area

## Demographics

Population
Historical census data Elgin Parish, NBYearPop.±%1991933—    19961,027+10.1%20011,004−2.2%2006973−3.1%2011968−0.5%2016892−7.9%20211,064+19.3%
Language
Mother tongue language (2016)
Language
Population
Pct (%)
French only
35
3.9%
English only
825
92.7%
Both English and French
0
0.0%
Other languages
30
3.4% :

## Access routes

Highways and numbered routes that run through the parish, including external routes that start or finish at the parish limits: