# Lepreau Parish, New Brunswick

Lepreau is a geographic parish in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada, west of Saint John.
For governance purposes, the southern part of the parish is part of the incorporated rural community of Fundy Shores, while the north is part of the Southwest rural district, both of which are members of the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission.
Prior to the 2023 governance reform, it comprised a single local service district (LSD), which was a member of the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission (SNBSC).
The Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is the parish's most notable feature and is located near its eastern border.
The Census subdivision of Lepreau Parish shares the parish's borders.

## Origin of name

Historian William Francis Ganong states that the name of the parish comes from Point Lepreau, the name being a corruption of French Pte. aux Napraux.
The parish's official spelling has varied:
* LePreau in 1857,
* Lepreaux in 1868, 1869, 1903, 1927, and 1952
* Le Preaux in 1877 and 1896
* Lepreau since 1973

## History

Lepreau Parish was erected from eastern Pennfield Parish in 1857. It originally included the eastern part of Clarendon Parish.

## Boundaries

Lepreau is bounded:
* on the north by a line running due west from the southernmost corner of Queens County;
* on the east by a line running true north from Point Lepreau;
* on the south by Maces Bay and the Bay of Fundy;
* on the west by true north from the mouth of the Pocologan River;
* including any islands within 2 miles (3.2 km) of the shore.

### Evolution of boundaries

Lepreau's originally extended north to the county line.
In 1868 all of the parish north of the southern point of Queens County was included in the Clarendon District, a polling district that also included the northern part of Pennfield Parish.
In 1869 The Clarendon District was erected as Clarendon Parish and Lepreau's modern boundaries were established.

## Local service district

The local service district of the parish of Lepreau comprised the entire parish.
The LSD was established in 1970 to assess for fire protection; first aid & ambulance services were added in 1978.
In 2021, the LSD assesses for only the basic LSD services of fire protection, police services, land use planning, emergency measures, and dog control.

## Communities

Communities at least partly within the parish. italics indicate a name no longer in official use.
* Haggertys Cove
* Lepreau
* Little Lepreau
* Maces Bay (Old Ridge)
* Mink Brook
* New River
* New River Beach
* Pocologan
* Welch Cove

## Bodies of water

Bodies of water at least partly within the parish.
* Lepreau River
** North Branch Lepreau River
** West Branch Lepreau River
* Little Lepreau River
* Little New River
* New River
* Pocologan River
* Bay of Fundy
* Maces Bay
* Lepreau Harbour
* New River Harbour
* Pocologan Harbour
* Little Lepreau Basin
* Lake of the Hills
* Ragged Falls Flowage
* more than 25 other officially named lakes

## Islands

Islands at least partly within the parish. italics indicates a name no longer in official use
* Head Island
* New River Island (Mole Island)
* Pocologan Island
* Salkeld Islands (Fothergill Islands)

## Other notable places

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish.
* Lepreau Falls Provincial Park
* Lepreau River Wildlife Management Area
* McPhersons Point Protected Natural Area
* New River Beach Provincial Park
* New River Protected Natural Area
* Ragged Falls Protected Natural Area
* Salkeld Island Protected Natural Area

## Census data
### Population

| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1991 | 900 | — |
| 1996 | 875 | −2.8% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 2001 | 865 | −1.1% |
| 2006 | 824 | −4.7% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 2011 | 752 | −8.7% |
| 2016 | 707 | −6.0% |

### Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Lepreau Parish, New Brunswick :
| Census | Total | English | English | English | French | French | French | English & French | English & French | English & French | Other | Other | Other |
| Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % |
| 2011 | 750 | 720 | 8.9% | 96.00% | 20 | 0.0% | 2.67% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.00% | 10 | 0.0% | 1.33% |
| 2006 | 820 | 790 | 5.4% | 96.34% | 20 | 20.0% | 2.44% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.00% | 10 | 0.0% | 1.22% |
| 2001 | 870 | 835 | 2.3% | 95.98% | 25 | 60.0% | 2.87% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.00% | 10 | 0.0% | 1.15% |
| 1996 | 875 | 855 | n/a | 97.71% | 10 | n/a | 1.14% | 0 | n/a | 0.00% | 10 | n/a | 1.14% |

## Access Routes

Highways and numbered routes that run through the parish, including external routes that start or finish at the parish limits:
* Route 1
* Route 780
* Route 795