Alma, New Brunswick
Alma (2011 Population 232, 2016 population 213) is a village in the parish of Alma, Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada. This village is centered on the small delta of the Upper Salmon River and Cleveland Brook, where they empty into Salisbury Bay. The headquarters of Fundy National Park is in Alma West, making tourism a major part of the local economy. Fishing, of lobster and scallops, is another primary economic activity. History. The settlement, known as Salmon River Settlement, began in earnest as the lumbering trade took root with the exchange of land-grant title, and construction  of a sawmill on the Upper Salmon River by its new owners. Prior to this, loyalist John Coffin, who held the land grant, caused frustration for would-be settlers because of his absence. Thus began the most vibrant period in the community's history. The Parish of Alma was created surrounding the Village in 1856, commemorating the then-recent Battle of Alma during the Crimean war. The Village municipality incorporated in 1966 following sweeping changes that disbanded county councils. It was 18 years prior that the federal government expropriated land in the village and parish west of the Upper Salmon  River for the creation of Fundy National Park. Many homes were relocated east of the river as lumber barons gave way to the new land managers, the Parks Canada Agency. In addition to tourism related to the park, lobster and scallop fishing are an important industry based out of Alma's tidal harbour. Demographics. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Alma had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Notable people. Alma  was the birthplace of Molly Kool, who in 1939 became Master Mariner for offshore sailing, a captain, a first in the Western World, sailing a commercial Bay of Fundy scow sloop between ports. A monument on the Alma waterfront marks her accomplishment. Climate. Alma has a relatively cool, wet and snowy humid continental climate with significant seasonal differences in spite of its near-ocean location. Summers are warm but relatively short, whereas winters are relatively cold but milder than inland areas.