The Canadian province of New Brunswick is divided into 89 local entities, consisting of 77 local governments and 12 rural districts.
A local government can be a city, town, village, regional municipality or rural community, mainly according to population. Cities generally provide more services than smaller entities. Services include certain transportation, environmental, security, and recreational and culture services.
Ninety-five per cent of the population lives in a city, town, village, regional municipality, or rural community and can vote to elect responsible local government. Parts of the province not covered by these local governments are divided into rural districts. These are sparsely populated unincorporated areas. Each district elects councillors to form an advisory committee to advise the minister on local matters.
Twelve regional service commissions provide services over larger areas.
History In 1784 New Brunswick was created via the partitioning of the Colony of Nova Scotia and divided into the counties of NB, which were in turn divided into parishes. By the 1960s the province was a patchwork of incorporated cities, towns, villages, local improvement districts, and local administrative commissions. Section 23 and the Second Schedule deal with the commissions. Under this system, many public services including healthcare, social services, and education were provided by county government. Underfunded poor counties were stuck in a "perpetual cycle of poverty".
In response, Liberal premier Louis Robichaud introduced the Equal Opportunity Program. This reformed municipal taxation, and via the 1966 Municipalities Act eliminated county governments and led to the subsequent centralization of many of their powers. In 1967 counties ceased to exist as government units and nonmunicipal incorporated bodiesThese were commissions, which received grants from the province and had some administrative powers, and local improvement districts, which were formed to administer purely local services like sewage systems but had no significant powers. were converted to villages. A new governance unit, the local service district (LSD), was created to administer local services like fire departments in some rural areas.Large areas of the province received only the most basic provincial services like highway maintenance; these were not part of the local service district system. The new villages were given the same municipal powers as towns and cities. Existing cities and towns were not changed, while existing villagesPort Elgin and the township of McAdam, which was a village for municipal purposes. were converted to the new village model.
Regional service commissions were added in 2012.
The 2023 New Brunswick local governance reform was an overhaul of the system as follows: 104 local governments were reduced to 77, primarily by combining existing municipalities. Few municipalities were unaffected by the changes, with some new municipalities created by combining LSDs. Local service districts were dissolved. Some joined existing or new municipalities or rural communities, while remaining LSD areas were combined to form 12 rural districts corresponding to the regional service commissions. A significant number of LSDs were split between municipalities and rural districts. Regional service commissions assumed increased powers; many had their boundaries adjusted. Land use planning was improved. Financing local governance finance was reformed.
Local governance divisions NameStatusRegional service commissionEntity numberAcadian Peninsula rural districtAcadian Peninsula4 Alnwick rural community Greater Miramichi 20 Arcadia village Capital Region 66 Bathurst city Chaleur 12 BelledunevillageChaleur10 Beaurivage town Kent 26 Beausoleil rural community Kent 31 Bois-Joli village Restigouche 8 Butternut Valley rural community Kings 79 Campbellton city Restigouche 7 Campobello Islandrural communitySouthwest55 Cap-Acadie town Southeast 38 Capital Region rural district Capital Region 11 Caraquet town Acadian Peninsula 14 Carleton North town Western Valley 76 Central York rural community Capital Region 70 Chaleur rural district Chaleur 3 Champdoré town Kent 30 Dieppe city Southeast 36 Doaktown village Greater Miramichi 23 Eastern Charlotte rural community Southwest 53 Edmundston city Northwest 2 Five Rivers village Kent 28 Fredericton city Capital Region 69 Fredericton Junction village Capital Region60 Fundy rural district Fundy 9 Fundy Albert village Southeast 42 Fundy Shores rural community Southwest 52 Fundy-St. Martins village Fundy 46 Grand Bay-Westfield town Fundy 51 Grand-Bouctouche town Kent 29 Grand Falls town Northwest 4 Grand Lake village Capital Region 67 Grand MananvillageSouthwest54 Greater Miramichi rural district Greater Miramichi 5 Hampton town Fundy 47 Hanwell rural community Capital Region 62 Hartland town Western Valley 74 Harvey rural community Capital Region 59 Haut-Madawaska town Northwest 1 Hautes-Terres town Acadian Peninsula 17 Heron Bay town Restigouche 9 Île-de-Lamèque town Acadian Peninsula 15 Kedgwick rural community Northwest 6 Kent rural district Kent 6 Kings rural district Kings 8 Lakeland Ridges village Western Valley 72 Maple Hills rural community Southeast 32 Memramcook village Southeast 41 Miramichi city Greater Miramichi 21 Miramichi River Valley rural community Greater Miramichi 22 McAdam village Southwest 58 Moncton city Southeast 34 Nackawic-Millville rural community Capital Region 71 Nashwaak rural community Capital Region 68 NeguacvillageAcadian Peninsula19 New MarylandvillageCapital Region64 Northwest rural district Northwest 1 Nouvelle-Arcadie village Kent 25 Oromocto town Capital Region 65 Quispamsis town Fundy 48 Restigouche rural district Restigouche 2 Rivière-du-Nord town Acadian Peninsula 13 RothesaytownFundy49 Saint Andrews town Southwest 56 Saint JohncityFundy50 Saint-Quentin town Northwest 5 Salisbury town Southeast 33 Shediac town Southeast 37 Shippagan town Acadian Peninsula 16 Southeast rural district Southeast 7 Southern Victoria village Western Valley 77 Southwest rural district Southwest 10 St. Stephen town Southwest 57 Strait Shores rural community Southeast 39 Sunbury-York South rural community Capital Region 63 Sussex town Kings 44 Tantramar town Southeast 40 Three Rivers village Southeast 43 Tobique Valley village Western Valley 78 Tracadieregional municipalityAcadian Peninsula18 TracyvillageCapital Region61 Upper Miramichirural communityGreater Miramichi24 Vallée-des-Rivières town Northwest 3 Valley Waters village Kings 45 Western Valley rural district Western Valley 12 Woodstock town Western Valley 73
Other jurisdictions of the province Census areas Census Canada divides the province into census divisions and subdivisions, population centres, and economic regions (Fredericton-Moncton-Saint John, Madawaska-Charlotte, Restigouche-Albert).
Health authorities The New Brunswick Department of Health funds two regional health authorities: Horizon Health Network and Vitalité Health Network. The province is divided into seven health regions, with Region 1 being managed under both networks; regions 2, 3, and 7 under the Horizon network; and regions 4, 5, and 6 under the Vitalité network.
Protected areas National Parks (Fundy and Kouchibouguac) and provincial parks. Canadian Heritage Rivers System: the Saint John, St. Croix, and Restigouche rivers. National Wildlife Areas and National Migratory Bird Sanctuaries administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service. Protected Natural Areas legally protected under the provincial Protected Natural Areas Act.
Indian reserves There are 15 First Nations in New Brunswick.
Canadian Forces bases There is one Canadian Forces Base, CFB Gagetown.
See also :fr:Gouvernance locale au Nouveau-Brunswick (local government in NB)
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