Clair, New Brunswick

Clair is a former Canadian village in Madawaska County, New Brunswick, now part of Haut-Madawaska.

History

Situated on the Saint John River opposite Fort Kent, Maine. The name Clair finds its roots in the community named for County Clare in Ireland. The name of the village is the result of the railroad station being located near the General store of James T. Clair. The station was called Clair's and was a regular stop of the Temiscouata Railway on its way up to the Connors station. Over time, the name stuck and was shortened to the family name of Clair. The original name of the location was actually "La Petite Décharge" named after the discharge of the small "ruisseau des Lang" into the Saint John River.
In a 2016 plebiscite, the residents of five local service districts, part of a sixth local service district and four villages voted 493 to 299 in favour of incorporating a new rural community under the name of Haut-Madawaska. The incorporation took effect July 1, 2017.
Forestry is the basis of the local economy.
The Clair – Fort Kent Bridge crosses the International Boundary to link both communities.

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Clair had a population of 794 living in 392 of its 405 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 781. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2021.
Population trend

Mother tongue language

The local Roman Catholic church houses noted religious artwork, including stained-glass windows from the workshop of Belgian artist José Gaterrath and the Stations of the Cross by the famous Spanish ceramist Jordi Bonet.