Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick
Petit-Rocher is a former village in Gloucester County, New Brunswick, Canada. On January 1, 2023, it was dissolved as an incorporated village and became part of the new town of Belle-Baie following province-wide local government reforms. The name Petit-Rocher is still retained for Address purposes.
The community is located on the western shore of Nepisiquit Bay, approximately 20 kilometres north of Bathurst. Prior to amalgamation, it was bordered by the former local service districts of Petit-Rocher-Nord to the north and Petit-Rocher-Sud to the south.
History
Petit-Rocher was founded in 1797 by Acadian settlers. The name refers to a small rocky outcrop along the shoreline and is of French origin. During the 19th century, the settlement appeared under several names, including Little Roche and Madisco, before Petit Rocher became the standard form. The hyphenated spelling Petit-Rocher was officially adopted in 2009.As part of New Brunswick’s local governance reform, Petit-Rocher amalgamated with Beresford, Nigadoo, Pointe-Verte, and surrounding local service districts to form the town of Belle-Baie on January 1, 2023.
Demographics
In the 2021 Canadian census, Petit-Rocher recorded a population of 1,954 residents living in 890 of its 963 private dwellings, representing a slight increase from the 2016 census. With a land area of 4.52 km², the population density was 432.2 people per square kilometre.French is the predominant mother tongue in the community, reflecting its Acadian cultural heritage. AS of the last census in 2021, 89% of the population mother tongue is French, 8% mother tongue is English and 3% is both English and French.