Miramichi

Understand

Miramichi is a sprawling municipality formed by the merger of the towns of Newcastle and Chatham with three villages. The two town centres are across and down the river from each other, about 13 km (15 minutes by car) apart. Miramichi bills itself as "Canada's Irish Capital", and is home to an annual Irish festival. It is one of the most Irish cities in Canada. The Miramichi area’s economy is primarily focused on mining, fishing and forestry. Other sectors include: tourism, customer contact centres, manufacturing, and the provincial and federal government. The service sector is the city's largest employer.

History Long prior to European settlement, the Miramichi region was home to members of the Mi'kmaq First Nation. Following the European discovery of the Americas, the Miramichi became part of the French colony of Acadia. By about 1740 French villages were well established on Miramichi Bay at Bay du Vin and Neguac. The French and Indian War erupted in 1754. During the war many Acadian homes were destroyed by the British, and their residents were deported. Some Acadians, however, remained and escaped British attempts at deportation. They eventually established (or re-established) a host of small Acadian communities along the northern and eastern coasts of present-day New Brunswick. The remaining Miramichi settlement was burned to the ground by the British in 1760. The French North American colonies were ceded to the British in the 1763 Treaty of Paris. Scottish settlers obtained a large grant encompassing much of the Miramichi region in 1765. Following the American Revolution some Loyalist families moved to Miramichi, and competition for the best lands escalated tensions between the early Scottish and new Loyalist settlers. The Irish began arriving in Miramichi in numbers after 1815 at the end of the Napoleonic War, and with a few exceptions ceased coming to the area before the great Irish famine of 1847. Most arrived form the ports of Belfast and Cork each of w

Getting there

By car Miramichi is 140-150 km northwest of Moncton via Highways 11 or 126, 80 km south of Bathurst on Highway 8, and 172 km north of Fredericton on Highway 8.

By bus Maritime Bus, Circle K/Irving Gas Station, 186 King Street, Chatham, toll-free: +1-800-575-1807, [email protected]. Operates an inter-regional bus service between destinations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. . (updated Apr 2022) Operates a route between Campbellton and Moncton including stops in Dalhousie, Bathurst, Miramichi, and Moncton Airport. Travel time to Miramichi from Bathurst is 50 minutes, from Campbellton is 2 hours, and from Moncton is 2 hours. Travel to Miramichi from the following destinations involving same day transfers is as follows: From Edmundston (10.5 hours), Fredericton (6.75 hours), Halifax (6 hours), and Saint John (7 hours) with a transfer in Moncton. From Charlottetown (5 hours) with transfers in Amherst and Moncton. From Antigonish (7 hours), North Sydney (9.75 hours), Sydney (10.5 hours) with transfers in Truro and Moncton.

By train

1 Miramichi station, 251 Station St, Newcastle. (updated May 2019) Train operator: VIA Rail Canada, toll-free: +1-888-842-7245. Operates train routes across Canada. (updated Mar 2022) Operates The Ocean route between Halifax and Montreal, including stops in Moncton and Sainte-Foy (near Quebec City). Operates three trips per direction per week. A shuttle between train stations in Sainte-Foy and in Quebec City is available for The Ocean trains, but must be reserved in advance.

By plane 2 Miramichi Airport (YCH IATA). Canadian North and Flair Airlines from Fort McMurray (updated Jul 2019) The nearest major airport is at Moncton.

Getting around

Miramichi Transit, ☏ +1 506 623-2370. From Newcastle to Douglastown and Chatham. Buses run hourly M-F 7AM-6PM, Sa 9AM-4PM. Three routes: Newcastle to Northumberland Square Mall, Chatham to Northumberland Square Mall, and Newcastle to Chatham via Chatham Head. $3 exact change. (updated May 2019)

See

1 Middle Island, 2345 Water Street, ☏ +1 506-773-7505, [email protected]. The island is open May-Aug. The museum is open M-F 9AM–4PM. The restaurant (burgers, poutine, fish and chips, sandwiches) is open M-Sa 11AM–7PM, and Su 10AM–7PM. This small island in the Miramichi is where Irish immigrants were quarantined when they got sick crossing the Atlantic to escape the potato famine in the late 1840s. Free. (updated Jan 2025) 2 MacDonald Farm Provincial Heritage Place, 600 Route 11, Lower Newcastle, ☏ +1 506-778-6085. A National Historic Site. This is on the north side of the river, about 11 km (7 miles) downstream from the Centennial Bridge. Made of stone from Scotland, this farmhouse was built by Colonel Alexander MacDonald, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Guides in period costumes explain the various exhibits. Transportation to the home, which lies in the banks of the Miramichi River, close to where the Bartibogue River joins it, is by horse drawn wagon. just off the shore is Bartibogue Island. (updated Jan 2025) 3 The Enclosure, Route 8, Derby. Where the Northwest Miramichi joins the Southwest Miramichi, makes for an interesting stop. This small Provincial Park contains the graves of the earliest Scottish and English settlers on the Miramichi, including the resting place of William Davidson, the first permanent European settler. (updated Jan 2025) 4 St. Michael's Basilica, 10 Howard St., Chatham, ☏ +1 506-778-5150. In the former Chatham neighbourhood, this is the most dramatic building in the Miramichi Valley. This imposing neo-Gothic structure is built on a hill and dominates the former town of Chatham. Until Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949, it was the largest church in Canada, east of Quebec City. (updated Jan 2025) 5 French Forte Cove. A nice playground and walking trail with a boat launch! (updated Jan 2025) 6 Beaverbrook House (The Old Manse), 518 King George Hwy, Newcastle, ☏ +1 506-622-5572. June-Sept M-Sa 9AM-5PM; Su 1PM-5P

Do

1 Miramichi River Tubing Co., 48 Kersey Lane, Rte 118 Hwy Doyles Brook, ☏ +1 506-622-3235. A river tubing company located on Route 118 Hwy. It offers 1½-2½ hour and 3-4 hour tubing trips on the Main Southwest Miramichi River. The trip is a mix of lazy river and, at times, rapids rush. (updated Jan 2025) 2 Twin Pine Lodge (Absolute Outfitters), 48 Kersey Lane, Rte 118 Hwy, Doyles Brook, ☏ +1 506-622-3235. Hunting and Miramichi salmon fishing at an outfitters lodge. (updated Jan 2025) 3 Miramichi River Boat Tours, 84 Nortons Ln, ☏ +1 506 623-9821. daily. Discover the river's fascinating history with a colourful Acadian Captain and 90-minute interpretive tours. Licensed bar. Bilingual. $15. (updated Jan 2025) Canada's Irish Festival. Longest-running Irish festival in Canada. Stage performances and food. Third weekend in July.

Buy

Miramichi offers two downtown districts, a number of malls including Northumberland Square, Bridgeview Plaza, Chatham Shopping Centre, Douglastown Pla