Petitcodiac (, sometimes shortened to ) is a former village in Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada. It held village status prior to 2023 and is now part of the village of Three Rivers.

History

It is named after the Petitcodiac River, which begins in the village at the junction of the North River and Anagance River. The name is believed to be derived either from a Mi'kmaq word meaning "bends like a bow" or from a Maliseet word meaning "sound of thunder". Petcoucoyee (Franquelin, 1686); Pacoudiac (deCouagne, 1749); present spelling from mid 19th century. On 1 January 2023, all or parts of four local service districts were annexed to Petitcodiac as part of the 2023 local governance reforms to establish a new village named Three Rivers. The community's name remains in official use.

Present day

The Community Centres around Route 890, Route 885, Route 905, Route 106 and Route 1. The village features a regional school, an outdoor swimming pool, an arena, a bowling alley, as well as several family-owned shops and churches servicing the surrounding area. There is also a Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. The town is also home to a monthly community newspaper, the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame Local News & Views, which despite its name is not limited to motorsports, and is distributed free to residents and neighboring villages. The Westmorland County Agricultural Fair, established by William Balzer in 1967, is an agricultural fair with a horse show, a sheep show, a produce contest, crafts and baked goods, and a beauty pageant.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Petitcodiac had a population of 1,476 living in 609 of its 630 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of 1,383. With a land area of 17.18 km2, it had a population density of in 2021. Population trend Income (2016) Mother tongue (2016)

Neighbouring communities

Notable people