Happy TravellerWelcome to Edmundston, a charming city nestled in the Madawaska County of New Brunswick, Canada. Often overlooked in favor of its more famous neighbors, this hidden gem boasts a rich history, breathtaking landscapes, and mouthwatering local cuisine. Join us as we uncover the many treasures of Edmundston and reveal why this enchanting destination should be on every traveler’s bucket list.
Edmundston has a fascinating history that dates back to the early colonial period. The area was a camping and meeting place of the Maliseet (Wolastoqiyik) Nation during seasonal migrations. From the mid to late eighteenth century, one of the largest Maliseet villages had been established at Madawaska and had become a refuge site for other Wabanaki peoples. The Maliseet village was originally located near the falls at the confluence of the Madawaska and Saint John Rivers. Currently, the City of Edmundston surrounds a federal Indian Reserve (St. Basile 10/Madawaska Maliseet First Nation).
Originally named Petit-Sault (Little Falls) in reference to the waterfalls located where the Madawaska River merges into the Saint John River, the settlement was renamed Edmundston in 1851 after Sir Edmund Walker Head, who was Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick from 1848 to 1854 and Governor-General of Canada from 1854 to 1861. Originally a small logging settlement, Edmundston’s growth is mostly attributed to the city’s strategic location.
The area was at the center of the Aroostook War of 1839, a skirmish over boundary lines between the U.S.A. and what was then British North America. One of the central figures at the origin of the conflict was American-born industrialist Colonel John Baker, who had established sawmills and other lumber-related industries on the eastern shores of the Saint John river, an area claimed by the British that Baker wanted to be declared part of Maine as he was a fiercely nationalist American. When the terms of the treaty that was signed following the conflict left Baker’s properties firmly planted on British soil, and with the lack of support from the US Government to oppose the decision, Baker was facing the dilemma of either moving his facilities across the river on the American side, or to accept British sovereignty. Unwilling to do either, he declared the area an independent state called the Republic of Madawaska, declaring himself head of state with the overwhelming support of the local, mostly French-speaking but independent-minded population. The Republic was never recognized and never had legal existence, but nevertheless the concept has remained so popular with the francophone Brayon residents on both the Canadian and American sides of the border that they refer to the region as the Republic of Madawaska to this day, and each mayor of Edmundston still receives the title of President of the Republic of Madawaska.
Edmundston is located at the edge of the New Brunswick panhandle, nestled in the northeastern section of the Appalachian Mountains at the junction of the Saint John and Madawaska Rivers in the northwestern part of the province. Edmundston is strategically situated only a few kilometers from the border with Quebec and on the border with the United States, opposite the town of Madawaska, Maine, to which it is connected by the Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge.
Edmundston is a rural town whose economy centers on the Saint John River paper industry. Forestry is one of the city’s major industries, with several sawmills and paper plants in the vicinity, the largest being the Twin Rivers pulp mill, formerly owned by Fraser Papers, now owned by Norbord, by way of Noranda Forest (1998) and Nexfor (2004). The Edmundston pulp mill is paired with a Twin Rivers paper mill directly across the Saint John River in Madawaska, Maine, through which liquified pulp slurry is piped. The pulp is shipped across the border through a mile-long high pressure pipeline running between both facilities, and is made into paper in Madawaska. The Madawaska mill specializes in fine-grade papers. The town’s economy is highly dependent upon cross-border trade, to the extent that Edmundston and its smaller sister city of Madawaska are considered by residents under many aspects, a single economic entity.
Edmundston has a lot to offer for tourists. The city is home to the Festival Jazz et Blues d’Edmundston, which takes place every June. Every year in August, there is a large cultural festival in Edmundston called the Foire Brayonne. The festival is one of the biggest French themed festivals held in Canada east of the province of Quebec. Edmundston hosts two provincial historical sites: Cathedral of Immaculate Conception and Fortin du Petit-Sault. Other tourist attractions include de la République Provincial Park, an 18-hole golf course, a pedestrian downtown with a number of retail stores, restaurants, a hotel and a convention center. You can also visit the Antique Automobile Museum, the Madawaska Historic Museum, and many other museums. The New Brunswick Botanical Garden is in suburban Saint-Jacques, on seven hectares with more than 80,000 plants, making it the largest arboretum east of Montreal. Edmundston has a downhill skiing facility in the city at Mont Farlagne. This facility has 3 lifts, a t-bar, a double chair, and a quad chair. It has 14
