Quispamsis, New Brunswick

For the electoral district, see Quispamsis (electoral district).

Quispamsis ( /ˈkwɪspæmsɪs/ or  /kwɪspæmˈsɪs/, sometimes shortened to /kwɪsˈpæm/; 2006 population: 15,239) is a Canadian town located in Kings County, New Brunswick. It is located 20 kilometres northeast of Saint John, in the lower Kennebecasis River valley.

The name is traditionally pronounced with a weak stress on either the first or last syllable. Newscasters and voice actors who haven't visited will sometimes put a strong stress on the second syllable; this sounds barbaric to some older residents.

History

The original inhabitants of the area were the Maliseet First Nation, part of the Algonquin Federation . The name, “Quispamsis” was translated from the Maliseet language and means, “little lake in the woods”, the lake being present-day Ritchie Lake. Acadians, British pre-Loyalists and Loyalists settled in the area around 1783, with many receiving land grants along the Kennebecasis and Hammond Rivers.

Quispamsis amalgamated in 1998 with the nearby communities of Gondola Point and Wells to form the present town, covering an area of 60 km² and bordering the town of Rothesay to the southwest with the Hammond River along its northeastern boundary. Quispamsis is the fastest growing town in the province of New Brunswick.

Education

Quispamsis has a number of schools from grades K-12, these schools are:

Rothesay Elementary School k-5

Parks

There are many ways to keep fit and busy in Quispamsis. There is a wide variety of recreational parks which offer beautiful scenery and unique amenities. Parks open at dawn and closed at dusk.

The public parks:

Arts and Culture Park (12 Landing Court) – includes walking trails, WiFi, picnic/chess tables, benches, stage and mezzanine. During the summer months there are outdoor movies free of charge and ice skating during the winter months.

Hammond River Park (28 Reynar Drive) – includes 40 acres of beautiful land, fire pit, barbecue, picnic tables, hiking trails and authentic log cabin which is available for rent.

Off Leash Park (222 Vincent Road) – fenced in area, trails and benches. This park is for all dog lovers. This is an area to let your dog run free and have fun!

Meenan’s Cove Park (199 Model Farm Road) – includes picnic tables, barbecues, beach, boat dock, playground, ball field, walking trails and beach volleyball courts. This park is wonderful for the entire family.

Ritchie Lake Park (Cedar Grove Drive) – includes picnic tables, beach and walking trails.

Quispamsis Recreation Centre - includes two soccer fields, a baseball field, and a playground as well as walking trails.

Facts

• The Gondola Point Ferry, linking Quispamsis with the Kingston Peninsula, was originally installed by William Pitt and is the first underwater cable ferry in the world.

• Quispamsis qualifies for "city" status under the Municipalities Act of the Province of New Brunswick, but the town has made no move to change its municipal status.

• The town is home to current NHL player Randy Jones and NHL referee Chris Lee.

• The Qplex, Quispamsis's first multipurpose facility, is currently being constructed. It will feature a NHL sized ice surface.

• Quispamsis is one of the fastest growing communities in New Brunswick.

• The COMEX bus service run by Saint John Transit runs through the Kennebecasis Valley and shuttles commuters from Quispamsis to Saint John every day, Mondays to Fridays. There are a few “park and ride” locations for commuters to leave their car for the day to take the bus into Saint John and along with other standing bus stops along the way.^[2]

Notable residents and natives

• Brandon Jones, singer/song writer and competitor in Canadian Idol
• Randy Jones, National Hockey League defenceman, for the Winnipeg Jets
• Matt Marr, 2nd runner-up on So You Think You Can Dance Canada in 2011

See also

• Amalgamations of New Brunswick

References

External links

• Town of Quispamsis - official website