[edit]
Indigenous period and colonization[edit]
Ruins of a dam in Point Wolfe River
The area that is now Fundy National Park had been at one point inhabited by the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet peoples, but this was suggested as having been temporary due to few traces of remains indicating permanent settlement.
In the late 1600s and the early 1700s, the surrounding area was being settled by Acadians. One of these settlements included Chipoudy (now Shepody), established in 1710 and inhabited by Acadians until they were driven out by the British in the Expulsion of the Acadians. It was not until 1825 that the park's region was permanently settled by Europeans: in particular, immigrants from Scotland, Ireland, and England. Despite having been granted to settlers for use, the lands on the plateaus were unsuitable for agriculture, and were abandoned within a generation.
Village of Point Wolfe, c. 1915
The coastal villages were much more prosperous; the most notable settlement of them all, Point Wolfe, flourished from fishing, sawmills, and small shipyards. Jobs in the area were primarily seasonal: during the winter, most men worked in lumber camps and participated in log driving in the spring, both of which were their primary sources of income; in the summer and fall, they worked on the farm; all the while the women managed household tasks year-round.
However, the logging industry eventually led to a depletion of wood resources by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, causing an exodus of most of the area's residents. In addition, the clogging of the rivers by sawmill waste had damaged fish stocks and prevented the salmon from spawning in the area, resulting in fishermen abandoning their weirs.
Creation[edit]
The seven proposed sites during the creation of the park (French)
The proposal for a national park to be established in the province first came from a petition organized by the New Brunswick Fish and Game Association in 1927, with the aim to protect endangered animals in the region. In 1928 the association formed a committee composed of notable figures from the province and selected six potential sites, with Mount Carleton and Albert County being the most likely candidates. After surveying the proposed parks, the National Parks Branch favoured a site at Lepreau, followed by the Albert site, contradicting the provincial figures such as William Francis Ganong who preferred Mount Carleton, which was already known for its hunting and fishing tourism. In response, the federal government favours the Mount Champlain site, located between Saint John and Fredericton, which was not proposed by the province. The disagreements made between the federal and provincial governments about which site should be chosen, along with the lack of vision of what a New Brunswick park should be, resulted in the project being postponed around 1937. The issue was resurfaced after the end of the Second World War, and out of the Branch's proposed sites of Lepreau, Mount Champlain, and Albert, the province finalized on choosing the latter site.
The village of Alma around 1930
The expropriation process in Fundy was met with mixed reactions, but it ultimately proceeded more smoothly compared to the national parks of Cape Breton Highlands and Prince Edward Island due to the greater communication efforts made by New Brunswick, which better prepared the expropriated landowners. New Brunswick demonstrated a more generous approach by allowing for landowners to make an appeal if they were dissatisfied, and the overall process was done more swiftly. The targeted area for expropriation consisted of about half crown land, which was licensed to Hollingsworth and Whitney, a forestry company from Maine. The remaining land consisted of 130 privately owned properties. The provincial government quickly purchased the land owned and leased by Hollingsworth for $325,000 CAD, which was accepted by the company with satisfaction. Afterwards, the region's two sawmills were then expropriated, with the province compensating the owners with $16,000 CAD and about $6,000 CAD, respectively. Homeowners were expropriated thereafter, with most receiving varying compensation amounts ranging from $4,000 to $10,000, while cottage owners were compensated with $2,000. In total, expropriating the landscape cost the province over $850,000. Following the expropriations, all previous structures were demolished and their remains were burned, much to the disappointment of the former residents. Subsequently, most of the expropriated individuals settled in Alma, located just east from the park. The park was officially created on April 10, 1948.
Herring Cove, as seen from the park road in 1950
The initial two national parks in Atlantic Canada demonstrated considerable success, as evidenced by a significant increase in attendance between 1945 - 1948. This trend of increased national park visitation was seen all across Canada, with attendance numbers doubling between 1945 - 1947. Consequently, this encouraged the Parks Branch to substantiate a much larger investment into Fundy compared to previous park developments. From 1948 to 1950, the branch dedicated over $2.2 million towards Fundy National Park, compared to the $1.1 million expenditure for the first four years of development for the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
The park headquarters' construction started at a particular site, at the expense of the site's natural and cultural heritage. A nine-hole golf course was designed by Stanley Thompson and constructed alongside the road leading to Point Wolfe at a cost of $100,000. Additionally, a swimming pool was established near Alma West's beach. To provide accommodation within the park, designated campgrounds were developed, designed to accommodate tents and trailers. Additionally, 29 cottages were constructed in a location overlooking the park's golf course. One of the more significant expenses was that of the park superintendent's residence. Initially authorized at a price of $12,000, the project eventually incurred a total cost of $30,000 by the time it was finished, a price equivalent to the value of three to four farms in Alma. The park headquarters area also saw the installation of the New Brunswick School of Arts and Crafts, but it later disappeared.
