Napan is a community in the
Canadian province
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...
of
New Brunswick, approximately north of
Moncton
Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. The ...
. It is near
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
, a neighbourhood of
Miramichi The name "Miramichi" was first applied to a region in the northeast of New Brunswick, Canada, and has since been applied to other places in Canada and the United States. Although other interpretations have been suggested, it is believed that "Mirami ...
, accessible from
Highway 11.
Running through the community is the
Napan River The Napan River in Canada is a tributary of the Miramichi River in New Brunswick, Canada. The river rises several kilometres southwest of Chatham in central Northumberland County and flows northeast into the Miramichi River at Napan Bay. Four bridg ...
, and four bridges cross the river at various points: at Hannah Lane,
Highway 11, Johnston Lane, and
Highway 117. There was also once a crossing at White Lane. At one time, these bridges were covered, although all have been upgraded to steel and concrete structures.
Once a thriving farming community, the Napan landscape is now dominated by residential dwellings. A handful of small farming operations dot the landscape, but much of the farmland has either been divided into building lots or returned to a forested state.
Despite its relatively small size, Napan is home to Carmel United Church,
Napan Elementary School School District 16 is a Canadian school district in New Brunswick.
District 16 is an Anglophone district operating 21 public schools (gr. K-12) in Northumberland and Kent Counties.
Current enrollment is approximately 6,500s students and 440 teac ...
(K–5), and the Napan Community Centre (which has hosted the Napan Agricultural Show since 1992 and is the site of many community gatherings). Organizations active in the community include the Women's Institute (the second to be founded in New Brunswick in 1911), the Napan 4-H Club (once the largest in Eastern New Brunswick), the United Church Women and the Farm Women. It is also served by a variety of small businesses, including: L.J. Patterson Sales and Services, Andrew's Fish and Chips, CARSTAR Miramichi, and City Limits Convenience Shell Gas Bar.
History
In its earlier history, Napan was also the home of several sawmills and grist mills, as well as a creamery.
Napan was originally settled largely by Scottish immigrants, many of whom had roots in Dumfrieshire. The community was once known by its constituent parts, which at one time included Upper Napan, Centre Napan, Lower Napan, and Napan Bay. These various communities, although still known locally by these separate names, are more generally known as Napan.
Until the 1960s, the community was served by several one-room school houses, which local children attended until grade 8. These schools were replaced by the present Napan Elementary School. The majority of middle and high school-aged children in the community now attend Dr. Losier Middle School and James M. Hill Memorial High School.
Notable people
See also
*
List of communities in New Brunswick
This is a list of communities in New Brunswick, a province in Canada. For the purposes of this list, a community is defined as either an incorporated municipality, an Indian reserve, or an unincorporated community inside or outside a municipalit ...
References
Communities in Northumberland County, New Brunswick
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