Alma, New Brunswick

Alma is a disincorporated Village in Fundy Albert, New Brunswick, Canada. It resides in the territorial divisions of parish of Alma, Albert County. Alma is centered on the small delta of the Upper Salmon River and Cleveland Brook, where they empty into Salisbury Bay.

The headquarters of Fundy National Park is in Alma West, making tourism a major part of the local economy. Fishing, of lobster and scallops, is another primary economic activity.

History
The settlement, known as Salmon River Settlement, began in earnest as the lumbering trade took root with the exchange of land-grant title, and construction of a sawmill on the Upper Salmon River by its new owners. Prior to this, Loyalist John Coffin, who held the land grant, caused frustration for would-be settlers because of his absence. Thus began the most vibrant period in the community's history.

The Parish of Alma was created surrounding the community in 1856, commemorating the then-recent Battle of Alma during the Crimean war. The Village municipality incorporated in 1966 following sweeping changes that disbanded county councils. 18 years earlier, the federal government had expropriated land in the village and parish west of the Upper Salmon River for the creation of Fundy National Park. Many homes were relocated east of the river as lumber barons gave way to the new land managers, the Parks Canada Agency. In addition to tourism related to the park, lobster and scallop fishing are an important industry based out of Alma's tidal harbour.

On 1 January 2023, Alma was amalgamated with the villages of Hillsborough and Riverside-Albert and parts of nine local service districts to form the municipal area called Fundy Albert. "Alma" continues to be the name of the former Village of Alma community.

Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Alma had a population of $282$ living in $130$ of its $196$ total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of $213$. With a land area of 47.64 km2, it had a population density of in 2021. Revised census figures based on the 2023 local governance reforms have not been released.

Notable people
Alma was the birthplace of Molly Kool, who in 1939 became Master Mariner for offshore sailing, a captain, a first in the Western World, sailing a commercial Bay of Fundy scow sloop between ports. A monument on the Alma waterfront marks her accomplishment.

Climate
Alma has a relatively cool, wet and snowy humid continental climate with significant seasonal differences in spite of its near-ocean location. Summers are warm but relatively short, whereas winters are relatively cold but milder than inland areas.