Botsford Parish, New Brunswick

Botsford is a geographic parish in Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada.

For governance purposes it divided almost entirely between the town of Cap-Acadie and the incorporated rural community of Strait Shores, small areas along its southwestern border belong to the Southeast rural district. All are members of the Southeast Regional Service Commission.

Prior to the 2023 governance reform, the parish was divided between the villages of Cap-Pelé and Port Elgin, the rural community of Beaubassin East, and the local service districts of Bayfield, Cape Tormentine, and the parish of Botsford.

Origin of name
The parish was named in honour of Amos Botsford, then Speaker of the House of Assembly and MLA for Westmorland County.

History
Botsford was erected in 1805 from all of the unassigned territory east of Sackville and Westmorland Parishes.

In 1850 the western boundary moved west to match that of Westmorland Parish, adding part of Shediac Parish. The western boundary was at the mouth of the Kouchibouguac River.

In 1894 the western boundary was altered on its northern end, the boundary with Shediac Parish now running through Cap-Pelé. This was clarified in 1904.

Boundaries
Botsford Parish is bounded:


 * on the north by Northumberland Strait;
 * on the south by Baie Verte
 * on the southwest by a line running north 38º 30' west from the southeast angle of lot number one, granted to Otho Reed, at the mouth of Gaspereau Creek in Port Elgin to a point about 1.6 kilometres northwesterly of the junction of Chemin des Moulins and Route 940 and about 450 metres from Square Lake, then running north 4º 30' east to the Northumberland Strait at a point about 375 metres east of the mouth of the Tedish River in Cap-Pelé.

Communities
Communities at least partly within the parish. bold indicates an incorporated municipality


 * Bayfield
 * Bayside
 *  Beaubassin East
 * Botsford Portage
 * Comeau Point
 * Lake Road
 * Petit-Cap
 * Shemogue
 * Trois-Ruisseaux
 * Cadman Corner
 *  Cap-Pelé
 * Bas-Cap-Pelé
 * Cape Spear
 * Cape Tormentine
 * Chapmans Corner
 * Hardy
 * Johnston Point Road
 * Little Shemogue
 * Malden
 * Mates Corner
 * Melrose
 * Murray Corner
 * Murray Road
 *  Port Elgin
 * Smith Settlement
 * Spence Settlement
 * The Bluff
 * Timber River
 * Upper Cape
 * Woodside

Bodies of water
Bodies of water at least partly within the parish.


 * Gaspereau River
 * Timber River
 * Amos Creek
 * Fox Creek
 * Grant Creek
 * Lanchester Creek
 * McKays Creek
 * Robinson Creek
 * Northumberland Strait
 * Abegweit Passage
 * Baie Verte
 * Shemogue Harbour
 * Collins Lake
 * Niles Lake
 * Square Lake

Islands
Islands at least partly within the parish.
 * Ephraim Island
 * Jourimain Island

Other notable places
Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish.
 * Confederation Bridge
 * Murray Beach Provincial Park

Demographics
Parish population total does not include portions within 2021 boundaries of Cap-Pelé, Port Elgin, and Beaubassin East. Revised census figures based on the 2023 local governance reforms have not been released.

Access routes
Highways and numbered routes that run through the parish, including external routes that start or finish at the parish limits:


 * Highways


 * Principal Routes


 * Secondary Routes:
 * none


 * External Routes:
 * (Confederation Bridge)