http://www.canadiancorrections.com/
 

New Brunswick

Current

Wanted

Old New Brunswick County Gaols

I’d never been to New Brunswick until this year during a drive to Newfoundland along the Trans-Canada Highway this time. I had previously driven the American way up through Maine, and across on the casino ferry to Nova Scotia. I had once heard New Brunswick referred to as ‘The Forgotten Province’ so off I went. What I saw did not reflect this description, and I’ll be going back.
 
Old Carleton County Gaol and Courthouse in Woodstock, New Brunswick

Carleton County Courthouse located in Woodstock 
New Brunswick

Carleton County Gaol located directly behind the Courthouse is now closed and used as county offices
Old Albert County Gaol and Courthouse in Alma, New Brunswick

Unused Postcard of Albert County Jail at Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick

 

 

 

Old St. John County Courthouse, St. John, New Brunswick

The Old St. John County Jail is located directly behind the Courthouse

Of course I kept an eye open for gaols along the way since as in Ontario, there were County Gaols in the Province of New Brunswick during the development of this area of Canada. The County Gaols were taken over about 1967 by the Provincial government, forming a Provincial system as had happened in Ontario in 1968 and Nova Scotia. There are also four Federal facilities in New Brunswick: Dorchester Penitentiary, Atlantic Institution, Westmoreland Institution, Shepody Healing Lodge, and Parrtown Community Correctional Centre. New Provincial facilities have also been opened.

The history of this Province goes back to European fishermen, Jacques Cartier in 1534, and in 1604 with explorer Samuel de Champlain. The Malecite and Micmac Indians populated this area back then. Later New Brunswick was one of the original Provinces that formed the Dominion of Canada in 1867. The province is named for the British royal family of Brunswick-Lüneburg (the house of Hanover). New Brunswick is called the Loyalist Province.

The counties of New Brunswick each had a gaol in the old days. Some have been utilized for other purposes now, some unfortunately have been torn down.

Restigouche County - Campbellton
Gloucester County - Bathurst
Madawaska County - Edmundston
Victoria County - Perth-Andover
Northumberland County – Newcastle, county court house & gaol 1829 on Campbell St.
Kent County - Richibucto
Carleton County – Woodstock, court house & gaol 1833
York County – Fredericton
Sunbury County – Oromocto
Queens County – Gagetown, court house & gaol 1836
King County – 1870s, gaol moved from Kingston then to Hampton, is part of museum
Albert County – Alma, first court house & gaol 1846, second court house 1904
Westmoreland County - Moncton
Charlotte County - St. Andrews
Saint John County - St. John, gaol is on King St. behind court house, held 81 prisoners

Today, the New Brunswick Corrections system consists of the following adult facilities:

Bathurst Detention Centre
Dalhousie Correctional Centre
Madawaska Regional Correctional Centre
Moncton Detention Centre
Saint John Regional Correctional Centre

 National Union of Public & General Employees New Brunswick


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