Indigenous Moncton: Mi’kma’ki, Nations and Community

About Moncton

Moncton grew on a bend of the Petitcodiac River in southeastern New Brunswick, within Mi’kmaw territory. Twice a day, Bay of Fundy tides push a tidal bore up the river, a single wave that can reach half a metre to a metre and is best watched from Bore Park downtown. Long nicknamed the Hub of the Maritimes, the city built its economy on shipbuilding and the Intercolonial Railway before shifting toward distribution, telecommunications and technology. In 2002 Moncton became the first officially bilingual city in Canada, and Acadian culture is strong here. The Université de Moncton, founded in 1963, is a French-language institution whose law school was the first in the world to teach common law in French. Magnetic Hill is a well-known attraction. The nearest Mi’kmaw communities are Amlamgog (Fort Folly), southeast of the city, and Elsipogtog, farther north on the Kent County coast.

Moncton history

Moncton was founded on the traditional territory of the Mi'kmaq. The river that shapes the city carries a Mi'kmaw name: Petitcodiac has been translated as bends like a bow. Acadians were the first European settlers. Around 1733 they farmed a small community they called Le Coude, the elbow, after the river's sharp turn. In 1766, eight Pennsylvania German families arrived to re-establish farming there. Among them were the Steeves, Trites, Lutes and Wortman families, and they called their settlement The Bend. The city's current name was first used in the 1860s and honours Robert Monckton, a British commander. Shipbuilding set the pace in the mid-1800s. George and Joseph Salter opened a shipyard in 1849, and by 1850 the town had become a port of entry. Moncton incorporated in 1855. When shipbuilding collapsed, it gave up its civic charter in 1862. The railway revived it. In 1871 the Intercolonial Railway made Moncton its headquarters. The community reincorporated as a town in 1875 and became a city on April 23, 1890. In 2016 the city had 71,889 residents, within a greater region of 144,810.

Treaty and territory

Moncton is in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, covered by the Peace and Friendship Treaties.

Nearby: Dieppe · Riverview · Amlamgog (Fort Folly First Nation) · Elsipogtog First Nation · Tjipõgtõtjg (Buctouche First Nation)

Indigenous Moncton today

The 2021 census counted 2,080 Indigenous residents in Moncton, about 2.69 per cent of the city. The City has also commissioned its first Indigenous public art installation. The closest Mi'kmaw community is small but long-established. Fort Folly First Nation, near Dorchester, holds one reserve of about 56 hectares, set aside in 1840 under New Brunswick law. In June 2025 it counted 141 members, most of them living off reserve. Farther north in Kent County, Elsipogtog First Nation is much larger. Its registered population was 3,574 in April 2023. The community was formerly called the Big Cove Band, and its name means River of Fire. Its Richibucto 15 reserve dates from 1805. Its two reserves cover 17.72 square kilometres, and 2,736 members lived on reserve in 2023. Census data show that 56.9 per cent of residents speak Mi'kmaq. Elsipogtog drew national attention in 2013, when community members and supporters blocked roads to oppose shale gas exploration. In 2021 it won Kraft Hockeyville, bringing arena funding and an NHL preseason game in October 2022.

Life in Moncton

Moncton's weather has range. The record high reached 37.8°C on August 18 and 19, 1935, and the record low fell to −37.8°C on February 5, 1948. Sports and big events centre on the Avenir Centre, an 8,800-seat arena. It is home to the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The city has also hosted international competitions, including the 2026 NORCECA men's continental volleyball championship. For time outside, the Riverfront Trail forms part of the Trans Canada Trail. Centennial Park, Irishtown Nature Park and Jones Lake add more green space. Families head to the Magnetic Hill Zoo. Resurgo Place serves as the city's museum. The Moncton Market has hosted autumn Harvest Days, and the city has hosted the Legs for Literacy marathon in October.

Moncton seasons and weather

Winters in Moncton bring real cold and plenty of snow, while summers are warm and humid. A heavyweight hoodie and a hat cover the colder months, and tees carry you through July.

More on the region: Indigenous New Brunswick · all of Canada.

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Moncton questions