Eel River Crossing, a former village nestled in Restigouche County, New Brunswick, Canada, is a place of historical significance and natural beauty. Although it lost its village status in 2023 and became part of the village of Bois-Joli, the name Eel River Crossing remains in official use, preserving its rich history.
Eel River Crossing, often simplified to Eel River, is named after the river on which it is situated. The term "Crossing" was appended to the name following the construction of the Intercolonial Railway's Halifax-Rivière-du-Loup main line through the community in 1875.
The Eel River Converter Station, a high-voltage converter station, has been a prominent feature of the community since 1972. The Eel River, which flows into Chaleur Bay, was originally named Anse a l'Anguille by the French, a name that was officially changed to Eel River Cove on October 14, 1950, following a petition.
The Mi'kmaq people, the indigenous inhabitants of the region, referred to Eel River as Okpĕgŭnchĭk, meaning "discoloured foam on the water". In 2015, the village underwent an amalgamation with surrounding areas and rebranded itself as Eel River Dundee in 2018, although the legal name remained Eel River Crossing.
On January 1, 2023, Eel River Crossing amalgamated with the village of Balmoral and parts of five local service districts to form the new village of Bois-Joli.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Eel River Crossing had a population of 1,844, residing in 839 of its 887 total private dwellings. This represented a change of -5.6% from its 2016 population of 1,953.
With a land area of 65.26 km2 (25.20 sq mi), Eel River Crossing had a population density of 28.3/km2 (73.2/sq mi) in 2021. Despite its amalgamation with Bois-Joli, the community of Eel River Crossing continues to retain its unique identity and charm.
