Nigadoo, a community in Gloucester County, New Brunswick, is a place of rich history and natural beauty. Once a village, Nigadoo is now part of the town of Belle-Baie since 2023. Nestled at the mouth of the Nigadoo River on Nepisiguit Bay, it is situated 15 km northwest of Bathurst and adjacent to Beresford. The name "Nigadoo" or "Mimoogwodoo" in the Mi'gmaq language translates to "place to hide".
The name Nigadoo originates from the Mi’gmaq word “Mimoogwodoo”, meaning “the hiding place”. Long before explorers like Samuel de Champlain, John Cabot, or Nicolas Denys charted the Chaleur Region, it was home to the Mi’gmaq People.
The story of how Nigadoo got its name dates back to the times before European settlers arrived. The Mi’gmaq and the Iroquois (Mohawk) people, whose territories bordered each other around the area now known as Edmundston, were often at war. During one of these conflicts, a hundred Iroquois canoes were spotted coming over the cape, known as Gespe'g, meaning "end of the world", or "where the world ends".
The Mohawk were on a mission to invade the Mi’gmaq people along the Bay of Chaleur, known as "Mowebâktabāāk" or "The Biggest Bay". Unbeknownst to the Mohawk, Mi’gmaq scouts had spotted their fleet of canoes. The Mi’gmaq sent messengers to warn each village of the impending invasion. By the time the message reached Nepisiguit, the Mi’gmaq warriors had enough time to gather an offensive at the mouth of the Nigadoo river, a strategic location hidden from the Bay by a sand bar.
As the Mohawk fleet made their way down the coast, they were ambushed by the Mi’gmaq warriors who successfully defended their land. This victory led the Mi’gmaq to forever call this place "Mimoogwodoo". Over time, French Acadian settlers, unable to pronounce Mimoogwodoo, began to refer to the area as Nigadoo.
On January 1, 2023, Nigadoo amalgamated with Beresford, Petit-Rocher, Pointe-Verte, and parts of ten local service districts to form the new town of Belle-Baie. Despite this, the community's name remains in official use.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nigadoo had a population of 997 living in 436 of its 450 total private dwellings. This represented a change of 3.5% from its 2016 population of 963. With a land area of 7.65 km2 (2.95 sq mi), Nigadoo had a population density of 130.3/km2 (337.5/sq mi) in 2021.
(Information about language in Nigadoo, New Brunswick goes here)
