'In harmony with nature': Central N.B. inspired by Greek name for municipality

Nearly 300 names were proposed for Entity 66 which takes in a roughly 300 kilometre region of New Brunswick.

The new name in Jemseg was released on Friday.

"The selected name is Arcadia," announced Rita Winslow, Mayor of Cambridge-Narrows.

Arcadia is a Greek word meaning 'in harmony with nature and pastoral beauty,' according to a government release.

The municipality of Arcadia will have just over 3,300 residents, represented by six councillors and a mayor.

"One Hundred per cent of New Brunswickers will have the ability to vote at municipal election time because right now 30 per cent of New Brunswickers which live in rural New Brunwsick didn't have the opportunity to vote," said Daniel Allain, Minister of Local Government.

The merging is part of the province's municipal reform plan, unveiled in November 2021, which will have the province go from 340 to 89 local governments and districts.

"It didn't make sense to us," said Sheila Black who is a member of town council in Cambridge-Narrows.

"Unfortunately as change happens you have to work through it, even though members of the village were opposed because of fear of the unknown, we've been working with the committee to try and make the best of it that we can for the future,” Black said.

The next step for municipal reform will be making budgets by September.

"We haven't revised it in 10 years and with the so I think its normal and with the new reform reducing it from 340 entities to 77 local governments and 12 rural districts it's an opportune time to look at that,” Allain said.

"Experts that will work over the summer and provide...on the first of October the funding mechanism to the municipalities."

Entity names will only become official once they are approved by government and set in regulation, expected by September.

But communities will keep their individual names.

The remainder of the 77 local governments and 12 rural districts proposed names will be released by government next week, and communities may host their own individual announcements.