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Rexton Tall Ship

Rexton

Situated on the scenic Richibucto River, the village now known as Rexton has a rich and layered history. It was originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq First Nations, whose descendants continue to live in the region today, including those who now live in nearby Elsipogtog First Nation (formerly known as the Big Cove Band).

In the 18th century, Acadian settlers established communities throughout the area, including Bouctouche, Miramichi, and Richibucto Village. English-speaking settlement began with Thomas Powel, who arrived in 1790. Significant colonization followed, particularly by English shipbuilders, Scottish merchants, and Irish immigrants, including Irish Protestants who came to work in the Jardine Shipbuilding Yards, which formed around 1819. In fact, for much of its early history, Rexton was referred to as "The Yard" for this reason.

Land clearing and settlement intensified after a land survey around the 1820s by Mr. Layton in the Molus River area of Weldford Parish. As a result, many settlers were granted land, and the territory of the Elsipogtog First Nation was reduced to its current boundaries. Two ships brought a large wave of Scottish settlers: the Dickies, captained by Simon Graham, and the Isabella, helmed by Captain Thomas Carruthers. Throughout the 19th century, fishing, lumbering, and shipbuilding were thriving industries. In 1850, the first bridge across the Richibucto River was completed, greatly enhancing commerce and regional connectivity.

From roughly 1825 to 1900, the former village of Rexton was called Kingston. Then, in 1901, Kingston was renamed Rexton to avoid confusion with other locations named Kingston, especially Kingston in Kings County, New Brunswick. In 1966, Rexton became an incorporated village of New Brunswick.

Rexton stayed Rexton until January 1, 2023, when it was combined with parts of five local service districts to form the new village of Five Rivers.

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To find out more about the former mayors and councillors who served Rexton from 1966 to 2022, click the links below...

The Mayors of Rexton

From November 9, 1966 to December 31, 2022, Rexton had eight mayors.

 

Mayor Lowell C. Cail (1966 - 1969)

As the first mayor of Rexton, Cail served as mayor for 3 years. He operated a service station in Rexton for many years.

 

Mayor Malcolm G. Hannay (1969 - 1972)

Rexton's second mayor was a councillor for 3 years before becoming mayor in 1969. Hannay served as mayor for 3 years until his passing in 1972. He was also the president of Hannay’s Limited.

 

Mayor Conrad LeBlanc (1973 - 1993)

Before becoming Rexton's longest serving mayor, Conrad was a councillor for 6 years. Conrad was a mechanic and a business owner.

 

Mayor Raymond Murphy (1994 - 2004)

Before being elected mayor, Raymond was a councillor for 8 years. Murphy served as mayor for 10 years. He was a high school teacher for 30+ years and then became the Executive Director for the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick (UMNB).

 

Mayor David L. Hanson (2004 - 2016)

Mayor Hanson served as a councillor from 1973 to 1989 and returned to council as Mayor in 2004. Mayor Hanson started his career at Morgan Distillery and then opened the David L. Hanson Insurance company, where he was the owner and operator.

 

Mayor Randy Warman (2016 - 2020)

Warman served as mayor for a term of four years. After leaving office, Mayor Warman returned to his local business, a family-owned steel fabrication shop on Main Street in Rexton called Warman’s Welding.


 

Mayor Albert Corcoran (2020 - 2021)

Before stepping in to serve as acting mayor during the early days of the pandemic, Mayor Corcoran had served as a councillor for four years. Corcoran was a long-time veteran of the oil industry.

 

Mayor Wayne Carpenter (2021 - 2022)

Mayor Carpenter served as mayor the year prior to amalgamation. He and his family had moved to Rexton from western Canada, where he had worked as a quality control inspector in the electrical engineering industry.