The Village of Hillsborough is located in southeastern New Brunswick, on the banks of the Petitcodiac River, approximately 30 kilometers south of the city of Moncton, close to Hopewell Rocks and Fundy National Park. We are situated on route 114, which is a major tourist route to the Hopewell Rocks Park, Fundy National Park and the Fundy Scenic Drive.  We are proud to promote ourselves as the “Eastern Gateway to the Fundy Tidal Zone”.

Taking pride in our rural character, Hillsborough is a prime destination for the outdoor enthusiast.  Our marshes and wetlands offer excellent bird watching opportunities.  Trail systems throughout the wetlands and abandoned quarry properties provide residents and visitors a natural setting for a leisurely walk.  The young at heart can enjoy the challenge of a fast-paced mountain bike tour through diverse and picturesque trails.

Our Village is full of eastern hospitality and community pride. Hundreds of volunteers from the community make it possible to provide fire service, minor hockey and figure skating programs, annual festivals and celebrations and many other services that make the Village of Hillsborough one of the best communities to live in. Service clubs continue to volunteer their time to upgrade municipal facilities so that our residents have all the opportunities of the large urban areas.

There is much to do and see in Hillsborough—be sure to make this a long stop along your journey.

Hillsborough is a small rural municipality with a population of 1,292 people as of the 2006 census. Since our incorporation in 1966, our population of 693 has grown by 86%.  In the early to mid 1970's several sub-divisions were developed and in spite of the closure of a gypsum manufacturing plant in 1980, our residential development continued to grow. 

Our Heritage – A Pictorial Tour by Vaughn Snider will be held at the Anglican Church, February 28, 2010 at 2:00pm.

CRHS will be holding their annual Roast Beef Dinner February 20, 2010 from 3:30 to 6:30pm. The cost is $12.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under 12. All funds raised will go towards their mini-bus campaign.

Mayor and Council would like to congratulate the organizing committee for their efforts in putting together a great celebration in 2009. We hope to see you in 2010.

The schedule of events for the 2010 celebration is currently being worked on and will be posed as it becomes available. If you have ideas of new events that could be held, or if you are interested in being on the Committee, please contact the Village Office at 734-3733 or Lois Snider at 734-2117.

The collector pins for Hillsborough Homecoming Days 2010 are now available at local business and at the Village Office. This year's pin is of the Dr. Oxley House and the cost is $5.00 per pin. There are previous years pins available at the Hillsborough Village Office for $5.00 each.

Schedule of Events:

The Homecoming Days booklets will soon be available throughout the Village.

Established as Blanchard’s Village in the 1700’s, Acadians farmed the area for sixty years before moving further up the valley.  German immigrants arrived via Pennsylvania in 1766 and one year later took over the empty fields and resumed the Acadian dykes.  In 1765, township was granted to Hillsborough, named in honour of Lord Hillsborough—the Secretary of State and one of the Lord’s Commissioners of Trade and Plantations.  Hillsborough was later incorporated as a Village in November 1966. Hillsborough’s first elected Mayor, Vaughn Snider, is still active in various community projects, committees and organizations today.

While the Acadians and early German settlers of the area focused on farming, the rich woodlands could not be ignored.  Soon, lumbering became a profitable business in the area.  Vessels were loaded with lumber and shipped to the British market—to be used for the sailing masts of the British fleet. 

Little is known of the first discovery of gypsum in Hillsborough. However, there is evidence that individuals mined the mineral and sold the raw gypsum to masters of small coasting vessels—who would resell the material elsewhere.  In 1854 Calvin Tompkins purchased the mineral rights for a large parcel of land, located in what is now the Village of Hillsborough, and he established the Albert Manufacturing Company. A large milling establishment was erected to crush, grind and calcine gypsum.  The gypsum, obtained from nearby mines and quarries, was transported to the mill via horse carts at first, and later by locomotive.  After being processed, gypsum products were transported to the wharf where it was shipped locally and to the United States.  In 1873, a fire resulted in the total destruction of the mill and adjacent buildings; however, a new mill was built and put into operation in 1875.  The completion of the Intercolonial railway in 1876 opened up the Canadian market to the local company and trade rapidly increased.  A second fire in 1911 again destroyed the mill and surrounding buildings.  As before, the mill was rebuilt and when it re-opened in 1912, it was the largest of its kind in Canada at the time.

The Canadian Gypsum Company purchased the mill from the Albert Manufacturing Company in 1930 and operated the establishment until 1980. In the later years, wallboard and other gypsum products were shipped by truck.  When the Canadian Gypsum Company closed its operation in 1980, the Village of Hillsborough became owners of all the gypsum properties within the Village limits.  The Village Council promoted “free land” in an effort to attract some industrial base, employment opportunities and to enhance the quality of life in Hillsborough.  As a result, the former gypsum company land has been used for the following projects:

There is still an abundant supply of gypsum close to the Village.  Gypsum dry products such as agriculture gypsum, wallboard, plaster-of-paris, dental plaster, etc. are always in demand. Other natural assets in or near Hillsborough include: rich marshlands which could be utilized for agriculture purposes; oil shale; natural gas; and woodland.  Due to its recent growth, tourism and recreation could become the new “industry” in Hillsborough.

Please drop by to see us at the Village Office. Our business Hours are:
Monday to Wednesday 8:00am to 5:00pm
Thursday 8:00am to 5:00pm and 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm.
** Please note – due to unforeseen circumstances, meetings, etc. the Village Office hours may not
always be as listed. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. The office is closed on weekends.

hillsboroughnb@rogers.com

2849 Main St  Unit 1
Hillsborough NB E4H 2X7

Tel            (506) 734-3733

Fax             (506) 734-3711