COCAGNE, COUNTRY OF ABUNDANCE
It was the French explorer Nicholas Denys (1603-1686) who gave our pretty corner of the country the name of Cocagne. During one of his inspection trips around the middle of the seventeenth century, he had to stay for eight days in the region because of the bad weather. He finds the region so rich in fish and game of all kinds that he calls it Cocagne, which means land of abundance.
Before the arrival of our European ancestors, the Micmacs, a nomadic Amerindian people, came to fish in the bay and in the Cocagne River.
Towards the end of the seventeenth century, French settlers settled in New France, mainly in Nova Scotia but also in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. When England became the owner of the colony of Nova Scotia by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the best lands in this territory were occupied by Acadians.
During the deportation of the Acadians in 1755, many of them fled and found refuge in Cocagne, some until 1760.
Cocagne was officially founded in 1767. From then until 1784, it was part of the colony of Nova Scotia. In 1784, following a division of the territory of the colony of Nova Scotia, the colony of New Brunswick was created and Cocagne was integrated into the large county of Northumberland. Then in 1826, Northumberland was divided and the county of Kent was formed.
COCAGNE IS CELEBRATING ITS 250TH YEARS IN 2017!
Cocagne is a charming predominantly Acadian community that has developed through agriculture and fishing. Here you will find welcoming people who believe in the strength and the future of their community. The citizens of Cocagne are respectful and protective of the beautiful nature that surrounds them.
In a plebiscite held on October 28, 2013, residents voted for the local service district (LSD) of Cocagne to become a rural community. On May 12, 2014, they elected their first city council. So it's brand new and there's a lot to do, but the people here aren't afraid of hard work and as a slogan long used in the community says so well: if Cocagne wants, Cocagne can!
Welcome to our house.
