Saint Andrews -- the Fastest Growing Town in New Brunswick

St. Andrews by-the-Sea's population has grown by 14.7% in the last five years, making it the fastest growing town between 2,000 and 5,000 people in New Brunswick according to the 2021 Census Report. Mayor Brad Henderson says the news comes as a pleasant surprise after a long track record of having a shrinking community.  "Census after census for a long time revealed that our population was declining and that our average age was going up," says Saint Andrews Mayor Brad Henderson, "So we were very much an aging community. Getting this refreshing news that not only did we stop the decline but we actually grew is incredibly welcome for everyone in our town but especially the business community..

During the pandemic, many Canadians relocated to the Maritimes, with Saint Andrews enjoying a remarkable jump in new residents over the past two years in particular. Henderson says the dramatic growth spurt presents new opportunities as well as challenges for the town, with a lack of housing being the first and foremost hurdle to jump.  "Right now, council is looking at the zoning bylaw, and they're looking at a way in which they can increase the density of our community, since we only have so much space within our municipal boundaries," says Henderson.

"Our population is growing and if you look at the price of building right now it's extremely high. We've got to start looking at maybe not these beautiful heritage homes on one acre lots that aren't affordable for the first-time home buyer or for a senior looking to downsize. we have to ask ourselves, 'How can we get higher density housing such as apartments and townhouses?' We are a heritage community, so we don't want to lose that identity, but it's a balancing game. We do need to open our eyes to realize that there's a lot of people in our community that can't afford to live here anymore."