It is the French explorer Nicholas Denys (1603-1686) who gave our stunning part of the country the name Cocagne. During one of his expeditions in the middle of the 17th century, he was stranded in the region for eight days due to poor weather conditions. He found the region so rich in fish and all sorts of wild game that he gave it the name Cocagne which means the land of plenty.
Before the arrival of our European ancestors, the Micmac, a nomadic Indian people, fished in the bay and in the Cocagne River.
Towards the end of the seventeenth century, French colonists settled in New France mainly in Nova Scotia but also in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Once England became the owner of New France by means of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the best lands were occupied by the Acadians.
During the Acadian Deportation of 1755, many of them fled and found refuge in Cocagne, some until 1760.
Cocagne was officially founded in 1767. At that time until 1784, it was part of the colony of Nova Scotia. In 1784, as a result of a division of the territory of Nova Scotia, the colony of New Brunswick was created and Cocagne was incorporated in the large county of Northumberland. Then in 1826, Northumberland was divided and Kent County was created.
COCAGNE IS CELEBRATING ITS 250TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2017!
Cocagne is a charming community with an Acadian majority which developed thanks to both agriculture and fishing. Here you will find friendly people who believe in the strength and future of their community. The citizens of Cocagne are respectful and protective of the beautiful nature that surrounds them.
During the plebiscite held on October 28th 2013, the residents voted for the local service district (DSL) of Cocagne to become a rural community. On May 12th 2014, they elected their first municipal council. It is all new and there is much to do but people are not afraid to work hard and as stated so well by the long-used slogan in the community: if Cocagne wants, Cocagne can!
Welcome to our home.
N.B. If you would like to know more about the history and development of Cocagne, here are some books, written by people from our region which might interest you:
Cocagne 225 ans d’histoire, Flora Cormier, rédactrice (en collaboration), publié par le comité historique des ainés de Cocagne, ©1993, 342 pages (French only)