History In 1897, the Restigouche and Western Railway Company decided to build a railway to link Campbellton to Saint Leonard.  As work on the railway progressed, the workers moved deeper and deeper into the forest.  In 1909, they reached the Five Finger and Simon Gallant, an Acadian working as a blacksmith, decided to settle his family close to a creek where he had found his cow.  At the same time, a number of Quebecois families were leaving their parish to settle in the United States or Western Canada, and authorities observed with concern the dwindling of their province’s population.  In response, His Lordship Joseph Arthur Melanson, the greatest colonizer and missionary of the parish of Saint Quentin, originally called Anderson Siding, launched an ambitious colonization project.  He emphasized the value of an agricultural career and invited Acadian and Quebecois families to come and settle in Restigouche County along the railway – where the land, as well as being fertile, bordered on Quebec and Madawaska. It was thus that Anderson Siding was founded in 1910, with the first mass being celebrated in Simon Gallant’s log cabin.  The parish’s origins being both Quebecois and Acadian, and 99% of its population being francophone, the village deserved a name reflecting this unique character.  Thus, in 1919, Anderson Siding was renamed Saint Quentin in memory of the Canadian victory over the Germans in the Battle of the Somme in Saint Quentin, France, during the First World War. The parish’s first chapel was built in 1911, the post office in 1912, the first school in 1913, the church in 1918 and Hotel-Dieu-Saint-Joseph hospital in 1947.  At first, the settlers lived solely off the land and the forest.  However, as the years passed, the village grew and the quality and diversity of its business and services evolved to match those of other small towns in New Brunswick.  Saint Quentin was thus incorporated as a district in 1947, as a village in 1996, and was proclaimed a Town in 1992.  Considered a dynamic and growing town, Saint Quentin currently has a population of almost 4000, 99.9% of whom are francophone, and who continue to pursue the work undertaken by the town’s first settlers.  Thank you, Mr. Gallant and His Lordship Melanson! 1919 - Set fire to Chouinard house Winter 1911-1912 Anderson Siding Principal road   Origin of the Town’s Name To better understand the origin of the village’s name, we must first understand the events which took place in Saint Quentin, France, during the First World War (1914 – 1918). BATTLE OF THE SOMME…A BIT OF HISTORY: When Great Britain joined the First World War that had pitched France against Germany, the Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden, decided to contribute Canadian troops, who then had to undergo intensive training in England.  Already recognized for their strength, courage and valour, the Canadian soldiers upheld this reputation through their astounding victory in Saint Quentin, France.  During the battle (the Battle of the Somme), which lasted from July 1st to November 19th, 1916, almost 400 000 British soldiers died, including a number of Canadians, along with 200 000 French and 300 000 German troops. IMPACT OF THE WAR ON THE VILLAGE OF ANDERSON SIDING: When the news arrived in 1918 that the war was over, the village rejoiced.  The signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918 was a great blessing for the village population, who joyfully celebrated the restoration of peace in the company of the soldiers present.  According to the testimony of those still alive today, it was shortly after this event that the local authorities considered renaming their community.  Two principal motivations underlay the decision to change the village’s original patronymic: first, the village was 99% francophone, and merited a name to reflect this fact; moreover, the Canadian victory over the Germans in Saint Quentin, France (Battle of the Somme – November 19, 1916 – WWI 1914-1918), in which numerous Canadians had participated, profoundly inspired the local authorities and the founding priest of the parish, His Grace Eudore Martin, to commemorate this victory and the loss of Canadian soldiers.  This is why the place once called Anderson Siding officially adopted the name of Saint Quentin.  The decision taken in 1919 regarding the name of our town carries great symbolism and sentimental value. Suzanne Coulombe, Town of Saint Quentin Chapel built in 1911 Anderson in 1926 First church built in 1916-1917, destroyed by the fire in 1944