The Township of Madawaska Valley was formed through the amalgamation of the former townships of Sherwood, Jones & Burns, Radcliffe, and the village of Barry’s Bay. It covers a vast and topographically diverse area, stretching from Kamaniskeg Lake through dense forests and granite uplands. The colonization of the Madawaska Valley occurred in several phases, beginning in the 1850s along the Opeongo Road, and was primarily driven by Irish and Polish settlers.

Timber defined much of the area’s early economy, with large-scale logging camps and river drives operating well into the 20th century. The Valley also became a cultural stronghold for Polish Canadians, particularly in and around Wilno and Kaszuby. Today, Madawaska Valley reflects a mix of agricultural, residential, and seasonal cottage land use, layered on top of a complex base of original Crown surveys.

Surveyors in Madawaska Valley encounter a wide range of parcel types: colonization road patents, irregular shoreline severances, old mill sites, and modern subdivisions. The terrain often dictates field methods, especially in steep or marshy areas. Legal descriptions may involve hybrid systems, with early metes and bounds tied into concession-based frameworks. Surveyors must often interpret ambiguous title chains or reconcile conflicting plans from different township survey origins.