West Isles Parish, New Brunswick

West Isles Deer Island
Parish
Location within Charlotte County.
Country	Canada
Province	New Brunswick
County	Charlotte County
Erected	1786
Area [1]
• Land	38.32 km2 (14.80 sq mi)
Population  (2021) [2]
• Total	718
• Density	18.7/km2 (48/sq mi)
• Change 2016-2021	9.9%
• Dwellings	475
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (ADT)

West Isles is a geographic parish in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada. ^[5]

For governance purposes, it is part of the Southwest rural district, ^[6] which is a member of the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission. ^[7]

Prior to the 2023 governance reform, it comprised a single local service district (LSD), which was a member of the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission (SNBSC). ^[8]

The parish comprises dozens of offshore islands but only the largest, Deer Island, is inhabited. There are no bridges and only Deer Island has ferry service.

Origin of name

Historian William Francis Ganong considered the name to come from the islands' position. ^[9]

History

West Isles was erected in 1786 as one of the original parishes of the county, ^[10] including Deer Island, Campobello, and Grand Manan, and islands in Cobscook Bay claimed by Britain.

Boundaries

West Isles Parish is bounded: ^{[3] [11] [12]}

• on the northeast by the Letete Passage and the Bay of Fundy;
• on the east by the Bay of Fundy;
• on the southeast by Head Harbour Passage;
• on the southwest and west by the international border, running through the Western Passage and Passamaquoddy Bay.

Evolution of boundaries

West Isles was originally defined ^[10] "to contain Deer Island, Campo Bello Island, Grand Manan Island, Moose Island, Frederick Island and Dudley Island, with all the lesser islands contiguous to them, not included in the towns before-mentioned", ^{[lower-alpha 1]} a description that included any islands more than 2 miles (3.2 km) offshore except The Wolves in Pennfield Parish.

In 1803 Campobello was erected as its own parish, including nearby minor islands; ^[13] Campobello inherited West Isles' claims to Cobscook Bay.

In 1816 Grand Manan and was erected as its own parish, including nearby minor islands. ^[14]

In 1877 the parish's boundary were clarified: Campobello Parish's boundary running through Head Harbour Passage, Saint George Parish's through Letete Passage rather than two miles from the mainland, ^[15] transferring several islands from Saint George to West Isles.

Local service district

The local service district of the parish of West Isles comprised the entire parish. ^[16]

The LSD was established in 1970 to assess for fire protection. ^[17] First aid and ambulance services were added in 1982, ^[18] recreational facilities in 1987. ^[19]

In 2022, the LSD assessed community & recreation services as well as the basic LSD services of fire protection, police services, land use planning, emergency measures, and dog control. ^[20] The taxing authority is 517.00 West Isles.

Communities

Communities at least partly within the parish. ^{[11] [12] [21]} italics indicate a name no longer in official use

• Chocolate Cove
• Cummings Cove
• Fairhaven
• Hersonville
• Lamberts Cove
• Lambertville
• Leonardville
• Lords Cove
• Northern Harbour (North Harbour)
• Richardson
• Stuart Town

Bodies of water

Bodies of water ^{[lower-alpha 2]} at least partly within the parish. ^{[11] [12] [21]} italics indicate a name no longer in official use

• Deans Creek ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
• Mill Creek
• Welch Creek ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
• Bay of Fundy
• Passamaquoddy Bay
• Fish Harbour
• Leonardville Harbour
• Northern Harbour (North Harbour)
• Northwest Harbour
• Ship Harbour
• Leonards Lake
• Doyles Passage (False Passage, Pendleton Passage)
• Faux Passage
• Head Harbour Passage
• Indian River ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
• Irish Channel
• Letete Passage
• Little Letete Passage
• Quoddy River ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
• The Notch
• Western Passage

Islands

Islands at least partly within the parish. ^{[11] [12] [21]} italics indicate a name no longer in official use

• Adam Island
• Bar Island
• Barnes Island
• Beans Island (Bains Island)
• Casco Bay Island (Casco Island)
• Cherry Island
• Crow Island
• Deer Island
• Dinner Island
• English Island
• Fish Island
• Green Island
• Hardwood Island
• Hospital Islands
• Indian Island
• Jameson Island
• Little Island
• Macs Island (McMaster Island)
• Marble Island (Rouen Islet)
• Mink Island
• Mohawk Island
• Mowat Island
• New Ireland
• Nub Island
• Nubble Island
• Parker Island
• Partridge Island
• Pendleton Island
• Popes Island
• St. Helena Island
• Sandy Island
• Simpsons Island
• Spectacle Islands (Spectacle Island, The Specs)
• Spruce Island
• The Pup
• Thumb Cap (Thrumcap Island)
• Tinkers Island
• White Horse Island
• White Island

Other notable places

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish. ^{[11] [12] [21] [22]}

• The Old Sow
• Whitehorse Island Protected Natural Area ^{[lower-alpha 5]}

Demographics

Population

Canada census – West Isles Parish, New Brunswick community profile

	2016	2011
Population	797 (+9.0% from 2011)	731 (-11.3% from 2006)
Land area	38.35 km2 (14.81 sq mi)	38.01 km2 (14.68 sq mi)
Population density	20.8/km2 (54/sq mi)	19.2/km2 (50/sq mi)
Median age	48.4 (M: 49.0, F: 46.8)	47.5 (M: 46.5, F: 48.4)
Private dwellings	467 (total)	485 (total)
Median household income	$56,736	$.N/A

Notes: 2011 income data for this area has been suppressed for data quality or confidentiality reasons.
References: 2016 ^[23] 2011 ^[24] earlier ^{[25] [26]}

Historical Census Data - West Isles Parish, New Brunswick

Year Pop. ±% 1991 826 —     1996 851 +3.0% 2001 851 +0.0%	Year Pop. ±% 2006 824 −3.2% 2011 731 −11.3% 2016 797 +9.0%	Year Pop. ±% 2021 718 −9.9%
[27] [2] [28] [1]

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - West Isles Parish, New Brunswick [27]
Census		Total		English				French				English & French				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2011		730		710	13.4%	97.26%		15	n/a%	2.05%		5	n/a%	0.69%		0	0.0%	0.00%
2006		820		820	1.2%	100.00%		0	100.0%	0.00%		0	0.0%	0.00%		0	100.0%	0.00%
2001		850		830	2.4%	97.65%		10	n/a%	1.18%		0	0.0%	0.00%		10	n/a%	1.18%
1996		850		850	n/a	100.00%		0	n/a	0.00%		0	n/a	0.00%		0	n/a	0.00%

Access Routes

Highways and numbered routes that run through the parish, including external routes that start or finish at the parish limits: ^[29]

Highways None

Principal Routes None

Secondary Routes: Route 772

External Routes: Letete to Deer Island Ferry Cummings Cove to Eastport Ferry Cummings Cove to Welshpool Ferry

See also

• List of parishes in New Brunswick

Notes

1. Use of long s modernised for readability.
2. Not including brooks, ponds or coves.
3. A small bay.
4. A tidal flow between islands.
5. White Horse Island. This difference in spelling is not unique.

References

1. "Census Profile". Statistics Canada. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
2. "West Isles, New Brunswick (Code 1302006) and Charlotte, New Brunswick (Code 1302) (table)". 2011 Census of Population . Statistics Canada. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
3. "Chapter T-3 Territorial Division Act". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
4. "Chapter I-13 Interpretation Act". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
5. The Territorial Division Act ^[3] divides the province into 152 parishes, the cities of Saint John and Fredericton, and one town of Grand Falls. The Interpretation Act ^[4] clarifies that parishes include any local government within their borders.
6. "Southwest Regional Service Commission: RD 10". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
7. "Regions Regulation – Regional Service Delivery Act". Government of New Brunswick. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
8. "Communities in each of the 12 Regional Service Commissions (RSC) / Les communautés dans chacune des 12 Commissions de services régionaux (CSR)" (PDF), Government of New Brunswick, July 2017, retrieved 1 February 2021
9. Ganong, William F. (1896). A Monograph of the Place-Nomenclature of the Province of New Brunswick. Royal Society of Canada. p. 279. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
10. "26 Geo. III Chapter I. An Act for the better ascertaining and confirming the Boundaries of the several Counties within this Province, and for subdividing them into Towns or Parishes.". Acts of the General Assembly of His Majesty's Province of New-Brunswick, passed in the year 1786. Saint John, New Brunswick: Government of New Brunswick. 1786. pp. 3–12. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
11. "No. 166". Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
12. "489" (PDF). Transportation and Infrastructure. Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 4 July 2021. Remainder of parish on mapbooks 490, 497, 500, and 501 at same site.
13. "43 Geo. III c. 4 An Act, in addition to an Act, intitled 'an Act for the better ascertaining and confirming the Boundaries of the several Counties within this Province, and for subdividing them into Towns and Parishes.'". Acts of the General Assembly of His Majesty's Province of New-Brunswick. Passed in the Year 1803. Saint John, New Brunswick: Government of New Brunswick. 1803. p. 479. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
14. "56 Geo. III c. 10 An Act to constitute the Island of Grand-Manan and its appurtenances in the County of Charlotte into a distinct Town or Parish.". Acts of the General Assembly of His Majesty's Province of New-Brunswick. Passed in the Year 1816. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1816. p. 28. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
15. "Chapter 2 The Division of the Province into Counties, Towns, and Parishes.". The Consolidated Statutes of New Brunswick. Fredericton: Government of New Brunswick. 1877. pp. 56–85. Available as a free ebook from Google Books.
16. "New Brunswick Regulation 84-168 under the Municipalities Act (O.C. 84-582)". Government of New Brunswick. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
17. "Regulation 70–63 under the Municipalities Act (O. C. 70–385)". The Royal Gazette. 128. Fredericton: 343–344. 17 June 1970.
18. New Brunswick Regulation 82-138. These were erroneously removed in Regulation 84-168, which rewrote the entire province, then restored in Regulation 86-8.
19. New Brunswick Regulation 87-42.
20. "2020 Local Government Statistics for New Brunswick" (PDF). Department of Environment and Local Government. p. 55. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
21. "Search the Canadian Geographical Names Database (CGNDB)". Government of Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
22. "Explore New Brunswick's Protected Natural Areas". GeoNB. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
23. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census . Statistics Canada. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
24. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census . Statistics Canada. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
25. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census . Statistics Canada. 20 August 2019.
26. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census . Statistics Canada. 18 July 2021.
27. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
28. "Census Profile, 2016 Census: West Isles, Parish [Census subdivision], New Brunswick". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
29. Atlantic Canada Back Road Atlas ISBN   978-1-55368-618-7 Pages 4, 12

44°58′54″N66°56′40″W / 44.981799°N 66.944504°W / 44.981799; -66.944504 (West Isles Parish, New Brunswick)