West Isles is a geographic parish in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada.
For governance purposes, it is part of the Southwest rural district, which is a member of the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission.
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).
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.
Historian William Francis Ganong considered the name to come from the islands' position.
History West Isles was erected in 1786 as one of the original parishes of the county, including Deer Island, Campobello, and Grand Manan, and islands in Cobscook Bay.
In 1822, eight Justices of the Peace in Charlotte County brought complaint about "conduct derogatory to the character of Magistrates" against two West Isles justices, Warren Hatheway and Gilbert Ruggles.Craven, Paul. “High Noon at Campobello: St Andrews and the Islands in the 1820s.” Petty Justice: Low Law and the Sessions System in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, 1785-1867, University of Toronto Press, 2014, pp. 81–112. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3138/j.ctt9qh926.9. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Boundaries West Isles Parish is bounded: Remainder of parish on mapbooks 490, 497, 500, and 501 at same site.
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 "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",Use of long s modernised for readability. a description that included any islands more than offshore except The Wolves in Pennfield Parish.
In 1803 Campobello was erected as its own parish, including nearby minor islands; Campobello inherited West Isles' claims to Cobscook Bay.
In 1816 Grand Manan and was erected as its own parish, including nearby minor islands.
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, Available as a free ebook from Google Books. 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.
The LSD was established in 1970 to assess for fire protection. First aid and ambulance services were added in 1982,New Brunswick Regulation 82-138. These were erroneously removed in Regulation 84-168, which rewrote the entire province, then restored in Regulation 86-8. recreational facilities in 1987.New Brunswick Regulation 87-42.
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. The taxing authority is 517.00 West Isles.
Communities Communities at least partly within the parish. 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 waterNot including brooks, ponds or coves. at least partly within the parish. italics indicate a name no longer in official use
Deans CreekA small bay. Mill Creek Welch Creek 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 RiverA tidal flow between islands. Irish Channel Letete Passage Little Letete Passage Quoddy River The Notch Western Passage
Islands Islands at least partly within the parish. italics indicate a name no longer in official use
Adam's Island (New Brunswick) Bar Island Barnes Island Beans Island Casco Bay Island Cherry Island Crow Island Deer Island Dinner Island (New Brunswick) English Island (New Brunswick) Fish Island (New Brunswick) Green Island (New Brunswick) Hardwood Island Hospital Island (Also called Little Hardwood Island, Quarantine Island) Indian Island Jameson Island Little Island Macs Island (McMaster Island) Marble Island (Rouen Islet) Mink Island Mohawk Island Mowat Island New Ireland Island (New Brunswick) Nub Island Nubble Island Parker Island Partridge Island Pendleton Island Pope's Folly Island, historically disputed ownership between Canada/USA St. Helena Island Sandy Island Simpson Island (New Brunswick) Spectacle Islands (Spectacle Island, The Specs) Spruce Island, red conglomerate rockGeological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress 1870-1871, pgs 82-111, https://archive.org/details/report-of-progress-gsc_1870-1871/page/n5/mode/2up As of 1839, the island was one of four belonging to the Campobello Mill and Manufacturing Company.The Campobello Mill and Manufacturing Company, in New Brunswick, British North America, 1839, https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.21703/9 The Pup Thumb Cap Island (Thrumcap Island), coarse brown/red conglomerate Tinkers Island White Horse Island White Island
Other notable places Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish. The Old Sow Whitehorse Island Protected Natural AreaWhite Horse Island. This difference in spelling is not unique.
Demographics Population
Language Canada Census Mother Tongue - West Isles Parish, New Brunswick Census Total Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % 710 13.4% 97.26% 15 n/a% 2.05% 5 n/a% 0.69% 0 0.0% 0.00% 820 1.2% 100.00% 0 100.0% 0.00% 0 0.0% 0.00% 0 100.0% 0.00% 830 2.4% 97.65% 10 n/a% 1.18% 0 0.0% 0.00% 10 n/a% 1.18% 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:Atlantic Canada Back Road Atlas Pages 4, 12
Highways None
Principal Routes None
Secondary Routes:
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
References