# West Isles Parish, New Brunswick

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 claimed by Britain.

## Boundaries

West Isles Parish is bounded:
* 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", 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; 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, 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, recreational facilities in 1987.
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 water at least partly within the parish. italics indicate a name no longer in official use
* Deans Creek
* 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 River
* 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 Island, mineral-rich with copper ores it was actively mined by a crew of 25 men in 1870.
* Bar Island
* Barnes Island, 33 acres of mixed hard/softwood and raspberries, owned by NB Land Trust, closed to public camping in 1997. including an easement for the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.
* Beans Island (Bains Island), heavy beds of pinkish chert felsite., also named Muskoont'kik.
* Casco Bay Island (Casco Island)
* Cherry Island
* Crow Island
* Deer Island
* Dinner Island
* English Island
* Fish Island
* Green Island
* Hardwood Island, privately owned with a residence and barn. Has copper pyrites in chloride slate.
* 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, including an easement for the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.
* New Ireland
* Nub Island
* Nubble Island, steep bluffs of slaty conglomerate rock including an easement for the Nature Trust of New Brunswick.
* Parker Island
* Partridge Island
* Pendleton Island, a 121-hectare nature sanctuary that was occupied until 1935
* Pope's Folly Island, historically disputed ownership between Canada/USA
* St. Helena Island, shingle beach of rock fragments
* Sandy Island, rocks resembling normal coastal type As of 1839, the island was one of four belonging to the Campobello Mill and Manufacturing Company.
* Simpson Island, undeveloped 22-hectare forested island with spruce and fir trees supporting a white tail deer population, has copper pyrites and malachite on the shore under high water.
* Spectacle Islands (Spectacle Island, The Specs)
* Spruce Island, red conglomerate rock As of 1839, the island was one of four belonging to the Campobello Mill and Manufacturing Company.
* The Pup
* Thumb Cap (Thrumcap Island), coarse brown/red conglomerate
* Tinkers Island
* White Horse Island
* White Island, coarse red and gray conglomerate with granite boulders As of 1839, the island was one of four belonging to the Campobello Mill and Manufacturing Company.

## Other notable places

Parks, historic sites, and other noteworthy places at least partly within the parish.
* The Old Sow
* Whitehorse Island Protected Natural Area

## Demographics
### Population

| 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% |

### Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - West Isles Parish, New Brunswick :
| Census | Total | English | English | English | French | French | French | English & French | English & French | English & French | Other | Other | 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: