Grand Bay-Westfield

Grand Bay-Westfield, NB, incorporated as a town in 1998, population 5117 (2011c), 4981 (2006c). The Town of Grand Bay-Westfield is located on the northern boundary of SAINT JOHN about 26 km from the city centre. Grand Bay (town, incorporated 1972) and Westfield (village, 1966) were separate communities until they merged into a single town. Grand Bay was named for the bay of the same name. The bay was named by the French in the 17th century for the shape of the Saint John River at that point. Westfield took the same name of the parish it resided in.

Westfield is the older of the 2 communities. It was founded in the late 1700s by English settlers who relied on farming and logging. Grand Bay developed as a summer community early in the 20th century, and after World War II began to attract people from Saint John as permanent residents. While serving as a dormitory community for Saint John, it is also a service centre for rural settlements and is connected to the Kingston Peninsula via a cable ferry.