White Head Island

White Head Island is located east of Grand Manan in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick. In 2011 the island had a population of 162. White Head Island was governed as a local service district prior to the 2023 New Brunswick local governance reform.

For approximately four hours surrounding low tide, the island can be reached on-foot from Grand Manan walking across sandbars and ledges through shallow water. A channel was dredged to allow fishing boats to reach the wharf to access White Head Village.

Its economy is based largely around aquaculture and fishing, historically through herring weirs. There is a series of very small islands marked on charts but typically not appearing on maps, west of White Head Island and north of Three Islands.

The island has a two-classroom elementary school, and older students take a ferry to Grand Manan Community School. From 1976-2012, the island was serviced by the MV Lady White Head, until it was replaced by Coastal Transport Limited's William Frankland car ferry between White Head and Grand Manan.

Until 2022 the community had a small general store.

There is a Baptist church on the island that was completed in 1981. However, there are records of a religious house in use until 1928, when the second of three churches was dedicated.

There are 5km of paved roads circling the northern half of the island, while the southern portion has only gravel roads that are less accessible.

The island has been identified as one of those written about in the 1604 writings of Samuel Champlain and Sieur de Monts.William Francis Ganong notes the "Beach Island" referenced in the works of Samuel Champlain and appearing on his 1612 map of the region is a reference to White Head.