St. Martins (2006 pop.: 386) is a Canadian village in Saint John County, New Brunswick.

The picturesque community is 40 km east of Saint John and is situated on the Bay of Fundy. The village was founded by Loyalists in 1783, and was originally known as Quaco. Through the 19th century, St. Martins was an important shipbuilding centre. Tourism is now the major industry.

 

History

Led by shipbuilders such as James Moran, St. Martins emerged as one of the first shipbuilding centres in the Bay of Fundy, producing over 500 ships. While shipbuilding declined after the 1870s, lumbering, fishing and later tourism emerged as employers. St. Martins was incorporated in 1967.

Tourism

Points of interest include twin covered bridges, the only place in the world where two covered bridges and a lighthouse can be photographed at the same time, sea caves and a crescent-shaped beach. St. Martins also forms the start of the Fundy Trail, a 16 kilometre auto route along the rugged Fundy coast ending at Big Salmon River, a former lumbering centre.

In 2007, the St. Martins Book town Initiative was formed. Later in 2007, the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly officially proclaimed St. Martins as New Brunswick's official Book town. There are now nearly a dozen booksellers located in the village.