Sussex was named in honour of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1842), sixth son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Any resemblance between England’s Sussex and New Brunswick’s is a happy coincidence. Sussex’s first settlers were from New England (another “England”!), and were later augmented by loyalists. The parish was established in 1786, and the town was incorporated in 1904.
This town is at the junction of two of New Brunswick’s scenic drives: Fundy Coast Scenic Drive, River Valley Scenic Drive, and is the connecting point for travel further east toward Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This town is the heart of Kings County, which has 16 covered bridges, half within a 12 km radius of Sussex.
Sussex used to be on the Trans-Canada, until Highway 2 was rerouted on a more direct route between Fredericton and Moncton, to save truckers serving the eastern Maritimes an hour of drive time.
Annual Events
Atlantic Balloon Fiesta, Giant Flea Market, Antique Car Covered Bridge Tour all take place in September.