Sussex (New Brunswick)

Sussex is a town in Kings County, New Brunswick.

The town's population is about 4,300 people (2016), and the general area is home to some 35,000 people. It's a quiet, friendly area, where people on the street smile and say "Hi", even if by chance they don't know one another.

Understand

Sussex is nicknamed Dairytown and is known as the "Dairy Centre of the Maritimes"; the reason is obvious when you look in any direction. Farms dot the landscape of Sussex Farm and its outlying areas, and there are some operating within the town's boundaries. It's not uncommon to see tractors and other farm equipment travelling in town or on local roads, especially during fall harvest or haying seasons. Sussex really is an agricultural centre, besides the poultry and dairy farms, pastures of cattle, sheep and horses, a livestock auction is held in town every Wednesday, and it's home to the NB Agriculture Museum. Overlooking Sussex, Dairytown Products Limited turns New Brunswick milk into award-winning butter, and also operates "Mrs. Dunsters", a bakery famous for its doughnuts.

An underground salt and potash mine just east of town in the community of Penobsquis provided 400 jobs to the area until was closed in 2018. Potash is a key ingredient in fertilizer.

Camp Sussex (which is now the Sussex Industrial Park) housed Camp Sussex Mural, and trained most of the Canadian Army personnel who were dispatched overseas during the Second World War. The 8th Hussars Regiment is headquartered here and hundreds of veterans return each year to see the town that they called home during training.

Get in

By car

Sussex is on the Trans-Canada Highway (#2) 80 km southwest of Moncton and 72 km northeast of Saint John.

By bus

By plane

Moncton and Saint John Airports are the closest airports with scheduled service, and are 70-80 km away.

See
  • Convenience bridges: Called kissing bridges, Kings County has 16 covered bridges, but Sussex has 8 of those within 10 minutes of downtown, making it the "Covered Bridge Capital of Atlantic Canada". The Kings County Covered Bridge Festival is held here each July, but if you visit during the tourist season, stop at one of the Tourist Information Centres to pick-up a map showing all the local covered bridges.
  • Hussars Regimental Museum, 66 Broad St (in the historic Sussex Train Station), ☏ +1-506-433-5226. Jun 1-Aug 31: daily 9AM-8PM; Sep-May by appointment. The collection includes many items representing the life of the Regiment with original uniforms dating back to 1881, original Routine Orders dating back to 1893, memorabilia from members who represented the Regiment at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the world wars, UN/NATO peacekeeping tours, and the war in Afghanistan, and the flags from each of these eras. by donation. (updated May 2019)
  • Sussex Mural Project: 27 murals around town depicting its history, and includes a mural commemorating Camp Sussex. Maps are available at Sussex Town Hall (524 Main St), tourist information office at the train station, and some shops around town.
  • Agricultural Museum of New Brunswick, 28 Perry St, ☏ +1 506 433-6799. Jun-Aug: Tu-Su 9AM-5PM, or by appointment. Artifacts that are reminiscent of the family farm as it existed primarily prior to the 1970s. Displays of agricultural equipment, antique home settings, a schoolroom, blacksmith’s shop, and train station. (updated May 2019)

In the Sussex area
  • Apohaqui - The village of Apohaqui (pronounced Ap-o-hawk) is about a 5-minute drive west of Sussex by either Route 121 or Riverview Drive.Apohaqui The quiet village straddles the Kennebecasis River, and has nice little streets with new homes nestled next to older ones.
  • Berwick, Millstream & Lower Millstream – Travelling 10 km north of Sussex towards Fredericton on Route 10, Berwick is a small community at the crossroads of Lower Millstream (to the west), and the Head of Lower Millstream (to the east). Berwick has farms ranging from poultry to cattle and even an emu farm. It's not unusual to see whitetail deer in the morning or evening, snacking in the cabbage fields along the highway. On the other side of Berwick, towards the Head of Millstream you'll find more country homes, family farms, also Millstream Golf Club & Campground. Millstream has another of the Sussex area's covered bridges.
  • Norton - The Village of Norton is about 10 minutes west of Sussex via the 4-lane highway. Norton has some beautiful older homes, and churches.
  • Penobsquis (pronounced pen-ob-skwis) is to the east of Sussex on Route 114. Penobsquis has several points of interest, such as the Plumweseep PCS Mine - Penobsquis, NBCovered Bridge or the cement sculptures at Animal Land Park (seasonal).
  • Fundy National Park - Leaving Sussex, using exit #211 from the 4-lane highway for the most direct access to the park. The eastern exit from Penobsquisis also takes you to the park and the Village of Alma... it's a nice little detour. While in the park take the time to explore a few of the footpaths or plan a round of golf at the unique 9-hole course. The 1st tee is incredible.
  • Smith Creek, Newtown & Knightville – This quiet valley northeast of Sussex via Route 890, is a mix of rural homes and farmland. While travelling east on this winding country road you can continue on Route 890 towards Smith Creek and Newtown, or turn right onto the Knightville Road to go to Knightville. These 2 roads are joined at several points by smaller, usually dirt roads. One of these roads is the Oldfield Road, which is home to the famous Oldfield Covered Bridge.
  • Sussex Corner – For a visitor, if you miss the signs it might be hard to tell where Sussex ends and the Village of Sussex Corner begins. "The Corner" is like a smaller version of Sussex.
  • Fundy Trail Parkway – East of Sussex Corner via the Newline Road is the route to the Village of St. Martins and also the breathtaking Fundy Trail Parkway (open spring, summer and fall). From Sussex Corner, it's about a 40-minute drive to St. Martins and another 10 to the Parkway. You can drive or walk along the well-built paths and then take the shuttle bus back to one of the many parking lots. The Parkway runs 30 km and offers spectacular Bay of Fundy views en route to Fundy National Park.
  • Dutch Valley & Waterford – East of Sussex Corner, Dutch Valley is overlooked by a Dutch Valley - Sussex Corner steep rock face that runs intermittently for several miles to Waterford.

Do
  • Sussex drive-in theatre. Late May to early Sep: shows Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Children under 6 free, children (6-15 years) $8, adult (16-99 years $12; Sunday $28/carload. (updated May 2019)
  • Atlantic International Balloon Fiesta. 2nd weekend in September. As many as 30 hot air balloons fill the skies. Outdoor bandstand, huge indoor market, amusement rides, vendors. (updated May 2019)
  • Poley Mountain Ski Hill (10 km from Sussex past Dutch Valley towards Waterford), ☏ +1 506 433-7653. mid-December through end of March. 32 trails, 10 night trails, 5 lifts, 201 m vertical drop. Slope Side Bar & Grill Restaurant open in the winter. Rental shop, snow school available. Full day lift ticket: adult $40, student $29, senior $33, child 6-12 $24; night: $28, $23, $25, $19; 4 hours: $31, $23, $26, $20; child 5 & under: $10 any ticket. (updated May 2019)

Buy

Sussex is the main shopping centre for eastern half of Kings County. It has 2 small shopping malls, one downtown and second in a growing retail area in the western end of town.

The Sussex Downtown Business District is lined with small shops, restaurants and offices, while other parts of Main Street feature businesses such as insurance agencies and beauty salons set in attractive older buildings.

Eat

Sussex is a dairy community and has been famous for its dairy products for 19th century, so ice cream is part of its history. Since the days of Sussex Cheese and Butter Ltd., travellers have taken the time to stop for some great local ice cream. Today, the tradition continues as Sussex has several nice ice cream parlours to choose from.

  • Taste and See Restaurant, 609 Main St, ☏ +1 506-433-2555. Tu-Sa 7AM-3PM (F 'til 8PM). Burgers, poutines, wraps, vegetarian dishes. (updated May 2019)
  • Gasthof Old Bavarian Restaurant, 1130 Knightville Rd, ☏ +1 506 433-4735. Summer hours: F-Su noon-10PM; winter hours: F Sa noon-10PM, Su 3-10PM. Authentic German cuisine. The favourite restaurant of every old Bavarian in Sussex, New Brunswick. Mains $16-32, sausage dinners $8-20. (updated May 2019)
  • JJ's Diner, 216 Roachville Rd, ☏ +1 506 433-3470, toll-free: +1-800-565-2260. Daily 6AM-10PM. 1950s-themed diner with memorabilia from the 1950s and 60s. Breakfasts, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads and dinners. (updated May 2019)
  • Sully's Ice Cream Parlour, 84 Broad St (in an old railway station), ☏ +1 506-435-2118. Summer: daily 11AM-9PM. Around 60 flavours, so it's twice as good as that American chain. (updated May 2019)

Drink
  • Sussex Craft Distillery, 119 Cougle Rd, Sussex Corner, ☏ +1 506-433-2800. Tu-F 9AM-5:30PM (may have longer hours in the summer). A small batch spirits distillery. Their signature product, Northern Comfort, is a maple rum liqueur made with molasses from Crosby’s Molasses in Saint John and Steeve’s Maple Syrup in Elgin. The rum is aged with a blend of spices and roasted Sugar Maple hardwood, harvested from the Acadian Forest eco-region of Southern New Brunswick. (updated May 2019)

Sleep

There are several nice motels, inns, and comfy bed & breakfasts to accommodate you. If you have a RV or if summer camping is your preference, there are 4 full-service campgrounds within 15 minutes of town.

Go next


Routes through Sussex
Calais ← Saint John ←  W  E  → Jct W 16px|link=Trans-Canada Highway E → END
Fredericton ← Jct 16px|link=Trans-Canada Highway ←  W  E  → END


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