Quispamsis
Quispamsis is a Kings County suburb of Saint John, New Brunswick, located to the northeast in the lower Kennebecasis River valley. Its population was 18,245 as of the 2016 census.
History
The original inhabitants of the area were the Maliseet First Nation, part of the Algonquin Federation. JP, The name, "Quispamsis" was translated from the Maliseet language and means, "little lake in the woods run moment", the lake being present-day Ritchie Lake. Acadians, British pre-Loyalists and Loyalists settled in the area around 1783, with many receiving land grants along the Kennebecasis and Hammond Rivers.Quispamsis amalgamated in 1998 with the nearby communities of Gondola Point and Wells to form the present town, covering an area of 60 km² and bordering the town of Rothesay to the southwest with the Hammond River along its northeastern boundary. Quispamsis is one of the fastest growing towns in the province of New Brunswick.
Education
Quispamsis has a number of schools from grades K-12, these schools are:| School | Grades |
| Quispamsis Elementary School | K-5 |
| Lakefield Elementary School | K-5 |
| Chris Saunders Memorial Elementary School | K-5 |
| École des Pionniers | K-5 |
| Valley Christian Academy | K-12 |
| Quispamsis Middle School | 6-8 |
| Kennebecasis Valley High School | 9-12 |
Parks
There are a number of recreational parks in the area. Parks open at dawn and closed at dusk. Parks include:Arts and Culture Park – includes walking trails, WiFi, picnic/chess tables, benches, stage and mezzanine. During the summer months there are outdoor movies and music free of charge and ice skating during the winter months.
Hammond River Park – includes 40 acres, a fire pit, barbecue, picnic tables, hiking trails and a log cabin which is available for rent.
Off Leash Park – fenced-in area, trails and benches. This is an area for dog owners to let their dog run free.
Meenan's Cove Park – includes picnic tables, barbecues, beach, boat dock, playground, ball field, walking trails and beach volleyball courts.
Ritchie Lake Park – includes picnic tables, beach and walking trails.
Quispamsis Qplex - includes two soccer fields, a baseball field, tennis courts, an arena, a swimming pool and a playground as well as walking trails.
Gondola Point Beach - Gondola Point Beach is a supervised freshwater beach with changing rooms and picnic areas. It is situated on a sandbar overlooking the Kennebecasis River at the entrance to the Gondola Point Cable Ferry service in Quispamsis. In the summer of 2014 there was a section on the beach fenced off for a "dog beach".
Transport
The Gondola Point Ferry, linking Quispamsis with the Kingston Peninsula, was originally installed by William Pitt and is the first underwater cable ferry in the world.The COMEX bus service run by Saint John Transit runs through the Kennebecasis Valley and shuttles commuters from Quispamsis to Saint John every day, Mondays to Fridays. There are a few "park and ride" locations for commuters to leave their car for the day to take the bus into Saint John and along with other standing bus stops along the way.