Wesleyville, Newfoundland and Labrador

Wesleyville is a small coastal community in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located on the Straight Shore of Bonavista Bay (BB), on the northeast coast of Newfoundland, near the communities of Greenspond and Newtown. It was settled in the early 19th century, when residents relocated from nearby islands.

The first settlers originally lived on Swain's Island, which is often called the "parent of Wesleyville." They moved to the mainland between 1870 and 1930 to what is now called Wesleyville. Wesleyville was named in 1884 after a leader in the Methodist movement, John Wesley.

By 1891 the population was close to 2000 people who relied mostly on the Labrador fishery. With the decline of the fishery in the 1930s the population of Wesleyville began to decrease; there was less than 1000 people living there by 1945.

When roads, a hospital, and a highway were built in the 1950s, services and businesses began to improve thus helping the population grow once more. In 1959 a central high school was also built in Wesleyville.

The population peaked in mid-century at about 1200. Wesleyville is now part of the municipality of New-Wes-Valley, with a population of approximately 2800. The municipality comprises the villages and towns of the area, including Pool's Island, Badger's Quay, Valleyfield, Brookfield, Wesleyville, Pound Cove, Templeman, and Newtown. The main employer today is a fish processing plant located in Valleyfield, owned by Beothic Fish Processors. Wesleyville is famous for its involvement, historically, in the sealing industry.

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