The island itself is located in the Canaan River.
It links travellers on Route 10 - the former Trans-Canada Highway - to southern communities such as Sussex, New Brunswick, Apohaqui Saint John and the Fundy coastline.
It is known locally for its richness in small game hunting and fishing areas.
[1] The community is named after David Cole, a Loyalist settler in the area.
[2] By 1898 Coles Island had a post office, two stores, a hotel, a sawmill, a church and a population of 100.