Stanley's first settler was New England planter John Smith, who in 1760 established a village on the banks of the Kennetcook River.

[3] After the American Revolution, the area became part of Douglas Township and was settled by soldiers of the British 84th Regiment.

Many of the citizens of Stanley assisted the war effort by actively supporting the RCAF in training Commonwealth pilots.

Nowlan won the Governor General’s Award for poetry, and he is ranked alongside Canada's great poets.

First published at age 19, he went to work for the Hartland, New Brunswick Observer and later for the Saint John Telegraph-Journal.