Shediac (official name in both French and English; Shédiac is colloquial French) is a town in Westmorland County, New Brunswick known as the "Lobster Capital of the World". It hosts an annual festival every July which promotes its ties to lobster fishing. At the western entrance to the town is a 90-ton sculpture called The World's Largest Lobster. It is believed that chiac, a well-known Acadian French patois, was named after Shediac.
Since its founding it has expanded several times, most recently in 2023, when it annexed all or part of four local service districts. Revised census figures have not been released.
Etymology Shediac was originally called La Batture. Its name was later changed to Shediac in reference to its position at the basin of the Shediac River. The name "Shediac" itself is derived from the Mi'kmaq word Esedeiik, which means "which comes from far away", possibly in reference to the Shediac Bay or the current of the Petitcodiac river.
Geography Shediac is situated primarily on Route 133 around Shediac Bay, a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait.
Its topography is relatively flat and its soil is mostly composed of sedimentary rocks dating from the Pennsylvanian. Shediac enjoys a continental climate.Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de l'énergie du Nouveau-Brunswick, « Bedrock Geology of New Brunswick » [archive], 2000 (consulté le 19 juin 2009)
The town is located southwest and adjacent to the community of Pointe-du-Chêne, once the eastern terminus of the European and North American Railway as well as a stopover for Pan-Am's transatlantic "clipper" air service featuring large seaplanes. Imperial Airways' flying boat service to Foynes in Ireland also used the facilities.
History
Hundreds of years ago, the Mi'kmaq encampment of "Es-ed-ei-ik" was one of the major camps in southeast New Brunswick. The Mi'kmaq word , which means "running far in", in reference to its position where the coastline turns between running north-south and east-west, eventually transformed into Gédaique. Acadians first arrived at Shediac in 1751 as a result of the Acadian Exodus from peninsular Nova Scotia. During the French and Indian War, French officer Charles Deschamps de Boishebert made his headquarters at both Shediac and Cocagne, New Brunswick. In the autumn of 1755, Boishebert established himself on the south shore of Cocagne Bay, a place known as Boishebert's Camp. The following year, Boishebert moved to Miramichi, New Brunswick, specifically to Beaubears Island. After the war, Acadians returned to the region in 1767. Today many francophones use the spelling ; however, the town's name upon its incorporation did not feature an accented "e", and correspondingly the official geographic name for the community is Shediac.
Shediac Bay Yacht Club Shediac Bay Yacht Club is on the Register of 'Canada's Historic Places' for being the location of a local wharf for nearly a century. The previous Shediac Bay Yacht Club House was designed by Roméo Savoie.
Employment One of the largest employers is the Southeast Regional Correctional Centre, which was designed for a staff of 107 people. Another major employer is the Public Service Pension Centre.
Many Shediac residents commute to Moncton for work.
Demography In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Shediac had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
Income (2015) Income type By CAD Median Total income per capita $31,067 Median Household Income $57,203 Median Family Income $76,373
Mother tongue (2016) Language Population Pct (%) French 4,435 71.0% English 1,450 23.2% English and French 150 2.4% Other languages 215 3.4%
Notable people
Georges-Antoine Belcourt (1803–1874), missionary Edna May Williston Best (1880–1923), feminist Emile Duprée (1936–2023), former professional wrestler and promoter René Duprée (1983 – ), professional wrestler, former WWE wrestler, son of Émile Dupree Muriel McQueen Fergusson (1899–1987), Canadian senator Gord Gallant (1950 – ), professional hockey player Placide Gaudet (1850–1930), journalist, historian Daniel Lionel Hanington (1835–1909), former Premier of New Brunswick Rosa Laricchiuta (1974 – ), professional singer Joseph E. Leblanc (1916–1979), politician Samuel Lee (1756–1805), judge, politician Anna Malenfant (1905–1988), singer, educator and composer Edward R. McDonald (1872–1952), lawyer, politician, mayor, inventor of the Crossword Game, 1926 Olivier-Maximin Melanson (1854–1926), Acadian businessman and politician A. P. Paterson (1870–1957), politician Scott Pellerin (b. 1970), former professional hockey player Pascal Poirier (1852–1933), writer, lawyer, senator Jean George Robichaud (1883–1969), politician Ferdinand-Joseph Robidoux (1875–1962), lawyer, politician Wes Sheridan (1960-) , Canadian politician Albert James Smith (1822–1883), former Premier of New Brunswick Ernest A. Smith (1864 – 1952), Canadian politician Elsie Wayne (1932–2016), politician John Clarence Webster (1862–1950), physician, historian
Sister city Breaux Bridge, Louisiana since 1970Clément Cormier, « Les Acadiens de la Louisiane et nous », Les Cahiers, Société historique acadienne, vol. 17, no 1, janvier-mars 1986, p. 13
See also List of lighthouses in New Brunswick List of communities in New Brunswick Media in Moncton Greater Moncton Greater Shediac
References
Bibliography
External links
Greater Shediac Area website