Description of Historic Place

The Shediac Bay Marina is made up of a wharf, vestiges of a previous wharf first built in 1910 and a building that houses the Shediac Bay Yacht Club. It is located in Shediac Bay at the end of Pleasant Street, close to the downtown area of Shediac.

Heritage Value

The Shediac Bay Marina is designated a Local Historic Place for being the location of a local wharf for nearly a century. The first wharf was built in 1910 according to plans provided by the engineering service of the Department of Public Works. Damaged in 1939 during a storm, the wharf was abandoned until it was rebuilt in 1961 1962. Between 1983 and 1985, a breakwater was built to accommodate the marina. The remains of former wharf can be seen at the site.

The Shediac Bay Marina has value associated with its use as a port facility for fishermen. This wharf was first built in response to the persistent requests of lobster fishermen and influential business people in Shediac. During the 1910’s and 1920’s, Dosithée Doiron’s lobster, oyster, and clam factory was located on the wharf.

This site has added heritage value owing to its use as a stopover for seaplanes. In July 1933, Shediac Bay and the wharf welcomed the first transatlantic flight of a seaplane squadron headed up by General Italo Balbo en route for the Chicago World’s Fair. From 1937 to 1939, the Pan American Company chose Shediac Bay to serve as a transit airport for its clippers during their transatlantic flights. In addition, during the Second World War, the Canadian Air Force used Shediac Bay as a stopover for its light aircraft.

The Shediac Bay Marina also has heritage value in its role as a marina. The port is used for the activities of the recreational boaters who belong to the Shediac Bay Yacht Club, founded in 1933. Since the 1930’s, regattas and sailboat races have been held around the bay, as well as longer races to Charlottetown or Summerside, Prince Edward Island. The Shediac Bay Yacht Club now has a modern building, constructed in 1962 according to plans drawn by Roméo Savoie, architect and first modern professional Acadian painter. The building’s distinctive triangular framework evokes the sails of the many sailboats anchored in the port.

Source: Shediac Town Hall, Historic Places File #12

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Shediac Bay Marina include elements associated with the site as a whole and those associated with the Shediac Bay Yacht Club building.

The character-defining elements associated with the site as a whole include:
- approach road leading to the wharf;
- the wharf and its location on Shediac Bay;
- remains of the former wharf;
- breakwater;
- old Metro Fuels oil tanker that serve as an additional breakwater;
- marina's various physical facilities.

The elements associated with the Shediac Bay Yacht Club as designed by Roméo Savoie include:
- rectangular single-storey plan;
- flat roof;
- exterior wood finish;
- triangular motif along the exterior;
- round porthole-shaped windows.