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Boishébert National Historic Site of Canada

Highway 8, Northwest Bridge, Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1930/05/16

View of Boishébert, showing the viewplanes between Wilsons Point and Beaubears Island that are reminiscent of their shared history as an Acadian refuge, 1999.; Agence Parcs Canada / Parks Canada Agency, Ian Doull, 1999.
General view
View showing the pathway at Wilsons Point, 1999.; Agence Parcs Canada / Parks Canada Agency, Ian Doull, 1999.
General view
View of Beaubears Island, showing the remnants of a cemetery, 1999.; Agence Parcs Canada / Parks Canada Agency, Ian Doull, 1999.
General view

Other Name(s)

Boishébert National Historic Site of Canada
Boishébert
Boishébert
Beaubears Island
Île-Beaubears
Camp d'Espérance
Camp d'Espérance

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1755/01/01 to 1756/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2004/06/16

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Boishébert National Historic Site of Canada is a wooded area with archaeological evidence of an 18th century Acadian refugee camp situated on Wilsons Point and Beaubears Island at the confluence of the Southwest and Northwest Miramichi River in New Brunswick. Official recognition refers to the area of Wilsons Point delineated at the time of designation.

Heritage Value

Boishébert was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1930 because:
- the Acadians, under the leadership of Charles Deschamps de Boishébert, had sought refuge on Wilsons Point from 1756 to 1760, and that Beaubears Island was an integral, functional component of this settlement which importantly relates the significance of the Acadian experience.

The heritage value of Boishébert lies in the landscapes which includes below-ground cultural resources of the settlement of refugee Acadians, historic viewplanes and a relatively undisturbed natural setting.

Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, November 2001.

Character-Defining Elements

Elements which characterize the heritage value of this historic site include:
- the geographical location of Beaubears Island at the confluence of the Northwest and the Southwest Miramichi River, just downstream from Wilsons Point;
- viewplanes between Wilsons Point and Beaubears Island that are reminiscent of their shared history as an Acadian refuge and its supply and reconnaissance point;
- viewplanes from Beaubears Island downstream along the Miramichi River towards other areas of mid 18th-century Acadian settlement speaking to the accessibility and security of this place as a point of refuge;
- the integrity of a pathway that pre-dates 1840, extending the length of Beaubears Island approximately in its centre;
- the location and rare surface traces of occupancy on the mid 18th-century Acadian settlement site on Wilsons Point (Enclosure Park) including remnants of a cemetery and church site, smaller cleared areas and pathways within the wooded cover on the eastern extremity of the Wilsons Point opposite Beaubears Island;
- the integrity and materials of the surviving archaeological remains, features and artefacts in their original placement and extent representing tangible evidence of the activities, lifestyle and material culture of Acadian settlers, notably the rectangular house site, and remains of a communal fire hearth;
- the relatively undisturbed terrain of the meadow and wooded point at Wilsons Point;
- the relatively undisturbed biological diversity of the island.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Federal

Recognition Authority

Government of Canada

Recognition Statute

Historic Sites and Monuments Act

Recognition Type

National Historic Site of Canada

Recognition Date

1930/05/16

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

1755/01/01 to 1760/01/01

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Extraction and Production
Developing Economies
Communications and Transportation
Building Social and Community Life
Community Organizations
Peopling the Land
Migration and Immigration
Governing Canada
Military and Defence

Function - Category and Type

Current

Leisure
Park

Historic

Community
Settlement

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

National Historic Sites Directorate, Documentation Centre, 5th Floor, Room 89, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, Quebec

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

162

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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