Boishébert National Historic Site of Canada
Highway 8, Northwest Bridge, Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada
Formally Recognized:
1930/05/16
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