Description of Historic Place

The Cross and 1755 Bicentennial Grotto are a 20-foot wooden cross on a cement base and a cut-stone grotto housing a statue of the Virgin Mary. They are located at the crossroads of Dover Road and Amirault Street in Dieppe.

Heritage Value

The Cross and 1755 Bicentennial Grotto are designated a Local Historic Place for their association with religion and with the Acadian Deportation. The Cross and Bicentennial Grotto illustrate the Acadians’ respect for religion and the Deportation of 1755.

The cross commemorates the 1984 papal visit of John Paul II to Canada. It also commemorates a religious custom of the Roman Catholic religion, a “religious mission” preached in the parish of Saint-Anselme in 1952. This custom went back to the 1920s. The cross is also associated with the tradition of roadside crosses, which have been erected by many parishes since the late 19th century in Acadia. Around 1968, the original cross was taken down because it was threatening to collapse. The current cross was erected on September 9, 1984, the day of the Pope’s arrival in Canada. It is the work of René LeBlanc, a Saint-Anselme woodworker. It is made of wood and measures 20 feet.

The grotto commemorates the 1955 celebration of the bicentennial of the Deportation of the Acadians in 1755. It is the work of mason Gérald Bourgeois, built with quarry stones cemented together. It was unveiled on May 29, 1955, with the blessing of the statue of the Virgin Mary.

Source: City of Dieppe, File D28

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the Cross and 1755 Bicentennial Grotto include:
- location of the cross and grotto at a rural crossroad site;
- wooden cross measuring 20 feet with symbolic Christ on a cement base;
- cut-stone grotto;
- statue of the Virgin Mary.