Description of Historic Place

The Monument to the Founding Families of Bouctouche is a stone monument erected in 1954 on a small parcel of land along Acadie Street in Bouctouche and dedicated to the four founding families.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Monument to the Founding Families of Bouctouche as a local historic place resides in the fact that it paid tribute in 1954 of the founders of Bouctouche who arrived in 1786, namely François and Hélène (née Breau) LeBlanc; Charlitte and his first wife Marie (née Breau) LeBlanc, and his second wife Madeleine (née Girouard); Isidore and Rosalie (née LeBlanc) Bastarache; and Joseph and Marie (née Girouard) Bastarache. In addition to honouring these four founding families, the monument also recalls other early families in the parish.

The heritage value of this site also lies in its unique construction. Erected during the bicentennial commemoration of the deportation in 1954-1955, this monument is made up of a massive stone cross that came from the base of the façade of a church. The cross was designed in 1926 by Anselme Roy (Sam Roy), an architect and entrepreneur from Bouctouche. The stones at the base of the monument indicate the origins of the region’s Acadians who came from France, Grand-Pré, Memramcook, and Bouctouche. Four dressed stone pillars and a commemorative plaque complete this imposing stone monument, which has become one of the landmarks of Bouctouche.

Source: Kent Museum, 150 Du Couvent Road Bouctouche, N.B.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements associated with the Monument to the Founding Families of Bouctouche include:
- monument as a whole and its location;
- stone cross from 1926;
- bronze commemorative plaque;
- four dressed stone pillars;
- base made of stones.