Description of Historic Place

Located on the edge of Caraquet Bay, facing Caraquet Island, Gabriel Giraud Site consists of a monument bearing a commemorative plaque and the surrounding grounds. The site is located more specifically in the Parc des Fondateurs on Saint-Paul Street at the western limit of the village of Bas-Caraquet, near Isabelle Brook.

Heritage Value

Gabriel Giraud Site is designated a Provincial Historic Site for marking the original burial place of Gabriel Giraud dit Saint-Jean, one of the area’s first settlers, and for its association with the location settled by the first Acadian families.

Gabriel Giraud Site is recognized for marking the burial place of Gabriel Giraud, a merchant who settled near the site in the first half of the 18th century. There used to be a cemetery at the mouth of Isabelle Brook where Gabriel Giraud was probably buried. Circa 1850-1860, owing to the erosion caused by the tides of Caraquet Bay, the remains had to be exhumed and reburied in the cemetery near the Bas-Caraquet church.

Gabriel Giraud Site is also recognized for its association with one of the first, if not the first, permanent inhabitants of Caraquet. Gabriel Giraud, a merchant from France, is said to have settled near Isabelle Brook around 1730.

Gabriel Giraud Site is further recognized for its association with the location settled by the first Acadian families, from who descended generations of fishermen in the Caraquet region. This first group of settlers at Isabelle Brook comprised Gabriel Giraud, his son, Captain Jean Baptiste, and his sons-in-law, Joseph LeBouthillier and Pierre Gallien. The settlement later grew following the arrival of new families to the west and east of Isabelle Brook. The monument is an artistic depiction of early settlement.

Source: Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport, Heritage Branch, Site File: Vol. VI-12774-2/D, 36

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe Gabriel Giraud Site include:
- location in the Parc des Fondateurs;
- proximity to original burial site of Gabriel Giraud;
- all of the land used by the first inhabitants of the site;
- view of Caraquet Bay and Caraquet Island;
- monument depicting early settlement;
- commemorative plaque.