Description of Historic Place

Association des Pêcheurs de Bas-Cap-Pelé Lobster Plant is located on Niles Street in Bas-Cap-Pelé. This one-storey wood-frame building is believed to have been built around 1892-1894.

Heritage Value

Association des Pêcheurs de Bas-Cap-Pelé Lobster Plant is designated a Local Historic Place for its association with the lobster industry in Canada and the Maritimes and for the establishment of Acadian lobster fishermen’s co-operatives at this location.

The last quarter of the 19th century saw the widespread construction of lobster canneries. In the mid-1890s, the village of Cap-Pelé had no less than a dozen canneries, out of 72 plants in all of Westmorland County, making it the lobster plant capital of the Maritimes. This site constitutes one of the only remaining plant buildings from this prosperous era.

Association des Pêcheurs de Bas-Cap-Pelé Lobster Plant is also associated with the establishment of lobster fishermen’s co-operatives during the 1930s. In 1931, this plant was sold to the local fishermen’s association. Over the years, it became one of the province’s largest packing plants, owing to the lobster landings and the canning of this product in the province. Although the plant was changed over the years, it still retains part of its more-than-a-century-old walls.

Source : Cap-Pelé Municipal Building, Historic Places file no. 13

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe Association des Pêcheurs de Bas-Cap-Pelé Lobster Plant include:
- location;
- part of the original walls on the north and east sides.