Description of Historic Place

Established in 1859, and considered to be the municipality’s first known Acadian cemetery, the Roman Catholic cemetery of the Saint-Joseph Parish of Shediac is located on a vast property at 415 Main Street, right in the heart of the Acadian community in the eastern part of the town. It includes numerous tombstones of various styles.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Saint-Joseph Roman Catholic cemetery in Shediac as a local historic place lies mainly in the fact that it is the first known Acadian cemetery in the municipality. In 1859, François and Nanette Vautour, one of Shediac’s pioneer families, gave a piece of land to the Shediac mission, which was dependent on Grande-Digue. That property was to become the site of the chapel and the first cemetery of the Saint-Joseph Parish.

The heritage value of the Saint-Joseph cemetery also resides in the numerous tombstones of the pioneer families of Shediac and Barachois. The cemetery contains the graves of many individuals who left their mark on local, provincial, and national history through their contributions in the political, educational, religious, and intellectual spheres, including Pascal Poirier (first Acadian senator), Placide Gaudet (Acadian genealogist), Ferdinand Robidoux (owner of the Moniteur Acadien newspaper), Fidèle Poirier (Acadian merchant), Olivier Melanson (merchant and politician), and many others.

This site has added heritage value as it reflects the religious and spiritual zeal of the Catholics of that area. The cemetery is the symbol of the community spirit shared by the Acadian pioneers, who were united by their common faith and origins. At the entrance to the cemetery stands a war veterans monument, and inside there is a Calvary and Stations of the Cross, demonstrating the community’s religious devotion.

Source: Registrar's Office, Shediac Town Hall, File #9

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Shediac’s Saint-Joseph cemetery include:
- entrance to the cemetery with its dressed stone gate and pillars;
- numerous tombstones;
- old wrought-iron crosses mounted on two of the pillars;
- Calvary and Stations of the Cross;
- war veterans monument;
- overall property and landscaping;
- trees, lanes, and pathways.