GRAND-PRÉ, NOVA SCOTIA, July 27, 2005 -- The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, today announced that Beaubassin - a former Acadian village located at the border of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia - has been designated as a national historic site of Canada.
"One of the early settlements that the French established in Acadia, Beaubassin was once the centre of French government in the region as well as a thriving Acadian village," said Minister Dion. "Today the architectural ruins and features of the village, which was burned in 1750, attest to the Acadian way of life and to the geopolitical struggle between France and England for the control of Canada. They connect Canadians to our past and to each other."
Located on the Isthmus of Chignecto in Nova Scotia, Beaubassin was an important Acadian village and trading centre from the late 1600s to 1750. The settlement was established in the1670s on an upland close to an extensive area of saltwater marsh. Its early settlers reclaimed the land to engage in cattle ranching and trade. By 1715, it is believed that Beaubassin was home to 50 families, 32 acres of apple orchards, 1,000 head of cattle and 800 hogs, as well as a trading post. The townspeople engaged in trade with Louisbourg as well as Boston. By 1750, the population on the Isthmus of Chignecto had grown to approximately 2,800 people.
The peace and prosperity of Beaubassin was ended by rivalry between Great Britain and France for the control of Canada in the mid 1700s. In 1750, the British dispatched Major Charles Lawrence, along with 800 British troops, to seize control of the Isthmus of Chignecto and construct a fort in the vicinity of the French post of Point Beausejour. As the British arrived, Beaubassin was already on fire - set alight by the French and their allies. The Acadian population abandoned the village and sought refuge on the other side of the Missaguash River, on Point Beausejour. Major Lawrence and his troops later built Fort Lawrence close to the charred ruins of Beaubassin, despite the opposition of the local Mi'kmaq who were defending their claims to the region and who were allied with the French.
The French destruction of Beaubassin and the British occupancy of the strategic ridge marked the beginning of the end of French power in Acadia. Less than five years later, British and New England troops used Fort Lawrence as their base to capture the French Fort Beausejour on June 16, 1755. The Deportation of the Acadians from the area began shortly after the fall of the French fort. On Oct. 13, 1755, 960 Acadians were forced onto a ship for deportation to South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Georgia, where the British expected them to be assimilated.
"Many Acadians and local area residents have worked very hard over many years to make this day possible," added Minister Dion. "The Government of Canada is committed to protecting Beaubassin, and to presenting this unique part of our shared Canadian heritage to visitors from Canada and around the world."
In 2004, Parks Canada acquired a significant portion of the lands on which Beaubassin once stood to ensure the long-term protection of the site, which is known to contain important archeological artifacts.
A Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque commemorating Beaubassin and its national historic significance to Canada will be erected at the ruins of the village in the near future.
Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of the Environment about the national historic significance of places, people and events that have marked Canada's history, which must be preserved for present and future generations.
Information:
André Lamarre
Director of Communications
Office of the Ministerof the Environment
(819) 997-1441
Claude DeGrâce
Senior Advisor, Historic Sites
Northern New Brunswick Field Unit
Parks Canada
(506) 851-3084
