Shediac, New Brunswick, a vibrant Acadian town in Westmorland County, is renowned as the "Lobster Capital of the World". This charming town, home to the famous Parlee Beach, hosts an annual lobster festival every July, celebrating its deep-rooted ties to lobster fishing. A 90-ton sculpture, The World's Largest Lobster, proudly stands at the town's western entrance, symbolizing its rich maritime heritage.
Originally known as La Batture, the town was later renamed Shediac, drawing from its location at the basin of the Shediac River. The name "Shediac" is derived from the Micmac word "Esedeiik", meaning "which comes from far away", possibly referring to the Shediac Bay or the current of the Petitcodiac river.
Located primarily on Route 133 around Shediac Bay, a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait, Shediac boasts a relatively flat topography with soil composed mostly of sedimentary rocks dating from the Pennsylvanian period. The town enjoys a continental climate and is located southwest and adjacent to the community of Pointe-du-Chêne, a historical terminus of the European and North American Railway and a stopover for Pan-Am's transatlantic "clipper" air service.
Centuries ago, the Mi'kmaq encampment of "Es-ed-ei-ik" was a major camp in southeast New Brunswick. The Acadians first arrived in Shediac in 1751, fleeing from peninsular Nova Scotia. During the French and Indian War, French officer Charles Deschamps de Boishebert established his headquarters in Shediac and Cocagne, New Brunswick. After the war, Acadians returned to the region in 1767. Today, the town's official geographic name is Shediac, although many francophones use the spelling Shédiac.
The Shediac Bay Yacht Club, listed on the Register of 'Canada's Historic Places', has been the location of a local wharf for nearly a century. The previous Shediac Bay Yacht Club House was designed by Roméo Savoie.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Shediac had a population of 7,535 living in 3,293 of its 3,447 total private dwellings, a change of 13.1% from its 2016 population of 6,664. With a land area of 64 km2 (25 sq mi), it had a population density of 117.7/km2 (304.9/sq mi) in 2021.
Since 1970, Shediac has been a sister city to Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, fostering cultural exchange and mutual understanding.
Shediac is surrounded by a number of charming communities, each with its own unique character and attractions. Explore these neighboring areas to get a fuller picture of the region's rich cultural and natural diversity.
