The name of Shediac first appeared on a European map 350 years ago. But the First Peoples settled the Shediac area perhaps, according to some historians, as far as 10,000 years ago.
The first Europeans to arrive were the Acadians, who made their way to New Brunswick from Nova Scotia after the Great Deportation of 1755, settling in what was called La Batture in 1802, which became Shediac proper. A few years later, English land grantees began to settle in Shediac Cape. The area would soon be alive with entrepreneurs and industries.
Shediac is unique in Canada in that it was closely associated with the beginnings of all forms of public transportation: public roads, railway, passenger and cargo ships and ferries as well as commercial aviation. During the 19th century, the Shediac area saw a boost in the local economy with the development of the timber industry. Because of the geographic location and the vast reserves in timber, Shediac was an ideal site for the construction of sailboats. In 1817, the first ship built in Shediac was officially launched.
To quote a local historian, Shediac is a town of ‘firsts’: site of the first ship building yard and the first steam sawmill in New Brunswick, the first passenger railroad in the Maritimes, the first ferry service to Prince Edward Island, the first air service from Canada to Europe, the first Acadian newspaper, the first public road was built at Shediac Cape and many of its citizens were first in their respective fields, from ground-breaking politicians to historians and medical specialists.
Today, Shediac is a thriving community recognized as a premier tourist destination and its citizens are famous for their warm hospitality.
