Shediac (official in both languages; Shédiac is colloquial French) is a heavily Acadian town in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. The town is home to the famous Parlee Beach and is known as the "Lobster Capital of the World". It hosts an annual festival every July which promotes its ties to lobster fishing. At the western entrance to the town is a 90-ton sculpture called The World's Largest Lobster.[2] It is believed that chiac, a well-known Acadian Frenchpatois, was named after Shediac.[3]
Since its founding it has expanded several times, most recently in 2023, when it annexed all or part of four local service districts.[4][5] Revised census figures have not been released.
Etymology
Shediac was originally called La Batture. Its name was later changed to Shediac in reference to its position at the basin of the Shediac River. The name "Shediac" itself is derived from the Micmac word Esedeiik, which means "which comes from far away", possibly in reference to the Shediac Bay or the current of the Petitcodiac river.[6]
Its topography is relatively flat and its soil is mostly composed of sedimentary rocks dating from the Pennsylvanian. Shediac enjoys a continental climate.[7]
The town is located southwest and adjacent to the community of Pointe-du-Chêne, once the eastern terminus of the European and North American Railway as well as a stopover for Pan-Am's transatlantic "clipper" air service featuring large seaplanes. Imperial Airways' flying boat service to Foynes in Ireland also used the facilities.
Hundreds of years ago, the Mi'kmaq encampment of "Es-ed-ei-ik" was one of the major camps in southeast New Brunswick. The Mi'kmaq word "Es-ed-ei-ik" which means "running far in" (in reference to the tide, which has a long range over the shallow, sandy beaches) eventually transformed into Gédaique.[8]
Today many francophones use the spelling Shédiac; however, the town's name upon its incorporation did not feature an accented "e", and correspondingly the official geographic name for the community is Shediac.
Shediac Bay Yacht Club
Shediac Bay Yacht Club is on the Register of 'Canada's Historic Places' for being the location of a local wharf for nearly a century. The previous Shediac Bay Yacht Club House was designed by Roméo Savoie.[11]
Demographics
In 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.[1]
^Alan Rayburn, Geographical Names of New Brunswick, Ottawa, Énergie, Mines et Ressources Canada, 1975, p. 252.
^Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de l'énergie du Nouveau-Brunswick, « Bedrock Geology of New Brunswick » [archive], 2000 (consulté le 19 juin 2009)
13.1%
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