Today, August 16th, is the Chipoudie Monument Unveiling in Riverside-Albert.

The unveiling ceremony will be held at 10:30am Friday, August 16th during the Acadian World Congress at McClelan Park (Rte 114/King St. opposite Maple St. in Riverside-Albert).
Special guest speaker will be former Premier of New Brunswick, Mr. Frank McKenna, who has been a great supporter of the project from the very beginning. He will address the gathering and unveil the information panel erected next to the monument.
The monument will be unveiled by the committee's co-chairs, Wilfred Savoie and Mayor Jim Campbell. The unveiling ceremony will include the blessing of the monument and remarks from Fundy Royal MP Alaina Lockhart, Albert MLA Hon. Mike Holland and Dieppe MLA Hon. Roger Melanson. Following the ceremony, everyone is invited for a social gathering at the exhibition grounds in River-side-Albert to be entertained with live music and to enjoy various foods.

In Albert County, the Acadians created the groundwork (literally) for our communities. Acadian settlers converted wetlands and forest into productive farmland – land that was later used by immigrants from Germany, the British Isles and the United States.

In 1698, Pierre Thibodeau and his sons settled in Shepody or Chipoudie (between Hopewell Cape and Riverside-Albert). In the marshlands, they dug canals, built dykes and made “aboiteaux.” This ingenious system involves a wooden box in the dyke between land and saltwater. The wooden flag moves only one way – it allows fresh water to drain from the crop land but doesn’t allow seawater to contaminate fields.

Acadian settlers raised cattle, sheep and hogs and grew rye, flax, barley, hemp, corn and tobacco. Water wheels were used to grind grain into flour. In fact the museum has on display the very mill stone Pierre Thibodeau used!

The Acadians were forced off their land by the British in the expulsion of 1755 and 1758. Signs of their time on the land can be seen across Albert County – in the dykes and drained fields, some still used for farming.

We invite you to visit the museum and see the new “Acadians in Albert County Exhibit” and learn more about their valuable contribution to our shared history.

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