Haut-Caraquet
Haut-Caraquet is a neighbourhood on the Acadian Peninsula in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada, spanning parts of both the village of Bertrand and the town of Caraquet.
Geography
Haut-Caraquet is bordered to the north by the Caraquet River, which converges at this point with the Rivière du Nord to form Caraquet Bay. The Little Caraquet River originates approximately to the south and flows eastward, eventually emptying into Caraquet Bay further downstream. The neighbourhood is situated on the northern slope of a hill that rises to over in elevation. A forest extends southward to Pokemouche. The shores are predominantly marshes, with two beaches present.Haut-Caraquet is primarily aligned along Route 11, known as Boulevard des Acadiens in Bertrand and Boulevard Saint-Pierre in Caraquet. The neighbourhood begins at the Route 11 bridge over the Caraquet River in the village of Bertrand. About from the bridge, the town of Caraquet starts. Haut-Caraquet then extends for nearly to the vicinity of Rue de la Forge.
Haut-Caraquet adjoins the centre of Bertrand to the west and Sainte-Anne-du-Bocage to the east, with which it is sometimes conflated.
History
Haut-Caraquet's history is closely tied to the broader Acadian settlement in the Caraquet region, beginning with the arrival of refugees from the Great Expulsion of the Acadians in the mid-18th century. The area was first settled around 1757 by Acadian families led by Alexis Landry, who arrived in the spring of that year with three other families after enduring British raids and a harsh winter at Miramichi. Landry, born in Grand-Pré in 1721, had married Marie Terriot and sought refuge in various locations before establishing a presence near the confluence of the Caraquet River and Rivière du Nord, in what is now the Sainte-Anne-du-Bocage area adjacent to Haut-Caraquet.A 1761 census confirmed their settlement, but an October raid by Captain Roderick MacKenzie forced Landry and his group to temporarily relocate to Miscou Island for safety. They returned in the spring of 1768, and on March 13, 1769, Landry received official permission from George Walker to occupy the land he had claimed in 1761. Further land grants followed, including additional meadows and tidal flats along the Rivière du Nord in 1787 from Governor Thomas Carleton.
The community grew through fishing, trade, and shipbuilding, with Landry himself engaging in importing goods for cod and becoming a shipbuilder by 1775. In 1791, Landry facilitated the construction of a chapel, marking early community development. Landry died on March 6, 1798, and was buried near the sanctuary of Sainte-Anne-du-Bocage, where a monument now marks his grave since 1961.
In the 19th century, the region experienced Acadian economic and cultural expansion, particularly in maritime industries such as boat building and fish processing, influenced by Jersey merchants like the Robin family who established operations in 1837. Adjacent Bertrand, located 2.23 km southwest of Haut-Caraquet, emerged as a farming community; by 1898, it had a population of 150 and a post office from 1892, while the nearby settlement of Thériault focused on farming and lumbering with a population of 75 in 1904. The arrival of the railroad in 1887 connected the area to broader markets, boosting growth.
The 20th century brought further development, including struggles for Acadian rights, such as land ownership and French-language education, culminating in events like the 1875 Caraquet Riot. Caraquet hosted significant Acadian gatherings, including the 1905 National Convention of Acadians, and became a town in 1961. Today, the area's heritage is preserved through sites like the Caraquet Heritage Route, established in 2009.