Caraquet is a small (pop 4000) francophone village on the Acadian Coast of New Brunswick.

Understand

Much of what is now New Brunswick and Nova Scotia was once Acadia, a French-speaking colony in North America which was defeated by the English in the 1750's. Great Britain demanded Acadia pledge allegiance; the Acadians refused out of fear they would be forced to attack la Nouvelle France on behalf of the English and claimed neutrality. The English retaliated with mass deportations, known as le grand dérangement de 1755. Some Acadians settled as far afield as Louisiana, some returned to France. A few, displaced from points in southern New Brunswick such as Fort Beauséjour, fled north to establish the clandestine precursors of what is now Caraquet in 1757.

Caraquet is primarily a lobster fishing village and seaport on the Baie des Chaleurs, a warm bay which separates New Brunswick from Québec's Gaspé region. Tourists tend to arrive in number from Québec in July and early August, with crowds peaking during the August 15 Acadian "fête nationale". After the festival, the crowds leave and life in this tiny francophone corner of New Brunswick peacefully returns to normal.

Caraquet is home to the province's only French-language daily newspaper, the independent Acadie Nouvelle.

Get in

From Bathurst (New Brunswick), follow NB route 11 by motorcar.

See

• Musée Acadien de Caraquet, 15, boul. St-Pierre Est, ☏ +1 506 726-2682, fax: +1 506 726-2660. 10AM-6PM June-Sep, 10AM-8PM Jul-Aug. Sundays 1-6PM.. 

• Village Historique Acadien, 5, rue du Pont, Bertrand NB, ☏ +1 506 726-2600, toll-free: +1-877-721-2200, fax: +1 506 726-2601. 10AM-6PM daily, early June-mid Sept. A pioneer village living museum reconstructing a francophone village of 1755-1855 with its people. Château Albert hotel with bar and restaurant on-site. $17.50.  

Do

• Cinéma du Centre, 220, boulevard Saint-Pierre Ouest, ☏ +1 506 726-3456. (726-FILM) Downtown cinema with a mix of French and English-language films. 

• Théâtre populaire d'Acadie. French-language professional summer theatre at the Boîte-Théâtre. 

Events

• Festival Acadien, Caraquet. Annual festival culminating in Tintamarre, a boisterous and noisy costume party where revellers make themselves heard at 17:55 (so 5:55 PM ADT) on August 15, the feast day of the Virgin Mary and de-facto Acadian nation's holiday. 

Eat

• Grains de folie, 171 boul St. Pierre ouest, ☏ +1 506 727-4001. Restaurant, café-bistro, patio, bakery and pastry. Lounge upstairs. 

• Le Poisson D'or, Carrefour de la Mer, 51A boul. St-Pierre Ouest, ☏ +1 506 727-0004, fax: +1 506 727-2835. Seafood. 

Sleep

Bed and breakfast

• Maison Touristique Dugas, 683, boul. St-Pierre Ouest, ☏ +1 506 727-3195, toll-free: +1-866-727-3195. Two houses, seven cabins and campground. 

Hotels

• Hôtel Paulin, 143 boulevard St-Pierre ouest, ☏ +1 506 727-9981, toll-free: +1-866-727-9981. $200-215. 

Motels

• Super 8, 9 Avenue du Carrefour, toll-free: +1-877-581-7666. 50-room motel with waterpark, conference room. 

Go next

Routes through Caraquet

Bathurst ← Jct S ←

N  S

→ Miramichi → Shédiac