Pointe-du-Chene, New Brunswick
Encyclopedia
Pointe-du-Chêne is a small community located in south east New Brunswick
near Shediac
. Located on Shediac Bay, an inlet of the Northumberland Strait
, Pointe-du-Chêne, also called The Point, is the home of Parlee Beach Provincial Park. It was once the terminus of the European and North American Railway
and was a key stopover for Pan-Am
's Trans Atlantic air service
inaugurated in 1939.
Pointe-du-Chêne became a cottage resort area in the early 20th century. Summer excursion trains from Moncton brought day trippers to the seashore. The railway terminus and proximity to Parlee Beach (originally known as Gould's Beach and Belliveau's Beach, before being renamed in 1959), made it an ideal location for cottages.
Pointe-du-Chêne is described in the novelist Ken Follet's Night Over Water
.
Tom Leighton has written a song about Pointe-du-Chêne:
http://www.haines-leighton.com/Tunes/pointduchenegirl.mp3
cartographer Jumeau mapped the whole area along Shediac Bay as “Chedaik,” abd Monsignor St. Valier, who was Bishop of Quebec, referred to the area as “Chedic” during a 1686 pastoral visit to Acadia
. By 1815, the community was known as “Oak Point,” due to the abundance of oak trees that grew there. By 1862, the French variant of the name, Pointe-du-Chêne, was adopted.
Though Pointe-du-Chêne first began to be settled by white settlers as early as 1810, the community did not begin to prosper until 1853 when a new government wharf was constructed. Up until that point, shipping, ferrying, and general trade were conducted from the Queen’s Warf at Shediac Cape. This coincided with the construction of the European and North American Railway
, which chose Pointe-du-Chêne as its eastern terminus. This allowed strong potato
, and livestock
industries to arise in the community. Yet there was no industry in all of Shediac Bay as strong as the community’s lumber
industry. As the forests of coastal Maine
and England
were close to depletion at this time, the abundance of oak trees in the area was considered a God-send. By the 1840s, there were as many as twenty vessels waiting to load lumber at the wharf each day during the shipping season.
Due to the economic boom that had occurred, nearby Saint-Martins-In-The-Woods Anglican Church in Shediac Cape applied for a land grant in Pointe-Du-Chene. They were granted 50 acres (202,343 m²), and to this day over two-thirds of the land in Pointe-Du-Chene belongs to the Anglican church, who rents the land to the occupants.
One of the most noted historical events to have occurred in the community is the first trans-Atlantic flight. On July 13, 1933 Marshal Italo Balbo landed in Pointe-du-Chêne accompanied by an armada of 24 Italian seaplanes. The armada departed from Rome
, travelled to the Azores
and Cartwright, Newfoundland and Labrador
, and then landed in Pointe-du-Chêne. Balbo stayed at the home of the late Dr. J Clarence Webster, and from there he telephoned "Il Duce" Benito Mussolini
to describe the voyage. Following this event, Pan American Airways established a trans-Atlantic air-route using Pointe-du-Chêne as one of its terminals. The planes would depart from Port Washington
, Long Island, would stop at the Pointe-du-Chêne wharf, and then travel to Foynes, Ireland or Lisbon, Portugal. This predated the modern airplane, and boats at that time were more akin to flying boats as they were required to land in the water.
Pointe-du-Chêne is, to many, synonymous with Parlee Beach. When Moncton, New Brunswick
emerged as a major city in New Brunswick, the Sunday train to Pointe-du-Chêne became an institution. With upwards of 20 railway passenger cars filled with families and children, the train would leave the Moncton railway station at 1:30 pm for the Pointe-du-Chêne railway station; the return train would depart from Pointe-du-Chêne railway station at 7:00 pm. To this day, Parlee Beach Provincial Park is still a popular summer destination for residents of Moncton and visitors to New Brunswick.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
near Shediac
Shediac, New Brunswick
Shediac is a Canadian town in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.Situated on Shediac Bay, a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait, the town calls itself the "Lobster Capital of the World" and hosts an annual festival every July which promotes its ties to lobster fishing; the largest lobster...
. Located on Shediac Bay, an inlet of the Northumberland Strait
Northumberland Strait
The Northumberland Strait is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada...
, Pointe-du-Chêne, also called The Point, is the home of Parlee Beach Provincial Park. It was once the terminus of the European and North American Railway
European and North American Railway
The European and North American Railway is the name for three historic Canadian and American railways which were built in New Brunswick and Maine....
and was a key stopover for Pan-Am
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
's Trans Atlantic air service
Boeing 314
The Boeing 314 Clipper was a long-range flying boat produced by the Boeing Airplane Company between 1938 and 1941 and is comparable to the British Short S.26. One of the largest aircraft of the time, it used the massive wing of Boeing’s earlier XB-15 bomber prototype to achieve the range necessary...
inaugurated in 1939.
Pointe-du-Chêne became a cottage resort area in the early 20th century. Summer excursion trains from Moncton brought day trippers to the seashore. The railway terminus and proximity to Parlee Beach (originally known as Gould's Beach and Belliveau's Beach, before being renamed in 1959), made it an ideal location for cottages.
Pointe-du-Chêne is described in the novelist Ken Follet's Night Over Water
Night Over Water
Night Over Water is a politically-minded novel written by author Ken Follett and published by William Morrow in 1991. It was reprinted as a paperback book in the U.S. in 1992....
.
Tom Leighton has written a song about Pointe-du-Chêne:
http://www.haines-leighton.com/Tunes/pointduchenegirl.mp3
History
Pointe-Du-Chêne has from the very beginning been closely related to the neighbouring community of Shediac; FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
cartographer Jumeau mapped the whole area along Shediac Bay as “Chedaik,” abd Monsignor St. Valier, who was Bishop of Quebec, referred to the area as “Chedic” during a 1686 pastoral visit to Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
. By 1815, the community was known as “Oak Point,” due to the abundance of oak trees that grew there. By 1862, the French variant of the name, Pointe-du-Chêne, was adopted.
Though Pointe-du-Chêne first began to be settled by white settlers as early as 1810, the community did not begin to prosper until 1853 when a new government wharf was constructed. Up until that point, shipping, ferrying, and general trade were conducted from the Queen’s Warf at Shediac Cape. This coincided with the construction of the European and North American Railway
European and North American Railway
The European and North American Railway is the name for three historic Canadian and American railways which were built in New Brunswick and Maine....
, which chose Pointe-du-Chêne as its eastern terminus. This allowed strong potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
, and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
industries to arise in the community. Yet there was no industry in all of Shediac Bay as strong as the community’s lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
industry. As the forests of coastal Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
were close to depletion at this time, the abundance of oak trees in the area was considered a God-send. By the 1840s, there were as many as twenty vessels waiting to load lumber at the wharf each day during the shipping season.
Due to the economic boom that had occurred, nearby Saint-Martins-In-The-Woods Anglican Church in Shediac Cape applied for a land grant in Pointe-Du-Chene. They were granted 50 acres (202,343 m²), and to this day over two-thirds of the land in Pointe-Du-Chene belongs to the Anglican church, who rents the land to the occupants.
One of the most noted historical events to have occurred in the community is the first trans-Atlantic flight. On July 13, 1933 Marshal Italo Balbo landed in Pointe-du-Chêne accompanied by an armada of 24 Italian seaplanes. The armada departed from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, travelled to the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and Cartwright, Newfoundland and Labrador
Cartwright, Newfoundland and Labrador
-Further reading:*Buckle, Francis Labrador Diary, 1915-1925: the Gordon journals. Cartwright: Anglican Parish ISBN 0-9733448-0-6 -External links:*...
, and then landed in Pointe-du-Chêne. Balbo stayed at the home of the late Dr. J Clarence Webster, and from there he telephoned "Il Duce" Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
to describe the voyage. Following this event, Pan American Airways established a trans-Atlantic air-route using Pointe-du-Chêne as one of its terminals. The planes would depart from Port Washington
Port Washington
Port Washington is the name of some places in the United States of America:*Port Washington, New York*Port Washington, Ohio*Port Washington, Wisconsin, a city*Port Washington , Wisconsin, a town...
, Long Island, would stop at the Pointe-du-Chêne wharf, and then travel to Foynes, Ireland or Lisbon, Portugal. This predated the modern airplane, and boats at that time were more akin to flying boats as they were required to land in the water.
Pointe-du-Chêne is, to many, synonymous with Parlee Beach. When Moncton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
emerged as a major city in New Brunswick, the Sunday train to Pointe-du-Chêne became an institution. With upwards of 20 railway passenger cars filled with families and children, the train would leave the Moncton railway station at 1:30 pm for the Pointe-du-Chêne railway station; the return train would depart from Pointe-du-Chêne railway station at 7:00 pm. To this day, Parlee Beach Provincial Park is still a popular summer destination for residents of Moncton and visitors to New Brunswick.
External links
- http://www.shediac.com/pointeduchene/pointeduchene.htm