Parish House, Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, 1903

     The following is further information to the previous post about the parish house at Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel.   Thanks to Georges Arsenault for the sending along the following article published in 1903.  He notes the house has been vacant now for a number of years and its future uncertain.

"Échos de Mont-Carmel"

published 9 July 1903 in the Moncton newspaper L'Évangéline

Après la magnifique église en brique qui a été bâtie comme par enchantement, le Père Arsenault a fait bâtir un presbytère qui est sans contredit  le plus magnifique de ce genre qu'il y ait dans tout le diocèse. Cette structure en brique est de 45 x 40 pieds, à deux étages. La façade offre un coup d'oeil des plus charmants. On arrive à la porte principale en franchissant plusieurs degrés. En entrant on trouve, à la droite, une magnifique chambre finie dans les derniers goûts. Cet appartement occupe la moitié du premier étage. À gauche se trouvent une autre chambre spacieuse et la salle à manger.

Arrivé au second étage on rencontre un corridor qui traverse la bâtisse d'un côté à l'autre. Du côté qui donne sur le détroit est la chambre épiscopale. Un balcon érigé en dehors s'élève jusqu'au 2me étage, d'où l'on obtient un magnifique coup-d'oeil sur le détroit et les rives opposées.

Deux tourelles, une chaque côté de la porte d'entrée, s'élèvent à la hauteur du toit. Entre ces deux tourelles est un balcon, ainsi qu'un autre qui est plus spacieux du côté qui donne sur l'église.

Le presbytère est chauffé à la vapeur et contient tous les appareils en usage selon le système moderne. De tout en tout, le presbytère et l'église de Mont-Carmel sont des monuments qui font honnneur à l'énergique pasteur et aux braves paroisisens. 

 Presbytère Mont-Carmel, vers 1903

( The Acadian Museum has the original framed picture of the presbytery - this image

was scanned from the 1998 publication for the 100th anniversary of the church. )

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     The following is a translation to English of the above article by Google Translate...

"Échos de Mont-Carmel"

July 9, 1903 L'Évangéline, Moncton

     After the beautiful brick church was built as if by magic, Father Arsenault has built a rectory which is arguably the most beautiful of its kind there throughout the diocese. This brick structure is 45 x 40 feet, with two floors. The front offers a look more charming. We arrive at the main gate by crossing several degrees. On entering there is to the right, a beautiful finished room in the latest tastes. This apartment occupies half of the first floor. At left is another spacious room and dining room. 
     Arriving on the second floor a corridor through the building from one side to the other are encountered. Side overlooking the strait is the Episcopal room. Balcony erected outside rises to 2nd floor, where a magnificent sight obtained of the strait and opposite sides. 
     Two towers, one on each side of the front door, stood at the height of the roof. Between these two towers is a balcony, and another that is larger on the side that faces the church. 
     The rectory is steamed and contains all devices in use according to the modern system. All in all, the rectory and the church of Mount Carmel are monuments that honor the energetic pastor and brave parishioners. 

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     Here also is a picture of father Pierre-Paul Arsenault (1867-1927) who had the church and the presbytery built at Mont-Carmel.

  http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/arsenault_pierre_paul_15E.html

( thanks Georges Arsenault for this information )

      ARSENAULT, PIERRE-PAUL (baptized PeterArseneaux), Roman Catholic priest, educator, farmer, and folklorist; b. 18 May 1867 in Tignish, P.E.I., son of Sylvain Arsenault and Tharsile Bernard, d. 22 Nov. 1927 in Mont-Carmel, P.E.I.

     Pierre-Paul Arsenault was one of the prime movers of the Acadian community in Prince Edward Island early in the 20th century. One of ten children in a family of modest means, he grew up on a small farm and attended the local school. In 1884, through a bursary established in 1877 by Father Sylvain-Éphrem Perrey*, he was able to enrol at the Collège Saint-Joseph in Memramcook, N.B. While there, he distinguished himself not only by academic brilliance, but also by participation in sports and cultural activities. He was in turn treasurer, president, and secretary of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, which promoted French language and culture within the bilingual institution. Having completed the classical program in 1889, he stayed on at the college, teaching and studying theology. He finished his theological course at the Grand Séminaire de Québec, where he was ordained on 5 Nov. 1893.

     Immediately after his ordination, Arsenault returned to his native parish, where he remained for nearly a year as assistant priest. He then moved to St Dunstan’s parish in Charlottetown; his service as assistant priest there lasted until October 1896, when he was appointed curé of the small Acadian parish of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel. He held this charge for the rest of his life. Because of his appealing and dynamic personality, he soon succeeded in bringing the parishioners together and carrying out major projects, including the erection of one of the most remarkable churches in the province, a neo-gothic structure designed by Quebec architect René-Pamphile Lemay.

     Like many parish priests of the day, Arsenault worked a farm where he put into practice the best techniques of the day, and it served as a model for the farmers of his parish. To promote the agricultural movement, Arsenault also took part in local organizations. He played a key role, for example, in setting up the Prince Edward Island Co-operative Egg and Poultry Association in 1914, and was its first president. This cooperative, which brought together the many Egg Circles throughout the Island, sought to maintain the quality of the produce and to obtain a good price for its members, for whom the sale of eggs represented an important supplementary income.

     The causes dearest to Father Arsenault’s heart were education for Acadians and promotion of the French language. At the local level, he ensured that the schools were well run and he personally helped the most promising students prepare for the provincial Board of Education examinations and continue their studies at college. In 1900 he set up a library of French books and, in order to emphasize the importance of speaking the language well, he produced plays.

     Arsenault also was active as an educator within the Association des Instituteurs Acadiens de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard [see Joseph-OctaveArsenault*]. From 1897 to 1927 he took part in its annual conventions, in particular by giving lectures on teaching methods, the benefits of reading, the art of public speaking, and the importance of having a thorough grasp of Acadian and Canadian history. Several times he served on its committee for choosing school textbooks in French, which then had to be submitted to the Board of Education for approval.

     Father Arsenault is said to have been the chief founder of the Société Saint-Thomas d’Aquin, which was established in 1919 on the occasion of the annual convention of the Association des Instituteurs Acadiens. The new organization’s primary aim was to raise money for promising candidates to study at college or university. Arsenault served as vice-president (1919–20) and president (1920–25) of this society, which played a preponderant role for the Island’s Acadian and francophone community, becoming its chief institutional voice.

     As a student at the Collège Saint-Joseph, Arsenault had associated with a few professors who were trying to make the history of the Acadians better known and who advocated the preservation of their oral and material heritage. One of these was Father Philéas-Frédéric Bourgeois*. It was probably through his influence that Father Arsenault, with the help of Father Théodore Gallant, a musician, collected traditional songs from older people in the Acadian community, including versions from the French repertoire as well as local compositions. These 130 pieces constitute the earliest collection of Acadian folksongs. In 1924 Senator Pascal Poirier*, to whom Arsenault had given his collection, turned it over to Marius Barbeau* of the Victoria Memorial Museum in Ottawa.

     Arsenault also drew up the genealogies of the founding families of the parish of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel and published them in 1912. He preserved a number of farm implements and domestic appliances which are now part of the collection of the Acadian Museum of Prince Edward Island at Miscouche.

     Pierre-Paul Arsenault’s health had been deteriorating for several years and he died at the age of 60. An enlightened leader and pragmatist with widely varied interests, he was one of the outstanding leaders of the Acadian community in Prince Edward Island. With his engaging personality, he was able to win the respect and admiration not only of his compatriots, but of all Islanders. The Summerside Pioneer, announcing his death on its front page, commented, “The whole province has sustained a heavy loss.” In the Mount Carmel cemetery, where he was buried, parishioners erected a magnificent monument in the form of a chapel, a fitting memorial for this man “of far-ranging and lofty ideas.”

Georges Arsenault

Acadian Bread Oven Workshop - June 8th

Farmers' Bank of Rustico Lunch and Learn 
     A course will be given on how to build an outdoor Acadian Bread Oven by Arnold Smith at the Farmers' Bank of Rustico (2188 Church Road Rustico) on Saturday June 8th starting at 9:00 am.
     The session will feature a hands on demonstration and participation in building a full sized bread oven which will replace the one now existing at the Doucet House. As well, a lunch which will be cooked in the traditional way in the stone fireplace of the Doucet House will be served to participants.
     Admission: $50.00 per person - $80.00 per couple.
     Book your ticket at info@farmersbank.ca or call Theresa Gallant at 963-2997.

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     Here are a few photos from the "Building an Acadian Bread Oven Workshop" held at Doucet House, Rustico in June 2004 with Jef Ackenbach and Perry Everett of Annapolis Thatching Co-op Inc. from Annapolis, Nova Scotia.  They have conducted considerable research into 17th and 18th-Century Acadian building techniques.

     First you mix sand, brick clay, marsh grass and water and shape them in to cobs, once they have rested for a bit then you can start to shape the bread oven.

The first fire to bake the clay - then its ready to make bread.

We had a great day and learned alot!!

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     Below is an excerpt from the Journals of Rev. Robert William Dyer of Kildare/Cascumpeque, P.E.I. on his travel from Kildare to Tignish to see the newly constructed St. Simon St. Jude Cathedral.  The previous two pages were missing from the manuscript and this is where his comments end on the topic of local Acadians.  Rev. Dyers Journals cover a period of 42 years: 1841-1859 in Newfoundland and 1859-1883 in Prince Edward Island. 

September 10, 1859

“...they are all little farmers, I think; a fine part of the country, fine land and a large portion cleared, but badly cultivated.  One thing we noticed as we passed which seems peculiar to the French, is an oven where they bake their bread, built of mud, on some little framework some distance from the dwelling house.  This is, I should think, a safe, but rather an unhandy usage. We arrived in Tignish about half past 5 o’clock…”

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     Below are photos from the Mont Carmel Parish 100th Anniversary Book 1912, showing an Acadian woman with a bread oven.

1812 - 1912

Premier Centennaire

…DE LA…

Paroisse de Mont Carmel

Ile du Prince Edouard

Le 20 Aout, 1912

Third Saint-Phillippe et Saint-Jacques Church, Baie-Egmont

     I was searching for something this morning on Google and came across a website with photos from mostly around the Evangeline area of Prince Edward Island.  Below is a photo I had never seen before and am struck by how much the church resembles two other early Catholic churches on the Island - that of 1838 St. Augustine's Rustico and 1839 St. Patrick's Grand River - see below.

     Troisième église Saint-Philippe et Saint-Jacques, Baie-Egmont. Construite en 1834 alors que le père Sylvain-Éphrem Poirier desservait la paroisse en tant que missionnaire, l’église mesurait 110 par 60 pieds, le sanctuaire non compris. La sacristie mesurait 40 par 30 pieds. L’église pouvait recevoir 1000 personnes. Elle a été démolie en 1922 pour faire place à la quatrième église, qui fut démolie en 2010.
     The third St. Philippe et St. Jacques church, Baie-Egmont. Built in 1834 during the period that father Sylvain-Éphrem Poirier served as missionary, the church was 110 feet long by 60 feet wide, not including the sanctuary. The vestry measured 40 by 30 feet. This church could seat up to 1,000 people. It was demolished in 1922 to make place for the fourth church, which was demolished in 2010.
     Above information and photo cf.  http://acadien.wikia.com/wiki/Troisi%C3%A8me_%C3%A9glise_St-Philippe_et_St-Jacques_/_Third_St._Philip_et_St._Jacques_church,_Baie-Egmont

     Above:  The 1838 St. Augustine Church of Rustico is very similar in design to Saint-Phillippe et Saint-Jacques.  The main church measures 80 feet long by 50 feet wide not including the tower or vestry.  For more information see this blog http://peiheritagebuildings.blogspot.ca/2012/09/1838-st-augustine-roman-catholic-church.html

     Above:  The 1839 St. Patrick's Church of Grand River is very similar in design to Saint-Phillipe et Saint-Jacques and St. Augustine Rustico.  However, it's hard to see the similarity in this image of St. Patricks today.  The original church, built between 1836 and 1844 (consecrated in 1839) was 60 feet long by 40 feet wide.  In 1890 the church was redesigned by well-known Island Architect Wm. C. Harris.  The original plan of the church was enlarged, a new steeple was built; false butresses added and Gothic windows installed on the upper wall in the balcony.   Photos of the original church exist, however, I don't have access to them at this time.

    For more information see this blog 

http://peiheritagebuildings.blogspot.ca/2012/05/painting-chapel-st-patricks-church.html

la Roche & Grand Ruisseau by Georges Arsenault

     The following article appeared on the Journal-Pioneer's website today by Michael Nesbit, August 12, 2012.  http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2012-08-12/article-3051043/Big-time-celebration/1

Big time celebration

Author Georges Arsenault and Victor l’Heureux discuss the home of Manuel “La Light” Arsenault, which l’Heureux purchased to save from demolition. He is currently renovating the property, which is just one of the many illustrations and stories in “La Roche & Grand Ruisseau” history of the Evangeline region. Local resident Irene Arsenault was one of many others who took advantage of the opening of the bi-centennial ceremonies to get a signed copy from Arsenault.

By Michael Nesbit

Journal Pioneer

MONT-CARMEL – Two hundred years is certainly a big time period, and P.E.I.'s Evangeline area intends to express that as boldly as the star on its national flag.

More than 75 community members turned out Friday for the official opening of 10 days of celebration of the founding of the first homesteads in Lot 15, what is now known as the Evangeline region of the Island.

The event also served as the official launch of a book on the area's history, "La Roche & Grand Ruisseau," by celebrated historian Georges Arsenault.

Co-president of the event, Marcel Bernard, explained that the five families of Acadians settled the area in 1812, making 2012 the bi-centennial of their installation. There were two families that settled in Mont-Carmel and three in Egmont Bay.

"The whole concept behind the bicentennial is to celebrate those five families," he said.

The five families came from the Malpeque Bay area, according to Arsenault.

"They relocated in the fall of 1812. They were tenants of Col. Compton, and they were having problems with him. They thought he was charging too much rent. There was also bad relations with some of the English neighbours, so they decided to come to Lot 15.

"They knew the proprietor was not taking care of the land (following the responsibilities of Lot ownership). The Lot owner had passed away, with no descendants, so I believe they knew the government was going to seize the lot and make it Crown land."

A few years after the relocation, Lot 15 did become Crown land when most of the Island was still ruled by absentee landlords. By 1828, when the first leases were given, there were 61 families involved.

"They managed to become proprietors of their own land, some of the first Islanders to be able to do that," said Arsenault.

Acadian National Day organizers allowed the celebrations to be held in the Evangeline Region this year. The day is normally recognized in a different part of the province each year, and Souris has given up the honour for this special event.

Promotion of the bicentennial event has been sponsored in large part by the Evangeline Credit Union Central, with additional funds of $54,450 from the federal government, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Canadian Heritage, and $8,000 from the provincial Department of Tourism and Culture.

"We do understand the value of tourism to the economy here in Atlantic Canada, and the contributions the bicentennial celebrations will make, when spent through the local economy to ensure long-term prosperity," National Revenue Minister Gail Shea told the assembled audience as part of her remarks. "Events such as these also help to ensure that local attractions also benefit."

Robert Henderson, P.E.I. Minister of Tourism and Culture, brought congratulations from Premier Robert Ghiz, who was unable to attend.

"When one thinks that, after 200 years as a community, that you have evolved to the point where you are today, you can tell that people have put a lot of hard work and their efforts have paid off to have formed such a tight-knit community," Henderson said.

"The Island would simply not be the place it is today had La Roche & Grand Ruisseau not been founded 200 years ago."

Henderson added that his own area history, documented in "Along the North Shore," by Clint Morrison, is a treasured document in many households and he expects the same to be true for the Evangeline history among local families, near and far.

Arsenault humourously encouraged families to buy multiple copies so that there are no family fights over who gets to inherit it when the time comes.

Considering the abundance of descendents in the area, that may not be a bad idea. The original leaseholders include: 32 Arsenaults, 15 Gallants, four Richards, three Bernards, three Poiriers, two Downings, one Aucoin and one Cormier family.

An Exhibition on Egmont Bay and Mont-Carmel

     An Exhibition on Egmont Bay and Mont-Carmel at the Acadian Museum

     The public is invited to the opening of the new exhibition La Roche & Le Grand Ruisseau: 200 Years in Egmont Bay and Mont-Carmel at the Acadian Museum, in Miscouche, on Sunday, May 27, at 2:00 p.m.

      This exhibition commemorates the 200th anniversary of these two parishes. The first section of the exhibit includes numerous photos depicting the past, beautiful interpretive panels, and various artifacts. The exhibition also features a gallery of superb photos of the landscape and people of the region taken by photographers Léona Arsenault and Jacinthe Laforest.

      The official opening will be declared by two senior citizens, Denise Arsenault, of Egmont Bay, and Jean-Pierre Gallant, of Mont-Carmel.

      A reception will follow.

     The exhibition will be on display until the end of October 2012.

Queen Hotel, Summerside

The Journal-Pioneer newspaper in Summerside regularly publishes pages from the past - this one was Nov. 6, 1959.  For more information about the Journal see: www.journalpioneer.com

The information about the Queen Hotel mural comes from the following:

 www.wyattheritage.com/mainsite/historic/murals.asp?MuralID=Acadians

The Acadians of Summerside and the Queen Hotel

From the earliest years of Summerside, many men and women from the outlying Acadian communities came here to find work. They were employed as truckers, seamen, fishermen, farmers, carpenters, coopers, tinsmiths, stone masons, maids, dressmakers, and washerwomen. Through the years, they advanced to more lucrative and prestigious occupations.      Among Summerside’s first Acadian entrepreneurs were Frank Perry (François Poirier) and his wife Annie Arsenault. In 1899, they opened the popular Queen Hotel that served the community for half a century. This 35-room hotel, described as “one of the most comfortable and homelike hotels in Maritime Canada”, was located south of the Journal-Pioneer next to the railroad track, today the Confederation Trail.      Standing on the Queen Hotel’s steps are Aubin E. Arsenault and Joseph Gaudet. Aubin E. Arsenault (1870-1968) was Summerside’s first Acadian lawyer. He was also the first francophone elected to town council where he sat from 1906 until 1908, the year he was elected to the Legislative Assembly representing 3rd Prince. In 1917, he became Premier of the province and in 1921 he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island.      Joseph J. Gaudet (1880-1933), better known as “Joe Bunn”, was born in Summerside. As a young man, he worked as a trucker and then opened a local restaurant business. In 1908, Gaudet operated one of the first movie theatres in Summerside, “The Happyland”. In 1922, “Joe Bunn” Gaudet opened the Capitol Theatre on Central Streets.      Today, one third of Summerside’s population claims Acadian ancestry. The most common Acadian names in the city are Arsenault, Bernard, Blacquiere, Blanchard, Cormier, DesRoches, Doucette, Gallant, Gaudet, Perry (Poirier), Peters (Pitre), Richard, Sonier, and Wedge (Aucoin). Mural Artist: Arno Freitag – 2000 Location: The north wall of the Summerside Seafood Supreme building on corner of Queen St. & Harbour Dr.

Cajetan Arsenault House, St. Chrysostome

I visited this house on July 20th, 2009 and met the owners, Gavin and Irene Arsenault, who had lived here since the early 1960's - they sold the house this past summer.  The property is located at 59 Gavin Arsenault Road, just off the Harmony Road (Rte. 128/Rte.11) in St. Chrysostome.  When Gavin and Irene bought the house it was in very poor shape and was used seasonally by fishermen from western Prince Edward Island who came to fish the local waters.

Father Albin Arsenault (currently Priest at St. John the Baptist Parish, Miscouche) filled me in on some of the history of this house as it was the home of his maternal great-grandparents.  Father Albin, son of Joseph D. Arsenault and Aline Arsenault (dtr of Denis & Melani Arsenault), grew up next door to here.  The house was owned by Cajetan and Veronique Arsenault and was built sometime between 1834 and 1838 - the house is known locally as one of the oldest in the area.  Cajetan and Veronique raised 18 children in this house.  For more information about the Cajetan family see: http://jean-paul-arsenault.blogspot.com/

Above:  I drew out the asfound floor plans and elevations for this house.  To the left, the kitchen and porch were later additions to the house along with the front/south steep gable dormer.  This house would likely have looked much like the Doucet House in Rustico.

Above: Front/South view of Arsenault House / Below: Front view of Doucet House.

 Below: Rear/North view of Arsenault House.

 Below: End/West view of Arsenault House.

In all the years I've been investigated historic Prince Edward Island homes I've never seen a main floor framed in the way this floor is framed.  There are main floor beams spanning the main floor, north-south, and spaced about 24" and filled-in with short, half logs with the tops squared to make a smooth floor to walk on.

Below: A section of the main floor with later board framing.  There was likely a center fireplace and chimney in this house, however, there is no evidence of this other than a section of the main floor filled-in with boards.  The house has a poured concrete foundation which erased the original foundation, etc.

Below:  The end of the short, half logs have their ends cut flat to set on top of floor beams.

As often said about Prince Edward Island and it's people - when something happens around the world there's a connection to the Island.  Well, the oldest person in the USA and the second oldest person in the world, Mary Josephine (Arsenault) Ray, who died on March 7th, 2010 at the age of 114 years and 294 days, was born on May 17th, 1895 in Bloomfield, P.E.I. and the daughter of Sabin and Lydia Anne (Blanchard) Arsenualt.  Mary Ray's father, Sabin Arsenault, was a brother of Veronique Arsenault (children of Fidele Arsenault and Agnes Arsenault).  When Mary was 3-years-old her parents moved to the USA.

For more information about Mary Ray refer to the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Josephine_Ray

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35764053/ns/health-aging/t/two-oldest-world-die-same-day/

Above: Mary Josephine Ray during her 111th birthday party in Westmoreland, N.H.

Acadian Settlement @ Low Point- Archaeological Dig

     A lecture with Dr. Helen Kristmanson, entitled “Walking With the Ancestors: Archaeological Investigations at an 18th Century Acadian Farmstead in Western Prince Edward Island” takes place Tuesday, October 18 at 7:30pm in Beaconsfield’s Carriage House.

     In 1728 a few Acadian families (Arsenaults) packed their belongings and said goodbye to their mainland homes.  Their destination was Malpeque Bay, western Prince Edward Island, which at the time was resident only to the island’s Mi’kmaq population. Over the next three decades the small Acadian presence grew into a farming settlement called Malpeque which by 1752 consisted of thirty-two households.  Dr. Kristmanson will share the results of three seasons of archaeological investigations at one of these houses known today as the Pointe aux Vieux site (CdDx-5).

     Dr. Helen Kristmanson is the Director of the Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat in the Department of Health and Wellness, and is PEI’s first Provincial Archaeologist.  She joined the Government of Prince Edward Island in 2009 after almost ten years as an ethno-archaeologist with Parks Canada in Ottawa.  Prior to that she was a consulting archaeologist, which led her to work as an expert witness in aboriginal rights and title litigation.  As Director of the Secretariat, Dr. Kristmanson divides her time between aboriginal affairs and archaeology.  In addition to the management of PEI’s archaeological resources and investigations, she maintains an active research program and has been leading the Malpeque Bay Archaeological Research Project for the past few years.  

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From the Journal-Pioneer Newspaper June 23, 2011. http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2011-06-23/article-2608513/Erosion-threatens-historic-Acadian-site-/1

Above:  A small group of volunteer archaeologists have begun excavating along the shore of Malpeque Bay at Low Point, near Port Hill, for the fourth straight summer. The site was once home to pre-deportation 18th century Acadian settlers. From left are Isaac Stewart, Meghan Ferris and Shalen Trask.

Erosion threatens historic Acadian site

Published on June 23, 2011 / Stephen Brun   / The Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE - An archaeological dig at a rare 18th century Acadian home near Port Hill has become somewhat of a race against the elements.

Not that it seemed like anything more than a day at the beach for the small group digging there earlier this week.

The site is located at Low Point, along the shores of Malpeque Bay. But the picturesque location masks the fact that erosion has taken a toll on the historical goldmine.

"Erosion is an issue all over the Island and, since these Acadian sites are often coastal, it's a big concern for us," said Dr. Helen Kristmanson, director of archaeology for the Province.

"Last winter the ground was unfrozen and the storms chewed it out."

Kristmanson identified the pre-deportation home while surveying the area back in 2006.

She and her team of archaeologists have been excavating for a few weeks each summer for the past three years.

An estimated 8,000 artifacts have been found at the site since that time: glass beads, religious pendants, smoking pipes, nails and animal bones, which indicate what the Acadian settlers were eating back in 1728.

"This is a site where the Acadian families got advance warning of the deportation, so they probably had enough time to collect up things and pack before they left," Kristmanson said. "After they left, the British didn't destroy their houses, which they usually did."

This past January, the home was designated as a protected site under the Archaeological Act. The designation commemorates the area in recognition of its Acadian history, and also protects the land from purchase or vandalism.

But the Act can't protect against the weather.

That's why it's so important to document the finds on the site, before the erosion steals the land away.

"We had a portion documented last year, and now that area is almost completely gone," Kristmanson said. "You can try to stabilize the shoreline, but in the end Mother Nature's going to win the battle."

Kristmanson plans to meet with the transportation and environment departments to develop a strategy to keep the erosion at bay.

She also hopes to work with climatologists to identify historical sites around the Island that are most vulnerable to erosion.

Kristmanson will make a public presentation about her group's work at the site at Green Park Provincial Park, June 28 at 7 p.m.

Archaeological intern Meghan Ferris has also been blogging about the dig, which can be found at www.archaeointern.wordpress.com

sbrun@journalpioneer.com