Shediac is home to the world's largest lobster. Local highlights also include trails and birdwatching, as well as offerings related to the Northumberland Strait, culture and regional products. You can plan your stay around the interests that appeal to you; for seasonal offerings, it is worth checking when you plan to visit.
Lobster and the Northumberland Strait
At the Homarus Centre, an interpretive and interactive experience explores lobster and the Northumberland Strait ecosystem. The Centre is open daily from May through the end of August; after Labour Day, it is open on weekends only until Thanksgiving Sunday. Check the opening days before your trip if you would like to plan a visit.
Trails for different activities
More than twelve kilometres of walking and cycling trails have been developed in the Town of Shediac area. The trails in Shediac developed by the Association Plein Air Shediac/Shediac Outdoors Association Inc. (APASOA) are multi-use trails for walking, hiking, trail running, snowshoeing, mountain biking and fat biking. These details answer different questions: the kilometre figure describes the extent of the trails in the Town area, while the APASOA activities describe the types of activities the trails are intended for.
Bay and nature watching
Le Paddle offers seasonal rentals of stand-up paddleboards and boats for exploring the inner bay of Shediac, including kayaks and motorized dinghies. Rentals operate in summer. Shediac offers birdwatching opportunities year-round, although sightings are seasonal and variable.
Culture, markets and history
In the heart of Shediac, Le Hub Arts & Culture showcases artists, creatives and cultural initiatives through exhibitions, events, workshops and special experiences for visitors and the community. Market 37 offers local products, fresh goods, specialties and products from regional businesses. Vendors and selection may change; if you are looking for a particular product, plan flexibly.
Shediac's Artist Village and the Shediac Sunday Market showcase local artisans. Participating artisans, vendors and the market program may change. Shediac also hosted the first Congrès mondial acadien (Acadian World Congress). In Westmorland County, the second railway line built in the Maritimes was inaugurated in Shediac in 1857.
Westmorland County: Landscape and history
Westmorland County offers its own landscape and historical perspective. The marshlands of Westmorland were an important part of traditional Mi’kmaq routes. The county is home to New Brunswick's only surviving major colonial-era fort: Fort Beauséjour/Cumberland, with its museum. The fort is a Parks Canada National Historic Site; it was besieged by the British in 1755 and by American rebels in 1776.
In Westmorland County, visitors can explore New Brunswick's shipbuilding past at the Boultenhouse Heritage Centre in Sackville. The Centre consists of three buildings: a Georgian house built by the Bulmer family around 1790, a Greek Revival-style house built by Boultenhouse in 1840, and the Anderson Octagonal House, dating from around 1855.
Discover more destinations: Cap-Pele, Memramcook, Sackville, Moncton, Murray Corner, Dieppe, Beaubassin East, Melrose.
For the broader travel overview: Westmorland County.
