St. Mary's Bay Tour 2004

On August 4, 2004 about eighty Geudry, Labine, and Petitpas descendants from throughout the United States and Canada met at Sacre-Coeur Catholic Church in Saulnierville, Nova Scotia for a tour of historic sites in the St. Mary’s Bay area. Everyone enjoyed touring Sacre-Coeur Church, built in 1879 and thus the oldest parish church in the Clare Municipality. We marveled at the nearly one hundred hand-made quilts on display in the church for the Quilt Expo. Of course, we had quite a time getting Cindy Guidry Herdt, who quilted the Guedry-Labine Family Quilt this year, away from the Quilt Expo and into one of our two buses to continue the tour.

As we headed north to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Church Point, our guides Albert Geddry and Margaret Jeddry, entertained us with interesting stories about the area and the local people. St. Mary’s Church, built in the shape of a large cross, is the tallest wooden church in North America. Interestingly, it used to be 15 feet taller; however, a lightening storm caused the top fifteen feet of the steeple to burn and the parishoners felt this was an omen from Mary that they were being a little too “proud” of their large church so they never rebuilt the steeple to the original height. Everyone enjoyed touring the unique museum in St. Mary’s Church and especially hearing the organ.

Leaving St. Mary’s Church, we headed to Pointe-a-Major at Belliveau Cove and a visit to the site of the earliest Acadian Cemetery on St. Mary’s Bay. Pointe-a-Major lies on the rocky shore of St. Mary’s Bay exposed to the whims of nature. In 1755 Pierre Belliveau and 120 Acadians fleeing the Acadian Deportation spent the harshest of winters on this rocky beach exposed to the elements. Many died and were buried in the vicinity. In 1768 Pierre Dugas and his family arrived at this site and began the first Acadian settlement on St. Mary’s Bay. Here was celebrated the baptisms, marriages and funerals of the early Acadians of St. Mary’s Bay. Burials occurred at the cemetery from 1769 until 1790. Although the crosses now standing solemnly in the cemetery are not original, they do represent several of the original Acadian settlers in the area who were buried on these sacred grounds. Two Guedrys enshrined on the crosses are - Anne Guedry (1773) and Joseph Felix Guedry (1770).

Amid a solemn atmosphere we departed Pointe-a-Major. Albert Geddry’s bus headed for St. Bernard Catholic Church, the largest stone church in the Clare Municipality, while Margaret’s bus succumbed to the growling tummies by heading to a truly Acadian lunch at Chez Jean Restaurant in Belliveau Cove. With few financial resources local citizens added a single row of granite blocks each year from 1910 until the church was completed in 1942. While marveling over the magnificent interior of the church, we enjoyed hearing a musical group practicing for their evening performance at the Church.

The buses then switched locations and we hurried to Chez Jean in hopes that our cousins left a morsel or two for us. The chicken fricot was superb. As I was finishing my fricot, I noticed a number of folks enjoying a little crème a la glace so I had to try some myself. Yum yum - the double chocolate was unbeatable. After lunch, Margaret’s bus joined us at Chez Jean and we headed for the Meteghan River shipyard.

Arriving at the A. F. Theriault Shipyard on the Meteghan River, we learned from Albert and Margaret that many of our Geddry and Jeddry cousins from St. Mary’s Bay worked in the shipbuilding industry. Folks were amazed at the huge tide differences along St. Mary’s Bay and how the shipyard workers have to schedule work around the tides. After a brief stop at the shipyard we reboarded the buses for a drive-by tour of the Meteghan Wharf where most of St. Mary’s Bay fishing fleet resides. Many Geddry and Jeddry cousins fish the rich waters of St. Mary’s Bay.

Smuggler’s Cove (Le Fourneau), just down the road from the Meteghan Wharf, told an interesting story of old Meteghan and wowed everyone with its spectacular view. With the Meteghan area being ‘dry’, and the local folks wanting an occasional spot of rum, a dilemma was born. But with true Acadian ingenuity, the problem was solved. Rumrunners would import casks of rum by boat and hide their ‘treasure’ in the natural cave along the rocky cliffs of St. Mary’s Bay, just below Meteghan. At night the rum was transferred onshore for all to enjoy. Because of its unique use, the cave is known today as Smuggler’s Cove.

Although no longer used for rum running (we think), it still basks in glory because of the spectacular views it affords to the passing tourist.

With much prodding our leaders finally had everyone back on the buses as we headed south toward Mavillette Beach and Cap Ste-Marie. A small fishing village with a very interesting lighthouse, Cap Ste-Marie and its rocky shore with the fishing fleet as a backdrop became a photographer’s dream. Cameras clicked and folks marveled at the wondrous scenery. A few adventuresome folks even walked out on the boulders for a better view. Interestingly, the Cap Ste-Marie lighthouse keeper for many years was a Geddry. After a brief visit to Cap Ste- Marie, we journeyed a short distance to Mavillette Beach and walked on the ‘blue rocks’ of the beach for which the area is known.

Returning north, we detoured onto Bear Cove Road to visit the original location where Augustin Guedry set foot on the soils of this region and established the village of Cheticamp - today known as St. Alphonse. A small dirt path leads down to the rocky shore where Augustin landed. A short drive from the shore to the intersection of Bear Cove Road and Highway 1 brought us to the original land grant secured by Augustin Guedry. Stretching 2/3 mile toward St. Aphonse and 1/3 mile toward Meteghan, the tree covered, hilly land must have been a paradise to Augustin and his family as he moved from his home in Gilbert’s Cove to his new Cheticamp. With the English creeping closer and closer to his hilltop home at Gilbert’s Cove, it was surely time to ‘escape’ a second time.

From Augustin Guedry’s original grant at St. Alphonse, Albert and Margaret led us to the second major Geddry settlement along St. Mary’s Bay - Geddry’s Corner at Meteghan Station. Settled by Evariste Geddry in 1845, the area has several older Geddry and Jeddry homes still standing today. We saw those of Evariste Geddry, Alexandre Geddry, James Jeddry and Gustave Geddry. It was quite a treat for a bunch of Guedry descendants. 

Departing Geddry’s Corner, we quickly reached the Bangor Sawmill - one of the last functioning 19th-century water powered turbine lumber mills in North America. Today, although still producing a few board feet of lumber a year for visitors, it operates solely as a museum.

Several of our Geddry ancestors used to operate this intricate equipment and produce thousands of board feet of lumber annually. Albert Geddry quickly shed his tour guide duties, changed clothes, and became master sawyer along with Senator Gerald Comeau, husband of Aurore Jeddry, and Mr. Camille Maillet, one of the last original sawyers at the mill, who shares his experiences with all.

With a running commentary of how each piece of equipment works, Albert and his crew quickly started the turbine and sawed two logs for us. It was both an educational and inspirational experience for us all.

With dusk quickly catching us, we headed back to Sacre-Coeur Church for the conclusion of the tour.

Thanks to Albert Geddry and Felice Guidry Belliveau for developing the agenda for the tour and securing entry to all the sites for us. We especially appreciate Albert Geddry and Margaret Jeddry serving as our tour guides - not only highlighting interesting locations along the way, but also putting a personal touch on the tour by sharing stories about St. Mary’s Bay and its residents. Finally, many thanks to Simone Comeau Geddry for managing the funds and doing all the behind-the scenes tasks to ensure the success of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the land of Geddry and Jeddry cousins.