New Brunswick boasts a wealth of museums and heritage sites, with over 100 such establishments to explore. In the Museum Road Trip series by CBC News, we will showcase eight historical sites in small towns across the province.
Once an integral part of daily life in Tracadie, northeastern New Brunswick, the Religieuses Hospitalières de Saint-Joseph, an order of nuns, played a vital role in the community. Providing care for the sick, managing an orphanage, and educating children were among their duties.
Although the order is no longer active in Tracadie, its legacy lives on at the Musée Historique de Tracadie. Initially, the nuns focused on running a lazaretto, a hospital for lepers.
Leprosy, a bacterial infection affecting various body parts, including the nervous system, lungs, eyes, and skin, was first identified in Tracadie in 1828. According to museum director Erika Basque, the disease likely arrived via immigrants from Norway, with a tragic tale of infection stemming from a chance encounter.
Initially, lepers were isolated on Sheldrake Island in Miramichi Bay before the first lazaretto was constructed in Tracadie in 1849. Over time, the lazaretto expanded to accommodate patients from across Canada, despite facing community backlash due to its association with the disease.
In 1943, a breakthrough in leprosy treatment with the drug promin marked the closure of the lazaretto in 1965, as lepers could now be effectively cured. However, the nuns’ healthcare efforts extended beyond leprosy patients to provide general medical services for the community.
The lazaretto complex also housed a general hospital, offering care to locals. Notably, as early as 1896, it operated as a French-speaking facility, a rarity in New Brunswick at the time.
The museum showcases various historical medical artifacts, including archaic medical equipment, highlighting the evolution of healthcare practices. Medical professionals visiting the museum often express awe at the tools used by their predecessors.
Recognizing the lack of education in Tracadie, the nuns established schools in the community, starting with a day school and later a boarding school. The educational institution attracted students not only from the local area but also from francophone regions across New Brunswick and even Quebec.
While the Religieuses Hospitalières de Saint-Joseph continues its work in various communities, the order officially departed Tracadie in 2025, leaving behind a rich legacy of healthcare and education in the region.
