This building is a reproduction of the printing shop for Shediac’s Le Moniteur Acadien newspaper, circa 1880. This newspaper, the first published in Acadia, appeared from July 1867 to 1926. Its founder, Israël Landry, a native of Saint-Jean, Quebec, was a descendant of Acadians who had lived through the Deportation. However, he left his post after only a few months. He was succeeded in 1868 by Norbert Lussier, who ran the company until 1871, when he sold it to Ferdinand Robidoux, aged just 21. It is Robidoux who is most associated with the Moniteur Acadien, publishing it for over 45 years.

It was a modest publication at the time, starting out as a weekly and becoming a biweekly in 1886. It consisted of a full-format sheet folded in half, giving four pages. In those days, printing a newspaper was a long and laborious operation. Once assembled by hand, pages one and four were first printed – one copy at a time – on the large manual screw press; then the operation was repeated with the inside pages (two and three). In all, the production of one print run represents 64 hours’ work for two press operators. Subscriptions cost two dollars a year, with discounts for “clubs” of five or ten subscribers. At the time, the paper needed 5,000 subscribers to be profitable. Le Moniteur Acadien, however, never had more than 2,000 subscribers. Three fires destroyed Robidoux’s facilities, in 1874, 1879 and 1886. Armed with unfailing determination, he persevered in his enterprise, which, however, yielded virtually no profit. The newspaper itself was loss-making; it was “city printing”, on a platinum press (the “Peerless”), that allowed operations to continue. Robidoux announces the temporary closure of the paper in 1918 for health reasons. His sons tried to relaunch it six years later, but after 14 months, the paper disappeared for good.

• Half-timbering squeleton
• Symmetrical window and door openings
• Large windows provide light
• Main facade on gable wall
• Parapet wall concealing the gable roof
• Sign advertising the business
• White-painted interior for enhanced lighting
• Work desk and storage area
• Central stove
• Washington press for newspaper printing
• Platen press for commercial printing