Instinct for Business Pioneer Acadian Entrepreneurs on Prince Edward Island By Georges Arsenault (L to R) Thomas Cunningham, Gilbert Desroches, Henry J. Cunningham, and Joseph-Octave Arsenault ci88o. n August 1880, an official del- respected young leader from Shediac, even in towns like Shediac, Moncton, I egation of 42 Acadians from the New Brunswick, who, five years St. John [...] in New Brunswick; or Maritime Provinces attended a con- later, at the age of 33, would become Tignish, Miscouche, Rustico, Souris, vention in Quebec City. Convened Canada's first Acadian senator. In Saint-Jacques [Egmont Bay], on by the Saint Jean Baptiste Society it his speech, he mentions that until Prince Edward Island; and in St. brought together representatives of recently, Acadians had been almost Mary's Bay in Nova Scotia. French speaking groups from across totally absent from the commercial Canada and the United States. Four and industrial fields, which were the In fact, by 1880, almost all of the delegates were from Prince monopoly of "les Anglais." However, Acadian communities on the Edward Island. There were two MLAs Poirier was quick to add that even if Island could claim to have several - Stanislaus F. Perry and Joseph- Acadians seemed to lack the "natu- of their native sons active in the Octave Arsenault - and two younger ral instinct for business" and lacked realm of business. As we shall see, compatriots: Gilbert DesRoches and easy access to capital or credit, "they Joseph-Octave Arsenault of Abrams Etienne E. Gallant, both of whom had managed over the last few years Village and Gilbert DesRoches from would later serve briefly in the - thanks to their energy and business Miscouche, who both attended the Legislative Assembly. All except Perry acumen, which people didn't realize Quebec convention, were among the were merchants. This was an indica- they had - to build up what they most prominent. tion that the Acadian community had lacked in that domain, or at least to undergone tremendous changes, con- partially make up for it." sidering that it would have been dif- Restraint of Trade ficult to find one single Acadian mer- Twenty or even fifteen years chant on the Island 25 years earlier. ago, it would have been difficult if These were not the first "Frenchmen" not impossible to find an Acadian to operate as entrepreneurs on the This evolution was accurately Island. During the French Regime, described at the Quebec Convention by merchant in New Brunswick. Today, one comes across businessmen, several individuals were involved Pascal Poirier; who had been given the task of delivering a report on the state well established and fast emerging in business. The 1752 census, for of the Acadian society. Poirier was a as leaders in the rural areas and instance, lists three merchants in 24 Saint Pierre du Nord, one in Port Frank Arsenault's example Miscouche to Tignish where two Lajoie and two on the riviere du would be followed by compatriots of his sons, Avit and Damase were Nord-Est (Hillsborough River). One determined to work their way into involved in commerce - mainly of these merchants was a woman, an area of the economy that had buying eggs from the farmers and Marie Allain - the widow of Nicolas been out of reach for their parents. exporting them to the United States. Gautier, and ancestor of the Prince They emerged during the period Avit later became a storeowner in Edward Island Gauthiers. known as the Acadian Renaissance, the village of St. Louis where he After their return to the Island, when many exciting initiatives was also the postmaster. In Tignish, following the 1758 Expulsion by the fostered the development of the Joseph Poirier soon remarried and British, dispossessed Acadians spent Maritime Acadian community. In in 1885, when he was 65 years old, many years trying to rebuild their the 1860s alone, St. Joseph's College opened a new store which he suc- communities. Among the factors was founded in Memramcook and cessfully operated for 12 years. which hindered them from becom- the Moniteur Acadien, the first According to the newspapers ing involved in the world of business French-language newspaper in the of the time, Poirier was one of the was their land occupancy status. As Maritime Provinces, was published. leading store owners of West Prince. tenants, many did not have the right The Island witnessed the creation Tignish's French-language weekly, to venture into commerce since some of the Farmers' Bank of Rustico and L'lrnpartialy described his enterprise landlords kept that prerogative for grain bank societies, also the build- in 1896: themselves or their associates. That ing of the bilingual Miscouche and was the case in Lot 17 where, in 1807, Tignish School Convents, operated J.B. Poirier s firm is one of the 21 Acadian farmers signed leases with by the Sisters of the Congregation best established business in the Colonel Harry Compton. Their leases, of Notre Dame. The Acadian western part of the Island. The unequivocal in this matter, read: 'And awakening coincided with what buildings that he occupies cover an the said Tenants are hereby restrained historians call the "Golden Age" of area of 6,640 [square] feet. He buys from erecting or suffering to be erect- Maritime prosperity. In 1854, with over 12,000 bushels of oats annually ed any Corn or Grist Mill on any part the inauguration of a form of free and from 25,000 to 30,000 dozen of their farm or farms but shall cause trade between the United States eggs. Monsieur Poirier exports his their Grains at all times to be ground and British North America, under own products to foreign markets. at the Mill of the Township and no the terms of the Reciprocity Treaty, His store is always full of the best other, neither shall they suffer to be international trade was strong and merchandise that he sells to farmers kept any Shop, Store or Tavern on any shipbuilding was booming through- in exchange for their produce, for parts of their respective farms...." out the Maritimes. In many ways, which he pays the best prices. The earliest mention of an Acadian it was a favourable time for anyone involved in business is made in the who wanted to venture in the busi- history of Prince County, published ness world. What follows is a brief in 1905 in Past and Present of Prince description of the first of the Island's Edward Island. The author of the Acadians to venture into this world. chapter, John Mollison, mentions that a certain Frank Arsenault opened a store at Nail Pond, near Tignish, Joseph B. Poirier around 1845. Apparently Arsenault obtained his merchandise at Port Hill Joseph B. Poirier of Miscouche, born and exchanged it for products with in 1820, helped pave the way for a local farmers and fishermen. This number of other Acadian merchants, Frank (or Francois) Arsenault was mainly family members and relatives, born in Cascumpec in 1813 and a few who later opened stores in Miscouche, years later moved to Tignish with his Abrams Village, Wellington, Tignish parents. In 1837, he married Judith and St. Louis. A farmer, Poirier Poirier of Tignish. Little is known of opened his first store in his home vil- tViic ipprlv pntrpnrAnpn r o y r o n t tVipt lage in 1857 when he was 37 years of he was also involved in the fisheries. age. He is the only store owner listed According to the 1853 Report of the for Miscouche in Hutchinsons 1864 Fisheries, Arsenault;s small fishing Directory. He remained in business establishment at Nail Pond had pro- there until 1880 when his youngest duced 250 quintals of cod and ling, son, Emmanuel, took over, but unfor- 200 gallons of fish oil and 30 barrels tunately Emmanuel died two years of mackerel. He was still in business later of consumption at the age of 22. in 1861, listed as a "trader" in that In 1881, Joseph Poirier's wife, year's census. Francois Arsenault died Barbe Arsenault, died after 36 in Bouctouche, New Brunswick, in years of sickness, but according to 1870 where he had been living for a ^Impartial, "she had always helped certain period of time. Apparently he [her husband] in his arduous career." Tignish was home to several busi- had no offspring. The same year, Poirier moved from nesses owned by Acadians. 25 in Cascumpec in gave two well-attended lectures: one 1828, but raised in on "home and civic economics ;,and the the Egmont Bay other on the "dignity and advantage area, Arsenault of being a farmer compared to other first attended the social standings, and how to attain local school and comfort and success." then continued During his visit to Egmont Bay, Miscouche. At Father Belcourt was struck by the 19 years of age; insecurity of many farmers who he embarked on were on the verge of losing their a teaching career farms to the "seigneur du voisinage7' which he pursued (the neighbourhood lord) - a thinly- for some 17 years. veiled reference to James Yeo, the Aside from taking a "Ledger Giant of Port Hill." In a letter leave after five years to French historian Edme Rameau in the classroom to de Saint-Pere of Paris, Belcourt qualify for a First writes: "He easily gives them credit from his store, he even advances them as much money as they need and of course mortgages their farms. At election time, he comes forth as a candidate, and woe to whoever refuses him his vote. He has already evicted a few Acadians whom he has An advertisement published 7 in the same paper in 1894 offers replaced by Protestants/ us a glimpse of this man's "It has been reported to me that approach to business: those lectures are undoubtedly having a positive impact/7 Belcourt CHEAP reported.