Beaubears Island
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Miramichi, New Brunswick |
| Administration | |
| Additional information | |
| Official website | |
| Official name | Beaubears Island Shipbuilding National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 2001 |
| Official name | Boishébert National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1930 |
Beaubears Island is an island at the confluence of the Northwest Miramichi and Southwest Miramichi Rivers near Miramichi, New Brunswick. The island is most famous for being the site of an Acadian refugee camp during the French and Indian War. The camp was under the command of leader of the Acadian resistance to the expulsion, Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot.
The island is home to two National Historic Sites of Canada:
The shipbuilding site occupies the eastern end of the island; the Boishébert site comprises the rest of the island, and adjacent Wilson's Point. Both sites are administered by Parks Canada in collaboration with the Friends of Beaubears Island. The sites retain 200-year-old Eastern White Pines; thus the parks are significant from the perspectives of both human and natural history.
Prior to Acadian settlement in the region, the Mi'kmaq people camped on the island.
During the French and Indian War, Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot led the Acadian and Mi`kmaq resistance to the Expulsion of the Acadians. Toward this end, to help Acadians evade capture, Boishébert set up an Acadian refugee camp on the Island. The Camp was named Camp de l' Esperance. The camp lasted between 1756 - 1759.
After Louisbourg fell on 26 July 1758, French officer Boishébert withdrew, with the British in pursuit. Boishebert brought back a large number of Acadians from the region around Port-Toulouse (St. Peter's, Nova Scotia) to the security of his post at Beaubears Island on the Miramichi River.
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