In 1844, people who had leprosy in New Brunswick were sent to Sheldrake Island to keep them isolated from the rest of the population. Most of those infected were Acadian.
This little-known story, called Leprosy on Sheldrake Island, is one of four in a new set of lesson plans and historical documents created to foster critical thinking. Called Teaching Lost Stories / Enseigner les histoires retrouvées, the project encourages teachers and students to consider why some stories from Canada’s past have been commemorated through monuments and historical markers, while other stories have been forgotten or ignored.
Some believe that leprosy first came to northeastern New Brunswick, where Sheldrake Island is located, when shipwrecked sailors infected with the disease mingled with Acadians seeking refuge from deportation.
New Brunswick’s first confirmed victim of leprosy was Ursule Landry who died in 1828, but how she contracted the disease is unknown. One theory is she was infected by her cousin who was a sailor, who had been in contact with men suffering from leprosy.
By the 1840s, the disease had spread significantly, leading public officials to panic out of fear.
During the Sheldrake Island period, there were public figures who came to believe that leprosy was an inherited illness that affected Acadian people due to their close family structures and overlapping bloodlines.
Not every victim of leprosy in New Brunswick, however, was Acadian. Non-Acadians were also affected.
The backgrounder on Leprosy on Sheldrake Island is a useful primer for anyone descended from Acadians living in New Brunswick in the early to mid-1800s, and it’s also a good read for those interested in history.
A 25-minute video about Sheldrake Lake, with English sub-titles, is available on the website and can be found by scrolling up from the lesson plan.
The three other stories in the collection are about Inuit history, deaf education, and Chinese immigration and the White Women’s Labour Law in Saskatchewan.
One of the project’s goals is to help students reflect on why a story might have been lost and how it was found.
The lesson plans are aimed at students in grades seven to ten.