Spotlight on our Heritage #9: The Acadian Renaissance - Auguste Renaud

Auguste Renaud
(Libraries & Archives Canada)

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the ninth in a series of features prepared for Heritage Week 2017 (February 13 – 20), entitled Spotlight on our Heritage. The blog series celebrates 150 years of history, and reflects upon New Brunswick’s role in Confederation. 

Auguste Renaud 

Born in Bordeaux, France, Auguste Renaud and his family moved to Bouctouche in the mid-19th century. Renaud became a farmer and married Cécile Léger in 1862.

Auguste Renaud represented Kent County in the first Canadian Parliament in 1867. He was voted in as a Liberal representative on September 20th. Renaud was the first francophone from the Maritimes to get a seat in Parliament.

Renaud ran again in 1872 and lost to Robert Barry Cutler. He was again defeated in 1874 and retired from politics to work as the Deputy Collector of In-Land Revenue in Bouctouche. He died in 1897 and was buried in “Fond-de-la-Baie”.