Established in 1800
First church built in 1859
First parish priest appointed in 1884

The town of Shediac has always been considered the crossroads of southeastern New Brunswick because, from the very beginning of settlement, Indigenous peoples used the river of the same name to portage between the Northumberland Strait and the Bay of Fundy.
From the beginning of European settlement, Shediac was an important seaport for the transport of goods and passengers to the West Indies and Europe. In the mid-19th century, one of the first railway lines departed from here, heading to Saint John, New Brunswick. The first ferries connecting Prince Edward Island to the rest of the country were also based here.
The Shediac area was known as a place for processing raw materials, but it truly excelled as a commercial centre, with potato farming and the forestry industry.
The parish of Saint Joseph of Shediac was established in 1800. The first Catholic chapel was built in 1859. It was replaced by the first church in 1872. However, the first resident priest, Father Antoine Ouellet, did not arrive until 1884. Three years later, with the help of the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception of Saint John, New Brunswick, he had the convent built. Sainte-Anne.
While Shediac was known for its beautiful beaches, there was more to entertain the population. In both summer and winter, cultural, musical, social, and sporting activities were organized to amuse and delight residents and visitors alike.
In 1949, the town of Shediac held its first Lobster Festival, an event that continues to this day, usually in July.
In 2003, Shediac celebrated two important anniversaries: a bicentennial and a centennial. The first was the bicentennial of the arrival of the first inhabitants within the current town limits. The second was the centennial of its incorporation, proclaimed on January 7, 1903, by L. J. Tweedie, then Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick. Shediac's first mayor was Dr. Lucien J. Belliveau.