HALIFAX — More than four centuries of Acadian culture is being celebrated in Nova Scotia with the province’s first Acadian Heritage Month.
The provincial government proclaimed last year that the celebration would be held every August, and the first month of festivities opened Thursday with a ceremonial raising of the Acadian flag at the legislature.
Premier Tim Houston and Arthur LeBlanc, the province’s first lieutenant-governor of Acadian descent, were on hand for the ceremony.
“It is time for us to share our culture, traditions and stories with pride and enthusiasm,” LeBlanc said in an official address.
The month will see concerts and other gatherings in Acadian communities across the province. The highlight is the World Acadian Congress, which will be held in communities in southwestern Nova Scotia from Aug. 10-18.
Held every five years, the world congress is the largest gathering of people of Acadian ancestry in the world. The event, which draws thousands of people, was last held in Nova Scotia in 2004.
Denise Comeau Desautels, president of Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse, said in an interview that she’s proud that the province is recognizing its Acadian population.
Comeau Desautels said she believes there has been a resurgence of Acadian culture in Nova Scotia in recent years and a gradual growth in the French language.
“We would like to see more services in French, that’s important to us, but we do have 22 French schools in Nova Scotia, and people are surprised by that, so our children and grandchildren are studying in French in Nova Scotia,” she said.
Comeau Desautels, who is from Clare, N.S., pointed out that she travelled to Yarmouth, N.S., on Wednesday and was served in French in three of the stores she went to.
“So you see, there are a lot more people who are not afraid to speak French, so for me it’s very important that if I go somewhere that I’m served in Acadian (French),” she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2024.
The Canadian Press
