Lecture focuses on Island Acadians who escaped

History buffs are invited to attend a lecture by Ronnie-Gilles LeBlanc at the Acadian Museum of P.E.I. on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2 p.m.

The lecture titled “Les Acadiens de I‘Île-Saint-Jean et les billets d’ Acadie, 1755 – 1760” will examine thousands of documents recently discovered in the French archives that shed a new light on the Acadians who avoided the deportation by taking refuge in the refugee camps at the Miramichi and Restigouche rivers. Among those are the ancestors of most of the Acadians who currently reside in Prince Edward Island.

The documents show that some Acadians here, mainly Arsenaults and Gallants, owners of small schooners, were hired by the French authorities to transport refugees to the mainland. They also provide information on the daily life in the refugee camps.

“We learn that families survived by chewing beaver pelts. In 1760, Quebec City fell, no one could be counted on to supply the Acadian refugees. This was a troubling time in our history,” said LeBlanc.

LeBlanc, who is from Cap-Pelé, holds a doctorate degree in history from Université Laval. He first worked as an archivist at the Centre d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chaisson, then as a historian at Parks Canada. Retired in 2012, he continues to conduct research on the 18th and 19th century Acadie.

The lecture, to be delivered in French, is sponsored by the Sister Antoinette Des Roches Historical Committee. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

For more information, contact Georges Arsenault at: 902-5665067