Special date celebrated
Congress celebrates Acadian flag, anthem and motto with ceremony in Miscouche
August 15th marked the 135th anniversary of the creation of the three symbols of the Acadian people – the flag, the anthem and the motto.
Aug. 15th marked the 135th anniversary of the creation of the three symbols of the Acadian people – their flag, anthem and motto.
With the Acadian World Congress (Congrès Mondial Acadian - CMA) stopping Wednesday in Miscouche, where the second Acadian national convention was held in 1884 and when the symbols were birthed, the Acadian people and Island officials celebrated.
New Brunswick resident Claudette Arsenault was overwhelmed with emotion listening to singer Andreinne Gallant’s performance of the anthem during the Aug. 14 ceremony.
“It was very touching, especially when she sang the Ave Maris (Stella) anthem, it gave me goosebumps. My (Acadian heritage) is very special to me. Years ago, you couldn’t even show the colours. And now you can display your pride. Seeing the English joining and participating, it warms my heart.”
Ola Cormier and Eddie Cormier are distant cousins who met for the first time in Miscouche. Ola was born in CapPelé N.B., while Eddie is from Abram-Village, P.E.I.
“Today is special because of the 135 years. It’s a good feeling to be here, and to show our Acadian pride,” said Ola.
Eddie said Acadian pride goes further back than just the celebrations of the Congress.
“It goes back to what happened here, the event when the Acadians at the time wanted to be united. We were spread around with the deportation, so now we are worldwide, this is a gathering of a lot of emotions. (Acadians) are a people and we are grateful to be able to come together.“
In the official ceremony, prominent members of P.E.I. and the Canadian governments spoke of the importance of the symbols and of Acadian heritage.
Premier Dennis King remarked about the French heritage in P.E.I. that’s lasted throughout the years.
“The vibrancy that makes this community and its people so special is in part of the historical markers (that represent them). The forefathers of this community have done a great service by ensuring that Acadians near and far can display their heritage and their pride.”
Claudette Thériault, president of CMA, reflected on the history of how the symbols came to be.
“Today, we celebrate a very significant event in our history. We chose one of our strongest symbols, the Acadian flag, along with our anthem. About 5,000 Acadians from the Maritime provinces attended the second Acadian national convention held right here within Miscouche in 1884. One hundred and thirty-five years later, the flag they chose is still the symbol of the people and is floating proudly, more than ever.”
Lt. Gov. of P.E.I., Antoinette Perry, recalled a time when the anthem wasn’t always sung in French.
“In 1984, we had a gathering about this size. The only difference was we sang the anthem completely in Latin. And today is like a gift, to be able to sing it in French, our mother tongue.”
Perry expressed her emotions about being able to raise the Acadian flag in Charlottetown, imagining her ancestors smiling at the gesture.
Federal Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie Mélanie Joly attended the ceremony and talked about what the historical event means, not only to the Maritimes, but to Canada.
“It is a great moment in our history. The history tells 135 years ago, the Acadians came together so they could fight for their language and political rights,” said Joly.
“And we see in that moment, they built their strong institutions, including this very important Congress. I wanted to celebrate with them in their pride and their strong reliance they’ve been able to show for centuries.“