Words by Nita Breibish // Photography by Nita Breibish
The Acadians; the French inhabitants of Acadia – now New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia were deported to various parts of the world by the British between 1755-1763 during Le Grand Dérangement. Families were torn from their homes, their land and many were split apart never to see each other again. While some were moved to British colonies, others were deported to England and France. Famously, many were moved to Louisiana where Acadian eventually became “Cajun” and represented their French roots and culturally unique identity in that region.
As in New Brunswick, there’s a pride in the Acadian folks. Grand Pré, whose lanscape has just been added as a UNESCO Heritage Site commemorates the deportation of the Acadians, and is famous for its depiction by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem, Evangeline.
