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N.B. updates linguistic, cultural development policy

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The province is updating a policy aimed at fostering the linguistic and cultural vitality in the Acadian and francophone community.

It engages the francophone education system and partners through a social project based on educational success and identity-building.

Education Minister Claire Johnson said francophone education goes beyond teaching.

“Language and culture are at the heart of our students’ educational experience and make it unique,” she said in a statement.

Johnson said renewing the policy is a priority for her department, and it took place together with the development of the government’s new 12-year education plan.

“These two approaches are complementary,” she said.

“Together, they allow us to build a coherent vision for French-language education in New Brunswick.”

The original version of the policy covered 2014 to 2024.

Johnson said a review was needed due to demographic, technological, pedagogical and social changes.

Robert Gauvin, the minister responsible for La Francophonie, said the vitality of the French language and Acadian culture depends first on schools.

“With the Linguistic and Cultural Development Policy, we are engaging the education system and its partners around the same objective,” he said. “To promote the linguistic and cultural vitality of New Brunswick’s Acadian and francophone community.”

The policy has been updated after two years of consultations with nearly a thousand people and 120 organizations and institutions.

The updated policy will continue to focus on five areas of intervention:

  • the vitality of the education system
  • identity building
  • early childhood
  • educational success
  • partnership among learning environments, family and community

Mathieu Lang, the dean of the education faculty at Université de Moncton, said the project is in line with U de M’s vision of contributing to the transformation of Acadia and the Francophonie.

“In a context where the future of the French language in New Brunswick requires the mobilization of all, the policy is an essential road map to guide collective action,” Lang said.

Acadian flags

Campaign launched for Acadian flag emoji

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A campaign to create an Acadian flag emoji is gaining traction online, with tens of thousands already signing on in support.

Julian Robichaud, a filmmaker from New Brunswick, and fellow campaign organizer Alexis Belliveau launched the initiative after noticing Acadians often have to get creative when showing their pride online.

“Each year when we want to represent our Acadian pride, we’re always using different emojis to try and represent the flag,” said Robichaud. “Some people use bubbles with a star; some use the French flag with a star. We thought, why not try to get the Acadian flag represented among the official emojis?”

The pair recently released a short video on social media promoting the idea, and the response has exceeded expectations.

“It really blew up,” said Robichaud.

Supporters can add their names through the campaign website, emojiacadie.ca.

But collecting signatures is only the first step.

Robichaud said the campaign team is preparing a formal submission to the Unicode Consortium, the organization responsible for approving new emojis used across digital platforms.

“You’ve got to put your case together to explain why you deserve to have an emoji,” he said. “We feel Acadia has a unique situation that could help get it approved.”

In addition to public support, organizers are now seeking letters of endorsement from community groups, cultural organizations and institutions across the region.

“If you’re a community or cultural organization and you want to support it, we’d love to get a letter of support,” Robichaud said.

The group plans to spend the next three to four months gathering signatures and endorsements before submitting its application around the start of the new year.

“It can take a year or two to have an emoji approved,” said Robichaud. “We’re hoping maybe by 2028 or 2029 we could see it happen.”

Robichaud believes the campaign has resonated because it offers a modern way for younger generations to celebrate Acadian identity.

“It’s probably something our generation would think of,” he said. “I don’t think my granddad would have come up with an emoji campaign.”

At least one Moncton City councillor is throwing his support behind an Acadian flag emoji. Councillor Parul Richard spoke about it at this week’s council meeting.

“Like a proud Acadian, I fully support this initiative. We just celebrated Acadian National Day, and I think it’s a wonderful way to continue showcasing our culture, our history, our language, and our Acadian pride here in Moncton, New Brunswick, and around the world,” Councillor Richard said.

“An emoji may seem like a small symbol, but in our digital age, it is also a way of representing who we are and our belonging to Acadian culture.”

The initiative also coincides with heightened celebrations of Acadian culture surrounding National Acadian Day on Aug. 15.

“If you think it’s worth supporting, go on and sign,” he said. “You might have Acadian blood, you might have an Acadian neighbour, you might have kissed an Acadian. We don’t really care. We just want people who believe it’s a good idea to get behind it.”

Acadian flag

August marks Nova Scotia’s third official Acadian Heritage Month

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Nova Scotia is celebrating just its third official Acadian Heritage month throughout August.

According to the Directory of Federal Heritage, Aug. 15 was first chosen as National Acadian Day back in 1881. The province of Nova Scotia made the month official with a declaration in 2023, and first celebrated in 2024.

In a press release from the provincial government, they say the month is to honour more than four centuries of French language, culture and traditions in the province.

“Acadians are woven into the story of this province – in our homes, our communities and our daily lives,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie. ”This month is a chance to celebrate the meaningful accomplishments and recognize the lasting impact Acadians continue to have across Nova Scotia. Our government is proud to have launched Acadian Heritage Month. It’s one way of demonstrating the province’s commitment to recognizing the rich contributions of our Acadian communities.”

This year’s theme is “Building Connections, Celebrating our voices”, and aims to engage Acadians, francophones, francophiles and allies.

Events will be taking place across the province all months. Community members can expect workshops, concerts, culinary experiences, community gatherings and more.

The Festival Acadien de Clare claims to be the oldest Acadian festival in the world, and regularly brings thousands of people for two weeks of fun. They end their festivities on Aug. 15 with a Tintamarre, a traditional parade celebration making as much noise as possible.

A list of events across the province are available online.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc_CPAC_Screenshot

New funds support Acadian cultural site in New Brunswick

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A new Acadian cultural site is moving ahead in Saint‑Louis‑de‑Kent with a $750,000 contribution from all three levels of government.

The funding supports Place du Drapeau acadien, a planned public space built around a large Acadian flag and several cultural features.

The project includes the Acadian Odyssey Monument, an interpretation centre, an outdoor stage with a natural amphitheatre and new walking trails.

The historic Grenier building will also be moved and restored to serve as the main visitor centre.

Federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the project reflects the strength and legacy of Acadian communities.

“The Government of Canada is proud to invest in this project, which reflects the strength and lasting legacy of Acadian communities. By celebrating our shared Acadian heritage and creating an accessible space where our history and traditions can be passed on to future generations, this site will foster pride in our Acadian roots, strengthen community connections, and enrich the region’s cultural and tourism offerings,” LeBlanc said.

New Brunswick Agriculture Minister Pat Finnigan, speaking on behalf of the minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation, said the site will help preserve Acadian identity.

“Acadian culture is more than history in New Brunswick – it’s a huge part of what makes New Brunswick so unique and so strong. The Place du Drapeau acadien is a welcome addition to the community of Saint‑Louis‑de‑Kent, as it not only honours our Acadian roots, but helps preserve them for generations to come,” Finnigan said.

Beaurivage Mayor Danielle Dugas also thanked residents, donors and volunteers for their support, saying the project will create a gathering place that showcases Acadian pride.

Ottawa and New Brunswick are each contributing $300,000, while the Town of Beaurivage is providing $150,000 in locally raised funds.

The federal portion comes through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund, which the federal government describes as a national infrastructure program that supports housing, climate adaptation, community spaces, and long‑term economic growth.

Federal officials say the Build Communities Strong Fund will provide $51 billion for infrastructure projects across Canada over the next decade, with provinces, municipalities and private partners expected to add further funding.

They add that the federal funding remains conditional on meeting requirements such as Indigenous consultation and environmental assessments.

panels

New videos featured on ‘Acadian Shores Interpretive Tour’ through Clare, Argyle, Yarmouth

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A new way for tourists to experience Acadian history.

Seventy-eight video vignettes are now part of the Acadian Shores Interpretive Tour through Clare, Argyle and Yarmouth.

The videos can be accessed on your smartphone through interpretive panels at 38 heritage sites

Clare’s tourism manager Larry Peach says it was important to have this ready for tourism season.

“There are visitors that are actually going to most of the sites already. We’re slowing them down, that means they’re staying in our communities and spending money, which is a great thing to see,” said Peach.

Sites with the most views so far include Saint Bernard Church, the Acadian museum in Pubnico and the Grosses Coques cross.

“The cross is a new site we recently added, it’s got a significant amount of views. There is strong community interest already in this project.”

There are 18 sites in the Municipality of Argyle, 17 in the Municipality of Clare and three in the Town and Municipality of Yarmouth.

The videos were produced in both English and French, and can also be viewed online.

The panels were re-done ahead of the Congres Mondial Acadien in 2024.

Fricot Franco

Dieppe festival featuring food, fun and music

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The Fricot Franco Festival will be held from August 12 to 16 in downtown Dieppe.

The City of Dieppe created this community-building event to showcase Acadian culture, language and Acadian heritage through music, laughter and the arts.

The Fricot Franco Festival builds on Dieppe’s rich traditions while opening the door to new ways of experiencing and sharing La Francophonie.

“We’ve always known over the years to have one of the biggest August 15th celebrations. We kind of built on that. So we’ve got our August 15th celebration, but we also have more music that we’ll be adding throughout the week. We’re also adding a comedy night with local artists, and there’ll also be some circus acts on Sunday afternoon at Place 1604,” Director of Community Living Denis Leblanc told our newsroom.

Several acts to enjoy

Wednesday, August 12: Chris Belliveau and Jourdan Thibodeaux will perform at the Wednesday Show
Thursday, August 13: Comedy show featuring Lynn Solange, Line Woods and Anabelle Hebert, hosted by Rose Beef
Friday, August 14: Tina Gautreau, Radio Radio, Roland Gauvin, Tcheu Misère and Beauxmont will take place at Musiqu’ART
Saturday, August 15: The official National Acadian Day show, produced by the SNA, at the Musiqu’ART venue
Sunday, August 16: Vague de Cirque, Monsieur Crapeau and magician Rémi Boudreau will perform as part of family day.

“The Fricot Franco Festival is an opportunity to experience our culture fully over an extended period, to welcome artists from here and elsewhere, and to create lasting memories for our families and visitors,” Leblanc added.

The name Fricot Franco Festival hints at a food component. Leblanc explained they plan to work with local restaurants, but they’re still developing that concept, and it will be announced in May or June.

Thousands gather every year to celebrate

Leblanc added that their Quinze Août celebrations, combined with this festival, will offer proof that Acadians know how to party. “So our August 15th celebrations in the past years have had between 15,000 and 18,000, so we’re expecting the same for this year. August 15th is on a Saturday. So most people have that day off. So we’re expecting about that amount. Over the week, we’re expecting about another 5,000 to 10,000 people to participate in the other activities. It’ll be downtown. It’s accessible. Parking is plenty.”

While the festival has several musical acts from New Brunswick, there are also others. Leblanc explained that Acadians have strong links with Louisiana, so they have a couple from there, and from Quebec too. A full list of all of the acts can be found on the City of Dieppe website.

“Dieppe is a city that moves, sings and celebrates!” With the Fricot Franco Festival, we are taking a new step forward in our efforts to promote our culture. It’s an event that reflects who we are: festive, inclusive and proudly francophone. “I am convinced that this festival will become a must-attend event for the entire region,” said Mayor Yvon Lapierre.

Fricot Franco Festival PHOTO: CITY OF DIEPPE/SUBMITTED