A Dieppe high school and middle school are set to receive major upgrades with new government funding.
In a press release on Monday, the province announced that its investing $1.5 million for preliminary work on upgrades to expand, modernize, and extend the lifespan of conjoined high school and middle school Ecole Mathieu Martin and Ecole Carrefour de l’Acadie.
According to the release, this funding is part of 12 year, $78.2-million project that will begin with an assessment of the schools’ space needs
Michel Cote, chair of the Francophone Sud School District Education Council, said the announcement represents a long-awaited milestone for the Dieppe School community
“It reflects the vitality of our district and the importance of investing in infrastructure that matches the growth we are experiencing,” wrote Cote.
One possibility being considered for the project, according to the release, is the addition of more than 5,000 square metres, which could create more space for classrooms, multi-purpose and project areas, art and music rooms, resource rooms, computer and science labs, and gymnasiums.
Ecole Mathieu-Martin is one of the largest francophone schools in Atlantic Canada, with almost 1,500 students. The building that it shares with Ecole Carrefour de L’Acadie was constructed in 1971.
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
The Town of Riverview has released a notice of postponement for the Committee of the Whole Meeting that was scheduled to take place on Feb. 23, 2026, due to forecasted weather conditions. The meeting has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m.
The Naturology Centre in Moncton will be closing at 3 p.m. today due to the forecasted weather.
NBCC Moncton Campus will be closing at 5 p.m. due to inclement weather.
Codiac Transpo will begin closing at 6:15 p.m. due to the weather forecast. For route details, please refer to the Codiac Transpo Facebook page.
The New Brunswick RCMP have released a traffic advisory for Route 2 from Kingsclear to Moncton. Travel is not recommended.
Université de Moncton’s Moncton campus closed at 3 p.m. today. All activities scheduled for the rest of the day are cancelled.
The Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre is closed.
The Eugene (Gene) LeBlanc Arena in Memramcook will close at 7 p.m. today.
Dieppe will be celebrating winter activities this weekend with Winter Magic.
The weekend-long event will begin on Feb. 20 at Place 1604 for Fun on Ice, the launch of Winter Magic. There will be a special fire show performance by Geomatrix as well as a UV party with DJ Chris. The city will also offer free skate rentals, campfires, and classic winter treats.
The fun moves to Rotary St-Anselme Park for the remainder of the event, where on Feb. 21, there will be a plethora of activities such as snowshoeing, sleigh rides, fat bike rides, a magic show, live music, and a fireworks display.
Source: dieppe.ca
Return to Rotary St-Anselme Park on Feb. 22 for the final day of Winter Magic, where the Dieppe Rotary Club will be hosting a community brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $5 per child under 5 and $10 per adult.
A broadcast of the Olympic men’s hockey final will also start at 9 a.m.
A unique feature for the final day of Winter Magic is Llama-zing Adventures, where attendees can pet, feed, and interact with real llamas from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Snowshoeing, sleigh rides and a family relay race will also be available. For a full schedule with detailed times, please visit Dieppe’s Winter Magic page.
Information or surveillance footage is needed to assist in a reported shooting incident in Dieppe.
Codiac RCMP say it allegedly happened on Denys Street on January 28 between 12:30 and 1:30 am.
Officers were called to a reported drive-by shooting.
Police are asking anyone who lives in the area and has surveillance footage from the time of the incident, or who has information that could help further the investigation, to contact the Codiac Regional RCMP at 506-857-2400.
