A4

Matt McCann
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

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They were founded four years apart and four centuries later they're coming together for a third time.

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Delegates from the Village Historique Acadien in Caraquet parade through Old Quebec in 2007 dressed in traditional costumes as part of the New France Festival. This year will be the third time New Brunswick has sent Acadian representatives to the festival.

As part of the goal to preserve and promote Acadian history and culture, a delegation representing three different organizations will travel to the 12th annual New France Festival being held Aug. 5 to 10 in the Old Quebec quarter of Quebec City.

"It's important because there's a strong connection between l'Acadie and Quebec, both being francophone in this country," said Myriam Leger, a spokeswoman for the Village Historique Acadien in Caraquet, one of the organizations sending representatives. "So we create an Acadian presence over there during the festival."

Old Quebec is an area saturated with 17th century French culture, and the Acadian contingent from the village historique is planning to capitalize on the historical goldmine.

The Caraquet attraction is a living museum where the everyday lives of Acadians are shown in a historical context. Leger said she wants to bring that feeling to Quebec.

"For me it's important to go there and keep alive the Acadian traditions," she said.

Dressed in period costumes, New Brunswick artisans will be demonstrating traditional trades such as broom making, flax spinning and straw hat making. A local fisherman will also be chatting with people about what it's like fishing in l'Acadie.

"We go there, we promote l'Acadie in general, but we also promote tourism to New Brunswick and to the Acadian coast," Leger said. "In old Quebec City, there are lots of locals from Quebec, but there are tons of visitors from around the world that are there."

Three years ago, the village historique signed an agreement with the Societe Nationale de l'Acadie and the 2009 World Acadian Congress to represent l'Acadie at the festival, after the Atlantic representative from Quebec suggested the festival would be a good fit for their organization.

This year, the festival coincides with the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City, which Leger pointed out is also the 404th anniversary of the founding of l'Acadie.

"There's not an official historical tie, but l'Acadie was founded before Quebec - in 1604 - and Quebec was in 1608. So there's a very strong tie with the first French settlers coming to Canada to colonize," she said.

There are about 1.5 million people of Acadian descent living in Quebec and, with the Acadian representatives, the festival now reflects the major meeting of the two founding peoples of North America's francophonie, and is working towards developing and maintaining ties of solidarity between the two groups.

But it's not all about history.

Jacques Lanteigne, administrative director of the World Acadian Congress, said the festival is an excellent opportunity to educate people at the festival about modern Acadian culture and to promote tourism in New Brunswick.

"We're respectful of our heritage," he said, "and we tell people if they visit New Brunswick, and the Acadian Peninsula, they'll find much to their liking."

He also pointed out that the 2009 World Acadian Congress will be hosted by New Brunswick and said the festival will help promote the event.

"We want to light up a sign in the mind of people that New Brunswick isn't that far, and the Congress is a special event," he said.