Acadia
Acadia (French: Acadie) is a historical term generally understood to comprise all of the land in Canada east of Quebec that was held by France in the 17th and early 18th centuries; that is to say, the modern-day Maritime Provinces as well as roughly the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. state of Maine, which is where you'll find Acadia National Park.
- For other places with the same name, see Acadia (disambiguation).
- Not to be confused with Arcadia.
- Not to be confused with Acadiana.
Though most of the French-speaking Catholic colonists were expelled from Acadia after the British conquest in 1713 (many of them fled to Louisiana, where their descendants are now known as Cajuns), the distinct Acadian culture and dialect is still present in many parts of the Maritimes, especially the northern and eastern portions of New Brunswick, which are still majority-Francophone. Smaller Acadian communities also exist in Nova Scotia (the area around St. Mary's Bay as well as northwestern Cape Breton Island), Prince Edward Island (the so-called "Evangeline Region" just west of Summerside, named for a mythical Acadian folk heroine), and Quebec (the shore of Chaleur Bay and the Îles de la Madeleine).
See
- Moncton Acadian Museum, Pavillon Clément-Cormier, 405 avenue de l’Université, Moncton (at the Université de Moncton). 35,000 objects and photographs representing all aspects of Acadian life. The permanent exhibition gives visitors a glimpse into the history of the Acadians and the daily life of the Acadians of the past through a range of objects on display. The temporary exhibition room offers travelling exhibitions from different museums and exhibitions from the collection of museum.
- National Acadian Day (Fête nationale de l'Acadie). The National Acadian Day is observed in Canada each year on August 15, to celebrate Acadian culture. Parades, concerts, music, and activities in small and large Acadian communities, including the inevitable tintamarre, a joyous procession during which Acadians show their pride and good humour under a sea of flags in a exuberant concert of pots, spoons, musical instruments and horns.
- Acadian Museum of Prince Edward Island (Le Musée acadien de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard), 23 Main Drive East, Highway 2, Miscouche, PEI (80 km west of Charlottetown, and 8 km west of Summerside). Photographs, storyboards and a 15-min film that explain the history of Acadians in PEI.
- Acadian Historical Village of Nova Scotia (Le village historique acadien), 91 Old Church Road, Pubnico-West-le-Bas, Nova Scotia (30 min from Yarmouth). Pubnico is the oldest Acadian settlement where today's inhabitants are the direct descendants of early settlers. The historical village presents the story of Acadians in Nova Scotia.