Acadia

For other places with the same name, see Acadia (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Arcadia.

Not to be confused with Acadiana.

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.

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

• 1 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. (updated May 2017)

• 2 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. (updated Jan 2019)
• 3 Acadian Historical Village of Nova Scotia (Village historique acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse), 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. (updated Jan 2019)
• 4 Acadian Museum of Quebec (Musée acadien du Québec). (updated Sep 2019)
• 5 Acadian House Museum. (updated Sep 2019)
• 6 Fortress of Louisbourg. reconstruction of French military fortress (updated Sep 2019)
• 7 La Grave historic site, La Grave, Havre-Aubert. The first community on the island began as a fisheries village where the fish was dried, salted and packed. It was largely deserted by the 1960s and many buildings were abandoned as economic activity shifted to Cap-aux-Meules. Preservation efforts began in the 1980s. The historic district was restored to house a collection of artisans, boutiques and a marina. The former general store is now the Café de la Grave. 
• 8 Musée historique du Madawaska. Here you can learn about the "Brayons" an inland sub-culture related to, but somewhat distinct from, coastal Acadians. (updated Sep 2019)
• 9 Acadian Landing & Tante Blanche Museum. (updated Sep 2019)
• 10 Acadian Village. open-air museum (updated Sep 2019)
• 11 Musée Culturel du Mont-Carmel. historic church building (updated Sep 2019)

Do

• 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 an exuberant concert of pots, spoons, musical instruments and horns. (updated Jan 2019)
• Sixth World Acadian Congress (Congrès mondial acadien), ☏ +1 506 859-2019. The 6th edition of the congress will mark the 25th anniversary of the event. The congress will take place in Prince Edward Island and southeastern New Brunswick from August 10 to 24, 2019. The aim of the Congress, which takes place every 5 years, is to strengthen the ties that unite Acadian communities, while demonstrating the modernity and reality of Acadian identity. The Congress is also an opportunity to welcome all those who are interested and who love Acadia. Family celebrations alone will attract tens of thousands of people throughout the event which is expected to receive around 100,000 participants. There will be shows, activities for young people, conferences, diverse cultural and artistic activities. (updated May 2019)
• Acadian Festival, Madawaska, Maine. A music festival that celebrated 150 years in 2019. Held in conjunction with the official Acadian Day (August 15) and the rest of the week (16, 17 & 18). (updated Sep 2019)
• Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie. (updated Sep 2019)

Go next

• Indigenous cultures of North America, for more cultural-themed areas in North American
• Acadiana, the region of Louisiana where Acadian culture also took root