Grand-Pré (Nova Scotia), July 2, 2008 – The Société Promotion Grand-Pré invites you to celebrate Acadian Days at Grand-Pré National Historic Site. They take place this year on Saturday, July 26th and Sunday, July 27th.

The great Fortress of Louisbourg fell to the British on July 26^th, 1758.  It is not by chance that the talks organized for Saturday, July 26^th at Grand-Pré will focus on the impact of that event on the thousands of Acadians who were living in Cape Breton (Isle Royale) and on Prince Edward Island (Isle Saint-Jean). Parks Canada historian John Johnston will start by putting the fall of Louisbourg in the context of other events in Atlantic Canada. He will be followed by the historian Earle Lockerby who will talk about the Deportation of the Acadians from Prince Edward Island. The well-known genealogist Stephen White will discuss the fate of some of the Acadians deported from Louisbourg.  The Island historian and folklorist Georges Arsenault will examine the case of some of his compatriots who survived the Deportation of 1758. 

The talks will start at 10:30am and finish at 5:00pm. Les Ami(e)s de Grand-Pré will be serving a light lunch on site around noon. Entrance to the National Historic Site is free for members of the public who are attending the talks. For further details on the talks and the guest lecturers, see: www.grand-pre.com.

The activities scheduled for Sunday the 27^th of July will start at 11 o’clock with a mass celebrated in French by Father Maurice LeBlanc. Musical accompaniment for the mass will be provided by the young violinist Iain Beaton. Throughout the afternoon, there will be activities for children, music, food, and display booths. This year, there will be two concerts in the big tent. The Acadian group Grou Tyme Gumbo from Halifax will perform traditional cajun music. They will be followed at 2 o’clock by Angèle Arsenault, the internationally renowned Acadian singer and song writer from Prince Edward Island.

Entrance to Grand-Pré National Historic Site is free for every one (except commercial groups) all day Sunday, July 27^th.  This is the ideal time to come and celebrate Acadian culture in a beautiful setting. For more details, go to www.grand-pre.com. 

If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Sally Ross

Marketing and Media Relations

Société Promotion Grand-Pré

medias@grand-pre.com                      

(902) 826-2981    

      

The Société Promotion Grand-Pré is a non-profit organization representing the Acadian community that collaborates with Parks Canada to ensure the development and integrity of Grand-Pré National Historic Site.