Acadian Roots

Chris' heritage is Acadian, so during our recent trip to northern Maine and the Atlantic Provinces of Canada we visited several Acadian sites, consumed some Acadian food and enjoyed some Acadian entertainment.

Located just north west of the town of Van Buren, Maine on Route 1 is the Acadian Village. It consists of more than a dozen buildings in traditional style, including , square-hewn houses (above), a grist mill(below), a barn and a school house. The village, under the direction of Anne Roy, was one of the sites for the 2011 Violette Family Reunion. The grist mill was donated to the village by Dick Violette.

We had ployes and creton at the Acadian Village. At the Acadian Co-op restaurant in Cheticamp, NS, we had meat pie.

Louisbourg was the Ellis Island for French immigrants to Canada. Chris' great, great, great, great, great grandfather; Charles Violet passed through the Louisbourg gates as he moved his wife Marie David, stepson Alexis Hilaret and son Francois from France to Nova Scotia.

On September 5, 1755 the eight year deportation of the Acadian population of Nova Scotia began at Grand-Pre. The Memorial Church at this site lists the names of those deported from Grand-Pre and surrounding villages.

On three separate occasions, we enjoyed the sounds of Acadian entertainment. On Friday night of the the Violette Family Reunion we marveled at the singing of 16 year old Melanie Saucier, followed Saturday night by Don Levecque. In Cheticamp we listened to another Acadian group and watched a young man dance to their music.