Abram Village - The small community of Abram-Village is getting set to host a gathering of thousands of Acadians from all over the world.
It was announced last week that the community would be the venue for the grand opening of the 2019 World Acadian Congress.
The official countdown clock to the event was also started.
The congress, which is held every four years, is being co-hosted in 2019 by Prince Edward Island and the communities along the southeastern shore of New Brunswick.
For the purposes of the event, the two areas are referring to themselves collectively as La Mer Rouge, a nod to the old Acadian name for the Northumberland Strait.
Claudette Theriault, who is from Abram-Village, is chairwoman of the 2019 organizing committee.
“It’s quite exciting for our community here on P.E.I., that we have the opportunity to participate in such a big project,” said Theriault.
She was part of the original bidding committee and is a retired public servant.
Organizing this kind of event is actually her area of expertise as her last position before retirement was as director of operations for Veterans Affairs in Europe, which made her responsible for all of Canada’s war memorials on that continent, including Vimy Ridge.
P.E.I. has entertained the idea of submitting a bid to host a world congress on its own, but the organizers could never come up with a model they thought could handle such a large project.
The partnership with New Brunswick made all the difference, said Theriault, as it opened up a much larger area to go after sponsorships, venues and volunteers.
Roger Gallant, chairman of Abram-Village, said this is big news for his community and even the whole region.
“It’ll be a party for sure,” said Gallant.
“It will be a big economic boost, not only for the Evangeline area, but even Summerside and the Island as a whole.”
The 2019 congress will be from Aug. 10 to 24.
The opening, family reunions and a party/ceremony to recognize the 135th anniversary of the Acadian flag, which was chosen during a gathering of Acadians in Miscouche, will be held on P.E.I. while Dieppe, Moncton and other New Brunswick communities will divide up the other festivities.
A full slate of events will be announced closer to the event.
Abram Village - The small community of Abram-Village is getting set to host a gathering of thousands of Acadians from all over the world.
It was announced last week that the community would be the venue for the grand opening of the 2019 World Acadian Congress.
The official countdown clock to the event was also started.
The congress, which is held every four years, is being co-hosted in 2019 by Prince Edward Island and the communities along the southeastern shore of New Brunswick.
For the purposes of the event, the two areas are referring to themselves collectively as La Mer Rouge, a nod to the old Acadian name for the Northumberland Strait.
Claudette Theriault, who is from Abram-Village, is chairwoman of the 2019 organizing committee.
“It’s quite exciting for our community here on P.E.I., that we have the opportunity to participate in such a big project,” said Theriault.
She was part of the original bidding committee and is a retired public servant.
Organizing this kind of event is actually her area of expertise as her last position before retirement was as director of operations for Veterans Affairs in Europe, which made her responsible for all of Canada’s war memorials on that continent, including Vimy Ridge.
P.E.I. has entertained the idea of submitting a bid to host a world congress on its own, but the organizers could never come up with a model they thought could handle such a large project.
The partnership with New Brunswick made all the difference, said Theriault, as it opened up a much larger area to go after sponsorships, venues and volunteers.
Roger Gallant, chairman of Abram-Village, said this is big news for his community and even the whole region.
“It’ll be a party for sure,” said Gallant.
“It will be a big economic boost, not only for the Evangeline area, but even Summerside and the Island as a whole.”
The 2019 congress will be from Aug. 10 to 24.
The opening, family reunions and a party/ceremony to recognize the 135th anniversary of the Acadian flag, which was chosen during a gathering of Acadians in Miscouche, will be held on P.E.I. while Dieppe, Moncton and other New Brunswick communities will divide up the other festivities.
A full slate of events will be announced closer to the event.
