Explore the birthplace of Acadian Culture with Parks Canada (2024)

Parks Canada protects, honours, and shares the rich history of the Acadian people through several protected places – enjoy your visit!

Mainland Nova Scotia | Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia | New Brunswick | Map | Parks Canada Discovery Pass

Mainland Nova Scotia

Explore the birthplace of Acadian Culture with Parks Canada (1)

Beaubassin and Fort Lawrence National Historic Sites

Discover two national historic sites, once home to the Mi’kmaq, Acadians, French, and British. Witness the legacy of a vibrant Acadian community, which became a crucial battleground in the 17th and 18th-century conflict between Britain and France.

Visitors are invited to admire the landscape where the remnants of the village of Beaubassin and Fort Lawrence are hidden below the surface.

Plan your visit to Beaubassin and Fort Lawrence National Historic Sites

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Grand-Pré National Historic Site

Located in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Grand-Pré is a profound memorial to the tragic upheaval and resilience of the Acadian people. It was the largest Acadian settlement before the Deportation of 1755-1763.

Captivating presentations, exhibits, and guided tours share the story of the Great Upheaval and thestrength of the Acadian people.

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Port-Royal National Historic Site

In 1604 French nobleman, Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons, established a settlement on Saint Croix Island – a colonizing venture that eventually led to a permanent French presence in Acadie. In 1605, following a difficult winter, the settlers moved to present day Port-Royal and built the Habitation –a reconstruction is what yousee today.

Meet the French settlers who lived and created alliances with the Mi’kmaw who helped them survive.

Plan your visit to Port-Royal National Historic Site

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Fort Anne National Historic Site

After the Habitation was destroyed by the English in 1613, the French returned in 1636 under the leadership of Charles de Menou d’Aulnay. The colonists set up homesteads on the land surrounding present-day Fort Anne. It was at this time the colonists started referring to themselves as Acadians.

Join a guided Acadian tour and see where the remains of the Acadian chapel and cemetery are believed to be located. Exhibits inside the Officers’ Quarters Museum provide a glimpse into Acadian life.

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Melanson Settlement National Historic Site

Acadian settlements prospered along the fertile Annapolis River, cultivating tidal marshlands reclaimed through an extensive system of dykes.

Wander thelandscape and take in the view.

Plan your visit to Melanson Settlement National Historic Site

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Fort Edward National Historic Site

Fort Edward Blockhouse played acentral role in the military struggles between the British, Acadians, and Mi’kmaw people. It also served as a prison and deportation centre for over 1,000 Acadians from nearby villages.

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Georges Island National Historic Site

Over 900 Acadians were imprisoned on the island, located in the centre of Halifax Harbour. Housed in two sheds, often exposed to the elements, many perished in the terrible conditions.

Hear one family’s story of their imprisonment as you view the Halifax waterfront.

Plan your visit to Georges Island National Historic Site

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Sable Island National Park Reserve

The Sable Island horses are believed to be descendants of animals introduced to the island in the 1700s. The generally accepted idea is that Boston minister Andrew LeMercier first introduced the horses to the island in 1737 and 1738.

Sometime after 1755, Boston ship owner Thomas Hancock shipped horses to Sable Island. The horses were from the deported Nova Scotian Acadians that he transported to New England colonies during the period known as the Great Upheaval.

Plan your visit to Sable Island National Park Reserve

Cape Breton Island

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Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Nestled along the coastline of northern Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Highlands National Park spans 950 square kilometers of rugged wilderness. The park reflects a deep connection between land, sea, and people, where diverse cultures have shared their histories.

Along its western coast, where Acadian communities have thrived for centuries, visitors can explore trails that meander through the Acadian Forest, see remnants of old Acadian homes, or participate in an Acadian interpretation program at the Mkwesaqtuk/Cap-Rouge campground.

Plan your visit to Cape Breton Highlands National Park

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Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site

During the18th century, Acadians were an integral part of Louisbourg's cosmopolitan society. Servants, fishers, artisans, merchants, and members of the elite played an active role in this bustling fishing port. Among the first Acadians to arrive in Louisbourg were women who married French officers from the Compagnies franches de la Marine, originally stationed in Acadia. Louisbourg is also the birthplace of Jeanne Dugas, a figure of national historic significance.

Today, the Fortress of Louisbourg is the largest historical re-enactment in North America, offering a multitude of activities for visitors to enjoy.

Plan your visit to Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site

New Brunswick

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Boishébert and Beaubears Island Shipbuilding National Historic Sites

Site of Acadian refuge established in the mid 1750s and important site for the shipbuilding industry in the early 19th century.

Learn about the stories of mi’kmaw culture, adventurous Voyageurs, Acadian courage and ambitious shipbuilding. Journey to a fascinating archaeological site in a scenic island setting along the meandering Miramichi River.

Plan your visit to Boishébert and Beaubears Island Shipbuilding National Historic Sites

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Monument Lefebvre National Historic Site

A symbol of contemporary Acadie, this historic monument commemorates Father Camille Lefebvre and his initiative to create the first French language, degree-granting college in Atlantic Canada.

Experience the triumphs of the Acadians through artefacts, film, performances, a cultural café and the permanent exhibit.

Plan your visit to Monument Lefebvre National Historic Site

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Kouchibouguac National Park

Discover a national park on New Brunswick’s Acadian Coast where lush Acadian forests lead to colorful salt marshes and warm ocean beaches. Twenty-five kilometers of golden sand dunes create sheltered estuaries and calm waters for all to enjoy. At night, this Dark Sky Preserve is a celestial masterpiece and each of these natural wonders intertwines with fascinating Mi’kmaq , Acadian, and other settlers’ cultures.

Plan your visit to Kouchibouguac National Park

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Fort Beauséjour – Fort Cumberland National Historic Site

The fort of Beauséjour played a crucial role in the rivalry between France and Britain in North America. It was in 1755 at this strategic spot on the Isthmus of Chignecto that the tragic events of the Deportation began to unfold.

Discover a star-shaped fort, with fascinating exhibits and artifacts, and visit the site's spectral remains, barracks and ramparts.

Plan your visit to Fort Beauséjour – Fort Cumberland National Historic Site

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Revealing Chignecto: The Stories Within

Parks Canada’s exhibit, “Revealing Chignecto: The Stories Within,” looks deeply at the history of this region and focuses on its archaeology: vestiges that represent millennia of Mi’kmaw communities, Acadian villages, and 18th-century forts. Memories live here, across Chignecto’s lands and waters.

Plan your visit to "Revealing Chignecto: The Stories Within"

Explore the birthplace of Acadian Culture with Parks Canada (2024)

FAQs

What is the Acadian culture in Canada? ›

Over decades, the Acadians evolved a French-speaking North American culture distinct from the European cultures left generations in the past. Living in an area called La Cadie, they became known as Acadians. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Britain and France vied for political control of Northeast North America.

What did the Acadians do to become a significant group in Canada's history? ›

In the 1950s, Acadians started to make an impact at many levels on the economy, the politics, and the culture of the Maritime Provinces. By preserving their values and culture at home, they were able to develop a French education system (mainly in New Brunswick).

Where would you find Acadians in present day Canada? ›

There are at least 500,000 Acadians living in the country, the majority of them residing in Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. There are also Acadians and French Canadians living south of the border, in Maine.

Where did the Acadians originally come from? ›

The Acadian story begins in France; the people who would become the Cajuns came primarily from the rural areas of the Vendee region of western France. In 1604, they began settling in Acadie, now Nova Scotia, where they prospered as farmers and fishers.

What is the cultural identity of Acadians? ›

Like many other Americans with rural roots, Maine Acadians' cultural identity is directly tied to retaining connections to family, religion, and land. Association with the French language, in particular "Valley French," is another prominent feature of Maine Acadian identity.

What is the Acadian language in Canada? ›

Acadian French
Native toCanada, United States
RegionNew Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire
Native speakers(370,000 cited 1996, 2006)
Language familyIndo-European Italic Latino-Faliscan Romance Italo-Western Western Romance Gallo-Romance Oïl French Acadian French
15 more rows

What are some interesting facts about the Acadians? ›

Two of the most dominating traits of the Acadians was their faith and their language. Despite deportation, their devotion to their Catholic culture and their French origins remained with them. Their national symbols were fashioned around their submission to the papacy and Virgin Mary.

What is traditional Acadian food? ›

Acadian cuisine often features fish and seafood, especially cod and Atlantic herring, but also mackerel, berlicoco, lobster, crab, salmon, mussels, trout, clams, flounder, smelt and scallops. Most fish is consumed fresh, but some are boucané (smoked), marinated or salted.

Are all Acadians related? ›

Some ethnic diversity existed among the Acadians (a few were of English, Scottish, Irish, Spanish, Basque, and even American Indian origin). Those of French origin, however, dominated the cultural landscape.

What are Acadians called today? ›

The Acadians, now referred to as “Cajuns”, were French colonist who, in the early 1600s, settled and prospered in “Acadie” (Acadia) in what is today known as Nova Scotia, Canada, located in southeast Canada. The Acadians lived under British rule after the British Conquest of Acadia in the year 1710.

Why did Acadians leave Canada? ›

Having been under British rule since 1713, the Acadians were removed by authorities at the outset of the French and Indian War because of their refusal to take an unqualified oath of allegiance to the British crown.

What religion do Acadians practice? ›

The Acadians brought with them the traditions of the Catholic faith. The Church played an important role in their lives, with a sphere of influence stretching well beyond religious matters. The records kept by the Roman Catholic priests in the region, and in particular the richly detailed records of Rev. Fr.

What is the Acadian culture? ›

Most Acadians in Canada continue to live in majority French-speaking communities, notably those in New Brunswick where Acadians and Francophones are granted autonomy in areas such as education and health. In some cases Acadians intermarried with Indigenous Peoples, in particular, the Mi'kmaq.

What does being Acadian mean? ›

The Acadians (French: Acadiens) are the descendants of 17th and 18th century French settlers in parts of Acadia (French: Acadie) in the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the Gaspé peninsula in eastern ...

What are the genetic diseases of the Acadians? ›

The Acadian population presents a higher than normal frequency of some rare genetic disorders, such as Friedreich ataxia, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Alström syndrome, Usher syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, Niemann-Pick disease, and other genetic syndromes.

What are the most common Acadian last names? ›

Predominant family names include Amirault, Babin, Belliveau, Boudreau, Bourque, Clairmont, Corporon, d'Entremont, Doucet/Doucette, Duon (now d'Eon), Frontain, Hinard, LeBlanc, Mius (Muise/Meuse), Pottier and Surette.

Are Acadians and cajuns the same? ›

Acadians are the ancestors of present-day Cajuns.

What makes a person Acadian? ›

The Acadians (French: Acadiens) are the descendants of 17th and 18th century French settlers in parts of Acadia (French: Acadie) in the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the Gaspé peninsula in eastern ...

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