GOVERNMENT MOTIONS

Speaker: The hon. Provincial Treasurer.

Mr. Murphy: Mr. Speaker, l move, seconded by the Honourable Government House Leader, that Motion No. 11 be new read.

Speaker: Shail it carry? Some Hon. Members: Carried. Clerk: Motion No. 11.

The Honourable Premier moves, seconded bythe Honourable Member for Evangeline— Miscouche, the following Motion:

WHEREAS during the 17'h century settlers came from different parts of France t0 a region of the New World they called l’Acadie, now known as the Canadian Maritimes and the eastern portion of Maine;

AND WHEREAS for more than a century, the Acadians were able to maintain their self-contained litestyle, enioying

large families and peaceful communities, strengthened by a devotion to their faith;

AND WHEREAS the development ol

an Acadian colony soon met with political interference, with subsequent territorial wars being waged over several decades by France and England;

AND WHEREAS under the orders and plan of the Lieutenant General, Governor Lawrenca of Nova Scotia, following the decree ofthe King ot England, the British Council at Halifax unanimously decided to deportthe Acadiens;

AND WHEREAS the Deportation order began with a proclamation issuad at 3 pm on Saptember 5, 1755 at the Catholic Church in Grand Pre;

AND WHEREAS sadness and misery characterized this infamous Deportation,

2008

ASSEMBLÉE LEGISLATIVE DE L’ÎLE-DU-PRINCE-ÉDOUARD TROISIÈME SESSION DE LA SOIXANTE-DEUXIÈME ASSEMBLÉE GÉNÉRALE

PRÉSIDENTE : L’HON. GREG DEIGHAN

known as The Great Upheaval, which continued unabated over a period of eight years from 1755 to 1763;

AND WHEREAS approximater 11,000 Acadians were deported from the Maritimes;

AND WHEREAS although some were sent to France and England, most Acadians wound up scattered through the American colonies;

AND WHEREAS following the Treaty

of Paris in 1763, Acadians were given permission t0 return to the Maritime provinces, provided they pledged allegiance to the British Crown and remained in small isolated groups;

AND WHEREAS Acadians today comprise nearly one-third of the Island's population, forming a vibrant and dynamic presence on the economic, political, artistic and cultural scenes;

AND WHEREAS in 2002, the Acadians of Prince Edward lsland welcomed the proclamation of the provincial government’s French Language Services Actthat guarantees, among other things, judicial services in French;

AND WHEREAS preservation of the Acadian language and culture has been one ofthe most effective tools t0 ensure the future of the Acadian people;

THEREFORE BE 1T RESOLVED that the members of this Assembly, and indeed all lslanders, ioin together this year in commemoration of the 250‘“ anniversary ol the Great Upheaval;

AND THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the government oi Prince Edward Island remain committed to promoting and preserving the rich historical and cultural heritage ot the Acadians.

LA PETITE SOUVENANCE

Motion 11 eu égard à la Déportation des Acadiens de l’Acadie (péninsule de la Nouvelle-Écosse) Proposée par l’hon. Patrick Binns, premier ministre de l’Ile-du-Prince-Edouard Appuyée par le député Wilfred Arsenault, Evangéline-Miscouche Adoptée unanimement le jeudi 15 décembre 2005 / Hansard : pages 1120-1130

Speaker: The hon. Premierto move the motion.

Premier Binns: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Merci, Monsieur le président.

I'm very honoured this afternoon t0 respond t0 this important resolution recognizing

the 250‘“ anniversary of the deportation

of the Acadians, and today we pause t0 commemorate one ofthe mosttragic events in Canadian history, certainly in Maritime history, la déportation des Acadiens qui a commencé en 7755 est un de ces chapitres de l’histoire du Canada et des Maritimes qui est impossible d'oublier ou de justifier. The deportation of Acadians that began in 1755 is one of those chapters ofthe history ofthis country and ofthe Maritimes that is impossible to forget or justify.

It's very ironic that last year we were celebrating the 400‘h anniversary of

the founding of Acadie and the French presence in the New World, and this year we highlightthe tragic deportation of thousands of Canada's original settlers.

For many years, and with the support and friendship ofthe Mi’kmaq, early French settlers that came to the Maritimes and t0 Prince Edward Island lived in relative peace through, though in difficult conditions, as they learned to acclimatize t0 the harsh environment and to the land.

lthink had it not been forthe Mi'kmaq people that we recognized in this Chamber earlier this session the French settlers would not have had properfood and clothing and shelter and access to transportation systems and the very things they needed to survive in those early years. But the deportation itself was really a needless decision by an insensitive government on another continent, an

act that literally destroyed familles and

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