There‘s lots of history related to les Anglais et les Francais here on PEl, and it's important that they know the trials and the tribulations that different peoples faced throughout time, and it's not to say one culture (lndistinct). There were wars in differenttimes againstthe English and the French, and we can learn so much through history. But l always read the poem by Henry Longfellow, the Gabriel-Evangeline poem, and it’s a wonderful poem t0 really tell the true story of whatthe Acadians went through, and their loved ones. Where Gabriel and Evangeline, they're t0 be married, and Gabriel is put on a ship with his father. They're separated and then (lndistinct) adulthood and then to old age, Gabriel and Evangeline find each other, and Gabriel is on his deathbed, and Evangeline finds him.

That’s really a story to be told because that happened to many familles. Many of them went to Louisiana or back t0 France when they were deported, but for those families or those individuals that had the courage thatthey stayed, they hid in the woods and from the British, and that is why today, we still have those names like Arsenault, like Gallant and Doiron, and there’s a story to be told. lt's very important that it's told on Prince Edward lsland, and a resolution such as this supports recognizing a culture, a language, that is very integral to PEI and

to the future 0l Prince Edward lsland, and lthank the hon. members for bringing lt lorward, and lwill support it.

Merci, Monsieur le président. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Speaker: The hon. Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs.

Mr. MacFadyen: Mr. Speaker, as Minister Responsible for Acadian and Francophone Alfairs here in the province, l'm honoured to rise in the House to respond to this important resolution recognizing the 250‘" anniversary of the deportation 0l the Acadiens.

This commemoration is lilled with both sadness and hope as we look beck on

the deportation as one 0l the most tragic avants in Acadian history and look lorward t0 the bright future that lies ahead for the

2008

descendants of the very first French settlers in North America.

These early settlers were infused with courage, perseverance and pride. They came to what is known as the Maritimes and over time, after many hardships, they built a self-sustaining and prosperous colony that made the area a frequent target of conflict betvveen the English and the French. Those who settled here on the lsland forged strong ties with the Mi'kmaq. Together, they played a significant role in the development of Prince Edward lsland. Thinking in today's terms, the uprooting

of the Acadian people would not have been tolerated. There would have been

an international outcry at the unequivocal nature ofthe deportation order. No one would have stood by as an entire people and their way of life was being eradicated.

We cannot begin t0 imagine the suffering the familles endured as they were separated, neverto meet again. In this House of debate, we pause today and reflect on the deportation, a horrific event during which thousands of Acadian men, women and children were forcefully expelled from the only home and the only country they ever knew.

Now, back in the year 2000 our government introduced the French Language Services Act, and lthink the commitment ofthe people of Prince Edward lsland to the Acadian and Francophone community based on this legislation speaks volumes forthe province. l know that as minister

we have worked in conjunction with the Canadian Heritage Minister - Minister Frulla - in the Iast government, and we have been able to secure funding that will help the Acadian communities throughoutthe province.

They have a vision planned for the six communities across the province. We have an advisory committee in this province that works in consultation with the community. We have coordinators in all the government departments that work in promoting the French Language Services Act, and we want to insure the people in the Acadian and Francophone community that our government is committed to the outline that's in the resolution.

lbelieve when l look et the be it therefore

LA PETITE SOUVENANCE

clauses in regards to: "Therefore be it resolved that the members of this Assembly, and indeed all lslanders, join together

this year in commemoration ofthe 250‘h anniversary ofthe Great Upheaval.

"And therefore be it further resolved that the government of Prince Edward lsland remain committed to promoting and preserving the rich historical and cultural heritage of the Acadians."

lbelieve that the Acadian and Francophone community understands the direction that government is going, and they know that we do support their direction, and l’m honoured to stand in the Legislature as Minister Responsible for Acadian and Francophone Affairs t0 supportthis resolution.

Thank you very much. Some Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Speaker: The hon. Minister of Transportation and Public Works.

Ms. Shea: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

L'événement le plus (lndistinct) de l’histoire des Acadiens etAcadiennes est sûrement l’expulsion massive des habitants des terres qu’ils occupaient et qui forment aujourd’hui la Nouvelle-Écosse, le Nouveau-Brunswick et /'Î/e-du-Prince-Édouard.

Ce Grand dérangement fut (lndistinct) tragique d 'une longue période autour de laque/le les Acadiens se sont trouvés régulièrement au coeur des conflits entre les Britanniques et les Français pour la possession de I’Amérique du Nord.

The most (lndistinct) event in Acadian history is (lndistinct) the massive expulsion of (lndistinct) the land they occupied, which is today Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward lsland.

This Great Upheaval was the outcome of a tragic, long period around which the Acadians regularly found themselves at the heart of conflicts between the British and France for the possession ot North America.

For more than a century the Acadians were able to maintain their self-contained lifestyle along with the Mi'kmaq, enjoying large familles and peaceful communities strengthened by a devotion to their iaith. Family ties and the Catholic religion

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