Island family drawing attention to Acadian involvement in Second World War
CBC
Names like Gallant, Haché and Blacquiere appear on headstones, lit up in blue to symbolize their Acadian heritage.
But these graves aren't in the Acadie region. They're in the Normandy region of northern France, where Acadian people's contributions to the Second World War were recognized this past summer during the annual Semaine Acadienne, or Acadian Week.
"This year it was a 10-day event. That's really a celebration and a commemoration of Acadians that went over during World War II," said Karine Gallant, who travelled to Normandy with her family in August 2024 for the annual event.
Six members of the Gallant-MacInnes family made the trip after being invited to perform during Acadian Week, and say the trip opened their eyes to just how many francophones from Atlantic Canada participated in the war effort.
"We saw so many Canadian flags," said Gallant. "But particularly for that week, the city and all the villages around were plastered in Acadian flags."
While 2024 marked the 80th anniversary of events such as D-Day, La Semaine Acadienne is now in its 19th year.
"The organizer… noticed that there was a lot of events for Canadian soldiers, American soldiers and so on, and not really a recognition of the Acadian experience," Gallant said.
Just after the war, there were many Acadian people living in the Normandy region. And while there are far fewer today, Gallant says it was still an eye-opening experience.
"After 80 years, you can imagine the numbers are a bit smaller now for those that can participate," she said. "But we were still honoured to meet some people that had witnessed World War II."
Gallant says it's unclear exactly how many Acadians served in the war.
"It's a very hard statistic to have because you know, stating someone's Acadian, it's an identity as well as so many other things," she explained. "And even if the person has the family name, they might not have identified [as Acadian], right?"
Gallant says the trip taught her family more about something important to their heritage.
"Their area in Normandy had a lot of experiences with Acadians and a lot of ties were sort of still there in the memories of people that were there at the time," she said.
"I think my father said it best... that was the biggest amount of Acadian flags he's ever seen along a shoreline."
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.
The multi-million-dollar deal at the heart of a high-profile fight between the Canadian government and one of the world’s biggest carmakers contains multiple clauses about the company’s footprint in Ontario, according to a copy obtained by CBC Windsor.
In recent months, Calgary police have carried out three day-long safety blitzes, parading out dozens of officers to flood an area with their increased presence — at least, temporarily.
A national organization is seeking people with experience in Canada's forestry sector as they put together a working group that will examine ways to improve forest recovery following wildfires.
Ella Heyder is bracing for a breakup, even though she already moved out decades ago.
Shawne Hopkins never saw it coming.
Politicians return to Queen’s Park Monday for a shortened spring session, as Premier Doug Ford prepares to unveil his eight budget amid heightened global economic uncertainty.
Despite a recent announcement that a water supply pipeline will be build in Oneida Nation of the Thames, some members of the community say that's no excuse for taking water for granted.
As scandal has swirled around former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, questions and curiosity have also focused on his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Friday may have been the first day of spring, but winter storms are not over yet for Newfoundland.
While we officially welcomed spring last week, an incoming system will be a reminder that snow is still very much part of the new season, especially early on.
The future of a national historic site in Fredericton is up for discussion at meetings across New Brunswick in the next few weeks as the Anglican diocese considers what to do about costly repairs needed at Christ Church Cathedral.