Viola Léger, cherished Acadian artist and senator, laid to rest
CBC
A funeral was held Tuesday morning at Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Cathedral in Moncton for Acadian senator, actor and cultural icon Viola Léger, whose influence spread far beyond the stages of New Brunswick.
Best known for bringing to life the character of a humble, straight-talking washerwoman — created by her friend, author Antonine Maillet in the 1971 play La Sagouine — Léger is credited with inspiring pride among Acadian people and being a voice of wisdom and solidarity that resonated across social strata and linguistic divides.
Léger died Jan 28. She was 92.
In a recorded video played at the funeral, Maillet said she was grateful to Léger for giving the character a heart and soul.
Léger was the person who drew crowds to the tourist park in Bouctouche and she was a big part of the book's success, said Maillet.
On the way into the church, Denise Bouchard, a comedian, screenwriter and director, who played the character of Mariaagélas at Pays de la Sagouine, said she had many fond memories of working with Léger over a 20-year period.
It's like losing a mother, she said.
Léger was a great mentor, who offered encouragement and support, imparted life lessons and was dedicated to perfecting her craft, said Bouchard.
She had a great sense of humour, she said, and will be irreplaceable.
She said colleagues have dealt with her loss at the theme park since Léger was sidelined by a stroke several years ago by having other characters borrow from bits of her monologues, as if they're retelling her stories.
It's going to take time to mourn and properly reflect on the future of the character, said Bouchard.
Louise Imbeault, chancellor of University of Moncton, said she had known Léger for more than 50 years, going back to when she taught drama to students at Ecole Vanier and in Shediac.
She was a great actor in other roles, too, said Imbeault, and a benefactor of theatre and of the university.
"She was a model that we would like to be able to repeat a certain number of times because we need great people like that — great ladies like that. It's no exaggeration to say she was an Acadian icon," said Imbeault.
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