From Acadian to Cajun: Timeline of Events

Fall 2021: Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism reaches out to tourism executives in the Acadian regions of Nova Scotia to begin conversations about future collaborations. Virtual meet & greets take place to establish relationships.

January 2022: Introductions are made between Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and the Congrès Mondial Acadien 2024 (CMA 2024).

January - April 2022: Monthly virtual meetings are set up between Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, tourism organizations in the Acadian regions of Nova Scotia including Visit Yarmouth & Acadian Shores and Discover La Baie Sainte-Marie, and the Congrès Mondial Acadien. Discussions are held to talk about the similarities between each other’s destinations and what a collaboration between all parties would look like to celebrate that.

April 29th, 2022: Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou attends Festival International de Louisiane to meet with members of the Congrès Mondial Acadien and Yarmouth & Acadian Shores Tourism in person for the first time.

May 2022: Collaborations lead to the idea of a virtual media event between Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, the Acadian regions of Nova Scotia, and the Congrès Mondial Acadien to be entitled: From Acadian to Cajun: Two Countries, One Culture. The virtual media event will focus on the shared connections between our two destinations, and be told through the voice of a historian, chef, and musician from both destinations.

June 16th, 2022: A Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the Lt. Governor of Louisiana, Billy Nungesser, and Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie for Nova Scotia. The MOU encourages and promotes economic growth, business development, media exchanges, education, and research opportunities between Louisiana and Nova Scotia.

June 17th, 2022: Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou meets with Minister Colton LeBlanc, Executive Director of Acadian Affairs, Mark Bannerman, and the Executive Director of the Congrès Mondial Acadien, Ms. Vaughne Madden in Thibodaux. LA Cajun Bayou hosts them for breakfast and provides a tour of the Jean Lafitte Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center where a gift was exchanged.

June - July 2022: Virtual meetings are facilitated between historians, chefs, and musicians between Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou & Nova Scotia in preparation of the July virtual media event.

July 2022: 16 travel writers and journalists from the United States & Canada are selected to take part in the July virtual media event.

July 26th, 2022: The virtual media event: From Acadian to Cajun: Two Countries, One Culture is presented to 16 top journalists from across the United States & Canada. It takes place live from the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute in Thibodaux and La Cuisine Robicheau in Saulnierville, Nova Scotia. The 1-hour presentation includes a historian, chef, and musician from both destinations paired together to speak about the similarities and differences between the two cultures.

July 27th, 2023: LCBT makes official announcement of partnership with the Acadian regions of Nova Scotia and the Congrès Mondial Acadien. Press release picked up by Lafourche Gazette and Houma Times.

October 4th – 6th, 2022: Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou welcomes those from Nova Scotia who participated in the virtual media event to Lafourche Parish. Included are Vaughne Madden, Chef Paul Thimot, Chef Shane Robicheau, and musician Daniel LeBlanc.

October 5th, 2022: Chef Paul Thimot & Chef Shane Robicheau lead an Acadian cooking demo to students and locals at the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University. At night, musician Daniel Leblanc along with members of the Municipality of Clare join in on our Cajun Music Jam at Gina’s at the Legion.

January 19th, 2023: From Acadian to Cajun: Two Countries; One Culture is awarded the 2023 Louey Award for Tourism Campaign of the Year from the Louisiana Travel Association.

January - June 2023: Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou outlines a plan to travel to Nova Scotia in August 2023. Discussions and virtual meetings are held to determine the best way to make the trip beneficial for all parties involved.

February 7th – 9th, 2023: LCBT welcomes travel writer, Laura Kiniry, a freelance writer who contributes to Smithsonian. Laura took part in the From Acadian to Cajun virtual media event in July 2022, and proceeded to include Lafourche Parish in a story about  Mardi Gras Parades Beyond New Orleans.

June 2023: Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou finalizes a planned itinerary to Nova Scotia that will include important stops related to the Acadian-Cajun connection. LCBT also invites a travel writer from the virtual media event in 2022 to join us in Nova Scotia.

July 19th, 2023: The Board of LCBT officially adopts a Resolution to publicly recognize the continuation of the partnership between Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, the Congrès Mondial Acadien, and the Acadian regions of Nova Scotia.

August 1st, 2023: LCBT travels to Nova Scotia for historic visit to Clare, Argyle, and Yarmouth. In addition, Louisiana's Cajun Bayou includes an important freelance travel writer to join the trip with the goal of getting the Acadian-Cajun connection written about in a major publication.

August 2nd, 2023: Our team meets with representatives from the Congres Mondial Acadien 2024 (CMA 2024) and the Municipality of Clare to exchange gifts. LCBT tours the Rendez-vous de la Baie Visitor Centre and the University of St. Anne.


August 3rd, 2023: LCBT is joined by Colton Leblanc, Minister of Acadian Affairs, and Sally Kenney, Coordinator of Family Reunions for CMA 2024 for a tour of Tusket Island. In the evening, LCBT is joined by Allister Surrette, Chairperson for CMA 2024, and Kenneth Deveau, Executive Director of the Francopone Economic Development Council. The team is welcomed at a Searoots Dinner hosted by Chef Shane Robicheau and Chef Paul Thimot.


August 4th, 2023: LCBT is welcomed by Yarmouth & Acadian Shores Tourism and is recognized at Louisiana Night at the Festival Acadien de Clare.

August 5th, 2023: LCBT makes important visits to the Acadian Village and Musee de Acadien in Pubnico, NS.

August 6th, 2023: LCBT visits the Grand Pre National Historic Site and the Acadian Memorial Cross. The site marks the location where thousands of Acadians were expelled and deported from their homeland.

August 8th, 2023: Lafourche Parish President, Archie Chaisson, III, officially recognizes August 15th as Acadian Heritage Day in Lafourche Parish by signing an official Proclamation.
 
 

Follow along in our campaign as further developments and collaborations are planned!