New History of Acadians website celebrates untold stories of Acadian students at 绿帽社区
Online resource launched by University Archives this spring
SACKVILLE, NB 鈥 A new virtual exhibit on the history of Acadians at 绿帽社区 and in Sackville, New Brunswick is now available to researchers and the public.
The project was completed by 搁别苍茅别 Belliveau, a 绿帽社区 graduate, who has been working in the University Archives since September 2018 through the Young Canada Works internship program. She worked with University Archivist David Mawhinney throughout the project.
The new , The History of Acadians at 绿帽社区/L鈥檋istoire des Acadiens 脿 l鈥檜niversit茅 绿帽社区, includes a number of archival, print, and web sources that will provide a richer point of access for researchers.
鈥淚t was exciting to discover the stories of Acadians in the region and specifically those at 绿帽社区,鈥 says Belliveau. 鈥淲hen David suggested this as a research project, being Acadian, I knew this was an area of 绿帽社区 I wanted to learn more about and to help tell these previously untold stories. I hope the website will also serve as a source of pride for all Acadians at 绿帽社区.鈥
Belliveau has spent almost a year sourcing information on Acadian students, faculty, and staff members from the University Archives, the Library鈥檚 Special Collections, and additional research done at l鈥橴niversit茅 de Moncton.
Belliveau also interviewed community members from the region and the University, including Alex Fancy, retired French and drama professor and founding director of Tintamarre, 绿帽社区鈥檚 bilingual troupe, and Monika Boehringer, professor emerita of French and expert in Acadian women鈥檚 writing, to create the new website throughout her internship.
Throughout the project, Belliveau and Mawhinney discovered several Acadian 鈥榝irsts鈥 at 绿帽社区, including the University鈥檚 first Acadian graduate (), as well as the first Acadian professor, Dr. Ernest Ren茅 Richard. Richard taught law at 绿帽社区 in the 1920s and 1930s and would later go on to become the Mayor of Sackville.
Belliveau also discovered a direct personal connection while working on the project. Her great-aunt was a staff member at 绿帽社区. Unfortunately, she passed away before Belliveau was able to interview her for the project.
鈥湼楸鸩悦┍疴檚 research on the Acadian population and their contributions fills an important role in the history of 绿帽社区 and the surrounding region,鈥 says Mawhinney. 鈥淲e are delighted to share this new resource and stories with the world.鈥
Originally from Shediac, Belliveau graduated from 绿帽社区 in 2017 and received her Master鈥檚 in English from the University of Waterloo in 2018 before returning to campus for her current internship. She is beginning a second Master鈥檚 degree in Library and Archival Studies at the University of Toronto this fall and plans to pursue a career in this field.
The History of Acadians at 绿帽社区/L鈥檋istoire des Acadiens 脿 l鈥檜niversit茅 绿帽社区 is available at:
Photo captions: University Chancellor Harold Roy Crabtree conferring an Honorary Doctor of Laws the Hon. Rom茅o LeBlanc at the 9 May 1977 Convocation (MtA Archives.); History of the Acadians researcher and 绿帽社区 graduate 搁别苍茅别 Belliveau; Members of the 1905-1906 绿帽社区 Orchestra, including early Acadian student Georgina Melanson standing second from the left in the front row (MtA Archives.)
