Acadie and New Brunswick
Marie Landry Spy Shop is published from Moncton, in the heart of Acadie. This page gathers the essential history, symbols and language rights of the Acadian people and New Brunswick, with trusted institutions, research from the library and live regional news.
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Key dates in Acadian history
- 1604
French settlers led by Pierre Dugua de Mons and Samuel de Champlain winter on Saint Croix Island, beginning French settlement in Acadie; Port-Royal follows in 1605.
- 1755–1764
The Great Upheaval (Grand Dérangement): British authorities deport more than 10,000 Acadians from their lands and scatter them across the Atlantic world.
- 1881
The first National Convention of the Acadians in Memramcook, New Brunswick, chooses August 15 as the national feast day.
- 1884
The second convention in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, adopts the Acadian flag and the anthem Ave maris stella.
- 1963
The Université de Moncton is founded on June 19.
- 1969
New Brunswick passes its Official Languages Act, making English and French the province’s official languages.
- 1981
Bill 88 recognizes the equality of New Brunswick’s two official linguistic communities.
- 1993
Section 16.1 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms entrenches that equality in the Constitution.
- 1994
The first Congrès mondial acadien (Acadian World Congress) is held in southeastern New Brunswick; it now returns every five years.
- 2003
Parliament makes August 15 National Acadian Day (June 19), and a Royal Proclamation acknowledges the wrongs of the Deportation and sets July 28 as a Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval, observed from 2005.
Symbols of Acadie
A blue, white and red tricolour with a gold star, the Stella Maris (star of the sea), designed by Father Marcel-François Richard and adopted in 1884.
Ave maris stella, a Latin hymn to the Virgin Mary, adopted at the same 1884 convention.
August 15, celebrated with the Tintamarre: a joyful, noisy parade of pots, horns and colours through Acadian towns.
July 28 remembers the Great Upheaval, under the Royal Proclamation of 2003.
Canada’s only officially bilingual province
New Brunswick is the only Canadian province that is officially bilingual. Its 1969 Official Languages Act gives English and French equal status, Bill 88 (1981) recognizes the equality of the two linguistic communities, and section 16.1 of the Charter (1993) protects their right to their own schools and cultural institutions.
In the 2021 census, about 320,300 New Brunswickers, or 41.9% of the population, could hold a conversation in French.
Need to know your language rights? Contact the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick.
Institutions and resources
The national organization representing Acadians in Canada and abroad.
OrganizationUniversité de MonctonFrench-language university founded in 1963, with campuses in Moncton, Edmundston and Shippagan.
EducationCentre d’études acadiennes Anselme-ChiassonThe leading archive and research centre for Acadian history and genealogy.
ArchivesVillage historique acadienLiving-history museum near Caraquet on the Acadian Peninsula.
HeritageLandscape of Grand PréUNESCO World Heritage Site in Nova Scotia that commemorates the Acadian homeland and the Deportation.
HeritageAcadie NouvelleNew Brunswick’s French-language daily newspaper.
NewsFrom the research library
Explore #MissionAntifa by Marie Seshat Landry, a strategic blueprint blending open-source intelligence (OSINT) with grassroots activism to counter extremism.
Research library#SmartProvinceNB Plan: Sustainable Development and GrowthExplore the #SmartProvinceNB plan detailing strategies for sustainable economic transformation, social equity, environmental sustainability, and digital growth.
Research library#SmartProvinceNB Plan: Transforming New BrunswickExplore the #SmartProvinceNB plan by Marie Seshat Landry, outlining a comprehensive strategy for sustainable growth, social equity, and economic innovation.
Research library14 Franklin Street, Moncton: A Historical AccountExplore the history of 14 Franklin Street in Moncton, from its 1882 construction as a Victorian commercial building to its 20th-century heritage restoration.
Research library1755: The Shattering of Acadie and Mi'kma'ki Historical AnalysisExplore the forensic historical analysis of the 1755 Acadian expulsion, dykeland engineering, and Mi'kma'ki sovereignty by Marie-Soleil Seshat Landry.
Research libraryAcadian Bill of Fundamental Rights and FreedomsRead the official Acadian Bill of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, proclaiming civil, political, judicial, and ancestral rights enacted in September 2025.
Research libraryAcadian Citizenship Registration and Data Protection ActRead the official Acadian Citizenship Registration and Data Protection Act detailing citizenship registers, data rights, and the Data Protection Commission.
Research libraryAcadian Code of Penal Procedure: Official Legal FrameworkRead the official Acadian Code of Penal Procedure, detailing criminal justice rules, rights, arrest warrants, trials, and sentencing principles.
Research libraryAcadian Organics Business Plan: Organic Potato Production NBRead the business plan for Acadian Organics, specializing in certified organic table-stock and seed potato production in New Brunswick, Canada.
Research libraryAcadian Penal Code (Code Pénal Acadien)Read the official Acadian Penal Code establishing criminal offenses, jurisdiction, penalties, and protections for the Acadian Nation and its citizens.
Research libraryAcadian Public Health and Substance Decriminalization ActRead the Acadian Public Health and Substance Decriminalization Act, proclaiming a public health model of substance use, safe supply, and non-prosecution.
Research libraryAlexis Landry and the Institutional Founding of CaraquetExplore the life of Alexis Landry and the founding of Caraquet, New Brunswick, detailing his resilience, economic impact, and spiritual leadership.
Research librarySee all New Brunswick documents in the library →
Latest New Brunswick and Acadie news
- L’industrie musicale du N.-B. se donne rendez-vous à MonctonAcadie Nouvelle ·
- $463M Port of Saint John project aims to boost New Brunswick exportsBing News: New Brunswick premier ·
- $463M Port of Saint John project aims to boost New Brunswick exportsBing News: New Brunswick economy ·
- $463M Port of Saint John project aims to boost New Brunswick exportsBing News: Saint John New Brunswick ·
- $463M Port of Saint John project aims to boost New Brunswick exportsBing News: New Brunswick ·
- Floating nuclear power in northern New Brunswick: a reality checkBing News: nuclear energy SMR ·
- Floating nuclear power in northern New Brunswick: a reality checkBing News: New Brunswick ·
- Ottawa announces $254 million for New Brunswick port upgradesBing News: Saint John New Brunswick ·
- Ottawa announces $254 million for New Brunswick port upgradesBing News: New Brunswick ·
- Acadie en bref: 50e anniversaire de Réseau.PresseBing News (FR): Acadie ·
More live news on News Matrix →
Questions
Who are the Acadians?
The descendants of French settlers who arrived in Acadie, today the Maritime provinces and part of Quebec and Maine, from 1604. Many were deported between 1755 and 1764; their descendants live across the Maritimes, Quebec, Louisiana (the Cajuns) and France.
When is National Acadian Day?
August 15. Acadians chose the date in 1881, and Parliament made it official in 2003.
Is New Brunswick bilingual?
Yes. It is Canada’s only officially bilingual province, with English and French equal under provincial law and the Canadian Charter.
When is the next Congrès mondial acadien?
The congress is held every five years. The last one took place in Argyle and Clare, Nova Scotia, in 2024, so the next is expected in 2029.
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Topics: Acadie, Acadia, Acadians, New Brunswick, Moncton, Grand Dérangement, Acadian Deportation, Acadian flag, Ave maris stella, National Acadian Day, Tintamarre, official bilingualism New Brunswick, Université de Moncton, Congrès mondial acadien