Embedded Reporter 2009:
Dominique Bourque
District 1 Culture and Heritage Fair
The District 1 Heritage Fair took place on Tuesday, June 9, at École Anna-Malenfant in Dieppe. Rosemonde Chiasson and Claudette Lavigne greeted the participants. The gymnasium was transformed into an exhibit gallery.
The following heritage projects were exhibited:
- Karyn Aubé, Alec Landry, Éric Landry, and Roxane Perron of École Amirault presented projects they had done during Provincial French Pride Week and Heritage Week.
- Stéphanie, in Grade 3 at École Anna-Malenfant, showed us early cameras, as well as some photos taken with them.
- Océanne and Annabelle, in Grade 3 at École Anna-Malenfant, presented some old objects.
- Félix, in Grade 3 at École Anna-Malenfant, showed us a washboard, a grater, an old school bell, and a box for dried herring.
- Samuel, in Grade 8 at École Sainte-Anne, told us the story of his grandfather and his Model T Ford. He amused the audience by recounting anecdotes of his grandfather as a young man.
- Maxime, in Grade 3 at École Anna-Malenfant, demonstrated how to use a potato grater and a fruit press.
- I, Dominique, in Grade 7 at École Sainte-Anne, described the role of trains in Canada’s development. My poster was not there that evening because it had to stay at the Provincial Archives. Along with five other delegates, I have the honour of representing New Brunswick in Ottawa from July 7 to 13 this summer.
- Three students from École des Bâtisseurs presented their school project. Using a timeline, they demonstrated the progress of the Francophone community in Fredericton.
Around 2:30 p.m., the judges (Jeanne-Mance Cormier, Jean J. Gaudet, and Aline Cormier) started walking around to view the projects. By 4:00 p.m. there was a festival atmosphere, with about 100 visitors looking at the students’ projects. French chef Chantal Véchambre and the students of École Carrefour de l’Acadie were passing around food samples (pineapple crêpes were my favourite… mmm).
At 4:30, Claudette Lavigne began the opening ceremonies, and Ernest Thibodeau, Chair of District 01, congratulated the students on their impressive projects. Then Julie Aubé of École Mathieu-Martin performed her song "Mal de mer" and Scandium, a group composed of Simon Leblanc, Mélanie Leblanc, Jérémie Dupuis, and Christine Gollan, played two of their songs, "Chanter pour passer le temps" and "C’est bien".
It was a wonderful evening, and I was happy to take part in it.