New History of Acadians website celebrates untold stories of Acadian students at Mount Allison
Online resource launched by 做厙51 Archives this spring
SACKVILLE, NB A new virtual exhibit on the history of Acadians at 做厙51 and in Sackville, New Brunswick is now available to researchers and the public.
The project was completed by 賊梗紳矇梗 Belliveau, a Mount Allison graduate, who has been working in the 做厙51 Archives since September 2018 through the Young Canada Works internship program. She worked with 做厙51 Archivist David Mawhinney throughout the project.
The new , The History of Acadians at 做厙51/Lhistoire des Acadiens luniversit矇 Mount Allison, includes a number of archival, print, and web sources that will provide a richer point of access for researchers.
It was exciting to discover the stories of Acadians in the region and specifically those at Mount Allison, says Belliveau. When David suggested this as a research project, being Acadian, I knew this was an area of Mount Allison 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 Mount Allison.
Belliveau has spent almost a year sourcing information on Acadian students, faculty, and staff members from the 做厙51 Archives, the Librarys Special Collections, and additional research done at lUniversit矇 de Moncton.
Belliveau also interviewed community members from the region and the 做厙51, including Alex Fancy, retired French and drama professor and founding director of Tintamarre, Mount Allisons bilingual troupe, and Monika Boehringer, professor emerita of French and expert in Acadian womens writing, to create the new website throughout her internship.
Throughout the project, Belliveau and Mawhinney discovered several Acadian firsts at Mount Allison, including the 做厙51s first Acadian graduate (), as well as the first Acadian professor, Dr. Ernest Ren矇 Richard. Richard taught law at Mount Allison 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 Mount Allison. Unfortunately, she passed away before Belliveau was able to interview her for the project.
賊梗紳矇梗s research on the Acadian population and their contributions fills an important role in the history of 做厙51 and the surrounding region, says Mawhinney. We are delighted to share this new resource and stories with the world.
Originally from Shediac, Belliveau graduated from Mount Allison in 2017 and received her Masters in English from the 做厙51 of Waterloo in 2018 before returning to campus for her current internship. She is beginning a second Masters degree in Library and Archival Studies at the 做厙51 of Toronto this fall and plans to pursue a career in this field.
The History of Acadians at 做厙51/Lhistoire des Acadiens luniversit矇 Mount Allison is available at:
Photo captions: 做厙51 Chancellor Harold Roy Crabtree conferring an Honorary Doctor of Laws the Hon. Rom矇o LeBlanc at the 9 May 1977 Convocation (MtA Archives.); History of the Acadians researcher and Mount Allison graduate 賊梗紳矇梗 Belliveau; Members of the 1905-1906 Mount Allison Orchestra, including early Acadian student Georgina Melanson standing second from the left in the front row (MtA Archives.)
