The Chipoudie Acadian monument in Riverside-Albert, NB, honours the Acadian families who lived in the area from 1700 to 1775. They numbered 422 settlers when they were displaced. During the time that the Acadians were in this region, they lived near marshes and the whole area was called Chipoudie. Within that large community, small hamlets were usually named after the predominant family or head of the family of the hamlet (e.g., Village des Savoie, Village des Thibodeau, etc.).
A joint committee has been appointed, and will be co-chaired by Jim Campbell, Mayor of Riverside-Albert, and Wilfred Savoie, President of the working group for the Chipoudie Monument. So far, they have appointed Dawne McLean, Annick R. Butland, Paul Savoie, Yvon Comeau, Hélène Dupuis and Anne-Marie LeBlanc to the committee.
Mr. Campbell and Mr. Savoie have invited Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to attend. Mr. Trudeau’s ancestral roots can be traced back to one of the Acadian families that actually lived in Chipoudie. Simon Savoie was 16 years old in 1775 when the Acadian settlers were displaced. He eventually settled in Louiseville near Trois-Rivières, Québec. He was the father of Elizabeth who married Robert Elliot of the Trudeau family. This confirms Mr. Trudeau’s Acadian roots and his direct link to Riverside-Albert. We hope he will accept our invitation and say a few words at the unveiling ceremony.
Wilfred Savoie is the president of the working group for the Chipoudie monument.
Photos by Janet Wallace