Trade Mission Creates Ties That Bind

Nova Scotia's mission to Louisiana has strengthened cultural and economic ties between the province's Acadians and Louisiana Cajuns.

The Minister of Acadian Affairs, Chris d'Entremont, travelled to Louisiana last week with a number of business operators to promote trade in the agriculture and fisheries sectors and to create opportunities for future business and cultural partnerships.

"It was just six months ago that a delegation from Louisiana came to Nova Scotia, to celebrate the Congrès mondial acadien," Mr. d'Entremont said today, March 1. "Since then, we've been working to strengthen the ties between the Cajuns and Acadians. Our mission to Louisiana last week enabled us to take another step towards establishing a formal relationship."

The minister met with representatives of a number of organizations with in which Nova Scotia has cultural links, including the Acadie-Louisiane Committee at Le Centre International de Lafayette; the Acadian Memorial; the Acadian Cultural Centre and the Musée in St. Martinville, which is holding a number of events this year to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the expulsion of the Acadians. While in St. Martinville, officials presented Mr. d'Entremont with the key to the city.

Mr. d'Entremont also met with members of CODOFIL (The Council for the development of French in Louisiana) so that they may learn more about how the government is supporting the development of French-language services in Nova Scotia.

"We can expect to see more and more Cajun-Acadian initiatives in the coming years, both in Louisiana and in Nova Scotia," said Mr. d'Entremont, who is working on a plan to encourage business development and trade opportunities between the two regions. One of these initiatives is already underway. Louisiana will host the next Expo-Acadie in 2006. It follows the success of the first Expo-Acadia trade show, which was held in Nova Scotia in 2004.