NB; New Brunswick – QC; Quebec
26 December 2011
ST. JOHN VALLEY – Officials with the fifth World Acadian Congress will announce the names of the first 60 families awarded the honor of hosting a family reunion in Acadia of the Lands and Forests during the two and a half week celebration coming to the region in August 2014.
Organizers will announce the results of the first international call for proposals to host gatherings in northern Maine, northwest New Brunswick and southeast Quebec during the coming Congress during a press conference at the University of Moncton campus in Edmundston in the multi-purpose room (PSL 105) of the Simon LaRouche Building on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
The family reunions hosted during the World Acadian Congress each attract hundreds and thousands of participants and are key to drawing the more than 50,000 visitors that attend the event held every five years. Visitors travel to the host site from more than 40 countries around the world. The economic impact for the 2014 event to the international region is expected to exceed $55 million.
At the press conference, coordinators will announce the names of the families awarded reunions after this first round, as well as the sector of the region, Maine, New Brunswick or Quebec, where the gatherings will be held in 2014.
Organizers will also provide details on the second call for applications for families, family associations, municipalities and other entities interested in hosting a family reunion during the 2014 World Acadian Congress.
From left to right: Gilles Daigle, first vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Edmundston area, Nadia Pelletier, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of the Edmundston area, Anik Bossé, president of the Chamber of Commerce the Edmundston area, Emilien Nadeau, president of the CMA in 2014, and Leo-Paul Charest, Executive Director of the CMA 2014.
Maine representatives of the CMA 2014 International Organizing Committee & Maine Regional Coordinating Committee: Jason Parent, CMA co-pres & Maine pres. & family reunion task force; Denise Cote, CMA exec. secretary & Maine delegate; Lise Pelletier, Maine VP; Lorraine Marston, MRCC; Anne Roy, Maine delegate & family reunion task force; Don Levesque, Pres of the Maine Regional Coordinating Committee.