THE BAIE'S ACCENT
Letter addressed to Mr. Luc Lemieux of Chatham, New Brunswick
I’d like to shed some light on your statement from Saturday, March 28, during the
radio broadcast 1242, where La Sagouine (Viola Léger) was the special guest.
First, you congratulated Viola on her wonderful performance in Caraquet, and she asked you if you had understood the play, since she knew you were from Québec. In response, you told her that you were in Acadia, that you understood the language of La Sagouine, of all Acadians, and “even the people of Baie St.-Anne.”
I assure you that those last five words echoed in my ears for a long time. I understand that you find the Baiehound’s language a bit different, but, in my opinion, the setting was poorly chosen for those remarks, as they didn’t quite mesh with those of La Sagouine, that likable character who embodies simplicity, genuine humor, and an unparalleled attachment to Acadian culture.
Yet if you knew the efforts that the people of Baie Ste-Anne have made—and continue to make—to preserve and promote their language and culture, you would find it miraculous that they have managed to survive as a people.
If you don't mind, I'd like to give you some information. A hundred years ago, the residents of Baie St.-Anne formed a sort of “melting pot” made up mainly of English, Irish, and Portuguese people, as well as a few survivors of the Acadian deportation. Between 1890 and 1900, many people from the Magdalen Islands settled there, increasing the number of French speakers. However, French life was not very vibrant, as there were no French-speaking schools, priests, or merchants. Geographically, these people were surrounded by English-speaking villages, and the home was pretty much the only place where one could speak, sing, and dream freely in French.
The tenacity of these brave French-speaking pioneers enabled the language and culture to gradually gain a foothold, eventually leading to the establishment of French-language schools and the arrival of French priests. Later, they separated from the Diocese of Chatham and chose to join the Diocese of Moncton, where the bishop was French.
The teaching staff was struggling to function in Northumberland County, which had an English-speaking majority, so in the 1960s the residents succeeded in having themselves included in School District 39, where classes were conducted in the language of Molière. It must be said that Senator Norbert Thériault of Baie St.-Anne was then Minister of Municipal Affairs for the Robichaud government. What a happy coincidence! I also want to highlight here the hard work of all our valiant teachers in the village who did such a good job of preserving the French language.
Economically, people were exploited mainly by British companies, but over the years, the credit union and the cooperative were established. Subsequently, many local business owners fortunately took the initiative to start their own businesses.
And what about the pioneering efforts made to provide their children with a secondary education? There were no secondary schools in Baie St.-Anne before the 1960s. In other words, it was through great sacrifice that many parents were able to send their children to secondary and post-secondary schools in the province’s convents or colleges.
Mr. Lemieux, while Miramichi now enjoys the Carrefour Beausoleil, a magnificent center for French education and culture, we must not think that this project came about without a struggle. Just look at the countless hours of work that the members of the French Circles of Miramichi had to put in. Mr. Roger Martin, a native of Baie St.-Anne, was the founding president, and together with a dedicated team, they accomplished a tremendous amount of work. I also want to point out that the first director of Carrefour Beausoleil was Maria Mazerolle-Brown, a native of Baie St.-Anne.
As you can see, even though people speak with a distinctive accent, Baie St.-Anne has produced individuals who have helped spread French culture and language throughout the province and beyond. Allow me to mention a few: Ms. Laetitia Cyr, Radio Director at Radio-Canada in Moncton; Aurèle Thériault, Executive Director of the FFHQ; Charles D’Amour, first President and CEO of the daily newspaper LE MATIN; the late Blanche Schofield-Bourgeois, a distinguished educator who received the Governor General’s Medal in 1982 for her work in the field of education. I would be remiss if I did not mention Adé Thériault, a resident of Baie St.-Anne, who was recently honored for his many services to the community and also for his significant contributions to French and Acadian causes.
Yes, Mr. Lemieux, the people of Baie St.-Anne know full well that they roll their “r” in their own unique way. So what? They choose to keep their accent rather than compromise it or simply let themselves be assimilated. Ms. Viola Léger knows something about this, since one of her students was a typical man from Baie Ste-Anne, Norbert Martin, who was enrolled in her recent communication course at the University of Moncton.
And we’re not the only ones with a different accent. In fact, research shows that there are at least 50 different ways of rolling the “r” across the French-speaking world. Some people pronounce it with a guttural sound, others roll it depending on the region, while the Baiehounds roll it the English way.
On this subject, I’d like to share a story from Antonine Maillet, author of La Sagouine. In the fall of 1984, Ms. Maillet was touring high schools in New Brunswick, where she spoke about theater and, above all, the craft of writing. After her excellent talk in Baie St.-Anne, the students had the chance to ask her questions, and I had the opportunity to chat with her for a bit. I asked her the following question: “Ms. Maillet, did you understand the students well?” “Absolutely,” she told me, “and I really liked both their questions and the way they expressed themselves. And above all, don’t lose your beautiful local language, spoken with your unique accent.”
Greetings, Mr. Lemieux, and I look forward to meeting you and, above all, to speaking with you.
Lorraine Savoie
From the Land of the Baiehounds
(1987)