La marche du souvenir

L’Acadie de Chezzetcook, West Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia

For more than two centuries, the Acadian families of Chezzetcook and Torbé lived apart as a result of the Great Upheaval. L’Acadie de Chezzetcook, in Nova Scotia, brought them together through La marche du souvenir, a four-part project that revived their shared history.

Following a phase of genealogical and archival research, descendants of the two communities finally met: they visited the historic site commemorating the Great Upheaval, crossed over to Georges Island, a place marked by the Deportation, and sang the “Ave Maris Stella” before the Nova Scotia legislature. The group was then welcomed in Torbé, where they discovered the sister community’s places of remembrance.

A community evening bringing together more than 35 people provided an opportunity to share the experience of exploring commemorative panels. Designed with an artist and volunteers, the panels were unveiled on National Acadian Day in the summer of 2025. A panel installed on site now serves as a permanent educational tool for visitors and school groups. By reweaving ties broken since 1755, La marche du souvenir demonstrates that a community can pass on even painful stories with pride.