Nova Scotia

The Acadian national flag (1884) was adopted at the second national Acadian convention, held in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island. It is the symbol for Acadians in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The three-colour flag is reminiscent of the French flag, while the yellow star represents Our Lady of Assumption, the patron saint of Acadians.

Population Demographic Vitality The French language The population of Nova Scotia is quite homogeneous with respect to language. Of the province’s 899,970 residents, barely 61,687 have a mother tongue other than English. Francophones make up 4 percent of the population while slightly more than 25,000 Nova Scotians have a non-official language as a mother tongue. A stable population... The number of Nova Scotians with French as their mother tongue has essentially been the same since 1951. The number of francophones has varied from 35,000 to 40,000 and was slightly less in 1996 than it was in 1991. This stability bears witness to the strength of the Nova Scotian Acadian community, which has been able to maintain the numbers necessary for its development. ... And a percentage increase While the number of Acadians has been stable during the last 45 years, the population of non-francophones has grown. Thus the percentage of francophones has steadily decreased. From 1951 to 1996, the percentage dropped from 6.1 to 4 percent. The greatest decrease in percentage was between 1971 and 1981, which reflects a decrease in absolute numbers during that time. Francophones are 15 percent of the population in four of Nova Scotia’s 18 counties. The Acadian population is highly concentrated and Acadians are in the majority in some municipalities. Their impact and presence in the daily life of Nova Scotia’s Acadian areas is much stronger than their percentage of the provincial population would suggest. A female majority Among Acadian Nova Scotians, females are in the majority: 19,505 females to 18,100 males. The percentage gap increases when we consider francophones with both French and English as mother tongues. In that group, females are 53 percent of the total. A mostly adult population The Acadian population of Nova Scotia is largely composed of adults. Under 15s make up only 10.5 percent of the francophone population, compared to 20 percent of the population as a whole. The low percentage of youth is strongly reflected in the age pyramid where differences with the total population of Nova Scotia are more noticeable for adults than for those above 65 years of age. Replenishing their population base is a challenge for Nova Scotia’s Acadians. A large percentage of them are however of working age, and able to actively participate in the social life of the province. A population with strong roots: born in Nova Scotia Seven out of ten Nova Scotia francophones were born in the province. Those born elsewhere in Canada are a little more than a quarter of the population, most coming from the other Atlantic provinces. Less than 2.6 percent of Nova Scotia’s francophones are immigrants. The Acadian community is thus deeply rooted within Nova Scotia which is reflected in their sense of belonging and identity. Which mostly stays in the same place A clear majority of all francophones in Nova Scotia lived at the same address in 1996 as in 1991. Among the others, only 10.7 percent were no longer resident in the province. These numbers attest to the very high stability of the francophone population. Interprovincial migration has very little effect on the size of the Acadian community; and the effect of immigration from outside Canada is negligible. French Mother Tongue Population: 36 311 English Mother Tongue Population: 838 283 Population with a knowledge of both official languages: 90 265 Other Mother Tongue Population: 25 376 Total Population: 899 970 Representative Organizations Major organizations The Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE) is the main organization representing Acadian community interests and a member of the Société nationale de l’Acadie. FANE seeks involvement at the grassroots level through community activities and various development projects. Through these projects, often based on small groups, FANE hopes to develop a renewed sense of belonging among francophones and so counter the effects of assimilation. Telephone: (902) 433-0065 Fax: (902) 433-0066 E-mail: fane@dartmouth.ccfne.ns.ca Visit la francophonie in Nova Scotia on the Internet at: www.nouvelle-ecosse.net Other Organizations Association des Acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 433-0065, extension 227 Fax: (902) 433-0066 E-mail: acadiennes@dartmouth.ccfne.ns.ca Association des enseignants acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 248-0170 Association des juristes d’expression française de la Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 433-0065, extension 230 Fax: (902) 433-0066 E-mail: ajefne@dartmouth.ccfne.ns.ca Centre communautaire La Picasse Telephone: (902) 226-0149 Fax: (902) 226-9366 Centre communautaire Les Trois Pignons Telephone: (902) 224-2220 Fax: (902) 224-1579 Centre communautaire du Grand-Havre Telephone: (902) 435-3244 Fax: (902) 435-1255 Centre scolaire communautaire Étoile de l’Acadie de la région de Sydney Telephone: (902) 563-3900 Fax: (902) 563-3902 Collège de l’Acadie Telephone: (902) 769-0851 Fax: (902) 769-0165 Internet: www.ccfne.ns.ca/acadie/ Comité provincial des Jeux de l’Acadie en Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 462-7466 Conseil d’administration du Congrès mondial acadien 2004 Telephone: (902) 769-3906 Fax: (902) 769-0165 Conseil coopératif acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 224-3212 Conseil culturel acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 433-0065, extension 226 Fax: (902) 433-0066 E-mail: ccane@dartmouth.ccfne.ns.ca Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 424-3970 Fax: (902) 424-6782 E-mail: cottreau@gov.ns.ca Conseil jeunesse provincial de la Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 433-0065, extension 225 Fax: (902) 433-0066 E-mail: cjp-ne@dartmouth.ccfne.ns.ca Conseil scolaire acadien provincial Telephone: (902) 645-5530 Fax: (902) 645-5531 Fédération des parents acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 435-2060 Fax: (902) 435-4409 E-mail: fpane@ns.sympatico.ca Institut de développement communautaire Telephone: (902) 769-2229 Fax: (902) 769-2229 Regroupement des aîné-e-s de la Nouvelle-Écosse Telephone: (902) 433-0065 Fax: (902) 433-0066 E-mail: aine-e-s@dartmouth.ccfne.ns.ca Site national historique de Grand Pré Telephone: (902) 542-3631 Université Sainte-Anne (région de Clare) Telephone: (902) 769-2114 Fax: (902) 769-2930 Village historique acadien à Pubnico-Ouest Telephone: (902) 762-2245 Fax: (902) 762-2543 Community Life Cultural and community life The Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse has regional offices which coordinate community development in the following regions: Argyle, Clare, the Annapolis Valley, Halifax/Dartmouth, Pomquet, Richmond, Sydney, Cheticamp. Two community centres: La Picasse in Petit-de-Grat and Les Trois Pignons, managed by the Société Saint-Pierre, in Cheticamp. Two school and community centres: the Centre scolaire communautaire Étoile de l’Acadie de la région de Sydney and the Centre communautaire du Grand-Havre. Some Nova Scotian performers are now well known outside of the province and even outside of Canada, for example, the musicians Blou et Grand Dérangement and the visual artists Denise Comeau et François Gaudet. The Conseil culturel acadien encourages the development of young and lesser known performers. In addition to increasingly elaborate regular programming offered by the community centres, there are a number of separate annual events, for example: Acadian celebrations and festivals traditionally held either in summer around the 15th of August or during mi-carême Hosting the annual regional finals of the Jeux de l’Acadie for Nova Scotia in which more than 500 young Acadian or francophone youth from Nova Scotia participate The annual historical multimedia presentation, Evangeline, inspired by the poem of the same name Student drama festival Gala provincial de la chanson The provincial Acadian festival Grou Tyme, first presented in the metro Halifax area in 1999 Since spring 1998, the Acadian community officially manages the national historic site of Grand Pré, in accordance with an agreement with the federal government. The site portrays the history of the Acadian people and commemorates the deportation of 1755. Following those held in New Brunswick and Louisiana, the next major gathering of the Acadian Diaspora will be in Nova Scotia in 2004. This Congrès mondial acadien will have special symbolic value as it will allow Acadians to return to the place from which their ancestors were deported. In addition, it will be a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of French colonists on Acadian soil. Communications Communications Newspapers and periodicals The Courrier de la Nouvelle-Écosse, is a weekly newspaper founded in 1937. Radio The community radio station, CIFA, Radio Clare, has broadcast since 1990. The community radio station of Cheticamp, CKJM, has broadcast since 1995. Plans for community radio are in progress in other Acadian areas including a first experiment with summer-season programming on Isle Madame south of Cape Breton Island. Radio programs broadcast by the Société Radio-Canada from Moncton or Montreal; a single broadcast produced in and emanating from Halifax (Bonjour Atlantique). Television Programs of the Société Radio-Canada produced and broadcast from Montreal and Moncton. Cable access to francophone networks from Quebec: TVA, télévision Quatre Saisons, TV5. Economy The Economy The main economic activity of Acadians is still in-shore and off-shore fishing. The decline of fish stocks and the drastic reduction of fishing quotas have been a severe blow to the industry. In the face of this uncertain future, new avenues such as diversification of fishing, tourism and small businesses, are being explored. Some of these initiatives certainly show the entrepreneurial spirit of Acadians, for example, aquaculture, and the cultivation of marine algae and medicinal plants. Towards the end of 1999, the Acadian and francophone community finally formed its own provincial organization for the coordination of economic development, the Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Several organizations such as the Commission de développement de Chéticamp, the Centre Jodrey and the Société de développement de Pomquet are working on regional economic development. An under educated francophone population More than 44 percent of Nova Scotia’s Acadians have not completed high school, compared to 39 percent of the entire population. Only 19.2 percent have attended university, compared to 23.5 percent for the entire population. These figures reflect the age distribution of Nova Scotia’s Acadians, and also the reality of the rural resource-dependent regions that are home to many francophones. In Nova Scotia today, there are 1,855 Acadian business owners, amounting to 10 percent of the francophone workforce. Many of these independent business owners employ others, and thus give work to francophones and to other Nova Scotians. Francophone employment sectors Many Acadians in Nova Scotia work in goods-producing industries, especially in fishing, but also in processing industries. Francophones are quite well represented in the public service sector, where their proportion of the labor force in public administration, education, health and social services exceeds 35 percent. There are fewer in other tertiary sectors. More than 13 percent work in retail and wholesale trades. However, the province’s francophones have barely begun to be involved in the areas of finance and business services, etc. As these sectors are a leading edge of the new economy, the Acadian community has made economic diversity a priority. Occupations Job distribution by occupation gives a complimentary picture of the economic life of francophone Nova Scotians. Two sectors clearly dominate: sales and services, which employs more than one out of four francophones; and trades, transportation and equipment operation which employs 13.3 percent of the labor force. Incomes are generally low in these two employment sectors. However, this is balanced by the fact that many francophones work as managers and administrators. Income mostly from employment... The Acadian community of Nova Scotia receives 69.8 percent of its income from employment. Government transfers – unemployment insurance payments, old age pensions, etc. – make up 21.7 percent of their income, which indicates a certain dependence on government assistance. ... But low for many The average personal income of francophones in Nova Scotia is relatively high at $22,805, while the provincial average is $21,552. This is partially attributable to the fact that many are employed in the public sector and receive good salaries. Three out of ten francophones have incomes under $10,000, or no income at all. Only 15 percent of Acadians have incomes of $40,000 or more. The average personal income of francophones in Nova Scotia is $22,805. Income varies widely from one region to another. Education Education and training The francophone and Acadian community manages its own schools through its Conseil scolaire acadien provincial. However the adoption of a common curriculum in all schools is not yet complete. Twenty one schools throughout the following regions: Argyle, Clare, Halifax /Dartmouth, Annapolis Valley, Central, Pomquet, Richmond, Sydney and Cheticamp The Collège de l’Acadie, a community college offers training in French and distance learning from seven sites: Pomquet (Antigonish County); La Butte (Clare region of southwestern Nova Scotia); Dartmouth (metropolitan area); Tusket (Argyle region of southwestern Nova Scotia), Petit-de-Grat (Richmond region in the south of Cape Breton Island) Saint-Joseph-du-Moine (Cheticamp region in the north of Cape Breton Island); and Wellington (Prince Edward Island). The Université Sainte-Anne, in the Clare region of southwestern Nova Scotia A provincial teaching resource centre, available on the Internet at: http://cprp.ednet.ns.ca Fourteen Acadian pre-school centres A provincial association, the Société provinciale des intervenant.e.s du préscolaire(SPIP) A provincial pre-school resource centre Health Health and social services Health and social services are not officially offered in French. However, some employees are bilingual, especially in regions where Acadians are a high portion of the population. Legislation and government services Federal Government In 1998, 10.4 percent (1007 positions) of the positions in the federal public service in Nova Scotia were designated as bilingual. In 1998, there were 536 francophone federal public servants in Nova Scotia, representing 5.5 percent of the provincial total. Provincial Government There is no provincial law concerning the provision of government services in French. However, the delivery of education services in French is governed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Bureau des affaires acadiennes insures liaison between government and the community. This office assists the provincial government in managing federal-provincial agreements with respect to official languages. Municipalities Only the municipality of Clare has an official policy with respect to providing services in French. Two other municipalities, Richmond and Argyle, offer some services in French, but these are not guaranteed. Legal Services As throughout the rest of Canada, it is possible to undergo criminal proceedings in French. In addition, the province has recently reorganized its family law services; attempts are being made to convince the government to offer these services in French where there is sufficient demand. Linguistic Vitality Decrease in French spoken at home In 1996, 20,170 people said they spoke French most often at home, compared to 27,220 in 1971. In a context where French is in increasingly close contact with English throughout the province, even in traditional Acadian strongholds, this decrease in French spoken at home should not come as a surprise. However, these numbers hide the fact that many Acadians who speak English at home can still speak French and that they use French often outside the home. However, more and more people know French In Nova Scotia, the number of people who know French (alone or with English) has almost doubled since the 1950s. More than 85,000 people or 9.5 percent of the population can speak French. Even though they are still only a small fraction of the population, the number of people who can speak French has increased to 85,355 from 64,230 in 1981. This indicates that French and the Acadian culture are attractive to Nova Scotians and the province thus has the asset of a growing francophile population. Linguistic continuity: the challenge of maintaining French As French is in direct contact with English, it faces the challenge of remaining viable. The French continuity index was 0.69 in 1971 and 1981 and dropped to 0.59 by 1991. It has since stabilized at 0.57 which indicates that an equilibrium has been reached despite a significant increase in the number of Acadian families of intermarriage in Nova Scotia. In 1996, 48 percent of Nova Scotian families were of intermarriage. History Acadia began in the 17th century, when about a hundred French families settled in the area of Grand Pré, along the banks of the Baie française (Bay of Fundy). Gifted with a rare sense of community, the Acadians slowly developed their own customs and culture, in a new environment, where life’s bounty was based primarily on agriculture. Their numbers grew, reaching approximately 16,000 people by 1755. The region was hotly disputed, finally falling to the British in 1713. Acadians were committed to remaining neutral during the conflict, which saw Britain opposing France in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. However, the British doubted the Acadian commitment to neutrality and demanded an oath of allegiance to the British Crown. This demand led to decades of strife. In 1755, Charles Lawrence, the British governor, deported the Acadian families living in the Scotian peninsula to the American colonies. Many Acadians found temporary refuge on Saint John Island. Others found a haven in the environs of Quebec City. With the exception of the latter, Acadians did not form permanent settlements. The fear of newly arriving English colonists, and of new deportations, and the dream of returning held them back. Acadians were allowed to return to Nova Scotia in 1764. Their numbers were severely limited and it was therefore impossible for them to form an independent society. Thus they dispersed and settled, spread out along Nova Scotia’s coasts. Nevertheless, Acadian communities arose in several locations. Strong family ties led to a network of community support systems and a sense of solidarity among Acadian settlers. With the Church’s help, they succeeded in building a strong community while coping in the heart of an extremely difficult political environment. But they accomplished this in a state of near self sufficiency, without participating in the benefits of the market economy that was then in full swing. The Société nationale des Acadiens was founded in 1881. Its goal is clear: to bring the Acadian people out of marginalization. Thus began a focus, which, one hundred years later, is still the ongoing priority of the Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE) which was founded in 1968. Geography The Acadian community of Nova Scotia had 36,311 people with French as a mother tongue in 1996, amounting to 4 percent of the total population of the province. Acadians are concentrated in two main regions, Cape Breton Island and the south coast of the province. If one also includes Halifax which has the largest number of Nova Scotia francophones, these areas have 80 percent of Nova Scotia’s francophones. They are also numerous within certain regions of the province, and are in the majority in two of the eight municipalities of Digby and Yarmouth counties: Clare and Argyle. There they have developed a diversified network of institutions which support a vibrant cultural life and an active community. The French fact holds sway on Isle Madame, located off of Cape Breton Island. Acadians are 40 percent of the population north of Inverness where they form a base for the community organization of many villages such as Cheticamp. Nova Scotia francophones are essentially a rural population even though more than 10,000 people with French as a mother tongue live in Halifax and Dartmouth. There are more than 1,000 in the regional municipality of Cape Breton Island (Sydney), an industrial centre which has become the principal centre for services for northern Cape Breton Island. Although Acadians are only 4 percent of the population of the province, their local concentration gives them political strength disproportionate to their small numbers. Sources The short community history notes were taken in large part from the Web site produced by the Comité national de développement des ressources humaines de la francophonie canadienne. A text by Philippe Falardeau, entitled Hier la francophonie, published by the FCFA in the context of Dessein 2000 was also a source of inspiration. Finally, several texts compiled by Joseph Yvon Thériault in Francophonies minoritaires au Canada - L’État des lieux, recently published by Éditions de l’Acadie, were used. All statistics used in producing the profiles come from Statistics Canada. Four sources were used: Data on mother tongue, French spoken in the home and knowledge of French, 1951 to 1996, were taken from Louise Marmen and Jean-Pierre Corbeil (1999), Languages in Canada. 1996 Census. Canadian Heritage and Statistics Canada. New Canadian Perspectives. Catalog number C99-980110-4F. (Marmen and Corbeil, 1999.) Data on linguistic continuity (ratio of the number of persons speaking French in the home and the number of persons with French as their mother tongue) and francophone intermarriage rates were taken from the work by Michael O'Keefe (1998), Francophone Minorities: Assimilation and Community Vitality. Canadian Heritage. New Canadian perspectives. Catalog number C98-980021-0F. (O’Keefe, 1998.) Data on non-official mother tongues come from E-Stat 1998, an optical compact disk published under catalogue number 10F017XCB (WIN). All other data were taken from Portrait des communautés de langues officielles au Canada published by Statistics Canada in the form of an optical compact disk with catalogue number C94F0010XCB. This disk provided data on ethnic origin and on the francophone population by sex, age, birthplace, mobility, education, occupation and income (Statistics Canada, 1998). Depending on the source used, the population under consideration varies slightly. The method used to distribute the bilingual population is the main reason for these discrepancies. Both Marmen and Corbeil and O’Keefe distribute multiple responses among declared languages. For example, for persons declaring English and French as mother tongues, half of the responses are added to the « French » category and half to the « English » category. For those who declared French and a non-official language as their mother tongues, half of the responses are classed as « French » and the other half as « Non-official language ». The E-Stat diskette does not distribute multiple responses and presents all categories of responses in detail. In Portrait des communautés de langues officielles au Canada, only multiple responses relating to English-French bilingualism are broken out. Persons declaring French and a non-official language as mother tongues were all counted as having French as their mother tongue. Those declaring French, English and a third language as mother tongues were all classed as bilingual English-French. The populations considered here - whether French mother tongue or French and English mother tongues - are thus slightly larger. The figures on the francophone population will vary depending on whether or not they include francophones who also declared English as their mother tongue. Most of the tables and graphs presented in this profile concern only persons whose only mother tongue is French, who make up the great majority of francophones in all areas. The French mother tongue map, 1996, covers all francophones, including half of bilingual francophones. This map, produced by André Langlois, is based on data contained on the diskette Portrait des communautés de langues officielles au Canada. It is taken from the Atlas du développement des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada, which may be found on the Internet at: http://aix1.uottawa.ca/~andrelan/atlas/. Information on community life was supplied by the Fédération francophone de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE) which was invited to supplement two existing portraits: one of the francophone community in Nova Scotia, produced by Canadian Heritage and presently available on its Web site, and an older one prepared in 1990 by the Fédération des francophones hors Québec (as the FCFA was called at the time) and published in a document entitled État des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada. Modification: {ts '2005-05-27 00:00:00'}

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