Learn about Acadians
and the Francophonie
Canada’s largest lobster!
New Brunswick’s biggest star is 11 metres long and 5 metres tall, weighs 90 tonnes and would be delicious with several litres of garlic butter! We’re referring to the giant Shediac lobster, which was created in 1989 to highlight the importance of the regional lobster fishing industry.
French-language school!
In Canada, there are approximately 700 French-language schools outside of Quebec. Most of them are located in Ontario. The Maritimes take second place, with 125 French-language schools and 4 post‑secondary institutions.
Acadia: To infinity and beyond!
A smaller version of the Acadian flag went into space, not once but twice! The first time was in 1996, and the second was in 1998. And it was all thanks to researchers from the University of Moncton!
Where are the French-speaking Canadians?
According to the Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes (Quebec secretariat for Canadian relations), half of all French‑speaking Canadians outside of Quebec live in Ontario. The other half are split equally between New Brunswick and the other provinces!
Acadia enters the ring!
Boxing put one of the first Acadian stars, Yvon Durelle, on the map. He was from Baie‑Sainte-Anne, New Brunswick, and was among the top 10 boxers in the world in 1957.
Services in both languages
In 1969, New Brunswick became the first officially bilingual province. It was the same year that the Official Languages Act was adopted in Canada! To this day, it’s the only province with that title.
Acadian Mars!
Is it a red planet? No, it’s a red island! Prince Edward Island is known for its red soil, which differs from the brown earth found elsewhere in Canada. Why? The high concentration of rust in the rock and soil gives the dirt its distinctive colour.
