NEW IBERIA, La. --- The village of Loreauville will dedicate the newest Acadian Odyssey Monument at a public celebration on April 27, 2023 at 10 a.m. Come out to 121 Bridge St., Loreauville and take a step into the past as the community looks toward a future that would make the original Acadians proud.

There are many places along the banks of the Bayou Teche where moss-draped oaks and slow, swirling currents offer up an invitation to step into the past and imagine the odyssey of the first Acadians. Now, the village of Loreauville is proud to offer everyone a chance to re-imagine that arduous 1765 journey that began in Acadie, now Nova Scotia, and ended on the Teche Ridge. 

Through the coordinated efforts of Loreauville Mayor Brad Clifton’s office and the Acadian Odyssey Commission, a Canada-based group, a new monument has been erected at 121 Bridge Street to commemorate the historic site.

Speakers for the day include Lt. Gov. Billy Nunguesser, President of the Societe National Acadie Martin Theburge and Warren Perrin, President of the New Acadia Project. In the event of rain, an alternate location will be provided.

About the Monument:

The monument is one of only two in Louisiana and 17 worldwide dedicated to those who were deported from Halifax (Nova Scotia) and scattered to various locations around the globe. Other monuments already exist in Houma, La., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and France. According to the SNA (Societe’ Nationale de l’Acadie) website, the mandate of the Acadian Odyssey Commission is three-fold: to commemorate the expulsion and odyssey of the Acadian people, to promote awareness of Acadian history and culture, and to promote the region of Acadie.

The monument itself is an homage to the perseverance of the Acadians whose tenacity and faith led them through the tragic event of the “The Great Upheaval” or as it is called en Francais, le Grand Derangement.

Visitors to the Loreauville monument can read in French and in English, details of the odyssey the Acadians endured and trace the different routes of various Acadian exiles. From the vantage point of the monument, it is not difficult at all to feel the connection to those long-ago founders of Acadiana.

For the village of Loreauville, the installment of the monument is only the beginning. The mayor’s office along with members of the community plan to develop park space and to renovate buildings currently on the site.

For more information, please contact Loreauville Mayor Brad Clifton at (337) 229-8306 or by email.