Press Release
(For immediate release)
Little Brook (N.S.) – August 1, 2024: Building on the momentum of the upcoming Congrès mondial acadien (CMA) in August 2024, the municipalities of Clare and Argyle have collaborated with regional and community partners to rollout a series of 40 bilingual interpretive panels as Phase 1 of the modernization of the Acadian Shores Interpretive Tour.
In late July, 29 panels were installed at existing locations while 11 panels were added at new sites in Clare, Argyle and Yarmouth (see Appendix for list of sites). Each interpretive panel tells a unique aspect of the Acadian story of Southwest Nova Scotia. The launch of Phase 1 also includes the soft launch of a new mobile-friendly website with a custom Google Map to promote the tour (excursionacadienne.ca).
Available in late fall 2024, Phase 2 will feature the launch of 78 vignettes, a series of 2 to 5-minute videos which will engage visitors to take a deeper dive into the region’s Acadian history. The vignettes will be accessible by scanning a QR code on each panel that will direct visitors to watch a video on the website. A redesign of the existing hard-copy map-brochure will also be available in fall 2024 to cross-promote the Acadian sites.
“The goal was to install the interpretive panels before the CMA, so that Acadians from around the world could take a few detours and explore their roots even more. The project will share and promote the Acadian story of Southwest Nova Scotia to visitors and residents for many years to come”, remarked Larry Peach, project lead and Tourism Manager for the Municipality of Clare.
Established in 2008 by a regional partnership, the Acadian Shores Interpretive Tour is a self-guided itinerary of heritage sites that highlight and cross-promote the rich Acadian history and culture in Southwest Nova Scotia. Fifteen years later, the map-brochure remains popular with visitor information centres, encouraging tourists to explore historic sites, museums, churches, wharves, and hidden gems, often located off the beaten path. Designed with longevity in mind, the project will strengthen Acadian product development and clustering, as well as encourage repeat visitation by residents and visitors at all sites throughout the region.
The project is being coordinated by senior staff from the Municipalities of Clare and Argyle, the Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ) and the Yarmouth & Acadian Shores Tourism Association (YASTA), in consultation with site contacts. Total project costs are $260,000 and include a $160,000 non-repayable contribution from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), $30,000 each from the Municipalities of Clare and Argyle, $25,000 from the Nova Scotia Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing, $10,000 from Acadian Affairs and Francophonie (Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage), and $5,000 from YASTA.
Open the Appendix - Sites of the Acadian Shores Interpretive Tour Here
Media Contact / Interviews:
Larry Peach
Tourism Manager
Municipality of Clare
902-769-8555
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