This exhibit, sponsored by the Provincial Archival Development Program of Nova Scotia, shines a light on the events and stories of 20 people from the Pubnico region who traveled to the United States of America as migrant workers between 1910 and 1950.
The exhibit highlights resources collected and curated by staff at the Centre de Recherche of the Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos to illustrate the value of archival material in the interpretation of Acadian heritage.
J'va't manquer
◆ Poem by Debra Amirault Camelin ◆ Adapted and sung by Wendell d'Eon ◆ Accompanied and produced by Luc d'Eon
Photos courtesy of the Yarmouth County Museum Archives
By the mid-20th century, most Acadian families had members living in America. Many left Pubnico for Yarmouth by train or bus and boarded passenger ships heading to the port of Boston in Massachusetts.
Photos courtesy of the Yarmouth County Museum Archives
Most were labourers such as factory and construction workers, domestic workers, waitresses, or crewmen on ships.
To a lesser extent, some were professionals like nurses, teachers, or military personnel.
They left their homes and familiar surroundings seeking jobs and the prospect of better economic security, and settled in places like Massachusetts, Maine, New York, and Rhode Island.
Often, when the United States of America became home, they applied for American citizenship.
Over the years, many of those who emigrated visited Pubnico annually, bringing with them gifts of clothes and other distinctive items.
And while they set up roots in America and assimilated into a largely English society, most never forgot where they came from or their Acadian heritage.