Saint-Jacques-de-Montcalm, Qc Monument

LANAUDIÈRE, A NEW ACADIA
The Lanaudière region was settled in the 1760s and 1770s by numerous Acadian families uprooted during the Grand Dérangement. Originally from the villages of Port-Royal, Grand-Pré, Rivière-aux-Canards, Pigiguit and Beaubassin, some of them arrive directly from Acadie. Others came from Massachusetts, Connecticut and France, where they had been deported in 1755 or 1758.

Originally from Grand-Pré, François LeBlanc, his wife Élisabeth Dugas and their children were deported in 1755 to Oxford, Massachusetts. After 11 years in exile, they arrived in Saint-Jacques and, according to official records, were the first Acadian family to settle in the area.

As soon as Acadian families arrive, the society of the Priest of saint Sulpice was quick to help them settle along the Assomption and Achigan Rivers. In 1767, Father Jacques DeGeay had land surveyed along the Saint-Georges and Vacher Brooks, which he distributed to these courageous Acadians.

In 1774, Jean-Baptiste Bro, an Acadian, was the first priest in the new parish of Saint Jacques-de-la-Nouvelle-Acadie. DeGeay and Bro were an important unifying force for the Acadians. Descendants of these families are still living in the region. They take pride in their traditions and have kept the memory of their ancestors alive.

Source : texte inscrit sur le Monument.