2014 Reunion Information
Les Guédry d'Asteur
16 August 2014 - Van Buren, Maine
In less than 12 months we will have the 2014 Guédry & Petitpas Reunion at Van Buren, Maine. We will be discussing various aspects of our Reunion and the 2014 Congrès Mondial in this and next three issues of “Generations”. In this issue we provide tentative details of the Guédry & Petitpas Reunion and provide some interesting Acadian attractions folks can visit during the Congrès Mondial. In subsequent issues we will discuss Guédry and Petitpas connections in this region (yes, there actually are some connections with our family) and key events during the 2014 Congrès Mondial. Of course, in each issue of “Generations” we will have updated information on our Reunion.
THE GUÉDRY & PETITPAS REUNION
Date - Saturday, 16 August 2014 from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm (times are tentative)
Place - Van Buren, Maine at the Acadian Village
The Congrès Mondial will be held 8-24 August 2014 in northeastern Maine, northwestern New Brunswick and southeastern Québec. Our Reunion will be the middle weekend of the Congrès Mondial letting folks who have only one week to attend the Congrès join us at either the end or beginning of their trip.
We are also the day after the National Acadian Day festivities scheduled for 15 August in Madawaska, Maine (Zachary Richard will be the headliner for the event) and two days before Louisiana Day (18 August) at Grand Falls, New Brunswick. Two key dates are the Opening Ceremonies on 8 August at Beau Lake, ME and Edmundston, NB and Closing Ceremonies on 24 August at Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac, QC.
We have registered our Guédry & Petitpas Reunion with the 2014 Congrès Mondial Organizing Committee and are #56 on their alphabetical list of approved Reunions.
http://www.cma2014.com/en/reunions-de-familles/familles-inscrites
Saturday, 16 August 2014 - Van Buren, Maine
• Opening Ceremony
• Audiovisual presentation on Madawaska Acadians and their heritage
• Chére Mom - an exciting Cajun band from South Louisiana featuring the Christine Guidry Law family
• Home-cooked buffet meal (approximately $12-15 per person) [optional]
• Announcement of new honorees to the Circle of Distinction
• Audiovisual presentation (topic TBD)
• Closing Ceremony
• Lots of time to meet and greet cousins during day
• Genealogical and historical displays to view
• Reunion souvenirs to purchase
• Several family-related books to review and purchase
If you plan to come to the Reunion, please complete them 2014 reunion form and mail it to the address indicated with your Registration Fee. Pre-registering for the Reunion helps those of us planning the Reunion prepare better and have a nicer Reunion for everyone. Although you can pay at the door on the day of the Reunion, we cannot guarantee that a meal will be available for you.
Why did we select Van Buren, Maine? Similar to the Acadian Peninsula area near Bathurst, New Brunswick in 2009, there are very few family connections to our Guédry and Petitpas families in the 2014 Congrès Mondial region. Lacking a family-connected location for the Reunion, we looked for a strong Acadian connection.
After looking at the population centers and where Congrès Mondial activities will occur, we decided we should have the Reunion close to the these areas and near Acadian attractions. Van Buren meets our requirements well and it is one of the first Acadian communities founded in northeastern Maine.
GUÉDRY CONNECTIONS
In the late 1750s Jean Guédry, Marie LeBlanc and their sons Jean and Alexandre were briefly at La Petite-Rochelle, QC, which is near the Congrès region; however, little to no trace of them remain. After the British victory at the Battle of Restigouche on 8 July 1760, they were captured and imprisoned at Fort Cumberland (formerly Fort Beauséjour) in southern New Brunswick.
In the early 1800s Romain Guédry and Marie Comeau of the St. Mary's Bay area of Nova Scotia migrated to the Carleton, QC area and later moved near Van Buren, ME. One of their sons Hilaire Guédry married a local Carleton girl Cécile Bourg in 1829 and they remained near Carleton. Hilaire and Cécile had several children and over time some moved south into northern New Brunswick around Campbellton and Petit-Rocher. Today a few Guidry family members descending from Hilaire and Cécile still live in the Campbellton, NB and Bathurst, NB areas.
ACCOMODATIONS/LODGING
THE MADAWASKA REGION IS A RURAL AREA WITH LIMITED MOTELS AND LODGING AVAILABLE.
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU BOOK YOUR LODGING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. (Remember that, unlike airlines, you can cancel lodging reservations with no penalty in most cases.) Many of the communities in northeast Maine and northwest New Brunswick have small motels, bed and breakfast facilities, cabins and camping facilities. Some accommodations in Van Buren, ME; Madawaska, ME and Edmundston, NB are:
Van Buren, ME
| Aroostook Hospitality Inn | 207-484-6200 |
| Brookside Manor Hotel | 207-868-5158 |
| Colonial Motor Inn | 207-868-3939 |
| Van Buren Hotel | 207-868-7780 |
| Trailside Lodge | 207-728-2293 |
| Tastee Freeze Camping | 207-868-3011 |
Madawaska, ME
| Martin’s Motel | 207-728-3395 |
| Inn of Acadia | 207-316-9026 |
| Fraser Mansion | 386-416-8484 |
| Blue Sky Hotel | 207-728-6567 |
| Charbonneau Camp Rentals | 207-728-4132 |
| Gateway Motel | 207-728-3318 |
| Waterfront Haven Cottage Rentals | 207-728-4254 |
| Long Lake Cottage Rentals | 207-728-8683 |
Edmundston, NB
| Comfort Inn | 506-739-8361 |
| Quality Inn | 506-735-5525 |
| Days Inn | 506-263-0000 |
| Best Western Plus Hotel | 506-739-0000 |
| Au NIDaigle | 506-739-7567 |
| Happy Motel | 506-739-8844 |
| La Roma Motel | 506-735-3305 |
The CMA 2014 staff has developed an excellent website with lodging information both in Maine and New Brunswick. You can access the website at:
http://www.cma2014.com/en/services/hebergement
VAN BUREN, MAINE
Van Buren is a small Acadian community nestled on the beautiful Saint John River separating New Brunswick and Maine. It is approximately 25 miles from Madawaska, Maine; 28 miles from Edmundston, New Brunswick; 45 miles from Fort Kent, Maine; 98 miles from Campellton, New Brunswick and 102 miles from Restigouche, Québec.
Van Buren and the historic structures near it offer a window into the history and lives of Maine's Acadian community. The Acadian Village at Van Buren has 17 historic Acadian structures and there are several other Acadian farms
and buildings within an hour's drive. Here are a few websites of attractions near Van Buren:
http://themainelink.com/acadianvillage/
(The Acadian Village in Van Buren website)
http://www.nps.gov/maac/planyourvisit/acadvillage.htm http://www.nps.gov/maac/planyourvisit/acadlanding.htm
http://www.nps.gov/maac/photosmultimedia/Maine-Acadian-Culture.htm
ACADIANS OF MADAWASKA
Below are links to a few articles on the history and culture of Madawaska's Acadians. Their journey from Acadia during the time of the deportations in the mid-1750s to their settling on the banks of the Saint John River in north-
eastern Maine and northwestern New Brunswick is unique and interesting.
http://scott_michaud.tripod.com/Madawaska-history.html
(Brief history of the Maine Acadians and how they reached the Saint John River)
http://www.acadian.org/mad-sett.html
(Madawaska Acadian Settlement)
http://acim.umfk.maine.edu/who_we_are.html
LAGNIAPPE - A LITTLE BIT EXTRA
Congrès Mondial 2014 Agenda - Now available at: http://www.cma2014.com/en/programmation/programmationcomplete
Passports - Be sure you have a current, valid passport as the Congrès occurs in both the United States and Canada. The CMA staff is working to smooth border crossings and hope to have more information in the Fall 2013, but you will need a passport to enter or re-enter the United States. Information on U. S. and Canadian Passports is available at:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_4855.html (United States)
http://www.ppt.gc.ca/index.aspx (Canada )
Congrès Mondial 2014 Information - CMA Staff has an excellent bilingual website with updated information at:
http://www.cma2014.com/en/
Lodging for Congrès: BOOK EARLY - As discussed above, the Madawaska region is a rural area with few motels/hotels. Book your accommodations as soon as you can. Information on potential accommodations is given above. Remember that usually you can cancel lodging accommodations with no penalty.
AIRPORTS
The nearest major airports to Van Buren, ME are:
- Fredericton International Airport (153 miles)
[Air Canada]
- Bangor International Airport (194 miles)
[Delta, US Airways, Allegiant]
- Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (224 miles)
[Air Canada, Delta, United, US Airways, Porter, PAL, Air Inuit, WestJet]
- Greater Moncton International Airport (258 miles)
[Air Canada, United, Porter, WestJet]
- Charlottetown Airport (353 miles)
[Air Canada, Delta, WestJet, Sinwing]
Smaller airports near Van Buren, ME are:
- Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle (36 miles) [PenAir]
- Bathurst Airport (126 miles) [Air Canada Jazz]
MAKE YOUR PLANS TO COME TO VAN BUREN
Now is the time to begin making plans to come to Van Buren on August 16, 2014 to make new friendships, renew old ones and enjoy the hospitality and culture of our Maine Acadian cousins. We are ahead of most of the families organizing Reunions to ensure y’all have adequate time to plan your trip and reserve accommodations, rental cars and transportation.