Received this, thought some of you may be interested. Happy Thanksgiving to friends and relatives! Kathie Jacobsen-Wilcox Acadian fete to feature family theme Reply to: AcadianGenealogy@yahoogroups.com In "THE CHRONICLE-HERALD" Halifax newspaper. Monday, November 19, 2001 Acadian fete to feature family theme 250,000 expected at 2004 gala By Susan Bradley / Staff Reporter The third annual Congres mondial acadien, slated for 2004, will be a family affair, said organizer Allister Surette Saturday. Groups of Acadian families, from southwest Nova Scotia to Cape Breton, will host individual gatherings in addition to official events such as the Congres opening in Clare and closing mass at Grand Pré. "We're expecting about 250,000 people to participate in the events," Mr. Surette said, following a meeting of about 100 organizers in Halifax. Relatives of families such as the LeBlancs, Deveaus, Richards and Belliveaus, are expected to come from as far away as Louisiana and France. The 16-day event in August 2004 is also expected to attract visitors from Quebec, the other Atlantic provinces, the rest of Canada and the U.S., and other regions of Europe. "This is a worldwide reunion of all Acadians and friends of Acadians," Mr. Surette said. The Congres mondial acadien 2004 also coincides with the 400th anniversary of the deportation of Acadians from Grand Pré, he said. Acadian conferences were held in New Brunswick in 1994 and Louisiana in 1999. The budget for 2004 is $7.5 million, half of which will come from the provincial and federal governments and half of which will be raised through private sponsorship. "We are hoping the Congres has a lasting economic spin-off, in tourism, education and economic development," said Mr. Surette, who is also president and CEO of the College de l'Acadie. Many of the people who come to Nova Scotia's Acadian communities in 2004 have strong genealogy interests and will be seeking information about their ancestors, he said. Organization committees have already published and distributed more than 150 Family Reunion Manuals. About 600 people are involved in the project and 35 Acadian family associations have been organized. On Saturday, the associations discussed a framework for working together as a larger, permanent group. While the Congres is still over two years away, promotion is in full swing. Brochures and a CD-ROM have been created and are being distributed to target markets. As well, Acadian musical groups Blou and Grand Dérangement have been on tour in Europe and the U.S., helping to promote the event. George Rose <grose@hfx.eastlink.ca>