(Hillsborough, August 25, 2005) – On September 2nd, 1755, a group of French-Canadians, Mi’kmaqs and Acadians, under the leadership of Charles Deschamps de Boishébert, inflicted a major setback on the British soldiers sent to burn the Acadian settlement of Village-des-Blanchard, today’s Hillsborough. This battle marked the beginning of the Acadian resistance on the Petitcodiac River, which allowed many Acadian families to avoid the Deportation and l’Acadie to eventually survive. Most of the Acadians living in New Brunswick today descend from families who were able to avoid the Deportations of 1755-1762.

On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of this battle, a citizens committee from Hillsborough is organizing a commemorative ceremony to promote a rapprochement with the Acadians of today. The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 2nd at the Hillsborough First Baptist Church and bring together representatives from the region’s two linguistic communities.

Historian Paul Surette will pronounce a conference on the battles that took place on the Petitcodiac River during the Deportation of 1755. The Choeur Neil-Michaud, a renowned Acadian men’s choir under the direction of Martin Waltz, has been invited and will sing a repertoire of songs from both cultures to promote this rapprochement. Church, municipal and Société des Acadiens et Acadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick (SAANB) representatives, who are sponsoring the event, will also be on hand. Entrance is free, and the event will be followed by a reception.

The citizens committee from Hillsborough is presided by Reverend Dean McDonald of the Hillsborough First Baptist Church and includes Terry Dixon-Parker, Councilors from the Village of Hillsborough and Daniel LeBlanc from Petitcodiac Riverkeeper.