My mom, Lois CLOUATE Vial, always wondered where her family was from. Months before her death I completed the research and was able to share with her that she was a true Acadian, she was so pleased!

It's been a long journey from Dauphine, France to Grand Pre, Acadie (Nova Scotia) in the 1600's. Then the forced expulsion from Grand Pré in 1755 to near enslavement in Port Tobacco, Maryland for the next 10 years.

Lastly to find their way to beautiful Louisiana (St. Gabriel to St. James Parish to St. Charles Parish). A weary odyssey for a very devout and determined people seeking independence and a better quality of life. The very same goal that drives us all today!
Shortly before my mom's death I completed research that proved she was of direct Acadian decent. I knew then that I had to visit my ancestral home in Grand Pre, Nova Scotia. Through the expert services of Richard Laurin of Novacadie Tours, we traced the steps of the devout and determined Acadian people.

To honour my mom, I placed a few mementos in a small glass vial with the intention of burying it somewhere in Grand Pre. Richard generously offered his property adjacent to the Acadian Memorial site. I selected a peaceful spot beside a brook and under a French Willow tree (brought to the New World by the Acadians). I've returned a piece of the present to the past; the cycle is now complete! Thank you Richard!