2017 francophone games chooses Chiac slogan 'Right Fiers!'
Organizers of the 2017 Jeux de la Francophonie games in Moncton and Dieppe have launched a video and social media campaign which is proudly and unapologetically Chiac.
The promotional video launched Thursday, ends with the slogan for the games: Right Fiers, which means 'right proud' in English.
Some people in the area are proud to have their culture highlighted at a national event, while others are less than impressed.
Robert Pichette, 80, one of the authors of the original N.B. Official Languages Act, does not approve of the use of this English and French mix.
"I think this is one of the most asinine slogans ever to surface," he said.
Pichette says speaking any language properly should be a point of pride, but especially for Acadians, who struggled for years to receive the right to a French education.
"It's been a long, long fight, it is now won, it's done, and it was done as peacefully as possible. Why now should we renege on this ourselves?" said Pichette.
However, 19-year-old Annie Desjardins, raised in Moncton, has a different point of view.
"I love it, I love the slogan," she said.
Desjardins says Chiac is a point of pride for local people, a sign that Acadian culturing is thriving.
"I think that as an Acadian, I think that Chiac is the proof that Chiac and the Acadian identity is still growing. I think it confirms everything about the Acadian identity," she said.
Desjardins says she can't wait to have people from around the country get a taste of the Chiac culture.
About 1,000 participants are expected in Moncton and Dieppe for the Jeux de la Francophonie in July 2017. The games are designed for francophone youth to compete in sports and share their culture.
