Letter to the Private Secretary of Her Majesty the Queen
Letter sent through diplomatic channels by the mediation of the Governer General of Canada's office to Sir Robin Janvrin KCVO, CB, Private Secretary to Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth ll.
July 31, 2000
The Right Honourable Sir Robin Janvrin KCVO, CB
Private Secretary to
Her Majesty the Queen
Buckingham Palace
London, England
Sir Janvrin,
The purpose of this letter is to appeal for your help in supporting Warren Perrin, who presented to the British government, on January 4, 1990, a demand for recognition of the wrongs inflicted on the Acadian people at the time of the deportation of 1755. Mr. Perrin asks that England admit that the exile of the Acadians was a horrible evil for them, that they declare an end to the order of deportation and that they erect a monument to commemorate this tragedy. You will find the details of this petition, as well as a profile on Mr. Perrin, on the Internet at www.acadianmuseum.com/petition.html.
There is no doubt that this event ranks among the great tragedies of the history of Canada. The Acadians were dragged from their lands and separated from their families. In exile, some met slavery or prison. Others, fleeing British authorities, lived hidden in the woods for years. A number of them perished.
In 1994, the first large meetings of descendants of former Acadia since the deportation were held at the Congrès mondial acadien. It was with great joy that the event took place, which, having reunited more than 100,000 cousins and friends from all over the word, was a return to roots as well as a step towards the future.
There was much to celebrate. Three hundred-and-ninety years after the founding of Acadia and more than 250 years after the deportation, Acadians today form communities which are more dynamic and vibrant than ever. Therefore, it is not with bitterness that we support Warren Perrin, but with the feeling that one of the pages of our history has not yet been turned.
The United Kingdom, often a leader in promoting human rights, figures among the great modern democracies. However, the deportation of the Acadians, orchestrated in times of peace, at a time which civil law in force should have prevented it, was a violation of human rights and remains in the collective memory of Acandians as an indelible stain.
It is with respect, but resolutely, that we make this request to Her Majesty the Queen to give the petition presented by Warren Perrin all the attention that it and he are due. My support for Mr. Perrin comes as founder and president of the first Congrès mondial acadien, as Member of the Order of Canada, and as an Acadian.
I look forward to meeting you on August 15, Acadia Day, in order to give to you my formal letter of support for the petition. You can confirm your availability with my assistant, Julie Verreault, by telephone at 1 (819) 693-1028, fax at 1 (819) 242-6341 or by e-mail at julie@virtuelle.ca.
I look forward to having the chance to meet with you and discuss Acadian culture.
Sincerely,
André Boudreau, C.M.
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