• Nova Scotia groups add spice to Congrès 
• Canadian governor general says La.  diversity valuable 
• Long lost cousins reunited

          Don Boudria, minister of state and leader in the House of Commons of Canada,
          was on hand at Eunice City Hall to represent the Canadian government during
          the Congrès Mondial-sponsored event.

          "For many Canadians, Louisiana is the place where our long lost cousins live,"
          said Boudria. 

          Boudria stated that Canada and Louisiana have strong ties to one another, and
          that they both share the love of music, food and friendship that is a so much a
          part of the culture in Louisiana. 

          Boudria joked that he was glad for the warmth of the people, but the warmth of
          the climate he could do without.

          "I had heard that the people of Louisiana gave a very warm reception, but
          when the heat hit us, we didn't realize how warm it would be," said Boudria
          jokingly.

          Boudria mentioned that Canada would be the site of the next Congrès Mondial
          in Nova Scotia in 2004, but he also mentioned that the Canadian government
          would also sponsor the Jeux de la Francophonie at Ottawa-Hull, Canada in
          2001. He said the event would have sports and cultural competitions featuring
          French-speaking countries worldwide.

          Later Thursday at the Liberty Theater, Eunice Mayor Kenneth J. Peart
          presented Boudria with the key to the city and thanked him for attending the
          festival.

          Jacques Gantrot, mayor of Potiers, France, also spoke at the festival and
          thanked the people of Eunice.

          There were many activities on hand at the festival that allowed visitors from
          colder climates the opportunity to view Cajun culture indoors. 

          The Liberty Theater featured musical presentations from musicians such as
          Hadley Castille, who presented a workshop called "The Evolution of Fiddling,"
          Larry Miller, who gave a presentation on accordions and the history of
          accordions in South Louisiana, 13-year-old Marc Boudreaux, who is Nova
          Scotia's Celtic and Scottish fiddling champion, gave a fiddling demonstration and
          the Nova Scotian Band Blou played Acadian music.

          The Jean-Lafitte National Park for Prairie Cajun Culture located next to the
          theater had its own presentations. There were the usual displays of prairie
          Cajun culture in the museum as well as cooking demonstrations, music and
          crafts.

          C.J. Knobloch, a visiting park ranger from the Jean-Lafitte Center in
          Thibodeaux, had a booth that displayed traditional Cajun toys. Children gathered
          at Knobloch's booth to view the many dolls and wood-carved items he had at
          his table. 

          Knobloch said that he carved all of the toys by hand, and had taught the art to
          himself as a child while working for his father, who was a blacksmith, in the
          Houma area. Knobloch said he even constructed the knives he used to carve
          the toys.

          A display at Knobloch's booth read: "This display is made by a Cajun born in
          1935. It is my attempt to keep our culture alive. So then as anyone can plainly
          see. Much of the little boy remains in me!"

          The Eunice Depot Museum offered visitors a chance to see local Eunice
          history and featured Chiquita Reddock, who demonstrated cloth weaving and
          spinning. Reddock said that she learned how to weave from a weaver's guild in
          Lafayette, and that her daughter Leah Reddock had learned to spin wool,
          cotton and other fibers into string.

          "It's a nice hobby," said Chiquita Reddock.

          Chiquita Reddock said that one of her demonstrations included spinning rags
          into rugs. Reddock said one of the ways cajun people would reuse rags was to
          take them, cut them into strips and weave them on a loom in to rugs. 

          Visitors from all over the world attended the festival.

          Mark Barvaux and Nicole Bertrand of Erneuville, Belgium, said they enjoyed
          their visit to Louisiana. Bertrand said that she and Barvaux were staying at
          Curtis Joubert's home while in the country and were going to meet with Ann
          and Marc Savoy for a private dinner and jam session after the concerts that
          night.

          Nicole said that Barvaux plays the guitar, and had met Joubert, former mayor
          of Eunice and FrancoFête during a visit from the former mayor of Eunice 10
          years ago.

          Brad Samson, of Petit de Grat in Nova Scotia, also attended the event. Samson 
          said he was an Acadian and would attend the LeBlanc family reunion in Erath 
          Samson said his grandmother was a LeBlanc.           
 

"It's been a great experience," said Samson about the festival. "It's quite different, but quite interesting."      Nadine Arsenault, of Mont Carmel on Prince Evert Island in Canada, said that she still wanted to visit Vermilionville and Downtown Alive before she headed back to Canada, and she mentioned the only drawback to the trip was the oppressive heat.      "It's hot, but we're coping," said Arsenault.