Akadi Lumina To Open Soon With Le Pays de la Sagouine and Moment Factory
BOUCTOUCHE – Pays de la Sagouine is opening a new attraction this August. The minds behind the new Akadi Lumina with Moment Factory say it will be a magical experience.
Pays de la Sagouine is a popular tourist attraction in Bouctouche. Based on a fictional book by Antonine Maillet, the island gives a sense of walking into a fictional world.
Pays de la Sagouine brings to life this fictional world, yet it is based on real people that Antonine Maillet met around Bouctouche. Monique Poirier, co-executive director and artistic director of Pays de la Sagouine, says the second you cross the bridge and step onto the island, you are transported into another world.
“What amazes me is that today, in 2023, over 50 years later after this book was published, so much of what’s written in that book is still relevant today,” Poirier tells Huddle.
Poirier says that the book, Sagouine, is part of a series of monologues that are meant to be performed on stage by one actress. For the first 30 years, this actress was Viola Léger. However, Poirier says that she retired from acting in 2016 and passed away in January 2023.
“Because everything is fictional, there are parts of what we portray in our theater or in our music or in our storytelling, parts of it are real facts of Acadian history and Acadian culture, but parts of it are totally made up,” says Poirier.
Opening August 3, there will be a new attraction added to the mainland beside Pays de la Sagouine. This will be known as Akadi Lumina and will be done with Moment Factory. This will also be Moment Factory’s first Lumina in Atlantic Canada.
Poirier says that since Le Pays de la Sagouine is in its 32nd season of operations and looking for new ways to continue to expand and evolve.
Akadi Lumina will be an enchanted night walk that is done through lights, video, and music. Each night, the walk will take place after dark, over 1.5 kilometres in the forest, to give attendees the most magical experience possible.
“No matter the language they speak, be it French, be it English, be it Mandarin, it’s not an experience that is based on your ability to understand a certain language,” says Poirier.
The difference between Akadi Lumina and Le Pays de la Sagouine is that the Lumina will be done in a non-fiction manner. People will get to physically walk through parts of what Acadian culture is.
Akadi Lumina will be operating seven days a week from August 3 to September 3. They will then put out a revised schedule and remain open until October 14 when they will close for the winter season.
However, this will be a permanent attraction, meaning that it will reopen next year. Poirier says that they will open even earlier in the year next year than it will this year, in late May.
“The experience is rain or shine,” Poirier tells Huddle. “Before we started to work on our own Lumina I went to Quebec with a part of our staff here to see different Lumina’s in Quebec. And one of the nights that I walked it was pouring rain and the experience was amazing.”
Poirier says that the only time that they would cancel a Lumina is in the case of lighting. She says to those interested that it is highly recommended to buy tickets ahead of time, but they will still be able to purchase on site if it is not sold out.
With Akadi Lumina opening very soon, Poirier and the rest of the team are very excited to bring this magical experience to New Brunswick.
Ryley Roach is a Huddle student intern, based in Fredericton. Send her your feedback and story ideas: [email protected]