Le Pays de la Sagouine Attraction, New Brunswick

Antonine Maillet's Le Pays de la Sagouine in Acadian New Brunswick, Canada.

I found myself crying as Norman read my cards in front of complete strangers. I was at Le Pays de la Sagouine, an island attraction created for the children who grew up with the fictional characters in their schooldays. It was the last place I would’ve thought I’d be crying in public.

Acadian culture is thriving here in Bouctouche, a town along the Acadian Peninsula’s east coast in New Brunswick, Canada. Le Pays de la Sagouine brings the characters in Antoine Maillet’s novels come to life with costumed interpreters who play them and the buildings on the Île-aux-Puces that bring them alive.

Le Pays de la Sagouine Bootlegger in Acadian New Brunswick, Canada.

So, walking into the “Clairvoyant’s House” with a man who tells fortunes with a deck of regular playing cards got my bullshit metre going. I thought it would be a fun little experience to see what kind of stock answer he gave out.

But as soon as our eyes connected, it felt for real. He just looked at me and began telling me things about my love life that were bang on (which I’m not repeating here!).

Okay, I thought, this is weird. Then he got more specific and I felt tears welling up in my eyes, not from sadness, but from the fact that it felt like he could see right through me. This was all before I had even chosen a card!

A two of hearts seemed to confirm everything he said, whatever that symbolized. When I got up to leave, wiping the tears from my eyes, Norman gave me a hug and told me to take care of myself. I walked out stunned.

There was nothing better to do after that surprising turn of events than to hit the bootlegger’s building. There, the bartender poured me a shot of bagosse, an Acadian drink with secret ingredients. I’m not usually a fan of hard alcohol, but this went down way too easily. I even got to keep the shot glass with La Sagouine’s photo on it.

Making a wish at Le Pays de la Sagouine Lighthouse in New Brunswick, Canada.

On a lighter note, I then took part in an Acadian Kitchen Party, where Marie-Rose told the history of the Acadian people in New Brunswick while Alexina played the fiddle and taught us how to join in with our feet (see video of the Acadian kitchen party here).

What I Liked:

• Two ladies, who have been performing together for 15 years, put on a fast-paced, hilariously over-the-top show during the day (but you have to understand French).
• Margaret bakes goodies twice a day near the entrance and adds much comedy to her routine, too (if you speak to her in English, she’s likely to say, “I like English [speaking] people. Well, English men. I’m looking for an English man!”).
• A really great kids program lets them participate in storytelling and, when I poked my head in, they were in rapt attention.

Tags: Acadian culture, Acadian Kitchen Party, Acadian Peninsula, Antoine Maillet, Attraction, bagosse, Bouctouche, canada, Île-aux-Puces, La Pays de la Sagouine, nb, New Brunswick