Acadian Museum holds 50th Anniversary Celebration for Evangeline School

School Exhibit time capsule for Acadian Museum director

S. RYAN QUIGLEY

JOURNAL PIONEER

Acadian Museum of Prince Edward Island director Cécile Gallant stands next to a cut out of her former principal sister Jeanne d’Arc at the école Evangeline 50^th Anniversary exhibit.

When the Acadian Museum of Prince Edward Island’s Director, Cécile Gallant, walks into work in the mornings lately, she walks into a time capsule and is greeted by her old principal Sister Jeanne d’Arc.

Since November the Acadian Museum of PEI has been home to a 50^th anniversary exhibition in celebration of the école Evangeline.

Built in 1960 for the ’60- 61 school year, when it was opened as the Evangeline Regional High School, the first regional high school in P.E.I., it was merged with the Consolidated school next to it, both figuratively and literally, in 1978.

Some of the artifacts were donated or on loan from the school and the principal Gilles Arsenault who have been supportive about the exhibit.

The exhibit, which has been going since November, was built by Gallant, Hélène Bergeron, the curator who got the pictures and some artifacts and Gloria Arsenault over the span of two months. She affectionately refers to them as her “team”.

A life size cut out of d’Arc sits at the front of the exhibit, someone who Gallant remembers well.

“She wasn’t mean, she was strict,” said Gallant “Everyone has memories of Sister Jeanne d’Arc, when they see her their still scared of her today.”

The building, which has seen close to 2,000 students pass through and had visits from such politicians as Pierre Trudeau, houses favoured memories of her and her friends, said Gallant.

“The people I went to school with, the laughs we had, the things we lived through together, studying and all the activities in the gym. Things you did together when you went to school.”

The exhibit spans all 50 years of the school, with year books, class photos and many other artifacts of the school. Two generations of her family, herself and her two sons attended the school, said Gallant.

“We always had to go to school in dresses or skirts, no pants allowed. While today they dress in ßpants, more free.”

The exhibit isn’t just for those that went to the école Evangeline, said Gallant.

“It’s kind of universal, anybody who has gone through high school from the 60s to the early 2000s, you see similarities.”
The exhibit was a travel back in time and fun to put together, she said.

“It was special reliving my youth.”

The exhibit is open until May 1, with the hours from Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.