Kouchibouguac : Removal, Resistance, and Remembrance at a Canadian National Park

In __Kouchibouguac__, Ronald Rudin tells the story of the park’s establishment, the resistance of its residents, and the memory of that experience.

In 1969, the federal and New Brunswick governments created Kouchibouguac National Park on the province’s east coast. The park’s creation required the relocation of more than 1200 people who lived within its boundaries. Government officials claimed the mass eviction was necessary both to allow visitors to view “nature” without the intrusion of a human presence and to improve the lives of the former inhabitants. But unprecedented resistance by the mostly Acadian residents, many of whom described their expulsion from the park as a “second deportation,” led Parks Canada to end its practice of forcible removal. One resister, Jackie Vautour, remains a squatter on his land to this day.

In Kouchibouguac, Ronald Rudin draws on extensive archival research, interviews with more than thirty of the displaced families, and a wide range of Acadian cultural creations to tell the story of the park’s establishment, the resistance of its residents, and the memory of that experience.

"The research in Kouchibouguac is meticulous. Rudin's excellent and innovative study integrates not only documentary sources but also interviews, theatrical portrayals, and his own engagement with the changing landscape." John Reid, Department of History, Saint Mary's University "In Kouchibouguac, Ronald Rudin tells the compelling story of the state-led relocation of Kent County residents in New Brunswick to make way for the Kouchibouguac National Park in the 1970s, the ways in which some residents' resisted removal, and, finally, how the memory and commemoration of this sad high modernist tale has changed over the past forty years. Rudin tells the expropriates' stories sensitively, painting a compelling picture of their communities and survival strategies and of the impact of relocation."James Kenny, Department of History, Royal Military College of Canada Contents Illustrations Illustrations Kouchibouguac Removal, Resistance, And Remembrance At A Canadian National Park Prologue On The Road Again Part One Removal Chapter 1. People Before The Park Chapter 2.Planning Without People Chapter 3.Removal And Rehabilitation Part Two Resistance Chapter 4. Gone Fishing Chapter 5.The Acadian Freedom Fighter Part Three Remembrance Chapter 6. Art For A Cause Chapter 7. Reconciliation Epilogue Chez Comeau Notes Bibliography Index