Ambassadors from greater Saint John Area Complete Outreach Program in Acadian Peninsula
In June, 2007, Dialogue New Brunswick announced that residents of the Greater Saint John area had wrapped up a three-day outreach and information sharing program through the Acadian Peninsula in Caraquet tomorrow.
The group is part of a new initiative created and organized by Dialogue NB, a provincial, non-profit organization that promotes understanding, respect and appreciation between English-speaking and French-speaking citizens of the province.
The initiative, called the Dialogue Ambassador Program, enables leading members of one linguistic community to experience the lives, amenities, and workplaces of the other in a positive, encouraging way.
“We believe that when people visit each other’s homes, it results in greater comprehension, increased respect, and new appreciation for New Brunswick’s linguistic diversity,” said Carole Fournier, Dialogue New Brunswick’s executive director. “If we can provide the opportunity, people can and will collaborate on issues of common interest. We want New Brunswickers to discover all that our beautiful province offers.”
The ambassadors spent their time in the Acadien Peninsula touring a wide variety of communities and attractions, including Tracadie-Sheila, Miscou Island, Shippagan, Grande-Anse, and Caraquet. “It’s been a real eye-opening experience” said Ron Maloney, Mayor of Quispamsis. “This kind of information is invaluable. It’s the only way to truly understand how other communities live and work.”
Indeed, said Fournier, “We have opportunities here that do not exist anywhere else. We are all responsible for fostering the type of province that attracts new residents and retains the ones we have. Everyone has a role to play.”