To the editor:
As we approach the Congrès Mondial Acadien with one of its main goals being a rapprochement among Maine, New Brunswick and Quebec, I cannot resist reminiscing about how close that relationship used to be in the last century. The St. John Valley looked north and west rather than south because of its historic, cultural, linguistic, religious, entertainment and economic ties.
When I was growing up in the 1940s and ‘50s, a special treat was the appearance of Canadian singers and comedians at the Frenchville Town Hall, located where Jim’s Convenience Plus stands today. Roger Miron, Paul Brunelle, Narcisse and Tizune from Quebec province were favorites.
I remember also the big fire in Cabano, where Frenchville and Madawaska sent fire trucks and firefighters to help out. The major hospitals in Quebec City and Montreal were often the choice of Valley-ites suffering from major illnesses, and of course the daily rosary on CJEM radio was as popular on the American side as on the Canadian side. Our first television station originated from Rimouski, and “Séraphim” was a hit.
For sports fans, hockey and baseball in Edmundston were major attractions. The interprovincial leagues provided excellent competition on the ice, with some players such as Red Ouellette from Grand Falls making it to the NHL. The Edmundston Republicans were perennial favorites in the Maine-New Brunswick Semipro Baseball League, attracting top college stars like Ralph Lumenti, who later pitched for the old Washington Senators of the American League.
For the young adults, Ste-Rose PQ, now Ville Dégelis, was the place to go, with the Monaco a favorite dancing and watering establishment.
Ross Paradis
Frenchville
