As part of the Rendez-vous Acadie-Québec 2024 Banquet, Le Pays de la Sagouine, with its Akadi Lumina experience, was awarded the Prix en innovation et en commercialisation Québec-Nouveau-Brunswick. The award, to be presented for the first time in 2021, seeks to highlight the work of companies from both provinces that have succeeded in forging an innovative partnership while operating in French.
It was through the Akadi Lumina project, which saw the light of day in August 2023, that Le Pays de la Sagouine first had the opportunity to work with Montreal-based Moment Factory. Mathieu Grainger, producer at Moment Factory, emphasizes the teamwork behind this project: “The creation of Akadi Lumina was the fruit of a close collaboration between Moment Factory, the Pays de la Sagouine and nearly a hundred artists, craftspeople and stakeholders from the Acadian community. This encounter, rich in both human and artistic dimensions, had a profound impact on our teams. We are therefore very proud to receive this recognition. The Lumina series of enchanted nocturnal itineraries aims to showcase the natural beauty and culture of a region. Collaboration and sharing are therefore essential to the success of these projects.”
François Émond, Director of Akadi Lumina and Director of Development for Pays de la Sagouine, emphasizes the importance of boldness: “We've dared to call on the ‘world experts’, and unfortunately too often we stop ourselves from doing so, but this time we did, and look at the result! This is what comes of daring to dream and deciding to join forces with the “best”. We've created a little gem and won our bet.”
Held every two years, the Rendez-vous Acadie-Québec is in its 9th edition this year. A collaboration between the Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick (CÉNB) and the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ), this gathering aims to promote other interprovincial entrepreneurial initiatives such as Akadi Lumina.
Pays de la Sagouine's General and Artistic Director, Monique Poirier, maintains that there's so much richness and potential when you choose to collaborate with companies outside your usual network: “It's a win-win situation. A project like the creation of Akadi Lumina has enabled the Pays de la Sagouine and Moment Factory teams to work together; there are wonderful professional and friendly relationships that have been forged.” For the director, the impact of this collaboration goes far beyond Akadi Lumina, “The knowledge we've gained from working with the people at Moment Factory has enabled us to approach our other projects with fresh eyes. And I like to think that working with an Acadian team has also left its mark at Moment Factory.”
Yves Laplante, Chairman of the Pays de la Sagouine Board of Directors, points out that the Akadi Lumina nighttime trail is a jewel in the region and for all of New Brunswick: “Less than a year after opening, it's undeniable that this is a quality collaboration behind the success of Akadi Lumina, and it shows us that such collaborations allow us to move in new directions and develop new expertise within our teams.”
