Sunday 5 March 2023

What's in a name? Some Acadians have long struggled with Université de Moncton

 
 

What's in a name? Some Acadians have long struggled with Université de Moncton

Root of the issues goes back to the 1755 Acadian explusion and the role of Col. Robert Monckton

The university was named after the city — which was named for Robert Monckton, an 18th-century British military figure who was involved in the deportation of Acadians.

The issue of whether to rename the Université de Moncton goes back as far as the university's incorporation in 1963. According to a local historian, the "yes" and "no" camps on the issue are typically divided along regional lines, though it can depend on the parties involved in the debate.

"People who want to keep the name are, not surprisingly, in southern New Brunswick, mostly in the Moncton region," said Maurice Basque, a historian and scientific advisor at the Institut d'études acadiennes at Université de Moncton.

"Because the name is not only the name of the university, it's also the name of the city. And when you're an Acadian living in Moncton, or a newcomer who comes to Moncton, and after years or decades, you really don't think about Robert Monckton every day."

A man with thin grey hair stands in front of a dark brown wooden book case full of books. He is wearing a dark turquoise sweater with a collar and glasses. Maurice Basque. a Moncton historian, said the university was not named after Robert Monckton, but was named after the city. 'Some people will say it's exactly the same thing. Other people will say no, there's a big difference.' (Submitted by Maurice Basque)

Basque pointed out that while most Acadians, especially those who attend the university, know who Robert Monckton is, he is hardly celebrated in the city. He said there are no statues of him, nor people dressing as him at city historical events.

However, Monckton, as a British military officer who was directly involved in the imprisonment and deportation of the Acadians, is still a very controversial figure.

"The nuance is important," said Basque. "The university was not named after Robert Monckton. The university was named after the city, the city was named after Robert Monckton. So some people will say it's exactly the same thing. Other people will say no, there's a big difference."

He said the first president and founder of the university, Clémont Cormier, was a proud Moncton Acadian.

"All his life he promoted good relationships between Acadians and anglophones," said Basque. "And for him, taking the name of the city would be saying the city also belongs to us, not only to anglophones."

However, Basque says some Acadians see it as a concession to anglophones.

The City of Moncton was named for Robert Monckton, a British military general. (Library and Archives Canada)

Even if there was enough interest in changing the name, he sees achieving consensus on choosing a name as nearly impossible. The university has three campuses, including one in Edmundston and one in Shippagan, many donors, alumni and other parties to account for in such a decision. 

Historically, Basque explained, that was also a reason for naming it after the city where it was located — the university was incorporated by combining six other francophone colleges and they needed a name that worked for everyone.

Debate reignited

Denis Prud'homme, the president and vice-chancellor of the Université de Moncton, said recently he is open to considering renaming of the university if there is pronounced public interest. 

He made the comment in response to Green Party MLA Kevin Arseneau asking whether Prud'homme would consider changing the name, during a meeting of the select committee on public universities in the New Brunswick legislature.

A man with short light grey hair is seated in a wood chair at the legislative assembly. He is wearing a navy blue suit, white dress shirt and dark tie, and has glasses. He is leaning forward on the table in front of him, where there is a stack of papers and a lit microphone. He looks towards someone sitting across from him, slightly to his left. Denis Prud'homme, president and vice-chancellor of the Université de Moncton, has left the door open to discussions on the school's name. (Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick)

"If there is a group, social consensus, on this issue, we will listen and we will do things how they should be done," said Prud'homme, speaking in French. "We will listen and act if there is a critical mass who demonstrates that this issue was a blind spot and should be put back on our radar."

Prud'homme said a letter requesting the change of name had been submitted previously to the board of governors of the university, but there was a decision by all parties at the table not to proceed with it at that time. 

'More openness' to change, MLA says

Renaming was also brought up by the public during the university's consultations leading up to their recent strategic planning, he said, but was not held up as a priority by the participants.

According to Arseneau, who represents the riding of Kent North, changing the name has been a discussion that seems to come up every few years for as long as he can remember, but no action has ever been taken.

He said he was "very pleased" by the response from Prud'homme, saying it was more openness to the idea than he or the institution had shown in the past.

"Lately, there's this movement of a lot of community members from the Acadian community," said Arseneau. "To have a name that better reflects the importance and the place that the University of Moncton takes for Acadians and for francophones in New Brunswick." 

MLA Kevin Arseneau said the next step involves gathering information about a possible name change, a process he said he will follow with interest. . (CBC)

Arseneau believes the most recent discussion was brought on by an open letter written in French by Jean-Marie Nadeau last month, who suggested the university adopt the name Université de l'Acadie.

However Arseneau, an alumnus of Université de Moncton, admits there are some in the Acadian community who do not consider the university's name an issue worth pursuing.

Progressive Conservative MLA Daniel Allain said, speaking in French at the committee meeting, said that following the renaming of some communities as part of local governance reform, he thinks it can be good exercise to reflect on who we are and our vision for the future.

However, he added that he trusts that Clément Cormier and then-premier Louis-J. Robichaud knew what they were doing when they chose the name years ago.

One other former president of the university, Jean-Bernard Robichaud, president from 1990 to 2000, also expressed he may be open to a name change for the institution but was met with swift disapproval from influential Acadians in the Moncton area, Basque said.

Arseneau sees the next step as gathering information, a process he said he will follow it with interest.

"I think that the whole thought process is the most important right now," he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vanessa Moreau is a journalist with CBC New Brunswick in Moncton. You can send story tips to vanessa.moreau@cbc.ca.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
 
 
 
156 Comments remain 

 
 
Michael Cain
 
 
Tim Apple
Reply to Michael Cain
All of your lovely aggression. The very flower of humanity.
 
 
Tim Apple
Reply to Michael Cain
Why would you think that's not my name, Mr Michael Cain? And more to the point, why would it even be important to you? Since nationality is not even an issue on these boards, I can only assume that you want to hunt down and threaten people who don't share your views. You probably hate free elections, too. 





Tom Williamson
Living in the past only creates hatred and resentment . No one alive on this earth today had anything to do with what happened 200 years ago. Get over it. 
 
 
AcadianIsSanitizedWayOfSayingFrenchColonizer l

Reply to Tom Williamson 
 
 
Corrie Weatherfield
Reply to AcadianIsSanitizedWayOfSayingFrenchColonizer l
Right on. France lost in 1755 . Wonder what it would be like if they had not? Sure doesn't look good by the way their descendants perform.  
 
 
AcadianIsSanitizedWayOfSayingFrenchColonizer l

Reply to Corrie Weatherfield
 
 
Mathieu Laperriere 
Reply to AcadianIsSanitizedWayOfSayingFrenchColonizer l
Ironic you bring up apartheid. That system was based on how English Canada treated the first Nations people.  
 
 
Chris Ozga 
Reply to Mathieu Laperriere 
And exactly how did the French treat them? The answer is whom did the First Nation side with.  
 
 
Mathieu Laperriere 
Reply to Chris Ozga
Heard of the Métis? 


Chris Ozga 
Reply to Mathieu Laperriere 
Yes, your point? Have you read the history book? 
 
 
Mathieu Laperriere 
Reply to Chris Ozga
Just answering your question.   
 
 
Chris Ozga 
Reply to Tom Williamson  
No you’re not, a Métis is a person part French and part First Native. There are many part Native and English it’s just there is no title given. When it came to war the First Natives sided with the Brits. 
 
 
Mathieu Laperriere 
Reply to Chris Ozga 
Some sided with the Brits, most sided with the french. The french lived here close to 100 years before English colonization. Assimilation and reservations only began after the English arrived.  
 
 
Noé Osé 
Reply to Chris Ozga
That is totally false.

 
 
 
 
 
michael levesque 
sometimes i am embarrassed to be French Acadian!! you would think Denis Prud'homme would have more important issues to deal with. be proud to be french acadian, we get all the good government jobs, not because we can do them but because we are bilingual.  
 
Marcel Belanger
Reply to michael levesque   
"not because we can do them but because we are bilingual"

You speak only for yourself obviously. If you can't do the job you should step aside and let someone who's competent take the position.

 
michael levesque
Reply to Marcel Belanger
LOL i have met many who work in the government cause they bilingual not cause then can do the job. ha hah especially if you vote Liberal





claude bourgeois
Je suis Acadien. This infuriates me on so many levels. Only a small elite snobbish minority in the Acadian people are pushing for this. The every day Acadian like myself does not want this change. First, the University is named after the city, not the man. There is also no K in the name. I love my city wholeheartedly. Acadians thrive in Moncton, its the cultural and economic capital of Acadia. We should not live in the past and always play the victim card. I think it is ironic, and a good thing, that Moncton is a vibrant, confident, bilingual city in a bilingual province in a bilingual country. It hosted Le Sommet de la Francophonie with the name Moncton. We have accomplished so much in Moncton and at our University. Our success, frankly, is like sticking it to Colonel Monckton-its a great irony. We also need to remember that the University has a really great reputation internationally--you cant just rename it and start from scratch. Lastly, the snobbish elite is trying to stir up old wounds between francophones and anglophones--they will not stop there and then demand the city itself change its name. I am a UM graduate. I beg reasonable people and Acadians to not fall in this trap of elitism. I love my city and University and we should NOT change eithers name. 
 
Al Clark
Reply to claude bourgeois
I agree to a large extent, although the changers have a tiny bit of cred. It IS named after the city, not the man, and changing the name seems a bit trite. Perhaps ADDING Acadie to the name might be good?.... The problem with bringing it up is it brings all of the <non-love> 'ers out of the closet as you can see and you know they have no genuine interest either way...... 
 
 
claude bourgeois
Reply to Al Clark
I agree we should let sleeping dogs lie or whatever that expression is---Mr Nadeau is only looking to divide the Acadian and NB populations.  
 
 
James Risdon 
Reply to claude bourgeois
I agree. Acadians don't need this sort of nonsense. There's plenty of stuff in everyday life that we all need to address without dredging up BS from the past. 
 
 
Tom Williamson 
Reply to claude bourgeois
Nadeau is a separatist and can be found doing speeches on the Bloc Québécois sites. Which is a separatist party organization.
 
 
Tom Williamson 
Reply to claude bourgeois
As well as being a former SANB president , Mr Nadeau ran for a elected seat in northern New Brunswick with the Parti Acadien political Parti back in the 70s . A failed political party.
 
 
James Risdon  
Reply to Tom Williamson
Well, I wouldn't hold that against him. I ran unsuccessfully for the mayoralty and once unsuccessfully at the provincial level for a party that no longer exists as well.

 

 

 

 

Chris Ozga
Around Ottawa there have been many English street and community names changed to French, but not once have I seen it the other way around. When is this discrimination going to stop? 
 
 
Rosella Melanson  
Reply to Chris Ozga 
Cher, peut-être quand c'est juste. 
 
 
Michael Cain
Reply to Chris Ozga 
The English and colonialism are not very popular with the French nor the first nations people.
 
 
Al Clark
Reply to Michael Cain
Nor the Irish, nor the Scots......







Robin Ellison
Reply to G. Timothy Walton 
To be clear, I would prefer a comprehensive anglophone UNB-Moncton to complement the francophone University de Moncton (or whatever). I don't want to encroach upon their turf. An anglophone university for Moncton is necessary as a counterbalance, especially in terms of fairness. Anglophone students in greater Moncton desiring to go to university HAVE to leave home, and, this necessarily means that the cost of a university education for anglophone Monctonians effectively doubles (or more). A bachelor level degree would cost an anglophone in Moncton over $50,000 more than his francophone neighbour. Is this fair? Why is Moncton the largest anglophone community in Canada without an anglophone university? Is there a reason? UdeM has three campuses. UNB could afford to have three campuses too.  
 
 
G. Timothy Walton  
Reply to Robin Ellison
Sackville. Twenty-minute commute. 
 
 
Robin Ellison
Reply to G. Timothy Walton 
More like 30 minutes, and the commute can be pretty treacherous in the middle of winter. Sorry, but I don't want my children risking their lives to go to university in February. This means that if you want your child to go to Mount Allison, then they will have to live down there (with the $10,000-12,000 financial penalty of university dorms or apartment). Also, MTA is more of a small elite Ivy League national university than it is a provincial comprehensive university. Enrollment is limited and admission standards are high. Many anglophone Monctonians wouldn't be able to attend even if they wanted. We still need a UNB-Moncton to province fairness and to counterbalance UdeM.  
 
 
Al Clark
Reply to Robin Ellison
Wow! Makes me feel good I was able to get in to such an eeelite university! And pay for it myself. Of course I didn't commute from Moncton every day nor hold down a job at the same time at CKCW in Moncton like a famous classmate of mine named Ian. 
 
 
 

Hanomansing in 2013
Born1961 or 1962 (age 60–61)[1]
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Hanomansing was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and grew up in Sackville, New Brunswick with parents Eunice and Harvey, along with his sister Ria.[2][6] He got his first job coming out of high school in 1979 at a radio station in Amherst, Nova Scotia.[6] He attended Mount Allison University for his undergraduate education and graduated in 1983 with a degree in political science and sociology.[7] He studied law at Dalhousie Law School and graduated in 1986.[7]

Broadcasting career

His broadcast media career began at CKDH in Amherst, Nova Scotia in the summer after his graduation, followed by work at CKCW in Moncton, New Brunswick and at CHNS in nearby Halifax, Nova Scotia.[7] In 1986 he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He worked for CBC bureaus in the Maritimes and Toronto, Ontario before moving to Vancouver, where he was a network reporter and hosted the now-defunct programs Pacific Rim Report, Foreign Assignment, and Times 7 (a joint venture with The New York Times) and also hosted a summer series on CBC Radio One, Feeling the Heat.

From 2000 to 2007, he was the anchor of the national segment of the defunct newscast Canada Now;[7] following that program's cancellation, he was the co-anchor of CBC News: Vancouver, CBUT's supper hour newscast, from 2007 to 2010. He returned to his former role as network reporter for The National in 2010[8] and from 2012 to 2017 he hosted CBC News Now with Ian Hanomansing, which was broadcast live from CBC Vancouver on weeknights. On August 1, 2017, he was named as one of four new co-hosts of The National, CBC's flagship news broadcast alongside Adrienne Arsenault, Rosemary Barton and Andrew Chang. In 2020, he was named the Friday and Sunday anchor of the programme.[9]


















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