Honourable senators, I rise today to commemorate one of the darkest days in the history of one of the founding peoples of our country. Two days ago, on December 13, we marked Acadian Remembrance Day in commemoration of the countless lives lost in the Great Upheaval.

The massive expropriation and deportation of Acadians between 1755 and 1763, during the British takeover of part of the former French colonies, changed the course of history for these French-speaking North Americans who settled on the shores of the Atlantic in 1604.

This deportation was an exercise in large-scale ethnic cleansing, given the demographics at the time. Seventy-five per cent of the Acadian population was deported. Of the 13,000 people living in Acadia, more than 10,000 men, women, and children were separated from one another, expropriated and deported.

December 13, 1758, was the deadliest day of the ethnocide. Among the 4,250 Acadians living on Isle Saint-Jean, or modern-day Prince Edward Island, 3,000 were deported and more than half succumbed to illness or drowned.

Sadly, our history books do not tell the whole story of this great human tragedy.

The history of Acadia is still unknown by a majority of Canadians. As a citizen candidly told me recently, "At school, of course we learned that you were deported, but the problem is that nobody told us that you came back." Well, not only did Acadians come back, but some of them managed not to be deported.

Today, most Acadians live in the Atlantic provinces, but they also reside in every Canadian province and territory, and together, they make a dynamic contribution to Canada's development.

Acadians were able to put down roots thanks in large part to the support of First Nations, especially the Mi'kmaq nation.

The support that the Mi'kmaq nation gave to our people during and after deportation was invaluable. We Acadians know how much we owe to this First Nation. Welaliog!

Acadia continues to flourish today thanks in large part to the Official Languages Act. It laid the foundation for the community's educational institutions and economic, cultural and social organizations, which contribute to Canada's growth and development.

The Act is central to our nation's identity and the vitality of all official language minority communities. Much more can be done to make them as functional and effective as possible.

Honourable senators, the reason I am talking about this tragic event today is to shine a light on what's happening now. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, 65 million people worldwide were forced to flee their homes in 2015. Many of those families, like the Acadians, were separated.

In a few hours, we'll return to our respective homes to celebrate with our families and friends. Let us remember those millions of human beings who have been separated from their families because they were seeking freedom.

Let us ensure that history, education and culture serve to inform Canadians and enable them to work better together and in solidarity to build our country's future. Thank you.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!