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ROMA at THREE RIVERS PEI Heritage Award |
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Among recipients of PEI Heritage Awards in Summerside on February 20th 2006 were representatives of Three Rivers Roma Inc.
The citation delivered with the award:
Jean Pierre Roma’s attempt to build a fishing and trading community at modern day Brudenell Point is one of the most fascinating stories in Island history. The settlement began in the 1730s with dreams of an international trading empire. It ended in 1745 with destruction at the hands of a New England raiding party. Over the next two centuries the Roma site was recognized with a monument and dug by a series of Parks Canada archaeologists, but until 2003 it was essentially a place to turn around at the end of a dirt road. That’s when a group called Three Rivers Roma Inc made plans to develop the site. Since then they’ve developed an meeting centre, hiking trails, and an active programme of guided tours and re-enactments. For bringing the Roma site back to life, we are pleased to present a Heritage Award to Three Rivers Roma Inc.
Photos by Brenda Dewar |
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Shown with Lieutenant Governor Léonce Bernard who presented the awards on behalf of Museum & Heritage Prince Edward Island are Jock Beck, Jean Jans, Hugh MacDonald, Gwen Beck with grand-daughters Leah and Katie, Jack Jans, Edgar and Brenda Dewar. Jock caught everyone’s attention with his song “Remembering Roma” (and Brenda’s hands shook too much for a well-focused photo!) |
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Remembering Roma |
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Remembering Roma... So many years ago it seems He landed in this very place With family, hope and dreams And driven by a vision of What new lands had in store Built a rugged home upon this shore.
Remembering Roma… And the Mi’kmaq friends he made Who brought this little colony Through winter’s awful rage And helped to teach him how the land Could yield a harvest blessed And the sea would give its bounty for the rest. |
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With broad axe, plow and pick and hoe They hewed a meadow fair And planted seeds to grow the crops They needed to live there The trees were felled and buildings came And roads to Saint Pierre But Mother Nature fought them tooth and nail With bitter cold and pestilence and gale.
Remembering Roma… Still labouring with pride He traded with the Indies and his fleet they sailed wide And fished the treasure of Three Rivers and tamed the wild Till the English came to Louisbourg’s drear shore And crushed poor Roma’s dream forever more.
Remembering Roma |