Marie Aucoin was born and raised in Scotland (of Irish parents), where her hometown of Dumbarton was not far from the shores of Loch Lomond. As a result of her Irish heritage, Marie spent every summer of her early life — from infancy through the teen years — living with her maternal grandmother in the centre downtown area of Dublin, Ireland. She remembers these idyllic summer days in Ireland as some of the happiest days of her youth; and feels that her early life in Scotland and Ireland is one of the reasons why she feels so completely at home in Cape Breton.
At the age of 17 Marie decided to emigrate to Canada and arrived in Toronto one month after her 18th birthday. (The year was 1967 and Canada was celebrating its centennial — ever since, she has jokingly referred to herself as "Canada's centennial gift from Scotland".)
Through the years, as the spouse of a military member, Marie has lived in California, Maryland, Cold Lake (where she began her career as an Editor), Dartmouth, and Ottawa.
When her husband, Gilles, retired from the Canadian Forces in 1994, he and Marie moved back to Chéticamp to settle on the family homestead where Gilles had been raised, and where his family had lived for over 150 years. Four grown sons, busy with their own lives, did not accompany them; however, they enjoy bringing their own families home from time to time to visit Mémère and Pépère in Cape Breton. (Marie derives her greatest pleasure in life from spending time with her beloved grandchildren.)
When not occupied with visits to and from the grandchildren, Marie relishes her work as Editor of The Participaper, and takes great pleasure in the rich cultural life of the Island.

 

MANADATE

The mandate of The Participaper is to celebrate our citizens and keep them informed of local events sponsored by the municipality. To fill our pages with interesting stories and information from our history, culture, and communities; and to provide free advertising and promotion space for all non-profit organizations and volunteer groups in the county.