WELLINGTON – March 1, 2024 – It is with great pride that the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI will induct eight retired or retiring entrepreneurs into its Business Hall of Fame during its 2024 Acadian Entrepreneurs’ Gala on March 16 in Abram-Village. And it will be with equal honor that the Chamber will hang plaques with their images on its “wall of honor” at the Wellington Rural Action Centre.

« This year, we’ll have to make room for seven new plaques – six individual ones and a seventh one for two partner brothers – on that wall. We’ll have to move some of the other stuff that’s on the wall to make some much-deserved room for these new pictures, » pointed out Raymond J. Arsenault, the Chamber’s manager who coordinates the Gala, as he showed two of the new plaques that will soon be hung.

Each of the inductees will receive a certificate showing an image of their permanent plaque, as well as the Hall of Fame logo, which depicts a fountain of gushing water and Acadian inspiration.

The 2024 inductees will be :

• Alfred Arsenault (Urbainville Farms)
• The late Édouard T. Arsenault (lighthouse keeper and The Bottle Houses)
• Ernest Arsenault (Arsenault Painters)
• The late Franky Arsenault (Franky’ Sawmill)
• Joseph Caissie (fisherman and Egmont Bay Seafood)
• John and Alphonse Arsenault (J.C. Drilling)
• Léo-Paul Arsenault (LP Electronics)

The Chamber’s selection committee agrees that eight inductees in any one year is a large number. However, it decided, exceptionally, to induct this many entrepreneurs this year for a variety of reasons, including the fact that these candidates were all very deserving. The selection committee also took into consideration the fact that many of the candidates are quite advanced in age, and wanted to ensure that they were honoured while they could still participate in the festivities. There were also a number of departed « giants » of the local economy whom they wanted to honour posthumously this year.

With the inclusion of the new faces, the wall of honor will feature a total of 36 inductees.

The public, inductees and their families are welcome to visit the Hall of Fame wall, which is located in the meeting room of the Wellington Rural Action Centre, when there are no meetings in the room…

There are still a few tickets left for this year’s Gala. They can be purchased at the Wellington Rural Action Centre until March 8 only, either in person or by phone at 902-854-3439.