FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Isn’t the house beyond repair?

    Not at all. It needs a roof very urgently. The structure itself is in surprisingly sound condition.  Since being moved to the site in 1958 there have been two major federally-funded conservations,  1983 and 1991.  We’d like to see that happen again, but in order to get there we need to put in some community effort.

What are the three ways to support the conservation of La Vieille Maison?

  1) GoFundMe - Use this option now for donations of any amount. 

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  2) Membership - This option is coming soon.
      Membership to the society includes an 8x10 unframed poster, issued annually. 

      Small Shipping&Handling based on your location also helps fund the project.

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  3) DNA-Infused Prints - Learn more now...  

      Be a part of history with SaltWreck's initial offering in the Acadian Heritage Collection. 

      Proceeds fund the conservation of La Vieille Maison and purchasers can benefit from                attractive tax incentives in certain circumstances.
      Prints will be available soon, contact SaltWreck for more information. 

 

What will my donation be used for?

   The initial 20 000$ raised will be used for immediate structural repairs, replacement of the roof, and winterization to be done as soon as possible.  Additional funds will be used to complete conservation work, for programming and annual operation as a museum, insurance and maintenance. A portion of all funds will be kept in trust:  to fund a future scholarship, and for future capital repairs.

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What is the Acadian Heritage Collection?

    The Acadian Heritage Collection is an ultra-high end DNA-Infused gallery grade canvas measuring 18x24 inches, issued annually, produced and sold by SaltWreck.  The first edition entitled "Le Grand Dérangement / The Great Acadian Upheaval" is a map of the migration and re-establishment of the Acadians depicting the three most iconic post-exile structures; l'Habitation Broussard (USA), La Ferme Acadienne d'Archigny (France) and La Vieille Maison (Canada). Each canvas is made of ink embedded with biological DNA from the iconic Belliveau apple tree. In collaboration with La Societe Vieille Maison Association, Saltwreck is donating most of the proceeds to help save/preserve our historic structure.

 

Where is my donation going?

    All proceeds are received by La Societe Vieille Maison Association, a registered Canadian non-profit society. Oversight is provided by a Board of six community members. 

 

Is my donation tax deductible?
   La Societe Vieille Maison Association is a registered Canadian non-profit society that does not have charitable status.  GoFundMe donations are generally not tax deductible. Prints purchased as individual membership can be tax deductible in certain circumstances. Check with your tax preparer.  Limited Edition DNA-Infused art sold by SaltWreck can be attractively tax deductible when purchased by Canadian businesses. Ask your tax accountant about the advantages and ITCs of purchasing Canadian art.  Our service providers can not issue receipts for the purposes of personal Income Tax deductions as a charitable contribution. 

 

Will I get a receipt?

  Yes.  GoFundMe will provide you with a proof of transaction.  Transaction, processing and receipt for annual membership prints provided by Shopify & Printful, our third-party service providers. For those purchasing DNA-infused prints, a transaction receipt and personalized Certificate of Audited Authentication will be provided from our partner and service provider SaltWreck. 

 

 When will it re-open?

    Our goal is to be functioning in time for the Congres Mondial Acadien in 2024.

Can people go see inside?

    The short answer is no. The house is not currently open to the public. There may be media and “soft-launch” events as the project progresses. Follow our social media to keep updated!

 

Can’t government just pay for it?

   That will certainly come in the future. Several levels of government have already been involved for administrative support we’ve needed and are in early conversations. This important structure needs an entire community’s support to stabilize it so that those conversations can progress further. You’ve heard the saying, “If you build it, they will come.”

 

Who owns La Vieille Maison?

   La Vieille Maison is owned privately as a philanthropic partnership in the USA, by two Acadian cousins, descendants of Acy & Alma Robicheau of Meteghan. They are respectively great-nieces of Adolphe Robicheau and the children of the previous generation of ownership.  You can follow their story at unlockingthebluedoor.com.  This came as a result of a Request for Proposals issued by the Municipality of Clare in February of 2022 for the purposes of “working with a local group to restore the museum”.  La Societe Vieille Maison Association, a group of community volunteers who act as local stewards of the property formed as a result of the same process.

 

Why fundraising for the repairs?

  La Vieille Maison is and has always been a community philanthropy. Without the generous ongoing support of the owners old and new, our project would never have gotten this far. Now, it is time for the whole of Acadie to all pitch in to save this, our historic monument.

 

Will the new roof be the Acadian Flag?

  No. The Acadian Flag is a tarp that was applied as a temporary emergency measure to waterproof the house to prevent further decay.   It is not intended to be permanent.  

 

Do I have to become a member to purchase a print?
  Participation in society is purely voluntary. However, your annual print is how you purchase/renew your individual membership.

 

 Can I purchase a DNA-Infused print anonymously?

   Yes.  You will be prompted at time of purchase how you would like to be recognized for your support. If you choose to remain anonymous, your transaction will remain confidential between yourself and our provider, SaltWreck.

 

There are older houses. Why save this one?
  This is true. There are several older post-exile homes. La Vieille Maison is the most well-preserved. This is founded in a peer-reviewed study by William C Wonders, “Log Dwellings in Canadian Folk Architecture”, published in 1979 by the Association of American Geographers.  The museum’s collection also notably contains some of the oldest known Acadian furnishings, dating to the deportation itself. The provenance is confirmed in Jean-Claude Dupont’s 1979 thesis entitled “Histoire populaire de l’Acadie”.   In 1995, the house was declared a Historic Property by a Municipal Decree.

 

  La Vieille Maison is closely connected to many founding families in Clare. In Comeauville, it was the homestead of Comeaus and then Theriaults.  A potion of the museum was the homestead of LeBlancs of Meteghan Center. La Vieille Maison was placed on Bonaventure Robicheau’s original stone foundation and finished as a museum to represent his home as a founding family.  The 1958 project of sourcing the oldest home in Clare and turning it into a museum was spearheaded by Meteghan born and acclaimed Boston dancer Adolphe Robicheau as a personal philanthropy and legacy to his hometown. Many more Acadian families are represented in the museum’s collection, intended as a public repository of community antiquities.