OCTOBER 15, 2024 — A delegation from Gourin, Brittany, returned on Sunday, October 13, from a trip to Alberta, Canada, to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the founding of Gourin, Alberta, reported Le Télégramme.
The names of the two towns are no coincidence. In 1914, Joseph and Marie-Louise Ulliac left their home in Gourin, Brittany, for Canada, where they settled in Alberta and named their new home Gourin after their town of origin.
Today, the town of Gourin, Alberta, no longer exists, but descendants of the original settlers gathered at the historical site to honor the occasion, according to Lakeland Today.
Five members of the Bretagne Trans America Association (BTA), an organization dedicated to promoting cultural exchange between Canada and France, presented a specially designed Breton flag, which was raised in front of the Gourin historical site memorial in Alberta. The flag was a personalized version of the traditional Brittany flag, featuring the coat of arms of Gourin, Brittany in the canton.
The coat of arms itself is a combination of the symbols of two noble families from Gourin—De Kergouët and De Kergus de Kerstang. It is surrounded by six ermines, in contrast to the 11 ermines typically found on the Brittany flag. The six ermines represent the five departments of historic Brittany: Côtes-d’Armor, Ille-et-Vilaine, Finistère, Loire-Atlantique, and Morbihan, while the sixth ermine symbolizes Gourin, Alberta.
Jean-François Baudet, president of BTA, highlighted the deep connection between Brittany and Alberta, stating, “On this flag, the destinies of Brittany and Gourin, Alberta, are closely linked.”
In addition to the Breton flag, a second flag, created by descendants of the original settlers, was also presented. This flag combined elements of the Brittany and Canadian flags and included the names of the four founding families, along with the year they made their journey from Brittany to Canada.
Image: Lakeland Today