Award of Distinction – Lutz Mountain Heritage Foundation Inc.
The Lutz Mountain Heritage Foundation Inc., also known as The Meeting House, has been a cornerstone of cultural preservation and community engagement for 50 years. Incorporated in 1975, the Foundation fulfills a threefold mandate as a museum, genealogical research center, and community hub. Its museum houses over 9,000 artifacts showcasing the stories of early German settlers and the evolution of Magnetic Hill as a tourism landmark. The genealogical center, founded by benefactor Muriel (Lutes) Sikorski, has expanded into an archive of over 111,000 entries dating back to 1555. Demonstrating a strong commitment to accessibility and sustainability, the Foundation’s 2017 and 2022 expansions added modern amenities while preserving the integrity of the original 1883 church. Through these efforts, the organization has shown foresight, fiscal responsibility, and dedication to heritage conservation. As a cultural and social hub for North End Moncton and beyond, The Meeting House has hosted countless gatherings and welcomed visitors from around the world, and the accessibility and sustainability upgrades they have completed in recent years are bound to allow for even greater opportunities. By preserving the past while actively serving the present, the Lutz Mountain Heritage Foundation Inc. truly embodies the spirit of the AHNB Award of Distinction.
Award of Distinction – Place Resurgo (Musée de Moncton)
The exhibition team at Place Resurgo (Moncton Museum), Sophie Auffrey, Lawren Campbell, Marc Chamberlain, and Bridget Murphy, created What Does It Mean to Be from Moncton? Gérald Leblanc (1945–2005) to mark the 20th anniversary of the Acadian poet’s passing. Open from May 17 to September 7, 2025, the exhibition presented Gérald Leblanc’s archives, on loan from Library and Archives Canada, to the public for the first time. It also featured loans from 25 members of Moncton’s artistic community—many of them Leblanc’s contemporaries—and five institutions: Library and Archives Canada, the Acadian Museum at the Université de Moncton, the Anselme-Chiasson Centre for Acadian Studies, Éditions Perce-Neige (which Leblanc co-founded), and the Art-Artiste Gallery. The exhibition’s success even made Moncton Mantra (Leblanc, reissued by Prise de parole, 2012) the top-selling book at Librairie acadienne in June 2025. By celebrating Leblanc’s legacy and fostering a sense of connection among Moncton and New Brunswick Acadians, this exhibition exemplifies the spirit of the AHNB Award of Distinction.
Quarter Century – Robert Richard
Robert Richard has served as Archivist for Acadian Ethnology at the Anselme-Chiasson Center for Acadian Studies, Université de Moncton, since 2007. For over 25 years, he has advanced the research, preservation, and promotion of Acadian intangible (oral) cultural heritage. His achievements include a systematic collection of interviews, extensive documentation work (particularly on Yvon Durelle) the digitization of endangered oral sources, and numerous public appearances to raise awareness of the importance of preserving Acadia’s living heritage. Through his technological expertise, he has modernized and secured the sustainability of sound archives, making them more accessible to the public. His dedication has enriched both the Université de Moncton and the broader Acadian community. Guided by a deep commitment to both past and future, Robert Richard ensures that Acadia’s intangible heritage continues to be heard, shared, and passed on, earning him the AHNB Quarter Century Award for 2025. *Award received on Robert Richard’s behalf by François LeBlanc.
Quarter Century – Jacques Boucher
Jacques Boucher was born in Bas-Caraquet, New Brunswick. He studied civil engineering at the Université de Moncton (1969–1972) and earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the Université de Montréal in 1975. After apprenticing with Gavin & Savoie Architects in Bathurst, he served as principal architect during the creation of the Acadian Historical Village, helping preserve dozens of historic Acadian buildings across the province. In 1980, at just 29, he founded Jacques Boucher Architecte Ltée, becoming one of New Brunswick’s youngest architects to establish a private practice. Originally based in Bathurst and Beresford, the firm later relocated to Pokemouche, at the heart of the Acadian Peninsula. Over his career, Boucher has shaped the built landscape of New Brunswick’s North Shore through projects including schools, hospitals, community colleges, churches, and public facilities. His firm’s notable works include the Centre K.C. Irving in Bathurst (1993), the J.K. Irving Centre in Bouctouche (2012), and multiple commissions for the Université de Moncton (1992–2015). For his enduring contributions to heritage preservation and architecture, Jacques Boucher received the AHNB Quarter Century Award.
Founder’s Award – Ray Boucher
This year’s founders award goes to Ray Boucher, founder of the Covered Bridge Conservation Association of New Brunswick. Ray is well known in our community. He is called on by AHNB and its members regularly when we have questions or concerns about our covered bridges. He founded CBCANB in 2018 and has been the president ever since. The Association has produced and sold books, calendars and other material related to covered bridges to help promote the bridges we have left and save them from being lost. They also do advocacy work, and Ray himself is regularly in the news advocating for bridges to be saved. Ray and his fellow volunteers have created a functional communication network for covered bridge advocacy that allows members of the public to signal their concerns, and to communicate those concerns to the appropriate governing bodies. He’s a hero to us and an incredible defender of our province’s covered bridges, and for that we are honoured to award him this year’s founders award.*Lawren Campbell accepted the award on Ray Boucher’s behalf.
