Akadi Lumina provides a bright future for Pays de la Sagouine

Englobe’s Atlantic team has partnered with Le Pays de la Sagouine (the Pays), a beloved theatrical village in Bouctouche, NB, to tackle a unique and pressing challenge. 

This partnership highlights how effective collaboration among owners, architects, engineers, and contractors leads to projects that excel in design, sustainability, and community impact. In this case, our efforts will help a community landmark reinvent itself into an environmentally respectful, culturally sensitive tourist attraction.

Pays de la Sagouine: a cultural touchstone

Le Pays de la Sagouine is a site of profound cultural and heritage significance to the Acadian community, inspired by the work of Antonine Maillet, a legendary figure in Canadian letters.

Since its opening in 1992, this attraction has welcomed over 1.5 million visitors and is the economic engine of tourism in the greater Kent area, bringing many economic benefits to the region.

Addressing the effects of climate change

One of the Pays’ key attractions, Île-aux-Puces, has been enchanting visitors since opening day. Due to climate change however, the islet is now under threat from rising sea levels. This reality has led the Pays to reimagine its entire experience, a culturally and logistically sensitive decision involving a variety of diverse stakeholders. 

The Client therefore mandated Englobe to help create a new vision for what this attraction will become for the next 30 years and beyond. 

Akadi Lumina: a beacon of creativity

Phase 1 of this vision was the deployment of Akadi Lumina.

As visitors wind their way through a wooded area on the Pays’ mainland site, this 1.5 km visual storytelling path delivers a stunning, immersive nighttime experience complete with lighting, poetry, video projections and original music.

Although Akadi Lumina operates as a distinct attraction, its vision and purpose are deeply connected to the Pays. Over 100 artists from the Maritimes and Louisiana took part in its creation – the historically highest number of artists and community members involved in developing this type of attraction, which is produced by Moment Factory, a multidisciplinary
entertainment studio specializing
in the creation, design and production of immersive environments.

This illuminated experience is the first project included as part of the Pays’ broader Repositioning Master Plan, as well as the first attraction of its kind in Atlantic Canada.

Phase 1 deployment objectives

Englobe’s Atlantic team supported the seamless integration of the innovative Akadi Lumina experience into the Pays’ existing footprint on the mainland.

The team’s mandate included the following objectives:   

• ensuring the Pays’ long-term viability through the addition of a unique new experience;
• modernizing the offering to refresh and diversify the attraction’s clientele;
• increasing local communities’ interest and engagement;
• continuing the Pays’ vocation of promoting Acadian culture and language.

Carefully balancing all stakeholder needs, the Englobe Atlantic team applied its expertise, along with an advanced collaborative mindset, to propose a design that met all project objectives. 

The team rendered the following services: 

• Project management
• Environmental assessment/protection
• Detailed design, and
• Construction oversight for required infrastructure for Akadi Lumina, a new Welcome Building, a new technical and operational maintenance building, and considerable improvements in parking capacity.  

Project deliverables and challenges

The project’s first challenge occurred early, as the Pays was unable to secure a general contractor for the entire project. Our Englobe team stepped in as construction managers, guiding contractors and subcontractors to ensure the work was completed on time for the 2023 tourist season.  

To meet this timeline, our team built temporary infrastructure to deliver a premium experience for Akadi Lumina’s Welcome Building, with permanent construction scheduled for spring 2024. The transition to full operations was seamless, with all the infrastructure strategically planned to support this shift.

Englobe’s team also collaborated closely with the Akadi Lumina production team, Moment Factory, to complete the vital infrastructure required for this immersive experience. This work was completed in challenging, non-traditional environments and with tight timelines. 

As a result, construction and attraction installation occurred simultaneously, requiring immense teamwork and adaptability.

One key piece of infrastructure was transported and assembled onsite with minimal environmental impact, preserving local wetlands and water habitats. This unconventional approach prioritized sustainability and aligned with nature-friendly construction practices.  

This project stands out for its sustainable, low-maintenance infrastructure designed for long-term use, blending operational ease with minimal site disruption. Englobe’s innovative engineering ensured the natural habitat remained intact while delivering high-quality, expandable facilities built to support a lasting and immersive experience. 

Keys to success: collaboration and adaptability

This project was far from turnkey. In fact, it required the architect and engineering teams to work closely with the Client and all stakeholders through constantly shifting needs and operational requirements, and to adjust to changes in the Client’s operations, experiences and visitor influx as each sub-project was completed. 

The project team’s members were required to possess a diverse range of skills and expertise, a close fit, and a deep understanding and appreciation for the client’s vision, mission, and culture. 

In addition, great project collaboration was critical to the success of this project. By listening to the Client and other stakeholders to understand priorities and develop solutions, providing continuous oversight, creating a shared vision for success, and holding people accountable, the Englobe Atlantic team successful achieved the project’s objectives, in full alignment with the Client’s desired outcomes.

A host of measurable benefits

The Pays de la Sagouine project exemplified our Atlantic team’s comprehensive approach to sustainable development. By extension, our efforts will support future economic and social growth in the region.

The addition of the Akadi Lumina experience has extended the Pays’ daily operating hours and season. At the end of the 2024 season, this experience had brought 75,000 visitors to the region, with the potential to attract 100,000 visitors annually by 2028. This potential influx could generate strong economic impacts across the region in the coming years.

Once all project phases are completed, the Pays also hopes to extend its open season. This potential for longer, possibly year-round operations will generate more non-seasonal jobs as well as more partnerships and collaborations, leading to improved financial independence for the Pays’ operators.

Repositioning for the future

The Pays’ deployment of Akadi Lumina is a shining example of the development and integration of a new experience that deepens the connection of the Acadian narrative with various audiences – an aspect that sets the entire region apart.  

Since its debut, Akadi Lumina has both enchanted visitors and inspired the Client’s larger vision for the Pays’ evolution, creating a meaningful bridge between the past, present, and future.

In 2025, this project was honoured with an Excellence in Engineering Award by the ACEC-NB.