Acadian performer Sylvia LeLièvre is well versed when it comes to her extensive repertoire of songs from many eras and her own compositions.
-by Rosie Aucoin-Grace
We live in an era of modern technology, particularly the internet, smartphones, and social media, which has revolutionized news consumption by allowing information to spread instantaneously worldwide.
Many find Wikipedia quite resourceful; a free, multilingual, online encyclopedia created and maintained by a global community of volunteers through open collaboration. This site consists of millions of articles in more than 270 languages. The name comes from the Hawaiian word wiki meaning “quick.”
Recently, I heard the exciting news that one of our very own can be found on the French Wikipédia. Acadian performer Sylvia LeLièvre’s biography and other information is all compiled and available for all to see globally. This is quite a feat and having a lifetime of achievements as a musician/composer/performer is notably impressive!
The conception of this undertaking stems from L’association des femmes acadiennes de Chéticamp, an organization that promotes good health and personal development. This special project is entitled Histoire au féminin.
I had the opportunity to chat with writer Julie Larade, who did the research and wrote the article to be submitted to Wikipédia. She proudly expressed how it all came to be. “Last winter of 2025, at a meeting of L’association des femmes acadiennes de Chéticamp, I was approached by a fellow member, Anne Marie LeGrand, who asked me if I would be interested in writing an article about an Acadian woman from Chéticamp for Wikipédia. The idea intrigued me and after some reflection, I accepted the challenge. However, I did not hear any other news about the project until last fall when Simone Boudreau, the newly appointed president of the L’association des femmes acadiennes de Chéticamp, brought the project, entitled Histoire au féminin, again to light. It was on a volunteer basis, and I was assured that I would receive help and training to guide me along.”
Larade continued, “My first intuition was to choose singer and songwriter, Sylvia LeLièvre, who is an Acadian and lives in Chéticamp. When asked if she would be willing to embark on such a project, she gracefully accepted. Since then, we have met several times to discuss her musical career.” She added, “In November 2025, my first training session took place. I participated in a virtual Zoom workshop with Flore Assougouma, project coordinator at La fédération des femmes acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FFANE); François Guérin, IT specialist and expert in writing biographies on Wikipédia; Phyllis LeBlanc, associate professor at the University of Moncton and specialist in charge of research along with other members of the project who generously shared their knowledge. Since then, we have had several other Zoom meetings where we could express our concerns as well as share any tricks of the trade.”
“However, being I was new at this kind of work and though my intentions were good, I would have probably gotten discouraged if not for Amélie Larade, executive assistant at Université Sainte-Anne, campus Saint-Joseph-Du-Moine. Although this type of work was new to her as well, two heads are better than one! She helped me specifically with the technology aspect of the project and M. Guérin was at the ready to answer our questions,” says Larade.
Larade described working with this Acadian entertainer, “Working with Sylvia was extremely rewarding. She had her musical career very well charted from her first appearance on stage at the age of thirteen up to the present day with documented accomplishments and newspaper clippings. Her songs and presentations are indeed a strong voice in promoting our Acadian culture and heritage. With her guidance, I was able to write with accuracy about her musical journey and record her achievements. Once the work was completed to both our satisfaction as well as to M. Guérin’s approval, on Friday March 6th, 2026, I published the article on Wikipédia.”
“Though it was a lot of work, from beginning to end, the whole process was a great learning experience. I met and worked with kind, cooperative, and knowledgeable people. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity,” concluded Larade.
L’association des femmes acadiennes de Chéticamp, Julie Larade, and all involved are to be commended for bringing this project to fruition. A huge congratulation to Sylvia LeLièvre for this accomplishment which will go down in history and shared all over the world! I think it’s safe to say that Sylvia is the first Acadian woman from our county to be highlighted on Wikipédia.
Sylvia LeLièvre, who holds her native community of Chéticamp dear to her heart, is the daughter of the late Phyllis (née Bourgeois) and Ulysses LeLièvre. Along with her brothers, Clarence, Roland, and Gérard – she grew up in a musical entourage. Her career started at the age of thirteen. As well, as a teenager she became a member of The Phantoms – a very popular local group that is reaching their 60th milestone this year. Sylvia performed with numerous bands throughout the years and entertained solo. She is a musician/composer/performer and well known for her beautiful ballads, her French CDs, her immense repertoire of French/English songs from many eras, prestigious awards and her incredible contribution to her Acadian village. This information and much more can be found on Wikipédia.
For many of us who use many search engines and Wikipédia while doing research, one cannot fathom the immeasurable work behind the scenes to provide us with such information.