SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - It may be unclear as to how Yellowknife acquired such a large and vibrant Acadian community, but that didn't stop the Acadian cultural celebration going off throughout Saturday.

Acadian celebration day organizers Annie Claude and Eric Frenette show their pride with an Acadian flag. - Charlotte Hilling/NNSL photo

Newcomers to Yellowknife, and this year's celebration organizers, Eric Frenette and Annie Claude, were not sure why the city houses so many Acadians – which they estimated to be in the hundreds – but surmised it is for the same reason Acadians can be found all around the world.

"Since the deportation in 1755, Acadians are everywhere. You can find them anywhere in the world, even here in the North," said Frenette.

The day began at 10 a.m. at the French Association building on 48 Street, with interested passersby lingering on the front deck for some chit-chat. Having only been in Yellowknife a couple of months, Frenette and Claude decided the Acadian day celebrations needed something extra. The result? A burger competition and karaoke challenge were added to the mix.

"We looked at what had happened in prior years and tried to add a few more things," said Frenette.

While the two additions to the day may not be considered distinctly Acadian history, it is perhaps a testament to the versatility and adaptability of a people shunted from their roots.

True to form, the 50 or so attendees embraced both the burger competition and the karaoke – made up of a mix of Acadian, French, and the occasional English song.

The burger competition comprised four chefs – not including Chef Pierre LePage. "That wouldn't be fair," Frenette said.

In the end though, no one counted the votes for the hamburger competition, preferring instead to sit back and enjoy the karaoke.

"There was no official winner. Everybody won," said Frenette.

He said the karaoke competition was the highlight of the night.

"It was really good – everyone joined in, it was really fun," he said.

In the 17th Century French colonialists settled in the Canadian Maritime provinces, especially Nova Scotia. They became known as Acadians.

During the Seven Years War, the Acadians were expelled from their homelands by the British for not swearing loyalty to the Crown, and fighting against the French.

Some were sent back to France, others were scattered throughout North America and the world, with others returning to their provincial homelands later on.