Mr.Bon Ami Becomes Festival Symbol

   It all began in 1967 - Canada’s Centennial year. It was that year that Dalhousie held its first festival – a festival to help celebrate 100 years of confederation. The next year there was no festival – there was nothing to celebrate – or was there?
   Quite a number of people enjoyed the centennial festival so much they asked about having another one. It would cost too much some said. Not so said others. And the seed was planted.
   Councilor Wallace Guitard was one of those who wanted to see another festival held. Finally, Dillon Arseneault, mayor of Dalhousie at that time, named Mr. Guitard as chairman of a committee that was to attempt to arrange a festival for Dalhousie. Three or four months later the first annual festival was held.
   All local groups and service organizations and the general public were invited to a meeting to pick the rest of the festival committee. They in turn picked a committee for the parade and one to name the festival. Arthur Paradis Jr. was selected head of the parade committee. The Name committee came up with Bon Ami Get-together as a name for the festival, and taking into considerations the various livelihoods of the area like lumbering and fishing, the lumberjack was chosen to be the festival theme.
   The next decision for the committee was would there be a symbol for the theme? They
decided they would get someone to portray a lumberjack. They approached several ‘big’ men in Dalhousie and finally got one who would try to be their good will ambassador – George Latulippe.
   Just days before the first Bon Ami Festival was to start, Mr. Latulippe became ill and had to enter a hospital where he underwent surgery. How could the festival go on without their lumberjack.
   The festival committee contacted Mr. Paradis, more commonly known as Big Art. He agreed to help them out and donned a beard, a plaid shirt, green pants and work boots. He played the part of goodwill ambassador very well, that he continued for many years.
   Every year he helped with the official opening, meets with dignitaries coming into the festival, and reigns over the festival along with Miss Bon Ami. Together they attend festival functions and visit the hospital and senior citizens home.
   Since that first festival, Big Art, or Mr. Bon Ami has grown his own beard and has practiced as playing one of the main roles in the festival. Since the first year, the festival has grown to include more events and people.
   Mr.Arthur Paradis has since retired as Mr. Bon Ami, but he still attends certain functions and you can feel the spirit of the Bon Ami Festival when he is near.
Thank you to Mr. Arthur Paradis for helping the morale of the Town for many years.

(taken from the Tribune 1974)