At the Entrepreneurs’ Gala in March

ABRAM-VILLAGE – Feb. 12, 2026 – During its 2026 Entrepreneurs’ Gala on March 21, the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI will honor “Mélini pi Gélina” (Samantha Arsenault of St. Timothy and Debbie Rousselle-Montgomery of Abram-Village) for their valiant – and comical – efforts to promote Acadian tourism last summer.

Arsenault and Rousselle-Montgomery will receive a 2025 Special Recognition Award for portraying their beloved characters at various in-person cultural events and in numerous video clips posted on their Facebook account. Most of the clips were recorded at tourist attractions and community events to showcase these locations to locals, visitors and newcomers.

Mélina and Gélina are colorful, elderly Acadian twins from the Evangeline region who still do things “the old-fashioned way,” so they are not too familiar with modern tools or the English language. They call their Facebook page their “Livre de face.” They tend to bicker a bit and correct each other, but above all, they have the ability to laugh at their own mistakes and blunders.

Samantha and Debbie, two well-known musician-actresses from the Evangeline region, created these characters for a skit performed at the Acadian Festival three years ago. Due to the positive response received, they have revived these characters on several occasions, sometimes to host shows and events, sometimes to perform other skits, and last summer, to record their clips throughout the region. Their videos have received over 10,000 views.

“The Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce wants to recognize their volunteer efforts to promote tourism, which benefit not only the Evangeline region but the province’s economy as a whole,” said CCAFLIPE spokesperson Janine Arsenault. “We have laughed a lot while following their adventures and misadventures, hearing their beautiful old Acadian vocabulary and listening to them bicker. We always look forward to their next video. We are also pleased to learn that their project will be further commercialized.”

CCAFLIPE congratulates the dynamic duo and invites people to attend the Entrepreneurs’ Gala at the Acadian Music Village in Abram-Village to see the award presentation and to congratulate “Mélina and Gélina.” Tickets ($50 each, tax included) are available in person at the Wellington Rural Action Centre, by email at marthe@rdeeipe.org, or by phone at 902-854-3439.

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PHOTO: Samantha Arsenault and Debbie Rousselle-Montgomery will receive the 2025 Special Recognition Award from the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI for their characters “Mélina pi Gélina,” who have been volunteering to promote tourism in the Evangeline region on social media since last summer.

 

For more information:
Alecia Arsenault
Coordinator
2026 Acadian Entrepreneurs’ Gala
Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI
902-432-2026
alecia@rdeeipe.org