Acadian Teas

Meet Paula Steenken

Some businesses are built from spreadsheets and market research. Others are born from love, resilience, and a deep desire to create something meaningful.

Acadian Teas was founded by Paula Steenken during one of the most uncertain periods in recent history. Like many people during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Paula found herself reflecting on what truly mattered. While quarantining with her parents, she returned to a lifelong love of tea and began experimenting with her own blends.

What started as a heartfelt passion project quickly became something much more. Her father, a proud Korean War veteran, was Paula’s very first investor along with her supportive husband that was away on deployment. Her parents served as the original taste testers, offering encouragement, honest feedback, and plenty of enthusiasm as she crafted her earliest recipes. Although her Father has since passed away, his belief in Paula and his role in those first blends remain woven into the foundation of the company.

Paula’s Acadian roots run deep on both sides. The Deveau & Poirier families is among the oldest Acadian families in Atlantic Canada, tracing their history to the French settlers who established thriving communities in what is now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island beginning in the early 1600s.

Paula’s life story is one of remarkable perseverance.

Paula’s life story is one of remarkable perseverance. An accomplished international career in humanitarian work, and journalism was interrupted when she faced some of her greatest personal challenges, including cancer and a kidney transplant. Tea blending became both a creative outlet and a source of comfort during her recovery.

Her husband, a dedicated peacekeeper, spent years serving in difficult regions around the world. Through long deployments and demanding seasons, tea became a steady ritual of comfort and connection for their family.

Paula is also deeply committed to honouring Canada’s veterans. She continues to support the few surviving Korean War veterans and helps organize annual remembrance ceremonies to ensure their service is never forgotten.

A proud mother of three and grandmother of four, Paula has built Acadian Teas as a true family-centred business. At larger events and tea tastings, it is common to see family members lending a hand and sharing in the warmth and hospitality that define the brand.

After decades of serving others around the world, Paula felt called to return to the same region her ancestors fought so hard to preserve. There, surrounded by family and the landscape that shaped generations of Deveaus, she purchased acreage in the place her family has long called home and began a new chapter rooted in heritage, healing, and homecoming.

What began at her parents’ dining room table is now a thriving Nova Scotia company, with handcrafted teas enjoyed across the province and beyond.

For Paula, Acadian Teas is more than a business. It is a tribute to family, resilience, and the enduring comfort of coming home.

Every blend tells a story.

Welcome to Acadian Tea

Le Grand Dérangement

In 1755, during the Great Expulsion (Le Grand Dérangement), thousands of Acadians were forcibly removed from their homes by the British. Families were separated, villages were destroyed, and many were scattered across the world, including to Louisiana, France, the United Kingdom, and the Caribbean.

Paula’s ancestors were among the fortunate few who escaped deportation by hiding in remote areas of New Brunswick until it was safe to return to Nova Scotia and reclaim the land, language, and culture that others had tried to erase.