Pastelle LeBlanc, part of P.E.I. folk trio Vishtèn, has died at age 42

Pastelle LeBlanc, member of the Acadian folk trio Vishtèn, has died at the age of 42.

The singer and multi-instrumentalist from P.E.I.'s Evangeline region was one-third of the group for 15 years along with her twin sister, Emmanuelle, and Pascal Miousse, who is from the Magdalen Islands.

"We will miss her so much, our beautiful Pastelle. Our soulmate. A woman with an abundance of love, creativity, and wisdom. Every person who had the honour of meeting and knowing her knows how bright, sweet, generous, and profound she was," Emmanuelle said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

"Despite the great challenges she experienced in the past two years, she still found a way to continue to inspire and heal the people around her. She continued to blossom and grow through her tribulations."

LeBlanc was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in 2020.

Vishtèn has received multiple Music P.E.I. awards. Their sixth and latest album, Horizons, was nominated for a Juno award in the Traditional Roots Album of the Year category in 2018.

Emmanuelle said a celebration of her sister's life will be announced in the coming days.