He is the North American correspondent for Société des études voltairiennes, an international organization that promotes and coordinates research, events and publications relating to Voltaire.

[5] Edward Langille was born on April 11, 1959, in St. Catharines, Ontario, but grew up in the village of Londonderry Mines in Colchester County, Nova Scotia and attended public schools in the area.

In 2016, Langille was named to a two-year term as the Jules Léger Research Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences at St FX.

He argues that Voltaire created Candide as a parody of the contemporary sentimental romance, the prevailing philosophy of Optimism and possibly, Fielding's own faith in "the controlling hand of Providence".

Noting the cynical tone, sarcastic humour and salacious sexual allusions of Le Cosmopolite, Langille suggests Monbron's memoirs provided Voltaire with anecdotes, descriptions and idiosyncratic expressions that were useful in creating Candide.

[11] Langille concludes: L’Enfant trouvé gave Candide its original idyllic childhood setting, its principal characters and themes, including the protagonist’s all-important journey of self-discovery, which is also his quest for love...Le Cosmopolite gave Voltaire the idea of a wide-ranging and seemingly random European journey, conferring on Candide the world view that Voltaire clearly wished to emphasize.

Rather, it was the mysterious combination of these two works together with a variety of other thoughts and texts in the crucible of Voltaire’s imagination that gave birth to what critics have since baptized 'le moment Candide'.

[11]Langille's most recent book, due to be released in 2013, is a 670-page critical edition of La Place’s translation of Tom Jones with a 66-page introduction and notes.

The book signifies a new line of inquiry into Anglo-French civilization in the 18th century as historic translations have not before been considered as vectors or carriers of cross-cultural influence.

The designs, created by the little-known American artist and teacher Lillian Burke (1880–1952), form part of the unique culture and history of the small, mainly French-speaking community of Chéticamp, Cape Breton.

Langille donated the designs to Cape Breton University's Beaton Institute and began conducting extensive research on Lillian Burke's life as well as her contributions to a cottage industry that helped sustain the impoverished community during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

[2] Langille has written that Lillian Burke's connection to Cape Breton began sometime after 1905 when she was hired to tutor the children of Elsie Grosvenor, the eldest daughter of Alexander Graham Bell.

Langille's letter criticized the decision to replace old plaster walls with drywall and noted that in England, great pains are taken to restore old buildings to their original condition.

"Sadly, in the less noble city of Halifax, where heritage groups are treated with derision, history is carted away in a Dumpster, without public outcry," Langille wrote.

[19] The project manager defended the decision by pointing out that plaster in the main foyer, pantry and stairwell contained potentially dangerous asbestos and that replacing it with drywall was much cheaper.

In a piece he wrote for the conservation group Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, Langille reported that the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans demolished the century-old lighthouse without warning and burned it on the beach as villagers watched in horror.

"The effect of that humble building against the dramatic backdrop of sky and the rugged seacoast was quintessential Nova Scotia, a painter’s dream, the kind of picture seen on a tourist brochure," he wrote.

"[20] In 2010, Langille acquired documents from an antique dealer that had once belonged to Nova Scotia's distinguished Desbarres family and donated them to the province's Public Archives.

"[21] In 2012, Langille donated a large collection of documents to the Imperial War Museum in London, that once again, he bought from an antique dealer in Nova Scotia.