Just launched is an enchanting story and picture book by Ann Rothfels, entitled Many Lifetimes. Richly illustrated with Rothfels’ own watercolours, it offers an imaginative approach to the age-old question, “Who am I?” by asking in turn, “Who could I be?”
“The story is about a magical seed that becomes one flower after another, experimenting with different life forms,” she said. Using flower imagery, the story of life unfolding promises to enchant both children and adults.
“I’m seeing it as a good story for parents to read to young children,” said Rothfels. “It’s for all ages, really. I’m thinking of The Little Prince. It’s a similar kind of story. It can be read on one level as a child, and as an adult, it’s a much richer story.”
Many of us know Ann Rothfels as the librarian of the little Sawyerville Library and a retired kindergarten teacher. She has raised a family, and in her Eaton Corner home, enjoys fabric creations and watercolour meditations. This is her first book.
Many Lifetimes is a hard-covered book, 8.5 by 11 inches, with 23 pages. It is published by Shoreline Press, headquartered in Coaticook. To buy the book at $20, contact 819-875-5428.
DISASTERS
Remember that ancient curse, “May you live in interesting times”? We do live in interesting times, we always do, because they are ours. The human race has disasters galore!
I wonder, which Townships disaster would you nominate as the most interesting? The July-August Townships Sun explores the question. Top of mind is the Lac Mégantic train explosion 10 years ago. The cover shows a striking photo by Corey Bellam; inside is an insightful story by Marie Moliner.
What about the “paradigm shifting” St. Francis River flood of 1982? Nick Fonda looks at it. More recently, many of us will recall the 1998 Ice Storm of the Century. The Townships Sun offers two memoirs of that experience.
Not to mention the Great Fire in Lennoxville in 1874. Scott Verity Stevenson looks further back to the “Year Without a Summer” in 1816, its surprising cause, and its lasting effects. Yours truly looks way, way back at the massive earthquake of 1663, and the bizarre evidence it left in the depths of Lake Memphremagog, described in the Townships Sun in 1988.
The July-August issue is on the magazine racks in both the Cookshire IGA and the Lachance Dépanneur in Sawyerville. Better yet, you can subscribe at townshipssun.ca, or by calling 819-566-7424.
COOKSHIRE ART
On now at the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery is an exhibit that brings together three 20th century artists who worked together in an engraving studio: Master printmaker François-Xavier Marange (1948-2012) from Paris; Louis-Pierre Bougie, an accomplished engraver from Quebec, and Martin Müller-Reinhart, from Switzerland. The exhibit continues until August 20, and the gallery is open Wednesdays to Sundays, from noon to 5 p.m., at 125 Principale W., Cookshire.
CLOUTIER POND, Aug. 4+
Sérénité Sonore offers a new approach to enjoying the stars in our Dark Sky Reserve. Beside the Cloutier Pond at 675 Grenier Road in Cookshire-Eaton, lie back in a hammock-chair under the night sky, while enjoying a concert of harp music. Organized by the Espace culturel Cookshire-Eaton, a series of eight concerts are open for small groups of up to 15 persons. The dates to choose from are August 4, 11, 12, and 18; and September 1st, from 9 to 10 p.m. By reservation only. Email: galeriecookshireeaton@gmail.com. Website: galeriedartcookshireeaton.com.
CANTERBURY, Aug. 5
The Canterbury Centre hosts a Community Potluck Supper on Saturday, August 5, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. What’s on the menu? Corn on the cob, salads, meats, seafood, and homemade delicacies and desserts. Music! Door prizes! All are welcome; please RSVP to Candace Coleman at 819-657-4661. The Canterbury Centre is located at 1095 Route 214, Canterbury.
COOKSHIRE FAIR, Aug. 17+
The website of the Cookshire Fair from August 17 to 20 is now chock full of up-to-date information. It’s at expocookshire.com.
COOKSHIRE PARK, Aug. 27
An outdoor concert by the SaxoLogie Ensemble, a quartet of saxaphones: soprano (Louis-Philippe Bonin), alto (Stéphane Jackson), tenor (Clio Theodoridis), and baritone (Jean-Philippe Godard): Their repertoire of chamber music ranges from baroque to modern, including works by Glass, Piazzola, and Browning. It’s in the Parc des Braves, 85 avenue du Parc, in the heart of Cookshire on Sunday, August 27, at 5 p.m. Free of charge, open to all.
EATON CORNER MUSEUM
At the Eaton Corner Museum, 374 Route 253, Cookshire-Eaton, the August opening hours are Thursday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission charged. Info: eatoncorner59@gmail.com, or call Sharon at 819-837-2643.
MURMURING IMAGES
Outdoor images projected onto the walls of Victoria Hall and other buildings take you back to the beginnings of the Eaton Township. Beginning at nightfall, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Murmures du Canton, at the Parc des Braves, 85 Principale West, Cookshire.
BROOKBURY, Sept. 23
At Brookbury Hall is planned a community garage sale on September 23, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To reserve a large table (fee $10) and sell your wares, contact Brenda Bailey, 819-884-5984.
CHURCHES
Anglican. All services in August are at 10 a.m., in varying locations. On August 6, the service is at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 45 Principale West, Cookshire. On August 13, the service is at St. John’s Anglican Church, 436 Batley Road, Brookbury. For details, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. All services in August are at 10:30 a.m., in varying locations. On August 6 will be a service at Trinity United Church in Cookshire. On August 13 the service is to be at the Sawyerville United Church. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by August 7 for August 16.

So many places to step out and about, now that the snow has abated.
June 23+ EATON CORNER MUSEUM
The season begins at the Eaton Corner Museum, 374 Route 253, Cookshire-Eaton. The doors are open weekends, June 23-25 and July 1-2, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Then, beginning July 6, the opening hours are Thursday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., until the end of August. Admission charged. Info: email eatoncorner59@gmail.com, or call Sharon at 819-837-2643 until the Museum’s phone problems are resolved.
June 23: CONCERT CANTERBURY
Traditional Quebec music, complete with guitar, mandolin, accordion, violin, bass, and voice: A concert by Paula Chiasson, Normand Breton, and Christian Nolet, celebrating Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day at the Canterbury Center, 1095 Victoria Road (Route 214). This is part of the Center’s fundraising campaign to restore its small windows. The concert is on Friday, June 23, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. To get yours, call Ed Pedersen at 819-872-3400.
June 30+ CANADA DAY
Friday evening and all day Saturday, June 30 and July 1st, in Bury. See details in English in an article in this Journal.
End of June+ MURMURS
Time travel back to the beginnings of the Eaton Townships through outdoor images projected onto the walls of Victoria Hall and other buildings. All summer, beginning at nightfall, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Murmures du Canton, at the Parc des Braves, 85 Principale West, Cookshire.
July 2+ CONCERTS COOKSHIRE
Outdoors in the Parc des Braves at 85 avenue du Parc in the heart of Cookshire on Sundays at 5 p.m. are three concerts free of charge, open to all.
July 2: A duet by flutists Marilène Provencher-Leduc and Alexis Dubois will offer a repertoire that roams from baroque to contemporary music.
July 23: Now the musicians are five: The DeVito Brass Quintet (Robin Doyon and Frédéric Gagnon on trumpets, Gabriel Gauthier-Beaudoin on horn, Martin Ringuette on trombone, and Jean-Philippe Dutil on tuba). Expect an eclectic and entertaining journey from baroque to jazz, including film music.
August 27: The SaxoLogie Ensemble is a quartet of saxaphones: soprano (Louis-Philippe Bonin), alto (Stéphane Jackson), tenor (Clio Theodoridis), and baritone (Jean-Philippe Godard). Their repertoire of chamber music promises to amaze, from baroque to modern, including works by Glass, Piazzola, and Browning.
July 7+ HARP & HAMMOCKS
Sérénité Sonore offers a new approach to enjoying the stars in our beloved Dark Sky Reserve. Beside the Cloutier Pond, lie back in a hammock-chair under the night sky, while enjoying a concert of harp music. Breathe.
This relaxing experience is offered by Sérénité Sonore’s founder, Annabelle Renzo, and organized by the Espace culturel Cookshire-Eaton. A series of eight concerts are open for small groups of up to 15 persons. On Friday evenings and the week of the Persiades, the dates to choose from are July 7, 14, and 28; August 4, 11, 12, and 18; and September 1st, from 9 to 10 p.m. (“Doors” open at 8:30 p.m.). The location is the Cloutier Pond, 675 Grenier Road, Cookshire-Eaton. The fee is $60 plus taxes, or $73.22. Per concert. Accessible for persons with limited mobility. By reservation only. Email: galeriecookshireeaton@gmail.com. Website: galeriedartcookshireeaton.com. At this writing, 11 hammocks are still available.
July 11&25 CARD PARTIES
At Brookbury Hall: Card parties on Tuesdays, July 11 and 25, at 1:30 p.m. For a seat at the card and lunch tables, the fee is $8/person. The Hall’s new address is 571 Brookbury Road (aka Route 255). Info: Brenda Bailey, 819-884-5984.
July 29&30; SEPT.23 SALES
A Flea Market/Marché aux puces and Farmers’ Market are planned for the Canterbury Center on Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30. The organizers seek donations of small items and antiques. To arrange to drop off donations, or to have them picked up if your mobility is reduced, call 819-872-3400. The Canterbury Center is located at 1095 Route 214, Canterbury.
At Brookbury Hall is planned a community garage sale on September 23, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To reserve a large table (fee $10) and sell your wares, contact Brenda Bailey, 819-884-5984.
Aug. 5 POTLUCK
The Canterbury Center hosts a Community Potluck Supper on Saturday, August 5, starting at 4:30 p.m. Ed Pederson says, “Everyone is welcome. Candy Coleman is organizing the menu, so she will call you if you participated in 2019. If you are new to Canterbury Cuisine, you can call her at 819-657-4661.” The Canterbury Center is located at 1095 Route 214, Canterbury.
Now: FANTASTICAL
Just two more weeks to catch Paul Grégoire’s three fantastical exhibits: Gordian Knots, Cauchemar d’enfant, and La Chrysalide. All three are at the Galerie d’Art Cookshire-Eaton at 125 Principale West, Cookshire, until July 2.
Until June 25, the Gallery is open on Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., and from June 26 to July 2, on Wednesday to Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m.
Now: PARSONS BOOK
New! Stay at home and explore the little historical village of Canterbury on Victoria Road (um, Route 214). Author Gordon Parsons has memorialized it in a large book in full colour, The Community of Canterbury, Quebec. Info: gordparsons@hotmail.com.
CHURCHES
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. Sunday services are on June 25 at 10 a.m., at St. John’s Anglican Church, 436 Batley Road, Brookbury, and on July 2, at 10 a.m. at the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 45 Principale West, Cookshire. For details, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. On June 25 will be one service, at Trinity United Church in Cookshire, at 10:30 a.m. On July 2nd, at 10:30 a.m., the service is at the Sawyerville United Church. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by June 26 for publication July 5, or by July 10 for August 2.

The season of farmers’ markets is at hand. Let’s go on a tour.
First open is in Lingwick, at 60 Route 108, from 4 to 6 p.m., beginning this Friday and continuing until September 8.
The Compton market at 6747 Route Louis-S.-St-Laurent begins next week, Thursday June 15, and ends on September 14.
Next is in Dudswell, at the Parc Patrimonial, 167 Main St., on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, from June 24 to September 16.
The Sawyerville market at the Sawyerville Community Garden, 70 Randboro Road, is open Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It goes from July 1st to September 30.
Bury’s market at the Memorial Park is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on every second Saturday, from July 15 to September 17.
Yum.
SCAM ALERT
I almost clicked on “SPAM,” but took a second look: “If you are contacted by phone, email or SMS text and offered a Canadian Tire Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) – STOP. It’s a scam.”
This is a new little twist. In fact, Canadian Tire does not employ representatives to promote its GICs or other banking products, whether by phone, email or in person. Forewarned is forearmed.
WANTED: NUMBERS PERSON
Interested in accounting, or running a community cultural organisation? Want to learn? The Bury Historical and Heritage Society is looking for a new treasurer. The responsibilities? Keep the accounts of the Society up to date using an Excel software program, write cheques, maintain the Society’s charitable status in the Registre des entreprises du Québec and the Federal Charities Register, and prepare an annual report for the Annual General Meeting. A candidate should be able to communicate in French, and attend up to seven meetings per year in person or on Zoom. Training is provided. For a rewarding experience, please call Praxède Lévesque Lapointe at 819-872-3346 or Edward Pedersen at 514-273-3476.
TOWNSHIPS CHURCHES
Churches: a staple of Townships culture, inside and out. They come in all shapes and sizes. One was used by counterfeiters to dodge the law. To be a church, are walls needed? They start cemeteries, and some of them finish as cemeteries. Over the years, many have survived against all odds.
But what, now? Are cultural centres the new raison d’être of church buildings? Were churches not always centres of culture? The June issue of the Townships Sun explores all these facets; art and photos by Townships Young Voices award recipients. Available at the Cookshire IGA and Lachance Dépanneur in Sawyerville, or at townshipssun.ca/Subscribe.
CONCERT CANTERBURY
Traditional Quebec music, complete with guitar, mandolin, accordion, violin, bass, and voice: A concert by Paula Chiasson, Normand Breton, and Christian Nolet, celebrating Saint-Jean-Baptiste day at the Canterbury Center, 1095 Victoria Road (Route 214). This is part of the Center’s fundraising campaign to restore its small windows. The concert is on Friday, June 23, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. To get yours, call Ed Pedersen at 819-872-3400.
CARD PARTIES
Coming up at Brookbury Hall: Card parties on Tuesdays, July 11 and 25, at 1:30 p.m. For a seat at the card and lunch tables, the fee is $8/person. The Hall’s new address is 571 Brookbury Road (aka Route 255). INFO: Brenda Bailey, 819-884-5984.
COMMUNITY GARAGE SALES
A Flea Market/Marché aux puces and Farmers’ Market is planned for the Canterbury Center on Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30. The organizers are seeking donations of small items and antiques. To arrange to drop off donations, or to have them picked up if your mobility is reduced, call 819-872-3400. The Canterbury Center is located at 1095 Route 214, Canterbury.
At Brookbury Hall is planned a community garage sale on September 23, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To reserve a large table (fee $10) and sell your wares, contact Brenda Bailey, 819-884-5984.
CANTERBURY POTLUCK
The Canterbury Center hosts a Community Potluck Supper on Saturday, August 5, starting at 4:30 p.m. Ed Pederson says, “Everyone is welcome. Candy Coleman is organizing the menu, so she will call you if you participated in 2019. If you are new to Canterbury Cuisine, you can call her at 819-657-4661.” The Canterbury Center is located at 1095 Route 214, Canterbury.
FANTASTICAL
Tidbits from Paul Grégoire’s three meaty exhibits at the Galerie d’Art Cookshire-Eaton at 125 Principale West, Cookshire.
In Gordian Knots, you see intricate intertwining of fantastical creatures you would not expect to associate with each other, and a video about the artist’s bone museum and outdoor creations at his home in the Magdalen Islands. Climb three big steps, enter through a little door into the stage area (the Hanger), and you are in the Cauchemar d’enfant exhibit. Pick up the violin and try a few squeaks. It’s allowed! Downstairs, La Chrysalide documents the giant meandering steps of creating a sculpture out of a boat carcass and a whale… no, a seal skeleton.
Until June 25, the Gallery is open on Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., and from June 26 to July 2, on Wednesday to Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m.
CHURCHES
Anglican. Sunday services are on June 11 at 10 a.m., at St. John’s Anglican Church, 170 Route 255 North, Brookbury, and on June 18 at 11 a.m. at the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 45 Principale West, Cookshire. For details, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. Sunday services on June 11 and 18 are at 9:30 a.m. at the Trinity United Church in Cookshire, and at 11 a.m. at the Sawyerville United Church. On June 25 will be one service, at Trinity United Church in Cookshire, at 10:30 a.m. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by June 12 for publication June 21.

You could be any age, but if you live in the Haut-Saint-François and are in the beginnings of your creative journey, you are on Yolanda Weeks’ Most Wanted list. She is the artistic director of the Literacy in Action’s StoryMakers and Migratory Roots Festival initiatives.
“We are looking for an emerging artist in the Eaton Valley for our Migratory Roots Festival this fall,” she wrote. “This is a paid position. They would be the Eaton Valley Artist in Residence for LIA’s Migratory Roots Festival.”
The part-time position is an arts residency; the money is to support folks starting their process (which could be anytime) and complete their piece or pieces by the festival in October. Your creative journey may be in “writing, poetry, art, woodworking, photography, you name it! It’s very open!” If you are interested in exploring the theme of migration in the English-speaking communities, Yolanda would love to hear from you.
Interested? For details, contact Yolanda at yolanda.weeks@lia-estrie.org, or 819-346-7009.
TINKERS & THINKERS
How about publishing your art and writing in a community zine? Literacy in Action is inviting “stories, recipes, poems, comics, drawings, collages, and whatever else you can imagine” to be part of a collaborative “zine.”
A zine is a “do-it-yourself magazine where individuals share their ideas, stories or thoughts on topics they are passionate about. LIA’s Tinkers & Thinkers was created during the pandemic to help bridge us at a distance. It was so successful, we decided to continue it this year,” LIA tells us.
To participate, your deadline is June 15. Send your art to: Literacy in Action Tinkers & Thinkers, 5 rue Connolly, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 1L8. Questions? Call 819-346-7009 or email info@lia-estrie.org.
CONCERT AT TRINITY UNITED
The Cookshire-Eaton Cultural Space presents its first concert of the season on Saturday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m., featuring two musicians, violinist Uliana Drugova and pianist Michel-Alexandre Broekaert. The concert explores the world of French composer Lili Boulanger, the first woman to win the Grand Prix de Rome. Her promising career was cut short when she died of tuberculosis in 1918, at age 24.
The musical pieces will alternate with commentary about the links between Boulanger and composers such as Debussy and other composers of her day, letting the audience “reimagine a French salon of the 20th century,” said the concert description. The concert is at the Trinity United Church, 190 Principale West, Cookshire. Admission is by voluntary contribution. Info: galeriecookshireeaton@gmail.com.
CAPTURE YOUR HERITAGE
Downstairs from the Galerie d’Art Cookshire-Eaton, in the Galerie Suzanne Genest, is a new show, Capture your Heritage, from May 13 to 21. This is a travelling exhibition showing recent photos by Haut-Saint-François MRC students in high school or the 3rd cycle. The photos accompany historical photos from various collections and archives in our region. The address is 125 Principale West, Cookshire, (side door), and opening hours are noon to 4 p.m., weekends.
BETWEEN
Upstairs in the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery, Meditation Between Two Cultures is the theme of Yong Sook Kim-Lambert’s paintings and prints on exhibit until May 20. The Gallery is located at 125 Principale West, Cookshire, and is open weekends, noon to 4 p.m., or by appointments on weekdays (email galeriecookshireeaton@gmail.com). To see more of her artwork, visit Kim-Lambert’s website at ykimlambert.com.
VIACTIVE
Bilingual sessions of Viactive, those lively and regenerative exercises, continue at the Newport Municipal Hall, 1452 Route 212. Anyone age 50+ are welcome to participate on Wednesdays at 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Prefer mornings? Join the Sawyerville group Wednesdays at 10 a.m. in the basement of the former Sawyerville Catholic Church, 4 Randboro Road, Sawyerville. Info: 819-889-1340.
SMALL FARMS
“Small Farms are Difficult Here” is the theme of the May issue of the Townships Sun. Guest-edited by our own Scott Stevenson, it explores the rebirth of small farming, with stories from the Patch farm in Brome and the Rowell farm in East Clifton, among other stories, photos and art. Subscriptions are easy to get at townshipssun.ca, and the May issue is in the magazine stands at Cookshire IGA and the Dépanneur Lachance store in Sawyerville.
BOOKS TO BELLY
Have an appetite for reading… and eating? Literacy in Action proposes a series of workshops for kids age 7+ and adults to read a story together, then make food inspired by the story. Two upcoming workshops are on Wednesdays, May 10, and May 24, from 6 to 7 p.m. Free of charge, at the Pope Memorial Elementary School, 523 Stokes, Bury. To sign up, contact 819-346-7009 or connect@lia-estrie.org.
JUNE CONCERT, JULY FLEA MARKET
Get ready for two summer events at the Canterbury Center. First, a concert on Friday, June 23, features Paula Chiasson on violin, voice, and dance; Normand Breton on bass, accordion, voice, and dance; and Christian Nolet on guitar and bouzouki. To reserve tickets, call 819-872-3400.
Second, the Canterbury Center will host a Flea Market/Marché aux puces and Farmers’ Markets on Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30. Starting now, the organizers are seeking donations of small items and antiques. To arrange to drop off donations, or if your mobility is reduced, to have them picked up, call 819-872-3400. The Canterbury Center is located at 1095 Route 214, Canterbury.
CHURCHES
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. In-person Sunday services are 11 a.m. every first and third Sunday of the month at the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 45 Principale West, Cookshire; the next service is May 21. For details, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. Sunday services are at 9:30 a.m. at the Trinity United Church in Cookshire, and at 11 a.m. at the Sawyerville United Church. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by May 15 for publication May 24.

What did you do for the earth this year? Earth Day 2023 was last Saturday.
What did we do? We bought an electric car. Mind you, we’re not bragging. We just feel very, very grateful. Our little 2009 Honda Fit was not very fit anymore, with some 500,000 kilometres on it. We ordered our new car in January 2023; it arrived 13 months later.
Our Hyundai dealer says people who order an Ionic 5 today have a two- or three-year-wait. The tide has turned away from fossil fuels. We wonder when our business and governmental infrastructure will catch up.
We’re very happy with our car. We are glad networks of recharging stations are quickly developing in Quebec and Canada; we hope our neighbouring country catches up. Hydro-Québec seems to be on board; in its 10th year of development, their circuit électrique has more than 4,000 charging stations, including 700 fast-charging stations. Our online research tells us a recharge is cheaper in Quebec than anywhere in North America. So far, we’ve paid less than $4 out of pocket. In a few months, we’ll be able to tell you what impact our own private charging station has on our Hydro bill.
We are gratified our car tells us if we have enough charge to reach our destination, and points out where we can find stations along the way. Having this information at our fingertips prevents the “range anxiety” we have had in a gas-powered car, not knowing exactly how many kilometres an almost-empty tank would carry us. But what gratifies us the most is knowing we’re helping curb, at least a bit, the nefarious effect human activities have on our earth.
EVERY DAY
Every day is Earth Day for those who strive to protect vitally important land and water. This Sunday, April 30, at 4:30 p.m., Amnesty Canada offers a free virtual event of stories from three earth heroes.
First, Juana Zuniga and her community in Honduras, who risk their lives to protect the Guapinol River from an iron ore operation. Next, Rosa Marina Flores Cruz, an Afro-Zapoteca in Oaxaca, Mexico, who combats mega-projects that rob Indigenous peoples and violate their human rights. And finally, Chief Na’Moks, one of five Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs who are resisting the Coastal GasLink’s pipeline. To register, visit amnesty.ca/what-you-can-do/events/.
VOLUNTEER ADVENTURES
Officially, April 16 to 22 was Volunteer Week. It’s good to celebrate volunteers, but let’s not forget that volunteers are hard at work every week of the year. In Canada, more than 24 million people volunteered in 2018, contributing about 5 billion hours, equaling more than 2.5 million full-time year-round jobs.
Real-life stories of adventures in volunteering populate the April issue of the Townships Sun. A few titles: Involuntary Volunteers, by John Mackley. Giving on Hands and Knees, by Marie Moliner. The Power of Women, by Deborah Dimitruk and Janet Watson.
Who are the volunteers who make Meals on Wheels happen at Community Aid? Read Helpers in Plain Sight, by Alden Chorush. Remember Bernie Epps? See his keen wit and artistic talent in a spoof-organigram about the Townships Sun volunteers of 1981. See Janet Cowan Weber’s fine photos of volunteer (wild) orchids in the Marlington Bog, and read about the human volunteers who preserve them.
Read the revelations of volunteers young and old, and do it now before April is replaced by the May issue at the Cookshire IGA and the Lachanche store in Sawyerville.
LEARN FROM YSKL
YSKL stands for Townshipper Yong Sook Kim-Lambert. Her powerful paintings and prints on the theme, Meditation between two Cultures, are on exhibit until May 20 at the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery, 125 Principale West, Cookshire. The gallery is open weekends, noon to 4 p.m., and by appointments on weekdays (email galeriecookshireeaton@gmail.com).
“By incorporating Korean words into my paintings, I place the viewer in a position similar to my situation as an immigrant; one who was confronted with yet another new foreign language upon choosing to settle permanently in Canada,” she writes.
Kim-Lambert is offering two workshops at the gallery, both of them free of charge, in both French and English. They are the next two Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon.
The first, April 29, is on monotype printmaking. Monotypes are unique prints that may explore an image serially, using reusable gel printing plates and acetate films without a large expensive press. Participants will use a variety of cut-out forms to create abstract works. Base colours are provided, but participants may also bring their favourite acrylic colours.
The second workshop, on May 6, is an introduction to the Hangul Alphabet. The story behind this? King Sejong the Great is considered one of the most outstanding Korean rulers of the Choson Kingdom, often called the Golden Age, spanning the years 1392 to 1910. As a Confucian, he placed great importance on education. In 1444, he introduced Hangul, a new script especially created for the Korean language. It is often cited as the most logical system of writing; easy to learn. This could be an intriguing window through which to view Kim-Lambert’s artworks.
Space is limited for both these workshops, so register in advance at galeriecookshireeaton@gmail.com. Visit Kim-Lambert’s website at ykimlambert.com to see more of her artwork.
CHURCHES
Anglican. In-person Sunday services are 11 a.m. every first and third Sunday of the month, starting May 7, at the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 45 Principale West, Cookshire. For details, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. Sunday services are at 9:30 a.m. at the Trinity United Church in Cookshire, and at 11 a.m. at the Sawyerville United Church. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by May 1st for publication May 10.

I’m going on a trip around the world next week, at the 10th edition of the Festival cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke, April 6 to 13. It offers more than 90 films from 40 countries, plus 25 special events, in the Maison du Cinéma plus four other venues.
I’ve picked out the films in English, those partly in English, or those subtitled in English. I found 11 feature-length fiction and eight documentaries. The online schedule (fcms.ca/schedule/) says only one is subtitled in English (Clara Sola), and two are in English with no subtitles (Brian and Charles and God’s Creatures), both from the UK.
Six films are in English with French subtitles. Sans Filtre (Triangle of Sadness), a so-called satirical black comedy about an uber-rich couple on a luxury cruise with an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). Vivre (Living) from the UK interests me: The screenplay is by the novelist Kazuo Ishiguro.
The Other Tom is about a single mother and son in El Paso, Texas, bordering Mexico. I Like Movies is about a socially inept 17-year-old befriended by an older female. Aftersun (Sous le soleil), from the UK and the US, is about father and daughter. Young Plato documents a search for peace in an all-boys school in post-conflict Belfast.
Three fiction films and seven documentaries were in English and other languages, all subtitled in French. There’s Portraits From a Fire, in English and Tsilhqot’in, about a young Indigenous vlogger. Carmen, in Spanish and English, is about a Mexican woman’s chilling border adventures. In Retour à Séoul (French, Korean and English), a 25-year-old returns to South Korea after growing up in France.
The documentary that most interests me is The Colour of Ink, in English, Spanish and Japanese. It’s about Jason Logan, a Toronto ink-maker who makes ink from weeds, bark, flowers, rocks, rust, and more. I have his book. It is gorgeous and fascinating; I expect no less from the film.
Topical and thought-provoking is Au-delà du papier (Beyond Paper), by Oana Suteu Khintirian, in in French, English, Romanian and Italian. Filmed around the world, it charts the migration of humanity’s archives to the “cloud,” from paper to digital. What is the future of human memory?
Dear Memories is a film from Germany and Switzerland; in German and English. Thomas Hoepker is one of the most important living photographers worldwide; his photos are icons of photojournalism. In 2017, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. His one last big dream: A road trip through the USA with his wife.
La parfaite histoire (The Perfect Story), is in English, Somali, and Norwegian. By Michelle Shepherd, it is a riveting, intimate look at the ethical and moral challenges sparked by the relationship between a foreign correspondent and a young Somali refugee. Telling his heart-rending story, the film explores the boundaries of journalism and filmmaking, and questions what stories are told, why, and who gets to tell them.
And music! Ennio (The Maestro) is about the legendary film composer Ennio Morricone. It is in Italian, English, Portuguese, and Chinese. Chasseuse de son (Ever Deadly), in English and Inuktitut. Nunavut landscapes, stories, and songs of the innovative musical performer, Tanya Tagaq.
Ok, out of 90 films, that’s 19 films in English or partly so. About 20%. Kinda much. But it’s ok. They’re all from other countries, including those west of us. Many of them are award-winning.
World, here I come!
STORYMAKERS
Last call, if you enjoy stories and doing things by hand: Literacy in Action is offering a creative workshop series in Eaton Corner, using collage and family histories. “Easy and fun activities for all ages. Come solo, with your kids, or with a friend!” Accomplished storyteller, author, and Sawyerville Library coordinator Ann Rothfels will share a story with participants at the start of the first four workshops.
The first workshop is Tuesday, April 4, at 5-7 p.m., with five more to follow on April 11, 18, 25, May 2, and 9. They are free of charge, at the Academy building of the Eaton Corner Museum, 375 Route 253, Eaton Corner. Reservations: 819-346-7009, or info@lia-estrie.org. Or drop in!
BULWER COMMUNITY CENTRE
Bulwer activities are starting up again – a sure sign of spring! The first meeting is on Tuesday, April 11, and will meet every two weeks after that. Cards, bowling, and a light lunch will be served. That should put spring in your step and a smile on your lips! The Bulwer Community Centre is located at 254 Jordan Hill Road, Cookshire-Eaton. For the time or other details, contact Nathalie at the Centre d’action bénévole du Haut-Saint-François, 819-238-8541, or coordo@cabhsf.org.
SPRING IN CANTERBURY
Plan ahead for two summer events at the Canterbury Center: First, a Concert for the Fête Nationale on Friday, June 23, featuring Paula Chiasson on violin, voice, and dance; Normand Breton on bass, accordion, voice, and dance; and Christian Nolet on guitar and bouzouki. Tickets are available soon. Reservations: 819-872-3400.
Second, the Canterbury Center will host a Flea Market/Marché aux puces and Farmers’ Markets on Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30. Starting now, the organizers are seeking donations of small items and antiques. To arrange to drop off donations, or if your mobility is reduced, have them picked up, call 819-872-3400. The Canterbury Center is located at 1095 Route 214, Cantberbury.
CHURCHES
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. For the schedule of services at the St. George’s Anglican Church, 84 Queen St., Lennoxville, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. Sunday services are at 9:30 a.m. at the Trinity United Church in Cookshire, and at 11 a.m. at the Sawyerville United Church. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by April 3 for publication April 12.

Hundreds of artefacts and banners filled The Armoury in Bury last weekend, telling stories of the military history of Bury and its surroundings from 1866 until now. Organized by the Bury Historical and Heritage Society in collaboration with the Bury Legion, the fully bilingual exhibition is to continue on March 25 and 26, with the addition of outdoor banners lining Main Street.
Bury’s role as a military centre began when the Fenians, a secret society of Irish patriots in the United States, launched a series of raids in 1866 to 1871. They aimed to take Canadian territory by force so they could exchange it with Britain for Irish independence. In reaction, the new Canadian confederation strengthened its militia, and Lemuel Pope, who owned most of the land surrounding what is now Bury, formed the 58th Compton Battalion of Infantry in Bury on October 11, 1867.
The history continued through World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and right up to the war in Afganistan. Telling the stories are more than 400 artefacts and information panels displayed on tables in the centre area, a slide show, and an army of seven-foot banners standing double-file along the sides of the hall, 30 in all.
A four-foot napalm bomb from the U.S. destined for use in Vietnam is “the most horrific thing in the entire exhibit,” said Ed Pedersen, one of the organizers.
The exhibits focus on people and their experiences rather than weapons: The men and women who served in combat, many losing their lives. Women who supported the war effort on the home front and kept the country functioning. The defence of Hong Kong. The British Home Children. Food rationing. The peace movement, and much more.
“One photo was of a woman in Russia, in 2022, protesting the invasion of Ukraine. Imagine her courage!” commented Pedersen.
In the world wars, Bury had the highest enlistment rate per capita of any community in Canada, according to Praxède Lévesque-Lapointe. Watching the slideshow, visitors commented on people they knew personally, or who were parents of friends.
Some 40 persons attended the 5 à 7 that opened the event, and about 62, the first day. The attendance was evenly divided between Francophones and Anglophones, many from beyond Bury. Some visitors spent hours examining the varied exhibits, said Pedersen. “I hope more young people come next weekend.”
“We had a very good collaboration,” said the historical society’s president, Praxède Lévesque-Lapointe. Joel Barter’s idea sparked the event. Ed Pedersen researched and wrote the text for the banners, Martine Staehler edited it, and Lé evesque-Lapointe translated it. John Mackley created the slideshow, and Dominique Lévesque helped with the whole process. Pedersen, Mackley and Tony De Melo arranged the exhibits.
Bury’s Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 048, provided many of the artefacts, as did collector Michel Morin of La Patrie, the ANAF Unit No. 318 (The HUT) in Sherbrooke, and other contributors. Photos for the banners and slide shows came from Joel Barter’s vast collection. Others came from the Legion’s scrapbook, loaned by Valerie MacLeod, and again, other contributors.
“We hope this event will remind people of history, and make them aware of the societal responsibility we have of protecting ourselves and our democracy. Canada is not a militaristic society, but we have responded when necessary,” commented Pedersen. “Our aim is not to glorify war, but just to point out the history.”
Barter led an initiative to put up 40 banners along Main Street, including 26 sponsored by families of veterans. “The banners are in the mail,” he said. “They should be here and installed by March 25.”
The exhibition at Bury’s Armoury, 563 Main Street, is open March 25-26, 1-4 p.m. The outdoor banners are to stay up until the fall, and the exhibition re-mounted for Canada Day.
Financial support came from the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network, the Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise, the Municipality of Bury, and the Caisse Desjardins du Haut-Saint-François.

Sure sign of spring? Snow fleas.
They’ve been spotted in Milby, Sharon Moore tells me.
Have you seen any? They’re dark blue. Tiny things, one or two millimetres long. No wings. They have six feet with tiny claws, and two antennae. They jump around on top of the snow on warmish days, sometimes in clusters near a tree or rocks, up to 100,000 of them in a square meter. When it gets cold again, they go back under the snow.
That’s according to Marjolaine Giroux, an entomological-information person at the Montreal Insectarium. Despite her credentials, the little critters are neither fleas nor insects. They are springtails, little arthropods in the species Hypogastrura nivicola, with segmented bodies and jointed legs.
They don’t bite.
And they are marvellous. They enrich the soil. They also have antifreeze proteins in their blood, which researchers at Queen’s University have synthesized. They hope to use it to transplant organs at lower temperatures, thus keeping them viable longer. They also think they can use the snow fleas’ antifreeze to produce better ice cream.
Now that would be a marvel!
ST. PAT’S IRISH FESTIVAL
The Irish Embassy in Ottawa celebrates the Irish diaspora with an exhibition of panels coming to the county just northwest of us, Richmond. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is on Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m., but a series of activities extend throughout the month, starting Saturday, March 4th. That’s when the exhibition is open 1 to 4 p.m. at the Richmond County Historical Society Museum, 1161 Route 243, Melbourne. Admission is free.
The panels highlight the history and contributions of 20 Irish immigrants to Canada. From 2 to 4 p.m., violinist Isabelle Gosselin will play traditional Irish music while visitors peruse the exhibit. That same day, a woodworking demonstration is at 1 p.m. in the St. Andrews Hall, and a corned beef supper at 6 p.m. at the Grand Central Hotel.
Over the following weeks will be concerts, a St. Pat’s Party, a Celtic Celebration with Solstice, a St. Patrick’s Day Mass, an art show, an outdoor bandstand show, and more. The activities culminate on Sunday, March 26, with another showing of the Irish diaspora exhibition from 12 to 3 p.m. and music by Isabelle Gosselin from 1 to 3 p.m. For details about the Richmond Irish Heritage Festival, visit richmondstpats.org. It is organized by the Richmond St. Patrick’s Society.
BILINGUAL TAX SERVICE
A free bilingual income tax assistance program in Sawyerville permits trained volunteers to prepare both Canada and Quebec returns for persons with limited income. Here’s who is eligible: (1) a single person with a maximum annual revenue of $35,000; (2) a couple with a maximum revenue of $45,000, plus $2,500 for each dependant; or (3) a single parent with a child with a maximum revenue of $45,000 plus $2,500 for each additional dependant. Income from interest should not exceed $1,000. Persons with income from self-employment, bankruptcy, or deceased persons are not eligible.
You will need: (1) any papers you received from the Canada Revenue Agency and Revenu Québec in the past months, and your last Notices of Assessment; (2) your T4 and Relevé slips from your employer, or any other forms you received regarding income or tuition; (3) the RL-31 form from your landlord, if you are a renter. House owners will need their property tax number, which is on the municipal property tax bill. Bring receipts for any payments you made for pills, dentist visits, glasses, or other health expenses.
Persons above age 70 should inquire about a refundable tax credit for expenses incurred to continue living independently. Bring your home maintenance expenses, including purchasing, leasing or installing eligible equipment or fixtures, or staying in a functional rehabilitation transition unit. This year the credit is up to $2,000, depending on your total income.
When? Wednesday afternoons, March 8 and 29, from 1 to 4 p.m., and March 15 and 22, from 1 to 6 p.m. Where? At the Catholic church in Sawyerville, Église Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire, 4 Randboro Road. Use the back door to enter the basement. If you need any information, call Danielle at 819-889-2614.
ESTATE PLANNING
“Estate Planning: What you need to know in advance” is the topic of a free online webinar offered by Seniors Action Quebec on Tuesday, March 14, at 10 a.m. to noon. The registration deadline is March 7.
The session will include three topics. First, planning ahead: How to prepare your finances and plan your taxes so as to reduce the tax burden on your estate. Second, having a will, and reviewing it: The different kinds of wills, what documentation you need to put together in advance to help with the liquidation of your estate, and what information to share – or not – with your heirs. And finally, the role of the liquidator: The duties and obligations, and how to carry out a will search.
The presenters are Maitres Linda Hammerschmid and Samy Staltari, and Financial Advisor Danny Sirgnano. To register, send your contact information to Ruth Pelletier at ruthkathleenpelletier@gmail.com by March 7. For more information, visit www.seniorsactionquebec.ca.
WRITE HERE, RIGHT NOW!
For information about the free online workshops in March with Bishop’s University Lifelong Learning Academy (BULLA), email bulla@ubishops.ca.
CHURCHES
United. Beginning March 5, Sunday services are at 9:30 a.m. at the Trinity United Church in Cookshire, and at 11 a.m., at the Sawyerville United Church. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. No Anglican services are planned in Cookshire until the spring of 2023. For the schedule of services at the St. George’s Anglican Church, 84 Queen St., Lennoxville, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by March 6 for publication March 15.

Honestly, my teeth almost flew out of my mouth, and they’re not even false.
It’s surely not one of Facebook’s finest hours, welcoming Trump back into the fold. But that’s not what shocked me. It’s the Science & Astronomy group, boasting 1.2 million members. It’s been taken over by Flat Earthers.
A poll they’ve posted asks people to vote on the shape of the earth: round, cube, flat, or donut. Encouraging: 92% of respondents voted “round.” Discouraging, a plethora of comments such as this one: “NASA brainwashed 92% of the people who voted on this pool (sic).”
Meaning that they believe the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the U.S. faked the moon landing in 1969, whose photos clearly show the earth is round.
At first I thought such comments were satirical, but no. They’re dead serious. The Flat Earthers’ responses to science-based reasoning are harsh and mean.
It’s scary: A similarly named Facebook group, Astronomy and Science, whose content really reflects its name, has less than one-third of the Flat Earthers’ group’s.
This topic leaves me speechless. How can you respond to someone yelling insults, denying reason and physical reality?
It’s reminiscent of facing someone in a state of psychosis, who is clinging to an intractable belief in a desperate attempt to defend their ego, their personhood. Let’s leap ahead here to suggest LEAP, the approach Dr. Xavier Amador advocates.
First: Listen. Listen closely. Truly try to understand what the person is saying and how they are feeling. Then: Empathize. Try to reflect the person’s emotions or fears. Next: Agree. This is the hardest! I prefer to use the word “Accept” here. I tell my friend I accept their belief, and will not argue with them. (In return, I ask they accept my beliefs too, and we still love each other.) That brings us to P for Partner. We are in this together.
It dismays me that we are on this earth together with truth-denying Flat Earthers. But I accept this reality, and try somehow to engage with them. A LEAP of friendship. The alternative is scary.
MENTAL ILLNESS? LEAP!
Dr. Xavier Amador wrote one of the most popular books in the library of Mental Health Estrie. It’s entitled I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help! How to Help Someone with Mental Illness Accept Treatment. He will be speaking via Zoom on Wednesday, February 22, at 6 p.m. Mental Health Estrie offers this 1.5-hour workshop.
His book is a resource for family and friends of loved ones experiencing psychosis, a symptom that may be part of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder illness. Helping his brother undertake treatment for schizophrenia, plus his work as a therapist, have inspired him to write this book as well as to found The LEAP Institute. LEAP stands for Listen-Empathize-Agree-Partner, with a goal of building relationships with someone who lives with a serious mental illness.
You can hear Dr. Amador at Youtube.com/@LEAPInstituteOrg, or by joining the February 22nd Zoom. For information, contact Emily McBurney at outreach@mentalhealthestrie.com or 819-565-2388.
BRRR
It’s still on, this year’s HUGS for the Homeless campaign by Mental Health Estrie. Spring is not here yet! For the rest of February, Mental Health Estrie accepts donations of “NEW Hats, Underwear, Gloves, Socks, Scarves, and other warm articles of clothing.” Drop off your items at Mental Health Estrie, 3355 College, Lennoxville. Deposit them in the beige bins next to Door #2. To make a cash donation for the HUGS campaign, please email info@mentalhealthestrie.ca, or call 819-565-3777. Receipts will be issued for donations of $10 or more.
THE SUN’S UP
Right now. Your February Townships Sun is shining brightly beside the crossword books on the magazine stand just before the cash registers at the Cookshire IGA. New! Now you can also pick it up at the Dépanneur C.P.L. in Sawyerville, 2 Cookshire Street.
Can you recognize the 22-year-old on the front cover, tending to his well-drilling rig? Hint: His last name begins with S.
The youngest contributor in this issue was 13 years old. See if you know her! And let anyone in their teens or twenties know: If you enjoy writing, photography or art, you can win a cash award and get published in the Townships Sun. Visit townshipssun.ca/Townships-Young-Voices for details. Deadline: February 28.
WRITE HERE, RIGHT NOW!
Bishop’s University Lifelong Learning Academy offers these free, fun workshops and events on Zoom for lifelong learners like you:
Theme and Structure in Fiction Writing, with Rebecca Welton, on Wednesday, February 8, 1:30 p.m.
How to be a Goldfish, by Jane Baird Warren: A virtual book launch of this novel for students in middle grades, on Saturday, February 11, at 1:30 p.m.
Flash: Writing Short Prose, with Jane Draper, on Thursday, February 16, at 1:30 p.m., featuring turning an event from life into a memoir.
Nonfiction Writing for Magazines, with Rachel Garber, on Friday, February 24, at 10 a.m., about personal essays.
Overseas Adventures, by Arthur Shears: A book launch on Saturday, February 25, at 1:30 p.m., from Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between.
Fugue Forum: U is for Unreal, with Etienne Domingue, on Monday, February 27, at 7 p.m., on Discord, on magical realism.
For information or to sign up for any of these free workshops, please email bulla@ubishops.ca.
CHURCHES
Anglican. No Anglican services are planned in Cookshire until the spring of 2023. For the schedule of services at the St. George’s Anglican Church, 84 Queen St., Lennoxville, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m., at the Sawyerville United Church, 42 Principale N., Sawyerville (before Bédard Road). Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by February 6 for publication February 15 or by February 20 for March 1.

Mayor of Newport, Robert Asselin.

Bury and Newport, the two municipalities in the Haut-Saint-François with bilingual status, have both decided to retain this status. They passed the resolutions at their first council meetings January 16 and 9 respectively, in response to a notice from the Office québécois de la langue francaise (OQLF) in December that they would lose this status in 120 days unless they took action.
Nearly 90 municipalities or boroughs in Quebec have official bilingual status. Under the new law, Bill 96, the OQLF sent notices to the 47 bilingual municipalities where fewer than 50% of citizens reported English as their mother tongue at the last census.
Both councils passed the resolution unanimously, reported their mayors, Robert Asselin of Newport and Denis Savage of Bury.
“The founders of Newport were all Anglophones, and the majority of English speakers who live here today are direct descendants of these founding families. It’s important to keep our bilingual status out of respect for these families,” said Mayor Asselin.
Newport’s council has four English-speaking and two French-speaking members. It has a population of 741, of which 31% are Anglophone, according to the mayor.
Similarly, Mayor Savage said “having a bilingual municipality is an integral part of Bury. The history of Bury is important, and we must not forget that it was Anglophones who first settled the area.”
Bury’s council is equally divided, three English speakers and three French. Bury has a population of 1,449, with 26% English-speaking. “But some are pure bilingual,” the mayor said. “It’s a new generation. They speak both languages, but just the same they might say they’re more English-speaking or French-speaking.”
“For example,” he said, “I am Francophone, my wife is Anglophone, and our children are neither; they’re ‘a mix’.”
“I grew up in Bury,” he said. “We grew up together. We laugh sometimes about what happened before. At the skating rink before, there were the English and the French. That doesn’t exist anymore.”
Bilingual status legally allows municipalities to communicate with their citizens in both French and English via signage, tax bills, email, newsletters, website or in person. In Newport, council meetings are conducted in French, but services, communications, and website are offered to citizens in both languages. Asselin said the cost of doing this in “really minimal.”
In Bury, council meetings, resolutions, minutes, website and communications with citizens are all in both languages. “It’s a bit more work, but we live with it. It’s really not a constraint, to have bilingual services. And I think it’s really appreciated by our citizens,” said Savage.
Is the French language threatened in these municipalities by their bilingual status? “No, I don’t think so,” said Asselin. And Savage agreed. “Not at all. Both language are still alive!”