During my brief abode in Toronto some 50 years ago, I was struck by how American many Torontonians were, or aspired to be. At work I heard tales of weekend trips across the border, and trying to lose the «eh?» and other telltale Canadianisms in their speech.

Having grown up in the U.S. and then lived abroad, I valued my Canadian identity. That’s likely part of the reason I ended up in Quebec. Because, it turns out, the French fact is a major trait of that identity, more so than many realize.

Look, we waved past Flag Day two weeks ago. It’s a passage of more than usual note, as we collectively strengthen our Canadian spine against threats from south of the border. Even Premier Legault is sounding particularly Canadian these days.

But did you realize the Maple Leaf came to us from French Canada? In fact, both the flag and the national anthem have their origins in Quebec.

I used to play pétanque ― the French version of lawn bowling ― next to the Centre culturel Calixa Lavallée in Montreal. I had no idea Calixa had composed the music for “O Canada”, a poem written by Adolphe-Basile Routhier. It was first performed in 1880, in Quebec City at a banquet marking Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and honouring the Congrès national des Canadiens français. Only in the 1900s did it acquire an English translation.

Back to the Maple Leaf. In 1834 the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste was founded and adopted the maple leaf as its emblem; two years later Le Canadien newspaper called it the emblem of Lower Canada. After that, it was used on publications, on pennies, and in the last decades of the 19th century on all Canadian coins. It bedecked Canadian military uniforms, and finally, in 1965, after a great flag debate, it rose to adorn the official flag of Canada. This flag I always wore visibly when I travelled abroad, to make sure I was not mistaken for an American. (Canada: friendly; U.S.: domineering.)

It’s in the U.S. where I should have displayed the Maple Leaf―it seems our Canadian identity, no matter our origins or languages, needs reiterating to the elephant south of us as it stirs in its sleep.
“What will be the result of our present unsettled relations with the neighbouring republic, it is very difficult to say. The government is composed of such unprincipled men, that to calculate on it by the ordinary rules of action would be perfectly absurd” (gutenberg.org).
That quote, my friends, came from Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, hero of the War of 1812, a war started by the U.S., and which united Canada like never before.
Here we go again!

Not everyone has been fortunate all their lives. I was once homeless.
Everyone’s life is unique, and I never felt that mine was necessarily unusual. Living and working on the land in Bury for 36 years afforded me a full time occupation and a roof over my head, if nothing else. My wife, all those years, insisted on maintaining control of the family finances as well as strictly determining the course of our daily lives, work and obligations.

She had never been in perfect health. All our married life she relied on me to tend to the gardens, farm animals, and woodlot. It was a lifestyle choice.
Following a terminal cancer diagnosis in her late 60s, a whirlwind of tests, operations, doctors, nurses, hospitals, caregivers, and social workers utterly and irreversibly transformed our existence. With no immediate family we were fortunate to have caring neighbours, friends, and a reasonably effective medical care system to help us through the worst of the rough patches.

It was not until near the end of her ordeal that a previously diagnosed psychological ailment came to the attention of those on the medical team, although I had been dealing with the repercussions of it for decades. To make a long story short, in her rapidly deteriorating physical and mental capacity, she came to the determination that I was no longer worthy or deserving of « her » land, house, or decades of accumulated wealth. She set her mind to give it all away to virtual strangers while she was still considered, legally, to be « of sound mind. »

What is the point of my publicly sharing such personal information?
Without warning, in spite of all those years of hard work and devoted care-giving, I was informed that I was no longer welcome in my home of 36 years and would be arrested and charged with a criminal offence should I attempt to set foot on the property without her express permission.
In the blink of an eye, I found myself « out on the street, » alone, homeless, and destitute, owning nothing more than the clothes on my back.

I discovered, in short order, that I was not alone. The road to homelessness may be long and slow, or short and sudden. The particular circumstances may vary, but the end result is much the same.
I received directions from a social worker to the only men’s shelter in Sherbrooke. I soon learned the routine of standing in line for the potential, but not guaranteed, chance to procure a temporary cot in a shared open hall to rest, if not sleep, for the night… but only until 7 a.m. when everyone would once again be turned out onto the streets to fend for themselves.

My own experience ended soon and happily, thanks to the generosity of compassionate friends, and neighbours. (They know who they are, and that I remain eternally grateful.)

Many out there are not so fortunate. It has become quite common, in the lead-up to the holidays each year, to increasingly see and hear public-service ads and impassioned pleas for donations of food, clothing, and cash to aid local and regional service organizations in their efforts to assist those in need.
In fact, they need our support year-round.

Josiah Sawyer Statue

I read all about it in The Sherbrooke Examiner of September 30, 1901.
« GREAT DAY FOR SAWYERVILLE. A Monument to Early Settlers Unveiled. ADDRESSES WERE DELIVERED BY PROMINENT SPEAKERS. Special to the Examiner. »
This, the longest article on the front page, tells how a statue was erected in Sawyerville in honour of its first settler.

I’m on a quest for information because of a unique photo John Mackley unearthed in the Townships Sun archives. He found a tiny negative sheet measuring 2.25 by 3.125 inches, a glossy sepia print the same size, and a cropped black-and-white glossy version, 3 x 4.5 inches, with scalloped edges, indicating it was probably printed in the 1940s or 50s.

It shows a statue of a soldier, one hand holding a sword. Its inscription reads, « Erected to the memory of Capt. Josiah Sawyer, the first settler in the Eastern Townships who settled on the present site in the year 1794, who died Mar 10 1837 in the 81st year of his age. »

That’s the who, but what are all the other details. Where is the statue today?
The Examiner article describes the unveiling of the statue on the property of Josiah’s descendent, William Sawyer. First, an ode to the wonderful weather, verified by the cumulus clouds and sunny scene in the photo. Crowds from «the surrounding country,» come to pay tribute «to the first settlers of the township of Eaton, who were the first settlers in the Townships east of lake Memphremagog.»
The statue stood « wrapped beneath the folds of the Union Jack, with the Stars and Stripes close by its side, fastened to the same cord, apparently signifying the strong chord of national friendship that binds our two great countries together. »

Rev. W.P. Boshart led opening devotions. The « chairman » (William Sawyer, I presume) told about « starting the settlement of this beautiful and productive region. » Then Lyman Alger of Stewartstown, N.H. (across the bridge from Beecher Falls, VT), praised the settlers, the men’s character, their privations, « and especially to the courage and energy of the women, who feared not the difficulties of pioneer life. »

After « a most excellent lunch » in the basement of the nearby Methodist Church (on the site of the United Church which burned down in 2006), came the real business of the day: the unveiling of the statue.

Another descendent of Josiah Sawyer, The Honorable Willis Sawyer of New York City did the honours, drawing the cord to reveal the statue. The base was of St. John’s granite, measuring one foot eight inches by three feet high. A life-size statue stood on it, carved from granite from the Barrie, Vermont, quarry.

In his speech, he « referred to the union of the flags and anticipated the time when the two great countries would in reality be one. » Then the Citizens Band played « The Maple Leaf, » the « Star Spangled Banner, » and « God Save the King. »

Eight additional speeches rounded out the ceremonies.
This article tells me the Sawyer family wanted very much for Canada and the United States to be united. In fact, I recall from Bernard Epps’s The Eastern Townships Adventure that Josiah Sawyer was definitely not a Loyalist. He was born in Massachusetts and had joined the Continental Army and fought against the British at Bunker Hill and on Long Island.

But where is the statue now? I phoned Sharon Moore of the Eaton Corner Museum. She tells a horrific story of the statue’s adventures. It was vandalized twice. Once it was dumped in the pond at the bottom of the Lindsay property, retrieved and put in the old fire hall. Then it was vandalized again, and damaged beyond repair. Only the head remains. It is in storage in the Eaton Corner Museum.
But the head is not, she says, the likeness of Josiah himself. « Jack Garneau will tell you that! »
Jack Garneau confirms he’s seen identical statues in several places in New England.

Indeed, in The Eastern Townships Adventure, I read that Josiah Sawyer had « met with an accident when young which turned his nose round on one side. » I zoom in on the photo of the statue, and under the shadow of his military cap I see a perfectly straight nose and a hefty Hungarian moustache.
Happy New Year! And do join us for more photo detective adventures (See « Photo Detective Challenge » in Rachel’s Agenda.)

Earlier this fall, an English-speaking reader called me to ask about a popular series of reports our newspaper published in French about Route 112. Her understanding of French wasn’t good enough to catch the details.

Also this year, I was told by another reader that some of her English-speaking neighbours don’t read the Haut-Saint-François due to its low English content and their lack of comfort reading in French.

We’re disappointed, of course, but I get it. Despite my own high level of bilingualism, reading in French can be enough of an effort in some cases that I don’t want to pursue it. That depends highly on the quality of the written French, which is a message to all writers about how important it is to communicate well—clearly, concisely, and understandably—in whatever language.

The Haut-Saint-François was founded as a French-language newspaper but added some English over the years to also serve and be representative of the minority English-language population. The Upper Saint Francis region’s county municipality—the MRC, as it’s known in French—has a population of 23,000, with about 11% of citizens being English mother tongue. That makes our English-speaking community total about 2500 people.

Unlike the paid-subscription Sherbrooke Record, the Haut-Saint-François is delivered to every address in the 14 municipalities of the region, as well as Saint-Malo, which asked that we distribute to it as well.
The number of pages a newspaper publishes depends heavily on its income, which itself is determined largely by the amount of advertising space clients buy in the newspaper. The more advertisements we sell, the more pages we can publish; and the more pages we can publish, the more space we have for news stories and photos. Similarly, the more space we have for that editorial content, the more room we will have for content in English.

Unfortunately, newspapers have many, many more competitors for advertising space in today’s world, be they other traditional media such as radio and television or, more importantly now, new media such as the Internet, websites, email newsletters, social media and so many other digital sources. Given that lay of the land, we are limited in how much English content we can publish. We would like to publish more, and as our income grows, we will be able to do so.

Along the way, we hope you will continue to read our regular English stories with interest, in the columns and articles by Rachel Garber, John Mackley, Corey Bellam, myself, and others. When there are stories in French only that you would especially like to see in English, continue to let us know. We also encourage you to keep reading other traditional English-language media, such as the Record, the Townships Sun, and local community publications like Bury’s Image.

Postal strike

If the postal strike is still on when we publish this issue, and you happen to be reading it, we encourage you to get an extra copy and give it to a friend, neighbour, or local business. This is our largest and last edition of the year. Without Canada Post, its distribution will be difficult, but we really hope everyone gets a chance to read it and to support our advertisers.

Thank you for your own support and interest—and thank you to our advertising customers, municipalities, federal and provincial representatives, funders, community organizations, and contributors! It has been a pleasure serving and working with you in 2024. We wish you a very happy and restful holiday season, and we look forward to connecting with you again in our first issue of the new year, January 15, 2025.

The Upper Saint Francis region is on the cusp of a turning point in its history with the likely sale of the historic St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Cookshire, an architectural jewel built of stone in 1869. 

Local businessman and property developer, Gilles Denis, is currently discussing its purchase with the Anglican Diocese. “I’m waiting for a proposal for an offer to purchase… from the Anglican property manager,” he wrote to the Haut-Saint-François newspaper on December 4. 

“There are plans to sell it, I believe,” said Jim Sweeney, former registrar and property manager for the Diocese. “I haven’t had that confirmed. But people are working on the assumption that it will be sold.” 

The Haut-Saint-François Regional County Municipality (MRC) and Ville de Cookshire-Eaton were already preparing for the eventual sale of the heritage building in 2023 and 2024. The MRC helped a group of citizens make a request to the municipality of Cookshire-Eaton that it cite the property for its historical value, which the municipality did earlier this year. 

Municipal library 

It also wrote a letter of support to Gilles Denis, indicating the municipality’s interest in renting part of the building for the municipal library, to help Mr. Denis seek financing for the purchase, should it occur. 

According to the MRC’s heritage property advisor, Chloë Southam, the church building “can never be demolished,” and the municipal citation represents “a certification of the community’s intention to preserve the building in the long term.” 

The citation also helps the building’s owner apply for grants for restoration, but is not restrictive as in the case of a provincial classification, which the Eaton Corner Academy has received, according to Ms. Southam.  

Gilles Denis owns numerous buildings in Cookshire, including several that are historic. He purchased the St. Peter’s rectory several years ago and converted it into a cultural centre, now known as the Maison John-Henry-Pope. Since then, he also acquired Victoria Hall, still in Cookshire’s historic square on Main Street, and converted it into an art gallery and exhibition hall. Gilles Denis also owns the IGA grocery store in Cookshire. 

A tasty supper of brains was on the menu for Halloween.

Sawyerville’s haunted barn on Cookshire Street was opened once again for all to visit and enjoy at Halloween.

The fun kicked off around 5 pm with many children and the young at heart arriving to check out the spooky trails leading to the haunted décor. The yard was filled with ghosts, werewolves, witches, and other strange creatures. When you entered the barn, the sounds would make the hairs on your neck stand up.

Young Joseph McConnell of Sawyerville along with his dad Tom McConnell. Joe said he wasn’t afraid as long as daddy was there.

The CJE’s team. From left to right : Sylvain Lessard, Maxime Mainville, Diane Groleau, Nicolas Coutu, Audrey Vallée, Ginette Jolin, Stéphanie Dubreuil, Judith Olson and Isabelle Poulin-Rioux.

Around 1999, Randi Heatherington of East Angus was asked by Michel Beauchamp, then director of New Horizons Adult Education Centre in Sherbrooke, to help start a program for youth in the Upper Saint Francis region. Last month, some 25 years later, Heatherington and other founding members, along with staff, board members, and friends, highlighted the Carrefour jeunesse-emploi’s quarter century of successes. 

The 25^th anniversary celebration was held on October 17 at the Café Laurier in East Angus, just across the Saint Francis from the Carrefour jeunesse-emploi (CJE) du Haut-Saint-François’s offices.  

Five short videos were presented, featuring key figures in the organization’s history, including Kasey Statton, Dominic Provost, Mathieu Drouin, Olivier Jean, and Mégane Beaudoin. Some of the videos are now published on the organization’s Facebook page. 

A community crosses boundaries to help youth 

Intervention coordinator Judith Olson was especially moved to point out a letter published in the Haut-Saint-François last year and co-authored by Kasey Statton, one of the CJE’s former youth clients. 

“Whether due to isolation, lack of self-confidence, or difficulty managing our emotions, we as men get stuck when it’s time to ask for help,” Statton wrote in his July 2023 letter “What is a man today?” in French. “Despite our different paths in life and our young age, we all have one thing in common, that of silence. We are now more aware of the problem, and now it’s our turn to speak.” 

Speak, he did, and ask for help, he also did, turning his story into one of the many CJE successes celebrated last month. 

Executive director Sylvain Lessard was also featured in the videos and was among the founding group 25 years ago. He spoke of his pride in those successes and in the continuing offer of services to the community in both French and English.