William Crooks
From left to right: Jacques Simard, landowner and initiator of the FUSA project; René-Claude Tremblay, organizer of the nature wellness day; Christian Legault, trustee involved in the creation of the FUSA; Étienne Doyon, citizen engaged in the project; and Christine Labrie, MNA for Sherbrooke, stand together on June 13 near the Saint-François River after announcing the successful fundraising campaign to establish the FUSA Jacques Simard.
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
A grassroots initiative to protect 80 acres of farmland near the Saint-François River in Sherbrooke received a major boost on Friday, as local MNA Christine Labrie announced a $7,000 donation that brings the fundraising total over the threshold needed to create a social utility agroecological trust (FUSA) on the property.
The announcement was made June 13 at a press conference held on the site, just outside Lennoxville, in the presence of project organizers and supporters. Labrie, MNA for Sherbrooke, said the donation represents part of her ongoing commitment to reinvest the salary increase Quebec MNAs voted themselves in 2023.
“I made a commitment a few years ago, when we got a 30 per cent raise, to give it back to the community,” she said during the event. “This year, I chose to support the creation of a trust on this farmland here by the river. It’s a citizen-led project that’s been in the works for years and is finally coming to life.”
According to the official press release issued by Labrie’s office, the donation helped the project organizers reach their fundraising goal of $33,363. The FUSA Jacques Simard will protect the land in perpetuity and make it accessible for future generations of farmers and for community events.
Étienne Doyon, one of the citizens leading the effort, explained that the 80-acre plot includes about 1.2 kilometres of riverfront and roughly 20 acres of arable land that has been farmed organically in recent years. “We launched the fundraising campaign this spring, and nearly 200 people contributed,” he said. “Christine’s donation helped us cross the finish line.”
The trust is expected to be formally established later this summer or by early fall. Doyon added that any funds raised beyond the initial goal will be used to install electrical and water access, deer fencing, and a small community tent. “The idea is not just to protect the farmland, but to create a place that’s open to the community—where people can celebrate, connect to nature, and participate in events,” he said during the press conference.
Jacques Simard, the current landowner, has been working with community members for some time to find a way to transfer stewardship of the land in a way that guarantees long-term public benefit. Doyon described the project as the culmination of those efforts: “The dream is a protected agricultural space that’s also a hub for community life.”
One of the first such events will be held this weekend. On Sunday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a nature-based wellness day will take place on the land, led by René-Claude Tremblay and a team of facilitators. “We’ll have singing, movement, forest bathing, artistic exploration, and poetry,” Tremblay said. “It’s a chance to connect with the land and support the FUSA at the same time.”
Tremblay noted that all proceeds from the day will go directly to the trust, and that participants can still make donations until June 20 and receive a tax receipt. “People can come to walk the land, relax as a family, or just take it in,” she said.
This is not Labrie’s first time using her salary increase for environmental causes. Last year, she donated $18,000 to the Association pour le Boisé Ascot-Lennox to help establish a similar trust aimed at protecting forested areas in Sherbrooke.
Additional details about the FUSA Jacques Simard and the upcoming wellness event are available on Facebook under “Ressourcement en nature en soutien à la FUSA de Jacques Simard,” or by contacting Tremblay via her website, lesalondyoga.com.