By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Two Mon Shack tenant testimonials elicited standing ovations at the organization’s annual fundraising dinner March 22. Carl Tremblay and David Patry extolled the virtues of Mon Shack in front of nearly 150 supporters in the large hall located in Sherbrooke’s Collège Mont Notre-Dame.

Michel Tardif, father of a current Mon Shack 2.0 resident, also spoke. Founder and Director Josée Parent presided over the event, which included a multiple course meal, a silent auction, and live music. Dignitaries in attendance included Sherbrooke MP Élisabeth Brière, Saint-François MNA Geneviève Hébert, Lennoxville Borough President Claude Charron, and Lennoxville Borough Councillor Jennifer Garfat.

Mon Shack, located in Lennoxville, offers supervised residential units and related bilingual services for young adults struggling with mental health issues. A resounding success, the organization expanded and opened nearby Mon Shack 2.0 in the fall of 2023.

Carl Tremblay

“I will try to be brief,” began Tremblay, “but I’ll put things in context.” He is 35 years old. He was put under the protection of the directeur de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ) at the age of five because his mother was violent. His father, suffering from epilepsy, could not take care of him, and passed away when he was 14 years old.

Tremblay was institutionalized at the age of 18. He spent 10 years on the street and fell into periodic drug abuse. In his times of sobriety, he married and pursued personal projects such as rap music. He received therapy which gave him some tools to cope. “I think I’m a resilient person,” he said.

Later on, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was in Montreal at the time, living in an apartment, and was heavily abusing drugs, which put him into a state of psychosis. He decided then to “take his life into his own hands.”

He approached Parent to live at Mon Shack but was initially refused. He was eventually admitted under certain special conditions. Living at Mon Shack gave a stability to his life that he had never had before. He made friends there, where “everyone is treated equally.”

He is not ready to move to Mon Shack 2.0, a more autonomous living arrangement, because he still needs the security provided by Mon Shack. He is surrounded by qualified individuals trained to help him. He thanked Parent for giving him this opportunity.

His testimony finished, the crowd launched to their feet with cheers and applause.

David Patry

Patry thanked everyone for attending this important occasion. Mon Shack gave him a confidence he had never had before. Previously, he couldn’t look people in the eye and was very timid and reserved. But he had a dream to pursue his education. Mon Shack gave him the strength and a roof under which to do so.

“Without Mon Shack, I have no idea where I would be today,” he said. At the age of 20, he returned to school and finished Secondary 5. He then finished CEGEP and is now attending university. The crowd erupted into applause.

He is studying physics and hopes some day to teach. He is putting a lot of effort into it and it is going well. He said the world needs organizations like Mon Shack, because they help people to believe and invest in society. Living there has benefitted his life more than anything else.

Shouts of “Bravo!” could be heard as he finished his speech as crowd gave him a standing ovation.

Michel Tardif

“Are you happy?” Tardif asked the crowd. “Yes!” they responded. “To be happy you need a home,” he said. Without that security, it is much more difficult to be happy. His son has been living in Mon Shack for five and a half years.

“Mental health problems happen without warning,” he continued. He noted the treatment of mental health issues is not very advanced. Families do not know what to do when mental illness hits. Mon Shack is the missing solution.

When nothing else was working, Mon Shack gave his son the needed stability to improve and become more autonomous. He thanked Parent for everything she has done.

After the testimonies, Parent gave a few closing words and encouraged those gathered to enjoy the rest of their night.

More information about Mon Shack can be found at its website: monshack.ca