William Crooks

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In an innovative step towards addressing mental health needs, Mon Shack unveiled ‘Mon Shack 2.0’ at a Dec. 19 press conference, a pioneering facility that promises to revolutionize mental health care in Quebec. This new establishment will offer 22 affordable housing units, specifically designed to support individuals of all ages grappling with mental health challenges. The facility is not just a housing complex; it’s a beacon of hope, fostering a bilingual living environment and incorporating the groundbreaking Espace Univers-Shack living-lab.

The initiative, as detailed in a press release, and marking a unique model in the province, has been realized with an investment exceeding $5.9 million, part of the Second Canada-Quebec Agreement for the Rapid Housing Creation Initiative. Tenants of Mon Shack 2.0 will also benefit from the Société d’Habitation du Québec (SHQ) Rent Supplement Program, ensuring affordability and accessibility. This financial assistance, potentially amounting to nearly $2.5 million over the next 20 years, is largely supported by the SHQ and the City of Sherbrooke.

Mon Shack, which began its journey in 2013, celebrated its tenth anniversary by opening the doors of Mon Shack 2.0. Reflecting on its progress, Mon Shack’s first building was launched in 2018, five years after its inception. The organization was a trailblazer in the Estrie region, offering affordable housing, bilingual professional intervention services for young adults aged 18-35, and inclusive activities promoting social integration.

The Espace Univers-Shack, a key feature of Mon Shack 2.0, epitomizes innovation in mental health service delivery, research, and development. This living-lab initiative is the fruit of a collaborative effort between Mon Shack, Bishop’s University, and the University of Sherbrooke, aimed at enriching mental health services and fostering community engagement.

In an effort to further community involvement and promote mental well-being, Mon Shack invites the public to participate in free workshops and social activities. These initiatives are geared towards enhancing collective mental health and fostering a sense of belonging among residents.

Mon Shack also announced an exciting opportunity to contribute to this noble cause. On March 22, 2024, a gourmet fundraising dinner will be held, offering an evening of fine dining, cocktails, music, and a silent auction. This event is not just a fundraiser but an occasion to celebrate community spirit and support mental health initiatives. Tickets for this event can be acquired by scanning a designated QR code.

Press conference

Presiding over the press conference celebrating the launch of Mon Shack 2.0 was its founder and executive director, Josée Parent. Over 50 people attended, including Mon Shack tenants and staff, local politicians, Bishop’s University professors and staff, local media, and other interested parties. Various notable attendees took turns speaking.

After thanking everyone for being there, Parent described Mon Shack 2.0 and emphasized it is for people of all ages and offers services in both official languages.

“Formidable!” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP for Compton-Stanstead. “It was a dream, and it has been realized.” She insisted it was everyone’s obligation to help keep things going; the construction of the building was a governmental priority. Parent is a “guardian angel”, she said, for those who are facing mental health challenges and need and affordable place to live.

St-Francois MNA Geneviève Hébert noted that Parent has been tenacious and persistent in her guiding of the project, a project unique in Quebec. Mon Shack enables its tenants to develop their potential and participate in society like everyone else. The bilingual services Mon Shack provides mirror the bilingual character, and “richness”, of the region.

Sherbrooke’s Acting Mayor Raïs Kibonge noted the project was very important to Sherbrooke Mayor Évelyne Beaudin, who is currently on leave at the suggestion of her doctor. The project enables the community to strengthen their empathy and practice taking care of each other. Of behalf of the City of Sherbrooke, he said they are proud to have funded and contributed the land for this new endeavour.

Claude Charron, Lennoxville Borough President, recounted the first presentation Parent made to the Lennoxville Town Council for the initial Mon Shack. He remembered her as exuding determination and dedication. He extolled the positive impact the new lodgings would have on the Lennoxville community and hopes it will foster community participation. He insisted this was a perfect example of cooperation between the different levels of government involved.

Parent, holding back tears, then introduced “Anthony”, a Mon Shack tenant. For Anthony, Mon Shack is a place that destigmatizes mental health issues. It is a place to reestablish oneself and maintain autonomy in a stable environment. It is important not to work against one’s mental health problems, but understand them and live with them. The support from the Mon Shack team allows one to pursue one’s life projects and persist.

After the conference, Parent emphasized Lennoxville was the perfect place for Mon Shack 2.0, because of its bilingualism and tight-knit community. Guided tours of the new building were then given by a Mon Shack staff member.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In a significant community meeting held Dec. 18 in Ayer’s Cliff, the focus was squarely on a proposed multifamily housing project poised to bring a considerable change to the town’s demographic and infrastructure. The meeting, characterized by a vibrant question-and-answer session, delved into the nuances of the project, touching on aspects ranging from housing density to potential strain on local services. Mayor Simon Roy presided over the meeting, emphasizing that it was only an informational meeting on the proposal and residents’ comments and opinions on the project would be considered at a later meeting Jan. 8. Over 30 people attended; cars filled Ayer’s Cliff’s community hall parking lot and lined the street nearby.

Overview of the meeting

At the heart of the discussion was a proposal to convert a portion of an industrial zone, north of Wulftec International Inc. and west of Tyler Road, into a residential area, potentially accommodating between 200 to 500 new residents in multifamily housing units. The land is currently owned by local Roger Madore. This dramatic increase in population, representing a significant percentage of the town’s current size, raised concerns and prompted a thorough examination.

Key concerns addressed included the impact on local services such as water supply and waste management, the capacity of the fire department to handle higher buildings, and the potential social implications of introducing a large number of new residents. The meeting underscored the need for a collective decision-making process, with the town council highlighting its neutrality and openness to public opinion.

The project, primarily envisioned as rental units with a possibility of condos, brought up questions about the nature of the new community that would form and its integration with the existing town. The council also discussed the importance of maintaining a balance between residential expansion and preserving industrial zones vital for employment opportunities.

In response to concerns about potential construction delays or abandonment, the council discussed implementing safeguards like special taxes for undeveloped lots to encourage timely development. They also highlighted the need for a comprehensive plan for the new zone to ensure a structured and cohesive development.

As the meeting progressed, discussions touched on the technical aspects of zoning changes, including the establishment of a wooded buffer zone to ease the transition between existing residences and the new development. Parking norms and building height limitations were also discussed to maintain a harmony with the existing town structure.

Question period highlights

“The only thing you will be able to [build there] are multi-family buildings,” Ayer’s Cliff Mayor Simon Roy explained, answering a question about what kinds of new construction could be expected if the proposal were to be accepted. Air B&B rentals are allowed, but only if the host lives in the building, which is the same everywhere else in town. There will be a park or “greenspace”, and offices are permitted, but only personal offices that are a part of one’s residence.

Council member Patrick Proulx asked how close the new development would be to the Tomifobia River. There is adequate space, he was told, and the wetlands nearby could not be built upon following provincial regulation.

“I have 30 acres of residential land that is not yet built,” said a resident. She then asked why they would want to build in a non-residential area when there is already space available. She asserted that existing residential land was being devalued and valuable industrial land being taken away.

Roy agreed that, if one wished to keep as much of one’s industrial zone as possible long term, the proposal is “no good”. He suggested space for affordable housing could be more important. The proposed location is ideal for residences because of its proximity to town infrastructure. He reminded the gathering that the council is not “for or against” the proposal, but is merely presenting it to the public to get their input. “If it’s not a good idea, we’ll just scrap it.”

Roy responded to a question about whether or not the proposal would affect any other residential zone in town by clarifying that, for the moment, all other zones would keep their current regulations.

Responding to a question concerning whether it would be one or many developers building on the land, Roy reiterated that the issue now was purely a question of zoning laws. He assured the group that any construction by any developer going forward would have to be cleared by the council at the appropriate time.

One resident asked what, as has happened before, would prevent the lots from sitting empty and remaining undeveloped for years. One way of preventing this, Roy said, is to pass a law that nothing smaller than an eight-apartment building can be built on the lot. Another option is to introduce a special tax on unused lots, so it is not worth it to keep the lot unused. He reassured the group that they are not at the point where “every 10 square meters” of unused land will be taxed extra. He noted the town would receive a large “welcome tax” were the new land to be developed.

Proulx asked if this was the sort of thing the town could have a referendum on and was answered in the affirmative. “We’re not trying to shove this down people’s throat,” said Roy. The public will be consulted every step of the way.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The city of Sherbrooke celebrated a milestone with the official opening of the new Grandes-Fourches Bridge Dec. 20.

Work began on the bridge in August, 2021 and was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022, but the project was suspended in November of 2021 until funding could be secured for mandatory decontamination work, which significantly increased the cost as well as the timeline to complete the bridge.

New bridge

The Grandes-Fourches Bridge project, long awaited the community, required a total investment of $47.5 million, states a press release. This project was supported by a grant of $26 million from the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. The financial breakdown of the project includes $10.3 million for road construction, $10.5 million for the bridge construction, $2.25 million for the demolition of the old bridge, $2 million for preparatory studies, $3.1 million for professional fees including architecture, engineering, and work supervision, $11.1 million for decontamination, and $8.25 million for acquisitions.

A significant aspect of the project involved the demolition of the Terrill Street and Grandes-Fourches North interchange, replaced by a modern roundabout. This change is expected to improve traffic flow and safety in the area.

“I’m proud to tell you that the inauguration of this bridge, of the Grandes Fourches axis, which we hope is the last stage to find a unifying element, is an accomplishment today that marks a new era for our downtown and our future,” Kibonge said.

Emphasizing the bridge’s unique design, resembling an inverted canoe, he expressed pride in this accomplishment, marking a new era for the downtown area. Kibonge elaborated on the broader implications of the project, including the revitalization of the Saint-François River’s banks and the transformation of the city center. He thanked various partners and local businesses for their contributions, emphasizing the project’s local roots and its impact on future generations.

Hébert highlighted the new bridge’s role in integrating safe and friendly modes of transportation like walking and cycling.

“The railway bridge is one of the biggest bearers of our beautiful city and its beautiful rivers. It is a completely unique, historic site full of potential,” Hébert said.

During the question period, the focus shifted to technical aspects and future urban development. Caroline Gravel, Sherbrooke’s Director of Urban Infrastructure Services, answered questions about the project’s current status and future steps.

Gravel addressed a technical question about the impact of changing the bridge’s axis, which has created a new railway crossing. This change delayed the work and there was concern about potential traffic congestion if a train passes during peak hours. Prevention systems are now installed on all level crossings on the link, which are designed to avoid future traffic congestion issues. Gravel elaborated on the functioning of these new preventative barriers, which operate depending on the train’s speed, to facilitate smoother traffic flow.

She outlined the remaining steps to be taken after the bridge’s opening and assured that the work will not block the bridge but will be used minimally for truck traffic.

“There are old ramps that provided access to the old bridge, which need to be removed, along with concrete walls that protected the banks. The agreement we have with the Ministry of the Environment is that we must restore the banks to their natural state, so we have to remove all these structures and not leave them in the landscape,” Gravel explained.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In a Dec. 18 special public meeting presided over by Mayor Simon Roy, the Ayer’s Cliff town council presented and approved the town’s budget for 2024. The key highlight of the budget was the anticipated tax increase for the year. For a home valued at $300,000, the tax hike is estimated at around 4 per cent. The hike is primarily due to fixed costs such as garbage, recycling, and compost fees, which have collectively risen by approximately $80 per residence. This increase is a direct pass-through cost, as the town does not profit from these services.

Budget overview

The total budget for the upcoming year is projected at $2.7 million, marking a $300,000 or 10 per cent increase from the previous year. This surge is attributed to additional investments in infrastructure and the creation of a contingency fund for future financial stability. The fund, amounting to 1 per cent of the budget or $25,000 annually, is designed to cushion the town against financial shocks, such as the end of grant subsidies for certain projects.

A substantial portion of the budget is allocated to various projects, including maintenance and infrastructure development. Notable expenses include the fire service costs, which have significantly risen due to the construction of new fire stations and the purchase of a fire truck. The budget also covers costs for waste management and firefighting services, which have both seen considerable increases this year.

The council has made strategic decisions to address future financial challenges and ensure sustainable growth. These include planning for long-term loan payments without grant support and increasing reserves to prevent abrupt tax hikes in the future. The town’s financial health is reportedly stable, with several successful initiatives and surplus generation ($150,000), indicating prudent financial management and planning.

Question period

Over 30 residents attended the meeting and were given the opportunity to question the budget presented.

One resident asked if property evaluations would be redone in the next three or four years. Re-evaluations will be done next year, responded Roy. “We’ve [had] about a 30 per cent increase in the first year of this term,” he said; many properties increased in value by “50, 60, even 80 per cent”. He thinks that the market will calm down during the course of the next year, but prices will certainly increase. They will adjust taxes accordingly.

Another resident asked why there was such a large increase (40+ per cent) in the budget for waste management. “It’s because we don’t do [it],” answered Roy. The work is contracted out, and only one company quoted a price for garbage, two for compost. The town must pay what the garbage company wants, he admitted. Roy noted that Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley’s snowplowing costs recently tripled. “It’s crazy,” responded the resident. There are some great opportunities to get into the waste management business right now, Roy joked to chuckles from the audience. For a $300,000 home, the price has gone up about $80 per year, he reiterated.

A resident asked if waste management service for those near the end of the town’s routes would improve. Such residents would appreciate a text or a phone call when the trucks are late or plan on coming another day. Roy acknowledged the problem, but explained that the lower cost of the company compared to others that made offers made sticking with them the right decision for the town. The resident responded that those that receive worse service are paying the same as everyone else, which is not fair. Recycling has come late three times out of the last four weeks, said another woman. Roy urged them to call the town when this happens and speculated that putting waste management under the responsibility of the town in the future might be a good idea.

There will be a project to redo the skating rink using concrete, Roy said, responding to a question about why $600,000 was set aside for its renovation. With a concrete base, tennis or pickleball could be played on it in the summer. The change would also make it easier to put ice on the rink in the winter. The town is looking to finance the project primarily with voluntary donations and grants. If those do not come through, the project will not happen.

The beach is not under the responsibility of the town, Roy explained, when a citizen asked why it did not appear in the budget. The beach belongs to the Regie du Parc Massawippi (RPM). A portion of what the town pays towards the RPM goes towards the beach: $6,000. It is an excellent investment, he continued, because that money is mostly going towards the payment of the loan that was used to buy the beach. The beach will generate revenue in the future.

The meeting was adjourned at around 6:40 p.m.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

As the holiday season casts its long shadow with shorter days and increased social isolation, Dr. Steven Grover of McGill University emphasizes the profound benefits of exercise as a remedy for the mental and physical health challenges that many face during this time. With insights on combating Seasonal Affective Disorder, loneliness, and the sedentary lifestyle that often accompanies winter’s chill, Dr. Grover’s advice offers a beacon of hope. His expert opinion underscores the vital role of physical activity in maintaining wellbeing, particularly in a season marked by overindulgence and potential disconnect.

“As we go into the holiday season there are a bunch of things that are working against us in terms of mental health,” said Grover. If you are about to spend two weeks celebrating with family and friends, he added, you likely have it covered. For those who are less fortunate, it is a tough time for a number of reasons:

1) The shortest days of the year are upon us and the lack of sunlight in Canada is “problematic”. Anyone with even a tendency towards Seasonal Affective Disorder will start to feel the effects of less daylight on their sleep, mood and eating habits. “The absence of light is not healthy.”

2) For those who will not be soon surrounded by family, social connectivity will start to fall off, given they will not be working and may see their friends less. “Loneliness, to various degrees, is a major issue.”

3) Poor weather can be a problem as well, making getting out of the house difficult. Many will likely not exercise as much as they usually do.

Lack of exercise is a particularly important factor here, since it is the main and most efficient remedy to all of the above problems. Exercise outdoors is ideal, but indoor exercise will suffice if that is not possible. Regular exercise helps you sleep better, and lowers anxiety, stress and depression symptoms.

“The research data on exercise is so compelling,” he insisted, it has been shown to be as good as any medication out there, some data suggesting it is even better. He emphasized that he is not proposing prescribed medication should be replaced by exercise.

Exercise also helps you manage metabolic health risk factors, he continued, such as a blood pressure and blood sugar levels, with or without diabetes. It is crucial at a time when you might be partying, overeating and gaining weight. Even if you have no physical or mental health issues, “getting out is really important”.

For those without a holiday-time social circle, getting out to a gym or community centre is a great idea. He does not believe digital social connections are as good as real social connections. But they are better than nothing, “certainly better than watching television all day long”.

Superior to social media, he suggests, is a “facetime” or “zoom” interaction where you can see the other person’s face. People can get down on themselves on social media by looking at how others present their lives. “Everybody is posting about how great their life is.” This is the time of year that these forms of distress are likely to occur, so people need to know feeling this way is normal and they are not alone.

Finally, Grover extolled the virtues of “mindfulness”. Good information can be found on YouTube as to how to relax mindfully. The holidays are an excellent time to learn how to practice mindfulness, which can be done in a few weeks. “It’s not that complicated.”

Accessing mental health resources in Estrie

Mental Health Estrie was contacted by The Record for a quick list of suggestions on some good options for those struggling with their mental health this holiday season. For those seeking mental health support in the Estrie region, a variety of resources are available:

– Mental Health Estrie offers assistance and can be contacted at 819-565-3777 or through their email at info@mentalhealthestrie.com

– 811 Health Line: To speak with a nurse, choose option 1, or for a psychosocial intervener, select option 2.

– CHUS’ Hotel-Dieu and Fleurimont hospitals provide services at 819-346-1110.

– The provincial helpline for suicide prevention is available at 1-866-277-3556 for those in crisis.

– Kids Help Phone offers support for young people. You can call 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868 for assistance.

– Vent Over Tea is an online platform offering a listening ear, accessible at ventovertea.com

– Secours Amitié Estrie is available at 819-564-2323 for those needing someone to talk to.

Construction refusals and fire station location troubles

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

A denied construction request, by notable local Paul Desmarais, and complaints concerning the location of the new fire hall in Fitch Bay, figured prominently at Stanstead Township’s monthly meeting Dec. 11.

The issue with Desmarais’ request was the number of trees that would need to be cut to make way for his proposed building, said Director General Matthieu Simoneau in a Dec. 12 interview. Their bylaws allow for a building the size Desmarais wanted, but it was to be built in a forested area. The intended building was an 800 square meter waterfront principal residence including an indoor tennis court.

Georgeville, a town in Stanstead Township, used to have its own firehall, but the recent opening of a large, new firehall in nearby Fitch Bay, which now serves the whole area, caused the Georgeville firehall to be closed down. It was part of the plan from the beginning, Simoneau explained, that all the local firetrucks and equipment would be housed in the new firehall. The difference in location was expressly validated as not a safety issue before construction, he noted.

However, anyone who lives further than 8 km from a firehall must pay more in insurance, which some residents are newly realizing and find problematic. There is no real possibility or “avenue” to change these circumstances, Simoneau said; it was one of the conditions of approval for the new firehall that everything be moved there at a central location. “It’s more effective… It’s important to have the best infrastructure possible to respond to emergencies.”

In a general update, Simoneau noted the Fitch Bay Road construction is almost completed. A few details, remain, but the road is now “beautiful new asphalt”. The council will be looking for a grant in the future to fix up the local covered bridge. Other roads in Fitch Bay are on the docket for maintenance, likely in 2025.

Bishop’s Principal assures community future is bright at 180^th anniversary celebration

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

“We’re going to be okay!” Bishop’s University (BU) Principal Sébastien Lebel-Grenier assured the BU community during a speech at the university’s Dec. 8 celebration of its 180^th anniversary; the statement was made in the face of Quebec government proposed tuition hikes that he has termed an “existential threat” to BU.

Between noon and 1 p.m., members of the BU community came together and enjoyed hot chocolate and purple-frosted cupcakes before BU Student Representative Council President Sophia Stacey, Odanak Chief Richard O’Bomsawin, and Lebel-Grenier took turns addressing the gathering. To round off the event, purple gloves were handed out with ‘main dans la main’ and ‘hand in hand’ written on them, a small choir of BU community members sang, and the crowd formed a large ‘180’ in BU’s Quad to be captured by a camera-sporting drone hovering overhead.

Following a land acknowledgement, Stacey introduced O’Bomsawin. “Times have changed and education has changed,” he said. When his people walked the land, education was not in buildings and in schools; the land itself was their education. “The land taught us everything we needed to know.”

Education was a right of passage – neither book, nor story, nor history. Though the world and education system are now different, the land is still here and is your oldest teacher. More can be learned from the land than schools, he insisted.

He thanked everyone for “sharing the land” with his people. “We’ll always walk hand in hand with you.” He emphasized that peace and friendships conquer all and he hopes that, together, the school will survive another 180 years.

Stacey took the stage. One word kept coming back to her as she reflected on BU’s 180 years of existence: community. None of BU’s many accomplishments would have been possible without the tens of thousands of people that “walked the halls before us”. BU has weathered many storms and adapted to meet the needs of each new era. The recent proposed tuition hikes are only the most recent big challenge.

Let us raise the bar for the aspirations of BU, she said, and maintain BU as a lighthouse for inspiration, a catalyst for change, and place with a sense of purpose and belonging. “May the flame of education burn brightly for another 180 years.”

Finally, Lebel-Grenier addressed the crowd, first thanking O’Bomsawin and Stacey for speaking at the event.

BU has been through “thick and thin” and is again demonstrating its perseverance, determination and unity, he said. Challenging times bring clarity and this one is no different, bringing to the fore important truths about BU.

He stressed that institutions create, support and propel communities. BU has been central to the Eastern Townships anglophone community, but also the diverse anglophone communities of Quebec.

Lebel-Grenier thinks BU is stronger because of its diversity, noting its student body is made up of anglophone and francophone Quebecers, out-of-province Canadian students and those from around the world. The same goes for BU’s staff, he added.

It has recently been demonstrated that BU matters to the local community. On Oct. 31, regional community leaders gathered at BU in a show of support that highlights the essential part BU plays in the area. They all refuse to see BU as a threat to the French language. This display of solidarity, he said, resonated with students and staff and gave them confidence in BU’s future. “We owe them a round of applause.”

He wished he could convey the government’s final decision on the tuition crisis, which he was previously confident he would be able to do, but the decision has “yet again” been delayed, probably for another week. “I’ll keep you informed.”

BU is in constant communication with the government, who continues to maintain BU is not a threat to the French language, and BU will be benefitting from special measures that will allow it to persist “in continuity with its rich history”. “In other words, we are going to be okay,” he said, to applause and hoots of approval.

BU was founded in 1843 to offer a “sound liberal education on reasonable terms”, Lebel-Grenier continued. Its curriculum encompassed the classics, in the original Latin and Greek, ancient history, theology, philosophy, and mathematics. While BU’s curriculum has evolved, it still has the same mission. “We should all be proud of the work being done here.”

The BU model challenges students to be autonomous, think critically, communicate effectively, and be curious life-long learners. Those who contributed to BU’s evolution must be acknowledged, for it is on the foundation they built that BU can look to the next 180 years with optimism. “Happy celebrations!”

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Despite the sacrifices, local striking unions, part of Quebec’s Common Front of 420,000 public sector workers, are determined to see things through, and some associations are showing their support.

In a show of student unity and activism, the Student Association of Cégep de Sherbrooke (SACS) has announced its unequivocal support for the Common Front’s recent picketing movement at the Cégep campus. The Common Front’s strike, spanning from Dec. 8 to 14, is intended to put pressure on the government at the negotiating table with the stated effort of improving public sector working conditions. The SACS declaration follows a resolution passed at the General Assembly of the association on Oct. 3, underscoring the student body’s firm commitment to the causes championed by the Common Front.

Local teachers

“We know that our strike sequences are having an effect at the negotiating table,” said Brigitte Robert, President of Champlain Lennoxville’s SECCL teacher’s union, a member of the Common Front. The government recently offered the Common Front members a 12.7 per cent salary increase over the next five years, up from their previous offer of 10.3 per cent. The offer was refused. “It was not good enough for us,” said Robert, “because it doesn’t catch up to inflation.”

However, the Common Front sees that the government is “trying”, Robert noted, and there will be a meeting of the government’s negotiating committee this week. There is nothing official yet, she added, but “the rhythm has changed”.

Champlain Lennoxville has revised its school calendar in reaction to the Common Front’s strike actions, to ensure students’ continued success, explained Robert. The semester will now end on Dec. 26 and there will be no makeup classes in January. She is not expecting the school to use Dec. 26, but it is there just in case there is a storm or other obstruction.

One weekend day, Dec. 16, has been newly set aside for exams. The teaching days lost due to the strike, five and a half days, she reiterated, are “gone”. This was a “puzzle” for teachers, and many simply canceled their end of semester evaluations in response, since students could not be reasonably expected to be prepared. Some teachers opted for take-home exams, which add to their marking load, she noted. Since teachers do not wish to work while on strike, exams they have handed out are due on Dec. 15 or later. “We’re going to be grading all over Christmas.”

A mother of young children who are off school because of the strike, Robert cannot always bring them to the picket lines because of her role as President of the SECCL. They came to the strike with her last Friday and played in the snow. There is a table set up with “candy and sweet stuff”; her children said they came for the food.

Robert’s parents live in Sherbrooke, so her children can sometimes stay with their grandparents. She has two or three babysitters, young teenagers, who are also off school and can help out. It is too bad her children are missing school, but they do not seem to mind too much, she said with a laugh.

She acknowledges the difficulties parents are facing due to the strikes. Some are taking sick days from their bank, which takes a toll. Robert has a large network of colleagues with children, and has heard that many are dealing with the challenge by alternating between them who takes care of everyone’s kids. “We can manage and collaborate”. She is sure they are doing the right thing by putting pressure on the government, and all the parents she has talked to are supportive of the strike, though it is not very convenient.

Some teachers live paycheck to paycheck and are really sacrificing, she continued. The CSQ, a subgroup of unions part of the larger Common Front, is offering interest free loans for the equivalent of one week’s wages. Many members she knows have applied. “People are financially strained.”

Robert’s union’s strike fund is “rapidly depleting”. It has lowered its “strike pay” from $120 to $80 so it lasts longer, just in case more strike actions extend into the future. Single parents are finding it especially hard, she noted, as well as situations where both parents in a family are part of the Common Front.

The Common Front will be demonstrating Dec. 12 in front of Saint-Francois MNA Geneviève Hébert’s office. Dec. 13 there will be a “striker’s Christmas” event held locally, and picketing will continue throughout the week.

Student support

Marking their support in a tangible manner, the SACS have set up a distinctive tent at the Cégep de Sherbrooke picketing site. This move is emblematic of their active participation and solidarity with the members of the Common Front, states a press release. The Executive Council of the association is expected to be often present, playing an active role in the proceedings.

The association has extended a warm invitation to all Cégep de Sherbrooke students to join the picket line in a show of solidarity and support for the significant issues at stake. This collective mobilization is not just a mere gathering but a significant opportunity for the student community to visibly and vocally express their commitment to the ideals and objectives of the Common Front.

In a statement, the association expressed its belief that this demonstration is a potent display of the strength and unity of the student voice within the institution. They have called upon the entire student community to join forces in this significant event, to collectively amplify their support for the Common Front and the values it represents.

This development at Cégep de Sherbrooke is a vivid example of student activism and solidarity in the face of pressing social and educational issues, reflecting a broader trend of student involvement in civic and community matters across educational institutions.

The SACS’ mission is to defend the rights of the school’s students, said Abdoullah Hajji, Information Officer & Co-spokesperson of the association, and many students are training at the school with the intention of becoming workers in Quebec’s public sector. So, supporting the Common Front is closely related to supporting their own.

Some students find the strikes to be a good cause and wish to support their professors, he went on. Some are disappointed they are missing classes. They know the professors are doing their best to finish the semester as best as they can.

Hajji emphasized SACS will always be there to support the Common Front in its efforts to improve the working conditions of its members.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Sherbrooke has been ranked as the second most desirable place to live in Canada, based on the surge in housing prices in 2023. A recent study conducted by real estate experts at KelownaHomes.ca provided a comprehensive analysis, utilizing data from The Canada Real Estate Association, highlighting the year-on-year growth in average house prices from September 2022 to September 2023.

Topping the list is Powell River in British Columbia, which saw an impressive 40.5 per cent increase in average house prices over the past year. Sherbrooke follows closely, securing the second spot with an astonishing 29 per cent rise in average house prices from the previous year. This increase reflects a growing interest in Sherbrooke, with the average house price now standing at $515,155, marking a $115,732 jump from last year.

This latest data sheds light on the dynamic shifts in Canada’s real estate landscape, spotlighting regions like Sherbrooke as burgeoning hotspots for homeowners and investors alike. The findings underscore the evolving preferences and priorities of Canadian homebuyers, with these areas emerging as key destinations for those seeking residential opportunities.

“We’ve got two universities, a French one and an English one,” explained local Real Estate Agent Max Messier, which both have a big impact on the market. The CIUSS de l’Estrie – CHUS hospital is also a big employer, Messier said, and is a comparatively rare feature of the area. Sherbrooke’s Industrial Park brings in a lot of people too, he added.

He sees a lot of people leaving Montreal, with the possibility of remote work making the Townships an attractive option. Many come for the bigger properties and make the commute back to Montreal once every one or two weeks.

The mountains, skiing, lakes and proximity to Montreal and the U.S. border are also important selling features. “Location is everything in the Townships.” Many are coming back to the Townships after leaving, recognizing its potential for a heightened quality of life.

According to the slightly different statistics Messier recently received, the 2023 median cost for a property in Sherbrooke was $377,000. Last year it was $350,000. The average price of a property is $486,000.

Messier acknowledged the 29 per cent increase in average price from last year, but cautioned against assuming this will continue. “I’d like to have a crystal ball, believe me,” he said wryly. He emphasized that those who properly maintain their properties are likely to make a profit. It is clear from the data this year, he insisted, that non-maintained houses’ prices do not increase. This is a change from the pandemic years, where every property increased in value regardless.

During the pandemic, prices did not quite double, but increased dramatically, he continued. Before 2020, one could find something for around $200,000. Now, it is impossible, he said, “below $300,000 to $350,000 – forget about it.”

Kathleen Hartwell receives Order of the Diocese of Quebec

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Local Kathleen Hartwell (Kay) received the prestigious Order of the Diocese of Quebec in a Dec. 3 ceremony at St. George’s in Lennoxville, recognizing her lifetime of service and commitment to the Anglican Church. Her laudable accomplishments are detailed in a nomination letter authored by Archdeacon of Quebec Edward Simonton. The significance of the Order is outlined in the letter of confirmation Bishop Bruce Myers sent to Kay in response.

Raised in Lennoxville and a lifelong attendee of St. George’s, Kay’s journey in faith and service began in her youth, states Simonton’s letter of nomination. She was actively involved in various church groups, including the Little Helpers, Junior Auxiliary, and Girls’ Auxiliary. Her dedication continued into adulthood, earning her the status of a lifetime member of the Anglican Church Women (ACW).

Kay’s contributions extended beyond her home parish. In the Greater Parish of Coaticook, she took on roles as a lay reader, pastoral visitor, and parish treasurer. Her administrative skills were invaluable in her role as secretary, where she prepared weekly bulletins and other essential parish documents.

After returning to St. George’s, Lennoxville, Kay continued to serve as a lay reader and pastoral visitor. She also held positions as a member of the Parish Guild, president of the Parish Council, and completed a four-year Education for Ministry course.

Her influence reached the diocesan level, where Kay was a delegate to the General Synod and Diocesan Synod. She contributed as a member and treasurer of the St. Francis Deanery Council, sat on the Diocesan Executive Committee, and was involved in various other committees. Notably, she served on the Companion Diocese Committee and joined Bishop Bruce Stavert on international trips to the Philippines and Ireland, representing the diocese.

Kay was instrumental in organizing intercultural exchanges, including a visit to Quebec by Irish youth in 2005 and facilitating a reciprocal visit for Quebec youth to Ireland in 2006.

The Deanery Ministry Committee highlights Kay’s unwavering faith and dedication as an Anglican Christian as the primary reason for her nomination. “This award would be a token of our love for Kay, who has given so much of her love to the Church,” Simonton expressed of behalf of the committee.

In response to the nomination, Myers formally informed Kay of her upcoming investiture as a member of the Order of the Diocese of Quebec. This honour, said Myers’ letter, established by the Synod of the diocese in 2012, is awarded to laypeople who have made significant contributions to the work of the church within the diocese over the years. Kay’s dedication and service have clearly met these criteria, he wrote.

Myers wrote that the Dec. 3 ceremony would be a fitting acknowledgment of Kay’s tireless efforts and unwavering faithfulness to the church’s life and work over the years, and recognize her as an exemplar of dedication and service within the Anglican community.

Kay officially received the honour Sunday at 11 a.m., halfway through the church’s regular service. The ACW presented her with flowers for the occasion, followed by a short speech by Lennoxville ACW President Ferne McConnell. The service was followed by a large reception in the church’s hall, with around 50 community members and clergy in attendance.

Bishop’s University celebrates its 180^th anniversary

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Bishop’s University (BU) is officially celebrating its 180^th year of existence Dec. 8. What better way to acknowledge this milestone than an in-depth interview with notable local and BU alumni Will Mitchell? Mitchell, who attended in the ‘60s, spoke on his time at BU, its evolution from his time there to the present, and what the place means to him, touching, as best he could, on every facet of BU’s mission: from sports to the arts, business to the sciences, enrolment, the residences, and campus setup. Historical article summaries and photos from The Record are woven into his narrative to provide a glimpse into moments of BU’s storied past.

“I arrived on [BU] campus in the fall of 1964,” Mitchell recounted. He was a student of political science and economics. “I loved everything about it.”

From the area, Mitchell was a former Bishop’s College School (BCS) student, having boarded there for nine years, so he knew BU’s campus well and always intended to study there.

After four years, he graduated and worked in “financial business” in Montreal for a year. He decided that would never “take”, so he returned to BU and studied education. His first job in teaching was at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, where he worked for 11 years. Returning to Quebec, he taught at Lower Canada College for three years, then was the Head of School at Selwyn House in Montreal for 24 years, retiring in 2008.

Afterwards, he worked as the executive director of the Canadian Association of Independent Schools for a year. Shortly thereafter, he learned BCS was looking for an interim Head of School and led the prestigious high school for three years starting in 2013, with another single year later on when the school was again in the same position.

Mitchell, a star athlete at BU in the ‘60s, was on the hockey and football teams. He remembers his first year at BU there were only around 600 students. “It was basically like a high school.” Mitchell played football under legendary coach Bruce Coulter.

Times have changed, he added, of the 15 athletes on BU’s champion football team, 11 were also on the hockey team. One could be on more than one team then, which is much different than the specialization required today. “What it has grown into… is delightful to see,” Mitchell noted. By the time he left in ’68, there were over 1,000 students…

From the archives:

1998: Bishop’s basketball team celebrates national championship win

“The Bishop’s men’s basketball team, crowned CIAU National Champions last weekend, is still soaking in their remarkable victory. Jamie Woods, a key guard for the Gaiters, expressed his disbelief at the team’s journey from being one of the country’s worst in 1994 to national champions four years later. “This is a dream come true,” said Woods, emphasizing the hard work and practice that led to this success…The Gaiters’ triumph is not just a testament to their skill and dedication but also a moment that will stand out in the university’s sports history.”

Now, Mitchell continued, the school has over 2,600 students. The expansion of programs and opportunities for students, such as the Maple League and similar initiatives, has him proud of what BU continues to do and aspires to do in the future.

Mitchell’s family has been connected to BU “forever”. “There are way too many Mitchells around,” he joked. He continues to support BU by going to football games.

Mitchell views nothing as negative in BU’s evolution over the years. BU has stuck to its principles as a Liberal Arts school, while understanding that it needs to keep with the modern world.

The recent provincial government proposal to double tuition for out-of-province students studying in Quebec was “a shocker”. He was proud of BU and its community’s response. He attended the recent gathering at BU’s Centennial Theatre, where over 100 community leaders jointly showed their support for the institution in the face of this proposal that poses, as Lebel-Grenier has said, an existential threat to BU. “I was in tears in the back of the hall, because the community rallied in a spectacular way.”

The glee club, Deep Purples, were great, remembered Mitchell, returning to the topic of his time as a student. One of the years at the Winter Carnival, Chicago, a rock band of the era, performed. Winter Carnival at the time involved a “ski day” and a Carnival ball. “It was quite a mid-winter break.”

From the archives:

1984: University Singers of Lennoxville welcomes new members for exciting season

“Founded in the early ’60s by Bishop’s University Professor Emeritus Howard Brown, the choir comprises both students and community members. This year, they plan to present their traditional Christmas concert and a special Bach-Handel 300th Birthday Bash in April. They will also collaborate with the Choir of Knox College from the University of Toronto for a concert-workshop featuring Mozart’s Missa Brevis in B-flat.

Nancy Rahn, now in her third year as the choir’s director, brings extensive experience in community music and teaching. With a background in piano and voice from British Columbia, and studies in England, Rahn also instructs piano at Bishop’s University and Lennoxville Elementary School.”

The business school was quite new, said Mitchell, when he was there. It was a small part of what BU “delivered” at the time. He took Business 101 and a few other related courses. Everyone fit into a single lecture room in the Nicholls building…

From the archives:

1997: Business school renamed to honour benefactor

“Bishop’s University has renamed its business and economics division to honor alumnus and benefactor David Williams. The department is now known as the Williams School of Business and Economics, marking the occasion with a special ceremony on Thursday.

Williams, a 1963 graduate of Bishop’s University, has contributed over $3 million to his alma mater, along with his time and expertise. Now a retired investment manager residing in Ontario, Williams’ donations have significantly bolstered the university’s resources and prestige.”

BU’s Gait used to be its gymnasium, Mitchell said, a standalone building. The Student Union Building was to be built later. The Johnson building was built sometime during his time there, as well as the Munster and Abbott residences. They all were “state of the art” for their time.

He emphasized that BU has meant a great deal to his family. He will continue to support it in every way he can. Many institutions are not having an easy time these days, but it is important to find good institutions that one can trust and to support them, for they sustain our civilization. “We’re having to rely on them more and more, but they are being tested more and more.”

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Sherbrooke has been ranked as the second most desirable place to live in Canada, based on the surge in housing prices in 2023. A recent study conducted by real estate experts at KelownaHomes.ca provided a comprehensive analysis, utilizing data from The Canada Real Estate Association, highlighting the year-on-year growth in average house prices from September 2022 to September 2023.

Topping the list is Powell River in British Columbia, which saw an impressive 40.5 per cent increase in average house prices over the past year. Sherbrooke follows closely, securing the second spot with an astonishing 29 per cent rise in average house prices from the previous year. This increase reflects a growing interest in Sherbrooke, with the average house price now standing at $515,155, marking a $115,732 jump from last year.

This latest data sheds light on the dynamic shifts in Canada’s real estate landscape, spotlighting regions like Sherbrooke as burgeoning hotspots for homeowners and investors alike. The findings underscore the evolving preferences and priorities of Canadian homebuyers, with these areas emerging as key destinations for those seeking residential opportunities.

“We’ve got two universities, a French one and an English one,” explained local Real Estate Agent Max Messier, which both have a big impact on the market. The CIUSS de l’Estrie – CHUS hospital is also a big employer, Messier said, and is a comparatively rare feature of the area. Sherbrooke’s Industrial Park brings in a lot of people too, he added.

He sees a lot of people leaving Montreal, with the possibility of remote work making the Townships an attractive option. Many come for the bigger properties and make the commute back to Montreal once every one or two weeks.

The mountains, skiing, lakes and proximity to Montreal and the U.S. border are also important selling features. “Location is everything in the Townships.” Many are coming back to the Townships after leaving, recognizing its potential for a heightened quality of life.

According to the slightly different statistics Messier recently received, the 2023 median cost for a property in Sherbrooke was $377,000. Last year it was $350,000. The average price of a property is $486,000.

Messier acknowledged the 29 per cent increase in average price from last year, but cautioned against assuming this will continue. “I’d like to have a crystal ball, believe me,” he said wryly. He emphasized that those who properly maintain their properties are likely to make a profit. It is clear from the data this year, he insisted, that non-maintained houses’ prices do not increase. This is a change from the pandemic years, where every property increased in value regardless.

During the pandemic, prices did not quite double, but increased dramatically, he continued. Before 2020, one could find something for around $200,000. Now, it is impossible, he said, “below $300,000 to $350,000 – forget about it.”

Sporting performances of Galt athletes top tier last weekend

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The basketball and hockey skills of Alexander Galt Regional High School’s male and female athletes dazzled throughout southern Quebec last weekend. Notably, the Junior Boys’ Hockey Team went undefeated and won the Soulanges Pionniers’ Tournament in Saint Polycarpe, and the Senior Girls’ Basketball Team won a tournament held at Sherbrooke’s CEGEP.

The Junior Boys’ Hockey team won all five games they played on their way to being tournament champions by winning the finals 3-2 against Cardinal-Roy, said Galt’s Athletic Director Robbie Fisk. The winning goal was scored with 56 seconds remaining in the game. The Senior Boys’ Hockey team lost 1-2 in their final of the same tournament. The Bantam Boys’ Hockey Team went 1-1-1 and failed to make the finals.

The Senior Girls’ Basketball Team went 3-1, winning their final championship game by four points. Eight teams participated in the tournament. The Bantam Girls’ Basketball Team made a valiant effort but failed to win a game.

The Senior Boys Basketball Team participated in a tournament at Howard S. Billings High School in Chateauguay, but Fisk had not yet heard what the results were.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The future of North Hatley’s marina was a hot topic at the town’s monthly council meeting held Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. Mayor Marcella Davis Gerrish presided over the notably short meeting (around 35 minutes), with a total of three residents in attendance. The low hum of a generator powering the meeting at the town’s community centre could be heard throughout, as the area was suffering from a power outage. Local events, budgeting, and financial aid were also discussed.

On the topic of North Hatley’s marina, it was stated that the council was aware of the many options they had to choose from regarding the marina’s model of operation for the 2024 season. It noted its commitment to an independent and transparent assessment of these options. Thus, it confirmed its decision to hire advisory firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton (RCGT) to aid in this task.

During question period, a local resident inquired as to why RCGT was hired to advise on the marina’s future when they are “more financial experts than anything else”. Gerrish acknowledged that the marina is a “hot topic” for those in the municipality. The council reached out to different people to look at the “global situation” to see what can and should be offered at the marina. The intention is to then present this information to residents. RCGT has a division with an employee who has previously analyzed three or four marinas to determine “what makes sense going forward”.

The resident then asked whether or not the company would be looking at the marina in its context as part of the center of the town. Just the marina, the land the marina sits on, and the services that are offered there, responded Gerrish.

The resident emphasized she thinks anything that happens with the marina must be part of an overall vision for the center of town. She worries that money will be spent on the marina that will not take into account other related problems with the center of town, particularly the fact it is a flood zone. Gerrish assured her that “all of that” will be taken into consideration.

Gerrish insisted the municipality will continue to own the marina and it is, therefore, its responsibility to figure out what it can do with the marina “without hurting anyone in the process”. Not everything in the center of town is owned by the town, Gerrish noted. Gerrish reaffirmed that there will be a public consultation pursuant to RCGT’s findings. “The goal from day one… was to include the population, because it’s our decision,” Gerrish said.

General Director Benoit Tremblay assured the resident that RCGT was qualified and this was only the first step towards determining what is to be the “global vision for the future” of the area. The resident asked to see the contract in question, but was told only the “service offer” could be made public, which will be put up on the town’s website shortly. RCGT’s analysis is predicted to take eight weeks.

Gerrish thanked members of the town’s public works department for helping with the second annual “lighting of the Christmas tree” event held Dec. 1. Some 30 to 60 locals attended and enjoyed the hot chocolate, coffee and donuts provided. It was nice to see such a turnout, given the bad weather, she added.

The town’s Christmas market will be held Dec. 9, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., in River Park. An extraordinary public meeting of the council will be conducted Dec. 13 concerning the adoption of the town’s 2024 budget. The Environment Committee will be putting out a series of “enviro-letters”, starting in December, explaining the various environmental concerns it has; its first will detail what it thinks is the best way to manage the town’s “shoreline zone”.

Two new town workers were confirmed as hired. The council reported that $44,361.72 was spent in total wages for the town’s employees in November. Monies amounting to a maximum of $104,045, before taxes, were confirmed to pay for renovations on the community centre for “better energy efficiency”.

Two resolutions were adopted to allow local residences to make minor modifications to their buildings. A resolution to put in a request for financial aid to improve the community centre for its new temporary role as a “child centre” was adopted. At the request of the MRC, the council adopted new regulations concerning alarm systems in the municipality. The council renewed a contract with the Red Cross, for $225, concerning helping “those in need”.

The meeting was adjourned at around 7:35 p.m.

Sporting performances of Galt athletes top tier last weekend

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The basketball and hockey skills of Alexander Galt Regional High School’s male and female athletes dazzled throughout southern Quebec last weekend. Notably, the Junior Boys’ Hockey Team went undefeated and won the Soulanges Pionniers’ Tournament in Saint Polycarpe, and the Senior Girls’ Basketball Team won a tournament held at Sherbrooke’s CEGEP.

The Junior Boys’ Hockey team won all five games they played on their way to being tournament champions by winning the finals 3-2 against Cardinal-Roy, said Galt’s Athletic Director Robbie Fisk. The winning goal was scored with 56 seconds remaining in the game. The Senior Boys’ Hockey team lost 1-2 in their final of the same tournament. The Bantam Boys’ Hockey Team went 1-1-1 and failed to make the finals.

The Senior Girls’ Basketball Team went 3-1, winning their final championship game by four points. Eight teams participated in the tournament. The Bantam Girls’ Basketball Team made a valiant effort but failed to win a game.

The Senior Boys Basketball Team participated in a tournament at Howard S. Billings High School in Chateauguay, but Fisk had not yet heard what the results were.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In a groundbreaking legal move, the Arsenault, Dufresne and Wee (ADW) law firm has launched a class action lawsuit against the Sherbrooke Archdiocese, holding it responsible for alleged sexual abuses spanning from the 1930s to the present. The lawsuit seeks to address systemic failures within the Archdiocese and obtain justice for over 75 claimants who allege abuse by clergy and church personnel. With the promise of anonymity and no requirement for a police report, ADW urges all affected individuals to step forward in a pivotal moment for accountability and historical redress.

“This class action suit is aimed at the Sherbrooke Archdiocese,” said ADW Lawyer Jérôme Aucoin, targeting the Archdiocese’s liability for the fault of its subordinates. The individual priests or volunteer workers that are allegedly at fault are not being pursued by Aucoin’s firm. “It is almost like going against the employer for the fault of the employees,” he explained, which is a principle recognized in civil law in Quebec.

The suit concerns alleged sexual abuses that took place from the 1930s to the present day. These were said to have been committed by priests, employees of the church or volunteers.

The ADW is also alleging that the Archdiocese “could not ignore” the many actions of their priests; their handling of the problem is also faulty, since, for instance, they did not work out a “politics or framework” to protect their parishioners.

More than 75 people have contacted his firm and detailed cases of sexual abuse, reporting that over 40 individuals, mostly priests, but also a volunteer worker and an organist, are involved. All the accused are francophone, or have French names, he noted.

The firm is looking for reparations from the Archdiocese, but also public recognition of wrongdoing. It is important for the members of the lawsuit that they be acknowledged as victims of abuse, for often they were either not believed or told not to speak about what they had undergone. The firm will ask for a letter of apology along with damages, both of symbolic significance, Aucoin said.

Aucoin views it as abnormal that no English-speaking Townshipper has come forward to join the suit. The region has an important Irish heritage, he continued; there is an English-speaking Catholic population. He wonders if “something is going on”.

His firm does not have the exact numbers or a percentage of the English Catholics in the Townships, but they do know where they are primarily located: Ayer’s Cliff, North Hatley and Melbourne.

It is important for people to know, Aucoin insisted, that everything anyone tells them and anyone’s participation in the suit is protected by complete anonymity. A judge of Quebec’s Superior Court has ordered that the names of those involved be “entirely withheld”. Participation is completely free, Aucoin added.

No police report has to be filed, and no criminal action against any alleged abuser will be taken as result of this civil lawsuit.

Those who participate will speak with the firm and make a deposition, and the firm will document the consequences the abuse had on their lives. Damages in civil law are calculated according to the severity of the consequences.

Aucoin hopes everyone affected will call in, for the more people that take part, the stronger the claim. We are living through a historical moment where the wrongdoings of the past can be corrected in court, Aucoin emphasized. He recognizes it is not easy to speak up, but it is very important to do so.

The ADW can be contacted, regarding this suit, by phone: 514-527-8903, or email: actioncollective@adwavocats.com

Bishop’s St. Mark’s Chapel Choir to hold Carol Services this weekend

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Bishop’s University’s (BU) St. Mark’s Chapel Choir will be putting on its two annual Carol Services this weekend, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. Director Sarah Heath will conduct the 22-member choral group in a series of anthems peppered throughout many traditional Christmas carols that all attending may sing along to. The event will be candle-lit and feature a local trumpeter, Nicolas Leblanc, and the Chapel’s organ, played by BU’s organist Pam Eby.

In years past, only one Carol Service was held, but it was so popular that two rows of extra chairs had to be placed in the aisle. “It was a bit of a hazard,” Heath admitted. So, they decided to do it twice. Heath has been heading the service for 11 years and also ran it back when she was a student at BU.

These carol services have been put on within anyone’s living memory, Heath said, possibly for over 100 years. It’s form models Cambridge university’s “nine lessons and carols” service. Readings are accompanied by a thematically-related carol or anthem, starting from the Garden of Eden to the birth of Christ. BU students, staff, and community members make up the group doing readings. BU Chaplain Jesse Dymond will be presiding over the service, but there is no communion or homily, Heath noted, just song after glorious song.

The choir used to travel into Cookshire to put on a version of the service, but no more, Heath explained. “It’s too much for the students at the end of the semester.”

The choir’s ranks are filled mostly by students, with some community members to top it off. “It’s a very strong choir this year,” Heath insisted. They sing together every Sunday, but really look forward to the Carol Services every year. Preparation began in October.

Last year the chapel lost power during the service, so it was “very candle-lit”, said Heath with a chuckle. She hopes it will not happen again, because the organ runs on electricity. Trumpeter Leblanc has been joining them for many years, and is well-known on the local music scene, Heath said. The service will conclude with a trumpet/organ duet postlude.

BU Student Ava Bogyay, who is taking conducting lessons for credit, will conduct one of the anthems.

Parking will be free on campus for the events, and Heath suggests arriving early to get a good seat. The service is free, but there will be a time for a voluntary offering, the proceeds of which go towards supporting music at St. Mark’s.

The Bishop’s University choral scene, then and now

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

This past weekend, generations of choristers, the age gap between the youngest and oldest spanning over 60 years, performed three concerts in a tribute to the Beatles at Bishop’s University’s (BU) Centennial Theatre. Nearly 150 Champlain Lennoxville students and staff, BU students and staff, community members, and even a single highschooler, joined together in song in what was Co-Directors Fannie Gaudette and Jamie Crooks’ 25^th year leading the BU Singers. Tom and Barbara Matthews, husband and wife, who sang together in BU’s choral group ‘Deep Purples’ in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, took a stroll down memory lane in a recent interview. Backstage, on the night of Dec. 2, 2023, Tom read out poetic encomiums to Crooks and Gaudette, then received an honour of his own.

1950s: The Deep Purples

“I believe the Deep Purples started in ‘54 or ’55,” recounted Barbara. The director was a chemistry professor, Dr. Wally McCubbin. The Deep Purples were named after a popular song of the era. It was a really nice group, Barbara said, everyone had to wear uniforms with purple blazers and grey bottoms, the women in skirts. The group had around 40 people in it, considerable since BU only had just over 400 students at the time.

“The Deep Purples were all volunteers,” Tom said; BU did not have a music program. McCubbin was very demanding and they learned a lot from him.

“It just seems like yesterday,” Barbara continued, many of the buildings on BU’s current campus did not exist yet, like the Student Union Building. Concerts and plays were held in the gymnasium.

Barbara remembers that they sang everything from classical pieces to the popular music of the times. A subsection of the group formed a quartet, of which Tom was a member, who accompanied themselves with guitar and banjo. The group traveled and performed in places such as Thetford Mines, Ottawa, and Montreal. “We sang at King’s Hall, Compton, too,” Tom said, and other local high schools.

Barbara is not completely sure, but, after her and Tom had left, the famous Howard Brown likely took over from McCubbin in the mid ‘60s.

Upon graduation, Tom taught in northern Quebec in Mutton Bay. After nine years, he and Barbara returned and Brown was in charge. Eventually taking over from Brown was Nancy Rahn, followed by Crooks in the late ‘90s, with Gaudette as his accompanist.

2023: Backstage

Tom addressed the BU Singers backstage before their last performance of the recent show on the night of Dec. 2.

“Do you remember last night when Fannie and Jamie stood up and thanked everybody?” Tom queried, “but nobody said anything to them… so… I have something…”

After emphasizing how pleased he was to still be singing with so many people of individual and collective talent, who all made the worthwhile sacrifice to put on this show, Tom read two poems, one devoted to Crooks and one to Gaudette:

Jamie Crooks

Who knew this show was cooking,

In Jamie’s fertile mind;

(I’ve sung for him for MANY years,

So many that I find

There’s somewhat of a ‘blur effect’

In sorting out the shows…)

He’s been our maestro sans pareil,

As everybody knows,

In every show he’s ever launched,

Both here and on the road,

(And those were trips we shan’t forget!)

We literally showed,

The very best that Bishop’s has

In music – song and dance!

So thank you Jamie for the Beatles,

Giving us this chance

To come once more together to

Do what we love to do,

And watch you from our first-class seats,

Singing, dancing too!

Tonight, we watched you watching us

We watched you like a hawk,

Directing us, correcting us,

(Occasionally not…)

For some of us, who show the signs

That time is creeping on,

The Beatles were quite radical,

When first they came along…

They shocked our parents, baffled critics

In 1962,

For what on earth could threaten more,

Than this song ‘Love me, Do’!

But thankfully for all of us,

None of them were right –

SO

We got to open with Magical Mystery,

And end our show with Good Night!

Yes, Thank you Jamie, for this show,

Our memories will last…

George Harrison knew ‘bout change and I

Shall ponder ‘All Things Must Pass’

Fannie Gaudette

Is there anything musical Fannie can’t do?

Just think about what we have seen!

Arranging our music, re-arranging as needed,

Nothing’s beyond her, it seems!

Guiding, supporting, leading and helping,

She’s never heard of – ‘defeat’!

Committed to get our production top-ready,

She remained, no surprise, quite upbeat!

Behind the scenes when we’re all so pressed,

To get our show polished and ready,

She worked with the techies, stage crew, musicians…

Remaining, of course, calm and steady.

There’s so much you give us, our very Dear Fannie,

You’ve even provided a band!

And very great skills in all that you do,

… But Fannie, I don’t understand

How often you know just what Jamie is thinking,

More often seem one step ahead,

Is it all likely, in terms of the Beatles,

You’ve joined them inside Jamie’s head?

Thank you, Dear Fannie, for musical gifts

You’ve shared with us all through the Fall,

Without you, I wonder if we’d have a show!

Yes, thank you, I’m sure, from us all

Tom’s surprise

Stepping forward after Tom’s poems, and urging Tom to remain center stage, chorister and retired BU professor Stuart McKelvie addressed the group. Noting that Tom’s contribution itself had not been recognized, McKelvie read out a limerick of his own:

There is a young noble vocalist named Tom

Who’s given some seven decades to Bishop’s choir song.

He also pens lyrics

That wow all the critics

Which is why we award him this nobel medallion.

McKelvie presented Tom with a golden medallion embossed with the word ‘lyrics’ to the enthusiastic laughter and applause of those gathered.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The Common Front, a union group comprised of 420,000 Quebec public sector workers, announced plans for a seven-day strike from Dec. 8 to 14. According to Danny Roulx, provincial representative for the Alliance du Personnel Professionnel et Technique de la Santé et des Services Sociaux (APTS), part of the Common Front, public sector health workers face particular challenges.

In a recent interview, Roulx shared insights on the ongoing strike and its significant impact on the health network in Quebec.

Roulx highlighted the withdrawal of a key “centre documentaire”, a centre that holds important documentation, a move that has affected several sectors within the health network. This action has prompted various sector workers to craft new responses to the challenges they now face, especially those working with individuals suffering from sexual disorders or behavioral issues. “All of this was removed by the employer,” he said, and it is important for them to put it all back in place.

A critical aspect of the strike revolves around the financial strain it places on APTS members. Roulx confirmed that while there is strike compensation, it kicks in only after a certain period (60 days), acknowledging the monetary sacrifices members are making. The core message from the APTS members is clear – enough is enough. After years of vocalizing their issues and suffering salary losses, they demand an augmentation of their conditions. The loss of skilled professionals to other sectors or places offering better salaries is a stark reality that the health network faces.

Roulx passionately spoke about the struggle to maintain a network that provides quality care and upholds the standards of the past. He pointed out that the current scenario often forces them to make difficult decisions about the care they can or cannot provide, deeply affecting the members who are dedicated to the health network.

The APTS’s stance is not just about immediate concerns but also about the future of the health network. The strike is seen as a necessary step to ensure a sustainable, efficient, and caring health system that attracts and retains qualified personnel.

“One woman out of ten in Quebec works in the health network – where do you think they’ll go?” he added.

The support of the population and the government’s willingness to acknowledge the gravity of the situation are pivotal in this regard.

Roulx also touched upon the challenges faced in reallocating personnel during the pandemic, critiquing the arbitrary manner in which decisions were made. He emphasized the need for equitable mechanisms in managing staff movements and placements, ensuring that personnel are familiar with and trained for the sectors they are moved to.

On the possibility of escalating the strike to an unlimited duration, Roulx expressed a firm resolve to go all the way next time, underlining the importance of continuous pressure to bring about change. The overarching goal is clear – to improve the network for the benefit of both the workforce and the patients, making it a win-win in the long run compared to the losses incurred during strike days.

Roulx emphasized the broader societal impact of the strike, particularly on parents and the education system. He drew attention to the numerous services postponed due to staff shortages and challenging working conditions, a situation that pales in comparison to the strike’s impact.

“We understand very well… that [poor working conditions] paralyze the networks, including education… I can tell you that out of 365 days, the number of services that we have [had] to postpone, whether it’s an operation, surgery, mental health services, given the personnel shortage, [is considerable],” Roulx insisted.

Responding to a request for an interview, CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS Media Relations member Eliane Thibault sent the following statement over email:

“For the moment, we are not able to provide a precise response regarding the consequences of [the] seven-day strike. However, there will be slowdowns and reductions in care and services. Several factors must be considered in the organization of services during this strike, which will be longer than the previous ones, including the fact that it affects the weekend shifts. We will also have to deal with the strike of the employees who are members of the FIQ, who have also announced strike days from Dec. 11 to 14.”

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ), in collaboration with a diverse array of partners, launched a province-wide campaign Nov. 29 to combat intimate partner violence (IPV). Marking a significant step in public awareness and action, these concerted operations spanned across Quebec, involving strategic interventions on road networks and local business kiosks, including one at Cookshire’s main intersection of routes 108 and 253. This year’s campaign, building on the success of last year’s 90 operations, extends the involvement to various municipal police services and indigenous police forces, amplifying its reach and impact.

“The fight against intimate partner violence requires a unified front,” stated Caroline Girard, Lieutenant Coordinator of the SQ’s specialized IPV team. “Our concerted efforts today, alongside organizations directly aiding victims, demonstrate a powerful collaboration of expertise and resources, reinforcing our commitment to support and protect victims and their families.”

These awareness operations underscore a societal call to action, emphasizing the collective responsibility in addressing and preventing IPV, states a press release. The campaign features the participation of significant organizations such as SOS Domestic Violence, the Federation of Women’s Shelters, and the École Nationale de Police du Québec, among others. This initiative is not just a law enforcement operation but a societal movement, aiming to weave a comprehensive safety net for victims and their children and enhance access to available support resources.

“It is the second edition of this type of operation,” said SQ Agent Louis-Philippe Ruel on the scene in Cookshire before the intervention began. Its aim is to engage those that are not usually reached on the topic of IPV and inform them of the various related public resources at their disposal. With the holiday season approaching, it is important for people to know they must not remain “mute” in the face of IPV, he explained.

He emphasized that incidences of IPV must be reported to the authorities or other organizations tasked with dealing with those situations, whether one was personally involved in the incident or was merely a witness.

“Frédérique”, an intervener at La Méridienne, a local organization with the mission of helping female victims of domestic violence, and their children, participated in the initiative in Cookshire. Her real name was kept confidential for security reasons having to do with her vocation. The organization supports afflicted women and children with all aspects of their situation, including helping them navigate the legal system and with their health, both physical and psychological. She expressed her gratitude that Quebec police forces organized this initiative.

The police and interveners set up at the Cookshire intersection, flagged down cars traveling through, and, handing out pamphlets, spoke briefly with commuters to raise awareness.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Snow removal, parking issues on College Street and many upcoming local events highlighted the Lennoxville Borough’s monthly council meeting Nov. 28. Beginning at 5 p.m., Borough President Claude Charron presided over the nearly hour-long meeting with seven local residents in attendance.

Question period began with a complaint from a resident on Speid Street concerning snow being plowed onto her property from a neighbouring apartment building’s parking lot. The problem has lasted years, but became pressing when she recently installed a plastic snow-fence in the area. She circulated pictures of the problem to the council members.

Although she installed a sign saying ‘private property, no snow dumping permitted’, they have continued to plow snow there, right up against her fence, ripping it apart. “I just want them to respect the property line,” she explained.

Charron asserted that the apartment building is privately owned, so what the contracted snowplows do is not the responsibility of the town; conflicts between citizens can be resolved using a mediation service that avoids lawyers. He suggested a real fence could be installed, but the woman insisted such a fence would just be damaged itself and cause her more problems. Charron noted that the new fence would count as a “shared expense”, so the apartment building owner would have a personal interest in its maintenance. Charron suggested the apartment building owner’s phone number could be ascertained through finding the lot number on the town’s website.

A Bishop’s University (BU) student, who lives in a residence there, practicing his French, asked why the installation of a winter bike route on King Street had been voted against by the Sherbrooke City Council. It was a “difficult” project, Charron responded, at a projected cost of half a million dollars. Other more important projects exist that require monetary support and this one was too much of a challenge. The minor objective of lessening of gas emissions do not weigh favourably against the possibility of injury which would be the City’s responsibility.

Another resident pointed out that College Street was not plowed, after the recent snowfall, until 2 p.m. Other minor streets were plowed first, which did not make sense to him. Charron responded that the issue was likely due to new personnel and a lack of City employees. The man was skeptical. “There has to be a system,” he said, that even new employees can follow. Charron insisted that he is trying to improve the system in the best way he can from his position. Garfat noted there were some equipment breakdowns and things will only get better.

The resident went on to question the legitimacy of some new parking spots on the corner of College Street and Vaudry Street. Charron explained that the new parking there was authorized recently because of related new construction. The resident emphasized that his issue was about the “aesthetics… of having cars everywhere”. Charron assured the resident that the new parking plan submitted was a reasonable request, but admitted there could be more cars there than there should be, so an inspector could be sent to see if the plan was being followed. Charron noted that similar parking could be seen higher up on College, so a denial of the request would have been unfair.

The Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité Durable (MTMD) recently put in a request that, according to their guidelines, the stop sign on the corner of Mount Street and Charles-Lennox Street should be removed. The council reported that they denied this request, citing safety concerns. Councillor Jennifer Garfat explained that many use Mount to avoid Lennoxville’s main intersection, and that the stop sign contributes to speed reduction on the residential road. Charron noted that the request would now be bumped up to the City level and may still be accepted.

Garfat announced that the list of 13 community organizations that were receiving funding from the town would be available soon on the town’s website. Funding numbers range from approximately $500 to $2,500 per year per organization, with no major changes from 2023 to 2024.

Garfat thanked the organizers of the Sunday Santa Claus Parade in Sherbrooke. Over 40,000 people participated, she noted. She mentioned that Nov. 27 began the 16 Days of Action Against Gender-based Violence campaign, which will culminate with a commemoration of the École Polytechnique Massacre on Dec. 6. Many other activities are happening this week, including Santa Claus coming to Square Queen, details of which can be found on the borough website. Jeux de Québec is still looking for volunteers; they need 2,500 and only 900 have signed up.

Borough Councillor Guillaume Lirette-Gélinas mentioned some recent public and private meetings and applauded the move towards more public meetings. He congratulated the BU Drama department for their recent play ‘Life is a Dream’, which was “tackled with great talent”. The BU Singers still have tickets available for their upcoming concert on Saturday afternoon. BU’s Chapel Choir is putting on a ‘Festival of Carols’ event at St. Mark’s Chapel on Dec. 9 and 10. Lirette-Gélinas stated that he attended Premier Legault’s recent press conference in Sherbrooke and hopes the “shoes will follow the mouth” and an official positive announcement concerning BU’s relationship to the proposed tuition hikes will come sooner rather than later.

There was a brief objection by Garfat to Lirette-Gélinas’ comments on public vs. private meetings, wherein she insisted on the importance of private meetings. Charron suggested the debate be taken up at another time.

Charron noted that volunteers were needed to help out with Santa Claus coming to Square Queen. He explained that the best way of making a complaint about snow-removal was to call 819-821-5858. There is a fundraiser selling boxed cookies and squares at Uplands on Saturday. Charron thanked the two BU students in attendance, one hailing from B.C., for attending the meeting and practicing their French. “It’s a big challenge, thank you,” he said warmly.

The meeting was adjourned just before 6 p.m.

Common Front public sector unions to strike again Dec. 8 – 14, local teachers’ unions react

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The Common Front public sector unions (CSQ, FTQ, CSN and APTS) announced Nov. 28 that they plan to strike again from Dec. 8 – 14; their last strike lasted from Nov. 21 – 23. If this new pressure does not result in an acceptable agreement with the government at the negotiating table, a future unlimited strike is expected. A separate teachers’ union, the Fédération Autonome de L’Enseignement (FAE), has been on an unlimited strike since Nov. 23, affecting the functioning of three Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) schools: Sutton Elementary, Massey-Vanier High School, and Campus Brome-Missisquoi, a vocational training centre.

“For teachers it only means five days,” said Brigitte Robert, Champlain Lennoxville SECCL union president. Teachers don’t have classes on the weekends, but other members of the Common Front are working, like healthcare workers, she noted. Nearing the end of the term, two days of classes are being lost: Friday, Dec. 8 and Monday, Dec. 11.

The English Exit Exam was scheduled for Dec. 13 and must now be rescheduled. Dec. 14 was meant to be an exam day and will also need to be made up for. Any future changes to the calendar would be decided upon by the CEGEP’s governing board, but teachers are available between Christmas and New Year’s, or after the holidays, she explained. Robert speculated that make-up nights and weekends could also be an option.

Robert emphasized that this new seven-day strike sequence was to “put pressure” on the government at the negotiating table to reach an agreement before Christmas. A future unlimited general strike could take place in January. They wish to be “flexible” and give the government time to consider its options.

Champlain teachers are paid $120 per day they are on strike, which comes out of the union funds constituted by union dues automatically taken out of their paycheques. They have been saving money for “quite a while”, Robert said, but their fund is depleting quickly. She does not think this will be a mobilization obstacle for union members; members of other Common Front unions have no strike-related income at all.

“We are using the strike as a means to our ends,” she said, but the sacrifice is worth it to ensure good public services for their students, whose success they have at heart.

The three ETSB schools disrupted by the FAE strike, because they share campuses with a French service centre, the employees of which are FAE members, are dealing with the situation as ETSB Appalachian Teachers’ Association (ATA) President April Blampied predicted last week: students are staying home and teachers are “tele-working” – emailing, talking to parents and posting online workbooks. There are no real alternative options for students without internet access.

The ATA is part of the Common Front, so its teachers will also be on strike from Dec. 8 to 14. “There is no talk of adding extra days,” Blampied said, to make up for this lost week. ATA teachers have no strike-related income. An unlimited strike, therefore, would be quite economically disruptive. She says she can feel the tension and the worries teachers are having, especially losing pay so close to the holiday season. Because the ATA is part of the Common Front, they do not have the option to not strike when everyone else does. Blampied is not sure if teachers are allowed to work another job while they are on strike.

The timing of the week that will be missed makes things complicated, she acknowledged, but she does not think students will ultimately lose much “content”. It would have been better if it were the week right before the holiday break.

Blampied wished to remind the teachers that they should support each other, though they may differ in their opinions on strike days. In the long run, she continued, every single strike their union has ever had has added money to their salary, which affects their entire career’s earnings. “This is for the long term.”

Espace Quantique 1 inaugurated in DistriQ’s Quantum Innovation Zone, Premier talks future

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Sherbrooke’s Quantum Innovation Zone witnessed a significant advancement Nov. 24 with the opening of Espace Quantique 1 (EQ1) and the Quantum Technology Development Laboratory (DevTeQ). As a hub of innovation and a global showcase, EQ1 aims to be the forefront of Sherbrooke and Quebec’s quantum technology sector, extending its influence across Canada and North America. This development closely follows the introduction of IBM Quantum System One by PINQ2 last September. Quantum technology uses the findings of quantum science, which studies the fundamental building blocks of nature, and applies it to a wide range of areas, including computing, defense, and communications. Premier Francois Legault spoke at the inauguration and detailed its significance for Quebec’s future.

EQ1 spans 50,000 square feet, and is exclusively devoted to quantum technology. EQ1 offers a collaborative environment for startups, companies, and other entities in the field, with private offices and co-working spaces. A prominent feature of the facility is the 20,000 square foot DevTeQ, a shared world-class laboratory. This unique space will host around fifteen companies and partners, bringing together over a hundred top-tier professionals. EQ1 not only facilitates access to cutting-edge lab equipment for quantum technology development but also accelerates its industry adoption.

The Quebec government has significantly backed this initiative, contributing over $28.77 million towards the total $40.8 million investment. EQ1 is set to play a pivotal role in advancing this specialized field, easing the transition from research to commercialization and generating employment opportunities. Additionally, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) and Desjardins have contributed $5.2 million and $1 million, respectively.

Martin Enault, General Manager of DistriQ, Quantum Innovation Zone, expressed his excitement about uniting quantum companies in one place. He highlighted the collaborative environment that EQ1 offers, aiding in the establishment of quantum companies within the Zone, and signaled readiness to welcome more quantum enterprises.

The Zone continues to bolster Sherbrooke’s growth and positions Quebec as a key player in quantum science and technology on the global stage. This is further reinforced by PASQAL’s (a leader in quantum computing) announcement of a $90 million investment over five years, promising over 50 new jobs.

Raphaël de Thoury, CEO of PASQAL Canada, underscored the decisive role of Quebec’s financial support and unique vision for DistriQ in their decision to expand their industrial strategy globally. He emphasized that EQ1 is a significant opportunity for companies in the quantum field, fostering collaboration among various stakeholders, from researchers to industrial application specialists. This synergy is expected to lead to significant innovations and high economic value in the future.

“There are challenges in Quebec that we also see in France,” Legault said, after emphasizing the importance of Quebec and France working together. There is a big debate between those who advocate for fundamental scientific research and those who advocate for research into its applications. Quebec is first in fundamental research, but last in developing its applications, he continued, which is something they are trying to change.

“What can we do to inspire zones of innovation in Quebec?” Legault said. Everyone tries to copy California’s Silicone Valley model, where universities like Stanford and local businesses work together to “commercialize” innovation.

Legault said he has been accused of being “utilitarian” for trying to bring universities and businesses together, but doing so is good for all Quebecers. Businesses make money and pay taxes that are put towards society as a whole. This is exactly why this inauguration is so important, he insisted. It is not an accident that it is being founded in Sherbrooke to partner closely with Sherbrooke University (UdeS), for UdeS has been working closely with the business world for decades.

“I find this extraordinary,” Legault continued; what they are working towards is developing the technology of the future. It is no exaggeration to say that Quebec is at the forefront of this movement, and Quebec’s economy is in the middle of being transformed. These are steps towards creating employment for Quebec’s children and grandchildren – our future generations. “Bravo! I am very proud.”

Sunnyside braves the cold, serves up hot chocolate

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

On the morning of Nov. 27, many in the Townships woke up with no electricity after the first substantial snowfall of the season. From Stanstead to Georgeville, Richmond to Ayer’s Cliff, spots of power outage dotted the region in darkness. Rolling with the punches, Sunnyside Elementary held special activities and a creative lunch for the students that braved the slippery Stanstead roads to attend school.

“It was a mix of heavy snow and rain that was a little all over the place,” said Sébastien Martineau, Hydro Quebec’s Community Relations Advisor for the Estrie region. There are outages everywhere, he continued, caused by the wet snow weighing down branches and touching or breaking the power lines underneath. Some whole trees came down.

For some outages, it is easy for Hydro Quebec to predict when they will be fixed. When the outage is merely caused by a branch temporarily touching and shorting out the line, they have a method of restoring power “long-distance”. If a branch continues to touch the line, or has broken it, flesh and blood workers need to be sent to fix the problem. Sometimes that means lengthy repairs, including managing the offending branch or tree or even changing the utility pole.

Once the workers are on the scene, which takes time in and of itself, they can assess the situation and predict a likely time that power will be restored. Each outage will have a different cause and a different remedy.

Between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. of Nov. 27, Hydro Quebec had re-established power for 3,000 Estrie residents. 40,000 homes in total were initially without power. They will continue to work until everyone regains electricity, Martineau insisted.

“Because we were unable to have hot lunch today… we decided to do something special for the kids,” said Sunnyside Secretary Heather Stratton. They barbecued hotdogs and had a wealth of other snacks, including watermelon, sweets, and veggies and dip. A large communal pot of hot chocolate was brewed on the grill and distributed. “It was really party time.”

Some 15 students attended school in the circumstances. Because the roads were bad and there was no power, many parents decided to keep their children home. The school stays open, even with no electricity, and regained it around noon; the buses still all ran their regular routes.

The morning’s activities included an extended recess, and some classes began decorating for Christmas. “We did fun things,” Stratton said with a chuckle.

Local man builds Texan smoker from scratch

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Matthew Patton, a resident of Lennoxville, has successfully built a massive 500-gallon barbecue offset tank smoker, a type uncommon in the area and originating from Texas. This smoker, which he named “the Franklin” after influential American pitmaster Aaron Franklin, was the result of many weeks of work and customization. Although Patton does not run a restaurant or sell his food publicly, he is celebrated in the community for his scrumptious cooking, having mastered everything from briskets to whole hogs and smoking over 500 racks of ribs.

Patton’s passion for cooking began at age five, and he has honed his skills over the years, paying close attention to dietary preferences and restrictions while cooking for his family. His cooking stands out because he only uses fire as a heat source, requiring a high level of attention and care, leading to a unique bond with the element.

In addition to smoking meat, Patton is meticulous in the preparation process, which can span months. This includes selecting the perfect meat cuts, brining or injecting them, grinding his own spice mix, and preparing sauces. He also ages meats, sometimes up to 17 days, and butchers his own pigs, turkeys, and chickens for a farm-to-table experience. His respect for the animals he raises for food is evident, as he ensures they are raised with care and gratitude.

“I got into barbecuing about 15 years ago,” Patton said; he decided he would take it a little more seriously. Locally, there is not much “action” for barbecuing. Electric pellet smokers, for instance, are “glorified air-friers”. He has always loved the traditional, woodfire, Texas-style method.

Initially, he used cinder block pits to grill his meat, until he saw an old tank in a farmer’s field while he was out at work. It was eventually arranged that he buy the old tank, which he picked up on a trailer “and the project began”.

Getting all the material he needed lined up to make his new smoker was “an absolute nightmare”; it was hard to find the parts he needed at a fair price. For the inside liner of his firebox, which keeps the fire semi-insulated from the outside air temperature, he bought a piece of steel, cut it to the right size and then got it rolled into the right shape using machinery at Lennoxville’s Pro-Par. He could not find the ten-inch smokestack he needed anywhere – sellers being unwilling to sell him anything less than longer pieces for upwards of $1,500 – until he found what he needed at Cookshire’s Dolbec. Upon buying the tank, the smoker was completed within a week.

“The pit cooks like an absolute dream, beyond my expectations,” Patton said. The smoker is on wheels, so it is easier to transport around to the different events he is thinking of doing. He has made ribs, chicken, and sausage on it so far, for his large family gatherings of 30+ people. The recent Sundays have been pleasant, which has made things a little easier. The smoker is so big he says he could make 80 racks of ribs at a time. “It’s a huge device.”

Estrie Region witnesses massive public sector strike and demonstration

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In a significant show of solidarity, the Common Front public sector unions organized a major demonstration on Nov. 23 in Sherbrooke, which commenced at 10:30 a.m. This event marked the culmination of the recent three strike days and saw a large turnout (numbering in the thousands) from both the striking workers and the wider Estrie community.

The provincial government faced significant pressure as over 420,000 workers from the Common Front, comprising CSN, CSQ, FTQ, and APTS, with 25,000 members in the Estrie region, went on a three-day strike from Nov. 21 to 23. This collective action highlighted the mounting tensions in public sector negotiations.

Key figures such as Nathalie Arguin, General Secretary of CSN, Richard Bergevin, President of the Syndicat de l’Enseignement de l’Estrie (CSQ), Éric Bergeron, Union Advisor for SCFP (FTQ), and Danny Roulx, National Representative of the APTS, led the march that began from Cégep de Sherbrooke. The procession wound its way through the city streets, culminating in a series of speeches at the intersection of Wellington and King Streets.

The demonstration was not just a display of unity but also an educational platform, with statistics shared to better understand the stakes of the ongoing negotiations:

1) The average salary of Common Front public sector employees stands at $43,916.

2) They face a salary gap of -11.9 per cent and an overall compensation gap of -3.9 per cent.

3) Notably, women constitute 78 per cent of the Common Front’s membership.

The strike and demonstration were part of a broader movement by the CSN, CSQ, FTQ, and APTS, representing a considerable number of state workers in Quebec’s public sectors, including education, health, and social services, and higher education.

Nov. 23 demonstration

Speaking first to the massive crowd in the heart of Sherbrooke, and perched on a mobile platform parked in front of La Maison du Cinéma, Bergeron said, “all of Quebec is behind you!” We are fighting for better working conditions, he insisted. He led a chant of the Common Front’s official slogan: “Us! With one voice!”

“420,000 times ‘hello’!” Arguin shouted to resounding cheers. We are having the biggest chat with Premier Francois Legault that Canada has ever seen, she went on. “Legault is hearing our demands but is he listening?” she asked rhetorically. The 78 per cent women and the rest of the public sector employees, she said, exude professionalism and expertise, and are engaged.

The public sector is not an expense, but an investment, and the road to proper investment is at the negotiating table. They and the public deserve Legault’s full attention. Good public service begins with good working conditions, and they will continue in solidarity to make sure that happens.

Today we must recognize the part women play in the public sector, Roulx said. He works with women every day in a female-dominated occupation and sees the high quality of service they provide to the public, which must also be recognized. They occupy thousands of professions, they are everywhere. “We are all united… and will go until the end.”

Bergevin began by acknowledging the impressive turnout for the event. “Respect” should be cashed out in concrete terms, he said, like better pay and being paid for every hour worked. He emphasized that Legault needed them during the pandemic and “loved them a lot” during that time, but now considers them an expense. “What do you call someone who likes you just as long as he needs you?” Bergevin asked rhetorically, “I’ll let you decide.” Laughter rippled through the gathering. The public understood how important they were during the pandemic, he added, and 71 per cent of them support the Common Front now. “Solidarity!”

FAE union strike to cause local English school disruptions

In related news, the Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement (FAE), a separate teacher’s union representing 65,000 members who work in the French school system, began an unlimited strike Nov. 23. The FAE includes the Centre de Services Scolaire Val-des-Cerfs, which jointly administers Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) schools Sutton Elementary, Massey-Vanier High School, and Campus Brome-Missisquoi Vocational Training Centre. ETSB staff have stated they will not cross the picket line at these schools, leading to additional service disruptions at these three locations.

“The FAE negotiates their own collective agreement,” said ETSB Appalachian Teachers’ Association President April Blampied. She noted that they are all teachers and share the same objectives, so they do not want to disrespect their fellow union and cross their picket lines. If they join the FAE strike out of solidarity it would be considered an illegal strike action, for which they could receive a hefty fine.

They are trying to come up with some creative ideas so the ETSB teachers can still work during the FAE strike. The ETSB teachers will still show up for work with the intention of working, she explained, but upon arriving will receive a directive from their leadership as to what other location they can work from.

Nov. 24 has recently been determined to be a “planning day” for the ETSB schools, making the FAE strike easier to deal with in the short term, since students will be staying home.

Blampied thinks a disruption of a week could be handled well through “tele-working”: emails, contact with parents, posting online activities for students all would continue. There is no time to prepare for online face-to-face teaching, she said.

If the strike continues past next week, she says ideas about relocating students are on the table. “I would not like to have to logistically take care of that,” she said, since finding an alternative appropriate spot for nearly 800 students would be very difficult to organize. Any extra childcare needs due to the disruption will be up to parents to deal with in whatever way they see fit.

“Changing our working conditions changes our students’ learning conditions,” Blampied stressed. No teacher wishes to be on strike, she insisted, and “put a pause on their students’ learning”. The alternative is losing teachers to burnout and stress-leave, and there is already a teacher shortage. “At this point, something needs to be done.”

Champlain Lennoxville and Eastern Township School Board unions hold “human chain” rally, FAE union unlimited strike raises questions

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

A significant demonstration occurred in Lennoxville on Wednesday, Nov. 22, as members of three unions from Champlain College Lennoxville and two unions from the Eastern Township School Board (ETSB), all affiliated with the Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and the Common Front public sector union group, formed a “human chain”.

This event, which lasted from 10 a.m. to noon, centered around Lennoxville’s main intersection at College and Queen, and saw hundreds of local school staff waving placards and operating noise-makers to the supportive honking of cars passing by.

A separate teacher’s union, the Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement (FAE), which represents 65,000 members who work in the French school system, has announced plans for an unlimited strike Nov. 23. ETSB schools Sutton Elementary, Massey-Vanier High School and Campus Brome-Missisquoi vocational training centre are jointly administered by the Centre de services scolaire Val-des-cerfs, which is part of the FAE. ETSB staff have said they will not cross the picket line at those schools, which will mean additional service disruptions at those three locations.

According to a press release, the human chain was a part of the Common Front’s initiative, designed to showcase the collective strength and resolve of the educators and staff in protecting and advocating for the education and higher education sectors in the Lennoxville region. This public display of solidarity was particularly poignant as the union members had previously agreed upon a strike mandate to be utilized during the ongoing public sector negotiations. The days of Nov. 21, 22, and 23 marked the second series of strike actions under this mandate, signaling a crucial phase in their collective bargaining efforts.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

A group of nearly 40 Sherbrooke residents, led by organizer Mohamed Soulami, protested for peace in Gaza at Sherbrooke’s City Council meeting Nov. 21. Calling themselves “a group of Sherbrooke citizens for a better world, a peaceful world”, the group submitted a letter to Sherbrooke’s mayor Nov. 7 demanding, among other things, an immediate ceasefire in the embattled region. The City of Sherbrooke responded with a resolution detailing its solidarity with the group.

The letter

The letter, addressed to Raïs Kibonge, Acting Mayor of Sherbrooke, and the city council members, emphasizes the importance of treating all human lives equally and respecting human rights. The letter criticizes several governments for ignoring global organizations’ alerts about ongoing injustices, specifically highlighting the “ethnic cleansing” and “war crimes” in Gaza, Palestine. The authors express disappointment that Quebec and Canada, typically known for peaceful interventions, are perceived to be applying double standards to the situation.

The group makes specific demands:

1) Immediate ceasefire and lifting of the blockade in Gaza.

2) Delivery of humanitarian aid, including energy for hospitals and essential needs for civilians.

3) Rehabilitation of social services, including hospitals and schools, and providing safe places for civilians.

4) Condemnation of the ongoing war crimes against humanity.

They urge their elected officials to denounce the “genocide” in Gaza, where a significant number of victims are children and women, and to encourage the federal and provincial governments to respect human rights in Gaza and contribute to humanitarian aid efforts.

The letter concludes with an appeal to the city council to adopt a resolution reflecting these concerns and to join a global call for a just and better world. The authors express their belief in shared values of justice and equality and hope for a positive response to their requests.

The resolution

Sherbrooke’s City Council professed their solidarity with the victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a Nov. 21 resolution:

“The city council has adopted a resolution of solidarity with the victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling for the respect of human dignity and demanding the safe passage of widespread humanitarian aid and respect for the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law.”

“The council also invites the federal and provincial governments as well as other municipalities to adopt a resolution that calls for the defense of human rights, the protection of civilians, and the creation of a climate conducive to establishing lasting peace in the Middle East.”

“A ceasefire is more than necessary to make way for peace between Israel and Palestine. I join my voice with that of the members of the City Council to also ask the Canadian government to use all its resources to achieve this. The incessant cycle of violence must end quickly,” stated Kibonge.

Mohamed Soulami

“Unfortunately, we are seeing in Gaza more and more massacres,” said Soulami in an interview after the event. The victims include civilians, women, children, and the sick, he added; hospitals and schools are being bombed, and many journalists have been killed. The humanitarian crisis is evident and they will continue to mobilize to demand for a ceasefire in the region to establish a lasting peace.

The City of Sherbrooke is a “city of peace”, he went on, part of 10,000 other cities that are committed to peace and human rights. It was important for their group to “hear the voice” of Sherbrooke in their resolution of solidarity. They wish to influence Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to adopt the same position.

Three Canadian federal political parties, and three provincial, are also committed to a ceasefire, Soulami explained, joining Sherbrooke and over 100 other Canadian cities. Many humanitarian organizations, churches, and Jewish and Muslim organizations agree. “It is important that we join our voices together so that this massacre stops.”

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The staff of Champlain College Lennoxville, a public English-language CEGEP in the Townships, are on strike from Nov. 21 to 23. This action, part of the Common Front, a coalition of Quebec public sector unions, is a response to government proposals deemed insufficient by the staff and aims to advocate for access to quality collegiate education across the region.

Participating are the Champlain College Lennoxville Teaching Union (SECCL), Support Staff Union (SPSCCL), and Professional Staff Union (APCCL). The strike began at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, and is being held at Champlain College Lennoxville.

The SECCL represents over 100 teachers and is part of the College Teachers Alliance (ASPPC), which unites 61 teaching staff unions across Quebec. The SPSCCL Represents over 20 employees in various administrative and technical roles. The APCCL is comprised of 13 members, including advisors and social workers, focusing on student welfare.

This strike underscores the staff’s stated commitment to maintaining high standards in collegiate education. The unions, part of a broader alliance representing over 420,000 public sector workers in Quebec, are negotiating with the stated goal of avoiding impoverishment and promoting equitable access to education.

Maxime Chaput Dupuy, APPCL President, explained that they are striking in an effort to improve their working conditions. There has been a large turnover in employees among CEGEPs in Quebec, he continued; Champlain Lennoxville is a “young” group and has been affected just the same. Their major goal is simply to retain professionals at the CEGEP level.

The central question is one of pay – professionals with the same job can make much more money in the private sector. This “pay gap” affects retention, since, with many trades, one can make 15 to 20 per cent more elsewhere.

Inflation has outpaced wage increases, and they have not been able to maintain their purchasing power, he said. The government’s current offer is a 1.5 per cent increase for next year, but the recent inflation rate is 7 per cent. This renders their position “unstable”, and they are insisting on fighting for an offer that “would make up for the losses of the past few years”. Other issues on the table include flexibility of working schedules and “relief” for time worked as representatives of their respective unions.

Dupuy emphasized that the government has more than enough money to pay for what they are asking. He stated that the APPCL has a good working relationship with their local management, which is not at issue.

SECCL President Brigitte Robert confirmed that the strike is a response to “the lack of movement at the negotiating table”. The government’s offer of a 10 per cent increase in salaries over the next five years is “not reasonable”, does not even keep pace with inflation, and the government push for later retirement dates penalizes employees instead of incentivizing them to stay longer at their jobs.

The Common Front is demanding a $100 per week immediate increase in pay, or an increase equal to the current inflation rate, for all members, plus two, three and four per cent salary increases over the next three years respectively.

After the planned Nov. 21-23 strike days, the Common Front must give the government legal notice to strike again. If notice is given Nov. 24, the next strike could start as early as Dec. 5. The Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement (FAE), a separate teacher’s union, is starting a general unlimited strike this Thursday, she said, and it is part of the mandate voted by the Common Front last October that they would be willing to do the same.

The Common Front recently took another measure towards a resolution of their negotiation woes – a demand for conciliation was “deposited” Nov. 16. This amounts to the request for a mediator to sit down at the table with both parties to facilitate a solution – it has been accepted. There is a lot of “media spin” by the CAQ government, Robert claimed, putting forward the idea the Common Front is simply unwilling to budge, but the opposite is true.

“Adjusting to inflation is the minimum,” Robert insisted. Without such an adjustment, public sector employees are, in effect, losing money year to year. But they expect more, she continued, since Quebec’s MNAs voted themselves a 30 per cent raise and the provincial police just received a 21 per cent increase themselves. “When you see that our offer is half of what was offered to the [provincial police], it is really insulting.”

The government has the means to meet their demands, Robert said, and austerity cannot be used as an excuse not to invest in public services. Investment is needed in the public sector, but she thinks the CAQ, comprised of “businessmen, businesswomen” from the private sector, refuse to appreciate it. Public services are “broken and need repair”.

Robert emphasized her union is not doing this because its members do not love their jobs, but because they want to be able to do their jobs better and devote more time and attention to every student in their classrooms. She invites the students and community to show solidarity and “come say ‘hi’” to those on the picket lines.

The Champlain unions are planning a “big human chain” event in partnership with the Eastern Township School Board unions for Nov. 22, wherein a human chain will be formed from the Champlain Lennoxville building all the way to Lennoxville Elementary School.

Visit profsennego.com for insights into the teachers’ negotiation process and the broader implications for Quebec’s educational landscape.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In a significant mobilization effort, parents in Waterville are challenging the Centre de Service Scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke (CSSRS)’s recent decision to suspend bus services along Astbury Road, citing major safety concerns for their children. The decision, effective from Oct. 30, has sparked widespread unease and calls for action within the community.

Parents’ position

Lucie Massinon, a local parent, expressed bewilderment over the suspension, noting the longstanding history of reliable school transportation on Astbury Road since the 1990s. She pointed out the improved condition of public roads today compared to twenty years ago, labeling the CSSRS’s decision as “completely illogical”.

The alternative route proposed by the CSSRS is deemed far less safe. It features challenges such as reduced visibility due to a sharp curve, frequent wildlife crossings, ice risks from a nearby hydraulic dam, persistent fog, and heavy, high-speed traffic of trucks and cars. These conditions represent a “real nightmare” for parents concerned about the safety of their children.

Moreover, the designated boarding point for the bus service contravenes CSSRS policy CSRS-POL-2012-02, which advocates for reasonable walking distances to bus stops. The property of one of the families lies over 600 meters from the nearest stop, exceeding the policy’s limit and thereby challenging its compliance.

Adding to the urgency, an incident on Nov. 1 highlighted systemic issues within the school’s organization. A child from Astbury Road was mistakenly sent home by bus, despite being scheduled to stay at school, resulting in the child being left alone over 600 meters from home, without sidewalks or safe passage.

This situation at Astbury Road is not isolated but reflects a broader issue affecting rural school transportation. In response, Waterville parents have garnered support from the city of Waterville and are reaching out to other rural municipalities within the CSSRS territory, urging them to adopt similar resolutions to support the cause.

Massinon emphasized the arbitrary nature of the CSSRS’s decision, challenging the validity of the reasons given for the suspension of the bus service. The parents are adamant in their fight, asserting that school transportation is a fundamental right and rejecting the notion of being treated as second-class citizens. They remain hopeful that the CSSRS will revisit and amend its decision, acknowledging the genuine concerns of the families affected.

“All we know is that the bus used to pass on Astbury Road for 30 years and now they say it is not safe anymore,” said David Blanchette, parent representative. A lot of other municipalities are concerned about the situation, he added.

In Hatley, he continued, they are planning on making a private road public and may face the same issue, but they will not be able to point to a previous 30 years of problem-free service.

“Basically, what they are saying is dirt roads are not safe anymore,” Blanchette reiterated, but it is important that those in the country have the same services as those in the towns.

It was Blanchette’s 5-year-old child that was accidentally left by the side of route 143 a few weeks ago. “This is unacceptable. It can’t happen.”

CSSRS response

The official overseeing school bus transportation in the region in question informed the CSSRS that the school bus driver tasked with navigating Astbury Road claimed it would be a “security risk in winter conditions”, said Donald Landry, General Secretary of the CSSRS. The driver indicated that the turns, inclines, and width of the road were all dangerous, especially in icy conditions and with the possibility of encountering oncoming traffic.

The CSSRS conducted their own preliminary investigation and found there was indeed a potentially unacceptable level of risk in navigating the road. Thus, they decided to accept, for the moment, the bus driver’s assessment, and suspended service on Astbury Road until the end of the spring. The bus will return to its normal service at the beginning of May.

During the winter season, the children affected will have to catch their bus on the side of route 143, but the Ministry of Transport will install panels on the side of the route indicating there is a new bus stop there.

To fully verify that they have made the correct decision, the CSSRS has commissioned an official study to assess whether the road presents a “real risk” for school buses during the winter season and are waiting for the results.

Waterville Mayor’s position

“We keep our roads as good as we can,” said Waterville Mayor Nathalie Dupuis, and Astbury Road has not been changed for years besides one section of it being redone. The repairs did not change the road’s configuration, she insisted. Nothing concerns them about the quality of the road.

Snow removal on the road is done every year and nothing has happened to show the road is particularly dangerous in the winter, Dupuis explained. She doesn’t think a snowplow would be any less difficult to drive on the road than a school bus if there were a problem.

Dupuis does not think a blanket stoppage for school bus service on the road during the winter makes sense; if conditions happen to be particularly bad on any individual day, a decision should then be made. “Normally, everything is okay all the time.”

She does not understand the CSSRS’ reaction and does not think it realizes how dangerous the current situation is for the young children that must be collected on the side of route 143. There is not much traffic on Astbury Road, but a lot on the 143, she insisted, especially in the morning and at the end of the day when the children are to be picked up and dropped off. Dupuis claims the new stop was checked for its risks by the CSSRS on Oct. 9, Thanksgiving Day, which did not accurately represent the route’s usual conditions.

Dupuis noted that the usual way to prove the route was too dangerous to drive, through the Commission des Normes, de l’Équité, de la Santé et de la Sécurité du Travail (CNESST), was not followed, and that the CSSRS’ decision was made “too easily”.

The Town of Waterville has sent a resolution to the CSSRS and other municipalities that may be impacted by the issue, detailing why the CSSRS should reconsider its decision.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Studio Swing Sherbrooke, a local swing dancing organization, held an event in partnership with Bishop’s University (BU) Nov. 14 in Bandeen Hall, accompanied by the Sherbrooke Jazz Orchestra.

BU invited the group as a part of its Humanities Week. The Sherbrooke Jazz Orchestra attended and practiced their big band tunes to accompany the dancers. Mathieu Desy, a BU music professor, organized a showing of ‘Swing Kids’, a 1993 movie drama revolving around rebellious teens swing dancing during the Nazi regime in Germany, the night before. The night of Nov. 14 began with a little class on the Lindy Hop style, Studio Swing Sherbrooke Organizer Pascale Rousseau recounted, followed by a short demonstration. At least 40 BU students attended.

“We’re a non-profit organization,” explained Rousseau; it was founded in 2005, with its official dance school opening its doors around 2015. It puts on events for its community every week, sometimes general and sometimes dance-specific.

The organization teaches many different styles of swing dancing: Lindy Hop, a style that was popular in the 1920s and 30s and accompanied by big band jazz music; Rockabilly Jive, a 50s/60s style accompanied by rock and roll; West Coast Swing, an evolution of the Lindy Hop that can be danced to blues and R&B; Charleston style and others.

These dances emerged from Afro-American culture, in places like Harlem, New York, Rousseau said, after many African Americans migrated north following the Civil War; also, Chicago and the West Coast. The dances evolved differently depending on place and what music was popular at the time.

Studio Swing Sherbrooke is planning its “New Year’s Party” for Jan. 20, but the details are not fully fleshed out. In Jan., March and April their regular class sessions will continue, and they are trying to organize more evenings with live music.

Rousseau insisted that the classes are fun, for those thinking of joining in, and that they are a very open-minded community. Unlike Latin dancing, which can be “seductive”, they dance with a spirit of friendliness. She is comfortable both leading and following, and many men there are too – the traditional norm that the man always leads is not adhered to. They offer a lot of dancing options, so that people can “find what music talks to them the best”.

Many English-speakers attend their classes, Rousseau said, though they are mostly given in French. Some Americans come up and dance with them every week and some of their teachers are English. It’s all body language, she said with a chuckle, and everybody is welcome.

Studio Swing Sherbrooke’s website, Facebook page and info letter can be consulted for more information.

Local man sells everything, sails to Caribbean

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Townshipper Jay Caunter has sold all his possessions and is sailing down the east coast to the Carribbean. Following his dreams, he is more than halfway there – on pace to reach his destination by Christmas. Keeping as safe as possible, he maintains contact with friends over the phone and internet.

“I lived in Toronto for about 25 years,” Caunter explained, then moved back to his hometown of North Hatley in 2011 to look after his father. His father passed away a few years ago. At that point, he realized he had no family left and there was nothing holding him back, “so I decided to follow a dream.” Caunter sold everything he owned and bought a bigger boat up in Sarnia, Ontario – a 1979 Sabre 34.

“I hated sailing when I was a kid,” Caunter said; his father used to own the marina in North Hatley. He was a fan of the powerboats, sailboats being “totally foreign” to him. When he was 25 years old, he learned how to sail. “You couldn’t get me back on a powerboat if you tried, now.”

Caunter has sailed over 2,500 kilometers so far, traversing, from Sarnia, through the Great Lakes and the Eerie Canal down to New York City. He then sailed up Delaware Bay and back down Chesapeake Bay. He continued down the east coast and is currently approaching Georgetown South Carolina. He sails when he can and motors when he must.

Caunter’s day begins by checking three different weather apps. He is not in a hurry, if the wind is blowing over 25 knots he will stay where he is. He recently spent three days at a marina because the wind was too strong.

Because he is sailing single-handed, he takes a lot of precautions. “When I’m not at the dock, my lifejacket is on,” he noted. His lifejacket has a harness that is clipped to his boat so he cannot fall out. His boat has no room for a life raft, however. He insists that he is extremely careful. Only very serious problems get him to leave his boat’s cockpit while he is on the water. He passed through Norfolk Harbour and used his motor exclusively. “There [were] ships everywhere,” he explained; he found the experience nerve-wracking.

Every night he anchors down, stops at a marina, or finds a free dock. Marinas can be expensive, so he tries to avoid them. They are, however, one of the only places off the water one can shower. His search for an anchoring point starts around 3 p.m., because the days are getting shorter.

Caunter tries to keep about two weeks of food on his boat. Perishable foods last up to a week in his fridge, and he always has canned and freeze-dried options as a backup. The boat also has a barbecue, toilet, and sink. “I’ve got everything I need.”

He checked in with U.S. customs at Cape Vincent, New York. He was told he would have to check in at customs at every major city he passes. Later he was told to just check in at every state. “We want to know where you are in case there is a storm,” he was told, but he is skeptical.

Caunter’s goal is to be in the Bahamas by Christmas and south of Grenada by next June. Besides that, he has no specific plans. He has friends he is keeping in touch with that want to visit him when he gets somewhere warm.

When he is far away from shore his phone and internet stop working. His navigation system, or chart-plotter, already contains all the information it needs and functions by satellite no matter where he is. “I won’t get lost.”

He wanted to download some books, so he stopped in at a Starbucks to take advantage of their free wi-fi. He enjoys listening to audiobooks while he is sailing, finishing two or three a week. Caunter is allergic to shellfish, so he does not fish at all. He used to love lobster, but no more. When he is not sailing, there is always something to do, he said.

Sometimes he enjoys potluck dinners with other sailors during his stints on shore. “I have met so many wonderful people,” Caunter said, “the people from Sarnia to here have been fantastic.” People have offered to loan him their cars, driven him to stores, picked things up for him – he cannot complain about anybody.

Caunter wants everyone back in the Townships to know he is doing well and that he says “hi”.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

An archeological site of note has been uncovered in Magog, one of many local sites that will be investigated by the town.

The Town of Magog, for the past few years, has been exploring its “archeological potential”, said Mme Édith Thibodeau, Magog’s Development Officer for Heritage and Culture. Numerous items of archeological interest have been found recently, many accidentally in the course of new construction. However, the town wished to deliberately focus on the areas with the strongest unrealized possibilities. After a comprehensive study, they are now able to warn those who are building in “sensitive areas”.

One recent area of interest, Autoparc Stanley, underwent an archeological dig preceding new construction, finding over 400 historical artifacts from the 1800s as a result. The items give an insight into what daily life was like at the time, and will be collected by the city and eventually showcased to the local population. Items include pieces of pottery and glass, coins, and buttons.

Many other sites with a “high potential” around the Magog River and Memphremagog Lake will be explored in the future, likely holding significant items of Indigenous origin going back centuries. The area of most interest in terms of its colonial history is Magog’s downtown core. In Parc des Braves, the foundation of Magog’s first Town Hall was uncovered.

The site at Autoparc Stanley has been destroyed to make way for new construction, but was comprehensively searched and documented beforehand.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

A Sherbrooke day centre for those at risk of homelessness, Ma Cabane’s clientele numbers are holding steady at around 80 per day but could very well rise. The centre, situated on King East, opened its doors back in Jan. of 2021.

“[Attendance] is starting to go up a little bit,” said General Director Marc St-Louis, referring to the daily clientele at Ma Cabane. This summer they served around 80 people per day. Last February and March they had days with upwards of 140 people. It is not, however, a simple equation, he explained, where warm weather means less people and cold weather means more. The only constant is there are less people at the beginning of the month.

St-Louis worries numbers will get high again this winter. At first, they regulated how many clientele they would let in at a time to a maximum of 10. Now they let in up to 40, “which is too much,” he admitted.

Nurses visit in the afternoons on Thursday, and a woman will begin coming next week to do foot care. His clientele walk a lot, St-Louis said, and their feet are often cold for long periods, so they are not in good shape. “We will see what the response is,” he noted. Ma Cabane offers four or five activities throughout the month, such as bowling and writing workshops.

Food insecurity is ever-present among its clientele. Ma Cabane offers snacks every afternoon they receive from the Rock-Guertin Foundation. They have distributed $15,000 worth this year alone but will likely run out next week until January.

Saint-Louis’ clientele are often on social assistance, which is just under $800 a month. “Do the math,” he urged, you either pay rent or eat but not both. This is “aggravated” by the current rising costs of lodging and food. “It’s difficult.”

All kinds come through Ma Cabane’s doors. Some are housed, some not. Many clients visit to feel less isolated, he noted. Just because you have a house, it does not mean your problems are over, he added. Many are in a precarious situation, and at risk. Often, they do not have a good background to get a job and are uneducated or have mental health issues. “We don’t ask questions,” he said, “if you come here, it is because you need to.”

St-Louis gave an example highlighting the discouraging challenges many of his clientele face. One man was released from prison in 2002 and has not broken the law since. Still, he cannot find a place to live because property-owners will reject his application based on his criminal record alone.

Ma Cabane will take non-perishable foods as donations. They will also take animal food, for many of their clients have pets and have difficulty feeding them. “Obviously, we also take money,” St-Louis said. Their financing is not guaranteed, he explained, but they should be okay for the next three to four years.

Homelessness is a complicated phenomenon, he insisted. By definition, the homeless have more than one problem. Some people say that people choose that way of life, but St-Louis urges us to consider what it is that must have preceded the choice to not know where you will sleep, what you will eat, and to be looked down upon by society. “Be careful with your judgments.”

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In a significant medical advancement, the CHUS Research Center (CRCHUS) in Estrie has developed an innovative imaging test for prostate cancer, using the groundbreaking radiotracer 68Ga-PSMA-617. This test, which has already benefited over 600 men, offers unprecedented precision in cancer detection and marks the CRCHUS as the first in Canada to produce the radiotracer gallium-68 on a large scale. The achievement, recognized for its impact and innovation in the 2023-2024 Excellence Awards of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS, symbolizes a major stride in bridging laboratory research with clinical practice, greatly enhancing the quality of prostate cancer care.

“It’s a new imaging technology,” Dr. Éric Turcotte, nuclear medicine specialist and researcher-professor at the CRCHUS, explained. The CRCHUS has a more than 23-year history with PET scanners. “We’ve played with that technology since 1998.” It is used for research but also clinically to detect cancer “many times per day”.

Good imaging technology has existed for prostate cancer for a while, Turcotte went on, but not excellent imaging technology. The new technology they have invented is a game changer, he insisted. PET scanners use x-rays to generate three dimensional images of the body. In addition, radioactive liquid, what Turcotte urges us to think of as “lights”, are injected into the bloodstream. These special “lights” seek out prostate cancer cells and “stick” to them. Thus, exactly where the cancer is in the body shows up on the image.

The CRCHUS has effectively invented a new kind of “light”, and has been using it for around a year. “Research is always trial and error,” Turcotte continued, and their institution is not the only one that has been on the lookout for the best way to image prostate cancer. The new tracer allows for a far greater capacity of daily clients. Elsewhere, the average clinic can test two to three patients a day, but this new technology allows for the testing of at least 12 patients a day. “Someone who needs to access this exam will have it on time.”

Turcotte emphasized that many men are afflicted with prostate cancer and that two new scanners had to be installed, as well as modifications made to the layout of the clinic, to keep up with the new possibilities of rapid testing. The whole process has been in development for three years. Many people were involved, from the ground up to the director general of the hospital. “It is very majestic, what the hospital did.” So great is their current capacity that they can now serve patients from as far away as Montreal and Halifax.

Turcotte would like to see the use of the technology expand to other parts of Canada.

Turcotte insisted that he is merely the “tip of the iceberg” of the massive, award-winning team that worked together to make this happen.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Bishop’s University (BU) unveiled an ongoing new documentary project by its Indigenous Student Support Centre. The announcement, held on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 12 p.m. in the McConnell Agora of the Library Learning Commons, focused on the creation and history of Kwigw8mna, BU’s new Indigenous Centre. Shawna Chatterton Jerome, the Coordinator of Indigenous Student Support Services, introduced the filmmaker leading the project, Daniel Brière, and discussed the motivation behind this important initiative. The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, offering further insights into the documentary.

The history

“It was built in 1891,” said Chatterton Jerome, referring to the building that will become Kwigw8mna (formerly known as Divinity House). Conversations about the building’s new role began in 2017; it was in need of major repairs – one option was to simply tear it down.

In 2019, BU received $5.9 million in funding from the Quebec government and was going to fundraise another million on its own to repurpose the building as an Indigenous Support Centre.

Between 2020 and 2021, tensions arose between the Indigenous Club involved in the project and BU administration revolving around the final form the building would take. “We weren’t feeling like our voices were being heard,” Chatterton Jerome recounted.

After “intense” media attention and the show of local support, BU administration began taking some of the Indigenous students’ concerns into consideration, she explained. Initially, the building was meant to house some classrooms, a proposition she and her peers disagreed with because it did not leave enough space for the Support Centre’s other functions.

Things settled down in June 2021 when a plan was agreed upon by all parties. Unfortunately, they hit another speedbump when the construction company they hired told them the final cost of the new building would be $11.9 million, nearly double what they expected.

In June of 2023, the Quebec government agreed to give BU another $4.8 million to complete the project, which began construction just this past August.

The documentary

Struck by the significance of and struggles involved with Kwigw8mna, Chatterton Jerome thought a documentary detailing its history would be appropriate. She and Benjamin Tabah, BU’s Digital Strategy Coordinator, are its producers.

Chatterton Jerome quickly put out a call on Facebook to find an Indigenous filmmaker and found one: Brière, a film-studies teacher at Kiuna College in Odanak, Quebec. Brière is well known in the Indigenous community for his other documentaries, Chatterton Jerome explained.

Filming began Aug. 10, with the funding for it still in the air. Interviews with those involved in the planning of the project will be interlaced with video of the building’s physical transformation. Not everyone involved can be interviewed, she admitted, but she wants avatars of every perspective on the project – Indigenous students, staff, project managers – she hopes former Principal Michael Goldbloom will agree to participate.

Notable construction issues will be included. Preston Hall, a room in the building, which was initially a chapel, has an “extra floor” underneath it “which needs to be dealt with”.

The goal is to have the documentary completed by November 2024; the building itself should be completed in Oct. 2024.

The documentary is being fully funded by the BU Principal’s Office.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

During a Bury Town Council meeting Nov. 6, the question period brought to light several key issues of public interest, including heritage preservation discrepancies and concerns about municipal water usage policies. Mayor Denis Savage presided over the meeting, at which around nine residents attended over the course of the night. The meeting began at 7:30 p.m. and lasted just over an hour.

The first question period opened up with a resident highlighting a discrepancy between digital mapping services and the city’s records regarding the existence of the Prescott Cemetery. The council acknowledged the concern and committed to a further investigation into the matter, understanding the importance of heritage sites for both historical value and tourism.

The same man addressed the council with a related issue about a ‘private property’ sign placed across a road leading to the cemetery. The sign had been temporarily removed to allow road repairs after heavy rain, which sparked a discussion on maintaining access to historical sites. The council noted the necessity of ensuring that such sites remain accessible to the public.

Questions about water conservation policies were raised, pointing to the lack of clarity in the municipal regulations regarding the definition of ‘essential’ water use. Citizens expressed confusion over restrictions placed on non-essential water use, like car washing, and the council conceded that clearer guidelines were needed. They indicated a willingness to revisit the bylaws to ensure water resilience and sustainability.

Further, the council was asked about the actions taken based on public suggestions from previous special sessions. The council responded that while public opinions had been collected, no formal decisions or conversions into regulations or resolutions had taken place yet.

The council members were also questioned about the management of the local golf course, revealing a citizen’s interest in forming a committee to enhance and maintain the facility. The council discussed the process for public participation in such initiatives, showing openness to community-led improvements and maintenance of recreational spaces.

A question was asked about the landline telephone in the community centre’s office. It is for emergencies, he was told.

Finally, a question was asked regarding the slight raising of a monthly tax for the populaces’ ability to call 9-1-1 (to 52 cents). The amount is charged on your bill, whether you have a landline or cellphone. Notable on the docket in terms of resolutions were a few exemptions given out concerning building permits, the authorization of drinking alcohol in the community centre for the coming Christmas Market event, and a donation to ‘Les amis des jeux – Estrie’: $100 for 2024. It was suggested by a resident that the profits for the Christmas Market go to a food insecurity charity like last year. It was noted that the Town will now offer the playing of darts in their “salle Victoria”, available through reservation. The room is not accessible by wheelchair.

The meeting concluded with the assurance that the issues raised would be addressed in future sessions and could be always clarified right after the meeting.

Common Front public sector unions strike across Quebec Nov. 6

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Some 420,000 Common Front public sector union members went on strike Nov. 6, hundreds of which rallied in front of Complexe Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in Sherbrooke waving union flags and chanting slogans. Representatives from the CSN, CSQ, FTQ and APTS unions took turns addressing the gathering in a show of unity and defiance to the provincial government’s latest offer (including a 10.3 per cent salary increase over five years) after nearly a year of negotiations. If negotiations continue to stall, they will strike again Nov. 21-23.

“We don’t need a little, we need a lot,” CSQ representative Richard Bergevin said. “Do you truly think [Premier Francois] Legault’s offer will attract people to our professions?” He emphasized that public sector professions need qualified new inductees that really want to be there, so they must maintain their solidarity to guarantee a real augmentation of their work conditions. The crowd responded with shouts in unison of, “Solidarity!”

“It’s a historic day… 420,000 have risen up,” FTQ representative Éric Bergeron said. Public sector workers are speaking out to take care of our society, he went on. The government is trying to convince to populace that investing in health and education is an expense. Diligent workers in our schools are building the Quebec of the future. When citizens arrive at school, at the hospital, or the aged at public retirement homes, they deserve the best service possible, which means workers deserve better working conditions.

“Why are we on strike?” CSN representative Denis Beaudin asked rhetorically. The government’s offer, whether nine or 10.3 per cent “is all the same”, means you are impoverished, he exclaimed. The government claims they do not have the ability to pay any more, but to serve the public, they must pay more. The crowd cheered. “Today is just a half-day warning,” he said, but if things do not change, come Nov. 21, 22 and 23, “we are out!”

“It is an investment into Quebec’s economy!” said Danny Roulx, APTS representative. He said he has a message for Legault and Minister Sonia LeBel: we are the personnel that support and accompany our youth throughout their schooling and produce the workers of the future; we are the doctors; we take care of the buildings – it all contributes to the economy. He then led a chant of, “Us! With one voice!” and said they would keep at it until the government finally understands.

Canadian Party of Quebec holds rally in support of Quebec’s English universities

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The Canadian Party of Quebec (CPQ) held a rally in support of Quebec’s English universities, which face a governmental doubling (to $17,000) of tuition fees for out-of-province students starting in 2024, at the Golden Lion Pub in Lennoxville Nov. 4. Party leadership, members and other supporters took turns speaking to a gathering of around 40 people. The event included performances by local musicians Tim Brink and Billy Lidstone.

“We’re here to support our historical, successful and world-renowned universities: Bishop’s, McGill and Concordia,” said CPQ President Liz Campbell; the tuition hike will “decimate” the universities financially. “It’s time for us to stand up and send a clear message to Francois Legault: Hands off our English institutions!”

“My rights are not protected,” Deputy Leader Myrtis Fossey said, after recounting how her parents, of British and Greek descent, immigrated to Quebec in the 60s. “[We] are not ‘pure laine’ enough.” The hyper-focus of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) on the decline of French provides “the perfect smokescreen” for their other failures.

It’s not true that English universities are better funded than their French counterparts, said local economist Derek Heatherington. The government has claimed English universities cost the Quebec government $110 million a year, he continued, but the GDP of out-of-province students is over half a billion dollars a year. “The value of English universities in Quebec is much greater than the cost on paper.”

“I’m tired of feeling like a second-class citizen in my home province,” said former Lennoxville Elementary School Principal Dawn Irving. Since the introduction of Bill 101, enrolment has declined in Quebec English primary and secondary schools. The governmental attacks on Quebec’s anglophone schools have been going on for years and “now they are just taking it up a notch”.

Bill 96 is a movement towards “sovereignty-association” without a referendum, said former Townshippers’ Association President Gerald Cutting. Quebec’s English institutions keep their associated culture dynamic and worldly. Everything the CAQ is doing now is part of a plan, he insisted, to undermine English institutions. “We must rise to the occasion,” he said, and protect Bishop’s, the most vulnerable of Quebec’s three English universities. “Welcome to the trenches.”

“People are waking up to the small-minded, petty, cruel and irrational policies that have defined Quebec for nearly 60 years,” said CPQ Leader Colin Standish; language rights are a moral battle.

The rally lasted around two and a half hours and ended with a few speeches by local and Montreal-based supporters followed by some songs by Brink and Lidstone.

Sunnyside Elementary to roll out new, official wellbeing programming this year

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

On Oct. 27, Sunnyside Elementary celebrated becoming an official member of Santé Globale, a holistic healthy lifestyle educational program founded in Sherbrooke in 1998. Students and staff gathered outside for a brief explanation of the new program by Principal Amy Gallant, followed by photo scavenger hunt.

“Sunnyside Elementary is now a Santé Globale school,” Cycle Three Teacher Tania Portelli explained, which involves adding some new aspects to their regular programming.

A main change entails a commitment to outdoor education: one physical education block will be outdoors for each grade, every two weeks throughout the schoolyear, planned and run by their gym teacher with help from a related committee. Cycle Three, for example, will also do some outdoor trips.

Another focus of their new programming is health and wellbeing. The school has always incorporated proper nutrition, for instance, into their teaching, but now, with their own garden and soon-to-be-functional greenhouse, it is much easier to do, Portelli insisted.

“From potatoes, to tomatoes, to peppers… kids were tasting everything, expanding their palettes,” she said, and learning how to cook, plant, and harvest.

Each grade has their own new curriculum which outlines what is expected of them; the school will build novel related elements into their programming year-to-year as they become more comfortable with Santé Globale’s framework.

Sunnyside pays a small amount per child to gain access to Santé Globale’s resources. Representatives from the organization will meet periodically with Sunnyside leadership to help out and keep things on track. The school can now borrow outdoor gear from a warehouse in Magog when they need it, which includes tents, stoves, and other camping equipment.

The outside of their new greenhouse should be finished within a week; Portelli is not sure when the interior will be completed and ready to go. In science class, kids learn about plants’ life cycles, she explained, something they will now be able to do during the winter.

“We want to get kids outside, we want to get kids more active,” she elaborated, speaking on why they signed up to be a part of Santé Globale. Kids are addicted to screens, she noted. Richard Louv coined the term ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ in 2005, an idea that underlies their rationale.

They have two lakes nearby, access to a bike trail and a forest – they must take advantage of these opportunities, she said. “I’m from Toronto,” she expounded, “all I see [and hear] are planes, traffic and ambulances.” She emphasized it has been proven that taking children outside can relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Over 100 community leaders support Bishop’s at gathering in face of tuition hikes

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In a show of support for Bishop’s University [BU], which is facing a governmental doubling of tuition – to $17,000 a year – for out-of-province students in 2024, over 100 local community leaders gathered for a press conference Oct. 31 in front of a packed crowd at Centennial Theatre. Student, political, educational, and business leaders took turns speaking in support of BU, punctuated by bouts of enthusiastic applause from well over 500 attendees.

“You have here in front of you some of the most influential members of the business, academic, culture-world and elected officials… from the region,” former Sherbrooke Mayor Jean Perrault began, “and we are here for you.” This new tuition measure threatens BU’s very identity, he continued, and is something the community simply cannot accept. He introduced BU Student Representative Council President Sophia Stacey, saying, “She’s from Alberta, studies at Bishop’s, and speaks French.” A ripple of appreciative laughter spread through the gathering.

“The provincial government has failed to consider the legacy of this proposal on [BU],” Stacey said. This undermines students’ autonomy to determine their future educational path. What is ultimately at stake is the loss of a “sense of belonging” to Quebec. BU’s presence does not threaten the French language in Montreal, Sherbrooke or Lennoxville.

BU plays an important educational, cultural, and economic role in the Townships, she continued, but the issue is also “deeply meaningful and personal” for her. Born in Alberta, she has grown to love the French culture. She chose BU for its intimate community, regional location and to strengthen her French, “as many of you did, as well,” she said to the gathering. The crowd erupted into applause.

Raïs Kibonge, Sherbrooke’s Acting Mayor, took the podium next. He emphasized that a community, to develop, needs a heart. The heart of Lennoxville is BU, he said. “We must all work together to ensure a prosperous future for [BU].” He hopes the government will allow an exception to their new legislation for BU, a small-sized university that has had an outsized impact on the region for over 180 years.

Jacques Demers, Mayor of Ste-Catherine de Hatley and Prefect of the Memphremagog MRC, then stepped up to the lectern. He said he was proud to be there and could sense the energy from the students and community members in the room. His children can speak English well, he insisted, though he admitted he did not speak English well enough to address the crowd with it. The Townships has both English and French CEGEPs and universities, which, he thinks, work together well. “There is no fighting in the region… [our bilingualism] is our strength.”

Sherbrooke University (UdeS) Principal Pierre Cossette then stood before the crowd. People tend to think BU and UdeS are in competition, he said, “but we’re good friends”. He emphasized UdeS and BU work together on numerous projects of which he is proud, and the region is lucky to have both an English and French university.

“The real goal now is talent,” he went on. BU is an extremely important facet of the region’s ability to attract talent and are a valued partner in that effort. He noted that this whole situation creates an “issue of perception”, and wanted BU students to know they are welcome in the Townships. “We greatly value your presence among us, and we hope it will continue for a long, long time.”

Sébastien Lussier, President of the Sherbrooke Chamber of Commerce, then addressed the gathering. He insisted BU has an important economic impact on the Townships, contributing $108 million a year in “direct spending”, $76 million in GDP, and $65 million in wages. The roughly 800 BU students from other provinces spend $21 million dollars in the Townships’ economy. BU provides 1,000 fulltime jobs to Quebecers and is the 8^th largest employer in the region.

All the community leaders on stage have signed an open letter in support of BU, Perrault explained, to Premier Francois Legault and The Minister of Higher Education Pascale Déry. More than 187 local community leaders signed in total, many of whom could not make the day’s event. The letter underlines the importance of BU to the Townships, an institution that has been a pillar of the community for 180 years. “Bishop’s is not a threat to the French language in Estrie,” he said with conviction, which was followed by a lengthy round of applause. The loss of BU would threaten the “vitality” of the region, and they are asking the government to exempt BU from the new tuition measure.

Speaking last was Sébastien Lebel-Grenier, BU Principal and Vice-Chancellor, who took the stage to a standing ovation. “This is not about me,” he began, “it’s about all of us.” In a moment of need, it is amazing to see so many of the community together in one place, he said. “We are a community that is stronger because we work together.” He thanked the community leaders for their support.

Perrault urged everyone not to forget to write the CAQ’s Estrie representatives to demonstrate the community’s solidarity. “Together, we want to keep BU, and do not want it to close.”

After the conference, Lennoxville Borough Councillor Guillaume Lirette-Gélinas said it was very moving to see everyone gathered “to support this beautiful institution” and keep this “human-sized” organization the way it is.

Former BU Principal Michael Goldbloom said he was gratified to see such a response from the Sherbrooke community. He insisted that the issue is not merely a language one, but a community one. In his 15 years as BU Principal, he never saw the entire region’s community come together like this “in such a forceful way”. “I have to believe the government is going to listen.”

When asked what the government should do instead, Goldbloom is in favour of incentives, such as funding French programs in English universities, rather than restrictions. The simplest thing for the government to do, at this point, would be to withdraw the whole measure, he continued. “[It] doesn’t make sense for anybody, frankly.” The objectives that they have set will not be achieved by this measure. People need to recognize that the threat to BU is “existential”; he doesn’t believe the university can survive if this proposal is not rescinded. “All they are going to do is destroy a university that has been here for 180 years… it’s totally irresponsible.”

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Sherbrooke’s Mayor, Évelyne Beaudin, has announced an indefinite leave from her municipal duties due to medical advice. During her absence, Deputy Mayor Raïs Kibonge will take the helm, ensuring that city functions continue seamlessly. A press conference on the issue was held at Sherbrooke’s town hall at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 30.

City officials are keen to emphasize that services to the citizens will remain unaffected. The city council and administration are joining forces to facilitate a smooth governance transition, demonstrating their commitment to the public’s welfare, states a press release.

The Cities and Towns Act necessitates such a move, as it mandates the acting mayor to step in when the sitting mayor is unable to perform their responsibilities. Consequently, Kibonge will not only execute the mayor’s powers but will also represent the office on the executive committee, and Councilwoman Laure Letarte-Lavoie is set to preside over the executive committee during Beaudin’s absence.

Kibonge remarked on the current scenario, saying, “Today’s events underscore that each individual, at some point, faces challenging decisions pertaining to personal and professional well-being. I’m confident in saying that the entire Sherbrooke community sends their thoughts and best wishes to Mayor Beaudin during her recovery.”

Éric Sévigny, the city’s general manager, added, “Both the city council and administration remain dedicated to maintaining service continuity during this period. We extend our wishes for Mayor Beaudin’s quick recovery and express gratitude to the public for their continued respect and understanding.”

Every decision, small or large, that is made by the municipal government has an impact, Kibonge insisted, when asked if he would make any “big moves” in his interim role. He will respect the powers he has been given and work with his colleagues to carry out the objectives of his party.

When a reporter noted people might get the impression the choice to go on leave was due to the “tumultuous” climate at the town hall, such as the criticism Beaudin has recently received on her online budget survey from three independent councilwomen, Kibonge responded that his party has been in power for two years and the situation now is not really any different than it has been in the past.

“I’m blessed to live in a free democracy, so I don’t have specific steps to take,” Kibonge said, when asked what tasks he would need to do in particular, in the coming week, to properly fulfill his new function. He will do what the law dictates and “work with everybody”. “Mrs. Beaudin left the house in order, and I just need to be a good steward.”

“It’s pretty dramatic,” Lennoxville Town Councillor Claude Charron commented afterwards, “when you look at everything that is going on.” The news won’t affect Lennoxville immediately, he insisted, since the pressing issue there is the coming budget, which does not have much to do with the Mayor. Charron, admitting to some speculation, noted he had some difficulty dealing with a complaint against him years ago, and knows the job of a politician can be “a big challenge”.

In a public post on her Facebook page, Beaudin stated (paraphrased for brevity):

I am taking a medically recommended leave of absence from my role as mayor to prevent extreme exhaustion. Everyone handles such challenges differently, and while you may have recently seen me looking well in public, the demands of politics can be taxing. I deeply regret pausing my involvement in cherished city projects, but I trust that the elected officials, managers, and city staff will continue to serve Sherbrooke’s best interests. I urge political opponents not to exploit my absence for gain, reminding everyone of our shared humanity. I can’t pinpoint a specific cause for my need for a break, but the mayorship has been both a rewarding and strenuous journey. In the coming days, I’ll be engaging in activities beneficial to my well-being, and I appreciate the continuous support and trust from the community.

It was asserted during the conference that, from a legal standpoint, Beaudin’s leave can persist for 90 days as of Nov. 7. At that point, the City Council can give her another 30 day’s grace if they so choose.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Members of the provincial Official Opposition (PLQ) and student representatives decried the planned tuition hike for university students at a press conference held at Bishop’s University (BU) Oct. 27. The hike will nearly double the fees out-of-province students will pay per year at Quebec universities, from around $9,000 to $17,000, starting in the fall of 2024. Over 40 media, students, staff and politicians attended, notably including Sébastien Lebel-Grenier, BU’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor.

Marc Tanguay, PLQ member and Leader of the Official Opposition, emphasized he was there to demonstrate his support for BU in their cause against the hike. The hike will have a negative effect on all Quebec universities, especially BU, he insisted. Doubling fees for out-of-province students will have a “devastating impact” on BU’s identity and finances. “The cause is just and justified.”

Catherine Bibeau-Lorraine, President of the Quebec Student Union, said the provincial government is raising tuition “for no good reason and no good pretext”, and demanded the hike be canceled.

BU Student Representative Council President Sophia Stacey disputed what she sees as the government’s view that out-of-province students contribute less to the “post-secondary landscape” than Quebec students. The government’s actions “[undermine] the autonomy of young people to determine their educational path”. What is ultimately at stake is students’ sense of belonging to Quebec, she insisted.

Stacey was raised in Alberta, but has grown to love her “French heritage”. She participated in an exchange program to St. Hyacinthe in her youth, which is why she came back to Quebec to study at BU. Her personal story and that of thousands of others outweigh the government’s reasoning for raising tuition, which is not “research-based”. “Education is a right to all,” she said.

Marwah Rizqy, spokesperson for the Official Opposition on matters of education and higher education, said every university has a major role to play in our society. Even if some BU students eventually leave Quebec, they become ambassadors for the province to the rest of English Canada.

“We need to attract… and keep English students,” she insisted. Universities are looking for the most talented people they can get, wherever they can find them. Many French students also believe that any student can find a place here, she noted. She listed off a group of French political and business leaders; it is not just ‘angryphones’ that disagree with the government’s decision.

The government has made no study of what kind of impact this legislation will have, she continued. Come and meet with the staff and the students of these universities, she suggested, addressing Pascale Déry, Minister of Higher Education, to get an idea of the grave consequences, financial and otherwise, of your actions.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

During an Oct. 27 public meeting of the Champlain CEGEP Board of Governors in Lennoxville, the Champlain Lennoxville teacher’s union made a statement concerning a recent news report outlining alleged psychological harassment and other problems at the institution, asking “what concrete actions you will take to address [them]”. Board Chair Matthew Mazur presided over the meeting, which started nearly an hour later than advertised and had around 20 members of the public in attendance, including two Higher Education Ministry investigators charged to look into the finances and management of the CEGEP as a whole.

Near the beginning of the meeting, Mazur acknowledged that follow-up questions were sent into the board by the news organization that released the article in question. A board member asked if a response to the allegations would be made during the meeting and was told it would be dealt with during the “correspondence” portion of the meeting. During the “correspondence” portion of the meeting, receipt of the questions was officially acknowledged and a commitment to circulating the follow-up questions among the board and “answering appropriately” was made, but no timeframe was given. No official response to the allegations was given.

Question period- union statement

Geneviève Dufresne-Martin, a vice-president and treasurer of the Syndicat de L’Enseignment du Collège Champlain de Lennoxville (SECCL), represented the union in reading out a statement to the board during the question period, detailed below:

On Oct. 26, a news organization published an article detailing allegations that the head of Champlain Lennoxville, Nancy Beattie, created a toxic workplace and psychologically harassed others. “Since then, there has been a steady stream of faculty members that have communicated their understandable concerns to the union executive of the… SECCL.”

“For many years now, the union has witnessed numerous problems related to the work climate and governance at Champlain College Lennoxville and has brought these to the attention of Human Resources (HR), discussed them in our regular litigation prevention meetings with the representatives of the College Administration, formally relayed our preoccupations to the interim Director General, Mr. Yves Rainville. Despite the union’s many efforts, the issues have yet to be fully addressed and resolved.”

“Unfortunately, many events over the past few years have contributed to the deterioration of the overall climate and have eroded the faculty’s trust in the College Administration. We are therefore turning to the Champlain Board of Governors to ask what concrete actions you will take to address the problems raised in the article and by our union and what timeframe you propose for the implementation of these actions.”

The article was signed by the executive members of the SECCL, the President of which is Brigitte Robert.

Mazur thanked the union for their statement and stated that the situation is “ongoing”. He assured the group that the board is actively cooperating with the investigation and the timeframe for action depends on its results. “Hopefully we find a resolution,” he said, to conclude his response.

A former member of the board in attendance then asked what the board was going to do to “ensure the longevity of the leadership of the college”, regardless of whether or not the aforementioned allegations are true.

“I want to take things in a new direction,” Mazur responded, but he does not have a concrete answer to this question right now. A future action plan will depend on the recommendations resulting from the investigation. Everything will be made public, he assured the questioner, “this is a public meeting, a public forum… everything will go out to you guys.”

Another board member emphasized that the primary objective of the board was to “ensure the longevity of the institution”.

Townships faces high rates of food insecurity, reveals 2023 Hunger Report

By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative

The battle against hunger intensifies in the Eastern Townships, with the region witnessing an unprecedented spike in food insecurity. A new Hunger Report for 2023 indicates that organizations combating hunger in the Townships have seen their numbers rise dramatically by 67 per cent since 2019. Seven related community organization leaders held a press conference on the issue Oct. 25 at Moisson Estrie in Sherbrooke.

Of concern is the increase in children affected by this crisis. There has been a 73 per cent rise in hungry children since 2019, with a 14 per cent jump from the previous year alone.

With surging demands, community organizations, notably those like Moisson Estrie and Moisson Granby, are feeling the pressure. Economic challenges, including the rising cost of living, heightened interest rates, soaring food prices, and escalating housing costs, are pushing more people towards food assistance. There’s been a 36 per cent surge in individuals seeking help, individuals who, until very recently, were managing without such assistance.

While the data paints a grim picture, the community’s resilience is evident. Over the last five years, there’s been a 31 per cent increase in food donations, and organizations have upped their purchasing budgets by 15 per cent. Yet, the needs far outweigh the available resources.

Looking forward, community stakeholders are taking proactive steps. A significant regional conference is scheduled for Nov. 2, bringing together over a hundred partners from across the nine MRCs. They aim to strategize and develop actionable plans to combat the challenges of food supply and distribution.

Christian Bibeau, General Director of Moisson Estrie, presided over a press conference on Wednesday to discuss the issue of food insecurity. He thanked the other organization leaders who were present, and who are “on the ground” facing these challenges day-to-day, for speaking out.

Patrick St-Denis, General Manager of Moisson Granby, held the floor first. Moisson Granby has helped 8,591 people in their region with food issues so far this year. Demand has increased everywhere, he noted. Every organization is looking for more money to cover its costs. There has been a 17 per cent increase in clients that they usually do not serve: the employed. They are working with the provincial government and locally to better serve their clients.

Pierre Bélisle, Chairman of the Board of Moisson Estrie, spoke next. Moisson Estrie’s biggest current issue is “daily troubleshooting”. Forty per cent of their clientele visits their building directly to help deal with their food issues. In 2019, an average of 250 clients visited them per week, whereas today that number has increased to an average of 450 per week. In the past few weeks, they have served over 500 per week. If you do the math, he continued, they are now helping more than 1,200 Sherbrooke residents per week. They need to be creative, he insisted. He admitted that increased donations are helpful.

Marjorie Tyroler, General Manager of the Coaticook Volunteer Action Center, then conveyed her organization’s situation and concerns. Last year, they distributed more than $600,000 worth of food in their region, which makes up four per cent of the Townships’ population. In 2019, they served 15 clients per week; now, the number is between 30 and 40 per week. It is not easy for them to handle those numbers with their current infrastructure. They serve three categories of clients: 1) those who simply do not have enough money, 2) those with precarious or inconsistent employment, and 3) those who are employed but are having difficulty making ends meet due to other financial responsibilities. More food and money would be helpful, but her organization is facing a “point of no return” in terms of lack of personnel. She hopes they can find a collective solution.

Michel Morisset, Chairman of the Board of the Memphrémagog Food Bank, addressed the gathering. His organization has a grocery store and delivers food. Since April 1, they have served 37 per cent more clients than normal. Some 2,500 to 3,000 people in his region have food issues, and there are many they cannot serve properly due to its size – from Stanstead, up to Magog, and down to Mansonville. It is not reasonable to expect those from Mansonville or Stanstead to make the trip to Magog for food. Serving the many isolated villages in their region is their greatest challenge going forward.

Isabelle Falconetto, Services Coordinator of the Cowansville Volunteer Action Center, gave remarks. Her organization faces an “astronomical” 60 per cent increase in the clientele they serve. “We’ve never seen this before.” Part of the increase is due to there being more homeless in the area. They serve nearly 300 people in total. New registrations for their service are nearly daily, another first.
Vincent Boutin, General Manager of “La Grande Table”, then came forward. They distribute frozen meals for $1 a piece – a service begun during the pandemic. In 2020 they gave out zero, last year 65,000, and this year he speculates it will be up to 80,000. Another service they provide involves lunches for school children. They gave out 200 two years ago, 500 last year, and will likely hit the same number this year. They are planning to expand from the 10 schools they serve in Sherbrooke to all 40.

We are saying, together, there is something that is not working, Bibeau said, summing up the conference. “Too many people are hungry.”

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

The Tillotson Coaticook Region Fund (TCRF) gave out 34 grants to local community organizations at a gathering at the North Hatley Legion Oct. 25. The grants were disbursed one by one, and the recipients said a few words about their projects and thanked the foundation for its donation. Notable was a speech given by David Edgell, Border Curling Club President. Over 60 people attended and socialized, enjoying some wine and cheese during and after the event.

“We were a little glove company in Coaticook,” TCRF President Michael Everett explained, referring to the regional fund’s beginnings. The company employed 50 to 60 people from 1978 until recently. It was owned by Neil Tillotson.

Tillotson was an American who lived in New England and owned a lot of nearby land in both Canada and the United States. He also owned companies all over the world, producing mostly latex gloves.

When Tillotson passed away in 2001, he left quite a bit of money (over $100 million) to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. $3 million was used to start the TCRF. The money is invested, and the returns are distributed amongst community organizations twice a year.

The Fund focuses on helping the community out with its basic needs, like educating kids and services that support the elderly.

Edgell’s speech

David Edgell fondly remembered childhood drives through Dixville Notch, where a well-lit factory stood, believed to produce balloons. Neil Tillotson, who began with balloon manufacturing in Canaan, Vermont, later initiated the Dixville Notch Foundation for environmental and educational causes.

Edgell was inspired by the Tillotson Foundation’s community projects after reading about them in the Sherbrooke Record. In the backdrop of changing economic times, closed factories, and border challenges due to the pandemic, Edgell recognized the need for community rejuvenation. He focused on the Border Curling Club in Beebe, a bilingual club founded in 1955. Edgell sought the Tillotson Foundation’s support for an educational and recreational curling program for elementary school students. The project aimed to foster community interaction, encourage physical activity, and combat youth sedentariness.

With the help of the Tillotson Foundation, the program would debut in Stanstead, combining classroom learning and on-ice curling. Edgell envisioned children sharing their curling experiences with families, thus strengthening community ties. He thanked the Tillotson family and the foundation for their support, emphasizing the importance of community connection and expressing hopes for the project’s positive impact on North Country.

Organizations and grants given

Collège François Delaplace: $2,490

Operation Backpack: $5,000

Centre d’Action Bénévole de la MRC de Coaticook: $10,000

Camp Massawippi: $6,000

Fondation Lampe Foundation: $4,000

Clubs Lions de Compton Inc: $6,000

CÉA Coaticook: $1,000.00

Clinique Médicale de Coaticook: $6,500

Association Sportive du Lac Wallace: $2,000

Musée Colby-Curtis/Société Historique de Stanstead: $2,800

École Saint-Luc: $1,600

Alexander Galt High School: $2,600

Ayer’s Cliff Elementary: $10,000

École Sacré-Coeur: $614

Club de l’âge d’or de Saint-Malo et de Compton: $5,000

Centre d’action bénévole de Stanstead: $4,800 (for three separate projects)

Centre culturel et communautaire de Waterville: $1,300

École Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides: $6,000

École Sacré-Coeur: $3,976

CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS: $8,500

North Hatley Elementary School: $2,000

Phelps Helps: $10,000

Grace Village Care Foundation: $10,000

Bibliothèque Lennoxville Library: $1,022.42 (for two separate projects)

Association du baseball mineur de Sherbrooke: $3,000

Le Renaissance Manoir St. Francis: (not specified)

FADOQ-Coaticook: $4,000

Club de curling Border Curling Club: $3,000

Royal Canadian Legion: $5,000

Sunnyside Elementary: $3,800 (for two separate projects)

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Secours Amitié, a local phone helpline organization based in Sherbrooke, is looking for more volunteers to man their phoneline, and financial aid. Their mission is to provide a confidential and anonymous service, in French, for those who need someone to listen to them concerning any issue at all. Secours Amitié employees Sandy Brouillard, Rachelle Lessard, and Micheal Joseph, and volunteer David Alonso manned a kiosk in Jacques-Cartier Park to inform the public about their service and recruit volunteers Oct. 24.

“September 25^th, Secours Amitié launched its annual fundraising campaign,” explained Lessard, and them having a kiosk in the park is a continuation of that project. Many have not heard of their service, so they want to bring it to the public. It is a great day to do it, she went on, since it is ‘Journée de l’écoute’, a day set aside in the province for this very purpose.

Secours Amitié has received 10,500 calls so far this year and needs more volunteers to respond to the public’s need for a listening ear. “We need the public’s help to keep this service alive,” Lessard insisted. Their financial campaign aims to raise $20,000 over the next year; they have raised $3,000 so far. It takes a lot more than that to maintain the quality of their service, with expenses such as recruitment and training that need to be covered.

There are currently 54 volunteers working their phoneline, and they are looking for 30 more. Their phoneline is open from 8 a.m. in the morning to 3 a.m. at night, 365 days a year. Each volunteer is meant to work four hours a week. If they meet their new volunteer goal, they will be able to serve twice as many people – nearly 20,000 calls.

Brouillard emphasized that anyone can call for any reason. “There is no bad reason to call,” she went on, whether you want to “vent” about what happened during the day, a fight with your boss or someone in the street, anything.

Secours Amitié also offers training in “active listening”, to other community organizations, for a price. “It is another way to fulfill our mission,” Lessard said.

To become a volunteer, there is first an information session, followed by an interview. The training involves an 18-hour course on active listening. “We believe anyone can learn how to listen properly,” Brouillard noted.

“Everything is in French, for now,” Brouillard continued. One must be fluent in French to volunteer. It is their “vision” to expand into English services at some point, she said, but they are not sure when that will happen.

The organization celebrated its 51^st year of existence last week.

Secours Amitié is holding a virtual information session online Oct. 26. More information on this, their other activities, and how to donate, can be found on their website.

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

At their monthly meeting Oct. 24, Lennoxville’s Councillors universally deplored the recent provincial commitment to double tuition for out-of-province university students. Along with putting forward an official statement in support of Bishop’s University (BU) “to help counter the tuition hike”, the Councillors expressed their personal views on the subject. Two residents attended the proceedings, which were otherwise mostly uneventful, including, notably, BU Student Representative Council (SRC) Student Life VP Olivia Woods. The meeting began at 5 p.m.

Councillor Claude Charron read out the Council’s “recommendation”. BU has existed for over 180 years in Lennoxville, he began. Thirty per cent of the student body is made up of out-of-province students. Losing these students could have a “catastrophic” effect on the functioning of BU as a whole. Many local residents work directly or indirectly for BU, and their employment is now under threat in the medium or long term. Thus, the Council supports BU in their opposition to the tuition hike. The recommendation will be forwarded to Geneviève Hébert, MNA of the Saint-François region.

“I am usually an optimistic person,” Councillor Jennifer Garfat said, giving her personal views on the tuition hike, “but all I could think of is at least this bomb didn’t fall and destroy buildings.” This bomb does not do damage materially, but in another way, she continued. Garfat wore her BU Gaiters sweatshirt to the meeting, overtop of her McGill sweatshirt, of which she is a proud graduate.

University is about learning to keep learning, she said. Meeting people at McGill from all over the world and the rest of Canada was an important part of her experience there. Even if some who study in Quebec do not stay here, they become “ambassadors” for the province when they return home. She has sons who have either graduated from McGill, are there currently, or have graduated from BU.

While she acknowledges tuition could be reasonably raised by a few thousand dollars per year, doubling it sends the wrong message to prospective out-of-province students. “It tells them: we don’t want you here.” She addressed Quebec Premier François Legault, saying “open mindedness is a good thing”.

In response to friends and family that wonder why she does not move out of Quebec, she says “my family has been here for 200 years, why should I move?” She insisted day to day life for English Quebecers is good, especially in the Townships, and not the way it is presented in the media.

Councillor Guillaume Lirette-Gélinas, responding to BU Principal Sébastien Lebel-Grenier’s call for alumni testimonies, said the following:

BU provides a “modern” form of education revolving around small class sizes. This gives students a closer and more engaging relationship with their professors. He fondly remembers gathering with his classmates and teacher at the Golden Lion Pub, reviewing modern music “in between two chicken wings”.

BU provided “revision services” that allowed Lirette-Gélinas to complete his master’s in his second language, English. BU’s commitment to a Liberal Arts education gives its students the flexibility and open-mindedness to have an “advantageous problem-solving capacity”.

BU contributes to Lennoxville like no other institution. BU’s heritage buildings delight foreign visitors. He applauds Sherbrooke Mayor Évelyne Beaudin and other local politicians’ support for BU. “I am a proud Bishop’s alumni, and I still bleed purple.”

The powers of the Council for the Lennoxville Borough are subordinate to the provincial government, Charron noted. The only thing they can do about the situation is to influence public opinion via their resolution. Influencing the CAQ will be difficult, he went on, for they face very little opposition. There is talk of some form of backdoor “compensation” for BU to make up for the money lost, but that would just be a patch.

The CAQ’s reasoning for the tuition hikes is based on information from Montreal, which is not the same as the Townships, he explained. Bills 101 and 96 “chip at our languages issue”. These problems don’t exist in Lennoxville, he insisted, which has a bilingual community that has been living together “for ages”. “It is negative for our community,” he summed up.

Garfat congratulated Sherbrooke’s Société de Généalogie for releasing a booklet, in English, containing the biographies of local English military veterans. This year’s Remembrance Day ceremony will be at 11 a.m. Nov. 5 beside the Borough Office in Lennoxville. There will be a rally against the tuition hike at the Golden Lion Pub Nov. 4.

After the meeting was adjourned at 5:35 p.m., Woods thanked the Council on behalf of the BU SRC for “supporting [them] fully”. She hopes BU can persevere through this. She reminded the group that there will be a “mobilization” of Quebec’s three English universities in Montreal on Oct. 30.