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

Spring has sprung. Nothing says spring quite like freezing rain with a backdrop of rumbling thunder. That, and the new assortment of birds at the feeders, competing with squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons. Beneath the snow, rhubarb is growing! Rhubarb, our perennial volunteer, just in time to celebrate Volunteer Week, April 16 to 22.
Think about it. If the world endures, it will be due to dedicated, hard-working volunteers – individuals who care about others and our earth. It’s moneygrubbing billionaires who threaten our climate and deplete our wealth of natural resources. I’m rooting for volunteers!
YONG SOOK KIM-LAMBERT
She’s international, and she’s from the Townships. Magog, to be exact. Yong Sook Kim-Lambert’s paintings will be on exhibit at the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery next week in a solo show, Méditation entre deux cultures. I keep wanting to read this as “mediation between two cultures,” but no, the show’s name really is “Meditation between two cultures.” An intriguing concept.
Could those two cultures be South Korea, where Kim-Lambert was born and studied art, and Quebec, where she has made her home since 1987? Or could they be French- versus English-speaking Quebecers? Our could it be any two cultures, and the space one inhabits between them?
I anticipate her exploration of this space will be at a deeper level than usual, maybe somehow related to her own “quest for identity,” quoting from her artist’s statement. Not unlike each individual’s quest to discover who we are, no matter our birthplace.
“Her work and creative process [are] rooted in her Buddhist past; the act of painting has become a meditation,” she says on her website, ykimlambert.com. Kim-Lambert works both figuratively and abstractly; we can hope to see paintings as well as printmaking.
The vernissage is on Saturday, April 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. The show continues until May 20 at the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery, 125 Principale West in Cookshire.
SmART Science
Literacy in Action has come to the Haut-Saint-François, with more innovative intergenerational workshops. SmART Science, as its name suggests, experiments with a combination of creative arts and science to “discover the wonders of light.” Through creative activities, both adults and kids (age 7+) will explore electricity, optical illusions, and shadows. Three workshops are Wednesdays, April 19, May 3, and May 17, from 6 to 7 p.m. Free of charge. Where? Pope Memorial Elementary School, 523 Stokes, Bury. To sign up, contact 819-346-7009 or connect@lia-estrie.org.
BOOKS TO BELLY
Have an appetite for reading… and eating? Literacy in Action proposes a series of workshops for kids age 7+ and adults to read a story together, then make food inspired by the story. The three workshops are on Wednesdays, April 26, May 10, and May 24, from 6 to 7 p.m. Free of charge, at the Pope Memorial Elementary School, 523 Stokes, Bury. To sign up, contact 819-346-7009 or connect@lia-estrie.org.
MORE STORYMAKERS
And of course, Literacy in Action’s Storymakers series continues Tuesdays, April 11, 18, and 25, and May 2 and 9, at 5 to 7 p.m. at the Eaton Corner Museum (Academy building), 375 Route 253, in Eaton Corner. For information, contact LIA at 819-346-7009 or info@lia-estrie.org.
H.E.L.P.
That stands for Health Services English-Language Program. HELP aims to support health and social service workers who are learning English through an online course (Dialogue McGill) offered by McGill University. A partnership between Literacy in Action and the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS, the HELP project was launched pre-pandemic by a team of volunteers, and is now reborn. Interested in volunteering for this project? Contact Bea at help@lia-estrie.org, or Cynthia at 819-346-7009.
LEARN COMPUTERS
Literacy in Action offers one-on-one digital coaching for persons struggling with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. In collaboration with Bishop’s College School, a team of “skills sharers” are standing by at LIA’s office at 5 Connolly Street, Lennoxville. Bring your devilish device to them, and they’ll help you master it. The 50-minute coaching sessions are by reservation every Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m., until May 20. To reserve your spot, email Cynthia at connect@lia-estrie.org or call 819-346-7009. No cost.
DEALING WITH DEMENTIA?
Health Link offers a workshop on tips and tricks to help you care for your loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. This is Part 2 of a workshop series led by Carole Arbery, a Licensed Practical Nurse who teaches in the Health Assistance and Nursing Care program at Lennoxville Vocation and Training Center. She has worked in seniors’ care for 27 years, including in an Alzheimer’s Unit. All are welcome, free of charge, on Thursday, April 27, at 1 to 2:30 p.m., in the Armoury, 563 Main Street, Bury.
TICKETS & FLEAS
Plan ahead for two summer events at the Canterbury Center. First, a concert on Friday, June 23, featuring Paula Chiasson on violin, voice, and dance; Normand Breton on bass, accordion, voice, and dance; and Christian Nolet on guitar and bouzouki. Tickets are available soon. Reservations: 819-872-3400.
Second, the Canterbury Center will host a Flea Market/Marché aux puces and Farmers’ Markets on Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30. Starting now, the organizers are seeking donations of small items and antiques. To arrange to drop off donations, or if your mobility is reduced, to have them picked up, call 819-872-3400. The Canterbury Center is located at 1095 Route 214, Cantberbury.
CHURCHES
United. Sunday services are at 9:30 a.m. at the Trinity United Church in Cookshire, and at 11 a.m. at the Sawyerville United Church. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Tami Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. For the schedule of services at the St. George’s Anglican Church, 84 Queen St., Lennoxville, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by April 17 for publication April 26.

The Irish are an amazing lot. Samuel O’Reilly invented the tattoo machine. Earnest Walton was the first to split an atom. Dr. Vincent Berry developed a cure for leprosy. The submarine, steam turbine, flavoured potato chips, the White House, and modern economics were all Irish brainchilds.
Not to mention their gifted with words: Oliver Goldsmith, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, and James Joyce, to name a few.
So this St. Patrick’s Day, may the leprechauns dance over your bed and bring you sweet dreams. May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live. And of course, bottoms up with the green beer, and “Sláinte”! Health!
WHO READS?
It’s the 20th Anniversary Edition of the “Canada Reads and so does Lennoxville” event organized by the Lennoxville Library. Five local luminaries will present the five Canada Reads books: Bruce Gilbert will present Mexican Gothic by Ivia Moreno-Garcia. Brandon Moores will defend Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Isabelle Menard will advocate for Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton. Curran Jacobs will promote Greenwood by Michael Christie. And Judith Munger will speak on behalf of Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah.
The quest this year is for one book to shift your perspective.
The debate is to be on Wednesday, March 15, at 7 p.m. Guests are invited to attend either in person at the Hope Community Church, 102 Queen St., Lennoxville, or via a YouTube livestream (the link is at BiblioLennoxvilleLibrary.ca). Info: 819-562-4949 or bibliolen@gmail.com.
ST. PAT’S IRISH FESTIVAL
Richmond is the place to be on St. Patrick’s Day! The Parade is on Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m., but a series of activities extend throughout the month: Concerts, a St. Pat’s Party, a Celtic Celebration with Solstice, a St. Patrick’s Day Mass, an art show, an outdoor bandstand show, and more. The activities end on Sunday, March 26, with a second showing of the Irish Embassy’s Irish diaspora exhibition from 12 to 3 p.m. and music by Isabelle Gosselin from 1 to 3 p.m. The exhibition highlights the history and contributions of 20 Irish immigrants to Canada, and is at the Richmond County Historical Society Museum, 1161 Route 243, Melbourne. Admission is free. For details about the Richmond Irish Heritage Festival, visit richmondstpats.org. It is organized by the Richmond St. Patrick’s Society.
STORYMAKERS
Literacy in Action is offering a creative and fascinating workshop series in Eaton Corner. “Together, we’ll use wood burners, button makers, old photographs, and so much more to create all kinds of stories,” says LIA’s poster. “Easy and fun activities for all ages. Come solo, with your kids, or with a friend!” Accomplished storyteller, author, and Sawyerville Library coordinator Ann Rothfels will share a story with participants at the start of the first four workshops.
The first workshop is Tuesday, April 4, at 5-7 p.m., with five more to follow on April 11, 18, 25, May 2, and 9. “Ideally folks sign up for all six workshops, but drop-ins are welcome,” wrote Yolanda Weeks, LIA’s organizer of this series. “For our archive collage workshop, we have lots of local pictures for folks to make collages with, and we have a copier and printer this year, if folks want to bring their own family photos to get creative with.”
The workshops are free of charge. Dinner and gas money are provided. The workshops will be at the Academy building of the Eaton Corner Museum, 375 Route 253, Eaton Corner. Yolanda invites participants to reserve their spot by calling Literacy in Action at 819-346-7009, or emailing info@lia-estrie.org. “Drop-ins are welcome too!”
VIACTIVE
Bilingual sessions of Viactive, those lively and regenerative exercises, have returned to the Newport Municipal Hall, 1452 Route 212. Anyone age 50+ are welcome to participate on Wednesdays at 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Prefer mornings? Join the Sawyerville group Wednesdays at 10 a.m. in the basement of the former Sawyerville Catholic Church, 4 Randboro Road, Sawyerville. Info: 819-889-1340.
WRITING WORKSHOPS
It’s interesting how many people got bit with the bug during the pandemic. The bug being creative writing, of course. Coming up are more free online workshops with the Write Here, Write Now! team of the Bishop’s University Lifelong Learning Academy (BULLA).
On Friday, March 24, 10 a.m. to noon, Rachel Garber (shameless self-promotion happening!) leads a workshop on Writing Nonfiction for Magazines, especially different forms of personal essays. On Monday, March 27, at 7 to 8:30 p.m., Etienne Domingue offers a “V is for Vengence” storywriting workshop. To register and get your Zoom link, email bulla@ubishops.ca.
CAREGIVERS TALKING
Here is an opportunity to hear two articulate caregivers talk about what they do. “Life Lessons from Two Accidental Caregivers: Self-Care” is their series of three presentations on Zoom, with “The Caregiver’s Journey” by Lizanne Ryan, and “Proud and Out Loud” by Marie Moliner.
The three sessions will permit lots of time for reflection, discussion, and questions. The first workshop, Wednesday, March 29, will focus on Self-care. The second, April 26, is on Advocacy, and the third, May 31, is on Rituals. All three are from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Organized by BULLA, you can attend it at no cost by registering through bulla@ubishops.ca.
CHURCHES
Anglican. No Anglican services are planned in Cookshire until the spring of 2023. For the schedule of services at the St. George’s Anglican Church, 84 Queen St., Lennoxville, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. Sunday services are at 9:30 a.m. at the Trinity United Church in Cookshire, and at 11 a.m. at the Sawyerville United Church. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by March 20 for publication March 29.

“The Only Two Certainties In Life Are Death And Taxes,” Ben Franklin wrote in 1789.
Will Rogers nuanced that: “The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.”
Then there’s taxes on death. In Canada, after someone dies, their estate pays taxes on income or on capital gains earned during the last year of life, and on taxes on interest or capital gains made on money in the estate (legalline.ca). But up to $10,000 of death benefits are not taxable, other than the CPP or QPP death benefits. Small mercies from the taxman.
TAX SEASON
A bilingual income tax assistance program in Sawyerville assists persons with limited income, free of charge. This service is part of the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program organized by the Canada Revenue Agency. Trained volunteers prepare both Canada and Quebec returns for persons with limited income.
ELIGIBLE?
To use the Community Volunteer Income Tax Service, you must be: (1) a single person with a maximum annual revenue of $35,000; (2) a couple with a maximum revenue of $45,000, plus $2,500 for each dependant; or (3) a single parent with a child with a maximum revenue of $45,000 plus $2,500 for each additional dependant. Income from interest should not exceed $1,000. Persons with income from self-employment, bankruptcy, or deceased persons are not eligible.
PAPERS?
You will need: (1) any papers you received from the Canada Revenue Agency and Revenu Québec in the past months, and your last Notices of Assessment; (2) your T4 and Relevé slips from your employer, or any other forms you received regarding income or tuition; (3) the RL-31 form from your landlord, if you are a renter. House owners will need their property tax number, which is on the municipal property tax bill.
Bring receipts for any payments you made for pills, dentist visits, glasses, or other health expenses. (Tip: Your pharmacy can give you a printout listing your pharmaceutical costs for the year.) These expenses may give you a tax credit.)
Persons above age 70 should inquire about a refundable tax credit for expenses incurred to continue living independently. Bring your home maintenance expenses, including purchasing, leasing or installing eligible equipment or fixtures, or staying in a functional rehabilitation transition unit. This year the credit is up to $2,000, depending on your total income.
SAWYERVILLE SERVICE
The Sawyerville income tax assistance program features the same team of volunteers as in the past – Danielle, Francine, and Suzanne. The service is sponsored by Loisirs Sawyerville.
When? Wednesday afternoons, March 8 and 29, from 1 to 4 p.m., and March 15 and 22, from 1 to 6 p.m.
Where? At the Catholic church in Sawyerville, Église Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire, 4 Randboro Road. Use the back door to enter the basement.
If you need any information, call Danielle at 819-889-2614.
ESTATE PLANNING
“Estate Planning: What you need to know in advance” is the topic of a free online webinar offered by Seniors Action Quebec on Tuesday, March 14, at 10 a.m. to noon. The registration deadline is March 7.
The session will include three topics. First, planning ahead: How to prepare your finances and plan your taxes so as to reduce the tax burden on your estate. Second, having a will, and reviewing it: The different kinds of wills, what documentation you need to put together in advance to help with the liquidation of your estate, and what information to share―or not―with your heirs. And finally, the role of the liquidator: The duties and obligations, and how to carry out a will search.
The presenters are notaries Linda Hammerschmid and Samy Staltari, and financial advisor Danny Sirgnano.
To register, send your contact information to Ruth Pelletier at ruthkathleenpelletier@gmail.com by March 7. For more information, visit www.seniorsactionquebec.ca.
MENTAL ILLNESS? LEAP!
You still have time to catch Mental Health Estrie’s workshop via Zoom on Wednesday, February 22, at 6 p.m. Dr. Xavier Amador will be speaking about “I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help! How to Help Someone with Mental Illness Accept Treatment.” That, by the way, is one of the most popular books in the library of Mental Health Estrie.
You can hear Dr. Amador at Youtube.com/@LEAPInstituteOrg, or by joining the February 22nd Zoom. For information, contact Emily McBurney at outreach@mentalhealthestrie.com or 819-565-2388.
WRITE HERE, RIGHT NOW!
Bishop’s University Lifelong Learning Academy offers these free, fun workshops and events on Zoom for lifelong learners: (1) Nonfiction Writing for Magazines, with Rachel Garber, on Friday, February 24, at 10 a.m., about personal essays. (2) Overseas Adventures, by Arthur Shears: A book launch on Saturday, February 25, at 1:30 p.m., from Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between. Finally, (3) Fugue Forum: U is for Unreal, with Etienne Domingue, on Monday, February 27, at 7 p.m., on magical realism. For information or to sign up for any of these free workshops, please email bulla@ubishops.ca.
TEENS & TWENTIES!
If you’re at this stage of life, don’t live to regret not trying for a Townships Young Voices Award from the Townships Sun. Your creative writing, art or photo can be great fun, and could just win! Deadline: February 28. Details: TownshipsSun.ca/Townships-Young-Voices/. If you’re looking for inspiration or tips, check out the video clips at YouTube.com/@TYVoices. Seriously.
CHURCHES
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. No Anglican services are planned in Cookshire until the spring of 2023. For the schedule of services at the St. George’s Anglican Church, 84 Queen St., Lennoxville, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m., at the Sawyerville United Church, 42 Principale N., Sawyerville (before Bédard Road). Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by February 20 for publication March 1.

Are you young? Here’s a chance for you to flex your creative muscles and win awards. Anyone age 29 or younger can submit a short story, non-fiction, poetry, photography or artwork for cash prizes and publication in the Townships Sun. It’s the Townships Young Voices Awards.
Up for grabs is $750 in awards. The deadline is February 28.
Seeking inspiration? YouTube/TYVoices has more than 20 short videos telling how to find ideas, and tips for developing them. These video clips are really short. They’ll put gas in your tank.
For example, poets Steve Luxton and Angela Leuck explain how they get ideas for poems. Rebecca Welton give a series of “top tips” for writing short stories, and Rachel Garber interviews Rachel McCrum, the editor of Fontmag.org, about working with a magazine editor.
Next, swing over to the TownshipsSun.ca/Townships-Young-Voices webpage. There you will find an E-Guide that explains how to create, write, win awards, and have your work published in magazines, especially in the Townships Sun. That is, if you want to try your hand at art, photos, or writing poetry or short fiction or non-fiction.
(And, wink, wink: See Write Here, Write Now! below.)
Submissions should relate to some aspect of life in the Eastern Townships, past, present or future. Do you live in the Townships? The key is just to write about, or create images of, something that interests you. Written work is to be in English.
What’s the point? The Townships Sun is the only community magazine in English serving our region. It’s a community volunteer effort. All the board and editorial staff are volunteers, including yours truly, the editor. But we do offer honoraria to our contributors, and we’d love to have more contributions from the younger generation. We’re all in this community together; the Townships Sun is for all ages.
So, here we are, Boomers reaching across the ages to Zoomers!
Who are these people? I turn to beresfordresearch.com/age-range-by-generation for clarification. They’ve researched this question. These days, Boomers are divided into two groups; Boomers 1 are age 69-77, and Boomers 2, age 59-68. In other words, younglings, these oldsters are your grandparents.
Then we have Gen X, roughly aged 43-58, and Millennials, aged 27-42.
And finally, Gen Z, ages 11-26. Boomers, meet your grandchildren, the Zoomers!
Members of Generation Z, it is said, spend more time on electronic devices and less time reading books than preceding gens. Well, I don’t know. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Here I sit, writing on an electronic device, and I read some of my books that way, too.
So here’s the challenge to Gen Zers, and Millennials too: Show off your creativity! We’d love to see your voices in our community magazine!
Get the scoop at TownshipsSun.ca/Townships-Young-Voices. Questions? Marie Moliner would love to hear from you at townshipsyoungvoices@gmail.com or Instagram/@TYVoices.
VIACTIVE IS HERE
During renovations of the Newport Municipal Hall, participants in the Newport Viactive group are invited to join the Sawyerville group, starting Wednesday, January 11, at 10 a.m., in the basement of the former Sawyerville Catholic Church, 4 Randboro Road, Sawyerville. Info: 819-889-1340.
YOGA IS COMING
Yoga classes begin in Sawyerville on Tuesday, January 31, at 10 a.m. in the Sawyerville Catholic Church basement, 4 Randboro Road. Info: Myrna MacDonald Lowry, myrnamac44@gmail.com, or 819-875-5393.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Seniors Action Quebec offers a free online webinar on Understanding Your Consumer Rights. The speaker is Richard Goldman, a lawyer and plain language specialist with Éducaloi. He will talk about refunds and exchanges, pricing errors, warranties, online shopping, and what you can do when problems occur.
When? Tuesday, February 7, at 10 a.m. to noon. The registration deadline is Tuesday, January 31. To register, send an email with your contact information to Ruth Pelletier at ruthkathleenpelletier@gmail.com. More information is at www.seniorsactionquebec.ca.
WRITE HERE, RIGHT NOW!
Are you alive? Are you learning? If you’re a lifelong learner of any age, here are a few opportunities for you offered by the Bishop’s University Lifelong Learning Academy. They are free. Online. Fun. And in the company of other interesting learners, who also enjoy trying their hand at writing here and now.
First up is “Flash: Writing Short Prose” with Jan Draper. Learn to use brevity for maximum impact. Learn how to write a short, short story, in the form of flash fiction or memoir. It’s Thursday, January 19, at 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., the first of six monthly workshops exploring this topic.
Next is “Writing Every Day: A Conversation,” also with Jan Draper. In this special discussion session, writers talk about participating in a writing-every-day-group. This one-time workshop is on Saturday, January 21, at 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
The last one this month is “Nonfiction Writing for Magazines” with Rachel Garber. This is the first in a series of six monthly workshops exploring journalistic and creative nonfiction writing for publication in a magazine… especially the Townships Sun. We’ll explore a variety of approaches: historical, memoir, travel writing, essays, and reviews. The first workshop, Friday, January 27, from 10 a.m. to noon., offers an introduction to the world of magazines.
More are coming in February! For information or to sign up for any of these free workshops, please email bulla@ubishops.ca.
CHURCHES
United. Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m., at the Sawyerville United Church, 42 Principale N., Sawyerville (before Bédard Road). Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. No Anglican services are planned in Cookshire until the spring of 2023. For the schedule of services at the St. George’s Anglican Church, 84 Queen St., Lennoxville, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by January 23 for publication February 1 or by February 6 for February 15.

For Charlotte in Calgary, I asked about stencilling lessons. Stellar detective work by Janet Angrave pointed me to stencilling teacher Naisi LeBaron in North Hatley. Thanks, Janet!
Then I received an email from Naisi herself. She wrote:
“In our stencilling world, things have come full circle. My aunt Emily LeBaron taught stencilling in the 50s and one of her students was Janet Gale who took the craft to a whole new level of skill and creativity. Janet became a member of the American guild, Historical Society of Early American Decoration (HSEAD).
“A group of women, including Dot Newton, met once a week for years. In the late 70s, Janet expanded the group to include myself and other younger women. We were the Wednesday class. We were much louder than the well behaved Thursday class, but Janet carried on with us until her health made it impossible for her to continue.
“By that time, I had also become a guild member and Janet passed the class torch to me. I have been teaching the group now for 13-ish years. Some of us have now been in the group for 43 years! Two days a week in late fall and winter, we meet in a studio space from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to paint, stencil, and most importantly laugh and share our lives.
“We owe Janet a huge debt,” she concluded, “for bringing us together and for passing on all her equipment, which includes hundreds of carefully cut stencils and patterns.”
TOWNSHIPS SUN
New location: To get your new December-January Townships Sun, check the Cookshire IGA’s magazine racks, lower left, just before (not after!) the check-out counters. Or you can subscribe at townshipssun.ca/subscribe.
CHRISTMAS MARKETS, 10th
On Saturday and Sunday, December 10-11, a Christmas Market is in Bury, at the Armoury, 563 Main, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
But Bury offers more. Enjoy inflatables and music on Main Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and sleigh rides from noon to 2 p.m. Donate cash and nonperishable goods to Moisson HSF. Buy Beaver Tails from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Make Christmas cards and ornaments at the United Cultural Centre, 560 Main, and buy child-made ornaments from 1 to 4 p.m.; profits go to Moisson HSF. Visit the used book sale at the Bury Library, 569 Main, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Another Christmas Market is in La Patrie on Saturday, December 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
CHRISTMAS CONCERT, 10th
Pierre Heault, tenor; Catherine St-Arnaud, soprano; Julien LeBlanc, piano; Marilène Provencher-Leduc, flute: These are the four musicians offering a Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the St-Camille Catholic Church, 170 Principale E., Cookshire. Admission is by voluntary contribution at the door.
FRAUD, SCAMS
Beware. Fraudsters thrive in the shadows of holiday activity.
Do not despair. Read a free bonus article on the Townships Sun website. “I Was Scammed,” writes Marie Moliner. “If it happened to me, it can happen to you.” (She’s a lawyer, by the way.) Her article tells about investment fraud, email fraud, phone and internet fraud, and grandparents scams. Forewarned is forearmed. See six steps to take if you are being defrauded. Read the article here: townshipssun.ca/recent-issues.
SMALL ART, BIG GIFTS
Small, diverse artworks – just right for gift-giving – are at the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery until December 24. In the Gallery’s upper level are paintings, prints, collages, and sculptures by 24 different artists. Among them are John Ward, Yong Sook Kim Lambert, Denis Palmer, and Jo Cooper. Downstairs is a photography exhibit, Treasures of the Countryside. The Gallery, 125 Prinicipale West, Cookshire, is open Saturdays and Sundays, as well as December 23 and 24, from noon to 4 p.m.
SMALL GIFTS, BIG NEEDS
This year’s HUGS for the Homeless campaign by Mental Health Estrie accepts donations of “NEW Hats, Underwear, Gloves, Socks, Scarves, and other warm articles of clothing,” from now until March. Donations received before mid-December are prepared in holiday gift bags gifted to people in local shelters, but HUGS continue to be needed throughout the winter.
Until March, drop off items at Mental Health Estrie, 3355 College, Lennoxville. Deposit them in the beige bins next to Door #2. To make a cash donation for the HUGS campaign, please email info@mentalhealthestrie.ca, or call 819-565-3777. Receipts will be issued for donations of $10 or more.
PEACE, JOY, LOVE
To our world.
CHURCHES
Anglican. No Anglican services are planned in Cookshire until the spring of 2023. For the schedule of services at the St. George’s Anglican Church, 84 Queen St., Lennoxville, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. On Wednesday, December 22, at 7 p.m., is a Blue Christmas Service, with a quiet time of readings, hymns, and reflections on the struggles, griefs, and pains that come with the holiday season when it’s hard to see light and joy.
On Saturday, December 24, at 2 p.m., is a Christmas Eve Service, celebrating communion. Persons attending the service are asked to please bring their own communion elements.
Weekly Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m., but there will be no services on December 25, January 1st, or January 8. Until further notice, all services are at the Sawyerville United Church, 42 Principale N., Sawyerville (before Bédard Road). Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. On Saturday, December 24, at 7 to 8 p.m., is a Christmas Eve service, and on Sunday, December 25 is a Christmas Day service, from 10 to 11 a.m. On Sunday, January 1st, is a New Year’s service from 10 to 11 a.m.
Otherwise, weekly in-person Sunday services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. All services are at the Sawyerville Baptist Church, 33 rue de Cookshire. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by December 12 for publication January 4 or by January 9 for January 18.

Take the word “list” and the word “article.” Smoosh them together and you have created a new word, “listicle.”
Listicles are bosom buddies of writers whose muse is napping as their deadline looms.
So I offer you a few gems, in the form of a listicle, of some neologisms – that is, new words – created by combining, blending or shortening existing words. Granted, neologisms may be entirely new words freshly invented from thin air, but somehow they aren’t as much fun as words that smoosh together two tired conceptions to reflect a new aspect of modern life.

1. Take a familiar neologism: bingewatch. Nothing quite captures, like it does, the hours spent with your nose glued to the little blue screen in times of stress or obsession. Like, I know someone who bingewatches Dr. Strange and the Multiverses, again and again. Within my earshot. Ok, the music IS good.
2. We all know the newish word, smartphone. But have you sometimes wondered about their intelligence? Have you encountered the even newer word, dumbphone?
3. Are there days when you just want to stay home and chillax? That’s fairly easy to figure out; a combination of chill and relax.
4. You know, of course, that a blog is short for a written “weblog,” but what about a vlog? Aha! A video log.
5. A yarn-bomb is a form of street art; needle-art creations that cover selected objects, a telephone pole, maybe. Move over, Christo!
   That’s it. A really giant example of a listicle is a dictionary. Credit for these few neo words goes to mentalfloss.com, where you can find a longer listicle giving 53 modern words recently added to the dictionary. Enjoy!
   FOOD, MOOD, MEDS
   What’s the relationship between food and mood? Nutrition and mental health? See how these three fit together in a free online workshop in English, entitled Nutrition, Mental Health, and Medication, led by Megan Jenkins, registered dietitian. When? Wednesday, November 9, at 7 to 8:15 p.m. To register, contact Emily at Outreach@mentalhealthestrie.com or 819-565-2388.
   REMEMBRANCE DAY
   On Friday, November 11, will take place the following Remembrance Day ceremonies: at 11 a.m., in Sawyerville at the cenotaph on Principale Street North. At 11:45 a.m., at the Saint-Isidore-de-Clifton cenotaph in front of the East Clifton United Church on Route 253. At 2 p.m., in Cookshire, at the cenotaph in front of the Cookshire Elementary School. And finally, at 2:45 p.m. in Newport, at the cenotaph in front of the Municipal Hall in Island Brook. The ceremonies in Scotstown and Bury took place on November 5.
   DEPTHS & BREADTHS
   At the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery is Profondeurs, a stunning immersive experience created by the collective Osh’n and L’inconnu dans le noir. Osh’n is a sound-performance collective that creates immersive installations inspired by music. L’inconnu dans le noir is a film and video production company. They are the folks who created Murmures du Canton, that after-dark light and video show that was projected onto the exterior walls of the Victoria Hall all summer.
   This show is indoors, offering both image and sound. The images are projected on the inside walls of the gallery, a floor-to-ceiling digital surround that brings four seasons of a natural landscape to life. “Through sound spatialization as well as nuanced compositions, where the sounds of nature intersect with those of the composers, two parallel universes overlap,” says the artists’ description in French.
   Aha! Our very own multiverses! My eyes and ears are pricked; I plan to go see and hear.
   The exhibition graces the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery in Victoria Hall, 125 Principale West, Cookshire, on weekends from noon to 4 p.m. It ends on Sunday, November 20. At 2 p.m. that afternoon, the art/sound collective will offer a closing performance that promises to “allow you to dive into their creative process.”
   Save me a seat, Gilles.
   AROUND THE WORLD
   Au tour de la terre is the title of an exhibit at the Galérie Métissage in Lac-Mégantic, and it shows us an intriguing art form that literally comes from the other side of the world, Japan.
   Galérie Métissage is a personable little gallery whose space offers both hands-on workshops and exhibitions that marry traditional arts with contemporary approaches. On its Facebook page, Jo Cooper describes it as “A space of creativity allowing us to appreciate and honour the products of the Earth. In short, simplicity in all its beauty.”
   This exhibit showcases the work of Yolande Bernier, who has practised the traditional Japanese Nihonga technique for some 40 years, including stays in Japan. This ancient painting technique uses pigments from minerals, earth, and metals. Bernier’s artworks are fluid, subtle, and luminous. In the exhibit are 20 relatively large works and close to 200 works in mini-format.
   The gallery is at 6361 Salaberry Street, Lac-Mégantic, and is open Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It closes Sunday, November 27, when the artist will be present.
   Oh yes, I will be there too, if our car doesn’t lose its flowers before then.
   DEPRESSION & BURNOUT
   At the End of My Rope, Understanding Depression and Burnout. That’s the topic of a free Zoom workshop in English with Dr. Camillo Zacchia, psychologist, on Wednesday, November 30, at 7 to 9 p.m. Organized by Mental Health Estrie. Info: 819-565-2388, outreach@mentalhealthestrie.com.
   CHURCHES
   Baptist. In-person services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
   Anglican. In-person service is November 20 at 11 a.m. at St. Peter’s Church in Cookshire. For a schedule of services, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
   United. Because of construction work at Trinity United Church in Cookshire, weekly Sunday services will be at 10:30 a.m., at Sawyerville United Church until further notice. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
   Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by November 14 for publication November 23 and by November 28 for December 7.

Shout it out!
I struggle with Google sometimes. One tiny misclick and the document I’m working on suddenly soars somewhere to outer space. But now I’m working on something that I really do want to send out there. I’ve been told by an under-20 expert that Google Forms is the kind of sign-up form the younger generations are accustomed to.
Ok. Here we go.
The occasion is Townships Young Voices. It’s a brand new project by the Townships Sun that offers cash awards and magazine publication to young creative people (or as they tell me to say, “creatives”).
So if you know someone age 29 or younger who enjoys art, photography, or writing, give them a shout! Full details are at TownshipsSun.ca/Townships-Young-Voices.
You’ve heard of the community magazine for the English-speaking communities in the Eastern Townships? Its logo displays a drawing of our very own Megantic mountains. (The Megantic Observatory is missing in the drawing. Fun fact: The Observatory was built in 1977, just two years after artist Stephanie Wells of Scotstown made the drawing.)
Ok, 1975. That places the Townships Sun in Generation X (born 1965–1980). It is mostly read, it is said, by Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation (born 1928–1945), and maybe a few hangers on in the Silent Generation (born 1901–1927).
Wow. Of what possible interest could a magazine going-on-50 be to youthful Generation Z (born 1996–2010)?
Well, it’s time for a revolution. I’ve had the opportunity to introduce a few 20-somethings to the new Townships Sun, and they’ve been enthralled. That makes me, the volunteer editor, very happy.
Now we are actively reaching out to writers, photographers and artists in the Townships. We’re publishing articles and themes that are relevant to all ages. We’re working hard to fulfill our mission as a magazine.
That means we’re looking for quality work. For feature articles that go into more depth and are well researched. We’re printing more variety of content – stories, poetry, art and photography. And we’re looking for submissions from younger generations, too, both Millennials and Generation Z-ers.
Here’s how the Townships Sun is reaching out.
Awards: We’re offering $750 in awards, plus publication in the Townships Sun, for short fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art and photography, submitted by December 1st.
Workshops: For youth, an array of free creative workshops by zoom to help participants create/write new works and win awards. The topics are fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual arts – art and photography. For magazines. For each topic, a series of three workshops will be led by an expert, Townshippers all.
Writer Scott Stevenson (maybe a Millennial) of Island Brook will lead the workshops on writing non-fiction, starting October 18. Cécilia Alain (definitely Generation Z) of Sherbrooke and recent Bishop’s graduate is leading the workshops on art and photography, beginning October 25.
That same week, Rebecca Welton (probably Generation X) of Brompton begins leading the workshops on fiction writing. And Jan Draper (I think she might be a young Boomer) of North Hatley leads the workshops on poetry. That leaves me, an older Boomer, to wind things up with a single workshop on Working with an Editor. In other words, how to get your work published!
To participate and get the Zoom link, just sign up on the Google Form on the Young Voices page of the website, TownshipsSun.ca.
Your favourite young creative says they’d like to check it out? Well, the school library in every English school in the historical Eastern Townships now has a complimentary subscription to the Townships Sun.
The new YouTube channel, TYVoices, is being populated with introductions to the workshop leaders, hot tips about getting published, and guest interviews.
The new Instagram account, @TYVoices, gives running details of all this.
A new e-Guide explores the ins and outs of getting your art, photos and writing published in magazines.
That leads up to the award submissions deadline, December 1st. So check out the Google Form at TownshipsSun.ca/Townships-Young-Voices.
Townships Young Voices has some strong partners. Write Here, Write Now! of the Bishop’s University Lifelong Learning Academy is organizing the workshops. Townshippers’ Association is organizing the awards competition, and also giving financial support, as are the Townshippers’ Research & Cultural Foundation and the Rotary Club of the Boundary in Stanstead. Léa Côté of Bishop’s University’s Experiential Learning Program is videographer.
ZOOM ON HEALTH LAW
The Basics on How to Plan when making health care decisions is the topic of a Zoom workshop presented in English by Educaloi on Thursday, October 20, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The workshop offers information about the rules on consent to health care, and the various legal tools for planning health care in advance, including protection mandates, advance medical directives, and living wills. Info or registration: Vanessa at va@townshippers.org.
AGEISM UNVEILED
The Observatory on Aging Society is offering a Zoom workshop in English, discussing how ageism has been observed in many areas of our society, including family, education, work, health, media, and politics. The speaker is Daphne Nahmiash, PhD, and the date is Tuesday, October 25, from noon to 1 p.m. Info or to register: Vanessa, va@townshippers.org.
CHURCHES
United. Because of construction work at Trinity United Church in Cookshire, weekly Sunday services will be at 10:30 a.m., at Sawyerville United Church until further notice. The Thanksgiving service on October 9 will include Communion. Participants are invited to bring their own communion elements; some will be available for persons who don’t bring their own. Info: 819-889-2838. For pastoral care, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685.
Baptist. In-person services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. In-person service is October 16 at 11 a.m. at St. Peter’s Church in Cookshire. For a schedule of services, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by October 17 for publication October 26, and by October 31 for November 9.

We’re on a school bus on the back roads of Eaton Corner, and Sharron Rothney is regaling us with tales from the past. The tour is part of the Sawyerville Baptist Church’s 200th anniversary celebrations. This story may have happened in the Congregationalist church, or the Methodist church, or the Baptist church, she warns, depending on the storyteller. They all shared the same pastor.
“Sam Laberee was a religious man, and he liked to shop around for his religion. He’d walk from Sand Hill to church in Eaton Corner. He had a habit of leaping to his feet during the sermon, and shouting ‘Praise the Lord!’
“So one day after church, the pastor said, ‘Sam, we have a special preacher next week. I want you to stay in your seat, and not talk at all. And if you do this, I’ll give you a new pair of boots.’
“Now, with all the walking Sam did, his were worn out and he needed those boots. So they struck a bargain. It wasn’t long until everyone in the village knew about it.
“So that Sunday, Sam had eyes only for the preacher. The congregation had eyes only for Sam. The sermon was drawing to a close, and they thought, ‘Oh, Sam has won.’
“Then all of a sudden, Sam leaped to his feet and cried out, ‘Boots or no boots, Praise the Lord!’
“Anyway, the minister thought he’d done very well, so he got his boots.”
Now that’s integrity, boots or no boots.
SEX ED
Do you talk about sexuality with your young children? Do you know how to do so? Would you like to participate in a study that will give you some tools and tricks to help talk about sexuality with them?
Elisa Philibert, an elementary education student at Bishop’s University and an employee of the Lennoxville & District Women’s Centre, has a project for you. She aims to learn from parents what resources and information would be useful in order to address the topic of sexuality with less apprehension.
Elisa is looking for English-speaking parents of children aged 3 to 8 years old to participate in a 30- to 60-minute interview; a 3-hour session and receive a box of resources and information on the topic of sexuality education; and then be invited to a 30- to 60-minute group session with other parents.
For information, contact Elisa at ephilibert20@ubishops.ca or 819-919-5107. Now.
VICTORIA CENTRE OPEN HOUSE
Following the Bury Town Hall’s move to the former Desjardins building down the street at 528 Main, the old Town Hall building at 569 Main, Bury, has a new name and a new vocation. It’s the Centre Multifonctionnel Victoria/ Victoria Multipurpose Centre.
Its many purposes? It’s already the home of the Bury Municipal Library, and a selection of other community groups have also moved into the building. There’s the Bury Historical and Heritage Society, Bury’s IMAGE de Bury Community Newspaper, and The Bury Athletic Association.
Now these groups have joined forces to invite the public to visit during a joint Open House on Saturday, September 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This coincides with the final public market of the season in the park right behind the new Victoria Centre. Town Hall representatives will be present to help inaugurate the new Centre.
The groups invite everyone to stop in, have some refreshments, and see some interesting displays. It’s a chance to meet the members of your local organizations and learn about their community projects.
YOGA IS NOW
Last reminder: Yoga classes began in Sawyerville on Tuesday, September 13, at 10 a.m. in the Sawyerville Catholic Church basement, 4 Randboro Road. Info: Myrna MacDonald Lowry, myrnamac44@gmail.com, or 819-875-5393.
MUSIC IS NOW TOO
Visit the art exhibit at the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery, and you’ll be intrigued by this concert: The Musical Universe of Louis-Pierre Bougie. Musicians: the Quatuor Molinari with the flutist Myriam Genest-Denis, and with the participation of René Lussier. It’s this Saturday, September 17, at 3 p.m., at the Trinity United Church, 190 Principale West, Cookshire. Tickets: $25. Reserve at galeriecookshireeaton@gmail.com.
VIACTIVE BEGINS ANEW
Weekly bilingual sessions of Viactive, those gentle yet peppy exercises for persons age 50 and over, are in Sawyerville on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Where: In the Catholic Church basement, 4 Randboro Road, Sawyerville. Info: Gérard Nault, 819-889-2630.
And in Island Brook, Viactive sessions begin Wednesday, September 21, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and continue weekly at the Newport Municipal Hall, 1452 Route 212. Info: 819-889-1340.
MURMURS, MUSEUM & TOURISM
The multimedia show in the Parc des Braves in Cookshire ends on September 17. Until then, you can see the 30-minute wordless image and sound show on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, twice each evening just after dark.
During the month of September, The Eaton Corner Museum at 374 Route 253, Eaton Corner, is open Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information during the week, please leave a message at 819-875-5256.
The tourist information bureau at the Maison de la Culture John-Henry-Pope, 25 Principale West, Cookshire, is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Thanksgiving weekend.
CHURCHES
Anglican. An in-person Sunday service is planned for September 18 at 11 a.m. at St Peter’s Church in Cookshire. For a schedule of services, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. No service on September 18: Rev. Spires is away on vacation. For pastoral urgencies before September 18, call Robert Halsall (819-875-3601). After September 18, call Rev. Spires at 819-452-3685. Regular services resume Sunday, September 25, at Trinity United, Cookshire, at 9:30 a.m., and Sawyerville United, 11 a.m. For information, check the message at 819-889-2838 for information.
Baptist. In-person services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by September 19 for publication September 28, and by October 3 for October 12.

Shortly after the first electric car was invented, my son began pestering us to get one. Well, time flies.
Energy.gov says that invention was in the 1830s, in Hungary, the Netherlands and the US. After that, the electric idea kept popping up, getting whacked down by the gas car industry, and popping up again. In times of gas shortages, the idea gained strength.
Who Killed the Electric Car is a fascinating documentary about a General Motors experiment in California, when furturistic EV-1 cars were leased to hundreds of happy users. But the honeymoon ended a decade later, in 2006, when GM refused to renew the leases and crushed the fleet of electric vehicles.
But now we face the mother of all shortages. We’ve squandered oil supplies and we’ve undermined the earth’s environment, our life-support system itself.
Vegan for the past 20 years, my son has ever been ahead of the curve. He’s had the electric car in his sights forever. Back then, he even invested in a lithium mining enterprise; that’s the metal needed for electric car batteries. (Sadly, that investment in Texas was not a good one. But now, times have changed.)
In 2010, the Nissan Leaf hit the road. My son took note. But we’d just bought a Honda Fit; another new car was beyond our means. Besides, our mechanic said it was a bad idea, living out in the boonies as we do. Electric cars have a limited range.
But as the climate kept changing and pollutants kept growing, more car manufacturers began creating and upgrading electric vehicles. Their range kept growing. Electric charging stations kept proliferating. And with government subsidies, their prices kept shrinking.
So last January, as our exhausted Fit suffered the winter blues, we whipped into action. Extensive online research narrowed our search to two models that had the longest range, best recharging options, and the most manageable prices.
The Chevy Bolt and the Hyundai Ionic 5: The next day, we visited the dealers in Sherbrooke. The Chevy Bolt was priced better, but had less leg room and promised a longer wait – until November. The delay was because of the exploding-battery recall; supplying new batteries for the existing cars took precedence over building new cars.
The Hyundai Ionic 5 excited us: Its instant power. Silent ride. Sleek shape. Spacious inside. Super display. The longest range we could find.
Estimated date of arrival: August. But maybe sooner, if someone else ordered the same model, but changed their mind after it came off the assembly line.
Did I mention we were excited? We opted to pay an extra $200 for Lucid Blue paint. My son approved.
Oh, the waiting! When gas prices skyrocketed, the wait became excruciating. We checked with the Sherbrooke Hyundai dealer several times over the months. Once he said, “Sorry, there’s a backlog of orders. You won’t get it until 2023.”
The next month, “Good news. Headquarters asked us for the first nine orders in January 2022. Everyone else will have to wait until 2023. YOU were among the first nine, so you will get yours, maybe, before Christmas. We’ll know six weeks in advance.”
Another month, he said, “Probably in October or November; maybe in September!”
We’d love to install the Level 2 Rapid Charger in our carport this summer, but cannot do so until we get our Vehicle Identification Number. That happens when our Lucid Blue Baby rolls off the assembly line to journey from South Korea across the ocean by ship, across Canada by truck (or train?), and six weeks later, into our eager hands.
Today, we call Hyundai Sherbrooke again. No sign of our car yet.
We console ourselves. People who order today have to wait two or three years. We’re still hoping for this year!
MUSICAL UNIVERSE
Visit the art exhibit at the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery, and you’ll be intrigued by this concert: The Musical Universe of Louis-Pierre Bougie. Musicians: the Quatuor Molinari with the flutist Myriam Genest-Denis, and the participation of René Lussier. It’s Saturday, September 17, at 3 p.m., at the Trinity United Church, 190 Principale West, Cookshire. Tickets: $25. Reserve at galeriecookshireeaton@gmail.com.
YOGA IS BACK
Yoga classes begin in Sawyerville on Tuesday, September 13, at 10 a.m. in the Sawyerville Catholic Church basement, 4 Randboro Road. Info: Myrna MacDonald Lowry, myrnamac44@gmail.com, or 819-875-5393.
NOT IN CANTERBURY
The Saturday market in Canterbury (Canterbury Centre, 1095 Victoria Road) has been cancelled until further notice.
MURMURS, MUSEUM & TOURISM
The multimedia show in the Parc des Braves in Cookshire is still showing on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The 30-minute wordless image and sound show can be viewed twice each evening just after dark, until September 17.
The Eaton Corner Museum at 374 Route 253, Eaton Corner, is still open Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. until the end of August.
The tourist information bureau at the Maison de la Culture John-Henry-Pope, 25 Principale West, Cookshire, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CHURCHES
Baptist. In-person services are in French at 9 a.m. and in English at 11 a.m. The Sawyerville Baptist Church plans to celebrate its 200th birthday on September 3 and 4. For information, please contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-889-2819.
Anglican. An in-person Sunday service is planned for August 21 at 11 a.m. at St Peter’s Church in Cookshire. For a schedule of services, visit deaneryofstfrancis.com and click on the “Calendar” link. Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
United. An in-person Sunday service is August 21 at 10:30 a.m. at the Trinity United in Cookshire, and August 28 at 9:30 a.m. at the Trinity United in Cookshire, and 11 a.m. at Sawyerville United. All the services are at 10:30 a.m. Check the answering machine message at 819-889-2838 for information.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-640-1340 or email rawrites@gmail.com by August 22 for publication August 31, and by September 5 for September 14.