Carpenter-craftsman Steven Aulis has touched just about every inch of the Christchurch Canterbury – the erstwhile Anglican church – all in the process of transforming the building into the newly restored Canterbury Center. Over the past five years, Aulis has been the carpenter and supervisor of restorations. In the process, he carried out an enormous amount of expert carpentry work.

For these reasons and more, the Bury Historical & Heritage Society (BHHS) nominated him, and the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) selected him from among all the candidates Quebec-wide to receive the Marion Phelps Award for Volunteerism. QAHN will grant the award to him at 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 12, at the Canterbury Center.
“The award is given to individuals who have volunteered their time and expertise to better the community. Marion Phelps was one of the founders of the Brome Historical Society,” explained Ed Pedersen, secretary of the BHHS.

“We nominated Steve because of his dedication to the Canterbury Centre, and his gift of time over an extended period. He made the schedule for the restorations of the building. It was his idea to put louvres instead of plywood in the bell tower windows, and he created them. He rebuilt the cross atop the 55-foot-high tower, and also reconstructed the Gothic-style front doors by hand from old floorboards. He repaired many of the buttresses. He built new frames for the stained glass windows when they were restored. He also installed new mouldings where the exterior mouldings were rotten, and he built window casings and put the windows in,” said Pedersen.

And that’s not all. “When we moved the building, he repaired and, where necessary, reproduced the decorative lattice work. He adapted the benches to fit against the walls and made necessary repairs. He acquired chairs and restored all the wooden chairs, which involved gluing 30 chairs and repairing them. He helped with the landscaping as well, and painted the floor twice inside. He’s been there every step of the way!”
“I think Steve Aulis highly deserves the Marion Phelps Award,” said Pedersen. “It’s an appropriate, timely recognition of his character and his community spirit.”

BURY LITERARY RAMBLE
“She bites into the red skin / Of the white hard apple in bed / And there is joy in heaven,” wrote poet Ralph Gustafson. He was born in Lime Ridge (Dudswell) in 1909, and had a prolific writing career of 60 years that included editing the influential Penguin Book of Canadian Verse. He received a Governor General’s Award in 1974 and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1992.
There will be joy in Bury this Sunday, September 5, at 4 p.m., when Steve Luxton leads a Literary Ramble about Gustafson at the Memorial Park’s gazebo. Luxton is the Lennoxville Library’s poet in residence, and this is the last in his series of Literary Rambles in the Estrie. To see a video of his talk two weeks ago at the Louis Dudek house in Way’s Mills, visit artsunaean.ca. To join the September 5th talk, sign up in advance at bibliolennoxvillelibrary.ca/activities/ (scroll all the way down to “adult activities”), or call 819-562-4949. Participation is limited to 12 persons.
COOKSHIRE ART
The Hors Zone exhibit of painters André Philibert, Odette Gauvreau, and Frédéric Lapointe is coming to an end. Their provocatively varied work is at the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery’s Victoria Hall, 125 Principale W., Cookshire, until September 5, open Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
COOKSHIRE ARTISANS
Artisans’ creations are for sale at the Maison de la Culture John-Henry-Pope, 45 Principale W., and is open Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., until September 5.
CANTERBURY OPEN HOUSE
The Canterbury Center is participating in the Portes Ouvertes (Open House) of the Conseil du patrimoine religieux du Québec on Sunday, September 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Everyone is welcome,” said Ed Pedersen, secretary of the Bury Historical & Heritage Society. At 12:45 p.m., the Society President, Praxède Lévesque Lapointe is to unveil the Canterbury Centre building’s 125th Anniversary Plaque, and at 1 p.m., Steven Aulis will receive the Marion Phelps Award for Volunteerism from the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). Canterbury Center is on the corner of Route 214 and Canterbury Road. While viewing the historic building, visitors can see a bilingual QAHN exhibition about the St. Francis River System. Covid-19 protocols will be in effect.
COOKSHIRE CONCERT
The Despax Quartet – Centrine Despax and Jean Despax (violin), Maxime Despax (alto), and Valérie Despax (cello) – offers a concert on Sunday, September 12 at 5 p.m. in the Parc des Braves, 18 Parc Avenue, courtesy of the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery.
SAWYERVILLE YOGA
Myrna Lowry’s new 10-week session of yoga in Sawyerville begins September 14 at 10 a.m. Info: Myrna, 819-875-5393 or myrnamac44@gmail.com.
CHURCHES
United. The United Eaton Valley Pastoral Charge will have an in-person joint service on Sunday, September 12, at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity United Church. Proof of vaccines must be shown at the door, and masks are mandatory. Please use the ramp door. If you are feeling unwell, please do not attend. Paper and digital copies of the service will be available afterwards. Info: 819-452-3685; spiresta@hotmail.com; or United Eaton Valley Pastoral Charge (Facebook).
Baptist. In-person Sunday services are with Covid-19 protocols in place (distancing; masks can be removed when sitting down; wear masks when singing, etc.). The service in French is at 9 a.m., and in English at 11 a.m. Persons with flu symptoms are asked not to attend services. The pastor’s message is also available on YouTube: For the link, contact Pastor Michel Houle at 819-239-8818.
Anglican. Bishop Bruce Myers continues to offer Home Prayers at 10:30 a.m. Sundays on Facebook, and at quebec.anglican.ca (Worship Videos). Info: 819-887-6802, or quebec.anglican.ca.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-300-2374 or email rawrites@gmail.com by September 6 for publication September 15 or by September 20 for September 29.