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.