It was a sunny day at Valoris, as I entered the office of Louis Longchamps, director of communications. I arrived with a shopping bag full of items to discard. Questionable items, ranging from pipecleaners to shopping bags. Which ones could be recycled, and which would end up in the landfill?
To his credit, Longchamps didn’t flinch once as I unloaded some pretty grungy stuff onto his table. Until I came to the pipecleaner. Then the rubber band, toothbrush, toothpaste, and little wooden brush with plastic bristles.

Not recyclable. Neither are candybar wrappers or the little plastic covers that seal peanut butter, yogurt, jam and such containers. Or those vaguely tinfoil-like Smartfood popcorn bags by FritoLay Canada. No recycle triangle visible means it’s not recyclable, Longchamps said. I can’t imagine how long they will lie in our landfill, undecayed.
Soiled paper towels or tissues belong in the compost. But the rest is, yes, recyclable, with some cautionary comments. To be continued in my next column!

VALORIS PRESENTATION
Curious about the information session of last March 16th, concerning the proposed enlargement of the engineered landfill at Valoris? The detailed presentation in PDF format is available in French (English to come) at this link: http://letvaloris.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Projet-agrandissement-16-mars-2019VF.pdf.

WATER WORKSHOP, 6th
The next workshop at Valoris is about water quality, wildlife and wetlands in relation to the landfill enlargement project, and is on Saturday morning, April 6. It’s in French, but Louis Longchamps, the Valoris director of communications, is fluently bilingual and invites questions in English. Pre-registration is required at www.letvaloris.com/contact-us, info@valoris-estrie.com, or 819-560-8403.

ART OF LUC, 9th+
Artist and author Luc Pallegoix of St-Isidore-de-Clifton is exhibiting original artworks that illustrated the delightful children’s book, Un Arbre, in a group exhibit at the Galérie d’art du Centre Culturel de l’Université de Sherbrooke until April 28, as well as being exhibited in Montreal. The book was published in 2014, co-authored by Luc and Sylvain Dodier, and will soon be published in China, in the Mandarin language.
You can also se an installation of Pallegoix’s “hommes-cerfs” series at the same Centre Culturel on April 9, on the occasion of the famous Sacre du printemps (Rite of Spring) by Igor Stravinsky, performed by the ballet company Marie Choinard. Ticket information is at http://www.centrecultureludes.ca/. “I am also the author invited to write a text à chaud about the show (I came to Canada for the first time as producer of a Sacre du printemps in 2001)” wrote Pallegoix in an email. Info: https://lucpallegoix.com/.

HERBAL THERAPY, 11th
Plants and Care is the topic of a talk by Chantal Parent, herbal therapist, for the Sawyerville Community Garden on Monday, April 11, at 7 p.m., at the Sawyerville Ball Field building, on Randboro Road. It will be part of the Garden’s AGM. All are welcome. Info: 819-889-3196 or jcsawyerville@hotmail.com.

VOLUNTEERING IN SCHOOLS, 7th to 13th
Happy Volunteer Week, this April 7 to 13! The Centre d’action bénévole du Haut-Saint-François is leading an activity in the English-speaking primary schools in Bury, Cookshire and Sawyerville, about how volunteering can be fun and rewarding. “An act of volunteering can leave them feeling good about themselves….This year’s theme is What if we dared to VOLUNTEER. We would like everyone to take the time to have fun, all while volunteering and making a difference,” wrote Diane Grenier, volunteer coordinator for the CAB du HSF. Info: Diane Grenier, coordo@cabhsf.org, 819-238-8541.

ON THE FARM, 14th
Every second Sunday of the month is Yoga on the Farm at La ferme La Généreuse, 540 Labonté Road, Cookshire-Eaton. The next session is April 14. A walk precedes the yoga session; a brunch follows it. Registration required. Info and fees: www.yogalaferme.com, or Aurélien at 873-888-9870.
Also every second Sunday are Biography and Kasàlà workshops, with the next one on April 14. Info: Gésaël, 819-588-8259.

BRUNCH IN BULWER, 14th
All homemade: Pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled eggs, ham, baked beans, potatoes, desserts, juice, tea/coffee. It’s a Palm Sunday Brunch to the benefit of the Eaton Corner Museum, on April 14, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Bulwer Community Centre, 254 Jordan Hill Road. Price: $10 adults; $6 children. Info: Serena Wintle, 819-875-5210.

FLEA MARKET, 27th
The Bury Women’s Institute’s Flea Market/Craft Sale is April 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bury Armoury Community Center. To rent a table, contact Irma Chapman (819-873-3600) or Frances Goodwin (819-872-3318).

ART IN COOKSHIRE
The Ici on étire le temps (here we stretch out time) show by Townships artists Céline Gendron, Françoise Euzénat, Ida Rivard, Marie-Claire Plante, and Yong Sook Kim-Lambert is at the Cookshire-Eaton Art Gallery, 25 Principale East, Cookshire, until May 20. The Gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CHURCH SERVICES
Anglican. Sunday worship services are at 9:30 a.m. at the St. Paul’s Church in Bury, and at 11 a.m. in Cookshire. On April 7, the Cookshire service is in the theatre of the Manoir de l’Eau vive, 210 Principale East, and on April 14, in the Trinity United Church hall, 190 Principale West.
United. Sunday worship services are at Trinity United in Cookshire at 9:30 a.m. and at Sawyerville United at 11 a.m. Heads up for Easter week services: Maundy Thursday is April 18, at 5 p.m. in Sawyerville, with a potluck supper. Good Friday is April 19, at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity United in Cookshire. Easter Sunday Sunrise is April 21, at 5:51 a.m. (please arrive earlier) at the Gazebo on Route 210, Eaton Corner, followed by a potluck breakfast at Sawyerville United. Lastly, Easter Sunday service with Holy Communion is April 21, at 10:30 a.m., at Trinity United in Cookshire. Info: 819-889-2838 (listen to message).
Baptist. In Sawyerville, the Sunday worship service is at 9 a.m. in French, and 11 a.m. in English. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. in English and French. Info: 819-239-8818.
Do you have news to share? Call 819-300-2374 or email rawrites@yahoo.com by April 8 for publication April 17, and by April 22 for May 1st.