After holding public consultations over the last year, the Town of Brome Lake (TBL) is in the final stages of developing its 2024-2028 strategic plan.

The TBL held two public informations sessions on Feb. 27 and Feb. 29 to present the overall vision and actions in the new strategic plan, but the next steps for the municipal council are to put together a timeframe and to create a clear financial picture for the projects and initiatives that it wants to carry out on the territory, explained TBL councillor Lee Patterson in an interview with CIDI.

Marking its 10th anniversary this year, social paediatric centre Main dans la main is seeking a bigger space to meet the growing demand for its services and to help support more vulnerable children in Brome-Missisquoi.

Élisabeth Lapointe, executive director of Main dans la main, told CIDI that since the centre opened ten years ago the demand for its services has increased dramatically and the need for community social paediatrics is high in Brome-Missisquoi.

The Townships Sun, a magazine exploring life and culture in the region, has launched its legacy edition in honour of 50 years of publication in the Eastern Townships.

The 50th anniversary legacy edition features stories and photographs of the past and present that highlight the evolution of the Townships Sun and “the community that it serves” over the last five decades, said Editor Rachel Garber.

Appalachian Corridor and Conservation des vallons de la Serpentine (CVS) have announced the protection of nearly 24 hectares of private land in East Bolton thanks to a donation on part of the Dandurand family.

According to Mélanie Lelièvre, executive director of Appalachian Corridor, the piece of land is located in “the heart of the Mont Chagnon forest core” and it plays an important role in the Eastern Townships’ conservation strategy, which involves connecting forest cores through conservation projects to create protected “wildlife corridors.”

The Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) and the Townshippers’ Association – two community groups that serve the English-speaking communities in the Eastern Townships – have received a boost in core funding from the federal government.

Over the next two years, QAHN will be receiving just under $44,000 and the Townshippers’ Association will benefit from an additional $68,400.

The Eastern Townships is gearing up for the solar eclipse on April 8 and local players and stakeholders are organizing activities to bring people together around the rare astronomical phenomena.

According to Lysandre Michaud-Verreault, communications director and official spokesperson for Tourism Eastern Townships, the Eastern Townships is one of the only regions in Quebec and North America where a total eclipse can be viewed for around 3 minutes and 30 seconds, while other areas that fall in its path will experience it for around 45 seconds.

The Municipality of the Township of Potton has adopted a resolution at its March 4 council meeting to seek out funding to develop Place de la Grange-Ronde into a cultural venue.

Place de la Grange-Ronde is the park that surrounds the historical round-barn in Mansonville, explained Mayor Bruno Côté. Work was carried out to restore the round-barn by the Potton Municipal Volunteer group in 2018, but the municipality stepped in to completely finish the project.

People in the Township of Potton are benefitting from the “Vegetables at Last!” project, funded by the Comité Estrien de saines habitudes de vie.

According to Emilie Turcotte-Côté, an agronomist that works with the committee and owner of Les jardins d’etc, the project is all about providing citizens with the opportunity to take part in different workshops to help them gain knowledge on how to build a garden and incorporate more vegetables in their daily diet.

The Yamaska Valley Optimist Club (YVOC) is back with its first in-person event for International Women’s Day since 2019 and the non-profit organization is changing things up this year through a collaboration with the Knowlton Players.

Lucy Davis, member of both the YVOC and the Knowlton Players, told CIDI that the group is ready to get back to celebrating with the community with a “Guess Who” style event.

Andréanne Larouche, Member of Parliament for Shefford, is reiterating her call to the federal government to find solutions for the distribution of local and regional weekly newspapers as the end of the Publisac in Quebec draws near.

The Publisac has been circulating for over 40 years and it acts as a distributor for weekly flyers, advertising, and many local and regional weekly newspapers due to its lower delivery costs. However, measures that were implemented at the municipal level in different areas of the province affected its business model and it became no longer viable.

The federal government has announced the extension of the Wine Sector Assistance Program with an additional investment of $177 million dollars over the next three years.

At a press conference held at Léon Courville on March 4, Pascale St-Onge, Member of Parliament for Brome-Missisquoi and Minister Responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, told CIDI that the wine sector is an economic driver for Canada and the funding will allow vineyards across the country to start new projects, make new investments and address challenges.

A documentary film about the Knowlton Academy (K.A.) ski program is in the works 53 years after students first hit the slopes.

Local photographer and filmmaker Ben McAuley and teacher and director of the K.A. ski program Nicolas Lemaître are collaborating on the project to provide people with a visual archive of what the program is all about and to “develop public interest.”

Renowned millinery artist Natalia Baquero has opened up her first boutique in Knowlton with the goal of sharing her creations with Townshippers and playing her part in preserving the craft.

Millinery artists create structured headwear, headpieces, and hats primarily by hand, explained Baquero, and they are customized to create pieces that stand on their own.

Educational institutions and stakeholders are voicing their concerns following the federal government’s announcement in January to cap the number of international students that can come study in Canada at 350,000 over the next two years.

Sébastien Lebel-Grenier, vice-chancellor and principal of Bishop’s University (B.U.), called the announcement “unfortunate” because it’s going to make it challenging for candidates to make it on time to B.U. for the start of their program.

Nature Nerding and Parc d’environnement naturel de Sutton (PENS) are teaming up to offer monthly opportunities for adults to reconnect, experience, and learn from nature.

“Nature Nerding for Curious Grown-Ups” will provide participants with the chance to take part in leisurely walks and “slowdown, reconnect, and revive” their “child-like sense of wonder and curiosity,” said Jessica Adams, educator and founder of Nature Nerding.

Non-profit organization BlackEstrie is shining light on black culture in the Eastern Townships with the goal of building connections between Quebec society and people from diverse backgrounds.

BlackEstrie started off with a Facebook platform that highlighted the work and contributions of black artists, entrepreneurs, and professionals in the region. However, BlackEstrie’s activities have since expanded into a television show called Personne n’en parle, covering topics such as “adoption, toxic relationships, and stereotypes against black people,” said founder Aïssé Touré.

Au Diapason has launched the 15th edition of its “La March/La Course” fundraiser to raise necessary funds in order to continue providing free palliative care and end-of-life support services to people in Brome-Missisquoi and Haute-Yamaska.

Over the years, La March/La Course has grown to become the Au Diapason Foundation’s “flagship” event, now raising 25% of the annual funds needed to support the work of La Maison and the l’Équipe d’accompagnement Au Diapason, explained Executive Director Charlotte Evans.

The Centre Action Bénévole Marguerite-Dubois (CAB Marguerite-Dubois) has received $45,173 in financial support from the provincial government through the Banques alimentaires du Quebec infrastructure program to expand and renovate its kitchen and storage area to help meet the demand for its food bank services.

According to Alexis Lapalme, coordinator for CAB Marguerite-Dubois, the goal behind the expansion and renovation project is to prepare for the increase in demand that is expected within the next year for the food bank because of the financial pressure that people are facing.

As food prices continue to increase, ETSB (Eastern Townships School Board) parents, educators, and staff are working together to ensure that students have access to affordable and healthy food at school.

Claudia Pérez-Levesque is the president of Racine Pop, a non-profit group formed by parents in 2022 to provide affordable and nutritious meals to students at Sutton Elementary School – twice a week – after the cafeteria service came to a halt.

Five mixed psychosocial intervention and policing teams (ÉMIP) will now be dispatched in certain areas of the Eastern Townships to better respond to citizens experiencing a mental health crisis.

According to a press release by the CIUSSS de L’Estrie CHUS, there are five local health service networks that will now be collaborating with their local police force to provide improved interventions for people in distress. These local service networks are la Pommeraie, which serves Brome-Missisquoi, Val Saint-François and Des Sources (Sûreté du Québec), Haute-Yamaska (le Service de police de Granby), and Memphrémagog (Régie de police de Memphrémagog).