Serving the Eastern Townships English-speaking Community since 1979

Welcome to Townshippers’ Association! Here is a bit of information about us.

Introduction
Townshippers’ Association is a not-for-profit association led by a volunteer board of directors who represent different sectors of the English-speaking community in the Eastern Townships. The head office in Lennoxville and a branch office in Cowansville are staffed by nine employees who work with volunteer committees to carry out various aspects of the Association’s plan of action to achieve its mission and objectives.

Members
The Association currently has almost 4,000 members. Members receive a number of special benefits and play an important role in maintaining the Association’s grassroots links. Any interested individual or group is eligible for membership upon paying the appropriate fee.

Key Issues
Townshippers’ Association is engaged in an ongoing strategic planning process, which has resulted in a plan of action addressing several key issues in the Townships English-speaking community. These issues include:
  • An attitude that to be successful, a young person must leave the region.
  • A community that has dropped in numbers to just 6% of the total Townships population.
  • A community with a high proportion of seniors, and relatively few young adults.
  • Youth with lower level of employment and lower incomes, on average, compared to their French-speaking counterparts.
  • A need for health and social services in English, and a lack of information about services that are already available. · Relative invisibility of the English-speaking community in the Townships.
  • Scattered population over a wide territory, with less occasion than in the past for socializing with other English speakers.
  • Cultural sector and artistic community that is feeling the pinch financially as a result of the reduced English-speaking population.
Key Strengths
The Townships English-speaking community also has a number of key strengths upon which to build.
  • Qualities of resolve and fortitude.
  • Strong values of community-mindedness, volunteerism and neighbourliness.
  • Capacity for self-reflection and adaptation to changing times.
  • Relatively high level of bilingualism among youth.
  • Harmonious relationship with the French-speaking majority, with good will on both sides.
  • Collaborative approach to working with the institutions and governments serving the community at large.
  • A love for the Eastern Townships , and a readiness to contribute to a better quality of life for the Townships community as a whole.
Plan of Action
The plan of action encompasses:
  • Community development and youth
  • Support of the community, culture and the arts
  • Communications and information service
  • Health and social services in English
  • Developing a knowledge base for and about the Townships English-speaking community
Community Development and Youth
The future of our community depends upon a new generation that is better integrated into the economic and employment sector. Opportunity in the Townships is waiting to be seized by English-speaking youth. Townshippers’ Association is working to foster the attitudes and skills, and provide the information that will enable English-speaking youth and the young at heart to reach out for their share of the many prospects in the Eastern Townships. The focus of our Townshippers of Tomorrow Committee is on how to make a better living in the Townships. Two key aspects of this focus are www.topportunity.ca, and the Townshippers of Tomorrow Awards, recognizing leadership qualities among young people.

Community, Culture and the Arts
A vital community depends on more than numbers alone. Initiatives such as Townshippers’ Day (www.tday.com) each September and Outstanding Townshippers Awards each spring celebrate and support community involvement, social exchange and volunteer achievements. Cultural partnerships, Taproot III: Poetry, Prose and Images from the Eastern Townships , and Townships Expressions support and promote the Townships English-speaking artistic community, including theatre, music, visual artists, writers and poets. A major initiative, www.townshipsheritage.com, provides potential tourists and residents with a fascinating in-depth tour of the heritage attractions of the Eastern Townships. The focus of our Community & Culture Committee is on a vibrant quality of life in the Townships.

Communications and Information Service
A variety of communications tools reach out to the Association’s members, the Townships English-speaking community, and beyond:
  • Community outreach meetings led by an informed Outreach Team
  • Keeping In Touch column in The Record on Wednesdays or Thursdays
  • Press releases
  • A quarterly tabloid newsletter Townships Crossroads
  • Announcements distributed to churches and community groups
  • Merchandise sporting Townships logos
  • Opinion articles and briefs about issues relevant to the Townships English-speaking community inform and challenge our community as well as institutions and governments which serve it.
  • An Information & Referral Service offers confidential responses to questions from individuals concerning a wide gamut of topics. A “You Asked Us!” column is published weekly in The Record on Mondays or Tuesdays.
Health & Social Services in English
Health & social services committees are in continuous contact with decision makers and service providers, working with them to improve access to services in English. Initiatives include carrying out a health and social services needs assessment, networking with seniors, supporting mental health, coordinating volunteering, and providing information to the English-speaking community about available services.

Knowledge Base
A developing knowledge base concerning the Townships English-speaking community provides the foundation for making decisions and planning actions that will make a difference in the community. Recent research is included in various pages of this website, as well as a list of references that may be consulted in the Association’s Resource Centre.

Enjoy your Visit
We hope you enjoy your visit to this website. Feel free to contact the Association if you would like any further information. Please tell your friends about Townshippers’, and we invite both you and your friends to join our family of Townshippers’ by becoming a member. It’s a matter of heart!