Townships Expressions: Books

Lily Butters was the wife of a World War I vet and farmer. She and her husband had immigrated to Canada from England in 1929. In 1947, at the age of 53, she founded a centre in Austin (East Bolton), Quebec for mentally disabled children (including many Down Syndrome sufferers) and named it in memory of her dead son, Cecil. She continually expanded her farmhouse until the centre housed over 400 children by 1966. Her influence is still felt today by hundreds of (past and current) beneficiaries, parents and Butters employees. This is Lily’s story: the beginning, the crises, the triumphs, the end of the original Butters centre and the rebirth of Lily’s legacy through new Butters organizations.

The Eastern Townships are home to some of Quebec’s most historic villages and towns. This stunning bilingual book chronicles the history of the Townships through rare early photographs. Some 200 images, each carefully researched, have been selected from the author's extensive personal collection, providing a fascinating glimpse of life in the region from about 1860 to 1950.

This long-awaited follow-up to The Eastern Townships: In Town and Village chronicles the history of Quebec’s Eastern Townships through text and archival photography. Nearly 200 photographs are reproduced, providing a rare glimpse of life on and around the lakes, ponds, rivers and waterfalls of the Eastern Townships from about 1860 to 1960. The Eastern Townships: On Lake and River is a visual journey back in time through a fascinating corner of Quebec. The images presented have been carefully researched, and were selected in large part from the author’s extensive personal collection. Chapters include: A Landscape of Water; A Good Place for a Town; Harnessing the River; Bridges; At Work; Enjoying the Water; Camps and Cottages; Hotels, Inns and Boarding Houses; Pleasure Boating; and All Aboard! This stunning bilingual book (208 pages, soft-cover) is a must for anyone interested in the history of the Eastern Townships.

Writes the author in his introduction,

“A country can be shaped as much by its land as by its water. The Eastern Townships are no exception. Each wave of settlement that has influenced the history of the region […] depended upon – and reaped the rewards of – the region’s waterways. Over the last century, the Townships have been the focus of a different kind of invasion: vacationers drawn to the region’s lakes, and cottagers willing to pay an ever increasing premium for lakefront property. At a time when rising demand for lakeside property and environmental threats such as blue algae have brought the region’s waterways to the forefront of our consciousness as never before, it is hoped that this volume will convey something of the part that these diverse bodies of water have played, and continue to play, in the evolution of the Eastern Townships.”

Limited Edition!

Readers will learn that since 1955, members of the St. Francis Valley Natualists' Club have done more than just watch birds. They identified the Johnville Bog and the Kateville Marsh (L'Ïle du marais) as very special ecosystems and were influential in having them proclaimed conservation areas. They have worked to educate children and the general public to love and respect nature.

Graphs and spreadsheets of evolving bird populations, news clippings, photos and carefuly researched information make this a fun-to-read book and an important contribution to local history.

That all who journey past be touched;
“Yea ever heard about Nigger Rock,” the old man asked?  Before  could answer, he continued to speak. “Yea know that black runaway slaves are buried there.” .....
Have you ever heard of the underground railroad? “That railroad for your information was not like the one they have in Montreal now, the one they call the Metro......”
“.....those poor runaway slaves came all the way to Canada in order to be free, but......”
“..........there was a black woman,.........she went by the name of Birdie,” the old man continued.
“I think we need to make Birdie proud.”the old man added, after he had read her poem. Who is Birdie? What does she have to do with Nigger Rock? Read her story, and as the old man said,.....“make Birdie proud”.

A catalogue of the 271 archival holdings of the Eastern Townships Research Centre an accredited institution developed by Bishop’s University to motivate and support original research on the Eastern Townships.

The book is a thorough, not-so-serious look at what Ski Canada magazine has called, "The zany black sheep of the Ski East centres." Brian Eddington brings all aspects of it to life.

A catalogue of the 271 archival holdings of the Eastern Townships Research Centre an accredited institution developed by Bishop’s University to motivate and support original research on the Eastern Townships.

This special isssue of JETS is devoted to the subject of the English-speaking community of the Eastern Townships, past, present and future.

This is the story of a remarkable woman who grew up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec during the late 1800s. Distressed by the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, she wrote a plan for continuous mediation that could have brought the fighting to a halt early on, but the diplomats and heads of state failed to consider it seriously. Her conversations with European officials are surprising-and most revealing. All Canadians can take pride in Miss Wales' work for peace. It eventually led to the organization of the League of Nations and tlater, the United Nations, and the relatively peaceful years we have enjoyed since 1945.

1802-2002

A look into the roots of an Eastern Townships Family

Though this volume centers upon two bards  in Quebec, it just as truly commemorates and celebrates their Highland community. Most of the verses are by Oscar Dhu, nom de plume of Angus B. MacKay, and by Finlay McRitchie. They are bards, but their Lingwick community in the Eastern Townships also played a vital role in their being the bards they were.

Over the years, all sorts of colourful people have been involved in the Glen organization: Peg Barnes, Buzzy Paige, Ken Jasper, Jackrabbit Johannsen, Bob Richardson, Pat Côté, Dick Shea, Jack Price, Denis Morin, Brian Robinson, Lucille Wheeler Vaughan, John Parry, Eddy Persons, Hank Rotherham, Peter White. The Glen has also produced some wonderful skiers, including Peter Smart, Paul Cunnius, Leigh-Jay Quilliams and Trevor Gavura.

The book is a thorough, not-so-serious look at what Ski Canada magazine has called, "The zany black sheep of the Ski East centres." Brian Eddington brings all aspects of it to life.

Years ago I came across some very old leather-bound diaries in my family's library. The period was 1842 - 1849. The diary started in England where a bankrupt solicitor named John Rumsey from High Wycombe, was banished to America. The diary covered the sea voyage to New York, the canal boats to Lake Ontario and the steamers and barges to Canada. During Rumsey's lengthy stay in Montreal he met an Irish servant who had fallen on hard times. Rumsey tried to help him. According to his diary:

  This being a country in which great things sometimes come from little beginnings, I suggested to a poor Irish servant, the vending of a corn medicine. I gave him a recipe, a fine name for it and an elaborate account of its merits. I mixed up the first fourteen bottles, the Queen's Printer gave publicity to it and after sending the bottles among the Canadiens, my Irish friend is now practicing his profession in the wide spread and free soil of the Yankee.

The diary ended the day his lodgings and the Montreal parliament buildings burnt down in 1849. While I wrote the biography,

I felt that it was no way to end a book — and so began the birth of the novel, Raise the Flag & Sound the Cannon …

* Don is a retired banker living in Knowlton, Quebec.

The story of youth work pioneers and the amazing impact their efforts made for so many youth. A success story, this book encompasses the passion, joy and vitality that for more than thirty years characterize this work of the United Church of Canada in the Eastern Townships And the North Shore regions of Quebec. The book gives insight into the roots of the network as well as a selection of personal stories written by youth, who took part in the programs between the years 1973 and 2000.

Volume I: A History to 1837

Three Eastern Townships Mining Villages in Québec
1863-1972

Albert Mines
Capelton
Eustis

The History of Waterville, Quebec, 125th Anniversary bilingual edition, from 1876 thru to 2001.

This beautiful, colour book contains over 300 photographs of the Eastern Townships. The accompanying text describes the area's history, geography, architecture and sporting activities. A must for natives, visitors and ex-pats.

A Homage to a rural life

Images and Text

The drawings, watercolour paintings, and stories within these pages pay homage to rural life in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.  They explore the character of the people, the work they do, the pace of their lives, the manner in which they seek to maintain harmony with their surroundings, and their responses to change and the passage of time. These stories express knowledge of family, ancestry, and community: long memories for patterns of weather and the seasons, the joyful and difficult times of the past, the flavour of their speech.

This book features over 65 colourful folk art paintings with scenes of Québec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Switzerland.

In a 1970's setting, Janna recalls stories of her childhood adventures and shares favourite family recipes.  She is hoping to ignite the imaginations of children inspiring them to have fun playing using just their imaginations, when away from their computers.  

From the young, to the young at heart, Janna's detailed folk art paintings and narrative are almost certain to bring a smile across your face, as you are reminded of your own cozy memories from days long ago.

Janna's happy folk art paintings reflect her sense of humour and deep appreciation for the simple things in life.  It has been printed that Janna’s whimsical folk art is like a combination of Grandma Moses and Norman Rockwell, with extraordinary detail and vivid colors. 

Through her folk art, it is Janna’s ambition to contribute as much joy to others, by reflecting for generations our heritage and culture.  Janna currently resides in the lake side village of North Hatley, Québec.

Real life photos showing that life doesn't stop on arrival in a long term care unit.
Photos demonstrating a job well done and the possible rewards for those who choose to work in this milieu.
Smiles which we often see and which give sense to our work. And that is what we wanted to share with you......

Eighty pages of beautiful photographs of the Eastern Townships photographed over the past forty years.  Bilingual text

A History of Barns and Fences in the Eastern Townships of Quebec

306 pages of Text & Photos

Since the late 1990s, photographers Louise Abbott and Neils Jensen have travelled thousands of miles in the Eastern Townships of Quebec in their quest to document the remnants  of the historic agricultural landscape in the form of barns, fences and silos.  The Heart of the Farm  showcases over three hundred and fifty of their evocative photos, along with more than fifty rare archival images. The book also features an engaging and enlightening text by Abott that traces the evolution of barns from log to steel and the evolution of fences from wood to wire.

Where the Heart Is features a selection of paintings drawn from the past twenty years of Ann Mitchell’s career. Rooted in the native tradition, each painting captures real people in real situations and evokes a love of place often overlooked in modern life.

Award-winning artist Anne Mitchell’s paintings are featured in collections across Canada and throughout the eastern United States.  Her work was selected for display at le Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City and she has been invited to participate in three International Art Naif contests.

Remembering the Rose is the journey of a community: Stanstead the 45th parallel, where I call home. The more I learned the more questions I had. I became aware of the uniqueness of this border town as well as discovering the many first in inventions, industry and education. The Rose became a symbol of growth. A rose now opened fully at maturity to reveal its beauty and completeness. To lose a historic place or a part of history we lose a part of who we are. Remembering the Rose captures pieces of this community’s soul. (94 pages of photos)

A guide to....Canoeing, kayaking, hiking, cycling, birding, fishing, swimming & picnicking. Outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers will welcome this guide to the the Eastern Townships region of southern Quebec where the mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes are an ideal setting for adventure.  Whether you want to paddle, hike, bike, walk or birdwatch near all the amenities of a fully-serviced tourist town or far off in a vast wilderness setting, you'll find what you seek here.

THE BIRTH OF ARCHIBALD

In a tattered old box full of crumpled-up paper
 Hidden away for many a year
Sketchy notes on a man of distinction
      Suddenly to my sight did appear.

Archibald Bell was the character's name.
                         Dreams and inventions were his claim to fame.

I tried to ignore him, but try as I might
                   He took over my mind by day and by night.
My high-sounding poetry turned into verse.
                             My writing style suffered and soon became worse.

But Archibald Bell would have his own say
               And so I present him to amuse you today.

                                      Here's Archibald.

The symbol of this book is the moon. The hidden is often more potent than the manifest. It guards secrets, mysteries that can be expressed only by the language of poetry. The moon represents is reflective, receptive, mysterious and ever changing as she hides and then gradually reveals her beauty.

The poems in this book reflect the nature of the spiritual life. A poem can take us deeper and deeper into the reality of life, stripping away the veils of illusion that cover that reality like the skins of an onion, which can be peeled away one after the other, until the hidden is revealed in all its profound emptiness.

Wendy Jean MacLean celebrates the wisdom that poetry is ultimately about very practical and ordinary experiences, like life and death and geese and tomatoes. Her life as a mother, daughter, friend and sister, and minister in a small church keeps her surrounded by inspiration and delight. Wendy encourages her two sons, Angus and Chester, to reach for the stars and also tries to take her own advice.

Using inclusive language, Barnett has translated all 150 Psalms into engaging and reverent renditions that bring the Psalms to a new life. Each Psalm is paired with original refrains from composer, Donald Patriquin. Barnetts lyrical phrasing, beautiful language, and scholarly integrity, are what drew Patriquin to Songs for the Holy One. The psalms retain the poetry and integrity of the originals, yet have been revised to bring out the passion and exultation of the psalms.

Think of a lively, intimate conversation with a thoughtful friend and you are already into this captivating collection of poems. There is mystery here, a passion for Creation throughout, a joyful whimsy, a solid foundation of knowledge, and an obvious command of the language.  Readers will find themselves regularly ambushed by both beauty and a profound sense of a compassionate God.

Rev. Dr. Jim Sinclair

In this book, what will you find?
Random thoughts from my odd mind.
There'll be no need to mull and fret,
For what you see is what you get!
There's simple truths set down in verse,
Some times I lecture, which is worse!
But if my book you chance to choose,
What I hope most, is you're amused.

All the poems you'll see here,
Wer writ' by me in the past year.
They weren't that easy to create,
So I ask you not to duplicate.
It's hard to judge an artist's mood,
So if you do, you might be sued.

It's winter in the idyllic Quebec village of Three Pines.  Snow is gently falling and the residents are preparing their Christmas celebrations.  But someone is preparing something far more sinister.  Murder. As Chief Inspector Gamache of the Sureté investigates he uncovers layers of secrets buried deep and long hidden, until now.

As the early morning mist clears on Thanksgiving Sunday, the homes of Three Pines come to life – all except one… To locals, the village is a safe haven. So they are bewildered When a well-loved member of the community is found dead in the maple woods. Surely it was an accident – a hunter’s arrow gone astray. Who could want Jane Neal dead?

In a long and distinguished career with the Suréte de Quebec, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has learned to look for snakes in Eden. Gamache knows something dark is lurking behind the white picket fences, and if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will begin to give up its secrets…

THE MURDER STONE is set over the course of one summer week at the Manoir Bellechasse, a remote luxury inn on the shores of Lac Massawippi, in Quebec. It's to this inn that Armand Gamache has brought Reine Marie to celebrate a wedding anniversary. But while they're surrounded by nature, it soon becomes clear there's something deeply unnatural there with them. Perhaps it's the Finney family. Cultured, gracious, the more they smile the more vicious they become. Perhaps its one of the young workers at the remote Manoir, suffering cabin fever so far from civilization.

A fascinating and unique journey into the world beyond and a guide for everyone wanting to awaken their spiritual nature.

This is a true story of how a confirmed city boy was talked, cajoled and prodded into moving from the big city to the village of Knowlton.

A collection of humourous and whimsical vignettes previously published in a number of newspapers.  Any are about the adventures, problems and challenges of raising a family of five children to presumed maturity.

Over many years, as I travelled the beautiful Eastern Townships of Quebec, I was saddened by the sight of so many picturesque historic churches which were closed or about to close. I wondered whether memory  of the people who built them and the parishioners who faithfully cared for them over many generationswould be lost to posterity. I felt strongly that there was a need to document the histories of these churches and congregations so their story might be preserved for future generations to appreciate. Some of the congregations and their church buildings no longer exist, but many have left behind a wealth of history, and this, I hope will prove interesting to the reader. Phyllis Hamilton

One Village
Its Culinary Heritage
Its Families' Best Recipes

This book is an introduction to the best family recipes from the grandmothers and grandfathers of the village of Abercorn, QC.
A brief history describes the loyalist origins of the community and the culinary traditions the first settlers brought with them.

Alongside the recipes you will find biographical notes and collected anecdotes.  Through them, you will get to know the cooks who have so generously shared their stories with us, and the many others who contributed their favourite family recipes

The Eastern Townships are characterized by their cultural diversity, so it should not be surprising to discover in this book the influences of many cultures: Native Canadian, French Canadian, English Canadian, American, British, Scottish, Irish, and European.

Micheline Mongrain-Dontigny's book not only covers the art of preparing the variety of local produce that is available to us and that is listed in a special section. It also contains a chapter on the culinary history of the Eastern Townships. It even talks about hunting. Eastern Townships Traditional Cooking, which is illustrated with vintage photographs, contains an index, a bibliography, and a list of contributors.

A treasure of heirloom recipes
With this book, I want to share a treasure of traditional recipes that will help you prepare a variety of typical Québecois fare.
 I also wish to pay tribute to early settlers who left behind such a rich culture, still avery much alive in today's Quebec cuisine.
Bon Appétit! 
Micheline Mongrain-Dontigny

This book is a comprehensive guide that includes: the history, the collecting and making methods and the criteria used to select genuine products. It introduces you to new recipes and gives you the essential delights of our grandmothers. It is an invitation to enjoy the treats made with this delicious product of the land!

From Mrs. Dixon's Independent Living students ( Massey Vanier High School) who contributed their favourite recipes as well as time and effort to put together this cookbook. May 2003

Torn between a strong separatist French-speaking father and a liberal mother, Julie suddenly finds herself in an English milieu fighting for survival while  keeping papa in the dark about learning English. Will she be able to survive this ordeal or lose her Papa forever? What does the future hold for her?

Charlie The Adventures of Barnie the owl
Author: Klaus Bremer

Price: $13.00

Loppy, The Tale of a Pumpkin $15.00 Author: Louise Oliver