Serving the Eastern Townships English-speaking Community since 1979.
YOUNG TOWNSHIPS LEADERS AWARDS? EPIC!
March 24, 2010
By Michelle Lepitre, Make Way for YOUth / Desjardins Migration Agent
What are the Young Townships Leaders Awards? Designed to celebrate youth leadership in the Eastern Townships, these awards help shine a spotlight on all the great things young people in the Eastern Townships are doing. Over the coming weeks, we will periodically feature stories of last year’s award winners in our Keeping in Touch column; we hope that these stories will inspire you to nominate a young person for one of these prestigious awards.
Nomination forms are available on our website, www.townshippers.qc.ca, or by contacting Michelle Lepitre, Make Way for YOUth/Desjardins Migration Agent, at 819-566-5717 (1-866-566-5717) or ml@townshippers.qc.ca.
The 2010 Young Townships Leaders Awards are made possible, in part, by the generous financial contributions of NAV Canada and other supporting partners.
Read on to learn more about one of the 2009 Young Townships Leaders award winners, Tierra del Fuego, a community resource centre and trading post created by a group of ambitious, community-minded youth!
YOUNG TOWNSHIPS LEADERS AWARDS: HONOURING TIERRA DEL FUEGO
By Joanna Bateman and Alanna Fernandes, Tierra del Fuego
In June 2009, the organizers of Tierra del Fuego, Lennoxville's sustainable community resource centre & trading post, were recognized at the Young Townships Leaders Awards for our active participation in Townships life. Honoured by this symbol of support from Townshippers' Association, we were encouraged to continue believing in ourselves as we entered our second year.
Almost a year later, we are proudly preparing the community garden for the coming spring. We have begun an equitable fashion project, and continue to host a monthly Mommy Club, community suppers, language exchanges, yoga and meditation classes, subsistence living workshops, and specialized events.
The door of 19 Church St. in Lennoxville also opens up to the public a library, a community kitchen, an internet access, arts and music equipment, and a meeting space for local groups, including the Lennoxville Townshippers' Youth Council. All resources are offered for free, donation and/or trade.
Creating a socio-ecological enterprise that offers various opportunities for people to learn, be creative and resourceful, allows us (and others) to discover the magic of the Townships. Incredible people live here, and among us is a mutual desire to connect with both our natural and social environments. Recognizing this brings a great sense of hope, fulfillment, and connectedness. We appreciate so much the opportunities created and the support provided.
For more information, contact tierradelfuego@gmail.com or 819-829-1163.
TOWNSHIPS P.I. CONTEST
Do you know a young student who likes history? Art? Writing? Can you think of a grade five or six student who loves to ask questions and search for answers? If so, be sure to tell him or her about the Townships P.I. contest!
We at Townshippers’ Association want to learn all about the things that happened here in the Townships that are not talked about at school. To do this, we are asking students in grades five and six to help us out, by investigating stories or events that happened here in the past. Once they’ve done this, we want them to share their stories with us by creating an illustrated short story detailing the event or mystery they investigated.
For more information about the Townships P.I. contest, or to get a registration form, visit the Youth Townships website at www.youthtownships.ca, or contact Michelle at 819-566-5717 (1-866-566-5717) or ml@townshippers.qc.ca.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Granada Theatre
Photo Cutline: As a welcoming gesture, the Granada Theatre in Sherbrooke is offering a special promotion on Suzanne Vega’s March 27 concert for all Townshippers’ Association members. Widely regarded as one of the most brilliant songwriters of her generation, Suzanne Vega emerged as a leading figure of the folk-music revival of the early 1980s (Luka, Tom’s Diner, Caramel, Small blue thing…). The March 27 performance will feature Vega's long-time musical partners Mike Visceglia and Gerry Heonard and will recreate intimate and imaginative new acoustic renderings of Suzanne’s classics and rarities. For more information or to reserve your tickets, call the Granada Theatre, 819-565-5656.