The municipality of St-Armand recently passed a resolution to assure its English-speaking residents that it will provide municipal communications in both French and English to the best of its ability as it attempts to work around language law Bill 96.

In passing this resolution, council's goal is to ensure that services are available to English and French speaking people equally. Mayor Caroline Rosetti, a Francophone who is equally proficient in English, explains that this is a challenge in a community where 27 per cent of the population is Anglophone.

Solutions Immobilier Solidaire (SIS) is working on addressing the housing crisis in Brome-Missisquoi by creating an MRC-wide “Community Land Trust” (CLT) - a new real estate model that was established in the United States and that is spreading across the world.

Solutions Immobilier Solidaire was formed early last year by Annie-Pierre Gorup, who has a background in real estate development, and Samuel Gervais, who has been working in social entrepreneurship for many years. After meeting in Brome-Missisquoi, they decided to join forces in an attempt to address the need for more housing, particularly affordable housing, in the region because “it really affects ourselves and everyone around us,” said Gorup.

The Town of Sutton is moving ahead with a study on a piece of municipal land in Sutton's downtown core for a future affordable housing project for lower and middle-income individuals and families after signing a memorandum with local non-profit organization Solutions immobilier solidaire (SIS).

The SIS works with financial supporters to purchase land for the construction of affordable housing projects in order to protect housing from the speculative market.

A new non-profit organization known as Abercorn Lyrique is launching the first edition of its “Lyrical Art Festival” in the village of Abercorn. 

Abercorn Lyrique was founded by local resident Marie Léonard with a mission to introduce lyrical art to the region of Brome-Missisquoi and to “diversify its musical offerings” through a series of concerts.

The Townshippers’ Festival is back after a three-year hiatus with a new collaboration with the Stanstead Recreational Association. 

The Townshippers’ Festival is a bilingual event that dates back almost 40 years and it is coordinated by the Townshippers’ Association - a non-profit organization that supports the English-speaking community of the Eastern Townships. The event is all about bringing together the French and English-speaking communities of the region, drawing in Townshippers’ living near and far. The festival showcases the region’s artisans, local entertainment, and community organizations to highlight its culture and dynamism. 

The Knowlton Film Festival has new movie-going experiences in store for its upcoming fourth edition, including its very first short film competition.

The Knowlton Film Festival was started in 2018 with a mission to showcase and promote a varied cinematic program of film creations from the Eastern Townships, Quebec, and more. The festival attracts cinematographers, movie producers and directors, from near and far whom have the opportunity to share their films with the Brome Lake community.

la ­Régie intermunicipale de gestion des matières résiduelles de ­Brome-Missisquoi (RIGMRBM) has announced the launch of three new projects to continue its mission in promoting eco-responsible habits for waste management in Brome-Missisquoi. It also has a new commercial name.

The announcement comes as the Quebec government begins to roll-out its plan (2022-2031) for a modernized selective collection system, which will see a change in the products and materials that Quebecers can put in the garbage, recycling, and compost.

A New Hampshire hospital is marketing a number of healthcare services to Townshippers living on the Quebec side of the Canada-US border. The decision comes at a time when the public healthcare system in Quebec faces pressure due to increased demand for health and social services and challenges with staff retention. 

Over the last few weeks, Upper Valley Connecticut Hospital has been sending out flyers to residents of the Eastern Townships to make them aware of what services it offers. The hospital also sent out a survey to get a better understanding of the healthcare needs in the region and to adapt its environment to better welcome those that seek its services, including having translators available for French-speaking Canadians. 

The Municipal Regional County (MRC) of Brome-Missisquoi has adopted its Regional Plan for Natural Environments (RPNE) with the goal of conserving natural environments of regional interest and to address the number of environmental issues the region is experiencing. 

The RPNE was adopted after Quebec’s MRCs became responsible for implementing a plan for their wetlands and water bodies under the “Act Respecting the Conservation of Wetlands and Bodes of Water.” However, the council of mayors for the Brome-Missisquoi MRC decided to include all natural environments to incorporate the RPNE as a part of the MRCs larger “Land use and Development Plan” as a tool for sustainable development when it comes time for land use planning.

The Town of Brome Lake has adopted three new zoning by-laws - by-laws 596-15, 596-16, and 596-17 - that have sparked some concern amongst citizens. As a result, a register will be held on July 21, which will dictate whether the three by-laws will be subject to a referendum.

Town council adopted by-laws 596-15, 596-16, and 596-17 at the July 3 municipal council meeting.

The Quebec government has adopted Bill 11 - “An Act to Amend the Act Respecting End-of-Life Care and Other Legislative Provisions” - after local funeral director Mathieu Baker brought the subject of medical assistance in dying (MAID) back to the attention of provincial legislators. 

Baker is the owner Complexe Funéraire Brome-Missisquoi and Complexe Funéraire Haut Richelieu and he has been offering a space for individuals seeking assisted death services outside of the typical hospital or long-term care facility setting. 

As the need for mental health services continues to grow, Prescri-Nature wants healthcare professionals to reconsider the role of nature in creating a healthy society.

Prescri-Nature is the Quebec-based version of an initiative of the BC Parks Foundation known as PaRx, launched in 2019. The initiative is led by a group of health professionals that want to improve people’s mental health by “prescribing time in nature.” Prescri-Nature was founded in 2022 by six healthcare professionals after the BC Parks Foundation wanted to launch the initiative country-wide. 

Over the last couple of days, areas across the Eastern Townships have been experiencing flooding due to heavy rainfall and they are now in the process of recovering from the damage. 

On July 11, the municipalities of Cookshire-Eaton and Sherbrooke both faced home evacuations, road closures, and other damages. The Sherbrooke Record reported that 25 homes were evacuated in Cookshire-Eaton and that the flooding left unpaved roads significantly damaged. According to a press release diffused by the City of Sherbrooke today, 583 addresses were visited in the city for preventive evacuation notices, a total of 458 people preventively evacuated, and 94 calls were received via the citizens' disaster line. At the other end of the region, the Township of Potton also faced massive flooding resulting in a number of road closures and putting the municipality under a state of emergency for 48 hours.

The municipality of the Township of Potton officially inaugurated a new service building at the Missisquoi River North Park - Andrew Gagnon sector - after receiving $750,000 in funding from the Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) through its Canadian Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF). 

The new service building is a part of a larger project to develop the Missisquoi River North Park. The project started around three years ago with the construction of a new multipurpose shelter that now serves as a refrigerated ice hockey rink in the winter and a public market in the summer, something that citizens have been asking for three decades, according to Mayor Bruno Côté. Over the last couple of years, the park has grown to include a deck hockey surface, a splash-pad for children, and updated basketball courts.

After a successful first event, the West Bolton Agri-Food Citizens Committee is coordinating a second forest outing - reserved for West Bolton residents - on Mont Foster on July 15. 

The West Bolton Agri-Food Citizens Committee organizes a variety of activities for West Bolton residents, including seed exchanges. It coordinated its first forest outing in May with the goal of bringing people together and introducing residents to the natural riches that can be found in their own backyard. 

Hydro Quebec is working on upgrading the electrical system in the Eastern Townships in order to meet the growing demands for electricity in the continuously developing region.

According to Caroline Des Rosiers, spokesperson for Hydro Quebec, the Hydro Quebec network in the region was built in 1940 and it is past its prime. The plan to upgrade and modernize the electrical system began in 2016 with work on the Adamsville substation in Bromont and supply line, which is in service, and it will continue for several years.

Conservation organization Appalachian Corridor is hosting the very first edition of its “Open House Days” on July 7 and 8 with the goal of raising awareness around the importance of preserving the natural environments of the Eastern Townships and developing a sustainable relationship with nature.

While Appalachian Corridor typically works one-on-one with private landowners that want put their land in conservation, the organization wanted to provide the wider public with the opportunity to discover its work, the different steps that are involved in developing a conservation project, and the environmental concerns that are facing the region. A variety of activities, conferences, and kiosks will be offered on site by a number of professionals and experts. 

Due to dwindling finances and maintenance costs, the Knowlton-Mountain Valley Pastoral Charge has decided to put the Knowlton United Church building and property up for sale. The decision comes as Knowlton’s St. Paul’s Anglican Church tries to sell part of its land to a developer, making the Knowlton United Church the second church in the village to consider selling off assets in order to remain a part of the community.

The Knowlton United Church has been described as an “iconic” landmark in Knowlton that symbolizes “community gathering.” The present building dates back to 1895, but the church has been on the property since 1855. The congregation itself recently celebrated 225 years of being a community of faith in Knowlton.

The group of owners of the Domaine du Vieux-Verger property in Sutton have decided not to move forward with the sale of the land to the Town of Sutton for the construction of an affordable housing project despite reaching an agreement with the municipality to purchase the 21-acre site for $1,409,000 million last fall.

In April of this year, two information sessions were held by the municipality to present the plans for the potential affordable housing project to citizens, which included adopting a borrowing bylaw to obtain the financing that was needed to finalize the purchase of the land.

As the Quebec government rolls out its plan (2022-2031) for a modernized selective collection system, the Regional County Municipality (MRC) of Brome-Missisquoi adds a new member to its team for the summer that will outreach within the community to help citizens and businesses better manage their waste materials. The plan for a modernized selective collection system will see a change in the products that Quebecers can put in the garbage, recycling, and compost.

Benjamin Gagné, the new intern for environmental waste management with the MRC of Brome-Missisquoi, said that the MRC has been working on its own management plan for residual materials for a few years now. As municipalities across Quebec slowly begin to transition to the provincial modernized collection system, Gagné will be working with citizens, businesses, and institutions, throughout the summer to provide a better understanding as to where they should dispose their waste and the products they can use to reduce their environmental footprint on the region’s landfill.