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).

The Task Force on Linguistic Policy has filed an interlocutory injunction against Quebec’s language law Bill 96.

Andrew Caddell, president of the Task Force, told CIDI that the recent injunction “deals with the future effects of the law.” Other measures are expected to be implemented over the next couple of years, he explained, which will have even more “significant, negative, and damaging effects” on Quebecers, including English-speaking Townshippers.

The Knowlton Players are celebrating over one hundred theatrical productions with their upcoming murder-mystery musical Drama at the Museum, which will serve as a fundraiser for the Lac-Brome Museum.

Drama at the Museum director Darleen Bell explained that the story line follows a theatre troupe rehearsing to do a fundraiser for a museum, making it a play within a play.

Espace Diffusion has launched a new project entitled Connexion Culture with the goal of making cultural experiences more accessible to citizens in Brome-Missisquoi.

Espace Diffusion is a concert venue space in Cowansville that produces concerts, stand-up comedy shows, and more.

The warming centres in Farnham and Cowansville will now serve the population of Brome-Missisquoi seven days a week after receiving emergency funding from the federal government’s Reaching Home program.

The warming centres were launched as a pilot project in 2022 to provide a safe space for individuals who are unhoused to warm-up during the winter.

The Corporation de développement économique de Sutton (CDES) has received a $250,000 grant from the Fonds d’action québécois pour le développement durable that will provide citizens and stakeholders with the opportunity to get involved in developing and planning a future vision for sustainable and slow tourism in Sutton.

Sustainable tourism takes into account “its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts,” while slow tourism invites the population to “connect with places and people in a meaningful way,” explained Janna Hubacek, project manager with CDES.

The City of Sherbrooke has been chosen to host the finals for the 58th edition of the Quebec Winter Games in March.

Sherbrooke hosted the Quebec Summer Games back in 1977 and 1995, but it marks the first time that the winter games are coming to the Eastern Townships, said Amélie Boissonneau, communications coordinator for Destination Sherbrooke and promotor of business and sport tourism.

The Town of Brome Lake is preparing to launch two new programs that will work hand-in-hand to support families with young children.

According to Claire Citeau, Family Resource agent for the municipality, a toy lending library and a toddler assistance program (dépannage bambin) will soon be made available to families in Brome Lake.

The Knowlton Academy (K.A.) breakfast program is looking for community support in order to continue providing a healthy breakfast to students at no cost.

Shelley Judge, a K-4 educator at K.A., told CIDI that throughout her four years as a volunteer with the breakfast program she has seen an uptick in demand, especially within the last six months.

The Eastern Townships will continue to benefit from the Inspecteur Génético project, having received $59,000 in funding from the Pôle régional en enseignement supérieur (PERES).

The Inspecteur Génético project was started on a small scale by Bishop’s University (BU) Biology professor Estelle Chamoux back in 2019. The overall aim of the project is to spark interest in scientific careers by offering workshops to elementary and high school students.

The Knowlton Lion’s Club is looking to bring new members and volunteers on board with the goal of continuing its service to the community and developing strong leadership for the future of the organization.

According to Bill Taylor, vice-president of the Knowlton Lion’s Club, membership numbers for the local branch are down this year to about half of what they have been in years past. The Club is now down to twenty members.

The Municipality of Frelighsburg is restoring and transforming Bishop Stewart Memorial Church to make it a multi-functional space for the community.

Restoration work on the church began in 2021 after the municipality received a grant from Ministry of Culture and Communications in order to preserve the heritage qualities of the building, including the walls and the stain-glassed windows.