Destination Knowlton >: February 2008

The Auberge Knowlton in the heart of Lac Brome is arguably one of the most beloved historical buildings in Lac Brome. The popular hotel provides visitors and locals with one of Knowlton's better restaurants and comfortable rooms with the real Victorian character of the Eastern Townships.

Auberge Knowlton, the oldest operating hotel in the Eastern Township’s, is not one to sit on its laurels. Having been hailed by Fodor’s, America’s leading travel publisher as “Fodor’s Choice… the place to stay and eat” in the area for the past 3 years as well as being featured by travel guides, Ulysses, Petit Futé and Lonely Planet, the Auberge has now aligned itself with the prestigious chain “Auberges du Passant Certifiée” managed by the Fédération des Agricotours du Québec.

The Fédération uses various criteria and certification programs that allow customers to identify the top quality establishments. These certification programs involve a detailed selection process based on tough standards for high quality. In addition to the Auberge having successfully achieved the certification demands of the Fédération, the Auberge’s
Restaurant “Le Relais” has also been designated a “Table aux Saveurs du Terroir” by the group. New in 2006, the “Tables” of the group offer a food service concept that showcases Quebec’s local products.

We are extremely pleased to be recognized by the Fédération des Agricotours,”
enthuses Auberge co-owner Signy Stephenson. “We have been working hard to improve our offering to the public, both in the hotel and the restaurant and to see these things recognized makes it all worthwhile.”

“Also new in 2008 is the Auberge’s membership with Vélo Québec, giving it the right to promote its offerings to cyclists under the “Bienvenue Cyclistes” banner. This is a result of the “Route Verte” coming through Brome Lake and again a certification program is involved. Lodging next the “Route Verte” is obliged to offer secure, covered storage space for bicycles, supply repair kits and cycling and tourist information plus, if there is a restaurant, healthy food conducive to cycling. To this end, the Auberge is building a secure lock-up for bicycles to be ready for the spring season.

“We’re looking forward to a busy spring and summer with the involvement of these two associations,” says Stephenson, “because in addition to our own promotion, they will be publicizing both the Auberge and the village of Knowlton.”

The Auberge is also a member of Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est, the Quebec Hotel Association, the Quebec Restaurant Association and the CAA and is an “Ami de la Route des Vins” (CLD Brome-Missisquoi).

The Auberge website is: www.aubergeknowlton.ca

For further information, please contact
Lynn Patenaude 450-242-6886
Signy Stephenson [email protected]

Arts Sutton Gallery announces the official opening of Sanctuaries, an exhibition of recent works in photography by Montreal artists Éric Dupuis and Sol Lang on Saturday February 9th.

The vernissage will be held on Saturday, February 16 at 2 pm, with the artists in attendance. The exhibition continues until March 9, 2008.

In the figurative sense, the word sanctuary means “protected, closed, secret, sacred place” (Petit Robert, 2004). This is without a doubt what these two artists want to express.

Éric Dupuis, Ascension, photography, 38,1 X 25,4 cm

On one side, Éric Dupuis placed his camera at the heart of places that are without question perceived as sanctuaries- the churches. Yet this vision takes us into looking anew at the interiors and to pay attention to the quality of the light that penetrated them, its subtle play on the furniture, the materials, and the set-up of religious artefacts. “When I was a kid, mass was somehow a sensual rite for me, a mix of wonder for the light and sensations collected from the burning incense, the chants, the music, and the people”, quote the artist. Éric Dupuis is observing with interest the place worship has taken in our contemporary lives. It would seem other values, other rituals, are filling the landscape of society has we can see with churches that are converted into luxurious condos. Image courtesy of Arts Sutton and the Artist > Éric Dupuis, Ascension, photography, 38,1 X 25,4 cm

On the other side, Sol Lang brings us to a place that seems hostile at first glance, an abandoned factory in Lachine, Quebec, now completely demolished. This building was a haven for young graffiti artists where they could express themselves through their art without interference from police or the law. “I scream out, silently as my voice falls on deaf ears in the abandoned, waste of this environmentally hostile site, where polluting by-products of this facility are slowly seeping down and penetrating the soil underneath.” With this series of photographs, Sol Lang brings a reflection on the “sanctity” of religion, as he draws a parallel between it and the secret evils of greed in our society.

Two intimate visions with radically different aesthetics that merge through their perception of place.

A 50 pages catalogue of the exhibition featuring the works by those two photographers willl be for sale at the Gallery. It includes reproductions of all the images in the exhibition, plus extra images that follow the show's theme for a total of 36 full color images. The price is $19.95. The calalogue will be available in English and in French.

The Arts Sutton Gallery is located on 7 Academy Street in Sutton and is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Source: Catherine Audet for Arts Sutton Gallery 450.538.2563 | [email protected] | www.artssutton.com

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