Destination Knowlton >: November 2009

Richard Wisdom still in Power? "Yes" says Town Website!
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According to the Offcial Website of The Town that is...even three weeks after the municipal elections the Brome Lake Website still shows the old councillors and mayor listed as being in power. Not only is the website out of date and being neglected but it makes us wonder if anyone in Brome Lake even gives a hoot!

Unbelievable! The Town of Brome Lake hired some bozos years ago to do an official website and it has turned into a real joke...while Bromont is calling itself "Une Ville Branché" Knowlton should be calling itself the "Ville debranché".

The Official Town website still lists all the old council members and the old mayor on the website! Yep...according to the Offical Town of Brome Lake website the Mayor is none other than Richard Wisdom! Does anyone at city hall know how to change the website or is the webdesigner some cyberbozo who overcharged for some complicated software that is undecipherable. Heck if Morris Croghan can start a blog then someone at City Hall should be able to figure out their own website!

This shows that the taxpayers got royally screwed by the website design team that somehow got the contract from the Town. They walked away with a cool 25 thousand dollars and left the taxpayers holding the bag! Arenèt there plenty of local webdesigners who could have done a better job...oy heay...the council never went to Tender on the website...just rubber stamped their buddy's application!

The website is downright nasty with overlapping text, poor design, blank pages! On top of that it was designed by some firm not even in Brome Lake! Why oh why does The Town hand out these juicy contracts to outsiders when Brome Lake has a multitude of talented and capable people who would be happy to keep an up to date website operating for the residents of Brome Lake. Heck even this website is more up to date!!

As it is the ramshackle TBL website is a poor reflection on the town as it seems to show only stagnation...in 2010 there is no excuse to have such a shoddy website! Especially since it cost over $25,000!!!

To see the website visit http://ville.lac-brome.qc.ca/home.php?WS=1 but be warned...it is hard to look at!

ELAN Residency Project
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The English-Language Arts Network is pleased to announce a two-phase residency project designed to build links between artistic communities in the Eastern Townships and Montreal.
The first phase of the ELAN Residency Project is currently under way: Montreal-based artist, Katie Jung, is busy working in her studio in Knowlton. She is making connections with local artists, and invites the public to drop by and visit her in her studio at 8 rue Maple, loft #10.For the residency, Katie is creating weavings on a bead-loom that she built herself. Katie’s work is a contemporary take on traditional practices.

Her weavings integrate other aspects of her practice including photography, drawing, collage and craft. She began by weaving photographs using a digital Jaquard loom, and is now integrating photographs into her weavings using an inventive, low-tech approach. The imagery is playful, but also more complex than it may first appear. Katie states “Weaving is a medium loaded with connotation. For centuries it has been inextricably associated with gender politics. I use textile & craft based media in a 3rd wave feminist context as I seek to sabotage transgressive norms by using visual representation and the momentum of the craft movement as tools of social and political resistance."

An Artists’ Talk by Katie Jung will be held at Bishops University Knowlton Campus (99 Knowlton Road) at 12:00 on Friday November 20th. Contact Louise Jamet for more information at

A one-day exhibition of Katie Jung’s work will be held at Galerie Knowlton (49 Victoria Knowlton, Lac-Brome) from 3-5pm on Saturday, November 21st . Contact Francoise Desjardins for more information at (450) 242-1666 or

Call for submissions for Phase Two:
ELAN is currently accepting applications for the second phase of the project, which will bring an artist from the Townships to Montreal. With support from the Canada Council for the Arts, ELAN will provide an artist from the Eastern Townships with accommodation, working space, and a stipend for living expenses during a four-week residency in Montreal. The resident artist will be invited to give either a workshop or a public talk about his/her artistic practice. The residency will conclude with an exhibition or open studio.

The deadline for submissions is January 29th, 2010. The jury will announce the artist-in-residence by February 15th, 2010. The residency will begin on April 1st, 2010. Applications are open to ELAN members based in the Townships and working in any visual arts media. Those who are not members but are interested in this project are encouraged to join this vibrant network.

Visit http://www.quebec-elan.org/ for more information and to download an application form, or email

About ELAN: The English-Language Arts Network is a non-profit organization devoted to helping Quebec's English-language artists make connections with one another, with their francophone colleagues and with their audiences in Quebec, Canada and internationally.

Canadian Children's Book Week in Knowlton
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TD Canadian Children's Book Week is the single most important national event celebrating Canadian children's books and the importance of reading. Every November, close to 35,000 children, teens and adults participate in activities held in every province and territory across the country. Hundreds of schools, public libraries, bookstores and community centres host events as part of this major literary festival.

On November 20 as part of TD Canadian Children's Book Week, author Charis Cotter will present "A World full of Ghosts" an animated adventure through ghostly traditions from around the world. And we can't tell ghost stories without serving s'mores. Hosted by Brome Lake Books 264 E Knowlton Road in Knowlton. The fun begins at 6 p.m. For information please call 450-242-2242. This is a free event and everyone is welcome!

Event: Childrens author event
Date: Friday November 20th at 6 p.m.
Location: Brome Lake Books 264 E Knowlton Road
Cost: Free
Contact: Danny McAuley 450-242-2242

Meet Charis Cotter

Biography:
When Charis was a child growing up in downtown Toronto, she wanted to work in a library because she thought that would be a job where she could sit around reading books all day. The Parliament Street library was her favourite place, not only because of all the wonderful books, but because the librarian organized plays for the local children to act in. Charis loved acting almost as much as reading, and soon was writing her own plays and producing them at camp and at school.

After university, where she studied English (and read a lot more books), Charis trained as an actor in Toronto and England. Her favourite role was playing a murderer on a transcontinental mystery train with Dick Francis. To earn a living in between acting jobs, Charis worked in a variety of places including a bookstore, a film company, a vegetarian restaurant, a flea market and a kindergarten. In her most ladylike job she wrote invitations by hand for the Ontario Lieutenant Governor’s office.

When Charis had her daughter, Zoe, she changed careers and started doing freelance editing and writing. This gave her the opportunity to read lots more books on fascinating subjects: astronomy, canoes, gardening, cooking, human evolution and Toronto’s history. She soon found herself writing about history and she got hooked on the past. She wrote a book about Toronto in the 1920s and 1930s, illustrated with photographs from that time. Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939 won the Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence in 2005.

Charis and Zoe both love reading about kings and queens, and that’s how Charis came up with the idea for Kids Who Rule: The Remarkable Lives of Five Child Monarchs. It tells the stories of five young kings and queens by blending history, biography and fiction. She followed that with another book about exceptional children: Wonder Kids: The Remarkable Lives of Nine Child Prodigies, which was published in 2008. It includes the stories of child prodigies through history, from Phillis Wheatley, poet and slave (1753-1784) to Terry Tao, (1975- ), who started taking university math when he was nine.

Charis has written one more book about unusual children which will be released in fall 2009: Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors. This book explores the childhoods of favourite children’s authors like C.S. Lewis, L.M. Montgomery and Philip Pullman, showing how their early experiences influenced their writing.

A World Full of Ghosts, with zany illustrations by Quebec artist Marc Mongeau, appeared in bookstores in spring, 2009. This spooky romp takes the reader on an international ghost tour, recounting the stories of 25 multicultural phantoms, interspersed with “true ghost stories” collected by the author.

With Kids Who Rule, Charis began a series of lively, entertaining school presentations based on her books. Using her acting background, she has created a character complete with costume and accent to introduce each book: Queen Elizabeth II for Kids Who Rule, 300-year-old child prodigy Maria Agnesi for Wonder Kids, the Silky ghost for A World Full of Ghosts. She involves the kids in games and interactive activities. Her presentations are so unusual and engaging that she has become a hot ticket in schools and libraries from Newfoundland to Ontario. The Forest of Reading featured her as Queen Elizabeth II in a documentary made at Harbourfront during the 2008 Festival of the Trees.

Charis divides her time between Toronto and a small cottage in Newfoundland.

Books by Charis Cotter

For more information on Charis Cotter and TD Canadian Children's Book Week check out: http://www.bookweek.ca/authors/charis-cotter or chariscotter.com

Remembrance Day in Brome Lake
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At 11 o'clock on November 11th we will stop to remember the brave Canadian soldiers of the past and say prayers for the present-day and future soldiers who sacrifice so much so that we may enjoy freedom. Please show your support by attending the Knowlton Remembrance Day Ceremony in Lac Brome in front of the Knowlton Academy on Victoria Street.

Every year on November 11, Canadians pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace. We honour those who fought for Canada in the First World War (1914-1918), the Second World War (1939-1945), and the Korean War (1950-1953), as well as those who have served since then. More than 1,500,000 Canadians have served our country in this way, and more than 100,000 have died. They gave their lives and their futures so that we may live in peace.

Looking back at the ceremony held in Knowlton, we can can appreciate the respect that is shown by our community towards the courageous men and women who have help shape this great country. These pictures and thoughts are from 2007:

The flags were saluted as we gathered at the memorial to remember our soldiers.

The Knowlton band played, prayers were read as heads were bowed, and tears welled in our eyes as the lone trumpet's piercing notes helped pay tribute to the brave men and women of Brome County who have given so much in the service of their country.

It was a lovely ceremony and we were fortunate that the weather co-operated as a huge crowd converged on the greens of Knowlton Academy around 10 am. Poppies were pinned to every lapel and the atmosphere was austere.

The Mayor of Knowlton was on hand as were many local family members and representatives from various organizations came forward to lay wreaths of respect. Everyone sang hymns and prayed together and it seemed that these turbulent times made such a ceremony even more vital. Seeing the casualties in current struggles around the world makes more of realize the sacrifices that were made by other generations.

Our finest gathered to share and to remember the trials and tribulations of the past.

Police closed off Victoria Street near Knowlton Academy as hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects and lay wreaths for those who can never be forgotten. Every year at Remembrance Day Ceremonies in Canada there are fewer and fewer Veterans of the great wars of the world but the crowds who gather seem to be getting larger all the time.

Living in Quebec, it was surprising to see such a crowd gather in Lac Brome and it surely made everyone there proud in their solidarity in showing their thanks. Most newspapers of major cities across Canada featured reports and historical coverage of Canadians at war yet in Quebec many newspapers almost go out of their way to ignore the remembrance of our heroes! It may not be surprising but it still is disrespectful and so it was especially nice to see the hundreds who came out to bow their heads.

With more Canadians in harms way in Afghanistan it is good to see more young people coming to such memorials. World War 1 and 2 do not register in the consciousness of many young people so the sight of Girl Guides leaving white paper swans at the cenotaph was a poignant reminder of how war continues to affect us.

Those who have been to the war hang their heads in a way many of us can never understand.

The Veterans of Brome County proudly displayed their medals and stood at attention as the music lifted into the bare trees and a moment of silence left us all in our thoughts… thoughts for the hope for peace and thanks to all of the men and women of the Canadian Forces who continue to do the dangerous job most of us would be afraid to even contemplate.

Throughout the years many people from the Brome County area have enlisted into the Canadian Armed Forces to fulfill their dreams and meet their destiny. Seeing the stoic faces and close families at the Remembrance Day ceremony made us proud to be a part of such a group. Not all of us are originally from the area but all of us have someone in our family who has known the war in one way or another. This makes us all brothers and sisters in arms and even though many people in the crowd didn't know the person standing next to them...then, as the prayers were read and a chorus of voices whispered "Amen" together it showed that we are all part of a family bigger than we can imagine.

Knowlton Academy was the place for the Lions Club Remembrance Day Brunch.

Around noon the crowd slowly dissipated and amongst the handshakes, hugs and back-patting there was the feeling of appreciation for the road we have all traveled up until now and the hope for the chance to see one another again…may God allow.

On Sunday, the day after the memorial, the Legion held a brunch at the Knowlton Academy. The basement was full for the event as people came to sit with a hot breakfast cooked up by the local Scouting movement. The hall where we ate in Knowlton Academy was decorated with large red paper poppies made by the children of the school and many drawings and bright paintings expressing their desire for peace, love and understanding.

The proud faces who have carried us on their strong shoulders

Being surrounded by the arts and crafts of the kids taped to the walls while having Veterans of the wars gather to share a meal and drink a cup of tea among friends was quite moving.

The rain from the night before left pools of water like a shallow moat around the stone monuments where just the day before we had gathered en masse to bear witness to the courage of our brave heroes. As we left the basement after our brunch and walked towards the cenotaph to bow our heads one last time in remembrance we noticed that one of the small paper birds that had been placed during the ceremony by the girl guides had fallen off its fragile home-made cross and was now floating in the rain water...

Lest we forget our modern day heros

Our Canadian Forces continue to do battle in combat situations around the world. While we remember the sacrifices of the past we should also be aware of the young men and women who are currently serving our country and helping to protect each and every one of us.

Please leave your comments or messages at the official Canadian Forces message board for our brave soldiers.

Brome County News Misses Brome Lake Election
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Guinea Pig...nothing to do with Brome Lake but neither does the Mayor of another Town!

Sooo...what happened in Brome this week? Well, according to the local paper not a heck of a lot was worth reporting on...

Residents of Brome Lake were quite surprised to pick up the latest edition of the Brome County News and see an issue that didn't even have any teensey-bit of coverage of the Municipal Election in Brome Lake that were held Monday...not even a list of results!

This was one of the wildest Municipal Elections in memory and when the dust had cleared there was nothing in the local paper...no chest thumping from the victorious, no wailing lamentations from the losers...just the sound of crickets emenating from the pages of the local paper...the silence was deafening!

The front page of the local paper actually had a huge color photo and story of the election in Sutton! Has Sutton suddenly become part of Brome County? With the emotional campaign that raged in Knowlton and Brome Lake we would have expected at least minimal coverage...perhaps the right people didn't win?

With all the anticipation for the election here in Brome Lake one would have thought that there would have been some coverage of the election that had one of the highest turnout rates in Brome Lake history? Nope...not one mention of the results, the drama, the dissapointment...nothing. No feedback from townsfolk...no editorial...no analysis...nothing! Surely it wouldn't be too hard to at least put the results in the paper?

Isn't this what a local newspaper is about? A small town newspaper should be filled with the personal stories from community groups and volunteers. It should talk about card games and club outings and happy news and sad news from the locals. Recipes, thoughts, jokes....it should reflect who we are...but when an election takes place once every four years you'd have thought that there would have been at least an ounce of coverage...not even!

They seem to have support from advertisers but when there is zero coverage about major local issues then it seems likely that this issue will be lining puppy cages before Friday...how will advertisers feel about that?

Once again this week the best part of the Brome County Snooze was the "Pet of The Week" and they should have put Tommy the Brown Dog on the front page instead of a picture of the Mayor of Sutton! Woof Woof!

For the election results visit our 2009 Municipal Election Page.

Note: These results were published on this website on the same day as the election...once again hinting that newspapers might not be able to compete against online publications. Advertisers may soon start to see more of a return advertising on websites like DestinationKnowlton.com instead of spending hundreds of dollars on printed advertising locally, especially if the reporting doesn't touch on the important issues of the Town.
For advertising rates please visit this page.

Decelles Wins Brome Lake Elections 2009 Lac-Brome Results
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Gilles Decelles is the new Mayor of Brome Lake!
Posted by Brome Lake Election Watcher, 10:32 pm, November 1st 2009

Votor Participation: 50.3% (2499 out of 4966 eligible)

Gilles Decelles - 52.8% (1309 votes)
Pierre Marchand - 34.9% (865 votes)
Stanley E. Neil - 10% (247)
Michel Ayotte - 2.3% (57)

Councillor 1 - Donald Gagne - Incumbant elected without opposition
Coucillor 2- Marta Gomes - 46.4% (192 votes)
Councillor 3 - Jacques Lecours - Incumbant elected without opposition
Councillor 4 - June Call - 57.9% (234 votes)
Councillor 5 - Thomas McGovern - 39% (170 votes)
Councillor 6 - Patrick Ouvrard - 66% (269 votes)

Congratulations everyone! Good luck in the next four years!!

Elections are upcoming in Brome-Lake. Time for all citizens to get out and make a choice as to the leaders they want at the head of the future direction of the Town. It's time to forget about any gaffes, taxpayer waste, political favoritism, stupid decisions and blatent mismanagement that may have been blamed on the last Mayor and Town Council and look towards a new future for Brome Lake.

Probably the most high-profile position in the election is for the position of Mayor. The voters are being asked to make a choice now for chnage. What is needed for any Town is leadership that is respected and on November 1st TBL will have a chance to achieve this! Voters will be able to elect a new Council and Mayor who they believe will act with respect and vision within a philosphy of sobriety and historical understanding of the English and French residents of the area.

A new Mayor and Council that encourages and listens to the views of residents. Some monthly meetings of Council have been downright embarassing as long-term residents were belittled and poo-pooed as being sticklers and trouble-makers who dared question a decision. There was often criticism of poor communications between residents and the Town. Criticism that the council was acting without consulting the public. Criticism that the Mayor and Council were acting as if some Silent Majority were pulling the strings!

It's time for the Mayor and Council to be accountable. Wouldn't it be great if a poorly perfoming municipal politician could be turfed out on their ear if they had a vote of non-cofidence like they do in Ottawa? That won't likely happen so the voters will have to choose wisely and ensure that the qualities in the candidate are those that match their own philosphies and values.

Is the candidate in your election someone with a family and raising children in the town? Does the candidate have a profession that is something you could respect...a lawyer or an engineer or a real estate agent or a writer are not often cut from the same moral fiber. What are the issues your candidate holds as a priority? What has the old leadership done wrong that should be done differently? What has your candidate done in the past...a briefcase full of degrees or real world experience. Do they have a political affiliation? Are they Nationalists, Separatists, Anarchists, Naturalists, Buddhists?

We will hear the promises and rhetoric but won't see how the level of spirit and enthusiasm will be integrated in the end until after the vote when it's too late if it doesn't work out! It's a bit like having a pre-arranged mariage...the bride and groom often don't see each other until their wedding night. Let's hope the courting during this election will match the honeymoon and future anniversaries better than in the past!

Brome Lake - Lac Brome Election Candidates

Mayor -Mairie

Gilles Decelles
Stanley E. Neil
Michel Ayotte
Pierre Marchand

Councilor - Poste de Conseiller (1)
Donald T. Gagné (Incumbant -Candidat sortant) Elected without opposition - Élu sans opposition

Councilor - Poste de Conseiller (2)
Georges Bristol (Incumbant - Candidat sortant)
Colleen Davis
Marta Gubert Gomes

Councilor - Poste de Conseiller (3)
Jacques Lecours - Elected without opposition - Élu sans opposition

Councilor - Poste de Conseiller (4)
June Call
Alan R. Gauthier (Incumbant - Candidat sortant)

Councilor - Poste de Conseiller (5)
Stewart Bacon
Donald J. Davison
Thomas McGovern
Shelley Lee Mizener

Councilor -Poste de Conseiller (6)
Donald Wing
Lawrence Fairholm (Incumbant - Candidat sortant)
Patrick Ouvrard

In a recent episode of the La Voix de l'Est, Michel Laliberté spoke with Brome Lake's Mayor. It was made official that Mayor Wisdom would not seek re-election on November 1st 2009. As translated by DK with apologies to the French Language!:

Michel Laliberté
La Voix de l'Est

(Lac Brome) Richard Wisdom will not return to City Hall Lac-Brome. The colorful mayor retires from politics. He left, but takes care to identify candidates that would like to see him succeed or Pierre Marchand.

Mr. Wisdom, 69, says he wants to take more time for him and his family. A great lover of scuba diving, he wants to devote himself more in the coming years, especially in Costa Rica where he and his wife have bought a house. It has also consume a lot of books, something he could do as much as it wished in recent years. "I'm healthy and I enjoy it," he said in an interview yesterday morning in La Voix de l'Est.

If Mr. Wisdom has taken so long to announce his decision was that he was not very impressed by the candidates pledged to deprive him of his position. Two former mayors are in the running, and Gilles Decelles Neil Stanley, and Michael Ayotte. Mayor Wisdom would not extend time on them, except by saying that none of the three can not "grow" the city.

Quite the contrary for Pierre Marchand, believes Mr. Wisdom. "It can really help the city continue on a good road."

From the businessman of 42 years, Mr. Wisdom said that a candidate is honest, intelligent, someone who "will not try to reinvent the wheel".

Mr. Marchand is very little known, however, it remarks. At that, the mayor replied bluntly: "I was not well known either in 2003 when I introduced myself. But people trusted me and I won. "

Mr. Wisdom will work alongside her foal in the coming days to raise awareness in the community.

Richard Wisdom gives a positive assessment of his six years at City Hall. He listed several projects and issues where the City has played a crucial role sometimes, now support: building the community center, creation of the Festival of Knowlton, developing a plan against blue-green algae, establishment of a tower cell phone, opening a public market (vegetable products).

His biggest disappointment: the services of the Sûreté du Québec. Lac-Brome, said again and again the mayor, pays too much for services received. "Yes, we are very disappointed. But we will not give up, "said he insisted. He has great hopes on the arrival of the Bromont MRC Brome-Missisquoi. "We'll have an alternative."

Mr. Wisdom thanked the council members for allowing him to live "an extraordinary experience." "I'm sure it'll miss," he said.

While none of us here at DestinationKnowlton.com can understand how the "foal" fits into the election picture some pundits have postulated that Wisdom made a wise move by not running in November since he likely understood that he had the proverbial snowballs chance in Hell of getting re-elected.

If the exiting Mayor now throws his support behind one of the candidates it could be asked if this is the kind of endorsement that would actually do more damage than good? I guess the "foal" will find out soon enough!

Vote in the Brome Lake Municipal Election on

November 1st 2009

Editors note: People have often asked us at DestinationKnowlton.com if one of us would like to run for mayor because we sound like such "know-it-alls"! Listen...we don't just SOUND like "know-it-alls", okay! Politics isn't for us because politics either requires that you break promises that are made during elections or else it requires you hypnotize the population like a Ponzi Scheming Market Fund Manager while squirreling away as much of your ill-gotten gains as possible during your tenure before you fly south to live a life of snorkeling amongst the clear green waters of the tax havens after the "jig is up" or the election is lost!

At least that's how we see most elections and politicians! Comments welcome...it's a free country right!!

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