The record, 9 mai 2007, mercredi 9 mai 2007

THE RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 75 CENTS + TAXES PM#0040007682 Wednesday, May 9, 2007 There’s No Masking It v r¦ - mgmPS ————_ Photographer Perry Beaton looked into these eyes at Bury's Pope Memorial Elementary School.PERRY BEATON Pulling together Iron Hill keeps its church alive and well By Maurice Crossfield Iron Hill The Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Iron Hill is nearly ready to face another century, thanks to the efforts of the surrounding community.“We were blessed to have had some great help in this endeavour from families with long deep attachments to the church,” said church warden Doug Hall.“It was a major factor in our being able to get the work done.” And that kind of community caring isn’t a new thing.Bacljin 1863 Rev.Thomas Fyles arrived in Iron Hill (known previously as Brome Woods) to become the village’s first resident clergyman.By May 1864 the frame of the church was put up by some 200 community volunteers.Later Fyles himself would paint the building inside and out, noting in his journal that local residents were too busy to spare the time away from their farms.The total construction cost was $1,500.That sense of thrift and self-reliance continues today, with Holy Trinity’s caretakers opting to fix up the building without applying for grants, nor looking beyond the community for financial help.“Once you get into the Heritage Quebec thing they tell you what to do,” Hall said.“What we spent here would have gone into engineering reports.” Instead, Holy Trinity has a newly renovated foundation, restored stained glass windows, a reinforced main floor, fresh wiring, new drains and a new oil tank, all for under $18,000.Funding came from some money put aside some 40 years ago along with cash raised at the annual Iron Hill barbecue fundraiser held every August since 2004.Unlike many such events, the food here is served on real dishes using real Please see Church on Page 8 Grilled steaks Healthy choice of menu menu RESTAURANT « 1 Beer Pitcher & 6 page 2 Wednesday, May 9, 2007 I THE—»¦ RECORD nmnH ¦ -m Don’t give up In conjunction with Mental Health Week (which ends May 14), here are some tips and suggestions about accessing services in English.These are useful for any contact with a health and social services institution, for any reason.• Start by explaining clearly that you would like to receive the service in English.Speak confidently.You may, out of politeness or necessity, be making the request in French to a receptionist or secretary.Often, if your French is good enough to make an appointment, it may be assumed that you are happy with care in either language.• Be polite, be patient, stay calm, don’t give up! If you lose your cool, it won’t help.It will only make things worse for yourself and for the next person who calls.• Be aware that the service may not be offered as frequently in English as it is in French.In most cases, this is a result of limited resources and not because of an unwillingness to provide bilingual services.All organizations, and especially community organizations, have limited resources.Remember that in most cases, you will be on a waiting list for service no matter which language you speak.• Don’t forget to ask to speak to someone in English or ask to have someone call you back.More and more community organizations are hiring bilingual staff.Sometimes that person might not be in when you call but they will phone you back.That’s why they were hired.________ • If the service is not offered in English, ask the organization whether they have had similar requests in the past.Sometimes the group is ~— aware of the need but does not have the resources for translation or language training for their staff.If that is the case Are you getting a splitting headache just trying to find social services in English?Keeping In Touch Townshippers’ Association you may be able to help them help you.Offer to lobby for them to receive the resources they need to care for you.Contact the Townshippers’ Association Information and Referral Line at 819-566-2182 (1-877-566-2182).You can also contact your local MP or MNA.• If the organization is not prepared to consider providing services in English explain to them that it is important to you.Don’t feel defensive — if you explain from a personal perspective, you will usually get a good response.Explain how hard it is to discuss private, emo- tional or uncomfortable issues, especially in a second language.Explain that you understand that French is the language of work and government, but when it comes to physical or mental health, it is always easier in our mother tongue.• Remember that people can be shy when it comes to speaking a second language.Explain that you understand their situation.Occasionally, staff hired into a designated bilingual position might understand English well but might be shy or have a more difficult time speaking English.Show empathy and let them know how much you ap- preciate the effort they are making.• Ask for an alternative.If the organization you have contacted cannot provide services in English, ask them to refer you elsewhere for the service.If you are unable to find an alternative, contact the Townshippers’ Association’s Information and Referral Service at 819-566-2182 (1-866-566-5717) or email info@town-shippers.qc.ca.• Ask a friend or an organization such as your local volunteer centre (CAB) for help when making the call.• Stay informed.Read the papers.Go to open houses and special events.Take every chance you have to meet with service providers to get informed and to express your needs.Meet with them face-to-face.Find out who speaks English in their organization and pass this information along to friends and relatives.You have to make your presence known and you have to do it before you need help in an emergency situation.There are a variety of community organizations in the historical Eastern Townships offering English services in varying degrees.They are all making an effort to provide better access to health services for their English-speaking clients.It is up to us to ask for and use these services.They are evaluated according to use.If they are not used, they will disappear.Townshippers’ Association is a nonpartisan, NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION SERVING THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS English-speaking community.Contact www.townshippers.qc.ca; ta@town-shippers.qc.ca; 257 Queen, Lennoxville (819-566-5717; 1-866-566-5717) OR 203 Principale, Cowansville (450-263^4422; 1-866-263-4422).MS QJPART How to get help in English Weather Today.Sunny with cloudy periods.Becoming cloudy in the afternoon.High 25.Thursday: Cloudy with 40 per cent chance of showers.Low 14.High 27.Friday: Cloudy with 70 per cent chance of showers.Low 15.High 20.Saturday: Sunny.Low plus 3.High 16.Ben by Daniel Shelton SOME TIME LAST N NIGHT, WHILE WE WERE SLEEPING, IT tWASLY KICKEP THE POCKET.' G Sump pumps NOT WORKING ALL RIGHT.WELL?/ SPEAKING ^ v OF BUCKETS : ¦¦¦THE».RECORD Wednesday, May 9, 2007 page 3 ‘My friends hadn’t grown as much as I did’ Volunteer job gave purpose By Jen Young Record correspondent Thanks to an ad she saw on a music video station, Sherbrooke resident Emma Belanger is encouraging all local youth to apply to Kati-mavik this summer.“I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my life,” said Belanger, who grew up in Stanstead.“I applied after seeing a commercial and I was accepted.It gave me a lot of experience in fields that I never would have gotten before.” Katimavik is Canada’s national youth volunteer service program for those aged 17 to 21.Its mission is to foster personal development through volunteer community work, training and group interaction.And Belanger, who participated in the program at the age of 17, says it changed her life.She now knows what she wants to do and, perhaps more importantly, knows more about who she is.After graduating from high school in 2002, Belanger packed her bags for the seven-month program and she wishes she could do all over again.Katimavik was born from the vision of humanist (and now retired senator) Jacques Hébert, with the help of his friend Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister at the time.Right from the beginning, Katimavik offered youth the possibility to engage in volunteer service.Its founder wanted to give young Canadians from all walks of life the chance to discover their country, live in a group setting and be involved with other communities.Learning Canada’s two official languages and protecting the environment are also integral.Through Katimavik, Hébert hoped to foster inter-cultural exchanges, give hope to youth with limited Q 9 JEN YOUNG Emma Belanger says the Katimavik student program changed her life.opportunities and raise their awareness of the country’s multiple realities.Belanger was one of 11 youth accepted into the program her year from across the nation.“In Ontario I worked with people with disabilities,” said the now 23-year-old Bishop’s University student.“We stayed in each community for two months and my time in ;-v ' '*¦*' .All Together Now! PERRY BEATON The first Community Learning Centre for English-speaking Townships was launched yesterday at Pope Memorial Elementary School.“The Community Learning Centre is an opportunity for all residents of Bury and the surrounding area to become lifelong learners," said Pope principal Luc Rodrigue.It will be run by a steering committee of community volunteers and will also involve the Eastern Townships School Board's New Horizons Adult Education Centre.Said Rodrigue: “By getting involved, individuals will not only be developing skills, helping others, and furthering their education; they will set an example for all the children.This project could bring the community closer together, thus giving the children of Pope Memorial a greater sense of belonging to their school and community.” Ontario meant the most to me.It taught me so much.I was working with people who would self-abuse themselves and it taught me a lot of patience.” Belanger and her colleagues then made their way to a museum in New Brunswick.She said she learned a lot about the small community of Dalhousie, but this visit was perhaps the most trying for her.“It was really, really cold,” said the human resources and business management student.“It was right around Christmas time and we were /-cold and cranky, but once we got to Alberta our spirits changed.” While in Alberta Belanger said driving an Olympia (perhaps better known as a Zamboni), was memorable, but it was the show that the group put on at the end of each visit that took the most effort.“Every time we finished in one town we put on a presentation to show the community what we had learned while we were there.I learned how to communicate because when I came back I found that my friends hadn’t grown as much as I did in that time I was gone,” she recalls.“I felt older when I got home.” Upon her arrival home, Belanger received $1,000 — but she said the experience was worth much more to her.She in fact is hoping to return to the program as a project leader.For more information visit www.katimavik.org.Enjoy a BBQ