The record, 7 décembre 2015, lundi 7 décembre 2015

[" THE Jumping in the lake for refugees Page 3 RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 We Remember Page 5 75 cents + taxes\tPM#0040007682\tMonday, December 7, 2015 SANC stands ready for Syrians * e d\u2019aide aux anadiens OMPAGNEMENT S 1954 GORDON LAMBIE Mercedes Orellana, executive director of the Société d'Aide aux Neo-Canadiens.Bill proposes to abolish school board elections By Matthew McCully Education Minister François Blais tabled a reform bill Friday in the National Assembly that proposed dramatic changes to school governance, including doing away with commissioners altogether.\u201cWe have been expecting this bill since it was first promised last winter, so it is no surprise,\u201d said Eastern Townships School Board Chairman Michael Murray.\u201cThe bill is voluminous with implications for many aspects of public education,\u201d Murray said.The 56-page bill would see commissioners replaced by a 16-member school council comprised of six parents, six community members, one teacher, one school professional, and two administrators.The new councils would be comprised of unpaid volunteers.\u201cWhile the concept of giving parents a larger role is laudable and enjoys broad support in principle, as always, the devil is in the details,\u201d Murray said.\u201cWe will want to study the proposals to see whether this proposal does actually achieve that goal.The complexity of the bill seems unnecessary since parent commissioners already on school board councils could have been given a vote, and even had their numbers increased without all the other changes.\u201d Murray suggested Minister Blais is out of touch with education.\u201cI suspect the minister is still suffering from lack of understanding how public education works,\u201d he said.\u201cSince his nomination, he has refused to meet with school board leaders in either language group to consult on how we might work collaboratively to achieve his goals.In fact, apart from giving parents a larger role, his goals are obscure, and nowhere do we see how any of the proposed changes will improve student Cont\u2019d on page 3 By Gordon Lambie The Service d\u2019Aide aux Neo-Canadi-ens (SANC), the Sherbroolce-based organization committed to welcoming and aiding immigrants and refugees with the process of integrating into the local society, declared itself ready to receive Syrian refugees on Friday morning.Though Executive Director Mercedes Orellana says that the organization is still not fully aware of the number of refugees coming and the timing of their arrival, she explained that it is quite accustomed to receiving that information at the last minute and working quickly to ensure that necessary resources are in place.\u201cWhat we know is that there are new sponsored families that will start to come as of next week, but these are sponsored families, so they will be the responsibility of their sponsors.As for refugees taken in by the state, it will probably not be until the end of December or the beginning of January,\u201d Orellana said.\u201cWe are not bothered by (the lack of information); normally the Ministry of Immigration gives us information less than five days in advance.We are accustomed to working in small windows of time.\u201d The executive director said that with offers of support coming in from all over the city and the organization\u2019s existing network on alert for news, she has great confidence in the ability of SANC to respond to the needs of incoming groups of refugees when they do start to arrive.\u201cWe do not operate in a vacuum, we rely on a lot of organizations,\u201d Orellana said, pointing out partnerships with local services like Estrie Aide and other community-based organizations.Asked what SANC needs the most in the leadup to the arrival of refugees, the she said that the organization is working hard to get in contact with local landlords who understand the particular needs of the situation and who would be willing to offer up living spaces to newcomers on the understanding that they might not have the resources to pay rent at first.The plan, according to Orellana, is to try to build up contacts in all parts of the city just in case the need is very great.The director also said that people can make financial donations to SANC and receive a tax receipt, but she clarified that anyone with furniture or clothing to donate should bring it directly to the community\u2019s second-hand stores and services because SANC already has partnerships with those organizations and does not have the space to store donations or the Cont\u2019d on page 3 i THE « RECORD GET a 7 DAY TRIAL ONL1NE SCRIPT*0**.Take The Record anywhere with you with an online subscription! iPads, tablets, iPhones, Android phones, laptops! For a free 7 day trial, go to www.sherbrookerecord.com, click on e-dition, then Free Trial and fill in the information.For information or assistance call 819-569-9528 billing@sherbrookerecord.com Abenakis hoping for a double RECORD RECORD Study panel recommends keeping school board elections Page 2 Monday, December 7, 2015 newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com The Record The Record e-edition There for you 24-hours-a-day 7-days-a-week.Wherever you are.Access the full edition of the Sherbrooke Record as well as special editions and 30 days of archives.Renew or order a new 12-month print subscription and get a 12-month online subscription for an additional $5 or purchase the online edition only for $82.21.Record subscription rates (includes Quebec taxes) 1 year print: $155.91 6 month print: $81.85 3 month print: $41.57 12 month web only: $82.21 1 month web only: $7.46 Web subscribers have access to the daily Record as well as archives and special editions.Subscribing is as easy as 1,2,3: 1.\tVisit the Record website: www.sherbrookerecord.com 2.\tClick e-edition.3.\tComplete the form and wait for an email activating your online subscription.Weather \tTODAY: MIXED PRECIP âii\tHIGH OF 3 LOW OF -3 s* \" y ^ \\C\tTUESDAY: MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS Wr ^\tHIGH OF 3 LOW OF -2 ^ \\C\tWEDNESDAY: MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS K.: n\tHIGH OF 4 LOW OF 2 \tTHURSDAY: MAINLY CLOUDY HIGH OF 7 LOW OF 1 Jj J\tFRIDAY: CHANCE OF A SHOWER HIGH OF 7 LOW OF 4 ETRC Archives Sam Hopper: a life of music Jody Robinson ETRC Archivist Sam Hopper was born February 15, 1899 to Thomas and Eliza (Anderson) Hopper near Wilson\u2019s Mills, in the Township of Leeds.Coming from a musical family, Sam Hopper\u2019s interest in music began early in his life.After going to a wedding or a dance, he would keep one or two of the new tunes in his mind, whistling them to remember.At age 11, he and his older brother, Oscar, saved up five dollars to buy a fiddle from the Eaton\u2019s catalogue.When it arrived, however, they tightened the strings so much that they broke the bridge.They carefully glued it back together and soon began to learn to play.With two boys and only one fiddle, the brothers had to devise a plan to divide the practice time; whoever finished chores first was first one to practice.Sam being the younger of the two was often left to wait until late in the evening to start his time on the fiddle.The late practices also led to more than a few evenings ending with their father hollering at them to \u201cput that thing away and come to bed!\u201d Never having learned to read a single musical note, Sam learned each song in his extensive repertoire by ear.He was asked to play at his first dance when just 12 years old and it was not long before he was in demand in the area around Wilson\u2019s Mills.In the time before radio, those who could play a good tune were vital for house parties in the early 1900s, dances often carrying on into the wee hours of the morning.Although he was still young, it was not unusual for the Hoppers\u2019 neighbours to knock on their door in the evening to ask for Sam to play at their dance, sometimes even getting him out of bed to do so.A few years after his mother\u2019s death in 1919, the Hoppers sold the family farm in Leeds and moved to Waterville.After working in Waterville\u2019s veneer factory, he and his brother, Earl, bought a farm in Huntingville.It was at a dance that he met the woman who was to become his wife, Aveline Sarrasin, and after four years of courting, they were married in 1927.Sam gradually added a host of other musical instruments to his abilities, such as the fife, harmonica, and con-stantina, and continued to play at dances when asked.After moving back to Waterville with Aveline, he formed his first band with Norman Masters and Hazel Squire around 1945.Aveline later replaced Hazel on the piano and Sam\u2019s band eventually came to be composed of Albert Nutbrown, Stuart Deacon, and Aveline.For many years, Sam Hopper and his Hoedowners were sought after for marriages, dances, and other events.In the late 1940s, they even won a provincewide radio competition hosted by a local Sherbrooke station.Sam passed away in Sherbrooke on March 29,1980 at the age of 81.Fortunately, however, later in life he had taken the time to record 223 of the tunes he could play, which are now part of the ETRC\u2019s archives collection.Do you recognize the people in this photo of Sam Hopper with his band?We can identify Sam and Aveline, but are not sure of the others.If you know who they might be, we would be happy to hear from you! Sam Hopper and his Hoedowners, ca.1950s., -,\t« i.; « : Ben by Daniel Shelton (NO, MM! BAP PPG!) '4 WHAT \\ HEW'AS PRINK- W HE I IN& OUTOFTHE P0?y TOILETA&AH' iTS'tOUR fault FOR LEAVWO THE SEAT UP/ LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT YOU PRlNKOUT .OF THE TOILET BUT I GET IN TROUBLE The Record newsroom@sherbrookerecord .com Monday, December 7, 2015 Page 3 \t\t\t\t\t\t ''r\tAI\t\trJ\tN\tEWS\tSheeran managed to recruit six swimmers to jump into the lake, which was around five degrees.Polar Swim for Refugees in Lake Massawippi By Matthew McCully Six swimmers hopped into Lake Massawippi on Saturday afternoon, part of the Polar Swim for Refugees, an initiative started in Victoria, B.C.Carleton Monk, an annual polar bear swimmer since 2000 who divides his time between the Townships and B.C.decided to raise funds for the Oak Bay United Church, which has partnered with a mosque to sponsor three Syrian families in Victoria.Local Stephen Sheeran, a friend who had previously participated in polar swims with monk, decided to organize a partner swim here in the Townships.Sheeran managed to recruit six swimmers to jump into the lake, which was around five degrees.Four of the swimmers were in and out in a matter of seconds.Sheeran and one other polar bear spent a few minutes wading in the water before getting out.Although not all the pledges had yet been collected, Sheeran estimated that around $2,000 was raised.The funds raised will go to local initiatives in support of Syrian refugees, Sheeran said.MATTHEW MCCULLY Left to right: Bradley Rasmussen, Stephen Sheeran, Tom Walsh, Eliane-Marie Gaulin, Claire Grogan, and Bob Hall.SANC stands ready for Syrians Cont\u2019d from page 1 resources to sort them.With regard to offers of volunteer hours, Orellana did not turn away offers of help but she did point out that the organization has already received a great many offers since the start of the Syrian situation and has a specific screening and training process for its volunteers.She said that those interested in finding out more about how to help are welcome to come to one of two public information sessions at the centre on Prospect Street on either the 9th or 11th of December from 7 to 9 p.m.Meanwhile, Denis Marceau, president of SANC, pointed out that Syrians are not the only group that SANC is working to help, even if they are the group in the media spotlight at the moment.\u201cIt is important to remember, as SANC prepares to welcome Syrian refugees, that the organization is still fully engaged in welcoming other refugees taken in by the state as well,\u201d Marceau said.\u201cWe have 50 from Central Africa, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from Pakistan, from Liberia, and from Afghanistan, and we will have 65 more between now and the 10th of December.Bill proposes to abolish board elections Cont\u2019d from page 1 success.Michael Bergman, lawyer for the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), said in his opinion the bill is unconstitutional and if passed into law in its current state, would be challenged legally.Bergman believes not only that the bill is in violation of Article 23 of the Canadian Constitution which gives minority groups a right to manage and control their own schools, it gives the minister the ability by decree to intervene in school board affairs.Bergman explained that even though one of the goals of the bill is to give more control to parents, they would not be chosen democratically, and could be outvoted by the non-parent component of the council.The process of selecting the community members, chosen from specific sectors and not at large, without even being required to live in the territory, combined with other intricacies, would make it difficult for an interested parent or community member to know how or when to submit for nomination.\u201cEvery board could have a different governing structure,\u201d Bergman said.\u201cThey would be so fragmented, there could be no group lobbying.\u201d \u201cWhat you have here is a needless attempt to thwart universal suffrage,\u201d Bergman said, adding the proposed bill doesn\u2019t meet legal or pedagogical standards.The next step, according to Bergman, is for the bill to go to a National Assembly committee for study, at which point he hopes it will be withdrawn or significant changes made.\u201cIf it\u2019s adopted, there will be a lawsuit,\u201d Bergman promised.When asked about a timeline, Bergman said certain trigger dates mentioned in the bill suggest the government would like the bill adopted by July 1, 2016.\u201cIt\u2019s not easy reading, even for lawyers,\u201d Bergman said, adding that the complexity masks something very simple.The notion that the bill could give more power to parents is not only not achieved, according to Bergman, but it renders the governance structure nearly paralyzed, enhancing the minister\u2019s regulatory power over school boards.\u201cThis is the beginning of a highly contentious and, I believe, divisive process,\u201d Bergman said.RECORD Serving the entire Eastern Townships with three publications Jo-Ami Hovey Advertising Consultant Townships Outlet\tCounty Inews *19 569-9525 jhovey@sherbrookerecord.com >«p The City of Sherbrooke, meanwhile, has reiterated its support of SANC in its current preparations.Mayor Bernard Sévigny was overseas promoting the city\u2019s candidacy for the Francophonie Games on Friday, but in a city-issued press release he is credited as calling Sherbrooke lucky to have an organization like SANC because of the experience and expertise that its members bring to the table in dealing with this kind of crisis.\u201cAs much for SANC as for the City of Sherbrooke, we are in a position to manage this situation well,\u201d the mayor is quoted as saying.\u201cWe have, for example, a well structured committee that oversees housing operations for families that find themselves without a home every July.This committee could rapidly react to new needs.\u201d Those looking for more information about SANC or to contact the organization can turn to the website https://www.sanc-sherbrooke.ca/, or call 819 566-5373.Dear Santa, We know how busy you are so The Record, along with the Lennoxville and District Women\u2019s Centre, want to help you take care of some families in our community.The LDWC will forward information about some special children on your list to us and the very generous elves in our community will help fill their orders for delivery at Christmas.If you would like to be an elf in Santa\u2019s Helper project, contact Sharon McCully, Publisher at The Record, by email at outletjournal@sympatico.ca or call her at 819-679-8823 and she will provide a description and wish list from one of the children, or tell you how to help.We need many elves, so please act quickly. Page 4 Monday, December 7, 2015 newsroom@sherbrooker ecor d.com The Record ASK THE EXPERTS.ASK THE EXPERTS.ASK THE EXPERTS.ASK THE EXPERTS.ASK THE EXPERTS.ASK THE EXPERTS.LODGING OPTOMETRISTS Clinique OfrtO LRÉSEAU Optométrique Dr.Meggie Faust - Dr.Alain Côté, Optometrists 160 Queen Street, Sherbrooke 819-563-2333 ASK THE EXPERTS BUSINESS DIRECTORY NOTARY Lamoureux Leonard sencrl Notaries & Solicitors Mtre Timothy Leonard \u2022 Trust Wills \u2022 Mandates \u2022 Corporate Law \u2022 Estate Settlement \u2022 Protection of Assets \u2022\tOPTOMETRISTS \u2022\tINVESTMENTS \u2022\tORGANIZING SERVICE \u2022\tADVERTISING \u2022\tNOTARY \u2022\tTREE SERVICE \u2022\tREAL ESTATE \u2022\tLODGING 520 Bowen St.S., Sherbrooke\tacaa (next to Hôtel-Dieu Hospital)\tODO-UOUU \u2014 1 Tim Goddard INVESTMENTS \u201cCoaching Solid Pension Strategies for our Clients\u201d We focus on the decisions you require in accumulating wealth to transition smoothly through life\u2019s stages with the peace of mind you deserve.MAXFIN INVESTMENTS INC.151 Queen Street SHERBROOKE 819-569-5666 It takes you to start the trend! 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Call: Michel or Jo-Ann\t\t^ Stephen Goddard, prop.®\tISA Certified Arborist QU-0103A \t\tProfessional Tree Service \t\t\u2022\tPruning\t\u2022 Hedge trimming \u2022\tTree removal\t«Planting\tC Over25years \\ \u2022\tStump grinding\t\u2022 Lot clearing\texperience \u2022\tChipping\t«Forestry\tFully insured 3\t,\tFree estimate RECORD\t\twww.arboexcellence.ca \t\t Support the local businesses, services and professionals who serve our area where you live, work and play The Record newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com Monday, December 7, 2015 Page 5 16 Days of Action We Remember / Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz Maud Haviernick Geneviève Bergeron Annie Turcotte Anne-Marie Edward Annie St-Arnaulf Anne-Marie Lemay Maryse Laganière Hélène Colgan Maryse Leclair Michèle Richard Nathalie Croteau Barbara Daigneault Sonia Pelletier Anne-Marie Edward was 21 years old.She was always active and loved diving and skiing.Maud Haviernick was 29 years old and had a degree in environmental design from the University of Quebec in Montreal.She was in her second year studying metallurgical engineering at Polytechnique.Anne-Marie Lemay was 22 years old.She had a passion for helping others.She hoped to study medicine, and was enjoying her program in engineering.Annie St-Arneault was 23 years old.She was an avid writer.She wrote a collection of poems that were published by her brother posthumously.Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz was 31 years old.She and her husband had immigrated to Montreal from Poland just two years prior.Geneviève Bergeron was 21 years old.She sang in choir and played in band while attending Ecole FACE in Montreal.Annie Turcotte was 20 years old.She attended Champlain College in Lennoxville.She was environmentally conscious and hoped to use her education to protect the planet.Hélène Colgan was 23 years old and was in her last year of mechanical engineering.She had a number of job offers and was looking forward to doing a master\u2019s degree.Maryse Laganière was 25 years old.She was a recently married and worked in the finance office at the Polytechnique.Maryse Leclair was 23 years old.She was a distinguished student, one year away from graduating.Her father, police Lt.Pierre Leclair, is the one who found her.Michèle Richard was 21 years old.She was making a presentation with Maud Haviernick when the shooting occurred.Nathalie Croteau was 23 years old.She was planning to leave on vacation to Cancun, Mexico with Hélène Colgan just two weeks after the shooting.Barbara Daigneault was 22 years old.Engineering ran in her family.Her father had taught mechanical engineering at l\u2019Université du Quebec in Montreal.Sonia Pelletier was 29 years old.She was killed just one day before she was to receive her mechanical engineering degree.She had been the \u201chead of the class\u201d while growing up in Quebec\u2019s Gaspé Peninsula.is just around the corner and it's time to be thinking about gift giving.Offer the gift of a subscription to The Record to keep family and friends linked to the events of the Townships.Take advantage of our SPECIAL PACKAGE offer which includes a 12-MONTH PRINT SUBSCRIPTION, A 12-MONTH ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION and A TOWNSHIPS CALENDAR for one low price of $151\t1_________________ (taxes included) [total value of $251.12] Calendars can be picked up from our offices or sent by mail for an extra $5 charge for postage (total of $156).Mail, email or fax this coupon to us at 1195 Galt East, Sherbrooke, QC J1G 1Y7 Tel: 819-569-9528, Fax: 819-821-3179, Email: billing@sherbrookerecord.com PRINT SUBSCRIPTION TO: NAME FROM: NAME ADDRESS ADDRESS TELEPHONE EMAIL TELEPHONE EMAIL START DATE ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION TO: (if other than above) NAME\tEMAIL ADDRESS\tTELEPHONE START DATE SEND THE CALENDAR TO: NAME ADDRESS GIFT CARD: Print Subs: Yes_No_/ FROM Online Subs: Yes_No___/ FROM PAYMENT BY: CASH_ CHEQUE__VISA__MASTERCARD___TOTAL AMOUNT: $151.00 CREDIT CARD NUMBER:___-____-_____-____EXPIRY: Page 6 Monday, December 7, 2015 newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com The Record \t\t J-\tEditorial\tCoupled with energy conservation, renewables are critical to confronting the climate crisis.Science Matters UN climate talks offer hope for humanity By David Suzuki With world leaders now meeting in Paris for the UN Climate Change Conference, we\u2019re seeing signs of hope for an agreement to limit the escalating effects of global warming.Canadians, especially, have reason to be optimistic about our country\u2019s role.It hasn\u2019t always been this way.Governments have been formally discussing climate change since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the first climate conference in Berlin, Germany, in 1995.Since then, we\u2019ve been taking two steps forward and one step back \u2014 not good enough when dealing with an accelerating crisis.Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1998, ratified it in 2002, did little to meet its targets, then withdrew in late 2011, the first and only nation to do so.The Climate Action Network selected our country for numerous Fossil of the Day, Fossil of the Year, and Lifetime Unachievement Fossil awards for inaction on climate change and for obstructing international agreements.But it appears leaders in Canada and globally are finally giving the issue the attention it deserves.Our government now has a minister of environment and climate change, and sent a delegation to Paris that includes a cabinet committee on environment, climate change and energy headed by Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion, as well as opposition party representatives and provincial leaders.Alberta, which has long put fossil-fuel interests ahead of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, now has a comprehensive strategy to phase out coal power, promote renewable energy, put a price on carbon pollution and limit oil sands emissions.Ontario and Quebec have also moved to put a price on carbon emissions, joining California in a cap-and-trade system.Even Saskatchewan, not known for climate leadership, has committed to 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.Phasing out coal power and putting a price on carbon are effective ways to reduce dangerous C02 emissions.Burning coal is the most polluting way to produce energy and creates the highest greenhouse gas emissions, and a well-designed carbon tax or cap-and-trade system has proven to cut emissions and fossil-fuel consumption without negatively affecting economies.In its first five years, B.C.\u2019s carbon tax, implemented in 2008, led to a 17.4 per cent drop in petroleum-fuel use, and greenhouse gas emissions went down while GDP remained strong.B.C.income tax rates remain the lowest in Canada.Globally, things are also looking up.The Paris conference required the 196 participating countries to submit their own climate plans.Although those combined aren\u2019t enough to keep us below the 2-degree C increase in global average temperatures beyond pre-industrial levels that scientists say is necessary to avoid catastrophe, they do limit warming to a 2.7-degree C rise, which is at least a serious starting point.Current practices put us on track for a 5-degree C increase! The Paris conference is also aiming for national climate plan reviews every five years to ensure targets are being met and to look at ways of improving them.And cities, local governments, and businesses are being encouraged to do more, which has worked well in Canada.Another important component of the Paris talks is to find ways to help developing nations improve prosperity while keeping emissions from rising.Developed countries have committed to raising $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing nations though the Green Climate Fund, World Bank, government contributions, and other mechanisms.But government commitments only raise hopes so far.The other good sign is the rapid development of renewable energy technologies like wind, solar, and geothermal.Coupled with energy conservation, renewables are critical to confronting the climate crisis.A recent report from Stanford Univer- -\t«THEw - RECORD 1195 Galt East, Sherbrooke, Quebec JIG 1Y7 Fax: 819-821-3179 e-mail: newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com Website : www.sherbrookerecord.com Sharon McCully Publisher .(819)\t569-9511 John Edwards News Editor.(819)\t569-6345 Stephen Blake Corresp.Editor .(819)\t569-6345 Serge Gagnon Chief Pressman.(819)\t569-9931 DEPARTMENTS Accounting.(819)\t569-9511 Advertising .(819)\t569-9525 Circulation .(819)\t569-9528 Newsroom .(819)\t569-6345 Knowlton office 5B Victoria Street, Knowlton, Quebec, JOE 1V0 Tel: (450) 242-1188 Fax: (450) 243-5155 PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS \t\t\tGST\tPST\tTOTAL Quebec:\t1 YEAR\t135.60\t6.78\t13.53\t$155.91 \t6 MONTHS\t71.19\t3.56\t7.10\t$81.85 \t3 MONTHS\t36.16\t1.81\t3.60\t$41.57 \tON-LINE SUBSCRIPTIONS\t\t\t\t Quebec:\t1 YEAR\t71.50\t3.58\t7.13\t$82.21 \t1 MONTH\t6.49\t0.32\t0.65\t$7.46 Rates for out of Quebec and for other sendees available on re-\t\t\t\t\t quest.The Record is published daily Monday to Friday.Back copies of The Record are available.The Record was founded on February 9, 1897, and acquired the Sherbrooke Examiner (est.1879) in 1905 and the Sherbrooke Gazette (est.1837) in 1908.The Record is published by Alta Newspaper Group Limited Partnership.PM#0040007682 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Record, 1195 Galt East, Sherbrooke, QC JIG 1Y7 Member ABC, CARD, CNA, QCNA TONIGHT'S TOP STORY.THERE WASN'T A MASS SHOOTING IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY.mm VMm sity and the International Renewable Energy Agency found it\u2019s technically feasible and economically viable for the world to shift to sustainable energy by 2030, and lays out a plan for 139 countries to reach that goal.Many jurisdictions are already getting a lot of their energy from renewable sources.With clean energy production and grid technology improving and costs coming down, there\u2019s no excuse to continue rapidly burning diminishing supplies of fossil fuels.As leaders meet in Paris, citizens march in the streets and innovators develop solutions, we have more reason than ever to be hopeful for the future of our place on this small, blue planet.David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Editor Ian Hanington.Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.Picture of the Day NASA \\'i Jv: « riF -\t¦\tl'T '\u201cA.A: ¦ V ¦ ¦ ¦ v-:\" ¦ .-\u2014\t- ¦ j NASA has released what is presumed to be the best picture ever taken of the most distant known planet in our galaxy, Pluto.The picture shows where a mountainous region meets an icy plain called Sputnik Planum.NASA says the image was taken by its New Horizons spacecraft in July but has only just been sent back to earth. The Record newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com Monday, December 7, 2015 Page 7 Meet Your Neighbours Gladys Hann O\u2019Neill finding the beauty in everything By Matthew McCully Lots of people can see the beauty in a sunset or a beautiful landscape, but it takes a special kind of person to derive the same level of inspiration from a junkyard or a box full of metal scraps headed for a recycling plant.That takes an artist like Gladys Hann-O\u2019Neill.\u201cIt\u2019s not junk; it has a future, and I\u2019ll be bringing it together,\u201d Hann-O\u2019Neill said, surrounded by works made in all different mediums in her home.Hann-O\u2019Neill is an accomplished painter, potter, sculptor, textile worker, fixer, reclaimer, and all-around maker of beautiful things.\u201cI see magic in everything and the possibility in everything,\u201d she said.Hann-O\u2019Neill, who now lives in Lennoxville, was born in Toronto, but because both her parents were from the Maritimes, she considers herself a second generation Newfie.Her father was a master carpenter and her mother was a talented seamstress.Even though her father was old school, wanting to pass on his skills to his sons, Hann-O\u2019Neill said she followed close behind, watching and paying close attention.The skills she picked up from her parents in her youth undoubtedly led to her proficiency working with different materials.\u201cMy dad was a big inspiration for me.\u201d At eight years old, a painter working with the Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT) saw promise in Hann-O\u2019Neill and offered to take her on as a private student.Because she was one of five children, paying for private lessons was out of the question.Luckily, Hann-O\u2019Neill\u2019s father worked out an arrangement to do carpentry repairs in exchange for her lessons.She got one-on-one training in oil painting and colour theory until she was 18.Hann-O\u2019Neill said her dad was a big supporter of her artistic life, and helped her develop her respect for different materials and reclaiming and fixing things.She later studied Fine Arts at York University, before moving to Quebec with her husband, who had received the opportunity to work at Sherbrooke University.After spending years refurbishing an old Victorian heritage home on Dominion Street in Sherbrooke, Hann-O\u2019Neill and her husband made their way to Lennoxville.As they backed the truck in to their new driveway, Hann-O\u2019Neill remembers immediately hearing from a neighbour passing, \u201cWelcome to the neighbourhood; you\u2019re going to love it here.\u201d They were right.\u201cThe mountains, the water, the lakes; it\u2019s the kind of visual experience an artist goes crazy about,\u201d she said.A short time after they moved in, Hann-O\u2019Neill said she found a dog on her back porch, wagging its tail and fully expecting entry into the home.\u201cYou\u2019ve been in here before,\u201d she thought.Admittedly a bit of a recluse, Hann-O\u2019Neill said her friendly neighbours and all the pets and critters around her home have been a wonderful source of inspiration.\u201cI\u2019m just putting out good vibes; hopefully some good vibes will come back.\u201d Even though Hann-O\u2019Neill has shown extensively locally and in the U.S.she has a very humble attitude about her work.She plans to return to Bishop\u2019s in January to take an introduction to sculpting course, even though she has 40 years of experience.\u201cNo matter how old you are, there are always new things to learn,\u201d she said, adding that meeting other artists, and seeing someone use a tool in a different way could help her grow as an artist.\u201cIt really stretches you,\u201d she said.Hann-O\u2019Neill was recently introduced, through a neighbour, to Claude Belleau, director of Estrie Aide.When Belleau saw her work and how she salvaged and reused materials, he invited her to visit his store on Wellington Street.\u201cI\u2019m always wanting to combine different materials,\u201d Hann-O\u2019Neill said, explaining she hit the jackpot with Belleau.She has an open invitation to go to the store and root through all the bins of disassembled electronics, furniture, hrrnh Estrie Aide director Claude Belleau showing off the exhibit of recycled art in the store featuring works by Gladys Hann-O\u2019Neill, Jacques Gagnon, and Belleau himself PHOTOS BY MATTHEW MCCULLY m à* J., Artist Gladys Hann-O\u2019Neill, surrounded by examples of her work.On the wall is one of her paintings, beside a wire sculpture likeness of a neighbourhood cat.In her hands, she holds two of her newest creations, sculpted from empty Vicks Vaporub and biscuit boxes.and tools that couldn\u2019t be sold, before they head to recycling or landfills.\u201cTo give it a second life is wonderful,\u201d Hann-O\u2019Neill said.She, along with Jacques Gagnon and Belleau, currently has a show set up in Estrie Aide, exhibiting work made from recycled items.Belleau suggested that among the three, Hann-O\u2019Neill is the real deal.Gagnon, a volunteer at Estrie Aide, works with salvaged driftwood from local lakes and rivers.Belleau\u2019s artistic side came out doing projects with his children, and when they got older, he said he just kept going.Hann-O\u2019Neill said it is a pleasure to exhibit with Gagnon and Belleau, and is a fan of their work.\u201cI believe everyone is an artist,\u201d she said.One piece by each of the artists is available for purchase in a silent auction.The exhibit will remain at Estrie Aide until Dec.11.Santa sighting in Richmond GORDON LAMBIE :3sm Santa was sighted in Richmond over the weekend.Saint Nick stopped by the Place René-Thibault park on Saturday afternoon to bring a little early Christmas cheer to the children of the community.A range of local municipalities and businesses helped the jolly old elf out by providing free hot chocolate, inflatable games, and face painting to help keep parents and children occupied while they waited in line. Page 8 Monday, December 7, 2015 newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com The Record L©c