The Echo of Cantley - Open letters

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The following article first appeared in The Echo of Cantley Volume 24 no 6, December 2012. This article is made available for the enjoyment of others with the express permission of the Echo of Cantley.

Re: editorial, November 2012 Echo, page 5 - "Why I accepted the honorary presidency":

Bonjour Mme Chantal Turcotte,

You are so right! Cantley truly is discovering its identity; part of its expression is through Art de l'Ordinaire and Cantley's many artistic people, but also, very importantly, through the writing, the stories and editorials like yours in the Echo. For this, I also thank and congratulate you and your team.

I believe another important part of the identity of a community is its history. In your editorial you write... "It is quite extraordinary for a small town like ours whose history is still young and which is just beginning to define itself."...

However, our history is not so young! Cantley's first citizens settled here in 1829, but the municipality was officially established in 1889 when the Municipal Corporation of East Hull was incorporated. This is why a group of volunteers interested in Cantley's heritage met 2 years ago to create, and name their association "Cantley 1889". Many people mistakenly believe Cantley was born in 1989 when we regained our independence from Gatineau (after amalgamation 14 years earlier).

Cantley is, indeed, very fortunate to have such dynamic and creative people stimulating a rich culture and sense of identity, like Art de l'Ordinaire, Linart Gallery, La Grange de la Gatineau. Cantley 1889's talented volunteers work hard, to "discover, catalogue, protect and promote our heritage", therefore also contributing to the definition of who we all are in this unique and beautiful community.

Please know that Cantley's historic roots grow very deeply... and are very old!

Best wishes for a successful Christmas Boutique!

Margaret Phillips


I would like to commend and sincerely congratulate Mary Holmes for her excellent article in last month's Écho of Cantley on 'The story of a Cantley veteran, Corporal Jan Turko: from Poland to Russia to Italy to Cantley'.

I have met Mr. Turko in the past and always had a great deal of respect for him. Mary's article helped us all to get to know him more. What a great man.

Very humble as usual, Mary mentions and thanks Maurice Gauthier for his valuable suggestion to write a story of his friend and great man, Mr. Jan Turko.

NB: Echo is fantastic and its team is doing an excellent job. The article about the Sabourin-Montpetit farm is also very good.

Léo N.J. Maisonneuve

 

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