Community mourning following sudden death of Jacques Madore
The municipality of St-malo and the Coaticook MRC are in mourning following the unexpected death of Mayor and Prefect Jacques Madore on Wednesday.
Madore was Mayor of the municipality of Saint-malo for 13 years and was elected prefect of the MRC in 2013. He was recognized as a man with great listening skills and his joie de vivre and his enthusiasm made him appreciated by all as a colleague and elected representative.
In the wake of the news of Madore’s passing, Deputy MRC Prefect Simon Madore emphasized the exceptional contributions of the late Prefect, calling him a man who has devoted to his citizens and his region.
"Jacques Madore has left his mark on our beautiful region forever through his collaboration and his involvement both as Mayor and Prefect,” said Dominick Faucher, Executive Director of the Coaticook MRC. “On my behalf, as well as on behalf of the Municipality of Saint-malo and the Coaticook MRC, we offer our deepest condolences to his wife, his daughters, and his entire family."
Winter Carnival at Alexander Galt Regional High School (AGRHS) is without a doubt the most awaited school event of the year. Students, staff, and alumni alike have a wide array of memories to share about the long-standing tradition. In honour of the school and the event’s 50th anniversary, AGRHS held one of its most impressive editions on Thursday, Feb. 14.
Students were separated into four groups that would eventually compete against one another for the winning title: the Devils, the Armadillos, the Lizards, and the Gremlins. They enjoyed a full day of activities, including horse
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drawn wagon rides, an art competition, a woodsman challenge, a cupcake decorating contest, a mechanical bull riding contest, weightlifting competitions, ping pong tournaments, tug of war, and the infamous game of dodgeball in the gym.
The Devils were crowned this year’s champions in the closest competition in Galt’s history. In fact, only six points separated the first and third place positions. The current student body president, Emma-lee Bernais, was a Devil for the first time. “Carnival really makes Galt special because we have the chance to put the things we learn in class like teamwork and time management into practice,” she said. “I was a Lizard for three years and an Armadillo last year. I guess it was good timing to be a Devil. It’s the best day of the year!” she exclaimed. Bernais has been one of the many Galt students and staff members working tirelessly to put the event together.
“I was usually an Armadillo,” mentioned Galt teacher and 1999 graduate Tannia Cortes. “The school spirit, the costumes, the fun activities, and having all the students and teachers participate definitely makes Carnival the epic event it is. We have to credit our Student Activities director, Kyle Martel, for all the work he did to make this happen. Us teachers just help out as much as we can throughout the day,” she added.
Kyle Martel was welcomed by the Galt community with arms wide open. “I actually went to Richmond, so working at Galt was kind of a betrayal for the rivalry,” he chuckled. “This is only my second year here but it’s going very well. Carnival is such a big part of the job and it’s unique to Galt. It’s a staple and a tradition that I hope to help maintain for the years to come.”
“I started organizing Carnival back in December,” explained Martel. “I had to take care of bookings, I made sure lists went up for supervision, and I had to order and distribute the memorabilia, like the glasses and the buttons.”
Martel credits the teaching staff for his success. “Nearly 100 per cent of teachers participate in Carnival. Those who are scheduled to teach are required to be here, but the vast majority is proactive and a lot of teachers who aren’t scheduled sign up for activities because at the end of the day it’s for the kids. I can organize it to the moon and back but if it wasn’t for the teachers’ leadership and participation in organizing and supervising activities, a lot of it wouldn’t be possible.”
Although he has been widely praised so far, Martel admits that he has big shoes to fill. “I have to fall in the footsteps of the legendary Bob Halsall,” he said. Halsall worked at Galt as the Student Activities director for over 35 years and is still involved with coaching and various events despite his retirement. “I went for this job because I wanted to be someone like that. I want to be a role model for these kids, because that’s not something I necessarily had when I was back in high school,” mentioned Martel, who had previously worked in schools and at summer camps before applying for the position. “Working with kids is just always something I have been drawn to. I want to leave my mark in a positive manner in these kids’ lives, and I want to make sure that I’m preserving Galt traditions that are so much fun, like Carnival.”