COVID-19: Town Hall closed to the public as of Tuesday, March 17
In response to the directives issued by the Direction de la santé publique in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town of Brome Lake announces the closure of its Town Hall as of Tuesday, March 17, for an undetermined period of time. This means that all in-person meetings scheduled from that date with any of the Town’s employees are cancelled.
As an alternative, citizens are invited to use the phone (450-243-6111), e-mail or online services (ville.lac-brome. qc.ca) to communicate with municipal employees. This measure is in addition to those announced on Friday, which include the closure of the Centre Lacbrome and the three community centres on the territory, as well as the interruption of all courses and activities. It should be noted, however, that the CLSC and the blood collection clinic remain accessible.
“Brome Lake is one of the communities with the highest average age in Quebec,” said Mayor Richard Burcombe. “We can’t sit and watch, we have to do everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. I am now asking my fellow citizens to stay home and restrict their outings to the strict minimum.”
The municipal administration is also in early warning mode following a meeting last Friday of the Brome Lake Municipal Civil Security Organization. It is important to know that the civil protection plan covers all risks, including those associated with a pandemic, as well as the measures to deal with it.
The Town of Brome Lake continues to closely monitor the evolution of the situation. Measures to support vulnerable people and people aged 70 and over are currently being studied and may be announced in the near future. Daily updates will also be made on our various platforms.
The Pettes Memorial Library, built by Narcissa Farrand Pettes in honor of her husband, Federal M.P. Nathaniel Pettes, became the first free rural public library in Quebec following its foundation with an act of Parliament in 1894. The library has been a pillar in the community of Brome Lake for over 125 years and it is now expected to undergo future plans for expansion that will allow it to serve as an educational, cultural, and social hub for the village.
In 1894, Quebec received its first free public library in what used to be known as Brome Township. “The library was built by Narcissa Farrand Pettes in memory of her husband Nathaniel Pettes,” said Jana Valasek, Director of Pettes Memorial Library. “She arranged with her brother-in-law to purchase the land here and she commissioned a library deeded to the community. She was giving it to the people of Knowlton and Brome Township.”
She added that, at the time, libraries were being built around the world, and more particularly in the United States, but that the Pettes Memorial Library predates many municipal libraries. “This was one resident who decided to leave this as her legacy.”
The Pettes Memorial Library, a nonprofit organization, has been serving the community ever since. “It’s been run by a board of trustees ever since then.”
Over the years, the library has undergone some major changes to support the activities and initiatives they wished to carry out. “The upstairs level was originally a music hall,” said Valasek. “By the 50s, it was becoming less used, so it was converted in apartments. This helped the library financially.”
If you walked down to the basement of the library 50 years ago, you wouldn’t find the library space that you see today. “The basement was where they stored coal. In the 1970s, it was converted into library space; more space was needed.”
The back of the building was originally an apartment meant for the librarian, but again more space was needed. It was converted to library space in the 1980s.
Now, the library is ready for the next stage of its expansion. “We’re at a point where we are short of space to fulfill our cultural and community initiatives,” emphasized Valasek. “A few years ago, we put together a strategic place to provide more space for people to come here to work, to meet, all that stuff. Coincidentally, the town was looking to redevelop Coldbrook Park and it became evident that we should work together when moving forward.”
The Board of Trustees has been working on their plan for the past three years and envision a space that can be used to the advantage of all members of the community. “We analyzed our needs, what we would do, and what types of additions. We submitted grants