October is for finding history in the Eastern Townships

Townships history groups gather virtually for the 4th annual Heritage Fair

What better way is there to discover the Eastern Townships than to drop into the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network’s 2020 Virtual Heritage Fair on Facebook Live or Zoom from the comfort of your own home?

Information about historic collections and stories behind the objects will be the talking points as museums and historical societies from across the region gather in a virtual format in these pandemic times.

The event, sponsored by the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN), takes place on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. The audience can watch from QAHN’S Facebook Live page as participants share their collections and stories on Zoom.

The theme is “Show and Tell” says fair co-organizer Heather Darch. “With our historical societies and museums closed or on very restricted access and hours, this will be a fun way to discover what treasures we have in our collections. By telling the stories of some of our more unusual or remarkable items, we hope to inspire future visits to the Eastern Townships’ wonderful museums and historical societies soon. The virtual fair is a creative way to discover the rich history of the communities across the region and while we won’t be meeting in person this year, the fair will still be a way to learn about the achievements and contributions people and organizations have made to the Townships and to Quebec’s history.”

Presentations for the Fair will include the Colby-curtis Museum Director/curator Samuel GaudreauLalande who will speak about the use of photography by politicians as a weapon of mass persuasion. Glenn Patterson, directing QAHN’S “A Different Tune Project” will interview musician and square dance caller James Allan to discuss the history of square dancing and traditional music around Kinnear’s Mills and show footage from regular dances Allan organizes in the region.

Watch for “Show and Tell” presentations from the Brome County Historical Society Museum; Bury Historical Society; Colby Curtis Museum; Cowansville Historical Society; Eastern Townships Resource Centre; Georgeville Historical Society; Lennoxville and Ascot Historical and Museum Society; Missisquoi County Museum; Richmond County Historical

Society Museum; and the

Johnson United Empire Association of Canada.

Everyone is welcome. For more information, please contact QAHN at 819-564-9595/Toll free 1-877-9640409 and at home@qahn.org and www.qahn.org

Sir John Loyalists