CAPEB remembers Joanne Surette-Muise with volunteer-of-the-year award

involved in and promoting all three – has been honoured, posthumously, by the Conseil acadien de Par-en-Bas.

Joanne Surette-Muise, who died in December 2016 at the age of 65, was chosen as the recipient of CAPEB’s annual volunteer award for this year.

CAPEB held a supper in her memory April 24, as part of National Volunteer Week, and presented her husband, Louis Muise, with a plaque in recognition of the honour. Members of Surette-Muise’s family and CAPEB’s board of directors were on hand for the occasion.

Joanne Surette-Muise, who lived in Gavelton, Yarmouth County, had been a teacher at a number of schools in the Municipality of Argyle and had a lifelong interest in music, the arts and Acadian culture.

Whether she was conducting workshops in music or dance for young people, playing keyboards or singing in church, or serving as musical director for a local presentation of Évangéline, Surette-Muise was actively involved in her community in various ways.

Among other things, she served as director of the Nova Chords singing group and was involved in SARMU, the annual high school music show that originated at the former Ste-Annedu-Ruisseau high school and now is held at Drumlin Heights Consolidated School.

She recorded songs by her friend, local songwriter Lynn Boudreau. Surette-Muise also was involved in a CD that marked the 25th anniversary of the Clare radio station CIFA.

Also a painter, she co-ordinated the creation of the community painting called Patrimoine réinventé (heritage reinvented) that is displayed in the community centre at École secondaire de Par-en-Bas in Tusket.

She was involved in a number of organizations, including CAPEB, the Conseil des arts de Par-en-Bas, Les Araignées du boui-boui and the Fédération culturelle acadienne de la NouvelleÉcosse (FéCANE).