Our Streams, Our History
Saturday afternoon the Brome County Historical Society presented an event, Our Streams, Our History which was hosted by archivist, Anne-marie Charuest and documentary filmmaker, Etienne Benoit.
Benoit became a member of the Comite de Sauvegarde du basin versant du lac Davignon (CSBVLD) (Committee to Protect the Lake Davignon Watershed) in 2020 when he began work on creating four documentaries of the main tributaries of the Lac Davignon watershed. The Jackson Stream, South-east Yamaska River and Westover Stream were the first three he worked on. The fourth and final discovery was the North Branch which originates in a pond in Bolton-quest near Stagecoach Road, eventually crossing Brome Village and ending up at Call’s Mills Park. The North Branch Creek appears on old maps in great detail. Saturday’s showings were the last two of the four documentaries.
Until his research there appears to have been little knowledge available about this watershed. These documentaries are thorough in their in-depth descriptions of the history of the areas through which the streams of the watershed flow. Interesting antidotes and origins of names given to places are provided. Original maps are shown. There are interviews with local people living in the area and spectacular aerial photography is provided.
What was known as the Yamaska River South-east became officially named Russeau Westover in honor of the Westover family on September 7, 2022. The story of how this happened is interestingly explained in detail.
CSBVLD is an organization set up “to mobilize and empower all stakeholders in the Lake Davignon watershed to conserve water quality and its uses and promote its development.” There is mention in the documentaries of invasive species, of the lack of access to the streams by the public and there are suggestions to overcome various problems.
These two documentaries are available on You Tube at Comite de Sauvegarde du bassin versant du lac Davignon and it is well-worth the adventure to watch them.