There are twenty-one authentic covered bridges remaining in the Eastern Townships. To that total may be added two semi-authentic recreations of recent vintage. A century ago, there were hundreds of covered bridges all across the region. Most villages had at least one; some had several. They dotted the back roads as well, crossing brooks and rivers of all sizes.
What is heritage? Webster's defines it as "property that is or can be inherited; something handed down from one's ancestors or the past; a characteristic, culture, or tradition." In its broadest sense, it would seem that heritage can include virtually everything we receive from our predecessors -- even those things that we consider as bad or negative.
Vestiges of our past disappear all the time. Or they are altered beyond recognition. Countless historic landmarks have vanished from the Eastern Townships over the years. Particularly susceptible is our architectural heritage.
Way’s Mills may be a remarkably healthy locality but as years go by, the early settlers of Way’s Mills are advancing in age, and by 1875 some of our founders have passed away. For example, Jacob Clifford, Daniel Way’s contemporary, has died in 1871. Death sometimes claims the young as well.
Built in 1875, Potton Springs Hotel and its famous sulphur springs attracted thousands of guests from all over eastern North America. The most important local attraction in its day, the spa had its own railway station and post office.
Compassionate Return
“Compassionate leave to Canada will only be granted in very exceptional cases in which extreme hardship would be caused to the individual concerned or his dependants, if he did not return. It must be demonstrated that the hardship could not be alleviated in any other manner.”
This month the McCord Museum of Montreal opens an exhibit entitled “Being Irish” to celebrate over 250 years of the Irish presence in Quebec. Usually what comes to mind when referring to our Irish history is Montreal and, to a lesser extent, Quebec City, where people of Irish origin have been, and have remained prominent in large numbers consistently for over two centuries. However, less known but equally important is the Irish rural heritage in Quebec. One area, first occupied by Irish settlers, was the vast tract of unsettled wilderness, to the north of the St. Lawrence.
The death toll in a pandemic can be staggering, but a supplementary measure of devastation can also be read into the stories of survivors.
In May 2008, I got a call from Heather (Stone) Foley, who lives in Rawcliffe, Quebec. She told me James Stone was visiting from BC. I had been a classmate of Heather’s throughout grade school in Grenville and a good friend of her younger brother, James. But I had only seen him two or three times in the intervening fifty years.
Lac Carlin, also known as Carling Lake, is just northwest of Pine Hill, Quebec, along Highway 327, in the lower Laurentians. Today it is the site of an upscale golf course and hotel…a classy resort destination.