Remembering the Rose is the journey of a community: Stanstead the 45th parallel, where I call home. The more I learned the more questions I had. I became aware of the uniqueness of this border town as well as discovering the many first in inventions, industry and education. The Rose became a symbol of growth. A rose now opened fully at maturity to reveal its beauty and completeness. To lose a historic place or a part of history we lose a part of who we are. Remembering the Rose captures pieces of this community’s soul. (94 pages of photos)
The story of youth work pioneers and the amazing impact their efforts made for so many youth. A success story, this book encompasses the passion, joy and vitality that for more than thirty years characterize this work of the United Church of Canada in the Eastern Townships And the North Shore regions of Quebec. The book gives insight into the roots of the network as well as a selection of personal stories written by youth, who took part in the programs between the years 1973 and 2000
Under the guiding hand of Alexander Solomon Walbridge, the village of Mystic was to become a small industrial centre, very active from 1868 to 1897, where this businessman and inventor built his foundry. Today, just a single astonishing red structure bears witness to the grand past of the Walbridge family and its long-standing influence on the local countryside. This building, with twelve sides and crowned with a very exceptional roof, turns out to be the oldest polygonal barn in Quebec.
The Walbridge Barn has been designated an historic monument by the ministre de la Culture et des Communications du Quebec in June 2004. along with the ancestral home built in 1843 and still lived in by the family, it made up part of an oppulent estate which include a small European-style château, an expensive greenhouse, affectionately called the conservatory, a man-made lake and a small hydro-electric power station which supplied power to all the buildings.
Over many years, as I travelled the beautiful Eastern Townships of Quebec, I was saddened by the sight of so many picturesque historic churches which were closed or about to close. I wondered whether memory of the people who built them and the parishioners who faithfully cared for them over many generations would be lost to posterity. I felt strongly that there was a need to document the histories of these churches and congregations so their story might be preserved for future generations to appreciate. Some of the congregations and their church buildings no longer exist, but many have left behind a wealth of history, and this, I hope will prove interesting to the reader. Phyllis Hamilton
