Donald Warnholtz has been extremely involved as a community volunteer for most of his life. He has an extensive professional background in the health and social services sector, where he was a clinical program manager for 36 years and, more recently, was a member of the province’s provincial committee on the provision of health and social services in the English language. He is currently the Director General of the Dixville Foundation.

Donald is enthusiastic about his new role as president of the Association and about supporting the English-speaking community of the Eastern Townships. You'll likely see him around in the coming months, or hear him on the radio, as he speaks on behalf of the English-speaking community here in the Eastern Townships!

My name is Matthew Clairmont and I’ve been living in the Townships for about 7 or 8 years now. I am originally from Ontario, then I lived in Quebec City for a few years, and moved out to Sherbrooke to start a family here. I’m a proud dad of two little girls (4 and 6 years old).
 
I’ve worked at a few different places since I’ve been in Quebec. My last job was as a dayworker at a metal recycling facility in Sherbrooke. At the height of the pandemic, my position there was cut, but that afforded me the opportunity to learn some new skills during the various shutdowns. I’ve spent the last year acquiring an accounting DEP (or DVS), and I luckily managed to find a position here at Townshippers’ Association.

In my 11 years in the province, I haven't really had much contact with anglophones, so I’m excited to be a part of this organization to learn more about the history of the region and to participate in the community. I look forward to working with everyone!”

To contact Matthew, send him an email at mc@townshippers.org.

Townshippers' Awards Night
 

On Thursday, August 25, Townshippers’ Association hosted a special awards ceremony to highlight, and celebrate, some of the spectacular leaders who support our English-speaking community every day. The evening included presentations of this year’s Young Townships Leader Award (YTLA) recipients, as well as the YTLA winners from 2020 and 2021. In addition to celebrating these young leaders, we also celebrated the winners of the 2020 and 2021 Outstanding Townshippers awards, as well as the recipients of the Dialogue McGill Health and Social Services Community Leadership bursaries and Excel in the Estrie awards. It was a wonderful night for our community to gather again (a first since the beginning of the pandemic!), and it gave us an opportunity to learn about some of the amazing accomplishments of our fellow Townshippers.

Watch for a special article about this evening - and our award winners - in our upcoming Townshippers magazine!
 

Getting You Where You Want to Go - Social Integration Services (SIS) Program

With guests Stephen Walker (Teacher and SVI Program Coordinator, New Horizons Adult Education Centre) and Jessica Girard (Guidance Counsellor, Job Links Employment Centre)

In this episode, Steve Walker from New Horizons Adult Education Centre and Jessica Girard from Job Links Employment Center talk about how the individualized approach of their Social Integration Services (SIS) program helps students to develop the skills they need to integrate into, and flourish in, everyday activities while playing a social and rewarding role in a social community context.

Thanks to a partnership with the Université de Sherbrooke, Townshippers’ Association is pleased to once again provide this clinic giving the public free, easy, and confidential access to legal information in English. A student from the Law Faculty at the UdeS volunteers once a week to answer legal questions by phone, email, and in person by appointment. Do you have a legal question? The Townshippers legal info clinic is open every Monday – between 11 am and 3:30 pm – until April 2023. Contact us by phone (819-566-2182) or by email: legalinfo@townshippers.org.

It is important to remember that legal information interns are still students. They are not allowed by law to dispense advice or offer opinions. This is reserved for lawyers who have passed the bar exam. Students can refer people to practising lawyers as well as other services such as Educaloi.
 

Visions of Home
Compiled by Jo Cooper
 

This beautiful compilation features more than two dozen unique mandalas to colour, as well as stories and quotes by Quebec-based artists from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and ages. If you are looking for a relaxing way to spend an afternoon - or if you'd like to learn more about the multicultural roots of this province we call home - you will want to pick up this intriguing collection.

The book also includes access to a Sound Cloud page that features music created by Quebec-based artists.

To purchase this book, or explore the Townships Expressions collection, visit our online shop.

On Wednesday, September 14, Richmond Regional High School and Townshippers’ Association launched Senior Wellness Wednesdays. These free activities offer seniors in the Richmond and Danville area weekly opportunities to gather and socialize, learn, and connect.  Senior Wellness Wednesdays are part of Townshippers’ Association’s Seniors’ Wellness Centre program, and are funded by the CHSSN, the Quebec Government’s Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise (SRQEA) and the Government of Canada.
 
Pictured left to right are: Vanessa Asselin (Agent for Townshippers’ Association’s Partners for Health and Social Services Network), Jeremy Frizzle (Vice-Principal at Richmond Regional High School), Alice Weare (Volunteer Coordinator of Senior Wellness Wednesdays), Siu-Min Jim (Richmond, Danville & Drummondville CLC Coordinator), and Erica Botner (CHSSN’s Program Manager for Seniors).

To learn more about Senior Wellness Wednesdays in Richmond, contact Vanessa: va@townshippers.org.