Hatley Poet Angela Leuck and Louise Abbott of Rural Route Communications are collaborating on a new book--an anthology of work by contemporary women poets of the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The Townshippers' Research and Cultural Foundation as well as the municipality of Canton de Stanstead and the MRC de Memphrémagog have all contributed funding for this exciting project, which is the first of its kind. Louise is creating portraits of the poets for the book and also filming some of the poets as they read their poetry. The anthology will be published by Studio Georgeville and launched in November 2020.

Poet Angela Leuck, Hatley, Quebec                     (Photo: Louise Abbott)

Rural Route Communications is pleased to announce that Louise Abbott was chosen as one of five Canadian filmmakers for the Tell Our Stories project of Friends of Canadian Broadcasting. Her mini documentary The Ahiarmiut: Out-of-the-Way Dwellers is now online:

https://youtu.be/7zZKKS_ByBo

Our thanks to all those who contributed to the film and to Friends of Canadian Broadcasting for co-producing it.

Friends of Canadian Broadcasting launched Tell Our Stories out of concern that Canadian stories are in danger of disappearing as Canadian newspapers and broadcasters shut down operations, and more and more people turn to online services like Netflix and Disney+, where Canadian stories are few and far between.

Friends commissioned the five documentaries "to show that there are thousands more Canadian stories out there just waiting to be told."

To learn more about Tell Our Stories and the five filmmakers:

https://tellourstories.ca/

Niels Jensen has been engaged to document the well-known lodge in Georgeville, Quebec, known as McGowan House, which will be dismantled in late 2020 and then replaced with a new inn. He created a short video with his drone:

https://vimeo.com/386311408

Rural Route Communications is pleased to announce that Louise Abbott's latest documentary (Driving into the Past) was presented by the municipality of Canton de Stanstead, QC, on October 4, 2019, in the Narrows Bridge (Lake Memphremagog) to celebrate the official classification of the bridge as a historic monument.

The film was also presented by the Colby-Curtis Museum in Stanstead, QC, in early December and in Stanbridge East in February.

Upcoming screenings: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all screenings have been cancelled. The film is now available for viewing online: 

https://vimeo.com/364148234 (English version)

https://vimeo.com/364524417 (Version bilingue)

Monday, March 16, 2020, 7 p.m., Larrimac Golf Club, 1148, Rte. 105, Chelsea, QC  (Hosted by the Gatineau Valley Historical Society)

https://www.gvhs.ca/ 

Sunday, July 12, 2020, 2 p.m., St. Andrew's Church Hall, 1169 Rte 243, Canton de Melbourne J0B 2B0. (Hosted by the Richmond County Historical Society. Contact Info: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 819-826-1332)

The film runs 42 minutes and is the first documentary to be made on the history of covered bridges in Quebec.

Il y a une version bilingue du film. Nos remerciements à la MRC Memphrémagog, au Canton de Stanstead, et au Ministère de la Culture et des Communications pour leur assistance financière.

Narrows Bridge, Lake Memphremagog / Pont Narrows, Lac Memphrémagog (Photo: Louise Abbott)

Nepawa Bridge, Lake Abitibi / Pont Nepawa, Lac Abitibi (Photo: Louise Abbott)

These two bridges are the only covered bridges that cross a lake in Quebec.

Ces deux ponts sont les seuls ponts couverts qui traversent un lac au Québec.