As my fellow reporter Noé from LE RÉGIONAL was conducting an interview of Joey about the announcement that he had been selected as a full fledge member of the Canadian Paracycling team and heading for Tokyo in August, I was planning a parallel interview of other members of his team, notably his wife Vanessa and girls Stella and Zayla, and some of his sponsors. It felt like playing GOOD COP, BAD COP: split everyone up so as to see if everyone’s answers matched! But I felt like a ‘good cop’ through it all because this week’s announcement is cause for great celebration: both Joey and Vanessa are family and I am personally aware of all the tragedies, joys, struggles, celebrations, good fortunes and bad ones that they lived through in their still young lifetime and this moment is close to the top, the climax of years of efforts, of training and of hopes for Joey himself, for his family, his friends, his sponsors and the local community.
Joey and Vanessa have been together 18 years and form a solid and inseparable duo, a prolific and organised team: sharing responsibilities for two young active daughters while working full-time and Joey training or competing somewhere in the world, Vanessa agrees that it is their biggest challenge: ‘We have become master schedulers and the logistics of keeping track of everyone in our household is almost a full-time job in itself! We are very fortunate to have so many family members close by and we couldn’t do this without their support’. Vanessa, Stella and Zayla are Joey’s biggest cheerleaders and groupies, joining him around the country and around the world for cheers whenever it is possible when he is competing: ‘We see his dedication to training very day and being able to go and watch him ‘live’ in real competition, we can’t miss that! We were very fortunate to accompany him across Canada and the USA, even joining him in the Netherlands to see his first World Cup Race! We three girls would definitely have gone to Tokyo in a heartbeat if foreigners had been allowed to attend the events, but we will have to cheer him on from Canada watching TV broadcasts.’
Since Joey is still one of the younger athletes in his category, he may be just ‘ripe’, ‘dans la fleur de l’âge’ as the French say, for the 2024 Paris Paralympics; he alone knows if that is in the plan, if he is willing push himself mentally and physically for another three years or to go on with his after-career. ‘If so he chooses, he could have a few more years of racing ahead of him, maybe with sights on Paris 2024…’ says Vanessa, but without hinting on his or their final decision. Being a professional athlete has some appealing perks, but many hidden challenges also: for the athlete himself, always questioning his performances, always striving to exceed his own expectations and personal best, for a young couple, for a young family, for his and their future.
An old wise African saying states that ‘It takes a whole village to raise a child…’ Allow me to rephrase it for our purpose: ‘It took a whole community to make a champion…’ In a previous interview, Joey expressed his gratefulness to everyone involved in RACING TEAM JOEY DESJARDINS: family, friends, sponsors, medias, coaches, cycling partners, government agencies. It was truly a team effort and Joey’s nomination to team Canada and recognition as a world elite athlete is the gratifying end result. GO JOEY GO!
Friends, neighbours, sponsors have been sending their best wishes to Joey ever since the announcement: Let’s flood his message box with good vibes! facebook.com/search/top?q=joey%20desjardins
‘Félicitations Joey! On roule avec toi! Profite bien de ton rendez-vous olympique!’ (Jean-René et François Danis, ALX Designs et HHT Paysagement/Landscaping)
Photo: Joey’s cheerleaders (without pompoms!): Vanessa, Stella and Zayla Desjardin.
I was planning to start this week’s column with the first few verses of Gilles Vigneault’s chanson-à-répondre ‘I went to the market, mon p’tit panier sous mon bras, and the first girl I met…’ but I had to modify it to ‘I went to the market, an umbrella à mon bras…and the only girl I met was the site manager!’ She was very gracious in meeting with me and felt very proud in praising her village’s market, its facilities and its vendors. It was a cloud-covered rainy Saturday unfortunately and I wasn’t able to take a decent photo of the beautiful outdoor setting either: I guess you’ll have to experience it yourself on an upcoming Saturday. Derby Street at the former Daycare location, that’s where to go!
I must admit that I love markets, preferably outdoor ones: food markets, artisan markets, antique markets, flea markets, browsing at my own pace with a little cash in my pocket to ‘negotiate’ a somewhat ‘deal’, poking, touching and analysing the quality of the ‘stuff’… while people-watching and chatting with vendors and pure strangers. Heavenly experiences!
Farmers’ markets have been a success story throughout Canada’s history: the oldest one in North America was in Halifax, Nova Scotia; at the time, the area’s population was mostly soldiers, merchants and fishermen looking for produce; immigrants brought their European concept of farmers’ market to Canada in the 1800s and such markets have known a resurgence from 1970 on when new environmental concerns and ‘buy-local’ campaigns became factors. Now located in an envious harbor-side spot, it houses about 250 vendors. Another famous one was located in Hamilton, Ontario: it opened in 1837; Kington is said to have been the first one to open in 1827. Farmers’ markets are said to have originated in Egypt over 5000 years ago, where purchases were usually made by trade rather than money transactions. The first in the United States opened in Boston in 1634: it still today houses the famous Quincy market, a major city tourist attraction.
Markets are often shown to be the root, the initiation to small personal or family enterprises; if successful and the owners are ambitious, they’ll want to take a further risk and it may become a full-fledge retail business: just think of all artisanal beers that have flooded the market the last ten years! Farmers’ markets are a way for farmers to get their produce on market and to consumers, without the aggravation of contracts, marketing and retail space; prices can be kept at a competitive level with standard market prices while offering the option of flexibility. Whether you are a ‘local’ market fan like I am, an ‘out-of-towner’ just visiting or a full-fledge tourist, our region has a lot to offer. Check this one out!
The Vankleek Hill Farmers’ Market was established in 1997 as ‘an incorporated non-profit volunteer-driven organization’ (as per its statute). It respects and carries the tradition of offering farmers the option to direct-sell their fresh produce; in fact, as per regulations of Farmers’ Markets Ontario, it is required that 60% of vendors be producers and sell products from their farm. The organization internet site states that ‘the majority of vendors attending our market are local, primary producers of food products from their farm or artisanal business including produce, meats and baked goods; craft and personal care products also add an extra flair to our market.’
Following a stint of a few years at VCI’s parking lot and auditorium, the Farmers’ Market found itself a new niche on Derby Street, compliments of the Champlain township: nestled in a pedestrian and cycle-friendly dead-end street with a mature tree peninsula on which local artists are welcomed to set-up and entertain market’s patrons, a horse-shoe paved lot sees vendors setting up their parasols and kiosks, and show off their products. The distancing was ideal in order to respect COVID protocol. The market operates at this location year-round, moving indoors in the winter season, every Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30. At the present, there are 24 registered and approved merchants; the Market accepts applications seasonally from vendors interested in joining the group, but insists they must meet strict criteria and approbation by the board before joining. Come, see, become a weekly regular!
Until the late 1940s, such towns and villages as Hawkesbury, Alfred, Plantagenet, L’Orignal, Chute-à-Blondeau were official partners on a travel route that went across Canada, from coast to coast: the Trans-Canada Highway, a trans-continental federal-provincial highway system that went from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and right up to Newfoundland at Mile One; overall distance spanned 7821 kilometres, making it one of the longest route of its type in the world; its white-on-green maple leaf route marker identified it throughout; the Trans-Canada route was composed of sections of pre-existing provincial highways that were tied one to the other, from province to province.
In the Prescott-Russell counties, it used our existing Highway 17 to make the connection between the city of Ottawa’s Queensway and the Ontario-Quebec eastern border, moving then to Autoroute 40 in Quebec and connecting to the Metropolitan Boulevard in Montreal. As part of the Harris provincial government cost-cutting measures, Highway 17’s official designation was taken away in 1997 and transferred to Highway 417 which had opened in 1975; it now has the statute of regional/county road and responsibilities were uploaded to the counties and municipalities it services.
In the 1940s, the Department of Highways of Ontario realized the original route of Highway 17, zigzaging through villages’ narrow and winding roads and facing steep grades, constituted a public danger as more and more transit vehicles used them, including the farming and the trucking industries. Decision was taken to improve the driving experience for all those involved between Ottawa and the Quebec border: a first stretch of the project was done from Ottawa to Rockland, then to Wendover and finally to Plantagenet by relocating this section of road by bypassing the village to the north; this was completed in 1954. The next section from Plantagenet to L’Orignal was fairly direct and flat, which is why no bypassing the village of Alfred was necessary; it also contributed to the village’s popularity for its famous chips stands and hotels. There used to be nine ‘stands à patates’ in the village, all open year-round; only one of the original survives today. Incidentally, the village is celebrating this year its 150th anniversary; although the village’s marketing strategy these last fifty years had been focused on being ‘the French fries capital of Ontario’ is in jeopardy, it survived and is still thriving; André Beaulne reportedly opened the original chip stand in 1948, almost 75 years ago! He was a visionary! Just imagine all the celebrities that surely drove through and halted on its main street: an ideal stopover for a greasy one or a cold one!
As the new Highway reached L’Orignal, decision had been made to bypass the village itself, then also Hawkesbury and Chute-à-Blondeau by re-routing a new section of road to the south; one of the main arguments was the construction of the Carillon hydro dam which was going to result in the flooding of the highway portion between Chute-à-Blondeau and Pointe-Fortune. Eventually, a short split double-lane section was built in the 1970s and a junction to the new 417 was later established.
The building and completion in 1956 of the Peter J. Kirk memorial bridge and interchange, at the intersection of the 17 and 34, which is presently under negotiation stages to be rebuilt, was part of this project. The new completed highway provides since a safer, more direct route between Ottawa and Montreal; its total length is 108.4 kilometres; the three bypasses of Plantagenet, L’Orignal and Hawkesbury/Chute-à-Blondeau were a gift from heaven for motorists but may have resulted in the death of some businesses that had prospered off local traffic until then. And thus our once proud local highway, which used to be part of our towns and villages ‘Main street’ and ‘Rue Principale’ became a modest county/local road!
In the next few months, as soon as all partners involved have agreed on the final configuration, budgeting and timelines, the Peter J. Kirk* Memorial bridge and interchange project, which has now been delayed for close to two years, might eventually get underway; this interchange is a main north-south and east-west access to Hawkesbury itself, but to the province of Québec via the Long-Sault bridge and to the USA via Cornwall.
This interchange (road and ramps) in is serious need for an upgrade: it is 65 years old and in state of disrepair. Four players have been involved in the discussions and the decision-making: the Ministry of Transportation of the province of Ontario, the United Counties of Prescott-Russell, the city of Hawkesbury and the township of Champlain; as of the latest proposals and arguments by either groups, no solution seems satisfactory and agreeable to all. When contacted last week by Le Régional, mayor Assaly’s office confirmed that discussions haven’t reached a consensus and are presently at a standstill. In summarized terms, local politicians fear the original fiasco encountered at the 417 intersection of Herb’s Travel Plaza (before the installation of traffic lights) might repeat itself. It also seems there is an environmental issue on the negotiation package. It’s complicated…
Did you know that provincial highway 34, whose official surname is ‘Kings’s Highway 34’ was first established in 1930 as the farthest eastern provincial boundary on a 60 kilometres north-south axis; it did not significantly change until 1998 when a 44 km section south of Highway 417 was transferred to the Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry counties as part of the Harris government cost-cutting measures and thus became a ‘regional’ road; the remaining ‘provincial’ stretch of highway went from Highway 417 to the north, crossing the village of Vankleek Hill up to the Hawkesbury interchange; it extended through the city of Hawkesbury (known in urban areas as a ‘Connecting link’) as McGill street and Le Chenail boulevard before reaching the Long-Sault bridge and the border to Quebec. The township of Champlain recently completed a major overhaul of its High street/Highway 34 portion of the highway (water and sewer lines, sidewalks and street); it didn’t take long before High street was assaulted again by tractor trailers after completion, either northbound to the province of Quebec or southbound to the 417 and 401 connections or to the USA by Cornwall’s Seaway international bridge.
According to Cameron Bevers, author and creator of the site thekingshighway.ca, ‘Ontario’s King’s Highway signs are by far the most ‘majestic signs in North America: Ontario has come a long way from the simple, modest Provincial highway signs of the 1920s. It was in 1925 that Ontario’s Department of Public Highways began numbering its roads: before, they were simply known as ‘the road from … to …’; small triangle-shaped signs were then introduced and the 3000-kilometre provincial highway network was divided into 15 distinct routes (Highways 2 to 17, omitting 1 and 13). The vast majority of those signs were made of a porcelain enamel surface applied to a steel backing; the sign elements were embossed or stamped into the tin, a very similar process to the one used to produce Ontario’s licence plates, suggesting that they may have been manufactured by the same company.’
*As a footnote, let us remember that in 1968, Peter J. Kirk, at the young age of 32, a local OPP officer, was killed while on car patrol in the Champlain township; the township honored his memory in 2016 by dedicating this bridge in his name.
Stay tuned for next week’s column as we will revisit ‘former’ King’s Highway 17! And we may have a fresh update on the interchanging situation on the interchange! But, well, it’s complicated…
It is officially identified as a ‘conservation area’ but (off the record), it is a genuine park and as such, offers a variety of activities one would expect from a 13-acre virgin natural waterfront setting: boat launching and floating docks, fishing and ice-fishing (walleye, pike, muskellunge, bass), picnic facilities with barbeques, dog walking, geocaching, parking, washrooms and more: napping for example (always a favorite!), reading, playing music, painting, throwing or kicking a few balls …), all of this settled among giant pines and majestic oaks, with a ground cover of trillium (when in bloom) and unfortunately, some poison ivy and wild parsnip patches to watch for, all of this within a half-hour car ride if you live in the United Counties of Prescott-Russell, and most of all, FREE! TOTALLY FREE!
Too good to be true? Well, let me dare you to experience the place. Conveniently located on Regional Road 17 between Plantagenet and Wendover on the South Eastern side of the steel bridge that crosses the South Nation river, its welcoming sign says JESSUP’S FALLS CONSERVATION AREA. Historically, Jessup’s Falls may have been part of the village of Treadwell located five kilometres to the north, but it is now more or less reduced to an ‘intersection’ on the main road. Originally, a grant of 400 acres of land was made by the government to a Sir Edward Jessup Jr, thus the name of the area; the land was later sold multiple times and finally purchased by a Mister Anderson who used the river and the bay for his mill business and lived in that exact area, in a cottage among the pines. The South Nation Conservation authority now operates this park as well as four other parks within Prescott-Russell, all open to the public.
Previously, FISHING was mentioned as one of the preferred activity in the park, as fishermen are often seen on the site from dawn till dusk; unless you are an avid fisherman and knowledgeable of its rules and regulations, you may not know that there are four moments during the year when our provincial government grants everyone a break and allows fishing without the need of a permit: a fishing weekend in February (for ice fishing), Mother’s Day weekend, Father’s Day weekend (June 19-20 in 2021) and Family Fishing Week (July 3-11 in 2021). A permit is neither required if you are under 18 or over 65. Two of those FREE opportunities are coming soon to take advantage of! And the cook-in-you can grill your catch-of-the-day on a nearby barbeque! Wonderful!
The unique geography of the area is a gateway to nature in all its splendor, both at the ground level and at the water level: although the section of the river south of the bridge holds waters that are calm and serene, on the north side however, underwater falls bring stronger currents and deep waters before reaching the Bay of Wendover where old concrete bridge pillars still stand today.
The local non-profit group ESCARPACTION, whose hand-painted road signs border the main road between Plantagenet and Wendover, ‘thrives to protect this fragile environment and promote the region, the reason being that the Jessup’s Falls escarpment is a remarkable limestone formation very sensitive to surface water contamination.’ The group organizes and funds an annual festival which showcases local small businesses, artists and artisans; and again, entrance to the festival if FREE! (although donations towards the cause are appreciated).
Now that school is out till next September, what a great learning experience it might turn out to visit the Conservation Area with your children: nature science, biology, geology, geography, math, art, sports and whatever else you want to throw in the learning pot! But don’t confuse your children with such technical terms as ‘conservation area’, just innocently tell them: ‘Let’s go and have a picnic and spend the day at the PARK!’
LE RÉGIONAL a été choyé au cours du mois de mai : il y a quelques semaines, mon confrère Francis Legault a eu le privilège de souligner les exploits d’un premier ‘BOB’ de la région, Bob Hartley, qui, à la tête de l’équipe Cendrillon de l’Avangard d’Omsk, a remporté la Coupe Gagarine, récompense ultime de l’équipe championne de la ligue professionnelle de hockey russe.
C’était mon tour cette semaine d’être choyé puisque j’ai eu le plaisir d’accueillir mon propre ‘BOB’ en la personne de BOBBY LALONDE, musicien émérite bien connu dans la région ‘and well beyond…’ et homme d’affaires accompli. C’est d’ailleurs pour souligner le prochain 20e anniversaire de son entreprise que nous l’avons approché. Tout un exploit en soi, considérant que nous en sommes maintenant à une deuxième année en situation de pandémie et que son entreprise, en mode survie comme plusieurs autres, est bien vivante, resplendissante de santé et prête à accueillir ses premiers clients post-confinement avec fébrilité!
‘According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20% of small businesses fail within the first year; by the end of their fifth year, roughly 50% have failed; after ten years, only about a third of businesses have survived.’ Au XIXe siècle, une théorie un peu farfelue disait qu’on pouvait déterminer les talents et aptitudes d’un individu par le nombre de bosses qu’il/elle avait sur le crâne, d’où est née l’expression ‘avoir la bosse de…’, c’est-à-dire ‘avoir un don pour…’: nous pouvons donc en conclure, à l’évidence du succès de son entreprise, familiale puisqu’elle inclut également son épouse Joy et son fils Adam, ainsi que Simon Joly, un jeune musicien local qui s’est joint à l’équipe, qu’en plus de la bosse de la musique, Bobby Lalonde a une belle bosse des affaires!
Brièvement, question de se rafraîchir la mémoire, voici quelques détails biographiques sur la carrière musicale de Bobby, sa carrière pré-businessman! Né en 1958, Bobby est donc de la génération des ‘Boomers’, celle qui a vécu le yéyé, le disco, les chansonniers, Elvis et les Beatles, Kennedy et Mao. Sa première expérience musicale fut avec sa propre fratrie, The Four Sons, ce qui le mena à des contrats avec Stompin’ Tom Connors et au célèbre Ranch à Willie (Lamothe); encore ‘teenager’, il se joint au groupe Garolou avant de former son propre groupe, le Bobby Lalonde Band qui fera la tournée de plusieurs pays du monde pendant presque vingt ans. Il participe entretemps à plusieurs concerts caritatifs (Téléthon CHEO), à plusieurs concerts exclusifs (sommet du G7 à Montebello, Jour du Canada à Queen’s Park, Power Aid Live) et grands festivals country (St-Tite). Il se joindra par la suite à Michel Bénac pour former le group Swing, qui offrira une musique de genre folklorique/urbain/techno; en 2001, le groupe s’est produit sur la colline du Parlement à l’occasion du Jour du Canada devant plus de 100,000 spectateurs. Dans ses temps libres (!) et quand il est dans la région (!), Bobby possède un studio d’enregistrement professionnel, Bolab Audio Productions, qu’il rentabilise en offrant ses services à d’autres musiciens. C’est en 2002 qu’il décidera de mettre le compteur (i.e. sa carrière musicale) sur pause et de réorienter ses dons et connaissances musicales vers l’ouverture d’une boutique où sont offerts tous les biens et services recherchés par les mélomanes de la région, amateurs comme professionnels.
LE RÉGIONAL : En ouverture d’entrevue, permets-moi de te féliciter, ainsi que toute ton équipe, d’avoir atteint cette étape du 20e anniversaire, c’est un jalon significatif dans la vie d’une petite entreprise!
BOBBY : Merci, et je remercie également Le Régional de le souligner. Notre boutique originale était située à Vankleek Hill, à l’intersection principale à l’entrée du village, une belle bâtisse historique en brique rouge typique, l’ancien hôtel-taverne Dominion. Tu sais, les premiers jours, les premières semaines, les premiers mois même n’ont pas été ‘roses’ : certains soirs, je retournais chez moi sans avoir vu un seul client, sans avoir généré une seule vente; je n’en parlais pas à ma famille pour ne pas les inquiéter, mais j’avais moi-même des doutes à ce moment-là. Mais petit à petit, nous nous sommes bâtis une clientèle qui est devenue très fidèle et nous a aidés à devenir ce que nous sommes devenus aujourd’hui.
LE RÉGIONAL : Qu’est-ce qui t’a incité à mettre ta carrière musicale en veilleuse et à te lancer dans cette aventure? Avais-tu une expérience préalable en affaires ou en administration?
BOBBY : Après 37 ans d’une vie d’artiste professionnel et régulièrement en tournée, j’étais dû pour vivre une vie personnelle et familiale plus stable : mes enfants étaient adolescents à ce moment-là et c’était ma responsabilité d’être là pour eux. J’avais acquis une certaine expérience administrative dans la gérance des groupes dont je faisais partie, mais gérer un inventaire, c’est une autre dimension que j’ai pu apprivoiser assez facilement et je le dis sans fausse modestie, parce j’ai les connaissances nécessaires en musique et en tout ce qui s’y rattache de près ou de loin. Mon épouse et moi travaillions pour un salaire minimum parce que nous réinvestissions presque tous nos profits pour augmenter notre inventaire.
LE RÉGIONAL : Ton entreprise semble avoir une exclusivité dans le domaine de la musique dans la région; est-ce que les sites de vente en ligne de type Amazon constituent une concurrence sérieuse?
BOBBY : Au début de cette aventure, nous n’étions pas exclusifs : il y avait L’Escale Musique de Hawkesbury qui était notre concurrent direct; quand ils ont fermé leurs portes, j’avais une sérieuse décision d’affaires à prendre : rester à Vankleek Hill où j’ai adoré les onze années que j’y ai passées ou déménager à Hawkesbury et y occuper ce marché vacant avant que quelqu’un de l’extérieur ne vienne y établir un magasin qui me concurrencera? Nous avons choisi le défi de nous établir à Hawkesbury, confiants que notre fidèle clientèle nous y suivrait; ça a été le cas et nous y sommes depuis maintenant neuf ans. Quant à la concurrence en ligne, nous avons répondu à leur défi : d’abord en créant notre propre site en ligne et ensuite, en égalant leurs prix. Alors, à prix égal, à matériel égal, quelle est la différence diras-tu? La différence, c’est notre service!
LE RÉGIONAL : Pourquoi avoir choisi ce site à l’est de la ville où il y a peu d’autres activités commerciales? As-tu considéré le centre-ville?
BOBBY : Nous avons choisi notre site actuel d’abord pour la simple et bonne raison que j’en étais déjà propriétaire, et ensuite, comme le fait tout bon homme d’affaires sérieux, j’ai fait ma propre étude de marché personnelle : bien installé sur la galerie avant du magasin, j’ai compté le nombre de véhicules qui y circulaient, notant aussi leurs plaques d’immatriculation provinciales et j’ai été convaincu hors de tout doute : cet axe routier a une circulation automobile très supérieure à la rue Principale du centre-ville où beaucoup de circulation est maintenant détournée par le boulevard du Chenail. Notre décision était prise!
LE RÉGIONAL : Maintenant que ton entreprise est bien établie, rentable, entre les mains de gens de confiance, de quoi seront faites tes vingt prochaines années?
BOBBY : Les vingt prochaines seront sans doute comme les vingt premières parce que je dois t’avouer une chose : j’ai encore énormément de plaisir et de satisfaction à faire ce que je fais, j’ai encore la PASSION! Tu devrais nous voir tous en magasin quand nous recevons un nouveau stock de guitares, de clavier : Nous sommes comme des enfants dans un magasin de bonbons! Tant que ce sera le cas, pas question de retraite; je vais peu à peu réduire le nombre de jours et d’heures consacrés à la boutique et m’offrir d’autres petits plaisirs personnels comme m’adonner à la lutherie et profiter de mes petits-enfants dont j’ai été privé pendant toutes ces semaines de confinement.
Merci Bob de nous avoir offert cette entrevue : c’est toujours un plaisir de rencontrer des gens authentiques et passionnés comme toi; je répète en terminant une phrase citée plus haut : à prix égal, à matériel égal, pourquoi acheter ‘local’? Pour le service personnalisé que nous offrent les entreprises d’ici!
In last week’s column, we discussed the 2021 Canadian Census which Canadian citizens had just completed in mid-May: its procedures and purpose, its rules and regulations, the interpretation and use of its results; unfortunately, its final tally won’t be published until 2023 considering all the work involved in quantifying those results, analyzing the data and reflecting all this information in statistical grids and lists. The latest Census published and available for reference is the 2016 edition and is still considered ‘accurate enough’ for comparisons.
Let’s roll time back to 1921, a century ago, and see where Canada, Ontario, Prescott county and our home town stood! Those of us that are now centenarians (there are approximately 575,000 of those worldwide, close to 100,000 in the USA, 8200 identified in Canada, 2000 being Ontarians) may still have some memories of ‘those’ days when more people still lived on farms than in cities, when kids were considered as young adults and as such were expected to share the family’s workload, when large families were still the norm, when attending church was a compulsory social event, when a social and cultural revolution was taking place as a follow-up to World War I and the Spanish flu pandemic, when horsepower was still supplied by horses and fresh fish came from our own creek…
The 1921 Census of Canada was the sixth one since Confederation in 1867: it records details about almost 8.8 million Canadians; it asked 35 different questions, some of which haven’t changed since but may have been re-worded to satisfy today’s criteria: sex, relationship, marital status, racial or tribal origin, religion, literacy, employment/unemployment status… Here are a few facts: it was taken on June 1st 1921, it cost 1.44$ MM or 16.4 cents per person; the census covered only nine provinces and two territories, missionaries/fur trading companies/RCMP agents were used to enumerate residents in remote areas. As Dylan’s song goes, ‘the times, they are a-changing…’
Closer to home and to us, the county of Prescott ON was census District 121: districts were the equivalent to electoral districts/cities/counties while sub-districts were towns and townships; our district was comprised of the townships of Alfred, Caledonia, Hawkesbury East, Hawkesbury West, Longueuil, Plantagenet, and towns of Hawkesbury and villages of L’Orignal and Vankleek Hill; for some unspecified reason, L’Orignal’s ‘House of Refuge’ (the building now houses the French Catholic School Board offices) which later became ‘Foyer Prescott-Russell’ and then, when moved to Hawkesbury, ‘Résidence Prescott-Russell’, was its own sub-district. The 1921 map of the county and the 2021 map are very similar with only minor variants. It is noted that fortunately, on coming or immigrating to the county, the French settlers preferred the low land which were originally marshes, that they drained them and transformed them into productive agricultural fields, while English settlers or immigrants preferred the higher land.
A Few Stats For The Thought… And For Those Who Enjoy Stats… (All numbers rounded)
The first recorded population of Ontario was in 1831 at 237,000; in 1921’s/6th census, it stood at 2,9 MM of which 1,7 MM lived in urban settings and 1,2 MM in rural parts; today’s population sits at 14.7 MM. In 1921, Toronto’s population sat at .5 MM and Ottawa’s at 94,000; the county of Prescott’s population totalled 26,500 with Hawkesbury’s at 5,500, Vankleek Hill’s at 1,500, Alfred’s (village and rural) at 3,200, Caledonia’s at 2,000, Hawkesbury East’s at 3,850, Hawkesbury West’s at 1,700, Longueuil’s at 950, Plantagenet’s (village, north and south) at 6,400 and L’Orignal’s at 1,300; the county’s population was almost evenly split between male and female. Close by, Grenville’s stood at 700, Lachute’s at 2,600, Alexandria’s at 2,200 and Rockland’s at 3,500.
Still in 1921, 100 years ago: Canada’s population sat at 8,8 MM, with close to 3 MM in Ontario (33%) and 2,4 MM in Québec (26%), plus 425 in the Canadian Navy (amusing stat!). Montreal was then the metropolis of Canada with a population of 618,000 with Toronto second. Canadians immigrants of British origin (which then included British possessions such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Newfounland) composed 54% of Canada’s and 72% of Ontario’s population, with European/French second at 23% and 16% respectively, and USA third at 19% and 11%; Asia immigration was insignificantly low at 2.5% and 1%, Africa’s (continent and countries therein) not even mentioned.
In matters of ‘Language’ in Ontario, mother tongue was defined as the language commonly use at home: 85% English, 7.5% French, 3% German, 1.5% Yiddish, less than 1% an Indian dialect and ZERO spoke Eskimo (I didn’t make this one up)! By comparison, in Northwest Territories, 85% spoke an Eskimo dialect, 10% English and 5% French.
In matters of Literacy, the Census evaluated only two skills: could read AND write, could read ONLY; basic arithmetic was not considered. In Ottawa, 97% could read AND write, .5% could read only and 2.5% were illiterate; in Hawkesbury, the percentages were respectively at 85%, .5% and 15%. Overall in Canada, Ontario scored the lowest illiteracy percentage at 2.5%, while Quebec sat 6.3% and Northwest Territories at 92%. In the 1920’s, school attendance was compulsory between the ages of 7 and 14, but the census registered school attendance between ages 5 to 20; the county of Prescott registered 89% in school attendance, almost equally in urban or rural areas, a percentage quite high for the time.
In matters of ‘Conjugal condition’ (exact wording used by censors), single men slightly outscored single women, married men outscored married women, widowed women outscored widowed men 2 to 1 (try to figure this one out…) and divorcees were about equivalent but a very low percentage overall since divorce wasn’t a common solution to a bad marriage in those days; in Hawkesbury, number of singles, married and widowed are just about equal, but (surprise?), ZERO declared divorcee men or women.
Well, that’s it folks! Hope you enjoyed this rollback to 1921! You’ll have to forgive me for enjoying it myself (the former math teacher in me loves stats!) and forgive me for using such ‘unethical’ words as ‘Indian’ and ‘Eskimo’ which were the norm in those years and which are part of the vocabulary used in this census; it was also much shocking that the document never referred to Africa or its people as such, but instead categorized every colored person by the infamous 5 letter word also commonly used in those days. I wonder if archived documents can be righted since they are ‘official’ and therefore part of our heritage.
Au cours de la dernière semaine et profitant d’un répit dans les barrages de la SQ à la sortie du pont du Long-Sault, LE RÉGIONAL a eu le plaisir de rencontrer Brigitte Bakx, propriétaire du Centre de jardin Bakx de Grenville; nous avons pu discuter avec elle de l’historique de sa famille dans l’univers de l’horticulture, des effets et contre-effets de la pandémie sur une entreprise saisonnière comme la sienne et enfin, des nouveautés offertes sur le marché cette année.
LE RÉGIONAL : Tout d’abord, au nom du Régional, j’aimerais vous féliciter du fait que votre entreprise atteindra cette année un jalon important dans son histoire!
BRIGITTE BAKX : Hé oui, la famille Bakx fêtera bientôt ses 50 ans en horticulture dans la région! Je suis moi-même de la 3e génération et dans le domaine depuis 35 ans; mes deux fils Mike et Nicholas sont aussi actifs dans l’entreprise et constituent la 4e génération, celle de la relève et de l’avenir. Vous savez, les Bakx sont d’origine hollandaise; mon grand-père, Pierre, a immigré au Canada au début des années 1970 et a mis sur pied une petite entreprise horticole sur la rue Telegraph à Alfred; à part ses serres de géraniums, il s’est surtout fait connaitre pour son moulin à vent un peu inusité! En 1978, mon père André s’est établi à L’Orignal sur le chemin de ‘la vieille 17’ où son entreprise horticole a fleuri jusqu’en 2011 à sa retraite; vous avez sûrement entendu parler de son ‘hobby’ à lui, un peu particulier aussi: l’élevage de pigeons-voyageurs! C’est à ce moment que j’ai pris l’entreprise en main; mais puisque j’avais des plans d’expansion, j’ai dû relocaliser l’entreprise : j’ai acheté un terrain à Grenville en 2014 et construit nos locaux actuels en 2017; nous offrons maintenant une gamme complète de produits et de services en horticulture et paysagement!
LE RÉGIONAL : La situation pandémique actuelle a sûrement été très difficile pour les entreprises comme la vôtre dont les produits sont fragiles et d’une durée de vie spécifique, d’autant plus que vous êtes situés dans une zone interprovinciale où les barrages routiers sur le pont du Long-Sault ont sûrement eu des répercussions importantes sur votre clientèle régulière.
BRIGITTE BAKX : Exactement! La fermeture de la frontière interprovinciale nous a frappés fort : quand nous nous sommes relocalisés ici côté Québec, notre clientèle ontarienne nous est demeurée très fidèle, constituant environ les 2/3 de notre clientèle totale, surtout que le moment où la fermeture s’est produite est notre période d’affaires la plus importante de l’année. Par contre, notre clientèle locale et des environs a été formidable et a bien répondu à nos offres de produits et de services et nous a sauvés du désastre. Vous savez, nous sommes considérés comme travailleurs essentiels et j’ai une vingtaine d’employés sous ma responsabilité, tous des gens de la région, Québec et Ontario confondus, aucun employé de l’étranger; alors nous avons dû prendre les choses en main et nous sauver nous-mêmes!
LE RÉGIONAL : Chaque année amène son lot de nouveautés dans le monde horticole : on n’a qu’à penser au kale par exemple qui s’est retrouvé, par hasard ou par bonne campagne de marketing, dans tous les comptoirs de légumes; qu’est-ce que 2021 nous apporte de nouveau? Quelles sont les nouvelles tendances en paysagement?
BRIGITTE BAKX : J’ai noté l’été dernier, et je prévois le même phénomène cette année, que les gens, surtout les jeunes familles, respectent moins les conventions traditionnelles jardin/plate-bandes de fleurs et jardin de fruits/légumes; on allie couramment l’esthétique avec le comestible, par exemple des bleuetiers parmi des pivoines, on utilise rarement des produits chimiques puisqu’on a développé une attitude ‘bio’ en jeune âge; et c’est fantastique de voir les familles participer à la création et à l’entretien d’un jardin familial : la pandémie et le télétravail ont aidé à re-souder les liens familiaux dans des activités de jardinage et c’est super! J’ai remarqué cette année également une forte tendance vers les arbres et arbustes fruitiers, c’est fou!
LE RÉGIONAL : Merci Brigitte de nous avoir reçu dans ton ‘domaine’ et je suis convaincu que ton entreprise connaitra une excellente saison malgré toutes les embûches : le succès n’en sera que plus mérité! Je te laisse le mot de la fin.
BRIGITTE BAKX : J’aimerais simplement ajouter que malgré toutes mes années dans ce métier et malgré les pépins qu’on peut rencontrer en cours de route, je suis toujours aussi passionnée, je suis très fière de mon entreprise, de mes employé(e)s et fière de la fidélité de mes clients. Et je remercie Le Régional, notre journal local, de le reconnaitre!
The information that will follow may be redundant to the great majority of us who completed the 2021 Census form as provided by our federal government and as required by law for citizens of this great country of ours: our rights to benefit the privileges of living here for our family and ourselves come with some responsibilities, and completing the Canada Census form is one small but important one. Although official Census Day was May 11, the government is still welcoming late-coming entries from reluctant or forgetful Canadians. The choice of a mid-May date was chosen to allow more time for a final follow-up and completion before the busy summer vacation schedule and has resulted in better results. The Act stipulates that a person who refuses to complete the census can be fined up to 500$ and may be required by Court to complete the questionnaire.
The Canadian census has a long history: the first one was conducted in New France by Jean Talon, its first intendant, as well as in British North America before Confederation. The legal purpose of the census was to determine seats representation in the government as warranted by population changes; its information is also the basis in the assignment of transfer payments to provinces in health, education, transportation, housing and more. But the most important purposes however is to provide a snapshot of Canadian society: the data collected is analysed and the results provide an accurate understanding of the evolution of Canada.
Historically, although there where censuses of Upper and Lower Canada in 1851 and 1861, the first truly national census was held in 1871 following the 1867 Confederation; it was held every decade afterwards, and also every mid-decade starting in 1956, with the exception of the Prairie provinces which held their own and Newfoundland which only joined in 1951; every new edition of the census added new questions: religion and birthplace (1901), employment (1931), housing (1941), education and income (1961), common-law relationships (1991). In the early days, it was advertised in churches and newspapers, then on radio, followed by television as the technology evolved; until then only available in the two national official languages, in 1996, Census became available in 49 non-official languages, including 12 aboriginal; the first online questionnaire would soon follow in 2006. In 2010, the Harper government announced that the new voluntary National Household Survey would replace the mandatory long-form census questionnaire, the debate and decision being reached on account of ‘invasion of privacy’; but the Trudeau government restored the mandatory long-form census in 2016 and participation reached a record high 99%.
Statistics Canada has implemented stringent procedures to protect the confidentiality of census information per the Statistics Act, such as requiring employees be sworn to secrecy when they are hired, and limiting access to personal and confidential information to those with a need to know to complete their work. Questionnaires completed online are protected through a number of measures, including a secure login process and encryption between the user’s browser and Statistics Canada’s servers. Census data are processed and stored on a highly restricted internal network.
The 2016 Canadian Census is the most recent detailed enumeration of Canadian residents, which counted a population of 35,151,728, a 5% change from its 2011 population of 33,476,688. All census results are available through Statistics Canada, but Jean Talon’s stats are unfortunately not… But here is typical sample:
‘The first ever census taken in what would eventually become Canada was taken in 1666, by the Intendant of New France, Jean Talon. Talon conducted most of the census himself, going from door to door, recording the names, genders, ages, and occupations of the population. This included seven butchers, eleven bakers, and three candlestick makers.’ (from Census,gc.ca)
Next week’s column will bring us all back a century, to the 1921 census: pretty amazing discoveries, surprises, statistics and results on Canada, Ontario, Ottawa, Prescott county, Hawkesbury, Alfred and…MORE! Please join us!
Ever since confinement and social interaction restrictions have been in effect, just for a change of scenery, my wife and I have been roaming on the roads of Prescott, Russell and Glengarry counties (and Argenteuil when the bridge ‘border’ was open): highways, regional, county, rural, concession roads: we must have travelled them all! Almost every afternoon, from 2:00 to 3:00, that has been our routine. What a beautiful land we are fortunate to live in and on! Common denominator to all those towns, villages, hamlets: churches and…cemeteries. Sometimes we slow down and take a closer look, sometimes we stop and park for a while, but I’m a bit hesitant to get out of the car and walk to and through it: I’m not here to grieve a passed family member; which brings the question: What am I exactly doing here?
Driving through Chute-à-Blondeau on one of those excursions and hitting all the side streets (all 3 of them!), nestled on top of a small hill at the south end of Des Pins street, sits the Riverview cemetery (also known as the Protestant cemetery); unless you know of its existence because you are a neighbor or it is the resting place of someone in your family, you would have never suspected its presence! Back home and online, a general Google research lead me to a 1995 document written by Messrs. Cotton and Higginson which dates the purchase of the land to 1873, and then proceeds to list everyone buried there since; they dedicated their book ‘to all the pioneers who contributed financially to establish the cemetery for their descendants and those who followed in their footsteps’. A lien to this other site, written by the same authors, lead me to the now abandoned Founders (also called Wason) cemetery, located on Sandy Hill road next to the former Jean Vanier catholic school; it is now unregistered and was seemingly ‘cleared’ in the 1960s; it is now mainly a nice piece of land with many mature trees, on which only a few complete tombstones remain, one only supposedly still standing. (All records available on the Ontario Genealogical Society, OGS files #2625 and 2857 at www.ogs.on.ca)
There are places that bridge the gap between the present and the past, between the living and the dead: cemeteries do so. I must admit that the title’s first two words ‘Cemetery Tourism’ might make some ill at ease, but once the concept is analysed without prejudice nor with ulterior motive, it will turn out that it is something we all do on different occasions when we happen to be visiting a cemetery for a burial or the commemoration of someone’s death. But there is a basic etiquette to follow, a fine line between an ethical presence/visit of a cemetery and commercial touristic exploitation of the premises. Without getting into details, I’ll summarize each attitude by one word: respect vs selfies.
The main purpose of cemeteries is the dignified disposition of human remains in accordance with provincial statutes and municipal by-laws; but they also serve as historical, memorial, spiritual and recreational greenspace within the urban environment. They are the record of the social history of the area, an historical resource, a biography of its community; and an invaluable research tool for genealogists.
Before the 1800s, America had no cemeteries per se, as per large modern graveyards that we know today: it evolved from small family plots to the first rural church-affiliated cemeteries and later to memorial parks; the great rural cemeteries were built at a time when there weren’t public parks, art museums, botanical gardens: people flocked to cemeteries for picnic, for hunting and carriage racing among beautiful sculptures and horticultural art; they became so popular that guidebooks were issued to visitors and all kinds of rules were posted. Today’s high-rise mausoleums as built in dense urban areas of Japan, Italy and the USA answer a need to restricted land space and accessibility, but the ‘feeling’ is not the same.
A few years ago on a group tour of Washington D.C., we were able to visit the Arlington National cemetery, the resting place of 400,000+ men and women; it covers 624 acres of land and greets more than three million visitors each year; the small rectangular identical white marble tombstones are all equidistant from one another in a geometric grid pattern. You will experience a mixed feeling of thrills and chills as you proceed on these very sacred grounds and may even find distant family members in their Registry.
Opened in 1804, it is said that the famous Père Lachaise Paris municipal cemetery hosts more than one million bodies, plus many more in the columbarium holding the remains of those who were cremated; famous people, Piaf, Bécaud, Chopin, Jim Morrison, Molière, Lafontaine, Rossini, Oscar Wilde, Balzac and many other celebrities have chosen this setting as final resting place; monuments to the memory of soldiers of WWI and WWII who died for France are an attraction to many descendants of soldiers and victims of war. Over three million visitors a year roam its alleys and green spaces. This cemetery is still active: to be buried there, you need to fulfill one of two conditions: to have lived in Paris or to have died in Paris! From rich and famous celebrities to the poorest homeless, it promotes democracy in death as it was the case at birth.