Drumondville

Friday June 4, 2010 was time for another school field trip.  So we headed north for a one hour drive to Drumondville.  The self proclaimed centre of the universe.  I guess this claim comes from their self proclaimed status as inventors of poutine.

We spent the day at a park set up as an historical french village.  The site had historical buildings and actors in costume acting out the roles of the original inhabitants.  In total there were 52 buildings.  There such things as a church, school, woodworkers, metal smith, general store, antique equipment and automobiles, sawmill, and many others.  The weather was very nice for the outing.  There was approximately 20 of us that went on the trip.  Again, it was another opportunity to see french heritage and to practise the french language. 

There is a slide show with 83 pictures.  Enjoy.

We had fun.



Drummondville was founded in June 1815 by Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick George Heriot. The purpose of the town was to provide a home for British soldiers in the War of 1812, and to guard the Saint-François River against American attack. The town was named after Sir Gordon Drummond, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada between 1813 and 1816.

Notable Drummondville natives
Louise Bédard, dancer and choreographer
Serge Boisvert, professional hockey player
Alex Bourret, professional hockey player
Yvan Cournoyer, professional hockey player
Michel Cusson, musician and composer
Gilbert Dionne, professional hockey player
Marcel Dionne, professional hockey player
Jessica Dubé, olympic ice skater
Patrick Lalime, professional hockey player
Yvon Lambert, professional hockey player
Bernard Lemaire, businessman
Daniel Lemire, humourist
Eric Messier, professional hockey player
Louis Morissette, humourist
Lester Patrick, professional hockey player
Mathieu Perreault, professional hockey player
Kim Poirier, actress
Karine Vanasse, actress
A Perfect Murder (band), musical group
Kaïn, musical group

Language Population Pct (%)

French only 62,710 95.43%
English only 710 1.08%
Both English and French 175 0.27%
Other languages 2,120 3.22%

Murals

We took some time this Sunday afternoon to go see some more of the murals in Sherbrooke.  Once again we marvel at the realism in the artwork.  See for yourself in the slideshow.

Walk

The other day we discovered a new walking area in Sherbrooke.  Actually, it is just an extension of one of the usual walks we take.  On Saturday we walked the 8.5 Km route.  Very nice walk.  Here are some of the pictures.

May 16 Picnic

After Church we went out with a couple from school for a picnic at a near by park.  Here are some pictures from our adventure.

School Outing – May 21, 2010

We had a treasure hunt on the streets of Sherbrooke. They broke us up into five teams and sent us out in search of answers to eleven questions. This mainly meant that we had to stop people on the streets or go into businesses and ask question in French. This was a 2 ½-hour task. During our trek of walking up and down the streets, our hardworking teachers sat at a coffee shop and waited for our return. Bless their hearts.

Orest was on a team with two men who are pilots and serve with Mission Aviation Fellowship. Grace was with two other women. One is with Mission Aviation Fellowship and the other is with Pioneer Bible Translators. Overall, there were 15 missionary language students involved.

By the way, Grace is competitive.

It was a fun outing and an opportunity to use our French language skills in a different setting.

There is a picture with two men sitting with a sign that says ‘Expresso/Cappuccino’ just above their heads. The man on the right is the French language instructor. The man on the left volunteers at the school, and provides additional tutoring to the men.

In a couple of pictures there is a child writing in a book. That is the head of the school making plans for the next year. Yeah, I am obviously kidding.

You will see a picture of each of us with our team.

Friday was a busy day.

First, we had an official French activity day at school. This was a trip to the Cathedral St. Michel, followed by a foot tour along the river and the power dam in Sherbrooke. By the way, a school tour includes a four page questionnaire to be filled out and responses given after the tour.

I have attached pictures of the activity.

Later that day we went for our final rabies shot.

After that, I, Orest, had to revisit the dentist because of a loose tooth. I waited in the office for one and a half hours before I could see the dentist. I was grateful that they made the time for me on a Friday afternoon. All went well.

Blessings to all of you.

We Did It

Sunday, May 2, 2010, we did a 30 minute presentation at the Sawyerville Church - all in French.  Have to admit we were a bit stressed but we did very well.  

The Church has been an English Church but has now started French services.  We did the French service at 9:00 in the morning.  We then attended the French Sunday School and visited with the attendees.  After that, was the English service and, of course, the potluck lunch.  We were grateful that another language school student couple came with us for support.

God was surely with us on this day.