The record, 4 février 2016, jeudi 4 février 2016

[" THE Lennoxville Elementary Page 4 RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 Galt athletes of the month Sports - Page 10 75 CENTS + TAXES PM#0040007682 Thursday, February 4, 2016 \u201cThe rhythm is accelerating\u201d State-sponsored Syrian refugees starting to come to Sherbrooke By Gordon Lambie Sherbrooke has welcomed eight state-sponsored Syrian refugee families since mid-January according to the Service d\u2019Aide aux Neo-Canadiens\u2019 (SANC) President Denis Marceau.At a Wednesday morning press conference on the subject of the organization\u2019s annual intercultural buffet, Marceau explained that the 42 Syrians represent just under half of the refugees taken in by the society since the start of 2016.Though the society\u2019s president said little more on the subject, SANC\u2019s Executive Director Mercedes Orellana said that as far as she is concerned the integration of the new families is going well.\u201cThese are families that are quite varied,\u201d Orellana said.\u201cThere was one family of eight, one of six, and another of four.There are lots of young children.\u201d Though the families have now started to arrive, the Executive Director explained that SANC doesn\u2019t really have any more information now than it did the last time that The Record spoke with her in Early December.\u201cThe rhythm is accelerating.Every day in February we\u2019re expecting one or two flights on which there will be refugees,\u201d Orellana said, \u201cbut we still don\u2019t know how many each time and we get less than 24 hours notice.\u201d Cont\u2019d on page 3 Overturned truck on Route 143 PHOTOS BY MATTHEW MCCULLY I '\"AU -i.*-\ti T*?lLU'jg wmi ;vny r > - ¦ M è ¦ & ' 52ISe w SAW r prüiAx;»: Piir ' ! F f \t By Matthew McCully A transport truck travelling on Route 143 in Hatley Township went off the road yesterday at around 10:30 a.m.according to SQspokesperson Amodie Guidon.The driver of the truck was brought to hospital, but suffered only minor injuries, Guidon said.The hydro pole, in the path of the truck as it went off the road, was not so lucky, she added.It was severed, with the top half left dangling from the wires, temporarily interrupting service in the area.¦ THE i RECORD get a FREE X day TRIAL ONLINE SCRIPTiON- Take The Record anywhere with you with an online subscription! iPads, tablets, iPhones, Android phones, laptops! For a free 7 day trial, go to www.sherbrookerecord.com, click on e-dition, then Free Trial and fill in the information.For information or assistance call 819-569-9528 billing@sherbrookerecord.com Study panel recommends keeping school board elections Abenakis hoping for a double RECORD RECORD Page 2 Thursday, February 4, 2016 newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com The Record The Record e-edition There for you 24-hours-a-day 7-days-a-week.Wherever you are.Access the full edition of the Sherbrooke Record as well as special editions and 30 days of archives.Renew or order a new 12-month print subscription and get a 12-month online subscription for an additional $5 or purchase the online edition only for $82.21.Record subscription rates (includes Quebec taxes) 1 year print: $155.91 6 month print: $81.85 3 month print: $41.57 12 month web only: $82.21 1 month web only: $7.46 Web subscribers have access to the daily Record as well as archives and special editions.Subscribing is as easy as 1,2,3: 1.\tVisit the Record website: www.sherbrookerecord.com 2.\tClick e-edition.3.\tComplete the form and wait for an email activating your online subscription.Weather J JJJJ TODAY: 60% CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW HIGH OF 1 LOW OF -4 FRIDAY: CLOUDY PERIODS HIGH OF -5 LOW OF -9 SATURDAY: 60% CHANCE OF FLURRIES HIGH OF 0 LOW OF -5 SUNDAY: PERIODS OF SNOW HIGH OF -6 LOW OF -19 MONDAY: MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS HIGH OF -3 LOW OF -8 Pretty happy people Ross Murray According to a recent poll, two-thirds of Canadians are \u201cpretty happy.\u201d This to me is the perfect Canadian answer.When you ask a Canadian \u201cHow are you?\u201d nine times out of ten, the answer will be \u201cpretty good.\u201d Not \u201cgreat,\u201d not \u201clousy,\u201d not \u201cget off my porch before I call the cops,\u201d but \u201cpretty good.\u201d It\u2019s that kind of contained enthusiasm that has made Canada the mostly all right country it is today.Canadians\u2019 other choices in the survey were \u201cvery happy\u201d and \u201cnot too happy,\u201d as if miserable was out of the question.As if some form of happiness, even if it\u2019s only a glimmer, a spark, a soupçon of happiness, is a given if you\u2019re a Canadian, or at least a Canadian answering a survey.Because if you\u2019re answering a survey, chances are you have a phone, and if you have a phone, well, you haven\u2019t quite hit rock bottom yet, have you?And who\u2019s to say that \u201cnot too happy\u201d is a bad thing?Who wants to be \u201ctoo happy\u201d?Your cheeks hurt from smiling all the time, you can\u2019t sleep, people start thinking you\u2019re on drugs.If you\u2019re too happy, you\u2019re probably not using all that happiness very efficiently.It\u2019s a waste of happy, being too happy.Settle down.Here: read this pamphlet on parliamentary reform.This news came a week after we learned that Canada has been rated as the second-best country in the world, according to a survey released at the World Economic Forum.The #1 country was Germany, which surpassed Canada in terms of entrepreneurship, but that\u2019s only because we\u2019re pretty happy doing the jobs we\u2019ve always had, thanks.As the saying goes, if it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t let a beaver anywhere near it, those destructive beasts! And of course there was that New York Times piece that declared Canada \u201chip.\u201d And an article in GQIndia entitled \u201cCanada is making the rest of us look bad.\u201d India, by the way, was ranked #22 in the country survey.Did I mention that Canada was also ranked #1 for seeking out flattering media reports no matter how obscure?So, we\u2019re pretty happy, we\u2019re hip, we\u2019re #15 for adventure, whatever that means.(Probably we need more pirates.) All in all, Canada\u2019s a pretty good place to be.But, of course, these are generalizations when you\u2019re talking about a country of nearly 10 million square kilometres and nearly 36 million people and nearly universal access to Wikipedia data.Not everyone is happy and not every place in Canada is good to live in and not every smouldering look I give is going to melt the ladies\u2019 hearts, al- though that\u2019s not really the issue here, a survey for another time, perhaps.I\u2019m a happy Canadian, but I\u2019m not happy all the time.Sometimes I\u2019m between \u201cnot too happy\u201d and \u201cpretty happy,\u201d a kind of \u201con the verge of happy.\u201d I\u2019m sort of happy when I get a yogurt out of the fridge, for instance.But when I see that it\u2019s a Greek yogurt, then I\u2019m a little less happy because there\u2019s a fine line between Greek yogurt and window caulking.I\u2019m happy my children are all safe, well-adjusted young people.But then the other day, one of them took a shower while watching cartoons on an iPad perched on a vanity with the sound blaring through a Bluetooth speaker, letting the water run and run.This made me unhappy for reasons I can\u2019t quite put my finger on other than it seeming really impractical and too loud and steamy.Maybe because it\u2019s been so long since I did anything loud and steamy myself.Sometimes I get so not too happy that, like a lot of people, I look at my life and think, \u201cI deserve better.\u201d But then I remember that people who think that should really ask themselves, \u201cDo you really?\u201d Somewhere along the way we\u2019ve come to feel entitled to happiness.If we\u2019re not deliriously happy all the time, we feel cheated or even broken.But, as with this huge country of diverse, strange and (let\u2019s be honest) only sporadically hip people, pure happiness comes and goes.And that\u2019s okay.When you come right down to it, \u201cpretty happy\u201d is pretty good.Even better if you enjoy taking surveys.Montreal area hockey player awarded $8 million after being paralyzed The Canadian Press A Montreal-area hockey player who was 16 when he became quadriplegic after a bodycheck from behind propelled him into the boards has been awarded $8 million.One of Andrew Zaccardo's lawyers says the amount handed down by a judge might be a record in such a case in any sport.Zaccardo has been unable to walk and has had to use a wheelchair since being hit by Ludovic Gauvreau-Beaupre in 2010.Quebec Superior Court Justice Daniel W.Payette concluded in his judgment this week that the rule of law still applies on the ice.Gauvreau-Beaupre argued bodychecks are part of hockey and that there is an inherent risk when taking to the ice.He and the insurance company involved have 30 days to appeal the ruling.Follow The Sherbrooke Record on Facebook and TwiHer! | sherbrookerecord Q @recordnewspaper Ben by Daniel Shelton lA?/ WHATRE I Vrii i nniMr.(OKAY) ST (UA PONG 1 l A SIT-UR.YOU PONG v THEREBY I'M POING SIT-UPS.G.ANY MINUTE , NOW. The Record newsroom @sherbrookerecord.com Thursday, February 4, 2016 Page 3 SANC Volunteer Vivienne Galanis has been involved in the planning of the buffet since its start in 1972.SANC buffet rebranding but carrying on By Gordon Lambie he Service d\u2019Aide aux Neo-Canadi-ens\u2019(SANC) annual buffet fundraiser is getting a new name this year.After more than 40 years as the \u201cBuffet of the Nations\u201d SANC is rebranding its spring event as the SANC Inter-cultural Buffet.\u201cWe changed the name to bring it closer to the mission of the Service dAide aux Neo-Canadiens and to distance it a bit from local enterprises of a similar name that have cause confusion in the past,\u201d explained SANC President Denis Marceau, calling the event a major part of the organization\u2019s social responsibility to help new Canadians integrate and fight social isolation.Marceau explained that the money raised by the buffet feeds service programming like the pairing and networking program and generally contributes to SANC\u2019s ongoing efforts to help newcomers find their place and succeed in local society.Nicole Robataille, who has coordinated the buffet for the last 27 years, said that there are already 32 cultural communities signed up to serve this year, with many of those being SANC partners who have been coming back for decades.This year\u2019s event will take place at the Cegep de Sherbrooke on April 30, starting at 6:15pm.SANC Volunteer Vivienne Galanis has been involved in the planning of the buffet since its start in 1972.\u201cIn the beginning we had a lot more from western Europe,\u201d Galanis said, expressing that the groups involved have shifted and changed over the years depending on what groups are strongly represented in Sherbrooke at a given time.She added that participation tends to vary depending on a group\u2019s ability to meet the needs of the event.\u201cYou have to have 80 quarter portions, so you have to be able to coordinate all that and transport it.\u201d The buffet being a fundraiser event, there are several different levels of pricing available to individuals and local organizations who want to get tickets.A single ticket is $60(with a $25 tax receipt) whereas a table of 8 places goes for $450.A table of eight with a sign identifying the group at the table is $550 and the SANC also offers $750, $1,500 and $2,500 partnerships for local businesses that include various degrees of promotion.Anyone interested in more informa- tion about the buffet can contact SANC at 819-566-5373, or through their website at www.sanc-sherbrooke.ca.GORDON LAMBIE ;\u2022 t f.\\ Tt*.V i KH : f.Rihab Al-Jaweash of Iraq, SANC President Denis Marceau, SANC Executive Director Mercedes Orellana, and Souad Mouflih of Morocco with a preview of some of the treats to be served at this year's buffet.Ayer\u2019s Cliff buys town legion By Matthew McCully During Monday night\u2019s meeting, Ayer\u2019s Cliff town council passed a resolution approving the purchase of the legion building located at 176 Rosedale Street.The purchase was two years in the making, according to Town Manager Kimball Smith.\u201cThey wanted to maintain usage as long as they could, but they were having trouble meeting the financial obligations of the building,\u201d Smith said, when legion members approached the town offering to sell the building for $90,000, well below the municipal evaluation.Smith said an inspection was done, determining the legion was structurally sound; while needing some adjustments to conform to the regulations governing municipal buildings, Smith said it was a good base with lots of possibilities.\u201cWe can look at all the various needs, it could be a possible site for emergency measures,\u201d he said, adding that ultimately, it will be a community space.\u201cI think it\u2019s a win win for everybody,\u201d Smith said, adding that the town has guaranteed perpetual use of the space to legion members when needed.Smith said that the purchase, which will become official next week in front of a notary, was delayed because the property on which the building sits was in the name of a church that no longer exists.Because the town couldn\u2019t get a clear title, they were required to go through the province to complete the deal.While the town will soon take possession of the building, Smith said they will respect any events previously scheduled to be held at the legion.\u201cIt\u2019s really exciting, the possibilities are wide open,\u201d Smith said, hoping the building will be fully functional as a community space by summer.Refugees Cont\u2019d from page 1 The SANC director said that she has no explanation why some cities in Canada reached the saturation point for state-sponsored refugees before other communities had even received a single one, although she said that it is now clear that the government was bringing refugees into major urban centres first before looking to more rural or remote areas.\u201cWe were told that (the country would) receive a certain number of families by the end of December,\u201d Orellana said.\u201cIt\u2019s true that we took in a lot, but they were largely refugees who were privately sponsored and who were headed to larger cities.\u201d Orellana shared a hope that the Federal Government will show a willingness to redirect refugees in the name of taking advantage of the communities that are ready to host.\u201cEvery city has its own reality,\u201d the Executive Director said.\u201cWhat I hope for is that for those families who already have their paperwork ready the government might be able to redistribute them to other communities that are ready to welcome.Quebec has its arms open and cities are waiting.\u201d Looking to the steps involved once SANC does get a call, Orellana said that the first priority is always find- ing housing.If the refugees arrive at night, then they spend the night at the welcome centre in Montreal and then come to Sherbrooke the following day, but either way the team on the ground in the townships needs to find somewhere for the family to stay in the short term to make time for more permanent decisions to be made.After that SANC helps with the process of furnishing the new home and double-checking that the necessary documents and registrations are taken care of for the family based on their needs and situation.Setting up French-language courses comes after that.\u201cOnce they have moved into their home, our work has only just begun,\u201d Orellana continued.\u201cAfter that comes all of the integration work.\u201d Even in a world with lightning-fast technological communication, it is tremendously isolating to move around the world with only a small portion of one\u2019s family to a place where you may not speak the majority language and peoples ways of interacting are strange to you.SANC engages with these issues of inclusion and integration in a number of ways, including the networking and pairing program started last year, in which newcomers are matched up with and connected to native families not for fi- nancial support, but as a foot in the door of local culture and community.\u201cWe have 11 pairings that have been made or are in the midst of being made,\u201d explained Marceau.\u201cMore are in the works.\u201d Clara Peron, a recent immigrant to the country who has participated in a pairing since August of 2015 said that she feels the experience has been the best possible opportunity to integrate in Québécois culture.\u201cI learned that the Québécois people are not as cold as distant as they seem, but that they are people just like me.\u201d Peron said, calling the process one of opening up to the immigration process and not staying isolated at home.Michel Puval Advertising Consultant Serving the entire Eastern townships with three publications RECORD Townships Outlet Brome County One number 819 569-9525 mduval@sherbrookerecord.com Page 4 Thursday, February 4, 2016 newsroom@sherbrooker ecor d.com The Record C liool P age Lennoxville Elementary Dawn Irving, Principal Activities: Activities are back in full force at Lennoxville Elementary School (L.E.S.).The Basketball Club is up and running and has been practicing hard for the upcoming tournament at Sherbrooke Elementary School.The Outdoor Club meets every Thursday after school and has already hosted an evening skating event for parents and families.We are also very lucky to have students from Bishop\u2019s who run the Reading Circle Club every Thursday after school and the Cheerleading Club on Fridays at noon.Thanks to the generosity of the City of Sherbrooke, we have a skating \u201coval\u201d and our Skating Club meets during noon hours when the weather cooperates.We are always looking for volunteers to help tie skates at lunch so if you, or someone you know, would like to come and help out, please let us know.School Parliament: Did you know that L.E.S.has its very own School Parliament?The School Parliament meets once a week and is consulted on, and runs different activities that take place in the school.Some of the initiatives that they have been involved with are composting, organizing activities during noon hour, coordinating a \u201csign out\u201d room where children can borrow equipment to play with at lunch time, planting and maintaining school gardens, and various fundraisers.With a Prime Minister, Vice Prime Minister, and elected deputies representing each classroom, Coordinators Mme.Desbiens and Mrs.Smith, are able to get many different opinions and perspectives on various topics.What better way to teach the children about democracy and the democratic process of elections, while allowing them to have input into making our school a great place to learn and grow.Grade 1-2L Author Project: Mrs.Luce's grade 1-2 students were so excited to be one of 13 classes across Canada (1 class per province and territory) to participate in a project initiated by Canadian author, Stephanie Simpson McLellan.This author has written a new book, \u201cThe Christmas Wind\u201d, which will be published in the fall.For eight weeks, the students listen to Stephanie read part of the book on-line.They have to use their imagination to visualize what they hear; just like in the good old days where people listened to radio shows.The students then draw an illustration of what they visualize.With the help of grade 5 students from Mrs.Christiansen's class, the illustrations are uploaded onto a website where the author views them.When the book is published, a copy will be sent to L.E.S.The students will get to compare what they visualized and drew to the actual illustrator's pictures in the book.In addition to all this, the author posts fun activities on her website, and eventually the class will be able to connect with the other 12 classes across Canada where letters can be exchanged as well as meeting via Skype.It is an exciting project and the children are having so much fun with it.NBA Comes to Lennoxville: Students from grade 5 and 6 who participate in Mr.Milonja's after school basketball program were invited to Bishop's University on Friday, January 29th for a fun-filled evening.Students were introduced to NBA legend, Dikembe Mutombo, and participated in a basketball clinic to improve their skills, saw a cheerleading routine by the Brooklynettes, and got to spend the evening with friends.The students left with an All Star t-shirt, sunglasses, gym bag and lots of great memories.Thanks to Bishop's University for this great invitation and opportunity.PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAWN IRVING I Lennoxville Elementary is very lucky to have an amazing Parent Participation Organization who work so hard for our school Here they are serving up pizza at our pizza fundraiser lunch.1 Cr i Ter io Character _ Se MMMIIHIHI) Wiv.a mm \u2018¦V f) foondâ'f/o/ÿ 1-800-267-WIS w.childrensw 30 years.10,000 wishes.100% Canadian.\"Only 2 more needles \u2019til.my wish! he Children\u2019s Wish Foundation of Canada * JCh/Wnsw, 20 peat's 10,000 W/sL«S The Record newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com Thursday, February 4, 2016 Page 5 Townships at the top of the recycling pile: Sherbrooke centre undergoes $2.6 million modernization By Gordon Lambie Recup Estrie, the service that sorts recycling for the city of Sherbrooke and five surrounding regional municipalities, underwent a major modernization process over the fall of 2015 that will enable it to continue to serve as one of the province\u2019s most effective medium sized sorting centres.Completed at a cost of $2.6 million, the overhaul increased the processing capacity of the Sherbrooke site from an average of between 12 and 14 tonnes of recycled material per hour to the new average of 20 tonnes per hour.\u201cThis modernization places us among the best performing sorting centres of our category in all of Quebec,\u201d said Helene Dauphinais, President of Récup Estrie and Sherbrooke City Councillor.\u201cOur mission consists of ensuring that the sorting of materials from selective collection is carried out properly, and our mandate is to provide the best service possible for the lowest price while also respecting the law and environmental guidelines.\u201d Though the last update to Sherbrooke\u2019s recycling services only took place in 2010, rapid changes in what is still a relatively young industry meant that the technology being used at the local site was already out of date and wearing out.With the recycling needs of the City and the MRCs of Coaticoolc, Memphremagog, Des Sources, the Haute St-Francois, and the Val St-Francois surpassing 31,000 tonnes every year, Dauphinais said that this engagement in ensuring the viability of the centre and the quality of the machinery was a necessity.\u201cWe fill up that space two to three times a week,\u201d Dauphinais said, gesturing to a large room filled with sorted materials that have been baled for resale to recycling companies.The Récup Estrie President noted that the organization is also proud to have turned to a Quebec company for its overhaul, employing the services of Plessisville-based Machinex.Machinex representative Karl Paré explained the basic workings of the new machinery installed, pointing out that the sorting system is now largely automated and relies on hyperspectral cameras to engage in a faster-than-humanly-possible division of different types of materials.\u201cWe\u2019re extremely proud of the results,\u201d Paré said.\u201cThe system allows us to obtain a high quality product as well as a significant increase in the efficiency of the sorting of containers.\u201d The Machinex representative deepened the significance of the partnership in this renovation by pointing out that they were the company hired to build Sherbrooke\u2019s first recycling centre in 1995.The sorting centre overhaul also benefited from $480,000 in financial support from the Provincial Government.SJS~ GORDON LAMBIE Recup Estrie processes more than 31,000 tonnes of materials every year, filling this room two to three times per week GORDON LAMBIE [ | rm\tN\tj iW T\t^\t \ti\t\u2014\t*\t\u2022 /\t Taraneh Sepahsalari, Director General of Recup Estrie, explains how the new optical sorting machines work to separate different kinds of plastic with pneumatic jets.Speak right from the heart.A donation in memory of a loved one is a gift of hope.It takes just a few minutes.A card will be sent to the bereaved family as a token of your sympathy and generosity.1 888 473-4636 HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION OF QUÉBEC www.fondationchus.org % Fondation duCHUS \"TT.Know SOM EON E who has made a A word of comfort A friendly smile An extra step to help you out An attentive ear If someone stood out while you were here, share your gratitude with them and help us recognize and encourage this staff member's dedication to working with people.Leave a message at: FONDATIONCHUS.ORG/BIENVEILLANTS (form in French only) During your stay, did someone at the CHUS do something you'll never forget? Page 6 Thursday, February 4, 2016 newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com The Record \t\t J-\tEDITORIAL\tAll you can do is watch and wonder who will survive the inevitable slaughter.2016 U.S.Primaries Tim Belford Watching the American\u2019s choose presidential candidates for the Republican and Democratic parties for the election later this year is much like slowing down and gawking at a traffic accident; you don\u2019t really want to look but you just can\u2019t avert your eyes.Actually, come to think of it, it\u2019s really more like watching a traffic accident actually happen.As the would-be successor to George Washington\u2019s much worn mantle, candidates are hurtling at top speed along a two-lane electoral highway hand on the horn, finger in the air and a \u2018right lane must exit\u2019 sign coming up fast.All you can do is watch and wonder who will survive the inevitable slaughter.Part of the problem is with the system.Presidents are elected for a four-year term.This is divided into three sections: one day for the swearing in ceremony, 364 days for what is called the \u2018honeymoon\u2019, and three years of campaigning for the next election.If a sitting president happens to win a second term the three divisions become: the swearing in ceremony, divorce proceedings involving the senate and congress, and three years of what is called the \u2018lame duck\u2019 period during which you get to watch your friends and foes alike campaign to replace you.This is where the \u2018caucus\u2019 system comes into play.In nineteen states members of a party - almost always the Democrats or the Republicans - hold meetings, or caucuses (maybe cauci, I\u2019m not sure about the plural) at the local, regional and state level.These in turn decide which candidate will be supported at the national convention.Sometimes the support is divided proportionally depending on how many votes a candidate received.Sometimes it\u2019s winner take all.Some states hold what is called a \u2018primary\u2019 instead of a caucus.Here registered Democrats or registered Republicans get to cast a vote for a candidate and the winner gets the states support at the national convention.Again sometimes it\u2019s proportional and sometimes winner take all.Some states hold both a caucus and a primary and I have no idea what happens then.It should be pointed out that neither the caucus nor the primary are to be found anywhere in the United States Constitution.Rather it seems to have developed with the presidency of Andrew Jackson who didn\u2019t like party bosses picking all the candidates, he not being one of them.Whatever the origins, we are assured it is American democracy in action.Besides, there are a whole slew of \u2018unpledged\u2019 delegates composed of party officials, former politicians, retired judges, former civil servants and general insiders who control the outcome anyway.In a telling note, these unpledged folk are also referred to as \u2018super delegates.\u2019 Why is the recently held Iowa caucus so important?Apart from being the first one and thus giving political pundits and the 24-hour news services something to go on about ad nauseum, Iowa is seen as a slice of middle America, a state that reflects the urban rural split, the religious secular divide and just the right number of haves and have nots to make it an indicator of a possible trend.And what is that trend?Ted Cruz and The Donald are in a virtual tie for the Republican nomination and Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are separated by no more than two voters and a Denny\u2019s menu for the Democrat nod.So don\u2019t look away.There are fewer political cars on the freeway but there\u2019s bound to be another pile up in New Hampshire.TRUMPED Letters Dear Editor: Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) Chairman Michael Murray made some remarks on the Education Reform Bill 86 at the board's Council of Commissioners meeting held on Jan.20, 2016 (The Record, Jan.28).Three comments need to be addressed.Chairman Murray says that even though Bill 86 calls for the elimination of elected representatives (commissioners) school councils (boards) will still be required \"to levy school taxes.\" This gives new meaning to \"taxation without representation.\" Although I am not familiar with the school tax situation in the ETSB community, I suspect it would be somewhat similar to the five school boards on the Island of Montreal.School taxes make up about 15 per cent of the cost to run the school system.The other 85 per cent comes from the majority provincial government, voted in by about 1.7 million voters, who deemed there is a need for school board reform.Secondly, Mr.Murray says the effects of Bill 86 would likely \"discourage competent people\u201d from accepting positions in school or board administration.Anyone aspiring to climb the ladder of opportunity to enter management wouldn't give a hoot about possible imaginary impediments.Besides, if there were obstacles, they would use their ingenuity and creativity to work around the problem.Thirdly: Bill 86 calls for more decision-making power for parents and community members.Chairman Murray calls this feature of the bill an \"illusion.\" The Quebec English School Boards Association, in which Chairman Murray is a member of its Executive Committee, claims this parent-power item is a façade! \"Parents will be in charge of nothing!\" That said, last week has been quite an eventful one on the Quebec education front.Seasoned member of the National Assembly, Pierre Moreau, was appointed Minister of Education - one day before the government hearings on the school board reform Bill 86 were to start.Unfortunately, though, moments after being sworn in, the minister became ill and was ordered to rest.Nevertheless, contrary to Chairman Michael Murray's thoughts that Bill 86 is \"supremely ill-considered,\" the process will go on.Premier Couillard said: \u201cThere\u2019s complete stability in our orientations, in what we want to achieve, which is to help our kids to succeed, give more power, more importance to par- ents, teachers and school principals.\u201d (Montreal Gazette, Jan.28).Moreover, he has stated emphatically Quebec will not have a two-track public school system (English and French) Meanwhile, last week, QESBA president, executive-director and lawyer visited the Pearson board in Dorval, and the editorial board of the Toronto Star with its message of doom and gloom for the English community.On Feb.2, it was Riverside\u2019s school board's turn and CTV Montreal headlined the piece: \"Anglophones warned English school boards could be abolished by spring.\" No, they won't.Everything remains, except school commissioners, who will be replaced by parents (one with a 'special needs' child), community members, school principals, a teacher and a school professional.Wishing a speedy recovery to Education Minister Pierre Moreau, and then bring on the hearings on Bill 86, aimed toward the dawn of a new era in Quebec education.Chris Eustace Montreal, QC RECORD 1195 Galt East, Sherbrooke, Quebec JIG 1Y7 Fax: 819-821-3179 e-mail: newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com Website : www.sherbrookerecord.com Sharon McCully Publisher .Stephen Blake Corresp.Editor Serge Gagnon Chief Pressman .(819) 569-9511 .(819) 569-6345 (819) 569-9931 DEPARTMENTS Accounting .Advertising .Circulation .Newsroom .(819)\t569-9511 .(819)\t569-9525 .(819)\t569-9528 .(819)\t569-6345 Knowlton office 5B Victoria Street, Knowlton, Quebec, JOE 1V0 Tel: (450) 242-1188 Fax: (450) 243-5155 PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS GST PST TOTAL Quebec:\tIyear\t135.60\t6.78\t13.53\t$15 5.91 6 MONTHS\t71.19\t3.56\t7.10\t$81.85 3 MONTHS\t36.16\t1.81\t3.60\t$41.57 ON-LINE SUBSCRIPTIONS Quebec:\tIyear\t71.50\t3.58\t7.13\t$82.21 1 MONTH\t6.49\t0.32\t0.65\t$7.46 Rates for out of Qiiebec and for other services available on request.The Record is published daily Monday to Friday.Back copies of The Record are available.The Record was founded on February 9, 1897, and acquired the Sherbrooke Examiner (est.1879) in 1905 and the Sherbrooke Gazette (est.1837) in 1908.The Record is published by Alta Newspaper Group Limited Partnership.PM#0040007682 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Record, 1195 Galt East, Sherbrooke, QC JIG 1Y7 Member ABC, CARD, CNA, QCNA The Record newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com Thursday, February 4, 2016 Page 7 A community that funds together stays together By Matthew McCully This Saturday, The Hut will be hopping for the 6th annual fundraising dance for Team Bravehearts, raising money for cancer research.Down the road in Danville, the curling club will be divvying up the proceeds from a half and half draw to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign for Township-per Megan McDevitt recently injured in a car accident, now on the road to recovery.Those are just two examples of the generosity of the Townships community, coming together time and again for those in need.\u201cIt\u2019s a group thing; it\u2019s not just us,\u201d said Mark Guillette, from Team Brave-hearts.Indeed it is.The 12 member team, thanks to their efforts over the past 10 years, has raised a total of over $150,000 for cancer research.Guillette\u2019s daughter Chrissy was the founder of Team Bravehearts.\u201cMy daughter asked us, as long as we could, to keep it going,\u201d Guillette said.Chrissy lost her battle with cancer, but Guillette said momentum has continued to build in his daughter\u2019s memory.\u201cShe is still the heart and soul of the team; she always will be.\u201d The money Team Bravehearts raises will go to the Relay for Life for cancer research.Guillette said a big motivator for the team was knowing the money raised in the region stays in the region.\u201cEveryone is affected by cancer,\u201d Guillette said.\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of work, but we get a lot of help,\u201d Guillette said, referring to the dance and the other fundraising activities held throughout the year.The band Slightly Haggard will perform at the dance on Saturday, which will also feature a silent auction and door prizes.\u201cIt\u2019s a fun evening and a good cause,\u201d Guillette said.On Saturday, Jan.16, former Town- shipper Megan McDevitt was in the back seat of cab which, while performing a U-turn, was hit by a pick-up truck.Locals immediately sprang to action.\u201cI\u2019m kind of like Megan\u2019s second mom,\u201d said Marybeth Johnston.\u201cI started babysitting her when she was 9-months-old.\u201d Knowing Megan\u2019s accident would entail a long recovery, Johnston enlisted the help of Sally Smith, Jessica Holiday and Isabelle Patrick.With the blessing of the family, the group started a GoFundMe campaign.\u201cWe figured we\u2019d start at $2,000,\u201d Johnston said, but within two hours, they were required to raise the amount.\u201cIt was so heartwarming to know there\u2019s a community that still cares,\u201d Johnston said.The campaign has now raised over $17,000.Locals are also helping in any way they can, Johnston said, referring to a collection jar at Mullie\u2019s bar in Lennoxville that raised over $100.This Saturday, the Danville Curling Club, in collaboration with the Justin Time bar in Richmond will hold a half and half draw with the proceeds going to Megan.\u201cPeople just haven\u2019t let it drop,\u201d Johnston said, adding that many of the donations are coming from people that didn\u2019t even know Megan personally.According to Johnston, Megan is now off of ventilation, and is due to leave the Intensive Care Unit in the coming days.\u201cOur prayers are still with her,\u201d Johnston said.Even at a time when taxes are up, the dollar is low, and the Christmas bills are still being paid off, When people ask for help, Townshippers answer the call.To donate to Megan's campaign, visit the GoFundMe website and search Megan's Get Well Fund.For more information on how to support Team Bravehearts or details about the upcoming dance, email j anet@mcelreavy.com COURTESY OF MARYBETH JOHNSTON Megan McDevitt WIT linage.Ilorv^c -Be Ci ev e La 11 (t COURTESY OF MARK GUILLETTE Bravehearts team, that has raised over $150,000for cancer research in the past 10 years.1M*» ¦P Eii-FiT^i UHM I'm a gold medallist.I\u2019m an environmentalist I'm an undergraduate I'm deaf.not dumb.-877-347-3429 [TTY] THE CAN; Follow The Sherbrooke Record on Facebook and Twitter! sherbrookerecord Q @recordnewspaper o°:** 6th annual BENEFIT DANCE for RELAY FOR LIFE TEAM BRAVEHEARTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 at 9 p.m.at the A.NAF.\u201cHut\u201d 300 St.Francis, Lennoxville ( Music by Slightly Haggard Tickets: $10., available at the door RELAY RELAIS FOR LIFE POUR LAVIE ® Canadian Société .Cancer canadienne Society du cancer Info: 819-837-2363 janet@mcelreavy.com Please join us in the fight against Cancer! Page 8 Thursday, February 4, 2016 newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com The Record jl iie \u201cThey embrace it and they make the most of it,\u201d Murray said.\u201cThey\u2019re working hard.\u201d Stanstead College not out of reach By Matthew McCully It\u2019s not for everyone, but according to locals Kayla Ouellet and Shayla Coates, Stanstead College should not be ruled out by anyone in the community interested in the opportunities the school has to offer.Thanks to a number of different scholarship programs and financial aid options, the internationally recognized private school is not out of reach.\u201cThis is by far the best fit for me,\u201d said Coates, who comes from Way\u2019s Mills.Now in Grade 11, she attended Alexander Galt, and then Triolet before enrolling at Stanstead College in Grade 9.\u201cIt\u2019s the entire environment,\u201d Coates said, explaining that she appreciates the small class sizes and the wide range of friends she has made.\u201cIt opens a lot of doors,\u201d she said.Kayla Ouellet, from Stanstead, said that from the outside, she remembered knowing that Stanstead College was one of the best schools in Quebec and always wanted to attend, but it seemed unapproachable.After a year at La Ruche in Magog, Ouellet moved to Stanstead College in Grade 8.She has since gone from being a day student, living just five minutes from the school, to a border, going home on weekends.\u201cI made the cut to be prefect,\u201d Ouellet said, adding it had been a goal since she first started at the school.\u201cIt\u2019s the first person you meet when you get here,\u201d she said, wanting to offer others a warm welcome.\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a big sister.\u201d Ouellet could go home any time she wants, but prefers to stay on campus as much as possible, she said.\u201cI don\u2019t like missing activities.I like being here when the funny things happen.\u201d Neither of the girls would have been able to attend the school without the help of scholarships.\u201cIt motivated me to get my grades up,\u201d Coates said, when she realized going to Stanstead College on scholarship was a possibility.The application process involved taking two different tests and providing a letter of referral.The girls\u2019 past grades were also considered.\u201cEveryone in Stanstead should at least consider the option of coming here,\u201d Ouellet said, adding that it is a possibility for anyone willing to work hard.\u201cIt\u2019s not for everyone, but you won\u2019t know if you don\u2019t try it out,\u201d Coates added.Ross Murray, communications coordinator for the school, said that local students who attend Stanstead College understand the opportunities attending the school provides.\u201cThey embrace it and they make the most of it,\u201d Murray said.\u201cThey\u2019re working hard.\u201d Murray pointed out that many of the students listed on the walls as having the prestigious position of head prefect are day students from the area.\u201cLocals give a certain life and appreciation to the school,\u201d he said, not wanting the college to be perceived as just for rich kids.\u201cIt\u2019s important for a school like this to have diversity,\u201d Murray said, which should include students from all different backgrounds and all corners of the world, including here.For the 2015-16 school year, Stanstead College provided $1.6 million in scholarships and financial assistance.Among the school\u2019s endeavours is the Entrepreneurs for Education (E4E) program, started three years ago.Catherine Van der Linden, a board of trustees member and founder of the E4E program, explained that the goal is twofold; to raise awareness about Stanstead College, while building a fund to provide academic scholarships to Quebec stu- dents wanting to attend the school.\u201cMy angle was always to bridge the community with the school,\u201d Van Der Linden said, when she started E4E.\u201cIt\u2019s really a team effort,\u201d Van Der Linden added, explaining that the E4E committee is passionate about the school and making it accessible to deserving students.E4E\u2019s annual fundraising event will take place on April 20, 2016 at the ALT Griffintown Hotel in Montreal.The event will bring together Stanstead College alumni and members of the business community interested in investing in the education of future leaders.MATTHEW MCCULLY ISIfüWîfï* 'U °ûo Shayla Coates (left) and Kayla Ouellet (right) are locals studying at Stanstead College on scholarship.Frontier Animal Society Featured Dogs are wonderful companions but they do require a commitment of time and energy.If you aren\u2019t prepared to give your dog the training, exercise, socialization and mental stimulation that every dog needs, don\u2019t get a dog.No, not even a small dog, because small dogs are still dogs, just smaller.That leads us to Fred.Fred is a small dog who came to us at the age of six.We first introduced him a little over a month ago.At that time he was a fairly new arrival to the shelter.He was nervous, under socialized and was very afraid when taken outdoors.Conveniently he was paper-trained.Although he lived in a home, in many ways Fred was like a puppy-mill dog who needed to be taught how to be a dog.We knew he would do best in a home environment and luckily we were able to place him in a wonderful foster home.It turns out that Fred actually really likes being a dog.Though it took some time and patience, Fred is now far more confident and has come to love his long walks in the woods.He doesn't even seem to mind the cold.He is living comfortably along- side two large dogs who we have no doubt are helping learn to appreciate the many joys of being a well cared for dog.His foster family recently shared the news that he is now clean in the house and has even asked to go outdoors.Way to go Fred! Fred is sweet and snuggly and loves to cuddle.He will be a great companion for someone who is looking for an older dog who is calm and friendly but who will continue to treat him like the dog that he is.In between snuggles he\u2019ll need nice long walks and opportunities to play.While he is good with young kids, we feel that Fred will do best in an environment without the chaos that sometimes goes hand-in-hand with an active young family.He seems to like being the center of attention and loves being with people so we are looking for a home where he won't regularly be left alone for long periods.Fred\u2019s adopters should be prepared for some regression while he adapts to his new home.He has learned so much in the last few weeks but another shift in his routine might set him back.He adapted so well to his foster home that Pet: Fred with a little bit of time and a whole lotta love, we know Fred will do just fine.Our best guess is that Fred is a Chi-huahua/Daschund mix.If you can give this sweet little pooch the loving forever home he deserves, please send an email to frontieranimal-society@gmail.com or better yet give our adoption coordinator Brenda a call at 819.876.7747 any day of the week between 8 a.m and 8 p.m.Fred a six year old Chihuahuah/Daschund mix The Record ne wsroom@sherbr ookerecord.com Thursday, February 4, 2016 Page 9 OLUMNIST The English-speaking community is smaller, granted, and therefore has less potential students to support such alternatives.EDUCATION ANALYSIS Public education needs more private schools Students could benefit from the kind of community innovations happening in health care By Scott Stevenson uebec has its fifth Education min-¦ lister in five years; our recently V^^elected school board commissioners aîlïf chair will be replaced this spring if Bill 86 is adopted; the director general of the Eastern Townships School Board has just resigned; and two out of our three high schools have fairly new principals\u2014Galt is on its fourth in five years.This is certainly a time for heightened vigilance by parents and others.Public education is struggling for lack of resources\u2014with large class sizes, among other challenges\u2014and struggling to adapt to a world changing through major advances in technology.That can be hard on leaders\u2014and hard on students.Contrary to the usual thinking, public education could benefit from more private schools and alternative programs in the Eastern Townships.Université Laval Education professor Égide Royer was quoted in the Journal de Montréal last week as recommending that all students with special needs be given the opportunity to attend a private school or special program in a public school.He does not believe Bill 86 will improve education for students.\u201cThe priority instead is to recognize that Education is the state\u2019s most important mission,\u201d he said.But Health receives Quebec\u2019s largest share of public spending.It is driven by a growing population needing health services\u2014people who can vote.Education in large part serves a pre-voting-aged youth.For public schools to remain healthy and better funded, any new private school or program should come without government funding and should be as free as possible from the structures and dictates of the Education bureaucracy.At the same time, class sizes in public schools must be reduced, and any loss of students from public schools to private should not come with a corresponding loss of revenue\u2014not until there is a better ratio of financial and human resources to students, at least.Competition between public and private schools is healthy.Without it, innovation and improvement\u2014better schools for our children\u2014are stifled.Two months in a bus or $20,000?We have virtually no competition among English-language schools in the Eastern Townships.If you live in the Stanstead area, for example, you can bus your child for up to two and more hours a day to go to Galt in Lennoxville or you can pay $20,000 for him or her to go to Stanstead College.For most of us, there\u2019s not really any choice in that\u2014and either option is painful, be it financially or in the time our child has to spend on a bus: 10 hours per week, which is more than a full school day per week or 51 school days per school year.(Did I get that right?Yes, our children are spending as much as 51 school days\u2014 or more than two months of school days\u2014per year on a bus to get to our centralized high schools.Two months of their daytime youth per year on a school bus! Centralization in 1969 obviously came at a very high cost.) Why aren\u2019t we organizing alternatives for our children?We do so in health services, with recent innovations in the Townships in cooperative and private institutions.In Ayer\u2019s Cliff, for example, an ambitious community-driven initiative has brought the Massawippi Valley Health Centre to that town, in which clients pay ($120 per year in 2015 plus a $50 share-purchase cost) to become a member of the cooperative and thus have access to the general medical services offered close to home.In Huntingville, the Massawippi Retirement Communities\u2014in less than a year and with a small group of community leaders\u2014has overhauled the organization of the Connaught in North Hatley and Grace Village (formerly Grace Christian Home) in Huntingville.An ambitious but realistic fundraising campaign is soon to be launched to renew the facilities.The Massawippi Retirement Communities is a fully private, nonprofit, charitable organization providing residential and care services to senior members of our community.What alternatives in education?When will we see a similar community, cooperative, or private initiative in education to relieve our overburdened high schools and adapt to the specific needs of any particular group of students\u2014who don\u2019t perform well in the traditional classroom, for example, or who live too far from the centralized high school?Eastern Townships families do have numerous alternatives in the French-language school system, and some students eligible for English-language education attend those schools: from the French public schools, to the Waldorf-driven École des Enfants-de-la-Terre in Water-ville, to the semi-private Le Salésien, Collège Mont Notre-Dame, and others in Sherbrooke.The English-speaking community is smaller, granted, and therefore has less potential students to support such alternatives.But Richmond Regional High School has over 300 students, Massey Vanier over 700, and Alexander Galt 1000, not counting the 200+ students at each of the fully private Stanstead College and Bishop\u2019s College School.And imagine the potential clientele if a new private school was fully bilingual! \u201cTechnology is changing so radically right now, and education notoriously doesn\u2019t change radically, so there\u2019s a bit of a gap there,\u201d said Salésien teacher Shawn Young in an interview on CBC Radio\u2019s Spark in 2014.\u201cBut I think that as technology becomes more and more integrated in our day-to-day lives, especially with these new communication technologies like smartphones and different ways of engaging with each other online that school is necessarily going to catch up, because we\u2019ll have no choice.\u201d Mr.Young is leading a private innovation project for classrooms (more on that in an upcoming column).Our students are similarly due for an Ayer\u2019s-Cliff- or Huntingville-style innovation in school organization.Quebec government to hold hearings on taxi industry The Canadian Press The Quebec government is setting up a legislature committee to look into the taxi industry as well as related services such as Uber.Transport Minister Jacques Daoust says Uber's arrival on the scene means changes are inevitable and that he wants the committee to hear from the main players involved in the controversial debate.Daoust says he is not against the kind of technology used by Uber but that it needs to be regulated.His announcement comes a day after the taxi industry went to court to seek a permanent injunction against Uber that is also aimed at deactivating the company's app throughout the province.The industry says Uber drivers are breaking the law and that the company's services are illegal.Uber argues that developing a mobile app that lets customers hail nearby cars makes it a technology company rather than a transportation firm.2016 Calendars still available! The Record has produced a beautiful 2016 Calendar with scenes from the Townships.Only $5.while quantities last Drop by our office at 1195 Galt St.East, Sherbrooke or 5-B Victoria, Knowlton to pick up your calendar rrom the TownshipSt jfii'W ¦MM Page 10 Thursday, February 4, 2016 newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com The Record \t(CJ\t/\tIn three games the Stanstead native averaged 14 points a game, 10 assists \tL/oc