January 7th 2020

Dear Members and Friends of the Laurentian Club of Canada:
Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year to you all! The Laurentian Club of Canada Board Members would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and peaceful 2020.

We hope that you will enjoy the program that we have put together for the winter season as the agenda is quite eclectic and interesting. It starts with “The Raging Grannies”. These are social justice activists – all women old enough to be grandmothers. They dress up in clothes that mock stereotypes of older women, sing songs at protests. They are both inspiring and very, very funny.

In February, Carol Comer will present the Anglican Church Documentary “The Doctrine of Discovery”. This will provide us with more insight and information to help us in our path to reconciliation. Come March, we will hear about Penny Lane, a refuge for abused animals. The last guest in our series, which was so popular in the fall, is another author, Nicholas Kinsey. He will talk about his novel ‘Shipwrecked Lives’. It tells the story of a most tragic Canadian Maritime disaster that involved the Empress of Ireland, an event probably familiar to persons of Irish heritage, but perhaps less well known by others.

Movie nights are again the second Tuesday of the month. This season we will have supper at Chez Milot in Ste. Adele every second month. Chez Milot offers an excellent four course Table d’Hôte at $ 24. The movie on Tuesday night is $8.55, so it is an additional $5, but will give us a bit of a change.

And don’t forget, the monthly lunches are on the third Friday of the month.

The Laurentian Club of Canada is your organization. If there are other initiatives that you would like us to take, let us know, and we will look into it. Come to our events, and invite your friends and neighbours.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Ann Stafford
President

Past Messages:

September 8th, 2019

Hello to the members and friends of the Laurentian Club, and welcome to the 2019 fall season.

First I must thank everyone for making our Summer Fundraising Tea such a wonderful success. Everyone seemed to have a good time. We all had a chance to wish Mary Mitchell a fond farewell.  Eight hundred dollars was raised for Holy Trinity Church, and we were able to donate the extra food to a local woman’s shelter!

This fall the Laurentian Club is featuring authors. To start the season Keith Moffat is back. His lecture will be a slide presentation of some of the most beautiful and unusual flowers in the Laurentians. In October David Cocklin is the guest speaker. David has written The Cottage: Recondite, and Vargas Hamilton: Life is a Gas. Come November, Playwright and Novelist  Ann Lambert will give a talk. Ann’s book, The Birds That Stay is a mystery novel set in the Laurentians.

We will be continuing with movie night and the monthly lunches. Movie night is the second Tuesday of the month. The Spago Restaurant in Ste. Adele has a great deal. Table D’hôte for two with two movie passes $55. We meet at 5:30pm.

Reserve the third Friday of the month for lunch at different restaurants throughout the Laurentians.

The lecture series is held on the fourth Tuesday of the month, September through to May except December. We meet at 1:30 at Holy Trinity Church in Ste. Agathe. Light refreshments are available after the talk when you can mingle and chat with the guest speakers and other members.

Membership is $35 a year, and guests pay $10 per lecture.

The agenda for the season and board contact information is now available. Should you have any comments or recommendations, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in September.

Sincerely,
Ann Stafford, President

 

January 6th, 2019

Happy New Year’s to members and friends of the Laurentian Club of Canada!

I hope that everyone has had a restful and happy holiday. Everything is looking up for a fantastic winter. There is lots of snow, so the skiing will be good, and from the attached agenda, you will see that we have a great season planned for LCC.

The first event is movie night, on Tuesday January 8, 2019. The English Movies playing are Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favorite, Vice and Mary Poppins Returns. We meet at the restaurant Le Spago, which is across the Street from Cinema Pine in Ste. Adele. The Plaisir à Deux special, for $ 55, includes soup or salad, entrée, tea or coffee and movie tickets for 2. If you wish to join us, it’s best to let me know by emailing me at thelaurentianclub@gmail.com,so that we can book the reservation. We meet at the restaurant at 5:00.

On January 18, 2019, join us for lunch at Maison 1890 in St. Agathe des Monts. A favourite restaurant of many, check out the menu at http://www.maison1890.com. Book through me at thelaurentianclub@gmail.com. We will meet at the restaurant at 12:00.

January 22, 2019 Lori Veins will be our guest speaker at Holy Trinity Church at 1:30.

Lori has a strong background in health and wellness and is a certified Reiki Master Practitioner. She is also a Family Service Counselor with Dignity Memorial. In this role, she works closely with communities to provide families with exceptional compassionate care. She will talk about the importance of estate and funeral planning.

I am also very pleased to announce that Julia Stuart will be joining the LCC board in the position of secretary. Welcome Julia. And a reminder that we are always on the look out for volunteers.

Welcome back, and enjoy the winter season!

Sincerely,

Ann Stafford
President

 

September 14,  2018

Hello again to members and friends of the Laurentian Club of Canada.

What a great summer to be in the Laurentians!

I hope that you all had a wonderful time gathering with family and friends, enjoying the marvelous hot sunny weather- swimming, boating, picking berries, gardening, napping, reading, spending  happy hour on the dock, bar-b-q-ing, and then finishing the day by watching the amazing falling stars in August night skies!

The executive has what we think to be another year of great programming for LCC. Please see the attached agenda for the fall season.

We will be continuing with what has been popular with several members, for the past few years, and that is movie night, held on the second Tuesday of the month. We meet at the Restaurant Spago, across the street from Cinema Pine in Ste. Adele, where we take advantage of their special, Table au Deux. This includes a three course meal and cinema tickets for two for $55. You can’t beat the price and the food is first rate!

We are trying something new this year- monthly lunches. This ties in with our wish to increase the visibility of the LCC within the Laurentian Community and by extension, that there is an English community here, and that that community needs services in their language. Also it seemed like a fun thing to do. The first lunch is at École  Hôtelière des Laurentides in Ste. Adele., on September 27, at 12:00. A table for 12 has been booked. Check out the menu and pricing on their website. If you wish to attend, email me. It’s on a first come first served basis. More information about future events will be available at the next meeting, and soon on our webpage & facebook.

Unfortunately, the “bring your own mug” campaign did not work out. In an effort to remain environmentally friendly, we have decided to use the church mugs, which we will wash after the meeting. Perhaps a few members can take turns helping out with this task.

Welcome back! I hope that you will enjoy the fall season.

Ann Stafford

 

September 19, 2017

Hello to members and friends of the Laurentian Club of Canada. I hope that you all had a great summer.

The executive have put together what we think is another great programme for this season. You will find the schedule attached, as well as the contact information for the board.  Should you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to contact any one of us.

You are probably all anxious to hear the results of our summer survey concerning the meeting day. Forty people responded to the survey, a little over 50% of members. Eleven members were indifferent, either Monday or Tuesday was good. Two members voted for Monday, and the remainder preferred Tuesday. The Church Hall is not available on Tuesdays, but the trustees generously offered the main church for our meetings. We will meet on Mondays for 2017, but starting in 2018, LCC will return to the fourth Tuesday of the month.

Again, we will continue with the Laurentian Club Movie night. Please join us the second Tuesday of the month, at Cinema Pine in Ste. Adele. Many meet at Restaurant Spago, situated across the street from Cinema Pine which offers a special table d’hôte for two, with a pair of movie tickets for $ 49.

Furthermore, please remember to bring your own mug for your tea or coffee. As several participants do not stay for refreshments, we are asking that those who do take a drink or snack leave a small donation. We are hoping that this will allow us to keep the membership cost at $ 25 for another year.

Last but not least, please remember the value that LCC brings to the English Community in the Laurentians. We are not only a social club, but a significant English presence here.  Become a member, and encourage friends and neighbours to join.

Enjoy the fall season!

Brenda Burridge and Ann Stafford                                                                                                

Co-Presidents, Laurentian Club of Canada

 

 

September 12, 2016

Hello and welcome to the new season of the Laurentian Club of Canada (LCC).

We trust that everyone had a great summer and was able to enjoy the warm weather and blue skies that we experienced here in the Laurentian Mountains.

We have lined up what we think is a very interesting list of speakers for the fall program.

Now is a good time to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Joe Graham and Sheila Eskenazi for their amazing dedication and work with the Laurentian Club since the very beginning. We know that they will continue as members and will always be there for us for advice when needed. Thank you Sheila and Joe.

We wish to introduce a few new initiatives to the club this year. First, in recognition of our need to respect the environment, we are asking members to bring their own mug for their tea or coffee. If you forget, we will continue to offer throw away cups. Also, we will be recycling our name tags. As you leave, please drop them in the baskets.

This year we are introducing the Laurentian Club Movie night. Please join us, the second Tuesday of the month, at Cinema Pine in Ste. Adele. The movie and time will be posted on our web page as soon as it is available. Come with friends, or come on your own knowing that there will be familiar faces and friends to join you.

We will also be continuing our relationship with Amal’Gamme. The internationally acclaimed Zodiac Trio chamber ensemble (www.zodiactrio.com) will perform ih Prévost on Nov.5, 2016. Price $30.

We want to know what you think, and what you would like from the LCC. A very important piece of feedback is regarding publicity. Where did you initially hear about the LCC (no matter when you joined, if you would answer this question once, it could give us valuable information)? Where did you hear about this meeting? Do you have any suggestions for where we could publicize this event?

We feel that our club is important as it not only provides a social club for the English community, but also due to our size, provides a meaningful presence for the English community here in the Laurentians.

Please become a member, come to meetings, bring friends and neighbours, and do whatever you can to raise the profile of The Laurentian Club of Canada.

On the other side of this letter, you will find the schedule of events for the fall season, and the list of board members for 2016-2017, with their contact information. Should you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to contact any one of us.

Enjoy the fall season!

Brenda Burridge and Ann Stafford
Co- Presidents, The Laurentian Club of Canada

___ … ___

January 2016

Dear Members and Friends of the Laurentian Club,

On behalf of the Board of the Club, we would like to wish you a most happy and healthy 2016 and hope that you will be joining us on the fourth Monday of every month, from now until April, to enjoy the series of speakers that we have scheduled for you.

As usual, meetings will begin at 1:30 in the Hall at Holy Trinity Church, 12 rue Préfontaine Ouest, in Sainte Agathe.

The second half of our season starts on January 25th, when author Tim Weed will introduce us to life in early Colonial New England through a discussion of his new novel, Will Poole’s Island. On February 22nd Katie Ritchie will give us an insider’s view as she discusses her work as a 911 Operator and Police Dispatcher with the Montréal Police Service. Since our normal meeting date for March coincides with Easter weekend, we will be holding our March meeting one week early on March 21st, when we will welcome the renowned writer, and Laurentians resident, Paul William Roberts, who will discuss his work on “Redating Ancient History”. Our final talk of the year will be held on April 25th when artist Louise Bloom will speak to us about the creative process, and the influence of Lewis Carroll’s Alice as an inspiration for her work. We are sure that each of these speakers will prove to be most interesting, and a more detailed description for each meeting can be found on our website at http://www.laurentianclub.ca .

Our Annual General Meeting and Luncheon will be held on May 16th, which has been scheduled one week earlier than usual to avoid conflict with the May holiday weekend. We will be returning to the Auberge du Vieux Foyer in Val David, and tickets will be available starting at the March meeting at a cost of $25 for members and $35 for non-members and guests. Please plan to attend…and be sure to bring some friends too!!

Our annual partnership event at Amal’Gamme will be held on Saturday, June 11th this year, when the Raoul Cyr Ensemble will present a program on the history of Jazz, entitled “Feast your Eyes & Ears”. Discounted tickets are available for $21 at our meetings, and further information is available at http://www.diffusionsamalgamme.com/en/programming/.

As you know, The Laurentian Club is constantly in search of new members, so please see if you can convince a neighbor or friend to join with you at one of our meetings…they may be very happy that you did!

Finally, the Board of the Club is in need of volunteers to get involved with the running of the club, in order to continue and enhance its viability for many years to come…so please consider getting involved, and really making it your club, by sharing your interest in helping out with any of the current Board members!

Here’s to a Great 2016!

Susan & Dave Merrett , Co-Presidents

 

September 2015

Dear Members and Friends of the Laurentian Club,

We hope that you have enjoyed the summer months, and are now getting ready for all of the hallmarks of autumn in the Laurentians: Comfortable days and crisp evenings, beautiful fall colours, formations of geese heading south, stacking firewood, and…. attending the opening meeting of the Laurentian Club on Monday, September 28^th !

This year we will really be starting off with a bang, as we will welcome award-winning author Stevie Cameron, who will discuss how her culinary passion brought her from Cordon Bleu to Blue Trust, one of her three books on the Brian Mulroney years. Cameron is among Canada’s best known investigative journalists, has hosted CBC’s Fifth Estate and authored several other best-selling books, so make sure not to miss this event! Also, if you know someone that has been away from the Club for a while, or someone who may have considered joining us but never quite made the step, please encourage them to come along with you in September to give us a “test drive.”

The rest of the season will also provide you with interesting and engaging speakers. Long-time advisor Peter McLeod will address the always topical issues of financial planning on October 26^th , and then on November 23^rd  Linda Frees will speak to us about the nutritional advantages and simplicity of growing sprouts right in our homes. You can read more details about all of our upcoming speakers and their topics on our website.

We will send you the details of the winter/spring meetings in January, and we can assure you that everyone who accepted our invitation will be worth listening to, with a sneak preview that it will include author Paul William Roberts, who was featured in a front-page article in the Montreal Gazette on Saturday, August 29^th!

We have once again renewed our partnership with Diffusions Amal’Gamme, and this year our  highlighted event, with reduced-price tickets, will be available for the season-ending concert entitled  Plein la vue, plein les oreilles by the Raoul Cyr Jazz Ensemble on Saturday, June 11, 2016. All tickets purchased through the Club qualify for the discount. We hope that many of you will again be able to attend, and remember that you can bring friends as well at our special price! Tickets will be available at our meetings later in the season, and for any information regarding the event, please contact Susan or Dave Merrett at TheLaurentianClub@gmail.com. Additional information on the complete Amal’Gamme program is available, in English, on their website at DiffusionsAmalgamme.com.

Remember that if you are renewing your membership or if you are joining for the first time, please try to arrive early at the September meeting to help avoid a bottleneck at the door and delays in starting. Annual membership is $25 per person, and there is an admission fee of $10 for non-members.

We also ask you to try and encourage a friend or neighbour to join us this year, as the on-going health of the Club relies upon adding new members every year. If you have any questions regarding membership, or the Club in general, you can ask any of the Board Members, who will be pleased to help you.

As a reminder, the club meets on the 4^th Monday of every month, from September until May (except December). Meetings begin at 1:30 in the Hall at Trinity Church, 12 rue Préfontaine Ouest, in Sainte Agathe. Exceptionally this year, because Easter and Victoria Day both fall on the 4^th Monday of their respective months, the meetings in March and May will be held on the 3^rd  Monday….i.e. March 21^st instead of March 28^th, and May 16^th instead of May 23^rd. Please note these changes in your calendar.

We’re looking forward to another interesting and successful year for the Laurentian Club, our 21^st, and hope to see you all starting with at our first meeting on September 28^th !

Sincerely,

Susan & Dave Merrett, Co-Presidents

The Laurentian Club of Canada