By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The Uplands Cultural and Heritage Centre is set to present a series of events during “Les journées de la culture” to highlight Sherbrooke’s intangible heritage, particularly focusing on traditions in Lennoxville. Scheduled for Sept. 27–28, the events will showcase various elements of living heritage that reflect the community’s cultural fabric.
According to Laurie Hamel, the coordinator at Uplands, intangible heritage refers to traditions and skills passed down through generations. “It’s intangible because it’s knowledge, it’s skills, it’s traditions,” she explained in a recent interview. “It’s passed from one generation to another, but they are not physical things.”
The centre, which is known for preserving the tradition of afternoon tea, decided to expand its focus this year. “We always do things around tea… so we said, this time… let’s try something a bit different,” Hamel said, explaining the initiative to involve other groups. “We contacted the Quilters’ Guild, and we ended up collaborating with Bishop’s University Indigenous students.”
On Friday, Sept. 27, students from Lennoxville Elementary School (L.E.S.) and Saint-Antoine will interact with Uplands tea mentors, Quilters’ Guild members, and Indigenous students from Bishop’s University. This interaction will give students a chance to engage with the knowledge bearers of these traditions. The event is part of the broader “Heritage and Community” programming at Uplands. Hamel expressed her excitement about the school event, stating, “We’re really happy to go meet the students.”
On Saturday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., booths will be set up at the Lennoxville Farmers’ Market in Square Queen. Each tradition bearer will host a booth, offering the public an opportunity to (re)discover Lennoxville’s intangible heritage.
These booths will feature activities such as Uplands tea demonstrations, quilting exhibits, and storytelling by Indigenous students from Bishop’s University. Additionally, The Record will present Friendship Day as part of the festivities. “We joined the farmer’s market because we hope to get that crowd as they pass through,” Hamel added.
These events are made possible thanks to financial support from the City of Sherbrooke, and this year marks the first time Uplands has organized an event of this nature. Hamel hinted at potential future events but noted, “We really focused on Lennoxville because that’s where we are.”
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