As it celebrates 49 years, Centre culturel Le Chenail Cultural Centre in Hawkesbury is carrying on with a full season of events amid its continued political differences with the Town of Hawkesbury involving its home at the Maison de l’île in Confederation Park.
Just before the Festival des petits bonheurs event for children began on Friday, May 10, a vernissage was held on Thursday, May 9 for an exhibition of about 100 works of art made by 60 local secondary school students
One of the students whose work is on display is École secondaire publique Le Sommet Grade 8 student Joshua Neethling of Vankleek Hill. With very little experience and formal training, he has quickly displayed a natural talent as a painter.
Neethling said he always enjoyed art, but things really started when he asked for an oil paint set for Christmas in 2023. He started watching instructional videos on Youtube and lessons with local art teacher Linda Scott-Harris followed.
“He’s just phenomenal,” Scott-Harris remarked.
Neethling’s paintings on display at Le Chenail are all based on photographs he saw.
Meanwhile, the Hawkesbury Chamber Orchestra is back with the Champlain Chamber Choir on Sunday, May 26 for a performance of the Requiem de Faure and Mozart’s 40th Symphony. Eric Trautmann of Paris returns as conductor of the 24-musician orchestra. The choir is directed by Rosemary Harden and two soloists, baritone Jean-Francois Lapointe, and soprano Sophie Naubert will perform.
The performance begins at 7:30 pm on Sunday, May 26 at St-Pierre-Apôtre church, located at the corner of Main and John Streets in Hawkesbury. Tickets are $35 per person.
Le Chenail Artistic Director Lynda Clouette-Mackay is optimistic the ongoing situation will be resolved between the cultural centre and the Town of Hawkesbury involving the centre’s lease of Maison de l’île. The town owns the Maison de l’île and leases it to the cultural centre.
On March 1, the town informed the Le Chenail board that the lease which was to expire on April 30 would only be extended for one year to April 30, 2025, and that the Town of Hawkesbury is performing an evaluation of all municipal properties to determine if their current uses are appropriate or should be changed. There has also been a long-standing disagreement between the cultural centre involving the payment of energy costs for the facility.
Clouette-Mackay said there have been some complications with the one-year lease extension and the issue over energy costs remains.
“We are in negotiations for the lease for the next year,” she said.
A special, closed session meeting of Hawkesbury council was held on April 29. Centre culturel Le Chenail was on the agenda for the meeting.
Clouette-Mackay remains hopeful the cultural centre will not ever have to leave Maison de l’île and hopes for an additional 10 years at the site so the centre can continue to procure provincial and federal grants to invest in the upkeep of the historic building.
Photos: James Morgan
