January
Valley teachers and support staff voted in favour of accepting new contract agreements with the provincial government.
Dundee dairy farms reign supreme: The Ferme Nieuwenhoff et Associés Inc., which also goes by the prefix La Releve, earned a second Master Breeder shield from Holstein Canada; and Ferme Estermann was inducted into Agropur’s Club de excellence as regional champions for their excellent milk quality.
The Gleaner welcomed Nanette Workman as a guest contributor to the newspaper with a monthly column featuring answers to reader-submitted questions as well as memories from her storied life.
February
The Centre Intégré de Santé et Services Sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO) launched the Services de Sage-femme de la Vallée midwifery program. Expectant mothers across the region have since been able to benefit from the support of a midwife to carry them throughout their pregnancies.
The Quebec government approved of the Kruger Energy-backed Les Jardins wind energy project, developed in partnership with the MRC des Jardins-de-Napierville and the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke. The project will see the construction of 13 wind turbines in the municipality of Saint-Patrice-de-Sherrington, five turbines in Saint-Édouard, and three in Saint-Michel. The power generated from the turbines will converge at a substation located in Hemmingford Township.
The sugar season was off to an early start as Valley evaporators were switched on before Valentine’s Day.
Organizations and citizens concerned with protecting the environment came together to form the Table de Concertation pour l’Environnement dans le Haut-Saint-Laurent.
The transportation Safety Board of Canada concluded that a switch error was to blame for the 2022 derailment of a Canadian National Railway Company train outside Huntingdon in the municipality of Godmanchester.
The Haut-Saint-Laurent syndicate of the Union des Producteurs Agricoles selected Éric Leboeuf as president following the retirement of long-time president and director Michel Hébert.
The local UPA unanimously passed a resolution demanding bilingual mental health services for producers.
March
Commerces-Secours, a regional initiative to provide a haven for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or abuse, in collaboration with local businesses unveiled its new website and branding.
Local veterinarian Dr. William Johnston closed his Ormstown-based practice and retired after 40 years.
Construction began on a $1.75-million project to expand and renovate the Centre Barberivain in Sainte-Barbe.
École secondaire Arthur-Pigeon students Marc-Olivier Bergeron and Fée Sainte-Marie were big winners during the regional finals of the Secondaire en Spectacle.
The Gleaner began a partnership with the New Frontiers School Board to publish articles written by students attending area elementary schools.
The Quebec government declared that the third Sunday in October will be known as National Maple Day, a day to celebrate all things related to maple trees, maple syrup production, and maple products in Quebec.
April
Area farmers joined more than 250 producers during a protest over government inaction and lack of support at a rally in Vaudreuil on April 10.
The non-profit community organization Une Affaire de Famille celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Former Saint-Anicet mayor and long-time S.A.B.E.C. volunteer Alain Castagner was named the Haut-Saint-Laurent’s volunteer of the year during the eighth annual volunteer awards.
The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent opened an exhibition of miniature scale models celebrating the 50th anniversary of the western historical drama Little House on the Prairie at the Alfred-Langevin Cultural Hall. Over 700 people visited the exhibition during its run, which set a new attendance record.
May
A Quebec Superior Court judge suspended six articles relating to communication, contracts, and the provision of services contained within the province’s language charter. The stay allows for the use of English in school board communications.
The Valley celebrated local environmental actions during the second annual Earth Day Forum on April 20 at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School.
The Bank of Montreal closed its doors in Huntingdon on April 26. All bank accounts, loans, and investments with the local branch were transferred to the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield location.
Work began to restore the historic O’Connor Building in Huntingdon. The building will house 20 apartments.
The Black Creek rodeo circuit opened its season with the Ormstown Kioti Pro Rodeo. The rodeo returned to the fairgrounds in early October for the first ever BlackCreek finals, which capped off the season.
The Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation asked dairy farmers to watch for symptoms of avian flu in their cattle herds, after an outbreak of spillover infections was reported in the United States.
The mayor of the municipality of Havelock, Gerald Beaudoin, suddenly resigned from the position, citing a difficult work environment. He was replaced following a byelection by former councillor Hélène Lavallée.
The iconic Boulangerie Chartrand in Saint-Antoine-Abbé was closed temporarily following a fire.
The Chateauguay Valley Community Information Services (CVCIS), the non-profit that publishes The Gleaner, celebrated five years since the newspaper was brought back to the community.
June
The CISSSMO closed hospital beds at the Hôpital du Suroît in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and asked the public to avoid emergency rooms as it coped with severe labour shortages brought on by government policy limiting the use of personnel placement agencies and independent workers.
Franklin Elementary School became one of only two officially recognized Living Schools in Quebec, which recognizes the school’s work to implement nature-based projects and sustainable initiatives over the past few years.
Parc Safari introduced a mob of red kangaroos to its collection of animals.
A heat wave challenged local school administrators as daytime temperatures soared into the mid-thirties to close out the school year.
The second part of the year in review will appear in the January 29 edition of The Gleaner. The French version of this article is available on The Gleaner’s website.