JANUARY
Reduced service hours went into effect at the Herdman, Trout River, and Lacolle Route 223 ports of entry on January 6. The joint decision by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency to coordinate service hours at connecting border crossings was enforced despite an outcry from residents and local politicians on both sides of the border.
The Franklin firefighters were named “Lumberjacks of the Year” during the municipality of Franklin’s first amateur Lumberjack competition, which took place during the annual winter carnival.
Members of the Caza family from Howick represented the Chateauguay Valley on an episode of the popular TV game show, Family Feud Canada.
Farmers blocked access to snowmobile trails on agricultural land in Saint-Chrysostome in response to a decision by the municipal council to impose higher taxes on producers. The trails were reopened after the council backtracked.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police began using a Blackhawk military helicopter to shore up its surveillance and response capabilities along the border while clamping down on illegal migration and drug smuggling.
Reactions ran high as U.S. president Donald Trump continued to muse about Canada becoming the 51st state while preparing to levy steep tariffs on Canadian goods.
Justin Trudeau announced he would step down as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party.
FEBRUARY
Residents in Sainte-Barbe celebrated the return of the municipality’s winter carnival after a 20-year hiatus.
The La Bouffe Additionnelle food pantry launched a pilot project to deliver food baskets to residents in Saint-Anicet and Dundee. Funding for the project, which included the purchase of a refrigerated truck, was provided in part from the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent in partnership with the Ministère des Affaires Municipales et de l’Habitation.
Unionized CPE workers began a series of strikes following stalled contract negotiations with the provincial government.
Renovation work at the town hall in Ormstown to improve accessibility and address plumbing, ventilation, and electrical issues temporarily forced municipal employees to move offices.
Eleven bus shelters were installed in strategic locations along the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent’s three public transportation bus routes from the Haut-Saint-Laurent to Sainte-Martine and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.
Ownership at Hemmingford’s Parc safari changed hands. Longtime owner and president Jean-Pierre Ranger stepped down, leaving the zoo in the hands of its new owner, the Luxembourg-based company Batipart.
The New Frontiers School Board called three snow days in two weeks as back-to-back storms resulted in heavy blowing snow that shut down main highways across the region.
MARCH
Huntingdon held a winter carnival early in the month. It was the first of several events to celebrate its bicentennial anniversary.
The Centre Intégré de Santé et de Services Sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest was left facing $140 million in significant spending restrictions after the province imposed a return to a balanced budget.
The Centre de Services Scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands opened a new adult general education service point at the Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi Huntingdon as part of the Centre de Formation Générale des Adultes des Tisserands.
The Direction de la Santé Publique de la Montérégie first sounded the alarm about the return of raccoon rabies to the region after a ten-year absence.
The NFSB reduced its operating budget by $510,000 following a government directive that clawed back over $200 million from school boards and service centres province-wide. The board had until the end of the month to pass a revised budget that did not directly impact student services.
CVR’s Performing Arts Department celebrated its 20th anniversary with a return to the stage for several alumni during a special event that presented highlights from the past two decades on the CVR stage.
Former central banker Mark Carney became this country’s new prime minister following a leadership race to lead the governing Liberal Party of Canada.
An election call officialized new federal riding boundaries and name changes, leading to the creation of the Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon riding and the Chateauguay – Les Jardins-de-Naperville riding. Haut-Saint-Laurent municipalities were split between the two ridings.
APRIL
The Quebec Court of Appeal upheld a previous Superior Court ruling that found many provisions of Bill 40, which aimed to amend the Education Act regarding school organization and governance, infringe on Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and are unconstitutional.
Quebec premier François Legault visited the Huntingdon riding where he toured area farms and announced financing for agricultural innovation. In an exclusive interview with The Gleaner, Legault spoke about his commitment to supply management in the face of trade talks with the U.S.
Over 500 people took part in the third edition of the Valley’s Earth Day Forum at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School (CVR).
The Riverfield Curling Club, which is the fourth oldest in Canada, brought down the hammer on its 200th anniversary season.
Fred Fox, the older brother of Canadian legend Terry Fox, spoke to students at CVR.
Bloc Québécois stalwart Claude DeBellefeuille won a fifth term in Ottawa during the federal election in the Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon riding, while Liberal candidate Nathalie Provost was elected in the Chateauguay – Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding.
MAY
CVR’s Performing Arts Department presented its interpretation of Frozen – The Musical to standing ovations.
The municipality of Franklin inaugurated its regional eco centre in partnership with the municipalities of Havelock, Saint-Chrysostome, Dundee, Hinchinbrooke, Howick, and Très-Saint-Sacrement.
Chateauguay – Les Jardins-de-Naperville MP Nathalie Provost was named secretary of state for nature by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
An automated convenience store opened at the town hall in Dundee. The municipality was nominated for several awards at the provincial level for its innovative solution to its status as a food desert.
The Centre Barberivain church and community centre was ravaged by a fire that left the structure intact, but the interior heavily damaged by the fire, smoke, and water.
The CDC du Haut-Saint-Laurent received the Award of Excellence for the Protection of the French Language during the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie Beauharnois, Valleyfield, Haut-Saint-Laurent’s Grand Gala des Gens d’Affaires.
CVR received one of six inaugural MusiCounts Legacy Grants, which were created in honour of this year’s inductees into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. CVR’s award was presented in honour of Quebec icon Ginette Reno.
JUNE
The RCMP Musical Ride enchanted crowds at the Huntingdon fairgrounds as part of a special presentation commemorating the town’s 200th anniversary.
A sunshine-filled weekend led to record-breaking attendance during the 109th edition of Expo Ormstown.
The era of shift work for Huntingdon paramedics officially ended after the provincial government announced new funding to strengthen ambulance coverage and pre-hospital emergency services in the Montérégie.
The Huntingdon County Farmers Market celebrated the start of its 20th season with a special event that highlighted the sustained importance of the buy-local movement in the Valley.
The provincial government announced it would be taking its appeal of the Quebec Court of Appeal ruling on Bill 40 all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.
A first case of rabies was confirmed in the Haut-saint-Laurent after a dead bat found in Godmanchester tested positive for the disease.
The CDC announced a change in direction after the departure of longtime director Rémi Pelletier. Saint-Anicet resident Marie-Rachel Charlebois took over in this role.