Mayor Sylvie Beauregard took advantage of the book launch Cowansville over time to raise its author to the rank of cultural ambassador of the municipality. President of the local historical society since 2004, Mr. Racicot has participated in several projects led by the City, such as the heritage circuit and the construction of bronzes dedicated to Reverend Peacock and Régina Lapointe.
“This title symbolizes our recognition of his remarkable contribution to the preservation and promotion of our local history. […] He truly embodies the spirit of our community and we are proud to have him among us,” said the mayor to the crowd gathered at the Gabrielle-Giroux-Bertrand library on Wednesday evening.
Mr. Racicot therefore joined a very select club which only included Mireille Brisset, always involved in the activities of the Bruck Museum. The 73-year-old says that the announcement of this distinction, made at the beginning of the week, was a big surprise for him.
“When you’re in a basement all the time looking through and doodling, you don’t know that people appreciate your work. It’s nice to officially have this recognition. […] Let’s just say it’s been a great day!” he admitted during a discussion with media representatives.
Michel Racicot brought out notes accumulated over twenty years while writing his new book. (Provided)
“A big little town”
Born in 1950 in what was formerly called the village of Sweetsburg, Michel Racicot spent the majority of his life outside the region before returning there in the early 2000s. Meetings with his predecessor at the Société d history, the late Jean-Paul Sirois, gave rise to a still unsatisfied curiosity.
For this veteran of the financial world, Cowansville will always remain “a big little town”. It is therefore in a way a 533-page love letter, self-published and self-financed, that he launched Wednesday evening.
“There had been attempts in the past, but this book is truly unique. I still took notes for 20 years. It took patience!”, underlined the man who is also a lecturer in his spare time.
Mayor Beauregard believes that Cowansville over time constitutes “the reflection of our collective identity, our deep roots and our evolution”. Mr. Racicot details, in purely chronological order, the events which marked the development of the municipality between 1798 and 2023.
“It was especially the arrival of the Cowan brothers in 1836 that really brought about an economic boost. It was Scottish descendants, who came from Montreal with certain financial means, who built the first grain mill and the first real general store (in the surrounding area).”
“And afterwards, with the construction of the railway in 1870, Montreal was only two hours away, and Boston seven or eight hours away. We had just come out of the woods.”
The opening of the Bruck Mills textile factory in 1922 and the start of the reign of Mayor Roland Désourdy in 1955 are also among the key elements that come to mind most quickly.
To obtain Cowansville over time, at a cost of $40, interested parties must contact Michel Racicot directly by email. Since half of the 200 copies have already been sold, the author clearly opens the door to a reprint.
He is also working on a sort of collection that would bring together all his other writings on the subject. In the meantime, a multitude of capsules and other historical productions are available on the Town of Cowansville’s YouTube account.
Réal Béland and Sylvie Beauregard during Saturday’s benefit evening (Facebook)
Wednesday’s launch also offered us a great opportunity to return to another event with a cultural flavor. For the second time in as many years, the Mayor’s Comedy Gala took place to a sold-out crowd at Espace Diffusion last Saturday.
This evening featuring Réal Béland raised $12,348 for the Cowansville Community Support Fund.
“We are really happy with the support from business people and the community. This event was a real success,” comments Sylvie Beauregard in a press release sent earlier this week.
This benefit activity alone therefore exceeded the annual average of $10,000 donated to the Fund since 1989. For the 2023 version, the analysis committee notably chose to award scholarships and contribute to projects led by Maison Gilles-Carle, the Cowansville Figure Skating Club and the Main dans la Main community social pediatrics center.
