David Suzuki Visits Knowlton

Canada's foremost environmentalist, teacher and filmmaker David Suzuki was in Knowlton as part of his cross-country book signing and speaking tour. Brome Lake Books (264 Knowlton Road) with it's charming wooden decks overllooking the Mill Pond Dam and park was the perfect venue for welcoming Mr. Suzuki in warm Townshippers fashion and Saturday was a warm and sunny day and the cozy atmosphere of the bookstore was highlighted by a calm breeze and the buzzing of bees in the afternoon.

The book signing had an air of relaxed excitement as people began arriving early to have books signed and chat with David who sat a simple wooden desk at the rear of the store. David posed for pictures and spent time with everyone to chat and really made an effort to connect on some sort of personal level with everyone who was there.

One resident had actually seen David Suzuki speak 25 years before when he was in 9th grade at Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife, North-West Territories and as he had his book signed thanked David for being such an inspiration to him throughout the past quarter-century. David said lightly that there was quite a difference between Yellowknife and Knowlton! He's right about that but the encounter demonstrated how people like David Suzuki can really make an impact on people and actually change things for the better one person at a time.

Get books by David Suzuki

The evening event at Arts Knowlton was sold-out well in advance and while none of us from Destination Knowlton could get tickets it goes without saying that Mr. Suzuki will have certainly touched more people at his evening speaking engagement. Surely his message of world connection and concern with the environment will be passed on again to a new generation just as he did to one resident of Yellowknife 25 years ago who now lives in Knowlton.

David Suzuki is a scientist who has spent his life educating and fighting for the environment and the health of the planet. His CBC series "The Nature of Things" is an internationally renowned series that has brought environmental issues via documentary film into the hearts of minds of Canadians for decades. He continues his push for sustainabilty and protection of the planet and on his website offers ideas and solutions for a small planet.

Currently he invites us to join the "Nature Challenge"

1. Reduce home energy use by 10%

2. Choose an energy-efficient home and appliances

3. Don't use pesticides

4. Eat meat-free meals one day a week

5. Buy locally grown and produced food

6. Choose a fuel efficient vehicle

7. Walk, bike carpool or take transit

8. Choose a home close to work or school

9. Support alternative transportation

10. Learn more and share with others

Visit the official website of this true Canadian pioneer at DavidSuzuki.org - Official Website

Buy the David Suzuki autobiography

Rain Swells Cold Brook

Brrrrr and humphh!

The rain caused the rivers and streams around Knowlton to reach record high levels as the rain, often heavy at times, continued into the long weekend. The Cold Brook was high on her banks flooding low yards and burying trees and trails with rushing streams.

It's starting to feel like we're living on the West Coast with the constant cloudy wet weather. The long weekend is usually a time for the official gardening season to begin but it looks more like it will be the Sump Pump festival as the waters of rivers burst banks and cause flooding.

After 10 days straight of rain in Knowlton the Coldbrook was at extremely high levels and was roaring over the Mill Pond Dam at a furious rate providing quite a spectacle. Over 45 mm of rain fell last Thursday alone and it is turning out to be one of the wettest months of May on record. While homes in the Lac Brome area saw some flooding and waterlogged lawns it was nothing like they had down the road in Cowansville and Bromont where homes were severly flooded and many families had to be evacuated.

Weekend events like the Chocolate Festival and the Antique Show at the Knowlton Academy will likely see fewer visitors as people decided to stay home during these cold days, as temperatures have been consistantly below normal this month. The usually busy streets in Knowlton were quiet as tourists huddled under umbrellas and shuffled about rather glumly.

Downtown Knowlton was unusually quiet this weekend with the most noise coming from the Mill Pond Dam and the rushing waters tumbling down the rocky riverbeds. Some trees were knocked over as the roots became unstable with the high rushing waters. The golf courses were flooded and only the bravest, or craziest, of duffers could be seen out hitting a few balls under the pounding rain. While there was some hours without rain it is still cold and wet enough to make everyone here in the Eastern Townships feel a bit blue.

There were some residents who did not seem to mind the sloppy cold conditions and that was the local duck population! Ducks were seen playing in huge puddles on the fields that are usually dry and dusty so not everyones feathers were ruffled the wrong way.

Hopefully by next week things will warm up and dry out so we can get into the gardens and get to work on preparing for summer!

Fessenden: Knowlton's Unsung Hero

The Brome County Historical Society museum, located at 130 Lakeside in Knowlton, has set up a new display booth marking the 100th anniversary of the world's first radio broadcast. If you don't know why there would be such an honoring of this milestone it is because that in a small house across the street from the museum in the year 1866 Reginald Fessenden was born.

Fessenden's name is not widely known he definately should be recognized as a pioneer in communications. He literally became the world's very first DJ when, on Christmas Eve, 1906 he played a recording of Handel's "Largo", then read some passages from the Good Book, then played his violin before wishing a Merry Christmas to sailors who were listening on United Fruit Company ships.

He had transmitted the first voice message in 1900 and after studying electrical engineering and working with Thomas Edison as a chemist he went on to patent more than 500 ideas and devices!

Knowlton is proud to be the birthplace of the father of AM radio and it's good to know that the whole DJ Culture that is so popular with kids these days was actually started right here by one of our own...the original DJ Fess!!

Fessenden is also credited, among other things, for the creation of the first sonar, the early technology for beepers and pagers, the incredibly usefull garage door openers and even the tracer bullet! He was inducted into the Canadian Telecommunications Hall of Fame in 2005.

Get the book on the life and times of Reginald Aubrey Fessenden

Visit the website of the Museum of the Brome County Historical Society