A non-profit on Montreal’s South Shore says it’s receiving incredible feedback following the release of a new book that captures memories and stories from longtime residents of Châteauguay.
The book, Untold Stories of Châteauguay, was released at the end of April â and every copy was snapped up almost immediately.
“[People were] buying boxfuls of books and armfuls of books and I thought, ‘look at that,'” said Pauline Wiedow, the executive director of the Montérégie West Community Network (MWCN).
Wiedow said the idea for the book came to her when she noticed how quickly the community was changing and how important it was to preserve a snapshot of what life used to be like in the municipality.Â
“I thought, ‘We need to capture that, our seniors are getting older, weâre going to more funerals,’ and I thought, ‘No, we need to do this now,'” she said.
She secured funding for the project through a grant from the federal governmentâs New Horizons for Seniors Program, which âprovides funding for projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and in their communities.”
Wiedow tasked MWCN member Françoise Goulet with interviewing residents. She was relatively new to Châteauguay when the organization launched the project.
More than 40 contributors, including longtime residents, local businesses and organizations, shared personal stories and memories for the book, painting a vivid picture of life in Châteauguay decades ago.
Goulet says the experience helped her gain a deeper understanding of the community and its history.
âNature is everywhere, it surrounds you. Thereâs a lot of history here and a lot of great people
