Debate topic for 75 years | News | voice of the east

nFrom the late 18th century urged by the desire for a French designation for the area known as the Eastern Townships – a translation of the historic Eastern Townships – the debate regularly made headlines in the 1950s, 1960s and 70s.

“One of the reasons was that the area of ​​the Eastern Townships did not correspond to the traditional area of ​​the Eastern Townships,” explains David Lacoste, director general of the Sherbrooke History Museum.

“And once the debate was settled in 1981, it continued,” he says. “This is the debate of the last 75 years. “

Perhaps because the Astri Tourism Association quickly took the name Tourism Canton-de-l’Est, in the late 1980s, and thus created a certain regional confusion by including not only seven MRCs in Astri, but also two MRCs in Monterrey. Maintained. who have just gone east.

It was the Table des MRC de l’Estrie (TME) that suggested taking advantage of this new administrative division to change the Estrie name to Canton-de-l’Est.

Many chiefs and mayors of the central cities that sit on the TME see this name change as an opportunity to end the confusion arising from the coexistence of the two designations, to honor the region’s history and to give a fresh start. By focusing on the name Canton-de-l’Est, which shines more than the name Estri, he believes.

Charm

Their reasoning is based on, among other things, the Vision Attractions Canton-de-l’Est/Estri consultation process, initiated in 2018 by the Tourism Canton-de-l’Est and an advisory committee “to attract more residents”. , to welcome and maintain”. . activists, entrepreneurs, students and visitors to the region”.

According to this NPO, which brings together stakeholders from the tourist, municipal, educational and economic sectors, “various studies clearly show that the name Canton-de-l’Est generates more positive emotions and life is strongly associated with the quality of the region. “The spirit of Quebecers, in addition to creating the pride of its citizens”, he says.

“What I found around the MRC table is that many colleagues find the illusion too heavy to bear”, explains Saint-Camille’s mayor, Philippe Page, who sits at the TME and Vision attraction at the same time.

“Many of our citizens wonder, Are you in Astri or Eastern Townships? We multiply geographic names, we have names of school boards, electoral districts, census departments, judicial districts, administrative areas, tourist areas and Plus we have health zones – that’s what most people learned during the pandemic. It’s probably assumed that everyone in the area knows where he’s living.”