Page 11 "Twin villages tighten the bond | By Ann Davelaar -- Celebration! We have but to roll the word around on our tongue and our minds are im- mediately filled with visions of ecstatic embraces, flowing wine and trumpeting bands. Everyone know it's not what you are celebrating but how, that makes the difference. One person who has made a real difference in turning an original idea into reali- ty for Embrun's 125th anniversary celebration is Ghyslaine Gregoire, a local elementary school teacher. Just as a seed lies buried under desert sands for years, awaiting the proper conditions for ger- mination, so Ghyslaine's idea lay dormant in her mind until the time was ripe. Certainly she knew how her village had come to be named Embrun. Mid-nineteenth century parish records tell of how Monseigneur Guigues, first Catholic bishop of Bytown, sent for five priests from Les Hautes Alpes, his own native region of France. One of these priests, Father Francois Michel, came to the pic- turesque little village of La Riviere de Castor, Ontario, and changed its name to Embrun, in honour of his own place of origin. Both villages have prospered since then. Today, the Ontario village, which lies about 50 - kilometres southeast of Ottawa, has a population of almost 4,000. Now Embrun, France, is a tourist village of nearly 6,000 inhabitants in the mountains about 800 kilometres south of Paris. In 1970 Ghyslaine realized in- terest in her village was- growing on the French side of the ocean. Pierre-Henri Donat was the first Embrunais to come over to the Canadian village. He carried out a study on the history and agriculture of the region, and became friends with Ghyslaine. In _the course of his research he discovered there were no direct descendants of any Embrunais of France among the Embrunois of Canada. ' At different times during the next five years, about fifteen peo- ple came to Embrun from the French village to spend their-vaca- tions and explore the area. Ghyslaine made friends with some of them and exchanged letters. She thought it would be useful to exchange visits with the Em- brunais, so in 1975 she made her first trip to Les Hautes Alpes. There she had ah opportunity to meet the mayor, Alexandre Didier, and explained her idea. He immediately agreed and the pro- ject of twinning the two places was born. In 1979, while Ghyslaine was staying with families in the Alpine Village, she tied the twinning pro- posal to the 125th anniversary Adults keep fit and have fun too! RIDING -- SCHOOL Lola Wood -- 445-2976 JOHN CONSTRUCTION General Carpentry: Homes, Renovations, Siding Farm Buildings: Roofs & Dry Wall Finishing MOREWOOD, ONT. 448-2683 celebrations planned for Embrun, Ontario, during her discussions with the mayor. After the necessary Official correspondence, the French village accepted the proposal in 1980. The major appointed Jean Vandenhove, geography professor at the local lycee, to head the twin- ning Committee. On the other side of the Atlantic, Ghyslaine Gregoire was put in charge of the committee which would receive the party of French guests. During almost a year of correspondence, the two became friends. "It's fascinating that you can get a feeling of trust in one another right away by letter alone," she said. In early April of this year, Jean Vandenhove and sixteen other people between the ages of twenty and sixty paid their own way to _Embrun, Ontario, as a first step in the twinning process. They spent a busy two weeks being wined and dined by their new-found friends, as well as staying at the homes of villagers. The French visitors were scheduled to tour Cornwall, visit the Governor-General's home, see a typical French-Canadian sugar- bush and go to some local area farms. They also visited New York City and Niagara Falls. "For me it's a dream coming true,' said Ghyslaine. "It's thanks to the committees that it became reality."' Jean indicated he was quite im- pressed with his visits to eastern Ontario. He said he was surprised by the strength of the French presence in this province. "The Embrunois have known how to keep their language, their culture, their religion and their civilization, all the while living in harmony with the English who surround them,"' he stated. The French professor said this bilingualism in action impressed him most during a Question Period he and his compatriots at- tended on Parliament Hill, when several ministers, including the Prime Minister, spoke in both of- ficial languages with perfect ease. Jean stated his own village had a much more serious problem preserving its lifestyle than the Canadian village. The mayor of Embrun, France, is expected to accompany almost a dozen other visitors who will ar- rive in the final week of June to ~EMBRUN -- 125. top off the 125th anniversary celebrations of the Ontario village. Ghyslaine said-she is confident the marriage of the two villages. will become solidified with the Passage of time. GORD THOMAS PROP. EMBRUN MECHANICAL @ AIR COOL ENGINE SPECIALIST @ AUTO & TRUCK REPAIR WEEKDAYS -- 7 A.M. TO 9 P.M. SATURDAY -- 7 A.M. TO 5 P.M. 443-3934 INDUSTRIAL PARK Bi lage Painters WALLPAPER 20% Off All Books Large Selection 445-2037 445-2030 . Gordon Fleming onan SALE CHARGEX ae: EMBRUN, ONT. __| SrA RE co-op) LaCo-operative Agricole EMBRUN - Office 443-2833 Hardware 443-2833 Petroleum Dept. 443-2892 RUE NOTRE DAME IGA 443-3064 Feed Dept. 443-2946 Fertilizer 443-3333 AUTOMOTIVE LTD. 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