During the worst year of the pandemic when the population endured multiple ‘lock downs’, STO Union hijacked the insert advertisement section of the regional newspaper and replaced it with an art project that invited everyone to colour and join in.
Every season, the public received a drawing in The Low Down to Hull and Back newspaper that depicted the Gatineau River at that time. The insert also prompted storytelling appropriate for that place and time.
Four beautiful drawings of the river were created and the community responded with almost 200 entries.
RIVER SUMMER
River Summer 2022 – Drawing by Gabiyen Ottawa
RIVER SPRING
River Spring 2022 – Drawing by Stephanie Hill
RIVER / WINTER
River Winter 2022 – Drawing by Nathalie Coutou
RIVER FALL
River Fall 2021 – Drawing by Sofia Jain-Schlaepfer
The project included multiple workshops and, in the end, a moving video captured this amazing community project.
River, the video, exhibit, and drawings now exist as a project for other communities to participate in.
2023 tour to be announced shortly.
River project partners are:
F.O.G. (Friends of the Gatineau River) https://www.fog-arg.org/
Biblio Wakefield Library http://bibliowakefieldlibrary.ca/
Bibliothèque Chelsea Library https://www.chelsea.ca/en/residents/service-municipaux/library
The Low Down to Hull and Back https://www.lowdownonline.com/
Chelsea Elementary School https://chelsea.wqsb.qc.ca/
STO Union gratefully acknowledges the Canada Council for the Arts for its ongoing support.
We recognize this season of letting go along with our pandemic reality can result in feelings of grief. If you or someone you know is struggling or in distress, please know you are not alone. It’s important to reach out to get help. Some resources include Kids Help Phone, Canada Suicide Prevention Service and Quebec Crisis Intervention. The Canadian Mental Health Association also offers resources to support mental health during the pandemic.
STO Union recognizes that its head office in Farrellton, Quebec is located on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation whose presence here dates back to time immemorial.