N U M B E R 4 3 ■ A u t u m n - Winter 2014 ■ $ 2 . 0 0 ■ CHRISTOPHER MOORE AT THE MORRIN CENTRE ■ OUR PRESIDENT SOVITA CHANDER AWARDED PRIX HOMMAGE ■ MURDER AND INTRIGUE IN SAINT-SYLVESTRE The Morrin Centre is managed by the Literary & Historical Society of Quebec. Society Pages are published with the assistance of Canada Post. CONTENT Jessica Kelly-Rhéaume LAYOUT Patrick Donovan NUMBER 43 ■ AUTUMN-WINTER 2014 PROOFREADING Louisa Blair ■ CONTENTS PUBLISHER Literary & Historical Society of Quebec 44 chaussée des Écossais Quebec, Quebec G1R 4H3 PHONE Interview with LHSQ President 1 418-694-9147 FAX From the Executive Director 2 Barry McCullough 418-694-0754 GENERAL INQUIRIES Transactions [email protected] WEBSITE Hill Search: www.morrin.org 2 The Robert Corrigan Story ■ LHSQ COUNCIL Library Pages [email protected] Sovita Chander, President On the Shelf: Way out West 4 Britta Gundersen-Bryden Ladd Johnson, Vice-President Gina Farnell, Treasurer More Book Reviews 6 Mike Lawlor Shauneen Furlong, Secretary Donald Fyson, Honorary Librarian Recipe: Plum Cake 7 Rosemarie Fischer Barry Holleman, Member at Large Bruce Laurie, Member at Large New Acquisitions 8 Peter Black William GK Boden Events & Activities Jack Bryden Katherine Burgess Introducing Hoffmann Wolff 9 Diana Cline Jacob Stone Literary Feast 10 Hoffmann Wolff Hélène Thibault David F. Blair, Ex-Officio Halloween at the Morrin Centre 10 Hoffmann Wolff ■ Miscellanea DIRECTOR Music Review 11 Barry McCullough Barry McCullough Executive Director Volunteer Thanks 12 [email protected] FULL-TIME STAFF Gail Cameron Accounting & Financial Clerk [email protected] Rosemarie Fischer LIBRARY HOURS Administrative Assistant [email protected] Stefanie Johnston Sunday 12:00PM-4:00PM Guided Tours Coordinator [email protected] Jessica Kelly-Rhéaume Monday CLOSED Library Manager [email protected] Tuesday 12:00PM-8:00PM Elizabeth Perreault Program and Communications Director Wednesday 12:00PM-4:00PM [email protected] Mathieu Tremblay Rentals and Events Coordinator Thursday 12:00PM-8:00PM [email protected] Friday 12:00PM-4:00PM ■ Saturday 10:00AM-4:00PM The mission of the Morrin Centre is to share and foster English-language culture in the Quebec City region. The Morrin Centre is administered by the Library Closed December 24, 25, 26, 31 and January 1, 2 Literary & Historical Society of Quebec. ISSN 1913-0732 Front cover: Christopher Moore at the Literary Feast (Credit: Louise Leblanc) SOCIETY PAGES LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT INTERVIEW WITH LHSQ PRESIDENT SOVITA CHANDER On November 12, the president of the LHSQ, Sovita speaking cultures, so I think we have a lot to contribute Chander, was awarded the 2014 Prix Hommage by the locally and nationally. Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Québec. This prize honours the contributions to society made by an individual MC: What are the benefits of being recognized? born outside Québec. SC: Awards like the Prix Hommage allow you to shine Morrin Centre (MC): Congratulations on winning the a spotlight on the issues and causes that matter to you, Prix Hommage. both inside and outside business. I can tell you that the Morrin Centre is at the top Sovita Chander (SC): of that list. On the Thank you! professional front, I am a big believer in the need to MC: Do you think your bring more women into experience with the technology. We waste half Morrin Centre has our resources when contributed to your women are not part of the success in the business picture, and we can’t world? afford that. SC: Yes, definitely. You MC: The position of learn a lot about President is a very teamwork and bringing demanding one. How do a vision to life when you balance this busy you’re on a board. volunteer position with What you learn is your career? invaluable in business. SC: Growing up, I was MC: How has the Credit: fredphotographe.com taught that you give back Morrin Centre changed in to the community you live in, the seven-plus years you've been on Council? no matter where you live. Just to give you an example, my mother, who lives outside Washington DC, chairs SC: When I first joined Council, we were in the thick her city’s Aging in Place committee. Back in the day in of restoring the building. Today, we are building a Malaysia, my grandparents were active in their local leading cultural organization that every one of us can communities, as board members and volunteers. I’m cherish. Council can be proud of the work we’ve done. lucky to have these great role models. MC: What is the key to being recognized by influential MC: How do you see the Morrin Centre growing in organizations such as the Chambre de commerce et the near future? d'industrie de Québec? SC: Let me try to answer from a historical perspective. SC: You know, I’m not sure that I’m an expert on that. When Lord Dalhousie founded the Literary and All I can say is: be good at what you do. Know how you Historical Society of Quebec in 1824, he started with make a difference. And learn how to talk about what is 125 members. Last year, our cultural centre had 25,000 important to you, whether it’s business, culture, visitors come through our doors. This year, that technology, or another topic. One thing I would like to number will hit 30,000. We are becoming a key player add: we need more entrepreneurs in Quebec. There in the Quebec and Canadian cultural landscape. Lord are strong entrepreneurship traditions in many English- Dalhousie wouldn’t recognize the place! ■ PAGE 1 AUTUMN-WINTER 2014 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear members, With such a full calendar, though, we are always looking ahead and have been hard at work preparing an even It’s hard to believe that 2014 is more exciting programming for 2015. The lineup for the drawing to a close. With how 6th annual ImagiNation Writers’ Festival is nearly set much has been happening at the and will be unveiled early in the New Year. Morrin Centre, it is no wonder the Additionally, the winter and spring programming is lined year has passed so quickly. We set up. Be sure to check out our website and Facebook records for attendance with more page for all of the latest updates on programming and than 30,000 people coming through the doors. While more. the team had a busy year, it was incredibly rewarding to be able to bring you a rich program of heritage, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of the educational and cultural activities. presenters, collaborators, staff and members of Council for everything they have done for the Centre this year. Early in the year we hosted the fifth annual ImagiNation Special thanks go out to our volunteers who make so Writers’ Festival where we hosted some of Canada’s many of the great events and activities possible. You will top authors such as Miriam Toews, Annbel Lyon, find their names on the back inside cover of this issue. Wayne Grady and Terry Fallis. All throughout the year Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I look forward to the Morrin Centre hosted its Connecting Through seeing you all in 2015. Culture series, which allowed us to celebrate bilingualism through a wonderful series of cultural Barry McCullough events including music, history, literature and more. Executive Director TRANSACTIONS INTERVIEW WITH STEVEN CAMERON ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK HILL SEARCH: THE ROBERT CORRIGAN STORY Steven L. Cameron is co-founder of the various non-profit organizations. And, the experience of Irish Heritage Group, Coirneal sharing the stories got me to the next stage, making Cealteach, and former Vice President of them into a book, whereby the target audience could be the Literary and Historical Society of broadened and a bit of permanency added to the story- Quebec. Below is an short interview telling. that the Morrin Centre did with Steven Cameron on his first book. This story, the Robert Corrigan Story, was and is just too important to have been lost to time. In addition, I Morrin Centre (MC): So why did found that when I did find something about it in the you write a book? And why this public domain, most, if not all the sources included so specific book? many errors … it simply had to be re-told. Steven L. Cameron (SLC): Over the past few years, MC: So, what’s it about? I have been driven by the idea of saving the Irish/Celt footprint in our area (southwest of Quebec City). A lot SLC: (chuckles) Obviously the focus is Robert Corrigan of effort has gone into saving cemetery stones, getting a and his murder in 1855…. But it’s more than that. The ‘historic site’ designation for a section of Craig’s Road, story provides a good view as to what it was like to live establishing our own Celtic Cross/Irish Stone Circle as here at the time. In the 1830-1870 period, St. Sylvester a place to visit and finding and saving old stories. This was a tough place. The story is about Ribbonmen in the story component evolved into a series of talks for hills, armed Orangemen on the roads, body snatching, a PAGE 2 SOCIETY PAGES TRANSACTIONS HILL SEARCH (continued from previous page) have no one to blame for failure or error other than lost cemetery, police raids, intimidation and intrigue, yourself. fraudulent elections, fights and more. It also weaves the oral tradition into the telling. And always, as a principle, MC: Any surprises in the process? it maintains the nuanced difference between fact, rumour and opinion.