Newsletter - Megantic English-Speaking Community Development health & community services organize social activity

Discover 8 foods that will boost your overall health, make you feel great, and help keep your heart
in top shape:

* Kale              * Oranges
* Black beans   * Walnuts
* Yogurt           * Salmon
* Blueberries

The Megantic Community Foundation (MCF) and the MCDC are pleased to announce the launch of their new Bursary Program. One of the objectives of the Megantic Community Foundation (MCF) is to provide assistance to the school community. In order to pursue this objective, two $500 bursaries will be offered annually to recognize and support life long learners:

1. One bursary to an Andrew Stuart Johnson graduate (Secondary V) pursuing post-secondary education (D.E.P., Cegep, University)

2. One bursary to a member of the English-speaking community of Amiante, Érable or Lotbinière regions who wishes to further his/her studies as a mature student

* Completed application form (application forms can be obtained by contacting the MCDC-MCF);
* Letter by the applicant explaining his/her motivation in wishing to receive this bursary;
* One letter of recommendation;
* Any other relevant information that the applicant would like to share with the MCDC-MCF Bursary Committee

Deadline for reception of applications is May 1st of each year. Applications received after that date will not be considered. Recipients will be notified in writing by the following July 1st. The application forms and supporting documents must be sent to: MCDC-MCF Bursary Committee, 906 Mooney Street West, Thetford Mines (Qc) G6G 6H2 mcdc@bellnet.ca .

On February 27, 2010 the MCDC held its 5th Community Forum at the Thetford Mines Golf and Curling Club. It was a constructive and enjoyable day for the 35 community members who came together to share their ideas, suggestions and comments on how to improve access to health & social services, animate our social life, improve the dissemination of information, and support our local youth and the school. This forum, once again, has proved to be an ideal opportunity for staff and board members to interact with and learn of the needs and priorities of our community.

It was our great pleasure to welcome Katia Grubisc from the Department of Canadian Heritage. We are very grateful to Canadian Heritage for their financial support and for their trust in our organization.

We would like to thank all the community members who contributed to the success of this event and MCDC will do its utmost to put your suggestions and comments into action. Together we get better.

If you are 55 and older, MCDC invites you to a special delicious meal and food tasting activity followed by an information session on nutrition. Caroline Cloutier, nutritionist from CLSC Thetford, will be present to answer your questions.

Date:           Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Time:           11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location:      United Church hall, Thetford Mines

Lyne Bergeron will host the event ! You must reserve your place. Please call MCDC at 418-332-3851 to confirm.

March 5th: Oddfellows Sugar Party at 7:00 p.m. at the I.O.O.F. Hall in Inverness. Admission: $5.

March 13th: St. Patrick's Day dance will be held at the Sainte-Agathe Municipal hall starting at
6:30 p.m. with an exhibition of old photos, maps, and card playing, etc. Square dancing from
8:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. to the music of Claude Lachance and James Allan. Admission is $5 for adults.

March 17th: St. Patrick's Day dinner at the I.O.O.F. Hall in Inverness from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Price - $8 per person.

March 20th: St. Patrick's Day parade in Quebec city. It starts at 12:00 noon, departing from St. Patrick's High School on rue DeMaisonneuve, and ends at the Hôtel de Ville (near Notre Dame de Quebec cathedral). www.qc.patrick.com

March 23rd: Telehealth/video conference session on “Eye Disease”. Time and location to be determined. Call Peter Whitcomb at 418-332-3851 to reserve a seat.

March 28th: Brunch from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Les Fourneaux d'Inverness; reservations appreciated - call Lisa Dempsey at 418-453-2007. Price - $12 per person.

March 31st : MCDC Book Club meeting at 7:30 pm at the Community Resource Centre.

Seniors’ Drop-in’s:
Monday, March 8: Kinnear's Mills
Monday, March 15: Inverness - St. Patrick's Party
Monday, March 22: Thetford Mines

Parents & Tots
This activity takes place every Monday morning, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the United Church in Thetford Mines. All parents and their children between the ages of 2 – 4 are welcome. Admission is $30 per family per semester. For more information please call Julie at 418-332-3851.

Community Library
Come and visit our library located at 906 Mooney Street West, Thetford Mines. We have a very good selection of books and magazines as well as daily newspapers in English and a variety of DVDs. PLEASE NOTE that opening hours are now Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Book Club
If you enjoy reading and meeting with friends, join our Book Club. The Book Club takes place monthly, on the last Wednesday of the month, at the Community Resource Centre. For more information, call Hélène at 418-332-3851.

Women's Club Join the new MCDC Women's Club and participate in fun and healthy activities. For more information, call Hélène at 418-332-3851.

Once again this year MCDC is providing free assistance in completing income tax forms for people who meet the following criteria:

3. One adult and one child with an income of $26,000 or less (each additional dependant $2,000).

Should you qualify for this service, call MCDC and we’ll put one of our volunteers in touch with you.

On Thursday, February 11, 2010 our year-long walk to Vancouver wrapped up with an Olympic ceremony in the gym of A.S. Johnson /St.Patrick’s School. Over the last 12 months the students of both schools embarked upon this walk, in partnership with MCDC, in an effort to improve physical fitness and healthy lifestyle. Each class throughout the school had to do its part to cover the 12,000km from St. Johns, Newfoundland to Vancouver in order to arrive in time for the 2010 Olympics. Community participation was high as well. In fact, one third of the total distance was covered by community members who walked alongside the school to achieve! At the recent community forum, Ms Jan Lowry was presented with a beautiful commemorative coin as the lucky winner of a draw among community participants! Both the school and the community are most pleased and indeed more fit as a result of our highly successful walk!

5/30 HEALTH AND WELLNESS CHALLENGE

Positive and motivating, the 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge is a major campaign that encourages children and adults to take responsibility for their health, enjoyably, from March 1 to April 11, 2010.

Participants target the following objectives for the 6 weeks of the Health Challenge:

1. Eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, minimum of 5 days a week.

3. Improving wellness by targeting one of the following: opening up to relaxation; having some time to myself; communicating better; maintaining relationships with others; assigning priority to priorities.

Books on the American Civil War. If anyone would like to give or lend them out, please call Jacques
Breton in Leeds at 418-424-3129.

School will be closed from March 1st to 5th for the annual Spring break.

March 12th : Annual Alumni basketball game. Women’s game at 5:30 p.m. and men’s game at 7:45 p.m.

1. Happy Birthday to Joy Nugent and Patrick Hogan who will be celebrating their birthdays in March.

2. Congratulations to Annie Letourneau (Judy Davis’ daughter) and Sylvain Bédard on the birth of their daughter Allyson Nathalie, born on February 22, 2010.

All members of the English-speaking community of Chaudière-Appalaches and l'Érable are invited to become members of the MCDC. Membership is free and it is a great way to get involved and show your support for your community. For additional information, please call us at 418-332-3851 or
1-877-332-3851 or visit our website at http://mcdc.info .

Address changes: please inform MCDC 418-332-3851 of any e-mail or civic address changes.

Toll free : 1-877-332-3851

Tel : (418) 332-3851