150 Years of Progress
As reported in The Gleaner, Monday, May 20th, 2013:
The festivities marking the150th anniversary of the existence of the
Valley’s weekly newspaper, The Gleaner, were officially launched Monday,
May 13, with much fanfare in Huntingdon.
Despite the absence of former Quebecor president and CEO. Pierre Karl
Peladeau. who could not be there, several senior members of the
organization were in town to attend the vernissage for the memorial
exhibition,
featuring aspects of The Gleaner's 150 years,
at the Alfred Langevin Cultural Hall
At least one hundred individuals attended the opening ceremony of the
exhibition, including the Regional Director of Quebecor Media. Mr Mario
Marois. who suggested the 150th anniversary 'is a historic moment as
there are only a handful of newspapers in North America that have
reached this milestone.'
Huntingdon MNA Stephane Billettc and his federal counterpart.
Beauharnois Salaberry MP Anne Minh Thu Quach, paid tribute to the
newspaper while congratulating its longevity. "I am very proud to
celebrate this 150th anniversary. For a newspaper to last this long, it
owes its longevity to its quality, relevance and the competence of its
employees. The Gleaner was able to meet the needs of its loyal readers
throughout the years, for more than a century, which is quite
remarkable.' said MNA Billette. by way of a press release Tuesday
'It's fascinating to realize that this weekly was born before the start
of confederation and before all modern invention, and it is still
relevant in the age of space exploration.
'Such longevity would not have been possible without the hard work,
dedication and skill of its craftsmen I would like to acknowledge the
work of all those men and women who have made the newspaper The Gleaner
a success I wish long life to this vital institution in our community.'
he said.
In highlighting the significance of The Gleaner to the community MNA
Billette addressed the National Assembly the Tuesday afternoon following
the vernissage. rendering homage to the newspaper before his colleagues
in Quebec
Similarly MP Anne Quach stood in the House of Commons on the occasion of
World Press Freedom Day on May 3 to address the important contribution
made by The Gleaner.
During the vernissage, the federal MP presented the current team at the newspaper with a beautiful engraved plaque commemorating the occasion and the 150th anniversary. The exhibition at the Alfred Langevin Cultural Hall will remain open to visitors on weekends until June 2. On display are archival photographs and texts and a series of articles detailing the history of the weekly Also included in the exhibit is the original press used to print the first edition of the Canadian Gleaner on September 18. 1863.The press is on loan from the Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. Those wishing to tour the exhibit during the week may organize a visit by contacting Anick Lacroix, the Coordinator for the Alfred Langevin Hall at 450-264-5411.