By : Clare Lord.
If you were wandering around Knowlton this summer, you may have noticed something unusual tucked among the trees: imaginative stories inviting passersby to stop and read.
The creative works are by second- and third-grade students at École St-Édouard, inspired by their teacher and Knowlton resident, Elizabeth Proulx.
From Quebec legends to local stories
The project grew out of classroom work on Quebec legends. Before putting pen to paper, students explored what makes a legend: it is generally rooted in something real—a place, a person or an event—then transformed through imagination to explain a phenomenon or tell a compelling story.
They studied several Quebec legends, identifying how their authors blend fact and fiction.
The students then turned their attention to their own backyard. They observed and explored the Brome Lake area, focusing particularly on the lake and other iconic local sites.
Drawing on these familiar places, they created fantastical stories explaining the origins of a place, a phenomenon or a distinctive feature of the region.
Learning beyond the classroom
The project had two goals: to develop reading and writing skills while strengthening the students’ connection to their community.
Mme Proulx also wanted to give them an authentic writing experience—one in which their work would leave the classroom and be shared with residents of Brome Lake.
Knowing their stories would be read by others gave the students a powerful incentive to revise and polish their work. They were especially proud to install their legends in locations connected to the stories.
Legends about Brome Lake and Eagle Island, for example, were displayed at Douglass Beach.
Mme Proulx says learning doesn’t always stay between four walls. Sometimes it steps outside and invites everyone to stop and take part.
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