We broke a record at the 19 November Coffee House & Annual General Meeting with 31 lively attendees!

President Bobi Leutschaft Poitras summarized our existence concisely:  

366 days have passed since our last AGM: 3,311 days (that’s 9 years) since the first Collectif meeting on 27 October 2016.  Those 3,311 days have been exhilarating, enlightening, enjoyable, &, at times, exhausting.  I’m sure I’m speaking for everyone who has been involved from the start (there are a few of us) & everyone who’s hopped on & either stayed or hopped off the ride along the way.  

Every year, I list everything we’ve done or participated in since that first day because none of it could have happened without all of you.

3 Canada Day parades

28 Art shows

26 Coffee Houses

8 Bake sales

2 Cabarets

6 Workshops 

10 Write Things

7 Artworks gifted to the township

1 Affordable Art $ale

108 board meetings

5 Mural projects

And, thanks to Yvonne, our 500^th Collectif Creativity post goes out on 15 December!

We’ve also won two awards: from Community Living for Inclusion & from the Township for Community Service.  Again, none of that happened without our members, so thank you!

And we’re still going! In 2026 we have 3 shows, 3 Write Things, 5 Coffee Houses, 2 workshops & a bake sale lined up. So far! Community Living has confirmed the Big Show dates on 17 & 18 April. 

Now, I regret to tell you Elaine Delves, who has faithfully served on the board for 5 years, is retiring.  She not only ran the entire Hospitality operation – but her ideas & input also have helped shape the Collectif.  She’s the one who always noticed if there were mistakes in our minutes. To say we’ll miss her may win the Understatement of the Year award! Thank you, Elaine, for being such a big part of us for so long. 

It may sound like we’re a board member short, but happily Lucie Karakashian has stepped up.  Does she know what she’s in for? We‘re excited to welcome her to the board & look forward to working with her. 

Now I’d like to draw your attention to the large poster on the wall. We need people on two committees – Poster & Hospitality. Please sign up if you can! Board member Laura Nussbaumer Peck is on the Poster Committee, but we need 6 people to share the job, which involves a couple of hours 4 times a year. We also need 4 people to take on the Hospitality Committee (See the gap Elaine is leaving?) If everyone would commit to just a few hours a year, the work would be that much lighter.  

Laura stepped in with a rousing call for volunteer Committee members, introduced with an anecdote. 

“Always say yes to an opportunity to stand up and speak up,” is advice for any aspiring public speaker. It applies to most creative minds. In 2019, I moved to Alexandria. I did not know anyone. Winter was fierce in February. Because I’m curious and frugal, my first visit was the Library Branch.

Member Sylvie Juteau, behind the desk, graciously welcomed me. When I mentioned a vague book project I was working on, she encouraged me to join The Collectif. “Oh no,” was my spontaneous answer, “I haven’t published anything.” She said, “There are writers in the Collectif. It’s a very supportive group.” At the following months, I joined. Then wrote, more. And better!

Around the same time, I had a crush on … The Glengarry News. One day, I finally pushed through the door! The first thing I told The Editor, “I’m a member of the Artists’ Collectif – he nodded in approval – I want to share with you an idea.” The following week, my first bilingual chronicle was published: Happy Waste-Free, Worry-Free Christmas. Two years later I published my first book: French Toast & Pain Perdu. Vous y lirez cette première rencontre marquante.

The rest is History and lots of fun with the people I have met thanks to The Collectif, its initiatives and its challenges, IN and OUTSIDE the organization. What will YOU take away from joining a committee? Now and for the rest of your life. Say yes to this opportunity. [To volunteer for a committee or have details, contact a board member at cagac.ca@gmail.com ]

After the business portion of the meeting, we got to Show & Tell, with members sharing processes, inspiration, fears & accomplishments. Kinda like Collectif Creativity!

Laura shared how her work has evolved over time.

Margaret Stewart shared the liberating experience of creating 90-minute artworks at a workshop. As she phrased it, “It was a great way to defrag the brain.”

Michael Poitras has been working intently on a series of larger works, investigating colour. As a break he’s created small works based on flying a kite as a child with his grandfather.

Paulette Poitras shared the history of her painting, based on a photo from the 1980s across Mill Pond. 

The work was chosen as this year’s art donation from The Collectif to the Township.  Ins

Susan Latreille enthusiastically shared her journey with watercolour, since member Robin Patterson’s demonstration at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in 2024. Every day she is learning something & is still VERY excited.

Michelle O’Connor is known for her detailed landscapes. Yet when a student brought her a photo of a fox, Michelle was compelled to create a large portrait in a looser style imposed on a different background.

Lynne Ayers shared a trick for hanging canvas boards

using sticks available for giveaway at theAGM & the effects of watercolour on matte board.

Then Lucie K introduced the next section .

It is my pleasure & honour to present to you the premiere of the new duo – DITTO. Bobi Leutschaft Poitras & Bobby Colosino – hence the name Ditto – are two very talented artists who have combined their genuine joy for music to complement each other’s creativity in writing & composing music to co-produce & perform original pieces. Please join me in welcoming them for their very first performance.

Along with Show & Tell there were 3 longs tables of art supplies to winnow through as well as coffee & baked goods. A very worthwhile evening!

The next member Coffee House is set for 21Jan2026.