ETIENNE BENOIT

Documentary
Quebec 2021
33 min.
VOF

This film is the result of a year’s exploration on the trail of Jackson Creek, one of the three tributaries of Cowansville’s Lac Davignon. This magnificent 24 km watercourse rises in Mont Singer and Mont Écho, contains pure, clear water and is home to a rich and diverse flora and fauna. In the form of an investigation and quest, the filmmaker follows the creek’s trail to retrace its history, highlighting its first riparians and the pioneers of its conservation. The question of the impact of human presence on nature serves as a common thread for discovering a natural but fragile jewel. In addition to showcasing the beauty of the creek, the film addresses its fragility and initiates a reflection on the issues of accessibility, preservation and privatization of natural environments – a subject that will represent a major challenge for the Brome-Missisquoi region in the years to come.

ETIENNE BENOIT

Documentary
Quebec 2021
33 min.
VOF

The great Yamaska River has several branches. It has long been considered one of the most polluted rivers in Quebec. But what about its South-East branch, upstream of Lake Davignon, which flows partly through the territory of the former Champlain Sea? In addition to seeking answers to this question, filmmaker Étienne Benoit tells the story of how this river once powered mills and farms. The ruins still visible today bear witness to this era. “Through my research, we discovered previously unpublished photos and information about the hamlet of Call’s Mills.

Historical facts are revealed and brought to life in the documentary, which gives voice to a dozen contributors. Navigating the Rivière Yamaska SudEst, we discover landscapes of exceptional natural beauty. The river rises at Call’s Mills Park in Lac Brome, passes through beautiful farmland and the village of West Brome before reaching Lac Davignon. Its winding course also includes places shaped by human activity, which threaten the balance of its ecosystem. “The Rivière Yamaska Sud-Est is the main tributary of Lac Davignon. On its journey, it carries with it a significant amount of sediment,” explains Pierre St-Arnault, president of the Comité de sauvegarde du bassin versant du lac Davignon. “Anyone who knows Île aux mouettes understands the extent of the sedimentation problem on the lake.

ETIENNE BENOIT

Documentary
Quebec 2021
24 min.
VOF

Westover Creek rises at Mont Gagnon in Sutton, flows through the hamlet of Sutton Junction, the Mansville area and empties into the Rivière Yamaska Sud-Est one km downstream of Call’s Mills. Westover Creek has always been mistakenly referred to as Rivière Yamaska Sud-Est. This watercourse doesn’t have the characteristics of a river, and filmmaker Étienne Benoit discovered that it didn’t actually have an official name. So he formed a committee to name it. The committee was made up of members of Toponymie Sutton, Musée Lac Brome, OBV Yamaska, MRC Brome-Missisquoi and Comité de sauvegarde du bassin versant du lac Davignon.

The name was accepted and made official on September 7, 2022 by the Commission de toponymie du Québec. In addition to recounting this amusing confusion, the director tells the little story of the Westover family, who settled in Sutton in 1802 and are the originators of the creek’s name. The subjects of flora, fishing and ecological connectivity are also addressed in this magnificent documentary that showcases the beauty of the Brome-Missisquoi landscape. La p’tite histoire du ruisseau Westover is Étienne Benoit’s third documentary about the tributaries of Lac Davignon. It’s a film that came about when the director realized that it wasn’t part of the Rivière Yamaska Sud-Est.

Q&A with Étienne Benoit