General public
There is lots going on at the Merry House!
We would like visitors to make the site of memory their own and to play an active role in it by offering them exhibitions featuring residents’ accounts and juxtaposing new technology and artefacts as well as illustrations and antique objects. Family workshops and group tours. Free admission to exhibitions for residents of Magog.
Family introductory workshop on archeology
Discover and handle genuine artifacts and reproductions related to food, housing, and healthcare.
Workshops offered continuously to families on weekends.
Inquire at the reception for interpreter-guides' availability.
A site of memory and learning open to everyone
The Merry House presents fun and festive special event programming through three series of events. Shows, conferences, and workshops are waiting for you to rediscover our history.
Feb. 24 - Traditional Chocolate Confection
Traditional Chocolate Confection
Discover the fascinating story of cocoa’s discovery and its use over time. Then follow the steps to make your own chocolate! In French only.
Artisan: Chocolats Vanden Eynden
Sunday, February 24, 2019, 10:30 am
Fee-based activity:
Family (2 adults and 2 children): $30
Additional child: $6
Adult single: $10
Child single: $10
Reservations: 819-201-0727
March 7-8 - Archaeology Family Workshop
Immerse your family in the depths of Magog's history and discover our ancestors’ way of life by manipulating artefacts and learning the basics of archaeology.
Activity included in the entrance fee
Reservations: 819-201-0727
April 19 - Joséphine Bacon in performance + film
Les Correspondances sortent d’Eastman
An evening of Innu poetry with Joséphine Bacon followed by Claude Hamel's documentary film Territoire Ishkueu Territoire Femme. In French only.
Friday, April 19, 2019, 8 pm
Free activity
Reservations at Correspondances d’Eastman: 450-297-2265
May 1 - The Textile Strike of 1950-1960
The Textile Strike of 1950-1960: Magog at a Crossroads
In the late 1950s, Magog was still beating to the textile rhythm despite the arrival of new industries.
With the strike from September 27, 1959 to February 15, 1960, Magog experienced an intense period marked with sacrifice and hardship, but it was also a period of questioning. On the verge of the Quiet revolution, it seemed more than ever that Magog was at a crossroads. In French only.
Speaker: Serge Gaudreau, Historian
Wednesday, May 1, 2019, 6 pm
Fee-based activity: $5
Reservations: 819-201-0727
May 29 - From an Arrowhead to a Pair of Glasses
From an Arrowhead to a Pair of Glasses: the Past Hidden Right Under Our Feet
Curious to know the results of Magog’s many archaeological interventions over recent years? Meet an archaeologist who will bring light to Magog's rich buried heritage.
Organized by the City of Magog
Speaker: Artefactuel
Wednesday, May 29, 6 pm
Free
Reservations: 819-201-0727
July 18 - Classical Concert: Robert Cohen, Cello
Classical Concert: Robert Cohen, Cello
Robert Cohen made his concerto debut at the age of twelve in London's Royal Festival Hall, and throughout the following forty years of his distinguished international career, he has been hailed as one of the foremost cellists of our time.
As well as being invited all across the world to perform concertos by conductors Claudio Abbado, Kurt Masur, Riccardo Muti, and Sir Simon Rattle, Robert Cohen has also collaborated in chamber music with many renowned soloists and ensembles such as Yehudi Menuhin and the Amadeus String Quartet.
Thursday, July 18, 2019, 6 pm
Fee-based activity: $25
Reservations: 819-201-0727
The Merry musical series is presented in collaboration with Orford Music, thanks to the generosity of Jean and Jocelyne Monty. Throughout the summer, five classical and jazz concerts will be presented at the Merry House. Artists will include in their performance pieces from repertories listened to in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
July 25 - Classical Concert: John O’Conor, Piano
Classical Concert: John O’Conor, Piano
Irish pianist John O’Conor has been receiving wonderful reviews for his masterful playing over the last forty years. Having studied in his native Dublin, in Vienna with Dieter Weber, and being tutored by the legendary Wilhelm Kempff, his unanimous 1st Prize at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna in 1973 opened the door to a career that has brought him all around the world.
For his service to music, he has been named as Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government and has received many other awards.
Thursday, July 25, 2019, 6 pm
Fee-based activity: $25
Reservations: 819-201-0727
The Merry musical series is presented in collaboration with Orford Music, thanks to the generosity of Jean and Jocelyne Monty. Throughout the summer, five classical and jazz concerts will be presented at the Merry House. Artists will include in their performance pieces from repertories listened to in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Aug. 1 - Jazz Concert: Jonathan Turgeon on Piano and Luc Herrmann on Guitar
Jazz Concert: Jonathan Turgeon on Piano and Luc Herrmann on Guitar
A resident of the Townships and an active presence on the Montreal jazz scene, pianist Jonathan Turgeon has rapidly gained recognition for his creativity and dexterity. Drawing on his strong grasp of tradition, his classical background, and enthusiasm for breaking barriers between genres, Turgeon’s compositions reflect a personality all of their own.
Montreal native Luc Hermann stands out among the new generation of jazz guitarists.
The duo will be presenting a selection of early jazz inspired by Broadway.
Thursday, August 1st, 2019, 6 pm
Fee-based activity: $25
Reservations: 819-201-0727
The Merry musical series is presented in collaboration with Orford Music, thanks to the generosity of Jean and Jocelyne Monty. Throughout the summer, five classical and jazz concerts will be presented at the Merry House. Artists will include in their performance pieces from repertories listened to in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Aug. 8 - Classical Concert: Caroline Lizotte, Harp
Classical Concert: Caroline Lizotte, Harp
Caroline Lizotte has led a solid career as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician over the last 25 years. She has been the second harp with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal since 2003.
Ms. Lizotte is internationally renowned as a brilliant French‑Canadian harpist and composer. Her harp works are celebrated and performed around the world in various festivals and many international harp competitions, and they are listed among the most influential works of the harp repertoire in the late 20th and 21st centuries.
Thursday, August 8, 2019, 6 pm
Fee-based activity: $25
Reservations: 819-201-0727
The Merry musical series is presented in collaboration with Orford Music, thanks to the generosity of Jean and Jocelyne Monty. Throughout the summer, five classical and jazz concerts will be presented at the Merry House. Artists will include in their performance pieces from repertories listened to in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Aug. 15 - Jazz Concert: François Jalbert on Guitar and Jérôme Beaulieu on Piano
Jazz Concert: François Jalbert on Guitar and Jérôme Beaulieu on Piano
Shefford native Jérôme Beaulieu holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Interpretation from the University of Montreal. Beaulieu’s jazz, pop and world music projects are wide-ranging, allowing him to grow as an instrumentalist, arranger, and composer. His personal project, the Jérôme Beaulieu Trio, was named Radio-Canada’s Revelation 2013.
The young, Montreal-born guitarist, François Jalbert, cut his teeth on the music of Django Reinhardt. He studied Jazz Interpretation at the University of Montreal, where he won the Montreal Jazz Festival’s prestigious Jazz Guitar Scholarship two years in a row. He remains very active on the Montreal jazz scene and has completed a Master’s Degree in Jazz Composition and Interpretation at McGill University. Jalbert was also awarded the Montreal Guitar Grand Prize in the jazz category in 2006 and 2008.
Longtime friends and collaborators, their acoustic music album, "This is a Real Place," was inspired by both jazz and folk and was released in 2017.
Thursday, August 15, 2019, 6 pm
Fee-based activity: $25
Reservations: 819-201-0727
The Merry musical series is presented in collaboration with Orford Music, thanks to the generosity of Jean and Jocelyne Monty. Throughout the summer, five classical and jazz concerts will be presented at the Merry House. Artists will include in their performance pieces from repertories listened to in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Sept. 25 - History of Alcoholic Beverages in Quebec
History of Alcoholic Beverages in Quebec
It is not news that people here appreciate alcoholic beverages. Whether it is for personal use, to get around prohibition, or to do something out of the ordinary, our ancestors have learned to draw the essence of our land to create new alcohols... as evidenced by the tremendous growth of the microbrewery, as well as cider and wine production since the 1970s. Cheers!
Tasting: Three pairings of alcoholic beverages and Quebec cheese.
Speaker: Catherine Ferland, Historian
Wednesday, September 25, 2019, 6 pm
Fee-based activity: $25
Reservations: 819-201-0727
Oct. 30 - The Food of the First Settlers
The Food of the First Settlers
From subsistence farming to industrialization, the way we eat in Quebec has greatly changed. The rudimentary agricultural techniques of the 19th century have given way to a more mechanized agriculture, and processed foods play a larger role in our diet. What did the first settlers eat? What was the American and British influence on our diet?
Speaker: Laurent Turcot, Historian
Wednesday, October 30, 6 pm
Fee-based activity: $10
Reservations: 819-201-0727
Nov. 22 - I remember... the Textile workers
I Remember… the Textile Workers
The Merry House highlights the contribution of textile workers during a 5 to 7, followed by a viewing of Denys Arcand's documentary film On est au coton.
Friday, November 22, 2019, 5:30 pm
Fee-based activity: $10
(free for former Textile workers)
Reservations: 819-201-0727
December 8 - Christmas at the Merry's
From the many traditions of Christmas, we choose to decorate cookies and greeting cards to put us in the mood for the holidays. Young and old will experience joy and happiness!
Artisan: Les Délices de Wendy
Sunday, December 8, 2019, 10:30 am and 1:30 pm
Fee-based activity:
Family (4 people): $30
Additional child: $6
Adult single: $10
Child single: $10
Reservations: 819-201-0727
Feb. 7 - The Merry Family
The Merry Family
Discover the story of the Merry family through various anecdotes of their everyday life throughout the 19th century. Today considered the founding family of Magog, the Merrys actively contributed to the city’s economic and social development. In French only.
The conference will be preceded by the launch of the Merry House 2019 programming.
Speaker: Geneviève Dorion Belisle, Historian and Project Manager at the Merry House.
