QAHN honours volunteers safeguarding Quebec’s anglophone heritage

Tashi Farmilo

The Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) has honoured volunteers and organizations for their outstanding contributions to preserving English-speaking Quebec’s cultural legacy.

At a ceremony held on June 21 at the historic Louis-Joseph Forget House in Montreal, QAHN presented its 2025 volunteer recognition awards, celebrating those whose efforts continue to shape and safeguard the province’s Anglophone heritage.

This year’s Richard Evans Award was presented to the Townships Sun, a volunteer-run magazine that has documented life in the Eastern Townships for over five decades. Established under the Eastern Townships Social Action Group, the magazine has become a vital platform for capturing regional voices and histories. Volunteer Marie Moliner describes it as both a mirror and a megaphone, reflecting the community’s past and amplifying contemporary voices. Through stories of rural life, cultural identity, and social change, the Sun continues to ensure Anglophone heritage remains part of Quebec’s evolving narrative.

QAHN also introduced a new Young Volunteer Award this year to recognize the often-overlooked efforts of youth in heritage work. The inaugural recipients, Bryan McGaw and Jacob Coleman of the Vimy Foundation Canadian Centre for the Great War (VF-CCGW), were honoured for their extensive contributions to archival research, translation, photography, and digital initiatives related to Montreal’s First World War history.

Bryan has helped identify significant wartime sites in the city and researched local initiatives like the Westmount Soldiers’ Wives League. Jacob has used data analysis to uncover the stories of soldiers connected to Montreal’s English-speaking churches. According to Ada Chan of the VF-CCGW, their work has shed new light on the lives of Anglophone Montrealers during and after the war. Despite a demanding full-time job, Bryan consistently volunteered two afternoons a week. Jacob has balanced his contributions with doctoral studies and part-time work.

Dr. Ross Higgins received the Marion Phelps Award for individual achievement. A historian, archivist, and educator, Higgins co-founded the Archives gaies du Québec and served as its first president. His doctoral research into gay life in mid-20th century Montreal led to the creation of the archive, which remains a vital resource for scholars and the broader public.

Higgins was also part of the founding collective behind Androgeny, Montreal’s first gay and lesbian bookstore. Over the years, he has taught at McGill, UQAM, and Concordia, and published extensively on queer history in both English and French. Fellow historian Marhan Mozetich praised his decades-long commitment to collecting archival materials dating back to the 1920s, calling his contributions essential to the preservation of LGBTQ2S heritage in Quebec.

These five honourees were recognized as part of QAHN’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Their work reflects the diversity and dedication of individuals and groups committed to protecting and promoting Quebec’s English-speaking heritage.

Nominations for the 2026 QAHN Volunteer Recognition Awards will open later this year. For eligibility and submission details, visit qahn.org.