Matthew Farfan

MARBLETON
Dudswell, which includes the villages of Marbleton, Bishopton, and the parish of Saint-Adolphe-de-Dudswell, is well worth a visit. Just north of Route 112, Marbleton is the centre of the municipality and has recently been admitted to the Association des plus beaux villages du Québec, a select group of the province's most picturesque communities. The village, which is adjacent to the old parish of Dudswell, is built up around Lac Adolphe and nearby Lac d'Argent. It is a pretty setting, with rolling hills and valleys all around, and some wonderful19th century homes and churches.

INHABITED FOREST
In Marbleton, there are some great spots for a picnic or family excursion, including 10 kilometres of scenic walking trails in and around the village.

The Forêt habitée de Dudswell ("Inhabited Forest") includes trails of varying degrees of difficulty, all of which are accessible free of charge and open year-round, with the exception of a few sections which are closed during hunting season. Interpretive plaques along the way explain the flora and fauna.

CULTURAL CENTRE
One of the main attractions in Marbleton is the Maison de la culture de Dudswell (Dudswell Cultural Centre). The Centre includes a tourist bureau, art gallery, and best of all, the Louis-Émile Beauregard Collection of miniature wood carvings.

MASTER FOLK CARVER
Louis-Émile Beauregard (1922-1989) was a master folk carver from Dudswell who spent years (and literally thousands of hours) researching and carving scenes from his childhood. Each of his pieces is intricately carved, out of pine, to scale, and down to every minute detail. And every moveable part actually works! In all, there are 64 scale models in the Beauregard Collection, depicting everything from a general store, complete with hundreds of tiny objects for sale, to a horse-drawn hearse with a coffin. The models are the pride of Dudswell.

KIDS ARE FASCINATED
Nancy Duchesne (left), who has been Director of the Cultural Centre for five years, says that people come from all over to see the models. "Kids are fascinated by them. Older people are amazed at the patience they must have required." And Beauregard's children, who donated the miniatures, are delighted to see their father's life's work appreciated. "They can't believe what we've done," she says. "For years these models were gathering dust in an attic. Now everyone can enjoy them."


Asked which one is her personal favourite, Duchesne answers, "that's easy, the General Store" -- which isn't surprising, since the General Store (above) was Beauregard's most intricate (and most time-consuming) piece.

The Cultural Centre is open seven days a week from June 24 through Labour Day, and the rest of the year by appointment. It is also a popular stop for bus tours in the off-season, Duchesne explains.

TOURIST TRAIN
Bishopton, which is on the opposite side of Route 112 a few kilometres away, is a terminus on the route of the new Haut-St-François tourist train. The train, which stops in there on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, departs from both Sherbrooke and East Angus. In Bishopton, passengers visit the historic Rebeka Hall, which has been converted into a café-boutique, after which they are taken by bus to Marbleton and the Cultural Centre. On week-ends, costumed animators are on hand to make the experience especially lively for children.

ART
One other big event takes place every year in Dudswell. It is the Symposium des arts de Dudswell, which runs from August 8 through 10. The Symposium features an exhibition of works by 20 local artists working in oils, watercolours, and other media, and takes place at the Community Centre, 193 Principale, Marbleton. For information, call: (819) 887-6093.

For information on the Maison de la culture de Dudswell, call: (819) 887-6093.

Or click here.

Or here.

For more on the Train du Haut-St-François, click here.

(Photos: Matthew Farfan)