Here is an update on our ongoing work with the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC).

Today, I met with my local Member of Parliament (MP), who was very supportive during our earlier efforts to secure federal funding for the Fossmobile Project. She has agreed to take the following steps:

1)    Send a letter to the Honourable Minister, who has oversight over the HSMBC, requesting her personal involvement, closer scrutiny, and a high standard for any further submission report

2)     Provide a letter endorsing the nomination noting that, in her view, it meets the criteria for an Event of Historical Significance. This will be sent to Fossmobile Ent, and we can then forward it for inclusion in the file currently held by HSMBC staff

3)     Contact the office of the  Member of Parliament (MP) for Sherbrooke to encourage a similar endorsement, potentially framed with a local perspective (as this history is as much Sherbrooke’s as it is the families)

She also noted that it is unlikely the Minister would override the committee. If the nomination proceeds in June (the next time the committee convenes), past practice suggests we may not receive a decision until February of next year.

Ron Foss, Executive Director

Fossmobile Enterprises