Heritage centre documents tea-drinking tradition in Quebec's Eastern Townships

One of Jane Loiselle's first childhood memories is sipping afternoon tea from china cups with her grandmother and being allowed a cookie to go with it.

"My first time serving tea was as a Brownie," she said. "We all wore our uniforms, and we served all the teas in town."

At the end of that afternoon, Loiselle recalls, she got to put a cube of sugar in her own cup of tea — a habit she's kept for more than 40 years.

Tea drinking part of 'intangible' heritage

Loiselle's tea-time ritual is exactly the type of anecdote the Uplands Heritage and Cultural Centre wants to hear.

The heritage house is home to the Lennoxville-Ascot Historical Museum, attracting close to 8,000 tourists and residents annually. Many stop in for a cup of tea and scones, served by staff dressed in period costume.

Julie Marleau, who co-ordinates visitors' services at Uplands, said having a better idea of the history of tea in the region would add depth to that experience.

"We're trying to document the tradition," said Marleau. "How do people have tea, and why?"  

Last year, the City of Sherbrooke officially recognized tea drinking as an "intangible" heritage — something you can't touch but can replicate.

Marleau said Uplands, in partnership with Quebec's Culture Ministry and the University of Sherbrooke, has launched an oral history project to record stories and anecdotes from anglophones in the Eastern Townships who drank tea between 1940 and 2005.

"We're going to meet people, ask them questions," said Marleau. "We're still looking for participants."

"They don't have to be tea experts, just people who are willing to talk about the local traditions."

Marleau said Uplands plans to use the stories it gathers in future exhibits.

Tea entrenched in memories

Muriel Fitzsimmons is one of the Townshippers planning to take part in the oral history project.

"I wasn't given tea as a child," she said.

"You didn't give young children tea — apparently it might stunt their growth or something."

Fitzsimmons laughs at the memory, saying she wasn't served her first cup of tea until she was 10, when it was offered to her at a friend's house. 

"I tasted it, and it was awful, so I put some sugar in it. It was still awful," she said, remembering that she'd ended up with thick, syrupy water.

"I've loved tea ever since, but I never touch sugar!"

Seeking tea-drinking volunteers

Marleau says she's hoping to gather about 30 stories such as those recounted by Loiselle and Fitzsimmons, but she's only a third of the way to reaching that goal.

Marleau aims to find 10 participants over the age of 65, 10 between the ages of 35 and 65, and another 10 younger than 35.

Townshippers interested in sharing their stories can call the Uplands Centre at 819-564-0409.