By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The Eastern Townships Roots Facebook group, founded by Joel Barter, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. What began as a small online community has grown into a widely recognized historical and social hub with over 42,700 members. The group has not only preserved local history but also fostered connections among people with ties to the region.
Barter created the group in response to changes in an existing online community dedicated to the Eastern Townships. “I didn’t want to hijack the group,” he said, explaining in a recent interview that as rules became stricter and the focus of a previous group shifted primarily to landscape photography, he saw an opportunity to create a space dedicated to history and genealogy. “I had a lot of people saying, ‘Yeah, that would be cool. Can you start another one?’ So I did a little poll, and that’s how we got Eastern Townships Roots.”
The group gained traction quickly, with Barter using his own collection of family photos and postcards to engage early members. Over time, participation has remained strong as new contributors have come forward with their own materials. “I’ve been lucky where, once every year, there’s one or two people that post a lot, and then when they run out, someone else comes on board,” he explained. He also credits daily engagement strategies, such as changing the group’s profile picture every morning, for keeping members active. “People wake up, see the new photo, and start talking about it. It maintains dialogue on a daily basis.”
Barter’s interest in history stems from his childhood, influenced by his grandfather’s local knowledge and the writings of historian David Hosking. This passion has fueled Eastern Townships Roots, which has led to some remarkable discoveries. One of the most significant was a chance connection with Hosking’s son, who had joined the group under an alias. “I thought it was the real David Hosking at first!” Barter recalled. “It was pretty cool to find out his son had been following the group and was part of it.”
