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Visions That Bring Projects to Life in the Eastern Townships
Thirty years ago, a group of forward-thinking optometrists in the Eastern Townships chose to come together around shared values.
Since then, Opto-Réseau clinics have grown across the region and all of Quebec. These are neighbourhood clinics, deeply rooted in their communities, where owner-practitioners build a privileged bond with their patients every day.
30 Years Later
We travelled to the Eastern Townships to discover the vision of a ceramist, a duo of restaurateurs and a quilter, independent entrepreneurs who bring their region to life with a perspective entirely their own.
For these four entrepreneurs, sight is both an essential working tool and a source of inspiration to be shared, whether in a local dish savoured among good company or in the handcrafted objects that bring joy to everyday life.
Discover their unique vision and the way they see life reflected in the new spring-summer eyewear trends.
Shaping Her Favourite Views
Marie-Joël is a ceramist and the founder of Atelier Tréma. For over twenty years, she has transformed clay into bowls, plates, mugs and kitchen pieces in her studio-boutique in Bedford. The same space is home to a café-diner where she showcases her creations alongside a seasonal menu that celebrates local flavours.
Her creative vision is born from small, everyday details: textures, scents, light and memories of a childhood spent in the region she still calls home today.
Day to day, Marie-Joël loves noticing the simple things, like the thin trail of clay that flies through the air and creates a shooting star effect across her studio.
A Touch of the Territory
A true lover of the landscape, she works with wild clay, a local material she has always seen along the riverbanks and shores of her region, learned to work with and adopted as the signature of some of her most distinctive pieces.
Life Without Glasses?
Her craft demands precision, in every gesture, in every intention. Shaping the handles of her mugs, for example, requires perfect vision. "I remember very clearly the moment I lost perfect sight: it was a Wednesday afternoon. It was a defining moment for me, because sight is such an essential part of my work every day," says the ceramist, who now wears glasses.
Eyewear trends: signature pieces
Much like the creations of Atelier Tréma, these frames have that little something that adds warmth to the everyday. The Vibrant Hues trend is effortlessly versatile and perfect for brightening up the summer, while the White Aura frames, minimal and radiant, bring out the natural features of everyone who wears them. See the trends.
Tasting with Your Eyes
At Comptoir Moutarde, a welcoming neighbourhood restaurant in the village of Bedford, a couple opens the door to welcome us: Raphaëlle and Marc. Their menu is built around local products from the Brome-Missisquoi region. Marc is at home in the kitchen; Raphaëlle brings the dining room to life.
Views That Inspire
The restaurant's name was inspired by one of Raphaëlle's favourite sights: "The mustard flower is tiny, delicate, a vivid shade of yellow—and it actually tastes good.” It grows in abundance in the fields near here, and I love watching it all summer long," she explains.
In the dining room, Raphaëlle loves observing the interactions around her. For her, eating together is a deeply human experience, one she witnesses up close, with joy, every single day.
Marc, for his part, is a passionate lover of nature and the outdoors. That connection feeds his cooking: the golden reflection of cornfields at sunset recently inspired him to create a dish in their honour.
Life Without Glasses?
For a chef, in a restaurant and especially in the kitchen, you taste first with your eyes. "It's such an important part of the experience: the contrasts of colour and texture you build into a plate to catch the eye, to create desire, to make someone want to eat," Marc explains.
Eyewear trends: leaning into texture
Much like Marc's dishes, the Desert Glow frames are all about texture. Timeless in style and warm in feel, they pair effortlessly with any outfit, any season. See the trend.
Making the Everyday Beautiful
It's in the picturesque village of Stanbridge East that Marilyn opened her quilting studio-boutique, Le point visible. Here, she gives new life to an ancestral craft, using reclaimed materials to handcraft unique, colourful pieces, accessories and even a wearable quilt coat.
It All Starts With Looking
Marilyn works in a very organic way. "I use new reclaimed materials. I try things out, I play with my little pieces, I place them side by side, and then at some point, something clicks: we've got something," she explains. For her, everything begins with a visualization. Her inspiration comes from everywhere: the heron that visits the river at sunset, the lines of a building, the bubbles in her bath, but most of all, from her daughter's drawings, which have sparked many of her creations.
That's the foundation of her creative process: start from a sketch, preserve its essence, then find the right quilting technique to bring the idea to life.
Eyewear trends: daring with colour
Like Marilyn's quilts, the Primary Vibe trend features bold, high-impact colours and an audacious structure. Meanwhile, the Curve Effect sunglasses, sport-chic and full of personality, have a confident style and playful curves that pair beautifully with Le point visible's wearable coat.
A Shared Vision
Whether shaping clay, plating dishes or assembling fabric, sight is at the heart of the creative process for these Eastern Townships entrepreneurs. And for all of them, the truest pleasure of creating comes from being able to share it, with the people they love, and with everyone who crosses their path.
It's a sensitivity you'll find this season in Opto-Réseau's new spring-summer trends: frames designed for those who see everyday life as a source of inspiration, and eyewear that helps you see the world clearly through all of life's moments, big and small.