History

In 1973, Mrs Mary Rankin and Mrs Alexandra Legault formed a Weavers’ club with all the equipment they were using in the basement of the Dorval Community Center, such as looms that had been given or on loan as well as warping mill and bobbins received from friends; those same friends were called upon to ransack through their drawers in order to find pins, needles, scissors, threads, wool, material to give to a group ready to create, learn and share in the same passion of weaving.

Three years later, in 1976, the Club became a Guild with its own constitution and rules. From the basement, the Dorval Weavers’ Guild moved to the second floor where they set up house in suite 207. At last, they had their own place, a place which was better lit, big enough to organize their wares as well as providing a bilingual library. Since then, there have been committees and presidents that have followed each other, always trying to improve and to add to what was in place.

So much so, that only five years after its inauguration, in 1981, the Dorval Weavers’ Guild held the first official conference of the A.T.Q. (Association des Tisserands du Québec) http://www.lestisserandsduquebec.com/fr/index.php and it is during these meetings that was officially formed the association of the Weavers of Quebec. A second conference of the A.T.Q. was held once again at the Dorval Community Center in 2004. Dorval is a town well-known for enhancing the diversity of its recreational activities.

It has been very generous in support of the Guild and it is also the source of a great deal of the material acquired since its formation. We also are thankful that the generosity of the town of Dorval as well as donation from many citizens of the city, has given us a well established bilingual library, with books and pamphlets all related one way or the other to our art form.

© , Guilde des Tisserands de Dorval – Dorval Weavers’ Guild.