North Canaan soared in 2024

Finn, 12, found his wings at Triumph Airfield June 1.
Riley Klein

Finn, 12, found his wings at Triumph Airfield June 1.
NORTH CANAAN — An action-packed year made for big news in North Canaan.
A terrier was rescued from a quarry, a new health center opened, and Canaanites welcomed new businesses to town while saying farewell to an old favorite.
The year began with two downtown eateries opening. McMuckle’s Market came to town and Nutrition on Railroad reopened under new ownership.
In March, Town Hall introduced a new face in Paul Mattingly, executive assistant. Mattingly and First Selectman Brian Ohler launched initiatives to revamp municipal operations like Make It Happen Monday, when all permitting officials are present in Town Hall to streamline applications.
In springtime, a volunteer rescue effort saved Rippy the terrier from a quarry. Animal control, local fire departments, regional ropes rescue team and the first selectman, equipped with an infrared detection drone, teamed up to save Rippy in a multi-day effort.
Community Health and Wellness Center cut the ribbon on its North Canaan facility in May. CHWC CEO Joanne Borduas spoke on the monumental achievement and what it means for the people of the region, saying the new center “welcomes everyone through the door without stigma and without discrimination. And for that, we are so grateful.”
Young aviators took flight at Triumph Airfield when Experimental Aircraft Association made its first appearance in North Canaan. In total, 32 first timers got a feel for flying with the assistance of certified pilots.
Railroad Days rolled into town in July under new leadership. The North Canaan Events Committee presented two weeks of town-wide fun that culminated with a parade plus a dazzling firework and drone display.
The Transfer Station got a face lift courtesy of local artist Cheri Johnson, who painted a 40-foot mural welcoming visitors and promoting recycling.
In September, the Attorney General’s office handed down its findings on an investigation into Town Clerk Jean Jacquier. Misconduct was found in three incidents, but no punitive action was taken. Jacquier, an elected official, is suing the town for legal costs accrued during the investigation. Torrington Superior Court set a hearing for Jan. 27 at 2 p.m.
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) ramped up production of syringes at its North Canaan plant in response to quality issues with plastic syringes imported from China. Fallon McLoughlin, director of public relations and corporate communications, said, “We’ve added over 100 full-time associates in the last year, and currently have more than 500 full-time associates and nearly 50 contingent associates.”
In the 2024 election, North Canaan was a true bellwether town. Voters chose Trump (R) for president, Murphy (D) for senate, Hayes (D) for congress, Harding (R) for state senate and Horn (D) for state representative. Each won.
As the year wound down, North Canaan said farewell to Great Falls Brewing Company. The Union Depot fixture closed its doors at the end of December after several slow years beginning with the pandemic.
The HVRHS boys rejoice around Jackson McAvoy after he scored the game-winning goal against Shepaug with just two minutes left to play.
WASHINGTON — Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s boys varsity soccer team advanced to the Berkshire League tournament final after a 1-0 win over Shepaug Valley High School in the semifinal game on Friday, Oct. 24.
Jackson McAvoy scored the game-winning goal with just two minutes remaining.
The victory marked HVRHS boys soccer’s first victory over Shepaug since 2020.
“Finally,” said HVRHS Coach Adolfo Portillo after the game.
HVRHS will play top-ranked Nonnewaug High School in the BL final. Nonnewaug advanced to the title game by beating Northwestern Regional High School in penalty kicks (4-3) after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
The championship game will be played at Nonnewaug beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28.

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Students dressed in neon lined the soccer field for senior night under the lights on Thursday, Oct. 16. The game against Lakeview was the last in a series of competitions Thursday night in celebration of Homecoming 2025.
As homecoming week reaches its end and fall sports finish out the season, an air of school spirit and student participation seems to be on the rise across Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
But what can be attributed to this sudden peak of student interest? That’s largely due to SGA. Also known as the Student Government Association, SGA has dedicated itself to creating events to bring the entire student body together. This year, they decided to change some traditions.
Spirit week from Oct. 14-17 was unlike those of the previous years. From wearing Housatonic merch to Boomer vs Baby day, this year’s spirit week held a little friendly competition to see which grade could participate the most.
“I think that students are bored of the same old activities and events, so it’s good to switch things up even slightly to incentivize interest within students,” said SGA president and senior Mollie Ford. “Plus the point system is super beneficial because it gives students a reason to participate.”
The school spirit sentiment can be seen outside of just the school. Senior Simon Markow is known for his photography throughout the community, and has dedicated time to help Housy sports teams’ social media posts.
“Since I’ve started photography, I think school attendance [at sports games] has gone up,” Markow said. “I feel this year, students will be more aware of games and are more likely to be at the games.”
Whether it’s a pink-out volleyball game or an under the lights soccer match, it’s likely you’ll see some familiar faces.
Social media has played a large role in this over the years. Almost every student organization at Housatonic has an Instagram account, and it’s helped reach students more efficiently than a poster or email would.
“The increase of social media use, with the help from me but as well as the teams themselves has definitely increased student interest,” Markow said. “With Housy teams posting more about their upcoming games, and my help showing the cool goals, spikes, or touchdowns, it’s enlightened students to watch the games themselves.”
In a small school, promoting pride has proven to be a challenge. But this year’s senior class has made some adjustments in the hopes to change that.
“The SGA community has spent the last few years really focusing on student participation, because we think it’s the students who contribute to a better climate,” Ford said. While Housatonic’s student body may be small in size, it seems they certainly aren’t small in spirit.