Sherbrooke Quebec

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Sherbrooke

Founded in 1794, Sherbrooke was at first known as "Great Forks" from its location at the confluence of the St. Francis River and its left bank tributary the Magog. Sherbrooke is 96 miles east of Montreal, miles south of Quebec and 30 miles north of the American border. Strategically situated, it soon became the nucleus of roads and railways and the site of important industries, earning the title, "Queen of the Eastern Townships". Railways radiate in six directions: the C.P.R. to Montreal and St. John, N.B.; the C.N.R. to Portland, Maine, and to Montreal, and the Quebec Central to Quebec and to Boston. The population exceeds 140,000.

The urban functions resemble those of a New England town. Industry is dominant, more than half of the active population being employed in manufacturing and the building trade. The largest are the textile factories producing hosiery, rayon and cotton fabrics and woollens. Metal products are also important including mining machinery, locomotive parts, scales and jewellery.

Sherbrooke, picturesquely surrounded by Appalachian hills, is built on the lower slopes and on the river terraces on both banks of the St. Francis River. The largest part, containing four of the five wards, is located on the left bank. Through this area the Magog river flows in a narrow gorge below the 100-foot fall, providing an excellent power site. There are two main streets: King Street, sloping from a bridge above the fall on the Magog to another one across the St. Francis below; and Wellington Street, at right angles to the former, serving as an axis to the business district in the centre ward.

Three miles south of Sherbrooke, yet almost contiguous, Lennoxville is the site of Bishop's University. The variety of functions gives to Sherbrooke the aspect of a regional capital. It is also becoming a tourist headquarters. Fine lakes and forest-covered hills are close at hand, attracting many summer visitors; while skiing resorts have developed. The shores of Lake Massawippi, Lake Memphremagog and Lake Brome and Mount Orford Provincial Park are the most popular resort areas.

Other Towns Near Sherbrooke

Granby, half way between Sherbrooke and Montreal, is the second town of the region with a population of 47,637 (census of 2006). Only a village during the nineteenth century, it has become a thriving industrial town. Tobacco, textiles and rubber goods are the largest industries.

Magog (23,880), sixteen miles southwest of Sherbrooke, served by the C.P.R. and by Provincial Highway, has one large industry, a cotton factory. Situated at the outlet of Lake Memphremagog it is a summer resort area. Magog has become the centre of a resort area, with shops and services catering to vacationers and tourists.

Waterloo (5,000), half way between Magog and Granby, is a railway junction and local commercial centre which has a number of factories producing plywood, plastics and kitchenware. Here also is found the only large scale mushroom growing establishment in Quebec.

Cowansville and Sweetsburg are twin towns about 50 miles west of Montreal on the C.P.R. The latter is a judicial centre and residential village with a typical New England outlook; the former is an industrial town producing textiles and furniture.

Coaticook (8,988) is a clean looking small town on the floor of a glacial valley, 20 miles southeast of Sherbrooke. It is a regional market for dairy products and live stock and has textile factories.

Small towns along the St. Francis include: East Angus (3,600) 20 miles upstream from Sherbrooke, and Bromptonville 26 miles downstream. Both are paper mill sites. Windsor Mills, 10 miles further downstream, was once a sawmill town, but now has a paper mill as its only large industry. Richmond, a few miles further down, is an important C.N.R. junction having also textile and shoe factories. Actonvale, 20 miles east of Richmond was once a copper mining centre but now has rubber and textile plants.