Eastern Townships

Originally Posted on March 2, 2007 on Velo Quebec 2007

Eastern Townships
Travel Map

Le plus Beaux Villages du Quebec
Google Maps 50 miles/80 kilometers from Frelighsburg to St-Benoit-du-Lac
Frelighsburg - Stanbridge-East - Knowlton - St.-Benoit-du-Lac

Frelighsburg

Google Map

Nestled between luscious green valleys on the banks of the Brochets River, close to Mount Pinacle and the american border, Frelighsburg is home to a particularly special architectural heritage as is reflected in the importance, originality and preservation of its buildings. Its proximity to the United States meant this village became a place where many cross-border immigrants would eventually settle. The first wave of immigrants arrived in 1790; among them was Abram Freligh, who gave the village its name upon acquiring the sawmill. The second mill, built on the rivers’ edge by Freligh’s son in 1839, is now a historical monument and is private property. Frelighsburg began expanding throughout the 19th century, with side-by-side construction of American-style stone and wooden buildings.

• Au cœur de la Pomme, 42, route 237 : farm with apple products , specialty of applevinegar and honey.
• À la Girondine, 104, route 237 sud : Ducks, geese, rabbits, pâtés, foie gras etc.
• Le Festiv’Art, (Saturday and Sunday, early september) : hundred artists from all over the Québec on the main street.
  

Restaurants

• Café-terrasse Les Sucreries de l’Érable,
  16, rue Principale, downtown (in the old general store)
• Aux Deux Clochers, rue de l’Église
• La Girondine, 104, route 237 sud, country dining
  
  Stanbridge East
  
  Google Map
  
  In 1797, several years following the American Revolution, loyalists Nathan Andrews and Caleb Tree arrived in Canada, and built a grain mill next to the Rivi ère des Brochets (“Pikes river”). The little village of Stanbridge East was thus born, in the heart of a calm and quiet landscape. Harmoniously blended within are cultivated fields, edged in groves and hedges and flanked by evergreens and leafy trees. The river cuts across the landscape, weaves along the hollows, and leads through the heart of the village.

After strolling along the roads, which offer eye-catching vantage points, cyclists and walkers arrive at the village centre, surrounded by nineteenth-century ancestral homes built in the American style using brick and painted wood. Next to the Brochets River is the Missisquoi Museum, housed in the 1820 Cornell Mill, which was built on the edge of the barrage. To the east are Hodge’s General Store and Bill’s Barn (Grange à Bill).

As in its neighbouring villages, here, too, religions reside peacefully side by side. Saint James Anglican Church and its presbytery (1860), built in the neogothic style, stand in a shaded area alongside the small verdant cemetery. The United Church (1884) sits on the opposite side of the park, displaying a more Victorian style. Rather ironically, the Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc Catholic Church is housed in a former 1861 bank.

Starting in the nineteenth century, this peaceful setting saw the expansion of small industries, such as a wool-refining mill, a manufacturer of wooden tops, and a leather tannery. Soon after, railroads and stores were built. Agriculture also began developing at this time, and quickly became the village mainstay after most of the workshops closed down. Today, in addition to standard farming, farms produce a variety of lesser-grown fruits.

• Chèvrerie Les Caprices du Pré (goat farm), 1, chemin Blinn (visits, activities and demonstration of hand-made goat’s milk soap production)
• La Ménagerie de verre, 2, rue Riceburg (artisanal stained glass window making ).
• La Pépinière Bernier, 155 Ridge (nursery and small fruits)
• Les Serres Mercier, 191, chemin Bunker, route 237 (garden centre)
• Le magasin général Blinn, 12, rue River
• Meubles Shaker, route 237 ( Shaker style hand made furniture)
  

Restaurants

• Café « Chez moi »,
  rue Maple (delicatessen, breakfasts)
  Phil Baker’s bakery,
  19, North Road (bakery and asparagus for sale)
  Restaurant « Le Sainte Jeanne d’Arc »,
  7, rue River (breeded game).

Knowlton

Google Map
About 100 kilometres southeast of Montreal, on the shores of a magnificent five- kilometre wide lake, Knowlton is at once a blooming, shady and festive village, especially during the summer and weekends. Vacationers gather here to enjoy aquatic activities on the lake, the beauty of the surrounding landscapes, and the quaint charm of the streets, which are lined with specialized boutiques, antique shops, and cafés.

The village was founded in 1821 with the construction of the first mill, a flour mill built in 1836 by Colonel Knowlton; a sawmill and the general store then followed. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Knowlton became the administrative, legal and postal centre of the region.

As is typical of the region, the presence of three different churches (one Catholic, one Anglican and one 1875 Victorian-style Methodist) epitomizes the co-existence of different cultures and religions. Beautiful residences spread across the village, particularly in the wooded area near the north entrance. Visit Masonic Hall (61, chemin Lakeside), which dates back to 1843 and once housed a tannery. A scenic little pond drawn from Cold Brook creek decorates the village centre.

A number of interesting public buildings are worth visiting, notably the P.H Knowlton Memorial (1854, now the Musée historique du comté de Brome) The History Museum of Brome County, the former post office (1904, now serves as city hall), the former Eastern Township bank, and the old library of 1894.

Duck farming is a Lake Brome specialty. Purchase or sample the variety of duck products available. For your intellectual cravings, a summer theatre features performances in English.

The Anglo-Saxon charm of Knowlton makes a winter visit worthwhile too. Enjoy the inns, winter ice-fishing, window shopping, and winter sports at Mount Glen. For a rejuvenating visit, try the lakefront health spa.

Brome Lac

Brome Lac Ducks
Brome Lake Ducks Ltd.
40 chemin Centre,
Knowlton (Quebec) Canada J0E 1V0
Google Maps


Duckfest - Canard de Fete au Lac Brome
Sept. 23-24, Sept. 30 - Oct 1






St-Benoit-du-Lac Abbey
Map
Blue Cheese and Cider
Room and Board $40 per night

Benidictine Abbey

St-Benoit-du-Lac to Magag to Ste_Catherine-de-Hatley to Sherbrook to St-Denis-de-Brompton to Racine.

90 kilometers or 56 miles







Racine



Racine to Victoriaville 77 kilometers

Victoriaville

Victoriaville to Trois Rivieres