North Hatley

One of the jewels of the Townships, North Hatley was founded in 1897 at the northern tip of Lake Massawippi. Like neighbouring Hatley, the region developed thanks to the efforts of immigrants who obtained concessions in Lower Canada through the Company of Associates. Following the arrival of immigrants Henry Cull and Ebenezer Hovey from the United States in 1793, Japhet Le Baron settled on this picturesque site. Originally, colonists lived on agriculture, wood harvesting, and the production of potash, which was sold to soap manufacturers. But the charm of the place made it attractive to rich American tourists, and in 1880, the construction of a rail line consolidated its reputation as a resort destination. Thanks to its growing fame, it received over 2000 visitors at the beginning of the 20th century, lodged in six hotels and 250 villas. Over the years, luxurious and century-old residences have beenread more > converted into charming hotels, bed and breakfasts and artists’ studios. Other buildings have become art galleries, shops, cafés and restaurants, all of which illustrate the welcoming quality that makes this village a choice vacation spot and residence for prominent people from around the world. Since 1982, at the end of each spring, the Festival du Lac Massawippi has offered music lovers varied recitals in Sainte-Elizabeth Church (1913), in addition to open-air concerts every Sunday through the summer in Dreamland Park. The St. Barnabas Anglican Church (1894), the Unitarian Universalist Church (1895) and the former Baptist – now United – Church (1908) are all well worth a visit. The presence of the lake gives the village a natural amphitheatre shape, which has been protected by a 1986 declaration designating part of the village an official heritage site.