Lac-Brome

Created in 1971 following the merger of seven municipalities (Knowlton, West Brome, Foster, Fulford, Iron Hill, Bondville and East Hill), Lac-Brome surrounds Brome Lake. The name refers to a village in Suffolk County, England. Local residents have created a heritage circuit to guide visitors. The elegant Victorian village of Knowlton, the largest in Lac-Brome, is famous for its Loyalist roots and splendid built heritage. It was established upon the arrival of Colonel Paul Holland Knowlton, who came from Vermont and who built a flourmill in 1836, a sawmill and a store. These establishments quickly became popular and prosperous, transforming Knowlton into a small upper-class village by the end of the 19th century. By 1855, the village, a regional centre for telegraph reception, had a post office and an inn and became the seat of Brome County government. As early as 1867, vacationers were attracted toread more > Knowlton, already described by the Canadian Handbook Tourist Guide as an exceptional locale. In 1894, Knowlton inaugurated the first free rural public library in Quebec, the Pettes Library. The splendid, opulent residences built around the lake attracted visitors. Today, the quality and the originality of its restaurants and its gift, craft, and antique shops charm visitors. The centre of the village features a waterfall, to the immense pleasure of those strolling in the calm, natural surroundings of Coldbrook Park. Every autumn, a gastronomical event celebrates the world-famous Brome Lake duck. At Christmas, businesses and residences alike are trimmed with fabulous decorations, creating a vision of Christmas in a bygone era. Every year, on the first Saturday of December, young and young-at-heart gather to watch the traditional Santa Claus Parade where none other than Saint Nick himself doles out candies and smiles to visitors! The village of Foster, located close to the Eastern Townships Autoroute, is known for its former railway station. The tourist bureau, located at the crossroads of Routes 215 and 243, is housed within this charming train station that was moved and restored for that purpose. It is the characteristic of stations found along the Canadian Pacific railway at the end of the 19th century. Built on the banks of the Yamaska River close to Highway 10, the small hamlet of Fulford emerged in 1858 with the construction of a large tannery. In 1881, the economic activity of the village was reinforced with the opening of a sawmill. Two Protestant churches serve the community. Loyalists colonized the village of West Brome very early on. McCurdy Street features a variety of older homes found in the shadow cast by the spire of the Ascension Church (1885). Not to be missed is a stop by the Edwards General Store for a step back to yesteryear. On the other side of Route 139, a kilometre along Scott Road, is one of the rare round barns preserved in the Eastern Townships.