Sherbrooke


Sherbrooke is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality and census division of Quebec, coextensive with the city of Sherbrooke. With 172,950 residents at the Canada 2021 Census, it is the sixth largest city in the province and the 30th largest in Canada. The Sherbrooke Census Metropolitan Area had 227,398 inhabitants, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Quebec and 19th in Canada.
Sherbrooke is the primary economic, political, cultural, and institutional centre of Estrie, and was given its nickname as the Queen of the Eastern Townships at the beginning of the 20th century.
There are eight institutions educating 40,000 students and employing 11,000 people, 3,700 of whom are professors, teachers and researchers. The direct economic effect of these institutions exceeds one billion dollars. The proportion of university students is 10.32 students per 100 inhabitants, giving Sherbrooke the largest concentration of students in Quebec.
Sherbrooke rose as a manufacturing centre in the 1800s, and today the service sector is prominent.
The Sherbrooke region is surrounded by mountains, rivers, and lakes. There are several ski hills nearby and various tourist attractions in regional flavour. Mont-Bellevue Park, a large park in the city, is used for downhill skiing.
The city was named in 1818 for John Coape Sherbrooke, a former Governor General of Canada.

History

settled the region between 8,000 and 3,000 years ago. The Abenaki called it Ktinékétolékouac/Kchi Nikitawtegwak, or Shacewanteku.
The first non-native settler was the farmer Jean-Baptiste Nolain, in 1779. The area was first surveyed in 1792.
Americans from Vermont built mills in the area in 1802. Gilbert Hyatt led a group of loyalists, who settled around 1803. He dammed the Magog River and a gristmill and a sawmill were soon built nearby. The settlement was then known as Hyatt's Mills.
The first immigrants from England arrived in 1815. The British American Land Company was formed in 1832 to acquire and develop almost of Crown land and other lands in the area. It prioritized speculation over immigration.
In 1852 a railway linked Montreal and Portland, Maine via Sherbrooke. By the 1890s, there were rail connections to Boston, Halifax, and New York City.
Immigration from the rest of Quebec began in 1850, and by 1871 francophones were in the majority.
By the turn of the 20th century, Sherbrooke was a thriving industrial city, with manufacturing benefiting from locally-produced hydroelectricity. From the 1950s, some the steel and textile industries declined, giving way to government services and education.
As part of the 2000–2006 municipal reorganization in Quebec, the city grew considerably on 1 January 2002, when it absorbed Ascot, Bromptonville, Deauville, Fleurimont, Lennoxville, Rock Forest, and Saint-Élie-d'Orford. Part of Stoke was also annexed to the newly expanded Sherbrooke.
In 2012, a local biochemical factory suffered an explosion, which killed 2, and injured 19, some severely. A large toxic cloud enveloped part of the city, raising health concerns.

Geography

Located at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Eastern Townships and the italics=no administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality and census division of Quebec, coextensive with the city of Sherbrooke. Its geographical code is 43.

Climate

Sherbrooke has a humid continental climate, with long, cold, and snowy winters, warm summers, and short but crisp springs and autumns. Highs range from in January to in July. In an average year, there are 34 nights at or colder than, and 6.5 nights at or colder than ; 4.1 days will see highs reaching. Annual snowfall is large, averaging at, sometimes falling in May and October. Precipitation is not sparse any time of the year, but is the greatest in summer and fall and at its least from January to April, totalling annually.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Sherbrooke was on 1 & 2 July 1931. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 15 January 2004.
[Image:Quartier ouvrier sherbrooke.jpg|thumb|right|Gordon Street]

Neighbourhoods

The city includes several neighbourhoods:
  • Le quartier universitaire
  • Le Vieux-Nord
  • Collinsville
  • Secteur Galvin
  • L'Est
  • Ascot
  • Mi-Vallon
  • du Pin-Solitaire
  • ''Le Petit Canada''

    Demographics

City of Sherbrooke

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Sherbrooke had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2021.

Language

As of 2021, 86.4% of Sherbrooke residents spoke French as a first language, while those whose mother tongue was English accounted for 3.9%. The next most common first languages were Spanish, Arabic, Dari, Serbian, Portuguese and Mandarin.

Ethnicity

As of 2021, approximately 88.7% of Sherbrooke residents were white, while 9.6% were visible minorities and 1.7% were Indigenous. The largest visible minority groups in Sherbrooke were black, Latin American, Arab, and West Asian.

Sherbrooke CMA

The Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) comprises the cities of Sherbrooke, Magog and Waterville, the municipalities of Ascot Corner, Compton, Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, Stoke and Val-Joli; the township municipalities of Hatley and Orford; and the village municipality of Hatley, Quebec|North Hatley]. The population in 2021 was 227,398. The median age was 43.
Approximately 90.5% of the greater Sherbrooke area residents were white, while 7.7% were visible minorities and 1.8% were Aboriginal.
French was mother tongue to 87.3% of residents. The next most common mother tongues were English, Spanish, Arabic Dari, Mandarin, Portuguese and Serbian.
About 55.7% of the population identified as Catholic in 2021 while 32.2% said they had no religious affiliation, 2.9% were Muslim, 0.5% Anglican, 0.5% Eastern Orthodox, 0.4% Jehovah's Witness and 0.4% Baptist. United Church and Pentecostals made up 0.3% of the population each while buddhist made 0.2%.

Economy

Sherbrooke, which is the economic centre of Estrie, is a significant cultural, industrial, and academic hub in the province. The city is directly served by two railways: the Atlantic Railroad">Atlantic (train)">Atlantic Railroad and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Sherbrooke is also served by four highways as well as the regional airport named Sherbrooke Airport but located in the nearby city of Cookshire-Eaton. Sherbrooke Airport no longer offers scheduled passenger services as of March 2010.
According to data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec, average personal income per capita in the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Sherbrooke amounted to in 2010. Estrie's GDP for the same year was $.
The hockey equipment manufacturer Sherwood was founded in Sherbrooke in 1949. The city is also home to the hockey puck manufacturer Inglasco.
;Largest employers
As of 2010, the largest employers in Sherbrooke are Université de Sherbrooke, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Commission scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke, Centre de santé et de services sociaux – Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Sherbrooke, City of Sherbrooke, Desjardins Group, Cégep de Sherbrooke, Centre Jeunesse de l'Estrie, Nordia Inc., Canada Post, Kruger Inc. - Publication papers business unit, Bishop's University and McDonald's. These include enterprises operating in Sherbrooke only and having 400 or more employees.

Arts and culture

In the summer season, several festivals, concerts, and events are held in the city, such as the Fête du Lac des Nations, Sherblues & Folk, and the Festival des traditions du monde. Come winter, the city hosts the Carnaval de Sherbrooke.
The city has British architectural heritage, as seen in the buildings in Vieux-Nord.
Sherbrooke has the fourth largest theatre in Quebec, the Maurice O'Bready University Cultural Centre of Sherbrooke. Music, theatre, and dance shows are staged there. The Centennial Theatre of Bishop's University also hosts music and dance concerts from around the world. The Vieux Clocher, owned by the Université de Sherbrooke, has two stages, the primary being used by various music groups and comedians from around the province. The Théâtre Granada, designated as a historical site by the Canadian government, holds music concerts. It has retained its original architecture since its opening. The Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke, located downtown, presents musicals and plays for children.
Since 2007, the Centre des arts de la scène Jean-Besré, built by the city with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Communications, has assisted in the creation and production of material for the region's artistic community. It serves as the location for training theatre, music, and dance professionals. It contains three rehearsal studios, a production room, a decoration workshop, and a costume workshop, as well as administrative offices for each of its resident companies.
[Image:Édifices rue dufferin.jpg|thumb|upright|Historical buildings on Dufferin Street]

Auditoriums

  • Salle Maurice-O'Bready
  • Granada Theatre
  • Centennial Theatre
  • Vieux Clocher
  • Le Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke
  • Théâtre Léonard Saint-Laurent
  • Salle Alfred-Des Rochers

    Libraries

  • La bibliothèque municipale Éva-Senécal, the main city library, is named for Éva Senécal, poet, novelist and journalist.
  • La bibliothèque du secteur de Rock Forest
  • La bibliothèque du secteur de Saint-Élie
  • La bibliothèque Gisèle-Bergeron
  • La bibliothèque de Lennoxville, at the intersection of rue Queen and rue College, near Bishop's University, offers a book lending service in French and English.

    Attractions

Museums and visitors' centres

  • Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum
  • Centre d'interprétation de l'histoire de Sherbrooke
  • Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts
  • Centre culturel et du patrimoine Uplands
  • Art gallery at the Centre Culturel of Sherbrooke University
  • Centre d'art actuel Sporobole
  • Prison Winter

    Parks

  • Johnville Bog & Forest Park
  • Forêt jardinée de l'aéroport de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke has parks and greenspaces that encompass a variety of recreational activities. In total, there are 108 in the municipality. Parks Jacques-Cartier, Mont Bellevue, Bois Beckett, Lucien-Blanchard, Central, Quintal, Victoria, and Marais Réal-D.-Carbonneau are among the most popular destinations.
  • Jacques-Cartier Park
  • Mont Bellevue Park
  • Bois Beckett Park
  • Lucien-Blanchard Park
  • Central Park
  • Quintal Park
  • Victoria and Sylvie-Daigle Parks
  • '''Marais Réal-D.-Carbonneau'''

    Sports

Baseball

The Sherbrooke Expos of the Ligue de Baseball Majeur du Québec, an amateur baseball league, play their home games at Amedée Roy Stadium.
The city also hosted some games of the 2002 World Junior Baseball Championship, and the 2013 Canada Games.
Historically, several professional teams based in Sherbrooke competed in Minor League Baseball or in independent baseball leagues:
SeasonTeamLeagueClassification
1940Sherbrooke BravesQuebec Provincial LeagueClass B
1946Sherbrooke CanadiansBorder LeagueClass C
1947Sherbrooke Black SoxQuebec Provincial LeagueIndependent
1948–1949Sherbrooke AthleticsProvincial LeagueIndependent
1950–1951Sherbrooke AthleticsProvincial LeagueClass C
1953–1955Sherbrooke IndiansProvincial LeagueClass C
1972–1973Sherbrooke PiratesEastern LeagueDouble-A

Ice hockey

The Sherbrooke Phoenix is a junior hockey team playing in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
The Sherbrooke Canadiens competed in the American Hockey League from 1984 to 1990.

Government

Sherbrooke is the seat of the judicial district of Saint-François.

Municipal

Local governance is provided by the Sherbrooke City Council. The mayor is Marie-Claude Bibeau.
Under the 2000–2006 municipal reorganization in Quebec, Sherbrooke merged with most of the suburban municipalities in the surrounding area: Rock Forest, Saint-Élie-d'Orford, Deauville, Fleurimont, Bromptonville, Ascot, and Lennoxville. This resulted in the creation of six Boroughs of Sherbrooke: Brompton, Fleurimont, Lennoxville, Mont-Bellevue, Rock Forest–Saint-Élie–Deauville, and Jacques-Cartier. Each of the boroughs is subdivided into electoral districts, with the number varying based on population. For example, there are only two districts in Brompton, which only has 6,314 inhabitants, whereas Fleurimont has five. Sherbrooke has 21 districts total, for which the average population is 7,200 inhabitants.
BoroughPopulationCity councillors
Brompton5,9563
Fleurimont41,2765
Jacques-Cartier30,2294
Lennoxville5,1953
Mont-Bellevue33,3774
Rock Forest–Saint-Élie–Deauville29,1914

Federal and provincial

Sherbrooke is split into the federal electoral districts of Sherbrooke, represented by Élisabeth Brière of the Liberal party of Canada and Compton—Stanstead, represented by Marie-Claude Bibeau of the Liberals.
Provincially, Sherbrooke is divided into three electoral districts. Sherbrooke is represented by Christine Labrie of the Québec solidaire, Saint-François is represented by Guy Hardy of the PLQ and Richmond is represented by Karine Vallières of the PLQ.

Public safety

In 2007, the crime rate was 5,491 per 100,000.

Military

Sherbrooke does not host any units from the Regular Force with the exception of a recruiting centre, but four Primary Reserve units are stationed in the city:
A Canadian military artifact is preserved at the William Street Armoury: the Sherman tank "Bomb". The tank helped liberate Europe fighting with the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment and is the only Canadian tank to have landed on the Normandy beach on D-Day; it fought through to VE Day without being knocked out.

Infrastructure

Transportation

provides bus service to Montreal via Granby and Magog. Formerly, Autobus Jordez linked Sherbrooke to Drummondville and Trois-Rivières, and also to Victoriaville and Quebec City, but since the company lost their licence to operate heavy vehicles, they have sold their licence to Autobus La Québécoise, who now provide the service.
Société de transport de Sherbrooke provides bus service within the city. It operates 18 bus routes, 10 minibus routes, 7 express routes, 3 taxibus routes, and 3 microbus routes.
The city is located at the eastern terminus of A-10, and directly on the Autoroute Trans-Québécoise. A-10 provides a direct freeway connection to Montreal and points west, while A-55 connects directly to Trois-Rivières, Shawinigan, and points north, as well as to Interstate 91 to the south. A-410 and A-610 are the southern and northern bypass roads, respectively.
The last passenger train for the city was VIA Rail's Montreal – Saint John, New Brunswick Atlantic, which ended service in 1994. There have been recent proposals to provide rail service from Montreal to Boston with a stop in Sherbrooke.
Sherbrooke Airport, in Cookshire-Eaton is just east of the city. There are currently no scheduled flights operating out of the airport. The nearest airports are Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, located west and Québec City [Jean Lesage International Airport], located north of Sherbrooke.

Public health

The suburban Sherbrooke University Hospital has over 5,200 employees, including 550 doctors. It includes a clinical research facility, the Étienne-Lebel Research Centre.

Education

Sherbrooke's educational sector is well-developed, both as part of the city's character and as an important domain of employment, employing about 11,000 people in its colleges and universities. The city has approximately 40,000 postsecondary students, of which about 17,000 are university students.

Postsecondary

Sherbrooke has five academic institutions that make up the Sherbrooke University Pole, divided between English and French institutions. University students comprise a total of 10.32% of the city's population, the highest concentration in the province.
The city is home to one French-language university, the Université de Sherbrooke, which alone has more than 31,000 students annually. The programs are split between 8 different faculties, the largest ones being in education, medicine, and management with around 7,900, 5,000 and 4,800 students per year respectively. 3,000 of the university's students are international students, coming from around 100 different countries and territories. About half of the foreign students come from France, as they are exempt from additional tuition fees as part of a student mobility agreement between the Québec and French governments. The university is split into three different campuses: the main campus, the Health campus located in upper Fleurimont, and a satellite campus in Longueuil, near Montréal.
One of the province's three English-language universities, Bishop's University, is also located in Sherbrooke, in the borough of Lennoxville. The school brings in around 3,000 students annually, mainly for undergraduate programs. It is subdivided into three faculties and schools, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, and the Williams School of Business.
There are three Cégeps in Sherbrooke. Two of them are French-language, the Cégep de Sherbrooke and the Séminaire de Sherbrooke, and one is English-language, Champlain College Lennoxville.

Primary and secondary education

The city's public primary and secondary schools are run by either the French-language Centre de services scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke or the English-language Eastern Townships School Board. The CSSRS educates around 25,000 students and employs 4,000 teachers, support staff, and administrative staff.
Sherbrooke has a total of six public secondary schools:
Sherbrooke also has four private schools that offer secondary education: