Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the

Estrie Estrie () is an administrative region of Quebec that comprises the Eastern Townships. ''Estrie'', a French neologism, was coined as a derivative of ''est'', "east". Originally settled by anglophones, today it is about 90 per cent francophone. Angl ...

administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a

territory equivalent to a regional county municipality An equivalent territory (french: territoire équivalent), formally known as territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (french: territoires équivalents à une MRC), is a territorial unit used by Statistics Canada and the Institut de la ...

(TE) and

census division Census divisions, in Canada and the United States of America, United States, are areas delineated for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government in and of themselves. The census divisions of Canada are second-lev ...

(CD) of

, coextensive with the city of Sherbrooke. With 172,950 residents at the

Canada 2021 Census The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

, It is the sixth largest city in the province and the 30th largest in Canada. The Sherbrooke

Census Metropolitan Area The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of sta ...

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 known as the ''Queen of the

Eastern Townships The Eastern Townships (french: Cantons de l'Est) is an historical administrative region in southeastern Quebec, Canada. It lies between the St. Lawrence Lowlands and the American border, and extends from Granby in the southwest, to Drummondv ...

'' 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 impact of these institutions exceeds 1 billion

dollars Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, Un ...

. 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 The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...

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 Mont Bellevue () is a peak standing , situated in a public park located in the borough of Mont-Bellevue in Sherbrooke, Quebec. The park also covers Mont Bellevue's parent peak, Mont John-S.-Bourque (elevation: ),Plugging thofficial coordinates f ...

, a large park in the city, is used for

downhill skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping), w ...

Toponymy

The city was named in 1818 for

John Coape Sherbrooke General Sir John Coape Sherbrooke, (29 April 1764 – 14 February 1830) was a British soldier and colonial administrator. After serving in the British army in Nova Scotia, the Netherlands, India, the Mediterranean (including Sicily), and Spa ...

, a former

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, t ...

History

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

settled the region 8,000-3,000 years ago.Kesteman, Jean-Pierre, ''Histoire de Sherbrooke Take I: l'âge de l'eau à l'ère of vapeur (1802-1866)'', ed. GGC, 2000, p.14 353. The

Abenaki The Abenaki (Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was predom ...

called it ''Ktinékétolékouac/Kchi Nikitawtegwak'' (The Large Forks), or ''Shacewanteku'' (where one smokes). The first 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 ''For the patent holder for the Microprocessor, see: Microprocessor#Gilbert Hyatt (1970)'' Gilbert Hyatt ( 1761 – 17 September 1823) was instrumental in founding a township in Lower Canada, settling it and starting a village that became Sherbro ...

led a group of

loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

, who settled around 1803. He dammed the

Magog River The Magog River, or Sekosonotek in Abenaki, is a river that drains Lake Memphremagog. It is a small river running through the territories of the cities of Magog and Sherbrooke, in the administrative region of Estrie, in Quebec, in Canada, along a ...

and a

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

and a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

were soon built nearby. The settlement was then known as Hyatt's Mills. The first immigrants from England arrived in 1815. Sherbrooke 1889

The

British American Land Company The British American Land Company (BALC) was a company formed in 1832 for the purpose of purchasing land and encouraging British immigration to Lower Canada. It was founded and promoted by John Galt, Edward Ellice and others to acquire and manag ...

was formed in 1832 to acquire and develop almost of

Crown land Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. ...

and other lands in the area. It prioritized speculation over immigration. In 1852 a railway linked

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

and

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...

via Sherbrooke. By the 1890s there were rail connections to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Halifax, and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

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 Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...

. From the 1950s, some the steel and textile industries declined, giving way to government services and education. Dufferin Street, Sherbrooke, Que

As part of the 2000–2006 municipal reorganization in Quebec, the city grew considerably on 1 January 2002, with the amalgamation of Sherbrooke, Ascot, Bromptonville, Deauville, Fleurimont,

Lennoxville Lennoxville is an ''arrondissement'', or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometres south of downtown Sherbrooke. Lennoxvi ...

, Rock Forest, and Saint-Élie-d'Orford. Part of

Stoke Stoke is a common place name in the United Kingdom. Stoke may refer to: Places United Kingdom The largest city called Stoke is Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. See below. Berkshire * Stoke Row, Berkshire Bristol * Stoke Bishop * Stok ...

was also annexed to the newly expanded Sherbrooke. In 2012, a local Vitamin production 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 (St. Francis) and Magog rivers in the heart of the

and the administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a

(TE) and

(CD) of

, coextensive with the city of Sherbrooke. Its geographical code is 43.

Climate

Sherbrooke has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Dfb''), 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.

Cityscape

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

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, 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. {, class="wikitable" , + 2021 Census data , - ! colspan="2" , Canada 2021 Census!! Population !! % of Total Population , - , rowspan="13" ,

Ethnicity An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

group
Source: , ,

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

, , 151,055, , , - ,

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

, , 2,900, , , - ,

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

, , 5,215, , , - ,

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

, , 830 , , , - ,

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

, , 200 , , , - ,

Latin American Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-eth ...

, , 3,410, , , - ,

South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, ...

, , 710, , , - ,

Southeast Asian Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

, , 560, , , - ,

West Asian Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes An ...

, , 1,630 , , , - ,

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

, , 75 , , , - ,

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, , 60 , , , - , Aboriginal , , 3,070 , , , - , Other , , 300, , , - , colspan="2" , ''Total population'' , , ''172,950'' , , ''100%'' {, class="wikitable" style="float:left; font-size:95%; margin-right:10px;" , - , +Ethnic origin (

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

) , - " !Ethnic origin !Population !Percent , - ,

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

, 106,695 , 68.3 , - , French , 42,315 , 27.1 , - ,

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 8,855 , 5.7 , - , North American Aboriginal , 6,100 , 3.9 , - ,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, 4,570 , 2.9 , - , Québécois , 3,750 , 2.4 , - , Scottish , 3,445 , 2.2 , - ,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, 2,550 , 1.6 , - ,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, 2,390 , 1.5 , - 86.4% of Sherbrooke residents spoke French as a first language in 2021, while those whose mother tongue was

accounted for 3.9%. The next most common first languages were

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

(2%),

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

(1.3%) and

Dari Dari (, , ), also known as Dari Persian (, ), is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the term officially recognised and promoted since 1964 by the Afghan government for the Persian language,Lazard, G.Darī � ...

(0.7%) As of 2021, approximately 88.7% of Sherbrooke residents were white, while 9.6% were visible minorities and 1.7% were aboriginal. The largest visible minority groups in Sherbrooke were Black (3.1%), Latin American (2%), Arab (1.7%), and West Asian (1%).

Census metropolitan area

The Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) comprises the cities of Sherbrooke, Magog and Waterville, the municipalities of

Ascot Corner Ascot Corner ( 2021 population 3,368) is a municipality in Le Haut-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the ...

Compton Compton may refer to: Places Canada * Compton (electoral district), a former Quebec federal electoral district * Compton (provincial electoral district), a former Quebec provincial electoral district now part of Mégantic-Compton * Compton, Que ...

Saint-Denis-de-Brompton Saint-Denis-de-Brompton is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, part of the Regional County Municipality of Le Val-Saint-François, within the larger administrative region of Estrie. It is located approximately 145 kilometres eas ...

and

Val-Joli Val-Joli is a municipality in Quebec, Canada. Demographics Population Language Mother tongue (2011) Notable residents *Christian Savoie, (born 1976 in Val-Joli), winner of Canada's Strongest Man and entrant to the World's Strongest Man compet ...

; the township municipalities of Hatley and Orford; and the village municipality of

North Hatley North Hatley is a village of 675 people (2021 Census), located at the north end of Lake Massawippi. It is part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, Canada, also known as Estrie or Cantons de ...

. 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 A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...

to 87.3% of residents. The next most common mother tongues were English (4.5%), Spanish (1.6%), Arabic (1.0%) Dari (0.5%), Mandarin (0.2%), Portuguese (0.2%) and Serbian (0.2%). About 55.7% of the population identified as

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in 2021 while 32.2% said they had no religious affiliation, 2.9% were

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

, 0.5%

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

, 0.5%

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...

, 0.4%

Jehovah's Witness Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ev ...

and 0.4%

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

United Church A united church, also called a uniting church, is a church formed from the merger or other form of church union of two or more different Protestant Christian denominations. Historically, unions of Protestant churches were enforced by the state ...

and

Pentecostals Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

made up 0.3% of the population each while

buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

made 0.2%.

Economy

Sherbrooke, which is the economic centre of

, is a significant cultural, industrial, and academic hub in the province. The city is directly served by two railways: the

St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad , known as St-Laurent et Atlantique Quebec in Canada, is a short-line railway operating between Portland, Maine, on the Atlantic Ocean, and Montreal, Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River. It crosses the Can ...

and the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

. Sherbrooke is also served by four highways as well as the regional airport named

Sherbrooke Airport Sherbrooke Airport is a registered aerodrome located east northeast of Sherbrooke, in the municipality of Cookshire-Eaton, Quebec, Canada. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Servi ...

but located in the nearby city of

Cookshire-Eaton Cookshire-Eaton is a city (Quebec), city in the Estrie region of Quebec. It is the seat of Le Haut-Saint-François Regional County Municipality. Sherbrooke Airport is located there. As part of the 2000–2006 municipal reorganization in Quebec, o ...

. Sherbrooke Airport no longer offers scheduled passenger services as of March 2010. According to data from the ''

Institut de la statistique du Québec The Institut de la statistique du Québec (or Quebec Statistical Institute in translation) is the governmental statistics agency of Quebec. It is responsible for producing, analyzing, and publishing official statistics to enhance knowledge, discu ...

'', average personal income

per capita ''Per capita'' is a Latin phrase literally meaning "by heads" or "for each head", and idiomatically used to mean "per person". The term is used in a wide variety of social sciences and statistical research contexts, including government statistic ...

in the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Sherbrooke amounted to in 2010. Estrie's

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is often ...

for the same year was $. ;Largest employers As of 2010, the largest employers in Sherbrooke are

Université de Sherbrooke The University of Sherbrooke ( French: Université de Sherbrooke) (UdS) is a large public French-language university in Quebec, Canada with campuses located in Sherbrooke and Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately west of Sherbrooke. It ...

(6,000 employees), Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (5,511), Commission scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke (3,050), Centre de santé et de services sociaux – Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Sherbrooke (2,650), City of Sherbrooke (1,913),

Desjardins Group The Desjardins Group (french: Mouvement Desjardins) is a Canadian financial service cooperative and the largest federation of credit unions (french: caisses populaires) in North America. It was founded in 1900 in Lévis, Quebec by Alphonse Des ...

(1,713),

Cégep de Sherbrooke The Cégep de Sherbrooke is a public pre-university college located in the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Its website indicates that it has an annual student population of more than 6,500 and over 750 paid staff members.Nordia Inc. Nordia Inc. was created in 1999 as a joint partnership between two North American companies in communications and customer relationship management: Excell Global Services and Bell Canada. This happened after Bell Canada decided to stop processing ...

(500),

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...

(497),

Kruger Inc. Kruger Inc. is a Canadian corporation which manufactures publication papers, tissue, lumber and other wood products, corrugated cartons from recycled fibres, green and renewable energy, and wines and spirits. Kruger Inc. operates facilities in Qu ...

- Publication papers business unit (455),

Bishop's University Bishop's University (french: Université Bishop's) is a small English-language Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Diocese of Quebe ...

(450) and

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...

(400). These include enterprises operating in Sherbrooke only and having 400 or more employees.

Culture

In the summer season, several festivals, concerts, and events are held in the city, such as the ''

Fête du Lac des Nations The Fête du Lac des Nations is an annual festival held in Sherbrooke, Quebec in the month of July. It takes place in Parc Jacques-Cartier and features locally, regionally, and globally known musicians A musician is a person who composes, ...

'', ''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 (Salle Maurice-O’bready du centre culturel de l’Université de Sherbrooke). Music, theatre, and dance shows are staged there. The Centennial Theatre of

also hosts music and dance concerts from around the world. The Vieux Clocher, owned by the

, 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'' (CASJB), 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.

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 (opened 22 December 1990), is named for Éva Senécal (1905-1988), 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

, 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 The Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum (french: Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke) is a natural history and science museum in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 225 Frontenac Street in downtown Sherbrooke. The museum ...

*Centre d'interprétation de l'histoire de Sherbrooke *

Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts The Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts (french: Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke) is an art museum in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 241 Dufferin Street in downtown Sherbrooke. The museum receives funding from the City of Sherbrooke, ...

*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 Mont Bellevue () is a peak standing , situated in a public park located in the borough of Mont-Bellevue in Sherbrooke, Quebec. The park also covers Mont Bellevue's parent peak, Mont John-S.-Bourque (elevation: ),Plugging thofficial coordinates ...

, Bois Beckett, Lucien-Blanchard, Central, Quintal, Victoria, and Marais Réal-D.-Carbonneau are among the most popular destinations. * Jacques-Cartier Park Parc Jacques-Cartier

:Situated along

lac des Nations Lac des Nations is an artificial lake located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. It was created during the construction of a hydroelectric dam used to power the old Patton Co factory. Fed by the Magog River, it is at the heart of the Cité des Riviè ...

, this park is about away from the downtown area and is connected to the lac des Nations promenade. It contains several sports facilities including soccer fields and tennis courts. Several festivals are held here including the

, the Carnaval de Sherbooke, the festivities for the

Fête Nationale The fête nationale (English: '' National Day'' or ''National Celebration'') is a holiday in many places, frequently as a public holiday. It is a French language term for National Holiday, so is used in places that use French. It may refer to: * B ...

and

Canada Day Canada Day (french: Fête du Canada), formerly known as Dominion Day (french: Fête du Dominion), is the national day of Canada. A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 18 ...

. * Mont Bellevue Park Parc du Mont-Bellevue

:This park is the largest in Sherbrooke, with an area of . Situated partially on the campus of the

, it is managed by the city and developed by volunteer organization ''Regroupement du Mont-Bellevue''. Within the park are mounts Bellevue and John-S.-Bourque, the former of which has a small ski station. The park is also used for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, walking, and tubing in winter; as well as hiking, mountain biking, archery, tennis, and jogging in summer. The park contains a total of of trails and several different types of ecosystems. * Bois Beckett Park :This park was established on an old maple grove that belonged to Major Henry Beckett between 1834 and 1870. The property remained in his family until it was acquired by the city in 1963. In 2000, the ''Ministère de Ressources naturelles et de la Faune'' recognized the property as an

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

. The oldest tree is said to be 270 years old. The park is maintained, protected and promoted by a volunteer group. Several trails have been built by the city which are open year-round. Within the park, there are several artifacts left behind by Beckett, such as foundations, wells, and farm equipment. * Lucien-Blanchard Park Parc Jacques-C

:Situated west of downtown on the bank of the

, this park is open to several outdoor activities such as swimming and beach volleyball. Bicycles, canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, and

dragon boats A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. These were made of teak, but in other parts of China, different kinds of wood are used. It is one of a family of t ...

are available for rent. There is an

interpretation centre An interpretation centre, interpretive centre, or visitor interpretive centre is an institution for dissemination of knowledge of natural or cultural heritage. Interpretation centres are a kind of new-style museum, often associated with visitor ...

with an emphasis on the reptiles and amphibians of the region as well as a boutique. * Central Park :At the heart of the

Rock Forest–Saint-Élie–Deauville Rock Forest–Saint-Élie–Deauville is an ''arrondissement'', or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec. The borough comprises the formerly independent cities of Rock Forest, Deauville and Saint-Élie-d'Orford, which were annexed into the ci ...

borough, this park is equipped for soccer, tennis, baseball, beach volleyball, and has a playground and an outdoor pool. * Quintal Park :Formerly called ''Parc Central de Fleurimont'', this park is situated in the borough of Fleurimont, and mirrors Central Park of Rock Forest-Saint-Élie-Deauville. In early July, the Pif Classic baseball tournament is held in the park, and in August, it hosts the ''Festival des Traditions du Monde''. * Victoria and Sylvie-Daigle Parks :Across Terrill Street from one another, these parks are situated just east of downtown. Inside these parks lie pedestrian trails, Olympic-size soccer fields, a handicap accessible outdoor pool, and a sports complex. This multifunctional facility, called the ''Centre MultiSport Roland-Dussault'', has an artificial turf allowing local teams the opportunity to practise indoor soccer, baseball, football, rugby, and so on. There is a hockey arena. * Marais Réal-D.-Carbonneau

:Located near the

Saint-François River The Saint-François River is a right tributary of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. Its source is Lake Saint-François in Chaudière-Appalaches, southeast of Thetford Mines. It flows southwest towards Sherbrooke, where it changes course ...

, this marsh was developed by CHARMES, a non-profit management corporation that seeks to promote

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...

in and around Sherbrooke. The park is located on of land and allows visitors access to wooden piers and observation towers, where there are over 50 tree and shrub species and birds.

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 Amedée Roy Stadium (french: Stade Amedée-Roy) is a baseball stadium in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. It serves as the home ballpark of an amateur baseball team, the Sherbrooke Expos, and has hosted baseball games during events such as the 2002 Wor ...

. The city also hosted some games of the

2002 World Junior Baseball Championship The 2002 World Junior AAA Championship was held in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Games were held at Amedée Roy Stadium in Sherbrooke and Julien Morin Stadium in Coaticook. Final standings See also *World Junior Baseball Championship World ...

, and the

2013 Canada Games The 2013 Canada Summer Games is a national multi-sport event that was held in Sherbrooke, Quebec from August 2, 2013 to August 17, 2013. These Games were the first Canada Summer Games to be held in Quebec, and third overall after the inaugural Can ...

. Historically, several professional teams based in Sherbrooke competed in Minor League Baseball or in

independent baseball league An independent baseball league is a professional baseball organization in the United States or Canada that is not overseen by Major League Baseball and is outside the Minor League Baseball clubs affiliated to it. The Northern League and Frontie ...

s: {, class="wikitable" ! Season(s) !! Team !! League !! Classification , - , 1940 , , Sherbrooke Braves , ,

Quebec Provincial League The Provincial League, sometimes known as the Quebec Provincial League, was a minor league baseball league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. It went through a number of incarnations during the 20th century, spending time as both an indepen ...

, , Class B , - , 1946 , , Sherbrooke Canadians , ,

Border League The Border League, is the oldest established rugby union league in the World, having been formed in 1901. Currently known as the Booker Border League, after its sponsors, teams from all over the Scottish Borders as well as Berwick RFC from Nor ...

, , Class C , - , 1947 , , Sherbrooke Black Sox , , Quebec Provincial League , , rowspan=2,

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

, - , 1948–1949 , , rowspan=2,

Sherbrooke Athletics The Sherbrooke Indians were a minor league baseball team located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. They played in the Provincial League from 1948 to 1951 as the Sherbrooke Athletics and again from 1953 to 1955 as the Indians. They won the first Prov ...

, , rowspan=3,

Provincial League Provincial League (formerly known as Professional League) also known as Pro League was the old regional Football league in Thailand in 1999–2008. It was founded in 1999 under the name "Provincial League" organized by Sports Authority of Thailan ...

, - , 1950–1951 , , rowspan=2, Class C , - , 1953–1955 , ,

Sherbrooke Indians The Sherbrooke Indians were a minor league baseball team located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. They played in the Provincial League (baseball minor league), Provincial League from 1948 to 1951 as the Sherbrooke Athletics and again from 1953 to 19 ...

, - , 1972–1973 , ,

Sherbrooke Pirates The Sherbrooke Pirates (French language, French: ''les Pirates de Sherbrooke'') was the name of a Canada, Canadian minor league baseball franchise in the Double-A Eastern League (1938–2020), Eastern League representing Sherbrooke, Québec, that e ...

, , Eastern League , , Double-A

Ice hockey

The

Sherbrooke Phoenix The Sherbrooke Phoenix is a major junior ice hockey team based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, that plays in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The team plays its home games at the Palais des Sports Léopold-Drolet. History The franch ...

is a junior hockey team playing in the

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...

. The

Sherbrooke Canadiens The Sherbrooke Canadiens were a professional ice hockey team in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. They played their home games at the Palais des Sports. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1984 to 1990, and were a farm team of the M ...

competed in the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

from 1984 to 1990.

Government

Sherbrooke is the seat of the

judicial district A judicial district or legal district denotes the territorial area for which a legal court (usually a district court) has jurisdiction. By region Europe Austria In texts concerning Austria, "judicial district" (german: Gerichtsbezirk) refers ...

of Saint-François.

Municipal

Local governance is provided by the

Sherbrooke City Council The Sherbrooke City Council (in French: ''Conseil municipal de Sherbrooke'') is the governing body for the mayor–council government in the city of Sherbrooke, in the Estrie region of Quebec. The council consists of a mayor and 14 councillors. Th ...

. The mayor is Évelyne Beaudin. 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 The city of Sherbrooke, Quebec is divided into six boroughs (in French, ''arrondissements''), each with a president and council. Powers The borough council is responsible for: *Fire prevention *Removal of household waste and residual materials ...

: Brompton, Fleurimont,

, Mont-Bellevue,

, and

Jacques-Cartier Jacques-Cartier is an electoral district in the West Island of Montreal, Canada, that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. It is the only provincial electoral district in Quebec with an Anglophone majority. It notably includes th ...

. Each of the boroughs is subdivided into

electoral districts An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

, with the number varying based on population. For example, there are only two districts in Brompton, which only has 6,314 inhabitants, whereas Fleurimont (pop. 40,824) has five. Sherbrooke has 21 districts total, for which the average population is 7,200 inhabitants. {, class="wikitable" , - ! Borough ! Population ! City Councillors , - , Brompton , 5,956 , 3 , - , Fleurimont , 41,276 , 5 , - , Jacques-Cartier , 30,229 , 4 , - , Lennoxville , 5,195 , 3 , - , Mont-Bellevue , 33,377 , 4 , - , Rock Forest–Saint-Élie–Deauville , 29,191 , 4

Federal and provincial

Sherbrooke is split into the federal electoral districts of

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 count ...

, represented by

Élisabeth Brière Élisabeth Brière (born 1968) is a Canadian Liberal politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal riding Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. ...

of the

Liberal party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' ...

and

Compton—Stanstead Compton—Stanstead is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1997. It was created in 1996 from Mégantic—Compton—Stanstead and Richmond—Wolfe ridings. Geography ...

, represented by

Marie-Claude Bibeau Marie-Claude Bibeau (born April 4, 1970) is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Compton—Stanstead in the House of Commons in the 2015 federal election. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, she was sworn in ...

of the Liberals. Provincially, Sherbrooke is divided into three electoral districts.

is represented by

Christine Labrie Christine Labrie is a Canadians, Canadian politician. She was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2018 Quebec general election, 2018 provincial election Québec solidaire Québec solidaire (QS; ) is a democratic socialist and sovereigntist political party in Quebec, Canada. The party and media outlets in Canada usually use the name "Québec solidaire" in both French and English, but the party's name is sometimes ...

(QS), Saint-François is represented by Guy Hardy of the PLQ and

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

is represented by

Karine Vallières Karine Vallières (born 19 March 1978) is a member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Richmond, first elected in the 2012 election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 20 ...

of the PLQ.

Public safety

In 2007, the

crime rate Crime statistics refer to systematic, quantitative results about crime, as opposed to crime news or anecdotes. Notably, crime statistics can be the result of two rather different processes: * scientific research, such as criminological studies, vi ...

was 5,491 per 100,000.

Military

Sherbrooke does not host any units from the

Regular Force In the Canadian Armed Forces, a Regular Force unit or person is part of the full-time military, as opposed to being part of the Primary Reserve which has more flexibility. There are many bases and wings across Canada, and factors like trade, career ...

with the exception of a recruiting centre, but four

Primary Reserve The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces (french: links=no, Première réserve des Forces canadiennes) is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, the ...

units are stationed in the city: *52nd Field Ambulance, formerly known as 8th Medical Company. * 714th Communication Squadron *

Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with a sub-unit in Granby. Badge A grenade with the Crown superimposed upon the ball within an annulet inscribed ''Les ...

*The

Sherbrooke Hussars The Sherbrooke Hussars is a Primary Reserve armoured warfare, armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces and perpetuates the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment of the Second World War. Lineage The Sherbrooke Regiment The Sherbrooke Regiment was initiall ...

, formed from the amalgamation of The Sherbrooke Regiment and the 7th/11th Hussars in 1965. A Canadian military artifact is preserved at the William Street Armoury, the Sherman tank "Bomb" which helped liberate Europe fighting with the

Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment , colors = , march = "Regimental March of the Sherbrooke Hussars" , notable_commanders = , anniversaries = , battles = First World WarSecon ...

and is the only Canadian tank to have landed on the Normandy beach on

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

and fought through to VE Day without being knocked out.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Transdev Limocar provides bus service to

via Granby, Quebec, 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 (STS) provides bus service within the city. It operates 17 bus routes, 11 minibus routes, and 5 taxibus routes. The city is located at the eastern terminus of Autoroute 10 (Quebec), A-10, and directly on the Autoroute Trans-Québécoise (Autoroute 55 (Quebec), A-55). 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 (Vermont). Quebec Autoroute 410, A-410 and Quebec Autoroute 610, 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 (train), Atlantic'', which ended service in 1994. There have been recent proposals to provide rail service from Montreal to Boston with a stop in Sherbrooke.

, in

is just east of the city. There are currently no scheduled flights operating out of the airport.

Public health

The suburban Sherbrooke University Hospital ("CHUS" or "Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbooke) has over 5,200 employees, including 550 doctors. It includes a clinical research facility, the Étienne-Lebel Research Centre.

Education

Sherbrooke has eight institutions that make up the Sherbrooke University Pole, which educates some 40,000 students and employs about 11,000 persons. University students comprise 10.32% of the population, the highest concentration in Quebec. The city is the location of one French-language university, the

, and an English-language university,

. Université de Sherbrooke is a comprehensive university with schools of medical school, medicine and law school, law and extensive graduate school, graduate programs. Bishop's University is smaller and predominantly undergraduate education, undergraduate. There are three CEGEPs in Sherbrooke, two of them French-language, the

Cégep de Sherbrooke The Cégep de Sherbrooke is a public pre-university college located in the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Its website indicates that it has an annual student population of more than 6,500 and over 750 paid staff members.Commission scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke and private high schools such as Séminaire de Sherbrooke founded in 1875, Bishop's College School founded in 1836, etc.

Media

References

External links

Sherbrooke website

André Nadeau outdoor recreational centr, park in Sherbrooke
{{Authority control Sherbrooke, Cities and towns in Quebec Territories equivalent to a regional county municipality