Highland streams part ways on the slopes of the Quebec-New England border. Some flow north toward the St. Lawrence. Others join the Connecticut River on its way to the sea. The height of land in between marks one of the oldest pioneer gateways in the Eastern Townships.
The border county of Brome in Quebec’s Eastern Townships overspreads a swath of Appalachian country from the Sutton Mountains to Lake Memphremagog. Renowned for its lakes and mountains, the region also has strong historical ties that reach across the international boundary.
The Megantic County Heritage Trail leads to historic settlements and points of interest in rolling Appalachian country west of Quebec’s Chaudière River.
What is heritage? Webster's defines it as "property that is or can be inherited; something handed down from one's ancestors or the past; a characteristic, culture, or tradition." In its broadest sense, it would seem that heritage can include virtually everything we receive from our predecessors -- even those things that we consider as bad or negative.
Vestiges of our past disappear all the time. Or they are altered beyond recognition. Countless historic landmarks have vanished from the Eastern Townships over the years. Particularly susceptible is our architectural heritage.
Genealogy, or the study of one's family lineage, is a hugely popular pastime in North America.
In the Eastern Townships, numerous local and regional institutions provide service to people researching their family trees.
Way’s Mills may be a remarkably healthy locality but as years go by, the early settlers of Way’s Mills are advancing in age, and by 1875 some of our founders have passed away. For example, Jacob Clifford, Daniel Way’s contemporary, has died in 1871. Death sometimes claims the young as well.
The Eastern Townships : On Lake and River, by Matthew Farfan, is still available.
Reginald Fessenden, premier homme de l'histoire à diffuser sans fil des émissions de voix et de musique, inventeur de la sonde à ultrasons et de plus de 500 autres inventions, a fait l'objet d'un livre : Radio's First Voice.
Il n'y a pas si longtemps, les autorités médicales déclaraient qu'un enfant naturel ou handicapé faisait face à un avenir peu prometteur, celui de la folie qui le frapperait tôt ou tard.