Brome Lake, Quebec

in

Brome Lake Lac-Brome
Town
Brome Lake Town Hall
Coat of arms
Location within Brome-Missisquoi RCM.
Brome Lake Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°13′N 72°31′W / 45.217°N 72.517°WCoordinates: 45°13′N 72°31′W / 45.217°N 72.517°W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Montérégie
RCM	Brome-Missisquoi
Constituted	January 2, 1971
Government[2][3]
• Mayor	Richard Burcombe
• Federal riding	Brome—Missisquoi
• Prov. riding	Brome-Missisquoi
Area[2][4]
• Total	223.60 km^2 (86.33 sq mi)
• Land	205.27 km^2 (79.26 sq mi)
Population (2011)[4]
• Total	5,609
• Density	27.3/km^2 (71/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	0.4%
• Dwellings	3,473
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	J0E
Area code(s)	450 and 579
Highways	Route 104 Route 139 Route 215 Route 243
Website	www.ville.lac-brome.qc.ca

The Town of Brome Lake (officially Lac-Brome^[2]) is a town in southern Quebec, Canada. It is located in the Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie administrative region. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 5,609.

Historically, the town was situated in Brome County in Quebec's Eastern Townships. Seven villages surrounding the lake by the same name, Brome Lake — Bondville, East Hill, Foster, Fulford, Knowlton, Iron Hill and West Brome — were amalgamated in 1971 to create the Town of Brome Lake. Tourism is also a major industry in the village of Knowlton because of skiing in the winter, lake activities in summer, and fall colours which peak in early October.

Knowlton is sometimes nicknamed The Knamptons^[5] (a portemanteau of Knowlton and the Hamptons) because of its many affluent seasonal residents from Montreal,^[6] who own multimillion-dollar country houses in the area.^[5] Sotheby's International Realty has a branch office located in Knowlton because of its upscale market.

History

The Old Court House and Registry Office of Brome County.

The village was founded in 1802 by United Empire Loyalists from the New England states and New York. Originally known as Coldbrook for the stream that runs through the centre of the village, in 1855 the village had become the county seat of Brome County, Quebec. Much more on the history can be found at the Brome County Historical Society which was incorporated on March 9, 1898. The museum is still in operation today.

Royal Visit

Brome Lake was also the only place in Canada where a large portion of the Canadian Royal Family was gathered. In July 1976 Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles, Prince of Wales, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Mark Phillips were in attendance. The Royal Family was housed on the grounds of Alva House, a private residence on the shores of Brome Lake. The location was ideally suited to allow them easy access to the 1976 Olympic Games Equestrian Park, located in nearby Bromont Quebec, where Princess Anne was competing in equestrian events.^[7]

Geography

The eponymous Brome Lake.

Metamorphic rock of Cambrian age—mostly schist and phyllite—underlies the area. Quaternary glaciation left deposits of stony loam till plus outwash sands and gravels. Brown podzolic and podzol soils are most common. Gleysols and peats occur in poorly drained areas.

The area's most significant soil is the Blandford series. This well-drained loam developed under deciduous forest. Settlers exploited this forest for wood, potash, and maple sugar. Cleared areas were found to be productive for crops and pasture. Much former farmland has reverted to forest and today provides a supply of hardwood lumber.

Demographics

Population

Historical Census Data - Lac-Brome, Quebec[11]
Year Pop. ±% 1991 4,824 —     1996 5,073 +5.2%	Year Pop. ±% 2001 5,444 +7.3% 2006 5,629 +3.4%	Year Pop. ±% 2011 5,609 −0.4%

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Lac-Brome, Quebec[11]
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2011		5,450		2,640	6.5%	48.44%		2,545	1.2%	46.70%		65	53.6%	1.19%		200	18.4%	3.67%
2006		5,440		2,480	10.5%	45.59%		2,575	10.4%	47.33%		140	180.0%	2.57%		245	104.2%	4.50%
2001		5,290		2,245	30.9%	42.44%		2,875	3.4%	54.35%		50	50.0%	0.94%		120	31.4%	2.27%
1996		4,965		1,715	n/a	34.54%		2,975	n/a	59.92%		100	n/a	2.01%		175	n/a	3.52%

Media

Brome Lake has one radio station serving its local area, the Knowlton-based CIDI-FM 99.1 MHz.

In film

In 1968, Paramount Studios chose Knowlton as the location to film the children's movie My Side of the Mountain (film), an adaptation of a book by Jean Craighead George. Many scenes from the village were used as well as a man-made pond at the corner of Chemin Paramount and Chemin Paige near Mount Glen.

In 1975, Knowlton was also used as one of the sites for filming the Jodie Foster suspense film The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane.

See also

• List of cities in Quebec

References

1. Reference number 72629 of the Commission de toponymie du Québec (French)
2. Geographic code 46075 in the official Répertoire des municipalités (French)
3. Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: BROME--MISSISQUOI (Quebec)
4. 2011 Statistics Canada Census Profile: Lac-Brome, Quebec
5. Garwood-Jones, Alison (2011-01-11). "Open-Door Policy". Canadian House & Home.
6. McGuire, Virginia (2009-09-29). "House Hunting In... Quebec". The New York Times.
7. Spremo, Boris (1977). The Silver Jubilee Royal Visit to Canada. Ottawa: Jubilee Productions. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-88879-002-6.
8. "2011 Community Profiles". Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
9. "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
10. "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
11. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census

External links

• Town of Brome Lake — Official municipal website
• Lac-Brome Recreation and Community Services — Community Services for the Town of Brome Lake
• Lac-Brome Chamber of Commerce
• Village of Knowlton
• Village of Knowlton tourist and local information
• Soil Survey of Shefford, Brome and Missisquoi Counties