Granby, Quebec. Located nearly directly between Montreal and Sherbrooke. Birthplace of my father and my three older siblings. My family’s home until 1965 when they moved west to London, Ontario.
After the recent passing of my mother, my brother, two sisters and I, along with out father went back to Quebec for a tour. This marked the first time since around 1970 that all four kids went on a family vacation together. With 17 years between the oldest and youngest and a ten year gap between my brother and myself, it’s not surprising that we all never had to fight over the back seat at one time.
The above image is looking to the downtown core at the intersection of Mountain and Denison. There is a walking trail that runs under the bridge on the other side of the road.
Granby, Quebec
Granby now boasts a population of 65,000 inhabitants – considerably more than when my parents moved away several decades ago. The history of the city dates back to the second half of the 1700’s.
The above image is looking west on Denison Ouest. This stretch of road is not only important for the city’s industrial past but also is the location of my family’s former homes.
Looking over the city from the parking lot at Miner’s Golf Club and Les Boises Miner hiking trail system, the church in the background is Eglise Sainte-Famille.
Looking up from the already mentioned trail that runs under the Mountain Street Bridge. This is part of the Circuit L’Estriade Plus, an 84 kilometre trail that runs on former rail bed. The Estriade runs through Granby, Shefford, Bromont and Waterloo and is 80% covered in asphalt. Because it’s a former rail bed, the trail boasts a maximum 2% grade despite traveling through a fairly mountainous region.
Le Grandbyen, our home for two nights. This is a nice hotel that just happened to have long, lost cousins of ours working the front desk.
In a 2006 survey, it was determined that 94.5% of the residents were french speaking while just under 2% were English. Despite this, English is widely understood and spoken in most businesses. What’s different than when I used to visit as a child is that for the most part residents are happy to speak with you in English as best they can. This certainly was not always the case. However, it’s my belief that as the region relies more and more on the tourism industry, English is a necessity. In saying that, I hope it doesn’t go to far and the area loses its unique french culture.
Les Boises Miner. This a trail system that runs through rocky terrain amid the maples above Denison Ouest. According to my father, who turns 90 this summer, the main trail is mostly unchanged from the original road that travelled to the sugar shack. The parking lot is shared with the golf club which also bears the Miner name. The trails lead to Pinewood Cemetary where my grandparents on my father’s side rest.
The building, entrance, parking lot and pretty much everything about the golf course have changed but this is where my father used to play. Apparently, the road up the hill to the golf course also used to be a pretty decent tobogganing hill back in the day…
Like so many rivers in the eastern half of North America, the Yamaska was once used solely for industry and power generation. Now, it serves a recreational and aesthetical purpose. There are remnants of the past in the form of dams and diversions but nature is winning the battle in taking it back.
The video below shows more of the Yamaska River and it’s beauty. If you like what you see, please give it a ‘thumb’s up’ in YouTube. If you love what you see, please share with friends!
Granby, Quebec Video
It should be noted that the major attraction in Granby is the Granby Zoo. However, the zoo was closed during our visit. I have been there several times as a child but haven’t been back for a number of years.
