| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Province | Quebec |
| Regional County Municipalities (RCM) and Equivalent Territories (ET) | 8 RCM, 1 ET |
| Parts style | coll |
| P 1 | Coaticook |
| P 2 | Le Granit |
| P 3 | Le Haut-Saint-François |
| P 4 | Le Val-Saint-François |
| P 5 | Les Sources |
| P 6 | Memphrémagog |
| P 7 | Brome-Missisquoi |
| P 8 | La Haute-Yamaska |
| P 9 | Sherbrooke (ET) |
| Leader party | President |
| Regional conference of elected officers | Jacques Demers |
| Area land | 10,212.00 km² |
| Population total | 337,701 |
| Population as of | 2021 |
| Population density | 31.2 km² |
| Population demonym | Estrien(ne) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| Time zone (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal code | J |
| Area code | 819 |
| Website | estrie.gouv.qc.ca |
Estrie (ɛstʁi) 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.[1] Anglophones are concentrated in Lennoxville, home of the region's only English-speaking university, Bishop's University. The English-language Eastern Townships School Board runs 20 elementary schools, three high schools, and a learning centre.[2]
The region originally consisted of 6 regional county municipalities. In 2021, La Haute-Yamaska & Brome-Missisquoi joined Estrie, transferring from Montérégie.
Economy
While the economy of the area is mainly based on agriculture, forestry, and mining,[3] tourist attractions include four Sépaq parks: Yamaska, Mont-Orford, Frontenac, and Mont-Mégantic,[4] ski resorts at Mont Brome and Mont Orford, and agritourism.
Administrative divisions
Regional county municipalities
| Regional County Municipality (RCM) | Population 2021 Canadian census | Land Area | Density (pop. per km2) | Seat of RCM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brome-Missisquoi | 64,786 | 1,651 km2 (637 sq mi) | 34.3 | Cowansville |
| Coaticook | 18,906 | 1,339.80 km2 (517.30 sq mi) | 13.8 | Coaticook |
| La Haute-Yamaska | 92,796 | 637 km2 (246 sq mi) | 136.0 | Granby |
| Le Granit | 21,948 | 2,735.21 km2 (1,056.07 sq mi) | 7.8 | Lac-Mégantic |
| Le Haut-Saint-François | 22,926 | 2,273.39 km2 (877.76 sq mi) | 9.8 | Cookshire-Eaton |
| Le Val-Saint-François | 31,551 | 1,403.43 km2 (541.87 sq mi) | 21.9 | Richmond |
| Les Sources | 14,623 | 787.13 km2 (303.91 sq mi) | 18.1 | Val-des-Sources |
| Memphrémagog | 54,797 | 1,319.29 km2 (509.38 sq mi) | 38.2 | Magog |
Equivalent territory
| Territory Equivalent to a RCM (TE) | Population 2021 Canadian census[5] | Land Area | Density (pop. per km2) | Seat of ET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherbrooke | 172,950 | 367.10 km2 (141.74 sq mi) | 456.0 | Sherbrooke |
Demographics
| Census | French | English | French and English | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 304,620 | 23,565 | 4,485 | 1,345 |
| 2016 | 289,040 | 21,745 | 3,110 | 1,115 |
| 2011 | 281,305 | 22,070 | 2,720 | 825 |
Estrie has a population of 377,701 according to the 2021 Canadian Census. Out of 326,955 singular responses the most common out of them are as follows.
| Rank | Language | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | 291,685 | 89.2% |
| 2 | English | 20,195 | 6.2% |
| 3 | Spanish | 4,070 | 1.2% |
| 4 | Arabic | 2,365 | 0.7% |
| Census | French Only | English Only | French and English | Neither French Nor English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 181,810 | 7,645 | 142,755 | 1,345 |
| 2016 | 179,590 | 6,685 | 127,565 | 1,170 |
| 2011 | 179,480 | 6,970 | 119,595 | 865 |
Cultural or ethnic origin
Estrie has a majority European population but it does have a diverse group of minorities. The most commonly described ethnic groups amongst the 328,025 responses are as follows[6]
| Rank | Ethnic/Cultural Identity | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canadian | 120,150 | 36.6% |
| 2 | French | 85,115 | 26% |
| 3 | Quebecois | 42,855 | 13% |
| 4 | French Canadian | 28,290 | 8.6% |
| 5 | English | 9,185 | 3% |
| 6 | Scottish | 8,045 | 2.5% |
| 7 | First Nations | 7,270 | 2.2% |
Religion
| Rank | Religion | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catholicism | 193,700 | 59% |
| 2 | No Religion | 97,435 | 29.7% |
| 3 | Islam | 6,575 | 2% |
| 4 | Anglicianism | 2,555 | 0.7% |
| 5 | United Church of Canada | 1,830 | 0.5% |
School districts
Francophone:
- Commission scolaire des Hauts-Cantons (Coaticook, East Angus and Lac-Mégantic).
- Commission scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke
- Commission scolaire des Sommets
- Commission scolaire Val-des-cerfs
Anglophone:
Major communities
References
- ^ "Eastern Townships". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Elementary schools Archived 2010-11-30 at the Wayback Machine and High Schools Archived 2010-10-27 at the Wayback Machine, Eastern Townships School Board, accessed 19 November 2010.
- ^ "Community Snapshot – Eastern Townships". The Community Information Database. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ "Best of the Townships". Tourism Eastern Townships. 25 May 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-02-09). "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Sherbrooke, Ville (V) [Census subdivision], Quebec". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-02-09). "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Estrie [Economic region], Quebec". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
Further reading
- Farfan, Matthew (2022). "Why "Eastern Townships"?". Township History WebMagazine
External links
- Estrie, Government of Quebec
- Tourism Eastern Townships
- Estrieplus.com (in French)