Cowansville, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Cowansville is a town
in south-central Quebec
, Canada
, located on Lac Davignon 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north of the U.S.
border. It is the seat of Brome-Missisquoi
, a regional county municipality
. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census
was 12,182.
In recent years, Cowansville has seen its commercial activity blossom mainly due to its proximity to a major freeway, Autoroute 10
, and the Eastern Townships ski resort region.
Jacob Ruiter was the first person to settle on the current site of Cowansville. In 1800 he built a flour mill, and then a saw mill. In 1805, Ruiter named the small town as Nelsonville, in honour of British admiral, Lord Horatio Nelson, who was killed in the naval Battle of Trafalgar
.
The city's current name is due to Peter Cowan, a merchant from Montreal
who settled in the area in 1836 and become postmaster
in 1841. In order to avoid the mail being sent inadvertently to another city named Nelsonville, close to Hamilton
in Upper Canada
, he decided to change its name.
During the 1870s, the construction of the South Eastern Railway linking Montreal to Cowansville and the opening of the first bank, the Eastern Townships Bank, contributed to the expansion of the small city, which allows many businesses settle in the area. The municipality detached from the district of Dunham
, and incorporated on the January 1 1876 and officially was named Cowansville. In February of the same year James O'Halloran
was acclaimed as Mayor by the town council. Cowansville saw a strong industrial growth during the 20th century, and became a city on June 25, 1931, and has grown since World War II by various annexations.
The municipality has a current population of over 12,000. The main economy is based on the industrial sector, in particular textiles. There is also a hospital, Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins, a municipal court, and a provincial park close to Davignon Lake.
Cowansville is the seat of the judicial district
of Bedford.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in south-central Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located on Lac Davignon 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
border. It is the seat of Brome-Missisquoi
Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality, Quebec
- External links :* * *...
, a regional county municipality
Regional county municipality
The term regional county municipality or RCM is used in Quebec to designate one of 86 county-like political and geographic units. In most cases, they are also census divisions. Regional County Municipalities are a supralocal type of "Regional Municipality" and are still commonly referred to as...
. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
was 12,182.
In recent years, Cowansville has seen its commercial activity blossom mainly due to its proximity to a major freeway, Autoroute 10
Quebec Autoroute 10
Autoroute 10 is an Autoroute in southern Quebec, Canada...
, and the Eastern Townships ski resort region.
History and name
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
who settled in the area in 1836 and become postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
in 1841. In order to avoid the mail being sent inadvertently to another city named Nelsonville, close to Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, he decided to change its name.
During the 1870s, the construction of the South Eastern Railway linking Montreal to Cowansville and the opening of the first bank, the Eastern Townships Bank, contributed to the expansion of the small city, which allows many businesses settle in the area. The municipality detached from the district of Dunham
Dunham, Quebec
Dunham is a city in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 3,396.-Population:Population trend-Language:Mother tongue language ...
, and incorporated on the January 1 1876 and officially was named Cowansville. In February of the same year James O'Halloran
James O'Halloran
James O'Halloran was a Quebec lawyer and political figure. He was born about 1820 near Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland and came to Canada with his family in 1828. He studied at the University of Vermont and served in the U.S. Army during the war with Mexico...
was acclaimed as Mayor by the town council. Cowansville saw a strong industrial growth during the 20th century, and became a city on June 25, 1931, and has grown since World War II by various annexations.
The municipality has a current population of over 12,000. The main economy is based on the industrial sector, in particular textiles. There is also a hospital, Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins, a municipal court, and a provincial park close to Davignon Lake.
Cowansville is the seat of the judicial district
Judicial districts of Quebec
The province of Quebec is divided into 36 judicial districts by the , R.S.Q., chapter D-11. Each district has a seat where the courthouse is located, although some have more than one courthouse, service point, or itinerant court location....
of Bedford.
Population
Population trend| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 12,182 | 1.2% |
| 2001 | 12,032 | 0.2% |
| 1996 | 12,051 | 0.5% |
| 1991 | 11,986 | N/A |
Language
Mother tongue language (2006)| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French only | 9,535 | 82.20% |
| English only | 1,705 | 14.70% |
| Both English and French | 155 | 1.33% |
| Other languages | 205 | 1.77% |