Shefford County, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Shefford County is an historical county
in southern Québec
, Canada
. It is named after Shefford
, a small town in Bedfordshire
county
, England
of the same name and is in the Eastern Townships
region of Québec.
Topographically, part of the county is situated on the western foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
. The county contains four small lakes, Lake Waterloo near Waterloo, Lake Boivin in Granby Township, Lake Roxton in Roxton Township, and Lake Stukely in Stukely Township. All of the lakes flow into the Yamaska River, except for Lake Stukely which feeds into the St-François River, both of which flow northwards and are tributaries to the Saint Lawrence River
. A prominent feature of the county is Mount Shefford in the Township of Shefford, one of a series of the Monteregian Hills that lie in a line between the Appalachian Mountains and the Saint Lawrence River.
The county is shaped almost like a trapezoid
. It is bounded in the south by Brome County
(48 km; 45°17' N), in the north and northwest by Bagot County (35 km; 45°41' N), Richmond and Sherbrooke Counties in the east (35 km; 72°15' W) and in the west by Rouville County (34 km; 72°46' W).
The county is divided into seven townships
of which six are square-shaped, three in the north (from east to west, the Township of Ely, the Township of Roxton
and the Township of Milton); and three in the south (from east to west, the Township of Stukely, the Township of Shefford and the Township of Granby
). The Township of Upton is a strip of land located in the northwestern corner of the county and measures 1,25 km by 6,25 km. The county seat is Waterloo
, located in the Township of Shefford. The best known town in the county is Granby
, located in the township of the same name, known for its annual song and musical festival. Another well known town is Bromont, located in the southwestern corner of Shefford Township. The town has an IBM
plant and was the site of the 1976 Summer Olympics
equestrian
events.
In the early 1980s, Quebec abolished its counties, and Shefford County was divided and transferred to Acton Regional County Municipality
(north), Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality
(northwest), La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality
(west), Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality
(southwest), Memphremagog Regional County Municipality
(southeast), and Le Val-Saint-Francois Regional County Municipality
(northeast).
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
in southern Québec
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...
. It is named after Shefford
Shefford, Bedfordshire
Shefford is a small town and civil parish located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 4,928, although this was estimated to have grown to 5,770 by 2007.-History:...
, a small town in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
of the same name and is in the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
region of Québec.
Topographically, part of the county is situated on the western foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. The county contains four small lakes, Lake Waterloo near Waterloo, Lake Boivin in Granby Township, Lake Roxton in Roxton Township, and Lake Stukely in Stukely Township. All of the lakes flow into the Yamaska River, except for Lake Stukely which feeds into the St-François River, both of which flow northwards and are tributaries to the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
. A prominent feature of the county is Mount Shefford in the Township of Shefford, one of a series of the Monteregian Hills that lie in a line between the Appalachian Mountains and the Saint Lawrence River.
The county is shaped almost like a trapezoid
Trapezoid
In Euclidean geometry, a convex quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides is referred to as a trapezoid in American English and as a trapezium in English outside North America. A trapezoid with vertices ABCD is denoted...
. It is bounded in the south by Brome County
Brome County, Quebec
Brome County, is a historical county of Quebec. It takes its name from the name of a manor in the parish of Barham in Kent, England that was named after the broom plant. It was named by English surveyors. The county was formed in 1855 from parts of Stanstead, Shefford and Missisquoi counties. ...
(48 km; 45°17' N), in the north and northwest by Bagot County (35 km; 45°41' N), Richmond and Sherbrooke Counties in the east (35 km; 72°15' W) and in the west by Rouville County (34 km; 72°46' W).
The county is divided into seven townships
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
of which six are square-shaped, three in the north (from east to west, the Township of Ely, the Township of Roxton
Roxton, Quebec
Roxton is a township in the Regional County Municipality of Acton, in the province of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 1,016. Roxton entirely surrounds the village of Roxton Falls...
and the Township of Milton); and three in the south (from east to west, the Township of Stukely, the Township of Shefford and the Township of Granby
Granby, Quebec (township)
The Township of Granby was a municipality in south-central Quebec, Canada in the Regional County Municipality La Haute-Yamaska. It is located on the northern and western sides of the City of Granby. In 2006, citizens of Granby and the Township of Granby voted in referendum for the township to...
). The Township of Upton is a strip of land located in the northwestern corner of the county and measures 1,25 km by 6,25 km. The county seat is Waterloo
Waterloo, Quebec
Waterloo is a city in Quebec, included in La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality, in the administrative area of Montérégie. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 4,054...
, located in the Township of Shefford. The best known town in the county is Granby
Granby, Quebec
Granby is a city in southwestern Quebec, located east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 47,637. Granby is the seat of La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality. It is the fifth most populated city in Montérégie after Longueuil, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Brossard and...
, located in the township of the same name, known for its annual song and musical festival. Another well known town is Bromont, located in the southwestern corner of Shefford Township. The town has an IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
plant and was the site of the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
events.
In the early 1980s, Quebec abolished its counties, and Shefford County was divided and transferred to Acton Regional County Municipality
Acton Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Acton Regional County Municipality is located in Central Quebec. The Regional County Municipality Seat is Acton Vale.Founded in 1982, the Acton Regional County Municipality is made up of eight smaller municipalities containing a little fewer than 16,000 people. The average population density is...
(north), Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality
Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality, Quebec
-References:...
(northwest), La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality
La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality, Quebec
La Haute-Yamaska is a regional county municipality in southcentral Quebec, Canada. It is named for its position at the height of the Yamaska River which cuts through the south part of the Regional County Municipality, and rises at Brome Lake located in neighbouring Brome-Missisquoi Regional County...
(west), Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality
Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality, Quebec
- External links :* * *...
(southwest), Memphremagog Regional County Municipality
Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Memphrémagog is a Quebec Regional County Municipality in Canada.-History:After the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, the American Revolutionary War ended with the establishment of the state of Vermont. The border of Upper Canada was then defined at approximately 45 degrees north...
(southeast), and Le Val-Saint-Francois Regional County Municipality
Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality, Quebec
-References:...
(northeast).