Granby | |
|---|---|
| Ville de Granby | |
 Aerial view of Granby | |
 Coat of arms  Logo | |
| Motto: Pour y parvenir (To get there) | |
 Location within La Haute-Yamaska RCM | |
  Granby Location in southern Quebec | |
| Coordinates:45°24′N72°44′W / 45.400°N 72.733°W /45.400; -72.733[2] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Estrie[1] |
| RCM | La Haute-Yamaska |
| Constituted | January 1, 2007 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Julie Bourdon |
| • Federal riding | Shefford |
| • Prov. riding | Granby |
| Area | |
• Town | 156.10 km2 (60.27 sq mi) |
| • Land | 152.69 km2 (58.95 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 50.08 km2 (19.34 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 494.10 km2 (190.77 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
• Town | 69,025 |
| • Density | 452.1/km2 (1,171/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 63,810 |
| • Urban density | 1,274.2/km2 (3,300/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 90,833 |
| • Metro density | 183.8/km2 (476/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area codes | 450 and 579 |
| Highways |  R-112 R-137 R-139 |
| Website | www |
Granby (French pronunciation:[ɡʁanbi]) is a town in the southwestern region ofQuebec east ofMontreal. According to the latest statistics from the2021 Canadian Census, Granby has a population of 69,025. It is the administrative center ofLa Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality and is the second most populous city in theEastern Townships afterSherbrooke. The town's name is derived fromJohn Manners, Marquess of Granby. One of the town's main attractions is theGranby Zoo, and its well-known Lac Boivinfountain, also a notable landmark of the area. The mayor, Julie Bourdon, was elected on November 7, 2021, being the first female mayor of Granby.
Granby’s terrain, frequently characterized as a naturalprairie, historically dotted with naturalmeadows and a rich tapestry offorests, was home to a variety of trees such as ash,fir, maple, hemlock, and birch. Not far from these woods, a small swamp could be found, nestled a short distance uphill. Over time, this land was traversed byIndigenous peoples, whose presence was intertwined with the area’snomadic history.[8][9]
In 1792, theEastern Townships were officially opened for colonization byLoyalists. Subsequently, on January 29, 1803, ColonelHenry Caldwell and his 97 associates were granted the Township of Granby by theExecutive Council of Quebec. The township’s first settler, John Horner, arrived in 1813 and established a sawmill adjacent to theYamaska River. By 1825, Horner, in partnership with Richard Frost, expanded his enterprise to include a general store. That same year, Frost was responsible for drafting the township’s official plans.[10]
Granby received official incorporation as amunicipality in the year of 1816, marking its status as a town in 1971.
Field areas have been exploited for agricultural use and the NorthYamaska river's flow has been used for its hydraulic energy since the construction of a first dam in 1815 by large industrial companies; the use of dams along the stream has provoked the formation of a large shallow swamp, called Lac Boivin, often cited as one of Granby's landmarks.
In May 2006, the citizens of Granby andGranby Township held a referendum on a possible merger. A majority of citizens of the two municipalities approved the merger, which took effect on January 1, 2007.[11]
Granby is a flat region located approximately halfway betweenMontreal andSherbrooke alongAutoroute 10; historically a land covered by forests and prairies, it has transformed into anurbanized core surrounded byfields andsuburbanneighborhoods. TheNorth Yamaska river, which crosses lake Boivin (this lake took shape after the construction of a series ofdams and later changed into a large swamp praised for itsbiodiversity.[8] It connects to nearby villages by a network ofroads and has two access points from the highway at exit 68 (throughSaint-Alphonse-de-Granby) and 74 (viaBromont).
Granby has many parks and fountains, including the Daniel-Johnson, Victoria, Terry Fox, Miner, Pelletier, and Kennedy parks.
Granby has ahumid continental climate[14] (Dfb). It has significant variations of temperature with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm but short and winters are very cold. Transitional seasons have significant variations of temperature between adjacent months. Precipitation is quite high, resulting in rainy summers and snowy winters.
| Climate data for Granby (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1917–present)[15] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) | 18.0 (64.4) | 25.0 (77.0) | 30.0 (86.0) | 34.7 (94.5) | 34.4 (93.9) | 39.4 (102.9) | 35.6 (96.1) | 33.9 (93.0) | 28.9 (84.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 39.4 (102.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −4.6 (23.7) | −3.2 (26.2) | 2.2 (36.0) | 10.5 (50.9) | 18.7 (65.7) | 23.3 (73.9) | 25.6 (78.1) | 24.6 (76.3) | 20.3 (68.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 5.8 (42.4) | −1.0 (30.2) | 11.3 (52.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.1 (15.6) | −7.4 (18.7) | −2.2 (28.0) | 5.9 (42.6) | 13.1 (55.6) | 18.3 (64.9) | 20.4 (68.7) | 19.5 (67.1) | 15.4 (59.7) | 8.6 (47.5) | 2.2 (36.0) | −4.9 (23.2) | 6.6 (43.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −13.4 (7.9) | −11.9 (10.6) | −6.4 (20.5) | 0.9 (33.6) | 8.0 (46.4) | 13.0 (55.4) | 15.7 (60.3) | 14.8 (58.6) | 10.6 (51.1) | 4.6 (40.3) | −1.5 (29.3) | −8.4 (16.9) | 2.2 (36.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −40.0 (−40.0) | −38.9 (−38.0) | −38.9 (−38.0) | −17.8 (0.0) | −5.0 (23.0) | −1.0 (30.2) | 1.7 (35.1) | 1.1 (34.0) | −4.4 (24.1) | −11.1 (12.0) | −25.6 (−14.1) | −37.2 (−35.0) | −40.0 (−40.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 95.0 (3.74) | 73.9 (2.91) | 88.0 (3.46) | 101.4 (3.99) | 100.3 (3.95) | 120.6 (4.75) | 122.2 (4.81) | 112.6 (4.43) | 113.4 (4.46) | 109.2 (4.30) | 91.7 (3.61) | 98.1 (3.86) | 1,226.4 (48.28) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 34.8 (1.37) | 19.8 (0.78) | 35.9 (1.41) | 84.9 (3.34) | 99.4 (3.91) | 120.6 (4.75) | 122.2 (4.81) | 112.6 (4.43) | 113.4 (4.46) | 105.8 (4.17) | 70.5 (2.78) | 42.9 (1.69) | 962.8 (37.91) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 58.5 (23.0) | 57.9 (22.8) | 47.9 (18.9) | 17.3 (6.8) | 0.8 (0.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 3.8 (1.5) | 21.7 (8.5) | 53.7 (21.1) | 261.6 (103.0) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 18.2 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 13.3 | 13.5 | 15.1 | 14.5 | 12.6 | 12.1 | 14.1 | 15.8 | 18.0 | 175.8 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.6 | 3.5 | 6.1 | 12.0 | 13.4 | 15.1 | 14.5 | 12.6 | 12.1 | 14.0 | 11.7 | 6.4 | 126.0 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 15.0 | 12.7 | 9.4 | 3.0 | 0.25 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.79 | 5.8 | 13.0 | 60.0 |
| Source:Environment Canada[16][17] | |||||||||||||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Granby had a population of69,025 living in31,850 of its32,766 total private dwellings, a change of4.2% from its 2016 population of66,222. With a land area of 152.69 km2 (58.95 sq mi), it had a population density of452.1/km2 (1,170.8/sq mi) in 2021.[18]
In 2021,[19] 92.5% of the population were white/European, 5.5% were visible minorities and 2.0% were Indigenous. The largest visible minority groups wereBlack (1.8%),Latin American (1.6%),Arab (0.8%), andWest Asian (0.5%).
91.8% of residents spokeFrench as a mother tongue. Other common first languages wereEnglish (2.1%),Spanish (1.6%),Arabic (0.6%), andPersian languages (0.4%). 1.0% of residents listed both French and English as their mother tongues, while 0.4% listed both French and a non-official language.
69.0% of residents wereChristian, down from 87.2% in 2011.[20] 61.6% wereCatholic, 4.3% were Christian n.o.s., and 1.4% wereProtestant. Other Christian denominations and Christian-related traditions accounted for 1.6% of the population. Non-religious and secular people were 28.9% of the population, up from 11.3% in 2011. 2.1% of residents followed other religions, up from 1.5% in 2011. The largest non-Christian religion wasIslam (1.7%).
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French only | 62,150 | 91.8% |
| English only | 1,435 | 2.1% |
| Both English and French | 705 | 1.0% |
| Other languages | 3,025 | 4.5% |
Granby is a regional centre for industries (textile, lumber, dairy products) and commercial zone, but is also a tourist town, due to the presence of the importantGranby Zoo, founded by the Mayor Horace Boivin. It hosts aFête des Mascottes ("Mascot Festival") each year in July.
Granby is the host of the yearly "Festival de la chanson de Granby" ("Granby Song Festival") in which many well-known artists, such asJean Leloup andLuc De Larochellière, have first gained public exposure.
The international classic car show takes place at parc Daniel-Johnston, with over 2500 antiques, vintage, hot rods, muscle cars and classic imports cars every summer.Granby's annual classic car show
Granby is also home to theGaleries de Granby regionalshopping mall which has 106 stores.[21]
The Autodrome Granby, one of Canada's largest dirt oval racing tracks, hosts professional racing teams every Friday night from May to September. Winner of many prizes Autodrome Granby is known worldwide in the racing community.
Granby is the location of the annualChallenger Banque Nationale de Granby of theATP Challenger Tour, which takes place at the Club de Tennis des Loisirs de Granby.
TheGranby Inouk of theQuebec Junior AAA Hockey League are based in Granby. The Inouk play their home games at theLeonard Grondin Arena.
Granby is also home to theLigue de Baseball Senior Élite du Québec'sGranby Guerriers. The Guerriers play their home games atNapoléon Fontaine Stadium.
From 1981 to 1997, Granby was home to aQMJHL team, originally called theGranby Bisons but changed to theGranby Prédateurs in 1995. The team won theMemorial Cup in 1996. In 1997, the franchise relocated toSydney, Nova Scotia and became theCape Breton Screaming Eagles. Both teams played atLéonard Grondin Arena.
The public transit department of the town is Transport urbain Granby. Until 1956, it was the eastern terminus of theMontreal and Southern Counties Railway's Montreal-Granby Line.
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Granby'stwinned are:
Adjacent Municipal Subdivisions | |
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 Subdivisions ofLa Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality | |
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| Cities | |
| Municipalities | |
| Townships | |
| Villages | |
| International | |
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| Geographic | |
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