45°28′53″N71°40′04″W / 45.4814°N 71.6678°W /45.4814; -71.6678
TheEastern Townships (French:Cantons de l'Est,pronounced[kɑ̃tɔ̃dəlɛst]) is a historical administrative region in southeasternQuebec, Canada. It lies between theSt. Lawrence Lowlands and the American border, and extends fromGranby in the southwest toDrummondville in the northeast.[1] Since 1987, most of the area is within the administrative regionEstrie, and the term Eastern Townships is now used in tourist literature.
The name derives from there also being western townships inOntario.[citation needed]
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BeforeEuropean colonization the area was inhabited by theAbenaki, as attested by many toponyms such asLake Memphremagog andMassawippi River.
Until 1791 the region was organized under theseigneurial system of New France. In 1791 the region was resurveyed under English law. It was divided intocounties, which were in turn subdivided intotownships.
Settlement by Europeans happened in three waves: first fromNew England, including someloyalists,[2] then from the British Isles, and finally French-Canadians from surrounding areas.[3]
From 1967 to 1981 the Eastern Townships were an administrative region of Quebec, (région 05). In 1981 theCommission de toponymie du Québec renamed it Estrie. In 1987 during the reorganization of theregional county municipalities, the region lost some territory:
Although counties were abolished some survive asregional county municipalities, includingArthabaska,Brome,Compton,Frontenac,Missisquoi, andShefford. Townships which survive as municipalities include:Cleveland,Hampden,Hatley,Lingwick,Marston,Melbourne,Orford,Memphrémagog,Potton,Saint-Camille,Sainte-Edwidge-de-Clifton,Stanstead,Stratford,Thetford,Valcourt, andWestbury.
