Canton de Hatley

Following Quebec Lieutenant-Governor Alured Clarke’s 1792 proclamation to all those wishing to settle on Crown lands in the province of Lower Canada, Henry Cull and Ebenezer Hovey and their associates applied for a land grant, which was awarded on March 25, 1803, in the new Township of Hatley (named after a town in England).

However, long before this date, the land had been occupied by the Algonquins, and the settlers discovered the good quality of the land and spread the word to families living in neighboring states such as New Hamsphire and Vermont.

In 1863, following the discovery of copper on Georges Capel’s land, the industrial mining complex was created with the Albert and Capelton mines. The aim was to meet the high demand for this mineral during the American Civil War.

In 1870, the construction of the railroad facilitated the transportation of ore and brought American vacationers from the southern United States to North Hatley.

Originally made up of North Hatley (incorporated in 1897), Ayer’s Cliff (incorporated in 1909), Massawippi (now amalgamated with Hatley), Hatley (incorporated in 1912) and Ste-Catherine-de-Hatley (incorporated in 1901), as well as the villages of Minton and Reedsville, the Municipality of Canton de Hatley was originally a rural community that, thanks to its exceptional scenery and magnificent lake, has become a renowned tourist center. The region has attracted many artists, writers and poets over the years, and continues to do so.

Statistics

• Population: 2298
• Constitution Date: 1855-07-01
• Area: 71,51 Kilomètres carrés
• MRC: Memphrémagog
• Method of electing the council: en bloc, without division