Coaticook, Quebec, a charming town nestled on the Coaticook River in southeastern Quebec, Canada, is a gem waiting to be discovered. Located in the region of Estrie, colloquially known as the Eastern Townships, Coaticook is the seat of the Coaticook Regional County Municipality. Its southern border is also the Canada–United States border. The town's name, of Abenaki origin, translates to “where the river is bordered by white pines”.
Coaticook was founded in 1818 by British Loyalists from New England. The first settlement was established by Richard Baldwin Senior, who cleared a parcel of land where the City Hall now stands. The area of the Townships of Barnston and Barford was settled in the 1820s and the 1830s by British Loyalists and Americans, mainly from New England. The town was incorporated in 1864.
On December 12, 1998, the municipalities of Barnston Township and Barford Township were merged into Coaticook, introducing multiple communities to Coaticook that exist to this day, including Baldwin's Mills, Barnston, Ladd's Mills, and Stanhope. Today, Coaticook extends over a total land area of 218.89 square kilometres and is home to 108 animal farms, including 66 dairy farms, making it one of Quebec's major milk producers. Coaticook is fondly referred to as the Pearl of the Eastern Townships.
As of the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Coaticook had a population of 8,867 living in 4,023 of its 4,282 total private dwellings. The town has a land area of 219.45 km2 (84.73 sq mi), with a population density of 40.4/km2 (104.6/sq mi). The majority of the population speaks French as their first language (92.7%), followed by English (5.1%).
Coaticook is principally known for the Laiterie de Coaticook, the Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook, and Foresta Lumina, which attract a majority of the town's tourists.
Founded in 1940, the Laiterie initially prepared, bottled, and distributed pasteurized dairy products such as milk, chocolate milk, and cream. Over the next 50 years, the Laiterie expanded its product range, adding new flavors of ice cream, goat cheese, "Bûche de Noël" cakes, and several other products. Today, its products are sold province-wide and in New Brunswick.
First opened in 1975, the Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook is a regional park situated on the Coaticook Gorge. It offers both summer and winter activities, including camping, hiking trails, a petting zoo, mountain bike trails, and in winter, snowshoeing, fatbike, ice climbing, and dog sledding. The park's principal attraction is its suspension bridge which spans the gorge at 169 meters (554 ft) long.
Foresta Lumina, a multimedia night walk created in 2014, draws inspiration from local legends and attracts thousands of visitors annually. The Parc Découverte Nature, an affiliated organism owned and managed by the Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook, offers activities that revolve around fishing and is involved in the conservation of multiple local species of freshwater fish.
Cemeteries in or near Coaticook include Mount Forest Cemetery, Saint Edmond Cemetery, St-Luc, and St-Wilfrid-de-Barnston.
