Sherbrooke, Quebec, a city nestled in southern Quebec, Canada, is a vibrant blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Located at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers, Sherbrooke is the heart of the Estrie administrative region. With a population of 172,950 residents as per the Canada 2021 Census, Sherbrooke is the sixth-largest city in the province and the 30th largest in Canada.
Sherbrooke's history dates back to 8,000-3,000 years ago when First Nations settled the region. The Abenaki called it Ktinékétolékouac/Kchi Nikitawtegwak ('the large forks'), or Shacewanteku (where one smokes). The first settler was the farmer Jean-Baptiste Nolain, in 1779. The area was first surveyed in 1792. Americans from Vermont built mills in the area in 1802. Gilbert Hyatt led a group of loyalists, who settled around 1803. He dammed the Magog River and a gristmill and a sawmill were soon built nearby. The settlement was then known as Hyatt's Mills. The first immigrants from England arrived in 1815.
The city was named in 1818 for John Coape Sherbrooke, a former Governor General of Canada. Sherbrooke rose as a manufacturing centre in the 1800s, and today the service sector is prominent.
Sherbrooke is located at the confluence of the Saint-François (St. Francis) and Magog rivers in the heart of the Eastern Townships and the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) and census division (CD) of Quebec, coextensive with the city of Sherbrooke. Its geographical code is 43.
Sherbrooke has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with long, cold, and snowy winters, warm summers, and short but crisp springs and autumns. Highs range from −5.8 °C (21.6 °F) in January to 24.6 °C (76.3 °F) in July. In an average year, there are 34 nights at or colder than −20 °C (−4 °F), and 6.5 nights at or colder than −30 °C (−22 °F); 4.1 days will see highs reaching 30 °C (86 °F). Annual snowfall is large, averaging at 287 centimetres (113 in), sometimes falling in May and October. Precipitation is not sparse any time of the year, but is the greatest in summer and fall and at its least from January to April, totalling 1,100 millimetres (43.3 in) annually.
Sherbrooke is a city of neighbourhoods, each with its unique character and charm.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Sherbrooke had a population of 172,950 living in 80,476 of its 86,019 total private dwellings, a change of 7.2% from its 2016 population of 161,323. With a land area of 353.4 km2 (136.4 sq mi), it had a population density of 489.4/km2 (1,267.5/sq mi) in 2021.
Sherbrooke is a city of culture, hosting several festivals, concerts, and events throughout the year. The city has British architectural heritage, as seen in the buildings in Vieux-Nord. Sherbrooke has the fourth largest theatre in Quebec, the Maurice O'Bready University Cultural Centre of Sherbrooke (Salle Maurice-O’bready du centre culturel de l’Université de Sherbrooke). Music, theatre, and dance shows are staged there.
Sherbrooke is home to several libraries, including the main city library, La bibliothèque municipale Éva-Senécal, named for Éva Senécal (1905-1988), poet, novelist and journalist.
Sherbrooke is a city of attractions, from its museums and visitors' centres to its parks and recreational areas.
Sherbrooke is home to several museums and visitors' centres, including the Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum, Centre d'interprétation de l'histoire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts, Centre culturel et du patrimoine Uplands, Art gallery at the Centre Culturel of Sherbrooke University, Centre d'art actuel Sporobole, and Prison Winter.
Sherbrooke has parks and greenspaces that encompass a variety of recreational activities. In total, there are 108 in the municipality. Parks Jacques-Cartier, Mont Bellevue, Bois Beckett, Lucien-Blanchard, Central, Quintal, Victoria, and Marais Réal-D.-Carbonneau are among the most popular destinations.
Sherbrooke is a city with a robust infrastructure, from its transportation systems to its public health facilities.
Sherbrooke is served by several transportation options, including bus service to Montreal via Granby and Magog. Société de transport de Sherbrooke (STS) provides bus service within the city. It operates 18 bus routes, 10 minibus routes, 7 express routes, 3 taxibus routes, and 3 microbus routes.
The suburban Sherbrooke University Hospital ("CHUS" or "Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke) has over 5,200 employees, including 550 doctors. It includes a clinical research facility, the Étienne-Lebel Research Centre.
