Stanstead, Quebec, a town nestled in the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region, is a unique blend of history and geography. Located on the Canada–United States border, it is directly across from Derby Line, Vermont. The town was created in 1995 by merging the former villages of Stanstead Plain and Beebe (formerly Beebe Plain) and the Town of Rock Island.
Before merging, Stanstead Plain, Rock Island, and Beebe were informally known as "les trois villages" or "the Three Villages." The area's main route, Quebec Route 143, was halted due to snowfall from March 22 to April 3 in 1940, affecting Dufferin Heights the most. Volunteers attempted to clear the road with shovels, leading to snow banks so high that steps needed to be carved into them.
Stanstead Plain was founded in 1796 by Johnson Taplin, who came from New England in search of good farming land. The town grew in the 19th century due to the influx of United Empire Loyalists and the development of the granite industry. The first automobile manufactured in Canada was built by Henry Seth Taylor of Stanstead, and the railroad reached Stanstead in 1871. Today, the tracks have been transformed into bike trails owned by the regional government.
Rock Island was settled in 1798 by Samuel and Selah Pomroy from Massachusetts. It is known for the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, deliberately constructed on the Canada–US border and opened in 1904. The original owners were a couple with dual nationality; Mr. Carlos F. Haskell was an American businessman from Derby Line who owned a number of sawmills, while Mrs. Haskell was born in Canada.
Beebe Plain was colonized around 1789 by Zeeba Beebe of Connecticut. The granite industry is the major force in the area's economic history. Beebe Junction was the international crossing point for the 1870 Massawippi Valley Railway. The line ran from the Canadian Pacific mainline in Sherbrooke-Lennoxville south to Newport, Vermont.
The Tomifobia River runs through the town of Stanstead, dividing the Canada–US border at times. In some places, the international border runs through individual homes, so that meals prepared in one country are eaten in the other.
As typical of southern Quebec, Stanstead has a humid continental climate with significant differences of temperature between seasons. Summers are warm but rarely hot and are in general cooler than areas further west on similar parallels. Winters are cold, further demonstrating the continental nature of the climate.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Stanstead had a population of 2,824 living in 1,274 of its 1,381 total private dwellings, a change of 1.3% from its 2016 population of 2,788.
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House has an international border line painted on the floors of the building. Another landmark is Centenary United Church. Stanstead, which refers to itself as the Granite Capital of Canada, was previously home to a granite-themed museum known as "Granit Central".
Drinking water for the adjacent towns of Derby Line and Stanstead is pumped from wells in Canada, stored in a reservoir in the United States and distributed through a system maintained by Canadians. Derby Line's sewage makes a cross-border trip for treatment.
Stanstead, Quebec is served by Quebec Autoroute 55, Quebec Route 143, and Quebec Route 247.
