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town of Quebec, Canada
North America > Canada > Quebec > Southwestern Quebec > Eastern Townships > Cowansville

Cowansville is a town of over 15,000 people (2021) surrounding Lake Davignon, in Brome-Missisquoi, in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, in Canada. It is close to the many ski resorts of the Eastern Townships.

Understand

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Place Nelsonville

Cowansville' economy is based on the industrial sector, in particular textiles. There is also a hospital, Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins, a municipal court, a federal penitentiary, and a Nature Centre close to Davignon Lake.

Cowansville's commercial activity has blossomed mainly because of its proximity to a major freeway, Autoroute 10, and the Eastern Townships ski resort region.

History

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Résidence George-Knight-Nesbitt, 215 rue du Sud

Jacob Ruiter was the first person to settle on the current site of Cowansville. In 1800 he built a flour mill, and then a saw mill. In 1805, Ruiter named the small town Nelsonville, in honour of British admiral, Lord Horatio Nelson, who was killed in the naval Battle of Trafalgar.

Peter Cowan, a merchant from Montreal, settled in the area in 1836 and become postmaster in 1841. In order to avoid the mail being sent inadvertently to another city named Nelsonville, close to Hamilton in Upper Canada, he decided to change its name.

During the 1870s, the construction of the South Eastern Railway linking Montreal to Cowansville and the opening of the first bank, the Eastern Townships Bank, contributed to the expansion of the small city, which allowed many businesses settle in the area.

Get in

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From Montreal: take Autoroute 10.

Cowansville is 20 km (12 mi) north of the U.S. border.

  • LimoCar. Two buses a week from Montreal, transfer in Ange-Gardien (1 hr 40 min, $23-26). (updated Jan 2018)

Get around

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  • Taxi Cowansville +1 450-263-2222
  • Taxi AB +1 450-263-2020
  • 1 Bruck Museum (Musee Bruck), 225, rue Principale, ☏ +1 450-263-6101, . June: Sa Su 10:00-16:00; Jul Aug: daily 10:00-17:00; Sep to mid-Oct: Th F 12:00-16:00, Sa Su 10:00-16:00; mid-Oct to May: Th-Sa 12:00-16:00. Historical photographs of Cowansville, sculptures and paintings. (updated Dec 2018)
  • 2 Cinéma Princess Cowansville, 141, rue Principale, ☏ +1 450-263-5900. The films showing are listed on the website. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 3 Freeport Covered Bridge (Pont couvert de Freeport), rue Bell. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 1 Cowansville Golf Club (Club de Golf de Cowansville), 225, chemin du Golf, ☏ +1 450-263-3131. Established in 1964, this golf course is set in an enchanting setting surrounded by nature. This golf course has rooms for groups: banquet room (capacity: 200-220 people), dining room (30-40 people) and large terrace (70-80 people), with screen and projector, loudspeakers and wireless microphone... The various group events are particularly: wedding, reception, corporate, associative, training... It offers catering service. This 18-hole golf course offers five tee markers. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 2 Nature Center (Centre de la nature), 225 Chemin de la Plage (town centre). Several services and activities for the whole family: swimming, paddle boating, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, water park, nature trail, outdoor gym with many different machines, a playground for the kids, bocceball. Washrooms and a small cafe for snacks. (updated Dec 2018)
  • 3 Bromont Ski Area (Centre de ski de Bromont), 150 Rue Champlain, Bromont (13 km from Cowansville). A year-round recreational area with skiing, evening skiing, water park, mountain biking and multiuse trails. It has the largest lit skiable area in North America, with 450 acres of skiable terrain, 142 trails, including 32 glades and 102 lit trails, spread over 7 hillslides. 9 chairlifts and more than 1275 snow guns, so conditions are guaranteed. In the summer, its waterpark offers 25 aquatic and other attractions, including a heated wave pool measuring almost 24,000 ft² (2,200 m2), rafting rivers, kilometres of water slides, and mountain alpine luges. From May to October, it offers the largest mountain biking area in Eastern Canada, with 24 downhill runs for all levels. The mountain also offers close to 40 km of multiuse trails for hiking, trail running, enduro or cross-country. (updated Dec 2018)
  • 4 St-Christophe bowling alley (Salle de Quilles St-Christophe), 512, rue Principale. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 5 Cowansville Bowling & Video Poker (Salle de Quilles & Vidéo Pocker de Cowansville), 809, rue du Sud, ☏ +1 450-266-7511. Sports complex. (updated Nov 2022)
  • La Route des Vins (The Wine Route). 22 vineyards, 4 breathtaking road trips, 4 cycling routes for all levels, 21 restaurants. (updated Jan 2018)

Events

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  • 6 Christmas market (Marché de Noël), Centre de la nature. December 2, 2022 (16:00;-21:00, 3 and 4 (10:00-16:00). Artists and artisans present to public their creations before the Holiday Season. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 1 La Mie Bretonne Artisan Bakery (Boulangerie Artisanale La Mie Bretonne), 511, rue du Sud, ☏ +1 450-955-1500. Bakery offering 30 kinds of bread, sourdough or not, made and baked entirely on site overnight. Main other types of products offered: Viennese pastries, artisanal pastries, artisanal Quebec cheeses, delicatessen, gourmet coffee... (updated Nov 2022)
  • 1 Vignoble la Grenouille, 434, chemin Plouffe, ☏ +1 450-578-6562. By appointment. Wine tastings, pick your own table grapes in season. (updated Dec 2018)

There are shops along rue Principale east of rue Albert.

  • 2 Domaine du Parc Shopping Centre (Centre d'achat Domaine du Parc), 175, rue Principale, ☏ +1 819-843-8844. The full list of 11 stores (and services) is posted on the website. Main stores: Hart, Reitmans, Bell, and Dollarama. (updated Nov 2022)

Asian cooking

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  • 10 Restaurant Fusion d'Asie, 94 Rue Principal, ☏ +1 450-263-3838. Restaurant. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 11 Rendez Vous Café, 140 Rue Principal, ☏ +1 450-955-3373. Sa Su 10:00 - 22:00, M-F 08:30 - 22:00. Asian meals, Italian means coffee, beer. (updated Dec 2018)
  • 12 Restaurant La Fine Gueule Thaï, 300 Rue Principal, ☏ +1 450-260-1176. Thaï restaurant. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 13 Restaurant Wok Ami, 350 Rue Principal, ☏ +1 450-955-1075. Chinese restaurant. (updated Nov 2022)

Drink

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Sleep

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Hotels

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Gîtes

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  • 3 Le Passe-Partout, 167, boulevard Pierre-Laporte (at the North entrance of Cowansville), ☏ +1 450-260-1678. This B&B has four bedrooms and recreation rooms. From $120. (updated Nov 2022)

Campgrounds

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  • 4 Camping Domaine Tournesol, 327, chemin Brosseau, ☏ +1 450-263-9515. Campground offering 244 sites including 179 seasonal, 58 traveller sites and cabins for rent. This campsite offers a program of activities throughout the summer season. (updated Nov 2022)

Connect

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The town of Cowansville offers a personalized Internet access service.

Cope

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The town of Cowansville posts a program of municipal or community activities on its website at: HERE

Municipal services

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  • 7 Gabrielle-Giroux-Bertrand Library (Bibliothèque Gabrielle-Giroux-Bertrand), 608, rue du Sud, ☏ +1 450-263-4071. Public library. This library offers various digital resources: online courses, digital books, digital magazines, educational games. It also offers an entertainment program for adults and children. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 8 Pavillon des Sports Roland Désourdy, 340, rue Mercier, ☏ +1 450-263-6464. Arena. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 9 Aquatic Centre (Centre aquatique), 431, rue Bachand, ☏ +1 450-263-6464. This aquatic centre offers a program of free swims, lessons and aquatic activities, and specialized courses. (updated Nov 2022)

Go next

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Routes through Cowansville
La Prairie ← Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu ←  W  E  → Lac-Brome → END
Drummondville ← Granby ←   N  S  → Sutton → Richford via


This city travel guide to Cowansville is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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