Finding le joie de vivre
South of the St. Lawrence River and north of the American border lies a hidden veritable treasure trove of picturesque rural roads, gently rolling hills, ancient volcanic cones, quaint villages and a land rich in the early history of our great nation.
Less than an hour southeast of Montreal, we sit on the patio of the Château-Bromont, watching the sunset over the forested 553-metre-high Mont Brome, one of four major ski areas in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.
We ride over the gentle rolling hills and come out of the woods passing pastoral farms with black-and-white Holsteins grazing contentedly on the morning’s dew-covered grass. Although clouds threaten rain, we carry on hoping it will be our lucky day.
Ancient mountain ranges loom large in the distance as we glide by mortarless stone fences. At Fulford, we lean left onto Chemin Davis and cross over Sheffington Creek. Although French is the language of business here, never doubt the English roots and the history of this part of Quebec. Virtually every town’s name traces its roots back to Great Britain. Although English is in the minority now, not that long ago, more than 90 percent of the population was English. Most arrived here as British Empire Loyalists fleeing persecution by the American Patriots of the 13 colonies.
Just up the road we find Waterloo, and beyond that, Lac Waterloo, while on the horizon we can see another of the Eastern Townships’ great ski areas, Mont Orford, tomorrow’s destination.
Remembering a Previous Life
With enough of the long-ago memories, we power out of town, up and over the hills to Racine, where we catch Route 222 to Lac Brompton. Here, the road is a fun ride, with big rock cuts and massive hills with sweeping peg-rasping curves. Too soon, we are at Sherbrooke, the Eastern Townships’ largest city, with a population of over 155,000. Sherbrooke is the regional centre and home to several educational institutions. Surrounded by mountains and lakes, it was named after British General John Sherbrooke, Governor General of British North America from 1816 to 1818.
We follow Route 143 along the shores of the Massawippi River to Lennoxville. Once clear of town, we make a left onto Route 147 and wind along with the road now paralleling Moe River. At Milby, Milby Bridge, one of the Eastern Townships’ 15 covered bridges, comes into view. Patented by architect Ithiel Town in 1820, and named after him, the unique structural framework of the bridge is simply lattice made of large rough-cut planks and held together at their intersections by large oak pegs. This Town Lattice Truss Bridge design is the same structural design used for the Guelph covered bridge that spans the Speed River in Ontario.
It’s 25 C as the Laiterie de Coaticook, a local ice cream factory, comes into view. Famous for being one of the province’s largest ice cream producers, it’s a welcome respite from the heat of the day and we relax with our favourite flavours before moving on. Just outside of town we stop at the unique Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook. Here, a pedestrian suspension bridge carries its human cargo 50 metres above the Coaticook Gorge below. At 169 metres long, it’s one of the longest suspended footbridges in North America.
Westbound again over hills and past centuries-old farms, we follow Route 141 to Burroughs Falls, where the road is closed for bridge construction. A detour north on 143 to 208 brings us to the picturesque village of Ayer’s Cliff on Lac Massawippi. As in most towns in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, owners take pride in keeping their properties well tended and pristine, and Ayer’s Cliff is a prime example.
Best Riding of the Day
Wheeling into Knowlton, our destination, the Auberge Knowlton stands serenely on the corner of Route 243 and Rue Lakeside, just as it has stood since 1849. It’s the oldest continuously operating hotel in the Eastern Townships, not to mention that just down the road is the reason why duck is on the menu of every restaurant in the area. Brome Lake Duck has been in business for more than 100 years and is the oldest duck-breeding farm in Canada.
Signy and Michel are the owners of Auberge Knowlton. They once had high-profile jobs with CBC television, but left the rat race of Toronto in 1997 and purchased the hotel. Judging by their smiles and happy demeanour, they made the right choice. Summer evenings in Quebec’s villages are spent on second-
level balconies overlooking the street below. With our feet up we ruminate on our day’s wanderings and tomorrow’s threatening weather forecast.
Where’s the Fokker?
Rising early, we pack the bikes and head downstairs for breakfast. The foreboding sky shows little promise of good weather. Darkness hangs over the distant mountains with occasional telltale streaks of falling rain in the distance. Chemin Lakeside–Route 243 winds out of town and past the museum that holds one of the only seven remaining Fokker D VII aircraft left in the world. The most advanced fighter planes of the First World War, they were ordered to be destroyed after the war.
The Knowlton Museum’s Fokker is the only one that is in unrestored condition. Much local controversy still rages as to what should be done with this historic flying machine, but for now the museum is still its home. With Lac Brome on our left, we slowly follow the winding tarmac past mansions and cottages, thoroughly enjoying the solitude of the quiet morning. Past the elite Club de Golf Lac Brome, we cross Autoroute 10 and turn right onto Route 112. Paralleling the Autoroute, this more interesting road leads to South Stukley, following alongside the infamous Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway, just a few kilometres from the Lac-Mégantic disaster. Winding between the cliffs and Lac d’Argent, I can see the towering ski lift on top of Mont Orford.
At Route 141 we turn left and torque upward into Parc du Mont Orford and pass by Auberge aux 4 Saison d’Orford, our destination for tonight. Call It a Day With the rain holding (for now), we follow the roadway to the ski lodge, then wind downward on Route 141, doing a loop through the park. Across Autoroute 10, again we descend into the town of Magog, filled with chic restaurants and bars for the skiing crowd and tourists. After a coffee and a tête-à-tête, we decide to do the smart thing and call it a day rather than ride on into the impending rain. Later, we reconnoitre at the Bistro 4 Saison d’Orford for another splendid early dinner and friendly conversation. Once again, La Belle Province has provided us with an unforgettable experience.
With the joie de vivre of the French, their ability to create the most splendid food, their scenic vistas and wonderful, winding motorcycling roads, we can hardly wait to come back and again visit the Eastern Townships of Quebec.
