Granby, Quebec facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Granby
Town
Ville de Granby
Aerial view of Granby
Coat of arms Logo
Motto(s):  Pour y parvenir (To get there)
Location within La Haute-Yamaska RCM
Granby Location in Southern Quebec
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Estrie
RCM	La Haute-Yamaska
Constituted	January 1, 2007
Area
• Town	156.10 km2 (60.27 sq mi)
• Land	152.69 km2 (58.95 sq mi)
• Urban	50.08 km2 (19.34 sq mi)
• Metro	494.10 km2 (190.77 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Town	69,025
• Density	452.1/km2 (1,171/sq mi)
• Urban	63,810
• Urban density	1,274.2/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
• Metro	90,833
• Metro density	183.8/km2 (476/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J2G-J2J
Area code(s)	450 and 579
Highways	Route 112 Route 137 Route 139

Granby is a town in the southwestern part of Quebec, located east of Montreal. In 2021, about 69,025 people lived there. Granby is the main city in the La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality. It is also the second-largest city in the Eastern Townships, after Sherbrooke. The town is named after John Manners, Marquess of Granby.

One of Granby's most famous places is the Granby Zoo. Another well-known landmark is the fountain at Lac Boivin. The current mayor, Julie Bourdon, was elected on November 7, 2021. She is the first female mayor of Granby.

History of Granby

The town of Granby seen in 1883.

Long ago, the land where Granby now stands was covered with natural meadows and thick forests. You could find trees like ash, maple, and birch. There was also a small swamp nearby. For many years, Indigenous peoples traveled through this area as part of their nomadic lives.

In 1792, the Eastern Townships region was opened for new settlers. These settlers were often Loyalists, people who stayed loyal to Britain during the American Revolution. On January 29, 1803, a man named Colonel Henry Caldwell and 97 others were given the Township of Granby by the government of Quebec.

The first settler, John Horner, arrived in 1813. He built a sawmill next to the Yamaska River. By 1825, Horner and his partner, Richard Frost, also opened a general store. That same year, Frost helped create the official plans for the township.

Granby officially became a municipality in 1816. It then became a town in 1971.

People have used the land for farming for a long time. The North Yamaska River has also been important for its water power. A dam was built in 1815, and more dams followed. These dams helped create a large, shallow area called Lac Boivin, which is now a famous landmark in Granby.

In May 2006, the people of Granby and Granby Township voted on whether to join together. Most citizens agreed, and the two areas merged on January 1, 2007.

Geography of Granby

Boivin Lake and Yamaska River

Granby is a flat area located about halfway between Montreal and Sherbrooke. You can reach it easily from Autoroute 10. This area used to be covered in forests and prairies. Now, it's a busy urban center with farms and suburban neighborhoods around it.

The North Yamaska River flows through Granby and goes through Lac Boivin. This lake formed after several dams were built. It's known for its many different plants and animals. Granby is connected to nearby villages by a network of roads. You can get to Granby from the highway at exit 68 (near Saint-Alphonse-de-Granby) and exit 74 (near Bromont).

Parks and Green Spaces

A panorama of lake Boivin and its bicycle track.

Granby has many beautiful parks and fountains. Some of the main parks include Daniel-Johnson, Victoria, Terry Fox, Miner, Pelletier, and Kennedy parks.

• Lake Boivin, Daniel-Johnson Park, and the Centre d'interprétation de la nature du lac Boivin (nature interpretation center of Lake Boivin) were created in the 1980s. They have paths for bikers and pedestrians. These areas are perfect for nature lovers because they are home to many living things. Lake Boivin is right in the heart of the town. Daniel-Johnson Park is on its northern shore. People enjoy sports like boating and cycling there. The park also hosts events for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and Earth Day. There's also a "river festival" to celebrate and clean the North Yamaska River. The hills in the park are great for picnicking in summer and sleighing in winter. The Centre d'interprétation de la nature du lac Boivin is a non-profit group that works to protect the land, habitat, fauna (animals), and flora (plants) of Lake Boivin.

• Yamaska National Park is a large protected wetland area around the Choinière reservoir. It has forests, a beach, and paths for walking and biking. You can also use light, non-motorized boats on its waters. It's a very important bird sanctuary.

• Park Victoria is the oldest park in Granby. It was bought in 1889 and designed as a park in 1900. It's named after Queen Victoria. In the park, you'll find war memorials, like the one for Latimer (1901) for soldiers who died in the Second Boer War, and the monument to the Braves. Both have old canons next to them. The Selbach fountain, opened in 1982, is at the corner of Dufferin Street and Mountain Boulevard. The park has two ponds connected by a small stream, large rocks, and hilly areas. Part of it is cut by Lorne Street. At its southern edge, the park touches Parkview Elementary School, an English school. In the warmer months, free concerts are sometimes held in a gazebo.

• Park Miner is the second oldest park in Granby. Mayor Stephen Henderson Campbell Miner gave it to the town in 1910. Today, it's in downtown Granby and has the Piscine Miner (Miner pool), which is the town's indoor public pool. A monument to the founders of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste society was put up in 1934. The first public art gallery in the area was set up here by Atelier 19 to celebrate its ten years. During the summer, tents are set up in the park for public activities like dance and music.

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  Daniel-Johnson park

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  Lake Boivin

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  Monument to Latimer at park Victoria

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  Wallace fountain at Isabelle park.

Climate in Granby

Granby has a humid continental climate (Dfb). This means it has four clear seasons with big temperature changes. Summers are warm but short, and winters are very cold. Spring and autumn have noticeable temperature shifts between months. There's a lot of rain, so summers are wet and winters are snowy.

Granby's Population Over Time

In the 2021 Census, Granby had a population of 69,025 people. This was a 4.2% increase from its population in 2016. The town covers a land area of about 152.69 square kilometers. This means there were about 452 people living per square kilometer in 2021.

In 2021, most of Granby's population (92.5%) was white or European. About 5.5% were from visible minorities (people who are not white but are not Indigenous), and 2.0% were Indigenous peoples. The largest visible minority groups were Black (1.8%), Latin American (1.6%), and Arab (0.8%).

Most people in Granby (91.8%) speak French as their first language. Other common first languages include English (2.1%), Spanish (1.6%), and Arabic (0.6%). Some people speak both French and English (1.0%) or French and another language (0.4%) as their first languages.

About 69.0% of residents are Christian. This includes 61.6% who are Catholic and 1.4% who are Protestant. About 28.9% of the population said they had no religion. Other religions make up 2.1% of residents, with Islam being the largest non-Christian religion (1.7%).

Granby's Economy

Granby Zoo

Granby is an important center for different industries, like textiles (making fabrics), lumber (wood products), and dairy products. It's also a busy place for shopping.

Beyond that, Granby is a popular tourist town. This is mainly because of the famous Granby Zoo, which was started by Mayor Horace Boivin. Every July, the town also hosts a fun event called the Fête des Mascottes ("Mascot Festival").

Fun Things to Do in Granby

St. George's Anglican Church.

Église Sainte-Famille.

Granby hosts the yearly "Festival de la chanson de Granby" ("Granby Song Festival"). Many famous artists, like Jean Leloup and Luc De Larochellière, first became known at this festival.

Every summer, the international classic car show takes place at Daniel-Johnson Park. You can see over 2,500 old, vintage, hot rod, muscle, and classic imported cars there.

Granby is also home to the Galeries de Granby, a large regional shopping mall with 106 stores.

The Autodrome Granby is one of Canada's biggest dirt oval racing tracks. Professional racing teams compete there every Friday night from May to September. Autodrome Granby is well-known in the racing world and has won many awards.

Sports in Granby

Granby is where the annual Challenger Banque Nationale de Granby tennis tournament happens. This event is part of the ATP Challenger Tour and takes place at the Club de Tennis des Loisirs de Granby.

The Granby Inouk is a hockey team from Granby that plays in the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League. They play their home games at the Leonard Grondin Arena.

Granby also has the Granby Guerriers baseball team, which plays in the Ligue de Baseball Senior Élite du Québec. Their home games are at Napoléon Fontaine Stadium.

From 1981 to 1997, Granby had a QMJHL hockey team. They were first called the Granby Bisons and then the Granby Prédateurs in 1995. This team won the important Memorial Cup in 1996. In 1997, the team moved to Sydney, Nova Scotia and became the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Both teams played at the Léonard Grondin Arena.

Getting Around Granby

The town's public transportation is managed by Transport urbain Granby. In the past, until 1956, Granby was the eastern end of a railway line that connected it to Montreal.

Sister Cities

Granby has "sister city" relationships with several cities around the world. These partnerships help promote cultural exchange and friendship.

Famous People from Granby

• Benoit Coulombe, a scientist and researcher.
• Palmer Cox, a writer and artist known for his children's books about creatures called the Brownies.
• Pierre-Luc Dusseault, who became the youngest Member of Parliament in Canadian history.
• Rosie Valland, a pop singer-songwriter.
• Kim Thúy, a writer and novelist who was born in Vietnam and spent her childhood in Granby.

See also

In Spanish: Granby (Quebec) para niños