Sutton, Quebec

History

Like many other towns and villages in the Eastern Townships, Sutton became home to many United Empire Loyalists, following the American Revolution. In 1799 the first recorded Loyalists immigrated to the area, among them Richard Shepherd, originally of New Hampshire. During the 19th century, new buildings were erected to serve the town's growing population, among them a school in 1808 (on the road linking the town to nearby Abercorn) as well as the town hall built in 1859. In the decades that followed, Protestant and Roman Catholic churches were built as was a railway station.

Sutton became a municipality in 1892, and later a town in 1962. In 2002, the township of Sutton merged with the town of Sutton, roughly doubling the town's population, and vastly expanding the town's area. The economy has moved from one largely based on farming to one that is heavily reliant on tourism due to the opening of Sutton Ski Resort in 1960. Sutton is now a popular year-round destination for road and mountain biking, hiking, visits to vineyards and micro-breweries.

Etymology

The name “Sutton” originates from the Anglo-Saxon language, a combination of two words: “sudh” or “suth”, and “tun”. “Sudh” or “suth” translates to “south”, while “tun” signifies a “town” or “settlement”. Thus, Sutton can be interpreted as “the southern town” or “southern settlement”. As this town is on the very south end of Quebec, it was named "Sutton" by English settlers.

Geography

Sutton is near the Canada–United States border with Vermont, 110 km southeast of Montreal, 400 km northwest of Boston, Massachusetts and 90 km west of Sherbrooke.

Mount Sutton, located in Sutton with an altitude of 3,176 feet, is known for its popular ski resort. The resort has 60 ski trails and 9 ski lifts, making it a destination for many skiers across Quebec, as well as from neighboring American states. Sommet Rond (Round top), the mountain where the resort is located, is 960 meters high, but the ski network itself reaches a height of 870 meters.

The municipality is bordered to the west by the Réserve Naturelle Montagnes Vertes which can be accessed by footpath provided by three separate organizations: Les sentiers du Corridor appalachien (Mont Singer to Mansonville), Les sentiers du Parc d'environnement naturel de Sutton (Round Top sector), Les sentiers de l’Estrie (Mont Echo sector or Bolton-Est to Mont Glen and Mont Singer). All three have an entry fee or membership obligation.

Mayors of Sutton

• Robert Benoît (2021–Present)
• Michel Lafrance (2017-2021)
• Louis Dandenault (2013-2017)
• Pierre Pelland (2009-2013)
• Keneth Hill (2005-2009)
• Winston Bresee (2002-2005)
• Keneth Hill (1996-2002)

Demographics

| 1991 |1587 | 1996 |1617 | 2001 |1631 | 2002M |3524 | 2006 |3805 | 2011 |3906 | 2016 |4012 | 2021 |4548

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Sutton had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 245.69 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

According to 2021 Census data, Sutton has one of the highest median ages in Canada, at 60.4 years. A sizable percentage of the town's population is composed of artists, the highest proportion in Canada.

Like many other communities in the southwestern quadrant of the province, Sutton has historically been an anglophone enclave in a predominantly francophone province. Today anglophones make up only 24% of the population, compared to 69% for francophones and 5% for allophones.

Due to a large Swiss population in the town, Sutton has many people who speak German. Every year Swiss National Day is celebrated at Mont Sutton ski resort on the last Saturday in July.

References

References

1. "Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire: Sutton".
2. "Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: BROME--MISSISQUOI (Quebec)".
3. (9 February 2022). "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Sutton, Ville (V) [Census subdivision], Quebec".
4. (October 2010). "Sutton". Eastern Townships, Quebec.
5. "Archived copy".
6. (2000-01-01). "Sutton Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms".
7. Riley, L.. (2023-09-02). "Sutton Name Meaning: Origins and Significance".
8. "Sutton Surname Meaning & Sutton Family History at Ancestry.ca®".
9. "All about us - Presentation". Mount Sutton.
10. "Ski conditions".
11. "Réserve naturelle des Montagnes-Vertes".
12. Statistics Canada: [[Canada 1996 Census. 1996]], [[Canada 2001 Census. 2001]], [[Canada 2006 Census. 2006]], [[Canada 2011 Census. 2011]], [[Canada 2016 Census. 2016]], [[Canada 2021 Census. 2021]] census
13. (February 9, 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec". [[Statistics Canada]].
14. Foulds, Diane E.. (September 2, 2007). "Quebec town makes the arts a tie that binds". [[The Boston Globe]].
15. {{toponymie. 61208