Cowansville, Quebec

Cowansville
—  Ville  —
Nesbitt House, Cowansville
Location within Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality.
Cowansville Location in Quebec, Canada
Coordinates (220, place Municipale [1]): 45°12′18″N 72°44′27″W / 45.205°N 72.74083°W / 45.205; -72.74083
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Montérégie
RCM	Brome-Missisquoi
Established	January 01, 1876
Incorporated	July 11, 1931
Electoral Districts Federal	Brome—Missisquoi
Provincial	Brome-Missisquoi
Government[1][2][3]
- Mayor	Arthur Fauteux
- Federal MP(s)	Pierre Jacob (NDP)
- Quebec MNA(s)	Pierre Paradis (PLQ)
Area[4]
- Land	46.09 km2 (17.8 sq mi)
Population (2006)[4]
- Total	12,182
- Density	264.3/km2 (684.5/sq mi)
- Change (2001-06)	1.2%
- Dwellings	5,461
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code(s)	J2K
Area code(s)	450
Access Routes[5]	Route 104 Route 139 Route 202 Route 241
Geocode	46080
Website	www.cowansville.org

Cowansville is a town in south-central Quebec, Canada, located on Lac Davignon 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the U.S. border. It is the seat of Brome-Missisquoi, a regional county municipality. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 12,182.

In recent years, Cowansville has seen its commercial activity blossom mainly due to its proximity to a major freeway, Autoroute 10, and the Eastern Townships ski resort region.

History and name

Water Fountain in downtown Cowansville

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 as Nelsonville, in honour of British admiral, Lord Horatio Nelson, who was killed in the naval Battle of Trafalgar.

Ruins of the Vilas Factory

The city's current name is due to Peter Cowan, a merchant from Montreal who 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 allows many businesses settle in the area. The municipality detached from the district of Dunham, and incorporated on the January 1 1876 and officially was named Cowansville. In February of the same year James O'Halloran was acclaimed as Mayor by the town council. Cowansville saw a strong industrial growth during the 20th century, and became a city on June 25, 1931, and has grown since World War II by various annexations.

The municipality has a current population of over 12,000. The main economy is based on the industrial sector, in particular textiles. There is also a hospital, Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins, a municipal court, and a provincial park close to Davignon Lake.

Cowansville is the seat of the judicial district of Bedford.^[6]

Demographics

Population

Population trend^[7]

Census	Population	Change (%)
2006	12,182	1.2%
2001	12,032	0.2%
1996	12,051	0.5%
1991	11,986	N/A

Language

Mother tongue language (2006)^[4]

Language	Population	Pct (%)
French only	9,535	82.20%
English only	1,705	14.70%
Both English and French	155	1.33%
Other languages	205	1.77%

Communities

• Cowansville
• Todaro

See also

• List of municipalities in Quebec

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ministère des Affaires Municipales et Régions: Cowansville
2. ^ Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: BROME--MISSISQUOI (Quebec)
3. ^ Chief Electoral Officer of Québec - 40th General Election Riding Results: BROME-MISSISQUOI
4. ^ ^{a b c} 2006 Statistics Canada Community Profile: Cowansville, Quebec
5. ^ Official Transport Quebec Road Map
6. ^ Territorial Division Act. Revised Statutes of Quebec D-11.
7. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census

External links

• Ville de Cowansville

Coordinates: 45°12′N 72°45′W / 45.2°N 72.75°W / 45.2; -72.75