Cycling in Southern Quebec

With eight spectacular bicycle routes stretching 5,000+ kilometres, Canada’s Belle Province lures eager cyclists like us. Having cycled in Quebec City, Montreal, through the Laurentians and around Lac St. Jean, our newest adventure investigates the Eastern Townships often on Green Route 1.

Flying into Montreal, we drive south the next morning to Granby. Our first and favourite day-ride begins at Velo Gare, a train station converted into a bike shop. Our reserved rentals are ready. The electric bike’s charged battery represents 100 kilometres of assisted riding; the hybrid’s racked for panniers. Donning our helmets, packing a map, repair kits and locks… and we’re off!

Built and paved atop a retired rail bed, the pleasantly graded trail immediately passes a playground’s blue bodacious bicycle and green hippo. Chugging peacefully along Lake Boivan, we clickity-clack over bridges spanning marshlands covered by sedge, cattails and lacy yarrow. Railway crossing signs regularly confirm we’re on the right track to Waterloo, our destination.

Chris & Rick pose with their bicycles beside a train car. Photo provided by Chris & Rick Millikan.

Bee-lining through moose country, sugar shacks corroborate the identity of countless sugar maples tapped for syrup in early spring. Tall evergreens dot forests of maples, copper beech, oak and white birch. Fall leaves create brilliant landscapes of reds, purples, oranges and yellows. Besides nature’s bedazzling palette, numerous sculptures decorate this pleasant bikeway. Our favourite artwork rises beyond a trailside picnic table: a surreal telephone booth covered by ceramic faces and enclosing a huge ear!

Approaching Waterloo, another repurposed train station serves cyclists and other tourists. Abstract sculptures border its extensive grassy park. The trail winds above Waterloo Lake and over a trestle into the village. Another town park displays silvery sculptures of an owl, lion and numerous free spirits. Locking our bikes at an inviting rack, we note a Penny Farthing adorning a tourism office. The bicycle repair stand displays an attached pump, plus assorted wrenches and screwdrivers. A nearby pizzeria provides a leisurely patio lunch.

The designated return trail leads us to the edge of town… and abruptly disappears in a quiet neighbourhood. Using our map and dead reckoning, we forge onward. But after an hour of zigzagging upward on an unsigned forest road, we feel lost. At a vineyard fruit-stand, a salesperson looks at our sketchy map, points out the error of our ways and advises us to backtrack to an obscure turnoff. We thank her profusely; she wishes us a cheery, “Bonne chance!” So, coasting several kilometres downhill, we veer onto the unmarked gravel road descending into Warden… where its village park offers easy trail access. Hooray!

Now weaving through arcades of trees and crunching over dry leaves, we follow a small creek into Yamaska National Park. Continuing through dense forest above the rugged shoreline of an enormous reservoir, a series of short, upward grinds generates exhilarating “roller-coaster” rides. Ultimately, two fellow cyclists lead us across the lofty dam.

Fighting stiff headwinds, pedaling becomes slow. Far below lie cobalt waters; on the opposite side, an emerald valley extends west. The trail skirts numerous pastures and the Yamaska River into Granby. Back at the bike shop, our odometers register 60+ kilometres. Proudly, we turn in our steely steeds with très enthusiastic merci beaucoup.

The authors pick up their bikes from Magog Rentals. Photo provided by Chris & Rick Millikan.

Quebec’s famed poutine celebrates our intrepid feat. Meaning “mess” in Quebecoise slang, this comfort food was developed in the 1950s… and has evolved into over 20 different toppings. Our “traditional” poutine features fresh cheese curds and rich brown gravy poured over French fries, tasting delicieux.

Driving further southward, we arrive at Magog’s bicycle shop the next morning. Like Velo Gare, Boutique Ski Velo supplies a terrific range of bicycles. Though carrying different brands, our hybrid and e-bike rentals also prove perfect. Enquiring about other options, a mechanic tells us about their popular fat-tire bicycles that make winter cycling doable and fun.

Descending the roadway and crossing a bridge, our trail leads us downward and onto a Magog River dike. Rusted structures along the way symbolize a once prosperous textile industry here. Placards explain how cotton mills dominated the town’s economy from the late 19th through the 20th century. Spinning upward through old neighbourhoods and parks, we recall Magog’s early settlement. According to our research, United Empire Loyalists fled from nearby Vermont, founding Magog in 1776. Britain encouraged their migration by granting each settler 200 acres of land.

The result? Today’s Eastern Townships are “a bit like New England, but with a French flair.” For many years, the region’s Anglophones far outnumbered Francophones. Many of today’s citizens reside in English-style homes sporting French wrought-iron railings. Churches are pure Quebecoise, topped by silver spires.

Our trip culminates in a large lakeside park boasting a 10-metre topiary sea serpent straddling a pretty pond. Covered in red and green ivy, the whimsical serpent flaunts a back ridged with silver blades and silver tipped tail. Its small, silly head spews intermittent gusts of water.

Soon at Granby’s Four Saisons Resort, we enjoy its refreshing swimming pool, spa and fine bistro. A local cycling advocate joins us later there for dinner. Manon helps us select a typical French-Canadian meal, including a bottle of red wine from Quebec’s oldest vineyard. Her local tales and insights spice up our lively conversation.

“Crossing the Eastern Townships’s 225-kilometre Green Route can easily be done,” she explains. “If riders need support, Velo Taxis equipped with racks are available 24/7 from May to October. They readily manage breakdowns and shuttle baggage at reasonable rates. As well, this hotel is the hub for 13 interesting routes and provides bicycle rentals.” Ending our meal with Pudding Chomeur, aka poor man’s pudding, we sample a common family treat based on simple ingredients; ours adds pure maple syrup.

A large mural in Sherbooke. Photo by Chris & Rick Millikan.

Mounting new bike rentals in Sherbrooke, we tackle les Grandes-Fourches. Skirting the Saint-François River south through Bishop’s University, our route follows a trail paralleling a meandering tributary. Wheeling through fall forests clad in glowing autumn leaves, we eventually come to Lake Massawippi and North Hatley, ancestral refuge for different United Empire Loyalists. Unlike those around Magog, they were aristocrats from Britain’s southern colonies; their mansions reflect antebellum architecture. Some of these heritage homes now accommodate art galleries, B&Bs and one, a noted restaurant: Le Hatley. Several Protestant churches also remain, one resembling a wooden British castle.

Our return ascends along quiet roadways, rolls gradually northeast through farmlands and onto a bikeway bordering the scenic Magog River. Whirling smoothly through a long series of riverside parks calls for a re-energizing snack stop on the shores of Lac des Nations in Parc Jacques-Cartier. Further along the river in Sherbrooke, a kneeling cyclist sculpture in stainless steel inspires another stop. More than a memorial celebrating the lives of avid cyclists, it reminds all road users to be alert and rallies support for safe cycling infrastructures.

Near the end of our 54-kilometre ride, Art Walk signage entices a detour toward one of the city’s renowned murals. At the next corner, a small park incorporates enormous “picture walls” illustrating turn-of-the-century Sherbrooke. Among its many street dramas, a jolly accordionist and fiddler entertain folks outside Clinique Medical and a butcher defends his string of sausages from a pup. Our camera snaps us on “Main Street” between a stylish carriage and early cyclists.

Quebec’s Eastern Townships furnish a healthy array of happy cycling adventures full of experiences extraordinaire and explorations magnifique.