Sutton (Quebec)

Sutton is a village of 3,900 people (2011) in the Eastern Townships in the south-east of Quebec.

Understand
Like many other communities in the southwestern quadrant of the province, Sutton was an anglophone enclave in a predominantly Francophone province. Today Anglophones make up only 33% of the population, compared to 60% for Francophones and 5% for Allophones.

Because there are many Swiss people in the town, Sutton has many German-speakers. Every year Swiss National Day is celebrated at Mont Sutton ski resort on the last Saturday in July.

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 (located 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.

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 has also become a popular destination for road biking, hiking and visits to vineyards making it an all-year tourist destination.

Get in
Sutton is on Route 139 about 90 minutes south-east of Montreal via Highway 10, or 80 minutes north of Burlington, Vermont via Interstate 89. It is on La Route Verte bicycle trail network which leads south to the US border at Richford and north to Bromont.

Limocar provides a 110 minute bus service between Sutton and Montreal.

Get around
There is no public transport in Sutton but the village is small enough to walk around. Nearly all services and restaurants are along rue Principale. From the centre of the village rue Maple snakes up to the Sutton mountains. The Sutton ski resort provides a free shuttle service from the village to the ski hill on weekends and school break weeks during the ski season. There is a taxi service - inquire at the Tourist Office on Main Street for details.

See

 * Start by visiting the Sutton Tourist Information Office at 24a rue Principale Sud. Their staff are very knowledgable and helpful. Pick up a leaflet for a self-guided walking tour which highlights historical buildings.

The Sutton Tourist Office as well as many restaurants and cafes have free wi fi. Local local internet café, Net Connect is open M-Sa 11:00-17:30, with very reasonable rates and Wi-Fi service is also available.

Do
Outdoor activities: The Sutton mountain provides the focus for the village's outdoor activities.


 * Hiking and snowshoeing is available on 60 km of well-maintained trails of all levels at Parc Sutton for which a $4 day pass is required, available at the Sutton Tourist Office on rue Principale opposite the Town Hall.
 * For downhill skiing and snowboarding Mont Sutton offers beautiful glade skiing at Quebec's third largest snow resort.
 * Cross country ski and snowshoe enthusiasts are well catered for at pleinairsutton.coop half-way between the village and mountain. This is also the location for Arbre Sutton, a tree top adventure park.

Cyclists can choose from quiet dirt roads or paved roads including La Route Verte, a Quebec-wide cycle route, which passes through Sutton.


 * Cultural Follow the walking trail through the village to visit examples of Sutton's Loyalist buildings or take a self guided drive of the area's cemeteries (maps available at the Sutton Tourist Office at 7 Academy behind the gas station has a regularly changing program of contemporary art exhibitions.
 * The Wine Route, is a signposted route that passes through Sutton and threads 18 small vineyards together, offering tasting opportunities as well as other seasonal activities. Just outside Sutton, Domaine Bresee makes an excellent rosé and also sells their own organic beef. In Glen Sutton, Chapelle Sainte Agnes vineyard has an outstanding location which can be visited on a guided tour on Wednesdays and Sundays in summer and autumn.
 * The Wine Route, is a signposted route that passes through Sutton and threads 18 small vineyards together, offering tasting opportunities as well as other seasonal activities. Just outside Sutton, Domaine Bresee makes an excellent rosé and also sells their own organic beef. In Glen Sutton, Chapelle Sainte Agnes vineyard has an outstanding location which can be visited on a guided tour on Wednesdays and Sundays in summer and autumn.

Buy
Rue Principal, the main road running through Sutton's center, is lined with shops of all kinds, including clothing stores, art stores, restaurants, and souvenir shops.



Eat
For a small village there is an excellent selection of restaurants and foodie outlets on Main Street. Food tends to be of a high quality and reasonably priced.



Sleep


The Sutton Tourist Office on rue Principale opposite the Town Hall has a complete listing of all Sutton lodgings

Go next
From Sutton the Townships Trail leads visitors along scenic routes to nearby towns such as Knowlton, Dunham amd Magog. Montreal is an easy 90-minute drive and Quebec City takes about 4 hours.