North Hatley, Quebec
Encyclopedia
North Hatley is a village of 750 people, located at the north end of Lake Massawippi
. It is in the county of Stanstead, which is part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality
in the Eastern Townships
region of Quebec
, also known as Estrie or Cantons de l'Est in French. It is a haven for artisans, artists, writers, theatre lovers and sporting people of all sorts. Its antique shops, art galleries, golf course, inns and summer theatre are widely supported by visitors and residents alike.
North Hatley was also the location for the shooting of a few films, including Secret Window
with Johnny Depp
, The Human Stain
with Nicole Kidman
and Anthony Hopkins
, and Hatley High, a Canadian film that is set in the small town. Actor Donald Sutherland
and movie producer Jake Eberts
, who have houses in the area, have visited the town on many occasions.
Over fifty authors, some famous, others less so, are associated with North Hatley. Some of the most notable are Hugh MacLennan
, F.R. Scott, Gérard Godin and Roland Giguère, six Governor General's Award
winners for a total of 11 awards, and a Pulitzer prize
.
The village has always been a popular summer resort, starting in the late 19th century. North Hatley owes most of its grand houses and particular architecture to the first summer people – aristocrats, captains of industry and large landowners, mostly Americans from the South. For some time after the American Civil War (1861-1865) many wealthy southeners renounced New England (Yankeeland) as a summer retreat and continued further north into Canada, some by private railway car. Rumour has it that many drew their blinds in passing through New England. This rich history is what gives the village its distinctive character.
Over the years the Canadian establishment came to discover North Hatley and many of the great houses built by Southern families changed hands. To this day, however, an American summer colony continues to return.
Increasingly the village became a summer destination also for wealthy Montrealers. In recent years, Jean Charest
has spent his vacations here. The presence of Charest brought many notables to the village, including Jacques Chirac
. Chirac resided during his stay at the Hatley Inn (Auberge Hatley), renowned for its cuisine and very extensive wine selection. Sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 2006 and has not been rebuilt.
Today North Hatley is a favourite weekend destination for Montrealers, but also receives visitors from all over the world, including Europe, Japan (in foliage season) and South America, and there are many B&Bs in and around the village, such as La Raveaudierehttp://www.laraveaudiere.com that cater to them.
The town is also known for its luxury lakeside five-star inn, the Hovey Manor
, or Manoir Hovey http://www.manoirhovey.com. It is a member of the Relais & Chateaux association and has a high-end restaurant specialized in contemporary Quebec cuisine which is rated one of the top in the province.
The lakeside village is also one of a few primarily-Anglophone enclaves in the dominantly French-speaking province; others being Hudson, Quebec
and nearby Brome Lake. Like Hudson and Brome Lake, North Hatley is known for its beautiful surroundings, hospitable residents, and active bilingualism. Locals usually have to drive to the nearby towns of Magog or Sherbrooke to find big-city amenities, although there are smaller stores and cafés in the town which are open year round. Those include Saveurs & Gourmandises (a bakery and pastry shop), Emporium (antiques), Épicerie Lebaron (food market and gift shop) and The Pilsen Pub, among others.
A few steps from 'downtown' is a scenic 9-hole golf course and driving range, open to the public, the North Hatley Golf Club http://www.northhatleygolfclub.com/.
North Hatley was mentioned in the television show The X-Files
as the location of the Cigarette Smoking Man
's hideout (in the episode "The Red and the Black").
North Hatley was the setting for the 2003 film Hatley High
. Many of it's landmarks, including the North Hatley sign, can be seen throughout the movie.
Lake Massawippi
Lake Massawippi is a freshwater lake in Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, Canada. The Tomifobia River is the source of the lake at its southern tip, near the village of Ayer's Cliff, Quebec. In early records, the lake was also called "Lake Tomifobi"...
. It is in the county of Stanstead, which is part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality
Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Memphrémagog is a Quebec Regional County Municipality in Canada.-History:After the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, the American Revolutionary War ended with the establishment of the state of Vermont. The border of Upper Canada was then defined at approximately 45 degrees north...
in the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
region of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, also known as Estrie or Cantons de l'Est in French. It is a haven for artisans, artists, writers, theatre lovers and sporting people of all sorts. Its antique shops, art galleries, golf course, inns and summer theatre are widely supported by visitors and residents alike.
Secret Window
Secret Window is a 2004 psychological horror film starring Johnny Depp and John Turturro. It was written and directed by David Koepp, based on the novella Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King, featuring a musical score by Philip Glass and Geoff Zanelli. The story appeared in King's...
with Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
, The Human Stain
The Human Stain
The Human Stain is a novel by Philip Roth. It is set in late 1990s rural New England. Its first person narrator is 65-year-old author Nathan Zuckerman, a character in previous Roth novels, including American Pastoral and I Married a Communist ; these two books form a loose trilogy with The Human...
with Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
and Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
, and Hatley High, a Canadian film that is set in the small town. Actor Donald Sutherland
Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the...
and movie producer Jake Eberts
Jake Eberts
Jake Eberts, OC is a movie producer, executive and financier. Known for risk-taking and producing a consistently high caliber of movies including such award-winning titles as Chariots of Fire , Gandhi , Dances with Wolves , and the successful animated feature Chicken Run .-Early life and...
, who have houses in the area, have visited the town on many occasions.
Over fifty authors, some famous, others less so, are associated with North Hatley. Some of the most notable are Hugh MacLennan
Hugh MacLennan
John Hugh MacLennan, CC, CQ was a Canadian author and professor of English at McGill University. He won five Governor General's Awards and a Royal Bank Award.-Family and childhood:...
, F.R. Scott, Gérard Godin and Roland Giguère, six Governor General's Award
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
winners for a total of 11 awards, and a Pulitzer prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
.
The village has always been a popular summer resort, starting in the late 19th century. North Hatley owes most of its grand houses and particular architecture to the first summer people – aristocrats, captains of industry and large landowners, mostly Americans from the South. For some time after the American Civil War (1861-1865) many wealthy southeners renounced New England (Yankeeland) as a summer retreat and continued further north into Canada, some by private railway car. Rumour has it that many drew their blinds in passing through New England. This rich history is what gives the village its distinctive character.
Over the years the Canadian establishment came to discover North Hatley and many of the great houses built by Southern families changed hands. To this day, however, an American summer colony continues to return.
Increasingly the village became a summer destination also for wealthy Montrealers. In recent years, Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
has spent his vacations here. The presence of Charest brought many notables to the village, including Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
. Chirac resided during his stay at the Hatley Inn (Auberge Hatley), renowned for its cuisine and very extensive wine selection. Sadly, it was destroyed by fire in 2006 and has not been rebuilt.
Today North Hatley is a favourite weekend destination for Montrealers, but also receives visitors from all over the world, including Europe, Japan (in foliage season) and South America, and there are many B&Bs in and around the village, such as La Raveaudierehttp://www.laraveaudiere.com that cater to them.
The town is also known for its luxury lakeside five-star inn, the Hovey Manor
Hovey Manor
Manoir Hovey, or Hovey Manor, is a five-star inn and a member of the Relais & Chateaux association located in the village of North Hatley, in Quebec, Canada. North Hatley, a resort town on Lake Massawippi, owes most of its grand houses and particular architecture to the first summer people –...
, or Manoir Hovey http://www.manoirhovey.com. It is a member of the Relais & Chateaux association and has a high-end restaurant specialized in contemporary Quebec cuisine which is rated one of the top in the province.
Hudson, Quebec
Hudson, Quebec, Canada, is a town with a population of 5,088 on the south-west bank of the lower Ottawa River, in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality. Situated about west of downtown Montreal, many residents commute to work on the Island of Montreal.- Location and...
and nearby Brome Lake. Like Hudson and Brome Lake, North Hatley is known for its beautiful surroundings, hospitable residents, and active bilingualism. Locals usually have to drive to the nearby towns of Magog or Sherbrooke to find big-city amenities, although there are smaller stores and cafés in the town which are open year round. Those include Saveurs & Gourmandises (a bakery and pastry shop), Emporium (antiques), Épicerie Lebaron (food market and gift shop) and The Pilsen Pub, among others.
A few steps from 'downtown' is a scenic 9-hole golf course and driving range, open to the public, the North Hatley Golf Club http://www.northhatleygolfclub.com/.
North Hatley was mentioned in the television show The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
as the location of the Cigarette Smoking Man
Cigarette Smoking Man
The Smoking Man is a fictional character and the antagonist on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. He serves as the arch-nemesis of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder. Although his name is revealed to purportedly be C.G.B...
's hideout (in the episode "The Red and the Black").
North Hatley was the setting for the 2003 film Hatley High
Hatley High
Hatley High is a 2003 independent comedy film directed by Phil Price and written by Myles Hainsworth. It was shown at various film festivals from September 2003 to 2005 including the San Diego Film Festival and the U.S...
. Many of it's landmarks, including the North Hatley sign, can be seen throughout the movie.