The economic profile of the Memphremagog region

Main Areas Of Activity:

According to the Local Employment Center (CLE), the number of jobs available was estimated to be 19 400. The active population works mostly in tertiary and secondary production.

The 6 790 occupations of the secondary production represent 35 % of all jobs within the MRC. The main areas are: rubber & plastic, non-metallic and minerals and metal products.

The tertiary production is relishing a steady growth, mainly as a result of the strong tourist activities in the MRC. There is some 12 000 occupations in this particular area, which represents 62 % of all jobs on the territory. Most of these occupations are found in the retail, and hotel and restaurant trade. Education and health are also very important areas of activities.

The Services:

The MRC of Memphremagog offers a meaningful range of services in several fields such as communications, retail, education, health services, hotel and restaurant business, sports and leisure, cultural activities as well as many tourist attractions.

Communications:

The territory prides itself of a well structured communications network, which includes three radio stations, four television stations, two weekly local newspapers and two daily regional newspapers.

Retail:

The retail trade plays a significant role in generating employment on the MRC territory. Indeed, 18% of the occupations in the tertiary production are related to the wholesale and retail trades.

Education:

The region provides primary, secondary and specialized schools, private colleges for boys and girls as well as a professional training center.

The Eastern Townships, which encompasses the Memphremagog region, is the only area to offer a bilingual college and university education system in Quebec.

Health Services:

Several medical clinics, dental clinics and alternative medicine clinics as well as a Centre local de santé communautaire (CLSC) are complementing the services offered by the Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Memphrémagog. Further to its first-class health services, the region also provides a complete range of social services: Day-care centers, aid to handicapped persons and support to the elderly.

Hotels And Restaurants:

Because the Memphremagog region is a dynamic tourist destination, the hotel and restaurant trade has always been strongly rooted. There are more than 50 restaurants catering to every taste.

More than 60 hotels and Bed & Breakfast are offering 1500 rooms to visitors. In addition, a congress center accommodating 1000 persons is also available.

Attractions And Activities:

Mountains, lakes and golf courses of the Memphremagog region are supported by several infrastructures:

A bike path of more than 30 kilometers;
Parc national du Mont-Orford Park and its several hiking paths;
Downhill skiing and snowboarding;
Cross-country skiing;
Hiking trails;
Vineyards;
Scuba diving center;
Marinas and boat launching ramps on Lake Memphremagog;
Orford Art Center for concerts and festivals;
The ice skating path at the Parc de la Baie-de-Magog and Pointe Merry offering heated rest areas for skaters;
Health centers;
Maple groves and orchards;

Culture and Heritage:

The rich culture and heritage background of the MRC of Memphremagog is largely related to its natural characteristics and the diversity of its population's ancestry. Several art and interpretation centers are opened year-round to offer a great variety of high caliber performances throughout the territory. Numerous exhibition halls and galleries, both private and public, are also featuring works of visual arts. A number of municipalities and cities are offering full-fledged libraries to enhance the quality of life of their citizens.

The territory's heritage presents an unsurpassed quantity and quality of vestigial sites. The MRC accounts for three of the eight classified monuments of the Eastern Townships because of their unique attributes. The territory is pleasantly scattered with hamlets, where plenty of historical buildings are witness to the French and English origins of the first settlers and their architectural preferences. The exploitation of yesteryear mines has left remnants, several of which are enriching the MRC's heritage. Finally, worthy of mention, is the hydrographic network that has long been used as communication roads to neighboring territories. Some lakes such as Memphremagog and Massawippi may hold definite archeological possibilities alongside the banks of these quondam navigation routes. The MRC of Memphremagog has an overwhelming number of treasures, yours to discover!