Detours

Just driving along scenic Route 247 in the Beebe area provides a one-of-a-kind experience. Known as Canusa Street, this section of road runs right along the international border. The houses on one side are in Quebec, while those on the other are in the Vermont. It’s something you don’t typically see in North America! Continuing along Route 247, you’ll pass a series of red brick mills, some of them abandoned. They bear witness to a time when a booming manufacturing industry took advantage of the region’s proximity to the United States. Many of the local buildings once welcomed Americans who had crossed the border to do business or visit relatives. For many years, Stanstead was also a Canadian stop on the famous Craig Road stagecoach route that linked Quebec City with Boston. Present-day Route 143 between Ayer’s Cliff and the town of Stanstead follows the historic roadway. Due to its proximity to the United States, this part of the Eastern Townships was a favourite haunt of smugglers during Prohibition.

Just a little further down the road sits the highly impressive Haskell Free Library and Opera House. The Queen Anne-style building was built at the turn of the 20th century, directly on the Canada-US border. It houses the only library and the only opera house located in two different countries. Because the building’s main parking lot and entrance are located on the American side of the border, you’ll need to park at 6 Phelps Street in Stanstead and walk the rest of the way. You’ll be accompanied—or at least watched—by border officers as you enter. Guided tours need to be reserved in advance, but just having a quick look inside is more than worth it! Those lucky enough to go on a guided tour get to visit the opera hall, a true cultural gem.

Over the years, this little corner of the world, where English- and French-speaking residents have learned to live in harmony, has become a sort of open-air museum. Dufferin Street (Route 143) is lined with places of worship used by different Protestant and Catholic congregations. For example, Centenary United Church was erected in the heart of the village between 1866 and 1869. Built using plentiful local granite, the church was established by Methodist families that arrived from New England to settle the Eastern Townships in the early 1800s.

The Methodist community also founded Wesleyan Methodist College, located a stone’s throw from Centenary United Church and now known as Stanstead College. Built in 1873, the school attracted many students from the United States. Today, this private educational institution boasts a glowing academic reputation and a campus worthy of an Ivy League university.

A memorable indoor attraction is next on the itinerary. You’ll definitely want to stop at the Colby-Curtis Museum. It’s housed in a lovingly preserved 19th-century villa filled with artifacts reflecting the opulent lives of the period’s Anglo-Canadian elite. Visitors can experience a traditional English tea service and stroll through the Victorian gardens.