Sherbrooke, QC – Nearly sixty newcomers to Sherbrooke explored the city’s history and heritage Saturday aboard the Sherbus, a guided tour bus operated by the city. The tour, offered free of charge in exchange for non-perishable food donations to Moisson Estrie, aims to welcome recent arrivals and familiarize them with their new home.
The tour began at the Hooper Building on Belvédère, heading towards the Montreal Street area. Guide Sylvie, who has been leading the tours for some time, greeted participants and inquired about their origins. Passengers hailed from Togo, France, Guadeloupe, Cameroon, and even within Quebec, from the Saguenay region. Some had only recently arrived in Sherbrooke, while others had been residents for up to a year.
Sylvie, sporting microphone-shaped earrings gifted by a friend specifically for these tours, began the journey with a greeting in the Abenaki language, explaining that “Nakina” means “on our territory.” The tour proceeded to highlight significant locations, including 313 High Street, where Sylvie shared the story of Florence Bradford, a nurse who established a home for single mothers in the early 20th century. “She helped over a thousand young girls give birth in that apartment,” Sylvie told the group.
The Sherbus continued along Quebec Street, pausing at a house where a scene from the film In Love and War was filmed. A stop at the former Winter Prison was likewise included, despite the bus navigating the narrow streets with some difficulty. Sylvie pointed out the Victorian homes along London Street and the Wilson House at the corner of Dominion Street, noting its 90 windows and doors, a testament to the original owner’s love of light.
The tour extended to Lennoxville, with a stop at Uplands and a discussion of Maude Abbott, a pioneering female physician who faced barriers to medical education in Montreal but found opportunity in Sherbrooke. “She was the first woman to study medicine in Quebec,” Sylvie explained, “and her research on the heart is still used today.”
The tour concluded at City Hall, where Mayor Marie-Claude Bibeau welcomed the newcomers. Agueou Abdou-Raouf, who arrived in Sherbrooke from Togo in January with his family, expressed his appreciation for the welcoming atmosphere and noted his surprise at the amount of snow. A qualified IT professional, Abdou-Raouf plans to continue his education at the Université de Sherbrooke. “It’s a city where it’s decent to live, with many good opportunities,” he said. “I would like to continue to develop my skills to move forward.”
Another Sherbus tour is scheduled for 1:00 PM Saturday. Abdou-Raouf expressed satisfaction with discovering his new city, having previously not visited Lennoxville, and gaining a deeper understanding of Sherbrooke’s history.
