Farnham, Quebec

Farnham is a city in Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 10,149, making it the second most populated community in the RCM.

Farnham
City
Farnham Town Hall.
Coat of arms
Location within Brome-Missisquoi RCM.
Farnham Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°17′N 72°59′W[1][3]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Estrie[4]
RCM	Brome-Missisquoi
Settled	1800
Constituted	March 8, 2000
Government [5][6]
• Mayor	Patrick Melchior
• Federal riding	Brome—Missisquoi
• Prov. riding	Brome-Missisquoi
Area [5][7]
• Total	94.10 km2 (36.33 sq mi)
• Land	92.12 km2 (35.57 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[7]
• Total	10,149
• Density	110.2/km2 (285/sq mi)
• Pop 2016-2021	13.9%
• Dwellings	4,697
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J2N
Area codes	450 and 579
Highways	R-104 R-233 R-235
Geocode	46112
People	Farnhamien Farnhamienne
Website	www.ville.farnham.qc.ca

History

Farnham town hall

The City of Farnham takes its name from the historic Township of Farnham, which is one of the few townships established before 1800 and was named in remembrance of Farnham, Surrey, England. The first "Farnhamiens," who were mostly Loyalists from the United States, arrived in 1800.

On December 28, 1876, Farnham got the status of "town". On March 8, 2000, the Town of Farnham and the Municipality of Rainville merged to form the new "City of Farnham." The total population is now 8,000 inhabitants.

Farnham is also the site of an important military training camp, which is used primarily by the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School and the local militia.

Geography

Built on the shores of the Yamaska River, at the border of the Saint-Lawrence lowlands, the city of Farnham is located in the center of important cities such as Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (West) and Granby (North-East).

Railway Industry

Following a destructive fire in 1949, a new station was built in 1950. This post-war era, which coincided with the height of the expansion of the Canadian Pacific Railway network, allowed the town of Farnham to become the administrative centre of the eastern railway network. More than 500 staff members worked at this building with a modern urban tradition [12].

Farnham has a considerable railway station in relation to its population. However, today, the station only handles freight, including rail cars from Western Canada. There are no trains for transporting people. In the past, the station welcomed rail passengers. However, at the initiative of the MNA for Brome Missisquoi, Christian Ouellet, the Via Rail railway company is currently conducting a study to determine the profitability of a possible Montreal-Farnham-Cowansville-Magog-Sherbrooke passenger train line. Article in La Presse [archive] ^[8]

Demographics

Historical Census Data - Farnham, Quebec^[9]

Year	Pop.	±%
1991	6,146	—
1996	6,044	−1.7%
2000A	7,899	+30.7%
2001	7,747	−1.9%
2006	7,809	+0.8%
2011	8,330	+6.7%
2016	8,909	+7.0%
2021	10,149	+13.9%
(A) amalgamation of the Town of Farnham and the Municipality of Rainville on March 8, 2000.

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Farnham had a population of 10,149 living in 4,446 of its 4,697 total private dwellings, a change of 13.9% from its 2016 population of 8,909. With a land area of 92.12 km² (35.57 sq mi), it had a population density of 110.2/km² (285.3/sq mi) in 2021.^[10]

Canada census – Farnham community profile

	2021	2016	2011
Population	10,149 (+13.9% from 2016)	8,909 (+7.0% from 2011)	8,330 (+6.7% from 2006)
Land area	92.12 km2 (35.57 sq mi)	92.26 km2 (35.62 sq mi)	92.04 km2 (35.54 sq mi)
Population density	110.2/km2 (285/sq mi)	96.6/km2 (250/sq mi)	90.5/km2 (234/sq mi)
Median age	40.4 (M: 40.4, F: 40.8)	42.3 (M: 41.6, F: 43.3)	43.1 (M: 42.3, F: 43.8)
Private dwellings	4,697 (total)  4,446 (occupied)	4,187 (total)	3,852 (total)
Median household income	$68,000	$52,527	$45,674

References: 2021^[11] 2016^[12] 2011^[13]

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Farnham, Quebec[9]
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2021		10,060		9,350	13.1%	92.9%		380	22.6%	3.8%		180	100.0%	1.8%		120	20.0%	1.2%
2016		8,790		8,265	7.7%	94.0%		310	3.1%	3.5%		90	5.9%	1.0%		100	11.1%	1.1%
2011		8,170		7,675	7.3%	93.9%		320	14.3%	3.9%		85	5.6%	1.0%		90	28.0%	1.1%
2006		7,645		7,150	0.8%	93.5%		280	27.3%	3.7%		90	21.7%	1.2%		125	177.8%	1.6%
2001		7,585		7,205	31.6%	95.0%		220	13.7%	2.9%		115	27.8%	1.5%		45	25.0%	0.6%
1996		5,880		5,475	n/a	93.1%		255	n/a	4.3%		90	n/a	1.5%		60	n/a	1.0%

Attractions

Petite Église - once an old church, the newly renovated building is now a fully functional recording studio, owned and operated by Montreal-based indie rock band Arcade Fire.^[14] The band announced on January 18, 2013, that they are selling the church they had been using as a studio.^[15] Other notable bands to have recorded at Petite Église include Wolf Parade and Hot Springs. The church is now owned by Emery Street Records, and continues to be used as a recording studio.^[16]

Activities

Located in Farnham is a skydiving school, Nouvel Air. Farnham has an arena named in honour of Madeleine Auclair. Since the 1990s Farnham has had a skate board park, which hosts an annual festival every August named "Skatefest de Farnham". Southeast of Farnham is the golf course "Club de Golf de Farnham".

Farnham is on the route of both the Montérégiade Farnham/Granby and Route verte bicycle paths.

Transportation

Farnham is home to Farnham railway station, a disused station belonging to the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Notable people

• In 2006, the members of the group Arcade Fire purchased the Petite Église, an old church that was renovated into a permanent recording studio for the band. After recording the albums Neon Bible and The Suburbs at the location, the band put the studio up for sale in 2013 citing "roof problems" as the cause for the sale.^{[citation needed]}
• H. H. Bennett, photographer, was born in Farnham.
• William Bourque, racing driver, was born in Farnham.
• Sylvain Charlebois, researcher and expert at Dalhousie University, was born in Farnham. He is the son of Farnham's first woman mayor, Lyse Lafrance-Charlebois (1991-2000).
• Simon Durivage, a known journalist in Province of Québec, was born in Farnham.
• Alain Forand, commanded the southern UNTAES forces in Croatia, and the Land Force Quebec Area during the Saguenay Flood operation and the Ice Storm of 1998.
• Ludger Lemieux, architect, was born in Farnham.
• Yvan Ponton, a known comedian in Province of Québec, was born in Farnham.
• Yves Rodier, comic strip creator, known for his many pastiches of The Adventures of Tintin, was born in Farnham.

See also

• List of cities in Quebec
• Municipal history of Quebec