First day in Lennoxville
The first day students arrive in Lennoxville they realize how tight the community at Bishop’s is. Whether you are moving into residence or getting your own place somewhere close. You will have a helping hand to get settled. This is because the community in Lennoxville is tight-knit. It is in our DNA to look out for our neighbors. For many, Lennoxville will be a place you spend 3-5 years in and talk about for the rest of your life. For others, like me, Lennoxville has always been a place where the community flourished.
Growing Up in the Community of Lennoxville
As an anglophone Sherbrooke native, Lennoxville was always the safe place to go where I could enter any restaurant or gas station and be greeted with “Hi” instead of “Bonjour”. I knew that every time I would stop for gas in Lennoxville I would meet an old friend from elementary school or high school that was coming back to visit family. Occasionally, my last name will come up in conversation and I will be reminded that so and so went to high school with my mother in Lennoxville and it instantaneously will bring me closer to that individual.
You will often hear from Lennoxville natives that they did anywhere from 11 years to 18 years of schooling all on one street. Starting elementary school at Lennoxville Elementary School, moving up the road to Alexander Galt Regional Highschool and then coming back down towards town to finish their education at Champlain and Bishop’s. All this to say, that every Lennoxville native you meet has immense pride about where they grew up and the connections they made along the way. So much so that they decide to make Lennoxville their home for the rest of their lives.
Meeting Places in the Community of Lennoxville
With a population of 6000 people living in Lennoxville, it is critical that the community has locations in which people can meet and discuss the future as well as reminisce on the past. Some locations are stores where people meet by chance and have long conversations, and others are community halls where long-time friends meet for a drink and a good laugh.
Army Navy Air Force (The Hut)
At its core, the hut is a safe place for veterans and active-duty military to meet for a drink and talk about comradery and old stories. Included in the building is a museum that tells stories about the countless brave men and women of the Eastern Townships that fought for their country. The Hut is open to everyone and is by far the first place I would go to hear about Lennoxville history from countless men and women who grew up here. The Hut is also a community center which host’s nights of various board games and events in which the population of Lennoxville can meet up and share stories.
Clark and Sons
To the naked eye, Clark and Sons is just a feed store in the middle of Lennoxville, and in reality, that’s all it is. But as someone who has been going to Clark and Sons since before I could walk, in my mother’s arms of course, it is a hub of parking lot conversations and unexpected meet-ups with friends you haven’t seen in years.
Hope Community Church
Hope Community Church is a very important place for the religious population of Lennoxville, but it also serves as a community center. Since I was a child I have been attending potlucks and community events in the building and have heard stories about the history of Lennoxville. In the past the church has also been a location used for dance classes and multiple other community activities. Located in the middle of the town, Hope Community Church is a critical community location for the population of Lennoxville.
The Lion
Everyone that grew up in Lennoxville or even someone who drove through a couple times knows about The Lion. The Lion is a bar located in the middle of the town that is a central place that Lennoxville families eat at each week, a place where university students spend too much money at during their time at Bishop’s, and a place where old friends meet up for high school reunions or just to catch up. The Lion is more than just a bar, it is an institution of Lennoxville.
Thank you Lennoxville
From the residents of Lennoxville and the students of the Bishop’s, the community will always be there to support you. Whether you spend the rest of your life in this tight knit community, or you end up talking about your university experience halfway across the world, Lennoxville is in the DNA of every person that passes through.
