The Township of Potton abounds in landscapes of exceptional beauty. This Appalachian territory offers a combination of natural and rural landscapes, mountains, meadows, lakes, rivers and streams, with a wide range of outdoor activities and excursions available year round.
Created in 1797, Potton covers a vast, hilly territory on the western shore of Lake Memphremagog and includes the village of Mansonville and four hamlets: Knowlton’s Landing, Vale Perkins, Highwater and Dunkin. The population of 1,850 (2,260 in summer), the Pottonais and Pottonaises, is established on a large territory of 279 km2.
Lake Memphremagog and the Missisquoi North and Missisquoi rivers have played a determining role in its history. For decades, stagecoaches following the Saint John to Boston route had to cross Lake Memphremagog by ferry, operating from Landing (renamed “Knowlton Landing”) to Georgeville. For their part, the rivers hosted a sawmill (1803), then a flour mill (1811).
Mansonville, the township’s capital, offers an unforgettable summer stroll with its heritage buildings, its round barn, its public market on Saturdays, its Sunday concerts and its thematic exhibitions. The town was renowned for its scenery “unsurpassed in the Dominion”, noted one observer of the time, as well as for its dairy industry.
Owl’s Head Mountain, a source of pride and joy in Potton, offers downhill skiing and a world-class golf course. Discover the biking, canoeing and hiking trails of the Missisquoi North, the Land Trust, the Ruiter Valley and the Green Mountains Nature Reserve. Five other significant mountains surround Potton: Bear, Hawk, Elephant, Sugar Loaf, Pevee and Hog’s Back.