Granby
A corner of Granby
Discover 4 hand-picked spots in Granby, in the heart of Granby — restaurants, bars, cafés and more, all worth the detour.
How the neighbourhood came to be
Granby owes almost everything to a music-loving, fountain-collecting mayor, Horace Boivin, who from 1939 to 1964 turned a rubber-and-tobacco town into the "princess of the Eastern Townships". His stroke of genius: founding a zoological garden in 1953 that became the Granby Zoo, today one of Canada's largest with 1,500 animals, the Amazoo water park and giraffes you can feed by hand. Lake Boivin, in the heart of town, draws birdwatchers onto its marsh boardwalks, while the Estriade — Quebec's first rail-trail bike path — runs to Waterloo between the Shefford and Brome hills. Every summer since 1969, the International Song Festival has launched French-language talent, from Lynda Lemay to Pierre Lapointe. Granby has no mountain and no great resort lake: it has something better, a density of family attractions that makes it the best-value day trip south of Montreal.
See & discover
Activities & wellness
Practical info
About 1 hour via Highway 10 East, exits 68 or 74. Zoo access clogs on hot summer mornings — arrive at opening time.
A car is recommended. Downtown, Lake Boivin and the Estriade connect by bike, however — rentals available near the path.
Tickets are cheaper online. Admission includes the Amazoo water park and most rides — bring swimsuits and plan a full day.
Zoo and Amazoo May to October (winter section during the holidays); cycling May to October; Song Festival in late August; Lake Boivin marsh superb in spring and fall.
An overwhelmingly French-speaking town; English is understood at the main tourist attractions.
Canadian dollar (CAD). Posted prices exclude tax (about 15%) and a 15–20% tip is expected at restaurants.
Dial 911 for emergencies. Granby Hospital is on Rue Leclerc, in the centre of town.