Once again, we have witnessed small towns decked in honor of St-Jean Baptiste Day, June 2, and Canada Day, July 1.  Celebrations were happening everywhere and people participated in great numbers. Picnics, concerts, bonfires, parades, kids getting their faces painted and fireworks to end it all. Residents of Danville managed to make July 1^st a little more special this year. They took advantage of the holiday weekend to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of their beautiful town. It was a festive affair that caught the attention of visitors from all over the Eastern Townships and from as far away as Vermont, USA. The 150^th anniversary of Danville was an event celebrated by Danville residents here in Quebec, as well as some from across the border. 

 

Ten years ago, the city of Danville, Quebec (Eastern Townships), and the city of Danville, Vermont (Caledonia County), became twin cities and made official the long-lasting friendship and the history that binds them together. As is often the case along borders and in the surrounding regions, Canadians and Americans have storied pasts that intertwine; such is the case for these two rural municipalities. Steve McDougal is a Danville, Quebec resident and a history buff. On the day of the celebration, he was also an enthusiast volunteer willing to tell all about the unusual link between the two cities.

 

Ethan Allen was an American revolutionary war patriot and a hero of his time. Looking for an appropriate way to thank the French for their help during the war, he had the idea to name American towns after celebrated Frenchmen.

 

The first of the two Danvilles was founded on the American side and named after Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville. The name Danville was originally spelled with an apostrophe, but since Allen did not see the need to use such complicated orthography, he decided to simplify the name to its present form. Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville was found worthy of this honor because of his reputation as the king's cartographer and member of L'Academie Française. Years later, in 1860, residents of Danville, Vermont, left their home and country to make their way to Canada and build the city of Danville, Quebec, that has since become the beautiful town that we know today.

 

What prompted these Americans to resettle in Canada are reasons not unlike the motifs that bring many immigrants to do the same these days. Political unrest, high cost of living and the desire to call some place home. At the beginning of the 19^th century, Vermont was a fast growing state, land was rare and the cost of acquiring any was high. The relationship between the states of New York and Vermont was not cordial and many Vermont residents felt it was time to loosen the ties between Vermont and the state of New York. In politics, what is bad for one party is often good news to another one. 

 

In this particular case, ‘the other one’ happened to be the Governor of Canada. Seeing a sharp increase in the number of French settlers moving to the area, the British Governor in charge of Canada was afraid that the region would not keep its loyalty to the Majesty. The Governor used this opportunity to increase the number of Anglophone residents on his side of the border, and insure that the region remained predominantly Anglophone. Nearby Vermont residents received an incredible offer that many could not pass up: free land for everyone in an idyllic setting. The invitation was well-received and the new settlers arrived in truck loads. They named their new home in remembrance of the land they left behind, and in 1860, Danville, Quebec was born.

 

Today, Quebec’s Danville is a bilingual town with two primary schools to serve the population - one Anglophone, one Francophone. The city is home to more than 4,000 residents, which greatly surpasses its American predecessor that amounts to only about 2,000 souls. After 150 years, Danville is still very close to the land and rural life that first brought the community to life. The American turnout at the weekend celebrations goes to show that neither Danville has forgotten the roots that bind them together forever.