The Sherbrooke Snow Shoe Club

On Dec. 1, 1877, a group of local residents gathered together at the Magog House, a once very popular hotel in the heart of Sherbrooke, with the goal of forming a snowshoe club. The group of men wanted to start an organization based on fellowship and sportsmanship. No cussing, no liquor, and no smoking was the rule. The goal was to keep citizens active during the winter months. Upon deciding on a name and structure for the club, The Sherbrooke Snow Shoe Club (SSSC) was born. As the oldest sports organization in Sherbrooke, the club continues to operate today and is the only surviving snowshoe club in the city. While the SSSC has evolved since its founding meeting, it has a long history of bringing together the English-speakers of the Eastern Townships. After that first meeting in 1877 and with their rules and regulations established, the SSSC, with E.T. Brooks as founding President, started to organize ‘tramps,’ as they are called, to the Townships countryside. “They were following the examples of other clubs in Montreal and Quebec City,” explained Steve Moore, Secretary and ‘unofficial’ historian of the club. “It was just an excuse to get outside and enjoy the winter in the form of sport.” In its heyday, there was a waiting list to join the club. Their first tramp took place on Jan. 11, 1878. “Back in the day, they would snowshoe at different locations in downtown Sherbrooke,” said Moore, who has been a member of the club since 2004. See full story in the Friday, Dec. 27 edition of The Record.