Known for its picturesque waterfalls, the Tomifobia River is about 50 kilometers long. It stretches from Coaticook near Lake Lyster, flows through Stanstead near the American border, and empties in Lake Massawippi. The Tomofobia just so happens to be Lake Massawippi’s largest watershed; 70 per cent of its watershed is located on the river. The name of the river is Algonquian, the language of the Abenaki, but the meaning behind the word Tomifobia is unknown. The Tomifobia River, once known as Barlow River, is significant in its contribution to the development of many villages like Tomifobia, Boynton, and the Town of Stanstead, more particularly for the community of Rock Island; one of the three villages that make up Stanstead. The river was a natural resource that led to the development of Rock Island as an important industrial town and its presence led to the establishment of some of the first mills in the Eastern Townships. See full story in the Wednesday, Aug. 28 edition of The Record.
