Lake Massawippi is a freshwater lake in Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada. The Tomifobia River is the source of the lake at its southern tip, near the village of Ayer's Cliff, Quebec. In early records, the lake was also called "Lake Tomifobi". The current of the lake flows north, funneling into the Massawippi River at the village of North Hatley, Quebec on Massawippi's northern shore.

Lake Massawippi
Lac Massawippi (French)
Lake Massawippi, seen from North Hatley
Lake Massawippi is located in Quebec
Lake Massawippi
Lake Massawippi
Satellite view of Lake Massawippi
LocationMemphrémagog Regional County Municipality, Estrie, Quebec
Coordinates45°12′57″N 71°59′58″W / 45.21583°N 71.99944°W / 45.21583; -71.99944
TypeNatural
Primary inflowsTomifobia River
Primary outflowsMassawippi River
Catchment area586 square kilometres (226 sq mi)
Basin countriesCanada
Max. length14.2 kilometres (8.8 mi)
Max. width1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi)
Surface area18.7 square kilometres (7.2 sq mi)
Average depth41.6 metres (136 ft)
Max. depth85.7 metres (281 ft)
Water volume0.745 cubic kilometres (0.179 cu mi)
Shore length138.3 kilometres (23.8 mi)
Surface elevation161 metres (528 ft)
SettlementsNorth Hatley
References[1][2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

It is bordered by five municipalities: North Hatley, Hatley Township, the municipality of Hatley, Ayer's Cliff and Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley.

Massawippi is an Abenaki word that translates to "the big deep lake" in English.[2]

Leisure

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A pier on Lake Massawippi in North Hatley.

A popular summer destination for wealthy Americans in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, industrialist Foxhall P. Keene, writer Upton Sinclair, and the Barron family (of Barron's Magazine) were among those who owned seasonal estates on the lake.[citation needed]

Today Lake Massawippi is the site of two luxury hotels — Hovey Manor and the Ripplecove Inn.[citation needed]

In 2003, French President Jacques Chirac spent his summer holiday on the lake at Hovey Manor, a luxury hotel renowned for its gastronomy. In recent years, American President Bill Clinton has been a frequent visitor.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "MASSAWIPPI LAKE". International Lake Environment Committee. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Lake Massawippi". Ayer's Cliff. Archived from the original on 6 July 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.

See also

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