{"id":10096,"date":"2026-04-24T16:05:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T16:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/massawippi.org\/sentier-tomifobia\/trail-history\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T22:07:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T22:07:15","slug":"historique-du-sentier","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/massawippi.org\/fr\/sentier-tomifobia\/historique-du-sentier\/","title":{"rendered":"Historique du sentier"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Historique du sentier<\/h1><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=\u00a0\u00bbyes\u00a0\u00bb][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\u00a0\u00bb.vc_custom_1777059336426{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}\u00a0\u00bb]The Tomifobia Nature Trail is a 19-km rail-trail located in the Tomifobia River valley, between Rte. 141 in Ayer\u2019s Cliff, and Rte. 247 in Beebe (Stanstead), Quebec. It lies in the heart of the Eastern Townships\u2019 natural and architectural heritage. Sentiers Massawippi, a non-profit membership organization and a registered charity established in 1990, created the Tomifobia Nature Trail on an abandoned railway right-of-way, in 1993. Using grants and donations from members and others, and much volunteer labour, Sentiers Massawippi works to maintain this beautiful linear park for safe hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing, as well as nature conservation, education, and the preservation of our heritage. Although the trail is free to use, we encourage all users to become members of Sentiers Massawippi or to consider making a tax deductible donation<\/a>. Memberships and donations help maintain the quality of the trail.<\/p>\n

While always mindful of our duty to preserve and protect the natural environment, we have created several scenic picnic areas, and erected small shelters near the ends of the trail. We have also placed toilet facilities at km 12 <\/strong>(summertime), in addition to refurbishing the historic monument at km 13.4<\/strong> that commemorates an 1895 accident on the Massawippi Valley Railroad. Visit our Access & Points of Interest<\/a> page for a list of other things to see on the trail.<\/p>\n

The Tomifobia Nature Trail links up with the Route Verte at Magog via Rte. 141 (highway) in Ayer\u2019s Cliff and Chemin Benoit, and with the trail to Newport, Vermont, via Beebe and customs.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\u00a0\u00bb.vc_custom_1777062743879{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}\u00a0\u00bb]<\/p>\n

Le chemin de fer de la vall\u00e9e de la Massawippi<\/h4>\n

Le chemin de fer de la Vall\u00e9e Massawippi qui relie Newport au Vermont, \u00e0 Lennoxville au Qu\u00e9bec a \u00e9t\u00e9 inaugur\u00e9 le 1er juillet 1870. En plus de servir au transport du bois et des produits agricoles vers les centres commerciaux, le chemin de fer a jou\u00e9 un r\u00f4le d\u00e9terminant dans le d\u00e9veloppement de l\u2019industrie du cuivre et du granite dans la r\u00e9gion. Le chemin de fer a aussi permis une plus grande mobilit\u00e9 aux voyageurs entre le Canada et les Etats-Unis et a stimul\u00e9 les activit\u00e9s r\u00e9cr\u00e9atives aux abords du lac Massawippi.<\/p>\n

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Gare de Stanstead \u00e0 Rock Island<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n

De 1870 \u00e0 1919, le chemin de fer a \u00e9t\u00e9 la propri\u00e9t\u00e9 du Connecticut & Passumpsic Rivers Railroad. En 1919 le Boston & Maine Railroad a fait l\u2019acquisition du chemin de fer qui fut ensuite c\u00e9d\u00e9 en 1926 \u00e0 la filiale du Canadian Pacific, le Quebec Central. La ligne fut d\u00e9finitivement abandonn\u00e9e en 1990. En 1993, la portion de l\u2019emprise d\u00e9saffect\u00e9e reliant Ayer\u2019s Cliff \u00e0 Beebe fut convertie en tant que Sentier nature Tomifobia par Les Sentiers Massawippi.<\/p>\n

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Un accident fatal<\/h4>\n

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Le 8 avril 1895, en soir\u00e9e, le train de passagers de la compagnie Boston & Maine en direction sud a d\u00e9raill\u00e9 apr\u00e8s avoir percut\u00e9 une grosse pierre tomb\u00e9e plus t\u00f4t apr\u00e8s le passage en matin\u00e9e du train en direction nord. Suite \u00e0 l\u2019impact, la locomotive s\u2019est renvers\u00e9e puis un wagon est venu s\u2019\u00e9craser sur son flanc. Le conducteur Felix J. Rooney et le machiniste Louis A. Emerson sont rest\u00e9s coinc\u00e9s un moment dans la cabine avant que des passagers viennent leur porter secours et les lib\u00e9rer. Bien que tous les passagers s\u2019en soient sortis indemnes, les deux employ\u00e9s n\u2019ont pas eu cette chance et ont \u00e9t\u00e9 gravement br\u00fbl\u00e9s par l\u2019\u00e9chappement de la vapeur. Ils ont \u00e9t\u00e9 transport\u00e9s \u00e0 Newport pour ensuite succomber \u00e0 leurs blessures le lendemain \u00e0 l\u2019aube.<\/p>\n

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Un site comm\u00e9moratif<\/h4>\n

Au kilom\u00e8tre 13.4 du Sentier nature Tomifobia, on peut observer une pierre comm\u00e9morative offerte par la Confr\u00e9rie des Conducteurs de Locomotives de m\u00eame que la fameuse pierre qui fut \u00e0 l\u2019origine de cette trag\u00e9die.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=\u00a0\u00bb1\/2″][vc_single_image image=\u00a0\u00bb9758″ img_size=\u00a0\u00bbfull\u00a0\u00bb add_caption=\u00a0\u00bbyes\u00a0\u00bb alignment=\u00a0\u00bbcenter\u00a0\u00bb css=\u00a0\u00bb\u00a0\u00bb][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\u00a0\u00bb1\/2″][vc_single_image image=\u00a0\u00bb9760″ img_size=\u00a0\u00bbfull\u00a0\u00bb add_caption=\u00a0\u00bbyes\u00a0\u00bb alignment=\u00a0\u00bbcenter\u00a0\u00bb css=\u00a0\u00bb\u00a0\u00bb][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=\u00a0\u00bb.vc_custom_1777061687398{padding-top: 20px !important;}\u00a0\u00bb][vc_column width=\u00a0\u00bb1\/6″]