The authors review and bring up to date the information pertaining to the Eastern Townships in Blanchard's work. With present day knowledge, the physical milieu is more fully understood, particularly the glacial and post-glacial periods. Cattle, pig and milk production are the mainstays of the agriculture industry, while wood cutting is on the decline. Road transportation has supplanted railroads as a main factor in the area's recent development. The main industrial sector is still identified to wood transformation, asbestos mining and textile production; these old industries are being gradually replaced by smaller ones dealing with micro-technologies. Tourism is now an important sector of economic activity. Are the Eastern Townships still that idyllic area of Québec that Blanchard presented in his work?