The appropriation of agricultural land for vacation purposes: The case of the regional county municipality of Memphrémagog
While the three prosperous postwar decades marked the beginning of a significant decline of the rural population and, in particular, of the number of farmers in Quebec, this period also witnessed an urban exodus, or “return to the country.” The new attractiveness of the countryside led to the emergence of a new category of vacationers, who acquired more and more agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes. This article aims to highlight the consequences that such appropriation of agricultural land can have on the sustainability and viability of agriculture in the regional county municipality (RCM) of Memphrémagog, a territory that has experienced a decline in its agricultural vitality and a growing presence of vacationers in recent years.