By Joseph Aubert – Contributor

As Bishop’s University students are getting ready for the final stretch of the school year by preparing for final examinations, small local businesses are getting ready for the departure of a great chunk of their day-to-day customers. In fact, almost all of Bishop’s 2,500 students are going to move out of Lennoxville when the current winter semester comes to an end, bringing them back home to reconnect with their families and friends and enjoy the hot summer sun. For locally owned businesses, however, this time of year marks the end of the most financially prosperous period, from September to April, a period where Bishop’s students allow for a booming local economy.

First off, it is important to understand the impact of Bishop’s students on the Lennoxville population. As Sherbrooke’s smallest borough, Lennoxville is home to only about 5,500 people year-round, but the 2,500 students bring that total up to around 8,000 people during the school year. This important population variation represents a 45 per cent population growth, and such an increase in population can have great impacts on the local economy.

Allow us now to reflect on the average Gaiter’s weekly expenses, in order to better understand the amount of money that goes from the students’ pockets into our town’s economy every week during the school year. Starting with an average of $110 per week per person to pay for rent, another $100 for groceries, and then adding $150 for other expenses such as transportation, sports, leisure, etc. The total comes to around $385 spent by every student on a weekly basis. Considering there are 15 weeks in a semester, the average Gaiter goes out and spends $5,775 around town during a semester. By multiplying this total with the number of students living in Lennoxville (about 2,500), we get a grand total of over $14.4 million spent locally by Bishop’s University’s student body every semester.

With those numbers in mind, it is easy to imagine how local businesses may see their operations slowing down considerably during the off-season.

Let’s look at a concrete example of a well-known local business that sees its activity level shift when students are away, the Golden Lion Pub & Brewery. When speaking with Ms. Chantal Paquet, who has been managing the Golden Lion for six years, she mentioned a sudden shift in customers and atmosphere within the pub when Bishop’s students leave for the summer. Loud music and dance floors empty out, leaving room for a more local clientele to enjoy a nice meal and locally brewed beers. The Lion also has to employ more security guards, bussers, and doormen during the school year. Ms. Paquet shared that the yearly student migration had caused some issues in the past, but the Lennoxville institution has found ways to support itself when students are gone. The manager argued that showing people a good time and rallying clients as a big family has always been the foundation of the Lion, and 

is the best way for the pub to get loyal clients year-round.

Although times are different in Lennoxville over the spring and summer, Paquet urged people to keep enjoying the atmosphere of the Golden Lion Pub, and to be respectful of the place, as its ever-growing successes have been revolving around camaraderie and family since 1973.