You press the button, the machine hisses, and the water stays flat. The cylinder is empty, on a Tuesday night, and the question becomes very real: where can you get a CO2 cylinder refill in the Eastern Townships without ordering online and waiting for delivery?
The answer is more of a habit than a project. Our network includes more than 160 partner stores spread across about forty Eastern Townships municipalities, from Sherbrooke all the way to Lac-Mégantic. You drop off the empty cylinder, you leave with a full one, and the exchange starts at $12.50 plus tax.
This guide shows where these drop-off points are, how the exchange works at the counter, and which type of cylinder to bring for your machine.
Where to Find a CO2 Cylinder Refill in the Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships grew in July 2021, when the La Haute-Yamaska and Brome-Missisquoi RCMs left the Montérégie to join the region. This redistricting, documented in the Government of Québec's socioeconomic profile of the Eastern Townships, has a direct impact on you.
Granby, Bromont, Cowansville and Farnham are now part of the Eastern Townships territory, and they carry a lot of weight in the exchange network.
Here is how the drop-off points break down across the region's main municipalities.
| Municipality | Exchange points | Types of stores |
|---|---|---|
| Sherbrooke | 46 | IGA, Metro, Provigo, Jean Coutu, Familiprix, Tigre Géant, RONA+, convenience stores, bulk food stores |
| Granby | 21 | IGA, Metro, Jean Coutu, Tigre Géant, RONA, gas stations, coffee roasters |
| Magog | 13 | IGA Extra, Metro Plus, Familiprix, Tigre Géant, zero-waste grocery stores |
| Bromont | 7 | IGA, Metro Plus, RONA, convenience store, specialty food shops |
| Cowansville | 6 | IGA, Tigre Géant, RONA, independent grocery stores |
| Farnham | 5 | Metro, Jean Coutu, Familiprix, RONA, convenience store |
| East Angus, Bedford, Knowlton, Lac-Mégantic, Val-des-Sources, Valcourt, Waterloo, Cookshire-Eaton | 3 to 4 each | Neighbourhood grocery stores, convenience stores, hardware stores |
About twenty other municipalities have one or two partners, including Windsor, Richmond, Weedon, Eastman, Sutton, Stanstead, Dunham and Ascot Corner. The exchange point map remains the up-to-date reference, since new stores are added regularly.
Sherbrooke Holds Nearly a Third of the Eastern Townships Network
With 46 locations, Sherbrooke has the highest density of places to get a CO2 cylinder refill in the Eastern Townships. The reason is simple: the city accounts for more than a third of the region's population, and the major grocery banners have two or even three stores there.
In practice, you'll find full cylinders at several IGA and IGA Extra stores, at Metro and Metro Plus, at Provigo, at several Jean Coutu and Familiprix locations, at Tigre Géant and at RONA+.
The Sherbrooke network goes beyond the chains. Independent businesses like Coop Alentour, Le Silo Épicerie Bio-Vrac, L'Écolo Boutique and Avril Supermarché Santé also take part, which often lets you combine the exchange with a bulk food run instead of making an extra trip.
Convenience stores round out the coverage in residential neighbourhoods, including several Dépanneur Voisin locations, Dépanneur Brompton and Dépanneur Place Du Golf, with longer opening hours than grocery stores.
Find an exchange point in the Eastern Townships
Magog, Granby and the West of the Region
Magog has 13 drop-off points for a population much smaller than Sherbrooke's, which makes it one of the best-covered cities in the Eastern Townships per capita. The IGA Extra, Metro Plus, Tigre Géant and Familiprix cover the downtown area, and businesses like Épicerie 1-2-3 Zéro and La Cuvée add an option for bulk shoppers.
Granby ranks second in the region with 21 locations. The network there is especially varied: IGA and Metro grocery stores, the Jean Coutu pharmacy, Tigre Géant, RONA, and also Esso, Shell and Ultramar stations, handy for a stop along the way.
Bromont, Cowansville and Farnham round out the west of the region with 18 combined points. In smaller municipalities like Knowlton, Bedford or Frelighsburg, the exchange point is often the village convenience store or hardware store, which saves you a trip to a larger centre.
Geography also plays a role in how the network was built. Municipalities along routes 112, 143 and 10 are better served than those in the more remote areas of the Granit or Haut-Saint-François regions, where the nearest drop-off point can be about fifteen minutes away by car.
If you want the big picture of the network beyond the Eastern Townships, the guide on where to get a CO2 cylinder refill in Québec covers province-wide coverage.
How a Cylinder Exchange Works at the Counter
The exchange takes no special preparation and rarely lasts more than two minutes. Here is how it works.
- Remove the empty cylinder from your machine and bring it as is, without packaging.
- Go to the partner store's counter, usually customer service or the cash register.
- Hand over the empty cylinder and pay for the exchange, starting at $12.50 plus tax.
- Leave with a full cylinder, inspected and filled to 60 litres.
- Screw or clip the cylinder onto your machine, by hand, with no tools.
No appointment is needed and no proof of purchase is required. The empty cylinder is not waste: it goes back into circulation, where it is inspected, cleaned and refilled.
This reusable-container approach fits with Québec's shift under the expanded deposit system. Since March 2025, plastic bottles from 100 ml to 2 litres, including store-bought sparkling water, have been subject to a deposit in Québec. Making your own bubbles at home simply takes the container out of the equation.
Which Cylinder to Bring for Your Machine
Two attachment systems coexist on the market, and the difference lies solely in how the cylinder connects to the machine. Bubble quality is the same either way.
The Classic Twist cylinder, recognizable by its purple tank, screws onto the back of the machine using the TR21-4 thread. It is the traditional system, used by older SodaStream machines, several Aarke models and some Drinkmate machines.
The Easy Connect cylinder, which is turquoise, instead snaps in with a single motion on machines equipped with a Quick Connect system. If you're not sure, the article on which cylinder goes with which machine explains how to identify yours in thirty seconds.
Both formats can be exchanged at the same partner stores across the Eastern Townships. It's worth calling ahead to check availability of the Easy Connect format in smaller municipalities, where inventory turns over more slowly.
CO2 cylinders can also be purchased new, with a $15 deposit refunded when you return the container.
Your CO2 Cylinder Refill in the Eastern Townships, Right Around the Corner
The size of the exchange network is convenient, sure, but its simplicity is even better. Your exchange point is the grocery store you already shop at, the pharmacy on the corner or the village hardware store. A CO2 cylinder refill in the Eastern Townships doesn't require an extra trip. Just slip the empty cylinder into the trunk before heading out to run errands.
For households that go through a lot of bubbles, the subscription removes the question altogether: refills arrive at your door at the frequency you choose.
Check the exchange point map to find the closest store, or discover the Plan Bulle if you'd rather have it delivered.
FAQ
How much does a CO2 cylinder refill cost in the Eastern Townships?
A CO2 cylinder refill in the Eastern Townships starts at $12.50 plus tax at partner stores in the region. The price may vary slightly from one retailer to another. If you don't have a cylinder yet, a new one costs $28.50, plus a $15 deposit that is refunded when you return the container. No subscription is required to get this price at the counter.
Can you exchange a cylinder from another brand in the Eastern Townships?
Yes. Exchange points accept empty cylinders from the main brands on the market, as long as the format matches. The purple Classic Twist cylinder replaces screw-on cylinders with the TR21-4 thread, common on older SodaStream machines, Aarke machines and several Drinkmate models. Just check your machine's attachment type before heading to the store. The Easy Connect format is also available.
How many Eastern Townships towns have an exchange point?
The Eastern Townships network covers about forty municipalities, from Sherbrooke and Granby to villages like Frelighsburg, Scotstown or Racine. Sherbrooke has 46 locations, Granby 21 and Magog 13. Smaller municipalities generally have one or two partners, often the local convenience store or hardware store. The interactive map shows the full, up-to-date list. It is updated as new stores join.
