WEST ISLAND OF MONTREAL
Discover the West Island of Montreal.
The West Island of Montreal – better known to its predominantly English-speaking population as the “West Island” – covers the entire western third of the Island of Montreal, including the municipalities of Baie D’Urfé, Beaconsfield, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Kirkland, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville. All of these cities and villages are located along the shores of Lake Saint-Louis, the Ottawa River and the Des Prairies River.
IN A NUTSHELL
- Baie D’Urfé
- Beaconsfield
- Dollard-des-Ormeaux
- Kirkland
- Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
- Senneville
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ESCAPE AND TRADITION
Living on the West Island means enjoying nature, parks, panoramic views of the water, the 70-kilometre Heritage Cycling Tour, and more than 100 heritage buildings in the Quebec and French styles of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The large green areas with water views, the rows of properties bordered by a garden, the original beauty of the cultural sites, the sidewalk cafés and the charming boutiques… everything contributes to preserving the historical heritage as well as cultivating the spirit of quiet freedom. This part of the Island of Montreal also offers the pleasures of golf, ski slopes, marinas, hiking trails in Montreal’s largest park, the Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques… On the practical side, the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Service Center and the Lester-B-Pearson School Service Center share the management of French and English schools. Here is a look at these suburban towns and villages with a traditional and rural aspect…
BAIE D’URFÉ
A small town of less than 4,000 inhabitants, Baie d’Urfé borders Lake Saint-Louis where sailboats and pleasure boats can drop anchor. What attracts its residents? The proximity of downtown (30 minutes by car), the picturesque streets, the beauty of the site, a setting without commercial animation… Economic activity is not absent, but far from the residential area. The industrial park – some 80 companies – is set back from the city’s green spaces.
A distinctive feature: the bilingual city, where French and English are spoken, also stands out as the city with the largest number of German speakers, 11% of the population. Children have access to the Alexander von Humboldt International German School, a private German-language school.
BEACONSFIELD
Également située sur les rives du lac Saint-Louis, Beaconsfield a de quoi ravir les adeptes d’une vie en plein air. La ville se démarque par une qualité de vie élevée, des familles aux revenus élevés, des résidences unifamiliales luxueuses et des activités de loisirs recherchés: clubs de navigation de plaisance, terrains sportifs, rampes d’accès à l’eau, le parc Saint-James, le parc de l’édifice historique Centennial, le pittoresque centre culturel de la municipalité, patinoire, piscine semi-olympique. Trait caractéristique de cette ville de 1 050 hectares: un très grand nombre d’écoles primaires, francophones et anglophones.
Trait distinctif : outre le bord de l’eau, les résidents peuvent avoir accès à deux clubs privilégiés : le Yacht Club de Beaconsfield et le Yacht Club Lord Reading.
DOLLARD-DES-ORMEAUX
Located northwest of Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport, the city of Dollard-des-Ormeaux has a chic suburban feel to it and is built around Centennial Park. The 50,000 or so inhabitants of this city (D-D-O to its friends) make up a multicultural population where two thirds of the population are English-speaking. The real estate is made up of bungalows, single-family homes, semi-detached homes and townhouses. The most popular neighbourhoods are West Park, Sunnybrooke and Westminster.
Distinctive feature: the city has no less than 33 parks, including the magnificent Bois-de-Liesse nature park and the 48-hectare Centennial Park with its large lake and 3 islands! Summer festivals or the snow festival enliven these parks throughout the seasons. Is this the reason why the city is ranked third among the cities where it is good to live in Quebec, according to the Léger Survey?
KIRKLAND
Located at the crossroads of Highways 20 and 40, the City of Kirkland provides access to Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the seaport and the train station. A prime location for distribution and manufacturing industries! Here, English is mostly spoken, movies are watched in English at the Kirkland Coliseum Cinema, with a few exceptions, and more English than French books are read at the Kirkland Library. Kirklanders are primarily Anglo-Quebecers. Kuper Academy is the main private English-language preschool, elementary and high school where they educate “the leaders of tomorrow” according to the school’s slogan.
Distinguishing feature: the city of Kirkland has nearly 400 industrial, commercial and institutional establishments within its territory.
SAINTE-ANNE-DE-BELLEVUE
A heritage village, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue has the authentic charm and personality of a natural retreat in the heart of Montreal. The atmosphere is one of relaxation and nautical pleasures (kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding) on Lake Saint-Louis, strolling along the Canal, along Sainte-Anne Street or at the Sainte-Anne Market. Everyday life in Sainte-Anne is an outdoor experience just 20 minutes from downtown. Between the Aviation Museum, the Ecomuseum Zoo, the Morgan Arboretum, the sports facilities… there are many attractions. Sainte-Anne de Bellevue is also home to McGill University’s Macdonald campus and its faculties of agricultural and food sciences, as well as the college program: FMT (Farm Management and Technologies).
Distinguishing feature: the Promenade du Canal is a place particularly cherished by the population, including the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal National Historic Site. From all over Quebec, Canada and the United States, boaters pass through the locks of the canal under the watchful eyes of strollers.
SENNEVILLE
A small country village of about a thousand inhabitants, Senneville is rich in history (it was founded in 1679) and a strong sense of community. In addition to its historical heritage (including the first stone windmill), Senneville is renowned for the Senneville Arboretum, which is annexed to Macdonald College. The Arboretum is home to a bird sanctuary, a maple grove and approximately 200 species of Canadian trees. It is home to students in agriculture, forestry and the environment. Other attractions (and a sense of pride): the village also includes the Anse-à-l’Orme nature park and the Bois-de-la-Roche agricultural park. It is possible to see wild animals in a meadow, a farm or an orchard…
Distinctive feature: the heritage value of this village is due to its design, which is linked to famous architects in Canada. Percy Erskine Nobbs or the brothers Edward and William Maxwell, who built the Château Frontenac and the Château Laurier in Quebec.
SOME STATISTICS
- Population: 3 823 – Density: 634 inhabitants/km2
- Average age: 45 years old
- Average income: $ 171 316
- Housing: 93% of owners, mainly single-family homes
- Language : mostly English-speaking
- Population: 19 324 – Density : 1 750 inhabitants/km2
- Average age: 42 years old
- Average income: $ 187 171
- Housing: 90% of owners, mainly single-family homes
- Language : mostly English-speaking
- Population: 48 899 – Density: 3 262 inhabitants/km2
- Average age: 42 years old
- Average income: $ 101 958
- Housing : 77% f owners, mostly single-family homes
- Language : mostly English-speaking
- Population: 20 151 – Density: 2 093 inhabitants/km2
- Average age: 42 years old
- Average income: $ 143 822
- Housing: 95% de owners, mainly single-family homes
- Language : mostly English-speaking
- Population: 4 958 – Density: 473 inhabitants/km2
- Average age: 44 years old
- Average income: $ 102 785
- Housing: 54% dof owners, single-family homes and buildings
- Language: mostly English-speaking
- Population: 921 – Density: 122 inhabitants/km2
- Average age: 45 years old
- Average income: $ 204 003
- Housing: 88% of owners, mainly single-family homes
- Language : mostly English-speaking
