West Island
Encyclopedia
The West Island is the unofficial name given to the western cities and boroughs of the Island of Montreal
, in Quebec
, Canada
. The name probably originated from the geolinguistic division of the island into French and English, with francophones typically inhabiting the eastern portion of the island and anglophones typically inhabiting the western half. The West Island's population is approximately 234,000 and although most of its residents are today bilingual, anglophones still make up the majority of the West Island's population.
The West Island has a multicultural look with modern buildings and country homes side by side. The region boasts large green spaces bordering rivers and lakes, bike trails, nature parks, museums, cross-country ski trails, ecological farms, golf courses and cultural sites. As a testimony to its 300-year-old history, residents and visitors alike will discover fascinating 18th-century buildings. The shores of Lake Saint-Louis
offer a unique setting with café-terrasses, restaurants and boutiques filled with quaint old world charm.
The region is home to the Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
(formerly Montreal-Dorval), John Abbott College
, the Macdonald Campus
of McGill University
, the Fairview Pointe-Claire
and Galeries des Sources
malls, as well as Montreal's largest park, the Cap-Saint-Jacques Nature Park
.
on January 1, 2002, but on June 20, 2004 most voted to demerge. The demerger became effective on January 1, 2006. Pierrefonds, Roxboro, Sainte-Geneviève and Île-Bizard remained in Montreal, as the boroughs of Pierrefonds-Roxboro
and L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève
, respectively.
This was used as an argument for amalgamation, as West Islanders enjoyed lower taxes than the old city of Montreal, but still used its theatres, concert halls, and museums. With amalgamation, tax rates were harmonized across the island. In fact, the West Island contains several wealthy neighbourhoods, parks and historical sites.
West Islanders in general were very unhappy with the forced mergers, and in the 2004 referendums, nine municipalities voted to separate from the megacity. In many cases, the amalgamations had resulted in tax hikes of more than 20 per cent with no increase in services.
The West Island consists of the following cities and boroughs:
City of Montreal boroughs
From Canada 2006 Census
football Bantam team as well as their older team the North Shore Mustangs, which compete at a midget division 1 AAA level, which holds the most division and provincial titles in Quebec Midget Football League (QMFL) history.
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
, in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The name probably originated from the geolinguistic division of the island into French and English, with francophones typically inhabiting the eastern portion of the island and anglophones typically inhabiting the western half. The West Island's population is approximately 234,000 and although most of its residents are today bilingual, anglophones still make up the majority of the West Island's population.
The West Island has a multicultural look with modern buildings and country homes side by side. The region boasts large green spaces bordering rivers and lakes, bike trails, nature parks, museums, cross-country ski trails, ecological farms, golf courses and cultural sites. As a testimony to its 300-year-old history, residents and visitors alike will discover fascinating 18th-century buildings. The shores of Lake Saint-Louis
Lake Saint-Louis
Lake Saint-Louis, or in French , is a lake in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, adjoining the Island of Montreal at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers.The lake is bounded to the north and east by the Island of Montreal...
offer a unique setting with café-terrasses, restaurants and boutiques filled with quaint old world charm.
The region is home to the Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport or Montréal-Trudeau, formerly known as Montréal-Dorval International Airport, is located on the Island of Montreal, from Montreal's downtown core. The airport terminals are located entirely in Dorval, while the Air Canada headquarters complex...
(formerly Montreal-Dorval), John Abbott College
John Abbott College
John Abbott College is an English-language general and professional educational college located in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada, near the western tip of the Island of Montreal. The enabling legislation is the General and Vocational Colleges Act -History:The college was accredited in...
, the Macdonald Campus
Macdonald Campus
The Macdonald Campus of McGill University houses its Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, and the McGill School of Environment.- History :...
of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, the Fairview Pointe-Claire
Fairview Pointe-Claire
Fairview Pointe-Claire, also called Fairview Centre , is one of the biggest super regional shopping malls on the island of Montreal with about spread on two levels of shopping space...
and Galeries des Sources
Galeries des Sources
Galeries des Sources is an indoor shopping mall located in the bordering cities of Dorval, Quebec & Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada on Des Sources Blvd. & Quebec Autoroute 40...
malls, as well as Montreal's largest park, the Cap-Saint-Jacques Nature Park
Cap-Saint-Jacques Nature Park
Cap-Saint-Jacques is a regional park in Montreal, located in the West Island at the junction of the Lake of Two Mountains and the Rivière des Prairies. Situated on a peninsula, three quarters of the park are bordered by water. At 288 hectares, it is the largest park in Montreal.The park features a...
.
Merger and demerger
The cities were merged into MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
on January 1, 2002, but on June 20, 2004 most voted to demerge. The demerger became effective on January 1, 2006. Pierrefonds, Roxboro, Sainte-Geneviève and Île-Bizard remained in Montreal, as the boroughs of Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Pierrefonds-Roxboro is a borough of the city of Montreal. It is composed of the former municipalities of Pierrefonds and Roxboro, spanning the northern part of the West Island...
and L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève
L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève
L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève is a borough of the city of Montreal.-Geography:The borough is composed of the former municipalities of L'Île-Bizard and Sainte-Geneviève. The first is a separate island, the largest of the City of Montreal besides the Island of Montreal itself, and the second is a...
, respectively.
This was used as an argument for amalgamation, as West Islanders enjoyed lower taxes than the old city of Montreal, but still used its theatres, concert halls, and museums. With amalgamation, tax rates were harmonized across the island. In fact, the West Island contains several wealthy neighbourhoods, parks and historical sites.
West Islanders in general were very unhappy with the forced mergers, and in the 2004 referendums, nine municipalities voted to separate from the megacity. In many cases, the amalgamations had resulted in tax hikes of more than 20 per cent with no increase in services.
The West Island consists of the following cities and boroughs:
Population
| City | Area km² | 2008 estimate | 2006 Census Canada 2006 Census The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897... |
2001 Census Canada 2001 Census The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In... |
1996 Census Canada 1996 Census The Canada 1996 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 14, 1996. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 28,846,761... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorval | 20.87 | 18,445 | 18,088 | 17,706 | 17,572 |
| L'Île-Dorval | 0.18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Pointe-Claire | 18.87 | 30,732 | 30,161 | 29,286 | 28,435 |
| Kirkland Kirkland, Quebec Kirkland is a town on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. As of 2006, the population was 20,491. It is named after Charles-Aimé Kirkland, a Quebec provincial politician.... |
9.64 | 20,888 | 20,491 | 20,434 | 18,678 |
| Beaconsfield Beaconsfield, Quebec Beaconsfield , 2006 Population 19,194) is a municipality on the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of Lake Saint-Louis and is bordered on the west by Baie-D'Urfé, on the north by Kirkland and on the east by Pointe-Claire... |
11.01 | 19,517 | 19,194 | 19,310 | 19,414 |
| Baie D'Urfe | 6.03 | 3,984 | 3,902 | 3,813 | 3,774 |
| Sainte-Anne-De-Bellevue | 10.57 | 5,306 | 5,197 | 5,062 | 4,700 |
| Senneville | 7.49 | 967 | 962 | 970 | 906 |
| Dollard-des-Ormeaux | 15.10 | 49,940 | 48,930 | 48,206 | 47,826 |
| Total Demerged Municipalities | 99.76 | 149,779 | 146,925 | 144,787 | 141,307 |
| Pierrefonds Pierrefonds-Roxboro Pierrefonds-Roxboro is a borough of the city of Montreal. It is composed of the former municipalities of Pierrefonds and Roxboro, spanning the northern part of the West Island... |
24.90 | 66,576 | 59,093 | 54,963 | 53,151 |
| Roxboro Roxboro, Quebec Roxboro was a city on the Island of Montreal. It ceased to exist on January 1, 2002. The city was located along the Rivière des Prairies near the western end of the island. Its population, at that time, was 6,000.- History :... |
2.22 | - | 5,948 | 5,642 | 5,785 |
| L'Île-Bizard | 22.77 | 18,005 | 14,325 | 13,861 | 13,038 |
| Sainte-Genevieve Sainte-Geneviève, Quebec thumb|upright|left|Église Sainte-GenevièveSainte-Geneviève is a former municipality located on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada... |
0.86 | - | 3,265 | 3.278 | 3,339 |
| Total Boroughs of Montreal | 50.75 | 84,581 | 82,631 | 77,744 | 75,313 |
| West Island West Island The West Island is the unofficial name given to the western cities and boroughs of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada... |
150.51 | 234,360 | 229,556 | 222,531 | 216,620 |
City of Montreal boroughs
| Borough | Population in 2008 | km² |
|---|---|---|
| L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève is a borough of the city of Montreal.-Geography:The borough is composed of the former municipalities of L'Île-Bizard and Sainte-Geneviève. The first is a separate island, the largest of the City of Montreal besides the Island of Montreal itself, and the second is a... |
18 005 | 23,63 |
| Pierrefonds-Roxboro Pierrefonds-Roxboro Pierrefonds-Roxboro is a borough of the city of Montreal. It is composed of the former municipalities of Pierrefonds and Roxboro, spanning the northern part of the West Island... |
66 576 | 26,72 |
| Total | 84 583 | 50,35 |
Language
(Includes West Island municipalities only, not West-Island boroughs of Montreal.)From Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
| Language | Population | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 70,405 | 48.4% |
| French only | 33,335 | 22.9% |
| Both English and French | 1,960 | 1.3% |
| Other languages | 39,855 | 27.4% |
Sports and recreation
The area is home to the North Shore LionsNorth Shore Lions
The North Shore Lions football organization is currently a member of the QBFL operating in the West Island of Montreal, Canada. This storied park was founded by Bill Allan in 1967 when the local teams were struggling to find talented kids to play football...
football Bantam team as well as their older team the North Shore Mustangs, which compete at a midget division 1 AAA level, which holds the most division and provincial titles in Quebec Midget Football League (QMFL) history.
See also
- Lac-Saint-Louis (electoral district)Lac-Saint-Louis (electoral district)Lac-Saint-Louis is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 101,919.-Geography:...
- Pierrefonds—DollardPierrefonds—DollardPierrefonds—Dollard is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. Its population in 2001 was 102,542....
(electoral district) - Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—LachineNotre-Dame-de-Grâce—LachineNotre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997...
- Saint-Laurent—CartiervilleSaint-Laurent—CartiervilleSaint-Laurent—Cartierville is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. Its population in 2006 was 109,015.-Geography:...
- LaSalle—ÉmardLaSalle—ÉmardLaSalle—Émard is a federal electoral district in the Canadian province of Quebec that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. Its population in 2001 was 99,767. It is represented by New Democrat Hélène LeBlanc...
- Boroughs of Montreal
- List of former boroughs of Montreal
- Districts of MontrealDistricts of MontrealThis is the list of the neighbourhoods in the city of Montreal. They are sorted by the borough they are located in.-Ahuntsic-Cartierville:* Ahuntsic* Nouveau-Bordeaux* Cartierville* Île de la Visitation* Sault-au-Récollet-Anjou:...
- Municipal reorganization in QuebecMunicipal reorganization in QuebecThe most recent episode of municipal reorganization in Quebec, Canada, was undertaken in 2002 by the Parti Québécois Government of Quebec, headed by Premier Lucien Bouchard and his successor Bernard Landry....