Dorval facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dorval
City
City of Dorval Cité de Dorval  (French)
Aerial view of Dorval
Location on the Island of Montreal. (Outlined areas indicate demerged municipalities).
Dorval Location in Southern Quebec
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Montréal
RCM	none
Founded	1667
Village	1892
Town	1903
City	1956
Merged into Dorval–L'Île-Dorval	1 January 2002
Reconstituted	1 January 2006
Area
• Total	29.08 km2 (11.23 sq mi)
• Land	20.91 km2 (8.07 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	19,302
• Density	923.0/km2 (2,391/sq mi)
• Pop 2016-2021	1.7%
• Dwellings	9,058
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	H4S, H4Y, H9P, H9S
Area code(s)	514 and 438
Highways A-13 A-20	A-40 (TCH) A-520

Dorval is a city located on the island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It's a suburban area, meaning it's a town near a big city. In 2016, about 18,980 people lived there.

Dorval has a large land area on Montreal's west side. However, it's not very crowded. This is because Montréal–Trudeau International Airport takes up about 60% of the city's land. So, most of Dorval's people live in the southern part of the city.

Dorval is the oldest city on the west side of Montreal. It was founded in 1667. This makes it one of the oldest cities in Canada and North America.

Dorval's History

The story of Dorval began over 350 years ago in 1665. At that time, a group of priests called Sulpician priests set up a mission. This mission was near Fort Ville-Marie, which is now known as Montreal.

How Dorval Got Its Name

Dorval was first called Gentilly. Later, its name changed to La Présentation-de-la-Vierge-Marie. In 1691, a man named Jean-Baptiste Bouchard bought the land. He added "d'Orval" to his name. This part of his name came from his father, who was from a place called Orval in France.

Growing into a City

Dorval officially became a village in 1892. Then, it became a town in 1903. Finally, in 1956, it became a city. In French, a city is called a cité.

The Railway and Growth

Just like many other places on the island of Montreal, Dorval grew a lot because of the Grand Trunk Railway. This railway arrived in Dorval in 1855. It helped many wealthy families come to Dorval. They were mostly English-speaking and wanted a summer home close to their jobs in downtown Montreal. Getting to Dorval also became easier when streetcar service was extended to the city's eastern edge.

After World War II

After the Second World War, many middle-class families moved to Dorval. They came from Montreal and other parts of Canada. This was possible because Highway 20 was made wider. Also, many new homes were built. These new homes were mostly single-family houses, townhouses, and small apartment buildings. They were built on land that used to be farms or recreational areas.

The years after the war also saw the building of the Dorval Gardens shopping centre in 1954. This was one of the first mall-style shopping centers in the Greater Montreal area. Today, it's still the main place for shopping in the city.

Dorval Island

There's a small island called L'Île-Dorval (Dorval Island). It's less than one kilometer from Dorval's shore. People started living there in 1860. Even though it's a summer cottage community with only a few permanent residents, it's its own separate city. A private ferry connects the island to Dorval.

City Changes

On January 1, 2002, Dorval became part of the city of Montreal. It joined with L'Île-Dorval to form a borough called Dorval–L'Île-Dorval. But after some changes in government and a vote in 2004, Dorval became its own city again on January 1, 2006. Even though its official legal status changed, the city still calls itself the "Cité de Dorval".

Residential street in Dorval.

Dorval's Population

In the 2021 Census, Dorval had a population of 19,302 people. This was a small increase of 1.7% from its 2016 population of 18,980. The city has a land area of about 20.91 square kilometers. This means there were about 923 people per square kilometer in 2021.

Languages Spoken in Dorval

Dorval has been officially recognized as a bilingual municipality since 2005. This means both English and French are important languages there.

Dorval's Economy

Several companies have their main offices in Dorval. These include Air Inuit and La Senza. Also, Bombardier Inc. has the headquarters for its Bombardier Aerospace division in Dorval.

In the past, Inter-Canadien also had its main office here.

The headquarters of Air Canada, called Air Canada Centre, are located near Dorval, on the grounds of Montréal–Trudeau International Airport.

Dorval's Infrastructure

Aéroports de Montréal, which manages the airports in the Greater Montreal area, has its main office in Dorval.

Trudeau Airport

Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

Most of Montreal's main airport, Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, is located in Dorval. It was once known as Dorval Airport.

This airport started as a military airfield. It was used during the Second World War to refuel fighter planes and bombers going to Great Britain. Today, Trudeau Airport is very busy. It serves over 18 million passengers every year!

Education in Dorval

There are public schools in Dorval for both French and English speakers.

French Schools

The Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys runs the public French schools. Schools include:

• Centre d'éducation des adultes Jeanne-Sauvé (an adult school)
• École secondaire Dorval-Jean-XXIII (a high school)
• École primaire Gentilly (an elementary school)

English Schools

The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) runs the public English schools.

• Dorval Elementary School (which used to be called Courtland Park Elementary School until 2006).

Notable Residents

Some famous people have lived in Dorval, including:

• Jason Demers (born 1988), an NHL ice hockey player.

See also

In Spanish: Dorval para niños