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Senneville
Village municipality
Village of Senneville
Gatekeeper's lodge at 170 Senneville Road
Gatekeeper's lodge at 170 Senneville Road
Motto(s): 
Né sous le lys il fleurit sous l'érable
("Born under the lily, flourishing under the maple")
Location on the Island of Montreal
Location on the Island of Montreal
Senneville is located in Southern Quebec
Senneville
Senneville
Location in Southern Quebec
Country Canada
Province Quebec
Region Montreal
RCM None
Founded 1679
Incorporated 1895
Merged into
Pierrefonds-Senneville
January 1, 2002
Reconstituted January 1, 2006
Named for Jacques Le Ber de St-Paul de Senneville
Area
 • Total 18.60 km2 (7.18 sq mi)
 • Land 7.45 km2 (2.88 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total 951
 • Density 127.7/km2 (331/sq mi)
 • Pop 2016-2021
Increase 3.3%
 • Dwellings
377
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
H9X
Area code(s) 514 and 438
Highways A-40 (TCH)

Senneville (French pronunciation: [sɛnvil]) is an affluent on-island suburban village on the western tip of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the wealthiest town in the West Island.

Situated close to the city of Montreal, it was historically a popular location for the country houses of wealthy Montrealers. Attractions include multiple golf clubs, a yacht club, and La Ferme du Fort Senneville, an organic demonstration farm. The Morgan Arboretum was founded here in 1953, and is today managed by Macdonald College; an important bird sanctuary, it is open to the public year-round. Fort Senneville was constructed here in 1671, but its ruins are on private land and are not accessible to the public. The historic core of the village was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002.

Geology

Senneville tuliptree
Non-native plant species of borderline hardiness, such as this tuliptree, thrive in Senneville's favourable microclimate

All of Senneville lies over dolomite. In contrast to the monotony of this bedrock, there are many types of soil in the municipality. Clay is common near the northeastern corner and part of the western shores. Sand dominates many inland areas; it is rapidly drained in places but often has impeded drainage due to the type of hardpan which develops in podzols. Near-shore areas along the northern margin have extensive areas of glacial till which forms a calcareous well-drained loam.

The loamy slopes overlooking Lake of Two Mountains are excellent for fruit trees and tender plants due to fertile soils, good drainage, and the moderating effect on microclimate provided by the lake.

History

Ruines du fort de Senneville
Ruins of Fort Senneville in 1899

Because of its strategic location at the far western end of Montreal Island, a stockade fort was built there in 1671.

In 1679, Jacques Le Ber, fur trader from Montreal, bought the Boisbriand Fief from Michel Sidrac Dugé, and renamed it to Senneville after Senneville-sur-Fécamp, his hometown in France. Le Ber operated a fur trading post there and built a stone windmill at the fort in 1686, which also served as a focal point for settlers in the area.

In 1689, the Battle of the Lake of Two Mountains took place nearby.

1n 1691, the stockade and windmill were burned down by Iroquois and a new stone fort was constructed in 1702–1703, which lasted until 1776 when it was destroyed during the American Revolutionary War by Continental Army troops under Benedict Arnold.

The Village Municipality of Senneville was established on January 12, 1895, when it separated from the Parish of Sainte-Anne du Bout-de-l’Isle. The Senneville Post Office operated from 1911 to 1957.

On January 1, 2002, as part of the 2002–2006 municipal reorganization of Montreal, Senneville was merged into the city of Montreal and became part of the borough of Pierrefonds-Senneville. However, after a change of government and a 2004 referendum, it was re-constituted as an independent village municipality on January 1, 2006.

Demographics

Historical populations
Year Pop. ±%
1966 1,413 —    
1971 1,412 −0.1%
1976 1,333 −5.6%
1981 1,221 −8.4%
1986 1,101 −9.8%
1991 961 −12.7%
1996 906 −5.7%
2001 970 +7.1%
2006 962 −0.8%
2011 920 −4.4%
2016 921 +0.1%
2021 951 +3.3%
Source: Statistics Canada

According to the Office québécois de la langue française, Senneville has been officially recognized as a bilingual municipality since 2005-11-02.

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Senneville had a population of 951 living in 352 of its 377 total private dwellings, a change of 3.3% from its 2016 population of 921. With a land area of 7.45 km2 (2.88 sq mi), it had a population density of 127.7/km2 (331/sq mi) in 2021.

Canada census – Senneville community profile
2016
Population: 921 (+0.1% from 2011)
Land area: 7.53 km2 (2.91 sq mi)
Population density: 122.4/km2 (317/sq mi)
Median age: 49.0 (M: 49.3, F: 47.9)
Total private dwellings: 375
Median household income: $116,224
References: 2016 earlier
Home Language (2016)
Language Population Percentage (%)
English 560 65%
French 260 30%
Other 45 5%
Mother Tongue (2016)
Language Population Percentage (%)
English 435 50%
French 305 35%
Other 135 15%
Visible Minorities (2016)
Ethnicity Population Percentage (%)
Not a visible minority 850 91.9%
Visible minorities 75 8.1%

Education

The Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys operates Francophone public schools, but were previously operated by the Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys until June 15, 2020. The change was a result of a law passed by the Quebec government that changed the school board system from denominational to linguistic. It operates the École secondaire Saint-Georges.

The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) operates Anglophone public schools in the area.

  • The zoned elementary school is Dorset Elementary School in Baie-D'Urfé

Notable residents

Notable past and present residents include:

  • Ken Dryden, politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goalie
  • Corey Hart, singer-songwriter
  • Janina Fialkowska, classical pianist
  • John Abbott, the third Prime Minister of Canada, lived at 170 Senneville Road
  • Christopher Plummer, stage, film, and television actor was the great-grandson of John Abbott and lived in his house most of his youth
  • Lino Saputo, founder of the Canadian cheese manufacturer Saputo Inc.
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