West Island facts for kids

Quick facts for kids West Island
Baie-D'Urfé, on the shores of Lake Saint Louis.
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Urban agglomeration	Montreal
Area
• Total	150.11 km2 (57.96 sq mi)
Population  (2006)
• Total	224,669
• Density	1,496.7/km2 (3,876/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code span	H8Y to H9X
Area code(s)	(514) and (438)

The West Island (French: l'Ouest de l'île) is the common name for the cities, towns, and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It includes places like Dorval, Pointe-Claire, Kirkland, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Beaconsfield, Baie-D'Urfé, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, and Senneville. It also includes two parts of the city of Montreal: Pierrefonds-Roxboro and L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève.

Historically, people on the eastern part of Montreal mostly spoke French, while those on the western part, including the West Island, mostly spoke English. Today, most West Island residents can speak both English and French, or even more languages. However, English speakers still make up the largest group in the West Island. The West Island has about 234,000 people, which is similar to cities like Windsor or Saskatoon. Interestingly, much of the West Island was farmland until the 1960s, and many French Canadians lived there, which still influences the area's culture.

This region is home to the Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, John Abbott College, and the Macdonald Campus of McGill University. You can also find large shopping centers like Fairview Pointe-Claire and Galeries des Sources. Montreal's biggest park, the Cap-Saint-Jacques Nature Park, is here too. Hospitals include the Veteran's Hospital in Sainte-Anne's and the Lakeshore General Hospital in Pointe-Claire. The towns vary from modern family communities like Kirkland to older areas like Dorval, which used to be cottage country. Protecting the remaining open land is important to many residents.

The West Island's History

Early Settlements and Farming

Fort Senneville as it looked in 1895.

People have lived in the West Island of Montréal for a very long time, possibly even before Europeans arrived in the 1600s. Not much is known about the St. Lawrence Iroquoians who lived here before European contact. By the time Champlain arrived in 1608, these local groups had disappeared, likely due to wars with other tribes. Human settlement in Montreal dates back at least 8,000 years.

European settlers created parishes and small trading posts along a path that is now similar to the Gouin and Lakeshore boulevards. Towns like Lachine, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, and Pointe-Claire grew as outposts along the island's edge. Many old churches from this time still exist. Religious groups also built monasteries and convents. The land was divided into large farming areas, protected by forts and manor houses. Even though much of the West Island is now modern suburbs, many main roads were first laid out in the 1600s and 1700s. The West Island also has important 18th-century buildings, including summer homes, windmills, and the remains of Fort Senneville.

The traditional "Habitant house" style from the 1600s was so good that it was used for centuries. You can still see these types of houses all over the region.

Key Early Towns

• Dorval: Founded around 1665, it became a village in 1892 and a city in 1956. It grew quickly after a train station was built in 1855, becoming a summer getaway for wealthy Montrealers. It was also known for its beaches on Lac St-Louis.

• Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue: This area was important for Iroquois and Algonquins for thousands of years because of its location where the Ottawa and Saint Lawrence rivers meet. A mission was set up in 1663, and Fort Senneville began in 1671. A post office opened in 1835, and a canal in 1843. Train service started in 1854. In the 1900s, Macdonald College (1907) and the Veterans Hospital (1917) were built here.

Colonel Benedict Arnold in 1776, who destroyed the Senneville fort.

Historical Maps

A map of the Island of Montreal from the 1700s. You can see "Pointe Claire" on it.

Mergers and Demergers in the 2000s

In 2002, all the separate cities on the Island of Montreal, including those in the West Island, became part of the larger city of Montreal. However, after a vote in 2004, most West Island cities chose to become independent again in 2006. Even so, they still remained part of a larger group called the urban agglomeration of Montreal. Some areas like Pierrefonds, Roxboro, Sainte-Geneviève, and Île-Bizard stayed as boroughs of Montreal.

One reason for the merger was that West Islanders paid lower taxes but still used Montreal's attractions like theaters and museums. After the merger, tax rates became the same across the island. The West Island has many wealthy neighborhoods, parks, and historical sites.

People often called the towns along Lake Saint-Louis (like Dorval and Pointe-Claire) the "Lakeshore." Towns along the Lake of Two Mountains and Rivière-des-Prairies (like Pierrefonds and Roxboro) were called the "North Shore."

Homes and Buildings

The West Island has a mix of modern buildings and classic Québécois country homes, giving it a unique feel. The area has many green spaces near rivers and lakes, bike trails, nature parks, and golf courses. You can still find 18th-century buildings along the old Chemin du Roy (now Gouin Boulevard and Chemin du Bord-du-Lac), and the remains of Fort Senneville. The shores of Lake Saint-Louis offer charming cafes, restaurants, and shops.

Today, the area is mostly made up of middle and upper-middle-class homes, along with shopping centers. Many homes built between 1955 and 1975 (in places like Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Kirkland) are similar in size, often bungalows with traditional Québécois touches. This gives the West Island a somewhat uniform look.

Nature and Environment

The West Island's environment is very similar to the rest of Montreal. It's a large, flat area with wide plains and marshland. It's surrounded by other islands, the Lake of Two Mountains, and Lac Saint-Louis, with many rivers and creeks connecting them. The land was mostly used for farming until the mid-1900s, when it quickly developed into suburbs.

The West Island has many large areas of undeveloped land. Some are protected parks, while others are old farmlands that might be sold for new homes. There were plans for a highway through Kirkland and Pierrefonds, but it hasn't happened. The northwestern part of the West Island is still very wild, showing what Montreal's ecosystem was like before settlement. Protecting these wild areas has become a big concern for West Island residents.

Plants and Animals in the West Island

Because the West Island has many single-family homes on large lots and a focus on keeping its natural charm, it has a wide variety of plants and animals. The area is known for its many parks and green spaces.

The plants and animals here are typical of the Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests. You can even find unusual trees like the tulip tree in Senneville, which usually don't grow well this far north.

• Mammals: You might see white-tailed deer, coyotes, and cottontail rabbits. There are over a thousand deer! Sometimes, moose even cross the ice onto the island in winter. Other animals include squirrels, mink, chipmunks, raccoons, beavers, skunks, and foxes.
• Birds: Many bird species pass through during spring and fall migrations. In winter, birds like great grey owls and snowy owls might visit. Many species also nest here because of the different habitats like marshes, ponds, and forests.
• Reptiles and Amphibians: You can find garter snakes, painted turtles, bullfrogs, and salamanders like the eastern newt.
• Fish: In the waters around the West Island, especially Lake St. Louis, you can find large fish like northern pike, sturgeon, and muskellunge. However, pollution from river traffic has reduced some native fish populations.
• Rare Sightings: Sometimes, black bears, wolves, lynx, and even cougars (though thought to be extinct) are seen as they are pushed out of their natural homes.

Nature Parks to Explore

• The Morgan Arboretum in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue is a 610-acre protected forest with over 180 bird species. It's also home to the Ecomuseum Zoo, which has animals native to the Saint Lawrence River valley.
• Cap Saint Jacques is Montreal's largest park at 711 acres. It has 30 km of cross-country ski trails, a beach, and a small organic farm.
• Other important green spaces include the L'Anse-à-l'Orme Nature Park, Angell Woods, Terra Cotta Park, Centennial Park, the Rapides du Cheval Blanc linear park, and the Bois-de-Liesse Nature Park. These are the main forested areas in the West Island.

Towns and Boroughs

The West Island is a general term for a large area of homes, businesses, and industries that make up the western part of the Island of Montreal. There are no exact borders, but the communities share a similar culture and identity. The West Island is not one city, but a group of independent cities, towns, and villages, plus several parts (boroughs) of the City of Montreal. They all have a strong local character.

Generally, the West Island includes all communities on the Island of Montreal west of Highway 13 and 32nd Avenue.

Here are the main towns, cities, and boroughs:

• Baie-D'Urfé: A quiet town of 3,900 people, known for its rural charm, founded in 1910.
• Beaconsfield: A residential city of 19,000 people, also founded in 1910.
• Dollard-des-Ormeaux: A city of about 49,000 residents with many homes, shops, and industries, founded in 1924. It's the most populated city in the West Island outside of Montreal's boroughs.
• Dorval: A city of 18,000, founded in 1667. It started as a summer getaway and is now mostly industrial.
• Kirkland: A city of 20,000, mostly developed in the 1970s and 1980s, with a large industrial area.
• Pointe-Claire: A city of 30,000, founded in 1698 as an important fur-trade stop. It has several historic sites.
• Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue: A unique "college town" of 5,200 people, founded in 1703. It's home to the last working farm on the Island of Montreal and a national veterans hospital.
• Senneville: A village of almost 1,000 residents, founded in 1679. It was the site of the old French Fort Senneville.

These are the independent communities. In addition, there are two Montreal boroughs:

• L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève: With 17,500 people, its history goes back to the fur trade. It has a large nature park and an old church.
• Pierrefonds-Roxboro: The largest West Island community with over 60,000 people. It has the biggest nature park on the island, many small businesses, and over 24,000 homes. It's well-served by public transport and has many schools, community centers, and sports facilities.

Some people also include Saint-Laurent, Lachine, and LaSalle in the West Island. Communities just off the island, like Vaudreuil-Dorion and Hudson, are sometimes considered part of the larger West Island area too.

Population and Languages

West Island Population Growth

Languages Spoken at Home

The West Island has the largest number of native English speakers in Quebec, and most of them also speak French.

Here's a look at the languages spoken at home in the West Island municipalities (not including Montreal boroughs), based on the Canada 2006 Census:

The West Island also has the highest number of German Canadians in Quebec. The town of Baie-D'Urfé has an even higher concentration, and it's where the German International School is located.

Education Opportunities

Colleges and Universities

• Macdonald Campus of McGill University: This campus started in 1905 as an agricultural college. The original buildings are now used by John Abbott College. Macdonald Campus supports McGill's Morgan Arboretum, a radar observatory, and the last working farm on the Island of Montreal.
• John Abbott College: Opened in 1971 in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, it's one of Quebec's largest CEGEPs (colleges), with over 7,000 students. The campus has tunnels connecting its buildings, which helps students get around easily, especially in winter.
• Cégep Gérald-Godin: Opened in 1999 in Sainte-Geneviève, this college is known for its modern architecture. It has a performing arts venue and about 1,200 students. It's the only French-speaking CEGEP in the West Island.

Public Schools

English-language public schools in the West Island are mainly run by the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB). French-language schools are run by the Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys (CSMB). The LBPSB has about 28,000 students in 12 high schools and 40 elementary schools. The CSMB has about 45,000 students across 61 elementary schools and 12 high schools.

Some important West Island public high schools include:

• Beaconsfield High School: Founded in 1958, with 1,130 students.
• John Rennie High School: Founded in Pointe Claire in 1955. It has a Sports-Etudes program for student athletes and a well-known theater program.
• Lindsay Place High School: Founded in Pointe-Claire in 1962, it's one of the largest high schools in the West Island with 1,600 students.
• Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School: Founded in 1971 in Pierrefonds. It has an international baccalaureate program and shares its grounds with a community sports complex.
• Riverdale High School: Once one of the largest schools in the West Island, it's still an important part of the Pierrefonds community.
• Saint Thomas High School: One of the top-ranked public high schools in Quebec. It offers an IB program and has about 1,300 students.

Local News and Media

The West Island has several weekly newspapers, including the English-language The Suburban, West Island Gazette, and Montreal Times. There's also Cités Nouvelles, which is published in French.

The West Island Blog is an online resource created by and for the community. It shares local news, events, and information about businesses and neighbors.

A local radio station, CFOX, broadcast from Pointe Claire from 1960 to 1989. It played different types of music before it closed. Another long-running newspaper, the English-language West Island Chronicle, was published from 1925 to 2015.

Sports and Fun Activities

The West Island has many public and private sports facilities. You can find community pools, parks, playgrounds, and fields for soccer, football, rugby, and baseball. Many amateur sports clubs and leagues are popular, including hockey, soccer, basketball, and football. Most cities and towns in the West Island have at least one hockey rink. These rinks have also hosted concerts in the past.

Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Pointe Claire both have large community centers with Olympic-sized pools. Swimming, diving, and lifeguarding are popular activities for young people here.

The famous Royal Golf Club of Montreal is in Ile-Bizard, and there are eight golf courses in the West Island, mostly private. You can also find tennis clubs, curling clubs, and bocce courts.

Other fun places include the West Island YMCA, Dollard-des-Ormeaux's Centennial Park (great for tobogganing and cross-country skiing), and Cap St. Jacques (which has the only public beach on the island). Many sports leagues for kids use facilities at local schools.

The area is also home to the North Shore Lions Bantam football team and the North Shore Mustangs, who have won many titles in the Quebec Midget Football League.

Interesting Places to Visit

• Fritz Farm: A cultural center in Baie-D'Urfé, located on a large green space next to Lac Saint-Louis. It's one of several preserved 18th-century heritage homes in Baie-D'Urfé, showing the West Island's colonial past.

• Église Sainte-Geneviève: A parish church built in 1741 and completed in its current form in 1844. It's in the village of Sainte-Geneviève, part of a complex with a rectory, cemetery, and a park along the Rivière des Prairies.

• Saint-Joachim de Pointe-Claire Church & Pointe-Claire Village: Another parish church, finished in 1885 in a Gothic style. It's in Pointe Claire Village, where people have lived since at least 1710, when the famous Pointe-Claire Windmill was built. The Village has many old buildings, restaurants, and shops. Other sites include the Pointe-Claire Windmill and a summer retreat.

• Centennial Hall: In Beaconsfield, this is a community cultural center and a place for small performances.

• Stewart Hall: In Pointe-Claire, it's an art gallery and community cultural center that also hosts performances.

• The Museum of Local History and Heritage: Located in Dorval, near parks along Lac Saint-Louis. The lake is popular for boating and wind-surfing, though swimming is not allowed. Fishing is popular, but it's not recommended to eat the fish caught.

• The Morgan Arboretum and Ecomuseum Zoo: The Ecomuseum Zoo focuses on animals native to the Eastern Great Lakes lowland forest. It's located within the Morgan Arboretum, one of the last old-growth forests on the island.

• Old Saint-Anne's Village and the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal: This area has been settled since the 1600s. It became important with the development of Macdonald College and the Veterans Hospital. The Village has many restaurants, bars, and shops, especially for students. It also features a boardwalk and the Gallipeault Bridge.

• The Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre and the Macdonald Experimental Farm are both located at McGill's Macdonald Campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.

• Fort Senneville: Originally built in 1671, this fort was destroyed and rebuilt twice. It was captured and destroyed by Benedict Arnold in 1776 during the American War of Independence. Today, only parts of the windmill (which was also a watchtower) and the foundations of the main house remain. It's on private property, but visitors are sometimes allowed if they ask.

• Cap-Saint-Jacques Nature Park: The largest nature park on the island, it also has the only public beach and an organic farm.

• Rapides du Cheval Blanc: This park is one of Montreal's protected Eco-territories. It offers views of the Whitehorse rapids and a wooded area.

• Bois-de-Liesse Nature Park: The second largest nature park on the island, it protects some important historical properties.