Montreal West, Quebec

Montreal West (French: Montréal-Ouest) is an affluent on-island suburb in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the Island of Montreal.

Montreal West

Montréal-Ouest
Nickname(s): 
The Garden Suburb
Motto(s): 
Justitia Omnibus (Latin for "Justice for All")
Location on the Island of Montreal.
(Outlined areas indicate demerged municipalities).
Montreal West
Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°27′13″N 73°38′50″W[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionMontreal
RCMNone
Founded1897
ConstitutedJanuary 1, 2006
Government
  MayorBeny Masella
  Federal ridingNotre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount
  Prov. ridingNotre-Dame-de-Grâce
Area
  Total1.4 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
  Total5,050
  Density3,596.9/km2 (9,316/sq mi)
  Dwellings
1,850
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
H4X, H4B
Area code(s)514 and 438
Highways
A-20

Route 138
Websitewww.montreal-ouest.ca

Montreal West is a small, close-knit community made up primarily of single-family dwellings. The town is largely composed of families, with 77% of the population speaking English as their primary language at home, one the highest on the island.

History

On January 1, 2002, as part of the 2002–2006 municipal reorganization in Montreal, Montreal West and the neighbouring suburbs of Côte-Saint-Luc and Hampstead were merged into the City of Montreal and became the borough of Côte-Saint-Luc–Hampstead–Montreal West. Following a change of government and a 2004 referendum in which the population voted to de-merge by a wide margin, Montreal West was reconstituted as an independent city on January 1, 2006.

Demographics[5]

Historical populations
YearPop.±%
19666,612    
19716,365−3.7%
19765,980−6.0%
19815,514−7.8%
19865,382−2.4%
19915,180−3.8%
19965,254+1.4%
20015,172−1.6%
20065,184+0.2%
20115,085−1.9%
20165,050−0.7%
Home Language (2016)
Language Population Percentage (%)
English 3,640 77%
French 765 16%
Other 350 7%
Mother Tongue (2016)
Language Population Percentage (%)
English 2,905 60%
French 920 19%
Other 1,000 21%
Visible Minorities (2016)
Ethnicity Population Percentage (%)
Not a visible minority 3,150 78.2%
Visible minorities 880 21.8%

Politics and government

Municipal Council[6]

District Position Name
Mayor
Beny Masella
Seat 1 City councillor Dino Mazzone
Seat 2 City councillor Elizabeth Ulin
Seat 3 City councillor Colleen Feeney
Seat 4 City councillor Maria Torres

In terms of services, the town has its own Public Works Department, Public Security Department, a fire station, a community centre (named after former town mayor John A. Simms), and a town hall.

Brock Avenue in Montreal West.

Law enforcement

The town's various codes and ordinances are upheld by its Public Security Department, consisting of a lieutenant with a team of "By-Law Enforcement Constables" under his supervision.

List of mayors

1897 - William Smithson Lingley
1898 - Charles McClatchie
1899 - B.W. Grigg
1900 - J.J. Kirkpatrick
1901 - Walter C. Flyfe
1902 - Edward J. Bedbrook
1903 - C.C. Ballantyne
1904 - Edward J. Bedbrook
1905 - William Smithson Lingley
1906 - J.J. Kirkpatrick
1908 - Edward J. Bedbrook
1909–1910 - C.J. Davies
1911–1927 - James Ballantyne
1927–1935 - Harry Aird
1935–1943 - James R. Pearson
1943–1948 - Robert Hope Ross
1948–1954 - George W. Hodgson
1954–1963 - Forest Norman Wiggins
1963–1965 - Everett Charles Kirkpatrick
1965–1973 - Robert Arthur McQueen
1973–1977 - Alistair Reekie
1977–1989 - Roy D. Locke
1989–2001 - John A. Simms
2002–2005 - Part of the city of Montreal
2006–2009 - Campbell Stuart
2009–present - Beny Masella

Federal and provincial politics

The Town of Montreal West is located in the federal riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, represented by Marc Garneau, and the provincial riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, represented by Kathleen Weil.

Education

Royal West Academy, the highest rated English-language public school in Quebec.

Montreal West is notable for having Quebec's highest rated Anglophone public high school, Royal West Academy (ranked 39th overall in 2005 by the Fraser Institute). It also has two Anglophone elementary schools, Elizabeth Ballantyne Elementary School and Edinburgh Elementary School which offers French immersion. These schools are part of the English Montreal School Board.

The town has a public children's library located in Elizabeth Ballantyne school. A library for all age groups is located on Westminster Avenue.

Public transportation

A train passing through Montréal-Ouest train station.

Montreal West is serviced by six Société de transport de Montréal bus lines. Each of these connects to a corresponding Montreal Metro (subway) station. The Montréal-Ouest Train Station also services the area. Trains that run through this station connect passengers to downtown Montreal on one end, and three different routes heading away from the city at the other end.

Bus routes servicing Montreal-West:

Société de transport de Montréal
No. and Route Name Service Times Connections
51 Édouard-Montpetit All-Day local Montreal-Ouest (AMT)
90 Saint-Jacques All-Day local
105 Sherbrooke All-Day local Montreal-Ouest (AMT)
123 Dollard All-Day local Montreal-Ouest (AMT)
162 Westminster All-Day local Montreal-Ouest (AMT)
356 Sherbrooke Overnight local

Religious sanctuaries

Montreal West United Church.
St. Philip's Church in Montreal West.

Montreal West includes three medium-sized churches. One is United (Montreal West United Church ), one is Anglican (St. Philip's Church), and the final is Presbyterian (Montreal West Presbyterian Church). The Montreal West United Church also rents space to a Pentecostal service (Overcomers Assembly). St. Philip's Anglican Church rents space to the New Life Korean Presbyterian Church.

Events

Canada Day

Canada Day is the largest community event of the year in Montreal West. Residents organize a parade route that mainly runs down the main street of Westminster and ends at Strathern Park. Floats represented in the parade include organizations and clubs located in town, as well as some created personally by residents.

The Montreal West Canada Day Parade making its way along Westminster Avenue
A Remembrance Day ceremony in Montreal West

In some years, there have been water fights between sidelined residents and members of the parade (mainly the swimming pool float). Water fights during these years have seen water balloons and super soaker water guns, as well as the odd hose drawn from a house. Organizers have tried to minimize these activities in recent years so as not to detract from the parade itself, with varying success.

Following the parade, residents converge on Strathern Park for a giant picnic/BBQ. Many children's games and activities go on at the park, as well as in the nearby Percival park. The final event of the evening is the fireworks, which take place around 10pm at Hodgson Field.

Fête Nationale du Québec

Annually on June 23 (the day before the actual holiday) there is a picnic at Davies Park, featuring music performed by Québécois musicians. In the late evening, a large bonfire is held in the centre of the park.

Garbage Bowl

The Garbage Bowl is a yearly tradition held every January 1 since 1950, where men from Montreal West separate into two teams, the Northern Combines in red longjohns and the Southern Bombers in green longjohns, and play a football game in the frigid weather with proceeds from donations, food, and commemorative pins going to charity.

Parks and recreation

Townhall in 1942

The town of Montreal West has a large number of neighbourhood parks and public spaces. They include: Dave Reid Park, Davies Park, George Booth Park, Hodgson Park, John A. Simms Park, Kirkpatrick Park, Memorial Park, Percival Park, Ronald Park, Roy D. Locke Park, Rugby Park, Sheraton Park, Strathearn Park and Toe Blake Park (which was named after former Montreal Canadiens head coach Toe Blake). The town also has an indoor ice skating rink, clay tennis courts, and a public swimming pool.

The core business area of Montreal West is located on Westminster Avenue between Sherbrooke and Curzon. Until 2010, it consisted exclusively of small, non-franchised businesses, but in a controversial decision,[7] the Pharmaprix drugstore chain was allowed to open a large outlet on the corner of Westminster and Sherbrooke Street.

Montreal West Logos

Notable people

References



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