Saint-Leonard, Quebec

Saint-Leonard (/ˈliːoʊnɑːrd/ LEE-oh-nard; French: Saint-Léonard [sɛ̃ leonaʁ]) is a borough (arrondissement) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Formerly a separate city,[6] it was amalgamated into the city of Montreal in 2002. The former city was originally called Saint-Léonard de Port Maurice after Leonard of Port Maurice, an Italian saint. The borough is home to Montreal's Via Italia.

Saint-Leonard
Borough of Montreal
Saint-Léonard (French)
Saint-Léonard church on Rue Jarry.
Saint-Leonard's location in Montreal
Coordinates: 45°35′09″N 73°35′46″W
Country Canada
Province Quebec
CityMontreal
RegionMontréal
Merge into
Montreal		January 1, 2002
Electoral Districts
Federal
Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel
ProvincialJeanne-Mance–Viger
Government
 • TypeBorough
 • MayorMichel Bissonnet (Ensemble Montréal)
 • Federal MP(s)Patricia Lattanzio (LPC)
 • Quebec MNA(s)Filomena Rotiroti (PLQ)
Area
 • Land13.5 km2 (5.2 sq mi)
Population
 • Total78,305
 • Density5,804.7/km2 (15,034/sq mi)
 • Dwellings
30,890
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
H1P, H1R, H1S
Area code(s)(514) and (438)
Access Routes[5] A-40 (TCH)
Websitehttp://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=7157,84227612&_dad=portal&_schema=portal

History

The parish of Saint-Léonard-de-Port-Maurice was founded in April 1886 and eventually became the City of Saint-Léonard-de-Port-Maurice on March 5, 1915.

Italian-Canadian presence
See also: Italians in Montreal

The borough has one of the highest concentrations of Italian-Canadians in the city, along with Rivière-des-Prairies (RDP).[7] As such, it has surpassed Montreal's rapidly gentrifying Little Italy as the centre for Italian culture in the city, with numerous cultural institutions and commercial enterprises serving the city's second-most populous cultural community.[7] The stretch of Jean Talon Street between Langelier and Viau Boulevards has become known as Via Italia. By necessity, many services are available in Italian, English and French (the Leonardo da Vinci Centre, for instance, offers cultural activities and events in the three languages). The borough is characterized by its spacious, wide-set semi-detached brick duplexes (and triplexes, four-plexes, and five-plexes — an architectural style unique to Montreal), backyard vegetable gardens, Italian bars (cafés), and pastry shops serving Italian-Canadian staples such as cannoli, sfogliatelle, and zeppole.[8] At some times of year, it is possible to observe seasonal Italian traditions like the making of wine, cheese, sausage, and tomato sauce in quantity. These activities bring extended families and neighbours together and often spill out into front driveways.

Demographics[9]
Historical populations
YearPop.±%
196625,328—    
197152,035+105.4%
197678,452+50.8%
198179,429+1.2%
198675,947−4.4%
199173,120−3.7%
199671,327−2.5%
200169,604−2.4%
200671,730+3.1%
201175,707+5.5%
201678,305+3.4%

Home language (2016)

Language Population Percentage (%)
French 28,785 46%
English 14,125 22%
Other languages 22,365 34%

Mother Tongue (2016)

Language Population Percentage (%)
French 23,360 32%
English 5,810 8%
Other languages 43,340 60%
Visible Minorities (2016)
Ethnicity Population Percentage (%)
Not a visible minority 44,000 57.2%
Visible minorities 32,975 42.8%

Saint-Léonard was traditionally a rural francophone hamlet with under a thousand people until the mid-twentieth century. The town became increasingly developed and urban throughout the twentieth century, benefiting from the expansion of the City of Montreal and a massive wave of Italian immigration which enriched life in the area with numerous cafes and restaurants. Another large immigrant group in the borough is the recent wave of Arabs in the southern neighborhoods. Today it is one of the most diverse and multi-cultural neighbourhoods on the Island of Montreal and about 49% of the population is foreign-born.

Sports and recreation
Typical housing in Saint-Leonard.

Aquatics

The Saint-Léonard Aquatic Complex (French: Complexe aquatique de Saint-Léonard) was built in 2006 and is home to three swimming pools: one recreational basin, one 25-metre (82 ft) pool and one acclimation basin that includes a turbo bath spa. There are also two saunas, one for women and one for men.

Skate parks

Skaters can skate safely in any one of the two skate parks located in the city of Saint Leonard. Admission to these parks is free, and they are open to the public May through October.

Cycling paths

Saint Leonard has 10 km of bike paths around the borough, that connect various parks, pools and municipal structures.

Hockey

Saint Leonard has two hockey arenas, Aréna Martin Brodeur, located on 5300 boulevard Robert, and Aréna Roberto Luongo, located on 7755 Rue Colbert. These arenas host local games, and usually provide food, locker rooms, showers and public free-skating.

Saint Leonard also has many outdoor hockey rinks in the winter. There are seven rinks set up before winter, and then they are iced when the temperature is appropriate. There was a delay of rink making in 2007 when the weather was warmer than usual.

Soccer

Soccer is a very popular sport for the youth in Saint Leonard. Every large public park in Saint-Léonard has a soccer field open to the public.

Figure skating

Both Saint Leonard arenas are used by the figure skating community. Many Olympic and World Champions have trained here in different disciplines like singles, pairs, dance and synchronized skating.

Other activities

The city has a domed football stadium, Stade Hébert, which is home to the Saint-Léonard Cougars of the CJFL football league.

There are bocce courts located at almost every public park.

Saint Leonard contains a cavern located at Pie XII Park.

Park Basketball Soccer Bocce Sledding Fountain Playground Ice rink Pavilion Tennis Swimming pool Skate Park Baseball Shuffleboard Pétanque Spelunking
Coubertin Park x x x x x x x x x
Pie XII Park x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Ladauversiere Park x x x x x x x x x x
Wilfrid Bastien Park x x x x x x x x x x x
Delorme Park x x x x x x x x x
Ferland Park x x x x x x x x x x
Garibaldi Park x x x x x
Pirandello Park x x x x x x

Education

Schools

Since the replacement of denominational (Catholic/Protestant) school boards with linguistic (French/English) ones, Saint-Leonard is served by two school boards. The French schools are part of the Commission scolaire Pointe-de-l'Ile while the English schools are part of the English Montreal School Board.

The French-language high school is École secondaire Antoine de St-Exupery.[10]

French-language primary schools:[11]

  • Alphonse-Pesant
  • Gabrielle-Roy
  • La Dauversière
  • Lambert-Closse
  • Pie XII
  • Victor-Lavigne
  • Wilfrid-Bastien

English-language secondary schools:

English-language primary schools:

  • Dante School[14]
  • Pierre de Coubertin School[15]
  • Honoré Mercier School[16]
  • General Vanier School

Public libraries
Saint-Léonard Library

The borough the Saint-Léonard Library of the Montreal Public Libraries Network.[17]

Saint-Leonard’s first library opened in 1966, in a very modest house on Jarry Street. In 1974, the new city hall and current library were built side by side on Lacordaire Boulevard (photo to the right). Expanded in 1984, the library has modernized over the years and is home to the Port-Maurice Gallery.[18]

Government

Borough council

Saint-Léonard is divided by Lacordaire Boulevard into two city council districts, Saint-Léonard-Est and Saint-Léonard-Ouest. The borough elects a borough mayor, who also sits on Montreal City Council; each district elects one city councillor and one borough councillor. The borough mayor, city councillors, and borough councillors make up the borough council.

District Position Name   Party
— Borough mayor
City councillor		 Michel Bissonnet   Ensemble Montréal
Saint-Léonard-Est City councillor  
Borough councillor Lili-Anne Tremblay   Ensemble Montréal
Saint-Léonard-Ouest City councillor Dominic Perri   Ensemble Montréal
Borough councillor Mario Battista   Ensemble Montréal

Mayors

Includes mayors of the former city (1886–2001) and current borough (2002- ) of Saint-Leonard:

  • Louis Sicard (1886–1901)
  • Gustave Pépin (1901–1903)
  • Léon Léonard (1903–1905)
  • Jean-Baptiste Jodoin (1905–1906)
  • Joseph Léonard (1906–1907)
  • Louis D Roy (1907–1910)
  • Wilfrid Bastien (1910–1929)
  • Pascal Gagnon (1929–1935)
  • Philias Gagnon (1935–1939)
  • Alphonse D Pesant (1939–1957)
  • Antonio Dagenais (1957–1962)
  • Paul Émile Petit (1962–1967)
  • Leo Ouellet (1967–1974)
  • Jean Di Zazzo (1974–1978)
  • Michel Bissonnet (1978–1981)
  • Antonio di Ciocco (1981–1984)
  • Raymond Renaud (1984–1990)
  • Frank Zampino (1990–2008)
  • Michel Bissonnet (2008- )

Notable people and companies

St-Leonard is the hometown of notable people such as Roberto Luongo, Nadia G and Martin Brodeur.[19] Notable companies from St-Leonard include Saputo Inc.,[20] FSecur,[21] Lafrenaie,[22] and a few others.

See also

References
  1. Ministère des Affaires Municipales et Régions: Saint-Léonard
  2. Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: SAINT-LÉONARD--SAINT-MICHEL (Quebec)
  3. Chief Electoral Officer of Québec - 40th General Election Riding Results: JEANNE-MANCE-VIGER
  4. http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/MTL_STATS_FR/MEDIA/DOCUMENTS/PROFIL_SOCIOD%C9MO_SAINT-L%C9ONARD%202016.PDF
  5. Official Transport Quebec Road Map
  6. Canadian Politics, Riding by Riding Tony L. Hill - 2002 "The former city of Saint-Léonard was once a key centre for produce growing on Montreal Island, but it's now a middle-class suburb whose burgeoning industry ..."
  7. "Panoram Italia - Fun Facts about Montreal Italians!". Archived from the original on 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  8. "Panoram Italia - Spotlight on Montreal's East End Italians". Archived from the original on 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  9. http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/MTL_STATS_FR/MEDIA/DOCUMENTS/PROFIL_SOCIOD%C9MO_SAINT-L%C9ONARD%202016.PDF
  10. "Secondaire Archived 2015-03-31 at Archive.today." Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île. Retrieved on December 8, 2014.
  11. "Primaire Archived 2015-03-31 at Archive.today." Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île. Retrieved on December 8, 2014.
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-12-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. http://www.emsb.qc.ca/johnpauli/contact.html
  14. http://www.danteschool.ca/
  15. http://www.emsb.qc.ca/pierredecoubertin/about.html
  16. http://www.emsb.qc.ca/honoremercier/
  17. "Les bibliothèques par arrondissement." Montreal Public Libraries Network. Retrieved on December 7, 2014.
  18. St Leonard Public Library
  19. https://www.ctvnews.ca/luongo-joins-brodeur-at-arena-named-in-his-honour-1.427766
  20. http://www.saputo.com/en/Our-Company/History-Overview
  21. https://www.fsecur.com/en/contact-us/
  22. http://lesdeliceslafrenaie.com/about-us/

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