Montreal's West Island Communities


		Real Estate Agents for the West Island of Montreal

Montreal's West Island

Community Capsules

Although ‘One Island-One City’ has created new ‘boroughs’ or ‘arondissements’, the individual communities retain both their diversity and their unique flavour. Here’s an overview…

	Baie d'Urfé
	Beaconsfield
	Dollard-des-Ormeaux
	Dorval
	Kirkland

	Lachine
	Pointe-Claire
	Pierrefonds
	Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
	Senneville

Baie d'Urfé - Towards the western end of the island of Montreal, this community of some 1,100 family units has a semi-rural flavour, with its mature vegetation, huge (15,000 sq. ft.) residential lots and many parks and green spaces. A thriving industrial park between Rte 20 and Rte 40, as well as a local indoor mall contribute substantially to the economic activity of this well-run community. Septic systems are the residential rule here, keeping taxes low, and gardens green. Well-served by road and rail commuter transit, residents also enjoy the proximity to Lac St-Louis, with sailing & boating clubs, and beautiful waterfront parks. Homes range from modest bungalows to million-dollar water edge estates, and families will find a wide range of activities and facilities, including elementary schools in French, English and German (private).

Beaconsfield - Named for Benjamin Disraeli, the Earl of Beaconsfield, this is a prosperous and pleasant community of some 19,000 souls, stretching along Lac St- Louis from Pointe-Claire to Baie d'Urfé. Good schools in both languages abound, and community recreation facilities are excellent. Getting to and from downtown Montreal is easy via Route 20, and bus and commuter train service is easily accessed. Varied shopping facilities in several areas are available. With a wide variety of housing styles and prices, this conservative and well managed town has long been a popular choice with the families of executives relocating from across North America and Europe. Like many of the West Island communities, Beaconsfield enjoys its proximity to Lac St-Louis, with waterfront parks, sailing and yachting facilities, as well as several public boat-launch ramps.

Dollard-des-Ormeaux - The most populous community on the West Island, D.D.O. (as it is known generally) is a dynamic and bustling community of approximately 40,000 people stretching along Rte 40, and offering every conceivable form of residential real estate! An extensive industrial park and a wide variety of office and commercial facilities spreads the tax base, and D.D.O. offers a complete range of municipal recreational facilities, indoors and out! Popular with transferees from across Canada and beyond, the schools are good, sports organizations are top-drawer and housing prices run from the very affordable to over $1 million! D.D.O. literally has something for everyone!

Dorval - One of the older Lakeshore communities, Dorval's fortunes are closely linked to it's bustling industrial park, with everything from aerospace to pharmaceuticals - and to Montreal's International Airport. A hub of transportation for every conceivable carrier, Dorval is convenience itself for commuting, whether to downtown Montreal, or to some European or Asian capitol. Sprawling along the shores of Lac St-Louis, Dorval has a goodly share of waterfront and shady parks, excellent schools, and a wide variety of residential choice for everyone; from the first-time buyer to the millionaire!

Kirkland - This fast-growing community is focused on the intersection of Route 40 and St-Charles Blvd., and is an easy commute to town on either major highway, or by train from stations in adjacent Beaconsfield or Pointe-Claire. The scene of active residential construction in the 70's, 80's and 90's, Kirkland's industrial park has kept pace, attracting a wide variety of clean and successful corporate residents, and keeping the tax structure affordable. The commercial area along St-Charles Blvd. is active and prosperous, and the recreational facilities include an arena and extensive park system. Although Kirkland only recently saw its first school opening (the town's development has been on the same time-line as the general decline in school enrolments and construction), this has never been a problem to residents, with busing to schools in adjacent communities easily satisfying their needs. Kirkland has the widest selection of new and newer homes of any West Island community - which is a major attraction to many house-hunting families.

Lachine - The most easterly of the West Island suburbs, Lachine is a fascinating blend of our two main cultures, with an extensive industrial base, excellent commuting by train, bus and highway, and a truly lovely "renaissance" area, with shops and restaurants overlooking the old Lachine Canal. The city fathers have preserved and expanded the park areas along the river and canal, and added a bicycle pathway along its length - to the delight (and envy!) of cyclists from far and wide. Residential choices are wide here, ranging from the historic (Lachine is over 300 years old), to the contemporary townhomes and semi's, to the affordable detached cottages in the western section, built not long after World War II.

Pointe-Claire - booming and bustling, this is the "downtown" of the West Island, with its office towers, the Fairview regional shopping plaza and an extensive and prosperous industrial park along both sides of Rte. 40. Effective town planning and management has yielded extensive recreation facilities, and a string of waterfront park facilities along Lac St- Louis - all at affordable taxation rates. Pointe-Claire is also the home of the well respected area hospital - the Lakeshore General, currently slated for a major expansion. South of Rte. 20, the "Village" of Pointe-Claire is an older walk-about area of town that has enjoyed renaissance and refurbishing, with a charming series of boutiques, restaurants and specialty shops. House-hunting choices run the gamut from the cozy older homes of Valois to costly custom residences (or high-rise condominium apartments!) on the waterfront- and everything in between. While many residents both live and work locally, Pointe-Claire commuters find it a quick and easy trip to downtown by bus, rail or either of the two major highways.

Pierrefonds - Geographically narrow, Pierrefonds seems to stretch forever along the Back River, running from Senneville to Ville St-Laurent, with many of its homes enjoying river views. One of the more populous (and popular!) towns of the West Island, the community has grown rapidly in the past 30 years, with many areas of new construction - from entry-level condominiums and townhouses to large and luxurious homes. Residents commute to Montreal by train and highways 20 and 40, and enjoy many excellent schools and shopping areas. Sports and recreation facilities are plentiful and convenient, you can count on Pierrefonds to field competitive teams in every sport.

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue - A community of amazing diversity! Enjoy a family brunch and stroll along the delightful waterfront boardwalk - with its vast choice of waterfront bistros, and alfresco restaurants. Watch a variety of watercraft negotiate the locks, and continue on to the campuses of McGill's MacDonald College and John Abbott CEGEP, the Veterans' Hospital and the adjacent Morgan Arboretum (100's of acres of year-round walking and skiing trails in a beautifully maintained woodsy preserve!). From quaint mature homes in the older section, to some of the most affordable and interesting new homes - in Ste-Anne's "en haut", this fascinating town is a unique melange.

Senneville - The smallest community on the West Island, Senneville is best known for a series of enormous mansions along and across from the waterfront of Lake of two Mountains. These large and extensive properties enjoy acreage unique to the Island of Montreal, and price tags to match. But Senneville also means perhaps 200 pleasant homes on large woodsy properties of 15,000 sq. ft. or more, all within easy walking distance of rail commuting, and close to both Rte 20 and Rte 40. Community services include memberships to the local pool and tennis facilities (prepaid in the town taxes). Septic tanks are the order of the day in Senneville, and although there is an industrial park which is active and prosperous, there is no commercial district; shoppers must drive to an adjacent community.