Saint-Léonard (borough) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Saint Leonard is a borough (arrondissement
Arrondissement
Arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.-France:The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The capital of an arrondissement is called a...

) of Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Formerly a separate city, it was amalgamated into the city of Montreal in 2002.

The former city was originally called St. Léonard de Port Maurice after Leonard of Port Maurice

Leonard of Port Maurice

Saint Leonard of Port Maurice, O.F.M., was an Italian Franciscan preacher and ascetic writer.- Life :...

Borough council

As of the November 1, 2009 Montreal municipal election

Montreal municipal election, 2009

The city of Montreal, Quebec, held a municipal election at the same time as numerous other municipalities in Quebec, on November 1, 2009. Voters elected the Mayor of Montreal, Montreal City Council, and the mayors and councils of each of the city's boroughs....

, the current borough council consists of the following councillors:

District	Position	Name	Party
—	Borough mayor City councillor Montreal City Council The Montreal City Council is the governing body of Montreal, Quebec. The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equals in the City Council. The mayor is Gérald Tremblay, who is a member of the Union des citoyens et des citoyennes de l'Île de Montréal...	Michel Bissonnet Michel Bissonnet Michel Bissonnet, MNA is a Canadian politician who served as Liberal member and President of the National Assembly of Quebec.-Background:...	Union Montréal Union Montreal Union Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It currently governs Montreal's city government.-Origins:It was established as the Montreal Island Citizens Union in the aftermath of the province-wide municipal merger of 2001 and not long before the municipal election...
Saint-Léonard-Est	City councillor	Robert L. Zambito	Union Montréal Union Montreal Union Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It currently governs Montreal's city government.-Origins:It was established as the Montreal Island Citizens Union in the aftermath of the province-wide municipal merger of 2001 and not long before the municipal election...
Saint-Léonard-Est	Borough councillor	Lili-Anne Tremblay	Union Montréal Union Montreal Union Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It currently governs Montreal's city government.-Origins:It was established as the Montreal Island Citizens Union in the aftermath of the province-wide municipal merger of 2001 and not long before the municipal election...
Saint-Léonard-Ouest	City councillor	Dominic Perri Dominic Perri Dominic Perri is a politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He has served on the Montreal city council since 2001 as a member of mayor Gérald Tremblay's Union Montreal party, formerly known as the Montreal Island Citizens' Union...	Union Montréal Union Montreal Union Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It currently governs Montreal's city government.-Origins:It was established as the Montreal Island Citizens Union in the aftermath of the province-wide municipal merger of 2001 and not long before the municipal election...
Saint-Léonard-Ouest	Borough councillor	Mario Battista	Union Montréal Union Montreal Union Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It currently governs Montreal's city government.-Origins:It was established as the Montreal Island Citizens Union in the aftermath of the province-wide municipal merger of 2001 and not long before the municipal election...

Città Italiana / Via Italia

Città Italiana is the nickname (uncommonly used) given to the borough because of its large number of Italian-Canadian

Italian-Canadian

An Italian Canadian is a Canadian of Italian descent or heritage. According to the 2006 census of Canada, 1,445,335 Canadians consider themselves to be of Italian origin. The Italian-Canadian population climbed by more than 12% and half have combined Italian origins along with another ethnic...

residents, evident on major streets such as the eastern portion of Jean-Talon Boulevard

Jean-Talon Boulevard

Jean-Talon Street, is one of the longest streets on the Island of Montreal. It runs from Highway 15 in the west through Anjou in the east to Galeries d'Anjou.-Via Italia:...

, locally referred to as Via Italia, and Jarry Street

Jarry Street

Jarry Street is a street on the Island of Montreal which stretches from Boulevard de l'Acadie in the west to Boulevard Ray-Lawson to the east.The street is nearly entirely served by the bus route 193 Jarry...

, where Italian-Canadian businesses are located.

Many services are available to residents in Italian

Italian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

, in addition to English language

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

and French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

. The Leonardo Da Vinci Centre, for instance, offers service in all three languages. This cultural centre contains theatres, gyms, bocce

Bocce

Bocce is a ball sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire...

playing areas and a café.

Saint Leonard was the site of the dispute that led to the creation of Quebec's first language legislation

Charter of the French Language

The Charter of the French Language , also known as Bill 101 and Loi 101, is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority of the population, as the only official language of Quebec, and framing fundamental language rights for everyone in the province...

. Italian immigrants wished to send their children to English schools, while the local school board refused and tried to force them into French-language education. At the time, there was no legislation on schooling and language, and the dispute was settled with the creation of Bill 63, Bill 22 and finally Bill 101. Their effect is that only students with a parent who was schooled in English in Canada may attend an English school, otherwise education in French is mandatory.

The community newspaper, Progrès Saint-Léonard, is offered exclusively in French.

Demographics

Home Language (2006
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...

)
Language	Population	Percentage (%)
French French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...	31,210	43.64%
English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...	17,180	24.02%
English and French	1,360	1.90%
Other languages	21,755	30.42%

Ethnic Origin (2001
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...

)
Ethnic Origin	Population	Percent
Italian Italian people The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...	27,590	39.69%
Canadian	18,915	27.21%
French French people The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...	9,290	13.36%
Haiti Haiti Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island... an	3,815	5.5%
Lebanese Lebanese people The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....	2,005	2.88%
Irish Irish people The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...	1,360	1.96%
Spanish Spanish people The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....	1,190	1.71%
Algeria Algeria Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab... n	1,155	1.66%
Arab	1,155	1.66%
Portuguese Portuguese people The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....	1,070	1.54%

Located in the east end of the island of Montreal, Saint-Leonard was traditionally francophone

Francophone

The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....

. However, recent census information indicates that the city is now largely composed of numerous generations of 20th-century Italian immigrants.
Linguistic trend

**Mother tongue language (2006)**
Language	1996	2001	2006
French	28,140	25,935	23,440
English	4,890	4,905	6,265
English and French	870	520	335
Other languages	37,425	38,155	41,480
Population	71,325	69,604	71,730

Sports and recreation

Aquatics

The Saint-Léonard Aquatic Complex was built in 2006 and is home to three swimming pools: one recreational basin, one 25 meter deep 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 city, that connect various parks, pools and city 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. Nearly every public park in has a soccer field open to the public.

Figure Skating

Both of 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 also has a newly domed football stadium, Stade Hébert, which is home to the Saint-Léonard Cougars. For the retired citizens, there are bocce courts located at almost every public park.

Saint Leonard contains underground caves, located at Pie XII Park.

Park	Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...	Soccer	Bocce Bocce Bocce is a ball sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire...	Sledding Sledding Sledding , sledging , sleding or tobogganing is a common activity in wintry areas, similar to sliding, but in a prone or seated position requiring a device or vehicle generically known in the US as a sled or in other countries as a sledge or toboggan...	Fountain Fountain A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....	Playground Playground A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...	Ice rink Ice rink An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...	Pavilion Pavilion (structure) In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...	Tennis Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...	Swimming pool Swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...	Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...	Shuffleboard Shuffleboard Shuffleboard, more precisely deck shuffleboard, and also known as shuffle-board, shovelboard, shovel-board and shove-board [archaic], is a game in which players use broom-shaped paddles to push weighted pucks, sending them gliding down a narrow and elongated court, with the purpose of...	Pétanque Pétanque Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...	Cave Cave A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
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
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
Pirandello Park

Schools of Saint-Leonard

The Borough of Saint-Leonard is served by two school boards. The French schools are all part of the Commission scolaire Pointe-de-l'Ile while the English schools are all part of the English Montreal School Board

English Montreal School Board

English Montreal School Board is the largest English-language school board in Quebec. The EMSB is responsible for anglophone public schools in the centre and eastern sectors of Montreal Island. Public education in the western portion of Montreal Island is administered by the Lester B. Pearson...

Mayors

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