.gif)
Verdun (borough)
Encyclopedia
Verdun is a borough
(arrondissement
) of the city of Montreal
, Quebec
, situated along the St. Lawrence River. It consists of the former city of Verdun, which was merged with the city of Montreal on January 1, 2002. Verdun did not hold a demerger referendum on June 20, 2004. Verdun was founded in 1671, making it one of Canada's oldest cities. In 1956, Nuns' Island
(île des Sœurs) was amalgamated with Verdun, which is on the Island of Montreal
.
and also includes Nuns' Island
(île des Sœurs). The part on the Island of Montreal is bounded to the southwest by LaSalle, to the northwest by the borough of Le Sud-Ouest
(Ville-Émard
and Côte-Saint-Paul
) and the Canal de l'Aqueduc
), to the northeast by the Pointe-Saint-Charles
(Le Sud-Ouest) and the Décarie Autoroute (Aut. 15)
, and to the southeast by the St. Lawrence River.
Verdun proper and Nuns' Island are joined by the Pont de l'Île-des-Sœurs on Aut. 15, part of the Champlain Bridge complex that crosses Nuns' Island and links it to Brossard
on the south shore of the St. Lawrence.
On September 3, 1978, the green line of the Montreal Metro
expanded into Verdun.
The borough administration divides Verdun into three neighbourhoods:
. It was initially a militarized area (argoulets meaning "sharpshooters"), with concessions given to militiamen who agreed to guard the area against an Iroquois assault on the colony of Ville-Marie
. In 1671, the Sulpician Order, lords of the Island of Montreal
since 1663, granted the area (now the western part of Verdun) as a fief to Major Zacharie Dupuis, chief of the Montreal militia. He is believed to have named the area after his natal village of Saverdun
in southwestern France. Côte des Argoulets was renamed Côte de Verdun shortly afterward.
He then donated his land to St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
, founder of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame, who in turn sold it to Étienne Nivard de Saint-Dizier in 1769. The nuns' building, now called the Maison Nivard de Saint-Dizier, still exists.
Following the Great Peace of Montreal
in 1701 between the French and the Iroquois
, which reduced the military threat to settlers in the southwest of the island, farmers settled the area along Lower Lachine Road, now boulevard LaSalle. Around 1800, Chemin de la Rivière-Saint-Pierre (now rue de l'Église) was opened. The Canal de l'Aqueduc
, now Verdun's northwestern boundary, was dug in 1854 to furnish Montreal with drinking water from the St. Lawrence.
In 1874, a group of local land-owners met in a farmhouse called Le Pavillon, located at the corner of Lower Lachine Road and Chemin de la Rivière-Saint-Pierre, and decided to found the village of Rivière-Saint-Pierre. Chartered by the government of Quebec, it became became the municipality of Verdun the following year. Settlement had been hampered due to frequent flooding, but a dyke was built starting in 1896; its completion resulted in a population boom. The first Église Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs (now part of the school of the same name) was built in 1899, followed by a combined town hall, fire hall, and police station in 1908. The tramway also arrived in 1899, connecting Verdun to downtown. A larger Église Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs was built in 1914.
In 1881, the Montreal Hospital for the Insane was founded as a Protestant counterpart to the Catholic Hôpital Saint-Jean-de-Dieu (now Hôpital Louis-H.-Lafontaine) east of the city. It would be built on two farms, purchased in 1887 and 1907, in the western end of Verdun. Affiliated with McGill University
in 1946, it was renamed the Douglas Hospital in 1965. Today, not only is it one of Verdun's largest public institutions, but its campus is one of the borough's most important greenspaces.
Verdun became a town in 1907 and a city in 1912. Between 1911 and 1924 the population tripled and urbanization expanded rapidly "westward" (according to "Montreal directions" - actually due southward), and the farms were divided for residential use. The Moffat area west of rue Desmarchais was built in with "plexes" - the typical Montreal layered apartment - between 1920 and 1930, and the Crawford Bridge area in the far west of the town was built starting in 1945, in a more suburban style unlike the orthogonal grid used in the rest of Verdun. The Verdun Natatorium was built in 1930, the Verdun Hospital in 1932, and the Verdun Auditorium
in 1938.
The city was chiefly (59% in 1931) English-speaking. According to historian Serge Durflinger, Verdun residents made a massive contribution to the Canadian war efforts in World War I
and World War II
, due to the many British immigrants living there who enthusiastically joined the Canadian armed forces.
The municipality of Île-Saint-Paul, occupying what was by then universally known as Nuns' Island or Île des Sœurs
, was annexed to Verdun in 1956. Then a chiefly agricultural area, it was rapidly urbanized following the opening of the Champlain Bridge in 1962, with development including contributions by the famous Modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
. Rapid development would continue to the present day, with the erosion of the sensitive natural woodland of the Domaine Saint-Pierre becoming an increasingly pressing concern.
Back in Verdun proper, in the post-war period, the area around the church, along rue Wellington and rue de l'Église, became the nucleus of commercial development. A new city hall was built on Rue de Verdun in 1958. The green line of the Montreal Metro
was extended into Verdun in 1978, its construction delayed due to a collapse in rue Wellington during the construction of De L'Église
station. Besides De l'Église in downtown Verdun and Verdun
station in front of the town hall, LaSalle
station was built in vacant land in a former industrial area in the east of the borough, left vacant by the demolition of the vast British Munitions Supply Co. facilities; the metro station would become the heart of a new residential area called La Poudrière after the munitions factories.
However, improved access to downtown Montreal meant a decline in local commerce. A program of subsidies and revitalization starting in the 1990s reinvigorated the rue Wellington commercial corridor.
Verduners voted 68% "no" in the 1980 sovereignty referendum and 59.6% "no" in the 1995 referendum. In 1992, Verduners voted 53.66% in favour of the Charlottetown Accord
.
Uniquely in Montreal, Verdun is a partially dry community. Taverns, night clubs, and cabarets have been banned in Verdun since 1965. However, restaurants with liquor licences may sell alcohol, as may grocery stores and the SAQ
.
In 2002, the Montreal municipal mergers saw the city of Verdun become a borough of Montreal. Verduners did not choose to hold a demerger referendum in 2006.
In the early part of the 20th century, it had a majority English-speaking population and until 1954 — when the 80,000 residents made Verdun Quebec's third largest city — the English and French populations were roughly equal. It is now about two-thirds French-speaking
.
Bell Canada
is headquartered in Verdun, on a campus on the northern tip of Nuns' Island.
and 20
, which skirt the northern and eastern edges of its mainland portion and merge with Autoroute 10
on Nuns' Island. The island is connected to the Island of Montreal and the South Shore via the Champlain Bridge
.
The borough is contemplating the possibility of building a service bridge between the Island of Montreal and Nuns' Island. The bridge would connect Boul. Marguerite-Bourgeoys on Nuns' Island with Rue Galt in mainland Verdun. It would be accessible only to city services, public transit, cyclists, and pedestrians.
The borough is served by the green line
of the Montreal metro: Verdun
, De l'Église
, and LaSalle
stations, along with Jolicoeur
station immediately across the aqueduct in Ville-Émard
.
Wellington Street is a significant commercial avenue with a wide range of shops and boutiques. Other commercial streets include De l'Église Street and Verdun Avenue. On Nuns' Island, shopping is centred on the malls at Place du Commerce.
A privately operated ferry links "mainland" Verdun (from the waterfront at the foot of Rue Desmarchais) with Nuns' Island (foot of Boul. de la Forêt) from May to October.
, a McGill University
research hospital in mental health, and Verdun Hospital Centre.
, a hockey arena and concert hall, home of the Junior de Montréal
team. On November 2, 1993, rock band Nirvana
played a concert at the auditorium on their final North American tour.
Expansive parks (L'Honorable-George-O'Reilly, Mgr-J-A-Richard, and Arthur-Therrien) with bike paths line the banks of the St. Lawrence River, making Verdun one of the few parts of the Island of Montreal to open onto the whole length of its waterfront, a legacy of the flooding that once impeded settlement. The waterfront also features the Verdun Natatorium, public-access docks and a marina, an open-air dancing shell, a lawn bowling green, and football, baseball, and soccer fields.
Cycling is also available along the Canal de l'Aqueduc on the opposite edge of the borough; on rue de Verdun; and around and through Nuns' Island, including the cycle-accessible Champlain Bridge ice structure connecting to Île Notre-Dame
and the south shore.
Another of the borough's major green spaces, the Domaine Saint-Paul (Boisé de l'Île-des-Sœurs), preserves the natural woodland of Nuns' Island, home to more than a hundred species of birds as well as the scarce brown snake
. Trails lead through the woodland. The campus of the Douglas Hospital is also a major green space open to the public. Smaller parks are also dotted through the borough.
The borough's community centres are the Centre communautaire Marcel-Giroux, near the borough hall; the Centre communautaire Elgar on Nuns' Island; and the Centre culturel de Verdun, in the western part of the borough. The latter two facilities include public libraries and art exhibition spaces.
.
As of the November 1, 2009 Montreal municipal election
, the current borough council consists of the following councillors:
and is coextensive with the provincial riding of Verdun
.
Montreal borough
The city of Montreal is divided into 19 boroughs , each with a mayor and council.- Powers :The borough council is responsible for:*Fire prevention*Removal of household waste and residual materials*Funding of community...
(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 the city 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....
, situated along the St. Lawrence River. It consists of the former city of Verdun, which was merged with the city of Montreal on January 1, 2002. Verdun did not hold a demerger referendum on June 20, 2004. Verdun was founded in 1671, making it one of Canada's oldest cities. In 1956, Nuns' Island
Nuns' Island
Nuns' Island is an island that forms a part of the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is part of the borough of Verdun.-Geography:The 3.74 km² island is part of the Hochelaga Archipelago in the St. Lawrence River...
(île des Sœurs) was amalgamated with Verdun, which is on the Island of Montreal
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
.
Location and description
The borough of Verdun is located in the southeastern part of the Island of MontrealIsland of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
and also includes Nuns' Island
Nuns' Island
Nuns' Island is an island that forms a part of the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is part of the borough of Verdun.-Geography:The 3.74 km² island is part of the Hochelaga Archipelago in the St. Lawrence River...
(île des Sœurs). The part on the Island of Montreal is bounded to the southwest by LaSalle, to the northwest by the borough of Le Sud-Ouest
Le Sud-Ouest
Le Sud-Ouest is a borough of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Geography:Le Sud-Ouest is an amalgam of several neighbourhoods with highly distinct histories and identities, mainly with working-class and industrial origins, grouped around the Lachine Canal...
(Ville-Émard
Ville-Émard
Ville-Émard is a neighbourhood located in the Sud-Ouest borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is the home of Angrignon Park.-Geography:This neighbourhood is bordered by the Aqueduct Canal, the borough of Verdun and the neighbourhood of Côte-Saint-Paul to the east, the borough of LaSalle to the...
and Côte-Saint-Paul
Côte-Saint-Paul
Côte-Saint-Paul is a neighbourhood located in the Southwest Borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-History:The concession of côte Saint-Paul was granted by the Sulpician Order, seigneurs of the Island of Montreal, in 1662...
) and the Canal de l'Aqueduc
Canal de l'Aqueduc
The Canal de l'Aqueduc is an open-air aqueduct canal on the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada, serving part of the drinking water needs of the city of Montreal....
), to the northeast by the Pointe-Saint-Charles
Pointe-Saint-Charles
Pointe-Saint-Charles is a neighbourhood in the borough of Le Sud-Ouest in city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Geography:...
(Le Sud-Ouest) and the Décarie Autoroute (Aut. 15)
Quebec Autoroute 15
Autoroute 15 is a highway in western Quebec, Canada...
, and to the southeast by the St. Lawrence River.
Verdun proper and Nuns' Island are joined by the Pont de l'Île-des-Sœurs on Aut. 15, part of the Champlain Bridge complex that crosses Nuns' Island and links it to Brossard
Brossard
Brossard is a suburban area, located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, opposite the island and city of Montreal.Brossard is subdivided into many smaller sections. These sections are characterized by having street names that all begin with the same letter of the alphabet...
on the south shore of the St. Lawrence.
On September 3, 1978, the green line of the Montreal Metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
expanded into Verdun.
The borough administration divides Verdun into three neighbourhoods:
- Desmarchais-Crawford (also called West Verdun), which includes dense early 20th-century residential development, the sprawling Douglas Hospital campus, and the post-war suburban area of Crawford Bridge;
- Wellington-De l'Église, the borough's commercial and institutional downtown surrounded with chiefly working-class blocks of two- and three-story "plexes" (duplexes, 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-plexes) with their characteristic winding staircases and balconies, and
- Nuns' Island, forming the neighbourhood of L'Île-des-Sœurs, with its upscale developments.
History
Verdun had its origins in as an area known as Côte des Argoulets at the foot of the Lachine RapidsLachine Rapids
The Lachine Rapids are a series of rapids on the Saint Lawrence River, between the Island of Montreal and the south shore. They are located near the former city of Lachine....
. It was initially a militarized area (argoulets meaning "sharpshooters"), with concessions given to militiamen who agreed to guard the area against an Iroquois assault on the colony of Ville-Marie
Fort Ville-Marie
Fort Ville-Marie was a fortress outpost of France in North America. It is the historic nucleus around which the original settlement of Montreal grew.Given its importance, the site of the fort was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924....
. In 1671, the Sulpician Order, lords of the Island of Montreal
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
since 1663, granted the area (now the western part of Verdun) as a fief to Major Zacharie Dupuis, chief of the Montreal militia. He is believed to have named the area after his natal village of Saverdun
Saverdun
Saverdun is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Saverdun are called Saverdunois.Saverdun gave its name to the former city of Verdun, Quebec, Canada, now a borough of Montreal, which was founded in 1671 by Zacharie Dupuis, a native of...
in southwestern France. Côte des Argoulets was renamed Côte de Verdun shortly afterward.
He then donated his land to St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
Marguerite Bourgeoys
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys was the founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame.- Biography :...
, founder of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame, who in turn sold it to Étienne Nivard de Saint-Dizier in 1769. The nuns' building, now called the Maison Nivard de Saint-Dizier, still exists.
Following the Great Peace of Montreal
Great Peace of Montreal
The Great Peace of Montreal was a peace treaty between New France and 40 First Nations of North America. It was signed on August 4, 1701, by Louis-Hector de Callière, governor of New France, and 1300 representatives of 40 aboriginal nations of the North East of North America...
in 1701 between the French and the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
, which reduced the military threat to settlers in the southwest of the island, farmers settled the area along Lower Lachine Road, now boulevard LaSalle. Around 1800, Chemin de la Rivière-Saint-Pierre (now rue de l'Église) was opened. The Canal de l'Aqueduc
Canal de l'Aqueduc
The Canal de l'Aqueduc is an open-air aqueduct canal on the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada, serving part of the drinking water needs of the city of Montreal....
, now Verdun's northwestern boundary, was dug in 1854 to furnish Montreal with drinking water from the St. Lawrence.
In 1874, a group of local land-owners met in a farmhouse called Le Pavillon, located at the corner of Lower Lachine Road and Chemin de la Rivière-Saint-Pierre, and decided to found the village of Rivière-Saint-Pierre. Chartered by the government of Quebec, it became became the municipality of Verdun the following year. Settlement had been hampered due to frequent flooding, but a dyke was built starting in 1896; its completion resulted in a population boom. The first Église Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs (now part of the school of the same name) was built in 1899, followed by a combined town hall, fire hall, and police station in 1908. The tramway also arrived in 1899, connecting Verdun to downtown. A larger Église Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs was built in 1914.
In 1881, the Montreal Hospital for the Insane was founded as a Protestant counterpart to the Catholic Hôpital Saint-Jean-de-Dieu (now Hôpital Louis-H.-Lafontaine) east of the city. It would be built on two farms, purchased in 1887 and 1907, in the western end of Verdun. Affiliated with McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in 1946, it was renamed the Douglas Hospital in 1965. Today, not only is it one of Verdun's largest public institutions, but its campus is one of the borough's most important greenspaces.
Verdun became a town in 1907 and a city in 1912. Between 1911 and 1924 the population tripled and urbanization expanded rapidly "westward" (according to "Montreal directions" - actually due southward), and the farms were divided for residential use. The Moffat area west of rue Desmarchais was built in with "plexes" - the typical Montreal layered apartment - between 1920 and 1930, and the Crawford Bridge area in the far west of the town was built starting in 1945, in a more suburban style unlike the orthogonal grid used in the rest of Verdun. The Verdun Natatorium was built in 1930, the Verdun Hospital in 1932, and the Verdun Auditorium
Verdun Auditorium
The Verdun Auditorium is the main arena in the Montreal borough of Verdun, Quebec, Canada. The building was constructed in 1938 and holds 4,114. The largest arena in the west end of Montreal, the complex also is home to Arena Denis Savard, a small minor-hockey rink, attached to its side...
in 1938.
The city was chiefly (59% in 1931) English-speaking. According to historian Serge Durflinger, Verdun residents made a massive contribution to the Canadian war efforts in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, due to the many British immigrants living there who enthusiastically joined the Canadian armed forces.
The municipality of Île-Saint-Paul, occupying what was by then universally known as Nuns' Island or Île des Sœurs
Nuns' Island
Nuns' Island is an island that forms a part of the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is part of the borough of Verdun.-Geography:The 3.74 km² island is part of the Hochelaga Archipelago in the St. Lawrence River...
, was annexed to Verdun in 1956. Then a chiefly agricultural area, it was rapidly urbanized following the opening of the Champlain Bridge in 1962, with development including contributions by the famous Modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German architect. He is commonly referred to and addressed as Mies, his surname....
. Rapid development would continue to the present day, with the erosion of the sensitive natural woodland of the Domaine Saint-Pierre becoming an increasingly pressing concern.
Back in Verdun proper, in the post-war period, the area around the church, along rue Wellington and rue de l'Église, became the nucleus of commercial development. A new city hall was built on Rue de Verdun in 1958. The green line of the Montreal Metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
was extended into Verdun in 1978, its construction delayed due to a collapse in rue Wellington during the construction of De L'Église
De L'Église (Montreal Metro)
De L'Église is a station on the Green Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the borough of Verdun in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
station. Besides De l'Église in downtown Verdun and Verdun
Verdun (Montreal Metro)
Verdun is a station on the Green Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the borough of Verdun in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
station in front of the town hall, LaSalle
LaSalle (Montreal Metro)
LaSalle is a station on the Green Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the borough of Verdun, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
station was built in vacant land in a former industrial area in the east of the borough, left vacant by the demolition of the vast British Munitions Supply Co. facilities; the metro station would become the heart of a new residential area called La Poudrière after the munitions factories.
However, improved access to downtown Montreal meant a decline in local commerce. A program of subsidies and revitalization starting in the 1990s reinvigorated the rue Wellington commercial corridor.
Verduners voted 68% "no" in the 1980 sovereignty referendum and 59.6% "no" in the 1995 referendum. In 1992, Verduners voted 53.66% in favour of the Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
.
Uniquely in Montreal, Verdun is a partially dry community. Taverns, night clubs, and cabarets have been banned in Verdun since 1965. However, restaurants with liquor licences may sell alcohol, as may grocery stores and the SAQ
Société des alcools du Québec
The Société des alcools du Québec , often abbreviated and referred to as SAQ, is a provincial Crown corporation in Quebec.-Organization:...
.
In 2002, the Montreal municipal mergers saw the city of Verdun become a borough of Montreal. Verduners did not choose to hold a demerger referendum in 2006.
Demographics
| 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... |
42,430 | 65.40% |
| 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... |
13,140 | 20.25% |
| Both English and French | 790 | 1.22% |
| Other languages | 8,525 | 13.14% |
In the early part of the 20th century, it had a majority English-speaking population and until 1954 — when the 80,000 residents made Verdun Quebec's third largest city — the English and French populations were roughly equal. It is now about two-thirds French-speaking
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
.
Notable residents
- René LépineRene LepineRené G. Lépine, Sr. is a Canadian real estate tycoon, developer, businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Groupe Lépine, a privately owned real estate company headquartered in Montreal, Canada, he is currently the Chairman and President....
, real-estate developer & businessman, born in Verdun - Maynard FergusonMaynard FergusonMaynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
, trumpet player & band leader - Joseph-Arsène Richard, first parish priest of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs from 1900 to 1945
- Denis SavardDenis SavardDenis Joseph Savard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000...
, hockey player, raised in Verdun - Lise PayetteLise PayetteLise Payette, is a Quebec politician, feminist, writer and columnist. She was a Parti Québécois minister under the leadership of Premier René Lévesque and National Assembly of Quebec member for the riding of Dorion....
, journalist and politician, born in Verdun in 1931 - Ron PichéRon PicheRonald Jacques Piché was a professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from 1960–66. He played for the Milwaukee Braves, California Angels and St. Louis Cardinals. Ron had one hit in his six-year MLB career, with a career .024 batting average.Piché was also a volunteer...
, baseball player, born in Verdun in 1935 - Denis JuneauDenis JuneauDenis Juneau is a Canadian painter and a leading figure in the Canadian plasticien movement.-Biography:Juneau was born in Montreal in 1925...
, artist born in Verdun in 1925 - Gilles ProulxGilles ProulxGilles Proulx is a historian, radio and television host in the province of Quebec, Canada. His radio career began in 1962, and he would retire as talk radio host on CHMP-FM forty-six years later on August 7, 2008...
, radio host, born in Verdun in 1940 - Dollard Saint-Laurent, hockey player, born in Verdun in 1929
- Stéphane VenneStéphane VenneStéphane Venne is a French-Canadian songwriter and composer. He also worked as head of production for the Canadian arm of Barclay Records and as a radio station executive....
, composer, born in Verdun in 1941 - Pierre Létourneau, author, musician, and songwriter, born in Verdun in 1938
- Laurent Laplante, journalist, born in Verdun in 1934
- Juanita Westmoreland-TraoréJuanita Westmoreland-TraoréJuanita Westmoreland-Traoré, is the first appointed black judge in the history of Quebec. She also holds the distinction of being the first black dean of a law school in Canada’s history....
, Quebec's first black female judge, born in Verdun in 1942 - Jeanne-d'Arc Charlebois, popular musician, born in Verdun in 1923
- Daniel TurpDaniel TurpDaniel Turp is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He has served as a Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament and as a Parti Québécois member of the Quebec National Assembly .- Biography :...
, politician, member of the National Assembly, born in Verdun in 1955 - Yvon RobertYvon RobertYvon Robert was a French Canadian professional wrestler who was best known to fans as Yvon "The Lion" Robert.- American Wrestling Association :...
, professional wrestler, born in Verdun in 1914 - Gérard Barbeau, musician and singer, born in Verdun in 1936
- Scotty BowmanScotty BowmanWilliam Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
, hockey coach, born in Verdun in 1933 - Ron LapointeRon LapointeRon Lapointe was a Canadian ice hockey coach. He was named interim head coach of the Quebec Nordiques half way through the 1987–88 NHL season. After an 11–20–2 start in the 1988–89 season, Lapointe was fired. His total NHL coaching record was 33–50–6. He was born in Verdun, Quebec...
, hockey player and coach, born in Verdun in 1949
Economy
Verdun is a chiefly residential area. However, the late 1990s and 2000s saw a revival of the Rue Wellington commercial artery, with several shops, restaurants, and cafés opening. Other commercial areas include rue de Verdun, rue de l'Église, and Place du Commerce on Nuns' Island.Bell Canada
Bell Canada
Bell Canada is a major Canadian telecommunications company. Including its subsidiaries such as Bell Aliant, Northwestel, Télébec, and NorthernTel, it is the incumbent local exchange carrier for telephone and DSL Internet services in most of Canada east of Manitoba and in the northern territories,...
is headquartered in Verdun, on a campus on the northern tip of Nuns' Island.
Transport
Verdun is served by Quebec Autoroutes 15Quebec Autoroute 15
Autoroute 15 is a highway in western Quebec, Canada...
and 20
Quebec Autoroute 20
Autoroute 20 is a major Quebec Autoroute, following the Saint Lawrence River through one of the more densely-populated parts of Canada, and is part of the Trans-Canada Highway. At , it is the longest Autoroute in Quebec...
, which skirt the northern and eastern edges of its mainland portion and merge with Autoroute 10
Quebec Autoroute 10
Autoroute 10 is an Autoroute in southern Quebec, Canada...
on Nuns' Island. The island is connected to the Island of Montreal and the South Shore via the Champlain Bridge
Champlain Bridge (Montreal)
The Champlain Bridge is a steel truss cantilever bridge with approach viaducts constructed of prestressed concrete beams supporting a prestressed concrete deck paved with asphalt...
.
The borough is contemplating the possibility of building a service bridge between the Island of Montreal and Nuns' Island. The bridge would connect Boul. Marguerite-Bourgeoys on Nuns' Island with Rue Galt in mainland Verdun. It would be accessible only to city services, public transit, cyclists, and pedestrians.
The borough is served by the green line
Line 1 Green (Montreal Metro)
The Green line is one of the four lines of the metro in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The line runs through the commercial section of downtown Montreal underneath Boulevard de Maisonneuve, formerly Rue de Montigny...
of the Montreal metro: Verdun
Verdun (Montreal Metro)
Verdun is a station on the Green Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the borough of Verdun in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
, De l'Église
De L'Église (Montreal Metro)
De L'Église is a station on the Green Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the borough of Verdun in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
, and LaSalle
LaSalle (Montreal Metro)
LaSalle is a station on the Green Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the borough of Verdun, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
stations, along with Jolicoeur
Jolicoeur (Montreal Metro)
Jolicoeur is a station on the Green Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the Côte-Saint-Paul district in the borough of Le Sud-Ouest in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
station immediately across the aqueduct in Ville-Émard
Ville-Émard
Ville-Émard is a neighbourhood located in the Sud-Ouest borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is the home of Angrignon Park.-Geography:This neighbourhood is bordered by the Aqueduct Canal, the borough of Verdun and the neighbourhood of Côte-Saint-Paul to the east, the borough of LaSalle to the...
.
Wellington Street is a significant commercial avenue with a wide range of shops and boutiques. Other commercial streets include De l'Église Street and Verdun Avenue. On Nuns' Island, shopping is centred on the malls at Place du Commerce.
A privately operated ferry links "mainland" Verdun (from the waterfront at the foot of Rue Desmarchais) with Nuns' Island (foot of Boul. de la Forêt) from May to October.
Health
Significant medical facilities in the borough include the Douglas HospitalDouglas Hospital
The Douglas Mental Health University Institute is a Canadian psychiatric hospital located in the borough of Verdun in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is also a teaching hospital affiliated with McGill University...
, a McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
research hospital in mental health, and Verdun Hospital Centre.
Recreation
Recreational facilities include the Verdun AuditoriumVerdun Auditorium
The Verdun Auditorium is the main arena in the Montreal borough of Verdun, Quebec, Canada. The building was constructed in 1938 and holds 4,114. The largest arena in the west end of Montreal, the complex also is home to Arena Denis Savard, a small minor-hockey rink, attached to its side...
, a hockey arena and concert hall, home of the Junior de Montréal
Montreal Junior Hockey Club
The Montreal Junior Hockey Club were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The team is based out of the Verdun Auditorium, in Verdun, Quebec. The St. John's Fog Devils franchise relocated at the conclusion of the 2007–08 QMJHL season...
team. On November 2, 1993, rock band Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
played a concert at the auditorium on their final North American tour.
Expansive parks (L'Honorable-George-O'Reilly, Mgr-J-A-Richard, and Arthur-Therrien) with bike paths line the banks of the St. Lawrence River, making Verdun one of the few parts of the Island of Montreal to open onto the whole length of its waterfront, a legacy of the flooding that once impeded settlement. The waterfront also features the Verdun Natatorium, public-access docks and a marina, an open-air dancing shell, a lawn bowling green, and football, baseball, and soccer fields.
Cycling is also available along the Canal de l'Aqueduc on the opposite edge of the borough; on rue de Verdun; and around and through Nuns' Island, including the cycle-accessible Champlain Bridge ice structure connecting to Île Notre-Dame
Île Notre-Dame
Île Notre-Dame is an artificial island built in 10 months from 15 million tons of rock excavated for the Montreal Metro in 1965. It was created for Expo 67 to celebrate Canada's centennial. The island is part of the city of Montreal and forms part of the Hochelaga Archipelago...
and the south shore.
Another of the borough's major green spaces, the Domaine Saint-Paul (Boisé de l'Île-des-Sœurs), preserves the natural woodland of Nuns' Island, home to more than a hundred species of birds as well as the scarce brown snake
Brown snake
Brown snake is the common name given to a number of very different species of snakes:*The genus Pseudonaja, Australian brown snakes*The genus Storeria, North American brown snakes...
. Trails lead through the woodland. The campus of the Douglas Hospital is also a major green space open to the public. Smaller parks are also dotted through the borough.
The borough's community centres are the Centre communautaire Marcel-Giroux, near the borough hall; the Centre communautaire Elgar on Nuns' Island; and the Centre culturel de Verdun, in the western part of the borough. The latter two facilities include public libraries and art exhibition spaces.
Municipal
Verdun is governed by a borough council consisting of the borough mayor and of one city councillor and two borough councillors elected by each of two council districts, for a total of seven members. The borough mayor and the two city councillors represent Verdun on Montreal City CouncilMontreal 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...
.
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... |
Claude Trudel | 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... |
|
| Champlain–L'Île-des-Sœurs | City councillor | Ginette Marotte | Union Montréal | |
| Borough councillor | Paul Beaupré | Union Montréal | ||
| Andrée Champoux | Union Montréal | |||
| Desmarchais-Crawford | City councillor | Alain Tassé | Union Montréal | |
| Borough councillor | Ann Guy | Union Montréal | ||
| André Savard | Union Montréal |
Federal and provincial
The borough is part of the federal riding of Jeanne-Le BerJeanne-Le Ber
Jeanne-Le Ber is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004. Its population in 2006 was 112,863.-Geography:...
and is coextensive with the provincial riding of Verdun
Verdun (provincial electoral district)
Verdun is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The Montreal borough of Verdun is situated in this district...
.
See also
- Boroughs of Montreal
- Districts of MontrealDistricts of MontrealThis is the list of the neighbourhoods in the city of Montreal. They are sorted by the borough they are located in.-Ahuntsic-Cartierville:* Ahuntsic* Nouveau-Bordeaux* Cartierville* Île de la Visitation* Sault-au-Récollet-Anjou:...
- Municipal reorganization in QuebecMunicipal reorganization in QuebecThe most recent episode of municipal reorganization in Quebec, Canada, was undertaken in 2002 by the Parti Québécois Government of Quebec, headed by Premier Lucien Bouchard and his successor Bernard Landry....