Westmount is an affluent suburb on the Island of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is an enclave of the city of Montreal, with a population of 19,931 as of the Canada 2011 Census.

Westmount is home to schools, an arena, a pool, a public library and a number of parks, including Westmount Park, King George Park (also known as Murray Hill Park) and Westmount Summit. The city operates its own electricity distribution company Westmount Light & Power (Hydro-Westmount). The city is also the location of two Canadian Forces Primary Reserves: The Royal Montreal Regiment and 34th Signals Regiment.

Traditionally, the community of Westmount has been a wealthy and predominantly anglophone enclave, having been at one point the richest community in Canada. It now competes with the Vancouver neighbourhoods of Shaughnessy and Kerrisdale, and the Toronto neighbourhoods of Lawrence Park, Forest Hill, Rosedale, and The Bridle Path, for the title.

History

From the moment the first French colonists settled in the area in the middle of the seventeenth century, this area was known by several names including La Petite Montagne, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Côte-Saint-Antoine. A former farmhouse from this era, Hurtubise House, still stands and is currently under renovation.

The Village of Côte St-Antoine was first incorporated in 1874. It later became the Town of Côte St-Antoine.

It was renamed Westmount, in 1895, reflecting the geographical location of the city on the southwest slope of Mount Royal and the presence of a large English-speaking population.

During the twentieth century, Westmount became a wealthy Montreal suburb; a small city dotted with many green spaces. Architect Robert Findlay, a resident in the early twentieth century, designed many municipal buildings in the city, including the library, Westmount City Hall and several other buildings of public order.

In the twentieth century, Westmount was home to some of Montreal's wealthiest families including the Bronfmans and the Molsons. This made the city a symbolic target of Front de libération du Québec terrorist bombings in the 1960s, culminating in the 1970 October Crisis.

Following the death of former Quebec Premier René Lévesque in 1987, the city of Montreal renamed Dorchester Boulevard René Lévesque Boulevard. After the city of Montreal changed the name, Westmount retained the name of Dorchester on their portion, as did Montréal-Est.

Merger with Montreal

In 2001, while trying to prevent Westmount from being amalgamated into the city of Montreal, Westmount Mayor Peter Trent and city council asserted that the city was a designated anglophone institution and should not be merged into francophone greater Montreal. In response to this opposition, Municipal Affairs Minister Louise Harel said that Westmount's resistance "reeked of colonialism" and that the opposition was an "ethnic project", statements for which she would refuse to apologize.^[4] When asked for comment, Quebec Premier Bernard Landry said the minister had his full support and that the opposition was little more than Quebec bashing.^[5] Several federalist public figures criticized Landry's statement: Jean Charest called it insulting to the intelligence of the citizens of Quebec; Joseph Gabary, president of the Quebec Chapter of the Canadian Jewish Congress, called the language "crude"; Alliance Quebec also criticized the premier for singling out the city for special criticism.^[6]

On January 1, 2002, as part of the 2002–2006 municipal reorganization of Montreal, it was merged into the city of Montreal and became a borough. However, after a change of government and a 2004 referendum, it was re-constituted as an independent city on January 1, 2006. Nevertheless, it remains part of the urban agglomeration of Montreal and the bulk of its municipal taxes go to the Agglomeration Council, which oversees activities common to all municipalities on the Island of Montreal (e.g. police, fire protection, public transit) even after the demerger.

Geography

The city is roughly {{convert|4|km2|abbr=on}}, and occupies an area of land on the south face of the southern peak of Mount Royal. The city, most of which is on steep terrain, extends from the summit to the end of the narrow plateau at the foot of the mountain.

Cityscape

Most of the city is residential. Homes increase in size and value toward the top of the mountain, with the largest and most expensive being on or near Summit Circle.

Notable buildings include Place Alexis Nihon and the Westmount Square complex, which was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and funded largely by Westmount resident Samuel Bronfman, the founder of the Seagram liquor empire.

There are several small commercial districts on Sherbrooke Street from the city's western boundary to the intersection of Sherbrooke Street and Victoria Avenue ("Victoria Village"), on Saint Catherine Street across from Place Alexis Nihon, on Greene Avenue and on De Maisonneuve Boulevard near the Atwater metro station.

"Westmount Adjacent" is a term applied by realtors to a district in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, located in between the city of Westmount, the Décarie Expressway, De Maisonneuve Boulevard and the lands of Villa Maria private Catholic girls school.^[7]

Parks

There are several parks within the city, including King George Park (also known as Murray Hill) and Westmount Park. A forest area is located at Westmount Summit, within Summit Circle.

Westmount Park

Located between Sherbrooke Street and De Maisonneuve Boulevard to the north and south, and Melville and Lansdowne Avenue to the east and west, this {{convert|1,141,002|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} park is the second largest in Westmount.

The landscaping design was undertaken in 1912 by M.J. Manning, and comprises large playing fields at the east and south sides, and Westmount Arena and adjacent swimming pool at the southwest corner. The central area contains an extensive playground, footpaths, ponds and wading pools, and tennis courts. Westmount Public Library, built in 1897,^[8] Victoria Hall, and a large greenhouse are located on the north side.^[9]

Government

Municipal

Since regaining its status as a city, Westmount is governed by a City Council made up of a mayor and eight "district" councillors. The current mayor of Westmount is Christina Smith, who was elected interim mayor at a special council meeting on April 24, 2017, following the retirement of long-serving Mayor Peter Trent. Smith later went on to win an election November 5, 2017 to remain mayor. In addition to the local city council, Westmount is represented by its mayor on the Montreal Agglomeration Council.

Provincial and Federal

Throughout Quebec, Westmount is known as an overwhelmingly Liberal riding, both federally and provincially.

On the federal level, Westmount is represented in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount riding. The riding was won by Marc Garneau in the 2015 federal election.

Provincially, the city is represented in the riding of Westmount–Saint-Louis by MNA Jacques Chagnon of the Quebec Liberal Party.

Demographics

As of the Canada 2011 Census, the population was 19,931.

The income per-capita for a household is $210,120^[11] one of the highest in North America. The largest occupation categories were 33.0% employed in management occupations, 20.3% in business, finance, and administration occupations, and 15.4% in social science, education, government service and religion occupations.

There were 8,460 households out of which 26.2% had children living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female lone-parent as a householder, and 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average married-couple family size was 3.1.

The age distribution was 15.7% under the age of 15, 11.9% from 15 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 15 and over, there were 80.2 males.

About 27% of the population is foreign-born, most having immigrated since 1991. Visible minorities constitute 14% of the population (Chinese 3%, Arab 2.8%, Latin American 2.1%, West Asian 1.6%, South Asian 1.3%).^[12] Residents declared their religions as Catholic (31.0%), Jewish (22%),^[13] Protestant (21.5%), Christian Orthodox (3.7%), Muslim (2.7%) and other Christian (1.9%).

Language

Westmount's residents are predominantly bilingual: 76.4% can speak both English and French, 20.1% of the population can speak only English, 2.6% can speak only French.

The 2016 census found that 51.3% {{increase}} of residents spoke English, and 21.3% {{decrease}} spoke French, as their first language.^[14]

Education

The city is home to two CEGEPs: the public anglophone Dawson College and the private anglophone Marianopolis College.

The Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) operates French-language schools in Westmount.

English-language public schools in Westmount are operated by the English Montreal School Board (EMSB). These include Westmount High School, its sister elementary school Westmount Park School and Roslyn Elementary School, which is significant for introducing the first French Immersion Program on the Island of Montreal in 1968.^[15]

Westmount is also home to several private schools, including coeducational St. George's School of Montreal as well as Miss Edgar's and Miss Cramp's School, The Study and the French-language Villa Sainte-Marcelline for girls and Selwyn House School for boys.

The Montreal Hoshuko School, a supplementary Japanese school serving Japanese nationals and Japanese Canadians in the Montreal area, previously held classes at the Westmount Park School in Westmount.^[16]

Sports

Westmount was home of the Montreal Arena, the third arena in history to be built specifically for hockey. It was the home rink for the Montreal Wanderers, one of the great teams of the early hockey era, as well as the legendary Montreal Canadiens. The arena burned down in 1918, causing the Wanderers to disband.

Westmount's Westmount Arena is part of a joint arena and pool complex built in 1959. The arena honours early Montreal ice hockey teams with replica Stanley Cup banners. It is home to the Westmount Wings, Lasalle/Westmount Cobras and was the home of the Westmount Predators that are no longer active.

Westmount is home to the Westmount Lynx Lacrosse Club, which has field lacrosse teams for boys and girls aged 8–16.

Westmount is also home of the oldest active rugby club in North America, the Westmount Rugby Club.

In addition, the city's swim team, the Westmount Dolphins,^[17] won the 2007 Section B Alps finals.

Westmount is the birthplace of tennis star Eugenie Bouchard.

Notable people

Residence

Westmount is or was the residence of:

• Gottfried Fuchs (1889–1972), German-Canadian Olympic soccer player
• Marc Garneau, first Canadian astronaut in space
• Arthur Holden, voice actor
• Richard Holden, lawyer and politician
• Brian Mulroney, former Prime Minister of Canada
• Jean Charest, former Quebec Premier
• May Cutler, Canadian publisher, founder of Tundra Books and the first female publisher of children's books in Canada. Cutler was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Westmount (1987–1991),^[18]
• the Molson family
• the Bronfman family
• Leonard Cohen, poet, singer, and artist
• Robert Miller, founder of Future Electronics,^[19]
• Maxwell Cummings, real estate developer
• Rene Lepine, real estate developer
• Lara Fabian, Belgian-Canadian singer
• Marc Mysterio, Canadian singer
• Jacques Villeneuve, Canadian F1 racing driver
• Didier Drogba, Ivorian retired professional footballer
• Pierre McGuire, American/Canadian Ice hockey analyst and former NHL coach and scout^[20]

Place of birth

Westmount is the birthplace of:

• Eugenie Bouchard, professional tennis player
• E. L. M. Burns, commander of the I Canadian Corps in the Second World War
• Leonard Cohen, author, poet and musician
• James Gelfand, jazz pianist, arranger, and composer
• Caroline Rhea, comedian and actress
• Sam Roberts, rock musician and songwriter
• Douglas Shearer, multiple Academy Award winning film sound engineer
• Norma Shearer, motion picture actress
• Shawn Levy, television, motion picture director and producer

See also

• List of former boroughs
• Montreal Merger
• Municipal reorganization in Quebec
• The Westmount Examiner, a now-defunct newspaper

References