Verdun, Montreal
Verdun (English pronunciation: /vərˈdʌn/, French: [vɛrˈdœ̃]) is a borough (arrondissement) of the City of Montreal, situated along the St. Lawrence River. It consists of the former city of Verdun, Quebec, 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.
Although very close to Downtown Montreal, it is separated from it by the Canal de l’Aqueduc. It is also located next to the Champlain Bridge, the main bridge from Montreal to the suburbs on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. On September 3rd, 1978, the Montreal Metro expanded to include Verdun.
Verdun consists roughly of three neighbourhoods:
- the verdant West Verdun (characterized by the sprawling Douglas hospital grounds);
- the predominantly working-class neighbourbood of downtown Verdun with its many long blocks of 3-storey “plexes” (duplexes, 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-plexes) with their characteristic winding staircases and balconies; and
- Nun’s Island an upscale development annexed in the late 1950s.
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-thirdsFrench-speaking. It is one of the few areas in Quebec to ban drinking establishments within its borders, although restaurants with bars are allowed. Famous trumpet player and bandleader Maynard Ferguson is a native of Verdun.
Geography
Verdun is situated on the Island of Montreal southwest of Downtown Montreal, south ofLe Sud-Ouest (from which it is divided by the Canal de l’Aqueduc and Autoroute 15) and east of LaSalle. It includes the adjacent Nuns’ Island (Île des Sœurs). 64,880
War Heroes
According to considerable work by historian Serge Durflinger, Verdun residents made a massive contribution to the Canadian war efforts in WWI and WWII, due to the many British immigrants who enthusiastically joined the Canadian armed forces.
Demographics
| Language | Population | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French | 40,685 | 62.7% |
| English | 10,725 | 16.5% |
| Both English and French | 710 | 1.1% |
| Other languages | 12,760 | 19.7% |
Economy
Bell Canada is headquartered in Verdun.
Infrastructure
Roads
Verdun is served by Quebec Autoroutes 15 and 20, which skirt the northern and eastern edges of its mainland portion and merge withAutoroute 10 on Nuns’ Island. The island is connected to the Island of Montreal and the South Shore via the Champlain Bridge. The borough is served by the green line of the Montreal metro: Verdun, De L’Église, and LaSalle stations along with Jolicoeur station across the canal inVille-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 Street.
Health
Significant medical facilities in the borough include the Douglas Hospital, a McGill University research hospital in mental health, and the Verdun pavilion of the Centre Hospitalier Angrignon. (The 2 hospitals that made up the Centre Hospitalier Angrignon were separated back to individual hospitals a few years ago. Verdun General & LaSalle General.)
Parks and Recreation
Recreational facilities include the Verdun Auditorium, a hockey arena and concert hall, and the Verdun Natatorium. Verdun features parks with bicycle paths along the shores of the St. Lawrence River and Canal de l’Aqueduc and through the wilderness area on the western end of Nuns’ Island, and bicyclists can use the Champlain Bridge ice structure to access the South Shore and Parc Jean-Drapeau.
On January 25, 2008 the QMJHL approved the sale of the St. John’s Fog Devils to Montreal businessman Farrel Miller, who moved the team to Verdun. The Junior de Montréal will begin playing at the Verdun Auditorium, which is undergoing renovations, at the start of the 2008-09 season.
On November 2, 1993, rock band Nirvana played a concert at the auditorium on their final North American tour.
Government
Municipal
The current borough mayor is Claude Trudel.
The borough is divided into two districts:
- Champlain—L’Île-des-Sœurs
- Desmarchais-Crawford
Federal and provincial
The borough is in the following federal riding:
- Jeanne-Le Ber
And in this following provincial electoral district:
- Verdun
via: wikipedia
