West Island

The West Island (in English: West Island) refers to the territory encompassed by the municipalities on the Island of Montreal and the boroughs of the City of Montreal located on the west side of the island. The name likely originates from a geolinguistic division between Francophones and Anglophones, with Francophones typically living in the east and Anglophones in the west. Although most are now bilingual, Anglophones still constitute a relative majority of the West Island's population. However, the term "West Island" is becoming the official term.

Generally speaking, the West Island includes the cities of Baie-D'Urfé, Beaconsfield, Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Dorval, L'Île-Dorval, Kirkland, Pointe-Claire, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, the village of Senneville, and the two Montreal boroughs of L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève and Pierrefonds-Roxboro. By extension, the boroughs of Lachine, LaSalle, and Saint-Laurent are sometimes included as part of the West Island. However, the area does not have official territorial boundaries or an official administrative structure and is distinguished more by sociological characteristics, such as household income, the language spoken at home, the urban planning of neighbourhoods and built spaces, and the sharing of public services and common areas. However, the territory of certain public bodies, such as those related to education and health, may have boundaries that closely resemble the generally recognized limits of the West Island.

The West Island has a cosmopolitan character with its modern buildings and terraced houses. The region offers large green spaces along rivers and lakes, cycling paths, nature parks, museums, cross-country ski trails, organic farms, golf courses, and cultural venues. Buildings dating back to the 18th century bear witness to its 300-year history. The shores of Lake Saint-Louis offer sidewalk cafes, restaurants, and boutiques reminiscent of European charm.

It is home to Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (formerly Dorval Airport), John Abbott College, McGill University's Macdonald Campus, Cégep Gérald-Godin, the Fairview Pointe-Claire and Galeries des Sources (formerly West Island Mall) shopping centres, as well as Montreal's largest park, Cap-Saint-Jacques Nature Park.

Typical West Island street located in Dorval

For cyclists interested in history and architecture, the West Island Heritage Society has designed a 70-kilometre route along Lake Saint-Louis, the Ottawa River, and the Rivière des Prairies. The West Island Heritage Cycling Route begins at Millennium Park in Dorval. It is an extension of the Lachine Canal bike path. Educational services in the West Island are provided by the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Service Centre for French-language education and by the Lester-B.-Pearson School Service Centre for English-language education.