Borough Profile
Situated in the southwest portion of the island of Montréal, Verdun is spread out over an area of 9.8 km². To the north, the borough is bordered by Highway 15, to the west, by the Canal de l'Aqueduc, to the south by neighbouring borough LaSalle and to the east, by the Fleuve Saint-Laurent. The omnipresent river, with its magnificent banks extending for several kilometres throughout the borough, is Verdun ’s most magnificent natural resource.
The borough of Verdun is privileged when it comes to urban transportation. Citizens have access to four subway stations, with three of them on the territory. In addition, commuters have a remarkable bus network at their disposal, taking them directly downtown Montréal in only a few minutes.
The borough had 66,078 residents in 20061. Verdun ’s English-speaking population is in decline, while the proportion of immigrants (estimated at 14 per cent in 2001) is rising.
Verdun is a socially heterogeneous borough. It contains not only high-income households, but individuals living below the poverty line. The number of single residents is about equal to that living in families.
Tax Base
Verdun ranks among Montréal’s top three boroughs for the growth of its tax base. This base is rising by an annual average of $100 million, largely due to construction projects on L’Île-des-Soeurs neighbourhood.
Quality of Life
Verdun is highly skilled in mobilizing local stakeholders to help improve the community’s quality of life. Local development efforts have proved to be solidly successful and are cited as a model in this field, not only in Québec, but throughout the entire world. Under the same heading, the existence of various issue tables on different sectors of activity make it easy for Verdun residents to rally around common causes and take action in support of full social integration. The presence of prestigious organizations and specialized institutions, such as the Canadian Red Cross, the École de cirque de Verdun, the Yellow Pages Group, the Douglas Hospital, and the Multi-Prêts, mortgage brokerage firm, help give the borough’s an international impact.
Urban Infrastructure
The borough stands out for its sustained efforts in developing expertise in the field of urban infrastructure. In 2004, Verdun scored a Canadian first by deploying a high-tech environmental wastewater control system. The proximity of Montréal’s business centre, the city’s excellent public transit service and high-quality housing all serve to promote the borough’s role as a residential community.
Quality Services
A wide range of quality cultural services are available to all borough residents. The administration supports organizations that sponsor recreational activities and intends to pursue its efforts to enhance the availability of sports and recreational equipment for teens.
With the Environment in Mind
Verdun ’s policies and activities highlight the borough’s strong interest in preserving the environment. Planning in this field, which has been performed in conjunction with environmental specialists, is aimed at ensuring the harmonious development of flora and fauna. The borough stands out in this area for its mosaicultures, which won the Grand Prize of Honour in the Mosaiculture International Montréal 2003 inter‑borough competition.
1 Source : Census 2006 - Statistics Canada.
2 comments:
Fastest growing tax base ? I guess that guarantees better facilities for the residents (or it should) I would think.
HF&RV
Wow, that is an impressive summary of which I was hardly aware. A diversity of "High Income" and also those whom live below the poverty line. All within less than 10 km². Who'd have thought?
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