West Island

Understand

thumb|Eglise Sainte-Genevieve, in the former village of Sainte-Geneviève Despite the name, the "West Island" isn't its own island. It is an informal name for the western tip of the island of Montreal. Two other islands (Île-Bizard and Île-Perrot), on the West shore of Montreal, are often considered part of the West Island. The Montreal suburbs of Lachine and Lasalle are usually not considered part of the West Island, although they are also mainly residential and anglophone.

The West Island encompasses the following suburbs of Montreal (some are boroughs of the city of Montreal; others are separate municipalities): 250px|thumb|Baie-D'Urfé Town Hall Dorval (city) Pointe-Claire (city) Kirkland (town) Beaconsfield (city) Baie d'Urfé (town) Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue (town) Senneville (village) Dollard-des-Ormeaux (city) Pierrefonds-Roxboro (borough) L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève (borough)

See

While the West Island is mostly a collection of residential suburbs, it is also home to a number of large parks and green spaces. For those interested in Montreal's history and architecture, the West Island also has many older buildings with some dating back to the 18th century.

Do

200px | thumb | Walking trail at Cap-Saint-Jacques Nature Park Jet-boat down the Lachine Rapids. Play golf at one of the many country clubs and golf courses in the West Island or on Île-Bizard. The standout is Royal Montreal GC on Île-Bizard: this hosts the President's Cup 24-29 Sept 2024, pitting the US against a non-European international team.

Buy

The shopping in the West Island is utilitarian and functional, but not particularly interesting; all the necessities are accessible, but the experience is somewhat generic.

The outlet retail shops near Colisée Kirkland.

Eat

Montreal's three best-known specialties are available on the West Island.

Smoked meat sandwiches are available at delis, such as the Chenoy's on Boulevard Saint-Jean, the deli in Fairview shopping centre, or Smoked Meat Pete's in Pincourt ("can't beat Pete's meat"). Bagels are available from Real Bagel (Rue Saint-Jean), Bagel Ouest (Boulevard des Sources), and St-Viateur Bagel (821 Rue Tecumseh). Poutine is available in most non-chain fast food restaurants, such as Lafleur's on Boulevard des Sources.

An entire range of restaurants, from fast food chains to expensive sit-downs, are to be found on Rue Saint-Jean in Pointe-Claire and Boulevard des Sources in Dollard-des-Ormeaux. Most restaurants are family-style and many of them tend to go out of business quickly.

More difficult to access, but generally better, restaurants with nice views are to be found on Lakeshore Road, along the edge of the St. Lawrence River. Several "villages" (i.e. historic districts) are along this road, where bakeries, sit-down restaurants, and the occasional bar are concentrated. Pointe-Claire Village and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Village are two examples of this. Also, a few more midrange/upscale restaurants have opened in other areas of the West Island, responding to the population shifts in the area. An example is Autoroute 40 West (Trans-Canada at Boulevard des Sources), which offers downtown-style fine dining in a West Island location.

Drink

The West Island is predominantly suburban and residential, so the nightlife and drinking culture is subdued compared to Montreal.

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Street in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue (aka "Saint Anne's"), with its proximity to McGill's MacDonald Campus and John Abbott College, is the closest thing to a lively drinking area in the West Island with a limited number of bars.

A small number of cafes and bars can be found in the other main commercial areas of the West Island (such as Boulevard Saint-Jean, Boulevard des Sources, Pointe-Claire Village). A couple of new places have opened up, notably a McKibbin's Irish Pub in Pointe-Claire. There's also the old standby of Bourbon Street West on Boulevard des Sources, which has live music quite often and attracts a bit of an older crowd.

West Island nightspots tend to be more crowded in the wintertime, when going all the way downtown feels like too much of a hassle to go for just a beer. Like those in Montreal, West Island bars serve predominantly Quebec and Canadian beers from producers such as Molson, Labatt, and Unibroue, with a limited selection of American and other imported beers.

Sleep

Hotels and inns are close to Fairview Pointe-Claire shopping mall and Dorval (Pierre Elliott Trudeau) Airport. The hotels in Dorval and along Côte-de-Liesse tend to be more generic airport hotels, such as Sheraton Four Points, Holiday Inn, Travelodge, EconoTravel, etc. Since the West Island is mostly suburban and residential, there aren't many options beyond that. Boutique hotels, hostels, and places with character can be found mostly in the more touristy downtown area.

Go next

With downtown Montreal only a short commute to the east, it is the destination of choice for most people wanting to get out of the West Island. If one has access to a car, there are also some other interesting, albeit quiet, destinations to the west of the West Island:

Visit a Cabane à Sucre (maple farm) in Rigaud in the spring for some fresh maple syrup—there are two primary ones: Auberge de Gallant and Sucrerie de la Montagne. Also in Rigaud is Mont Rigaud, an unchallenging ski hill in the winter. In the summer, there are walking trails, as well as outdoor Catholic religious services at the Sanctuaire de Lourdes. In October, the leaves changing colour on the mountain can make for impressive scenery. Near Rigaud is Hudson, a leafy lakeside scenic town with many quaint arts-and-crafts shops. A ferry from Hudson takes you across the Lake of Two Mountains to the village of Oka, featuring a cheese-making monastery, a large water park, and the Kanesatake Mohawk Reserve (the site of a standoff in Canadian history known as the "Oka Crisis"). Canada's capital of Ottawa is about a 90-min drive from the West Island. Some Eastern Ontario towns have an English colonial flavour, such as Maxville (1-hr drive from the West Island), Kingston (3 hr), and Perth (2.5 hr).