The Island of Montreal (french: Île de Montréal) is a large island in southwestern
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada, that is the site of a number of municipalities including most of the city of
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
and is the most populous island in Canada. It is the main island of the
Hochelaga Archipelago
The Hochelaga Archipelago (), also known as the Montreal Islands, is a group of islands at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa rivers in the southwestern part of the province of Quebec, Canada.
Population
On 1 July 2021, the Ho ...
at the confluence of the
Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. "Laurel wreath, laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the Persecution of Christians, perse ...
and
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
rivers.
Name
![Samuel de Champlain Carte geographique de la Nouvelle France](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Samuel_de_Champlain_Carte_geographique_de_la_Nouvelle_France.jpg)
The first French name for the island was ''l'ille de Vilmenon'', noted by
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fre ...
in a 1616 map, and derived from the
sieur
Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...
de Vilmenon, a patron of the founders of Quebec at the court of
Louis XIII
Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...
. However, by 1632 Champlain referred to the ''Isle de Mont-real'' in another map. The island derived its name from Mount Royal (
French ''Mont Royal'', then pronounced ), and gradually spread its name to the town, which had originally been called Ville-Marie.
In
Kanien’kéha, the island is called Tiohtià :ke tsi ionhwéntsare ('broken in two', referring to the
Lachine Rapids
The Lachine Rapids (french: Rapides de Lachine) are a series of rapids on the Saint Lawrence River, between the Island of Montreal and the south shore. They are located near the former city of Lachine.
The Lachine Rapids contain large standing ...
to the island's southwest) or Otsirà :ke (meaning 'on the fire'). In
Anishninaabemowin, the land is called Mooniyaang, named for the
first stop in the great
Anishinaabe
The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawatomi, ...
migration from
Dawnland (the
Maritimes
The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of Ca ...
) to the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
.
Physical geography
The island is approximately 50 km (30 miles) long and 16 km (10 miles) wide at its widest point, and has a shoreline of 266 km (165 miles). It is the second largest island in the
Saint Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connectin ...
, after
Anticosti Island
; moe, Notiskuan; mic, Natigostec
, sobriquet =
, image_name = RiviereHuileAnticosti.jpg
, image_caption = Salmon fisherman on Rivière à l'Huile
, image_map ...
in the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, image = Baie de la Tour.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec
, image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg
, alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...
. The Island of Montreal is the largest island in the
Hochelaga Archipelago
The Hochelaga Archipelago (), also known as the Montreal Islands, is a group of islands at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa rivers in the southwestern part of the province of Quebec, Canada.
Population
On 1 July 2021, the Ho ...
, which is formed by the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers.
![Île de Montréal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/%C3%8Ele_de_Montr%C3%A9al.png)
Near the Ottawa shore at the western end of island, the Ottawa River widens into
Lac des Deux-Montagnes
Lake of Two Mountains (French: ''Lac des Deux Montagnes'') is part of the river delta widening of the Ottawa River in Quebec, Canada, at its confluence with the St. Lawrence River.
Lake of Two Mountains has four outflows: Rivière des Mille Île ...
. A natural watercourse there, between the island and
ÃŽle Perrot
ÃŽle Perrot () is an island west of the island of Montreal in the Canadian province of Quebec. Part of the Hochelaga Archipelago, the island lies between Lake Saint-Louis and Lac des Deux-Montagnes. The island was granted by the Intendant Talon ...
, has been improved by the island's
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal
The Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal is a canal and set of Lock (water transport), locks linking Lake Saint-Louis and Lake of Two Mountains at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, the very westernmost point of Island of Montreal ...
. These waterways, connecting Lac des Deux-Montagnes with
Lake Saint-Louis
Lake Saint-Louis is a lake in southwestern Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. The Saint Lawrence Seaway passes through the lake.
Lake St. Louis is a widening of the St. Lawrence River in the Hochelaga Arch ...
, constitute one of the places where the Ottawa flows into the St. Lawrence.
North of the island's western end, Lac des Deux-Montagnes flows into
Rivière des Prairies
The Rivière des Prairies (; ), called the Back River in English, is a delta channel of the Ottawa River in southwestern Quebec, Canada. The Kanien'kehá:ka called it ''Skowanoti'', meaning "River behind the island". The river separates the citi ...
, still part of the Ottawa. The Prairies separates the island from the other major part of the Hochelaga Archipelago including
ÃŽle Bizard
ÃŽle Bizard is an island near the Island of Montreal in the Hochelaga Archipelago region.
History
Historically named ÃŽle Bonaventure, by 1723 it had come to be named ÃŽle Bizard, after Jacques Bizard, to whom it was conceded as a fief in 1678, ...
and
Île Jésus
Île Jésus (, ''Jesus Island'') is a river island in southwestern Quebec, separated from the mainland to the north by the Rivière des Mille Îles, and from the Island of Montreal to the south by the Rivière des Prairies. It is the second-larg ...
. After coursing about 55km (35 miles), the Prairie, at the northeastern tip of the island, joins the St. Lawrence.
The St. Lawrence coast of the island faces a variable waterway. In the southwest, the St. Lawrence River widens into Lake Saint-Louis as it approaches the island. Around a southern point near the center of the island, the St. Lawrence narrows into the
Lachine Rapids
The Lachine Rapids (french: Rapides de Lachine) are a series of rapids on the Saint Lawrence River, between the Island of Montreal and the south shore. They are located near the former city of Lachine.
The Lachine Rapids contain large standing ...
, then widens into the
Bassin de La Prairie past that southern point, and narrows again at the Montreal neighborhood of Cite Du Havre before flowing towards
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
and the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. The
Lachine Canal
The Lachine Canal ( in French (language), French) is a canal passing through the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running 14.5 kilometres (9 miles) from the Old Port of Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis, through the boroug ...
on the island bypasses this complex part of the river. Neighboring islands in the St. Lawrence include
Saint Helen's Island
Saint Helen's Island (french: Île Sainte-Hélène) is an island in the Saint Lawrence River, in the territory of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It forms part of the Hochelaga Archipelago. It is situated immediately offshore from Old Mont ...
,
Notre Dame Island
Notre Dame Island (french: ÃŽle Notre-Dame) is an artificial island in the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is immediately to the east of Saint Helen's Island and west of the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the city of Saint-Lambert ...
, and
Nuns' Island
Nuns' Island (officially ÃŽle des SÅ“urs; ) is an island located in the Saint Lawrence River that forms a part of the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is part of the borough of Verdun.
History
Originally called ÃŽle Saint-Paul in honour of the f ...
.
![Plan_de_partie_de_l_isle_de_Monreal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Plan_de_partie_de_l_isle_de_Monreal.jpg)
The
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
of the island has been significantly altered by human activity, as evidenced by historical maps that name a lake St. Pierre in the island. This lake, and several other watercourses, have been drained or covered over as the city developed, while areas on the island's shores have been
reclaimed
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new Terrestrial ecoregion, land from oceans, list of seas, seas, Stream bed, riverbeds or lak ...
and extended. The southwest of the island is separated by the
Lachine Canal
The Lachine Canal ( in French (language), French) is a canal passing through the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running 14.5 kilometres (9 miles) from the Old Port of Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis, through the boroug ...
between
Lachine and Montreal's
Old Port; this portion of the island is partially divided further by the Canal de l'Aqueduc, running roughly parallel to the Lachine Canal, beginning in the borough of
LaSalle and continuing between the boroughs of
Le Sud-Ouest
Le Sud-Ouest ( en, "the southwest") is a borough (''arrondissement'') of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Geography
Le Sud-Ouest is an amalgam of several neighbourhoods with highly distinct histories and identities, mainly with working-cla ...
and
Verdun
Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...
.
Most of the bedrock of the island consists of
Chazy limestone, with some
Utica shale
The Utica Shale is a stratigraphical unit of Upper Ordovician age in the Appalachian Basin. It
underlies much of the northeastern United States and adjacent parts of Canada.
It takes the name from the city of Utica, New York, as it was first de ...
. At the centre of the island stand the three peaks of
Mount Royal
Mount Royal (french: link=no, Mont Royal, ) is a large intrusive rock hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The best-known hypothesis for the origin of the name Montreal is the hi ...
, a
volcanic intrusion (not an
extinct volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
, contrary to popular belief). This short mountain (elevation 233 metres, 765') is a member of, and gives its name to, the
Monteregian Hills
The Monteregian Hills (french: Collines Montérégiennes) is a linear chain of isolated hills in Montreal and Montérégie, between the Laurentians and the Appalachians.
Etymology
The first definition of the Monteregian Hills came about in 190 ...
.
Human geography
The island of Montreal is the major component of the territory of the city of
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, along with ÃŽle Bizard, Saint Helen's Island, Notre Dame Island, Nuns' Island, and some 69 smaller islands. With a population of 2,014,221 inhabitants (22% of the population of
Québec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
), it is
by far the most populous island in Canada. It is also the
6th most populous island of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
and the 37th most populated island on Earth. In addition, it is the world's most populous island surrounded by fresh water. Montreal and the other municipalities on the island compose the
administrative region
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of
Montréal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...
. The area of the
Urban agglomeration of Montreal
Montreal is one of the administrative regions of the Canadian province of Quebec. It is also a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) and a census division (CD), for both of which its geographical code is 66. Prior to the me ...
, which includes the Island of Montreal and several other smaller islands, is 499 km
2 (193 sq. mi.).
The
crossings which connect the island to its surroundings are some of the busiest bridges in the country and the world. The
Champlain Bridge and the
Jacques Cartier Bridge
The Jacques Cartier Bridge (french: pont Jacques-Cartier) is a steel truss cantilever bridge crossing the Saint Lawrence River from Montreal Island, Montreal, Quebec, to the south shore at Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. The bridge crosses Saint Hel ...
together accommodate 101 million vehicle crossings a year.
Jacques Cartier Bridge: 43 million
Champlain Bridge: 58 million
Municipalities
*Baie-d'Urfé
Baie-D'Urfé (; previously Baie d'Urfé or Baie d'Urfee) is an on-island suburb of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is part of the West Island area of the Island of Montreal.
As part of the 2002–2006 municipal reorganization of Montreal, Baie-D'Ur ...
*Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, west-northwest of central London and south-southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High W ...
* Côte-Saint-Luc
*Dollard-des-Ormeaux
Dollard-des-Ormeaux (; commonly referred to as D.D.O. or simply Dollard) is a predominantly English-speaking suburb of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the Island of Montreal. The town was named after French martyr Adam ...
*Dorval
Dorval () is an on-island suburban city on the island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. In 2016, the Canadian Census indicated that the population increased by 4.2% to 18,980. Although the city has the largest surface area in Montré ...
*Dorval Island
Dorval () is an on-island suburban city on the island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. In 2016, the Canadian Census indicated that the population increased by 4.2% to 18,980. Although the city has the largest surface area in Montrà ...
*Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...
* Kirkland
*Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
* Montréal-Est
* Montréal-Ouest
*Mount Royal
Mount Royal (french: link=no, Mont Royal, ) is a large intrusive rock hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The best-known hypothesis for the origin of the name Montreal is the hi ...
*Pointe-Claire
Pointe-Claire (, ) is a Quebec local municipality within the Urban agglomeration of Montreal on the Island of Montreal in Canada. It is entirely developed, and land use includes residential, light manufacturing, and retail. As of the 2021 ce ...
*Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue () is an on-island suburb located at the western tip of the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is the second oldest community in Montreal's West Island, having been founded as a parish in 1703. The old ...
* Senneville
* Westmount
Demographics
See also
* List of islands of Quebec
This is an incomplete list of islands of Canada.
Arctic islands
Queen Elizabeth Islands
* Adams Island
*Alexander Island
* Baillie-Hamilton Island
* Bathurst Island
*Borden Island
*Brock Island
*Buckingham Island
*Byam Martin Island
*Cameron Is ...
* List of rivers and water bodies of Montreal Island
The rivers and water bodies of Montreal are few and mostly artificial. Hydrography of the island of Montreal remained intact until approximately XIXth where Montreal will undergo major urban works including the construction of Lachine Canal and th ...
Note
References
Further reading
* Adams, Frank D., and O. E. LeRoy. ''The Artesian and Other Deep Wells on the Island of Montreal''. Montreal: .n. 1906.
* Bosworth, Newton. ''Hochelaga Depicta The Early History and Present State of the City and Island of Montreal''. Toronto: Coles Pub. Co, 1974. (Table of Contents)
/small>
* Fisher, John. ''Memorial in Support of the Petition of the Inhabitants and Proprietors of the City and Island of Montreal Praying That the Ecclesiastics of St. Sulpice May Not Be Constituted a Body Corporate and Ecclesiastical, and Their Title Confirmed to Certain Valuable Seigniories and Estates''. Montreal?: s.n, 1840.
* Mackay, Murdo. ''The Language Problem and School Board Reform on the Island of Montreal''. Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1988.
* Parks Canada. ''Montréal, a City Steeped in History Guide to Nationality Significant Places, Persons and Events on the Island of Montréal''. Québec: Parks Canada, 2004.
* Russell, Ken. ''Metropolitan Government on the Island of Montreal''. Toronto: Osgoode Hall Law School, 1972.
* Sancton, Andrew. ''Governing the Island of Montreal Language Differences and Metropolitan Politics''. Lane studies in regional government. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.
* Savoie, Josée. ''Neighbourhood Characteristics and the Distribution of Crime on the Island of Montréal''. Crime and justice research paper series, no. 007. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2006.
* Stansfield, John. ''The Pleistocene and Recent Deposits of the Island of Montreal''. Ottawa: Government Printing Bureau, 1915.
External links
Municipalities of Montreal Island - City of Montreal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montreal
Hochelaga Archipelago
River islands of Quebec
Landforms of Montreal