Westmount Summit (french: Sommet de Westmount) is the summit of one of 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 ...
(along with Mount Royal proper and
Outremont
Outremont is an affluent residential borough (''arrondissement'') of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It consists entirely of the former city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec. The neighbourhood is inhabited largely by fran ...
) located in the City of
Westmount,
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
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Part of the geographical summit is located adjacent to the
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 ...
borough of
Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (, ) is a borough (''arrondissement'') of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The borough was created following the 2002 municipal reorganization of Montreal. It comprises two main neighbourhoods, Côte-des-Neiges a ...
.
The summit is approximately above sea-level.
The park occupies approximately of land at the summit, making it the largest park in Westmount.
A lookout is located on its southern face, providing views over Westmount, Montreal, the
south shore and the
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships (french: Cantons de l'Est) is an historical administrative region in southeastern Quebec, Canada. It lies between the St. Lawrence Lowlands and the American border, and extends from Granby in the southwest, to Drummondv ...
.
Saint Joseph's Oratory
Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal (french: Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine located at 3800 Queen Mary Road in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood on Mount Royal's Westmount Summit in ...
is on the northern side, on
Queen Mary Road
Queen Mary Road (officially in french: chemin Queen-Mary) is an east-west road located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Queen Mary Road crosses the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace and the town of Hampstead and is located on the north ...
in
Côte-des-Neiges
Côte-des-Neiges (, ) is a neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at the geographic centre of the Island of Montreal on the western slope of Mount Royal and is part of the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Côt ...
.
Summit woods
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
owned the land on Westmount Summit in the late nineteenth century, which it used for a
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
. In the early twentieth century, McGill donated the land to the City of Westmount on the condition that it become a
bird sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...
. Today, there are about 180 species of bird on Westmount Summit.
There are also many species of wild plant and flowers located in the summit woods.
The summit woods are bordered on all sides by Summit Circle, a notable residential portion of Westmount.
References
{{Mountains of Quebec
Westmount, Quebec
Mount Royal
Parks in Montreal
Bird sanctuaries of Canada
Mountains of Quebec under 1000 metres
Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce