Baie-D'Urfé


Baie-D'Urfé 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'Urfé was merged into the city of Montreal on January 1, 2002, joining with neighbouring Beaconsfield to create the borough of Beaconsfield–Baie-D'Urfé. After a change of government and a 2004 referendum, both of them voted to demerge and were reconstituted as independent municipalities on January 1, 2006. However, they remain part of the urban agglomeration of Montreal.

Overview

Baie-D'Urfé is largely a "bedroom community" that extends from Autoroute 40 to Lac Saint-Louis. Primarily residential, it is characterized by large houses on spacious lots. The residential section of the municipality has retained a rural charm, accentuated by its lack of sidewalks and limited commercial activity. It is a favourite spot for boaters, who use the local marinas. The community is within the part of the Island of Montreal locally referred to as the West Island. North of Autoroute 20 and the CN and CP railway lines lies a modest-sized industrial park. The industrial park, covering approximately a third of the town's land area, is somewhat isolated from the rest of the town, features its own off-hours security patrol, and is home to a number of large industrial firms' operations.
Baie-D'Urfé is named after François-Saturnin Lascaris d'Urfé, a French Sulpician priest known as l'Abbé d'Urfé. He was the community's first pastor, who was sent by the Gentlemen of Saint-Sulpice to serve as a missionary for the parish of Saint-Louis-du-Bout-de-l'Île, a small community of settlers, soldiers, traders, and Indians.
The town's active community members participate in many of the town's associated or private clubs, including the Baie-D'Urfé Curling Club. It competes with a few other suburbs for top spot in the rankings of highest average household incomes in Canada. The median income for a household in Baie-D'Urfé was $128,611, and the median income for a family was $194,335. Males had an average income of $112,882, compared to $62,245 for females.
Prior to 2002, the town's name was written as Baie-d'Urfé ; prior to 1960, its name was officially spelled Baie-d'Urfée.

Government

The current mayor of Baie-D'Urfé is Maria Tutino. Her specific portfolio includes agglomeration and intergovernmental relations.
There are six Town Councilors:
  1. Janet Ryan
  2. Wanda Lowensteyn
  3. Lynda Phelps
  4. Heidi Ektvedt
  5. Andrea Gilpin
  6. Kevin Doherty
Baie-D'Urfé is the first town in Canada to have a youth council; this consists of young people aged 10 years and up, and is entitled the Junior Council. It was established in 2008. The town celebrated its centennial in 2011, and the Junior Council re-enacted two of the town's earliest council meetings.

Demographics

LanguagePopulation Percentage Population Percentage Population Percentage
English2,87574%2,68569.83%2,58567.67%
French57515%69017.95%67517.67%
Both English and French1805%701.82%902.36%
Other languages2556%3258.45%3308.64%

Education

The Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys operates French-language public schools. École primaire Joseph-Henrico is located in the city.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board operates English-language public schools. Dorset Elementary School is in the city. A portion is zoned to Christmas Park Elementary School and St. Edmund Elementary School in Beaconsfield.
The Alexander von Humboldt Schule Montréal, a private German international school, is in the town.