More than just concrete runways
by Matthew Brett
Over 11 million people pass through Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport every year, but you can safely bet that very few of them ever think of staying.
That's the nature of airports; they're cold, unpleasant and usually located in the most unattractive part of a city. Like most airport locales, Dorval comes across as a ghost town in the heart of a megacity, but it is very much alive.
Dorval is something of a municipal anomaly. Although it's the largest city on the West Island, more than half of it is uninhabited. A sliver of land off the shore of Dorval has 58 households, but they remain empty throughout the course of winter.
Those 58 households sit on Île Dorval, a privately owned island that can only be accessed by a ferry restricted to residents and their guests. The lilliputian island is a tiny city unto itself, having successfully demerged from Montreal in 2006.
Most of the greater Dorval area's liveliness is compressed on the southern side of Highway 20. The condensed population and the area's historic value are the keys to Dorval's charm. Founded by Sulpician farmers in 1665, the agricultural land quickly became home to the island's elite when the railway was built in 1855.
So if you do decide to stick around, how do you enjoy this underrated area? Cyclists and pedestrians can amble their way along Bord-du-Lac (or the King's Highway, as it used to be called.) Here, roughly 40 heritage sites line the waterfront, from Paul Picard's 19th Century fieldstone house to Maison Charles B. Décary, which was built in 1875 and currently houses high-flying defense lawyer Philip Schneider.
Fifty-eight households sit on Île Dorval,
a privately owned island that can only be accessed by a
ferry restricted to residents and their guests.
Bord-du-Lac is a delightful scenic route. No one is in a rush; visitors are quite happy gazing at yachts as they drift across the glistening St. Lawrence, or stopping to enjoy a patch of shade in one of the dozens of parks that front the river.
In the midst of all this scenery is Dorval Village. Local merchants and artisans make the village ideal for some light window-shopping. For the past ten years, Les Jardins Beaudin has sold flowers and fresh strawberries, raspberries, cucumbers and other seasonal produce in Dorval, and the Beaudin family is a mainstay at the renowned Atwater Market in Montreal.
However, jumping over to the northern side of the highway doesn't immediately put you in No Man's Land. Golf Dorval is a great spot for travelers and locals alike, with 18 holes, a lit driving range, putting greens and a bar.
It's easy to see why the Sulpicians made Dorval their summer retreat; the original authenticity of the area's heritage has been preserved with charming results, and an evening dinner and stroll in the village brings history to life.
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Matthew Brett is a journalist for The Hudson Gazette and Concordia University's student newspaper, The Link.
If you go
Town Hall
Tel: (514) 633-4040
Event Listings
http://dorval.turfs2surf.com
Golf Dorval
Reservations: Call (514) 631-GOLF (4653)
Book 3 days in advance.
The Dorval Museum of Local History and Heritage
Tel: (514) 633-4314
Dorval Historical Society
http://societehistorique.turfs2surf.com
Tel: (514) 633-4000
Restaurant Bellisimo (Italian)
484, Bord-du-Lac
Tel: (514) 631-7074
Restaurant Le Vieux Dorval (Canadian and Chinese)
Tel: (514) 631-5881 |
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