Montreal DistrictsCote-des-Neiges DistrictThe Cote-des-Neiges district and Notre-Dame-de-Grace district are both located West of the Mount-Royal mountain. The two districts have several characteristics in common. They both are multi-ethnic, English is spoken by most of the inhabitants and both are mostly composed of people belonging to the middle-class.
The Cote-des-Neiges district is especially varied ethnically, more so than Notre Dame-de-Grâce. The ethno-cultural diversity of the territory is, in a sense, a reflection of the Montreal of today. Côte-des-Neige is one of the most populated districts of Montreal. Consequently, the territory is marked by important socio-economic and socio-cultural differences and by many different languages. Three metro stations cover the area, Côte des Neiges, Université de Montréal and Côte Sainte Catherine. The neighbourhood is also known as "uptown" by some of its residents. The reason could be (or could not be) that, until the 1940s, a ski hill at the foot of the mountain was used regularly by the Montreal Ski Club.
The territory offers an urban landscape with many differences. In fact, urban territories seldom present so many differences like the Cote-des-Neiges district does. Its current architectural framework was mostly built after the Second World War. Most buildings are low-rise, from 3 to 6 stories. The area is not considered a "high-end" area, so lodgings are generally affordable. As a whole, Côte-des-Neiges offers a more modern architecture than is usually found in Montreal, less elaborate, more basic, more functional and not at all unpleasant to look at and to live in. The industrial space is modest and scattered everywhere on the territory. The commercial space, on the other hand, is very dynamic, especially on streets like Côte-de- Neiges, Victoria, Queen-Mary and Van Horne. The institutional function is very present with famous institutions such as the Oratoire Saint-Joseph, the Jewish Hospital and the Cote-des-Neiges Cemetery Montreal as everybody calls it but its real name is Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery. Because of its proximity with the Collège international Marie de France, the Collège Jean-de-Bréboeuf, the University of Montreal and its two affiliated schools, the École Polytechnique Montréal and HEC Montréal, and because lodgings are generally considered affordable, the district qualifies as a perfect district for students. The well known road and metro station called Côte-Sainte-Catherine has always been the dividing line between the “high” and the “low” Cote-des-Neiges district. The Francophones live in the Centre and in the East and, in the West, lives a population that is mostly Anglophone. The various ethnic restaurants and shops located on the main streets of the district take you to a tour around the world! Their “ethnic” foods and cuisines are there to satisfy all tastes and at prices that defy competition. Restaurants and shops are places where people meet and talk. Paradoxally, on a territory once called "the little French village", English, and no longer French, is the prevailing language in a neighbourhood where 60 nationalities with more than 100 native tongues and dialects now live their everyday life. For a beautiful and well written description of how everyday life is lived in the Cote-des-Neiges district you will most certainly enjoy reading Angela's chronicle entitled "Côte-des-Neiges ou le paradoxe de l’intégration des immigrants au Québec". Angela is from Rwanda, she studied at the Université Laval, and at the University of Montreal, lived two years in Côte des Neiges, moved to Québec city where she, at last, found a job and now lives in Loretteville with her husband and their two children. The Cote-des-Neiges district is located at the bottom of the Mount-Royal mountain. The proximity of the district with nature is something that is highly appreciated by the residents. Accessible by the Remembrance Road, the Mount-Royal Park is one of Montreal's and, of course, of Cote des Neiges most popular sites for outdoors activities. There are many parks in the Cote-des-Neiges district, but Kent Park on Kent, corner of Hudson is kind of special. Chess tables have been installed at the West angle of the Park. Bring your chess-board, your pieces and your stop watch and visit the Ligue d'échecs de Montréal if you'd rather have more information before you go and meet other players. For a complete list of the parks in Cote-des-Neiges - Notre-Dame-de-Grace, you may visit the Liste des parcs on Sherlock, the municipal information data bank. A large percentage of the residents living in the Cote-des-Neiges district are immigrants, a situation that can easily be observed on the public places and in the parks. With inhabitants coming from countries like France, the Philippines, Morocco, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Italy, China, Roumania and United States, the district is an excellent research laboratory on ethnicity. Apart from being multiethnic, the population is highly educated. Women represent more than half of the population of the district. Women from 130 communities share this urban space, but several factors weaken them. Deprived of the community network they had in their own country, the immigrant women have difficulties creating new social bonds in a society that is a lot more individualist than their own. Thank you for visiting Cote-des-Neiges District. Notre Dame de Grace District Web Sites We Like
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