Kirkland is an on-island suburb on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is named after Charles-Aimé Kirkland, a Quebec provincial politician. It was incorporated as a town in 1961.

Kirkland is primarily a residential community, with a commercial core, and an industrial park straddling the Trans-Canada Highway (Autoroute 40). In 1997, that portion of the Autoroute 40 was renamed to Félix-Leclerc Highway. The city is composed of mainly single-family residences, with some multi-unit facilities (apartments, town houses, and condos) available.

History

thumb|left|Jean-Baptiste-Jamme-Dit-Carrière House, built in 1760 along Boulevard Saint-Charles

In the early 18th century settlement began of farming communities along Côte Saint-Charles (now Boulevard Saint-Charles). By 1731, Côte Saint-Charles had 19 farms, 12 houses, and 17 barns. It was part of the Parish of Saint-Joachim de la Pointe Claire, which included the present territory of the cities of Beaconsfield, Kirkland, and Pointe-Claire. The construction of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1855 brought further development.

In 1845, the Municipality of Pointe-Claire was created, abolished two years later and restored in 1855 as the Parish Municipality of Saint-Joachim-de-la-Pointe-Claire (or just Pointe-Claire). since 2005-11-02.

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kirkland had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

|+Home Language (2021)

! Language

! Population

! Percentage (%)

|-

| English

| 11,535

| 60%

|-

| French

| 2,630

| 14%

|-

| Other

| 3,595

| 19%

|-

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|-

|+Mother Tongue (2021)

Special events

Kirkland Day, which takes place mid-June, is a big outdoor annual festival celebrating the inauguration of the Town of Kirkland on March 24, 1961. The first Kirkland Day was held on June 20, 1970, at the dedication of Kirkland Park. Since then, Kirkland residents come out in great numbers every year to celebrate the town together.

Other events within the town include:

  • Winter Carnival
  • Kirkland Day
  • Mini Olympics
  • Kirkland Food Drive
  • Christmas Events

Sports

Parks, green space and sport facilities

Kirkland Sports Complex has an indoor gymnasium that offers badminton, basketball, floor hockey, volleyball and other indoor sport activities, as well as an arena for hockey, ringette, free or figure skating.

Around the town there are multiple outdoor centres for soccer, baseball, tennis, football, basketball, beach volleyball and ice rinks as well as a bike trail. There are three splash pads, at Harris Park, Héritage Park, and Meades Park. Notably, Meades Park includes a universal playground, making it accessible to children with disabilities. There is also a community pool offered in this town, which is at Ecclestone Park.

The Town of Kirkland has many halls and park chalets, which citizens, associations and organizations can rent out for different occasions or activities (banquets, meetings, parties, exhibits, shows, etc.):

  • Sports Complex
  • Ecclestone Chalet
  • Holleuffer Chalet
  • Kirkland Chalet
  • Lantier House
  • Conference room (Kirkland Public Library)
  • Dés Bénévoles Chalet
  • Meades Park (on the same grounds as the sports complex)
  • Canvin Park
  • Kirkland Park
  • Robbie-Loftus Park
  • Park du Chablis
  • Park Syrah
  • Park Moreau
  • Park Fewtrell
  • Park Dance
  • Park Letarte

Government

thumb|right|Kirkland Town Hall

The territory of the Town of Kirkland is divided into eight electoral districts. Each district is represented by a councillor elected by the voters of that district. The mayor is elected by all voters and represents the entire territory.

It is a full-service community, with a public works department, recreation department, engineering department, accounting, communications, human resources and administrative services operating for the welfare of its citizens.

The present mayor is now Michel Gibson, who has been a member of the Kirkland City Council since the mid-1970s.

  1. Michael Brown (District 1 - Timberlea)
  2. Luciano Piciacchia (District 2 - Holleuffer)
  3. Samuel Rother (District 3 - Brunswick)
  4. Domenico Zito (District 4 - Lacey Green West)
  5. Stephen Bouchard (District 5 - Lacey Green East)
  6. John Morson (District 6 - Canvin)
  7. Paul Dufort (District 7 - St. Charles)
  8. Karen Cliffe (District 8 - Summerhill)

Former mayors

List of former mayors:

  • Jean-Baptiste Théoret (1845–1847)
  • Francois Valois (1855–1858, 1864–1868)
  • Gabriël Valois (1858–1860, 1869–71, 1881–1887)
  • Pierre Charles Valois (1860–1864)
  • Leon Legault (1864, 1872–1881)
  • Joste Legaut (1887–1895)
  • Jean Bte Valérie Quesnel (1896–1909)
  • Gédéon Legault (1910–1914)
  • Daniel Arthur Legault (1915–1918)
  • Joseph Dosithée Legault (1919–1925)
  • Ernest Brunet (1925–1927)
  • Joseph Anthime Legault (1927–1931)
  • Ovila Brunet (1931–1939)
  • Joseph Glaude Zetique Asénor Legault (1939–1941)
  • Aimé Legault (1941–1945)
  • Edmé Brunet (1945–1953)
  • André Brunet (1953–1957, 1965–1968)
  • W. Wallace Horne (1957–1958)
  • James A. Smiley (1958, 1968–1975)
  • Marcel Meloche (1958–1965)
  • Samuel L. Elkas (1975–1989)
  • John William Meaney (1989, 1994–2002, 2006–2013)
  • Nunzio "Nick" Discepola (1989–1993)
  • Michel Gibson (1993–1994, 2013–present)
  • Brian MacDonald (1994)

Education

The operates Francophone public schools, but were previously operated by the until June 15, 2020.

Previously school districts were on religious grounds, but a law passed by the Quebec parliament changed the school board system from denominational to linguistic.

Professional development centres:

Primary schools:

The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) operates anglophone public schools in the area.

Primary schools:

  • Margaret Manson Elementary School
  • Some areas are served by Sherbrooke Academy (junior and senior campuses) and Beacon Hill Elementary School in Beaconsfield, Clearpoint Elementary School in Pointe-Claire, and Kingsdale Academy in Pierrefonds-Roxboro

Private preschool, primary and high school:

  • Kuper Academy

The Federation of Private Schools, FEEP () operates bilingual (French/English) private schools in the area:

Preschool, kindergarten, primary school and high school:

Notable people

  • Nick Discepola, former mayor, former Member of Parliament for Vaudreuil-Soulanges
  • Tanith Belbin, Canadian-American ice dancer
  • Joseph Veleno, hockey player
  • Louis Leblanc, hockey player
  • Randy McKay, hockey player
  • Brandon Reid, hockey player
  • Sergio Momesso, hockey player
  • Marc Denis, radio personality
  • Charles Daudelin, artist, pioneer in integrating art in public
  • Michael Regina, co-founder of TheOneRing.net
  • James Pantemis, Canadian soccer goalkeeper

See also

  • List of anglophone communities in Quebec
  • List of former boroughs
  • 2002–2006 municipal reorganization of Montreal
  • 2000–2006 municipal reorganization in Quebec

References