Outremont, Quebec, an affluent residential borough of Montreal, is a unique blend of history, culture, and modernity. This former city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec is home to a diverse population, including a large Francophone community and a Hasidic Jewish community. Since the 1950s, Outremont has been primarily residential, with its major commercial streets being Laurier Avenue, Bernard Avenue, and Van Horne Avenue.
Outremont, a separate city until the 2000 municipal mergers, is located north of downtown Montreal, on the north-western side of Mount Royal. Its name, meaning "beyond the mountain," is fitting as it encompasses Murray Hill, one of the three peaks that make up Mount Royal. The borough is bounded by various neighborhoods, including Mount Royal to the northwest, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension and Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie to the northeast, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal and the Mile End district to the east, Ville-Marie to the south, and Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce to the west. The Mount Royal Cemetery is located in the southeastern tip of the borough.
Originally known as Côte Sainte-Catherine, the area was referred to as "Outre-Mont" by travelers who had to go "through" the mountain to travel north from downtown Montreal. In 1833, Louis-Tancrède Bouthillier built a country residence named Outre-Mont, which still stands today on Rue McDougall. Over time, Outremont became the term used to designate the region.
In 1875, federal representative Louis Beaubien obtained a federal sanction for the village. To meet the minimum residence requirement, Beaubien counted barns and other farm buildings as residences. The town then changed its name from Cote-Sainte-Catherine to Outremont. In 1927, Outremont became the first place in the world to use a snow blower to clear its streets in the winter. Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau was born and raised in Outremont.
Outremont is served by the Outremont and Édouard-Montpetit stations on the Blue Line of the Montreal Metro. Major thoroughfares include Avenue Van Horne and chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, with avenue Bernard and avenue Laurier as the principal shopping and dining areas. The area boasts trendy restaurants, cafés, and shops, and is home to a substantial percentage of expatriates from France. There is also a sizable Hassidic Jewish community, representing about 20% of Outremont's population. Among the attractions in the mainly residential community are the Mount Royal Cemetery, the Salle Claude-Champagne, the Théâtre Outremont, the Saint-Grégoire-l'Illuminateur Armenian Cathedral, and part of the Université de Montréal campus. Outremont also has a rail yard along its northern border, which has been purchased by the Université de Montréal for development.
The demographics of Outremont, Quebec, are diverse, with a mix of languages spoken at home and a variety of mother tongues. The borough is twinned as a sister city with Oakwood, Ohio, and Le Vésinet, France, further emphasizing its international connections.
