Community snapshot: St-Michel
The community of St-Michel is one of three neighbourhoods that make up the Villeray—Saint-Michel—ParcExtension borough. St-Michel was once an independent village before it was annexed to Montreal in 1968. With a large immigrant population, the community is known largely for its diversity. In fact, 52 per cent of people in St-Michel claim to have a mother tongue other than French.
“We have Italians, Moroccans, Haitians and Latinos all working together to make it a better place,” said Anie Samson, borough mayor. “Everybody wants to help. The level of community involvement is very high here.”
About 60 different ethnic origins can be found in St-Michel. Moreover, 45 per cent of its population is made up of immigrants, compared to the Montreal average of 30 per cent.
“We find a way to work with all the citizens from different communities and, together with stakeholders like the police, we’re working hard to help people and make this place a comfortable home for everyone,” Samson said. “We’ve opened gyms and tried to find solutions to raise morale and respond to everyone’s needs.”
The efforts seem to be paying off. Not only is the neighbour-
“We find a way to work with all the citizens from different communities and ... we’re working hard to
... make this place a comfortable home for
everyone.”
Anie Samson
hood evolving, it’s also attracting international attention.
“Every month or so we actually receive requests from France because they want us to teach them how we’re able to work together with so many different community groups to effect positive change,” Samson said. “It’s lovely to get these requests; it helps to vindicate our work, in a way.”
A large number of families in St-Michel have children; in fact, 71 per cent of the community’s residents comprise families with kids. As a result, a bulk of services in the borough caters to this demographic.
“We’re going to look at building more community centres in the near future,” Samson said. “We have a new gym already but we need cultural centres, too, to host many events and activities.”
Improving infrastructure is going to be a big priority as well.
“We’re going to be looking at providing easier access to and from the community, and getting around within the borough as well,” she added.
While there have been several positive changes in recent years in St-Michel, the neighbourhood also has its challenges.
“It’s a wonderful place to live, but in terms of income it’s one of the poorest places in Canada,” Anie Samson said. Forty per cent of families are single-parent homes and 37 per cent of folks don’t have high-school degrees.
“But people are very proud to live here and we’ve worked hard to dispel any negative notions of the community,” Samson said. “This is a village where people of all backgrounds work together to improve constantly and take care of one another.”
In terms of housing, St-Michel is a mix of owners and renters. There isn’t an abundance of new condo developments compared to other parts of the island, but there are a few.
A project built in 2011 on 13th Ave., for instance, features units for sale, including a 4½ for $239,000. In addition, a two-bedroom condo in a 2008 development on 9th Ave. is selling for $195,000.
“There are also a few places that we’re working on around StMichel and Pie IX Blvds. to add more mixed-use developments,” Samson said.
Something unique to StMichel is the fact that the headquarters of Cirque du Soleil is located in the community.
“Cirque is very involved with citizens here, especially during the holidays and at the beginning of the school year,” Samson said.
St-Michel is also home to the Canadian offices of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
“They’re the ones who make the K-Cups,” Samson said. “They employ a lot of people in the community and they do a lot of good here.
“People live and work together side by side; it’s just one of the many things that makes StMichel so unique.”