COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT
A look at West Island’s Baie-d’Urfé
With huge residential lots, kilometres of waterfront land and beautiful homes and cottages, the West Island town of Baie-d’Urfé offers residents a unique country-like community.
Home to 4,000 residents, its tree-lined streets, many parks and green spaces, and both English and French schools make it an ideal place for families to reside.
“This town is a family-oriented community and it has always held that philosophy as part of its identity,” said Mayor Maria Tutino. “That’s why many of our residents have actually been here for generations. People move here and quickly become a part of the fabric of our community, which is rich with active citizens and an army of volunteers all working to make Baie-d’Urfé a beautiful place to live.”
Following her re-election for a fourth term in the city-wide elections on Nov. 5, Tutino and her team are looking forward to the year ahead, and the continued prosperity of their community.
“There are many exciting projects in the works for our town and many more are being planned over the next few years that will continue to draw attention to Baie-d’Urfé as a destination place to live in and invest in,” Tutino said.
“Town-wide LED lighting, sound protection along Highway 20, increased access to recreational facilities and to the waterfront, and major investment in town infrastructure such as drainage, paving and buildings, and special programs for our youth and senior populations are just some of the things we’re looking forward to.”
The town has established funds to pay for these and other projects important to its citizenry, all while maintaining its reputation now 12 years in a row as the municipality with the lowest tax rates on the island of Montreal, she added.
“Baie-d’Urfé is also fortunate to have a station in the vicinity of our industrial sector for the new REM light-rail train system that’s expected to be in place in the 2020 time frame,” Tutino said. “Having access to a 20-hours-a-day, sevendays-a-week public transportation service will be a game-changer for the company owners and the approximately 4,500 employees who work in our industrial sector.”
In addition to these new features in store for the town, Tutino said she’s also thrilled to see a small shift in its demographic.
“Over the past couple of years, we’re seeing the return of our youth back to Baie-D’Urfé as they enter the next stage of their lives,” she said, “continuing the tradition of Baie-D’Urfé as a multi-generational family destination.”
With a huge range of recreational activities, facilities, and services, Baie-d’Urfé’s appeal to young families is a no-brainer.
From its boating, aquatic, and curling clubs, to its gardening program, rescue squad, and Citizens’ Association, the community truly has something for everyone. Community volunteers regularly combine their efforts with those of town officials to help deliver many of these programs and services, and are also integral in its public library and security patrol.
“We’re very proud of how involved our citizens are,” Tutino said. “Not only do people take part in and enjoy all the town has to offer, but often their volunteering is what makes our programs possible.”
In addition to its regularly offered services, which provide activities for every member of the family from kids to seniors, Baied’Urfé also has several annual festivals that residents look forward to each year. The Baie-d’Urfé Day Festival is the crowning jewel of these events, but there are also summer concerts, a winter festival, and more.
While the lifestyle offered in its residential sector is what Baied’Urfé is best known for, the town also has a healthy economic centre thanks to its industrial park.
“Baie-d’Urfé has a notable industrial park covering approximately a third of the land area,” said Sarah Thacker, real-estate broker with Proprio Actif. “But the park is kept separate from the town’s residential area, which enhances its rustic charm, making Baie-d’Urfé an enchanting sight that is absolutely picturesque, with breathtaking sunsets over Lac St-Louis.”
In terms of real estate, Baied’Urfé’s market is quite mature, with limited available land.
“Single-family homes dominate the real-estate market, with only a small area near Morgan Blvd. with a condo complex and townhouses,” Thacker said. “Revenue properties, duplexes and triplexes are extremely rare in the area, but Baie-d’Urfé remains a popular choice for family and communityoriented individuals.”
A five-bedroom home on Picardy St. is currently listed for $829,000, and a larger five-bedroom home on Morgan St., built in 2010, is priced at $1.675 million. As for starter properties, a one-bedroom condo in a building on Jean-De La Londe St. is available for $228,000, and a two-bedroom condo on the same street is going for $195,000.
Many buyers say paying a premium is worth it to live in the highly sought-after community.
“We decided to buy a home in Baie-d’Urfé because we felt that we would benefit from a quiet and private neighbourhood while still being centralized in the West Island,” said Nicholas Berretta, a long-time West Island resident who recently purchased a home in the community. “Baie-d’Urfé has expanded its accessibility to excellent schools, daycares and parks, and its close proximity to the train station and airport are important, too.
“In planning for the future and our new home, we felt that the municipality was a safe environment to raise a young family.”