Bordeaux-Cartierville

Ahuntsic-Cartierville · 67 photographs · 1947–1991

In Cartierville, flat-roofed masonry duplexes stand alongside small cottages and former summer homes beneath an extensive tree canopy. A canoe club beside the Rivière des Prairies belongs to the same tradition of recreation along the water. Reached by tram, Belmont amusement park offered a Ferris wheel, carousel, roller coasters and haunted house behind an entrance with twin turrets. In the recollections of local physician Dr. Laurin, the park provided summer jobs for students and retirees while bringing business to nearby shops.

Belmont opened in 1923 and closed in 1983; housing subsequently occupied its site. Boulevard Gouin Ouest retains a commercial centre near the Lachapelle bridge and Boulevard Laurentien, while Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur remains another Cartierville landmark. At Parc De Mésy, a refrigerated rink serves winter skaters, and its concrete surface accommodates pickleball during summer. River crossings had already reshaped the area much earlier: the bridge built by Pascal Persillier dit Lachapelle around 1834 competed with the ferry operating across the river.