Beaconsfield, Quebec

Beaconsfield is a suburb on the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Incorporated in 1910, named in honour of Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and close confidant of Queen Victoria, the city's historical roots go back as far as 1698. It is part of the Greater Montreal region locally referred to as the West Island. It is a prestigious residential community located on the north shore of Lac Saint-Louis, bordered on the west by Baie-D'Urfé, north by Kirkland and east by Pointe-Claire. Beaconsfield, in its current form, was developed as a cottage community by affluent Montreal residents. Over the decades, the city has transformed from summer homes, to year-round residents, and has flourished.[5]

Beaconsfield
City
City of Beaconsfield
Ville de Beaconsfield  (French)
Beaurepaire Village
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Forti Nihil Difficile: Nothing is Difficult to the Brave
Location on the Island of Montreal.
(Outlined areas indicate demerged municipalities).
Beaconsfield
Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°26′N 73°52′W[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionMontréal
RCMNone
Founded1698
TownJune 4, 1910
CityFebruary 23, 1966
Merged into Beaconsfield–Baie-D'UrféJanuary 1, 2002
ReconstitutedJanuary 1, 2006
Government
 • MayorGeorges Bourelle
 • Federal ridingLac-Saint-Louis
 • Prov. ridingJacques-Cartier
Area
 • Total24.50 km2 (9.46 sq mi)
 • Land11.01 km2 (4.25 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total19,115
 • Density1,752.6/km2 (4,539/sq mi)
 • Pop 2011-2016
 0.9%
 • Private dwellings
6,828
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
H9W
Area code(s)514 and 438
Websitewww.beaconsfield.ca

The population of Beaconsfield, as of the Canada 2016 Census, is 19,324.[6] While the population is predominantly anglophone, 77% of residents speak both official languages of Canada. Most residents live in single-family homes, though there are residents of townhouses and apartment buildings.[6]

As part of the 2002–2006 municipal reorganization of Montreal Beaconsfield and neighbouring Baie-D'Urfé became the borough of Beaconsfield–Baie-D'Urfé and were merged into the city of Montreal. After a change of government, and the 2004 referendum, both Baie-D'Urfé and Beaconsfield voted to de-merge from Montreal. On January 1, 2006, they were reconstituted as independent municipalities. They still remain part of the urban agglomeration of Montreal.[7]

Government

The current mayor of Beaconsfield is Georges Bourelle. The city is currently served by six councillors:[8]

  1. Dominique Godin (District 1)
  2. Karen Messier (District 2)
  3. Robert Mercuri (District 3)
  4. David Newell (District 4)
  5. Roger Moss (District 5)
  6. Al Gardner (District 6)

The last Municipal Election was held on November 2017.

Demographics
Historical populations
YearPop.±%
196615,702—    
197119,395+23.5%
197620,417+5.3%
198119,613−3.9%
198619,301−1.6%
199119,616+1.6%
199619,414−1.0%
200119,310−0.5%
200619,194−0.6%
201119,505+1.6%
201619,324−0.9%
[9]
Languages (2016)[10]
Language Knowledge of official languages First official language spoken Mother tongue Language spoken most often at home
English 19.96% 68.29% 53.09% 68.19%
French 2.25% 25.45% 23.30% 18.75%
English and French 77.11% 5.59% 2.14% 2.01%
Non official language 0.70% 0.65% 19.83% 8.37%
English and non-official language 0.83% 1.80%
French and non-official language 0.31% 0.20%
English, French and non-official language 0.47% 0.65%

Sports & Recreation

Beaconsfield has quality facilities in order to meet the needs of its population. Many of Beaconsfield's social, cultural and athletic programs are made possible by a long-standing tradition of responsible government and citizen involvement.[11]

Parks and Open Spaces[16]
Angell Woods[17]
  • Angell Woods; dog friendly
  • Christmas Park; Basball, Tennis, and Basketball during the summer and a hockey rink in the winter
  • Windermere park; Soccer, Baseball, Tennis and Basketball during the summer and a skating rink in the winter
  • Centennial Beach; dog friendly
  • Saint James Park
  • Drummond
  • City Lane Park

Local Landmarks
Centennial Hall community and cultural centre
  • Village Beaurepaire, a commercial development in the heart of Beaconsfield which began in 1925 with the opening of a general store by Sidney Cunningham, the first president of the Beaconsfield Citizen's Association.[18] Home to local bakeries, pubs, and shops.
  • The historic cultural centre, Centennial Hall, where exhibitions and concerts take place.
  • La Palette Art Gallery & Art School
  • The Beaconsfield library, with an extensive digital and print collection and excellent reference services. Established in 1951, the library was housed in a broom closet and bookmobile. Only in 1968 did it move to its present location thanks to the financial aid of City Council.[19]
  • Heroes Park, honouring those who served [20]

Education

Education in Beaconsfield, as common in the Montreal area, is operated by school boards divided linguistically. There is separate boards for instruction in English (Anglophone) and French (Francophone).

Francophone

The Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys operates Francophone public schools in Beaconsfield.[21]

Francophone primary schools:

  • École primaire Beaconsfield
  • École primaire Saint-Rémi

Francophone special purpose school:

  • École primaire et secondaire John F. Kennedy

Anglophone

The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) operates Anglophone public schools in Beaconsfield.[22]

Anglophone vocational Education:

  • Gordon Robertson Centre

Anglophone adult Education:

  • Place Cartier Adult Centre

Anglophone secondary schools:

Anglophone primary schools:

  • Beacon Hill Elementary School
  • Christmas Park Elementary School
  • St. Edmund Elementary School
  • Sherbrooke Academy Junior & Senior Schools
  • Clearpoint Elementary School in Pointe-Claire serves some portions[23]

Local Businesses
  • Centre commercial Beaconsfield [24]
  • Plaza Beaconsfield [25]
  • Beaurepaire Village [26]
  • Plaza Elm [27]

Places of Worship
  • Beaconsfield United Church, located on 202 Woodside Road [28]
  • St. Edmund of Canterbury Church, Roman Catholic parish located on 105 Boulevard founded 1956 [29]
  • Beaurepaire United Church, located on 25 Fieldfare Avenue founded 1924 [30]

Transportation

Beaconsfield is served by the Réseau de transport métropolitain (RTM) train system, with two stations, Beaconsfield and Beaurepaire, on the Vaudreuil-Hudson line which ends in downtown Montreal. The city is also served by Société de transport de Montréal (STM) bus lines 200, 201, 211, 217, 221, 354, 361, 382, 401, 405, 411, and 425. Beaconsfield is also served directly by one major highway, Highway 20 (Autoroute 20) with two exits in Beaconsfield, exit 45 at Avenue Woodland, and exit 48 at Boulevard St-Charles. Access to Beaconsfield is also possible from the Highway 40 (Autoroute 40), exit Boulevard St-Charles - south (Sud).

Notable residents
Madeline Aksich

Crime

Spanning the decade between 1995 and 2006 multiple homicides and murder-suicides took place inside homes that were all within a half a kilometre of each other.[32][33][34]

  • April 1995, Frank Toope, a retired Anglican minister, and his wife Jocelyn were bludgeoned to death during a botched robbery by three youths — aged 13, 14 and 15. All three youths have since reoffended as adults.[35][36]
  • May 2001, Margareth and Ed Fertuck were axed to death by their schizophrenic son, Geoff Fertuck, who committed suicide by jumping in front of a train.[37]
  • September 2001, John Bauer shot and killed his wife Helen, their three sons, Jonathan, Wesley and Justin, father-in-law Elmer Carroll and business partner Lucio Beccherini, over a three-day span before taking his own life after setting his house on fire.[38] Their home was located on a street bordering Beaconsfield and Kirkland.[39]
  • October 2006, psychologist Dragolub Tzokovitch shot and killed his wife Mila Voynova, and two daughters, Iva and Alice, before taking his own life.[40][41]

See also

References and notes
  1. Reference number 388457 of the Commission de toponymie du Québec (in French)
  2. Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire: Beaconsfield Archived 2012-05-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: LAC-SAINT-LOUIS (Quebec)
  4. 2011 Statistics Canada Census Profile: Beaconsfield, Quebec
  5. Martin, Megan (May 2015). "Beaconsfield: A prestigious community located in a country-like setting on Lac-St-Louis" (PDF). The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  6. Canada, Government of Canada, Statistics. "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Beaconsfield, Ville [Census subdivision], Quebec and Montréal [Population centre], Quebec". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
  7. "Le Directeur général des élections du Québec". Le Directeur général des élections du Québec (in French). Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  8. "City Council and Electoral Districts". www.beaconsfield.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  9. "Profil sociodéographique: Ville de Beaconsfield" (PDF) (in French). Ville de Montréal. 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  10. Canada, Government of Canada, Statistics. "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Beaconsfield, Ville [Census subdivision], Quebec and Montréal [Population centre], Quebec". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
  11. "Beaconsfield city - Information and advices". www.beaconsfield.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  12. Ethan. "Beaconsfield Yacht Club". www.canadianyachting.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  13. "Beaconsfield community pools". beconsfiled.ca. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  14. "Beaconsfield Bicycle Trail". www.spoi.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  15. "Beaconsfield, Elm Ave. Bicycle Trail". www.maadigroup.com. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  16. https://www.beaconsfield.ca/fr/vivre-a-beaconsfield/parcs-et-terrains-de-jeux
  17. Corriveau, Jeanne (2017). "Un propriétaire réclame 17,6 millions pour son terrain". Le Devoir (in French). ISSN 0319-0722. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  18. Robert L. Baird, Gisèle Hall (1998). "Beaconsfield and Beaurepaire, A chronicle of the development of the City of Beaconsfield and the district of Beaurepaire" (PDF).
  19. "Library". www.beaconsfield.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  20. "Heroes Park Beaconsfield". www.heroesparkbeaconsfield.org/. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  21. "ÉCOLES ET CENTRES." Commission Scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys. Retrieved on December 7, 2014.
  22. "LBPSB - Lester B. Pearson School Board". lbpsb.qc.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  23. "School Board Map." Lester B. Pearson School Board. Retrieved on September 28, 2017.
  24. https://centrebeaconsfield.com/en/
  25. https://fcr.ca/properties/quebec/montreal/plaza-beaconsfield-2/
  26. https://www.beaconsfield.ca/fr/domicile-et-communautaire/village-de-beaurepaire
  27. https://www.yelp.ca/map/elm-plaza-beaconsfield
  28. "Beaconsfield United Church - Contact Us". www.beaconsfieldunitedchurch.com/. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  29. "Saint Edmund of Canterbury -Home". saintedmundofcanterbury.com/. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  30. "Beaurepaire United Church - History". mergingwaters.ca/. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  31. "Order of Canada - Madeline-Ann Aksich, C.M., M.B.A". Governor General of Canada website. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  32. "Three dead after Montreal domestic dispute". The Globe and Mail. 2009-04-07. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  33. "PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  34. "beaconsfield is jinxed". www.migrogers.com. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  35. "Murder in a suburb: three teenagers are charged with the brutal killing of two seniors". Maclean's. 108 (16): 17. April 17, 1995.
  36. Cherry, Paul. "Youths convicted of Toope murders reoffended as adults". www.montrealgazette.com. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  37. Montgomery, Sue (May 24, 2001). "Son's schizophrenia fatal for family : Mourner at a funeral service in Beaconsfield pinpoints mental illness as the cause of a family tragedy that took three lives last week". The Gazette. ProQuest 433716426.
  38. "Man carefully planned slayings of 6, police say". The Globe and Mail. 2009-03-21. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  39. Doyle Driedger, Sharon (Apr 15, 2002). "Death of a family". Maclean's. ProQuest 218546457.
  40. "Woman, 2 children dead after Montreal domestic dispute". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  41. "Therapist suspected of slaying family clings to life". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-10-08.



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