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| Montreal Urban Community | |
|---|---|
| Name | Montreal Urban Community |
| Native name | Communauté urbaine de Montréal |
| Settlement type | Former regional municipality |
| Subdivision type | Country |
| Subdivision name | Canada |
| Subdivision type1 | Province |
| Subdivision name1 | Quebec |
| Established title | Established |
| Established date | 1970 |
| Abolished title | Abolished |
| Abolished date | 2002 |
| Seat type | Seat |
| Seat | Montreal |
| Area total km2 | 500 |
| Population total | 1,800,000 |
Montreal Urban Community was a regional municipal structure that coordinated metropolitan services for the Island of Montreal and adjacent islands from 1970 to 2002. It provided shared administration for the cities and towns on the island, interfaced with provincial authorities such as the Quebec government, and operated major services used by residents of Montreal and municipalities like Westmount, Ville-Marie, and Laval (prior to separate changes). The Community played a central role in disputes and reforms involving figures and entities including premiers Robert Bourassa, Lucien Bouchard, and institutions like the Société de transport de Montréal and the Montreal Metropolitan Community.
The Community emerged after debates involving urban planners from the Commission of Inquiry on the Political and Administrative Structures of the Montreal Area and advocates linked to Jean Drapeau's administration of Montreal (mayor) in the late 1960s. Creation followed legislation enacted by the National Assembly of Quebec influenced by inquiries such as the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism and policy shifts under premiers like Jean Lesage and Robert Bourassa. The 1970 establishment succeeded earlier regional bodies including the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Montreal and engaged with organizations like the Communauté urbaine de l'Outaouais and studies by the Urban Planning Institute of Montreal. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the Community navigated issues connected to the October Crisis, municipal financing controversies involving federal actors like the Government of Canada, and public debates featuring unions such as the Confédération des syndicats nationaux and the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
In the 1990s reorganization talks involved municipal leaders such as Pierre Bourque and provincial reforms under premiers Daniel Johnson Jr. and Lévesque’s successors, producing commissions and agreements with bodies like the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Société de transport de Laval. The Community’s later years saw tensions with suburban municipalities like Lachine and Saint-Laurent and engagement with federal programs administered by departments including Transport Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
The Community comprised representatives from constituent municipalities including Montreal, Westmount, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Plateau-Mont-Royal, and Outremont, who sat on councils modeled after precedents such as the Greater London Council and the Metropolitan Toronto Council. Leadership involved municipal officials like mayors Jean Drapeau, Jacques Duchesneau, and regional chairs comparable to figures in the Toronto Transit Commission governance. The Community coordinated with provincial ministries such as the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Quebec) and legal frameworks like the Cities and Towns Act (Quebec), while negotiating funding and regulatory matters with federal agencies including Finance Canada and Heritage Canada. Committees mirrored those in other metropolitan settings like the Montreal Metropolitan Community, and oversight mechanisms sometimes referenced rulings from the Supreme Court of Canada.
The Community covered the Island of Montreal, nearby islands such as Île Jésus and Îles Sainte-Marguerite in a region bounded by waterways including the Saint Lawrence River and the Richelieu River. It encompassed diverse neighborhoods like Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, and Verdun, and interfaced with suburbs in the Montreal Metropolitan Area including Longueuil, Laval, and North Shore (Montreal) municipalities. Demographic shifts mirrored patterns documented by Statistics Canada and studies from institutions like the Université de Montréal and the McGill University Department of Urban Studies, showing immigration from regions represented by communities linked to Little Italy (Montreal), Chinatown, Montreal, and the Jewish community of Montreal. Population trends affected by events such as the 1976 Summer Olympics and cultural institutions like the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts shaped service demands.
Economic activity within the Community interacted with sectors anchored by the Port of Montreal, the Montreal Stock Exchange, and manufacturing zones near Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Saint-Michel. Major employers included hospitals like Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and corporations such as Bombardier Inc., Alstom (formerly Bombardier Transportation), and service firms in the Downtown Montreal core near landmarks like Place Ville Marie and Old Montreal. Infrastructure projects involved collaboration with agencies like Hydro-Québec, Canadian National Railway, and Canadian Pacific Railway, and were influenced by policies from Industry Canada and financing mechanisms used by institutions like the Business Development Bank of Canada. Tourism assets such as Mount Royal Park, the Montreal Biodome, and events including Just for Laughs and the Montreal Jazz Festival contributed to revenue streams.
Transit responsibilities linked with operators such as the Société de transport de Montréal and intermunicipal services coordinating with the Agence métropolitaine de transport and commuter rail lines run by Exo predecessors. The Community managed arterial corridors including Autoroute 15, Autoroute 20, and Autoroute 40, and oversaw relationships with federal projects at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport and the Port of Montreal. Major intermodal hubs such as Central Station (Montreal) and Bonaventure Station connected to services by VIA Rail and freight by Canadian National Railway, and public transit planning reflected studies from the Ministère des Transports du Québec.
Shared services administered or coordinated by the Community included policing arrangements in consultation with the Sûreté du Québec and municipal police forces, waste management contracts with firms comparable to BFI Canada and recycling initiatives modeled on programs studied by the David Suzuki Foundation and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Water and sewer systems were developed in partnership with agencies such as the Montréal Waterworks Department and regulatory oversight by the Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (Quebec). Cultural and recreational programs connected to institutions like the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Cirque du Soleil required intermunicipal coordination, while housing policies intersected with agencies like the Office municipal d'habitation de Montréal and federal entities including the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
A provincial reorganization under premiers like Lucien Bouchard and initiatives spearheaded by ministers such as Yves Séguin led to municipal mergers and the eventual replacement of the Community by the City of Montreal megacity structure and the later creation of the Montreal Metropolitan Community and reconstituted suburban municipalities after demerger referendums influenced by actors like Gilles Vaillancourt and Gerald Tremblay. Legal and political consequences produced rulings involving the Quebec Court of Appeal and policy reviews by the Auditor General of Quebec. The Community’s legacy persists in metropolitan planning documents at institutions such as the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and academic analyses produced by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique and the Canadian Urban Institute. Category:Former municipalities in Quebec