South Shore

The South Shore refers to the suburbs of Montreal, Quebec, which are located on the southern shore of the Saint Lawrence River, opposite the Island of Montreal. The South Shore is part of the Montérégie administrative area of Quebec.

There is no regional government that represents the South Shore. As a result, its region does not have clear geographic limits. However, a group of academics at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique decided in 1998 that Montreal’s South Shore was made up of the four Regional County Municipalities below:

• Marguerite-D’Youville (Boucherville, Varennes, Sainte-Julie, Verchères, etc.)
• Roussillon (Candiac, Châteauguay, Delson, La Prairie, etc.)
• Champlain (Longueuil, Brossard, Saint-Hubert, Saint-Lambert etc.)
• La Vallée-du-Richelieu (Beloeil, Chambly, McMasterville, Mont-St-Hilaire, etc.)

These four regional counties make up the Monteregie area of Quebec.

According to a Moneysense.ca study (2015), Boucherville, a South Shore suburb of 40,000 people, was named Canada’s finest place to live.

Reasons to Live in The South Shore

• Broad Space 

The South Shore is a homeowner’s dream, with large and inexpensive houses on each and every street corner.  

Homes here are far less pricey than on the island of Montréal—and much larger! When compared to the city, you can afford to buy a house with 2 floors and a garden. $1000 per month or less should be a good budget for renting. 

• Proximity to Montreal 

Getting to Montréal from the South Shore is very easy, depending on the borough you live in, due to efficient commuter trains and buses. 

 Some of the residents go to work by car, while many of them enjoy cycling to work in the warmer months, taking in gorgeous sceneries of the St. Lawrence River as they ride over the bridge. 

• Île Saint Bernard 

Île Saint Bernard, located in charming Châteauguay, is a stunning natural oasis roughly 40 minutes from Montreal. 

When you need to get away from the city, here is the place to go. 

• Boisé du Tremblay 

A beautiful woodland place to explore; it was designated a nature reserve back in 2012, so there are many animals, plants and insects to observe. 

Furthermore, it is partially located in Vieux-Longueuil, allowing you to see even more of the South Shore! 

• Le Musée des beaux-arts de Mont-Saint-Hilaire 

Montrealers are no strangers to beautiful art. but The South Shore definitely have a creative side as well. 

Visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mont-Saint-Hilaire to see some amazing exhibits! 

Here are some statistics regarding the South Shore Real Estate Market (Centris):

Education:

The South Shore is a very large area that is full of all kinds of educational institutes such as École Internationale Lucille-Teasdale, École Internationale Greenfield Park and Collège Français Campus De Longueuil. 

Higher educational institutes in the South Shore include CEGEP Edouard-Montpetit in Longueuil and the Universite de Montreal’s Brossard branch is located in the South Shore. 

South Shore – Quick Statistics

Age, income & marital status:

The average age by population group in the South Shore is 41 years old with an average yearly household income of about $92,372. 

Family Types: 

Couples without any children at home make up about 39% of the population while couples with children make up 44%. Single-parent families make up 17% of the population in the South Shore. 

Languages Spoken: 

84% of the population in the South Shore speak French while only 9% speak English. Other languages heard in the South Shore make up about 7%.