Saint-Leonard, Quebec

Saint-Leonard (/ˈliːoʊnɑːrd/ LEE-oh-nard; French: Saint-Léonard [sɛ̃ leɔnaʁ] ⓘ) is a borough (arrondissement) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

It is bordered by five boroughs: Montréal-Nord to the north and northwest, Anjou to the east, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve to the southeast, Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie to the south and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension to the southwest and west.

[9] The REM de l'est[10] is a planned light rail rapid transit system that would connect Saint-Leonard and the rest of eastern Montreal to the Downtown core in less than 30 minutes.

Saint-Leonard is also home to the Le Boulevard shopping centre, although a portion of the mall is actually located in Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension.

Saint-Leonard was traditionally a rural francophone hamlet with under a thousand people until the mid-twentieth century.

The town became increasingly developed and urban throughout the twentieth century, benefiting from the expansion of the City of Montreal and a massive wave of Italian immigration which enriched life in the area with numerous cafes and restaurants.

By necessity, many services are available in Italian, English and French (the Leonardo da Vinci Centre, for instance, offers cultural activities and events in the three languages).

The borough is characterized by its spacious, wide-set semi-detached brick duplexes (and triplexes, four-plexes, and five-plexes — an architectural style unique to Montreal), backyard vegetable gardens, Italian bars (cafés), and pastry shops serving Italian-Canadian staples such as cannoli, sfogliatelle, and zeppole.

[14] At some times of year, it is possible to observe seasonal Italian traditions like the making of wine, cheese, sausage, and tomato sauce in quantity.

[15] The Saint-Leonard Aquatic Complex (French: Complexe aquatique de Saint-Leonard) was built in 2006 and is home to three swimming pools: one recreational basin, one 25-metre (82 ft) pool and one acclimation basin that includes a turbo bath spa.

Saint-Leonard has 10 km of bike paths around the borough, that connect various parks, pools and municipal structures.

[18] This includes 2 REV (Réseau Express Vélo) routes passing through Saint-Leonard on Lacordaire Boulevard and the other on Jean-Talon Street.

These arenas host local games, and usually provide food, locker rooms, showers and public free-skating.

Many Olympic and World Champions have trained here in different disciplines like singles, pairs, dance and synchronized skating.

Jeanne-Mance–Viger is the electoral district representing the borough of Saint-Léonard in the National Assembly in Quebec city.

The Leonardo Da Vinci Centre
Typical housing in Saint-Leonard.
Saint-Léonard Library