This rate rose from 9.6 % at the last census in 2006. That is to say, St. Laurent is welcoming more newcomers than ever before. By comparison, the average growth rate for the City of Montreal is 1.8% - with many boroughs posting a negative balance. St. Laurent numbers 93,842 or a little more than 9,000 additional residents compared to 2006.
The borough of Ville-Marie, which represents the downtown area and the business district, is the second area on the island to have attracted the most new residents, with an increase of 6.5% representing more than 5,000 individuals.
New districts, new peopleThe development of new districts such as Bois-Franc or Nouveau St. Laurent, in particular, made it possible to accommodate the flood of new residents. The rush towards the borough also means new challenges, such as being able to meet the needs of an increasing population in terms of services. St. Laurent Mayor Alan DeSousa is not surprised with these results emphasizing that building sites have been started these past years, for a sports complex and the new du Boisé Library, which aim to meet the more pressing needs. The mayor also emphasized that his borough will be the only one to build a school (in the Bois-Franc sector) in response to the increase in population, whereas other school projects in progress are done within the framework of declining areas. Managing this will not be able to be carried out without an adequate budget. “One of the challenges of the St. Laurent council will be to manage the budgetary pressure related to our growth,” said DeSousa.
