“Ever wonder how Villeray got its name?” I ask. The story of Villeray begins with a man named Louis Rouer de Villeray. He lived from 1628 to 1700. Villeray held important positions in the French regime.
The area we now know as Villeray was once farmland. In 1896, it became a town. Back then, only about 800 people lived here. Villeray officially became part of Montreal in 1905.
Around Villeray, there were many quarries. These quarries provided stone for buildings. Much of the stone was used right here in Villeray. It even went into some of Montreal’s most famous landmarks. For years, Villeray was home to stone workers, farmers, and small business owners.
Villeray had plenty of streams and ponds. This made the land great for farming. The Jarry Farm was one of the biggest. It covered 64 arpents which is about 22 hectares. That is 54 acres. It stretched from what is now Highway 40 all the way south to Villeray Street. It went from St. Hubert Street in the east to Foucher Street in the west. Stanislas Jarry, the owner, divided the land into 680 lots in the early 20th century. Jarry’s family owned even more land in what we now call Villeray Saint-Michel Parc-Extension.
Today, Villeray is bordered by Avenue Casgrain to the west. Boulevard Jean-Talon is to the south. Rue Garnier is to the east. And the Metropolitan Highway 40 is to the north. These boundaries were set in 2002. That is when the borough of Villeray Saint-Michel Parc-Extension was created.
Villeray started with wooden houses. Workers usually owned these homes. They had sheds and stables in the back. From 1915 to 1930, Villeray grew quickly. This boom meant the area needed schools and churches. A public bath was built. And a fire station went up at Jarry and St. Hubert in 1912.
During World War I, the Montreal Institute for the Deaf was built. It stands near Faillon and de Castelnau. The Clercs de Saint-Viateur built it. The facade is made of Montreal stone.
After World War II, Montreal duplexes and triplexes became common. Villeray filled with these buildings. Their spiral staircases, back alleys, clotheslines, and sheds are classic Montreal features.
Raoul Jarry was a Montreal city councillor starting in 1921. He wanted to create green spaces. He wanted children to have places to play sports. He wanted families to relax. Thanks to him, the city bought Jarry Park. Before that, the land was leased from Stanley Clark Bagg. Bagg Street in Plateau Mont-Royal is named after him. Raoul Jarry died in 1930. That is why Jarry Park is named after him. Jarry Street is named after Bernard Bleignier dit Jarry. He was an 18th-century landlord. Henri Jarry, Raoul’s brother, was an alderman for Villeray from 1934 to 1938.
More and more people are moving to Villeray in the 21st century. Its central location makes it attractive. It has good access to Metro stations. It is close to Jean Talon Market and Little Italy. Shopping areas like Rockland Center and Marché Central are nearby. Jarry Park has been improved. So the area is becoming more popular than it was in the 1990s. Along with the new Université de Montréal campus in Park Extension, this has led to gentrification since about 2010.
The Villeray Quarry Company was one of the first entities to be named after the village. After closing in 1934, it became Parc Villeray, one of Montreal’s best-known parks.
Today, Villeray is a multicultural neighborhood. You will find people from Asia, Latin America, and Arab countries. There are also Haitians and Quebecois people living here.