On a map of the Island of Montreal dated 1700, the words "Pointe Claire" are visible.
Pointe-Claire was first described by Nicolas Perrot in his account of 1669, and the name Pointe-Claire appeared on a map as early as 1686.[4] Although Samuel de Champlain canoed through the area in 1613, he reported no village or dwelling visible.[5]
The urbanization of the territory of Pointe-Claire began in the 1600s, when the Sulpicians were lords of the island of Montreal. Land on the island of Montreal was granted to the Sulpicians for development as early as 1663. They began to grant concessions along major waterways.[6]
In 1678, the first concession on the land under the seigneurial system was to Jean Guenet who named his property Beau Repaire. This was near the future village of Beaurepaire, located in what is now Beaconsfield.[7] on June 4, 1910, the village of Beaconsfield separates from the parish of Saint-Joachim-de-la-Pointe-Claire[8]
The first concession of land that is still in the current city limits of Pointe-Claire, was in 1684 to Pierre Cabassier, for a lot just east of Pointe Charlebois.[9][10] Under the seigneurial system, the Sulpicians had to build a mill for the colonists, who in turn had to grind their grain there at a set fee.
The arrival of French settlers in Pointe-Claire began in 1698-1699.[11]
In 1707, after the Great Peace of Montreal was signed in 1701, the Chemin du Roy (now Lakeshore Road) from Dorval to the western tip of Montreal Island was opened having been ordered by intendant Jacques Raudot,[5] and the parish was subdivided in three côtes: St. Rémy (present-day Boulevard Des Sources), St. Jean, and St. Charles. Between côtes St. Rémy and St. Charles lay 33 lots (numbered 145 to 177). These were generally three arpents wide by 20 or 30 deep. Up to this time Pointe-Claire had only been accessible by boat.
Church and presbytery of Saint-Joachim de Pointe-Claire
On October 13, 1713,[12] the seminary formed a parish on the land that now includes Pointe-Claire and much of the West Island, and in 1714 a church was built at the point, at the site of the present-day church.[13] Up to that time the area was served by an itinerant missionary priest. Initially the church was called Saint-Francois-de-Sales, but it was renamed six months later to Saint-Joachim de la Pointe Claire. The church and presbytery, both built of stone, formed a fort about two arpents (7,000 m2, 75,000 sq ft) in area, surrounded by stakes. The construction was ordered by Governor Beauharnois out of fear of the Iroquois. The point was used as a stopover by voyageurs en route to the interior.[5]
In 1728–1729, the first lots were granted, near the fort, to a blacksmith and to a carpenter. By 1765 there were 783 residents, 74 lots owned by 35 individuals, and 19 houses, some built of stone, but most of wood.[5]
On July 1, 1845, the Village Municipality of Saint-Joachim-de-la-Pointe-Claire was created, before losing its municipal status on September 1, 1847, as was common in Quebec for many local entities. On September 2, 1854, it was reestablished.[4][12]
The Grand Trunk Railway built the railroad through the area in 1855, linking Pointe-Claire to Montreal. This brought people, and with them property development in an area that up to then had been largely agricultural. It also improved the welfare of farmers by providing a ready market for their goods. Suburban development began in 1893 when Otto Frederick Lilly acquired land spanning Boulevard Saint-Jean. He used his influence with the Canadian Pacific Railway to have a station added to the line at the end of Cedar Avenue, which he also paved from there down to Lakeshore Road. Both sides of Cedar Avenue were built up by 1920.[13]
In 1900, a major fire destroyed much of the village. The fire was discovered in an uninhabited building around 2:00 a.m., 22 May 1900. The wind caused the fire to spread to surrounding houses. The only water supply was from village wells or carried in buckets from the river. A small two-wheeled hose reel and hand pump was the only village fire protection. Locals failed to put out the fire and asked for help from Montreal. Equipment was sent by train but did not arrive in time to help. The worst of the damage was on the rue de l'église. In all about 30 buildings were destroyed, including the post office, the town hall, and the residences of about 200 people.[15][16][17]
On March 14, 1911, the Village Municipality of Saint-Joachim-de-la-Pointe-Claire changed status and name to Ville (city/town) de Pointe-Claire.[4][18]
Provincial highway number 2 (now Autoroute 20) was built alongside the railway in 1940, following expropriation of property. This led to a move of much of the town from the south to the north of the highway, namely the town hall, recreation centre, police station, and fire station.[13]
In 1955, the City of Pointe-Claire annexed large portions of the Parish Municipality of Saint-Joachim-de-la-Pointe-Claire (which was formed on September 1, 1855). Remaining portions of the municipal parish became the Town of Kirkland on March 24, 1961.[19] In 1958, a new City Hall was built and Pointe-Claire changed status from Ville to Cité ("city"), but in 1967, this was reverted.[18]
The shoreline of Pointe-Claire along Lake Saint-Louis is at about 30 metres (98 ft) above sea level and rises along a fault by about 30 metres (98 ft) not far from shore, more steeply in the west. The eastern side has a soil rich in clay, while the western side is stonier with limestone strata.[20] Pointe-Claire is bounded on the north by Dollard-des-Ormeaux, on the east by Dorval, on the south by Lac Saint-Louis, and on the west by Kirkland and Beaconsfield.
Pointe-Claire is entirely urbanised and developed. There are 38 public parks and green spaces with 5 baseball/softball diamonds, 26 playgrounds, 19 soccer pitches, 7 outdoor swimming pools, 24 tennis courts, 10 outdoor skating rinks, and five shoreline areas.[21]
Large green spaces include:
The public Terra-Cotta Natural Park which is a natural green space of 39 hectares (96 acres), with six kilometers (4 miles) of paths. From 1912 to 1962, a clay deposit on the site was exploited by the Montréal Terra Cotta and Lumber Co. The clay, mixed with sawdust, was baked on site to produce hollow tiles used in construction.[22]
In the 2021 census conducted by Statistics Canada, Pointe-Claire had a population of 33,488 living in 13,313 of its 13,823 total private dwellings, a change of 6.7% from its 2016 population of 31,380. With a land area of 18.91 km2 (7.30 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,770.9/km2 (4,586.6/sq mi) in 2021.[26]
As part of the Urban Agglomeration of Montreal, 51% of locally collected taxes are transferred to the agglomeration as of 2019.[33] Pointe-Claire in turn sends a representative to the 29-member agglomeration council.[34]
William Franklin MacMurchie (1998–2002, 2006–2013)
Morris Trudeau (2013–2017)
John Belvedere (2017–2021)
Tim Thomas (2021–present)
Infrastructure
Municipal sports and leisure facilities include the Aquatic Centre, Bob Birnie Arena, Pointe-Claire Public Library, Stewart Hall Cultural Centre, the Sailing Base at Grande-Anse Park, near the Pointe-Claire Canoe Club. Private facilities also exist, such as the Pointe-Claire Yacht Club.
The Pointe-Claire Water Treatment Plant distributes an average of 65,000,000 litres (14,300,000 imp gal; 17,200,000 US gal) of potable water per day to a population of 87,248 people and approximately 1000 business and commercial users spread out in the city of Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield, Baie-D'Urfé, Kirkland, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville.[35]
Municipal bylaw enforcement and animal control are provided by the city's Public Security force.[37]
The city of Pointe-Claire uses the services of Contrôle animalier Vaudreuil-Soulange for injured animals or domestic pets that have been found.
Police services are provided by the Montreal Police Service. Fire and rescue services are provided by the Montreal Fire Department. Emergency Medical Services are provided by Urgences Sante. Emergency management, such as response to storms and flooding, as well as emergency medical care at public events is provided by the Pointe Claire Volunteer Rescue Unit.[38]
Lindsay Place High School is a former public high school that was part of the Lester B. Pearson School Board. It opened in 1962 and closed in 2021.[42] St. Thomas High School has relocated into the building previously occupied by Lindsday Place.
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