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Area · Beloeil, Vallée-du-Richelieu, South Shore of Montreal

Beloeil

An old village with its feet in the Richelieu, a mountain in the window, and a pool right in the river. Here's my top 10, the neighbour's version, not the brochure version.

Let's talk about this area

Beloeil is the Vallée-du-Richelieu at its most endearing: an old village full of terraces along the river, Mont Saint-Hilaire right across the way, tree-lined streets, and Highway 20 five minutes away to reach Montreal. My home base is in Verdun, but I work with buyers and sellers on both sides of the river, whether it's a family home or a commercial space.

I put this top 10 together for a simple reason: when you buy or sell, you're not just shopping for a property, you're shopping for a neighbourhood life. Each point comes with an opener to talk about. Use it.

Maxime Laforest, residential and commercial real estate broker · Équipe Loiselle, RE/MAX Dynamique

The area's top 10

What makes the heart of Beloeil beat.

Ten reasons buyers fall for this area, and why the people already here don't leave.

01 Vieux-Beloeil at the corner of Richelieu and Saint-Jean-Baptiste streets
The icon

Vieux-Beloeil and Saint-Jean-Baptiste street

A real village heart, the kind there aren't many of left in the suburbs: old houses, shops, and a surprising concentration of good restaurants packed into a few hundred metres. Bistros, a microbrewery, an ice cream shop, a wine bar, all within walking distance between Saint-Jean-Baptiste street and the river. On summer evenings, the terraces of Vieux-Beloeil have nothing to envy Montreal.

Ask me about it: ask me why addresses within walking distance of Vieux-Beloeil resell with a head start. The answer comes down to one word: daily life.
02 The waterfront of Vieux-Beloeil and the Richelieu River seen from above
The unexpected

A pool… in the river

Beloeil built Quebec's first river pool at the municipal wharf: a basin marked off by floating docks, right in the Richelieu, with 25-metre swim lanes. Opened in summer 2024, free of charge, and already award-winning. Swimming in the river right in the heart of the village is the kind of detail that makes visitors say they'd stay.

Ask me about it: ask me what an amenity like this changes for buyers torn between two South Shore towns. It's more concrete than you'd think.
03 Mont Saint-Hilaire seen from the west bank of the Richelieu, in Beloeil
The view

The mountain in the window

Legend has it the town's name comes from a "Quel bel œil!" (what a beautiful eye!) someone exclaimed at the view. Hard to argue: from Richelieu street, Mont Saint-Hilaire fills the horizon. Right across the way, the Gault Nature Reserve protects a thousand hectares of old-growth forest, at the heart of the very first UNESCO biosphere reserve recognized in Canada, in 1978. A hike after supper is a real option here.

Ask me about it: ask me which streets in Beloeil offer a real view of the mountain. There are fewer than you'd think, and it shows when it's time to resell.
04 The Vieux-Beloeil marina on the Richelieu River
Waterfront

The Richelieu as a playground

Between Richelieu street and the water, the town has built a promenade and a series of rest stops with benches and picnic tables, plus an esplanade facing the church to take in the river and the mountain. Add the Vieux-Beloeil marina for boaters and you get a waterfront that's alive from spring to fall, within walking distance of hundreds of addresses.

Ask me about it: ask me which pockets of town let you walk down to the promenade in sandals, no car needed. The radius is more generous than you'd think.
05 Saint-Matthieu church in Beloeil, on Richelieu street
Heritage

Saint-Matthieu church

The parish dates back to 1768, and three churches have stood on the same spot facing the river. The one we see today dates from 1896, designed by architect Louis-Zéphirin Gauthier, and its steeple serves as a landmark for the entire valley. The town has publicly committed to preserving this building, which gives Vieux-Beloeil its old-postcard look.

Ask me about it: ask me what a heritage setting like this actually does for property values around it. The effect is real, and it's measurable.
06 The Pierre-Tessier house, a century home on Richelieu street in Beloeil
History

Houses that have two centuries behind them

Richelieu street lines up century homes, several still bearing the names of their first owners, like the Pierre-Tessier house. The former presbytery, built between 1768 and 1772, remains the town's oldest stone house. About thirty buildings and historic sites tell the story of Beloeil, and you come across them on a walk, not in a museum.

Ask me about it: ask me what to check before buying a century home. I have a list, and it heads off plenty of surprises.
07 The platforms of the exo McMasterville train station, on the edge of Beloeil
Transportation

The train, Highway 20 and Route 116

Highway 20 runs through town and puts Montreal about thirty minutes away by car. To leave the car at home, McMasterville station, right on the edge of Beloeil, connects to Central Station in about 43 minutes on the exo Mont-Saint-Hilaire train line, with Vallée-du-Richelieu sector buses feeding in from the neighbourhoods. Route 116, meanwhile, runs the length of town serving the shops along the way.

Ask me about it: ask me which neighbourhoods get the most out of the train-and-highway combo. For couples who work in different directions, it often shapes the whole decision.
08 The Jordi-Bonet bridge linking Beloeil to Mont-Saint-Hilaire, with the mountain in the background
Getaways

Two shores, one daily life

The Jordi-Bonet bridge, named for the artist who lived in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, spans the Richelieu right in the heart of the village. In five minutes, you go from Beloeil's terraces to the mountain trails, to the orchards on the east shore, and to the Rouville-Campbell manor you can spot from the west shore. Living in Beloeil means having both shores in your week.

Ask me about it: ask me why plenty of buyers who were looking in Mont-Saint-Hilaire end up signing in Beloeil. It happens the other way around too, and I'll tell you when.
09 The Centre culturel de Beloeil, facing the Richelieu River
Culture

Culture facing the river

The Centre culturel de Beloeil and its 427-seat hall host music, comedy and theatre year-round, just steps from the municipal library, which also overlooks the Richelieu. In summer, the town adds outdoor movies and live music; in fall, the Grande Marche walk and Halloween festivities take over. No need to cross a bridge for a night out.

Ask me about it: ask me why a local cultural scene matters so much to buyers leaving Montreal. It's often their biggest worry, and Beloeil answers it.
10 Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier boulevard, Beloeil's commercial strip, facing the Mail Montenach
Family life

A town growing with its families

The Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes serves the area, with Polybel high school and its roughly 1,260 students right in town. And it keeps going: a brand-new 16-classroom elementary school, backing onto the Simonne-Monet woodland, broke ground in July 2026, with an opening planned for the fall of 2028. Meanwhile, the town is working on a plan to reinvent Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier boulevard, its commercial strip around the Mail Montenach.

Ask me about it: ask me which Beloeil neighbourhoods young families are fighting over right now, and what a new neighbourhood school does for the streets around it.
Let's talk

Thinking about buying or selling in Beloeil? Let's start with a conversation.

A free evaluation of your property, a picture of the local market, or simply answers to your questions. No strings attached, and a straight answer.

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