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Area · Mont-Saint-Hilaire, South Shore of Montreal

Mont-Saint-Hilaire

A protected mountain surrounded by orchards, a village of artists on the Richelieu and a train that runs straight downtown. Here's my top 10, neighbour version, not brochure version.

Let's talk about this area

Mont-Saint-Hilaire is the town the whole Vallée-du-Richelieu looks up to. A mountain designated a biosphere reserve, an old village that saw two great painters born, orchards on the hillside and a river bordering it all. You're on the South Shore, but it feels like a vacation. My home base is in Verdun, and 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 a conversation starter. 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 Mont-Saint-Hilaire beat.

Ten reasons why buyers fall for the town, and why the people who live there don't leave.

01 Mont Saint-Hilaire and the village seen from the west bank of the Richelieu River
The icon

The mountain, the real one

Mont Saint-Hilaire towers over the whole valley. Since 1958, most of the mountain has belonged to McGill University, which turned it into the Gault Nature Reserve: about 1,000 hectares of forest among the oldest in southern Quebec, 25 km of trails open year-round and four summits, including Pain de Sucre at about 415 metres. The view over the valley from up there rewards every hike.

Ask me about it: ask me which neighbourhoods let you start a hike on foot, without taking the car out. Living at the foot of a protected mountain isn't something you find everywhere.
02 Frozen Lac Hertel at the heart of Mont Saint-Hilaire, in winter
Nature

The country's first biosphere reserve

In 1978, UNESCO made Mont Saint-Hilaire Canada's very first biosphere reserve. At the centre of the mountain lies Lac Hertel, surrounded by a forest where McGill researchers still work today, and more than 185 bird species pass through the area. Protection at this level, half an hour from the bridges, isn't something you can invent.

Ask me about it: ask me what the mountain actually changes in day-to-day life here. Hint: you never get tired of it.
03 The exo station in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, terminus of the commuter train line
Transport

A train that leaves from the end of the street

The exo Mont-Saint-Hilaire train line has its terminus here and runs straight into Gare Centrale, right in the heart of Montreal. Since the REM arrived, it's actually the only line on the exo network that still goes all the way there. Service mostly runs on weekdays, during rush hour. By car, Highway 20 crosses the town, and Route 116 reaches Belœil over the Jordi-Bonet Bridge.

Ask me about it: ask me what the train changes for people who work downtown. The math on gas, parking and lost time adds up fast.
04 The stone Saint-Hilaire church, on the bank of the Richelieu River
Heritage

A church by Ozias Leduc

In the Vieux-Village, Saint-Hilaire church has watched over the Richelieu since the 1830s. Inside, painter Ozias Leduc, a local boy, created the entire decor between 1896 and 1900: fifteen canvases and ornamentation covering the walls and vaults. It's also home to the oldest Casavant organ still in service.

Ask me about it: ask me why the homes around the church rarely change hands. Walk the neighbourhood once and you'll understand.
05 Maison Paul-Émile-Borduas, the painter's birthplace, in Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Culture

A land of artists

Ozias Leduc was born here, and so was Paul-Émile Borduas, in 1905, long before he signed the Refus global manifesto. Jordi Bonet, for his part, chose the town to live and create in. The Musée des beaux-arts de Mont-Saint-Hilaire keeps the legacy of these three figures very much alive, and Maison Paul-Émile-Borduas is a reminder that it all started here, steps from the river.

Ask me about it: ask me what that legacy does for the character of the Vieux-Village. You can feel it right down to the facades.
06 The Tudor-style Manoir Rouville-Campbell, surrounded by greenery on the Richelieu
The unexpected

A Tudor manor on the Richelieu

Manoir Rouville-Campbell is one of the most surprising addresses on the South Shore: a Tudor-style manor sitting across from the river, once a seigneurial estate that later became the home and studio of artist Jordi Bonet. Today it's a hotel where plenty of locals celebrate weddings and big occasions. The neighbouring bridge is even named after Bonet.

Ask me about it: ask me what having a heritage neighbour like this does for the charm of an area. Here, history is part of the scenery.
07
For food lovers

Apple season

On the mountain's south flank, Chemin de la Montagne is lined with orchards run for generations: apple blossoms in spring, pick-your-own starting in late summer, ciders and pies the rest of the year. On fall weekends, a good chunk of Montreal crosses the bridges to come pick here, and honestly, we get it.

Ask me about it: ask me which residential areas enjoy the orchard views without the fall crowds. There are some.
08 The Jordi-Bonet Bridge crossing the Richelieu River, seen from the Mont-Saint-Hilaire shore
Waterfront

The Richelieu and Chemin des Patriotes

Chemin des Patriotes, Route 133, follows the river with its old houses and tall trees, facing Vieux-Belœil. The Jordi-Bonet Bridge lets you cross from one shore to the other in two minutes, on foot or by car. On summer evenings, sunsets over the Richelieu are one of the area's little rituals.

Ask me about it: ask me which addresses offer a real view of the water. There are fewer than you'd think, and it shows at resale.
09 Rue Sainte-Anne in the Vieux-Village of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, with the church in the background
The neighbourhoods

From the Vieux-Village to Village de la Gare

Every corner has its own personality: the Vieux-Village with its old houses around the church, the tree-lined streets climbing toward the mountain, and Village de la Gare, a newer neighbourhood built around the commuter train. For everyday errands, Boulevard Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier brings together shops and restaurants at the edge of Belœil.

Ask me about it: ask me which of these corners fits your plans best. The answer depends on your day-to-day life a lot more than on your budget.
10 The Hertel pavilion of École Au-fil-de-l'eau elementary school, in Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Family life

A town that keeps its families

École secondaire Ozias-Leduc welcomes about 1,700 students and offers the International Education program, a music concentration and a multisport track. The area is growing so fast that the school service centre has had to redraw how students are distributed. Add the parks, the mountain and the river, and you understand why families who settle here don't leave.

Ask me about it: ask me which areas let you walk to school. It's often the first criterion for young families, even before the number of bedrooms.
Let's talk

Thinking about buying or selling in Mont-Saint-Hilaire? Let's start talking.

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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