Park Extension

Park Extension is a neighbourhood in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is located in the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension and has a population of 35,000 and an area of 1.6 km². The name derives from the fact that it is situated at the north end of Park Avenue and is literally an "extension" of the artery. The area is known by locals as "Park Ex."HistoryThe area has always been a working-class neighbourhood, and understanding Park Extension's place in Montreal is to know how Montreal developed. Montreal started from a small fortified city by the Saint Lawrence River; and expanded north towards the Laurentian Mountains. Being at the head of Park Avenue, Park Extension formed the northern end of Montreal's immigrant corridor.Park Extension was a mid-20th century suburb. It was a rural area prior to the 1950s. Starting in the early 1950s there was rapid housing development in the northern reaches of Park Extension. A significant Jewish population migrated there, mostly from Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, and established a thriving community. Several hundred families built and maintained a synagogue, Congregation Beth Aaron. By the mid-1970s, the Jewish community was diminishing. Congregation Beth Aaron merged with the Beth Israel Congregation in 1986, and the building was sold. Despite this, the Jewish community still owns property and businesses on Beaumont; the southernmost part of Park Extension. There is also a funeral home and a kosher bakery in operation to this day.9