Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension

Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension is a borough in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It had a population of 142,222 according to the 2011 Census and a land area of 16.5km2.The borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension was created on January 1, 2002, following the municipal reorganization of Montreal. The borough includes the neighbourhoods of Villeray, Saint-Michel, and Parc-Extension.HistoryUntil the late Nineteenth century, the area that today comprises the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension was predominately rural and dotted with farms. The inauguration of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1878 and the arrival of electric streetcars in 1892 permitted the growth of Villeray. It was also in this era that the Italian immigrant community chose the neighbourhood as their preferred location.In the early Twentieth century, Park Extension became industrialized, and a dozen quarries opened which led to the economic development of the area. Beginning in the 1940s, the exploitation of the Miron and Francon quarries attracted workers to Saint Michel and Park Extension.