Today, we are looking at a hot-button issue that crystallizes the tensions between real estate growth and public services on Nuns' Island.

On September 1st, the Elgar Community Centre hosted the Verdun borough council. The backdrop for these back-to-school discussions included the numerous traffic impediments announced for the upcoming World Cycling Championship, vegetation concerns at Lac Lacoursière, and questions regarding the residential project on Chemin du Golf.

But beyond these logistical challenges, a profound structural problem monopolized the attention.

Verdun Mayor Céline-Audrey Beauregard used this platform to send a direct message to candidates in the October 2026 provincial elections: Nuns' Island urgently needs a high school.

"We understand the Quebec government's budgetary challenges, but we are ready to work with the Ministry of Education to find innovative solutions," she insisted.

Demographic Pressure:

The mismatch between the island's urbanization and its educational infrastructure is not new, but current data compels immediate action.

• Total Population: Nuns' Island currently has about 21,500 residents, but according to recent projections, the population will soon cross the 30,000 mark.

• Primary School-Aged Children: The primary school population approached 1,400 children in 2018 and has since settled around 1,200 students, spread across only two schools and one annex. We are currently awaiting more recent figures from the 2026 census.

• Adolescents (High School Age): Nearly 1,000 youths aged 12 to 17 live on the island, with no local public facility to accommodate them.

Furthermore, no new high school has been planned or funded in the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Service Centre's (CSSMB) 2025-2026 budget planning.

Accelerated Urbanization: Approved and Under-Construction Projects

This population increase is no accident; it is the result of a booming real estate market. Multiple construction sites are redrawing the island's urban fabric, making the need for infrastructure even more glaring. Here are the main developments that will densify the sector:

• The "Cité de l’Île" Project (REM Station): This major development plans for the creation of a maximum of 1,225 housing units, 18% of which are three-bedroom apartments—perfect for families. The overall plan includes buildings up to 26 stories high, as well as land specifically set aside for social or affordable housing.

• The Chemin du Golf District (Asen Project): While in 2024 residents hoped to see a high school built on Chemin du Golf, today it is vast residential projects that are rising from the ground.

Excavation work for the Asen project began in the summer of 2026. This development will replace commercial buildings with five residential towers ranging from 6 to 12 stories, totaling 710 housing units.

Economic and Social Impacts of a Broken Promise

The lack of governmental will—from Minister François Roberge's broken promise in 2019 to the dashed hopes for a plot of land on Chemin du Golf in 2024—has tangible repercussions.

• Economic Impact: Without a high school, Nuns' Island parents bear significant transportation and logistical costs, often ranking among the highest in Quebec for access to public education. At the provincial level, the lack of budget allocation for purchasing land on IDS demonstrates a critical underinvestment in this area of Montreal.

• Social Impact: For the thousand adolescents in the neighborhood, this situation translates into countless hours lost in traffic jams and a fractured social life, far from their home environment. The Nuns' Island Owners and Residents Association (APRIDS) also points out that, every year, many families are forced to move just to get closer to Montreal high schools.

The 2026 Elections: The Moment of Truth

The APRIDS and the Coalition for a Public High School on the Island, which published an exhaustive brief in 2023, have strongly reactivated in recent weeks.

The provincial elections of October 2026 represent the ultimate window of opportunity. Citizen groups, supported by the local administration, are demanding a firm, documented, and costed commitment from all candidates.

As the cranes get to work building the residential future of the Island, the question remains: who will build the future of its youth?