Bike Rides about Town:
West Island Composite
Through the Centre

Roger Kenner
Montreal, Qc,
Canada 2003

In 2003, for the first time, I roade back through what one could consider the "centre" route, along Chemin Ste. Marie and Hymust Boulevard. Although not scenic, consisting for the most part of a wide industrial boulevard leading through industrial parks., it is a very direct route. At the far end of this route, one could connect with Anse à l'Orme via Chemin de ;'Anse à l'Orme or with Ste. Anne de Bellevue by remaining on Chemin Ste. Marie. At the near end, it comes out at Hymus and Sources.

Anse à l'Orme Road is pretty empty. To one side is the creek and the park it runs through. To the other side are the open fields of Senneville. There are no buildings to be seen. I remember bringing my father this way in 1986, as he was looking for a place to park his camper trailer. There had been a camper park down along the river, under the trees. All trace of this is gone now.

When one comes out into civilization, one is Chemin Ste. Marie and in the town of Kirkland. A bike path alongside the Hwy 40 begin right at the point where Anse à l'Orme Road meets Ste. Marie Road. One can follow this until one reaches the Hwy 40 overpass. While the Kirkland side of the 40 was is suburban housing developments and big shopping centres, the south side remains just an unbroken wall of trees. I wonder for how long?

Click to Enlarge (Taken on Gouin Ride: Thanksgiving Day - 2003: ~16:45)

Kirkland: Bikepath begins along Ch. Ste. Marie	Kirkland: Shopping Malls & Trees along Ch. Ste. Marie

Crossing up over the 40 and Ste. Marie becomes one way in the westward direction, with a lane given over to a two-way bike path. It runs along behind the factories facing Hwy 40, with somewhat older homes and apartment buildings lining the south side of the street.

Click to Enlarge (Taken on Gouin Ride: Thanksgiving Day - 2003: ~16:55)

Kirkland: Bike Path along Ch. Ste. Marie - Approaching Boul St. Charles

One comes out at St. Charles Road, where Ch. St. Marie becomes the wide and industrial Hymus Boulevard. At Stillview, one can cut over to see the end of what had once been CN's West Island spur line. The tracks have been removed, but the corridor leading between the backs of the factories facing onto Hwy 40 and onto Hymus is still clearly marked as CN property.

Click to Enlarge (Taken on Drive: 031101)

Pointe-Claire: St Jean near Hymus: Street leading to end of track	Pointe-Claire: End of track in there somewhere

Click to Enlarge (Taken on Gouin Ride: Thanksgiving Day - 2003: ~17:10)

Kirkland: Former End-of-Track at Stillview	Pte. Claire: Rails Still Exist at Doyon

The next major crossing is St. John's road, just west of which is the Pointe Claire line. Although the railroad tracks had once passed by here, all trace of their passage has been obliterated by the new freeway intechange, the office buildings, and the shopping centres.

Further east, at Doyon, one can take a half-block detour and still see the rails stretching as far as one can see in either direction.