Montreal’s Verdun borough ranked as world’s 11th ‘coolest’ neighbourhood

One of Montreal’s most iconic boroughs — founded as a city more than 350 years ago — is getting recognized on the world stage.

Verdun has been ranked the 11th “coolest” neighborhood in the world, according to Time Out.

The distinction comes as the borough, like the rest of the world, continues to grapple with the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Verdun is steeped in history, with a thriving commercial district lined with established independent stores, boutiques and restaurants, and a changing demographic.

“I have seen it change from a working class area to heavy unemployment and now, it’s a booming area. It’s great to see,” Kenny Grover, the owner of M. H. Grover & Sons, told Global News.

The men’s clothing store will celebrate its centennial anniversary in five years and the grandson of the original founder is thrilled the shop is established on Wellington Street in Verdun.

“It’s the charm of a very local area in a big city that’s not overrun by the big city,” he said.

That big city is Montreal and the downtown skyline can be seen from some vantage points in the borough.

The district’s year-round activities, including local jazz music, sidewalk sales, sugar shacks and a popular beach, are what make people proud to live and work in the borough, Time Out says.

But lifelong Verdun resident and Montreal city councillor representing a Verdun district, Sterling Downey, says the global ranking comes with a caveat.

Downey worries that as the borough grows in popularity, gentrification will accelerate, further pushing low-income earners out of the district.

“There’s nothing wrong with change. But you have to be conscious of the impact that change has on other parts of the population,” he told Global News.

Downey says the challenge remains continuing to attract new people and investment in Verdun without forcing out some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents.