Verdun was its own city until Montreal’s amalgamation. Its operations are maintained by combined citizen involvement and mandates issued by the City of Montreal. The feeling of belonging and a sense of pride are very strong amongst residents, young and old.
Dawson Community Centre is located in Desmarchais-Crawford, one of three neighbourhoods in the Verdun Borough. A large portion of the neighbourhood’s population is English speaking (29.8% compared to 13.1% in greater Verdun and 19.7% in Montreal). There are two English elementary schools and one English high school in the neighbourhood.
With the increase in socio-economic challenges in popular, urban settings, economic, business and community sectors are mobilizing to influence the determinants of poverty.
Indicators of both social and material deprivation affect the areas of Wellington-de-L'Église and Desmarchais Crawford in a very distinct way. A report(1) on the socio-demographic portrait of Verdun, completed in February 2009, identifies the issues in which organizations, institutions and economics should be involved. Here are some findings from the report:
- The nagging question of poverty and deprivation in the area;
- The population’s level of education and school dropout rate;
- Housing and housing in a context of "gentrification" in some neighbourhoods;
- The relative isolation and the decline of the Anglophone community;
- The integration of ethnic communities in a context marked by the rising number of immigrants in the territory.
The very young
In the CSSS du Sud-Ouest–Verdun, 41% of children starting kindergarten (aged 5 years) are vulnerable in at least one developmental area, compared to 35% in Montreal. The CSSS du Sud-Ouest-Verdun has high levels of vulnerable children in each of the five areas.
Compared to Montreal, the gap is particularly large in the areas of Physical Health and Wellbeing (17% compared to 12% in Montreal) and Emotional Maturity (20% compared to 15% in Montreal).
Youth and families
39% of the families in the Verdun Borough are single-parent families (compared to 35.1% in Montreal and 27.8% in Québec).
38.9% of youth aged 15-24 years, living in Desmarchais-Crawford, do not have a high school diploma (compared to 30.2% in Montreal).
29.9% of families are living below the poverty line (compared to 24.4% of Montreal families and 12.3% of all families in Québec).
Seniors
In Verdun, 40.5% of adults aged 65 years or older live alone (compared to 36.8% in Montreal and 31.2% in Québec).
(1) Christian Jetté et Christian Paquin, «Agir ensemble à Verdun, Portrait et Enjeux socioéconomique du Territoire, 2009 », Cahiers du LAREPPS numéro 09-01 ISSN : 1490-8069, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 2009.
(2) Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal (2008). Regard sur la défavorisation à Montréal – Région sociosanitaire de Montréal – Série 1, Montréal (Qc), Direction de santé publique, 28 pages.