Living · Family duel · Ahuntsic-Cartierville or Montréal-Nord · October 13, 2026
Two neighbouring areas seen with children: schools, parks, commutes, and the compromise that decides between Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Montréal-Nord.
Ahuntsic-Cartierville or Montréal-Nord for a family, side by side. Ahuntsic-Cartierville: The borough falls under the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal and the English Montreal School Board; Collège Ahuntsic and Cégep de Bois-de-Boulogne are in the borough, along with several private colleges. The median house exceeds $900,000: the entry point is the condo, and detached houses are contested. Montréal-Nord: The borough falls under the Centre de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île for the French public network and the English Montreal School Board for the English one. No metro on foot: transit depends on the Pie-IX bus and the car, and downtown is far. For families who want a house with a yard on the island, a river at the end of the street, the metro and quick access to Laval and the highways: Ahuntsic is the compromise between city and suburb. For a first-time buyer or a family who wants a house or a plex on the island without exceeding $600,000, next to a rapid bus line and a river; for an investor looking for income plexes in a neighbourhood that is renewing itself.
Ahuntsic-Cartierville or Montréal-Nord for a family: two neighbouring areas, the same questions on both sides. Schools, parks, commutes and the compromise each one asks of a family, taken from our neighbourhood guides and from what families tell us after the visits. The figures are those published by the APCIQ for the second quarter of 2026; nothing is embellished.
| Ahuntsic-Cartierville | Montréal-Nord | |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | The borough falls under the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal and the English Montreal School Board; Collège Ahuntsic and Cégep de Bois-de-Boulogne are in the borough, along with several private colleges. | The borough falls under the Centre de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île for the French public network and the English Montreal School Board for the English one. |
| Parks | Île-de-la-Visitation park (river, dam, trails) and the Gouin path are the big spaces; Ahuntsic, Nicolas-Viel and Marcelin-Wilson parks complete them; the Claude-Robillard sports complex is one of the city's major sports centres. | Parc Aimé-Léonard, on the Rivière des Prairies, and the boulevard Gouin path are the most prized spaces; Parc Henri-Bourassa, Parc Pilon and the Garon arena complete the sports offer. |
| Commutes | The orange line serves the borough at Henri-Bourassa, Sauvé and Crémazie; the Henri-Bourassa bus terminus connects Laval, and the Ahuntsic exo station (Saint-Jérôme line) serves the centre. | The Pie-IX bus rapid transit (SRB) links the borough to Pie-IX metro (green line) and to Laval; Henri-Bourassa buses lead to the Henri-Bourassa terminus (orange line), next door in Ahuntsic; Lacordaire and Saint-Michel buses complete the network. |
| The market in 2026 | Ahuntsic-Cartierville is a genuine single-family market (102 active listings in Q2, among the best-supplied on the island): $926,000 median, +7 % year over year, +32 % in five years, at 57 days on market, the longest of the north and east residential neighbourhoods. | Montréal-Nord is the island's fastest and cheapest house market: a $525,000 median in Q2 2026, down 6 % year over year after a 35 % rise in five years, and 24 days on market. |
| For which family | For families who want a house with a yard on the island, a river at the end of the street, the metro and quick access to Laval and the highways: Ahuntsic is the compromise between city and suburb. | For a first-time buyer or a family who wants a house or a plex on the island without exceeding $600,000, next to a rapid bus line and a river; for an investor looking for income plexes in a neighbourhood that is renewing itself. |
Ahuntsic-Cartierville: For families who want a house with a yard on the island, a river at the end of the street, the metro and quick access to Laval and the highways: Ahuntsic is the compromise between city and suburb. Montréal-Nord: For a first-time buyer or a family who wants a house or a plex on the island without exceeding $600,000, next to a rapid bus line and a river; for an investor looking for income plexes in a neighbourhood that is renewing itself.
The compromise that most often decides between the two, seen with children. On one side, the median house exceeds $900,000: the entry point is the condo, and detached houses are contested. On the other, no metro on foot: transit depends on the Pie-IX bus and the car, and downtown is far. The family that accepts one of the two more easily has found its neighbourhood. The full family portrait of each is in Living in Ahuntsic-Cartierville with a family and Living in Montréal-Nord with a family; the general duel, all profiles together, is in Ahuntsic-Cartierville or Montréal-Nord: the pros and cons.
For families who want a house with a yard on the island, a river at the end of the street, the metro and quick access to Laval and the highways: Ahuntsic is the compromise between city and suburb. For a first-time buyer or a family who wants a house or a plex on the island without exceeding $600,000, next to a rapid bus line and a river; for an investor looking for income plexes in a neighbourhood that is renewing itself. The area whose compromise bothers you least is the right one.
The borough falls under the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal and the English Montreal School Board; Collège Ahuntsic and Cégep de Bois-de-Boulogne are in the borough, along with several private colleges. The borough falls under the Centre de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île for the French public network and the English Montreal School Board for the English one. No page replaces checking the school catchment of the exact address.
The orange line serves the borough at Henri-Bourassa, Sauvé and Crémazie; the Henri-Bourassa bus terminus connects Laval, and the Ahuntsic exo station (Saint-Jérôme line) serves the centre. The Pie-IX bus rapid transit (SRB) links the borough to Pie-IX metro (green line) and to Laval; Henri-Bourassa buses lead to the Henri-Bourassa terminus (orange line), next door in Ahuntsic; Lacordaire and Saint-Michel buses complete the network. Do both commutes once, on a Tuesday morning, before deciding.
Written by the Loaa & Manseur team from our Living in Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Living in Montréal-Nord guides and from what families tell us after the visits; no figure is added to those published by the APCIQ, and ranking schools is not our trade. The other neighbourhood duels seen with children are in neighbourhood against neighbourhood for a family.
The Loaa & Manseur team, led by Lotfi Manseur and Loaa Al Daow, is the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 of large residential teams according to the official RE/MAX ranking, computed on actual transactions. Its Google profile counts more than 220 reviews with a 4.9 rating. Its offices are at 55 avenue de l'Équinoxe in Brossard, one bridge from the island, and every broker's licence can be checked in the OACIQ public register. Three things to verify yourself before calling us, and to demand of any other broker.
Also available in French: version française de ce guide.
Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.
Équipe no 1 de RE/MAX Platine en 2024 et en 2025, 6e au Québec, 15e au Canada et dans le top 50 mondial au classement officiel RE/MAX. Réponse en moins de 24 heures, sept jours sur sept.