Living · Duel · Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac or Fabreville · October 11, 2026
Two neighbouring areas, the pros and cons of each side by side, and the con that most often decides between the two.
Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac or Fabreville, the pros and cons side by side. Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac: pro, Large lots, the river, waterfront properties, Laval-sur-le-Lac and the Deux-Montagnes train. Con, The Laval of wide-open spaces, not of services: everything is by car, and shops are far from residential streets. Fabreville: pro, The cheapest house with land in Laval, near highways 13 and 440 and the Rivière des Mille Îles. Con, Functional, with no old village or shopping street: shops are on the boulevards and you get around by car. For families who want a large lot, a river and the commuter train, and accept the car for everything else; for those looking for a waterfront property or the prestige of Laval-sur-le-Lac. For first-time buyers and families who want a house with a lot in Laval under $600,000, near the highways and the river; for investors who renovate bungalows.
Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac and Fabreville are neighbours, and buyers often hesitate between the two. Here are the pros and cons of each, side by side, written by a team that sells in both; the figures are those published by the APCIQ for the second quarter of 2026, and nothing is embellished.
| Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac | Fabreville | |
|---|---|---|
| Transit | The exo Saint-Jérôme line stops at Sainte-Dorothée and Île-Bigras stations, with downtown Montreal without a transfer; STL buses reach the Montmorency terminus and the Carrefour Laval. | Fabreville has no station of its own: Sainte-Rose station (exo Saint-Jérôme line) is at the eastern limit, and STL buses reach the Montmorency terminus. |
| Parks and shops | The banks of the Rivière des Prairies, Parc des Cageux and the river accesses, the Bois de l'Équerre at the Sainte-Rose limit and the Laval-sur-le-Lac golf course (private) make up the sector's nature. | The Rivière des Mille Îles banks and the Bois de l'Équerre, at the Sainte-Rose limit, are the large spaces; neighbourhood parks, the arena and the pool complete the offer. |
| Schools and services | The sector falls under the Centre de services scolaire de Laval and the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, with schools in both networks. | The sector falls under the Centre de services scolaire de Laval and the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. |
| The market in 2026 | Sainte-Dorothée is Laval's most expensive sector for houses: a $775,500 median in Q2 2026 (+4 % year over year, +31 % in five years), 48 days on market, the longest of the six sectors for single-family homes, and 111 active listings. | Fabreville is Laval's cheapest and fastest house market: a $547,500 median in Q2 2026 (flat year over year, +36 % in five years), 24 days on market, 137 active listings, and a seller's market in every range (1.0 to 4.9 months of inventory). |
| Who it is for | For families who want a large lot, a river and the commuter train, and accept the car for everything else; for those looking for a waterfront property or the prestige of Laval-sur-le-Lac. | For first-time buyers and families who want a house with a lot in Laval under $600,000, near the highways and the river; for investors who renovate bungalows. |
| Not for | Less so for those who want the metro, a condo or a walkable neighbourhood life: Sainte-Dorothée is the Laval of open spaces, not of services. | Less so for those who want a train on foot, an old village or a recent house: Fabreville is functional, family-oriented and fast, and you must offer quickly. |
Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac: For families who want a large lot, a river and the commuter train, and accept the car for everything else; for those looking for a waterfront property or the prestige of Laval-sur-le-Lac. Fabreville: For first-time buyers and families who want a house with a lot in Laval under $600,000, near the highways and the river; for investors who renovate bungalows.
The con that most often decides between the two. On one side, the Laval of wide-open spaces, not of services: everything is by car, and shops are far from residential streets. On the other, functional, with no old village or shopping street: shops are on the boulevards and you get around by car. Whichever of the two you accept more easily names your neighbourhood. The detail of each is in Living in Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac: the pros and cons and Living in Fabreville: the pros and cons.
Sainte-Dorothée is Laval's most expensive sector for houses: a $775,500 median in Q2 2026 (+4 % year over year, +31 % in five years), 48 days on market, the longest of the six sectors for single-family homes, and 111 active listings. Fabreville is Laval's cheapest and fastest house market: a $547,500 median in Q2 2026 (flat year over year, +36 % in five years), 24 days on market, 137 active listings, and a seller's market in every range (1.0 to 4.9 months of inventory). The price of a specific house is set on the comparable closed sales on its street, which the team pulls from the Centris system; our Living in Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac and Living in Fabreville guides give the benchmark of each sector.
The sector falls under the Centre de services scolaire de Laval and the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, with schools in both networks. The sector falls under the Centre de services scolaire de Laval and the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. The exact school catchment varies from one street to the next: check before buying.
The exo Saint-Jérôme line stops at Sainte-Dorothée and Île-Bigras stations, with downtown Montreal without a transfer; STL buses reach the Montmorency terminus and the Carrefour Laval. Fabreville has no station of its own: Sainte-Rose station (exo Saint-Jérôme line) is at the eastern limit, and STL buses reach the Montmorency terminus.
Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac: The Laval of wide-open spaces, not of services: everything is by car, and shops are far from residential streets. Fabreville: Functional, with no old village or shopping street: shops are on the boulevards and you get around by car.
The pros and cons are written by the Loaa & Manseur team from our neighbourhood guides and from what buyers tell us after the visits; no figure is added to those published by the APCIQ. The other neighbouring duels are in pros and cons, neighbourhood against neighbourhood.
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.