Dorval, Quebec

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For the fictional princedom of Dorval, see Places of Dragon Prince.

Dorval within the Island of Montreal.

Dorval is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada in the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal; pop. 17,706 (2001), but 2006 estimates place the population at 18,311.

The history of Dorval dates back more than 300 years to 1665 when Sulpician priests established a mission on the outskirts of Ville-Marie, a french settlement which later became known as Montreal. Dorval was originally named Gentilly. It was later renamed La Présentation-de-la-Vierge-Marie and finally Dorval. It was incorporated as a village in 1892, a town in 1903, and a city in 1956. (In French it was termed a cité, an old term used to translate the English legal term "city.")

As with many other settlements on the Island of Montreal, the Grand Trunk Railway, which came to Dorval in 1855, was highly instrumental in attracting many wealthier families, mostly English speaking, in search of a summer refuge in proximity to their downtown residence and place of work. Access to Dorval from Montreal was also facilitated by the extension of streetcar service to Dorval's eastern city limits in the interwar period. After the Second World War many middle-class families migrated to Dorval from the city of Montreal and from other parts of Canada. This migration was made possible by the widening of highway 20 and by the large-scale construction of new dwellings. This new housing consisted mostly of single family homes with some townhouses and low-rise apartment buildings, built on lands previously used for agriculture and recreational activites such as golf. The postwar period also saw the construction of Dorval Gardens shopping center in 1956, one of Greater Montreal's first mall-style shopping centers. Today the shopping center remains the city's principal center of retail trade. From 12,853 residents in 1955, Dorval numbers today more than 17,500. Île Dorval, colonized in 1860 and located less than one kilometre offshore from Dorval, is a summer cottage community which has only two permanent residents and remains a pristine environment. The island is connected to Dorval proper by a private ferry service.

On January 1, 2002 Dorval, as an entity, was dissolved by the province of Quebec via Bill 170 (Municipal Territorial Organization) and was annexed to the city of Montréal. On June 20, 2004, the residents of Dorval voted to separate from Montreal to become an independent city once more. This renewed independence took effect on January 1, 2006.

Dorval was the home of the Allison family, one of the most recognizable families who were on board the Titanic in 1912. Their story can be seen in the 1996 TV Miniseries called Titanic which was broadcast on CBS. Trevor Allison, the youngest of the family, was the only survivor.

Dorval is the location of Dorval airport, officially known as Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. From 1975 to 2005, Dorval airport was one of two passenger airports serving Greater Montreal. Since 2005, Mirabel airport has handled only air freight. Originally a military airfield used mainly to refuel new fighters and bombers being flown to Great Britain during the Second World War, Dorval airport today serves over 11 million passengers annually. The airport is by far the largest employer in the city of Dorval, let alone the West Island. It is also a major source of municipal tax revenue.