Young family in Griffintown: what's next?

When a first child arrives, or a second, a new semi-detached home near Griffintown can go from a distant idea to a real plan.

Being a young family in Griffintown means enjoying a brand-new area, with the canal and downtown close at hand. It also means making do with mostly small homes in an area that's still waiting for its elementary school. Here's what the numbers say, and what a house in Sainte-Julie would change.

A young family in Griffintown: an area of young adults

According to the 2021 Census, in the six dissemination areas that cover the area, 38.1% of Griffintown residents were 25 to 34: more than double the Montreal share (17.1%) and more than four times Sainte-Julie's (8.6%). Children 14 and under made up just 8.2% of the population, compared with 17.3% in Sainte-Julie. Of 7,385 households, 980 had children, 655 couples and 325 single-parent families: 13.3% of households.

Lots of toddlers, fewer older kids

The age breakdown is telling. Griffintown had 540 children aged 0 to 4, 280 aged 5 to 9 and 215 aged 10 to 14. That makes 0.40 children aged 10 to 14 for every child aged 0 to 4; the ratio was 1.00 in Montreal and 1.73 in Sainte-Julie.

There are two possible readings, and these figures alone can't settle it: an area too new to have many older children yet, or families leaving as their kids grow up. During the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) consultation on Griffintown's future in 2023, residents listed, among the consequences of missing community facilities, "the exodus of families when children reach school age". In a 2023 brief, the "Pour une école primaire à Griffintown" group found it "disheartening" to see young families "having to leave for lack of services in the neighbourhood". These are opinions, quoted as such.

An elementary school that's still on the way

The special planning program (PPU) adopted in 2013 didn't originally include an elementary school; by 2020, the project had become a 24-classroom school, which the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM) recommended in 2023 be built "as soon as possible". In the part of the OCPM's report devoted to the opinions expressed, the lack of a school is called a major irritant for Griffintown residents.

On May 9, 2025, the City of Montreal noted that the Quebec government had ordered a freeze on building new schools on April 1. Work was continuing to transfer the land to the CSSDM and turn part of Bassin-à-Gravier Park into a school park, and the borough mayor was aiming for the land transfer in 2026. Griffintown is still waiting for its elementary school, according to the City's latest public information (May 2025). According to the CSSDM (2023), the École primaire De la Petite-Bourgogne is among the schools that currently serve the area.

One more bedroom, or two

For a young family in Griffintown, space is the other issue. In the area, 52.0% of homes had a single bedroom and 3.3% had none; only 8.4% had three or more, compared with 69.3% in Sainte-Julie. A Griffintown home had 2.7 to 3.9 rooms on average, depending on the dissemination area; in Sainte-Julie, 7.1.

At BÉAcité, 405 and 423 Geoffrion Street, two of the ready homes, each have three bedrooms. 405 also has a mezzanine and a rooftop terrace; 423, a Duo home, has a finished basement and an open office for working from home. On the plans, the Duo cottage spreads 2,018 sq ft of living space over two storeys, above an 858 sq ft basement, and the semi-detached bungalow offers 1,006 sq ft on one floor, with as much again in the basement. In May 2021, mid-pandemic, 53.8% of the area's workers were working from home: that extra bedroom can double as an office.

Outdoors: a yard, a garage, parks

In Griffintown, kids play outside in public parks such as Bassin-à-Gravier Park, or along the Lachine Canal. At BÉAcité, every house has its own garden-level backyard and private garden, landscaped on delivery; several lots have no neighbour behind them, and a pool or a spa can be considered. The site plan includes two parks and a retention pond, and Vilamo sets aside 600,000 sq ft for green space. The garage takes the car, with an outlet to charge it if it's electric. And for older kids, local public transit in Sainte-Julie is free for everyone.

Schools in Sainte-Julie

Sainte-Julie falls under the Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes, which runs seven elementary schools and the École secondaire du Grand-Coteau there, according to its 2026-2027 list. On the English side, a 2025-2026 Riverside School Board document places Sainte-Julie in the zones of Cedar Street, Courtland Park International and Mount Bruno elementary schools, and of Heritage Regional High School. Which school your children attend depends on your address, and access to English schooling is governed by Quebec law: check with the school board before deciding, and don't take a spot for granted.

The city also has more children: 17.3% of its residents were 14 or under in 2021, and one household in three (33.3%) was a couple with children.

What changes for parents

The biggest change is the commute. From Geoffrion Street, downtown Montreal is about 35 minutes away without traffic via the Jacques Cartier Bridge, and day-to-day life in Sainte-Julie mostly happens by car: 90.2% of the city's commuters drive. In return, the upkeep of the house is fully handled by an all-inclusive program, which frees up time for other things. Our article on living in Sainte-Julie or Griffintown compares the two settings point by point.

And if outdoor space up high matters to you, have a look at the house with a rooftop terrace near Griffintown.

Conclusion

For a young family in Griffintown, the question isn't whether the area is pleasant, but whether your home will have the room you need five years from now. Three bedrooms, a basement, a yard and a garage: that's what a BÉAcité semi-detached home can offer, in a city with seven elementary schools, about 35 minutes from downtown when the road is clear. The sales office at 435 Geoffrion Street welcomes you Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; for an evening, a Saturday or a Sunday, book an appointment at 514-812-9633 (call or text).