Little Maghreb
Encyclopedia
Little Maghreb
is a Montreal
neighbourhood in the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
. The neighbourhood is centered on fifteen blocks of Jean Talon Street stretching from Saint Michel Boulevard in the West to Pie-IX Boulevard
in the East. North Africa
n merchants in the area have joined together to create a Little Maghreb identity for the neighbourhood, in the same way as Chinatown
had become a symbol for Chinese
Montrealers, and Little Italy
had become the focal point of the city's Italian community. This neighbourhood is the first of its kind in North America
.
Originally a part of the Saint-Michel
neighbourhood, the late 1990s marked the beginning of the neighbourhood's North African flavour. This was a product of the opening of the Dar Al-Arkam Mosque
on the corner of Jean-Talon and 17th Avenue and the arrival of thousands of immigrants from Algeria
, Morocco
and Tunisia
.
Little Maghreb is served by the Saint-Michel
Metro
station on the Blue Line
.
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
is a Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
neighbourhood in the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension is a borough in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It has a population of 145,485 and an area of 16,05 km².-Location:...
. The neighbourhood is centered on fifteen blocks of Jean Talon Street stretching from Saint Michel Boulevard in the West to Pie-IX Boulevard
Pie-IX Boulevard
Pie-IX Boulevard, named after Pope Pius IX, is a major boulevard on the island of Montreal. It runs for roughly in a northwest/southeast direction between Henri Bourassa Boulevard and Notre-Dame East...
in the East. North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
n merchants in the area have joined together to create a Little Maghreb identity for the neighbourhood, in the same way as Chinatown
Chinatown, Montreal
Chinatown in Montreal is located in the area of De la Gauchetière Street in Montreal. The neighborhood contains many Asian restaurants, food markets, and convenience stores as well being home to many of Montreal's East Asian community centres, such as the Montreal Chinese Hospital and the Montreal...
had become a symbol for Chinese
Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent. They constitute the second-largest visible minority group in Canada, after South Asian Canadians...
Montrealers, and Little Italy
Little Italy, Montreal
Montreal's Little Italy is located on Saint Laurent Boulevard between Jean-Talon and St. Zotique Streets and is home to one of Montreal's original Italian Canadian communities...
had become the focal point of the city's Italian community. This neighbourhood is the first of its kind in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Originally a part of the Saint-Michel
Saint-Michel, Montreal
Saint-Michel is a neighborhood in the Montreal borough ofVilleray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. Its boundaries corresponds to the former city of Ville Saint Michel, which was annexed to Montreal in 1968. This former independent city was known as Saint-Michel-de-Laval from its inception in 1912 to...
neighbourhood, the late 1990s marked the beginning of the neighbourhood's North African flavour. This was a product of the opening of the Dar Al-Arkam Mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
on the corner of Jean-Talon and 17th Avenue and the arrival of thousands of immigrants from Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
.
Little Maghreb is served by the Saint-Michel
Saint-Michel (Montreal Metro)
Saint-Michel is a station at the eastern terminus Blue Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.- Overview :...
Metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
station on the Blue Line
Line 5 Blue (Montreal Metro)
The Blue line is one of the four lines of the metro in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was the fourth to be built, notwithstanding its name. Line 3 was planned, but never built...
.