Most of this neighbourhood was built after World War II as a part of the Veterans' Land Act settlement plan. Ten years later in 1955 it became a neighbourhood of Saskatoon The area was designated a National Historic Site on July 4, 2016. It was named after Field Marshal Lord Montgomery - 'Monty' - and most street names honour notable people and places associated with the war.
Future expansion
The neighbourhood was considered to have reached full build-out in the early 1980s, however in the years since some additions have occurred. Current development plans for the region call for an expansion of Montgomery Place to the west of Chappell Drive, with additional residential development. Beginning in 2012, construction of residential development north of 11th Street and south of the 11th Street Bypass began, which has added the first apartment-style multi-family developments to the community. No time frame has been presented on the western expansion. With the completion of Circle Drive, there is also potential future development land available on the west side of Dundonald Avenue, which as of 2013 no longer connects to Valley Road or the City Landfill and has a number of lots that were left vacant for decades due to uncertainty over the eventual outcome of the Circle Drive alignment. A new law has been put into place in this community that you can no longer sub-divide lots. The community wants to keep large spacious yards a tradition for many years to come.
Layout
11th Street and the new 11th Street Bypass are the northernmost roads in Montgomery Place. Chappell Drive is the furthest west road at present, whereas Dundonald Avenue and the southwest extension of Circle Drive lie to the east. The southern boundary of the community's residential development is denoted by Burma Road, a private roadway servicing the CN Rail yards on the south side of Montgomery Place. The neighbourhood is a conglomeration of streets and avenues in near grid fashion combined with courts. The neighbourhood naming practices honour the history and theaters of World War II. The city's main rail yard and passenger station is located on the south side of Montgomery Place, and the northern side of the community is in the shadow of the Viterra Grain Terminal, one of the city's iconic landmarks.
Streets
The following streets are located in this area: 11th Street West/11th Street Bypass, Caen Street, Arnhem Street, Normandy Street, Ortona Street, Merritt Street, Dieppe Street, Mountbatten Street, Currie Avenue, McNaughton Avenue, Elevator Road, Rockingham Avenue, Haida Avenue, Simonds Avenue, Cassino Avenue & Place, Crerar Drive, Crescent Boulevard, Lancaster Boulevard & Crescent, Bader Crescent, Dundonald Avenue, Chappell Drive, Burma Road. Burma Road, a private roadway, runs east-to-west between the residential development of Montgomery Place and the rail yards to the south. The road did not appear on official city maps prior to 2012, but was recognized by Google Maps, and unofficial street signs were erected. Beginning in 2013, the City of Saskatoon's official street map shows it, even though it is not open for public traffic. A notable aspect of many older roadways within Montgomery Place is the lack of sidewalks. Several older streets within the community also were left unpaved for many years due to a stated desire by residents of the day to keep property taxes low.
The Confederation Suburban Center is the closest large retail center and contains 400 operating businesses which is 8% of Saskatoon's retail sector. The Blairmore suburban Center is under development. Montgomery residents can directly access the former via Circle Drive and the latter via 11th Street and the realigned Highway 7. In addition Montgomery Place is home to Greg's Grocery Plus, a local bakery and convenience store. The neighbourhood was once home to the Montgomery Grocery, at the corner of Dundonald Ave. and 11th Street; the building was demolished as the intersection prepared for construction of the southwest leg of Circle Drive.
Community Events
The annual Montgomery Garage Sale occurs on the first Saturday in May. By all measures, this is the largest community garage sale in Saskatoon. Many community groups use the event as an opportunity to host fundraising barbecues and bake sales. Traffic within the neighbourhood is often abnormally congested during this event. In addition, Montgomery Place hosts its very own Remembrance Day ceremony each year in Montgomery Park. Given its unique history as a veteran's neighbourhood, there is always overwhelming community support for the service.
