Traveling from the West Island to downtown Montreal or even from north to south in the same area almost always involves spending a long time in public transportation or being stuck in traffic.
In general, the southern West Island population is considered as advantaged from a socioeconomic point of view. But at the same time, hidden poverty still exists in pockets across the region.
With only 58 doctors per 100,000 inhabitants compared to 85 per 100,000 in Montreal, accessibility to first line health services is a constant challenge in the West Island.
Access to fresh, affordable and healthy food is limited to the extent that the area can be considered as a food desert, meaning that very few citizens live within a 500 meter radius of a service providing fresh fruits and vegetables.
