Verdun is where it’s at these days!

That was five years ago. I never did move to Verdun --for a variety of reasons, none of which had anything to do with my mom's concerns, but, in that brief time, Verdun real-estate properties practically tripled in value, a younger, hipper, educated crowd moved into the area and many have alluded to the borough as the "next Plateau".

And yet, despite these incredibly positive changes taking place on the mainland, perceptions die hard. For many Islanders, mainland Verdun is still seen as the poor relative. Rents are higher on the Island, real-estate values are sky-high and you can still detect a hint of barely concealed snobbery, when I.D.S. residents are forced to admit they are "technically" part of the Verdun borough.

I recently took a guided tour of Verdun with Alain Laroche, the unstoppable Commissioner of Local Development. Dispelling myths and misconceptions can be an arduous task, but its one that he has taken on with gusto.

What's the biggest misconception? That Nuns' Island is the undisputed green oasis, while Verdun is a lower and middle-class asphalt jungle. In fact, while only 29% of Nuns' Island is zoned public parks/ green spaces, Verdun's mainland enjoys 31% of green spaces and parks! Who knew! Another popular misconception is that Verdun has a high unemployment rate. In fact, it's only 8%, which is the provincial average, dramatically down from 15% in 1994.

During the tour, I saw first-hand the incredible transformation Verdun's mainland has undergone and it was positively inspirational to see the residential development that's popped up and the funky, original new stores and restaurants gracing Verdun's downtown core. Is there still more work to be done? Of course there is. Is there a brand new vibe and "feel" to Verdun? Absolutely!

Which is why I find it so ironic that some Islanders have worked so hard to make the distinction between them and "la terre ferme" so clear. Personally, if I lived on the Island, I would WANT a bridge connecting me to Verdun's mainland, I would WANT to be associated with the hip vibe of something old coming to life as something vibrantly new. I would WANT a quick shorcut to a part of the borough experiencing a rennaisance of sorts.

Since Nuns' Island is still so young as a community, it sometimes lacks the personality that can only come with age. It will –of course—come into its own eventually, but mainland Verdun has already "been there, done that". Verdunites, with their 18 churches, have had lots to pray about as they watched 7,000 of their boys go off to war in the 1940s. It's not surprising to me that so many artists have chosen the mainland as their home. There's a sense of quiet individuality, resiliency, weatherbeaten toughness, the extraordinary within the very ordinary that attracts people to this place. It defies misconceptions. Nuns' Island should be happy to be a part of it.