Licensed Preschool in Montreal Nord, QC

Preschool in Montreal Nord

Montréal-Nord packs 56 licensed garderies into one of the island's densest and youngest boroughs, and for the families who live here (many of them newcomers, many working non-standard hours) the numbers that matter most are access numbers. Forty-one of the 56 centres, 73%, offer reduced-contribution places, right at Québec's provincial average, which keeps the fixed daily rate within reach across most of the borough. All providers are centre-based garderies or CPEs; 36 of them hold infant licensing for poupons under 12 months, and every one covers toddlers and preschoolers. On reputation, 32 centres have three or more Google reviews, averaging 4.42 stars, a shade under the Québec average of 4.52, with 15 centres at 4.5 or better. The strongest track records belong to Garderie Francine (1993), perfect at 5.0 across 19 reviews, Les Perles de Castille (5.0 over 13) and Garderie le Monde d'Edimar Inc. (5.0 over 6). With review coverage this broad, those scores are worth something, and the gap between the borough's best and its average makes shortlisting worth the effort.

What to know about childcare in Montreal Nord

Childcare in Montréal-Nord carries more weight than in most boroughs because the alternatives are thinner. This is one of Montréal's youngest and most densely populated districts, with large newcomer communities and household incomes below the island median: exactly the context where a subsidized garderie spot changes a family's monthly math. The good news is that access holds up: 41 of 56 centres offer places à contribution réduite, a 73% participation rate matching the provincial average. The 15 market-rate centres are partially offset by Québec's refundable childcare tax credit, which pays out at its most generous rates precisely for the lower-income households concentrated here, a detail many eligible families miss.

The market is entirely centre-based in MapleCub's dataset, a mix of CPEs and private garderies along the Henri-Bourassa, Pie-IX and Léger corridors. Review coverage is broad for a borough of this profile: 32 of 56 centres carry three or more Google reviews. The 4.42 average sits below Québec's 4.52, and only 15 centres clear 4.5, a wider spread between top and middle than in wealthier boroughs. That makes the leaders genuinely useful markers. Garderie Francine (1993) has held a perfect 5.0 across 19 reviews, a track record few Montréal garderies of any kind match; Les Perles de Castille repeats the feat over 13 reviews, and Garderie le Monde d'Edimar Inc. over 6, though that smaller count is weaker evidence. Ratings reflect parent sentiment, not Ministère de la Famille compliance. Pair them with the inspection record.

Age licensing is the planning constraint. Thirty-six of 56 centres (about two-thirds) hold poupon licensing for children under 12 months, better than the island's tightest markets but low enough that infant rooms fill quickly in a borough with one of Montréal's highest birth rates. Shortlist centres early in pregnancy, register on the Portail d'inscription aux services de garde as soon as your child is born, and apply to several centres at once. All 56 centres cover toddlers and preschoolers, so options widen substantially after the first birthday. No centre shows school-age licensing; as everywhere in Québec, before- and after-school care runs through the schools' services de garde, not the garderies.