Happy trails

One of the most appealing features about living in suburban areas is the fact you can jog outside without dealing with noise and pollution (unless you do it during traffic).

The West Island has several beautiful jogging and biking paths weaving in and out of suburban streets as they head toward wooded areas. One of them is the path cutting through de Salaberry Boulevard and Lake Road in Dollard des Ormeaux that leads to Centennial Park.

Centennial may have the word "park" attached at the end of it, but there are so many trees and so much vegetation surrounding its large paths that it's almost more helpful to think of it as a tiny forest instead.

For a nice view, you can enter the park from its entrance behind the Dollard town hall and library on de Salaberry, move forward a little bit, take the second left turn available and run up the small hill. At the very top, you'll lay witness to the artificial lake lying quietly in the middle of the park. If you want a really unique experience, do this around sunset, when the water reflects the blazing colours of the sun and the sky.

The small hill in question also provides a good place for a bit of exercise, if you choose to run up and down a few times to train your muscles (although some might accuse you of having masochistic inclinations if you do this in front of them).

Centennial Park is one of the best, but not alone as a good place to jog on this part of the island. Pointe Claire residents swear by Terracotta Park on the south side of St. John's. You can easily access Terracotta by a number of residential streets, but the most well-known entrance is the one on Terracotta Avenue off Doneganie.

If you're new to Terracotta, you might want to give yourself quite a bit of time. Part of its joy lays in the fact its narrow paths that just keep branching off each other relentlessly lend it a labyrinthine lay-out. In other words, you will undoubtedly get lost on your first couple of trips there.

It might be a little frustrating if you set out there only late in the evening and it gets dark very quickly, but go there during the day and you'll really enjoy it if you have just the slightest sense of adventure. There is something cool about running into the park at one spot in Pointe Claire and then emerging on a completely different street.

On top of this, the comparatively narrower paths mean you are usually closer to all the foliage and trees, so if you're a nature lover, this is a great place for you.

Straddling Beaconsfield and Kirkland slightly further west is Angell Woods, which truly earns its name. In Beaconsfield, a jogging path along Elm Street means you can start your run right there as you head towards the woods' entrance facing Beaurepaire train station.

Angell is not known for its large, or even narrow, paths though, beyond a couple of exceptions. There is a reason it's called "woods" rather than "park." If you decide to go there, make sure you're ready for a somewhat off-road excursion. Not that a light a run is impossible to pull off, but you might want to wear track pants rather than shorts, as vegetation is practically everywhere you step.

All three of these parks are also open to dogs, and very popular for dog owners, so if you have a pet pooch, these are great places to take them. And if you're afraid of dogs, well, be careful.

Other good jogging areas in the West Island include scenic Lakeshore Road cutting through Dorval and Pointe Claire, Ste Anne's in Ste Anne de Bellevue (although be careful about traffic), and Grier Park or Cap. St. Jacque in Pierrefonds.