The riverbank site of Aquablu along the Rivière des Prairies

Sainte-Dorothée · Laval · Rivière des Prairies

The Aquablu
Record

Not a brochure. A plain, open account of what Domaine des Berges 13 set out to build, what has been delivered, and exactly where the project stands today — written for the people who call Aquablu home.

A note to owners

Let's talk, plainly.

If you own a home at Aquablu, you have heard things. In the lobby, at the pool, in the parking garage — a project this long-lived collects stories, and not all of them are true. This page exists so you never have to rely on second-hand accounts again.

Think of it as a fireside conversation rather than a sales pitch. Nothing here is for sale. What follows is the history of Domaine des Berges 13, the milestones already behind us, an honest correction of the rumours in circulation, and a clear statement of where the remaining work stands.

We would rather you hear it from us, in full, than from the grapevine in fragments. The river doesn't hide its current. Neither will we.

The partners of DDB13

Where the name comes from

A riverbank, and the road that reaches it.

Berges — the edge of a river, where land meets water. It is the ground this whole project stands on: a quiet stretch of the Rivière des Prairies, long overlooked, hidden just past the end of Rue Étienne-Lavoie.

13 — Autoroute 13, the artery that ties this calm corner of Sainte-Dorothée to the heart of Montréal. Close to everything, apart from all of it.

Put them together and you have the whole idea in a name: the riverbank estate off Highway 13. The promise was never a logo. It was to honour the land, the water, and the people who would one day live here.

The natural, wooded riverbank before construction, 2011
The untouched riverbank, 2011 — the character we set out to protect.

The journey so far

A decade, measured in delivered buildings.

2011

The land is acquired

The founding parcel on the Rivière des Prairies is secured. A vision that had lived only on paper finally had ground beneath it.

2012

The master plan takes shape

Aquablu is drawn as a multi-phase waterfront community, with a commitment — stated from the start — to transparency and architectural integrity.

2016

Phase 1 is delivered

The first building is completed and handed to its owners. Every promise made on paper was now something you could walk through.

2021

Phase 2 is delivered

The second building is completed and occupied. The community grows. From here, the whole of our attention turns to the approval of Phase 3.

Aquablu

Photographs

From empty riverbank to a place people live.

A visual record of the site — the land as we found it, and the buildings we imagined for it. Click any image to enlarge.

Aerial view of the site, 2011
2011 — the site from above, before a foundation was poured.
Breaking ground and the neighbourhood taking shape
2011 — breaking ground; the neighbourhood begins to take shape.
The natural riverbank
2011 — the wooded edge, right on the water.
The end of the road and the beginning of a dream
2011 — the end of the road, and the beginning of everything.
Architectural rendering of the courtyard and pool
Rendering — the courtyard, pool, and landscaped terraces.
Architectural rendering of the tower
Rendering — a tower turned to face the river it stands beside.

Setting the record straight

Rumours travel fast. Facts travel slower.

Here are the two claims we hear most often, and the plain truth in each case — on the record.

Rumours
The rumour False

"Phase 3 has been abandoned."

It has not. The partners own the Phase 3 land outright — it has not been sold, surrendered, or walked away from. City approval is being pursued actively. The process is slow; the commitment is unchanged.

The rumour False

"DDB13 is in financial trouble."

The delays are administrative and regulatory — not financial. The land is owned. Phases 1 and 2 were both delivered. There is no money problem behind the Phase 3 timeline.

Heard something at the pool or in the gym? We'd rather have the conversation. Send it through the contact form and we'll answer it here, in the open.

Where we stand today

Two buildings standing. One still ahead.

Phases 1 and 2 are complete, occupied, and part of daily life at Aquablu. That is the settled past, and nothing on this page changes it.

Phase 3 is the open chapter. The land is owned and the intention is firm; what remains is municipal approval, and that is a process measured in patience rather than weeks. We will not pretend it is faster than it is — but we will keep you informed as it moves, on this page, as it happens.

If the timeline shifts, you'll read it here before you hear it anywhere else.

Get in touch

Ask us anything.

A question about your unit, the timeline, a servitude, or Phase 3 — write to us. Every message is read, and answered personally.

Email
jgarabedian@gmail.com
Location

Sainte-Dorothée, Laval, QC

We read every message and reply personally — usually within 1–2 business days.

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