Lachine, Aerial Photograph (circa 1957-1962?) ... Likely 1959 !

My father purchased the above, undated, RCAF aerial photograph of Lachine and Dorval. 

This is the highest resolution possible of a whole image on this Google platform. 

If this photo is someday indexed and readily viewable online, its unique identifier (cropped away by me ... out in the 'water' in the lower left corner) is A16289-99.

My estimate of the date of the photo is rough and based on features such as:

• The presence of the old CNR Lachine station (34th Avenue and future Victoria Street) and main line right-of-way along the route of the future Victoria. 
• The new CNR Dorval station has not yet been built.
• The Dominion Store on 45th Avenue at Brewster has not yet been built. Stony Point Park has not been filled in and extended beyond its 'original' shore line.
• The building of houses in the area of 47th Avenue north of Sherbrooke has been completed.
• St Andrew's Presbyterian Church (across from the former Lachine High School on Sherbrooke) has been completed.
• The 55th Avenue interchange with the future Autoroute 20 has not been completed.

If you look at the hypotenuse of Dorval Airport's taxiways and runways, you'll notice that the name 'Montreal' is visible from the air.

Resulting from the origin survey system used in New France, you'll notice that many of the long, narrow farm lots can be seen in the top, right section of the photo.

*  *  *

In November 2020, Timothy Quetton noticed this photo and was kind enough to write and to help narrow down the date it was probably taken. I have left the list of some of my favourite local features intact above. Here are his observations to narrow down the date further:

" Regarding the photo you have titled ‘Lachine, Aerial Photograph circa 1957-1962’, your timeline is correct, and I believe you could further narrow it down to just 1959.

I base this on visible construction progress of the new Dorval Airport passenger terminal, which opened in late 1960.

Based on trees in full bloom, I assume this to be a summertime photo, I would imagine that the terminal and apron area could not have been completed and opened to the public a few months later, thus it could not be 1960.

However the main form of the passenger terminal core is built, with roofing in place, well beyond an earlier framing phase.

To me it would seem unlikely that this was done over two years prior to opening.

Thus I end up thinking this would be 1959. "