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Phil Matlin impressive on the piano

District 2 resident Phil Matlin has introduced his own   Ragtime and Nostalgia Piano You Tube channel. Bravo to Phil, a multi-talented individual who also knows a little bit about magic.

Here is  Phil belting out St. Louis Blues (so that is how the hockey team got its name!)

 

Here is his rendition of Carolina in the Morning:

 

 

 

 

District 2 resident Phil Matlin has introduced his own   Ragtime and Nostalgia Piano You Tube channel. Bravo to Phil, a multi-talented individual who also knows a little bit about magic.

Here is  Phil belting out St. Louis Blues (so that is how the hockey team got its name!)

 

Here is his rendition of Carolina in the Morning:

 

 

 

 

CSL synagogues battle for the Kiddush Cup; TBDJ defeats BIBA

In an unprecedented Jewish sports spectacle which now promises to become an annual affair, the first Kiddush Cup took place February 12 at the Bell Centre – home to the  Montreal Canadiens – and featured teams representing the Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation  (BIBA) and Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation TBDJ ended up winning a hard fought 6-5  decision, but it was the thousands of dollars raised for youth programming and community events for  the two City of Côte Saint-Luc synagogues which was the most important result.

I would like to thank Martin Banoon Photography for some of the excellent shots here of the BIBA and TBDJ teams and of the opening ceremony.

The idea of the Kiddush Cup was conceived by Lawrence Witt, president of BIBA and a lawyer with the firm Heenan Blaikie and TBDJ vice-president Judah Aspler. Each player paid an unidentified fee to play. Funds also came in via ticket sales, silent auction bids, event sponsors and a family skate on the Bell Centre ice. Michel Lacroix, the true Canadiens public address announcer, introduced the starting lineup. They even had the familiar organ music in the background. Rabbis Reuben J. Poupko and Chaim Steinmetz of BIBA and TBDJ respectively served as coaches. The event co-chairs were Ted Quint and Warren Greenstone of  TBDJ and David Diner and Alex Feld from BIBA.

Witt joked that even though BIBA was on the short end of the 6-5 loss, he plans on making a few minor off-season acquisitions to ensure that his club sips from the coveted Kiddush Cup after the 2013 rematch. “Next year, we may even produce a Jewish version of "24/6 - The Road to the Kiddush Cup," he said in reference to the popular HBO  documentary which follows  NHL teams participating in the outdoor Winter Classic.

Talk has already begun about a possible baseball game between the synagogue’s two teams. “This one will for the Seder Plate,” Witt notes.

“TBDJ came into this inaugural game as the underdogs, but keeping with Jewish  tradition, faith and perseverance turned the story around and into a celebration that will last eight days,” added Aspler, who works for Microsoft. “We have no doubt that BIBA will be gunning for us next year, but we've got a team roadmap that will secure our hold on the coveted Kiddush Cup for generations.”

The  RSM Richter Chamberland opening ceremony included Canadian and Israel national anthems interpreted by Cantors Yossi Fleischman (TBDJ) and  Moishe Shur. The ceremonial puck drop was performed by local Police Station 9 Commander Sylvain Bissonnette and Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor Dida Berku.   Some 500 spectators were in attendance.  

Scoring opened at the five minute mark of the first period with a Witt tip-in of a Russell Samuels shot from the point. TBDJ blew the game open in the second frame with a pair of goals by Evan Ellbogen and singles by Greenstone, Avi Miller, Lorne Svarc and Michael Ziegler. BIBA responded with goals by Jeremy Wallace, Howard Wallace and a pair by Oren Nahoum. BIBA pulled Goalie Jake Singal-Kohn in the last minute for the extra attacker, but Team BIBA was stymied by the stingy TBDJ netminder Shaya "Leather Larceny" Csillag, who drove in from New Jersey to play in the game (and drove back immediately after).
One of the goals went to a video replay but was declared a "good " upon review by referee Mark Gross.

Both teams had a practice last Saturday night Feb. 4th.

"This is was great community event," said Greenstone. "Playing hockey at the Bell Centre was a thrill for everyone involved. The kids who also had the opportunity to play had an amazing time as did all those who participated in the family skate. It was great way to spend a Sunday afternoon."

 

The adult game was broken up by a 15 minute kids (ages six to 10) contest and a 15 minute youth (ages 10 to 15) match.

Team BIBA's honourary captain was Israeli Consul General. Joel Lion. He wore   the Israel National Hockey Team uniform and "played" for BIBA. “It was an amazing experience,” said Rabbi Steinmetz. “Everyone had fun at an enjoyable and competitive game.   Of course I am proud of my coaching - in particular because I know so little about hockey. Now that I am unbeaten I’m working on my coaching memoir entitled: ‘The Rabbi's Way: How Studying the Talmud Can Make You into a Better Hockey Player, or at Least, Into a Better Person.’
We left the Bell Centre with our prayers for the Canadiens’ success.”

Svarc of TBDJ noted that the funniest moment of the day came when Consul General walked into the locker room and exclaimed ‘On the ice I have diplomatic immunity." He added how every kid who plays hockey dreams of playing in a professional arena. “They really brought out all the stops for the full experience,” he says. 

Here are some video clips courtesy of Dida Berku:

 

 

 

  

 

CSL adopts anti-smoking by-law dealing with the outdoors

I am very proud that my colleagues and I on  Côte Saint-Luc city council have adopted a by-law to expand our  smoking ban to certain outdoor areas.  District 4 Councillor Steven Erdelyi (pictured) sponsored this piece of legislation, which passed unanimously.The new by-law will ban smoking within 20 meters of children's outdoor playgrounds and near municipal sports fields.   We will also ban smoking in our public parks during special events like Canada Day. For those who break the law, a fine of $50 will be issued for the first offence and $100 if you do so again.

A lot of people will tell you that this by-law will not be easy to enforce. However,  I like the fact that a citizen can now approach a person who is blowing smoke at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park with young children close by and tell him or her to butt out.

Our city took a leadership role many years ago when the late Eric Helfield sponsored the first anti-smoking by-law. I was a reporter for The Suburban Newspaper  at that time, covering City Hall.

I do not smoke and I have a low tolerance for those who do so around me. I know it is an addiction, but  I do hope that actions like this might prompt some more people to kick the habit.

Here is the official city press release:

The City of Côte Saint-Luc adopted a by-law on February 13 to update prohibitions on smoking in public places, continuing the city’s long-time leadership on this health and safety issue. 

By-law 2374 entitled By-law to Regulate Smoking in the City of Côte Saint-Luc replaces by-law 2202. Côte Saint-Luc first adopted a by-law prohibiting smoking in April 1985, with updates in June 1997 and March 1999. The Quebec government enacted the Tobacco Act in June 1998, which set out a series of measures aimed at restricting tobacco access, promotion, and use. 

“Côte Saint-Luc has always been a leader among municipalities in the area of health and safety,” Mayor Anthony Housefather said. “We decided to broaden the provisions of our existing by-law to add additional locations where smoking was prohibited and this is consistent with actions beginning to be taken by municipalities outside of Quebec.”

The new Côte Saint-Luc by-law adds additional prohibitions against smoking (1) within 20 meters of any playground, splash pool, or sports activity, (2) in all municipal parks during a special event, and (3) at all municipal outdoor pools. A copy of the by-law is available at CoteSaintLuc.org. 

“Basically, what this new by-law does is take the rules against smoking one step further,” Councillor Steven Erdelyi said. “Smoking in a public place, even outdoors, is a nuisance for all those close to the smoker. Our new by-law recognizes this and makes it possible for people to better enjoy the outdoors, whether at a child’s soccer game or at large public events like a winter carnival activity.” 

The fine for contravening the by-law starts at $50 for a first offence. 

 

Kildare Road (between Rembrandt and Merrimac) parking rules loosened

There is good news for some residents of District 2.

For many years parking on the southern side of Kildare Road, between Rembrandt and Merrimac,has been prohibited on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Residents have approached me numerous times to try and get this changed and for various reasons approval was not within reach.

Over the winter I have been working with our head of engineering, Charles Senekal (left),  to come up with a resolution to this problem. Many residents of the condominium town houses on Kildare Road like to leave their cars on the street when they come from work, rather than park in their garage. The city, however, has always needed to allocate some time for street cleaning.

The compromise I have been able to reach, with Mayor Anthony Housefather lending a helpful hand, will see no parking on that strip between 7 a.m. and Noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Since most of the residents I spoke to indicate that it is late afternoon when they generally want to park on the street, I believe this is a winning solution. I would like to thank District 5 Councillor Glenn J. Nashen, who as head of the city's Transportation Committee, set the wheels in motion for this development.

We hope the new signage will be up sometime in March.

 

 

CSL's population increases 2.9 percent as per Stats Can

	Côte-Saint-Luc - Ville (Census subdivision)
Topic	Characteristics		Total
Population and dwelling counts	Population in 2011		32321
Population and dwelling counts	Population in 2006		31395
Population and dwelling counts	2006 to 2011 population change (%)		2.9
Population and dwelling counts	Total private dwellings		14302
Population and dwelling counts	Private dwellings occupied by usual residents		13568
Population and dwelling counts	Population density per square kilometre		4649.1
Population and dwelling counts	Land area (square km)		6.95

CSL resident revives two legendary restaurants

For the last six plus years as the Côte Saint-Luc city councillor for District 2, I have known Saul and Farla Ettinger (below) as constuents of mine. I was aware of Sau's success in real estate and Farla's involvement in the community.  Somehow, though, I did not know  Saul was a legend in the local restaurant circles.

Growing up in this city I loved the smoked  meat the Briskets restaurant  chain while my mouth watered whenever I t hought about a hamburger from Il Etait Un Fois.

For all those folks like me who have longed for a return of these two restaurants, Saul has answered your prayers and revived  them under one roof. Ettingers Deli (www.ettingers.ca) is located at 9100 Newman (corner of Dollard) in LaSalle.
 
Thirty years ago, Ettinger opened his first Briskets deli on  Bishop Street. Twelve  franchises in Montreal and Ottawa soon followed.  As Saul says, people who remember dining at Briskets described the smoked meat sandwiches as "addictive." Briskets smoked meat was not only homemade, but it was never pumped. “Most smoked meat in Montreal and elsewhere were and still are prepared with briskets that are pumped with phosphates and a preponderance of nitrates and sodium,” Saul explains. “ This pumping technique is used in order to increase profit margins by making the briskets heavier. Strange, isn't it---the government bans the use of phosphates in your dishwasher and laundry detergent, but allows it in food? Briskets' smoked meat was made with unpumped briskets using a tightly-held secret recipe. They were dry-cured the truly old-fashioned way over a period of two to three weeks, producing superior smoked meat---smoked meat that was mouth-watering, and truly addictive.

Briskets smoked meat sandwiches were just about everywhere, be it  the Olympic Stadium concession stands or catered at private parties.   As for Il Etait Un Fois, the classic hamburger spot was located in a standalone building in heart of Old Montreal at a time when it was a relative ghost town, Saul  recalls pioneering  a new phenomenon. While McDonald's was selling burgers for as little as as 60 cents, he decided it was time to introduce Montreal to a gourmet half-pound burger at $5. In those days, the thought of a burger for $5 was ludicrous. Yet, within a short few weeks, Il Etait Un Fois attracted huge line-ups and rave reviews. Saul's burgers were made through a rarely used secret process that turned out the juiciest and most scrumptious burgers in Montreal. And along with mouth-watering burgers and incredible fries, the menu included specialities such as homemade beer-battered onion rings and fish n' chips as well as fried mushrooms and foot-long dogs.

Another of Saul's visions was launched on the Trans Canada. It was and is still called Linguini, an Italian restaurant situated in a rustic log cabin built by Saul on the south side of the 40 just west of Morgan.
 
For years after Saul retired from the restaurant business, he still hosted dinners and parties where he would serve his amazing smoked meat. Without exception, those who partook in these affairs, would beg him for his recipe and strongly suggested he open up a deli.
 
 
Decades after his great restaurant successes, a good friend and protégé, Bob Luxenberg, Saul's step-son, Warren Kleiner, and Warren's best friend, Charles Benedek,  joined forces with the legend and Ettingers was born in a former car dealership facility on Newman. Not only is this a pretty restaurant, with flat screen televisions, comfortable seating and plenty of parking – but it is truly a dream destination for Montreal diners who can experience Briskets and Il Etait Un Fois under one roof.

They officially debuted in November and the soft opening has been a success. AT the ceremonial affair, charismatic LaSalle Borough Mayor Manon Barbe cut the ribbon and special guests got to sample the cuisine. I give a big thumbs up to the smoked meat sandwich and curly fries (with cole slaw) that I had served. One of my colleagues from The Suburban, Melanie Pepin, had troubled finishing her smoked meat sandwich while Associate Publisher Sari Medicoff  was in much the same position with her delicious burger.

I had a chance to sit  down with Saul,  Warren and Charles to get their take on the new restaurant and what the future holds. Could this be a new chain in the making? Take a look:

 

End of an era: Nautilus Plus in Côte Saint-Luc to close

It is sadly official. Nautilus Plus, located at the Cavendish  Club in Côte Saint-Luc is closing its doors. The move affects hundreds of longtime members.

This location has been in operation for several decades, offering personal training, fitness and nutrition programs. There is a nice swimming pool, where many youngsters have learned how to swim, racquetball and squash courts and of course a large room of nautilus equipment where  people can enjoy socializing and getting into shape.

The club officially close for business on  February 29.  When I dropped by to find out why it is shutting down, I was told that the lease was up and the company wanted to go in a new direction. Members will be given rebates or offered  to use one of the other Nautilus Plus facilities,

There is no question that the opening of our magnificient Aquatic and Community Centre has had an impact on other local health and exercise centres.  The swimming programs at our two fabulous pools are going strong. We have a modest workout room overlooking the pool, a room for dance clases, a mini library and soon a café. There is place for youth to congregate, large meeting rooms, headquarters for our seniors and Legion group and a large gymnasium attached to the facility.

Cat Committee looks ahead to 2012

The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Commmittee held its first meeting of 2012 recently. As the official liaison between the committee and city council, it was my pleasure to share an energized gathering of  people who – like me – adore felines.

Alanna Devine of the SPCA, Johanne Tassé  of the Companion Animal Adoption Centres of Quebec (CAACQ) and Côte Saint-Luc Associate General Counsel Cheri Bell were among our special guests. Cheri has already had a number of meetings with Alanna and she will serve as a big help for me in the coming months as I wish to bring forward some new measures pertaining to the cat population in our community.

Our Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) program resulted in almost 50 cats being sterilized in 2012.  This would not have been possible without our devoted group of volunteers, headed by the dynamic Shelley Schecter.

Shelley said that there is no question this committee has made a difference. If we can get more volunteers in 2012, a lot more can be done. This includes trying to change the mindsets of landlords and condo board associations which prohibit cats to be on their premises. She also shared a sad story of people who were feeding cats that had already been sterilized at a condo on CSL Road. The condo board was against this and one gentleman went outside, took the food which was waiting for the cat and threw it away.

Shelley said she has noticed that TNR is gaining more credibility than before. The important issue is this:  TNR is not just picking cats up and neutering and vaccinating them; it is also maintaining the colonies.  No one likes to release a cat back outside, but at this point we do not always have a choice.  It is important to get the tame ones and kittens off the street and maintain the wild ones. 

Our committee extended thanks to Dr. Marlene Kalin and her team at the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals. They did a wonderful job treating the cats we brought in and even found homes for some of them. One member of our committee, in fact, wants to launch the TNA program – Trap, Neuter and Adopt.
 
Johanne Tassé provided us with an excellent  recommendation:  that we start using the term “community” cats instead of “feral” or “stray” and consider actually naming colonies to give them more identity and importance.

Just as a reminder, we do have a cat hotline at  514-485-6800 ext CATSa and a Facebook page. We encourage people to call the hotline if they are interested in adopting a cat.

In the coming months look for a promotional video to be produced and for us to  announce some exciting fundraising initiatives and events.

Here is a feature on Shelley on CTV Montreal's Power of One:

 

 
 

Victoria, BC newspaper highlights CSL cat program

This  story appeared on the Postmedia wire. It has been picked up by newspapers across the country.

Citizens' groups trying to purrrge feral-cat problem

 

 

BY GRAHAM LANKTREE, FOR POSTMEDIA NEWS JANUARY 15, 2012

 

 

Feral cat populations have increased significantly across Canada.

The kitties gather around train yards, back-alley trash bins, under porches and other urban haunts, looking to score a meal.

In Toronto, it's estimated there are as many as 100,000 of the scrappy animals on the loose, and the numbers are similar in Montreal. Populations have bred to 44,000 in Edmonton, 25,000 in Windsor, Ont., and the cats are abound in Ottawa, as well.

Their rising numbers are cause for concern, experts say, since they can carry disease transferable to humans and household pets, such as rabies, cat scratch disease, tapeworm and hookworm infection and are a threat to local wildlife.

Last summer, a Winnipeg woman's hand was severely disfigured by bacterial infection after being bit by a feral cat she had attempted to take in.

"There's a serious problem in most municipalities," says Mike Cohen, a city councillor in Montreal's Cote SaintLuc borough, "but many cities have shut their eyes to it."

New citizen groups, however, are cropping up nationwide to tackle the problem.

Last March, Cohen and a small army of volunteers formed the Cote SaintLuc Cats Committee to trap, neuter and return (TNR) the thousands of feral cats that roam their community.

These TNR programs aim to curb the growth of feral colonies, which average roughly 10 cats each, by sterilizing, vaccinating and returning the animals to where they were found.

"Our program has trapped and neutered 50 cats in its first year," says Cohen. "That prevented hundreds of unwanted kittens being born."

Yet they continue to multiply. "We're making a small difference right now, but if you don't do anything, their numbers will be even larger," he says.

It's a hard-fought battle, says Dr. Esther Attard, a staff veterinarian with Toronto Animal Services. "If you can sterilize 80 per cent of a colony, that colony won't grow," she says. "It's a big job to do that, but it's better than just euthanizing them. Otherwise they breed and you get more cats to take their place."

A breeding pair of felines can, on average, produce 5.6 kittens a year.

Volunteers remove any cats that can be socialized and put them up for adoption. But cats more than one year old that have never known a human home are considered wild.

"By removing kittens and any friendly strays that have joined the colony, we immediately reduce not only present colony numbers, but future numbers, too," says Virginia Dobson, co-founder of the Little Cats Lost TNR effort in Edmonton.

This month, the city is giving Dobson and her partner Lisa Paskar $30,000 to expand the operation they started three years ago and to monitor their success at four pilot sites. "The funds will also allow us to develop messaging and support to help community residents understand what we do," she says.

Already overburdened with high numbers of unwanted and abandoned animals, the Edmonton Humane Society and city-operated Animal Care & Control Center are unable to take on the work needed to make a TNR program successful, Dobson says.

Traditional animal welfare organizations are on the ropes in other cities, too. Donations to the Toronto Humane Society plunged 50 per cent last year, and Montreal faces its own challenges as it works to reform animal welfare services.

Yet, community groups seeking to fill the vacuum by stepping in with TNR programs are wasting their time, says Chris Hassall, a conservation ecologist at Ottawa's Carleton University.

"One of the main things you notice when you look at the research literature around trap-neuter-return is how poorly we understand these feral cat colonies," he says. "I'm skeptical of the role TNR could play. There are lots of emotional arguments and little intensive research to back it up."

That's not to say feral cats don't pose a significant concern to public health and local wildlife, Hassall says. "We know that, given the opportunity, they will eat reptiles, amphibians and that 20 per cent of their diet are birds."

"In an urban environment, we're already looking at an ecologically desolate place and that additional pressure can have a big impact." There's also the fact that 80 per cent of rabies shots are given in the U.S. because of contact with infected cats, he adds.

"Sometimes, people will approach these animals thinking they can help and end up getting bitten," notes Attard. "They can also start using people's porches as a litter box."

Two large-scale studies of TNR programs in California and Florida, Hassall says, showed no decline in the population of feral cats because gains were offset by people introducing new animals into the area.

To create an effective TNR program, he says, would require thorough monitoring and complimentary efforts, such as adoption and vigorous public education campaigns.

Dobson agrees and says these are exactly the efforts the expanded Little Cats Lost program is taking on. "There has to be a mix of initiatives to get overpopulation under control," she says. "We also need to push for lowincome spay and neuter services and a licensing for these animals."

Dobson and Cohen look to Calgary's innovative Animal and Bylaw Services, led by director Bill Bruce, as a model to aspire to. The program's annual operating budget of $5.3 million is all raised through its initiatives, rather than taxpayer money.

"We've seen the effectiveness of these programs ourselves," says Dobson, "now we just need to show others that it works."

© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

 more:http://www.timescolonist.com/life/Citizens+groups+trying+purrrge+feral+problem/5998761/story.html#ixzz1jY2z056u

New delivery menu for Tchang Kiang by Yangtze

You can download a copy by clicking on the link below:

Download Delivery menu 11x17 f

City Councillor for CSL District 2: my 2011 look back

As the year 2011 draws to a close, I would like to take a look back in my capacity as the Côte Saint-Luc city councillor for District 2. 

In November 2009 I was acclaimed for my second term in office. The electorate, in fact, returned Mayor Anthony Housefather and the same eight councillors who were voted in after the demergers with Montreal in 2005. I think we make a good team.  One of Mayor Housefather’s first acts was to assign portfolios to each councillor. This is a system that works well as we are all responsible for different aspects of how the city functions. In my case I handle communications, corporate identity, intercommunity relations, sponsorship and now the Trap, Neuter Release (TNR) program for cats.

Here is my look back at some 2011 highlights.

Rembrandt Park

Plans to construct new tennis courts at Rembrandt Park and move the basketball courts to another section were put on hold after the city came to an agreement with the English Montreal School Board for a long term lease of the tennis courts at the Giovanni Palatucci Facility (former Wagar High School). They had not been operational for the previous two years and could only be brought back to life with a total makeover. Council decided to allocate funds to rebuild those courts since they are centrally located. That will be completed next May. 

I am very pleased to say that since my election, there have been many positive developments at Rembrandt Park. We flattened the former soccer pit there. For years we had problems with youth rolling benches down the hill and using the area as a kind of hideout. Incidents of people throwing rocks late at night under the cover of dark were plentiful.  

We have added new park equipment and introduced a much appreciated water spray system. This winter we are introducing something completely new: a synthetic ice surface. It will be enclosed within the gates of one of the tennis courts. Synthetic ice is a solid polymer material designed for skating using normal metal-bladed ice skates. Rinks are constructed by interlocking panels. District 2 resident Steve Stein is the man behind the concept and we will have a formal opening of the facility in early 2012.

Rembrandt Park will be back on the agenda for some changes in 2012.  I know that we must deal with the lighting system there and we will determine if there is sufficient funding to do something. I will be consulting with residents before that happens.   At the Tennis Committee we came up with some new proposals regarding Rembrandt. My hope is to have a special placemaking session, whereby some area residents will be invited to be part of the process.  Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Put simply, it involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space, to discover their needs and aspirations. This information is then used to create a common vision for that place. The vision can evolve quickly into an implementation strategy, beginning with small-scale, do-able improvements that can immediately bring benefits to public spaces and the people who use them. Stay tuned for more information.

Graffiti Issues

Residents of Les Villas Merrimac, a small town house development located at the corner of Merrimac and Rembrandt (with some units fronting on Cavendish), contacted me regarding a rash of graffiti appearing on their property. I arranged a meeting with the residents and had three officers from Police Station 9 and Councillor Glenn J. Nashen (responsible for the public safety portfolio) join me. We surveyed the area and gave them tips on how to help us identify the perpetrators. Some residents believe they actually caught the culprit, a young teen, but when he was apprehended no spray paint could be found.  The main message here is that we hope the perpetrators know that people are on the lookout.

Traffic

I held my annual June District 2 Information Meeting. This is a concept I campaigned on whereby residents can sit down with their elected official with the focus on specific concerns in the immediate neighbourhood. Representatives from Public Works and Engineering joined me. We engaged in discussion and dialogue regarding the Cavendish/Kildare intersection, traffic issues, construction at the Cavendish Mall and Marc Chagall and the municipal snow dump.

Beth Chabad

Beth Chabad finally moved into its new community centre on Kildare Road and Marc Chagall. The facility is not completely ready. While much work needs to be done over the winter months, when Rabbi Mendel Raskin (pictured with me here) gave me a personal tour of the sprawling facility I was incredibly impressed. This facility was almost two decades in the making. Beth Chabad operated out of the Côte Saint-Luc Shopping Centre, the Cavendish Mall, Bialik High School and trailers in their parking lot. Our Building Inspection Division  devoted a lot of time and energy to ensure the facility was up to code and all safety measures were adhered to, enabling them to move in for the high holidays. Rabbi Raskin remains a golden ambassador to our community. He remains active year-round, with his wonderful wife Sarah,  organizing high profile events and inviting the community at large to take part. It is this type of attitude which will no doubt contribute to a healthy membership at his shul.

New Town  Houses

Les Cours Marc Chagall, the 21 unit town house complex on Marc Chagall Avenue, began to take shape. New developers Gerald Issenman (pictured) and David Brown enlisted real estate dynamo Anita Benabou Rozenblat and most of the units are already sold, with occupancy expected  for next summer.

Quartier Cavendish

The Cavendish Mall was renamed Quartier Cavendish. Developer Joe Levine moved forward with his new development, Centrepoint Homes, http://centrepointehomes.com/go/  which when completed will be a thing of beauty. A number of the homes will be in District 2. It has been very exciting to see the progress made since half of the Mall was demolished. New roads were constructed in recent months and we will introduce new street names – The Avenue, Jubilee and Park Place.

Bialik High School

I continue to work with Bialik High School, specifically in regard to ensuring that parents dropping off their kids abide by traffic bylaws and not block local driveways. When I welcomed new principal Ken Scott to the community last summer, that is the first subject we addressed.

Aquatic and Community Centre

In the city at large our gorgeous $18 million Aquatic and Community Centre (ACC) opened in September, only 10 months after construction began. Two thirds of the funding came from the provincial and federal governments. We had an exciting opening ceremony and a few months later Minister of Municipal Affairs Laurent Lessard came for a tour. There is an indoor competition pool, an indoor recreation pool, a fitness room, a teen lounge, a games rooms, a kids room and babysitting service, a large rentable space for parties and conferences (something which community organizations were particularly interested in), a dance and aerobic studio, senior lounges, a library branch, an art studio and more. We are also now open for business in regard to  naming rights. If a family or company wishes to have their name associated with any part of the complex, they should approach me.

When I was first elected and received the Intercommunity Relations portfolio I decided to develop a data base of every community organization operating within the confines of Côte Saint-Luc. Once that was in place I began holding meetings, where representatives from these organizations would come together and report on their activities. This turned out to be an excellent networking opportunity to begin with. In between meetings, we started to email them information about activities we thought they should know about.  Each meeting is, in fact, hosted by a different organization. This past fall we convened at the ACC, recognizing that many groups will probably want to use/rent this facility.

Canada Day

I co-chaired 2011 Canada Day festivities with Councillor Allan J Levine. It was a perfect day in terms of the weather and by the time the fireworks display began there were thousands of people in Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park. During the evening we had a citizenship ceremony, a human rights walkway installation, music and dancing from Fresh Entertainment and The Directors Showband, games for kids and much more. The fireworks were dedicated to our Canadian troops overseas and a member of the Canadian Forces  joined us as a special guest. At the left we handed out Canada Day cupcakes.

Seniors Programming

Councillor Sam Goldbloom and I co-chaired the annual Seniors Golf Open at Meadowbrook. I also emceed the event’sd awards banquet. This is an event I always enjoy. The same goes for the Senior Men’s Club Gala Dance, which took place in November in the ACC’s new multipurpose room.   Dynamic Men’s Club president Sidney Margles, with an assist from D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Lawrence Bergman, arranged for Quebec Finance Minister  Raymond Bachand to come address the group. (Bergman also brought Premier Jean Charest to CSL for the annual Yom Hashoah commemoration at the Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation).

Cats Committee

The city’s Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) program for cats officially got started. City council provided $5,000 in funding and Canadian Pacific Railway added another $2,000. I decided to establish an actual Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC). We have a small, but dedicated, committee which had a busy year of trapping.  Our mandate will expand to a lot of education in the community. I represented the city at a major animal welfare conference in November. We need more people to work with us so please give us a call. The provincial government and the City of Montreal finally appear to be taking some important initiatives where animal welfare is concerned and we will follow this closely.

Dance Championships

Côte Saint-Luc’s Gymnasium was chosen as the venue for a major provincial Dance Championship. It was an absolutely fabulous event to attend. Celebrity television judge Jean-Marc Genereux was on hand to watch. His son was among the competitors.

In Passing

Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko of Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation walked down the aisle with prominent makeup artist Mindy Shear…The  Israeli Consul General of Israel, Joel Lion, moved to Côte Saint-Luc with his family…Star singer Ranee Lee came to our annual Blood Donor Clinic in May as a special celebrity guest….Côte Saint-Luc remained  a leader in social media, via our CSL TV and Facebook pages and a new app for smart phones. We produced a monthly calendar of events, mailed to each home, produced a special e-newsletter and our Côte Saint-Luc Courier tabloid newspaper twice during the year….The annual Maisons Fleuries contest  showcased the wonderful work our residents do with their gardens. An awards ceremony was held at City Hall in November…Finally, in December we adopted our 2012 budget, with an average 2.87 percent  

There are a lot of good things going on in Côte Saint-Luc. It is why I chose to live here for most of my life! Please subscribe to my blog at www.mikecohen.ca. Read me in The Suburban Newspaper, The Jewish  Tribune, The Montrealer, The Montreal Jewish Magazine, Sandboxworld.com and others

Rabbi Hershel Schechter honoured by Manoire Montefiore

Rabbi Hershel Schechter was honoured on December 18 by friends, families and admirers of the  Manoir Montefiore  family. He has been the spiritual leader of the beautiful retirement residence, located at the corner of Cavendish Boulevard and Mackle Road, since it first opened for business 23 years ago.

Manoire Montefiore is part of Revera Living, which operates retirement residences across Canada and the United States. Le Waldorf on Côte Saint-Luc Road is among them.

Was this a retirement party? “Absolutely not,” Rabbi Schechter smiled, when I asked the question. “Let’s say I am semi-retired. But I still plan to be here most days.”

There was a full house in the main dining room. A singer belted out tunes from the past and staff were busy preparing a delicious looking dessert buffet. Many members of the rabbinical corps were on hand.

Newly arrived executive director Len Goose was please to tell one and hall how Rabbi Schechter (pictured with me below) has been and continues to be an integral part of this seniors’ residence.  Lifestyles Consultant Louise Salhany also could not say enough about the impact Rabbi  Schechter has with residents.

Manoir Montefiore, which is situated in Electoral District 2, has a lovely synagogue and Rabbi Schechter is always there to lead services. Two former longtime staff members of the residence, Howard Modlin and Ellen Tissenbaum, were among those on hand for the celebration.

Mourning the passing of Eva Silverman

Côte Saint-Luc has lost another one of our leaders. The dynamic Eva Silverman, former president of the Côte Saint-Luc Senior Social Club, passed away on December 15. She was 94 years young and active in the community until her final days. I always appreciated Eva's passion for our city. She loved nothing more than to chair a meeting and keep everything and everyone in order.

Born in the village of Dubova, near Uman, in the Ukraine, Eva  was the daughter of Miriam and Velvel Deutchman. In 1919, Eva and her brother were rescued after a pogrom by their maternal grandparents, Sarah and Mordecai Packer, who then immigrated to Bucharest and, in 1928, to Montreal. Here, Eva led a long and fruitful life as a bookkeeper, wife and homemaker, and latterly, for several decades as a leading member of the Cote St. Luc Senior Social Club.Eva is pictured below (bottom right) at the 2008 installation ceremony, at which time she stepped down as president and handed the duties over  to Barbara Akerman.

Funeral service from Paperman & Sons, ( 3888 Jean Talon St. W) will take place  on Sunday, December 18 at 11  a.m.   The shiva will be at her son's home, 1605 Dr. Penfield #202. Contributions in Eva’s memory may be made to the Israel Cancer Research Fund, (514) 481-2723, or to the charity of your choice.

Celebrity wedding: Rabbi Poupko and Mindy Shear tie the knot

Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko, the charismatic spiritual leader of Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in Côte Saint-Luc, is no longer the most eligible bachelor among the local Jewish clergy. He recently walked down the aisle with the gorgeous Mindy Shear, a high profile makeup artist/entrepreneur  in the community. The happy couple are pictured below at their nuptials.

In 1986 Pittsburgh native Rabbi Poupko, then   27, arrived via New York . From the start, everyone who met him knew he was not your average spiritual leader. At the pulpit his tremendous oratory skills, both in praise of Judaism and Torah and in the defence of Zionism and the modern State of Israel, provided audiences with a tremendous lift. He also showed an extraordinary sense of humour, prompting many to suggest he should consider a sideline as a standup comedien. In fact, he got rave reviews for his performance in the nationally televised Schmelvis: The Search for the King’s Jewish Roots, a documentary investigating Elvis Presley’s supposed Jewish roots.

From the moment he arrived in Montreal, students turned to him for guidance and leadership. So did the community at large and over the past 21 years he has served in some high ranking leadership positions. He remains a media darling in this city, with the press constantly at his doorstep for what they know will be a catchy soundbite. He has been on more than a dozen March of the Living trips and visited Israel  more than 100 times.

I have known Mindy since she was a teenager and was part of the  same mission to Israel with her about 20 years ago. That just happened to mark her first trip to the Jewish homeland and from that point on her devotion to Judaism grew. In 1987  she established Mindy Shear Makeup Studio with the aim of bringing superior performance and elegance to the daily ritual of make up. After extensive beauty industry training and of her completion of a fine arts degree, she  set out to approach the make up business with an artist’s eye.  Over the years she  has had the opportunity to work with various actors, models, photographers and fashion designers in different countries.  She now has her own line  of makeup products. 

While Rabbi Poupko's five children and  seven grandchildren all live out of town, he now has a new youngster in his life: Mindy's young son Shalev  Shear Yaacov.

"We've known each other for many years as we are both involved in community,"  said Mindy.  "We had a long friendship, but we lost touch for a few years.  About a year ago we ran into each other and went out for dinner to catch up.  Slowly over time, we started spending more time together and our friendship blossomed into a more serious relationship. And the rest is history!"

Good luck to the happy couple!

 

Hockey legend Dickie Moore visits CSL Arena

It is not every day that Côte Saint-Luc's Samuel Moskovitch Arena gets a visit from a professional hockey legend. Yet there was Dickie Moore, the former number 12 for the Montreal Canadiens,  on hand to watch the CSL Bantam "A" Canucks take on their competitors from St. Laurent.

CSL and District 2 resident Steve Stein and his family took Dickie out for dinner on the occasion of the special date that evening: 12/12 - December 12.  Steve's son Mathew is a member of the Canucks, who lost the game 3-2. Dickie was quite the hit, signing autographs and posing for photos.

Here is more about Dickie from the website Our History.

An energetic and tireless left winger, Moore held the record for points in a season for seven years, earning him two Art Ross trophies.

Pride, skill and determination are all attributes that come to mind when Dickie Moore’s name is mentioned. An outstanding all-around player who approached the game with unmatched ferocity, he spent 12 years with the Canadiens, emerging from his time in the hockey world as one of the greatest wingers in Habs history.

A standout junior who played on Memorial Cup Championship teams in both 1949 and 1950, he broke in with the Habs midway through the 1951-52 season and was assigned two veteran linemates. With Elmer Lach at center and Moore’s boyhood idol, Maurice Richard, on the right side, the rookie picked up 33 points in as many games and continued to shine in the postseason.

Injuries kept Moore from full-time duty over the next two seasons but he answered the call come playoff time, showing the fire and the poise of a veteran when the stakes were at their highest. The Habs won the Stanley Cup in 1953 and the subsequent spring, Moore’s 13 points led all playoff scorers.

Toe Blake’s decision to place rookie Henri Richard between Moore and “The Rocket” the following year resulted in a forward line that was one of the NHL’s best for the next nine years.

All three men were among the most combative players the game has ever seen. Maurice Richard was still the most dangerous man in the hockey world from the blue line in. His younger brother had very few peers when it came to carrying and controlling the puck.

Five consecutive Stanley Cups came Montreal’s way as the tough kid from a rough Montreal neighborhood continued to establish himself as a star. Moore had all the tools at his disposal and he used every one of them effectively. He was a strong skater, smooth stickhandler, crisp passer and had a strong accurate shot.

An offensive threat as much as anyone on the roster, Moore’s greatest asset lay in what he didn’t do. The 5-foot-10, 168-pounder refused to back down from anyone and he refused to lose. Whether it was a race for a loose puck, a battle along the boards or a round of fisticuffs, Moore usually emerged victorious.

Moore’s scoring numbers climbed each year and he became a consistent 20-goal scorer, hitting the mark in six of his last seven years with the Canadiens.

Netting 29 goals in 1956-57, Moore tallied three more in the playoffs, including that year’s Cup-winning marker. In 1957-58, his 36 goals and 84 points topped the league and earned him the Art Ross Trophy, a feat Moore accomplished despite playing the last three months of the campaign sporting a cast on his broken wrist.

He repeated as scoring champ in 1958-59, leading the league with 55 helpers and establishing a new league record with his 96 points. Having toppled Gordie Howe’s previous mark, Moore would see his record stand until Bobby Hull surpassed it in 1965-66.

Moore’s body paid the price for his spirited approach to the game but he refused to slow down, playing through injuries that sidelined lesser competitors. After 12 years of rugged play, his body had had enough. Moore retired after the 1962-63 season to concentrate his efforts on his growing business interests, but he couldn’t stay away from the game he loved.

After playing 38 games for Toronto in 1964-65, Moore moved to St. Louis in 1967-68. The 37-year-old went out with a bang, picking up 14 postseason points as the Blues made it to the Finals in their inaugural campaign.

Moore’s on-ice success ranks among the Canadiens top scorers of all-time; his 254 goals and 340 assists place him in 12th and 13th place, respectively. The man who routinely lifted the level of his game in the playoffs, appeared in nine consecutive Finals. He is 10th for all-time postseason points and assists, and ranks ninth for goals.

Dickie Moore was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974. On November 12, 2005, his number “12” was retired and raised to the rafters of the Bell Centre.

 

Budning Pharmacy now offering services...for your pet

With a new Pharmaprix franchise being built right across the street, despite umteen protests t o Montreal West Town Council, Carol Budning is doing her best to show her devoted clientele from the Town, Côte Saint-Luc, Hampstead, NDG and beyond that her "personal" service cannot be outdone.

As a customer of Carol and her late father Charles for three decades now, I can attest to this.

Carol is now sending out a regular newsletter by email. Takes a look  at the file below (Download Budning)  and you will see that she is now offering prescriptions for your pets.  Read all about!

Download Budning 2011-12

Quebec government makes important announcements about animal welfare

I am very pleased to report that the Quebec government has made good on its promise to act on necessary changes to animal welfare. This has been something animal welfare activists such as myself have been calling for. It was a major focal point at an animal welfare conference I attended recently in Montreal and reported on here.

Minister Pierre Corbeil makes important announcements about animal welfare

QUÉBEC CITY, Dec. 6, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, Pierre Corbeil, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Minister responsible for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region and the Nord-du-Québec region, and MNA for Abitibi-Est, announced two major courses of action in response to the recommendations of the pet welfare task force: tabling of a bill in the National Assembly to amend the Animal Health Protection Act, primarily with regard to animal safety and welfare, and passing into law of the Regulation respecting the safety and welfare of cats and dogs.

Bill to amend the Animal Health Protection Act

The bill to amend the Animal Health Protection Act provides for stiffer fines and penalties. For example, the current fine ranging from $200 to $5000 for a first offence could go as high as $25,000 or even $75,000 in the case of certain repeat offences.

To better address citizens' concerns, new powers will be added to the Act to enable the Minister to:

• Require permits for certain owners or custodians of cats and dogs and for operators of a location where dogs and cats are kept, i.e. shelters, pounds, and locations run by individuals or organizations dedicated to  animal welfare;
• Set standards for dog or cat euthanasia and for prescribing or prohibiting certain methods;
• Determine the skills or qualifications required of permit holders or their employees;
• Determine the maximum number of cats or dogs that can be kept at a single location or by any one individual.

The bill is slated for study by a parliamentary committee this winter.

Regulation respecting the safety and welfare of cats and dogs

The Regulation respecting the safety and welfare of cats and dogs has been passed into law and will be published in the Gazette officielle du Québec on December 14. It will come into force on June 14, 2012.

The regulation includes standards for keeping animals and will make the job of inspectors easier.

"I'm convinced that these new measures, combined with the efforts of all the partners, will make us even more effective in fighting abusive practices and strengthening pet protection. Better treatment of animals requires everybody's cooperation. It all starts with greater accountability by everyone who acquires a pet," said Minister Corbeil.

Minister Corbeil went on to say that as soon as the amendments to the Animal Health Protection Act are passed, he will table a new draft regulation with Cabinet making a permit with pre-conditions mandatory for keeping certain numbers of animals.

Lastly, some aspects of the issue remain especially sensitive, including euthanasia, overpopulation, spaying, and dogs kept tied. To help him in his deliberations, Minister Corbeil will ask the Kelley task force on animal welfare, which is continuing its excellent work, to produce recommendations on the action to take, in collaboration with the partners.

For further information about the proposed amendments, go to www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/securitebienetreanimal.

Côte Saint-Luc Kosher Meat Market Menu

Download Fresh Meat Menu 

The above extensive new menu at Côte Saint-Luc Kosher Meat Market, located at 5533 Westminster Avenue, contains some of the best food this city has to offer.  I could not recommend a better place for ready to eat home cooked meals!

The end of an era: no more Cavendish "Mall"

As work continues on a new housing development, following last year's demolition of almost half of the Cavendish Mall, here is some breaking news.  Nearly 40 years after it first opened, the Cavendish "Mall" is about to disappear. No, the remaining stores,  food court, movie theatres, offices and CLSC headquarters are not being evicted.  There is a clever name change about to occur. Good bye Cavendish Mall and hello "Quartier" Cavendish.

This all makes a lot of sense. The  "Mall" was operating on  a half empty tank of gasoline for some time until our city council gave the go ahead for demolition and the new housing development. While construction is continuing, we can look forward to a very attractive residential neighbourhood and a shopping centre with no empty storefronts.

I grew up at the Mall, so to see the name disappear is kind of sad.  It will take  some time to get used to saying "Honey, I am going to the Quartier!" Memories of Eaton's, Warshaws, Discus, Canadian Tire, The Gap, Direct Film, Consumer Distributors, Steinberg's, Silverbergs, Kiddie Kobbler, Pumpernik's, the Cattleman and more are now dancing in my head.

Long live the Quartier!

 

Update on the three kittens; and what a twist on their "mom"

Last week I shared with readers of my blog the story of three adorable abandoned kittens near my house in Côte Saint-Luc. As the liaison on city council to the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee and our Trap, Neuter and Release  (TNR) program I get a lot of calls from people reporting stray cats and baby kittens looking for a home.  I generally report these to Shelley Schecter, who runs an organization called Educhat and essentially steers the ship of our TNR Program. There is nobody better than Shelley on this.

When my friend and constituent Steven Stein called to tell me that there were three kittens being fed by residents of an apartment building on Sir Walter Scott I met him to investigate. There they were, tucked behind the bushes: two orange ones and one grey and black striped one. Aldo Fernando of our committee had built a small styrofoam house for the cats to sleep in, insulated  with the down jacket of an apartment dweller. Residents there had shared in the responsibility of feeding them and apparently there was a mother cat checking in on them.

My wife and I went back that day with our daughter and out ran the three kittens, which looked no more than three months old. They were a bit skittish, but came right up close to us and gobbled up the tuna we gave them. We brought a cat carrier, hoping to catch and bring them to the local vet. They were too quick. We tried again the next day when it happened to be quite warm.  

On the Monday my wife met Shelley at the location. Temperatures had dipped below zero and we were worried. They caught two of the kittens and what we thought was the mom, but one of the orange ones eluded them. Shelley brought those three to the vet. We came back many hours later. The baby was sleeping in the Styrofoam hut, but jumped out when she heard us coming.  You could see her looking around, wanting to know where her two siblings went. Shelley came very close to trapping her in a net, but she was too smart.

I called the vet the next morning. The two kittens were together in one cage, but the mom was not in fact the mom at all. “I think it is the dad actually,” office manager Margaret reported. “This was a boy and we have sterilized him.”

The residents insist how this very cat was caring for the kittens, an uncommon story if he was in fact the dad.

While I was on the phone with the vet, Shelley and my wife were back on Sir Walter Scott. Maureen, the main fairy godmother who has been caring for the cats, called it over for food. Familiar with her voice it came right away. Shelley swooped in from behind and trapped it. The family was to be reunited.

My wife declared that she wants to introduce a new program: TNA –Trap, Neuter and Adopt. We placed this beautiful photo my daughter took of the kittens and many people have stepped forward, wanting to adopt them. The dad, we are told, is adoptable as well. According to the vet, they need the next week to evaluate and socialize the cats before an exact timeline for adoption can be set.

Here is a funny anecdote. The three kittens were placed in one large cage.  Apparently the bars were not too narrow and they plotted a scheme to escape, squeezing through the slots. They landed in the operating room and ran around wildly in circles before some of the technicians scooped them up and placed them in a more secure cage. I can just imagine the cat talk that went on: “Okay guys, we are together again. At the count of three stretch your body into a piece of paper, jump and let’s go back to our home in the bushes.”

I am convinced these four cats will make wonderful pets. As I have repeated many times, being a cat owner is one of the most wonderful things in the world. I only wish more people knew this. If that were to be the case, a TNA Program could be much more viable.

We will be heading to the vet next week to assist in the socialization. The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee is covering the costs of their shots, the sterilization of the dad and the same process for the kittens when they are old enough.  We have prevented the dad from bringing more unwanted babies into the world and we will save the lives of three kittens who would not have e survived the winter.

Sadly there are so many more cases like this. I wish we could intervene in all of them. Email me if you want to get involved: mcohen@cotesaintluc.org.

Three homeless kittens in CSL need families

These three beautiful homeless kittens (approximately three months old) are living outdoors next to an apartment building in Côte Saint-Luc. We need to find people to adopt them as soon as possible. They will not survive the harsh winter.

Some of the residents have built a small styrofoam hut and put blankets in there. The cats are being fed. They are absolutely adorable and sociable. Today my family and I went to feed them. They ate right out of our hands.

The Côte Saint-Luc Cat Commitee wishes to trap these cats, bring them to the vet to get sterilized and receive all of the necessary shots.  We cannot really do so unless  we  find homes for them.

Please advise me (mcohen@cotesaintluc.org) if you or someone else will adopt any of them.  I can tell that these cats will make wonderful pets.

And as a cat owner myself, I can attest to what fabulous pets cats can be.

Kristallnacht ceremony held in CSL

A community-wide commemoration of Kristallnacht took place on November 9 at Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in Côte Saint-Luc. The program featured a nice intercultural component.

Pictured here is the choir from General Vanier Elementary School from Montreal’s East End where none of the students are Jewish. Their music teacher, Jason Lipstein, is an orthodox Jew who travelled to Israel last summer as part of a Holocaust Education Program at Yad Vashem. Upon his return he pledged to teach his students music of the Holocaust. Their presence at Kristallnacht last week, alongside the Bialik High School Choir, was very well received as was their performance of  the Yiddish folk sing Vie Ahin Zoll Ich Gein (Tell me where I should go?). The program also included remarks from a witness to the Kristallnacht, Isle Matalon, Israel Consul General Joel Lion, Rabbi Reuben Poupko, another short musical program, a memorial prayer and kaddish. Long time Jewish day school teacher  Hanna Eliashiv chaired the evening.

Here is a video about Kristallnacht:

 

Minister of Municipal Affairs Visits CSL ACC

Quebec Minister of Municipal Affairs Laurent Lessard (far right in the photo below) visited Côte Saint-Luc's spanking new $18 million Aquatic and Community Centre on November 4.

Minister Lessard's department provided one-third of the funding. I was on hand to greet him with Mayor Anthony Housefather, Councillors Dida Berku and Ruth Kovac and D'Arcy McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman, who played an important role in actually securing the funds.

In February of 2010 we held a press conference at City Hall with Minister Lessard on hand to announce our plan for the ACC and the financing from the provincial and federal governments. From the moment we put the shovel in the ground, the ACC was built in an incredible 10 months. We felt it was important for the Minister to see that our dream came to fruition. Mayor Housefather and City Manager Tanya Abramovitch led him on a tour of the two pools, the multi-purpose meeting room and kitchen, the children’s play area, the art  room, the teens lounge, the workout room and the senior’s headquarters where some members were on hand to greet him. He was most impressed.

 

Encouraging signs from animal welfare conference

As the official liaison city council to the Côte Saint-Luc Cat Committee (CSLCC), I have had the opportunity in the past year to work and communicate with animal rights activists from across the province. This includes the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Companion Animal Adoption Centres of Quebec (caacQ).

On October 28 I represented Côte Saint-Luc at a one day conference at the Novotel Dorval presented by the CaacQ  and attended by some 100 people from more than 60 municipalities in the province. The focus was on improving the state of animal welfare in our communities and very much in line with the CaacQ’s mission of reducing the number of companion pets killed in the province of Québec.

Here is the CTV Montreal report:

 

A year and a half ago, when cat lovers began lobbying Côte Saint-Luc to adopt a Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) program, I decided to step forward.  I did so with the support of the mayor and council and after the first public meeting I called attracted an overwhelming crowd and significant media attention, I knew we were on to something.

City council agreed to provide some financial support for the program and the CSLCC was born.   While TNR, which humanely traps, sterilizes and then releases feral cats back into their original territory, has been the main focus of the CSLCC, efforts have also been made to educate the public about the importance of this exercise. In the coming months we hope to   arrange visits to local schools, set up information booths within the community and continue, via  our Facebook page and a new hotline (514-485-6800 ext. CATS), to provide the tools  for people to report feral cats in their neighbourhood.

We have a small group of volunteers, including expert Shelley Schecter who had lobbied us for so long to get on board. Both the  SPCA and the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals have been solid partners. We have trapped close to 40 cats.  A female cat can reproduce four times a year, beginning from six months old, and can give birth to from one to eight kittens each time. By sterilizing the cats, their numbers are brought down through attrition. 

The CaacQ Conference

At the CaacQ conference it was encouraging to see 10 representatives from the City of Montreal in attendance. The borough of Verdun, which has taken a leadership role on the island for its aggressive TNR program. It is one I can proudly say Côte Saint-Luc has tried to emulate in our CSLCC’s first year in operation.

Greg McBain was there from the City of Westmount. As the assistant director of Public Security, he is aware of issues that come about related to companion pets. I am anxious to see other members of the Association of Suburban Municipalities move into the TNR business. Westmount Mayor Peter Trent heads that body and I am confident Greg will give him a good report. Carl Mainville, head of Public Works in Dorval, sat next to me and took studious notes.

I take my hat off to Johanne Tassé and her team from the CaacQ for taking such an important leadership role in this area. This was a marvelous conference, with a number of outstanding guest speakers. Last spring Johanne had invited me to a much smaller gathering  at St. Laurent Borough Hall to meet Bill Bruce, the director of Animal Services for the City of Calgary. Thanks to Bill, Calgary is on the cutting edge when it comes to animal welfare and on this day we not only had the occasion to hear three presentations from him, but he was also available in between talks to chat with us personally.  Jane Hoffman, the founder of the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals, was another keynote speaker and shared with us some inspiring words.

The Quebec government takes notice

Perhaps most encouraging was the partial sponsorship of the Quebec Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Products  (Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation) and of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Territories (Ministère des Affairs municipals, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire). Guy Auclair (pictured with me below), a representative of Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Products Pierre Corbeil told me that the present-day government is very much committed to adhering to the laws governing animal welfare. Last summer his Ministry accepted submissions from the public in regard to proposed animal welfare regulations. 

The creation of regulations, which establish standards for the keeping of dogs and cats under The Animal Health Protection Act Division IV.1., (R.S.Q. P-42),  is an opportunity for the province   to become a leader in animal welfare in Canada.  One of the many recommendations that came their way was to enforce a requirement for mandatory the spaying or neutering for animals adopted from shelters, pounds or purchased at pet stores. Penalties must include jail time and increased fines in order to have a deterrent effect. Mr. Auclair told the conference that more than 1,900 submissions were received. “This is being taken very seriously,” he told me later. “We are going through each submission one-by-one and this takes time. Every single recommendation will be looked at. I  can assure you that Minister Corbeil, Municipal Affairs Minister Laurent Lessard and Premier Jean Charest are very committed to the issue of animal welfare.”

Calgary program is the ultimate model for animal welfare 

For animal lovers, Bill Bruce is the ultimate hero. If only we could clone him in Quebec. I am glad that Mr. Auclair was on hand to take in his wonderful presentations.

In Calgary, Animal & Bylaw Services provides important animal-related services, such as licensing cats and dogs, sheltering cats and dogs impounded under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw and adoptions to find new homes for impounded cats and dogs that have not been claimed by their owners. All animal-related services result from the mandate provided by the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, which allows Animal & Bylaw Services to work with Calgarians to ensure that cats, dogs, their owners and neighbours live together in safety and harmony. Under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, at three months of age all cats and dogs residing in the City of Calgary must have a City of Calgary licence. Licensing fees, not tax dollars, fund the following programs and services: reuniting lost cats and dogs with their owners;  licensing cats and dogs residing in Calgary; enforcing the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw (23M2006); investigating  citizen complaints regarding animals including cats, dogs, coyotes and other wildlife; helping neighbours resolve animal-related issues; sheltering and caring for cats and dogs impounded under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw in their vet-operated facility; providing adoption services to find new homes for cats and dogs impounded under the bylaw that have not been claimed by their owners;  and providing funding to veterinary clinics to cover emergency medical care for injured stray cats and dogs.

Bruce’s service provides school and public education programs to teach children and adults about responsible pet ownership and responsible citizenship. They coordinate a volunteer animal socialization program – PAWS Pal – to help socialize the cats and dogs awaiting adoption at the Animal Services Centre and they operate a No Cost Spay/Neuter program for the cats and dogs of financially eligible Calgarians. The “I Heart My Pet”  rewards program offers pet owners discounts from various partnering vendors.

As Bruce explained, Animal & Bylaw Services does not advocate breed specific legislation, nor limiting the number of pets in one household. This is because they believe that poor animal behaviour results from a failed relationship between pet and owner. Therefore, Animal & Bylaw Services advocates responsible pet ownership for cats and dogs based on the following four principles:  license and provide permanent identification for  cats and dogs; spay or neuter pets; provide training, physical care, socialization and medical attention for pets; and do not allow pets to become a threat or nuisance in the community.

In Calgary, the census even provides statistics on how many dogs and cats exist. The most recent figures list 123,000 dogs and 91,000 cats.

Permanent identification of your pet

The importance and value of microchipping your pet dog or cat was underlined by Dany Ménard and Isabelle Robitaille, owners of a black Labrador-cross named Pollux. If the name sounds familiar, this is the dog that went missing from Ménard and Robitaille in June 2010 and miraculously surfaced 4,500 km away in Kamloops, BC a year later. Because of the chip, Pollux was returned home. We all got to meet Pollux. My cat had a chip implanted when we adopted her. She is a house cat and we never ever let her outside. Heaven forbid though if she did escape and someone found her, such a chip would be essential. Representatives from a company called M4S ID (www.microchipsolutions.com) took us through and exercise and gave people at each table scanners to try them out.

Sterilization of Dogs and Cats

Veterinarian Dr. Joel Bergeron took us through the process of sterilization, emphasizing the importance of spaying or neutering dogs and cats (specifically the latter).

From the standpoint of effectively controlling pet populations, the best time for sterilizing dogs and cats is prior to puberty, which eliminates any possibility of the animal producing offspring. Animal shelters and humane organizations which adopt young animals have long had policies that call for the adopting owners agree to have the animal neutered as soon as possible, but rates of compliance are typically low and, though a majority of such animals eventually are sterilized, many first have the opportunity to reproduce. Acceptances of early spay-neuter programs allow such organizations to effectively implement "neuter at adoption" programs.  The traditional approach to surgical sterilization of dogs and cats is to wait until the animal is at least six months of age before castration of spaying, but problems such as those described above have led many to advocate performing these procedures at a much earlier age.

The Verdun Model

Pascale Tremblay from the Borough of Verdun was joined by urbanist Dany Tremblay to showcase a program that really works. Verdun, Pascale told us, allocates $40,000 a year to animal welfare.   

Verdun has become proactive and progressive in the way that they look at animal services.  They became the first borough in Montreal to truly take all the necessary steps to reduce overpopulation, encourage responsible pet ownership and proactively work with citizens to better the community for people and animals. Verdun revised their animal services contract and now works in partnership with the SPCA. They have a bylaw that requires citizens to be responsible about their animals and includes mandatory sterilization for all animals sold, adopted or given, limitation on the number of unsterilized animals per household; differential licensing for unsterilized animals; and the prohibition of  owners to permit unsterilized/non-vaccinated cats to roam outside and a charter of good behavior for pet owners.

Verdun has spay/neuter initiatives to counter overpopulation including a borough funded Trap-Neuter-Release-Maintain program for feral cats. The borough partakes in citizen education by having public information sessions, door-to-door handouts with flyers including information about the by-law project and responsible pet ownership. 

New York City’s Story

Jane Hoffman (pictured with Bill Bruce and I) told us all about another great program which I would love to see our Montreal Agglomeration Council emulate:  The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, Inc. Founded in 2002 and powered by Maddie's Fund, The Pet Rescue Foundation, with support from the ASPCA, this is a coalition of more than 150 animal rescue groups and shelters working with Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) to end the killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs at AC&C shelters. To achieve that goal, the Alliance, a not-for-profit corporation, helps its Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs) work to their highest potential to increase pet adoptions and spay/neuter rates, with the goal of transforming New York City into a no-kill community by 2015.

Take the New York City Feral Cat Initiative. This is a joint program of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals and Neighborhood Cats. Its mission is to solve the feral cat overpopulation crisis in New York City through the humane, non-lethal method of Trap-Neuter-Return . Tens of thousands of street cats live in the alleyways, backyards, and outdoor spaces of New York City. They are the offspring of lost or abandoned pet cats and, unneutered, they go on to spawn new generations. The cats group themselves together in packs called colonies. Many of their nuisance behaviors can be attributed to mating behaviors that would likely cease if they were sterilized. These behaviors include noise from fighting and mating, and the smell from the spraying of pheromone-laced urine.

Because these cats are not socialized to humans, they are not candidates for adoption. The breeding of these street cats results in more kittens entering the shelters — taking away homes that would otherwise go to the adult cats already there. Most adult feral cats taken in at city shelters are euthanized (killed) because they are not adoptable as house pets. As a result, the city must shoulder higher costs for municipal animal control. The New York City Feral Cat Database shows that in neighborhoods throughout New York City, TNR is proving effective in humanely managing feral cat colonies and reducing their numbers over time.  

Hoffman told us that a staggering 2.7 million cats roam free in New York City and 87 million in the USA.

This conference was an unqualified success and I believe it is a major step in the right direction to ensure that our province, cities and towns take the matter of animal welfare very seriously!