MikeCohen.ca

Quebec Premier Charest addresses Yom Hashoah commemoration in CSL

Quebec Premier Jean Charest (pictured)  made a surprise appearance at this year’s annual Montreal commemoration of Yom Hashoah May 1 at Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem in Côte Saint-Luc.

“In order to live in the hope of peace we must honour the victims of this horrifying period,” Charest told the gathering of more than 1,000 people. “Overall we must prevent such horror from ever happening again.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Premier Charest, pictured here with Israeli Consul Genera l Yoram  Elron at Yom Hashoah (photo courtesy of the Canadian Jewish News)

Charest alluded to D’Arcy McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman, chairman of the government caucus, who in 1999 sponsored a bill in the Quebec National Assembly which officially proclaimed a Yom Hashoah Day in Quebec City. It was approved by members of all parties. “Quebec’s representatives from all parties made this gesture so that the death of six million innocent men, women and children would never be forgotten. Montreal and Quebec would not be the society it is today without its Jewish community. I want to remind all Quebecers about our duty to remember.”
 
This year’s theme, The life that was, sought to portray all that was destroyed through Nazism and to highlight the consequences of discriminatory and racist policies which still today, can lead to genocide.  Organizers wanted the elements of the program to help the public understand life in Jewish communities before and during the Holocaust.
 
Six Holocaust survivors, symbolizing the six million victims of the Jewish genocide during World War II, lit memorial candles with second and third generation members of their families.  They  spoke through short video-clips: Ben Bicher talked about Jewish life in Belgium; Henry Gitelman  evoked images of Sabbath with his grandparents in Poland; Susan Arato, who attended a crafts school to become a stylist, told  about her family life; Charlotte Szyf  shared her memories of summers at the seashore in Poland; Dr. Emil Svarc, a young child when Yugoslavia (Croatia today) was occupied,  remembered how he enjoyed playing in the park with other children and Sarah Engelhard  shared her aunt’s advice.

The Bialik High School  Choir, conducted by Lorna Smith,  were  excellent as they sang a number of songs in Yiddish.  Marcel Tenenbaum and Jack Dym co-chaired the event. Israeli Consul General Yoram Elron, who only six weeks ago lost his eldest son to cancer, thanked the premier for attending and spoke about the importance of a Jewish State – something that did not exist during the Holocaust.

Yom Hashoah was organized  by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre.

On May 3,  B'nai Brith Canada-Quebec will mark Yom Hashoah  with a memorial ceremony on the steps of Montreal City Hall.

“We believe that each individual victim of the Holocaust deserves to be honoured and remembered as each one of them was someone's mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, daughter or son,” says Heidi Open, director of the B’nai Brith Quebec Region office. “ It is those individuals who we hope to bring back to life for a moment in time as we read their names during the Yom Hashoah memorial ceremony and to ensure that the lessons and memory of the Holocaust are not forgotten.
 

Ranee Lee gives blood donor clinic a boost

Canadian jazz vocalist Ranee Lee  met donors at the annual Côte Saint-Luc blood donor clinic, which took place on  April 27 at the municipal Gymnasium. 

Only three percent of Quebecers who are eligible to donate blood actually give this gift of life. That number is too low, especially as the need in hospitals is so great. There were 89 donors this year, not a bad figure considering the fact the gym is in the middle of a construction zone (for our new $18 million Aquatic and Community Centre) and on this day the Canadiens were facing the Boston Bruins in game seven of their opening playoff round.

I want to thank Ranee Lee (at the right with myself and a blood donor)  for accepting my invitation, event coordinators Regine Banon and Darryl Levine, the staff of the Parks and Recreation Department and all of the volunteers.  Everyone on hand was thrilled to meet the charming local jazz legend.  Lee won a Juno Award in 2010 for her album Ranee Lee Lives Upstairs. We hope to possibly have her perform at a Côte Saint-Luc event in the future.

For more information about giving blood go to the  Hema Quebec website.  

Legendary jazz great Ranee Lee to attend CSL Blood Donor Clinic

Canadian jazz vocalist Ranee Lee will meet donors at the annual Côte Saint-Luc blood donor clinic, which takes place on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 from 1:15 pm to 8 pm at the municipal Gymnasium at 7500 Mackle Rd. 

“We’re issuing a challenge this year to regular blood donors to bring someone who has never given before,” said Councillor Ruth Kovac, a long-time blood donor who is the chairperson of the event. “Only 3 percent of Quebecers who are eligible to donate blood actually give this gift of life. That number is too low, especially as the need in hospitals is so great.” 

Special guest Ranee Lee will meet donors from 2 pm to 3:30 pm. Lee won a Juno Award in 2010 for her album Ranee Lee Lives Upstairs. She lives in Montreal. 

I have always been a big fan of Ranee.  Many years ago I did a series of stories on her son Darryl Henegan, a champion kickboxer. Ranee and I connected at CJAD a few times in the past year. She is a lovely person and when I asked if she would  visit our Blood Donor Clinic she graciously agreed.

Here she is on stage:

 

Anyone who is at least 18 years old and in good health can donate blood once every 56 days, which is six times per year. Review the donor qualifications at www.hema-quebec.qc.ca or call 1-800-343-4264. 

The four most common blood types are 0 blood (46 percent), A blood (42 percent), B blood (9 percent) and AB blood (3 percent). 

CSL Honours Volunteers

On the eve of National Volunteer Recognition Week, Côte Saint-Luc City Council held a ceremony during our monthly public meeting to honour volunteers with more than 20 years of service. There were a number of residents from District 2, including former Councillor Harold Greenspon and Senior Men's Club organizer Jack Budovitch, 88.  Al Grosser was there, looking sharp at age 91. So was Ricky Steinberg, who was my PeeWee hockey coach some 35 years ago. Ricky looks ever so youthful. Scrabble champ Bernard Gotlieb continues to impress us all. His proud dad, noted plumber Manny Gotlieb accompanied him.

The most inspirational presentation of the evening came when 102 year old Irving Karassik  (below) was recognized. Accompanied by his son Fred,  Irving  came to the podium and proudly accepted his plaque. Irving  has been a volunteer with the Senior Men's Club for 20 years. Bravo to all of our volunteers!

 

Below Harold Greenspon is recognized.

 

A sneak peek of the CSL Aquatic and Community Centre

Your mayor and members of city council have had a number of opportunities already to see the progress of construction of the new  $18 million Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre  (the  ACC), which is expected to open its doors on Parkhaven Avenue by September.  We had our latest sneak preview a few days ago and I was just astonished at how much work has been done since they first broke ground last fall.

The complex will include a 10-lane competition pool (which I am standing by above), a recreational pool, the Senior Social Centre, multipurpose rooms for meetings and banquets, a satellite public library, a dance studio, an art studio, an exercise room with physical fitness equipment, a games room, a youth drop-in room, a kids gymnasium room, a babysitting service for parents using the facility, a coffee shop, and an exterior terrace.

Our ACC has been a project that community leaders have long dreamed of. As a former competitive swimmer, one of  Mayor Anthony Housefather’s  dreams has been to bring an indoor swimming pool to the city. Our competition pool will allow us to have a swim team, a master’s team, a synchronized swimming team, a water polo team, and other activities such as free swim, swimming lessons for older kids, and programs to prepare them to become lifeguards.”  The recreational pool will also provide games and fun for families, a beach area, swim lessons for younger children, aquasize classes and more.

The governments of Quebec and Canada have given Côte Saint-Luc grants totaling up to a maximum of $11.57 million, which equals two-thirds of the costs of building the facility. Mayor Housefather and councillors Mitchell Brownstein and Ruth Kovac (pictured above with Councillor Glenn J. Nashen) are overseeing the project. City Manager Tanya Abramovitch and Parks and Recreation Director David Taveroff are the key leaders among senior staff while we are very fortunate to have someone of the calibre of Anthony Palumbo to take care of the day-to-day operations of the work crew

I am very excited, as the Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor responsible for sponsorship, that we have engaged the services of   BNP Strategies Philanthropic Management (BNP) to conduct a feasibility study for a fundraising campaign for the ACC. When I was first elected and handed this portfolio I immediately set out to  establish a process where we could move towards the areas of event and program sponsorship and ultimately naming rights. Within two years of the start of our first mandate a series of guidelines were approved by council. Sponsorship agreements for events and of certain publications also started  to take shape. The coming of the ACC, I believe, provides really opportunities for naming rights.   I am anxious to see the case statement BNP presents to us in the early summer.

 
Councillor Sam Goldbloom likes what he sees.

 

An emotional tribute to the 1994 Montreal Expos

I have had the pleasure of being involved with the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors Sports Celebrity Breakfast since its inception seven years ago. It all actually began with a phone conversation between myself and Harold Greenspon. I was interested in seeking a seat on Côte Saint-Luc City Council back then and it was the constituency of Harold’s that I was targeting. Out of respect I asked whether he had planned to run again, to which he responded “I’m not sure.” I told him that I would never run against him, so when he decides to please advise me as I would love his support.

“Listen,” said Harold, “I am very involved these days with the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors (CJCS). I want to start a Sports Celebrity Breakfast. If you can help me do that, I will support your council run.”

I had previously organized such events at Beth Zion Synagogue with Joe Presser, who was one of the first people I called to join our new committee. I gathered a few others and we agreed to launch this venture. To make a long story short, the Breakfast has gotten bigger and more popular every year. What began as an event for which we hoped to break even evolved into a true fundraiser for an important cause, seniors in crisis, a program that delivers much needed assistance to seniors who are unable to financially look after their needs

As the co-emcee and producer of the event itself, I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  Harold Greenspon turned the chairmanship over to Mike Wagen, senior vice-president of Delmar Cargo, five years ago. Mike  really turned on the faucets in terms of bringing in the dollars. By choosing former limited partner of the Expos Mark Routtenberg and honouring the 1994 team for our 2011 event, we raised over $175,000. We were sold out two months in advance, with more than 650 people on hand at the Gelber Conference Centre, which is attached to the CJCS headquarters.

Routtenberg was a limited partner in the Expos ownership group from 1991 to 2001. He was also a general partner of the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League when they won the Memorial Cup in 1997 and served as chairman of the Canadian hockey team which captured gold at the Maccabiah Games in Israel that same year, with Jacques Demers as head coach. He is presently the president of Freemark Apparel Brands. Previously, he was chairman of Ideal Plumbing Supplies and president and CEO of Guess Canada Inc.

Among 1994 Expos alumni on hand were manager Felipe Alou (pictured with me below), general manager Kevin Malone, team president Claude Brochu,  Cy Young Award winning pitcher Pedro Martinez, standout outfielders, Rondell White, Marquis Grissom and Cliff Floyd,  pitchers John Wetteland,  Mel Rojas and Denis Boucher. Noted rap artist   Annakin Slayd presented his spectacular tribute to the Expos, which has become a YouTube sensation.

Also on hand were former Stanley Cup winning coach for the Canadiens Senator Jacques Demers, Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes  players  Etienne Boulay and Scott Flory, new team president Ray Lalonde and former player  Bruno Heppelle. Thanks to team owner Farrel Miller and president Sebastien Courcelles, the Montreal Juniors delayed their departure to Halifax for their game three of their first round playoff series in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League so that  head coach Pascal Vincent and three of his top players could join us -  Habs prospects Louis  Leblanc and Philippe Lefebvre and Los Angeles Kings draft pick and goalie J.F. Bérube.

Here is the CTV Montreal report on the event:

 

Former World Boxing Organization super middleweight champion Otis Grant, Canadian Paralympic sledge hockey goalie Benoit  St. Amand, former Canadian LPGA champion Jocelyn Bourassa and  Adam Braz of the Montreal Impact were there. The mascots  were well represented Youppi, formerly of the  Expos and now with the Habs, was joined by Snorro of the Montreal  Juniors and Tak Tik of the Impact. It should be noted that  the Montreal Canadiens were to be represented. Unfortunately for us they were shut out for their  third successive game the evening before and head coach Jacques Martin decided to call a rare Sunday morning practice.

Make no mistake about this though. This was a day to remember the Expos and when it was all over, the feeling was pretty unanimous: if only they had never left. I invited Rodger Brulotte, the voice of the Expos on RDS and French radio, to share in some of the introductions and interviews.  He was superb, providing us with some of his famous home run calls.

Routtenberg put it best when he spoke about the 1994 Expos being one of the best teams in baseball. Unfortunately, with the club in first place towards the end of August, the Major League Baseball Players Association triggered a strike. Both the season and a dream of a World Series championship were dead.

As Routtenberg reasoned, if the strike had never occurred; if the planned downtown stadium had been built; if the Canadian dollar was not valued at close to 60 cents vs. the American buck back then; if there were a proper revenue sharing formula in place, well we would still have our Expos.

“We are the largest North American city not to have a major league baseball team,” said Routtenberg.

The question I asked, and have been doing so for many years, is why does Montreal not at least have a minor league professional team?  Whom better than Routtenberg to try and bring an ownership group together and retrofit the Centre Claude Robillard as their home. Former Expo Warren Cromartie has been working behind the scenes to make this happen. I would bet the likes of Pedro Martinez, who earned  more than $100 million in his career, would climb aboard.

Many of the former Expos whispered that Montreal should get a major league team again. This, I doubt, will ever occur in our lifetime. Montreal will not have a Major League Baseball team in our lifetime, nor in our children's lifetime,” Brochu told me. “The cost is now prohibitive.”

And why can’t our city at least become the home of a minor league pro franchise? “I'm not sure Montreal can handle a minor league club right now,” he said. “We are in a form of denial to some extent, which indicates to me that the mourning of the loss is not over. There is almost no indication in the city that the Expos ever existed and people are only now beginning to say they are missed.” 

Watch the Annakin Slayd video for yourself. I have seen it at least 100 times. You could see tears pouring out of the eyes of grown men today as it played on the big screen.

 

The Expos have been gone for seven years. It is something I always accepted. Did I miss their presence? Perhaps a bit, but after the 2011 Breakfast I realize more than ever what we lost.

 
Pedro sports the Expos cap of THE TEAM 990's Matthew Ross.

 

My CSL Year in Review for 2010

As the year 2010 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. 

Second Term In Office

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 2010 highlights.

Rembrandt Park

There was a lot of discussion and activity related to Rembrandt Park. I am very proud of the fact we have made a number of improvements here over the last few years. The former soccer pit was filled, new play equipment added and a water spray area, which the young children enjoy immensely, introduced in 2009.  The park presently has two tennis courts and a lighting system which needs to be updated. Last June I hosted one of my District 2 information meetings, at which time I presented some of the options that were being considered.  This included adding three or four more tennis courts and relocating the basketball court to the side closer to Merrimac. In fact, a half court was being proposed. There was a great deal of feedback after the meeting and I brought that all back to council. Some residents even met with the staff from Parks and Recreation to bring their points home. We went out for tenders at the end of the summer.

The quotations we received were far above what was budgeted. While we will seek bidders again in 2011, due to the cost of the $18 million Aquatic and Community Centre going up on Parkhaven Avenue, we may have to hold back on this work a bit longer.  Our new city manager, Tanya Abramovitch, has also come forward with a new proposal for Rembrandt Park which I believe merits our attention. Stay tuned on that one.

Snow Dump Parking Lot

Last summer the garage at  6555 Kildare Road was being fixed. The owner approached me to see what could be done for his many residents in terms of parking. Thanks to the assistance of Director of Public Safety Jordy Reichson, arrangements were made to convert the snow dump into a special parking lot. Some residents with specific medical conditions were given permission to park on the street. Fortunately the work was completed just before our first snow fall.

Piping on Kildare Road and New Stop Signs

Work was carried out on Kildare Road during the month of July and completed in early August to change the underground pipes in order to avoid the type of water main breaks we experienced in 2009. I gained the city council’s support to have this job moved up in the schedule at a cost of $426,000. Now that the work is completed the pipes shouldn't need to be repaired or replaced for approximately 50 years. There were some bonuses added to this project. An additional $26,000 was secured to finally fix the stretch of pavement from Rembrandt to Cavendish.  And, following a lot of feedback from residents of Rembrandt, Merrimac, Sir Walter Scott and most notably Ilan Ramon  Crescent, new stop signs were installed at the corner of Sir Walter Scott and Kildare Road. I have spoken to Police Commander Sylvain Bissonnette for his patrols to observe the spot closely as many motorists are not abiding by the rules there.

Digital Signage

In 2010 digital signage finally arrived in the city of Côte Saint-Luc.  This was an initiative I had been pushing since first being elected. An attractive four by seven full colour and weatherproof LED display now stands at the corner of Cavendish  Boulevard and Kildare Road. Kazoo Digital, which already provides digital signage solutions for retailers, medical and dental clinics, and corporate offices with the use of in house digital display systems, is our partner in this endeavor. Messages appearing on the sign represent a combination of city announcements and advisories and paid advertisements.  We hope to see a few more surface in 2011.

New Town Houses

A lot of people have asked me what is happening with the 21 unit town house complex on Marc Chagall. Many will recall that the land was originally zoned for a strip mall. Following several consultations with my constituents in that area, it was clear that a strip mall was not desirable. We changed the zoning and allowed a developer to start selling units.  He an option to buy the land. Because such a transaction has not yet occurred, no construction has been allowed to take place.

New Zoning for Highrises

Meanwhile, when the city adopted a new master plan earlier in the year we rezoned the parcel of land that sits between the Le Rothchild I building and the Marquise to accommodate a highrise of a maximum 12 storeys, compared to the original 17. A previous Council had given approval a number of years ago for two twin tower buildings. That never took off. The land is vacant and while we have no indication that someone else might be interested, residents of the condos there now appear very pleased with the turn of events.

Cavendish Mall

District 2 stands to grow as a result of the development of the Cavendish Mall property. After many years of negotiation, council came to an agreement with the owners of the Mall for them to demolish 40 percent of the facility. The father and son team of Joe and Jason Levine of Dubelle Investments now plan to construct an attractive housing development. Work should commence in March. Right now the demolition is complete and debris must be carted away.

Kildare Towers

I have heard from many residents of Kildare Towers, located on Honore de Balzac, regarding the construction. Recently we created a small walking path to make their route into the remaining part of the Mall easier. I believe that as a result of this development their building will become more desirable as well.  The owner of the property is Howard Szalavetz, who also has the  Manoir Camelia next to City Hall under his auspices. Howard is a pleasure to deal with.

Aquatic and Community Centre

In the city at large, I was excited to be at both the initial announcement and the groundbreaking for our Aquatic and Community Centre. I hope to be doing laps in the new indoor pool in the fall.

New Public High School

We may also have a new public high school in the city in September.  Our mayor has made it a priority to lobby the English Montreal School Board (where I work by day) to bring back a high school to the old Wagar building. The city hosted a public meeting on the issue with the EMSB in October and it was standing room only. We will watch and see what happens if the EMSB Council approves a new three year plan in February, which would include the Côte Saint-Luc high school option. If that occurs, registration would begin soon after for the launch of a Grade 7 only school with sports concentration and heritage language options.

 Canada Day and Human Rights

During Canada Day festivities I co-chaired with Councillor Glenn J. Nashen the Human Rights Walkway Ceremony. Based on our respective histories with the Canadian Jewish Congress we chose to honour those who spoke out and fought for Jews oppressed in the former Soviet Union, Syria, and Ethiopia. It was an emotional experience, particularly as we saluted Rabbi Martin Penn. He was not able to be there with us due to illness. I am proud to announce that on Friday, July 1, 2011 I will co-chair Canada Day festivities with Councillor Allan J. Levine.

Seniors Golf

Councillor Sam Goldbloom and I co-chaired the Seniors Golf Outing Outing at Meadowbrook. I also emceed the awards banquet. This is an event I always enjoy. The same goes for the Senior Men’s Club Gala Dance. District 2 resident Sidney Margles is now the president of the Club and is working with us on the new Aquatic and Community Centre, which will also become the headquarters for our seniors groups.

Trap, Neuter and Release

As a self confessed cat lover, I asked for and received a mandate from the mayor to look into the feasibility of implementing a Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) program for cats. In August I hosted an unprecedented public information meeting at City Hall about what residents can do to help control our cat population. It exceeded my expectations in terms of interest. A standing room only crowd of more than 100 people stretched into the hallway. Media coverage in advance of the meeting and on this night was exceptional. Alanna Devine, the director of animal welfare at the local Canadian Society for the Prevention for Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA) and Dr. Marlene Kalin, the director of the Côte Saint-Luc   Hospital for animals, were special guest speakers.

Focus was placed on the Trap, Neuter, and Release (TNR) program, cat overpopulation, and responsible pet ownership. The TNR program humanely traps, sterilizes, then releases feral cats back into their original territory. Experts say that removing feral cats doesn't work because new cats simply move into the area. If the cat is adoptable, efforts are made to place it with a family. A cat can reproduce four times a year, beginning from six months old, and can give birth to from one to eight kittens each time.  We now have a committee in place and in the 2011 Côte Saint-Luc budget, a total of $5,000 has been allocated.  Our Director of Legal Services and City Clerk Jonathan Shecter got in touch with the head office of Canadian Pacific Railway, advising him that many of the feral cats are in the local CP Yards. The back and forth correspondence was very fruitful and CP has agreed to contribute $2,000 to the fund. Some committee members will assist me with fundraising and an education component. I am extremely pleased with these turn of events as our city is taking a leadership role which others should follow.

 Intercommunity Relations

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. In the fall we convened at Bialik High School where we were introduced to their new principal Shireen Butman. The dialogue was fruitful and I look forward to future gatherings. I continue to work with the Bialik administration in an effort  to have the parent motorists abide by the rules of the road. During the year I brought some students from Bialik to City Hall where our engineering manager Charles Senekal and Public Safety Director Jordy Reichson  spoke about ways in which they could make the area around the school safer.

New City Management

In 2010 the city council made an important move by promoting Director of Library Services Tanya Abramovitch and Director of Human Resources Nadia DiFurria to the posts of city manager and associate city manager. Tanya had impressed the entire council early on in this mandate when we chose her to head the library. She moved up even further on our list when she took charge of our strategic plan, a very exciting look into the future of our city which citizens will learn a lot more about in 2011.

2011 Budget

Finally, on December 20 council adopted the 2011 budget. We were faced with many challenges, starting with a seven percent increase in agglomeration expenses. Montreal has been taking advantage of the demerged suburbs from day one. Regrettably, the provincial government has not done enough to stop this injustice. I hate to think about what will occur in two years when the Parti Québecois is voted into office. That will happen, unless Premier Jean Charest resigns soon and is succeeded by a charismatic new leader.  We adopted a $59 million budget, with an average tax increase of 2.98 percent.

In the city itself I would like to salute some businesses:

• Kosher Self Service and Côte St. Luc Kosher and the Famous Delly Boys, both operating in the same plaza on Westminster Avenue.  Heading home from work, anxious for a good home cooked meal, but hoping someone will do the chore for you? Go see Mrs. Roth, Avi Brook and their team at Kosher Self Service/Cote St. Luc Kosher on Westminster for a ready to eat chicken schnitzel meal with amazing roasted potatoes. The place has great Chinese food and a whole lot more. Avi,  the kosher butcher extraordinaire, has specials on minced meat, flanken steaks, rib roast, short ribs and beef stew to name a few.  In 2010, the Famous Delly Boys got new owners - Tahir and Kharson  Lifanov,  with their mom Fatima. Tahir and Kharson have rejuvenated the place and brought back original owner Sonny Broccoli to lend his steady hand behind the counter. There are new additions to the menu, a website and great customer service.
• George at Caldwell Provisions has a kitchen of his own on the premises. Here too you can stop by anytime and get good home cooked meals.  On Westminster, Infusion Catering makes some of the best burgers I have tasted. Owner and chef Derek Curzi will cater your meal with Italian dishes, schnitzel and a whole lot more.
• Hats off to Raffi Abikian, who always stays calm at his Shell Service Station on Westminster despite a very demanding clientele. In addition to his body shop  in N.D.G., he has now opened a second automobile repair  shop in that area and put ace mechanic Zack in charge.
• At the Côte Saint-Luc Shopping Centre, Constantine the Tailor is probably the most reliable person in the community with needle and thread.
•  The best bagels in the city? CSL Bagel on Caldwell wins hands down. In 2010 the place went kosher. Next door is the Pharmaprix with the best customer service  thanks to ace technicians Thomas Virta and Sheila Cohen and seasoned pharmacists like Saul Singer.
  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, The Jewish Standard and others.
   

Maisons Fleuries Contest Shows City Beauty

The Côte Saint-Luc City Hall  Council Chamber was filled to capacity on Monday November 1  for the annual Maisons Fleuries garden beautification contest  awards evening.  The city awards prizes to residents who create attractive green spaces with blossoming trees, flowers and shrubs. A panel of judges views the gardens and selects the winners and runners up based on various categories.

Councillors Allan J. Levine, Sam Goldbloom and former councillor Harold Greenspon co-chaired the contest and officiated at the ceremony. Director of Parks and Recreation David Taveroff was the master of ceremonies while the magnificent Edwin Brownell provided entertainment.

There were a number of award winners from District 2. Ilan Ramon Crescent neighbours Daniel J. Cohen and his wife Bonnie Roiter and Frank Palucci and his wife Sandra Cambone  came in first and second place respectively for single family and semi-detached homes in District 2. Bonnie and Frank are pictured below with me.  Le Rothchild on Mackle Road came in tops for highrise condos. The superb Seniors Garden, located off the parking lot of the Cavendish Mall, won an award and  president Sava Todorovic and his wife Martha received a well deserved special recognition award.

I wish to salute all of our property owners who took the time to present such beautiful gardens. We know how much work it can be to create and maintain a garden and this contest our the city’s way of recognizing those efforts.

Residents were able to enter for consideration the garden of their single-family home, duplex or townhouse. All apartment buildings, commercial establishments and public buildings were automatically entered in the contest and were judged separately.  Judges assessed front gardens according to the cleanliness of the property, the appearance of plants and flowers and general landscaping.

The chairpersons of the Maisons Fleuries contest are Councillor Sam Goldbloom, Councillor Allan J. Levine and Harold Greenspon.

 

Save Budning Pharmacy from Pharmaprix!

There are two pharmacies I frequent on a regular basis: C. Budning,  affiliated with the Proxim Group, on Westminster Avenue North in Montreal West and the small Pharmaprix on Caldwell Avenue in Côte Saint-Luc, now operated by Sarah Ettedgui and David Banon.  

I go back at least 25 years with C. Budning. Originally the “C” stood for Charles Budning and eventually included “Carole,"   as in Charles’s daughter (below right). When Charles passed away just over a decade ago, Carole carried on the family tradition in fine form. She followed in her dad’s footsteps, became a pharmacist and retained all of the clientele most because of her exceptional personalized service. Like Charles, Carole is caring when one calls with a medical problem. She will come from behind the counter and dispense advice. This is not a big box pharmacy, which has its advantages.

Well, there are some new developments which could adversely affect Carole’s business. Very recently Joel Weigensberg shut down the automobile repair station which was originally started by his dad Dave. It is located at the corner of Westminster and Sherbrooke Street West, virtually across from the  C. Budning Pharmacy. Pharmaprix immediately bought the property and made an offer to purchase the adjacent medical clinic. They want to construct a 20,000 square foot facility. What should Montreal West Town Council do? Is this fair to C. Budning, which has been in operation for decades and has a loyal following?

Consider this scenario for a moment.  Two years ago Aziza Alaoui sold her pharmacy on Caldwell Avenue to Pharmaprix. Now this is a small strip small establishment and like Budning its strength is strong personal service. But there is a very large Pharmaprix located only a few blocks away at the Cavendish Mall. Everyone, from customers to staff, feared that the plan was to ultimately close the Caldwell location and shift all of the clients to the Mall. But very quickly, the new owner realized that if something like that would occur, customers would not necessarily go to the Mall. Sarah Ettedgui and David Banon are presently the owners of the Caldwell and Mall Pharmaprix locations. I have yet to meet them.  Ageless Saul Singer is the most regular pharmacist on hand. He is thorough, patient and pleasant. Bu the real stars here are Sheila Cohen and Thomas Virta (left), two technicians who process all of the orders. They know every customer’s personal history virtually by heart and will go the extra mile in terms of calling a doctor’s office or insurance company for you. When I call I do not ask for the pharmacist – Sheila and Thomas are flawless. Sheila recently broke her foot and came back to work within only two weeks, wearing a walking cast.

Pharmaprix should take a look at the Caldwell-Mall example. They aleady have a big box location a few miles down the road at Sherbrooke and Cavendish and a smaller one near Concordia’s Loyola campus. The Budning clients are loyal. They will not budge.

“Montreal West is a very unique town with its own character and personality,” says Carole. “ There is a special feel to our community that is shared by its occupants. This is a place where most everyone knows their neighbour, and more so wants to. On a walk down the street or into my store you are greeted by name and with a smile. Serendipitous rendezvous turn into wonderful reunions. In this town we are truly a family oriented community knitted by the townspeople’s exceptional interpersonal relationships.

“The building of a large Pharmaprix at the intersection of the town’s two main commercial streets threatens to erode the small town charm that sets us apart from other districts. Most residents would tell you that they settled in Montreal West because they were drawn in by its small town charm despite its higher taxes. They are here for the community and it has been my pleasure to serve as their community pharmacist for over 20 years following in the footsteps of my father who purchased the pharmacy in 1955.”

Carole reasons that currently there are many large format pharmacies just a short distance, even minutes away from the town core. “They are very easily accessible by those who wish to patron them,” she says. “The move against the establishment of a Pharmaprix in our town is to preserve the way of life that the just over 5,000 MoWesters have cherished since 1897.”

Interestingly, Montreal West Mayor  Beny Masella  is a pharmacist as well. His pharmacy is located in the Côte Saint-Luc section of Westminster Avenue.

What will his council do? It will be interesting to watch.

CIJR fulfills important role in the community

I remember well the humble beginnings of the  Canadian Institute for Jewish Research (CIJR)  more than two decades ago.  Professor Frederick Krantz founded the organization at the time of Israel’s first intifada and placed a lot of energy on Canadian university campuses.

The CIJR began informally as a group of pro-Israel academics Krantz (right) got together in the winter of 1987, most of whom had already started to respond to the sudden negative media associated with the beginnings of the first  intifada  against Israel.  As CIJR reps were invited to speak at shuls and organizations, and spontaneous financial contributions began to be made,  the need for some support, secretarial and legal, access to a photocopier and a way impersonally to deposit donations and such came about.  Krantz turned to the various Jewish organizations and was frankly  stunned when they refused any help.

 Why this negativity was the case, given the situation being faced back then, remains a mystery to this day, but at a certain point, the CIJR had  to either cease functioning, or create its own independent organization.  It took the latter route, and the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research, a non-profit educational foundation, was created, receiving government approval in late 1988.

The Sunday, August 15,  the CIJR will hold its an international conference in the morning at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Westmount, followed by its 22nd anniversary gala in the evening at the same locale. “Israel, the U.S., and the Iranian Nuclear Threat”  is the theme for the business portion of the day. It  will bring together outstanding academics, specialists, jouralists, students, organization heads, and prominent members of Montreal’s business and Jewish communities. The high end conference is testament to how the CIJR has thrived based on its independence.

“The general, as well as Jewish, public must be awakened to the profound threat not only to Israel, but also to the Middle East, Europe and the world, represented by the fanatical, genocidal Iranian regime’s imminent possession of a nuclear weapon”, explains Prof. Krantz.  

The 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. conference has three goals: (1) to analyze American, Israeli and UN policy in relation to the Iranian threat; (2) to examine strategies, political and military, for countering it; and (3) to make the public and politicians aware of the serious implications of an Iranian nuclear weapon.

 

The conference will be opened by  Krantz. Scholars presenting formal papers at the two morning Panels include Clifford May (President, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies), John Thompson (Mackenzie Institute) and Prof. Asaf Romirowsky (Middle East Forum); Panel Chairs are Profs. Harold Waller (McGill U.) and Norrin Ripsman (Concordia U.).The evening gala will be opened by Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center  and a  keynote address delivered by Bret Stephens, foreign affairs editor for the  Wall Street Journal. The dinner  will also feature several CIJR awards, and a special musical performance by the young Quebec singing sensation, Kathleen Reiter.    One late addition to the evening Gala: Andrew Roberts, the outstanding British historian and co-founder (with Spain’s former PM Jose Maria Aznar) of The Committee in Defense of Israel (his wonderful article, “What the World Owes the Jewish People”, appeared in last week’s National Post).

Here is something new from Krantz: “CIJR is moving into using , beginning with students in their unique Student Israel Advocacy Program, its unique academic resources  - outstanding Academic Fellows drawn from Montreal, Canada, the |US and Israel-  to offer for-credit multidisciplinary courses. These will be in the fields of Jewish and Zionist history, the so-called ‘Arab-Israel Conflict,’ which should more properly be called the ‘Arab Conflict, maintained by the Muslim states, to destroy Jewish Israel,’  the diplomatic history and politics of the Middle East, and the history, politics and culture of modern Jewish Israel.

  

“The need for this international conference—to alert the community to growing regional and world peril in face of an Iranian nuclear weapon, and to gauge concrete steps available to avert it—speaks for itself,” said Krantz.

Registration  the conference is only $40  and free for student and must be paid  in advance. Persons attending the evening gala, at $500 per person (partially tax-receiptable), can attend the conference gratis.

The CIJR is indeed unique in the community. In the fall of 2000,  its daily Isranet briefing  e-mail service was launched  to counter anti-Israel propaganda, and to keep the public and subscribers  informed of daily issues affecting the Jewish people. Each daily briefing consists of multiple opinion pieces, articles, or documents, on current issues. A weekly French-language Communiqué Isranet bulletin is also available.  The CIJR’s  ISRAFAX quarterly magazine is distributed across Canada and internationally. The editors of ISRAFAX include key articles from major international newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, official documents, and websites with varying perspectives on important issues. The Israeli and Arab media are also scanned for timely reports, opinion, and documents. ISRAFAX, as the name implies, was originally sent out by fax machines two decades ago.  The CIJR also supports the student-written Dateline: Middle East magazine, distributed on campuses across Canada. It also offers several summer and academic-year student internships. 

For more information contact  Katrin Kraizgur,  at (514) 486-5544/katrin@isranet.org.