Mike in the Media

The Free Press: CSL passes cat licensing bylaw

Council passes outdoor cat by-law 

Isaac Olson, November 13, 2012

The Free Press

Côte St. Luc’s city council unanimously adopted the city’s firrst cat licensing by-law on October 22, requiring all outdoor cats be sterilized and registered as of November 1. Failure to comply means owners could be fined up to $1,200 and risk losing their pet if it is picked up by the local cat-trapping organization.

Some residents at the meeting wanted to know why the council is focusing on cats when there are other, more pressing matters to consider. CSL resident Alex Davis said, “I’m a little bit flabbergasted. You’re not going to be able govern this.” Davis questioned the lack of public consultation before moving forward with the by-law, but regardless, said, “It doesn’t seem to me to be a very important issue.”

 Both Bernard Tonchin and Davis said cat owners are responsible individuals. Mayor Anthony Housefather said it won’t be a police matter nor will public security “be spending a lot of time running after cats” as the cat committee will be capturing outdoor cats and checking for tags. The by-law does not apply to felines that remain indoors. However, owners of outdoor cats aged six months and older will need to register the animals at city hall and obtain a cat identification tag, provide relevant information required to process the registration of the cat and produce, on a one-time basis, a certificate from their veterinarian proving the cat has been sterilized.

 Annual registration fees will range from $10 for a sterilized cat that bears a microchip or a tattoo to $20 for an outdoor cat that is medically exempt from sterilization due to age (10 years or older). The volunteer cat committee operates by fundraising and a $5,000 grant from the city. During the meeting, Councillor Michael Cohen said if the cat committee finds a friendly, homeless cat without evidence of registration, “we will try to get it adopted.” Without help, homeless cats die, he said. Councillor Allan Levine noted feral cats also spread disease to each other, domestic cats and people. 

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Coverage of Cats Committee Benefit Concert

August 29, 2012 Free Press Newspaper

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August 25, 2012 West End Times

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The Free Press: July 10, 2012 CSL Citizenship Ceremony

On Canada Day, Côte Saint-Luc hosted its traditional Canadian Citizenship Ceremony.

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The Free Press: Cat Trappers Put Felines Up for Adoption

June 12, 2012 Edition

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Free Press: Crohn's Talk in CSL

Gastroenterologist to give Crohn’s disease talk
April 24, 2012
Isaac Olson, The Free Press

One of Canada’s foremost gastroenterologists, Dr. Ernest Seidman, will give a free lecture on Crohn’s disease in Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation (6519 Baily Rd.) on May 1 at 7:30 pm. Seidman’s talk will focus on Crohn’s disease in the family, its risk factors, possible preventive measure and therapies.

Some 200,000 Canadians are affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — a blanket term which covers Crohn's, ulcerative colitis and other similar digestionrelated conditions. Councillor Mike Cohen, a member of the congregation who volunteers hiscommunications expertise, said he has suffered from a mild case of Crohn’s disease for 24 years. While he hasn’t missed a day of work due to it, he did have one surgery. He takes medication and regularly checks in with his own gastroenterologist. “There are a lot of people that have this disease that can’t go to work for extended periods of time and are in the hospital a lot,” said Cohen. “Then we have someone like Dr. Seidman. He’s a genius ... He’s on the cutting edge. There are so many therapies out there and so many medications. People are really curious if something is going to work and, if a medication stops working, where are they going to go next. He’s going to be there to talk and to answer questions.” Cohen said learning about new therapies is invaluable.

“[Because] Crohn’s is genetic, patients and families are very concerned about how they might prevent the disease in other family members, ”states Seidman in a recent press release. “There are a lot of different therapies available, some of which are new.”

 

Free Press: Marc Chagall Snow Dump

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Free Press: Marc Chagall Condos Sold-out

 Download Here for Story on Marc Chagall Homes Sold

Free Press: Côte Saint-Luc a leader in social media

Here is a link to the Free Press story about new developments in social media in CSL.

Download Free PressCity website now available on smart phones

The Free Press, November 10, 2011- Groundbreaking for Les Cours Marc Chagall

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The Free Press, November 10, 2011- CSL Corner Column

Taking a leadership role on animal welfare 
By Mike Cohen 
CSL Corner, The Free Press, November 8, 2011 

As the official liaison from city council to the Côte St. Luc Cats 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). 

Most recently I represented Côte St. Luc at a one-day conference presented by the CaacQ (www.caacq.ca) 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. 

A year and a half ago, when cat lovers began lobbying Côte St. 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 organized 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 hotline (514.485.6800, ext. CATS), to provide the tools for people to report feral cats in their neighbourhood. Both the SPCA and the Côte St. 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. 

Some key players at the recent Montreal conference included the amazing Bill Bruce, the director of Animal Services for the city of Calgary, and Jane Hoffman, the founder of the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals. Guy Auclair, a representative from the Quebec Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation, was also on hand. Please read my detailed summary at www.mikecohen.ca. 

Mike Cohen is the Côte St. Luc city councillor responsible for corporate identity, intercommunity relations, sponsorship and the liaison to the Côte St. Luc Cats Committee. His email address is[email protected].