A constituent contacted me this week to express concern that the test centre at the CSLC René-Cassin at Quartier Cavendish was closed.

People wait outside the test center.

I reached out to CIUSSS West-Central Montreal and they provided me with full story.  They aim to re-establish blood testing services  three days per week, in April. In the meantime, clients are referred to the local point of service at Décarie Square (6900 Décarie Boulevard) and other CLSCs on the territory.

The hours of operation are   Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clients can call  514-734-9911 and obtain an appointment for any urgent (within 24-48 hours) or routine test within 10 days, free of charge. It is also possible to book an appointment online via Clic Santé . As for ear cleaning, appointments have been re-directed to CLSC Côte-des-Neiges, CLSC Parc-Extension and CLSC Métro.

Left to right Dr. Baliesh, Clinical Manager Roxane Plaza, Secretary Erica Kremer and Nurse Laira Bouzo.

What prompted a young family physician to launch his own private medical clinic? After Dr. Shayne Baliesh completed his residency at McGill University, the Côte Saint-Luc resident began to work in the public system. His workplace was the CLSC et Centre de services ambulatoires de Vaudreuil-Dorion. However, with two young children at home and another on the way, the commute – exacerbated by the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge construction – became just too much. It was time to switch gears.

Dr. Baliesh and Laura Bouzo review a chart.

Dr. Baliesh decided to make the biggest career move of his life and opened a new private medical clinic on Royalmount Avenue in TMR called Rose M.D. It is located right next door to the large new mall.

Rose MD, named after Dr. Baliesh’s children Romy and Jesse, is open to patients of all age. The clinic offers urgent care, annual check-ups, mental health consults, weight loss pharmacotherapy, telemedicine, forms, and private lab testing. “Basically we take care of everything related to general family medicine,” Dr. Bailesh explained. “We guarantee appointments within 24 hours, usually the same day. We have a no hidden cost policy. There are no chart opening fees and no membership requirements.”

Dr. Baliesh. grew up in Dollard des Ormeaux and attended Hebrew Foundation School and Herzliah High School, followed by John Abbott College (Sciences) and Concordia University (Behavioral Neurobiology). He then proceeded to medical school overseas and in Chicago before returning home and McGill for his residency.

Dr. Baliesh is up to the challenge.

With the support of his wife Roxane Plaza, Rose M.D. was established in February 2025. “The public system places too many challenges in the way of family physicians,” Dr. Baliesh. said. “That is what motivated me to launch my own clinic and do so privately.”

With the severe shortage in family physicians, Dr. Baliesh. very quickly began to see the interest in his services. “We recognize that it’s very difficult to access a doctor here in Quebec,” he said. “People either don’t have a family doctor or have one that is not available to see them quickly enough, which is why we prioritize this easy accessibility. Visitors from outside of Canada who need medical assistance have to pay anyhow. We are here for them too. I am really trying to provide a great service to people and I believe that my clinic can fill a void in terms of healthcare!

“Our clinic is designed for your convenience, offering prompt and accessible appointments for a wide range of health concerns for all ages. These include minor injuries, infections, rashes, flu-like symptoms, abdominal pains and other minor urgencies.”

There is a wide range of on-site laboratory tests, including blood work, urine analysis, STI testing and other diagnostic tests. Rose MD ensures accurate results with quick turnaround times. They provide reliable lab services that cater to each patient’s individual health needs.

Rose M.D. is located at 5500 Royalmount, Suite 250. There is plenty of free parking and the entrance to the building is just past the RBC branch. To book an appointment or find out more information call 438-944-7673 or log on to www.rosemd.ca

Mitchell and Elaine Brownstein; Harvey and Susie Schwartz; Anthony Housefather; and Joy Rodgers and  Jordy Reichson.

I was pleased to be on hand at  Côte Saint-Luc City Hall as Liberal Member of Parliament for Mount Royal  Anthony Housefather presented  King Charles III Coronation Medals to three well-deserving residents:  Joy Rodgers, Susie Berkson-Schwartz and  Mayor Mitchell Brownstein.  

Mitchell and Elaine, with grandson Jonah looking on.

The winners were joined by their spouses, Jordy, Harvey, and Elaine, as well as their family and friends.

Joy and Jordy.

 Joy has been a volunteer at CSL Emergency Medical Services for over a quarter-century while Susie has served with CSL Volunteer Citizens on Patrol  since we started the organization in 2006. Of course Mayor Brownstein  needs no introduction. For the past 36 years  he has been serving CSL as a Councillor and Mayor, in addition to holding numerous volunteer positions in the community.

It was  a wonderful and heartwarming ceremony.See this short and entertaining video chat I had with Susie and Harvey 

Bios of Recipients

Susie Berkson-Schwartz

Today we are recognizing Susie Berkson-Schwartz with the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal in honor of her long-standing commitment to community service. Susie has been an active volunteer with Côte Saint-Luc Citizens on Patrol (vCOP) since 2006, dedicating almost 20 years to ensuring the safety and well-being of her fellow citizens.

In her role with vCOP, Susie has taken on many important tasks, including organizing vCOP’s presence at major events such as the Winter Carnival, the Ruth Kovac Blood Drive, Canada Day celebrations, and Remembrance Day activities. She also coordinates vCOP representation at local events in places like Trudeau Park and Ashkelon Gardens. Susie works closely with city staff to make sure these events run smoothly and are enjoyable for the public, making her a key figure in the community.

Before focusing on her volunteer work, Susie had a successful career as both an educator and a professional in the clothing industry. Her passion for helping others also led her to serve as the program coordinator for the Open Gate Senior Day Program at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, where she worked with seniors from 2009 until the program closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Susie’s exceptional service and commitment to her community make her a very deserving recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal. We are truly honored to recognize her today for her hard work, generosity, and dedication.

Joy Rodgers

Joy Rodgers grew up not far from the Côte Saint-Luc EMS station and knew from early on that caring for others was in her future. Working at Blossom Pool, Rabin wading pool, and at Parkhaven Pool, she's always had service to her community in her blood.

At 18, she walked into EMS and 26 years later is still at it. Since joining in February 1999, Joy Rodgers has accomplished a lot. She is an experienced medic, driver and instructor. She led the quality assurance team and was in charge of recruiting, all while continuing to dedicate hundreds of hours of volunteer service to help others.

While not on shift at EMS, Joy is an active mom of two, a wife, an elementary school first aid coordinator, a cpr instructor, and a cancer survivor and advocate.

Mitchell Brownstein

Mitchell practiced law from 1988 until becoming a full-time Mayor in May in 2016.  He was first elected to Cöte Saint Luc Council in 1990. He was an activist Councillor promoting issues of Canadian Unity, Co-Chairing the Cote Saint Luc Demerger Committee and advocating for Holocaust Remembrance. As a City Councillor he held the portfolios of Public Works and Parks and Recreation, introduced the Fun Card providing access to CSL recreational facilities, and established the Cote Saint Luc Dramatic Society.

He was co-Chair of the Aquatic and Community Centre building project, adding indoor pools, a gym, a fitness centre and dance studio, and activity rooms bringing new programs to the community as well as virtual options. 

As Mayor he led the country in Covid-19 safety being the first city anywhere in Canada to mandate masks in public places. He opposed the CAQ’s Bill -21 Charter of values on secularism organizing a rally in front of City Hall and Bill 96 the CAQ language legislation leading a legal contestation before the courts.  

He is very proud that our city was a finalist in the Smart City challenge whereby Cöte Saint Luc provided in-home technology to isolated seniors and received an $800,000 grant making Cote Saint Luc a living lab helping seniors live longer in their homes while staying connected to friends, family and city life. He takes great pride in the renovated Kirwan Park that was accomplished with 3.8 million dollars of Federal/Provincial grant monies, the refrigerated outdoor ice surface at the annex, our renovated arena, renovated outdoor pool with handicap access to match the handicapped access at the indoor pool and the drop-in Centre for older seniors with dementia.

Mitchell continues to promote health and fitness adding pétanque courts and a whiffle ball field, new basketball courts, improved tennis courts and Pickleball courts at the indoor gym and outdoor annex. He actively participates in the programs and facilities the city has to offer regularly swimming in our pools and acting in the Dramatic Society productions, this year in the role of the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz opening in May.

He has presented briefs on transit solutions to the ARTM, Hippodrome, Royalmount and held many consultations over the last 3 years on the city’s Masterplan that will provide new housing options where residents will be able to find everything they need for commerce and leisure within 15 minutes of where they live. This vision will allow the city to grow both financially and in size, bringing children closer to their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.

In a city published video and other media coverage, including a front-page Gazette story on December 10, 2024, Mitchell called out Mayor Plante to take decisive action in ordering the police to crack down on repeated illegal conduct by anti-Israel protesters and continues to pursue the matter with the Police and the City.

In another front-page Gazette story on May 22, 2023 titled “An anglo community, a dramatic society and the singing mayor of Côte-St-Luc, Mitchell is quoted as saying, “I do have a philosophy of life that guides me as mayor. You need to do things in your life that you find joy in and that provide joy to others. That’s how I run the city. It’s not just the Dramatic Society. Whether it’s swimming programs or ensuring we provide the best service with our public works, it’s about making people feel good and doing our best to make people feel happy. And Something Rotten!, for anyone who comes to the show, you give them two and a half hours of happiness.”

Medailles du Couronnement du roi Charles III

J'ai eu le plaisir d'être présent à l'hôtel de ville de Côte Saint-Luc lorsque le député libéral de Mont-Royal, Anthony Housefather, a remis des médailles du couronnement du roi Charles III à trois résidents qui le méritaient bien :  Joy Rodgers, Susie Berkson-Schwartz et le maire Mitchell Brownstein. 

Les lauréats étaient accompagnés de leurs maries Jordy, Harvey et Elaine, ainsi que de leur famille et de leurs amis.

Joy est bénévole au CSL Emergency Medical Services depuis plus d'un quart de siècle, tandis que Susie est bénévole au CSL Volunteer Citizens on Patrol depuis la création de l'organisation en 2006. Bien entendu, le maire Brownstein n'a plus besoin d'être présenté. Au cours des 36 dernières années, il a servi CSL en tant que conseiller et maire, en plus d'occuper de nombreux postes bénévoles dans la communauté.

Harvey, Susie et Anthony.

Ce fut une cérémonie merveilleuse et réconfortante.

Traduit avec DeepL.com

I was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Bernard Gotlieb, a lifelong resident of Côte Saint-Luc who endured significant health problems for most of his life yet he always kept a smile on his face and maintained a good attitude life.
A number of years ago I invited Bernard to Royal Vale School in NDG where he recounted his courageous battle with leukemia, the loss of two legs and why he decided to publish his own memoirs. He was a familiar face at that school and others for the popular chess club he ran several days a week.

The late Bernard Gotlieb

In 1977, 19-year-old Bernard was living a happy middle class existence in his native Côte St. Luc, which included a passion for the word game Scrabble. However, during a plane trip home from a winter vacation in Florida, he experienced some blockage in his ears, and went to see a doctor who was starting his new G.P. practice. Because the doctor was seeing him for the first time, he was subjected to a battery of medical procedures, including a blood test. When the blood test results looked slightly irregular, the doctor requested another one. The end result was a rather startling one: he was diagnosed with leukemia. Back in the late 70s, leukemia was practically a death sentence, and any treatments that were available were debilitating, painful and had no guarantee of success. However, such a dire diagnosis did not deter Bernard, as he decided to embark upon a six-week trip to Israel, pursued a degree in tourism management and established his own Scrabble Club (which was still in operation).

In June of 1979, Bernrard decided to take a major step in his battle against leukemia: a bone marrow transplant (which was still in the experimental stages) that was only available at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. And on top of that, his sister Gloria’s marrow was a compatible match, and was more than happy to take that risky measure of donating it towards increasing the chances of her brother’s survival against that dreaded disease. As a result, he became one of the first leukemia patients to undergo – and survive -- a bone marrow transplant in Canada, a treatment that is so common these days. The story of Bernard Gotlieb’s up and down road to successfully battling leukemia is told in honest, personal detail in his privately-published memoir “Hey What Happened To You?” He chronicles his struggles with a lot of with a lot of humanity and humour, and the message the reader gets is that through the more than 30 years since his diagnosis and subsequent bone marrow transplant, Bernard never gave up on the idea of beating this disease, and restoring himself to his normal way of life and pursuing the passions that kept him going through such difficult times.
Difficulties Bernard endured included infections, a series of extended hospital stays, injuries, accidents, operations, medical procedures, financial strains, a brain tumour, and a worsening skin condition that led to the amputation of both his legs. Yet somehow, through the love and support of friends and family (not to mention his continuing passion for Scrabble and his Scrabble club), he has managed to maintain busy life, in which he ran a games class at multiple schools.

Bernard is shown here a number of years ago being honored by City Council.

Bernard also tutored students in math, French, English and Spanish at his home. He also had a special adapted vehicle. Bernard had a great sense of humour. Besides the extraordinary support he received from his family, including his late parents, a word must go out to his lifelong neighbor Bram Weinstein who was as devoted as they come.

Tributes have been pouring in for Bernard. “My son developed a love of chess through Bernard’s kind and gentle guidance at Royal Vale School,” commented Cindy Blauer. “He shared his list with me of two letter Scrabble words, which I will always treasure. Bernard exhibited strength, determination and acceptance, humbly modelling what it takes to live life to its fullest.”

Bernard in a scrabble game.

Stephen Caplan was his physician at the time of his initial diagnosis many years ago. “Even at that time, I realized that he was a very special person,” he said. “No matter what he was facing, he always faced it with optimism and resilience. At the time, there was no curative treatment for his disease, except for the risky bone marrow transplant which he ultimately had. He was always upbeat and positive, even at times when the complications of the transplant caused severe disability.”

Liat Lev-Ary Goldstein recalls Bernard being her tutor 35 years ago when she first arrived to Montreal from Israel as a Grade 11 student. “I met him four times a week for a few months to work on different subjects,” she said. “Many years later, I met him again, this time at Royal Vale where he taught my four children chess in the afternoon program. His valour, courage and strength over the years never ceased to amaze and impress me. His positive attitude was also admirable.”

Robin Pollock Daniel noted how she met Bernard about 41 years ago, venturing into the Montreal Scrabble Club at the behest of her backdoor neighbour, Fran Silver, and began an adventure into a competitive world whose inevitable bumps and bruises were made tolerable by the grace and good humour of Bernard. “From hesitating to match me at the club with far superior players because I wasn't good enough yet, to graduating me from seven-letter prize-winning anagram puzzles to the vaunted 9s as my skills grew, he shepherded my and every player's growth to make the Montreal club the most admired one in all of Scrabble, with a string of World Champions – quite a feat considering Canada's comparatively low population and, oh yeah, those tournaments didn't use our usual, much smaller, dictionary,” she said. “At the Baltimore Nationals he wanted to go to the baseball game and had no one to take him. He would have gone alone, in his wheelchair, with thousands marching past him, such was his strength of determination. Tthankfully I learned of it and was able to accompany him; he inspired fierce loyalty and protectiveness. I have never met a kinder soul, and his ability to not just tolerate his afflictions, but to soar in spite of them, has helped me through my own illnesses, as I frequently think of him at those times. In Scrabble we have a saying with regard to making the best play: ‘What would Nigel do?’ But for all of life's trials and tribulations, I often think, ‘What would Bernard do?’ I can only aspire to reach the levels of optimism and acceptance that Bernard habitually achieved, and I will never match his grace. But I will keep thinking of him, as I'm sure you all will, too, and keep his memory alive and as a blessing for us all.”

Rest in Peace Bernard!

I am pleased to report that our CSL Public Library has received a  $21,000 grant from  the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP).   Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather made the announcement formally on Monday night at City Hall. He had encouraged us to apply.

Anthony Housefather presents the confirmation letter to Director of Library Services Janine West and council.

The grant will be used to support Tales & Travel Memories, an innovative library program that provides services directly to people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias, and their caregivers. It was developed in 2013 by Mary Beth Reidner, a librarian whose husband had been diagnosed with dementia. Since then, the program has been offered in many North American libraries as well as many institutions caring for patients with dementia.

The program will be offered weekly, in six or eight  week sessions starting in late August and each meeting will take participants on an imaginary trip to another country using library materials such as highly illustrated adult and children’s books, music, souvenirs and other objects, folktales and stories, interesting facts and video about each destination. From now until late August time will be spent planning, purchasing materials for each kit, and promoting the program.

The program will be open to eight to 10 seniors suffering from dementia as well as their caregivers. (Caregiver attendance is required). Three to four sessions would be offered to reach as many seniors as possible.

The program will  be guided by a Katie Bezaire, the Seniors’ Services librarian. We are also hoping to enlist the support of the Alzheimer’s Society or the Alzheimer’s Group Inc. Volunteers also play a vital role in this project. They contribute to the planning, assist with the creation of the travel kits, help with the food and assist at each program offering personalized attention.

The sessions encourage participation, conversation and the sharing of memories providing stimulation for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and it also provides an activity for caregivers.

According to a research study in Tales and Travel is an effective program. Caregivers and volunteers observe increased social interaction, increased cognitive interaction, and various types of cognitive engagement, including verbalization, memory recall, reading ability, and emotional engagement. Caregivers also report improved relationships with their loved ones as a result of the program.

The grant money will be used to purchase materials for each country kit, training and support from one of the Alzheimer’s support organizations, promotion and staff time.

The NHSP  is a federal grants and contributions program that funds projects that empower seniors in their communities and contribute to improving seniors’ health and well-being. The program provides funding for projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and in their communities. Seniors lead and inspire projects to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communitie

New Horizons for Seniors Programs promote seniors’ volunteerism, mentorship and civic leadership.  The goal is to inspire goodwill, sharing and friendship in our communities.  Our government is providing a wide range of opportunities for seniors to participate in meaningful activities that nurture their personal growth and foster community prosperity. These projects help seniors keep active, stay connected, share their knowledge and continue to enhance their skills to face the challenges of our rapidly evolving society.

Thanks to our Director of Library Services Janine West for all of her work on the dossier. More to come.

Members of council gather with Hydro officials.

The Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE)  launched its public information period on the project of upgrading the power transmission system between Saraguay and Rockfield substations on the island of Montreal by  Hydro-Québec and invited citizens to an information session on   February 17.

Councillors Steven Erdelyi, Dida Berku, Andee Shuster and I were in attendance at Le Rinque in Town of Mount Royal. It was the night of a big snowstorm, so there was not a large crowd. To the BAPE’s credit, they had the meeting live streamed. 

I have been part of a committee studying this project since 2018.  The plan is to convert  three 120-kV substations to 315 kV. This includes the construction of a new Hampstead substation  (to be renamed Côte Saint-Luc) behind Mount Sinai Hospital and rebuilding the 120-kV Aqueduc-Saraguay overhead transmission line at 315 kV over a span of 18 km between LaSalle and Saint-Laurent. The project will  involve replacing aging equipment, maintaining the system’s reliability, meeting future electricity needs and supporting economic development.  

The project in Côte Saint-Luc will occur  from 2026 to 2029. For starters, the best news is that the number of Hydro towers in our community will be reduced from 16 to nine.

One significant  large tower will be moved from the back of the Meadows condominium on Merrimac Road to the grounds of  JPPS-Bialik. The latter’s executive director Abraham Gusman was on hand. He expressed  some concerns about the project. Hydro officials regarding  the effects of electromagnetic fields, whether on the physical or mental health of parents and students. Hydro officials told me that they have produced a site-specific study and offered to meet with parents and students to discuss the issue with their medical specialists. They are continuing discussions with the school and are very hopeful of finding a satisfactory solution for all concerned. I will be part of a meeting with Hydro, JPPS-Bialik and the city next week.

You can watch the full presentation here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbFc5HEXLeU  

At the 47:54 mark I asked my questions.

https://www.hydroquebec.com/aqueduc-saraguay/en/

Le Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) a lancé sa période d'information publique sur le projet de modernisation du système de transport d'électricité entre les postes de Saraguay et de Rockfield sur l'île de Montréal par Hydro-Québec et a invité les citoyens à une séance d'information le 17 février.

Les conseillers Steven Erdelyi, Dida Berku, Andee Shuster et moi-même étions présents au centre Le Rinque à Ville de Mont-Royal. C'était la nuit d'une grosse tempête de neige, donc il n'y avait pas beaucoup de monde. À la décharge du BAPE, la réunion a été diffusée en direct.

Je fais partie d'un comité qui étudie ce projet depuis 2018. Le plan consiste à convertir trois postes électriques de 120 kV en postes de 315 kV. Cela comprend la construction d'un nouveau poste électrique à Hampstead (qui sera renommé Côte Saint-Luc) derrière l'hôpital Mount Sinai et la reconstruction de la ligne aérienne de transport de 120 kV Aqueduc-Saraguay à 315 kV sur une distance de 18 km entre LaSalle et Saint-Laurent. Le projet consistera à remplacer les équipements vieillissants, à maintenir la fiabilité du réseau, à répondre aux besoins futurs en électricité et à soutenir le développement économique.

Le projet à Côte Saint-Luc se déroulera de 2026 à 2029. Pour commencer, la meilleure nouvelle est que le nombre de pylônes d'Hydro dans notre communauté passera de 16 à 9.

Une grande tour importante sera déplacée de l'arrière du condominium Meadows sur Merrimac Road vers le terrain de JPPS-Bialik. Le directeur exécutif de ce dernier, Abraham Gusman, était présent. Il a exprimé quelques inquiétudes concernant le projet. Les responsables d'Hydro ont fait part de leurs préoccupations concernant les effets des champs électromagnétiques, que ce soit sur la santé physique ou mentale des parents et des élèves. Les représentants d'Hydro m'ont dit qu'ils avaient réalisé une étude spécifique au site et proposé de rencontrer les parents et les élèves pour discuter de la question avec leurs spécialistes médicaux. Ils poursuivent les discussions avec l'école et ont bon espoir de trouver une solution satisfaisante pour toutes les parties concernées. Je participerai à une réunion avec Hydro, JPPS-Bialik et la ville la semaine prochaine.

Vous pouvez regarder la présentation complète ici : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbFc5HEXLeU

À 47:54, j'ai posé mes questions.

https://www.hydroquebec.com/aqueduc-saraguay/en/

Dorothy Baker (Hart Winterfeld) was a dynamic and fully independent 89 year old, who drove a car and resides in my Côte Saint-Luc District 2. On January 11, 2025, what should have been her weekly outing to Walmart on Jean Talon turned into a medical emergency. She slipped and fell a mere 30 to 40 feet from the entrance next to her vehicle in the first handicapped spot.

Photos from the scene.

According to her grandson Jonathan Labow- Hart, the accident occurred at 12:15 pm. She was exposed in an open parking lot for over an hour despite an immediate call made to 911. Due to the area surrounding the fall, an individual went into the store to alert Walmart staff asking them to barricade the area to avoid her being hit by a car. Staff said they could not comply nor did they come out to assess the situation. A good Samaritan by the name of Milan retrieved a sleeping bag from inside the store to cover Dorothy. Milan then called her grandsons who quickly arrived at the scene. Her grandson Simon Fauteux held the sleeping bag over her head to shield her from the falling snow, however she was still laying on top of the snow covered ground as she could not be moved. After numerous calls to Urgences Santé, paramedics finally arrived at about 1:05 pm. Paramedics from the Fire Department showed up a few minutes earlier to mobilize her and bring her inside. If it was any colder she could have died from hypothermia

“Not once did any Walmart personnel come to check on Dorothy or ask if they needed assistance,” said daughter-in-law Malka Labow. People parked their cars near Dorothy and opened their doors to create some kind of barrier to prevent further injuries.”

Dorothy was operated on at the Jewish General Hospital a little more than 24 hours after being admitted. Due to the severity of her shattered hip, full hip replacement was not possible; they did however insert two metal rods and multiple posts to stabilize her hip so that she would be able to walk again.

Dorothy at Rehab.

Family members went to Walmart the following day to speak with Store Manager Jonathan Price. Although he was not on duty Saturday, he was apprised of the situation. According to Mr. Price, who was quite apologetic and sincere, “She (the on duty manager) did not receive full details and underestimated as a result of the urgency of the situation,” his text message read. “Their actions could’ve potentially impacted the well-being of your mother and (they should be) re-trained as needed on how to deal with these kinds of emergencies. I would like to make sure we are doing our best to take care of our community and I’m sorry that this wasn’t the case yesterday.”

Jonathan Price then escalated this to his Regional Manager. He did in fact call Michael Hart and said that he would get back to him within the next 24 to 48 hours, which he did not.

On February 5, the insurance company representing Walmart told Michael Hart that they were reviewing the case and within the next 24 hours would be sending him a Demand Letter to complete. As of yet he has not received it.
Soon after surgery Dorothy was moved to the Catherine Booth Hospital in NDG for an extended rehabilitation. Ten days later she was rushed back to the JGH and diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. A few days after her return to Catherine Booth she came down with COVID-19.

What the family is seeking is accountability from Walmart. This ordeal has taken a toll on both Dorothy and her family. Her life will be greatly impacted as a result of this. “We thought Walmart was all about community and customer appreciation,” a family statement reads.

I reached out to Mr. Price. He forwarded me to Steeve Azoulay, senior director of public affairs for Walmart. “We’re aware of the incident and are very sorry to hear a customer was injured in the parking lot,” he responded. “While we’ve been in touch with their family, given that this is an ongoing matter and out of respect for all parties involved, we cannot provide further comment. “

Given the fact we have had two big snowstorms in matter of days, there have been a lot of calls related to our snow removal policy.

We received this information  on February 18 from our Public Works Department.  

We are in full snow operations today. The plan today is to attempt to work until 7pm and at least blow the snow on one side per street. Delay will occur due to parked cars, over piling in the roads from contractors, etc. Please be reminded that the snow plowing operation initially involves moving the snow to the curb to allow traffic to flow safely. The snow plowing operation inevitably causes snow to accumulate in front of driveways. The city will follow up by removing these snowbanks during the subsequent snow-removal operation. However, the city is not responsible for keeping access to everyone’s driveway clear before the scheduled snow-removal operation happens. Residents who want access in the meantime are responsible for clearing the edge of their driveways. Major snow-removal operations normally take up to 5 days to complete, however this will take longer. While we understand your frustrations, we are asking our residents to be patient. Our workers and contractors are doing the best they can.

Public Works is inundated with calls regarding the snow. To help them out, please direct any complaints to:

[email protected] or 514 485 6936

A look at our snow dump after the big storm on February 17.

Snow clearing and removal

The City of Côte Saint-Luc has rules to ensure that snow removal is done in a safe, timely and effective way. Residents are called upon to do their part to help make their roads safe in winter. To notify the City of Côte Saint-Luc about a snow-related problem, call 514-485-6800 or send an e-mail message to [email protected].

Timeframe

During and after every snowfall, the City of Côte Saint-Luc plows, salts, and clears 65 km of roads and 122 km of sidewalks. Snow removal operations by the City such as salting, plowing and removal are conducted around the clock. Major snow-removal operations normally take up to 5 days to complete and occur primarily between 6 am and 6 pm.

Snow banks and driveways

The snow plowing operation initially involves moving the snow to the curb in order to allow traffic to flow safely. The snow plowing operation inevitably causes snow to accumulate in front of driveways. The City will follow up by removing these snow banks during the subsequent snow-removal operation. However the city is not responsible for keeping access to everyone’s driveway clear before the scheduled snow-removal operation happens. Residents who want access in the meantime are responsible for clearing the edge of their driveways.

Sidewalk snow clearing

The city’s procedure is to clear at least one of the two sidewalks on each street soon after a snowfall. Sometimes private contractors push snow from driveways onto clean sidewalks making them impassable. Other times, continuing snowfall covers up the sidewalks the city cleaned earlier or blowing snow covers up part of the clean sidewalk. As a result, it may look like the city didn’t clear one of the sidewalks when, in fact, it already has.

Cooperation of residents and private snow removal contractors

We urge residents to speak to their contractors to remind them that pushing snow onto the sidewalk (or street) violates Côte Saint-Luc by-laws. We also ask that residents do their part by pushing snow onto their lawns and not onto sidewalks (and streets). The city will do its part by cleaning the sidewalks (and streets) in a timely manner.

Temporary no-parking signs

During and after snowstorms, residents are asked to respect all temporary no-parking signs placed by the Public Works Department for the purpose of snow removal. If you don’t, your vehicle may be towed to an adjacent street and you will be fined $153. If your vehicle is towed, you can call 514-485-6960 to find out where it was moved.

Avoid damage to your vehicle

Sidewalks must not be obstructed by vehicles parked too close, or by vehicles overhanging the edge of a driveway. Sidewalk snow plows need the entire width of the sidewalk in order to safely clean it. To avoid plows accidentally damaging your vehicle, park your car at least six inches or 15 cm (but not more than 12 inches) from the curb. This allows for safe passage of the sidewalk plows.

Blowing on lawns

When necessary, the city may blow snow on your lawn as part of normal snow removal operations. The city is not responsible for damage to plants, driveway curbs, fences or other items that are placed within the city’s setback.

Maximum capacity of the snow dump and snow blowing on private lawns

Having a snow dump in Côte Saint-Luc is a great benefit that permits us to speed up snow removal operations during winter. It also saves the cost of transporting and depositing snow to other dumps located outside the city. However, our snow dump has a limited capacity — even though it is quite large. With the accumulated snowfall we have received since the beginning of the winter season, we are reaching the maximum capacity of our snow dump.

As a result, the city is currently working to make more space available in the dump. During this time, the city is obliged to blow snow onto private lawns in the case of snowfall reaching the amount where snow removal operations must begin.

Private contractors

The city would like to remind all contractors, and the residents who hire them, of the following rules in force in Côte Saint-Luc. Snow from private driveways and walkways must not be placed on public sidewalks, lanes or streets. The snow should be spread out along the snowbanks, not piled up in one big heap. Under no circumstances may snow removed from one driveway be placed on the street in front of any neighbouring driveway or around fire hydrants. The blockage of any street, sidewalk or lane by snow removed from private land is not permitted. Please ensure that your contractor has a valid snow removal permit from the City. According to our bylaws, contractors and homeowners are responsible for any rule violations. To avoid possible fines, please make sure your contractor complies with the city’s regulations. Private snow removal contractors must display their city licence on the rear window of their snow removal vehicles.

Which streets are cleaned first?

For reasons for safety, the city prioritizes snow clearing and snow removal on primary streets and streets (or parts of streets) near public safety buildings (police, fire, hospitals, etc.), schools, and municipal buildings. Once the snow is cleared from these main areas, work begins on secondary streets and then on tertiary streets.

Primary streets are the main roads that have the most traffic, including Côte Saint-Luc Rd., Cavendish Blvd., Fleet Rd., Westminster Ave., Kildare Rd., Mackle Rd., and Guelph Rd.

Secondary streets are collector roads that have higher through traffic or high-density buildings, such as Merton Rd., Parkhaven Ave., and others.

Tertiary streets are typically smaller roads with limited and non-through traffic.

Keep sidewalks clear

Please move trash bins, blue bins, brown bins, basketball nets, and all other items to a safe distance away from the sidewalk and onto your driveway and please ensure your vehicles are parked only on your driveway and not on the sidewalk so that our crews can properly clear snow from the sidewalk and street in front of your home. The City of Côte Saint-Luc assumes no liability for any damage to your property that is in the way of our snow removal operations.

Damage to property

In the event that you feel the city has damaged your private property, please see Damage to private property.

Road salt and sand

Côte Saint-Luc applies road salt and abrasives to main roads and intersections to maintain traffic flow and keep our roads safe when snow or frozen snow begins falling. Once 2.5 cm of snow have fallen, snow-clearing operations begin.

Safety

During snow removal, there is always a spotter in front of the snow blower and any obstruction will lead to an immediate halt in operations as a safety precaution.

Increased traffic near the snow dump site

During snow-removal operations, there will be increased heavy truck traffic in the areas around the environmentally approved snow dump on Marc Chagall Ave. All Côte Saint-Luc trucks comply with all traffic regulations according to instructions given by the city.

Dr. Norman Sabin is a general practitioner by day. But for many years he has also been one of our city’s foremost citizen traffic advisors.

At the last  public council meeting Dr. Sabin suggested that we allow a double right turn at the corner of Kildare,  heading east to Cavendish. Councillor Mitchell Kujavsky, who heads our Mobility Committee (previously known as the Traffic Committee), has agreed to place this proposal on the agenda of the next meeting.

“Kildare and Cavendish is a bit of a bottleneck during rush hour,” Dr. Sabin stated. “Can we do any better? It is not a slam dunk. There has to be good signage.”

Dr.  Sabin pointed out that the 161 bus stops at that corner frequently, further exacerbating traffic congestion. You can see his intervention here  at the nine minute mark.

Dr. Norman Sabin

There is precedent for Dr. Sabin’s suggestion. We added a double left turn at the corner of Kildare and Cavendish, heading west.  The same measure was taken  as cars turn on to Fleet Road coming from the Cavendish underpass. As Dr. Sabin pointed out, at the corner of Côte St. Luc Road and Decarie, a double left turn works quite nicely.

You can see my intervention here  at the meeting at the 21:44 mark. Not only did I agree with Dr. Sabin, but I once again expressed the need for the city  to make a stronger effort to engage a crossing guard at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare.

Le Dr Norman Sabin est médecin généraliste le jour. Mais depuis de nombreuses années, il est également l'un des principaux conseillers en circulation de notre ville.

Lors de la dernière réunion publique du conseil, le Dr Sabin a suggéré d'autoriser un double virage à droite au coin de Kildare, en direction de l'est vers Cavendish. Le conseiller Mitchell Kujavsky, qui dirige notre comité de mobilité (anciennement connu sous le nom de comité de la circulation), a accepté d'inscrire cette proposition à l'ordre du jour de la prochaine réunion.

« Kildare et Cavendish sont un peu un goulot d'étranglement aux heures de pointe », a déclaré le Dr Sabin. « Peut-on faire mieux ? Ce n'est pas gagné d'avance. Il faut une bonne signalisation. »

Le Dr Sabin a souligné que le bus 161 s'arrête fréquemment à ce coin de rue, ce qui aggrave encore les embouteillages. Vous pouvez voir son intervention à la neuvième minute.

Il existe un précédent à la suggestion du Dr Sabin. Nous avons ajouté un double virage à gauche au coin de Kildare et Cavendish, en direction de l'ouest. La même mesure a été prise pour les voitures qui tournent sur Fleet Road en provenance du passage souterrain de Cavendish. Comme l'a souligné le Dr Sabin, au coin de Côte St. Luc et Décarie, un double virage à gauche fonctionne très bien.

Vous pouvez voir mon intervention lors de la réunion à 21:44. Non seulement j'étais d'accord avec le Dr Sabin, mais j'ai une fois de plus exprimé la nécessité pour la ville de faire un effort plus important pour engager un brigadier scolaire au coin de Cavendish et Kildare.

Over the last few years I have shared important information to District 2 residents in Côte Saint-Luc about a major electrical system upgrade of the Hydro-Québec network. Work will begin in 2026 and impact homes on Merrimac Road, Marc Chagall Avenue as well as Bialik High School. However, following an endless array of meetings, we appear to have secured many concessions.

Hydro will be converting three 120-kV substations to 315 kV. This includes the Hampstead substation (in Côte Saint-Luc) and rebuilding the 120-kV Aqueduc-Saraguay overhead transmission line at 315 kV over a span of 18 km between LaSalle and Saint-Laurent. Known as the Aqueduc-Saraguay project, the cost is estimated at one billion dollars. The project involves replacing aging equipment, maintaining the system’s reliability, meeting future electricity needs and supporting economic development. In addition a new sub-station will be built behind Mount Sinai Hospital.

A look at where the Hydro work will take place.

On Monday, February 17 (7:30 pm) a public information session will take place at Le Rinque (8355 Montview Road) in Town of Mount Royal. I will be in attendance, but if you can’t do so it will be accessible to watch via Facebook and the BAPE website.

The meeting setup Feb. 17 will look like this.

While the high-voltage lines will remain above ground, improvements will include a new enclosed state of the art substation further away from the surrounding homes, fewer towers in Côte Saint-Luc (reduced from 16 to nine) with better placement to reduce visual impact, higher wires, and the pushing back of the lines away from the backyards of properties along Krieghoff Ave., Brandeis Ave. and Marc Chagall Ave. The tower on Merrimac, in the back of the Meadows condominium near the railway tracks, is expected to be removed completely and relocated to the premises of Bialik High School.

Here is a video message from our mayor about the project.

Check out this link for overview, map, timeline and design of new station. 

Hydro-Québec modernise le réseau électrique de notre région pour répondre aux besoins croissants en énergie. Ce projet permettra d’améliorer la fiabilité du réseau et de réduire les pannes. Les travaux devraient être terminés entre 2026 et 2029 à Côte Saint-Luc.

Bien que les lignes à haute tension resteront aériennes, les améliorations comprennent une nouvelle sous-station électrique fermée plus éloignée des maisons environnantes, moins de pylônes à Côte Saint-Luc (réduits de 16 à 9) avec un meilleur emplacement pour réduire l’impact visuel, des fils plus hauts et le recul des lignes loin des arrière-cours des propriétés le long de l’avenue Krieghoff, de l’avenue Brandeis et de l’avenue Marc Chagall.

La partie du projet prévue à Côte-Saint-Luc se déroulera au cours de la phase 1 et comprend le remplacement de la ligne de 120 kV par une ligne de 315 kV entre le poste de Saint-Laurent et celui de Côte-Saint-Luc, ainsi que la construction du poste de Côte-Saint-Luc de 315/25 kV (2026 à 2029).
Les résidents et les élus municipaux réclament la meilleure solution possible depuis 2018, et vous avez maintenant la possibilité de vous exprimer lors de la séance d’information du BAPE.

How does the Hilton Quartier Cavendish sound?

Could a hotel chain like the Hilton become part of a new Quartier Cavendish?

That was one of the possibilities discussed at a public information meeting February 3 on the Town Centre, which includes Quartier Cavendish. Associate City Manager Tanya Abramovitch and Director of Urban Development Charles Senekal presented an important component of our master plan. It is a vision and that could include buildings of three to 20 storeys surrounding a totally reimagined shopping center, a mixed development of stores and residential units. And yes, there could even be a hotel. This could be really good fit, given the vast amount of people who have out of town visitors in the West End. Add in a banquet hall and lots of parties and events could be booked there as well.

A look at the vision of what size buildings could be part of a redevelopment.

There were no representatives from the Quartier Cavendish at the meeting. Staff will likely meet with them again soon. The original goal was to have the master plan adopted in late spring. However, with a lot of discussion still required related to Quartier Cavendish and Decarie Square, as well as intended traffic studies, it is unclear whether we can meet that timeline.

Mr. Senekal said that he foresees the development of Quartier Cavendish to be done over a 10 to 15 year period. His department will soon engage a consulting firm to conduct an important traffic study to give us an ideas what to expect from a reconfigured Quartier Cavendish and Decarie Square. The former will also make recommendations on the synchronization of lights from Cavendish and Mackle to Fleet.

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, Charles Senekal and Tanya Abramovitch.

As the Master Plan document states, the Quartier Cavendish is located at the heart of the city, at the intersection of Mackle Road and Cavendish Boulevard. Ideally located near the civic hub and a large municipal park, it is the epicenter of urban activity in Côte Saint-Luc. This shopping centre includes a variety of local stores, as well as a cinema, offices, and the CLSC René-Cassin medical clinic. Quartier Cavendish is much more than just a commercial centre. It is a meeting place where many seniors meet for a coffee in the food court, or to take advantage of the air conditioning. It fulfills a dual role as the city’s main commercial hub as well as a place for entertainment, relaxation, and socializing. Access to the shopping mall was changed when it was transformed in 2011, as part of a project which reduced the commercial area in half and allowed for the development of a residential district creating Park Place, The Avenue and Jubilee.

The master plan foresees the development of a new district, presenting an excellent opportunity to cultivate a vibrant community by incorporating innovative services, diverse retail options, and engaging public spaces into a dynamic mixed-use environment. To cater to the varied preferences and requirements of the local population, commercial services must not only offer diversity but also complement existing nearby amenities. An assortment of entertainment venues, coupled with a selection of restaurants, cafes, and local boutiques, is key to cultivating a bustling and sociable environment where individuals of all ages can connect and enjoy leisure time. Furthermore, the emphasis on creating welcoming public spaces and diverse activities is essential for fostering spontaneous social interactions and a vibrant community atmosphere. By focusing on these aspects, this area has the potential to transform into an engaging hub that not only improves the quality of life for residents but also drives economic growth.

You can watch the recording of the meeting here 

At the 29:41 mark you can see my intervention.

Que pensez-vous du Hilton Quartier Cavendish ?

C'est l'une des possibilités évoquées lors de la réunion d'information publique du 3 février sur le centre-ville, qui comprend le Quartier Cavendish. Tanya Abramovitch, directrice municipale adjointe, et Charles Senekal, directeur du développement urbain, ont présenté un élément important de notre plan directeur. Il s'agit d'une vision qui pourrait inclure des bâtiments de trois à vingt étages entourant un centre commercial totalement réimaginé, un développement mixte de magasins et d'unités résidentielles. Et oui, il pourrait même y avoir un hôtel. Cet hôtel pourrait être très bien adapté, étant donné le grand nombre de personnes qui reçoivent des visiteurs à l'extérieur de la ville dans le West End. Si l'on y ajoute une salle de banquet, de nombreuses fêtes et événements pourraient également y être organisés.

Aucun représentant du Quartier Cavendish n'était présent à la réunion. Il est probable que le personnel les rencontrera à nouveau prochainement. L'objectif initial était d'adopter le plan directeur à la fin du printemps. Toutefois, compte tenu des nombreuses discussions encore nécessaires concernant le Quartier Cavendish et Decarie Square, ainsi que des études de trafic prévues, il n'est pas certain que nous puissions respecter ce délai.

M. Senekal a déclaré qu'il prévoyait que le développement du Quartier Cavendish se ferait sur une période de 10 à 15 ans. Son département engagera bientôt une société de conseil pour mener une importante étude de trafic qui nous donnera une idée de ce que nous pouvons attendre d'un Quartier Cavendish et d'un Decarie Square reconfigurés. Le cabinet fera également des recommandations sur la synchronisation des feux entre Cavendish et Mackle et Fleet.

Comme l'indique le plan directeur, le Quartier Cavendish est situé au cœur de la ville, à l'intersection du chemin Mackle et du boulevard Cavendish. Idéalement situé à proximité du centre civique et d'un grand parc municipal, il est l'épicentre de l'activité urbaine de Côte Saint-Luc. Ce centre commercial comprend une variété de commerces de proximité, ainsi qu'un cinéma, des bureaux et la clinique médicale CLSC René-Cassin. Le Quartier Cavendish est bien plus qu'un simple centre commercial. C'est un lieu de rencontre où de nombreux aînés se retrouvent pour prendre un café dans l'aire de restauration ou pour profiter de l'air climatisé. Il joue un double rôle, celui de principal centre commercial de la ville et celui de lieu de divertissement, de détente et de socialisation. L'accès au centre commercial a été modifié lors de sa transformation en 2011, dans le cadre d'un projet qui a réduit de moitié la zone commerciale et permis le développement d'un quartier résidentiel créant Park Place, The Avenue et Jubilee.

Le plan directeur prévoit le développement d'un nouveau quartier, offrant une excellente occasion de cultiver une communauté dynamique en incorporant des services innovants, diverses options de vente au détail et des espaces publics attrayants dans un environnement dynamique à usage mixte. Pour répondre aux préférences et aux besoins variés de la population locale, les services commerciaux doivent non seulement être diversifiés, mais aussi compléter les équipements existants à proximité. Un assortiment de lieux de divertissement, associé à une sélection de restaurants, de cafés et de boutiques locales, est essentiel pour cultiver un environnement animé et sociable où les individus de tous âges peuvent se rencontrer et profiter de leur temps libre. En outre, l'accent mis sur la création d'espaces publics accueillants et d'activités diverses est essentiel pour favoriser les interactions sociales spontanées et une atmosphère communautaire dynamique. En se concentrant sur ces aspects, cette zone a le potentiel de se transformer en un centre attractif qui non seulement améliore la qualité de vie des résidents, mais stimule également la croissance économique.

Traduit par Deepl.com

In the 19 years I have served as the city councillor for District 2, it is not often that I receive a call regarding a language complaint. But this is precisely what happened this weekend.

Rachel Fhima Benabou

Nancy Benabou is one of my constituents. She lives a block away from her 91 year old mother Rachel, also a resident of my District 2. Her mom had to be taken to the hospital. Our Côte Saint-Luc Emergency Medical Services arrived first followed by Urgences Santé an hour later.   Now Ms. Benabou and Nancy are impeccably bilingual. However, when neighbor and close friend Lana Mastromonaco arrived on the scene she asked the paramedic to clarify something she said in English.  She refused and responded,  “Madame, nous sommes au Québec.” That is when Nancy started recording.

Due to a cease and desist order sent to myself and Nancy, I pulled the original video of neighbour Lana tearing a few strips off the paramedic on my Instagram account. It had garnered 1.6 million views. Here is my explanation: https://www.instagram.com/mikecohencsl/reel/DFfvdNUJ9rc/

I urge you to read the comments. Some are very intolerant. This, folks, is Quebec in 2025 where “English” is a dirty word!

“Where is the humanity?” asked Anita Benabou Rozenblat, Rachel’s other daughter. “Where is the professionalism? This disgraceful failure of the system is unacceptable. Emergencies are about saving lives, not indulging in petty political statements or language debates. Where are our constitutional rights? Since when has language taken precedence over the well-being of an elderly woman who called 911 in desperation? It’s time to demand accountability for this unethical behavior and ensure no one else has to endure such indignity. We deserve better from a system we fund as taxpayers.”

There are many problems here. Not too long ago the CAQ government appeared to be taking away the right for anglophones to receive healthcare in English. While they backed off, there is no question there are some people like this paramedic  who took that all to heart. Incidents like this are occurring in Quebec and we cannot remain silent!

So who will speak up? The Canadian Party of Quebec already reached out to me after the post. I am certain they will have something to say. Will the Quebec Liberals  make any comment?  How about Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre or Jagmeet Singh?  

I suspect that Quebec’s French Language Minister Jean-Francois Roberge will pin a medal on this paramedic just like he commended a  West Island grocery store clerk for refusing to speak English to a customer a few weeks ago.

UPDATE: The City of Côte Saint-Luc has been in communication with senior Urgences Santé officials. The entire conversation was  recorded, so the parademic's regrettable comments were confirmed. We are not sure what action, if any, will be taken.

Pourquoi un ambulancier d'Urgences Santé a-t-il refusé de parler anglais lors d'un appel à Côte Saint-Luc ?

Depuis 19 ans que je suis conseiller municipal du district 2, il est rare que je reçoive un appel concernant une plainte linguistique. C'est pourtant ce qui s'est passé ce week-end.

Nancy Benabou est l'une de mes électrices. Elle habite à un pâté de maisons de sa mère Rachel, âgée de 91 ans, qui réside également dans mon district 2. Sa mère a dû être transportée à l'hôpital. Les Services médicaux d'urgence de Côte Saint-Luc sont arrivés les premiers, suivis d'Urgences Santé une heure plus tard. Mme Benabou et Nancy sont d'un bilinguisme impeccable. Cependant, lorsque Lina Mastromonaco, voisine et amie proche, est arrivée sur les lieux, elle a demandé à l'ambulancière Jessica de clarifier quelque chose qu'elle avait dit en anglais. Elle a refusé et a répondu : « Madame, nous sommes au Québec ». C'est à ce moment-là que Nancy a commencé à enregistrer.

Vous pouvez voir la voisine Lana arracher quelques bandes à l'ambulancière sur mon compte Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFT5Hf5JqmR/ Je vous conseille vivement de lire les commentaires. Certains sont très intolérants. Nous sommes au Québec, en 2025, où « l'anglais » est un gros mot !

« Où est l'humanité ? » a demandé Anita Benabou Rozenblat, l'autre fille de Rachel. « Où est le professionnalisme ? Cette défaillance honteuse du système est inacceptable. En cas d'urgence, il s'agit de sauver des vies, pas de se livrer à des déclarations politiques mesquines ou à des débats linguistiques. Où sont nos droits constitutionnels ? Depuis quand la langue prime-t-elle sur le bien-être d'une femme âgée qui a appelé le 911 en désespoir de cause ? Il est temps de demander des comptes pour ce comportement contraire à l'éthique et de veiller à ce que personne d'autre n'ait à subir une telle indignité. Nous méritons mieux de la part d'un système que nous finançons en tant que contribuables.

Les problèmes sont nombreux. Il n'y a pas si longtemps, le gouvernement de la CAQ a semblé vouloir retirer aux anglophones le droit de recevoir des soins de santé en anglais. Bien qu'il ait fait marche arrière, il ne fait aucun doute que certaines personnes, comme cet auxiliaire médical, ont pris tout cela à cœur. Des incidents comme celui-ci se produisent au Québec et nous ne pouvons pas rester silencieux !

Alors, qui va prendre la parole ? Le Parti canadien du Québec m'a déjà contacté après la publication de cet article. Je suis certain qu'ils auront quelque chose à dire. Les libéraux du Québec feront-ils un commentaire ? Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre ou Jagmeet Singh ? Je soupçonne le ministre québécois de la langue française de décerner une médaille à cet auxiliaire médical, tout comme il a félicité le commis d'une épicerie de l'ouest de l'île pour avoir refusé de parler anglais à un client il y a quelques semaines.

MISE À JOUR : La Ville de Côte Saint-Luc a communiqué avec les hauts responsables d'Urgences Santé. La conversation a été enregistrée, ce qui a permis de confirmer les propos regrettables de l'académicien. Nous ne savons pas encore quelles mesures seront prises, le cas échéant.

Traduit par Deepl.com

The long awaited first Public Consultation meeting for the Côte Saint-Luc Master Plan took place on January 13 at City Hall. I voted against the first reading of this planning document, chiefly because a future Public Safety station was earmarked for District 2 greenspace at the corner of Park Place and The Avenue. Not only was I opposed to this location, but so were the neighbourhood residents.

Ralph Rimokh (at my right) was a leading voice against the project.

First off, that  space was always meant to remain green and be transformed into a park or parkette. While this had been discussed in caucus as one of the possible places for a Public Safety station, I made it clear that I was opposed . That is why I was infuriated to see it in the actual documentation.

Lisa Sabbag, who lives on Cavendish, made a compelling argument against the location.

Before the holidays, I went door to door in the area and held a meeting with neighbourhood residents to explain to them what a Public Safety station is and what the intent of the plan was. We also discussed the proposed redevelopment of Quartier Cavendish, with buildings ranging from two to 20 storeys.

Staff listened attentively.

Let me credit Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. He heard my concerns and those of my residents and at the beginning of the meeting he made it clear that he would oppose the Avenue/Park Place site for a Public Safety station. However, later in the meeting, our Associate City Manager Tanya Abramovitch inferred that it was not off the table. I approached the mayor out of concern and as the meeting concluded he spoke again. “It is not going there over my dead body,” he said. “First off, that land is designated as a park. Cities are being audited for converting parks to greenspace. So, it is off the table as far as I am concerned.”

There was a nice turnout.

The following evening council held a special caucus meeting and the mayor made it clear this was no longer a possible location. Everyone concurred.  

The mayor and council now appear to be in agreement that another place within the area of Quartier Cavendish will become the new designated spot. Options include the corner of Kellert and Kildare or on Cavendish closer to Mackle Road.

I want to thank the many residents of Park Place, Cavendish Blvd and The Avenue for attending the meeting and speaking out.

Mayor Brownstein helps me greet some of my student interns.

Also bravo to some of my Local Commerce interns from Bialik, Alexa Omer, Liana Lev-Ary, Jeremy Nashen, Avery Hannon, Noah Galambos and Noah Hoffman for stepping up and getting involved with me on this important dossier. Stay tuned to see the interesting projects they will be involved in related to the master plan in the weeks and months ahead.

Noah Hoffman has joined my student intern team.

Next on tap for the master plan is a public consultation meeting on plans for Quartier Cavendish on Monday night, February 3 (7 pm) at City Hall.

See my Instagram video with Alexa and Liana: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DE0yENRpCO3/?igsh=MzF5cGYwNnZuNzY1

Le poste de sécurité publique ne sera pas installé à l'angle de The Avenue et de Park Place.

La première réunion de consultation publique tant attendue du plan directeur de Côte Saint-Luc a eu lieu le 13 janvier à l'hôtel de ville. J'ai voté contre la première lecture de ce document de planification, principalement parce qu'un futur poste de sécurité publique était prévu dans l'espace vert du district 2, à l'angle de Park Place et de The Avenue. Non seulement j'étais opposée à cet emplacement, mais les habitants du quartier l'étaient également.

Tout d'abord, cet espace vert a toujours été destiné à rester vert et à être transformé en parc ou en promenade. Bien que cet endroit ait été discuté au sein du caucus comme l'un des emplacements possibles pour un poste de sécurité publique, j'ai clairement fait savoir que je m'y opposais. C'est pourquoi j'ai été furieux de le voir figurer dans la documentation.

Avant les vacances, j'ai fait du porte-à-porte dans le quartier et j'ai organisé une réunion avec les habitants du quartier pour leur expliquer ce qu'est un poste de sécurité publique et quelle était l'intention du plan. Nous avons également discuté du projet de réaménagement du Quartier Cavendish, avec des bâtiments de deux à vingt étages.

Marianne Constantine

Je tiens à féliciter le maire Mitchell Brownstein. Il a entendu mes préoccupations et celles de mes habitants et, au début de la réunion, il a clairement indiqué qu'il s'opposerait à l'implantation d'un poste de sécurité publique sur le site de l'avenue/Park Place. Toutefois, plus tard au cours de la réunion, notre directrice municipale adjointe, Tanya Abramovitch, a laissé entendre que la question n'était pas écartée. J'ai approché le maire pour lui faire part de mon inquiétude et, à la fin de la réunion, il a repris la parole. Il m'a dit : « Je n'irai pas là-bas sur mon cadavre ». « Tout d'abord, ce terrain est un parc. Les villes font l'objet d'un audit pour la conversion des parcs en espaces verts. En ce qui me concerne, c'est donc hors de question ».

Le maire et le conseil municipal semblent désormais d'accord pour qu'un autre endroit du Quartier Cavendish devienne le nouveau lieu désigné. Les options comprennent le coin de Kellert et Kildare ou sur Cavendish plus près de Mackle Road.

Je tiens à remercier les nombreux résidents de Park Place, du boulevard Cavendish et de The Avenue qui ont assisté à la réunion et se sont exprimés.

Bravo également à certains de mes stagiaires en commerce local de Bialik, Alexa Omer, Liana Lev-Ary, Jeremy Nashen, Avery Hannon, Noah Galambos et Noah Hoffman, qui se sont impliqués avec moi dans cet important dossier. Restez à l'écoute pour découvrir les projets intéressants auxquels ils participeront dans le cadre du plan directeur au cours des semaines et des mois à venir.

La prochaine étape du plan directeur est une réunion de consultation publique sur les plans pour le Quartier Cavendish, qui aura lieu le lundi 3 février (19 heures) à l'hôtel de ville.

So Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has finally agreed to step down as leader of the Federal Liberal Party. But as usual he has put himself first before the country and will stay on until the end of March when his successor is chosen.

Anthony Housefather

This is good news for Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, who faces a strong opponent in the next vote in Neil Oberman representing the Tories. Had Trudeau insisted on leading the party at election time, polls indicated that we would have seen the kind of Liberal route the Conservative Party faced in 1993. That is  when Kim Campbell inherited a majority of 156 seats and ended up with only two MPs elected. NDP leader Jagmeet   Singh, one of the greatest hypocrites of all time, was busy trashing Trudeau today. Yet he was the one who kept him in power. Now that Singh knows he will remain in office past his pension eligibility date at the end of February he is a big talker. He could have forced Trudeau to face the electorate months ago.

Pierre and Justin.

As long as Foreign Minister Melanie Joly is not chosen as the new leader, it is likely that many of the Mount Royal electorate who pledged not to vote Liberal because of Trudeau will turn around and remain loyal to Housefather. I mention Joly for she has been part of Trudeau’s one, two punch that has infuriated Jewish constituents in particular  over the party’s position on the Middle East. However, it is a lot more than Israel. People are merely tired of Trudeau. He was sent multiple strong messages since last summer, losing three successive Liberal strongholds in by-elections. Yet he did not take the hint. If someone like Mark Carney or Chrystia Freeland leads the party, the stench of Trudeau in the riding could be eradicated.

Neil Oberman<

I remember being a high school student at Wagar in Côte Saint-Luc. The Liberal MP for Mount Royal was Pierre Trudeau, Justin’s dad. Not only did he make several visits to Wagar, when my class went on a field trip to Ottawa and visited Parliament he came to meet us. This is in direct contrast to Justin, who is the MP for the East End Papineau riding Wearing my hat at the English Montreal School Board, we have two schools in Papineau: one in St. Michel and the other in Park Extension. Despite an endless array of requests, the Prime Minister has not made one single visit to either school in over nine years. This is absolutely shameful, especially for someone who worked as a teacher before entering politics. I know how I never forgot meeting the Prime Minister of Canada at my school many decades ago; the kids at our school have been robbed of that opportunity unless Justin decides to do the right thing before the end of March and come say “hello.”

As per tradition since I was first elected as the city councillor for District 2 in Côte Saint-Luc in 2005 I would like to provide this look back on some highlights from both my constituency and the portfolios I hold : communications, toponomy, animal welfare and local commerce.

I continue to walk the district several days a week with notepad in hand, more so when the weather is conducive. Via my website at www.MikeCohen.ca I provide timely reports on important developments as well as on Facebook, Instagram, X while my podcast focuses on interesting personalities in our milieu. I pioneered the concept of District meetings soon after my first election and now all other councillors do the same thing. During and after the COVID lockdowns, this process was simplified via Zoom presentations, something the public still prefers.

With my Bialik student interns going door to door on Park Place about the master plan.

Master Plan

For the first time in 20 years, the City of Côte Saint-Luc is completely revamping its Planning Program (also known as the Master Plan). We haven’t had a new one since the Montreal Borough era, and the city has come a long way since then. Almost 20 years after the adoption of our current Planning Program (Master Plan), the City of Côte Saint-Luc has determined that now is the time to establish new guidance for the development and enhancement of the city. This effort is more than timely, given that the current plan was adopted in 2004 while Côte Saint-Luc was still merged with the City of Montreal and was part of the Borough of Côte Saint-Luc—Hampstead—Montreal West. More recently, Côte Saint-Luc residents have expressed their desire for reimagined, connected, and better-developed living environments, notably through pre-consultation activities held in 2022–2023. These activities facilitated a dialogue with the community on various aspects such as land use planning, quality of life, and mobility. This has brought forth the desire for a city connected on multiple levels, which led to the emergence of the central theme of the initiative: Côte Saint-Luc, Connected. While the document I completed by staff was extremely well done, I was left with no choice but to vote against this proposal because om two crucial issues for my constituents public consultation was inadequate. For Quartier Cavendish, I had been asking for at least two years for city officials and those from the shopping centre to join me for a District meeting based on what kind of zoning they would granted.

I only learned two weeks before the master plan was tabled that the Quartier will be granted significant parameters for buildings between two and 20 storey high. Those people living immediately next to the shopping centre should have been apprised of this months earlier. Then, on the weekend before the meeting to table the document, we received the final documentation and there it was in black and white: the city’s intention to build a new Public Safety station at the corner of Park Place and The Avenue. Yes, this location has been discussed in caucus meetings. But I made it clear that if in fact the council’s desire was to move forward with the Park Place/The Avenue location then we must consult with the residents first. People on Park Place, The Avenue and part of Cavendish had always expected a park on this green space. I asked that the Public Safety station be removed from the document. Council refused. When I asked for the city to facilitate a Zoom meeting in late December, they indicated I could only do so if a staff person joined me. Nobody was available, so I proceeded to organize one on my own personal account. There will be a public consultation on Monday night, January 13 in person and online.

Quartier Cavendish Survey

Last winter and spring Bialik High School students Avery Hannon and Noah Galambos who volunteer for the Local Commerce Committee filed a special survey on Quartier Cavendish. The goal was to ask people to reflect on their views about how they use the venue and what they believe will improve their experience. A total of 20 participants were surveyed and presented with a series of questions. Although an effort was made to ask shoppers these questions, many kindly declined. As a result, participants sitting at the food court became the primary sample upon which the results are based. One of the most interesting aspects was the fact that few if any people call the place Quartier Cavendish; they still prefer the “Mall” term. Not surprisingly we learned that the IGA, Pharmaprix, Dollar Store, the CineStarz and the food court remain the most popular stops.

Two of my constituents in front of their then troubled building on Kildare Road.

Five Buildings Sold Twice

For more than the first half of 2024 I was very preoccupied with the status of five apartment buildings in my district: 6565 and 6575 Kildare and 5775, 5755 and 5765 Sir Walter Scott. During the winter Group CLV sold them to a numbered company. From that moment forward tenants lived in fear of renoviction, complained about a lack of communications with the owners and dealt with neglect of the premises. I was forcefully reminded the landlords that we had adopted a renoviction by-law in place. We also organized tenants rights meetings at the library and helped them form a de facto tenants association with legal representation. I visited several units in person to see firsthand the various problems and I had our building inspectors play an active role as well. I believe that all of this pressure played a pivotal role in the landlords selling the properties six months after the initial purchased. This was win win for all parties. The new owners have done all of the right things, including the hiring of a full-time individual to manage the five buildings. Dedicated phone lines were set up for tenants to call for assistance daytime and after hours. They cleaned up the buildings and undertook necessary repairs. A landscaper was also engaged to beautify the grounds. For the city at large, the $3.2 million in welcome taxes we received will help everyone.

With constituent Joey Grossman and Traffic Engineer Spyro Yotis.

Traffic

The traffic lights on Cavendish Boulevard, from Mackle to Kildare, are a constant source of frustration for motorists and pedestrians. I receive many inquiries on the topic and I wish to thank our hard-working traffic engineer Spyro Yotis for he really does his best to please everyone. For motorists, the wait at each light is too long. Then we hear from pedestrians who complain that they do not have enough time to cross. We are hoping for a professional analysis to be done in 2025 aimed at improving the efficiency of the lights. The programming at the corner of The Avenue and Cavendish changes based on the detection. Sometimes the green light for The Avenue will be very short if there are few cars and no pedestrians; other times the green for The Avenue will be much longer. Although there was some work for synchronization, the main work done in 2018 was to increase detection and optimize individual intersections.

The vacant lot on Sir Walter Scott.

Vacant Land on Sir Walter Scott

In Côte Saint-Luc we take pride of the beauty of our surroundings. Sadly, in District 2, there is vacant land on Sir Walter Scott which has been kept in poor condition. I have asked our O Building Inspection Department to initiate the necessary fines and remove the pieces of junk from their land. The neglect by the owners is absolutely unacceptable.

The snow dump.

Snow Dump

I have repeatedly voted against allowing the Town of Hampstead to use our snow dump each winter. Yes, we do get valuable revenue and when the snow reaches a certain level during the season the agreement ceases. Nonetheless, I remain concerned by the number of large vehicles going down Marc Chagall Avenue and of course the messy mountain that accumulates in the winter and remains with us through most of the spring. I have successfully been able to ensure that our budget includes an allocation to have the hill chopped up in May and June.. During the season, a snow wall is constructed to try and limit the noise levels from the vehicles going inside.

The permanent ping pong table at Rembrandt Park.

Rembrandt and Goldberg Parks

Our Public Works Department worked diligently to keep Rembrandt Park clean. The basketball courts continue to be well utilized. Old and crumbling benches were replaced. A new virtual booking system was successfully introduced for the tennis courts. At Isadore Goldberg Park, we had a new water fountain installed which was well received by the users.

The newly placed IlanRamon plaque.

Ilan Ramon

Ilan Ramon was the first Israeli astronaut on the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) that was launched on January 16, 2003. The seven astronauts died on February 1, 2003, when Columbia broke apart during re-entry into the atmosphere over Texas on its way to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Soon after this tragedy, then Mayor Robert Libman proposed that a new street off of Sir Walter Scott Avenue in Côte Saint-Luc’s District 2 be named Ilan Ramon Crescent. As a veteran fighter pilot, Ramon was part of a risky but successful 1981 mission that destroyed an unfinished nuclear reactor in Iraq. Twenty years ago I attended a ceremony for the installation of a plaque at the corner of Ilan Ramon and Sir Walter Scott. It eventually had to be removed due to construction. Last summer I had the plaque reinstalled in a different position right in the middle of the crescent. Happily, it is only a few feet away from the home of an Israeli family.

At the ceremony for Alexandre Look Park.

Alexandre Look Place

Last winter, several months after long-time Côte Saint-Luc resident Alexandre Look was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, I got a call from Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. He and his wife Elaine knew the Look family very well as their eldest son Andrew grew up with Alex. They wanted to know how we could properly honor his memory. In my capacity as the city councillor responsible for Toponymy (Naming Opportunities), I immediately zeroed in on a large piece of greenspace in my District 2, sandwiched between Bialik High School and Beth Chabad CSL. We had been looking for a name there for a few years. Sadly, this was the perfect match. Alex had attended Bialik and he also frequented Beth Chabad CSL. Alexandre Look grew up in Côte Saint-Luc, attended Bialik High School, was a frequent visitor at the Parkhaven Pool, the Cavendish Mall, and played numerous sports. As a child, Alex was very protective of his younger sister Kayla, and as he grew, he would extend that sense of duty to protect all those in need. On Monday night, September 9 (the eve of what would have been his 34th birthday), we formally dedicated Alexandre Look Place. Our Director of Public Works Beatrice Newman prepared the grounds beautifully. Associate City Manager Tanya Abramovitch met with the family and ensured the property was adequately prepared. And Darryl Levine, our Director Public Affairs and Communications, handled the branding, signage and wording on the inscription on the large plaque. It was an emotionally fitting ceremony and dedication.

Hydro-Québec

District 2 in Côte Saint-Luc will be part a major electrical system upgrade of the Hydro-Québec network. It will impact homes on Merrimac Road, Marc Chagall Avenue as well as Bialik High School. The installation of towers will take place no earlier than 2027. Other work, including the construction of a new substation behind Mount Sinai Hospital, will likely commence sooner. One of the big towers- currently behind the Meadows condo near the train tracks will likely be relocated on the grounds of JPPS-Bialik. As well, the wiring will likely wind behind all the buildings on Marc Chagall, JPPS Bialik and The Meadows along the railway lines. Towards the end of 2024 there was significant Hydro work on Kildare Road and Rembrandt. We are expecting a similar project on Merrimac next summer.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony for the upgraded reference area.

Library

Last fall we completed the installation of the new acoustic study pods as well the renovation of the reference area. It really looks fantastic. Mayor Brownstein, Chief Librarian Janine West and other senior library staff accompanied me for a ribbon cutting ceremony. Some of the money to finance the project came from the 2022 $500, 000 donation by Roslyn Margles that I procured. You can also now borrow an IPad or laptop while at the library by inserting your library card in a slot. And the news keeps getting better! Our library received a 96 percent score for library service from the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ) for service in 2023, which is the highest score we have ever received and well above the Quebec average.

Thanks to a generous donation in centenarian Sarah Fremeth’s name, new sensory panels were
added to the early childhood corner of our CSL Public Library. Sensory panels are bright, colorful, and stimulating for young children. Through visuals, touch, and sound, they engage the senses. They also help develop motor skills, balance, hand-eye coordination, and visual processing, which are all essential for young childrens' development. Through these toys which are designed to develop essential skills, children can also begin to learn about color, pattern, gravity, and develop spatial reasoning.

With my foursome at the golf event.

Golf Invitational

Every summer in Côte Saint-Luc we hold a golf day at Meadowbrook and send out judges to select winners for our Maison Fleuries contest. In the past, golfers would gather for lunch after their morning on the links and take part in an awards ceremony. Meanwhile, for the Maisons Fleuries we’d hold a reception in the fall to salute those with the finest floral arrangements. Last spring I sat down with Parks and Recreation Director Cornelia Ziga and staffers Irene Lahaie and Morris Giobbi where a new format was proposed. The golf luncheon was challenging to organize, especially if the day on the course was cancelled due to rain. Some participants also had to go back to work and missed it. Our idea was to schedule a banquet on Sept. 30 and merge the two celebrations into one. As a bonus, golfers were invited to bring a plus one. I am pleased to share that this event was a huge success. It was held at the Aquatic and Community Centre, where City Council was already convening for some important budget meetings. As a result we took a break from our session and joined the festivities. Traditionally Morris (we call him Moe ) and others before him the likes of Harold Cammy and Alvin Fishman obtained a sizeable array of door prizes. This year Moe had our sponsors donate generous portions of food. That allowed us to serve a buffet dinner that went over very well. Our special honoree was longtime sportsman and volunteer Eli “Buddy” Manis. At 83 years young, it was about time Buddy got such a salute.

Local Commerce

When Mayor Brownstein asked me to oversee the Local Commerce portfolio, I initiated a Business of the Month award. It as the perfect way to engage and provide recognition to a variety of different businesses operating in our city. Each recipient is provided with a framed certificate and personal visits by myself, accompanied by another member of council or the mayor.

In District 2, a number of businesses were recognized. A brand new kosher deli, Fin Gourmet sur l’Avenue, held its grand opening in September on The Avenue in Côte When the apartment building on The Avenue opened seven years ago, the ground floor was zoned commercial. Last year an orthodontist opened shop and now we have a fabulous spot offering a wide array of kosher cuisine. It should help fill part of the void left by the closure of the J &R Kosher. The husband and wife team of Edmond and Veronique Abecassis are the owners. Their son Brandon, a general contractor for Jackson Construction, built the interior. Bhavik Patel and Chelsea Delena are the chefs.

Recognizing the new Step Medical clinic.

The state-of-the-art Clinique Médicale Step is now fully operational at the building at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare, servicing primary children. They received the Business of the Month award. So did the Biron Group, a new blood test centre and laboratory. More recently, Forcemedic, which service adults, as well as Uniprix Anne Benguira opened there too. In 2025 a daycare centre will make its debut there. The landlords hope to bring in a radiology clinic and a café with a terrasse. The RBC branch remains an anchor tenant.

With constituents Cheryl and Harry Rajchgot.

Recognizing Volunteers

In the City of Côte Saint-Luc we held our annual Volunteer Recognition Night at CinéStarz Cavendish on November 6. The format began with our award winners arriving early for photos. Guests then filed into the different theatres, picking up complimentary drinks, popcorn and candy. Before the curtain came down to show one of two movies, the award winners were announced on the big screens. The William Kesler Award, which recognizes a volunteer for their exceptional contribution, went to Diane Liebling. Through Diane’s efforts and that of our committee of volunteers, the CSL Cat Trap Neuter Return Program that I founded 15 years ago, helps rescue, neuter, and find foster homes.

Members of our Cats Committee attend a council meeting.

The Cats Committee

This was an expensive year for our Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee. This all-volunteer group s involved in a Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt program. We rescue homeless cats. If they cannot be adopted, they are sterilized and placed back to the area where we found them. Our devoted Chair Diane Liebling has a team of feeders who keep these cats nourished year-round. There are also others who foster cats until we find them a forever home. The committee had an annual grant of $5,000 from the city for many years. In pre-COVID years, fundraising and special events brought in more revenue. It has been tougher since then. In 2023 the city upped the contribution to $10,500. However, due to across the board cuts last winter the Cats Committee was brought back to $5,000. That and a shrinking amount of surplus funds puts the committee's work in jeopardy. I spearheaded a special fundraising campaign which brought in over $12,000. It was a big help, but it is unclear whether our committee will be able to continue to fulfil our mandate in 2025.

At the Dog Park.

Updated Dog By-law

For the past two years I worked diligently with our Manager of Operations for Public Safety Jean-Marc Dubois to update our dog by-law, with the input from members of our committee for canines. Last September I organized a very successful virtual information meeting. It has been viewed by more than 500 people. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTqaGORxWW8
Some of the key new components of the new by-law include the following: you can walk only two dogs at time, requiring a dog-walking permit for walking three dogs or more on pubic domain; do not leave dog unattended, for instance attached to a pole; the use of a ball or stick at the dog park if other canines are present is prohibited and the same goes for feeding dogs on those premises ; you can't bring more than two dogs to the dog run; after moving to CSL, you have 30 days to get dog permit; it is illegal to abandon a dog in the city; it is forbidden to practice any form of animal breeding, including the operation of a kennel for commercial purposes; certain fines have been increased; and no chokehold leashes are allowed;. The process went very smoothly and we have certainly accomplished our goals.

Bilan de l'année 2025 de la conseillère municipale de Côte Saint-Luc pour le district 2

Comme le veut la tradition depuis ma première élection en tant que conseiller municipal du district 2 de Côte Saint-Luc en 2005, j'aimerais vous présenter une rétrospective des faits marquants de ma circonscription et des portefeuilles que je détiens : communication, toponymie, bien-être animal et commerce local.

Je continue à parcourir la circonscription plusieurs jours par semaine, bloc-notes à la main, et ce d'autant plus que le temps s'y prête. Via mon site web www.MikeCohen.ca, je fournis des rapports opportuns sur les développements importants, ainsi que sur Facebook, Instagram et X, tandis que mon podcast se concentre sur les personnalités intéressantes de notre milieu. J'ai lancé le concept des réunions de district peu après ma première élection et tous les autres conseillers font désormais de même. Pendant et après les blocages de COVID, ce processus a été simplifié par des présentations Zoom, ce que le public préfère toujours.

Plan directeur

Pour la première fois en 20 ans, la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc procède à une refonte complète de son plan d'urbanisme (aussi appelé plan directeur). Nous n'avons pas eu de nouveau plan depuis l'époque de l'arrondissement de Montréal, et la ville a fait beaucoup de chemin depuis. Près de 20 ans après l'adoption de son plan d'urbanisme actuel, la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc a décidé qu'il était temps d'établir de nouvelles orientations pour le développement et la mise en valeur de la ville. Cet effort est d'autant plus opportun que le plan actuel a été adopté en 2004 alors que Côte Saint-Luc était encore fusionnée à la Ville de Montréal et faisait partie de l'arrondissement de Côte Saint-Luc-Hampstead-Montréal-Ouest. Plus récemment, les résidents de Côte Saint-Luc ont exprimé leur désir d'avoir des milieux de vie repensés, connectés et mieux aménagés, notamment lors des activités de préconsultation tenues en 2022-2023. Ces activités ont permis d'établir un dialogue avec la communauté sur divers aspects tels que l'aménagement du territoire, la qualité de vie et la mobilité. Il en est ressorti le désir d'une ville connectée à plusieurs niveaux, ce qui a mené à l'émergence du thème central de l'initiative : Côte Saint-Luc, connectée. Bien que le document rempli par le personnel soit extrêmement bien fait, je n'ai pas eu d'autre choix que de voter contre cette proposition parce que sur deux questions cruciales pour mes électeurs, la consultation publique a été inadéquate. En ce qui concerne le Quartier Cavendish, j'ai demandé pendant au moins deux ans que les représentants de la ville et du centre commercial se joignent à moi pour une réunion de district sur le type de zonage qu'ils allaient accorder. Ce n'est que deux semaines avant la présentation du plan directeur que j'ai appris que le quartier se verrait accorder des paramètres importants pour des bâtiments de deux à vingt étages. Les personnes qui vivent à proximité immédiate du centre commercial auraient dû en être informées des mois plus tôt. Puis, le week-end précédant la réunion de dépôt du document, nous avons reçu la documentation finale et elle était écrite noir sur blanc : l'intention de la ville de construire un nouveau poste de sécurité publique à l'angle de Park Place et de The Avenue. Oui, cet emplacement a été discuté lors des réunions du caucus. Mais j'ai clairement indiqué que si le conseil souhaitait aller de l'avant avec l'emplacement Park Place/The Avenue, nous devions d'abord consulter les résidents. Les habitants de Park Place, de The Avenue et d'une partie de Cavendish ont toujours attendu un parc sur cet espace vert. J'ai demandé que le poste de sécurité publique soit retiré du document. Le conseil a refusé. Lorsque j'ai demandé à la ville de faciliter une réunion Zoom à la fin du mois de décembre, on m'a indiqué que je ne pourrais le faire que si un membre du personnel se joignait à moi. Comme personne n'était disponible, j'ai organisé une réunion sur mon compte personnel. Une consultation publique aura lieu le lundi 13 janvier au soir, en personne et en ligne.

Cinq bâtiments vendus deux fois

Pendant plus de la première moitié de l'année 2024, j'ai été très préoccupé par le statut de cinq immeubles d'habitation dans mon quartier : 6565 et 6575 Kildare et 5775, 5755 et 5765 Sir Walter Scott. Au cours de l'hiver, le groupe CLV les a vendus à une société à numéro. À partir de ce moment, les locataires ont vécu dans la crainte d'une rénovation, se sont plaints d'un manque de communication avec les propriétaires et ont dû faire face à la négligence des lieux. J'ai rappelé avec force aux propriétaires que nous avions adopté un règlement sur les rénovations. Nous avons également organisé des réunions sur les droits des locataires à la bibliothèque et les avons aidés à former une association de locataires de facto avec une représentation juridique. J'ai visité plusieurs logements en personne pour constater de visu les différents problèmes et j'ai demandé à nos inspecteurs en bâtiment de jouer un rôle actif. Je pense que toutes ces pressions ont joué un rôle essentiel dans la vente des logements par les propriétaires six mois après l'achat initial. Toutes les parties ont été gagnantes. Les nouveaux propriétaires ont fait tout ce qu'il fallait, notamment en engageant une personne à temps plein pour gérer les cinq bâtiments. Des lignes téléphoniques dédiées ont été mises en place pour que les locataires puissent appeler pour obtenir de l'aide pendant la journée et après les heures de bureau. Ils ont nettoyé les bâtiments et entrepris les réparations nécessaires. Un paysagiste a également été engagé pour embellir les terrains. Pour la ville dans son ensemble, les 3,2 millions de dollars de taxes de bienvenue que nous avons reçus aideront tout le monde.

Circulation

Les feux de circulation sur le boulevard Cavendish, de Mackle à Kildare, sont une source constante de frustration pour les automobilistes et les piétons. Je reçois de nombreuses demandes à ce sujet et je tiens à remercier notre ingénieur de la circulation, Spyro Yotis, qui fait vraiment de son mieux pour satisfaire tout le monde. Pour les automobilistes, l'attente à chaque feu est trop longue. Les piétons, quant à eux, se plaignent de ne pas avoir assez de temps pour traverser. Nous espérons qu'une analyse professionnelle sera effectuée en 2025 afin d'améliorer l'efficacité des feux. La programmation à l'angle de l'avenue et de Cavendish change en fonction de la détection. Parfois, le feu vert pour l'Avenue sera très court s'il y a peu de voitures et pas de piétons ; d'autres fois, le feu vert pour l'Avenue sera beaucoup plus long. Bien qu'il y ait eu quelques travaux de synchronisation, les principaux travaux effectués en 2018 ont consisté à augmenter la détection et à optimiser les intersections individuelles.

Terrain vacant sur Sir Walter Scott

À Côte Saint-Luc, nous sommes fiers de la beauté de notre environnement. Malheureusement, dans le district 2, il y a un terrain vacant sur Sir Walter Scott qui a été maintenu en mauvais état. J'ai demandé à notre service d'inspection des bâtiments d'infliger les amendes nécessaires et d'enlever les débris de leur terrain. La négligence des propriétaires est absolument inacceptable.

Décharge de neige

J'ai voté à plusieurs reprises contre le fait de permettre à la Ville de Hampstead d'utiliser notre dépotoir à neige chaque hiver. Oui, nous obtenons des revenus précieux et lorsque la neige atteint un certain niveau au cours de la saison, l'entente prend fin. Néanmoins, je reste préoccupé par le nombre de gros véhicules qui descendent l'avenue Marc Chagall et, bien sûr, par la montagne de neige sale qui s'accumule en hiver et qui reste avec nous pendant la plus grande partie du printemps. J'ai réussi à faire en sorte que notre budget comprenne une allocation pour le déneigement de la colline en mai et juin. Pendant la saison, un mur de neige est construit pour essayer de limiter le bruit des véhicules qui entrent dans le parc.

Parcs Rembrandt et Goldberg

Notre service des travaux publics a travaillé avec diligence pour garder le parc Rembrandt propre. Les terrains de basket continuent d'être bien utilisés. Les vieux bancs qui s'effritaient ont été remplacés. Un nouveau système de réservation virtuelle a été mis en place avec succès pour les courts de tennis. Au parc Isadore Goldberg, nous avons installé une nouvelle fontaine d'eau qui a été bien accueillie par les utilisateurs.

Ilan Ramon

Ilan Ramon a été le premier astronaute israélien à bord de la navette spatiale Columbia (STS-107) lancée le 16 janvier 2003. Les sept astronautes sont morts le 1er février 2003, lorsque Columbia s'est désintégrée lors de sa rentrée dans l'atmosphère au-dessus du Texas, alors qu'elle se dirigeait vers le centre spatial Kennedy en Floride. Peu après cette tragédie, le maire de l'époque, Robert Libman, a proposé qu'une nouvelle rue de l'avenue Sir Walter Scott, dans le district 2 de Côte Saint-Luc, porte le nom de Croissant Ilan Ramon. Pilote de chasse chevronné, Ramon a participé en 1981 à une mission risquée mais réussie qui a permis de détruire un réacteur nucléaire inachevé en Irak. Il y a vingt ans, j'ai assisté à une cérémonie d'installation d'une plaque à l'angle d'Ilan Ramon et de Sir Walter Scott. Cette plaque a dû être retirée en raison de travaux de construction. L'été dernier, j'ai fait réinstaller la plaque à un autre endroit, en plein milieu du croissant. Heureusement, elle n'est qu'à quelques mètres de la maison d'une famille israélienne.

Alexandre Look Place

L'hiver dernier, plusieurs mois après l'assassinat d'Alexandre Look, un habitant de longue date de Côte Saint-Luc, par des terroristes du Hamas le 7 octobre, j'ai reçu un appel du maire Mitchell Brownstein. Lui et sa femme Elaine connaissaient très bien la famille Look, car leur fils aîné Andrew a grandi avec Alex. Ils voulaient savoir comment nous pourrions honorer sa mémoire comme il se doit. En ma qualité de conseiller municipal responsable de la toponymie (possibilités de dénomination), j'ai immédiatement jeté mon dévolu sur un grand espace vert situé dans mon district 2, coincé entre le lycée Bialik et l'école Beth Chabad CSL. Cela faisait plusieurs années que nous cherchions un nom pour cet espace. Malheureusement, c'était la solution idéale. Alex avait fréquenté le lycée Bialik et il fréquentait également le Beth Chabad CSL. Alexandre Look a grandi à Côte Saint-Luc, a fréquenté l'école secondaire Bialik, s'est souvent rendu à la piscine Parkhaven et au centre commercial Cavendish, et a pratiqué de nombreux sports. Enfant, Alex était très protecteur envers sa jeune sœur Kayla, et en grandissant, il a étendu ce sens du devoir à la protection de toutes les personnes dans le besoin. Le lundi 9 septembre au soir (la veille de ce qui aurait été son 34e anniversaire), nous avons officiellement inauguré Alexandre Look Place. Notre directrice des travaux publics, Beatrice Newman, a magnifiquement préparé le terrain. Tanya Abramovitch, directrice municipale adjointe, a rencontré la famille et s'est assurée que la propriété était convenablement préparée. Enfin, Darryl Levine, notre directeur des affaires publiques et de la communication, s'est occupé de l'image de marque, de la signalisation et du texte de l'inscription sur la grande plaque. La cérémonie et l'inauguration ont été très émouvantes.

Enquête sur le quartier Cavendish

L'hiver et le printemps derniers, Avery Hannon et Noah Galambos, élèves du lycée Bialik et bénévoles au sein du Comité du commerce local, ont réalisé une enquête spéciale sur le Quartier Cavendish. L'objectif était de demander aux gens de réfléchir à la manière dont ils utilisent le lieu et à ce qui, selon eux, pourrait améliorer leur expérience. Au total, 20 participants ont été interrogés et ont reçu une série de questions. Bien qu'un effort ait été fait pour poser ces questions aux clients, beaucoup ont gentiment refusé. Par conséquent, les participants assis dans l'aire de restauration sont devenus l'échantillon principal sur lequel les résultats sont basés. L'un des aspects les plus intéressants a été le fait que peu de gens, voire aucun, n'appellent cet endroit Quartier Cavendish ; ils préfèrent encore le terme de « centre commercial ». Il n'est pas surprenant que nous ayons appris que l'IGA, Pharmaprix, le Dollar Store, le CineStarz et l'aire de restauration demeurent les arrêts les plus populaires.

Hydro-Québec

Le district 2 de Côte Saint-Luc fera partie d'une importante mise à niveau du système électrique du réseau d'Hydro-Québec. Les travaux toucheront les résidences du chemin Merrimac, de l'avenue Marc Chagall et de l'école secondaire Bialik. L'installation des pylônes se fera au plus tôt en 2027. D'autres travaux, notamment la construction d'une nouvelle sous-station derrière l'hôpital Mont-Sinaï, commenceront probablement plus tôt. L'un des grands pylônes, qui se trouve actuellement derrière l'immeuble Meadows, près des voies ferrées, sera probablement déplacé sur le terrain de l'école JPPS-Bialik. De même, le câblage passera probablement derrière tous les bâtiments de Marc Chagall, JPPS Bialik et The Meadows, le long des voies ferrées. Vers la fin de l'année 2024, d'importants travaux d'hydroélectricité ont été réalisés sur Kildare Road et Rembrandt. Nous nous attendons à un projet similaire sur Merrimac l'été prochain.

Bibliothèque

L'automne dernier, nous avons achevé l'installation des nouveaux modules d'étude acoustiques ainsi que la rénovation de la zone de référence. L'ensemble est vraiment fantastique. Le maire Brownstein, la bibliothécaire en chef Janine West et d'autres membres du personnel de la bibliothèque m'ont accompagné pour la cérémonie d'inauguration. Une partie de l'argent nécessaire au financement du projet provient de la donation de 500 000 dollars de Roslyn Margles que j'ai obtenue en 2022. Vous pouvez désormais emprunter un IPad ou un ordinateur portable à la bibliothèque en insérant votre carte de bibliothèque dans une fente. Et les nouvelles ne cessent de s'améliorer ! Notre bibliothèque a reçu une note de 96 % de l'Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ) pour le service de bibliothèque en 2023, ce qui est la note la plus élevée que nous ayons jamais reçue et bien au-dessus de la moyenne québécoise.

Grâce à un don généreux au nom de la centenaire Sarah Fremeth, de nouveaux panneaux sensoriels ont été ajoutés au coin de la petite enfance de notre bibliothèque. ont été ajoutés au coin réservé à la petite enfance de notre bibliothèque publique CSL. Les panneaux sensoriels sont lumineux, colorés et stimulants pour les jeunes enfants. Par le biais de l'image, du toucher et du son, ils éveillent les sens. Ils contribuent également au développement de la motricité, de l'équilibre, de la coordination main-œil et du traitement visuel, qui sont tous essentiels au développement des jeunes enfants. Grâce à ces jouets conçus pour développer des compétences essentielles, les enfants peuvent également commencer à apprendre les couleurs, les motifs, la gravité et à développer le raisonnement spatial.

Invitation au golf

Chaque été, à Côte Saint-Luc, nous organisons une journée de golf à Meadowbrook et nous envoyons des juges pour sélectionner les gagnants de notre concours Maison Fleuries. Dans le passé, les golfeurs se réunissaient pour le déjeuner après leur matinée de golf et participaient à une cérémonie de remise des prix. Quant aux Maisons Fleuries, nous organisions une réception à l'automne pour saluer les personnes ayant réalisé les plus belles compositions florales. Au printemps dernier, j'ai rencontré Cornelia Ziga, directrice des parcs et loisirs, et Irene Lahaie et Morris Giobbi, membres du personnel, pour leur proposer une nouvelle formule. Le déjeuner de golf était difficile à organiser, surtout si la journée sur le terrain était annulée en raison de la pluie. De plus, certains participants devaient reprendre le travail et manquaient le déjeuner. Notre idée était de programmer un banquet le 30 septembre et de fusionner les deux célébrations en une seule. En prime, les golfeurs étaient invités à amener un proche. J'ai le plaisir de vous annoncer que cet événement a remporté un franc succès. Il s'est déroulé au centre aquatique et communautaire, où le conseil municipal se réunissait déjà pour d'importantes réunions budgétaires. Nous avons donc interrompu notre séance pour participer aux festivités. Traditionnellement, Morris (nous l'appelons Moe ) et d'autres avant lui, comme Harold Cammy et Alvin Fishman, ont obtenu un grand nombre de prix de présence. Cette année, Moe a demandé à nos sponsors de faire don de généreuses portions de nourriture. Cela nous a permis de servir un buffet qui a été très apprécié. Notre invité d'honneur était Eli « Buddy » Manis, sportif et bénévole de longue date. À 83 ans, il était temps que Buddy reçoive un tel hommage.

Commerce local

Lorsque le maire Brownstein m'a demandé de superviser le portefeuille du commerce local, j'ai créé le prix de l'entreprise du mois. C'était le moyen idéal d'impliquer et de reconnaître une variété d'entreprises différentes opérant dans notre ville. Chaque lauréat reçoit un certificat encadré et reçoit une visite personnelle de ma part, accompagnée d'un autre membre du conseil municipal ou du maire.

Dans le district 2, plusieurs entreprises ont été récompensées.

Une toute nouvelle charcuterie casher, Fin Gourmet sur l'Avenue, a ouvert ses portes en septembre sur l'avenue de la Côte. Lorsque l'immeuble d'appartements de l'avenue a ouvert ses portes il y a sept ans, le rez-de-chaussée était zoné commercial. L'année dernière, un orthodontiste a ouvert ses portes et nous avons maintenant un endroit fabuleux offrant un large éventail de cuisine casher. Il devrait permettre de combler en partie le vide laissé par la fermeture du J &R Kosher. Edmond et Véronique Abecassis, mari et femme, sont les propriétaires. Leur fils Brandon, entrepreneur général pour Jackson Construction, a construit l'intérieur. Bhavik Patel et Chelsea Delena sont les chefs cuisiniers.

La Clinique Médicale Step, à la pointe de la technologie, est désormais pleinement opérationnelle dans le bâtiment situé à l'angle de Cavendish et de Kildare, et accueille les enfants de l'école primaire. Elle a reçu le prix de l'entreprise du mois. Il en va de même pour le Biron Group, un nouveau centre d'analyse sanguine et laboratoire. Plus récemment, Forcemedic, qui offre des services aux adultes, ainsi qu'Uniprix Anne Benguira ont également ouvert leurs portes. En 2025, une crèche y fera son apparition. Les propriétaires espèrent y installer une clinique de radiologie et un café avec terrasse. La succursale de la RBC reste le locataire principal.

Reconnaissance des bénévoles

Dans la ville de Côte Saint-Luc, nous avons tenu notre soirée annuelle de reconnaissance des bénévoles au CinéStarz Cavendish le 6 novembre. Les lauréats sont arrivés tôt pour les photos. Les invités se sont ensuite dirigés vers les différentes salles de cinéma, où ils ont reçu des boissons, du maïs soufflé et des bonbons. Avant que le rideau ne se lève sur l'un des deux films, les lauréats ont été annoncés sur les écrans géants. Le prix William Kesler, qui récompense un bénévole pour sa contribution exceptionnelle, a été décerné à Diane Liebling. Grâce aux efforts de Diane et de notre comité de bénévoles, le programme CSL Cat Trap Neuter Return, que j'ai fondé il y a 15 ans, permet de sauver, de stériliser et de trouver des foyers d'accueil.

Le comité des chats

Cette année a été coûteuse pour le Comité des chats de Côte Saint-Luc. Ce groupe entièrement bénévole est impliqué dans un programme de piégeage, de stérilisation, de remise en liberté et d'adoption. Nous sauvons les chats sans abri. S'ils ne peuvent pas être adoptés, ils sont stérilisés et remis dans la zone où nous les avons trouvés. Notre présidente dévouée, Diane Liebling, dispose d'une équipe de nourrisseurs qui veillent à ce que ces chats soient nourris tout au long de l'année. D'autres personnes accueillent les chats jusqu'à ce que nous leur trouvions un foyer définitif. Pendant de nombreuses années, le comité a bénéficié d'une subvention annuelle de 5 000 dollars de la part de la ville. Avant l'arrivée de COVID, la collecte de fonds et les événements spéciaux rapportaient plus de revenus. Depuis, la situation est plus difficile. En 2023, la ville a augmenté sa contribution à 10 500 dollars. Cependant, en raison des coupes budgétaires généralisées de l'hiver dernier, la contribution du Comité des chats a été ramenée à 5 000 dollars. Cette situation et la diminution des fonds excédentaires mettent en péril le travail du comité. J'ai mené une campagne spéciale de collecte de fonds qui a rapporté plus de 12 000 dollars. Ce fut une aide précieuse, mais il n'est pas certain que notre comité soit en mesure de continuer à remplir son mandat en 2025.

Mise à jour du règlement sur les chiens

Au cours des deux dernières années, j'ai travaillé avec diligence avec notre gestionnaire des opérations pour la sécurité publique, Jean-Marc Dubois, pour mettre à jour notre règlement sur les chiens, avec l'aide des membres de notre comité pour les chiens. En septembre dernier, j'ai organisé une réunion d'information virtuelle très réussie. Elle a été visionnée par plus de 500 personnes. Voici le lien : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTqaGORxWW8

Voici quelques-unes des principales nouveautés du nouveau règlement : vous ne pouvez promener que deux chiens à la fois ; un permis de promenade est nécessaire pour promener trois chiens ou plus sur le domaine public ; ne laissez pas votre chien sans surveillance, par exemple attaché à un poteau ; l'utilisation d'une balle ou d'un bâton dans le parc à chiens en présence d'autres chiens est interdite et il en va de même pour nourrir les chiens sur ces lieux ; il est interdit d'amener plus de deux chiens au parc à chiens ; après avoir déménagé à CSL, vous avez 30 jours pour obtenir un permis pour chien ; il est illégal d'abandonner un chien dans la ville ; il est interdit de pratiquer toute forme d'élevage d'animaux, y compris l'exploitation d'un chenil à des fins commerciales ; certaines amendes ont été augmentées ; et les laisses étrangleuses ne sont pas autorisées ;. Le processus s'est déroulé sans heurts et nous avons certainement atteint nos objectifs.

(Traduit par Deepl.com)

Stanley Diamond was one of those people I always thought would live forever. So when I learned that he passed away  on December 18 at the age of 91 years young, I felt profound sadness. In our regular talks over the last year he would often discuss his own mortality. “I know I am over 90, but I feel great and I don’t want to think about not being on this earth anymore. I have too many things to do.”

Stan attended his McGill Faculty Management 70th Reunion on October 30. He is seen here with Dean Chan.

I first met Stan decades ago when he played in the Côte Saint-Luc Slo Pitch Association and I was the scorekeeper. Years later, in 1995, he established a reputation for himself as a groundbreaking researcher in genealogy and the executive director of Jewish Records Indexing – Poland, a searchable online database. His commitment to uncovering family histories obscured by war and upheaval paved the way for countless people of European Jewish ancestry to trace their roots and track down surviving relatives. I was a journalist by then and he always had a good story to share. In 2005 I was elected as the Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor for District 2 and Stan became one of my strongest supporters. Last year he called to tell me that he was selling his condo and moving into assisted living. It was not a move he cherished, but quipped “my wife and I are 177 years old between us and I wanted to ensure she is in a safer place with support for the day I am no longer here.”

Stan was passionate about what he did. And a week did not go by over the last few decades when he did not message me or pitch a story. He spoke proudly about earning a commerce degree at McGill and an MBA at Harvard, then starting a very successful decorative ceiling business called Intalite with factories and clients around the globe. He and his wife Ruth had three adoring daughters  and four grandkids.

Of Ruth, Stan told me in a blog I wrote last year: “My wife and I were born five years and five days apart.

In honor of Stan’s 90th birthday, JRI-Poland kicked off its 2024 NextGen Fundraising Campaign by adding $90,000 to their goal in recognition of his contribution to this organization. Funds raised went towards website development project.

JRI-Poland is a searchable online database. Stan’s commitment to uncovering family histories obscured by war and upheaval has paved the way for countless people of European Jewish ancestry to trace their roots and track down surviving relatives. His personal journey to trace his family lineage not only unveiled surprising connections but also ignited a vision: making genealogical research more accessible for all. JRI-Poland, since its inception in 1995, has become a cornerstone for those tracing their Polish Jewish roots. With collaboration from the Polish State Archives, the organization has built a database of over seven million records.

Stan going door to door with me in 2017

Back in 2017, Stanley gave a speech at his synagogue, Shaare Zion, which I happily covered. “It’s truly humbling to be honored by my synagogue where 71-years ago this week, I celebrated my bar mitzvah,” he said at the time. “Many years ago, my wife Ruth remarked, ‘what are you going to do when you retire?’ Other women in this sanctuary may have asked a similar question - if they witnessed what Ruth endured for many years…a husband who had a passion for his international decorative ceiling business…and was consumed with it almost every waking hour. Little did I know that the seeds for my post-retirement had already been sown back in 1977 when my nephew Mark Diamond was diagnosed as being a carrier of the beta thalassemia genetic trait, and blood tests revealed that my father Harry, all four of his children and nine of 13 grandchildren were also carriers. I could hardly have anticipated how being a carrier, the fall of the Iron Curtain and the opening up of the Polish archives…the growth of the Internet and the dramatic changes in communications made possible by personal computers and email…and my international business experience - all seemingly unrelated - would come together to play such a huge role in my second career…a new chapter in my life that blossomed into something far bigger than I could have ever imagined.

“My family does not suffer from the Thalassemia disease…but we carry the beta thalassemia genetic trait. Only children who inherit the trait from both parents can have the disease known as Thalassemia Major. Children who only inherit the gene from one parent - like the members of my family - live normal lives. Since the trait manifests itself as mild chronic anemia, carriers in populations where it is not prevalent – like my Ashkenazi family – were never or rarely tested for the trait. Although Thalassemia trait is widely seen in Mediterranean and Southeast Asian families, and a very small percentage of Sephardic Jews, we were one of the first among Ashkenazim diagnosed as carriers in 1977…and that’s where my story begins. Dr. Arthur Cooperberg, head of hematology at the Jewish General was fascinated to learn about our family as he had only seen the trait in Greeks and Italians in Montreal. Cooperberg’s 1977 study of our family revealed that my father was the carrier…as were the families of his sister Ray Steinhouse and brother Barney Diamond. Many of us had been misdiagnosed over the years as being anemic and had been prescribed massive doses of iron which are totally ineffective.But where did it come from? We were naturally curious about the source of the trait…and we knew the potential danger to future generations as well as relatives near and far who were likely unaware that their mild chronic anemia could be something else. But, we knew little if anything about genealogical research and no one bothered to learn. In 1991, I became both the family genealogist and beta thalassemia detective. But to build a family tree of carriers, I first had to discover if it was my father’s father or father’s mother who had passed the trait to him. This was a challenge because my grandparents came to Montreal from New York in 1898 and left their siblings’ families behind.

“Fortunately, my sole living aunt finally remembered a distant cousin in Florida, a descendant of my grandmother’s brother Aron Hersz WIDELEC. After identifying myself and discussing how we’re related, I hesitatingly asked, "Is there any incidence of anemia in your branch?" "Oh, you mean beta thalassemia, it's all over our family!" In that one moment I knew I had to concentrate my research on my father’s mother’s branch from the town of Ostrów Mazowiecka – halfway between Warsaw and Białystok. My luck continued when I learned about Michael Richman, a remarkable young lawyer in Washington who also has roots in my ancestral town. Using the Mormon microfilms of the 1808 to 1863 Jewish records of the town, Michael not only documented the early generations of his own early family but out of curiosity, two hundred other families – including my grandmother’s WIDELEC family. Within a year, after hundreds of phone calls and countless letters, I had connected the main branches of the WIDELEC family in the United States to the earlier generations in Poland documented by Michael. But to research the other branches of my family from Poland, I needed access to the post-1863 records in the Polish State Archives and the pre-war records in the city hall archives. In May 1994, it was bashert that the keynote speaker at the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Jerusalem was Jerzy Skowronek, Director-General of the Polish State Archives. Skowronek immediately grasped my humanitarian quest and offered his full cooperation. Eighteen months later I made my first visit to Poland. But before leaving, I sent letters to a fourteen genealogists with an interest in my town and nearby towns. I suggested we do joint research of the microfilmed records and avoid senseless duplication of effort. The reaction to the letter was swift and just months later, in the spring of 1995, it led to the birth of Jewish Records Indexing-Poland in its early, rudimentary form.”

Stan sporting a most unique Habs shirt.

Stan shared too many success stories from JRI-Poland to print here. Like the woman in France with records proving that her maternal line is Jewish so that she could get married in a Jewish ceremony in Israel. JRI-Poland also contributed invaluable research for two TV series “Finding Your Roots” and “Who Do We Think We Are” about famous personalities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Carole King, and Alan Dershowitz.

Stan was also a lecturer and author

For all of us, including Amy Fish, Stan left us too soon. For the past six years Amy has been writing a book about Stan. “I am heartbroken that he did not live to hold the book in his hands, and at the same time grateful that he trusted me to document his legacy,” she said.

Amy, I can’t wait to get my copy.

Stan we miss you already!!!

Is the City of Montreal doing enough to curb antisemitic violence on the island? Absolutely not.

At our December 9, 2024 meeting we adopted this resolution

WHEREAS since October 7, 2023, there have been more than 450 demonstrations in Montreal where the majority were related to the Middle East conflict;

WHEREAS there have been numerous acts of violence and hate crimes linked to these demonstrations, including on March 4, 2024, in front of the Federation CJA of Montreal, on September 30 in front of Concordia University and on November 5, 2024, in front of the Shaar Hashamayim synagogue;

WHEREAS during these demonstrations illegal behavior was observed, such as street blocking, graffiti on cars and buildings, or occupation of university areas, in addition to hateful and violent language;

WHEREAS the police are limited in their intervention by the fact that the demonstrators do not announce the exact location or itinerary of their march and demonstration, and are for the most part masked while uttering hateful language and engaging in intimidation;

WHEREAS it is the responsibility of the municipality to legislate laws and regulations on the prevention of disturbances of the peace, security and public order and on the use of public property, in order to facilitate the work of police officers in protecting participants and residents during demonstrations;

WHEREAS it is desirable to find concrete ways to better equip SPVM police officers to deal with these violent demonstrations, in order to protect public order and safety, as well as the rights and freedoms of participants and the general public;

WHEREAS in an interview on QUB radio on November 25, 2024, SPVM Police Chief Fady Dagher stated that law enforcement could be better managed with better technology, including body cameras and computer technology to retrieve all footage ;

WHEREAS ICI Radio-Canada published an article on November 28, 2024, in which Yves Francœur, President of the Montreal Police Brotherhood, explains that the City of Montreal has not presented legislative amendments to compensate and give new tools to the police since By-law P-6 was invalidated, and calls for demonstrators to be forced to be unmasked.

It was moved

"THAT the City Council of Côte Saint-Luc ask the Council of the Agglomeration of Montreal to adopt a by-law to ensure the peaceful and safe conduct of demonstrations, promoting the safety of all, participants and population included:

THAT, among other measures, this by-law should:

i) provide the police with the necessary tools to enforce the Criminal Code when demonstrations become illegal gatherings and;

ii) prohibit participants in such assemblies or demonstrations on the public domain from having their faces covered without reasonable cause, the whole according to prescribed criteria and conditions.”

Thursday, December 12 at 7:30 pm/Jeudi, 12Decembre 19h30

Log on to/ Participer à la réunion : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86857461808?pwd=uh062DJR9501uPQRViVVhgDOjKwYmR.1

Meeting ID: 868 5746 1808
Passcode: 9UT53i

AGENDA

• A new Public Safety Station at the corner of Park Place and The Avenue?/ Un nouveau poste de sécurité publique à l'angle de Park Place et de The Avenue ?

•  The proposed redevelopment of Quartier Cavendish/ Le projet de réaménagement du Quartier Cavendish

•  Public Consultation January 13, 2025/ Assistez à la réunion de consultation le lundi 13 janvier 2025

Le district 2 comprend Merrimac, Rembrandt, Kildare (entre Rembrandt et Marc Chagall), Sir Walter Scott, Ilan Ramon, Marc Chagall, Mackle (entre Cavendish et Brandeis), le Quartier Cavendish, Cavendish (Manoir Montefiore, Manoir Camelia, L’Excelsior, les nouvelles maisons en rangée), ch. du Jubilé, Place Park Place et Honoré-de-Balzac./ District 2 encompasses Merrimac, Rembrandt., Kildare  (between Marc Chagall and Honoré Balzac), Sir Walter Scott,  Ilan Ramon, Marc Chagall, Mackle  (between Cavendish and Brandeis),  Quartier Cavendish Mall, Cavendish (Manoir Montefiore, Manoir Camelia, L’Excelsior, new Town Houses),  Jubilee, Park Place, Honoré-de-Balzac..

If you want the Zoom link sent to you please e-mail [email protected]

Si vous souhaitez que le lien Zoom vous soit envoyé, veuillez envoyer un e-mail à [email protected]

Why did I vote against the master plan?  Go here

Pourquoi ai-je voté contre le plan directeur ? Cliquez ici

What is a Public Safety Station? Watch this short video

Qu'est-ce qu'un poste de sécurité publique ? Regarder cette courte vidéo

Growing up in Côte Saint-Luc, where I still live and have served on city council for 19 years, my fondest memories go back to the days when I played in the local sports leagues. Front and center during all of those years, as a volunteer for minor hockey and baseball and a player/coach, was Kenny Saxe.

The late Kenny Saxe.

I have been thinking a lot about Kenny since I learned of his passing last week. Our sympathies go to his family, notably sons Glenn and Gary whom I grew up with.

Kenny was incredibly devoted. In the CSL Slo Pitch Association he managed and played for a team sponsored by the Famous Delly Boys. After most games you would find Kenny and the boys enjoying a smoked meat sandwich.

In what turned out to be my last year as hockey player, I was playing in the local CSL Midget league. My goal was to make it to the higher level squad that played in a league with teams from Hampstead, Montreal West and Ville St. Pierre. One night I got a call at home from Kenny. His team was down a man and he and co-coach, the late Solly Levine, wanted to add me to the roster for one game. I jumped at the opportunity, suiting up as number 17 for the CSL Cougars and setting up the winning goal. After the game Kenny came and told me: “Good game Mike! We want to keep you on the team.”

Kenny with sons Gary and Glenn.

In my last game I was knocked off balance by a player from Hampstead and hit the ice hard, crushing two vertebrae on my spine. I was taken to the hospital and what followed was a long recovery. The following season I resurfaced as a writer for The Monitor Newspaper, with the assignment to write a weekly column on minor hockey in CSL. Now I was interviewing Kenny and Solly.

“Kenny was a ‘giant’ in the early history and growth of minor hockey and minor baseball in Côte Saint-Luc,” said former Recreation Department sports league guru Harold Cammy. “ He was always known for his humility, warm smile, good humour, and kindness to all. He took great pleasure in his volunteering activities and when he arrived at the arena or the baseball field it was easy to see he was ‘where he belonged.’ I had the good fortune of bumping into (Kenny) at the Montreal eye care clinic a few years ago...thanks to the long wait for the eye doctor we took the opportunity to reminisce about our times in Cote Saint-Luc sports. The smile on his face and the look in his eyes while he spoke of those days clearly told me that when we bumped into each other on that day ‘it was meant to be.’ My condolences (to the family) in knowing how much your dad was so respected and admired!"

Ricky Steinberg, who also worked closely with Kenny as a hockey volunteer, called him “a tireless worker and very dedicated ensuring that our youth had a great minor hockey program. Kenny was a prolific hockey coach and a builder of minor hockey and baseball programs. He was one of the first coaches to take our hockey teams on cultural exchanges and various hockey tournaments. Kenny worked with me in hosting the first Côte St Luc-CBC Baseball Tournament . Besides all the accolades for his numerous community achievements, Kenny was an honest and sincere individual always putting others before himself.”

My old hockey teammate Leon Krantzberg (number 16) says he has fond memories of Kenny coaching him in minor league hockey and then through spending some time at his house. “As my mother didn’t drive and my father had to work, he generously gave us lifts to and from the hockey rink,” Leon recalls.

Rest in peace Kenny!

For the first time in 20 years, the City of Côte Saint-Luc is completely revamping its Planning Program (also known as the Master Plan). We haven’t had a new one since the Montreal Borough era, and the city has come a long way since then. 

Almost 20 years after the adoption of our current Planning Program (Master Plan), the City of Côte Saint-Luc has determined that now is the time to establish new guidance for the development and enhancement of the city. This effort is more than timely, given that the current plan was adopted in 2004 while Côte Saint-Luc was still merged with the City of Montreal and was part of the Borough of Côte Saint-Luc—Hampstead—Montreal West. More recently, Côte Saint-Luc residents have expressed their desire for reimagined, connected, and better-developed living environments, notably through pre-consultation activities held in 2022–2023. These activities facilitated a dialogue with the community on various aspects such as land use planning, quality of life, and mobility. This has brought forth the desire for a city connected on multiple levels, which led to the emergence of the central theme of the initiative: Côte Saint-Luc, Connected.

Let me be clear that this document is a masterpiece. I do want to commend our staff team that worked so hard on this project for the past three years. You can read it all here

On Wednesday, November 20 we held a public council meeting to get the process going by giving notices of motion and adopting a series of bylaws.

I am in favor of the vast majority of the visionary statements in the document. However, during my 19 years on city council, I have always placed my constituents first.

We have known from the start that the three large shopping centres, including Quartier Cavendish, want to redevelop. Over two years ago they all presented a large show and tell. For the past year I have been asking our Master Plan team to put down in writing the parameters that Quartier Cavendish would likely have to follow. I walk my district multiple times a week, especially during the warmer months, and this is when I can speak to my constituents. I went door to door in September to homes and apartments near the Quartier Cavendish to let people know potential changes were coming. But I was still lacking the substance of what we’d be placing in the document. That information only came to me about two weeks ago. I simply do not feel that was enough time for me to properly consult. Nonetheless, I was open to the idea of voting in favor of the bylaws on Wednesday in order to let them go forward for public consultation. Then, on the weekend before the meeting, we received the final documentation and there it was in black and white: the city’s intention to build a new Public Safety station at the corner of Park Place and The Avenue. .

Go to the 1:37:37mark here  of the meeting video to hear my comments

Yes, this location has been discussed in caucus meetings. But I made it clear that if in fact the council’s desire was to move forward with the Park Place/The Avenue location then we must consult with the residents first. People on Park Place, The Avenue and part of Cavendish had always expected a park on this green space. The late City Councillor Ruth Kovac had even designated it as “Volunteers Park.” Several days before the November 20 meeting, I asked that the Public Safety station be removed from the document. Council refused.

There will be a public consultation on Monday night, January 13 in person and online. Stay tuned for precise details. In the meantime I will be communicating with residents who live near Quartier Cavendish and where the proposed Public Safety station would go. I am elected to advocate on their behalf so I will be eager to hear what they have to say. It should be noted that such a facility might not be built for another 10 years.

After my remarks on the video, Councillor Dida Berku stated that the Public Safety station is not in the document, yet she then proceeded to state why Park Place and the Avenue is the desired location. By the way it is very much so in the document. Go to page 117 to see for yourself.

What will happen with Quartier Cavendish? It will likely become a large mixed use development. I do hope we will hear more from Quartier Cavendish officials in the coming months. I am sure the vast majority of my constituents will approve of the master plan. But for those living right next to Quartier Cavendish and now a potential Public Safety station, their voices must be heard.

Some members of council were displeased that Councillor Oren Sebag voted against the master plan. There is nothing wrong with that. We do live in a democracy.

Pourquoi j'ai voté contre le plan d'urbanisme

Pour la première fois en vingt ans, la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc procède à une refonte complète de son plan d'urbanisme (aussi appelé plan directeur). Nous n'avons pas eu de nouveau plan depuis l'époque de l'arrondissement de Montréal, et la ville a fait beaucoup de chemin depuis. Près de 20 ans après l'adoption de son plan d'urbanisme actuel, la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc a décidé qu'il était temps d'établir de nouvelles orientations pour le développement et l'amélioration de la ville. Cet effort est d'autant plus opportun que le plan actuel a été adopté en 2004 alors que Côte Saint-Luc était encore fusionnée à la Ville de Montréal et faisait partie de l'arrondissement de Côte Saint-Luc-Hampstead-Montréal-Ouest. Plus récemment, les résidents de Côte Saint-Luc ont exprimé leur désir d'avoir des milieux de vie repensés, connectés et mieux aménagés, notamment lors des activités de préconsultation tenues en 2022-2023. Ces activités ont permis d'engager un dialogue avec la communauté sur divers aspects tels que l'aménagement du territoire, la qualité de vie et la mobilité. Il en est ressorti le désir d'une ville connectée à plusieurs niveaux, ce qui a mené à l'émergence du thème central de l'initiative : Côte Saint-Luc, connectée

Je tiens à préciser que ce document est un chef-d'œuvre. Je tiens à féliciter l'équipe qui a travaillé d'arrache-pied sur ce projet au cours des trois dernières années.

Le mercredi 20 novembre, nous avons tenu une réunion publique du conseil pour lancer le processus en donnant un avis de motion et en adoptant une série de règlements.

Je suis favorable à la grande majorité des déclarations visionnaires contenues dans le document. Cependant, au cours de mes 19 années au conseil municipal, j'ai toujours placé mes électeurs au premier plan. Nous savons depuis le début que les trois grands centres commerciaux, dont le Quartier Cavendish, veulent se réaménager. Il y a plus de deux ans, ils ont tous présenté une grande exposition. Depuis un an, je demande à notre équipe chargée du plan directeur de mettre par écrit les paramètres que le Quartier Cavendish devrait probablement respecter. J'arpente mon quartier plusieurs fois par semaine, surtout pendant les mois les plus chauds, et c'est à ce moment-là que je peux parler à mes électeurs. En septembre, j'ai fait du porte-à-porte dans les maisons et les appartements situés à proximité du Quartier Cavendish pour informer les gens de l'imminence de changements potentiels. Mais il me manquait encore la substance de ce que nous allions mettre dans le document. Ces informations ne m'ont été communiquées qu'il y a environ deux semaines. J'estime que je n'ai pas eu assez de temps pour procéder à une consultation adéquate. Néanmoins, j'étais ouvert à l'idée de voter en faveur des statuts mercredi afin de les soumettre à une consultation publique. Puis, le week-end précédant la réunion, nous avons reçu la documentation finale et elle était écrite noir sur blanc : l'intention de la ville de construire un nouveau poste de sécurité publique à l'angle de Park Place et de The Avenue. .

Allez à 1:37:37 de la vidéo de la réunion pour entendre mes commentaires

Oui, cet emplacement a été discuté lors des réunions du caucus. Mais j'ai clairement indiqué que si le conseil souhaitait aller de l'avant avec l'emplacement Park Place/The Avenue, nous devions d'abord consulter les résidents. Les habitants de Park Place, de The Avenue et d'une partie de Cavendish ont toujours attendu un parc sur cet espace vert. La défunte conseillère municipale Ruth Kovac l'avait même désigné comme « Parc des Bénévoles .» Plusieurs jours avant la réunion du 20 novembre, j'ai demandé que le poste de sécurité publique soit retiré du document. Le conseil a refusé.
Une consultation publique aura lieu le lundi 13 janvier en personne et en ligne. Restez à l'écoute pour connaître les détails précis. Entre-temps, je communiquerai avec les résidents qui habitent près du Quartier Cavendish et de l'endroit où le poste de sécurité publique proposé serait installé. J'ai été élu pour défendre leurs intérêts et je serai donc impatient d'entendre ce qu'ils ont à dire. Il convient de noter qu'une telle installation ne sera peut-être pas construite avant dix ans.

Après mes remarques sur la vidéo, la conseillère Dida Berku a déclaré que le poste de sécurité publique ne figurait pas dans le document, mais elle a ensuite expliqué pourquoi Park Place et l'avenue étaient l'emplacement souhaité. Or, c'est bien le cas dans le document. Allez à la page 117 pour vous en convaincre.

Qu'adviendra-t-il du Quartier Cavendish ? Il est probable qu'il devienne un grand ensemble à usage mixte. J'espère que les responsables du Quartier Cavendish nous en diront plus dans les mois à venir. Je suis certain que la grande majorité de mes électeurs approuveront le plan directeur. Mais ceux qui vivent juste à côté du Quartier Cavendish et d'un éventuel poste de sécurité publique doivent faire entendre leur voix.

Certains membres du conseil n'ont pas apprécié que le conseiller Oren Sebag ait voté contre le plan directeur. Il n'y a rien de mal à cela. Nous vivons dans une démocratie.

For the last three years our city has been gathering feedback from the public on our revision to the municipal Master Plan and Zoning By-law revision documents.

This was a rendering the owners of Quartier Cavendish gave us some two years ago. We do not know their present stance.

 The city has been looking to capture the values and the essence of what makes Côte Saint-Luc home to you. There have been a wide variety of consultations. While the three major shopping centres, Quartier Cavendish, Decarie Square and Côte St. Luc Shopping Centre, will be a major part of this plan we have been provided with little information as to what they precisely have in mind. It has been more than two years since they showcased some ideas at a show and tell at our Aquatic and Community Centre.

I urge citizens to attend in person or watch on Zoom our Wed. November 20 (7 pm) special meeting at City Hall at which time we will give notice of motion to the tabling of draft by-laws This is when developers and the public will first gain access to our new bylaws and may start to review them with their professionals and prepare realistic, conforming plans for their development project.

More than a decade ago the Quartier Cavendish was reduced in size by almost 50 percent, making room for new homes and one apartment building we now see along Cavendish, The Avenue, Park Place, Jubilee and Kellert. Now the ownership wants the city to give them the ability to reinvent themselves completely, with a mixed-use project of commerce and high-rise buildings from two to 20 storeys. We don't know which tenants will stay, leave or be relocated.

The November 20 meeting will provide details on proposed density, height, uses and norms. Those can all be changed if necessary. During this period if developers and the public have concerns with the new by-laws, they may share them (e. g. by writing an opinion brief, speaking at the consultation, or meeting with city officials). For developers, this is the best time to ask the city to include any missing key components of their “wants.”

There is no final vote for rezoning on November 20 agenda, but this will be the first opportunity for residents and merchants to get their first look at the vision our Urban Planning Department has for the entire community and the three shopping centres. A formal consultation will take place in early 2025 and we hope soon after that we will hear from officials from Quartier Cavendish and two others as to what their desired game plan will be.

For District 2, residents of Kildare Towers, Jubilee, Park Place, The Avenue and parts of Cavendish Blvd will be most impacted by any long-term construction. The “vision” by our staff could see two highrise buildings on the Avenue, one between Kellert and the Scotiabank side entrance and another at the corner of Cavendish. The rest of the potential construction would have a more direct impact on District 6 residents along Kellert and those from District 8 along Mackle.

I have taken no formal position on the master plan yet. Keep in mind that when the program does go for a final vote, the city will open a register which will allow every single resident to have their say on whether to force a referendum. Given the fact the number of eligible voters is so large, putting a stop to the master plan will be a task. That is why I strongly recommend everyone stay informed and try to attend all the meetings we hold on this subject.

To learn more about the master plan and how to attend the meeting (in person or virtually) go to www.cotesaintluc.org/engage

In Côte Saint-Luc we held our annual Remembrance Day ceremony at City Hall on November 11.

With Irving Bernstein.

I remember the days when we had so many veterans of World Wars I and II from our own community in attendance. Sadly those numbers are dwindling. But we were fortunate enough to have with us CSL resident Irving Bernstein, a WWII veteran.

With Mitchell Brownstein, Anthony Housefather, Councillor Andee Shuster, Glenn J. Nashen and Allan J. Levine.

Jean-Marc Dubois from our Public Safety Department served as the master of ceremonies. On hand with us were students from four local elementary schools – Merton, Maimonides, Hebrew Academy and JPPS. Former City Councillor Allan J. Levine, whose late dad was a vet, presides over our Brigadier Kisch Branch #97 and he spent several weeks selling poppies. “I sold 6,000 poppies,” he told me, noting that proceeds go to vets who have fallen upon hard times.

Bernstein and Levine lay a wreath.

After the bugler and piper began the ceremony, students from the four schools spoke.

“A poppy is also a way to start a conversation,” said a Merton student.

“Remembrance Day is important and we are thankful for everything done for us,” added a JPPS student.

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein said that he remembers when he was a Merton student “and many veterans would come speak to us.”

Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather had a message for the students. “The most important lesson that can be taught about today is that when I was a little kid most of us had a grandparent who served in World War I and II,” he said. “There used to be a parade here with hundreds of veterans.”
Alex Copeman spoke on behalf of D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Elisabeth Prass. From the clergy, Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko and Father George Joseph spoke.

“After World War II we were optimistic,” said Rabbi Poupko. “We thought the world had learned its lesson. On October 7, Israel learned that you cannot appease those who seek carnage.”

Mayor Brownstein, Housefather, Copeman, Levine and Bernstein and Public Safety Director Philip Chateauvert  laid wreaths.

In the City of Côte Saint-Luc we held our annual Volunteer Recognition Night at CinéStarz Cavendish on November 6. The format began with our award winners arriving early for photos. Guests then filed into the different theatres, picking up complimentary drinks,  popcorn and candy.

Before the curtain came down to show either Venom The Last Dance or Here, starring Tom Hanks, the award winners were announced on the big screens

Watch the video here

“Welcome to the movies,” began Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. “ Anyone who knows me, knows I like theatre, the movies, singing, dancing, swimming, biking, and having fun, but most importantly I like to see people smiling and happy. My philosophy in life is to try to bring a little happiness to others, making this world a better place and in so doing each one of us finds greater happiness ourselves. That’s why this night where we recognize our volunteers, is so special to me. Whether you one of our Angel Heros at EMS responding to those most in need, or an entertaining singer or dancer at the CSLDS, or a Vcop helping improve safety while creating community spirit, or a swim team volunteer helping at meets, or a cyclist participating in club activities or someone who delivers books to people at home while taking the time to talk to them, or those who care for our stray cats, or those who make quilts for our veterans, you all make a difference connecting with one and other, bringing joy and laughter and a feeling of community to so many. You are the backbone of what makes CSL the very special place that it is.”

This was followed by the voices of city council as we announced the recipients

Here are the winners:

Diane Liebling receives her plaque.

The William E. Kesler Memorial Trophy

This award recognizes a volunteer for their exceptional contribution. It goes to Diane Liebling. Through Diane’s efforts and that of our committee of volunteers, CSL Cat Trap Neuter Return Program helps rescue, neuter, and find foster homes. She also helps reunite lost cats with their owners. This work never ends, and Diane is often up in the middle of the night emailing owners with information. Diane got her first cat at age five and she is concerned about the welfare of cats. Diane and her volunteers are incredibly dedicated and continue volunteering because the need is so great. Donations to the Côte-St-Luc Cats Committee can be sent via e-transfer to [email protected].

The Community Services Family Award

The Community Services Family Award recognizes a volunteer couple, siblings, or family for exceptional collective contribution to the community. The award goes to Heidi Rodgers, Joy Rodgers and Jordy Reichson.

Heidi has been a volunteer at the Côte Saint-Luc Public Library for several years, including at the annual used book sale. Heidi also helps with other projects as well, whether it's tidying the CreateSpace area or helping at a special event. En tant qu'ambassadrice de la bibliothèque, Heidi fait passer le mot sur les événements et les programmes de la bibliothèque et invite ses amis à y assister et à donner un coup de main.

Joy and Jordy have been long-time volunteer first responders at Côte Saint-Luc Emergency Medical Services. Jordy joined EMS in 1998 and spent countless hours responding to emergency medical calls. His efforts have been recognized with an Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal. Jordy also served as the Director of Public Safety at the City of Côte Saint-Luc for almost 10 years.

Joy joined EMS in the early 2000s providing compassionate care to those in need. Lorsque le gouvernement du Québec a envisagé de confier la responsabilité des premiers répondants au service des incendies, Côte Saint-Luc a lancé une campagne pour sauver les services médicaux d'urgence. Dans ce reportage, Joy montre au public les soins prodigués avec compassion par les SMU lorsqu'un résidant de Côte Saint-Luc appelle le 9-1-1 pour obtenir une aide médicale.

Heidi, Joy, and Jordy are shining examples of giving back to community and helping those in need.

The Royal Canadian Legion Brigadier Frederick Kisch, Branch # 97 Award

The Royal Canadian Legion Brigadier Frederick Kisch, Branch # 97 Award recognizes a volunteer aged 10 to 17 for impressive leadership or initiative in enhancing Côte Saint-Luc City Services. The award goes to Daniel Brozgold.

Daniel is a long-time teen volunteer at the Public Library and has demonstrated impressive leadership in event planning and execution. In Fall 2022, Daniel took on the role of planning committee co-lead for the Public Library's comic festival. He spent many hours planning and helping lead meetings, creating the website and email listserv, as well as helping with all things technical on the day of the event. This was an outstanding example of community-led programming.

The Library Outreach Award

This award goes to a volunteer that serves as a Library Ambassador, making our Library services more accessible to patrons and enhances the Library atmosphere for all. The award goes to Francie Yudcovitch and Stanley Frackt.

Francie always goes above and beyond to make sure all our mobility-reduced residents get their books. She’s been making weekly deliveries since April 2022 to residents in the Home Library Service program. During periods when the library has fewer drivers, Francie has offered to take on the extra delivery load. Francie is friendly and kind and brightens everyone’s day as she takes the time to listen to the people who’d like a chat.

Stanley Frackt assisted the library at all eight tax clinics throughout the month of April. As a semi-retired tax accountant, Stanley is not only very knowledgeable, but also very friendly and empathetic. The residents served were very happy he was there—as were the other volunteers who very much appreciated the fact Stanley looking over the returns before submitting them.

The EMS Award for Excellence in Operations

The EMS Award for Excellence in Operations goes to Johnny Ringer. As a lieutenant, Johnny has demonstrated outstanding dedication and efficiency in managing our fleet and supporting the logistics team. His commitment to ensuring that the operations run smoothly and his attention to detail have been invaluable assets to the team.

Le prix EMS pour l'excellence dans la formation et le mentorat

Le prix EMS pour l'excellence dans la formation et le mentorat est remis à Hugo Lapointe.
Hugo a une passion pour l'enseignement et le mentorat. Il a joué un rôle essentiel en tant qu'entraîneur pour les nouvelles recrues des services médicaux d'urgence. Hugo se consacre au partage des connaissances et à la promotion de la croissance, ce qui est essentiel à la réussite et à l'excellence continues des services médicaux d'urgence.

The EMS Newcomer Award

This award goes to Gabriel Castillo Vidal. He has gone above and beyond, dedicating countless hours as a volunteer first responder. Son énergie positive et son enthousiasme contagieux ont non seulement encouragé ses collègues, mais ils ont également donné un bel exemple de dévouement et de service à notre communauté.

The vCOP Leadership Award

This award goes to Tina Garnham. She joined vCOP in June 2018 and quickly became an integral part of the team. Her enthusiasm and dedication to the organization were evident from the start, as she eagerly volunteered for additional responsibilities and supported supervisors in various tasks. Tina consistently participates in patrols, attends every meeting, and contributes significantly to special events. Ses compétences interpersonnelles et le respect qu'elle inspire à ses collègues lui permettent de remplir des fonctions clés, notamment la formation de nouvelles recrues et la prise de responsabilités lors d'événements.

With real estate star Cindy Davis and her husband and award winner David Abramovitch.

The Sports Leadership Award

This award recognizes a volunteer for exceptional planning, mentorship, and contribution to the community sports program. The award goes to David Abramovitch. David loves baseball and his involvement in the baseball program has been huge. He was head coach of the U15 team and U18 team. He is always professional, gracious, and generous with his time, which are characteristics that are important to the running of a sports program. He was in constant contact with the league with feedback from himself or the parents. This insight is crucial and the league, as a whole, benefited.

The Aquatics Leadership Award

This award recognizes a volunteer for exceptional planning, mentorship, and contribution to the community aquatics program. It goes to Vadym Sviatnenko. Vadym is Côte Saint-Luc Aquatics Level 3 official. Has been an integral part of the Aquatics swim team over the past 2 years. With a passion for learning, Vadym has swiftly gone from a level 1 official to a level 3 official, dedicating more than 150 hours to volunteering at competitions this past season. He also showed amazing dedication, even volunteering for competitions that his children aren't participating in.

The Recreation Helping Hands Award

The Recreation Helping Hands Award is dedicated in memory of Edward J. Kirwan, the former city councillor who served for more than 40 years. It is awarded annually to outstanding volunteers in the Côte Saint-Luc Recreation Program for exceptional contribution. The award goes to Ian Henriques. As a member of the pickleball advisory committee, Ian has devoted time and effort towards promoting and maintaining community spirit. He encourages players of different ages and skill levels to come together and to enjoy the game at their own pace. Ian also played a significant role in prioritizing respect, fairness, and integrity to ensure a positive environment for everyone involved.

With Gloria Stermer.

The Royal Canadian Legion Brigadier Frederick Kisch Branch #97

The award is presented to volunteers for outstanding contribution to local veterans through city services. It went to the Loose Threads Quilting Club for the Quilts of Valour initiative and presented to Gloria Stermer. The Loose Threads Quilting Club have created quilts to give to veterans as part of the national Quilts of Valour program. The organization that runs the program, calls these Quilt of Valour a hug from a grateful nation. We are proud that our local quilting club is part of this national initiative in support of our veterans.

The week of Oct 20 – Oct 26 is Public Libraries Week.

I could not be more proud to be the city councillor responsible for our Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library.

Mayor Brownstein, Director West, staff and I at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

 Last month we completed the installation of the new acoustic study pods as well the renovation of the reference area. It really looks fantastic and on October 20, Mayor Brownstein, Chief Librarian Janine West and other senior library staff accompanied me for a ribbon cutting ceremomy. Some of the money to finance the project came from the 2022 $500.000 donation by Roslyn Margles. You can also now borrow an IPad or laptop while at the library by inserting your library card in a slot.

The iPads and laptops available to use at the library.

 And the news keeps getting better! Our library received a 96 percent score for library service from the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ) for service in 2023, which is the highest score we have ever received and well above the Quebec average.

Each municipality is assessed on quantifiable indicators including acquisition costs of books and other materials, opening hours, surface area, seating capacity, full-time employees—including librarians and technicians. Extra points are awarded if a library has abolished late fees and offers free memberships.
The 96 percent score in 2023 follows previous scores of 88 percent (2018), 90 percent (2019), 79 percent (2020), 87 percent (2021), and 89 percent (2022). The average percent score is 73 percent among municipalities part of the ABPQ with a population of between 25,000 and 49,999.The program was created to highlight the investments made by municipalities to provide quality libraries for their citizens. Read the report including the breakdown of scores.

The top score from the library association is a testament to Library Director Janine West and her staff, who continue to improve the service and the physical space. Bravo to our team!

“We have long known that the Côte Saint-Luc Public Library is a special place, from the days when founding librarian Eleanor London read story time children like me, to today with our expensive library of books and other materials, and our innovative programs and activities, ” added Mayor Brownstein.

Michael Abramovich lit up the room. (Photos by Kyran Thicke)

Every summer in Côte Saint-Luc we hold a golf day at Meadowbrook and send out judges to select winners for our Maison Fleuries contest. In the past, golfers would gather for lunch after their morning on the links and take part in an awards ceremony. Meanwhile, for the Maisons Fleuries we’d hold a reception in the fall to salute those with the finest floral arrangements.

A decadent Lafrenaie cake.

Last spring I sat down with Parks and Recreation Director Cornelia Ziga and staffers Irene Lahaie and Morris Giobbi where a new format was proposed. The golf luncheon was challenging to organize, especially if the day on the course was cancelled due to rain. Some participants also had to go back to work and missed it. Our idea was to schedule a banquet on Sept. 30 and merge the two celebrations into one. As a bonus, golfers were invited to bring a plus one.

The buffet was well received.

I am pleased to share that this event was a huge success. It was held at the Aquatic and Community Centre, where City Council was already convening for some important budget meetings. As a result we took a break from our session and joined the festivities.

Lenny Rosenberg from TCBY is thanked by the mayor.

Traditionally Morris (we call him Moe ) and others before him the likes of Harold Cammy and Alvin Fishman obtained a sizeable array of door prizes. This year Moe had our sponsors donate generous portions of food. That allowed us to serve a buffet dinner that went over very well. Thanks to David Côté of the SD Group (Dominos Pizza), Johnny Castellano from Côte St-Luc BBQ, the remarkable Peter Lapari of IGA Lapari, Seth Eliahoo from CSL Bagel, Peter and John Christakis from Marathon Souvlaki, David Banon and Sarah Ettedgui from Pharmaprix Cavendish, Les Délices Lafrenaie Montreal West, Gabriel Ovadia from Kosher Pizza Bar and Lenny Rosenberg from TCBY.

Irene Lahaie, Avery Hannon and Noah Galambos.

Everyone had a great time! Our very own CSL resident Michael Abramovich provided fabulous background music, complete with his saxophone and sound system. Three of my Bialik High School student interns Avery Hannon, Noah Galambos and Jeremy Nashen joined Toby Shulman as our much appreciated volunteers.

Mayor Brownstein thanks Hagaie Brenner and Marc Ezerzer.

For the golf, I worked on a committee with Irene, Moe, Councillors Dida Berku and Lior Azerad, as well as Men’s Club reps Mark Kotler, Norm Goldfield and Mannie Young. It was an absolutely beautiful day at Meadowbrook. Pierre Brunet and his team from McDonald’s CSL Shopping Centre welcomed everyone with coffee and donuts. Philippe Mamane from Gestion de Patrimoine Assante/Assante Wealth Management and Marc Ezerzer and Hagai Brener from Groupe Hypothécaire Vantage were our event sponsors. Others who contributed were the CSL Men’s Club, Jerry Zell and Yves Mouchaca from Play it Again Sports.

Andrew Toeman presents a cheque to Councillor Andee Shuster for the Bursary Program.

Money was raised for our Parks and Recreation Bursary Fund, which assists parents with financial difficulties and children with special needs in registering for specific programs they might otherwise not be able to afford. From our two event sponsors and the Men’s Club,  we raised $2,000. Furthermore, via the winter carnival, garage sale and Canada Day our grand total for 2024 is $8,375,40.

Mayor Brownstein congratulates Buddy Manis.

Our special honoree was longtime sportsman and volunteer Eli “Buddy” Manis. At 83 years young, it was about time Buddy got such a salute. My late father Larry used to call him "The Sentimental Gentleman." He still plays ice hockey at least once a week. Buddy was on hand with his wife Marlene, their grandson and some close friends.

Joan Zafran gets her trophy from the mayor and Norm Goldfield.

There are four trophies given out for the Golf Invitational and this year we had two winners: Joan Zafran took home  the Women's Closest to The Pin and Longest Drive; Councillor Kujavsky captured the Men’s Longest Drive and and Closest to the Pin.

Mitch Kujavsky with the mayor, former Councillor Allan J. Levine, Goldfield and Mark Kotler.

It was nice to see such a wonderful turnout of people from both events.

“Flowers have a unique ability to transform any space, infusing it with life, color, and fragrance,” said Mayor Brownstein, who presided over the Maison Fleuries ceremony with Councillor Sidney Benizri.

I brought Frank Palucci (and his dog Teddy) their plaque.

While I salute all of the winners, let me share the recipients from my District 2: The Oak Ridge and Le Bellagio in the High Rise Category; Frank Palucci and Sandra Cambone (Ilan Ramon), Irene Tobianah and Leon Mayer (Ilan Ramon), Matthew Gradinger and Pamela Grischkan (Merrimac); and Marla Pinsler (Merrimac).

Matthew Gradinger, Pamela Grischkan and their daughter Samantha accept the plaque.

To see the rest of the winners click on this link: Download Flowers2024Winners

Sonia Langburt accepts the award for her building Le Bellagio.

Leon Mayer from Ilan Ramon.

With Sarah Hackett and Boyd Weippert at the Oak Ridge.