MikeCohen.ca

Noise from the Equinoxe generator

Last week the owners of the Equinoxe built a noise reducing enclosure aimed at  reduce the noise when their generator is needed. This generator continues to cause sleepless nights for residents of the Rothchild I whose  units face this area.

I thank our Urban Development Manager Jeff Davey for working overtime on this dossier. This latest effort does not appear to have resolved  the situation.

I dropped by the area myself.

Click here or below to see my short video.

Update. Here is the noise from Monday night.

 

 

 

Remembering Cody Vigderhous

A few weeks ago Cody, the beloved dog of Car Vigderhous and family was brutally run over by a car. This was pure and simply a hit and run. With the support of Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, Public Works Director Beatrice Newman instructed her team  to install a wreath on a pole at the median of Cavendish Blvd near Fleet and Merton where Cody was killed.It is facing the northbound traffic close to the traffic lights so that it can be seen by those who are slowing down. Thanks to Public Safety Director Jordy Reichson for his coordination role.

The wreath

 

"We understand how traumatic this event must have been for the whole family and we wish to extend our deepest condolences to Cody's family for their loss," said Ms. Newman.

Commented Cheryl Roth Vigderhous:" I also hope that in the short time it's there it will serve as a reminder that speed can kill, and to slow down for the safety of all our residents, on two legs and four."

 

Cody

 

Excavation work begins on second Equinoxe Tower but ventilation system noise is unacceptable

Excavation work has begun for the second tower of the Equinoxe highrise apartment complex.  Phase 1 is fully complete and occupied.

Permitted construction hours are 7 am to 7 pm   weekdays. Unlike Phase 1, no  work will be permitted on weekends. Our Public Security will do regular inspections to ensure these hours are being respected.

The construction site for Phase 2 of the Equinoxe.

Residents of the Rothchild I Condominium  on Mackle Road whose units face the Equinoxe have had to endure unacceptable noise from a large generator. I went there last night and recorded  the noise myself. Click here. It sounds like a loud moving truck parked just outside your bedroom window.

 

The developers are still waiting their permanent power supply for the first building and have been using their generator all winter, which is becoming a nuisance for the neighbourhood. Today, our senior management were tasked to communicating with Hydro Quebec officials to expedite this work. We cannor order that the ventilation system  be shut off, because as the temperature dips even lower, they need the supplemental power to provide heat to the Equinoxe residents. We will be asking them to build a “baffling” box around it on the Rothchild side immediately while we sort out the Hydro problem. Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and I are committed to getting a resolution to this serious problem as soon as possible.

We are also working with the developers on where the construction vehicles will park so please stay tuned for more information on that.

There are a lot of things to work out and I want to assure residents that our staff is working diligently on this file. The Mayor will also resume his monthly meetings with the developer and a committee of residents of the neighbouring condos.

It is estimated that work will continue for as long as 18 months until this project concludes.

UPDATE: Thanks to our Urban Development Department. The Equinoxe  has modified its internal power distribution priorities, so, according to them, the generator should not be on at all outside peak hours going forward.  In the event it does go on, it would only be in times of extreme cold outdoor temperatures and during hours where there is extremely high strain on the power grid (early morning and/or evening - at times when many people are cooking, showering, doing laundry, etc. at the same time). In other words, there is a chance it goes on, but only for short periods during the day and never in the middle of the night. They were on site January 16 evaluating an appropriate temporary screen for the Rothchild side of the generator. Public Security will do inspections overnight

Le bruit inacceptable

Les travaux d'excavation de la deuxième tour de l'immeuble d'appartements Equinoxe ont commencé.  Les heures de construction permises sont de 7 h à 19 h en semaine. Contrairement à la phase 1, aucun travail ne sera permis les fins de semaine. Notre Sécurité publique fera des inspections régulières pour s'assurer que ces heures sont respectées.
Le site de construction de la phase 2 de l'Equinoxe : les résidents de la copropriété Rothchild I sur Mackle Road, dont les unités font face à l'Equinoxe, ont dû supporter le bruit inacceptable d'un gros générateur. J'y suis allé hier soir et j'ai enregistré le bruit moi-même. Cliquez ici.

Les promoteurs attendent toujours leur alimentation électrique permanente pour le premier bâtiment et ont utilisé leur génératrice tout l'hiver, ce qui devient une nuisance pour le quartier. Aujourd'hui, notre haute direction a été chargée de communiquer avec les représentants d'Hydro-Québec afin d'accélérer ce travail. Nous pouvons ordonner l'arrêt du système de ventilation, car à mesure que la température descend encore plus bas, ils ont besoin de l'énergie supplémentaire pour fournir de la chaleur aux résidents d'Equinoxe.

Nous leur demanderons de construire une boîte "déconcertante" autour du côté de Rothchild immédiatement pendant que nous réglerons le problème de l'électricité. Le maire Mitchell Brownstein et moi nous sommes engagés à trouver une solution à ce grave problème le plus rapidement possible et nous travaillons également avec les promoteurs sur les endroits où les véhicules de construction seront stationnés, alors restez à l'écoute pour en savoir plus à ce sujet. Le maire reprendra également ses rencontres mensuelles avec le promoteur et un comité de résidants des condos avoisinants et on estime que les travaux se poursuivront pendant 18 mois jusqu'à la fin de ce projet.

Traduit avec www.DeepL.com/Translator

 

 

First focus group on Rembrandt/Kildare Road stop sign attracts different viewpoints

Last September we added a new stop sign at the corner of Rembrandt Avenue and Kildare Road. We did so to address the concerns of Rembrandt residents who have often been stranded at their stop sign often endlessly.

Due to the high volume of cars turning onto Kildare eastbound from Cavendish, we want to avoid a potential back-up onto Cavendish as a consequence of cars stopping at Rembrandt. In addition, Ministry of Transport requirements for adding a stop sign on this approach are not met.

Soon after the 2017 election I asked our Traffic Committee staffed by two engineers and chaired by Councillor David Tordjman, also an engineer, to study the request put forward by Rembrandt    residents for a stop sign.

It was agreed that we would review this measure within the first year of implementation. Thus far residents of Rembrandt are quite pleased.  The response is mixed from those on other streets.

At the table as we discuss the issues.

In order to get a better handle on how people feel I called a focus group meeting at City Hall on January 7. Councillor Tordjman was present. We had representation from all five condo high rise building on Rembrandt as well as people residing on Kildare Road, Merrimac, Ilan Ramon, Sir Walter Scott and Marc Chagall.

“The solution implemented simply doesn’t fit the problem,” commented Mark Sadegursky, a resident of Ilan Ramon for the last 15 years who, among other things, recommends Rembrandt and Merrimac be turned  into a one way street.

We have recently added a standard illustration on Rembrandt which informs the people leaving the street that there is only a stop on the right side of the intersection. 

“I've spent time at the intersection since the additions and I have seen the pros and cons,” reports our traffic engineer, Spyro Yotis. “Cars from Rembrandt are not waiting as long to get onto Kildare, but there was indeed a danger. Since we added the illustration cars seemed to have gotten used to the configuration.”

Mark Sidloi, the president of the Meadows Condominium on Merrimac and Kildare, feels the stop sign is a fair measure.” It's not a huge inconvenience, certainly not over and above the traffic that is on that corridor on some days during the time prior to the stop,” he said. “And it can be a lifesaver to the people on Rembrandt.”

Jason Ullman of Marc Chagall believes it has created gridlock for motorists such as himself when they leave for work during the busy JPPS-Bialik drop off period. Among things he suggested was for the extended sidewalk on Kildare Road to  be modified and three-lane traffic   introduced, remove one of the other stop signs on Kildare (at Merrimac or Sir Walter Scott) and to make Rembrandt/Merrimac a one way.

David Tordjman responds to questions.

Councillor Tordjman explained the process we have followed thus far. He recognized that there been a traffic flow issue at certain times in the morning and promised that Kildare Road (between Marc Chagall and Cavendish) will be part of a closer analysis which will include all of the stop signs presently in place. Phil Troy, who lives on Kildare Road, strongly urged our Urban Development team to undertake some simulations. 

Martin Bogante said that he has resided on Marc Chagall for 18 years. “This stop sign has, for the first time, enabled me to make a left turn without taking my life into my own hands,” he said. “There is a big difference between inconvenience and safety."

Ilan Ramon resident Howard Liebman said in an email: “We simply can’t regulate every hundred meters of road surface with bumps, bollards, stops and other measures. Safety is paramount and we need to teach driving skills and courtesy at the provincial level.”

Finally some residents cited that the Montreal Transit Commission (MTC) bus stop at Rembrandt and Kildare represents a danger and they suggested it be moved or eliminated.  It just so happened that one member of our group that night works at the MTC and he has already connected us with someone who can look into the issue.

I was glad to have Gregory Libman as part of our group. A bright young CEGEP student who drives to school each weekday morning, he provided a valuable youth perspective.

I must mention that with excavation work about to begin on the second Equinoxe highrise on Marc Chagall, there will be many more trucks coming down Kildare over the next 18 months or so. This would certainly impact the accuracy of any simulations.

This was a good exercise and provided us with some valuable input for future deliberations.

Top CIUSS official responds to CSLC René Cassin Test Center concerns and provides hope for improvements

A senior official from the CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal  was kind enough to respond to my recent blog regarding the closure of the CLSC René-Cassin Blood Test Center over the Christmas holidays, long lineups upon the return of operations and misinformation emanating from the answering service.

Francine Dupuis

Deputy Director General Francine Dupuis  was personally responsible for the opening of this service a few years ago when she served as  Director General of the CSSS Cavendish. "I felt sorry for the elderly who had to wait so long at the hospital for tests that could be taken care of by their CLSC," she noted. "The ministry never funded this activity and we had to squeeze money from other programs to open the Test Center, which tells you how much of a priority it was."

Mr. Dupuis said that when she read about my unpleasant experience, it saddened her. However, at the same time, it   allowed her to look into what was done and how the service can be improved.

I had raised the fact that the  notice on the window stated that the Test Center was closed from December 24 to January 2 inclusively. It was unclear for many if that meant it would reopen January 3.  "The word 'inclusively'  means that this day is included. The confusion rose from the fact that the other CLSC services were offered,  but the posting did not make the difference, hence the confusion. It could have read:  'This is a reminder that the CLSC will be open at 8:00 on Wednesday January 3  for general services, but not the Test Center. The Test Center will resume its activities on Thursday January 4 at the usual time, 7:30.' On the telephone, the person who answered should have made the difference very clearly. I am looking into this, so that our messages leave no place to confusion next year, both verbally and in writing."

Hours could change next Christmas.

Ms. Dupuis also shared some promising news. The CIUSSS plans to open more days next year. "As you pointed out, the Jewish General Hospital is not the best place to have your blood tests done," she said. "We have started with more limited days because the attendance was much less important in the first few years and also because we were not budgeted for the staff. Seeing that it is getting more popular, which is good news, we want to increase the staff and the hours of services. Moreover, we will try to offer the service every day,  but on December 24 and 25 and January 1 and 2. This is not an official promise,  but I am trying to see how we could budget it, knowing that it is of increasing importance for the population we serve. The new  GMFs  - family medicine groups - will also offer the service, which will give more than one option in the community."

Regarding my suggestion that benches be installed for those waiting to get into the Test  Center, Ms. Dupuis said those requests should be addressed to the management of the Quartier Cavendish since the Ministry of Health’s lease does not include space outside the clinic on that floor.

I want to thank Ms. Dupuis for taking the time to send me such a detailed response.

 

 

Blood boils over as CLSC René Cassin Test Centre finally reopens

It was Groundhog Day for me and many others today at the CLSC René Cassin Test Centre.

 

For the third day in a row I showed up at the Quartier Cavendish location for a blood test that required a 12 hour fast. On Tuesday, I read the sign in the window which said that the Test Centre would be closed from December 24 to January 2 inclusive. I called the CLSC hotline. Someone from the service responded and assured me it would be open on Wednesday. From the way the notice was written, it was difficult to tell. So again I woke up at 6:15 am while on holiday from work and headed over there. I was not the only one. At least 15 people joined me. Several us called the CLSC hotline. We were all told the same thing. It would open at 8 am. Test Centre hours are 7:30 am to 9:30 am weekdays so I found that odd. We all waited and at 7:50 am the lights went on.  There was hope until 10 minutes later a young lady opened the door and said blood tests would only resume Thursday.

The line started early. Please install a bench here.

The CLSC René Cassin is a more attractive option for early morning blood tests than going to the madhouse at the Jewish General Hospital at that time. But it is hardly the novelty it used to be. I was there at 6:50 am. At this time there were six people ahead of me, mostly elderly. Fifteen minutes in one man, a constituent, could stand no longer and took a seat on the floor. By 7:25 am the lineup snaked up the hallway like a rock concert. We all shared the same comments. Why did the Test Centre have to be closed for such a long period of time? "Do they think just because it is the Christmas holidays we can all skip mandatory blood tests?" one lady asked.

Old friend Harvey Hershenkopf,a Registered Nurse by profession and all-round great guy, was the volunteer

Harvey Hershenkopf has the magic touch with frustrated clients.

on duty making sure people got the numbers. All of us were so happy to sit down.

A memo to the CLSC or the Quartier Cavendish administration --could you not install some benches  or chairs in the outdoor waiting area where that nice big paid advertisement for Air Transat hangs on the wall? And here is a tip for some business people out there. The Idolem Hot Yoga studio next to the CLSC closed recently. A coffee shop open from 6:30 am in that spot would have made a bundle this morning for those not fasting or folks like me who had to walk  all the way to Maxies or Cafe de L'Avenue for a muffin or something similar after the test.

I did not count but there had to be at least 100 people in the waiting room, many standing. There were two people behind the counter processing the requisitions and two technicians drawing the blood.

With Gaetan Barrette no longer in office destroying our health system, perhaps the new CAQ government will give agencies like our own CIUSSS West-Central Montreal the budgets necessary to expand the hours  of these test centres and ideally have some afternoon hours.

Standing room only.

I was taken by 8 am and out soon after. The technician had already heard complaints from people who had lined up the day before. She asked me what they should do next year. "For starters," I said, "have your answering service properly briefed. Secondly, clearly spell out the date you reopen on the notice."

Why did I write this story? I was recognized as a city councillor pretty quickly  and as the crowd grew a de facto Town Hall meeting evolved. I tried  to read my newspaper and explain to everyone that the CLSC was not under the umbrella or the city, nor was the management of the Mall. I did finally make a promise to share their concerns in writing.

The staff were wonderful and kudos to Harvey for keeping the clientele in check.

Groundhog Day at the CLSC is finally over for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018 Year in Review from your City Councillor for District 2

As 2018 draws to a close, I bring you my year in review as it applies top my role as the city councillor for District 2 and the individual on council responsible for the portfolios of Communications, Animal Protection and Sponsorship.

In November 2017 I was elected to serve a fourth mandate on council. The past year I must say has been the most active in my political career. With a lot of things happening in my district and via my portfolios and the increase in citizen engagement, there have been no dull moments.

Let’s begin with District 2

Development

Three and a half years after the Manoire Montefiore closed as a seniors residence,  the highrise at the corner of Cavendish and Mackle,  will be transformed into a residential apartment building. Jadco, the company behind the Équinoxe project on Marc Chagall, purchased the property from  Réseau Selection. They were granted a permit to proceed with renovations since there are no zoning changes requested nor is the façade being altered. The timing, of course, is not ideal. Excavation work will begin soon followed by as much as an 18-month construction period for the second Equinoxe building. There are presently 130 units in the Montefiore building. Jadco has proposed 94 units for their rejigged project – 43 one bedroom and  and  51  two bedrooms. The area of these units are conforming to the city by-law.  There will be about 90 interior parking spaces, including 14 new ones to be constructed in what is now a dining area. In addition, an outdoor lot will accommodate 23  more vehicles.

The past two years have not been easy for anyone residing on or near Marc Chagall Avenue with construction of The Equinoxe.  When the project was announced I formed a committee of representatives from the local condo associations and the developers. We have met several times and line of communication is open. We have made progress on many issues, but the reality is nobody will be completely happy until the second facility is completed.  Interestingly enough there are many former Marc Chagall Avenue condo residents who have sold their units and moved to The Equinoxe.

The developers of The Equinoxe still have a lease for the rental of the green space across from the Marquise. They have used that as a parking lot for their workers. When work concludes in 2020 the developers will return the green space the way they found it. An allocation has been placed in our Capital Expenditures plan for 2021 for a parkette and possibly a community garden, something all of the former homeowners on Marc Chagall have asked for.

Excavation work for the second tower is expected to begin in January.

Work was 100 percent completed on the apartment rental on The Avenue. The bottom floor is zoned commercial, but no tenants have moved in.

Meanwhile the land next to the  Beth Chabad parking lot was zoned for a two storey commercial establishment many years ago. I met with Gary Azimov, the owner of the property, and at the present time he has no plans to build anything there.

Rembrandt Park

A few years ago the central topic for one of my District 2 Town Hall meetings was Rembrandt Park. There were concerns raised about the lack of lighting at the tennis courts, the basketball area, play equipment and the skateboard area. Ruby Goodman, who has served as a park attendant for more than 20 years at Rembrandt, was asked to get a feel from the users. I also set up a small committee and we conducted surveys from people of all ages. The consensus was to fix the lights, maintain the basketball area as is and replace the skateboard space with greenery.

Last spring the Public Spaces Committee of the city, composed of senior staff and some councillors, highlighted the skateboard area for demolition at some point this year.  While some parents came forward and stated their kids enjoy the area, inspections done warned of serious danger due to cracks in the asphalt, as well as heaving areas in the asphalt. Our Public Works Department told me that this area is not conducive to skateboarding.  Potential accidents would result in costly litigation. Some youngsters use their scooters there, something which is also highly dangerous. As a result, filling in the bowl met with the new required safety measures.

The earth came from excavation projects throughout the city. It was therefore, an environmentally friendly project. We installed sod and topsoil to create an area in the shade for picnic tables and benches, providing residents with the opportunity to enjoy summer fun in the shade.  Ruby Goodman said that he has seen very few skateboarders there in recent years. In fact Public Works was constantly tasked to clean the bowl as it was becoming a garbage dump.

 JPPS-Bialik

Marking the opening of the new field.

 Only a few weeks after Herzliah High School inaugurated its new campus in Snowdon, JPPS-Bialik in Côte Saint-Luc’s District 2 formally unveiled a  new regulation-sized, state- of- the -art artificial turf sports field, basketball court and healthy living curriculum under its Project Fit banner. Officials noted that Project Fit will benefit the entire JPPS-Bialik Community through Mind, Body, and Spirit. This will include ensuring that their rigorous International Baccalaureate Programme is balanced with physical activity to promote a healthy mind and body; building on  strong academic programs with an enriched and accelerated curriculum; and backing up sport science studies which show that participation in sports activities improves school performance and builds self-esteem, especially in schools.

Leonard Cohen Lane

It was about a year ago that as the city councillor for District 2 in Cote Saint-Luc I shared with my colleagues a desire to finally give a name to the laneway that leads from Marc Chagall Avenue to the Library/Bernard Lang Civic Centre parking lot.  It is a beautiful area that we dressed up substantially with a newly paved path and more benches. Initially my thought was to name it simply Library Lane. Community activist Tamar Hertz private messaged me with the idea to honour the memory of Leonard Cohen. I promised her that I would bring this up after the November elections. Soon after the newly constituted council took office, Leonard Cohen Lane was approved. I then worked with our Chief Librarian Janine West and Public Affairs and Communications Director Darryl Levine to set the wheels in motion. We scheduled the unveiling ceremony for the end of August, hoping for a nice summer night. It was precisely that  and everyone on hand experienced  a very meaningful ceremony. Here is the video from the ceremony.

Our New Parking Lot

The new enlarged lot.

 

The City Hall/Library Parking lot reconstruction was completed in 2018 and met with rave reviews from users. The work included the reconstruction of the sidewalks and curbs, the replacement of the lighting, the installation of security cameras, the asphalt paving, the installation of new park benches, bike racks and recycling  and garbage containers.   The activation of the electric vehicle charging station was done in early February.

Traffic Calming

Traffic safety continues to be among paramount importance for me as the city councillor for District 2. I am pleased with the changes that have occurred at the back entrance/exit for the City Hall/Library complex. The speed bump and the signs notifying motorists to go around the circle has brought forward the positive results we expected. However, some of my constituents  wisely asked for another speed bump in the parking lot as vehicles approach the turn to make their exit and this measure was taken.

Making the Sir Walter Scott/Library Exit/Entrance safer.

A few years ago I was able to get stop signs installed  at the corner of Sir Walter Scott and Kildare Road. As I take my regular walks, I still see too many vehicles making short stops or going right through.  We took increased traffic calming measures with the addition of some bollards and signs urging vehicles to slow down. These bollards (not used  in the winter) are part of 10 intersections in the city which will have high visibility traffic calming. The intersections include flexible bollards, flexible signs, more pedestrian crossing signs, silhouettes for school and park areas and extra line painting.

For years residents of Rembrandt Avenue have justifiably complained about being stuck at the corner of Kildare Road, unable to turn left to get to  Cavendish.    After last year’s election I asked our Traffic Committee to study what kind of relief was possible for the hundreds of motorists on Rembrandt. At the end of August we placed a new stop sign at the corner of Kildare and Rembrandt for vehicles headed towards Cavendish. Thus far this has brought some relief for motorists from Rembrandt during morning and afternoon rush hour having to cope with the traffic from JPPS/Bialik.  While I know some residents wanted a stop sign on the other side, our Traffic Committee studied this closely and determined that it would cause serious backups from vehicles turning on to Kildare from Cavendish. We will continue to study this area. A new sign will soon be installed underlining the importance of motorists looking to their left before turning and I will form a focus  group to discuss  the issue further. I have also scheduled a focus group meeting with some residents to get their feedback.

 

A new speed bump on Rembrandt.

Another request by Rembrandt Avenue residents was to curtail speeding and we did so by installing a  (seasonal) speed bump.

Park Place resident Corey Frenkiel provided some good feedback about vehicles entering  the Quartier Cavendish via The Avenue and then making U-turns on his street.  These drivers were too lazy to turn into the actual lot. A No U-Turn sign was installed and the problem seemed to be resolved. We are now concentrating on the crosswalk from the apartment building on The Avenue leading to the Quartier Cavendish entrance next to the café. Some vehicles are driving much too quickly in that section as well. We installed flower pots to slow them down. We  continue to monitor the situation to see if any more corrective measures are necessary

Crossing Guard

Our search for a crossing guard at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare continues. We have conducted some interviews, but finding an appropriate candidate has not been easy. Here is the posting. Please share it with possible candidates, 

Chabad Greenspace

Inaugurating the new pathway.

For those who may have missed it, last summer the Public Works Department of Côte Saint-Luc  put together a beautiful piece of green space between  Beth Chabad and JPPS-Bialik at the corner of Kildare Road and Marc Chagall in District 2. Beth Chabad had used the space, which is city-owned land, for wedding ceremonies for years but it was hardly attractive. That is when Public Works Director Beatrice Newman and her team stepped in. Working with Rabbi Mendel Raskin and  caterer Ray Petrovic of Blossom by the Plaza, the area was beautified with a lovely pathway running through it. As a thank you, Petrovic invited Director Newman, her senior management team and the hard working blue collar employees for a classy barbeque lunch.  Part of the parking lot next to Chabad is zoned for two storey office building. Thus far no formal proposal for a project has come our away, but I do believe something may be coming our way.

Breaking Down The Ice

Breaking apart the snow dump ice.

 The snowfall in 2018 was significant and that meant a very full snow dump on Marc Chagall. Once the temperature warmed up in the spring we had two mechanical shovels break down the ice, returning the area to normal. Public Works staff then went inside the dump to clean. Each year I advocate for this work to be done.

Train Noise

Meeting with CP officials.

When I first moved into my present home after getting married 23 years ago, I realized we were very close to the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks. But it was only a few days into residing here that I found myself rudely awoken by some unspeakable noises from the trains. This did not happen every night, but often enough that I followed the advice of some family members and purchased a white noise machine. For my household it masked the disturbance. Over the past two decades train noises have come and gone. In the 13 years I have served as the city councillor for District 2, it has never been more of an issue than the past year, especially for those homeowners closer to the tracks.   I met with officials from CP Rail and via our Co-City Manager Jonathan Shecter we maintained very close touch with them, seeking a response on all complaints. This is not an easy dossier to manage, but I will say that the officials from CP take these complaints seriously.

Open Government

For a number of years I brought the possibly of webcasting our regular monthly public council meetings  to the table for discussion. When Mayor Mitchell Brownstein gave me the Communications portfolio after last November's election, there was already some momentum to provide our citizens with the opportunity to view our meetings online. Initially, we looked into live webcasts.  The cost to video record (and live stream) the council meetings with a professional company would have been $1,230 (plus tax) per meeting. This price only included  one camera. For the 12 regular monthly meetings, this would have translated into a $15,000 cost (plus tax) and an additional $1,230 for each special meeting that we would recorded as well, such as December budget meeting, for instance. We are fortunate to have someone as resourceful as Director of Communications and Public Affairs Darryl Levine on our team. When we mandated him to come up with another option he was quick to respond. His department began video recording council meetings in January 2018 and posting the video recording on YouTube within two days. It also began uploading the audio to SoundCloud. There was no added capital cost to the city to introduce this service as the department had previously invested over the past seven years in a camcorder, wireless audio transmitter, a mirrorless camera (used as a second video camera), digital sound recorder, and video editing software. There was no added labour cost either. Our inhouse production uses two cameras during question period to make the video more interesting to watch. This example highlights the strength of our Communications and Public Affairs Department. They are able to do a lot of work in-house that other cities our size send out.  It also fulfills a key goal of our new "open city" process.

Men’s Club

With Dr. Paul Weinstein at the dinner.

Along with Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, other members of council,  Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather and D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum, I was so pleased to be at the Gelber Centre for the 2018 Men’s Club Gala. More than 400 people enjoyed sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, music and dancing, a full course meal, speeches, awards and door prizes. It was a classy affair from beginning to end, co-chaired by District 2 resident Joe Presser and Kenny Bessner.  District 2 resident David Haltrecht, who is one talented individual, was recognized as the Man of The Year.  Volunteer Awards were handed out to Peter Sternberg, Peter Atkin and District 2’s Marvin Hayman. Haltrecht, the Men’s Club First Vice-President, earned a Bachelor of Engineering and an MBA. An active member of the club, he works on several committees. Professionally he designed, developed and implemented computer based systems in retail, manufacturing and restaurant environments. Using this experience, he has implemented an operation system with a web site for the Men’s Club.  For many years he was an avid sailor and also worked with model trains. Today, he has the Men’s club members working with drones.

Volunteers of the Year

The city saluted our volunteers at the Cineplex Theatre at Quartier Cavendish. All volunteers were invited to see a movie, with a free soft drink, popcorn and some candy included. A pre-recorded video of the Mayor presenting the awards was shown on the big screen. Afterwards everyone was invited to a dessert reception. Several District 2 residents won awards: David Haltrecht, Hazel Lipes Award; Syd Kronish, named Ambassador of the Year, completed a four-year term as president of the Côte Saint-Luc Men’s Club; Charles Guerin took home the  Special Recognition Award;  the VCOP (Volunteer Citizens On Patrol)  Award went to Marty Croitoru, whose  wife Mindy just retired as a teacher from JPPS after nearly four decades of service.

Blooming

Maxine Bloom, a long time constituent of mine in District 2, is a wonderfully talented artist who lives and paints in two places. Here in Côte Saint-Luc spring, summer and fall and Deerfield Beach, Florida in the winter. Maxine’s style is mixed media and her eclectic subjects reflect her love of color and movement. She combines watercolor, acrylic and ink with collage.  As she and her husband Victor told me at the opening of an exhibit of her work at the CSL Public Library, many of the paintings are from holiday destinations of theirs.   

Felling of Trees

During the year I organized two  public information sessions in the Council Chamber to provide background into plans for the necessary felling of trees in Ashkelon Gardens.  Hundreds of trees are infested with the Ash Borer and the Dutch Elm disease. These trees are dangerous for people who were walking in the area (from the possibility of falling branches or trees) and may even constitute a fire hazard. The city requested our  xpert contractor, Nadeau Foresterie Urbaine, to prepare an inventory of the affected trees. On February 16, 2017 (based on this inventory), the city issued a public call for tender for the felling of 255 trees under tender number C-16-17. On June 12, 2017,   Council approved the awarding of the contract for the felling of infested trees to Services d’Arbres Tessier.   In total, we are looking towards felling approximately 300 trees and clearing approximately 21,000 buckthorn plants and bushes, a species that interferes with healthy tree growth in Ashkelon Forest

Smart Cities Challenge

District 2 resident Marc Chriqui is playing a key role in the development of our city's plan to win the Smart Cities Challenge. We were selected as one of 10 finalists in our category (and one of 20 overall) by the selection committee of the Smart Cities Challenge, a contest created by the Government of Canada. Each finalist community received a $250,000 grant to help develop its final proposal that outline all design, planning, privacy, data protection and project management components of their plans. The grant can be used for activities such as staffing, professional services, feasibility assessments, capacity building, pilot projects, community engagement and communications, data, and relevant training.  The grand prize is $10 million to implement this proposal.

CSL Cats Committee

 

On Breakfast TV to promote the concert.

 

Eight years ago I helped establish the first-ever Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee. We began with a small group of volunteers, spearheaded by Shelly Schecter of Educhat and a small allocation from the city. The most recent annual concert took place on October 9 at Wagar, a change from all our previous late August dates. We made the switch to ensure that we avoided a hot and stuffy evening. Well, October began on the cool side, but wouldn’t you know it on the day of our event a 60 year record for high temperatures was set. A day later it was cold outside again. That being said we sold more than 300 tickets. Singers Alexandra Cohen (also our emcee) and Nicole Arrage were superb. The Musicians of the World were their usual delight and the Gideon Vigderhous Quartet brought the crowd to its feet. We especially appreciated it when Gideon integrated the word “Meow” into one of his numbers and had the audience repeatedly shout it out. Diane Liebling, a retired nurse, continues to lead the committee of volunteers which does excellent work. We have saved the lives of so many cats, found them good homes while developing a network of people who feed feral cats near their homes year-round.

Dogs Committee

I honoured a campaign commitment and established our first ever Dog Owners Committee and moved changes to our bylaws which now allow dogs on leashes in most parks. Jonathan Goldman has stepped forward as our first chairman. He has established an executive committee, introduced a Facebook page (CSL Central Bark) and developed a procedure to communicate with dog owners. Two years ago, with the help of people like Abe Haim and Jason Balinsky, we created a Côte Saint-Luc Dog Run Advisory Committee. Abe chiefly served as my main liaison and as a result of his good work a number of improvements have been made to the Mackle Road facility. A second dog run on Côte Saint-Luc Road, between Richard Schwartz Park and Meadowbrook Golf Course, is now in operation.

With Councillor Oren Sebag and Jonathan Goldman

 

The city  was proud to host the  Autism Speaks Canada  Dog Walk  on Sunday, October 21 (9  at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park on Mackle Road.  This was the first time ASC held an ASC-branded Dog Walk   time has indeed come for a Côte Saint-Luc Dog Owners Committee to be formally established.

Golf Classic

Council with Joe Presser.

As a massive heatwave hit our province, we reluctantly decided to take the prudent approach to postpone our 39th annual Côte Saint-Luc Golf Classic. It was rescheduled for a week later While the golf is a lot of fun, the luncheon became the real big draw. So when we had to put off the golf portion on July 5, the show very much went on. Councillor Dida Berku was my co-chair this year and how appropriate given the decades of work she had put in to keep Meadowbrook free from development. Our honouree was long-time community leader and volunteer Joe Presser, a man I consider a good friend and a true supporter of mine in District 2 from day one of my time on council. Joe has been active at programming in Côte Saint-Luc for most of his life, notably at Beth Zion Congregation, the Parks and Recreation Department, the Cummings Centre Sports Celebrity Breakfast and the Côte Saint-Luc Men’s Club. But he was often the man behind the scenes, not getting his deserving day in the sun.

The Golf Classic also played a role in the creation of  the Pierre Brunet McDonald’s Parks and Recreation Bursary Fund. Brunet operates 19 McDonald’s franchise on the Island of Montreal, including one in Côte Saint-Luc. He was honoured in 2016 at the Golf Classic for his continued generosity to community events over the past 30 years. One day he asked me if I could come up with a local charitable endeavor that would benefit kids in our community for McHappy Day. I came up with the Bursary Fund idea,  working with Harold Cammy on making it a reality. It has been a huge success, making much needed funds available to families who ordinarily could not afford to register their children for some of our programs.

New Police Commander

With the new Police Commander

 

I was pleased to sit down and get to know the new commander for Police Station 9, Luis Oliveira. He is a devoted member of the force with a tremendous back story. I know he will be a huge asset for our community. Here is my story on him.

Good Luck Harold Cammy

A fitting sendoff for Harold Cammy.

 

I conclude this year in review with a salute to a gentleman I have known since childhood.  After more than 40 years of service to our Parks and Recreation Department, Harold Cammy will retire in January. Mere words cannot describe how much I will miss this man. Cote Saint-Luc is part of his DNA. Here is a detailed piece, including Harold's remarkable memoirs.

 

 

 

 

The extraordinary Harold Cammy retires after 45 years of service to the City of Côte Saint-Luc

A most remarkable man is retiring today.

Pierre Brunet makes Harold a Honourary Manager.

 

Harold Cammy has been a colleague and friend of mine since the day we first met over four decades ago. My late father Larry (Lawrence Frederick Cohen, aka Larry Fredericks) was his biggest fan. The Côte Saint-Luc Parks and Recreation Department is part of Harold's DNA and he has left many legacies. One of his closest associations has been with Pierre Brunet, the remarkable owner of some 20 McDonald's franchises.  Harold and his wife Bev are regulars at his Côte des Neiges, TMR and Decarie locations - and of course our very own at the CSL Shopping Centre. So what better place for Pierre, myself and his invaluable team members to organize a bit of a surprise for Harold. 

Harold with Pierre and some of his staff.

 

I spoke to Cornelia Ziga and Alvin Fishman and told them that Harold believed we had a meeting set with Pierre to go over some business. When Harold arrived, Pierre's assistant Lina had the entire second level decorated. A few friends were there to shout "surprise," such as longtime friend and boss David Taveroff, community leader Roy Salomon, Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and wife Elaine, David Haltecht from the CSL Men's Club as well as Mark Lidbetter from The Suburban and Janice Arnold from the Canadian Jewish News. Not only did Pierre have staff take our food orders, but he pinned an official ID tag on Harold which said "honourary manager" and added in a $100 gift card.

Harold is surprised by a cake.

I will miss Harold's presence more than I can say. He is an extraordinary human being. I asked him to write his memoirs and what you see below is now on our website at www.cotesaintluc.org/haroldcammy.  Public Affairs Chief Darryl Levine is finishing up a tribute video which we will post soon.

Harold and his wife Beverly.

 

Please read on. It is extraordinary material!

Retirement Retrospective: Looking back on a 45 year association with Côte Saint-Luc

 

Retirement Retrospective: Looking back on a 45 year association with Côte Saint-Luc

By Harold Cammy

Myself, Mayor Brownstein, Harold, Roy Salomon, Pierre Brunet and David Taveroff.

My very first childhood memory was when I was 6 years old. It was October of 1960 and I was watching game 7 of the World Series on our small black and white TV….It was the Yankees vs Pittsburg Pirates and the Pirates won that game when Bill Mazeroski hit a game winning home run in the bottom of the 9^th inning.

Why am I telling you this?

Baseball is what brought me to Côte Saint-Luc. Every weekend my friends would call me and we would all race over to Wentworth Park, on our bicycles, where we would play pick-up softball, a practice (pick-up sports) almost unheard of today!! While playing in those weekend games, I heard about this hardball team in Côte Saint-Luc, the Midget AA Avengers, coached by the local Olympic Sports store proprietor, Lenny Goldfarb.

I tried out for the team as a third baseman, was chosen, and so began my affiliation with Côte Saint-Luc that would last for the next five decades.

I played for two years, 1970 and 1971, and was “affectionately” known to my teammates as Coco Cammy…that’s because I played third base and the Expos, the new major league baseball team in town, had a popular third baseman, Coco Laboy.

We had a makeshift baseball field, a temporary home, built on Mackle Rd across from the Beth Israel Beth Aaron Synagogue. We had no other baseball fields in Cote Saint-Luc which could accommodate players of our age group, (16-18)

In 1972, I decided to volunteer and began coaching the same CSL Midget AA team with Lenny. Problem was we could no longer play at that makeshift field on Mackle so the City made plans to tear down the facility…something about building a new park there…Rumour had it was it was going to be called Centennial Park.

 

Finding a Place to Play

Well, where were we going to play until then?…after all the only other ball field in Côte Saint-Luc was the north field at Wentworth Park, home to the Cote Saint-Luc Slo Pitch League…Canada’s oldest organized softball league. The dimensions of this field were too small for Midget baseball.

The south side of the park was a football field, home to one of the top rated tackle football programs in Quebec during the 1960’s…the Cote Saint-Luc Astros, coached by Vaughan McVey, who just happened to go on and become the head coach of the McGill Redmen Varsity Football Club. He was later elected to the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame. The Cote Saint-Luc team actually won the PROVINCIAL football championship in the 1960’s.

However, years later football started its decline in popularity as parents began worrying about potential injury to their youngsters. We petitioned the City to build a new baseball field…and the Wentworth Park football field was turned into a hardball baseball field which became home to the Avengers AA baseball program.

Besides having a new home for intercity baseball…we also had a Bantam and Pee AA baseball program and Wentworth Park was rocking…with teams coming from all over the western part of the Island of Montreal to play our Avengers.

A local gentleman by the name of John Elias, a Phys Ed teacher by profession, heard about the baseball program and approached me about helping coach the Midget AA team. We teamed up and that’s how John and I began a lifelong partnership in Côte Saint-Luc sports.

Present-day staff,  Terri Druick and political leadership share some time with Harold and Beverly.

Building An Arena

Now volunteering just about year-round our next focus was trying to convince our City Council to build a much needed municipal arena for our growing community.

I was chosen along with Allan Smofsky, by the Citizens Committee to Build an Arena to meet with then Mayor Samuel Moskovitch and solicit his guidance on how to convince the Council it was time to build this arena in Cote Saint-Luc.

For now, we were playing our hockey at the Montreal West Arena on early weekend mornings. Of course, coaches and parents first visited the well-known Famous Delly Boys on Westminster and Cote St. Luc Rd for an early morning bagel and coffee before heading to the Arena. This was a routine for almost all the volunteer coaches in the program.

The Mayor was a lawyer by profession and Allan and I decided to pay him a visit at his law firm in downtown Montreal. Upon writing this, I can still see the Mayor’s face in my memory, coming around from his large office desk, smoking his cigar and asking what he can do for us. We made our presentation and at the conclusion, he turned to us and said “come back with 5,000 signatures and I will make sure that an arena is built. The task was laid out before us…

Keep in mind that in 1973-74 there was no internet…so the petition was not on line. That’s right…we had to walk the streets knocking on doors…one by one…and we succeeded in getting those names down on paper… we had a great committee of volunteers and a team with a great spirit. Those members included our leader, Eric Helfield, yours truly, Allan Smofsky, Kenny Saxe, Mark and Freddy Bandel, Earl Dameshek, Buddy Manis, Morris Maron, Ricky Steinberg, Billy Leibovitch, Harvey Bernstein, Mark Bagen, Marty Goodman, Mary Goodman, Al Bernstein, Ted Angert, Mike Barrett, Mel Wilansky, Judge Maximilian Polak, Shirley Mendelssohn, Marty Braun, Bill Martow, Freddy Leber, Brian Litvack, Jeff Martow, Derek Schwartz and Wally Freestone.

Mayor “Sam” kept his promise…but unfortunately passed away in 1976, months before the Arena opened in February of 1977.

The Arena had been scheduled to open in August of 1976, just after the summer Olympics, but construction crews in Montreal went on strike delaying the actual opening until February. The ceremonial opening took place in June of 1977. Walter Freestone was appointed the first Arena Manager in 1976 and was to oversee the completion of the facility. Walter was also assigned as an employee of the Recreation Department since the facility would fall under the Department’s oversight.

 

Kirwan Park

Though the Arena failed to open in 1976, the year was marked by another special occasion for Côte Saint-Luc. In the fall, Wentworth Park was renamed Kirwan Park in honour of former City Councillor Ed Kirwan, who devoted over 40 years to the community.

During these years, (early 70’s) I worked part time for the City, my very first job as a wading pool attendant at Fyon Park…(my best customer was none other than Michael Green, owner of Green Locksmith on Westminster, who at the age of around 7 years old would bring me bracelets made from gimp every week).

 

Starting Off as a Day Camp Counsellor, Rink Attendant & Other Responsibilities

I then worked as a Day Camp counsellor at Wentworth Park. Every day, parents just sent their kids to the park. The children would come from 8:30 to 12, go home for lunch and then return in the afternoon from 1 pm to 4:30 pm.

I continued my part-time work as an outdoor skating monitor at Wentworth, Parkhaven and Singerman Parks where our hockey rinks were located.

Wentworth had two rinks, both located on the north side, where the Slo-Pitch League played their games. My colleague Alvin Fishman would attest to the fact that each rink had 30-40 players nightly. No matter how cold it was. Players changed inside the old Wentworth Park chalet. It was how hockey was meant to be played…outdoors and the “old fashioned” way!

Parkhaven outdoor rink, where the current Recreation Parking lot now sits, was also home to another one of my attendant jobs. An attendant working at Singerman Park Rink followed thereafter.

My final part-time job was being the first attendant of our recently built indoor Games Room located in the basement of Parkhaven where our Legion Room had been for the past several years.

One of my regular customers at the Games Room in the 70’s is current Gymnasium employee Allan Rock. Whenever we see each other he describes the fun times he had as a youngster while visiting the games room.

These seasonal jobs all took place between 1973-77.

 

An Internship in CSL

In 1977 I was completing the first ever English University program in Recreation and Leisure Studies to be offered in Quebec at Concordia University. I was required to complete a six month internship to obtain my degree…so off I headed to the Côte Saint-Luc Recreation Department and was greeted at the Recreation Office on Mackle Road by Teri Druick. At the time, the building was shared by Recreation and Public Works.

I explained to Teri my request and while doing so out walked from his office the ONLY other Recreation employee at the time, “Flaming” Frank Yanofsky. Larry Fredericks, famed Suburban Sports Writer and Mike Cohen’s father, had a penchant for “nicknaming” local personalities. Soon after he dubbed me “Handy” Harold…followed a few years later by “Hollywood” Harold…

The former Recreation Director, Bob Howes, had just resigned in June of 1977 and so it was a question of being in the right place at the right time.

They asked me when could I start, I said Monday…they said okay.

I joined Teri and Frank, our two secretaries Henrietta Cohen and Jean Leslie and Wally who was at the Arena.

In February of 1978 the City hired its new Recreation Director, Serge Menard.

A Full-Time Employee

After our very popular Skate A Thon in January of 1978, to raise money for the Inter-Service Club Council of Montreal, Frank decided to leave the Recreation Department and I took over full time overseeing the sports programing.

The Skate-A-Thon was another big boost to the City’s reputation and good will we were trying to build around the sports community. Particularly with a new Arena now in operation, none other than the great NHL Hall of Famer Jean Béliveau joined us for the afternoon skate and we raised $8,000.00.

Teri Druick’s late husband Moe Druick was instrumental in bringing Béliveau to Côte Saint-Luc and personally, I was building a great and healthy relationship with our volunteers. There was great chemistry and we were all working together to help build a better tomorrow.

The year 1978 was a special one for Côte Saint-Luc and for me. At the completion of my internship I was then hired full time in June of 1978.

 

A Grand Slam

John Elias and I went back many years. Johnny approached me in 1978 and said he would like to move his baseball camp, then in TMR to Côte Saint-Luc. Johnny lived on Smart Ave. (still does) and felt he would be more comfortable here working with someone he knew. So began a 25 year association with Côte Saint-Luc as home to the Grand Slam Baseball School, with the best players from the Expos visiting Cote Saint-Luc every summer.

It was the City’s 75 anniversary and Councillor Nathan Shuster was appointed Chairperson for the 75^th Anniversary celebrations. I was given the role of assisting the City’s celebrations by heading the organization of a Golf Tournament with Councillor Hazel Lipes to be held in October. Since I had a long standing relationship with John Elias we immediately went to work on attracting a couple of celebrities for the Tournament. John came through and Gary Carter along with two other celebrities joined us at the tournament in frigid temperatures…nevertheless it was a fabulous day.

 

Other Projects

But before the golf, City Councillor Eric Helfield had his own project, a Jog-A-Thon to raise funds for Heart disease. We formed a committee and worked closely with Councillor Helfield as we did with Councillor Lipes for the Golf. The Jog a Thon was a resounding success with runners taking to the streets of Côte Saint-Luc.

We later went on to organize one more special event for the 75^th anniversary, a hockey tournament.

 

A City Flag

At this time (1979) I was living in Town of Mount Royal, considered to have some of the finest Recreation programs and facilities in Montreal.

One of the first things I noticed living in the Town was that the Administration had a Municipal flag at all of its facilities. We did not. I asked our new Recreation Director, Jacques Bissonette, replacing Serge Menard, if he thought this would be a good idea and he recommended such to City Council. Soon thereafter our City flag with coat of arms went up at all our facilities!

Our Department started to grow under Jacques and that was good news. Joining Jacques, Teri and me over the next few years were Louise Ferland, Alvin Fishman, Suzanne Herscovitch, Francine Petrin, Gail Aber and Liliane Saliteanu. Wally of course was still working out of the Arena.

 

The Executive Softball League

In 1979, Bernie Rapp and Dave Margolis met with me to discuss the idea of starting an Executive Softball League for residents 35 years of age and over. Outside of the Côte St. Luc Slo Pitch League, which began in 1956, we did not have any other softball league for adults. Bernie and Dave went ahead and organized the league which is still operating today. They added an adult hockey league as well which also still runs out of our Arena. Dave passed away a couple of years ago but we were happy to see him at our golf classic shortly before he passed.

 

Other Major Events

Also in 1979, the Jog A Thon, first brought to fruition by Councillor Eric Helfield in partnership with the Richard Nadler Heart Foundation was held again, in September, and was a huge success. The event ran for several more years all with our support and involvement.

We completed the 1979 year with another two major events. Our first ever Sports Celebrity Breakfast…we termed it Breakfast with the Stars held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Four hundred parents and children turned out to share stories and breakfast with such notables as Gary Carter, Don Sweet, Tony Proudfoot, Claude Raymond and Denis Herron. Dr. Ed Enos, from Concordia University, gave a stirring speech to all. All players received gifts, coaches received certificates, and members of the Executive received plaques. We didn’t forget Mayor Lang.

The Celebrity Breakfast was also the event whereby Morty Zafran rose from the Head Table to surprise me with a marble and gold desk set on behalf of the Minor Baseball, Hockey and Soccer Committees.

In fact, after only two years with them, they thought I was leaving the City to pursue a Master’s Degree in Recreation at California State University in Long Beach. What I didn’t know at the time of my application was that the fee was $25,000 annually. I cancelled my application and decided to stay in Montreal.

Morty presented me with the desk set and when I told them I was not going…they said I could still keep it. Thirty nine years later it still sits on my desk!

With our sports programs setting the path, Côte Saint-Luc was being recognized throughout Montreal as a leader. And that played out just a couple of years later when we were approached to host the first ever locally televised Baseball Tournament on CBC. More on that later!

 

The Habs come to CSL

We ended 1979 on a great high note with a sold out Samuel Moskovitch Arena as the Montreal Canadiens Old Timers came to play against Cote Saint-Luc teams. The game was organized by Moe Druick and the Inter-Service Clubs Council. Several NHL Hall of Fame players participated, including Dickie Moore, Elmer Lach, Kenny Mosdel, Gerry McNeill and Referee Red Storey. All the youngsters had a great time.

 

Volunteer Night

In 1980 Jacques asked me if I had any ideas about a new format for our Volunteer evening. At the time the Volunteer night was low key, with party sandwiches and cheese platters and held at the Wentworth Curling Club which was located at Meadowbrook Golf Club.

Jacques wanted the event to have a little more class, with a little more pizzazz, hence more attractive to our volunteers.

I talked with Teri Druick about a gala evening, with a full sit down meal, an orchestra with dancing, sweet table, and awards for the volunteers. Almost like a wedding, bar mitzvah, etc. This was going to cost a little money but Jacques thought every dollar was worth it.

Our biggest ally, besides Jacques was none other than the Mayor. He loved the idea…and away we went! The event ended up costing $6,000.00 (in 1980 dollars). Buddy Hampton was the orchestra leader and the event was a smashing success. Three hundred and sixty people (360) attended.

We organized a volunteer committee for Volunteer Night scheduled for June 1^st. (interesting isn’t it that the Volunteer night was “organized” with a volunteer chairperson…the first one was Millie Halpern, and we hosted the first “new style” Volunteer night in the ballroom of the Chateau Champlain Hotel.

Just winding down from the Volunteer Night Gala, and off we were again…this time organizing our annual Canada Day event…June 30^th…and we held the event at the newly built Rembrandt Park which was inaugurated on June 30^th 1980.

 

A Golf Tradition is Born

In 1980 I was questioned by some seniors about hosting a Seniors Golf Tournament. I thought this was a great idea. The first organizing committee was comprised of Abe Baron, Saul Arshinoff, Irene Echenberg, Edith Yates, and Senior Social Club Coordinator Suzanne Herscovitch.

We hosted the nine hole Tournament on August 19^th at Meadowbrook…and have been doing so for the past 40 years.

In following years, Molly Flanz and Hilda Greenspoon were added to the Committee.  They are all gone now (except Suzanne) but I am sure they would have been proud to know that we have kept this event going for 40 years!

It has been a great pleasure over the past several years working with Councillor Mike Cohen as we adopted a new format in order to revive the event after some declining years, and it has rightfully taken its place as one of our highlight events each year using this activity to honour a great Côte Saint Lucer.

 

Maison  Fleuries and More

The year 1980 also brought about the beginning of our annual Maison  Fleuries contest. This was coupled with the Villes et Villages Fleuries contest organized by the Province.

The summer of 1980 brought about one more surprise…some talk and rumours about a new outdoor sports complex to be built on Mackle Road.

The early 1980’s were highlighted with other great successes stories. We hosted several Sports Celebrity Breakfast events at downtown hotels with the elite of Montreal Sports celebrities attending. Councillor Mike Cohen’s father, Larry Fredericks, served as MC at each event and was fabulous with his support.

 

Meeting My Life Partner

In 1983, another special moment surfaced.

It was a warm breezy June night, and my colleague Al Fishman was scheduled to award baseball trophies to our Minor Baseball teams at Kirwan Park. Al received an urgent family message and asked if I could go to the park and present the trophies in his place. Of course, no problem.

I arrived around 7:30 pm wearing a heavy tweed sport jacked with temperatures hovering around 80F. (around 24c for you younger folks)

My future wife-to-be, Beverly, saw me at the park presenting the trophies…It was “Hollywood” Harold Cammy she said. Soon thereafter we were married and are now celebrating our 34^th wedding anniversary. The truth is Beverly has been my greatest supporter. It was because Beverly was able to stay home looking after our special needs daughter Lacey that I had the freedom to participate and attend so many special events, night time meetings, programs, during my career.

 

Major Tournament

The following year, 1984, is when George Springate, former police officer and former MNA  approached me about Côte Saint-Luc hosting a National Pee Wee baseball Tournament. The kick to this event was that it was not going to be just any tournament. It was going to be televised by CBC. George was working at CBC as a sports commentator at the time and we had developed a working relationship over the years.

Our Council was enthusiastic about the event and approved minor renovations to the baseball fields in order to accommodate the television cameras. It was truly a great week with our own Alvin Fishman, Ron Yarin, Joe Raie, Solly Levine, Morty Zafran, Merv Levin and Kenny Corber all part of the organizing committee.  The Cote Saint-Luc tournament was now on television…throughout eastern Canada.

 

Hockey Exchange

The 1980’s also brought about our annual Hockey Exchange programs with our inter city teams playing against teams from New Jersey. We travelled to New York and their teams came back to Cote Saint-Luc. The players stayed in each other’s homes and it was a great experience for the kids, coaches and parents.

We also experienced more highlights in the 80’s.

 

Canada Day Parade

Our Minor Hockey President Ricky Steinberg and I came up with an added idea for Canada Day. A full scale Canada Day parade.

Ricky and our volunteer committee worked on organizing the parade which began at the CSL Shopping Centre, complete with floats, marching bands, and hoopala.

The parade was even filmed by a volunteer, Leon Seidman, and we marched from the shopping Centre to Rembrandt Park…it was 1983.

 

Centennial Park

The 80’s also saw the opening of Centennial Park. I was managing the Samuel Moskovitch Arena (Wally having moved over to the Recreation office) at the time and I was approached by City Council about managing the park and its programs and Chalet attendants. I was on board and I enjoyed every minute of that responsibility for many years thereafter.

 

Water Play
During the 90’s we introduced the first Water Play facility in Côte Saint-Luc after I viewed a video from Calgary. We approached City Council with this idea and displayed a video to Council. If we could raise some private money Council was open to building this facility, one of the first waterplay facilities in Eastern Canada. I pledged I would try and raise 50 percent of the cost for building this water play facility which would be constructed at the rear of Centennial Park. We succeeded and the same way that Mayor Sam kept his word about the Arena, the Council kept their word on the Water Play project which was constructed at the north end of then named Centennial Park. We raised $30,000.

 

Rink Board Advertising and Bench Naming

We also introduced rink board advertising to the Arena bringing in a new stream of advertising revenue. At the time, advertising in local community rinks was not so popular. We made it popular, however, by bringing about the goal of uniting the business interests in the community with the local Parks and Recreation programs.

We also introduced another stream of revenue with the idea that people could sponsor memorial benches.

Memories of our very first bench purchased however are bittersweet! It was in memory of one of our own friends, employee Andrew Merriman, who died from a brain tumour while working as an attendant at Chalet #1 at Centennial Park. I spent the night at the hospital with his loved ones after receiving the call at home at 2 am. I can still hear the phone ringing!! Andrew was a great guy and at his funeral Allan Levine walked up to his casket and placed a Cote Saint-Luc pin on his lapel.

 

Jean Beliveau: A True Career Highlight

The year was 1997 and my old friend George Springate approached me once again, (remember the baseball tournament) for what was truly the highlight of my career in Côte Saint-Luc.

George said that Canadiens hockey legend Jean Béliveau had amassed $925,000.00 in his Jean Beliveau Fund since the year he had retired (1972) and Jean wanted to donate $1 million dollars to the Quebec Society of Disabled Children. George wanted him to do it right here in Côte Saint-Luc because of our relationship.

Of course, we would have to raise the remaining $75,000  over the next several months in order to reach the total of one million dollars.

The entire Montreal Canadiens team would come to Côte Saint-Luc and play a Celebrity Softball Game against the Montreal media followed by a VIP dinner at Sternz Rhapsody in Cavendish Mall. That was the plan.

We sold out the restaurant…300 tickets at $50.00 per person. It was a magnificent evening. The celebrity softball game had to be cancelled because of a huge thunderstorm just hours before the scheduled game. Nevertheless we had the entire Canadiens team there so we ushered them into Confederation Annex and they signed autographs and took photos with the kids for the next three hours.

During the preceding months we had raised a lot of money, $50,000 but were short $25,000 from our goal of $75,000.00

I approached the Gazette and sportswriter Dave Stubbs who agreed to promote our event and publicize what our goal was. The story went into the Gazette on a Wednesday, two days before the Béliveau tribute.

Our committee had worked very hard but we were not going to raise $25,000 in two days. That is until someone very special read the Gazette story.

On Friday afternoon, just hours before the grand event at Centennial Park, George Springate received a knock on his door. It was special delivery.

He opened the envelope and there was a congratulatory note inside recognizing all the hard work we in Cote Saint-Luc had done to honour Béliveau…oh, and included with the note was a cheque for $25,000.00 from Senator Hartland Molson.

Jean made the donation of  $1 million  that night to the President of the Quebec Society for Disabled Children, right here in Cote Saint-Luc, and Mayor Bernard Lang later called it one of his most memorable and proud moments as Mayor of Côte Saint-Luc. Montreal’s entire English and French media were here.

 

Sports Celebrity Breakfast

We re-introduced the Sports Celebrity Breakfast after honouring Béliveau and we went on to host four more breakfasts in partnership with the TBDJ Synagogue using their facility as the site for the breakfast, again attracting the elite of Montreal’s sports world. Cote Saint-Luc was recognized throughout the Montreal sports scene as a leader and a place where great things happen.

The TBDJ partnership was a positive byproduct of the infamous ice storm in 1998.

The synagogue was set up as a shelter for the ice storm and we all developed such a wonder relationship with the synagogue staff and Rabbi Steinmetz at that time that they agreed to give us their facility for our Celebrity Breakfasts.

 

Ice Resurfacer

The early 2000’s brought about the merger with the City of Montreal. One of the bright moments was the introduction of the first battery operated Ice Resurfacer in Cote Saint-Luc.

Cary Miller, a Hampstead resident who owned a company called HL Leclair (now closed) approached me about purchasing a new ice re-surfacer for our Arena.

We went through all the details and prepared the proposal, with help from then Public Works Director Guy Poirier, for Council which was accepted. Côte Saint-Luc would have its first battery operated Ice Resurfacer and one of the first in the entire province. We were highlighted on all the news networks and my most fearful moment was when RADIO CANADA, not CBC Channel 6 (the English station) wanted to interview me. After all, French wasn’t my first language!!! Robert Libman helped out through the interview and all went well…

 

Israeli National Hockey Team

The year 2005 was another magic one for Côte Saint-Luc.

Once again, we put our community on the map throughout Quebec and Montreal. The Israeli National Hockey Team made its first visit to Canada and Allan Maislin, Gary Shapiro, and Gerald Issenman knew there was only one place to play their first game…the Samuel Moskovitch Arena. None other than Jean Perron, Head Coach of the Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup winning team in 1986, coached the Israeli team against LaurenHill Academy from Saint-Laurent.

I went to private Jewish school with Gary Shapiro, Shaare Zion Academy, so we had an existing relationship and Allan and I had been friends since his hockey coaching days in Côte Saint-Luc. Gary asked me to represent the City at the organizing committee meetings and we were off and running. Robert Libman was Borough Chairman and gave his approval.

By game time, the Arena was so packed the fans were standing three rows deep around the rink glass. Many dignitaries were on hand including the Vice-Consulate General Sharon Regev and Saint-Laurent Borough Chairman Alan DeSousa.

The most moving moment of the night, however, was not anything that happened in the game itself, but rather the moving rendition on ice of Hatikvah performed by the English Montreal School Board Choir…with the Israeli Flag blowing at centre ice there was not a dry eye in the house. By the way, the Israeli National team won the game 8-1 and the organizing committee was so impressed with the participation and support from Côte Saint-Luc that the Junior National Team returned in 2007 to play against our own Midget hockey team winning 11-8, again before a standing room only crowd.

 

Pancake Breakfast

In 2006, our First Pancake Breakfast was held, as part of the Winter Carnival and a partnership with Pierre Brunet, the local Franchisee and McDonalds. We made the arrangements, signed the deal with Pierre who donated 1000 pancakes, up to 1,300 today, and in the process agreed if he donated the pancakes we would raise money for the Manoir Ronald McDonald. Hence, the outdoor hockey tournament and an incredible $70,000.00 raised over the years for the Manoir. Cote Saint-Luc has a plaque inside the Manoir with one of the rooms named after our City.

 

Valentine’s Day Dance

The year 2008 marked the beginning of another special event, our annual Valentine’s Dance. The event started with about 85 tickets sold in the first year, with most of those tickets sold in the last two weeks leading up to the event. Louise Ferland and I were in charge and staff were telling us with the amount of work we did, this event was not going to succeed in future years. Too much effort for too few returns.

Our original committee, comprised of volunteers Irving and Mindy Schok, Ron Yarin, Sammy Pinsky, Louise and myself did not agree…we were NOT going to give up…It takes time to build a program…we tweaked, adjusted, adapted, and this coming year, 2019 the City will be hosting our 11^th annual Valentine Dance, with sell outs over the past six consecutive years. The event attracts 275 to 300 people annually.

 

Pierre Brunet

Just a few years ago, Councillor Cohen called me for a brief sit down…what ideas could we come up with as an annual fund raising program benefitting the community? After just one hour the two of us emerged with the idea for the Pierre Brunet Parks and Recreation Bursary Fund supporting local families with special needs children and/or facing financial hardships. The fund has raised close to $15,000 over three years.

 

Our Facilities

When I think of starting my career with just an outdoor pool and one softball field at Wentworth Park as our major facilities, I think we have come a long way.

Gary Carter Field and the entire Trudeau complex is a first class facility, add to it the Aquatic and Community Centre, upgrades to our parks and other sports facilities, current renovations ongoing for the Arena and Kirwan Park, and you certainly have a community whose residents should be most proud.

 

A Great Team

As I make my final preparations to leave I must make clear that our achievements were all part of a team effort.

All of our successful events, programs, etc. were the result of building relationships amongst all. I never worked alone on any successful event. It was the product of commitment, devotion and dedication from my colleagues, volunteers and Senior Management and Council.

Furthermore, I would not leave out our white and blue collar employees who are truly integral to our success. Whether it was the carpenters, electricians, painters, labourers, etc we rely on their support so that every event can be carried off in the best possible way.

I came to know five Mayors during that time, starting with Mayor Sam, Mayor Lang, Mayor Libman, Mayor Housefather and Mayor Brownstein. I thoroughly enjoyed working with them all as I did with all the City Councillors who passed through City Hall from 1973 onwards.

I also worked for eight Recreation Directors passing through our doors….Bob Howes, Serge Menard, Jacques Bissonnette, Wally Freestone, Peter Wallace, Paul Desbarats, David Taveroff and Cornelia Ziga.

On a final note, I think one of my proudest memories is the knowledge that many employees who I recommended for hiring as young people at one time, now still working for the City, some married with children, and still contributing to our success.

Our current staff are most dedicated and it has been a pleasure working with Cornelia Ziga, my own team of Alvin Fishman, Ryan Nemeroff and Brad Horner, and the rest of the Recreation Department, Ray Valiquette, Steve Papp, Laura Trihas, Sarah Houle, Tricia McKenzie, Larry Masella, Dan Abisror, Michael Calcutt, Dennis Kopitas, Eden Burger, Maurice Giobbi, Maria Picciuto, Beate Hewel, Fran Rosen,and all of the ACC service staff, blue and white collars.

We have the ability to be “kind” to people, to be “responsive” to people, to “support and assist” people because that is what a City and its staff should be doing. Making someone’s day just a little bit better…a little more enjoyable.

It doesn’t take a great effort to be kind and helpful...it just takes a little empathy, compassion and understanding of human behaviour.

“People will not always remember all the good things you do for them, but they will always remember how you made them feel about themselves”.

Harold, David Taveroff and Roy Salomon catch up.

 

Mindy Shulman Croitoru retires from JPPS

One of our community’s most dedicated school teachers, longtime District 2 resident Mindy Shulman Croitoru, has announced her retirement from JPPS after a remarkable career spanning nearly four decades.

“For close to four decades, Mindy Shulman Croitoru has shared her skill, experience and love of teaching with the children of JPPS,” wrote Marnie Stein, Principal and Co-Head of School at JPPS. “ She has inspired her students to reach their individual potential in English, Math and Science.”

Mindy and her new student, grandson Charlie

Mindy’s retirement is effective January 2019.  Will she join our Volunteer Citizens  on Patrol (VCOPs) like her husband Marty, recently recognized as one our Volunteers of the Year? My guess is she will try and take it easy for a while and also enjoy life as a grandma!

 “With care and warmth, Mindy taught the students of JPPS the love of learning and the personal rewards of being a lifelong learner,” Stein continued. “As a role model to her students, she taught each and every one of them that hard work and perseverance pays off. The energy she devoted to that end is very much appreciated by the entire JPPS family.”

Stein noted that  throughout her years at JPPS, Mindy remained committed to her students and to helping develop their confidence as learners. “Her colleagues will cherish their memories of working alongside her and we feel so fortunate that our students were taught by such a special teacher,” she stated.

In the Talmud it is written that, "He who teaches a child, it is as though he created it." Stein wishes to  thank Mindy for the years of hard work and devotion to JPPS, and wish her good health, enjoyment, and nachas from her family, as she embarks on a well-deserved retirement.

As the parent of one of Mindy’s former students, I can attest to her excellent work in the classroom.

Good luck Mindy!

Local artists Chandler and Mann present beautiful art display at the library

The Côte Saint-Luc PublicLibrary regularly has superb displays of art work from our very own residents. Through January 6, David Chandler and  Hélène Mann are the focus of attention in our Community Art Space. I strongly recommend you pay a visit.

David is a resident of District 2 while I will always remember  Hélène as Mme Benoussan. She was my teacher at the former Wentworth French Immersion School (Grade 7) in Côte Saint-Luc. We reconnected years later via her art work. She was a public school teacher for some 25 years. Also a resident of CSL, she is presenting more than 30 of her original digital art works. Her brilliant images are sometimes based on photos which are worked into collages; others are completely original imaginative creations. A must see!

Hélène Mann paintings.

 

David taught for over 30 years, including several years focusing on photography. His photographic experience exceeds 60 years. The digital works on display attempt to show that photography is as much an impressionistic art as any painted art. There is a wide range of topics leaving much room for personal interpretation.

“All the images on display are based on photographs I have taken over the past 20 years,” David shares. “They have been modified with any of several programs. While the images can obviously printed multiple times no two are ever quite the same, as with multiple fine art prints made from the same plate. I consider pixels to be a modern variation of ancient Greek and Roman mosaics where coloured pieces of glass were combined to create images.”

David’s speciality is travel and architectural photography, always looking for patterns in the world around us. In recent years he has turned to more abstract or impressionistic images, always trying to isolate  the essence of the image. “I am presently preparing a paper on these ideas,” he says. “My equipment in these digital days has always been Olympus but it matters not since if the artist/photographer doesn’t see the image no equipment can save it.”

Some of David Chandler's work.

David has personally published a couple of books,  which are on display for library viewing only.

For more information he can be reached  at 514.482.4148 or dhchandler43@gmail.com .

All of these images are for sale.  

 

One on one with new Police Station 9 Commander Luis Oliveira

It was a pleasure to sit down with newly installed Montreal Police Station 9 Commander Luis Oliveira at his office on Westminster Avenue.

Police Station 9 serves Côte Saint-Luc, Hampstead and Montreal West. Unlike his predecessor Jean  O’Malley, now the head of public security in Hampstead, Commander Oliviera does not have to split his time between Stations 9 and 11 (NDG).

                                                                                            Meeting with Commander Oliveira.

Commander Oliveira has a truly interesting back story, one that goes back before he joined the police force 28 and a half years ago.Raised in the Petite Patrie/Rosemount area. His parents spoke French at home, but sent him to English schools: Francesca Cabrini Elementary School (now Pierre Elliott Trudeau) in Rosemount, John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel, Dawson College (Health Sciences) and then McGill University (Physical Education). While at McGill he played football for the Redmen as an offensive guard who wore number 54. His greatest memory: being part of the national champion Vanier Cup winning team in 1987. In 1984 he even earned a tryout with the CFL’s Montreal Concordes (a previous incarnation of the Alouettes coached by Joe Galat).

Commander Oliveira did not head directly to the police after graduation. First he actually served as a player-coach in a professional football league in France (Cannes). He then went on to become a physical education/geography/history teacher at Lindsay Place and Hudson High Schools on the West Island. At the age of 28 he switched gears and enrolled in CEGEP Maisonneuve for their Police Technology Program. His career as a cop began at the former Station 15 in NDG following that up with a stint downtown. Soon after he was  promoted to Sergeant and with that came a special opportunity: to travel to the civil war in Bosnia to represent the United Nations as a liaison to chase down  war criminals.

“It gave me a different perspective on life,’ said the Commander, who spent a year overseas and landed at Station 4 in Dollard des Ormeaux upon his return. But soon after he was off for another mission, this time to Jordan to teach and train new Iraqi police officers.

Seeking more of a 9 to 5 shift in order to spend quality time with his three children, Commander Oliveira landed an assignment at general police headquarters to coordinate the kind of missions he went on himself. “Over 10 years in that post I arranged for about 250 of our officers to serve overseas,” he explained.

Since arriving at Station 9 two months ago, the Commander has hit the ground running. When I was there he was working with Officer Marie-Christine Nobert, who does such a wonderful job in the area of outreach, and hosting representatives from different community organizations.

“I am thrilled to be here,” he said. “When I started, the tragic shooting occurred at the synagogue in Pittsburgh. This gave me an immediate opportunity to get to know the local community synagogue leadership as met with them and provided reassurance.

Commander Oliveira has also established a good relationship with his counterpart at Station 11, Anouk St. Onge.

Commander Oliveira has already  made it a point to attend the start of our monthly council meetings. We look forward to working with him!

The Commander meets with community representatives.

 

Author Caddell to promote his hockey book at The Samuel Moskovitch Arena

It will be a busy weekend for author and former Montreal West town councillor Andrew Caddell.  He will be in Montreal promoting his book The Goal: Stories about Our National Passion  on CTV Montreal with Mutsumi Takahashi  on Friday at noon, and then will be signing books on Saturday afternoon at Bonder Bookstore on Westminster in Montreal West, then off to The Samuel Moskovitch Arena on Mackle Road in Côte Saint-Luc that evening  for more signing and selling.  The book, which features stories from former Montreal Gazette writer Dave Stubbs, has received great reviews and reached the top 100 on Amazon winter sports books last year. 

Last year I brought Andrew to Royal West Academy to do a reading of his fabulous book.

It features 14 true short stories about hockey and life, from the title story, "The Goal" about Andrew's trials as a 10 year old goalie on the outdoor rinks in Montreal West, to a touching story aout his great-aunt and her idol, "The Gentleman," Jean Béliveau.  There is hockey history about Montreal Maroons fans who supported the Boston Bruins when the Maroons folded in the 1930s, women's hockey, the Habs-Leafs rivalry, and the longest ever NHL game, in 1936, which Andrew's dad, "Pip" Caddell attended. 

The book was originally self-published and launched in 2015, but picked up by Rock's Mills Press in Oakville last year and expanded, with colour photos and four new stories.  I heartily recommend it.  Andrew is now retired from the department of Global Affairs in Ottawa, but is busy: along with the book, he writes a weekly column on politics in the "Hill Times," and is partnering with an Australian company in emergency services technology for municipalities, QITCanada.  He has plans to move back to Montreal in 2019. 

 

Proud to have sponsored a resolution calling on Tour de l'Île to become charitable

The annual Tour de l'Île de Montréal has been a thorn in my side for decades. I am not a cyclist and I resent the fact that this event paralyzes the city one Sunday each year, as well as eating up the equivalent of $500,000 in Agglomeration funds while not raising a penny for charity.

Activist Murray Levine first connected with me on this issue over 30 years ago and I wrote about it in my newspaper column at the time. 

Organizers from Velo Québec continue to march to the beat of their own drum and with each City of Montreal administration not taking a stand on the issue they face little incentive to change. Now we have a Montreal Mayor in Valerie Plante who cycles to work.

If the Tour would encourage its riders to raise funds for their favorite charity, I might find this inconvenience a bit more bearable. 

With Murray Levine after the vote at City Council.

It was with this in mind that I moved the following resolution at our December 10 Council meeting, which passed with a majority:

 MOTION TO ESSENTIALLY INCREASE PHILANTHROPY IN QUEBEC

 

WHEREAS the 30,000+ participants of New York’s TD 5 Boro Cycle are invited to raise

funds for charities and this year (and previous ones) raised $1 million;

 

WHEREAS the participants of multitudes of mass participation running, cycling, triathlon

and other mass participation self propelled athletic events around the world have optional

charitable fundraising components;

 

WHEREAS the participants of running events alone in the US raise over $1 billion per

year for charities;

 

WHEREAS the participants of the Marathon de Montreal are INVITED to raise funds and

may still be paying Montreal so that they may stage their event;

 

WHEREAS charities staging athletic events that raise funds at Parc Jean Drapeau

actually pay for the privilege;

 

WHEREAS Le Tour de L’Ile de Montreal receives $500,000 in funding and in kind support

from the Agglomeration;

 

WHEREAS the Tour de L’Ile de Montreal is a major inconvenience to pedestrians and

motorists;

 

WHEREAS emergency vehicles are delayed due to the event;

 

Whereas there is no noticeable increase in tourism due to the event;

 

WHEREAS Dorval, Kirkland and Hampstead will not consider allowing Le Tour in unless

the participants are invited to raise funds for charities;

 

WHEREAS Cote St Luc, DDO and Laval have banned the event altogether;

 

WHEREAS a significant number of the participants come from Laval, the South Shore

etc. whose cities contribute no funds and suffer no inconvenience;

 

It was MOVED BY myself SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR  Ruth Kovac

 

AND RESOLVED:

 

“THAT the Côte Saint-Luc City Council call upon the Agglomeration not to support

Velo Quebec with funding and free in kind support, until such time as all of the participants of Velo Quebec events on the Island of Montreal, are INVITED by to raise funds for charities via their participation in the events.”

 

 

 

We need a crossing guard at Cavendish and Kildare

 If anyone knows of a viable candidate, please share  this with  them. We need to fill the very important post of crossing guard at Cavendish and Kildare.

CROSSING GUARD

The City of Côte Saint-Luc is currently searching for a candidate for the position of Crossing Guard.

THE POSITION

Reporting to the Director of Public Security, the crossing guard supervises people at intersections in order to prevent traffic accidents. He/she ensures the safety of individuals and informs them of safety regulations.

DETAILS OF POSITION

1. Stop traffic at intersections by way of portable stop sign, when the situation arises.
2. Invite people to look both ways before crossing the street.
3. Accompany individuals crossing the street, from one side to the other.
4. Show individual how to cross the street in a safe and reasonable manner.
5. Explain to individuals the meaning of certain traffic signs in the area.
6. At all times, crossing guard must respect all road signs and invite people to do the same.
7. Give to local police district office and/or local Public Security department, a description of any noticeable loitering individuals.
8. Advise immediately 9-1-1 when a person is hurt and take care of him/her until patrol officers or ambulance arrives.
9. Carry out any other related duties as requested by supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess a high school diploma – Secondary V.

Candidates with security background will be preferred.

Other:  Bilingualism, ability to work under stressful conditions, available for night work, including weekends, well spoken, diplomatic, a valid driver’s licence is preferred.

SCHEDULE

Monday to Friday : 7 AM to 9 AM and 2 PM to 4 PM (4 hours per day = 20 hours per week)

 

To apply in confidence, please forward a copy of your résumé, along with a covering letter to:

 

By e-mail:        hr-rh@cotesaintluc.org          

By Fax:           (514) 485-8926

By Mail:          City of Côte Saint-Luc, Human Resources Department,

                        5801 Cavendish Blvd., Côte Saint-Luc, Québec H4W 3C3

 

We are an equal opportunity employer. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

 

 

 

 

 

Decarie Square is sold and $400 million mixed use project is expected to be proposed

Alex Bouhadana, one of the partners in the Equinoxe project on Marc Chagall Avenue, is reported to be part of a group that has purchased Decarie Square. All of the details are  in this La Presse article. The owners say they want to revitalize the property with a $400 million project, which could include  up to 750 residential units. City Council will be discussing this in great detail as proposals come our way.

Here is a translation of the La Presse article and the original French version below.

 A group of Quebec businessmen have just got their hands on the Carré Décarie Shopping Centre for $42 million. Their ambition: to invest an additional  $300 to $350 million to replace it with 14-storey towers,  housing 700 homes, commercial spaces and a medical tower.

 However, this new project will have to be analysed by the municipal authorities in the context of the already very heavy road traffic in the area. According to the deed of purchase dated October 24, the shopping centre belonged to the Azrieli Foundation, created by the late Quebec billionaire David J. Azrieli.

The new owner is officially the Carré Décarie Shopping Centre Limited Partnership, created specifically for this transaction. It is owned by the company 2bd (formerly Trätor Realty), which has four shareholders: Daniel Assouline, Daniel Benchtrit, Alexandre Bouhadana and Albert Lévy.

The 350,000 square foot building is valued at 28.2 million square feet, including land. Built in 1976, it includes some thirty stores, including Dollarama, Winners-HomeSense, Rubino and Proxim. There is also a dental clinic, a medical centre, offices of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec, a cinema and a car wash, among others. The investor group aims to reduce the amount of retail space (from 550,000 square feet to 250,000 square feet) and improve its quality. In addition, it will focus more on medical and residential uses.
Global transformation

"We are thinking of destroying the centre as it is and rebuilding it from A to Z. We are talking about a global change of location. We're not very proud of what we bought, but we have a very beautiful lot and we're going to make it something very beautiful," said Daniel Assouline, one of the four owners.

More precisely, the quartet wants to build three towers comprising "between 650 and 750 units," after having erected another one essentially for medical purposes. The clinic, which currently leases 40,000 square feet, would double its size.

Some merchants will remain in the project. "Winners absolutely wants to stay and we absolutely want to keep them, so we'll accommodate them," says Mr. Assouline.

Work should be able to begin quickly, in "12 to 18 months," according to Mr. Assouline, since "we are not asking for any zoning changes. All projects meet the standards as they are today." However, in the City of Côte-Saint-Luc, the urban development department states that "no residential use is planned within Zone IN-1," in which Carré Décarie is located.

 The very idea of densifying the neighbourhood is "commendable," says Councillor Dida Berku, who is also chair of the Urban Planning Advisory Committee. But the elected official believes that solutions must first be found to reduce traffic congestion "in the Décarie corridor", where there are "thousands of housing units under construction at the moment", including the Westbury. In her opinion, the current situation is already catastrophic, and there are plans to build the Royalmount and fill the racetrack grounds.

"The corridor is congested seven days a week, 24 hours a day! I have brought together mayors from all cities and boroughs to discuss how to cross Décarie. This has made it a major challenge. Sometimes it takes four or five lights before it can pass! It is certain that the Decarie Square project will not be completed until we have a transportation plan that allows for rapid mobility. We are landlocked, crossing or boarding on Décarie is a major obstacle, and there is no solution in sight. We will be responsible before saying yes to major projects. »

Two other residential projects

In parallel with the revitalization of Carré Décarie, 2bd will build the second tower of its Equinox project of "rental condos" on Marc-Chagall Street, also in Côte-Saint-Luc. It has 310 housing units. The first sod-turning is due in a week. "It's a top-of-the-range product[...] It's still what we build. This is our business philosophy," says Mr. Assouline, whose other towers of this kind are located in Laval.

The company also plans to start building 650 units on land it owns near the Place Vertu shopping centre, at the southeast corner of Cavendish and Thimens streets.

The Borough of Saint-Laurent confirmed that the project had been approved, but "the permit was not granted, because there is still a technical problem with the groundwater table". According to Mr. Assouline, the work should start in a month.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

 

Un projet immobilier de 400 millions près de l'hippodrome

MARIE-EVE FOURNIER
La Presse

 

Un groupe d'hommes d'affaires québécois vient de mettre la main sur le centre commercial défraîchi Carré Décarie pour la somme de 42 millions. Leur ambition : investir de 300 à 350 millions supplémentaires pour le remplacer par des tours de 14 étages abritant 700 logements, des espaces commerciaux et une tour à vocation médicale.

Agrandir

Alexandre Bouhadana

PHOTO TIRÉE DU COMPTE LINKEDIN

Daniel Benchtrit

 

Ce nouveau projet devra toutefois être analysé par les autorités municipales dans le contexte d'une circulation routière déjà très dense dans le secteur.

Selon l'acte d'achat daté du 24 octobre, le centre commercial appartenait à la Fondation Azrieli, créée par le milliardaire québécois David J. Azrieli, maintenant décédé.

Le nouveau propriétaire est officiellement la Société en commandite centre commercial Carré Décarie, créée expressément pour cette transaction.

 

Celle-ci est détenue par l'entreprise 2bd (ex-Trantor Realty), qui regroupe quatre actionnaires : Daniel Assouline, Daniel Benchtrit, Alexandre Bouhadana et Albert Lévy.

L'immeuble de 350 000 pieds carrés est évalué à 28,2 millions, terrain compris.

Construit en 1976, il regroupe une trentaine de magasins, dont Dollarama, Winners-HomeSense, Rubino et Proxim. On y retrouve aussi une clinique dentaire, un centre médical, des bureaux de la Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec, un cinéma et un lave-auto, entre autres.

Le groupe d'investisseurs ambitionne de réduire la superficie consacrée aux commerces (de 550 000 pieds carrés à 250 000) et d'en améliorer la qualité. De plus, il misera davantage sur les usages médicaux et résidentiels.

Transformation globale

« Nous pensons détruire le centre tel qu'il est et le reconstruire de A à Z. Nous parlons d'un changement global de l'endroit. On n'est pas très fiers de ce qu'on a acheté, mais on a un très beau terrain et on va en faire quelque chose de très beau », a confié à La PresseDaniel Assouline, l'un des quatre propriétaires de l'endroit.

Plus précisément, le quatuor veut construire trois tours comprenant « entre 650 et 750 unités », après en avoir érigé une autre essentiellement à vocation médicale. La clinique, qui loue actuellement 40 000 pieds carrés, doublerait ainsi sa superficie.

Certains commerçants demeureront dans le projet. « Winners veut absolument rester et nous voulons absolument les garder, alors on va les accommoder », souligne M. Assouline.

Les travaux devraient pouvoir commencer rapidement, soit dans « 12 à 18 mois » selon M. Assouline, étant donné que « nous ne demandons aucun changement de zonage. Tous les projets remplissent les normes telles qu'elles sont aujourd'hui ».

À la Ville de Côte-Saint-Luc, le service de l'aménagement urbain affirme toutefois qu'« aucun usage résidentiel n'est prévu à l'intérieur de la zone IN-1 », dans laquelle est situé le Carré Décarie.

Criants besoins en transport

L'idée même de densifier le quartier est « louable », croit la conseillère municipale Dida Berku, qui est également présidente du comité consultatif d'urbanisme.

Mais l'élue estime qu'il faut d'abord trouver des solutions pour réduire la congestion routière « dans le corridor Décarie », où il y a « des milliers de logements en construction en ce moment », dont le Westbury. À son avis, la situation actuelle est déjà catastrophique, et on prévoit en plus construire le Royalmount et remplir le terrain de l'hippodrome.

« Le corridor est congestionné sept jours sur sept, 24 heures sur 24 ! J'ai réuni les maires de toutes les villes et tous les arrondissements pour discuter de comment faire pour traverser Décarie. C'est rendu un défi majeur. Dès fois ça prend quatre ou cinq lumières avant de pouvoir passer !

« C'est sûr que le projet du Carré Décarie ne pourra pas être réalisé tant qu'on n'aura pas un plan de transport qui permet une mobilité rapide. On est enclavés, traverser ou embarquer sur Décarie est un obstacle majeur, et il n'y a pas de solution en vue. [...] On va être responsables avant de dire oui à des projets majeurs. »

Deux autres projets résidentiels

Parallèlement à la revitalisation du Carré Décarie, 2bd construira la seconde tour de son projet Équinoxe de « condos locatifs », rue Marc-Chagall, toujours dans Côte-Saint-Luc. Il compte 310 logements. La première pelletée de terre doit se faire dans une semaine. « C'est un produit haut de gamme [...] C'est toujours ce que nous construisons. C'est notre philosophie d'affaires », mentionne M. Assouline, dont les autres tours du genre se trouvent à Laval.

L'entreprise prévoit aussi commencer à bâtir 650 logements sur un terrain qui lui appartient à proximité du centre commercial Place Vertu, à l'angle sud-est des rues Cavendish et Thimens.

L'arrondissement de Saint-Laurent nous a confirmé que le projet avait été approuvé, mais « le permis n'a pas été octroyé, car il y a encore une problématique technique avec la nappe phréatique ». Selon M. Assouline, les travaux doivent commencer dans un mois.

Albert Levy

 

Daniel Assouline

Qui sont les investisseurs ?

Daniel Assouline est surtout connu dans le domaine informatique. Mais il effectue en parallèle des investissements dans le secteur immobilier depuis 2008 aux États-Unis. Il raconte avoir ainsi profité de la crise. Avec d'autres Québécois, il a acquis des tours de logements à Atlanta et à Detroit. « Ç'a été une belle opération pour nous », note M. Assouline, laissant entendre que l'investissement avait bien profité depuis. Avec ses partenaires Daniel Benchtrit et Alexandre Bouhadana, il a ensuite « monté une structure à Montréal pour supporter des projets » locaux. Et Albert Lévy s'est joint à eux pour le Carré Décarie. Leur entreprise Trantor Realty vient d'être rebaptisée 2bd (un site web sera prochainement lancé).

Daniel Assouline

Fondateur des entreprises du secteur informatique Upclick, LULU Software et Adware. Il en a cédé le contrôle au printemps dernier à la société française Avanquest (filiale du géant Claranova) pour une somme non dévoilée. Il avait auparavant travaillé pour Dell.

Daniel Benchtrit

Président de l'entreprise Ove Decors. Fondée en 2004, cette entreprise familiale est spécialisée dans les domaines du bain, de l'éclairage et du mobilier d'extérieur. Sa collection OVE est offerte chez de grands détaillants tels que Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, Amazon et Wayfair, mentionne son site web.

Alexandre Bouhadana

Sur son profil LinkedIn, l'homme d'affaires se présente comme « Senior VP Finance, Real Estate Executive ». Sur le site de Trantor Realty (2bd), il est désigné comme « associé directeur ». M. Bouhadana a auparavant travaillé pour la société immobilière SIDEV pendant plus de 18 ans, notamment comme vice-président aux finances.

Albert Levy

Cofondateur avec son frère Jimmy de la chaîne de magasins Clair de Lune, qui vendait surtout des bougies à ses débuts en 1996. La gamme s'est depuis élargie pour inclure des articles de décoration. Le détaillant compte 60 points de vente selon son site web, un peu partout au Canada, ainsi qu'à Hawaii.

- Avec la collaboration d'André Dubuc, La Presse

«Les nouveaux propriétaires du centre commercial Carré Décarie souhaitent le démolir pour construire entre autres des tours abritant 700 logements.»

Projet

Carré Décarie [6900 Décarie]

Entre 350 et 400 millions de dollars

3 tours totalisant 650-700 logements

1 tour « médicale » + locaux pour bureaux

Centre commercial de 250 000 pieds carrés

Équinoxe Marc Chagall

95 millions de dollars

315 logements au total sur 14 étages

La phase 1 est terminée. La phase 2 est imminente.

Cavendish & Thimens

200 millions de dollars

4 immeubles au total (3 de 14 étages et 1 de 8 étages)

650 logements

 

 

  

Commemoration of the Romanian Holocaust: a tribute to the late Baruch Cohen

Baruch Cohen, who passed away recently at the age of 98, was a special human being

Born in 1919 in Bucharest, Romania, he survived the Holocaust  by spending many months in forced labor. In this excerpt from a video by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre he  describes what he calls the ‘Bucharest Kristallnacht’: three days of looting, destruction and killings carried out by the Iron Guard in Bucharest in 1941. 

Here is his testimony.

On Sunday, November 25 , Councillor Dida Berku and David Anidjar, with Co-Chair, Adina Weiner, and former Chair Jaclyn Leebosh, organized a special tribute to Baruch at Beth Zion Congregation. Mark Bergman spoke about his grandfather Baruch. This was all part of the 22^nd annual Romanian Holocaust Commemoration which Baruch organized. “It was Baruch Cohen's dream to have young people continue this ceremony and in his honour it is happening again this year,” said Councillor Berku, 

Dana Ionescu, a historian researcher  who is working on gathering the stories of local survivors and promoting a museum in Romania, spoke as well. She is a  doctoral student in the Sociology Department at the Université du Québec a Montreal and a Research Fellow at the Centrul de Istoria Evreiolor si Ebraistica (Jewish History Centre) in Iasi, Romania.

Baruch spent the last 29 years of his life as a devoted volunteer for the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research (CIJR).

Anidjar said he was recruited about 10 years ago  by Baruch to recite a poem at this commemoration  when he was a student at Herzliah High School. “Baruch's vision   was to get young people involved in the act of Holocaust Remembrance, and he always had a lot of affection for the students he recruited,” Anidjar said. “About six years ago I got involved in organizing the ceremony, and have been chairing it for five years now. This event is not officially run by any organization, so every year it depends on the initiative of young people in the community to stay alive. Thankfully we have a team of dedicated individuals who organize this together. Every year, we reconvene for a couple of months to put this together. This year we will even have a choir of Grade 6 students from United Talmud Torah.”

Anidjar is now a McGill graduate who works as a freelance writer. “While writing has always been an important part of my life, my greatest passion is for serving the community and bringing people together,” he said.

 

David Anidjar, Baruch Cohen and a volunteer,

Baruch Cohen was the husband and best friend of Sonia Lift for seventy-six years.  His late daughter Monica  was married to former D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Lawrence Bergman.

Here is more about Baruch's remarkable life.

 

The official documentation for the planned felling of trees behind the library

At our recent public information session in the Council Chamber of Côte Saint-Luc City Hall we provided background into plans for the necessary felling of trees in Ashkelon Gardens.  Hundreds of trees in this forest  are infested with the Ash Borer and the Dutch Elm disease. These trees are dangerous for people who were walking in the area (from the possibility of falling branches or trees) and may even constitute a fire hazard.  

  Download PowerPoint on Felling of Trees

District 2 winners from annual Maisons Fleuries contest

Sidney Benizri and I emcee the ceremony.

I was very pleased once again to co-host the annual Maisons Fleuries Contest Awards Ceremony, along with Councillor Sidney Benizr as we recognized excellence in floral arrangements This year we switched up the format. A dessert reception was held at City Hall before the  ceremony, which took place in the council chamber prior to our monthly public meeting rather than the standalone event we have organized in previous years.

Awards were presented in five categories: single family and semi-detached dwellings; duplexes; townhouses ; highrise  (apartment and condominiums); and institutions (church, hospital and synagogue).

In another change to our format we announced all winners by district.

 

Mayor Brownstein and I congratulate some of the District 2 winners.

 

For District 2 here were the results.

Single Family

1^st place 5720 Park Place – Dong Chun and Bing Zhao

 

Townhouse

1^st place 6562 Kildare –   Harry  and Gloria Freedman.

2^nd place 6532 Mackle – Terry Wolkove and Gerry Trager

3^rd place 6602 Mackle – Sandra Raphael and Robert Lubarsky

3^rd place 6604 Mackle – Carole Tauer

 

Highrise

1^st place 5840 Marc Chagall – Le Bellagio

2^nd place 5700 Rembrandt – L’Hermitage Condominiums

3^rd place 6500 Mackle – Le Rothchild #1

Thanks to Maisons Fleuries  coordinator Laura Trihas, Parks and Recreation Director Cornelia Ziga, the judges and of course our wonderful photographer Rami Negev.

First TBDJ Mini-Med talk on cardiology a huge success

 

The hall was jammed.

Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation in Côte Saint-Luc has a wealth of medical expertise among its membership so it only made sense when President Jonathan Gal and his predecessor Judah Aspler agreed to follow up on my suggestion and start a new Mini-Med series. Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich  fully supported the concept, was in attendance and asked a question.

Drs. Moss and Rudski.

On November 10 experts in the field of cardiology were paired with medical students for this free lecture.Dr. Lawrence Rudski, Chief of cardiology at the Jewish General Hospital and Director of the Azrieli Heart Center,  chaired and moderated the evening.  Recognizing that the nearby Adath Congregation in Hampstead was presenting a comedy night, Dr. Rudski delivered a few funny jokes of his own.

About 100 chairs were setup for the event. But a half hour before the start every seat was filled, forcing the synagogue's jack of all trades Yakov Lev to more than double the capacity. By the time things got going it was standing room only - a message that these kind of talks are very much in demand.

A big credit to Dr. Rudski for his brilliant idea of pairing medical students - the next generation- with senior physicians.

The lineup looked as follows: 

 

Jack Rudski

• McGill Med 1 student Jack Rudski (Who needs a blood thinner for atrial fibrillation, and which?) and  Dr Stanley Nattel, clinical cardiologist and Director of the Electrophysiology Research Axis at the Research Centre of the Montreal Heart Institute (Advances in atrial fibrillation treatment)

Alexandra Cohen

• McGill Med 2 student Alexandra Cohen (How do women present with heart disease and why?) and Dr. Shoshana Leah Gal Portnoy, a cardiologist at the Hôpital Notre-Dame (Cardiac Rehab: Get Moving!)

Eliana Sacher

• McGill Med 3 student Eliana Sacher (Who should take an Aspirin or a cholesterol pill?) and Dr. Mark Eisenberg, an interventional cardiologist at the JGH and Director of McGill’s MD-PhD program; Professor of Medicine (New interventions in the cath lab)  

Uri Bender

• McGill Med 4 student Uri Bender (Why do some people get angioplasty and others need bypass surgery?) and Dr. Emmanuel Moss, Gross Tietolbaum Distinguished Scientist in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery at the JGH (Robotic bypass and valve surgery).

Dr. Moss was on CJAD with Andrew Carter the day before and  gave a small preview of his fascinating presentation. You can hear it by clicking here.

Dr. Mark Eisenberg

There were questions and answers at the end of each segment and then at the conclusion. When it was all over, many of those on hand got to talk to some of the speakers one on one. I heard so many good things about this lecture and Gal promises there will be more. The next one will likely be some time in the spring. With expertise in fields such as gastroenterology, urology, neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics and a whole lot more  there are no shortage of topics.

 

 

Former Manoire Montefiore seniors facility to become a residential apartment building

Three and  a half years after the Manoir Montefiore closed as a seniors residence,  the highrise at the corner of Cavendish and Mackle will be transformed into a residential apartment building.

Jadco, the company behind the Équinoxe project on Marc Chagall, purchased the property from  Réseau Selection. They will be granted a permit to proceed with renovations since there are no zoning changes requested nor is the façade being altered.

Manoire Montefiore present-day.

The timing, of course, is not ideal. Excavation work will begin soon followed by as much as an 18-month construction period for the second Equinoxe building.

There are presently 130 units in the Montefiore building. Jadco has proposed 94 units for their rejigged project – 43 one bedroom and  and  51  two bedrooms. The area of these units are conforming to the city by-law.  There will be about 90 interior parking spaces, including 14 new ones to be constructed in what is now a dining area. In addition, an outdoor lot will accommodate 23  more vehicles.

I will provide more news as it becomes available.

Beautiful new green space appreciated by Beth Chabad and others

A look at the pathway and green space.

For those who may have missed it, last summer the Public Works Department of Côte Saint-Luc  put together a beautiful piece of green space between  Beth Chabad and JPPS-Bialik at the corner of Kildare Road and Marc Chagall in District 2.

Sidney Benizri, Ray Petrovic, Mitchell Brownstein, myself, Beatrice Newman, Dalia Bosis, Ruth Kovac and Mitchell Kujavsky cut the cake modelled around the new green space.

Beth Chabad had used the space, which is city-owned land, for wedding ceremonies for years but it was hardly attractive. That is when Public Works Director Beatrice Newman and her team stepped in. Working with Rabbi Mendel Raskin and  caterer Ray Petrovic of Blossom by the Plaza, the area was beautified with a lovely pathway running through it.

As a thank you, Petrovic invited Director Newman, her senior management team and the hard working blue collar employees for a classy barbeque lunch. Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, myself and Councillors Sidney Benizri, Mitchell Kujavsky and Ruth Kovac were pleased to attend.

Thanks to Ray Petrovic, Dalia Bosis, Eva Ohayon and others who made this all possible.

Discussions have already begun about  choosing a name for this space.

 

Solidarity with Pittsburgh: Why I went to synagogue on Saturday

For more than a decade I have been a member of Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem on Baily Road in Côte Saint-Luc. However, my presence is generally relegated to the high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and special events.

When last week’s senseless act of terror occurred at a Pittsburgh synagogue, the gutless and disgraceful shooter probably thought that he would scare everyone away from attending services. His shameless actions had the complete opposite effect. In fact, he did more to unite Jews around the world than he could possibly have imagined.

The murders may have occurred in Pittsburgh, but every member of our community felt as if it happened in our very own backyard. How else can we explain the overwhelming turnout at a vigil at Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in Côte Saint-Luc organized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and the presence of such high ranking political leaders. Everyone recognized that such a tragedy could happen anywhere.

Rabbi Freundlich

So on Saturday morning I did something different. I got up early and accepted the challenge being thrown out by rabbis across the globe to take part in a worldwide  Shabbat in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who were brutally murdered in Pittsburgh, as well as the victims who were injured. I went to synagogue. Councillor Dida Berku was there as well. Other councillors went to their synagogues.

Now TBDJ generally has a good attendance each Saturday. But regulars told me numbers there were indeed up. I must say I felt good being there. There were two security guards at the door. D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum addressed the congregation. And then came Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich, just over two years on the job here and a man every person in that room lauds for his leadership. He spoke about the tragedy in his address, shared personal connections he has in Pittsburgh and then introduced our Police Station 9 Commander  who was visiting local synagogues with his show of support. While applause is rare at Saturday services, the mere presence of a police officer in uniform resulted in such a warm feeling that everyone started to clap.

During services a memorial prayer for the deceased, as well as a prayer for the recovery of the injured,  took place. Following services, everyone was invited to a community Kiddush sponsored by generous donors. Any funds raised over the cost of the Kiddush will be donated to a fund to aid the victims and their families.

“Unfortunately, as a consequence to the horrors of Pittsburgh, I spent much of the week dealing with the issue of security,” said synagogue president Jonathan Gal. “Many are concerned about our security at TBDJ this week and moving forward. I personally met with both the police and public security and they have assured me that despite the tragedy in Pittsburgh, there is no increased threat in Canada.”

Patrols past all synagogues were increased this past Shabbat. As well, Federation CJA has a security expert who consulted directly with the synagogues and he joined the Police Commander on his visits.

“We have been assured by the police that there is no increased threat and that all of the security measures that we are currently taking - and will improve upon – are sufficient,” said Gal. “However, the police maintain that the best possible security is us. They, along with Cote Saint-Luc Public Security and Federation CJA Security, ask all of us to be vigilant. If you see something strange or that looks suspicious, report it immediately.”

Jordy Reichson, seen here with Councillor Oren Sebag and Mayor Brownstein.

Allow me to give some thanks our Director of Public Safety Jordy Reichson, who took the lead on this matter with Public Affairs Chief Darryl Levine.

Jordy reports that at the vigil last week there were a total of 31 police officers from SPVM - plus two others on horseback assigned to the event, plus MSP protective service, three  public security agents, two Emergency Medical Services crews, RCMP protective service, 14 private security agents and Federation CJA Community Security. “The crowd was estimated at 1,200, including people standing in the aisles, sitting and standing the lobby and standing outside,” noted Jordy. “All large vehicles and trucks were stopped and checked by SPVM and escorted by police along Mackle, to prevent a truck trying to ram into the crowds. We had excellent communication and collaboration between all of the police and security services.”

The man who allegedly gunned down 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue used three handguns and an AR-15 assault rifle in the 20-minute rampage and screamed to SWAT officers who wounded him in a shootout that he wanted "all Jews to die." If he is convicted, the death penalty will be pursued.

See this report from City News. from the solidarity Shabbat at Shaare Zedek Congregation in NDG where Mayor Mitchell Brownstein was among those in attendance and spoke.

Necessary Hydro work begins on Marc Chagall Avenue

Work is about to begin by Hydro-Québec on Marc Chagall Avenue, closer to Mackle Road, connected to phase two of the Equinoxe high rise building project. As a result, for the next several weeks only one lane of traffic will be available  in front of the new facility.

 

This electrical work being performed by Hydro  and their sub contractor was originally supposed to start three weeks ago,  but there were unforeseen delays on their part.  This work is essential for the new project and must take place before our Urban Development Department issues a building permit for the next phase.

 

Hydro obtained all the necessary required permits and Urban Development signed off on the signage plan and traffic lane reduction, all essential to do the required work. We were told the work could last approximately three weeks, however their intention is to complete it as fast as possible weather permitting.

 

We all recognize this is yet another unavoidable inconvenience for residents. It is our intent to do everything possible to minimize the problems.

New Deputy Premier among those on hand at vigil in CSL for Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims

Last Saturday’s senseless murder of 11 innocent victims at a Pittsburgh synagogue has resonated with people all over the world. Soon after this horrible news hit, we learned that a community-wide vigil  coordinated by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) would be held at Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in Cote Saint-Luc on Monday, October 29.

City Council delayed the start of our meeting so we could attend this event. What we experienced was something beyond anything I could have imagined. When we arrived, cars were already parked blocks away. There was an endless array of police vehicles, not to mention police officers on horseback. Security to get inside was knee deep.

Genevieve Guilbault

There was standing room only and a highly impressive list of senior political leaders: from the new provincial CAQ government, Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Security Genevieve Guilbault; Minister Responsible for Montreal Chantal Rouleau; and Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and Responsible for the Anglo Secretariat file Christopher Skeet; Provincial Liberal Interim leader Pierre Arcand, local D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA  and a large number of his MNAs; PQ Interim leader Pascal Berubé; Federal Liberal Minister for the Francophonie and Tourism Melanie Joly; former Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre; and City of Montreal Executive Committee Vice-Chair Magda Popeanu and a number of city councillors; several municipal mayors and members of their council. There were also many representatives from cultural communities present.

Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko, the spiritual leader of Beth Israel Beth Aaron, co-chair of CIJA Quebec and a constituent of mine in District 2, spoke with deep emotion as he opened up the evening. Not only is he from Pittsburgh, but his  late father served as a rabbi there for more than 60 years. The Poupkos lived only blocks away from Squirrel Hill and the Tree of Life Congregation, where the carnage took place.

Melanie Joly

 

Joly, reading a message from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, stated that an attack on one is an attack on all.

When Gail Adelson, first vice-president of Federation CJA, began to recite the names of the victims and candles were lit, many people started to weep. These people were gunned down by a lunatic terrorist only because they are Jewish. Could this really have happened in 2018 North America? How did a 97 year old victim survive the Holocaust, only to lose her life in a place that everyone should feel so safe.

Only a few weeks in office, it was impressive to see the CAQ government send three senior MNAs to show solidarity with the community. Guilbault, representing a government that wants to strip the rights of  public employees in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols, drew warm applause for stating how there is no place in society for such acts of hatred. “I am proud to see Quebecers united,” she said.

Israel Consul General David Levy brought a message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When he thanked American President Donald Trump for his condemnation of the murders, some in the audience booed. Only yesterday Trump seemed to be blaming the synagogue for not having an armed guard on duty.

Rabbi Poupko speaks.

 

Rabbi Poupko, his voice cracking, noted that a synagogue is a place of peace, prayer and faith. He said it best, emphasizing how we all know the people of Squirrel Hill. “All of us can relate to what happened," he said  "We go to synagogues that look just like [Tree of Life] synagogue. Our ties and bonds of history and of solidarity and our values are very strong."

The underlying message by Rabbi Poupko was to thank everyone for stepping inside a synagogue and not being afraid to do so. "The best way is to continue to do what we do with greater intensity," he said, "which is to lead lives of tolerance, to lead lives where we understand that ultimately the power of good is more powerful than evil, where we continue to strengthen the bonds between individuals and communities and hope the light will block out the darkness."

A look at the crowd.

 

Rabbi Lisa Grushcow from Temple Emanu-El Beth Sholom, said she called a friend in Pittsburgh who is also a rabbi. He was performing a baby naming at another congregation when the shooting took place. His synagogue went into lock down. The couple named the baby Israela.

This coming Saturday synagogues across North America will urge all Jews to come to services – a week after the tragedy occurred in Pittsburgh. It will send a true message to all of the anti-Semites out there. I spoke to Cantor Danny Benlolo at Shaare Zedek Congregation in NDG and Yechezkel Freundlich from my own Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem.

Côte Saint-Luc Men's Club throws another superb gala

The Côte Saint-Luc Men’s Club sure knows how to throw a party.

Seated: Peter Kovac, Dida Berku, Randy Berman Erdelyi, Steven Erdelyi, Jordana Kujavsky. Standing: Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, Ruth Kovac, Anthony Housefather, Mitch Kujavsky and myself.

Along with Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, other members of council,  Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather and D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum, I was so pleased to be at the Gelber Centre for the 2018 Men’s Club Gala.

Marvin Hayman is introduced by David Gandell, with Kenny Bessner in the background.

More than 400 people enjoyed sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, music and dancing, a full course meal, speeches, awards and door prizes. It was a classy affair from beginning to end, co-chaired by District 2 resident Joe Presser and Kenny Bessner.  District 2 resident David Haltrecht, who is one talented individual, was recognized as the Man of The Year.  Volunteer Awards were handed out to Peter Sternberg, Peter Atkin and District 2’s Marvin Hayman.

David Haltrecht, myself and Beryl Peletz.

Haltrecht, the Men’s Club First Vice-President, earned a Bachelor of Engineering and an MBA. An active member of the club, he works on several committees. Professionally he designed, developed and implemented computer based systems in retail, manufacturing and restaurant environments. Using this experience, he has implemented an operation system with a web site for the Men’s Club.  For many years he was an avid sailor and also worked with model trains. Today, he has the Men’s club members working with drones.

With his children and grandchildren in the audience, David thanked his wife of 55 years Phyllis for supporting his many interests.

With the one and only Dr. Paul Weinstein.

Presser and Bessner recognized committee members Haltecht, Hayman, Sternberg,Charles Eklove, David Gandell, Beryl Peletz, Syd Kronish and president Mannie Young who was away in India.

MP Houseather made a powerful speech about  the tragedy that occurred at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, followed up by similar remarks from Birnbaum and Mayor Brownstein.

More than 30 members of the club were saluted for  being 90 years old or more – 11 were present to accept their plaques, including the ageless Mr. Peletz.

Music was provided by The Absolutes. There was also a photo booth coordinated by Mark Bessner Event Coordinators.

With more than 600 members, the Men’s Club continues to go strong. You need only be 55 join. I qualified last year.

With Joe Presser, wearing his sharp new glasses.

With my neighbours, Allen and Shirley Rosen.

 

With former Councillor Sam Goldbloom and Parks and Recreation Department legend Harold Cammy,