Just recently, a skunk was spotted  caught and suffering in an illegal trap on Castlewood Avenue in Côte Saint-Luc.

It seems the animal had walked quite the distance, attached to this trap. Someone came by,  released it and saved the animal’s life.

Now we may not be particularly fond of skunks, notably for the noxious smell of their spray. But they are living, breathing creatures.   An outdoor cat or a dog off leash could have easily been injured or killed from such a trap.

We never did find the perpetrator, but as the city councillor responsible for Animal Protection I am working with our Public Safety Department on the issue. Director Philip Chateauvert and Division Chief Jean-Marc Dubois have been very helpful.

If our agents happen to cross one of these illegal traps, they can apply By-Law 2470 (Nuisance), Article 8.2: Trapping, capturing, disturbing, injuring or killing wild animals, unless certified to do so by the Ministère des forêts, de la faune et des parcs du Québec. It carries a $100 fine for physical person and  $200 for a moral entity.

Had someone known the identity of the person who put out the trap, we could not only fine them, but have the  Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec assign an agent to investigate. The fines they issue are far higher.

I ask all citizens to be on the lookout for these traps and advise Public Safety at 514-485-6960.

In the company of Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, members of city council and staff, I  will be proud to preside overt the formal launch of the refurbished Rembrandt Park basketball courts on Sunday, October 10 at 10 am. Please join us for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Families are invited to come try out the two surfaces – a competitive court and a half court for younger children- and explore Rembrandt Park. This is a beautiful and popular facility, which , also features two tennis courts, a soccer field, a playground, a permanent ping pong table,  a water spray area, a chalet for art classes, an area for Israeli dancing in the summer, various hills and numerous picnic tables and benches.

Some youngsters enjoy the new main court.

Visitors are encouraged to come try out the courts for themselves and witness the mayor, members of city council and staff try and dunk some baskets themselves.

This is what the main court looked like before the facelift.

The existing court was in poor condition and in dire need of repairs. Among the selected new equipment are the basketball poles, backboards, front mounted rims basketball nets and players benches. Crews removed the existing cracked asphalt and installed six inches of MG-20 crushed stone to maintain a slop of one percent for better drainage. There was new asphalt installed, as well as two coats of colourful epoxy paint acrylic surface, a new 30-foot light projector with two LED fixtures and new grass (SOD) around the perimeter of the basketball court. Both the refurbished courts and the half court have been hugely popular since work was completed in August.

In the event of heavy rain, the formal launch will take place on Sunday, October 17 at 10 am.

When  I started my re-election campaign last summer, a number of people who regularly use the pathway from the end of Rembrandt Avenue to Cavendish Boulevard asked if it could be repaved.

I met with Gordon Aizer and Chris Wild from the Villas Merrimac Condominium Association in August and we took a proper walk through. There were a number of potholes. Rembrandt Avenue resident Meyer Freed also called, concerned about the water buildup in those sections when it rained.

Chris Wild and I check out the repaved pathway.

I consulted with our Public Works Department. Given the fact this is late in the season,  they promised to look at some patch up work. I stressed the importance of making this as walkable as possible and they found a way to repave virtually the entire strip. Thanks to Operations Head John Monteiro and his entire team!

Here is an update on the greenspace on Marc Chagall.

Following two months of legal discussions between the city  and Jadco, the developers of the Equinoxe high rise towers, the vacant lot on Marc Chagall Avenue across from the Marquise and next to Les Cours Marc Chagall townhouses will finally be restored to its original condition.

History will note that the greenspace was originally leased to Jadco for three years in order to ensure that their workforce in the hundreds did not take up parking spots on street. Last November the company hired by Jadco to restore the land to greenspace got to work. When spring arrived it was clear the work was unsuccessful. Two more attempts were made, after which our legal counsel got involved. For one thing, they did not water the grass enough and they left too much debris and rocks. Grass did not grow satisfactorily.

One of the new permanent picnic tables on the Marc Chagall greenspace.

We had retained a damage deposit from Jadco of $30,000. Our staff at City Hall, Public Works and Urban Planning got to work and it was agreed that we would take charge of the project. At the September 13 Council meeting we   requested quotes and negotiated with three suppliers who
provide this type of service. The contract was awarded to Construction Morival Ltd.   for a total amount of $34,320.00 plus applicable taxes.

Work will begin soon. This type of work is most successful at this time of the year and should any problems arise we will be able to take charge immediately rather than chasing Jadco’s subcontractors.

I would also like to thank Public Works for installing two brand new picnic tables at the edge of the greenspace. They are outfitted with chairs that have backs to them, something that many seniors had requested. Public Works is maintaining the land nicely. It does look a lot more presentable, but I am excited to see it back to a condition where kids can run around and kick a soccer ball.

Please click on the links below to follow my re-election campaign

I have been re-elected by acclamation/Je suis ravi de vous annoncer que j’ai été élu par acclamation 

Seeking my fifth mandate on city council/Je solliciterai un cinquième mandat en tant que conseiller municipal

We need a crossing guard so I gave it a try/ Nous avons besoin d'un garde-barrière. See video.

Those aged 70 plus can vote by mail/le vote par correspondance pour l’élection municipale de 2021

Scenes from the campaign trail

Listen to my special podcast series

The Monarch Butterfly is a pollinator and vital contributor to our ecosystem’s health and survival. However, the  population has plummeted in recent years by more than 80 percent and  they depend  upon milkweed in order to lay their eggs and feed the larvae.

With their breeding habitat on the decline, the David Suzuki Foundation is spearheading an initiative to help restore the Monarch Butterfly’s habitat by educating the public to its importance and by encouraging the planting of milkweed. They are doing this by encouraging mayors of North American cities to adopt the Mayor’s pledge and to become a “Butterfly-Friendly City.”.  To date over 340 mayors across North America have done so.

Myra Shuster

Last September, the City of Côte Saint-Luc became the 75th city in Quebec to be certified as a Butterfly-Friendly City. The request to be part of the David Suzuki Foundation initiative to save the Monarch Butterfly and its habitat came from District  2 resident Myra Shuster,  who had brought the matter   to my attention. I submited the application,  committing to the city to follow through with at least 15 action items out of 24 possiblities earning us a silver designation.

A huge thanks to Director of Library Services Janine West, who called me the moment she heard about this initiative. She and Myra had previously worked together, so it was a perfect match. Janine and Myra have already formed a committee and set up shop in Ashkelon Gardens behind the library. Janine has also added a pedagogical component to the program, with events like Monarch Butterfly Storytime for kids three and up.

Bravo to Janine, Myra and their team for all the hard work. As a city councillor it is so nice to have constituents like Myra who want to go that extra mile!

During the last election campaign, as the city councillor responsible for Animal Protection, I promised to create a dedicated Dog Owners Commmittee. Prior to that I had already established an advisory committee on our Dog Runs headed by Abe Haim.

The election was in November 2017 and at the beginning of the following January I held the first Dog Owners Committee. Jonathan Goldman and Anna Katz stepped forward as co-chairs and many others came on board as well. Community activist and Côte St. Luc Families Facebook page moderator Tamar Hertz even volunteered to serve as our non-dog owner advisor, which proved to be very helpful.

One of the first things we did was talk about having dogs on leashes allowed in parks. A bylaw was adopted and this has worked out well. Dog owners have been very responsible.

Even the dogs were invited to this meeting.

 

While the committee was meeting regularly at City Hall and the Aquatic and Community Centre before the pandemic, we shifted a lot to Zoom the past 18 months. On August 18 we convened at the Mackle Road Dog Run. It was nice to chat as the dogs ran about. Councillor David Tordjman was also on hand.   This is a great space, with a specific fenced off section for smaller dogs. Many people come there each day. They have become friends; the same thing for most of the dogs. Regrettably, there have been some individuals who have shown up with vicious dogs. If these canines get aggressive, we ask them politely to leave. There have been some incidents where smaller dogs were attacked. Although rare, this does occur. The best recourse is to call Public Security or go to the Police Station on Westminster and file a report.

We also have a Dog Run on Côte St. Luc Road next to Richard Schwartz Park.

Maurice Tietolman and his dog Henry are among the newest residents to my District 2.

Dog owners are very passionate and I heard a lot of very good ideas. Jonathan’s wife Sivan Rehan agreed to chair our District Information Network. Sivan will assemble reps from our eight electoral districts to serve as eyes and ears regarding canine activity as well as ambassadors to advise dog owners they meet about our Facebook page, the dog runs etc.

We hope to arrange our next meeting with Public Security to discuss some issues. Thanks to all of our dog owners for picking up after our pets and keeping our community clean!

Je tiens d’abord à remercier le personnel de première ligne de notre ville pour le travail extraordinaire qu’il a accompli pendant la pandémie. Nous traversons une période difficile et nous devons travailler ensemble, en tant que communauté, pour relever les défis qui nous attendent.

Au cours du printemps, de l’été et de l’automne derniers, je me suis promené dans les rues et les parcs du district 2, engageant un dialogue à distance avec les électeurs. Il y a eu aussi des appels Zoom régulièrement, en plus des échanges habi-tuels par téléphone et par courrier électronique.

Je suis très fier des travaux d’amélioration qui ont été effectués au parc Isadore Goldberg, main-tenant accessible de l’avenue Marc Chagall par un sentier pavé. J’en profite pour souligner que le carré d’espace vert en face de La Marquise n’est plus utilisé comme stationnement pour les ouvriers du bâtiment; et nous avons commencé à embellir l’espace. L’éclairage et la clôture du parc Isadore Goldberg seront installés d’ici l’automne. En ce qui concerne les préoccupations relatives à la sécurité routière, la vitesse maximale sur l’avenue Marc Chagall a été réduite à 30 km/h. Un autre développement excitant est le projet de rajeunissement des terrains de basket du parc Rembrandt, promis depuis longtemps, qui sera réalisé cet été. J’ai d’ailleurs créé un comité consultatif des utilisateurs des terrains de basket, car nous envisageons d’autres améliorations.

Sur L’Avenue, nous avons travaillé avec les pro-priétaires des immeubles d’appartements et l’on peut maintenant admirer le magnifique espace vert qu’ils ont créé. Le sentier piétonnier vers Place Park a également été remis en bon état.

Cela fait presque trois ans que nous avons installé un nouveau panneau d’arrêt à l’intersection du chemin Kildare et de l’avenue Rembrandt. C’est quelque chose que les électeurs me demandaient depuis ma première élection en 2005. Grâce aux contrôles réguliers de la police, la mesure a été un succès et a permis à des centaines d’automobilistes de l’avenue Rembrandt de tourner à gauche vers le boul. Cavendish. Je vous invite à suivre mon blogue à MikeCohen.ca pour les mises à jour périodiques sur les nouvelles du District 2.

Notre Bulletin Ici.

ENGLISH

Allow me please to begin this message by thanking the frontline staff from our city for the extraordinary job they have done during this pandemic. These remain trying times and we must work together as one community to meet the challenges before us.

During the spring, summer and fall months I have been walking through the streets and parks of District 2, engaging in dialogue from a distance with constituents. In addition, there have been regular Zoom calls and the usual exchange by telephone and e-mail.

I am very proud of the renovation work that was done at Isadore Goldberg Park, which can now be entered via a paved pathway on Marc Chagall Ave. Speaking of which, the square greenspace across from La Marquise is no longer needed as a parking lot for construction workers and we have begun the process of beautifying the area. Lighting and fencing for Isadore Goldberg Park will be installed by the fall.

In terms of concerns over traffic safety, the maximum speed on Marc Chagall Ave. has been reduced to 30 km/h. Another exciting new development is the planned long-promised facelift of the Rembrandt Park basketball courts this summer. I have, in fact, created a basketball court advisory committee of users as we look down the line to more improvements.

On The Avenue, we worked with the owners of the apartment building and everyone can see the beautiful greenspace they have created. In addition, the walkway towards Park Place was repaired. It has now been almost three years since we installed a new stop sign at the corner of Kildare Rd. and Rembrandt Ave. This is something constituents had been asking me for since I was first elected in 2005. Via regular police checks, the measure has been a success and provided hundreds of Rembrandt Ave. motorists with the ability to turn left towards Cavendish Blvd.

Please follow my blog at MikeCohen.ca for regular updates on District 2 News.

You can read our entire Inside Out Newslettter here:. 

I am thrilled and proud to announce that the brand new refurbished basketball courts at Rembrandt Park are now open for business.

I was at the park today when the crew did all the final touches. The surface for the main court was completely redone. It was a safety hazard in the past. The blue, red  and white painted surface has been well received. So have  the benches. All we needed was the poles and the basketball nets. The first youngsters to shoot some hoops were  Raphael Shahraobani, Daniel Ohayon and Nathan Ohana.

Raphael, Daniel and Nathan get set to give the new courts a whirl.

And now for something completely new. Over the past few months Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and I worked closely with local basketball experts - Alex Fyon and Kevin Fuks from JHoops, Matt Starr from JPPS-Bialik and one of my youth advisors, Shai Troy. Now 18, Shai has been playing on these courts for year. Alex and Kevin felt very strongly that a smaller half court was necessary for the younger children. We have delivered that too. Another one of my constituents, Yane Arama and his son, Nathaniel 6,  headed to the half court. Nathaniel sunk a basket on his third try. The hoop is lower and this half court will be reserved for kids 12 and under.

Nathaniel initiates the kids half court.

I want to give a huge thanks to Dalia Mohamed, the engineer on this project. She worked tirelessly for the past year and when the half court proposal came to her at the eleventh hour she made it happen. Also to Parks and Recreation Director Cornelia Ziga and veteran manager Ryan Nemeroff, who played  an equally crucial role. Anthony Sulpizio, the newest member of the P & R staff, has been involved in recent weeks. As well, hats off to our always accommodating  Public Works Department provided great assistance as  well.

We had to wait a little longer than expected due to certain equipment being on back order. But it is still early August and plenty of months ahead to enjoy the courts. New lighting for the courts is also on the way,

I am hoping to organize something more formal to launch the refurbished courts, a project years in the making.

We are hoping that this week the postsand baskets will be installed at Rembrandt Park for the main and new half court.

The revamped main court, minus the posts.

The renovation of the  court and the construction of the half court began on June 11 and the final project was expected to be completed in seven weeks (July 26). The asphalt was laid on June 21 and needed to cure for 28 days before painting the surface. We have kept construction fences up to protect the asphalt from any damage caused by children to prevent the epoxy paint from sticking.

The surface of the new half court.

The painting of the two courts was done last week and I think we can all agree it looks beautiful.  Due to manufacturing delays,   we have been on hold for the basketball posts. It has been frustrating but the final product will be worth the wait I hope. Last season the weather allowed basketball to be played right through mid-November.

New lighting will be installed as well.

Stay tuned!

Here is an update on the greenspace on Marc Chagall Avenue.

The owners of the Equinoxe apartment buildings have failed to live up to the terms of the lease they signed to use a large greenspace on Marc Chagall Avenue as a parking lot for construction workers for a period of three years.

Mayor Brownstein and staff join me on site.

The understanding was that the company would return that land in the precise form that they found it. Regrettably this has not occurred.

 Last fall  the company cleared the sand and gravel, but when spring came the grass was not growing. Our legal team had them come do the work a second time and  once again it did not take.  They made two more tries, including having an employee spend a few days literally picking up every rock he could find and placing them in buckets.

A larger look at the site.

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and I met with our senior city management on the site on July 13 and we agreed that  we must complete the job ourselves. While there is definitely an improvement, it is far from acceptable.

It is too warm to proceed now with removing the  entire existing top layer of space, adding a new layer of proper soil and then hydro seeding, adding new sod  and watering for two weeks.   We will hire our own contractor towards the very end of August or start of September when the weather is most condusive to planting. Our legal team has done an excellent job taking the bull by the horn.

In the interim public Works will cut the existing grass. They have created a small pathway closer to the street with benches. The Mayor and I  have asked  them to pave the pathway and replace the benches with new ones, as well as add picnic tables like the model we have behind the library with backs on the seats. As well, new trees will be planted on the grounds.

New flowers have been planted on the other small pathway facing the snow dump.

New flowers have been planted.

It is regrettable that the original contractors hired by the company did not complete this job properly last fall. We are now taking all legal means available to rectify the situation.

Bravo  to District  2 resident  Hamidreza Sharif (Hamid Reza), who has opened  a new pet food, pet accessories  and grooming store at 6274 Somerled  Avenue in  NDG. It is called  Toutou Village  and opened  today.

Hamid and Gracie strike a pose with me.

Hamid  came to Canada from  Iran two years ago  with  his wife Neda, daughter  Adrina  and their gorgeous  now three  year  old golden retriever Gracie.

I dropped  by the store today and Gracie, who only understands Persian, was  the  first  to  greet me. Hamid is inviting everyone to the ceremonial  grand  opening  on  Saturday, July 24. The  store is located right across the  street from Subways and  Orange  Fitness.  Available  is a variety of pet food for dogs and cats, as well  as  leashes, toys, cages  and more.

Gracie relaxes.

Hamid took courses  on  how to groom dogs  so you can  make  an appointment by calling   514-357-4509 or by email at  toutouvillage@gmail.com.  It  is  open Monday to Friday ( 8:30 am to 7  pm) and Saturday and Sunday  (9am to 3 pm). You can also  log on  to  https://toutouvillage.ca.

Hamid showcases part of the store.

Hamid  is a regular at our Côte Saint-Luc Dog Park, where he  and Gracie have made  many new friends.

I am pleased to announce officially that I will be seeking my fifth mandate as the Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor for District 2 in the November 7, 2021 Municipal Election. It has been my honour to serve the area in which I reside since 2005. My campaign team is already in place, with representation from every building, town house complex and street in the district. Thanks to everyone for their support over the years.  

I grew up in Côte Saint-Luc and have lived in District 2 for over 24 years,  first winning election to council with 92 percent of the vote. I have a long record of extensive involvement in setting up municipal programs as a volunteer, as a journalist and communications specialist, as well as a city councillor.

District 2 encompasses Merrimac, Rembrandt., Kildare  (between Marc Chagall and Honoré Balzac), Sir Walter Scott,  Ilan Ramon, Marc Chagall, Mackle  (between Cavendish and Brandeis),  Quartier Cavendish Mall, Cavendish (Le Montefiore, Manoir Camelia, L’Excelsior), The Avenue,  Jubilee, Park Place, Honoré-de-Balzac..

See my video announcement here

Je suis heureux d'annoncer officiellement que je solliciterai un cinquième mandat en tant que conseiller municipal de Côte Saint-Luc pour le district 2 lors de l'élection municipale du 7 novembre 2021. C'est un honneur pour moi de servir le quartier dans lequel je réside depuis 2005. Mon équipe de campagne est déjà en place, avec des représentants de chaque immeuble, complexe de maisons de ville et rue du district. Merci à tous pour leur soutien au fil des ans

J’ai grandi à Côte-Saint-Luc, habité dans le district 2 pendant plus de 24 ans et été élu au conseil municipal en 2005 avec 92 % des voix. J’ai participé activement à la mise en place de programmes municipaux en tant que bénévole, en tant que journaliste et spécialiste en relation publiques et en tant que conseiller municipal.

Le district 2 comprend Merrimac, Rembrandt, Kildare (entre Rembrandt et Marc Chagall), Sir Walter Scott, Ilan Ramon, Marc Chagall, Mackle (entre Cavendish et Brandeis), le Quartier Cavendish, Cavendish (Le Montefiore, Manoir Camelia, L’Excelsior), ch. du Jubilé, Place Park Place, L’avenue et Honoré-de-Balzac.

Voir mon annonce vidéo ici

 There is good news to report on the  greenspace on Marc Chagall Avenue, across from the Marquise.

For the last three years this land was used as a parking lot for workers at the Equinoxe towers in order to ensure there were enough spots on the street for residences.

Jadco,  developers of The Equinoxe, had signed a lease with the city and committed to restoring the land to the way they found it.

The preparation work done last summer was not successful, nor was the follow up in May. Grass did started to grow again in most sections, but there were too many rocks and debris left on the property.

Our legal team took over the dossier two weeks ago and I am pleased to share that Jadco has reacted positively,

Starting on Monday, July 5, the grass will be cut in two stages. The first step is to shorten the grass and simultaneously pick up all the rocks/stones while the second is to cut the grass evenly.

The grass is growing.

This procedure should be concluded by the end of next week.

I will keep you posted.

Once that is done, our Public Works Department will create a pathway, install some benches and picnic tables and new trees.

I wish to thank our Urban Development and Public Works Department, as well as City Manager Jonathan Shecter and Legal Counsel Andrea Charon.

When the  6700 Avenue residential apartment building was constructed as part of the redevelopment of the  Quartier Cavendish area, the original zoning allowed for commercial space to be rented on the ground floor.

The Mayor and City Council have dreamed from the start for The Avenue to become Côte Saint-Luc’s version of Monkland Avenue in NDG. Regrettably, on the Quartier Cavendish side, both Yeh Yogurt and a café were unable to make a go of it.

Ownership of 6700 Avenue changed hands in the last two years. The new company in charge did an extraordinary job beautifying the entire property and they made it clear to me that their preference is to convert the ground floor to strictly residential. I for one support them with this request, but with a major redevelopment of Quartier Cavendish on the horizon the Mayor and Council want to keep the dream of a Monkland Avenue alive.

In order to assist the new owners, Council has started the process to allow them to widen their search for commercial tenants. On Wednesday June 24 we launched  a 15 day write-in consultation period.  ¨Property owners living in the immediate area (The Avenue, Park Place and Jubilee and part of Cavendish) of the building can send in their comments to consultation@cotesaintluc.org.

Last week I held a virtual information meeting about the proposal. Our Urban Planning Coordinator Melanie Rothpan and Sylvain Gariepy, a consultant on the project, were available to explain the changes and respond to questions.

The following uses are prohibited: childcare services in a nursery, day-care facility or a kindergarten as well as   pet shops and  veterinary clinics. What would be allowed? Offices of professionals, medical clinics, fabric stores, coffee shops, convenience stores and pharmacies. The latter is not necessary when we already have one of the best pharmacies in the city thanks to David Banon and Sarah Ettedgui at Pharmaprix.  Harvey and Michael Wolfe, co-owners of Quartier Cavendish as well as André Doudak representing 6700 Avenue were part of the virtual meeting.

Harvey Wolfe expressed concern about the wider allowable use being proposed for the building. He noted that the Quartier Cavendish, despite the fact it was downsized, continues to carry a high vacancy rate and he is not pleased with 6700 Avenue being able to expand its use of the ground floor. Both he and Doudak concurred that the residential option is preferable.

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein joined the meeting. He told Wolfe that the Quartier Cavendish will indeed have the ear of Council when it proposes a large-scale mixed use redevelopment with residential and commercial space. That process is expected to begin within the next eight months and also involve Decarie Square and the Côte St. Luc Shopping Centre. Wolfe reminded everyone that Quartier Cavendish originally held the option to lease space at 6700 Avenue.

Wolfe  gave a fascinating history of how the original Cavendish Mall came to be in 1973 and the challenges it has faced the past five decades.

A final vote will take place on August 9.

If you missed my June 7, 2021 District 2 Virtual Town Hall Meeting, I have made a summary below and thanks to the work of Darry Levine from the city here is a video recording

I am proud to have created this initiative when I was first elected in the fall of 2005 as a way to maintain closer relations with constituents and talk mainly about issues related to the surrounding neighbourhood. Since then most other members of council have adopted this approach. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two such meetings have been held virtually.

Je suis fier d'avoir créé cette initiative lorsque j'ai été élu pour la première fois à l'automne 2005. C'était un moyen d'entretenir des relations plus étroites avec les électeurs et de parler principalement de questions liées au quartier environnant. Depuis, la plupart des autres membres du conseil ont adopté cette approche. En raison de la pandémie de COVID-19, les deux dernières réunions de ce type ont été tenues virtuellement.

Joining me at the meeting was Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, Director of Public Works Beatrice Newman, Arborist Christopher Pidgeon and Councillor David Tordjman, who as chair of our Traffic Committee has worked closely with me on changes to Marc Chagall Avenue.

WORDS FROM THE MAYOR

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein gave a COVID-19 update, noting how challenging the past 15 months have been. He is happy to see new picnic tables setup outside in certain sections of the city, including near the Quartier Cavendish. There was an overview of the new Bill 96 language legislation. The city will adopt a resolution to maintain its bilingual status. The mayor shared his concerns over the acts of antisemitism that occurred in recent weeks and he thanked the police for their good work. He also reminded everyone that those aged 70 or over will be able to vote by mail in the November municipal elections. Finally, on the transit front, discussions regarding the extension of Cavendish Blvd. do continue.

THE LOT ON MARC CHAGALL

By now we had hoped to have beautiful greenspace on the lot on Marc Chagall. The land was used the last three years by the owners of the Equinoxe in order to keep the workers from taking spots on the street. It was the Equinoxe’s responsibility to return the land back to its original use before we could beautify it.

The contactor did the hydro seeding last fall. It should have been ready for the spring, but it did not take. So hydro seeding was redone in May. The company that did the hydro seeding is aware this method is slow and they are still hoping for more growth. They are watering regularly and hope to see results soon. The warm and dry weather has definitely been working against them and it looks like it will continue. If growth is not sufficient soon, they will explore other alternatives. I am deeply disappointed with these turns of events. Our Public Works and Urban Development Departments did everything they could, in the hopes that the contractors hired by the Equinoxe would have completed this properly. I visited the area this week in the company of some neighbouring residents. The land was left in unacceptable shape, with an endless array of rocks, stones and debris. It is not what the Equinoxe promised us when we leased them the land. It has hardly been returned to us in the same way they found it. Young families in particular patiently waited to have this field available for their children to play on. Until the debris is cleared, it is safe to walk on, but not to run.

More benches like this will be installed.

By now our plan was to have new benches, picnic tables, trees, bushes, flower beds and some pathways in place. .

Beatrice Newman said that efforts will be made to start doing some work on the land soon and install some benches an trees, but in order to avoid more messy construction the major undertakings may have to wait until early fall so as not to inconvenience anyone. I received several calls from residents after the meeting. They cannot wait for more nice places to sit this summer.

Myrna Housefather suggested a particularly octagon shaped bench, which would be more comfortable for seniors. Ms. Newman will look into that

Next door, we have the still relatively new paved walkway to Isadore Goldberg Park. This was never accessible to anyone other than for the Kildare Road and Sir Walter Scott Avenue residents. We have planted new tree and flowerbeds, removed heavy bushes, installed new lighting and added new park equipment.

Ms. Newman acknowledged that there are parts of the overall area that have not been sufficiently landscaped. There is a number of reasons for that, but this will be corrected.

I added a word of thanks for the earlier than usual work that was undertaken to chop down the mountain of dirt at the snow dump.

Also related to Public Works, Stephen Greenberg said there are three strips on Marc Chagall in front of the Equinoxe where conduits were run under the street and the asphalt repairs were not done well: the fill is uneven with road surface level and every truck, CSL vehicle, dump truck that drives over, the entire truck vibrates and creates massive sound pollution. He says he has called CSL Public Works and Engineering. Ms. Newman explained that Public Works fixes potholes and cracks. This particular work was carried out by Hydro. She will look more closely into it.

Jeremy Biskin wanted to know where the historical plaques which once graced Rembrandt Park disappeared to a few years ago. I told them many had been vandalized.

THE ASHKELON WOODLANDS

The management of the Ashkelon woodlands, behind City Hall and near Cambridge Courts, has been underway since 2018, with the felling of hazardous trees, followed by understory vegetation treatment (primarily buckthorn) and revegetation of indigenous species. All hazardous trees have been dealt with, and the primary focus going forward is the understory management comprised of buckthorn treatment and plantations. Mr. Pidgeon spoke about the need in 2019 to cut down many dead and diseased trees. He said 20,000 stems of buckthorn were removed. Glenn J. Nashen, a resident of Cambridge Courts, asked if the city could do a better cleaning of the area. Another resident contacted me after the meeting and expressed concern that the trees are overgrown and some of the branches are reaching her roof and windows. She is concerned about the repercussions from these branches, most of which are dead and devoid of leaves. She reiterated that a cleanup is necessary.

Mr. Pidgeon responded below

Overgrown trees and branches. He will inspect this area and prescribe any prunings that are required. He note that only dead or dying branches will be taken care of and only roof clearings if they are directly conflicting with a building.
Old tree trunks and detritus

Re the stumps, those will remain because the machinery to grind down the stumps would not be able to enter this area (disturb the newly planted trees and the area is a wetland).The trunks/logs would be considered large woody debris, which is natural in a woodland. It may look odd and unappealing yet it serves a role.

Garbage cleanup. Once the contractors begin the work in the area, they will clean some of the garbage. It is unfortunate that this green space is littered with garbage, yet currently with the COVID constraints and priority list (summer time is very busy) the garbage cannot be dealt with right away.

REMBRANDT PARK

I take a lot of pride in the work we have done at Rembrandt Park over the years. This summer we will be redoing the main basketball court, which is old and dangerous. In addition, a special half court for young people will be added. Mayor Brownstein and I have met with many of the users of the court.

The water spray area at Rembrandt Park is very popular.

Work has been delayed somewhat due to an extreme demand for the concrete, which affects the small project. The contractor will resume the work this Monday for a week to be completed. The basketball court and the half court will be fenced for 28 days for the asphalt to be cured and installing the epoxy paint/line paint. The opening for the courts is scheduled to be at the end of July if everything goes well. It means without having any strike by construction workers or shortages of material.

The new soccer nets.

Some picnic tables have been moved to other parts of the park. We also added two large soccer nets. The water spray area is being well utilized. There has been a significant demographic shift in recent years, with so many young families moving to the immediate area. This includes the condos on Rembrandt. The park has become their virtual backyard. Last fall we also replaced some of the old benches. Ann Diner asked if we could move the bleachers, now near the new half court, to a quieter area. Ms. Newman will look into this.

 TRAFFIC ON MARC CHAGALL

I introduced Councillor Tordjman. Over the winter I worked regularly with the Traffic Committee, which he chairs, to try and come up with solutions to deal with actions of speeding on Marc Chagall. This committee is staffed by engineers. Councillor Tordjman is an engineer by profession. We also have representatives from Public Security and Police Station 9. For this summer we have introduced a new 30 km/h speed zone and at the curb, between the Marquise and the Bellagio, two bump out sidewalks. Councillor Tordjman explained that by reducing the width of the street and the length people have to walk, it will be a safer area. We also have a crosswalk and illuminated signage. Sid Rosen expressed his concern that the length between the two sidewalks are too narrow. Councillor Tordjman responded that the width is conforming. If vehicles go side by side they will slow down. Sid Margles asked if the city can restore some of the parking spots that have been eliminated by yellow paint added to the curbs. He also urged the city to watch for cars speeding coming southbound from Mackle.

I wanted to add that for quite some time residents have been asking us to come up with new measures to deal with speeding vehicles. We will likely add bollards to make the bump out sidewalks even more visible. I have personally been monitoring it during the early going and cars are indeed reducing their speed. We will definitely be evaluating this on a regular basis.

THE AVENUE

The apartment building on The Avenue has its ground floor zoned commercial. We will adopt a draft bylaw on June 14 to begin the process of clearly defining commercial use.

The process will go as follows:

1) Draft Bylaw June 14th Public meeting
2)15-day written Public consultation
3) Second Draft July 12th Public meeting
4) Final Adoption August 9th.

I will host a Côte Saint-Luc District 2 Virtual Town Hall meeting  on Monday, June 7 (7:30 p.m.).

To register for this Zoom meeting  just go to www.cotesaintluc.org/virtualdistrictmeeting.

I created this initiative when I was first elected in the fall of 2005 as a way to maintain closer relations with constituents and talk mainly about issues related to the surrounding neighbourhood. Since then  most other members of council have adopted this approach. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two such meetings have been held virtually.

Director of Public Works Beatrice Newman and Mayor Mitchell Brownstein will be special guests. Updates will be provided on the replanting of trees at the Ashkelon woodlands behind the library, the planned greenspace across from the Marquise condo on Marc Chagall, Isadore Goldberg Park, Rembrandt Park, The Avenue and traffic safety. Questions will be taken at the end.

District 2 encompasses Merrimac, Rembrandt., Kildare  (between Marc Chagall and Honoré Balzac), Sir Walter Scott,  Ilan Ramon, Marc Chagall, Mackle  (between Cavendish and Brandeis),  Quartier Cavendish Mall, Cavendish (Manoir Montefiore, Manoir Camelia, L’Excelsior, Town House), The Avenue,  Jubilee, Park Place and  Honoré-de-Balzac.

For more information, call (514) 485-6945 or email mcohen@cotesaintluc.org

Je serai l'hôte d'une assemblée publique virtuelle du district 2 de Côte Saint-Luc le lundi 7 juin (19 h 30).

Inscrivez-vous à CoteSaintLuc.org/fr/reuniondedistrictvirtuelle.

Les points à discuter seront les suivants

• Message du maire
• Espace boisé Ashkelon derrière l’hôtel de ville
• L’espace vert au parc Isadore Goldberg sur Marc Chagall
• Parc Rembrandt
• Questions de circulation
• L’avenue
• et autres nouveautés

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

I am deeply saddened to share the news that Harvey Levine, longtime CSL resident and the director of B'nai Brith Canada in Quebec, has lost his battle with cancer.

Harvey was the brother of former CSL City Councillor Allan J. Levine and an extraordinary individual whom I am proud to say I had a very close relationship with,  notably via his role with B'nai Brith.

Harvey and myself in a summer 2019 photo.

B'nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875 as the Jewish community's foremost independent human rights agency. "People Helping People" is their motto with community projects, affordable senior housing, and other charitable endeavors. Harvey was the Quebec Regional Director since 2014. Prior to that he was involved with the organization for decades. Under his leadership,he maintained the B’nai Brith office in Côte Saint-Luc. He played an important role in the construction and realization of Chateau B’nai Brith, a subsidized residence for seniors. Over the years he was an ardent defender of the community, speaking out against acts of antisemitism and intolerance. He built bridges with other intercultural communities.

On a daily basis Harvey responded to antisemitic incidents, media requests and outreach to various groups, participating actively in annual audit of antisemitic incidents, overseeing Quebec community and governmental affairs and special projects as well community volunteer service projects, fundraising and the coordination of volunteers.

Previously, Harvey was an award-winning volunteer and member of B’nai Brith for over 45 years. He was a past president of the Maple Leaf Lodge of B’nai Brith Canada and more recently an advisor and trustee. In addition he continuedd to chair the annual Chanukah candle lighting project at the Jewish General Hospital.

As a professional, Harvey was a senior executive in the pharmaceutical, medical publishing and communications industries, a past president and honorary life member for the Pharmaceutical Marketing Club of Quebec, a past president of The Canadian Association of Medical Publishers and a past vice-chair of the Marketing Section of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada.

Last winter Harvey was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the City of Côte Saint-Luc and he participated in the virtual ceremony.

Born and educated in Montreal, he was married to Doreen and the father of two daughters.

Harvey kept his illness very private, not looking for  sympathy and he kept on working. "I have to Mike," he told last fall. "I need to focus my mind on something positive."

D'Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum worked closely with Harvey over the years. ""I offer my deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Harvey Levine," he said. "Harvey was a stalwart in the fight against anti-Semitism and for equal access to justice and freedom for all. He was also a friend and colleague."

CSL Mayor Mitchell Browntein added this: "Harvey was a best friend to our city, speaking up against antisemitism and intolerance as well as ensuring affordable housing for our seniors in our city. He was respected by all as a kind caring person always ready to serve his community with passion."

Mount Royal Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather also worked a lot with Harvey. "As Quebec Regional Director of B’nai Brith Canada Harvey was a leader in the fight against antisemitism," he said. "We worked together on many files and he was a kind and erudite and determined man who cared deeply about his community. My deepest sympathies to Doreen and his whole family."

Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada, state: " Harvey was passionate in his love for the Jewish community and for Israel,” said . “For decades, during the Chanukah holiday, Harvey was always so proud to lead a group of volunteers, including the teenagers who represent the next generation, to the hospital – going room to room and bringing a little sunshine to those who were going through serious health challenges.

“That’s just who Harvey was. He was a mensch through and through, and he always had a love for B’nai Brith in his heart. He will be missed by us all, and we extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Doreen, his two daughters and his entire family.”

Eric Bissell, Honorary President for Life of B’nai Brith Canada, played a major role in hiring Harvey for the Quebec post in 2013. “He loved his work and dedicated himself to fighting antisemitism for B’nai Brith,” Bissell said. “He was a great spokesman. He was enthusiastic about Israel advocacy. . All the things that were important to B’nai Brith were important to him. He had great enthusiasm, great zeal and wonderful dedication. He could lighten up a room with his smile and his exuberance.”

Ted Greenfield, Past President of B’nai Brith Canada, said Harvey was “a very devoted, very caring kind of person. Very respectful. He enjoyed life, cared a great deal about the issues that affected the Jewish community and, in fact, the issues that affected everyone.”

Last summer Matthew Ross joined the local team as associate director and Harvey, recognizing his own fate,  worked closely to help show Matthew the ropes. Harvey's right arm was Janna  Minikovich. The two were almost inseparable at community events and made a fantastic team. I am sure Matthew and Janna will make Harvey proud.

Good-bye friend. You will be terribly missed!

D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum is an out of the box thinker and as someone with a communication background, he has a knack for shining the spotlight on his constituents.

David Birnbaum

Seven years ago he introduced the D’Arcy-McGee-National Assembly Citizenship Medals. The ceremonies each June have been moving and memorable.

I am very excited to be the first person to unveil this year’s three recipients: a much-loved and respected city councillor, a mental-health and wellness pioneer and a determined patients’-rights advocate and life-long teacher.

It is  still hard for me to believe that Ruth Kovac is no longer with us. She lost a hard-fought battle with cancer a year and a half ago. Ruth was a friend and colleague, someone I miss dearly! So kudos to the Birnbaum team and the selection committee for  deciding to honour her posthumously.

The late Ruth Kovac

Ruth was a Côte St-Luc City Councillor from 1990 until 2019 and her untimely passing. Exceptionally dedicated to her city, her community and a host of worthy causes, she was known and loved for her determination, compassion and hard work. During her years of public service, she initiated an annual blood-donor clinic, served as long-time president of the Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary, national secretary for Maccabi Canada and co-chair of the CSL Demerger Committee. She was a long-time activist and leader in the defence of English-speaking community concerns. A devoted daughter, mother, wife and grandmother, Ruth had an infectious smile and warmth that is deeply missed by all whom she touched. 

The other two recipients are Beverly Spanier and  Ella Amir.

Beverly has been a determined and tireless advocate for residents of the Maimonides Geriatric Centre, where she has resided since 2015. Her lifetime commitment to and aptitude for supporting her fellow citizens has been focused on the welfare and protection of her fellow residents during the deeply stressful circumstances that marked the pandemic at the centre. Whether the issue was access to caregivers, to

Beverly Spanier

second-vaccine doses or religious services, Beverly was tenacious and unyielding in her quest for answers that could comfort and reassure her fellow residents and their families. Those same qualities have guided Beverly throughout her life as a dedicated and caring teacher, volunteer and union activist. She is a past recipient of the Eshet Chayil Award from Congregation Shaar Hashomayim.  Beverly, or  “Miss Spanier” as we called her, was my economics teacher at Wagar High School dare I say more than 40 years ago.

Ella, a native of Israel, has been the executive director of AMI-Québec Action on Mental Illness since 1990. Under her guidance and leadership, AMI-Québec serves hundreds of families in French and English, through counselling programs for caregivers, school outreach programs and

Ellla Amir

education sessions for those struggling with mental illness. An often-published expert on mental-health issues, Ella is a Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient and a Member of the Order of Canada. Significantly, she coordinated AMI-Québec’s transition to virtual services, ensuring that her vast and vulnerable clientele remained fully connected during this difficult pandemic. She has served on numerous boards and advisory councils in helping to spread knowledge and availability of mental-health services.  

You can watch the virtual ceremony on  Tuesday, June 15^th at 6:30 p.m.  Here is the one-stop link to attend:   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88362095407?pwd=eUJvUjk0S3h1cXBiWGhJblRCenJqUT09)

The final selections were made by a jury comprised of last year’s winners: David Lisbona, Jean-Sébastien Patrice (on behalf of MultiCaf) and Sima Paris. This is the seventh annual edition of the awards program.

“There is such a rich tradition of volunteer and community leadership in this riding,” noted Birnbaum. “Our three winners for 2021 have distinguished themselves throughout their lives as proud examples of that tradition. “I am proud to have instituted this National Assembly medals program back in 2015. It allows us to recognize those in the D’Arcy-McGee riding who have given so much back in service of their fellow residents. I hope that, as every year, many members of the community will join us for the medals ceremony.”

CBC Daybreak host Sean Henry will serve as master of ceremonies for the event, and a musical interlude will be offered by Joanna Cutler and her Que Sera ensemble (www.joannecutler.me).

At last week's monthly public council meeting, we unanimously adopted a resolution which will permit electors aged 70 and over to vote by mail in the November 7, 2021 municipal election.

I worked diligently with Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and our Assistant City Clerk Jason Prevost to lobby the provincial government to allow this, in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must thank  our Liberal MNA David Birnbaum, who worked with his party's Municipal Affairs Critic Marie-Claude Nichols, to push this through. It was a compromise. We felt that everyone should have this right.  Regrettably, the Union of Quebec Municipalities failed us miserably. Initially,  the CAQ government was only going to permit vote by mail for seniors living in CHSLDs or private nursing homes and people with reduced mobility who can’t travel.

During hearings for the bill, the UMQ merely accepted that option and ignored communications from people like me to take a more aggressive stance. Shame on them! You can read their pitiful response below. Essentially it says they accepted that compromise and that there were too many obstacles to go any further. Well lucky we had David Birnbaum to turn to. In Montreal, Mayor Valerie Plante is resisting requests for vote by mail for 70 plus from the opposition.

Here is the UMQ  response to the initial CAQ plan: "This piece of legislation allows the most vulnerable people to exercise their right to vote by absentee ballot while remaining in their homes. This is very good news. In an ideal world, it would have been desirable for this measure to be extended to the entire population. However, there are a number of logistical and organizational constraints that we believe may affect the integrity of the vote, especially with the limited timeframe we have before us. We do not want municipalities to be used as a pilot project for large-scale absentee voting. For the Union, it was essential that the expansion of absentee voting be allowed to occur while ensuring the integrity of the vote. It is this balance that Bill 85 has managed to achieve." 

Clearly, according to the UMQ, a global pandemic is not the time to enact a vote by mail system.

During the electoral period beginning in September, electors will have to request to get a ballot they can mail in. The number of advance polling days will also be expanded.

You can watch our commentaries on the resolution at the 1:15 mark of this video from our council meeting.

Below are the complete resolutions

RESOLUTION TO ALLOW VOTING BY MAIL FOR ELECTORS 70 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER FOR THE 2021 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

WHEREAS the National Assembly of Quebec passed Bill 85 on March 25, 2021 entitled An Act to facilitate the conduct of the 7 November 2021 municipal general election in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic;

WHEREAS the Act to facilitate the conduct of the 7 November 2021 municipal general election in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic authorizes the Chief Electoral Officer to modify, by regulation, a provision of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (C.Q.L.R., chapter E-2.2.) (“Act”) including voting by mail for electors 70 years of age and older;

WHEREAS on April 30, 2021, the Regulation amending certain municipal provisions to facilitate the conduct of the municipal general election of November 7, 2021, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (“Regulation”) was published on the Gazette officielle du Québec;

WHEREAS the Regulation modifies the Act to include the possibility to allow, by request, voting by mail for electors 70 years of age and older where a resolution of a municipality is passed by virtue of par. 2 of section 659.4 of the Act;

WHEREAS the adoption of this resolution by the Côte Saint-Luc City Council will satisfy the requirement of the Act to allow voting by mail, by request, for Côte Saint-Luc electors 70 years of age and over;

WHEREAS it is in the interest of Côte Saint-Luc's democracy that electors have more alternatives to exercise their right to vote given the City’s high population density and high population of senior citizens;

WHEREAS allowing voting by mail is a safe way for electors to exercise their right to vote in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and will increase voter turnout;

It was

MOVED BY MAYOR MITCHELL BROWNSTEIN
SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR MIKE COHEN AND THE REMAINDER OF COUNCIL

AND RESOLVED:

"THAT the Côte Saint-Luc City Council adopts the present resolution to allow any elector 70 years of age or older to vote by mail by request as it is permitted by the Regulation and the Act."

RÉSOLUTION POUR PERMETTRE LE VOTE PAR CORRESPONDANCE AUX ÉLECTEURS DE 70 ANS ET PLUS AUX ÉLECTIONS MUNICIPALES 2021

ATTENDU QUE l’Assemblée nationale du Québec a adopté le projet de loi 85 le 25 mars 2021 intitulé la Loi visant à faciliter le déroulement de l’élection générale municipale du 7 novembre 2021 dans le contexte de la pandémie de la COVID-19;

ATTENDU QUE la Loi visant à faciliter le déroulement de l’élection générale municipale du 7 novembre 2021 dans le contexte de la pandémie de la COVID-19 autorise le Directeur Général des Élections à modifier par règlement une disposition de la Loi sur les élections et les référendums dans les municipalités (R.L.R.Q., chapitre E-2.2) (« Loi ») dont notamment afin de permettre le vote par correspondance pour les électeurs âgés de 70 ans;

ATTENDU QUE le 30 avril 2021, le Règlement modifiant certaines dispositions en matière municipale afin de faciliter le déroulement de l’élection générale municipale du 7 novembre dans le contexte de la pandémie de la COVID-19 (« Règlement ») a été publié à la Gazette officielle du Québec;

ATTENDU QUE le Règlement modifie la Loi afin d’inclure la possibilité pour les électeurs âgés de 70 ans et plus de voter, sur demande, par correspondance lorsqu’une résolution est prise par la municipalité en vertu de l’alinéa 2 de l’article 659-.4 de la Loi;

ATTENDU QUE l’adoption de la présente résolution par le conseil municipal de Côte Saint-Luc permettra de satisfaire l’exigence prévue dans la Loi permettant le vote par correspondance sur demande aux électeurs de Côte Saint-Luc âgés de 70 ans et plus;

ATTENDU QU’il est dans l’intérêt de la démocratie de la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc que les électeurs disposent de plus d’alternatives pour exercer leur droit de vote compte tenu de la forte densité de population de la Ville et du nombre élevé de personnes âgées dans la Ville dans le contexte de la pandémie de la COVID-19;

ATTENDU QUE le fait de permettre le vote par correspondance est un moyen sécuritaire pour les électeurs d'exercer leur droit de vote dans le contexte de la pandémie de COVID-19 et qu'il augmentera le taux de participation des électeurs;

   Il fut

                          PROPOSÉ PAR LE MAIRE MITCHELL BROWNSTEIN

                           APPUYÉ PAR LE CONSEILLER MIKE COHEN

               ET RÉSOLU :

« QUE le conseil municipal de Côte Saint-Luc adopte la présente résolution afin que la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc permette à tout électeur de 70 ans et plus de voter, sur demande, par correspondance, tel que lui permet la Loi et le Règlement. »

There is a lot of activity to take note of on Marc Chagall Avenue.

For starters, I advocated strongly for more safety measures to be taken by our Traffic Committee. We have lowered the speed limit to 30 km/h. New signs will be installed soon.  A seasonal speed bump will be installed  closer  to the snow dump. At the turnaround,  work began this week on a bump out sidewalk aimed at slowing motorists down near the  cross walk. This was closely studied by traffic engineers before implementation.

Work is underway with the sidewalks.

The broken sidewalk near the Equinoxe is finally being replaced. We also expect the Equinoxe owners to complete the landscaping in front of their buildings. And yes, still with the Equinoxe, it was their responsibility to return the lot across from the Marquise, which was used for parking the past three summers, to greenspace.  Equinoxe contractors  levelled and hydroseeded the land in the fall and it clearly failed to take. They have  now started   another cleanup and seeding. If all goes well, we should see grass by the end of May

We hope to see new grass on this lot very soon.

Once the grass appears, Public Works will be installing some benches, tables, bushes and flowers. Last fall we installed a paved road to the entrance of Isadore Goldberg Park so that all residents on Marc Chagall have access. Goldberg Park is furnished with some new play equipment, benches, tables and beautiful tree. New sand was added in 2020. Lighting and fencing will be installed over the summer/fall.

“So the community at Marc Chagall will enjoy a place to stroll through, a park with toys for children and grandchildren and a small parkette towards City Hall and the library,” reports Public Works Director Beatrice Newman. “The people who live on this street will finally enjoy beautiful days in beautiful areas throughout the summer in their neighbourhood.”

Some people have asked me about the snow dump and when the filthy mountain of solid snow will be chopped up. We hire a contractor for the snow dump and we have basically one shot. We need several weeks of warm weather before  it can be broken up so that might not be until June.

I think we are all thrilled that this will mark the first time four years that we will not have to face  summer of construction at the Equinoxe as  the two towers are completed. Just a reminder to anyone who is not aware, but that land was zoned for two high rises more than 30 years ago.

Finally, Videotron recently did some work on the street and they left   three sets of rock-filled holes in the ground. We are now after them to put those surfaces (see above) back to their original position.

In my 16 years as a city councillor, I have met few constituents like Steve Acre. He was that special kind of human being who would call and e-mail me so often with concerns and suggestions, that when that communication stopped most recently I started to worry.

Steve Acre

Today I learned that Steve passed away and my heart is broken. He was an unequivocal supporter of mine, providing unsolicited donations to my election campaigns. Almost four years ago, right after sitting shiva for his dear wife, he withstood a long lineup at advanced polls to vote for me. In recent conversations he was excited to hear that Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and I were pushing for a vote by mail procedure this November. The Quebec government will indeed allow this for those 70 and over. Steve would have qualified.

Steve had a tremendous backstory, which I wrote about on my blog in 2011. The Rembrandt Avenue resident was  a successful insurance executive.  

Steve and Leila at their wedding.

Steve loved surfing the internet and he would regularly sound out mass e-mails to all of his friends on a wide variety of topics. He served on my District Advisory Council and attended meetings with great enthusiasm, always voicing his opinion. I credit Steve for pushing me on traffic measures we took with the lights at Cavendish and Kildare and the new stop sign we installed at Rembrandt and Kildare just less than three years ago

I checked my account and the last e-mail from Steve came at the end of December after he read my Year in Review blog. “What a year that was,” he stated. “Lots of things happened and you were in the thick of it. Happy New Year!”

I am attaching  this fascinating article which appeared  in AMI Magazine about Steve and his memories of hardship growing up as a Jew in Iraq. He was just nine years old when he witnessed the horrible massacre of Jews, known as the Farhud.There are photos of Steve in different attire. The one in Arab clothing was taken just before he escaped in 1949.  This is an important story to tell about how minorities were treated in Arab lands.

After leaving Iraq Steve wound up as a  refugee to Israel and in 1949 he graduated in the first class of Air Traffic Control in the Israeli Airforce, then became secretary to the foreign attaché in Burma. A world traveller in his early twenties, his obituary reads, it was a whirlwind romance in 1957  that saw him making a life in Montreal. Always proud of his heritage as a Babylonian Jew, a founding member of Beth Tikvah synagogue in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, a former president of the West Island Lodge of B’nai Brith, a long-time member of the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue and lately Congregation Dorshei Emet, he was always up for a song or a dance and delighted in the company of all people, where he could inevitably start an interesting conversation.

Always curious about the world, magic and the paranormal, Steve could find a subject to talk about in any situation. He loved new inventions and held inventors and creators in high regard. Predeceased by his wife of sixty years, Leila Azoulay, he will be laid to rest by her side in Dollard-des-Ormeaux where they resided for over forty years. Described by a close colleague as a “Prince” among men, he was generous, courageous, and principled and we are a lesser world for having lost him.  

 A private graveside service will take place.  I extend my deepest condolences to Steve’s family and I  dedicate my next election campaign in his memory.

In a show of force, Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, Riding Office Senior Advisor Sonny Moroz, Councillor Dida Berku and our City Manager Jonathan Shecter  met with four senior officials from Canadian Pacific Railway by video conference today. Thanks to the Mayor for

Our meeting with CP.

CP was represented by their Stacy Patenaude, Manager, Government Affairs and Communications and Nathan Cato, Director, Government Affairs and two key Operation Managers, Ben Serena and Guy Seguin.

During my 16 years on council, and well before that, meetings between the city and CP over train news have been quite common. But this meeting was a bit different. Residents of Merrimac, Baily Road and parts of Hampstead have been repeatedly woken up at the ungodly hours near 3 am in recent weeks. This has impacted  constituents of myself, Councillor Berku and MP Housefather – our former mayor. Rather than approach CP on a piecemeal basis, we  included the mayor and the city’s senior director to make the case.

We reminded them that the last time the noise was this bad in 2017 CP put a stop to it.  Resident Charles Guerin has been collecting written complaints from people and we presented these to them.

“Shunting and banging at 3 am is unacceptable,” stated Housefather.

We believe the message was delivered loud and clear. They agreed to review the list of complaints and demands which were presented and  to investigate the sources of noise and disruption and get back to the city within the next few weeks. So a full investigation has now begun.

Citizens upset by the noise who have yet to write to Guerin can do so at cguerin@icloud.com

Please provide the following:

1) Name
2) Home address
3) What you are hearing (Train idling, banging, bells, horns, etc...)
4) What time of night you are hearing it.

We also ask you to go online at CP's Community Connect. The link is here.