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Changes to curbside collection days start February 2

January 26, 2015

Curbside collection days are changing for most homes in Côte Saint-Luc starting the week of Monday, February 2, 2015.

For single-family homes and duplexes, brown bins (organic waste) will collected on Mondays, blue bins (recyclables) on Tuesdays, bulky waste on Wednesdays, and garbage on Thursdays.

Residents can start placing closed-lid bins at the curb at 10 pm the night before the collection. You can place bulky waste as of noon the day before. Blue bins must be at the curb by 7 am on collection day to ensure it is collected. Brown bins, bulky waste, and garbage bins must be placed by 8 am on collection day.

It made financial sense to outsource garbage collection and organic waste collection. The contractor has the capacity to collect garbage from single-family homes and duplexes across Côte Saint-Luc in one day. Same with organics and bulky waste. We decided to simplify collection and schedule it on the same day.

For those townhouses that currently take part in curbside organic waste collection, they will follow the same schedule as single family homes and duplexes. For all other multi-family complexes and institutions, garbage collection is on Mondays and Thursdays, recycling collection remains on Tuesdays and bulky waste collection is on Wednesdays.

For old electronic items (computers, monitors, etc.) and household hazardous waste (paint, CFL bulbs, etc.), residents can bring these to the EcoCentre at 6925 Côte-des-Neiges or Public Works (7001 Mackle Rd.). Call514-485-6868 to arrange a pick up at the curb of an old TV.

Côte Saint-Luc is mailing a flyer with the new collection days information to all homes, doing a city-wide phone call out, and sending an email to all those subscribed to the Côte Saint-Luc e-newsletter, among other things.

Posted at 07:08 PM in Public Works | Permalink | Comments (0)

Emergency teams handle fire well on Sir Walter Scott

January 23, 2015

Congratulations to the entire CSL Public Safety team, the police and firefighters for the efforts they made to contain a blaze at 5765 Sir Walter Scott on Friday afternoon, January 23.

The fire was immediately gotten under control. It was confined to one apartment on the first floor and appears to have started in the kitchen. There was no damage to any other apartment other than some light smoke.

Firefighters on the scene. (photos by Bram Eisenthal)

I was on the scene and so were about half a dozen fire trucks, a fire department school bus in case residents needed somewhere warm to go to, a number of police cars, our Public Security, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Urgences Santé. Kildare Road near Sir Walter Scott was blocked off to traffic. Public Security redirected vehicles down Rembrandt and around Merrimac. This came at a tricky time as Bialik High School was letting out.

Fortunately the residents were permitted to return to their apartments about 40 minutes after the emergency teams arrived. According to our Director of Public Safety Jordy Reichson, the family whose apartment it was were assessed by EMS and Urgences Santé on scene, but not transported to the hospital. They will be staying with relatives until their apartment is repaired. There were no other injuries.

A job well done by all concerned!

Posted at 08:17 PM in EMS, Fire, Public Safety | Permalink | Comments (0)

Citizens are invited to "Coffee with a Cop"

January 16, 2015

Police officers from neighbourhood Police Station 9 (PDQ) are inviting Côte Saint-Luc citizens to come and engaged in some dialogue at their upcoming Coffee with a Cop event on Thursday, January 29 (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.) at the McDonald's Restaurant located at 7003 Côte Saint-Luc Road.

Coffee with a Cop is an informal event which allows police officers and citizens to meet in a neutral environment to facilitate the dialogue. The aim of this activity is to encourage a free and open exchange on various public security topics and any concerns that affect citizens.

Officials at Police Station 9 believe that these opportunities strengthen citizen-police relations. Often this kind of contact occurs during emergency situations where all concerned are in a very emotional state.

In addition, this is an opportunity to strengthen police relations with its citizens, who normally meet in emergency circumstances that are very emotional. With Coffee with a Cop, citizens get to know PDQ 9 police officers in a friendly atmosphere

Posted at 04:41 PM in Public Safety | Permalink | Comments (0)

Laurentian Bank to close it CSL branch on Jan. 22

January 14, 2015

Part of the history of Côte Saint-Luc is about to disappear. The Laurentian Bank, located at the corner of Westminster Avenue and Côte Saint-Luc Road, will close its doors on Thursday, January 22 at 7 p.m. Those who have their account there will be transferred to the branch at 6640 Somerled Avenue in NDG with the promise of more employees and extended business hours.

For decades the City and District Savings Bank, as this institution was known up until 1987, was part of the landscape in the community. Across the street at one time was Galardo's Restaurant, where a Canada Trust Bank now stands. In the small shopping plaza anchored by the Famous Delly Boys, on the other side of the street, there is a Scotiabank.

Laurentian Bank switched its format more than a decade ago when it stopped employing tellers. Customers were encouraged to use the machines. Ironically, this change increased the level of customer service to such an impressive level that there was more one-on-one attention that before. Staff behind the counter were actuallu approacheable and would complete any transaction necessary. It was nonetheless clear that this branch was operating on borrowed time. Half the facility was not even being used and a number of customers had switched their accounts to banks with tellers. It will be interesting to see how many move on to NDG.

Customers will have to change their account numbers, but they are being given a four year grace period to make the transition. An automatic banking machine will remain in place for now on Westminster. But there is a big "for rent" sign up so there is no telling what business might take this spot.

Posted at 07:49 PM in Businesses in CSL | Permalink | Comments (0)

Valerie Roumi returning to the pharmacy business in Côte Saint-Luc

January 04, 2015

It has been a number of years since Valerie Roumi sold her Pharmaprix franchise at the Quartier Cavendish to the husband and wife team of David Banon and Sarah Ettedgui. The latter two also own the smaller but "beyond superb customer service" Pharmaprix on Caldwell Avenue.

Valerie Roumi

Well, Valerie is getting back into the game. She will open a new pharmacy on January 13 in the Delly Boys Shopping Plaza on Westminister Avenue, taking over the space previously occupied by Côte Saint-Luc Kosher - now a few doors down.

"It will be a small pharmacy, accessed on pharmaceutical care," Valerie explains. "I will try my best to give personalized service and give all of my attention to my patients."

The game plan for Valerie is to begin specializing in compounding in the months ahead. Compounding represents the delivery of medication in various forms that are not readily commercialized. For example, making suppositories for people who cannot swallow pills, dispensing meds in lollipops, putting meds in treats for pets and making special formulas (in the form of creams, capsules etc.) and targeting specific individual needs. This will be a real bonus for there are very few pharmacies in the immediate area who do this at all: one on Côte des Neiges which does not have easy access or parking and another in Westmount.

"I will focus on pain as well as scar therapy, but this will begin in a few months," Valerie says. "I want to get a feel of my clientele's needs as well as physicians' feedback. I'm very excited about this and hope it will be a success."

Valerie had looked into the possibility of building a new pharmacy next to Beth Chabad CSL on Marc Chagall Avenue, but this vacant storefront turned out to be her best option.

Posted at 10:35 PM in Businesses in CSL | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 2015