Following many months of turmoil since   five residential apartment buildings on Kildare Road and Sir Walter Scott were sold by Group CLV  to a company represented by real estate broker Terry Geramanis, another transaction has now taken place.  David Gans and  Robbie Peck, two residents of Montreal who own other properties, are officially the new owners of  6565 and 6575 Kildare and  5775, 5755 and 5765 Sir Walter Scott.

Some of the buildings now under new ownership.

Since last winter tenants have lived in fear of renoviction, complained about a lack of communications with the owners and dealt with neglect of the premises.

I spoke to Gans, who insisted that is all a thing of the past. He and Peck have already hired a full-time individual to manage the five buildings. Dedicated phone lines will be set up for tenants to call for assistance daytime and after hours. They have already started to clean the carpets in the corridors of each buildings. In cases where any stains were not removed, they will hire a professional company to complete the job. A long series of repairs and renovations are on their “to do” list.

There is  presently a truck in one of the parking lots. That will be removed from the premises as soon as possible. A landscaper has been hired to beautify the grounds.

“We are very excited to be the new owners,” said Gans. “Good things are going to happen.”

I must say that as the city councillor for the district I am very relieved with this news. These past few months have not been easy on anyone, including our staff at City Hall who maintained a very close eye on the properties. I’d like to thank almost all of the tenants for their patience and the professional manner in which  they communicated with me.

More news to come on this dossier.

The state-of-the-art Clinique Médicale Step is now fully operational at the building at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare, servicing primary children. After touring the premises and speaking to property owner Aaron Bitton I have a great deal more news to share on what is about to occur.

With Drs. Rothstein, Lessard and Administrative Director Melissa Patterson at the clinic.

Located on the third floor of the building, the sprawling 9,000 square foot Clinique Médicale Step is headed by Dr. David Rothstein and Dr. Alicia Lessard. It features 11 doctor offices, 28 examination rooms (one nurse station, onsite full time), and four allied-health rooms. There are currently 13 doctors as part of the team with more joining over the next few months. Administrative Director Melissa Patterson took me through the facility and I must say I was beyond impressed by what I saw. To be seen there, you still must register on the waiting list by using the Québec Family Doctor Finder (GAMF).

The busy front desk.

“We will have more new doctors joining us in September, so when new spots open up the system will direct families to our clinic,” said Dr. Rothstein. “Through our website patients can book appointments. Those who are registered patients with a family doctor working at the clinic can book appointments with their doctor. In addition, through the website, parents of sick kids can book urgent care appointments, and those needing to see a specialist can submit an appointment request (referrals required). The website also includes a wealth of information on each service offered, and other topics including how to get on the waiting list for a family doctor.”

On the ground floor, a new blood test centre via the Biron Group is open for business. This is a private clinic like CDL at Decarie Square, but especially convenient for individuals who want to beat the often extensive wait times via the Clic Santé system and those who have private insurance coverage.

One of the examing rooms.

In September, Forcemedic  will open at the facility to service adults headed by family doctors Béatrice Grunbaum and Lynn Cohen. Initially, they will see patients out of Clinique Médicale Step until their new premises in the building are ready.

One of the long and winding hallways.

Bitton also formed me that Anne Benguira will relocate her Uniprix pharmacy to the building in December. This will be a small pharmacy primarily for presriptions and some small items like Tylenol.

Finally, Bitton said he hopes to have news soon about the arrival of a radiology clinic where people can get x-rays, uktrasounds and possibly MRIs and CT scans.

More About Clinique Médicale Step

Clinique Médicale Stephas a lot to offer:

• Wellcare: wellness check-ups, preventive care, coordination of vaccines, resources support and more
• Urgent Care: services address fever, ear pain, sore throat, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, urinary symptoms, rash, minor injuries, etc.
• Specialty care: pediatrics, pediatric allergist and immunology, ENT, pediatric dentistry pre-screening appointments,
• Allied care

Allison Gardos is the director of the clinic’s Allied Health Department and owner of Physio Step by Step. The services include. Allied Health Services include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietician / nutrition , child behaviour therapy, lactionation consultation and psychology .

Through the clinic’s website, www.cliniquestep.ca, patients can book appointments. Those who are registered patients with a family doctor working at the clinic can book appointments with their doctor. In addition, through the website, parents of sick kids can book urgent care appointments, and those needing to see a specialist can submit an appointment request (referrals required). The website also includes a wealth of information on each service offered, and other topics including how to get on the waiting list for a family doctor.

At Clinique Médicale Step, accessibility to healthcare is paramount. “That’s why we’ve dedicated ourselves to crafting a seamless online booking system, updated in real-time, ensuring that scheduling appointments is easy and convenient for all. Your well-being is our priority, every step of the way,” their brochure states.

As for their mission, they state: “Welcome to a place where families come first. Where every child is treated like our own. And where a diverse team of dedicated and dynamic medical professionals work together to provide top-tier healthcare with kindness, compassion and comfort.
Welcome to a place we can all feel better about.”

Log on to their website and follow them on Instagram: @clinique.step and Facebook @Clinique Medicale Step. The address is 5757 boul. Cavendish, Suite 300 and you can call 514-307-5757, or e-mail [email protected]

In Côte Saint-Luc we take pride of the beauty of our surroundings. As the co-chair of our annual Maison Fleuries competition, I recently took part in the judging of properties and I was delighted to see the care in which the owners showed for their land. Sadly, in my District 2, this is hardly the case for two vacant land spots: one on Sir Walter Scott and the other on Park Place.

Our Building Inspection Department is now prepared to act with the necessary fines and removal of junk from their pieces of land. The neglect by the owners is absolutely unacceptable.

The vacant land on Sir Walter Scott.

On Sir Walter Scott, a large slice of vacant land was purchased by a developer a few years ago and his plan were to construct semi-detached dwellings to match those next door and on Ilan Ramon Crescent. While a whole lot of back and forth went on with our Urban Planning personnel, the owner decided to use this land as a junkyard by dumping equipment and building materials. In addition, he has not followed our by-law by cutting the grass.  He now has placed the land up for sale. Meanwhile, as people drive by an attractive neighborhood they have to stare at this travesty. I was at City Hall and spoke to our building inspector. We may have no choice but to  clean the area ourselves and send him the bill.

The vacant land on Park Place.

Meanwhile, Park Place  has such beautiful homes. Yet the owner of a vacant lot has never built anything on it, also dropping equipment there and not maintaining the property in any way. There is barely any grass, so the dirt flies into the backyards and windows of those living in the Kildare Road town houses. Again, this is entirely unacceptable.

I have asked our building inspector to show zero tolerance with both landowners.

A Côte Saint-Luc, nous sommes fiers de la beauté de notre environnement. En tant que coprésidente de notre concours annuel de la Maison Fleuries, j'ai récemment participé à l'évaluation des propriétés et j'ai été ravie de constater le soin que les propriétaires apportaient à leur terrain. Malheureusement, dans mon district 2, ce n'est pas le cas de deux terrains vacants : l'un sur Sir Walter Scott et l'autre sur Park Place.

Notre service d'inspection des bâtiments est désormais prêt à agir en infligeant les amendes nécessaires et en procédant à l'enlèvement de la ferraille sur ces terrains. La négligence des propriétaires est absolument inacceptable.

Sur Sir Walter Scott, une grande parcelle de terrain vacant a été achetée par un promoteur il y a quelques années et son projet était de construire des habitations jumelées pour correspondre à celles qui se trouvent à côté et sur Ilan Ramon Crescent. Après de nombreuses discussions avec notre personnel chargé de l'urbanisme, le propriétaire a décidé d'utiliser ce terrain comme une décharge en y jetant des équipements et des matériaux de construction. De plus, il n'a pas respecté notre règlement en coupant l'herbe. Il a maintenant mis le terrain en vente. Pendant ce temps, les gens qui passent devant un quartier attrayant sont obligés de regarder cette parodie. Je me suis rendu à l'hôtel de ville et j'ai parlé à notre inspecteur des bâtiments. Nous n'aurons peut-être pas d'autre choix que de nettoyer la zone nous-mêmes et de lui envoyer la facture.

En attendant, Park Place possède de si belles maisons. Pourtant, le propriétaire d'un terrain vague n'y a jamais rien construit, y dépose du matériel et n'entretient pas sa propriété. Il n'y a pratiquement pas d'herbe, de sorte que la saleté vole dans les arrière-cours et les fenêtres des habitants des maisons de ville de Kildare Road. Là encore, c'est tout à fait inacceptable.

J'ai demandé à notre inspecteur des bâtiments de faire preuve d'une tolérance zéro à l'égard des deux propriétaires.

The new ownership of  five residential apartment buildings on Kildare Road and Sir Walter Scott continues  to result in complaints being filed to myself and the city.

But here is some breaking news. I have learned that the buildings may sold again in the coming months, this time to a professional operator.

Group CLV sold the buildings to a group, represented by real estate broker Terry Geramanis, amid fears of possible renoviction.  The tenants were organized, hiring a lawyer and establishing a tenants association. In recent weeks I have received a number of calls by residents, notably complaining about a lack of communication.

To his credit, Geramanis has responded to all of my inquiries. 

Terry Geramanis

There have been elevator issues in some of the buildings and Geramanis’ team has rectified those issues.

The problem now is that tenants say they can only e-mail their complaints to an address which is very short on responses.

Trevor and Adele.

Geramanis says that  although an email has been provided to the tenants to ask questions and make requests, a direct phone line was also shared with them, indicating their representatives’ phone numbers. To this day,  he says, they keep receiving and answering calls coming directly from tenants in the building.  

David : (438) 816-4243 

Avi : (438) 299-9934

In the lobby of one of the buildings I visited, though, only the e-mail address appears on a notice.

“I need to make it clear that there is undeniable willingness on my part and such of my team to ensure viable tenancy and maintain the property in a state that allows the current tenants to live peacefully in their unit,” Geramanis stated. “Furthermore, my team and I are committed to addressing any concerns the tenants may have and maintaining open lines of communications. We understand the importance of being accessible and responsive."

As for the building caretakers,  originally employees of CLV,  tenants say they lack the proper equipment to do their job and are not as visible as before.

“In regards to custodians on site, following the sale, we had made the decision to maintain their contracts in place,” Geramanis responded. “To this date, they are still present on site and answer when tasked. They also keep us updated relating to any problems the building or the tenants encounter.”

As for the  lack of on-site employee’s working tools, Geramanis  says he wishes to clarify that this was caused by CLV repossessing most of the equipment and material that was used for building maintenance and thus following the sale the maintenance room was for the most part emptied. “However, my team and I are in communications with our on-site caretakers and should a work equipment be needed to efficiently perform a job or to complete a maintenance requisition, it will be provided,” he said. “On that note, tenants should not be worried of any service disruption in the building."

On Monday, tenants Adele and Trevor asked  if I’d come meet them at their building on Kildare Road. Adele said the physical look of the grounds is already deteriorating under the new owners; no flowers or greenery has been planted in front nor has been the grass been cut. There is a large pothole at the entrance of the lot (I’m not sure if this a joint issue with the neighbouring Westwood building) and a few others in the parking lot.

“Concerning landscaping, the only thing I can mention at the moment is that we are having discussions with various companies to find the best fit,” said Geramanis.

Adele showed me the water leaks she has in her apartment bathroom resulting in mould. One of our building inspectors visited the premises. As of this writing he has not heard back from the landlords and plans to begin issuing tickets.

“We are aware of the situation and are in communication with our team to ensure that the issues encountered in their unit are fixed,” said Geramanis. “We have one and the same goal: to ensure the safety and smooth operation of our properties, creating a comfortable living environment for all tenants. It is not our intention, nor is it in our interest to create a toxic environment where our liability and reputation would be on the line. Any dialogue we engage in is purely amicable, without any fear or threat and we are here to listen and work together to find reasonable solutions that benefit everyone involved."

Adele and Trevor also told me they have seen large rats in the garage.

I will continue to advocate for the tenants and keep my eyes and ears open re a possible sale. At one point Geramanis referred to me as a journalist. That is one of my professions, but this blog is reserved strictly for my role as a city councillor to keep my constituents in the loop on important issues.

The concern expressed by the residents of five buildings on Kildare Road and Sir Walter Scott over the presence of new owners and a fear of renoviction has resulted in the formation of a tenants association, the engagement of a lawyer and clear line drawn in the sand.

The audience at Monday's meeting.

When Groupe CLV sold the five buildings in February to a group Gestion Galleon, residents sounded the alarm over suspicious evening visits from company representatives offering some tenants cash incentives to leave. This triggered worries about potential renovictions. The latter occurs when landlords use non-urgent renovations as a pretext to force tenants to vacate.  Landlords may harass tenants to force them out, and some send illegal lease non-renewal notices.

Councillor Dida Berku (a tenants rights lawyer for 40 years ) and myself have been very active on the file since day one. Mayor Mitchell Brownstein has been following the situation closely. Now our Urban Planning Department has stepped in. This type of action is fairly unprecedented. I have been on council for 18 years and in my District there are 16 rental buildings (and eight high rise condos). Tenant-landlord disputes occur in all of these buildings and I hear about them. We always have to draw a fine line between by-law infractions which we can intervene on or a dispute between a tenant and landlord which precludes us from intervening. That being said, our involvement in working with tenants to help stave off any serious problems is not something we have done in my time in office.

Catherine Plawutsky

On March  25, our library helped organize a special information meeting for tenants of the five building with  LogisAction,  which provides assistance to tenants in NDG and finds solutions to problems related to their rental situation. It was good to see some of the leaders of the tenants association. We provided the use of our auditorium for free. Attendees signed in when they arrived. Councillor Berku, myself and Mayor Brownstein made opening remarks. Lawyer Justin Demers was on hand and Catherine Plawutsky from Logis Action gave a very informative presentation. 

Earlier in the day, our Associate City Manager Tanya Abramovitch held a meeting with the Urban Planning Department.  It is very important to emphasize that the e-mail to address any infractions is  [email protected] 

According to Tanya, the great majority of complaints the department has received, through in person appearances, phone calls, and emails, have related to threats, the rent cheques, and things that are not ones the city can do anything about. Those are complaints for the Régie du logement or even the police, and we have told them that.

There are certain things that are in the purview of the city, and certain things that are not. Elevators, electricity, plumbing, and ventilation of buildings this size are under the purview of the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ).  Things like emergency lights, blocked exits, sprinklers, fire alarms, imminent walls of bricks falling, and defective generators are under the responsibility of the SIM. It is always better for the tenants to call directly, since they see things at all hours and live the reality. The RBQ says they will respond within 30 days but it is never that long.  We can make a complaint (and did for the elevator), but us calling versus residents does not move things along faster. The elevator complaint has been deposited at the RBQ, and the property owners have been informed that it has

In our by-laws, permits are required for most work, including the replacement of floors, cabinets, opening a wall, things that touch Gyproc. This is different than in Montreal, where for minor interior work you do not need a permit. Tanya points out that this is fortunate, because it forces the property owners to apply for permits for even small work on one unit.  Our Urban Planning Department also proactively contacted the property owners and let them know that they need a permit to do basically anything, and that they can’t even change the sign outside without going through the city. As of today, not a single permit request exists for any of these buildings. The department will not issue any if one is requested until our director of Urban Planning returns anyway. Our renoviction bylaw, adopted last fall,  only applies in the context of a permit, not before.  Urban Planning will flag Tanya immediately  if any permit request comes in for any of these buildings.

At the information session I informed  tenants that it would be helpful if they can tell us if they hear any sounds of construction (sawing, hammering, etc). If they dothey should contact Urban Planning  by email and let them know right away. We   will then send an inspector to check it out. If it’s on a weekend, we will pick it up on Monday and do what  is needed.

In the past, when these buildings were CLV-owned, there were certain complaints that occurred.  CLV took care of them right away. Our Urban Planning team is concerned that new owners may let this slip. If, for instance, there is any vermin,   contact Urban Planning directly. The department is keeping a log of complaints about these addresses for things that pertain to us. If there is anything to note, it will be flagged.

We do not have the resources to go and visit these buildings on a daily basis if there is no cause to do so. As soon as there is cause, we will log it and go. Having a lawyer on their team compiling a list of complaints would be helpful.

The owners are very aware that we are watching them closely. If there is movement, we will be ready,

The city cannot intervene on everything that is going on. Tenants need to exercise their rights, organize and help each other.  

 .

Five residential apartment buildings in District 2 have been sold for more than $40 million.

The buildings implicated are 5755, 5765 and 5775 Sir Walter Scott and 6565 and 6575 Kildare Road. They were previously owned by the CLV Group.

For Côte Saint-Luc, the good news is that at a time when our finances have been adversely affected by a lack of home sales due to high interest rates, inflation, city of Montreal transfers and more, we will net $1.2 million in welcome taxes. However, tenants of the five buildings have sounded the alarm due to the mysterious nature of the new owners. The company listed is Immeubles Galleons S.E.C. It is unclear who actually heads this enterprise. One name kept coming up; a developer I have worked with in my day job. When I reached him he insisted that he was originally a prospective buyer. “I flipped the offer to another investor prior to closing,” he stated.

Some of the buildings on Sir Walter Scott Avenue.

A letter advising tenants of the change was not printed on any kind of letterhead and rather than being delivered to each door, it was merely posted on some of the walls in high traffic areas.

Two property managers, Mr. David and Mr. Avi, are listed. They actually work for the person who denies he is the real owner. “They are helping the new owners with his renovations after hours,” he told me.

I was able to connect with Avi, who is a constituent of mine. I recommended that letters be delivered to each door with clear instructions of how to pay the rent. They cannot assume everyone will respond to a flyer posted on wall minus any stationary.

Tenants fear that the new company will proceed with renovictions - the eviction of all of a building's tenants on the grounds that a large-scale renovation is planned. Having represented District 2 for 18 years now, I know for a fact that in each building there are tenants who called these places home for many years. So I was not surprised to start hearing from some of them soon after the posting of the new ownership occurred. They immediately fired out letters to City Hall, getting the attention of the mayor, council as well as our legal and building inspection departments. Deputy Mayor and Councillor Dida Berku was a tenants rights lawyer for 40 years and last fall she was instrumental in drafting our first ever renoviction bylaw. It emphasizes that prior to the issuance of a permit for major works that require evacuation, written documentation must be provided demonstrating that affected tenants have agreed, in writing, to either temporarily relocate or voluntarily vacate their dwellings during the work. Tenants who have agreed to temporarily relocate must have been presented with a clear expected timeline for their return. The contact information of each affected tenant must be provided.

Councillor Berku and I met with tenants last Thursday night. There were representatives from each building. They are being proactive, having already engaged a lawyer.

One tenant told me the new owners state no dogs are allowed in the building. As the councillor responsible for Animal Protection, I have been told of such edicts before. A dog (or cat) is truly a member of one’s family. Such a clause by a landlord can only be used for new tenants.

Clearly this is a developing story which we will continue to follow.

A new daycare centre is poised to take up occupancy at the building at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare. City Council has adopted a notice of motion and first reading, with a public consultation likely to take place on Monday evening, February 12 prior to our regular 8 pm meeting.

With Aaron Bitton at the building last summer.

Holand Leasing owns the building and over the past year Aaron Bitton and his team have been hard at work to give it a facelift.  The RBC branch remains an anchor tenant. On the way is some form of a medical clinic, a pharmacy and a café. News to come on all of that.  Now the Children’s Corner, an established daycare that has been operating at the Kildare Medical Centre for 45  years, is waiting for the necessary approvals to move in. Their current lease ends on June 30 and they are in negotiations with Holand.

We already had a dry run for another daycare that used the facility last spring and summer due to a problem at their regular venue and everything went very smoothly. In fact I visited the space with Mr. Bitton. In the warmer months they can walk the kids over to Rembrandt Park to enjoy the facility, notably the waterplay area. Drop off is scattered over a 90 minute period. Parents can park in the back lot, where there is another entrance or on Cavendish Blvd. We are also looking at some other new traffic measures to ensure  cars do not cause a backup if they attempt to enter the lot coming from Cavendish.

Staff will have indoor parking privileges. It is expected that about 80 children will be enrolled.

I am in favor of the continued revitalization  of this building.

The 2023 Côte Saint-Luc Maisons Fleuries Contest Awards presentation took place at City Hall on November 13, showcasing some of the beautiful work being done by our homeowners , be it in single family dwellings, town houses, duplexes or highrises.

This annual garden beautification initiative not only makes our city more beautiful, it also benefits the environment. By planting and maintaining trees, flowers and other plants, you help reduce air pollution, increase oxygen production, and contribute to saving the bees.

Councillor Sidney Benizri and I co-chaired the program. 

Here is a nice video which provides an overview of the program and a look at the winning entries.

I would like to single out the winners in my own District 2

With Frank Palucci.

For single family homes, Frank Palucci on Ilan Ramon Crescent. There are not too many people who show the care for their property as much as Frank. The two of us spend a lot of time talking when I do my walkabouts from spring to fall and he is always attending to work outside of the home. He, his wife Sandra and their children are model citizens.

With Patrick Lacombe.

In the Highrise category, Le Rothchild I condominium was selected. I dropped by to present the certificate to concierge Patrick Lacombe. Like Frank, their representative was unable to make it to the ceremony. Le Rothchild I is a beautifully maintained building.

With Stepanie Zack, Marc Cowan and Mayor Mitchell Brownstein.

Finally, in the Town House category, Stephanie Zack and Marc Cowan from Cambridge Courts were chosen. They too are wonderful constituents and I have always admired the care they put into their garden.

Download This list of all the 2023 Maisons Fleuries Winners Here

Thanks to Recreation Department Director Cornelia Ziga, staffer Irene Lahaie and the rest of their team for the hard work. We had a lovely reception in the library, followed by the presentation of the awards and the showing our video at the start of our public council meeting.

La remise des prix du concours 2023 des Maisons Fleuries de Côte Saint-Luc

La remise des prix du concours 2023 des Maisons Fleuries de Côte Saint-Luc a eu lieu à l'hôtel de ville le 13 novembre dernier. Elle a permis de présenter quelques-uns des magnifiques travaux réalisés par nos propriétaires, qu'il s'agisse de maisons individuelles, de maisons de ville, de duplex ou d'immeubles.

Cette initiative annuelle d'embellissement des jardins ne fait pas qu'embellir notre ville, elle est aussi bénéfique pour l'environnement. En plantant et en entretenant des arbres, des fleurs et d'autres plantes, vous contribuez à réduire la pollution de l'air, à augmenter la production d'oxygène et à sauver les abeilles.

Le conseiller Sidney Benizri et moi-même avons coprésidé le programme.

Voici une belle vidéo qui donne une vue d'ensemble du programme et un aperçu des projets gagnants.

J'aimerais souligner les gagnants de mon propre district 2

Pour les maisons individuelles, Frank Palucci sur Ilan Ramon Crescent. Il n'y a pas beaucoup de gens qui prennent autant soin de leur propriété que Frank. Nous passons beaucoup de temps à discuter lorsque je fais mes visites du printemps à l'automne et il s'occupe toujours du travail à l'extérieur de la maison. Lui, sa femme Sandra et leurs enfants sont des citoyens modèles.

Dans la catégorie des immeubles de grande hauteur, c'est le condominium Le Rothchild I qui a été sélectionné. Je suis passé remettre le certificat au concierge Patrick Lacombe. Comme Frank, leur représentant n'a pas pu se rendre à la cérémonie. Le Rothchild I est un immeuble très bien entretenu.

Enfin, dans la catégorie des maisons de ville, Stephanie Zack et Marc Cowan de Cambridge Courts ont été choisis. Ils sont eux aussi de merveilleux électeurs et j'ai toujours admiré le soin qu'ils apportent à leur jardin.

Téléchargez la liste de tous les gagnants de 2023 Maisons Fleuries ici

Merci à Cornelia Ziga, directrice du service des loisirs, à Irene Lahaie et au reste de leur équipe pour leur travail acharné. Nous avons eu une belle réception à la bibliothèque, suivie de la remise des prix et de la projection de notre vidéo au début de la réunion du conseil municipal.

Côte Saint-Luc City Council held a public consultation on September 11 to discuss a proposed amendment to add new provisions to the Construction By-Law no. 2953 regarding  solid fuel burning,
renovictions, and noise from mechanical equipment.

The purposes of this amendment are:

• To diminish our city’s impact on the air quality by reducing the number of people who burn solid
fuels to heat their homes, and to transition towards more modern and efficient heating equipment by
regulating their installation and replacement.
• To ensure tenants are protected from renovictions, namely by requiring that landlords provide a
written proof that tenants affected by construction or repair work have agreed to temporarily
relocate or vacate their dwelling.
• To reduce nuisances related to noise generated by mechanical equipment installed outside of a
building, such as power generators, pool equipment, heating, ventilation, and cooling units, etc.
• To clarify the wording of the original by-law and correct any inconsistencies that were
identified since its adoption.
Provisions

Regarding solid fuel burning:

• The by-law sets a limit of 2.5g/hr for all new and replaced residential solid fuel-burning
equipment.
• Under the new by-law, it will also be prohibited to use a non-certified system after 2025, except
for an EPA or CSA certified pellet device that is installed before this by-law comes into effect.
• The burning of any fuel other than those for which a device is certified will also be forbidden,
as well as the burning of noxious fuels such as treated or painted wood, plastics, Styrofoam, etc.
• The use of any solid-fuel-burning devices during a smog warning issued by Environment Canada
affecting any part of the Montreal Region will be forbidden, except in the event of a power outage
lasting over three hours.

Regarding renovictions:

• Under this by-law, landlords who are carrying out work that requires evacuation of a dwelling
must provide written documentation demonstrating that affected tenants have agreed to either
temporarily relocate or voluntarily vacate their dwellings during the renovation work.
• Tenants who have agreed to temporarily relocate must have been presented with a clear expected
timeline for their return. The contact information of each affected tenant must also be provided.

I have a number of apartment buildings in my district.

Regarding noise from mechanical equipment installed outside of a building:

• Generators must not produce noise levels that exceed the following: 65 dBA outside, measured within a 25 ft. radius of the noise source; 45 dBA inside a residential building or a healthcare facility; 48 dBA inside an office building

 Other mechanical equipment installed outside or on the roof of a building, including heat pumps,
pool pumps, air conditioning or ventilation units, must not produce noise levels that exceed the
following:  60 dBA outside, measured within a 25 ft. radius of the noise source; 45 dBA inside a residential building or a healthcare facility; or 48 dBA inside an office building.

It should be noted that these noise limits are for the daytime (7 am to 11 pm) and that the by-law
also includes noise limits for the nighttime.

I am certainly glad to see us doing something about noisy generators. Two in particular in my district have caused serious problems for people living next door to buildings where the noise pollution is emanating from.

For the present by-law to come into effect, its adoption and approval process must follow the
different steps prescribed by provincial laws, which means it will be a few more months since this is regulated.

Aaron Bitton has big plans for the office building at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare. Via his family’s company, Holand Leasing, he has already submitted two zoning amendment requests to city council to add a pharmacy and a café.  A public consultation meeting was held on July 11 and nobody showed up. Those changes will be formally adopted on August 14.

Aaron Bitton with me in front of the building.

Aaron, 31,  grew up in Côte Saint-Luc and his father Gad raised the family here and remains in the same house. Gad is the ultimate success story. His group of car dealerships and real estate holdings continue to grow. Aaron had been living in Israel for a decade. When he returned home with his wife  Dalia and their five children last fall he was tasked with a number of projects including this building in the heart of my District 2.

For years the building housed Police Station 9. The Royal Bank remains anchor tenant.  Aaron has his sights set on attracting medical and dental clinics, massage therapists, music studios, professionals and a daycare. While there is no present-day zoning for the latter, a trial run has been in place for months. Hebrew Academy’s daycare has been parked here temporarily after a pipe burst in its headquarters. I  accompanied Aaron to the building recently. Drop off was scattered between 7:30 am and 9 am. There is an entrance via the back parking lot, so if this comes to council a lot of the obvious questions will already have answers.

The café will have an outdoor entrance and a terrasse. Aaron hopes work can begin on this soon. I believe this will be a wonderful addition to the neighbourhood. As for the pharmacy, I did express some concern about this given the fact we have one of the best in the business across the street. Pharmaprix Cavendish is expertly run by the husband and wife team of David Banon and Sarah Ettedgui and serves the community well. Aaron has assured council he is looking to add a very small pharmacy that will there to handle prescriptions for the medical clinics he hopes to attract.

Aaron would also like to see if he can lure  clinics for blood tests and radiology. Family Physician Dr. Norman Sabin, a regular council meeting attendee who practices out of the Queen Elizabeth Health Centre, said he’d relocate to the Cavendish/Kildare building if such services would be offered.

As for parking, there are 96 indoor and 76 outdoor. Unquestionably, with thousands of people living within easy walking distance, potential medical clinics would not necessarily require people to arrive via a vehicle.

“Last year one of our major tenants left after having been here for 10 years,” Aaron explained. “That left us with a 75 percent vacancy rate. We intend to fill all of those spots in a way that the neighbourhood benefits as well.”