Cats

More than 300 people attend our benefit concert for the Cats Committee

How proud am I of the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC), a group I helped established six years ago? Very much so.


We are a small group of volunteers, dedicated to Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt. Few communities on the island of Montreal have such an entity. While the city provides us with an annual grant of $5,000, we need more to fulfil our mission. There are veterinarian bills to pay and supplies to purchase. So a year into our existence we decided to start doing some fundraising. Our biggest event is a concert we present featuring the extraordinary Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Milo.

Josephand MikMac
Larissa Macmac and Joseph Milo.

For our fifth annual concert on August 23 at the Syd Wise Auditorium of the Marymount Adult Education Centre, more than 300 people were in attendance. A Bouquet of Classics: The Music We All Love was the theme. Net proceeds plus funds collected via donations and purchases through our bake sale – spearheaded by Fern Collier-Pereira – gave us the boost we needed to keep doing our job. In fact the money received from the latter goes to a new fund which will enable us to purchase cat food for those who feed outdoor community cats year-round.


It is safe to say that most of the people in the audience were there to hear good music. As I said in my address, if only a few of those individuals step forward to help us then it will be a plus for us. I must say that over the last couple of years, different people have joined our team and truly made a difference. Diane Liebling is the heart and sole of our committee. She oversees the most difficult task of trapping the homeless community cats we find, often fostering them in her own garage. As I saw the large gathering around the bake sale at intermission, with Fern and committee members working so hard, I felt very very proud,

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Volunteers oversee the successful Bake Sale.

Councillor Sam Goldbloom once again co-chaired the concert with me. Sam and I are the only pet owners on council and he adores his Mr. Darcy as much as I love my Cleopatra. Mayor Mitchell Brownstein has been very supportive of our cause. So has his predecessor, present-day Mount Royal Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather. Both gentleman spoke at the start of our program, as did Elisabeth Prass. She runs D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum’s office. David, following the lead of his predecessor Lawrence Bergman, provides us with an annual donation of $500.


Mr. Birnbaum could not attend because he was sitting in a Parliamentary Commission in Quebec City. But Ms. Prass explained how Mr. Birnbaum has been proud to report to his colleague, the provincial Minister of Agriculture, that  Côte Saint-Luc is a leader in the welfare of cats and humanitarian practices towards pets. “In the spirit of this, in December of last year, our Liberal government was proud to adopt Bill 54, the Animal Welfare and Safety Act, which legislates for the better protection of animals and defines them as sentient beings with biological needs, rather than as objects,” she explained. “Our government's goal with this ground-breaking legislation is to better protect pets and ensure humanitarian treatment of animals raised for food production.”


Alexandra Cohen served as our emcee and opened up with two songs, Corner of the Sky from the Broadway show Pippin and Life is a Cabaret from the Broadway classic Cabaret. 


The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra are nothing less than outstanding. This year some members also presented superb solo performances. Founded in 2006 by conductor Milo and his wife Lucy Ravinsky,  this one of a kind orchestra is composed of 55 musicians: about 80 percent of its members are from 15 countries around the world, while the remaining 20 percent are natives of Montreal who successfully facilitated the integration of the newcomers. They have been rehearsing at Côte Saint-Luc City Hall for many years

TrioAristocrats
Anna Levitina, Rami Negev and Sean O'Brien.

I could have listened to them all night. The first half was dominated by classics. After intermission we heard many Broadway tunes from the likes of The Lion King, West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera. Every year Joseph surprises us with something dedicated to cats. Sean O’Brien, Anna Levitina and photographer Rami Negev belted out Everybody Wants to Be a Cat from the Aristocrats. It was a feel good way to conclude proceedings. We all left truly happy, very much looking forward to doing the same thing next August.


Nutrience Pet Food by Hagen served as a sponsor as did Expedia Cruises, which even set up an information kiosk. The latter had a lot of traffic.  Scotiabank Cavendish generously donated some door prizes. I thank them for supporting us.

Thank you to Alvin Fishman, who steered the ship on logistics from day one and went the extra mile on the day of the concert with Mo Giobbi; to Harold Cammy, while on a well-deserved break, always gets things started for us by booking the auditorium and getting ticket sales going; to Regine Banon, who takes care of printing the tickets, overseeing our flyers/programs and all publicity related to the event (this year she went the extra mile and came to video tape); to Lisa Milner, who keeps us regularly up to date on crucial sales at the library; and of course Marymount Adult Education Centre head caretaker Michel Leblanc who stays after work to ensure to oversee the crucial component of sound.


There are so many people on our committee I can single out, from Rebecca Katz who oversees our Facebook page and takes care of our hotline to young Liz Brenhouse who fosters and socializes cats in her own bedroom and seeks homes for them. True cat lovers exist in our community and I want to meet more of them.


We received a lot of media coverage leading up to the concert. You can review it all here.


L’Orchestre symphonique des musiciens du monde donnera un concert bénéfice au profit du Comité des chats de Côte Saint-Luc le 23 août

Le Comité des chats de Côte Saint-Luc (CCCSL) tiendra son concert de financement annuel le mardi 23 août à 19 h 30, à l’auditorium Syd Wise du Centre d’éducation des adultes Marymount, au 5785, avenue Parkhaven.

Le concert mettra en vedette les musiciens de l’Orchestre symphonique des musiciens du monde (www.musiciansoftheworld.ca), sous la direction de Joseph Milo. Certains membres de son orchestre interpréteront aussi des pièces en solo. Les fonds recueillis lors du concert A Bouquet of Classics: The Music We All Love seront versés au Programme du CCCSL.

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« Ce concert bénéfice permet aux gens qui aiment les animaux de profiter d’une soirée de belle musique tout en contribuant à une bonne cause, a dit le maire Mitchell Brownstein. Voilà un autre exemple des mesures concrètes que prend la Ville pour faire la promotion des arts et de la culture dans la communauté. »

Les commanditaires officiels de la soirée sont le député libéral de D’Arcy McGee, David Birnbaum, et Nutrience Pet Food de Hagen.

« Il y a beaucoup de chats errants dans la communauté, explique Mike Cohen, conseiller municipal responsable de la protection des animaux dans la ville. L’équipe de bénévoles du CCCSL a pour objectif d’en attraper le plus grand nombre possible et de les faire stériliser, pour ensuite les donner en adoption ou les retourner à l’endroit où ils ont été trouvés. Le comité porte aussi secours aux chatons abandonnés en leur trouvant un foyer. Il y a quelques années, la Ville a adopté un règlement régissant l’octroi des licences pour chats. »

L’Orchestre symphonique des musiciens du monde (OSMM) a été fondé en 2006 par le chef Milo et son épouse Lucy Ravinsky. Cet orchestre unique en son genre regroupe 55 musiciens : environ 80 pour cent d’entre eux proviennent de 15 pays différents et 20 pour cent sont originaires de Montréal, ce qui a grandement facilité l’intégration des nouveaux venus. Les répétitions ont lieu à l’hôtel de ville de Côte Saint-Luc depuis plusieurs années et, dans le cadre d’une entente avec la ville, l’orchestre offre un concert bénéfice une fois l’an. Cette année, les bénéficiaires de cette initiative sont le Comité des chats de Côte Saint-Luc et Educhat.

Les billets sont présentement en vente à seulement 12 $ (taxes incluses) aux endroits suivants : au comptoir principal de la Bibliothèque publique Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc, (5851 boul. Cavendish), au Centre communautaire et aquatique de Côte Saint-Luc (5794, av. Parkhaven), et à l’Hôpital vétérinaire de Côte Saint-Luc (7930, chemin Baily). Aux deux premiers endroits, les paiements sont acceptés par carte de débit ou de crédit, ou comptant, mais seulement en argent comptant à l’Hôpital vétérinaire.

Les conseillers Mike Cohen et Sam Goldbloom, coprésidents de l’événement, précisent que de l’information sera disponible le soir du concert pour les personnes qui voudraient se joindre au comité ou adopter un chat. Une vente de pâtisseries se tiendra à l’entracte. Pour plus d’information, appeler au 514-485-6806, poste 2200 ou consulter www.cotesaintluc.org/cats.


Fourth annual benefit concert for the CSL Cats Committee another successful

Well we did it again! The fourth annual benefit concert for the  Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC)   and Educhat was sold out as more than 300 people joined us at the former Wagar High School  on Parkhaven to hear the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Milo and outstanding young singers Alexandra Cohen and Nicole Raviv.

Funds raised from  A Bouquet of Classics and Other Fun Music  will go towards the CSLCC’s Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt Program and Educhat, the volunteer organization headed by Shelley Schecter which has spearheaded efforts in Côte Saint-Luc and elsewhere. There are many feral cats in the community. The CSLCC’s team of volunteers sets out to trap as many as possible, have them sterilized and then adopted or returned to the spot where they were originally found. The committee has also rescued a number of  kittens and found homes for them. Our city also has a cat licensing bylaw. 

As  the city councillor responsible for Animal Protection, I was proud to be the main organizer of the event. I thank Councillor Sam Goldbloom – like me a true cat lover- for his support. Mayor Anthony Housefather and Councillors  Glenn J. Nashen, Ruth Kovac, Mitchell Brownstein and Allan J. Levine were all on hand. Since I launched the CLSCC five years ago, the mayor and council have been 100 percent behind my initiative.

On this night we  honoured our treasurer Ruth Kleinman, Finance Administrative secretary Elizabeth Ruhry  and accounting agent Maria Picciuto  for the support they have given the committee.  In addition, they have set a wonderful example for others to follow by feeding a homeless cat outside the library on a daily basis. They have even named him “Eli.” Stated Ms. Kleinman: “We are just supporting the mission of the Cats Committee. The three of us have cats of our own. My job is to manage the budget. Elizabeth and Maria go out of their way to help.”

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MNA David Birnbaum presents Sam Goldbloom and I with the cheque.

Nutrience Pet Food by Hagen and D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum were our sponsors. Birnbaum, whom I have known for many decades, joined us for the event with his press attaché Christopher Savard. On stage he presented Sam and I with a $500 cheque for the committee and rightly acknowledged the excellent job his Agriculture Minister  Pierre Paradis is doing in regard to animal protection.

The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra (MWSO) was founded in 2006 by conductor  Milo and his wife Lucy Ravinsky. This one of a kind orchestra was formed when it was discovered that a great pool of professional musicians, recently immigrated to Montreal, had no opportunity to make use of their valuable talent in their new home. The MWSO was created, not only to provide these new Canadians with the opportunity to engage in their main passion; making beautiful music in an orchestral setting, but to give them back the professional dignity they had enjoyed in their homelands and most especially, to share their wonderful talents with the music lovers of Montreal.

The MWSO is composed of 55 musicians: about 80 percent of its members are from 15 countries around the world, while the remaining 20 percent are natives of Montreal who successfully facilitated the integration of the newcomers. To date, the orchestra has entertained Montreal audiences with over 30 performances, including several benefit concerts as well as having produced several recordings. The orchestra has also been selected as the subject of four documentary films. They have been rehearsing at Côte Saint-Luc City Hall for many years and as part of the arrangement, they agree to perform a free concert once a year.

DanceNicole
Joseph Milo shares a dance with Nicole Raviv,

Joseph Milo and his team were nothing less than outstanding. You could see the smiles on everyone`s face in the audience as they hung on to every tune. There was a wonderful balance of music, from classics to Broadway. This included the William  Tell Overture,  Moon River, music from Star Wars and the “Let it Go”  theme from the Disney blockbuster Frozen. By popular demand they brought back two favorites from our previous shows—The Typewriter (in which a musician actually plays the typewriter as an instrument) and a cats duet by Raviv and Anna Levitina.

Alexandra Cohen, who has been performing in musical theatre since she was six years old, and acting in film, TV, and radio productions, sang    “Don’t Cry for me Argentina” from the musical Evita, and “Being Alive” from the musical Company.  See the  video clip here or below.

 

Alexandra  is frequently invited to sing the national anthem at many events including Cote Saint Luc’s Canada Day celebrations. Alexandra has won the title of Top Female Triple Threat performer at the Show Choir Canada National Championships. As a member of the Cote Saint-Luc Cats Committee, Alexandra produced a film about the Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt Program.  She has brought this film to many elementary schools to teach children about responsible pet ownership. Last year she was recognized as Cote Saint-Luc’s Youth Volunteer of the Year. She is currently  in her second year studying health sciences at Marianopolis College, where she created and directs a group called Singers for a Cause. 

Nicole Raviv is a singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. She was a child actor in the touring cast of The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre and is a recent graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Recent New York theatre credits include The Butterfly's Day (Off-Broadway), Be Our Guest (Off-Broadway), and Crossf8- A New Musical. Nicole has made TV appearances on The Good Wife and The Dr. Oz Show, and is currently working on her own EP album as a recording artist with producer Chris Young.  She sang I Feel Pretty (West Side Story), On My Own (Les Misérables) and  I Could Have Danced (My Fair Lady) as well as the duet.

Now for a few thank yous.  To Shelley Schecter, Diane Liebling and Barbara Hilliker who lead the charge in terms of trapping and fostering; Alvin Fishman, Regine Banon, Harold Cammy, Lisa Milner, Ruth Farrugia and Mauricio Giobbi from the city who really steered the ship for us;  Alexandra Cohen, who besides her performance worked on the script, hosted the evening and determined our sound needs; Michel Leblanc whose work on the sound and lighting was invaluable; the Volunteer Citizens on Patrol, who kept law and order; and committee member Fern Collier-Pereira and her group whose bake sale raised almost $400 for Educhat.


More municipalities and boroughs must step up to save homeless cats

When it comes to cats, my favorite animal creatures on earth, I wish I lived in a world where more people wanted to have them as pets and that the homeless cat population would disappear. But this is not going to happen and while we continue to deal with the latter problem globally, here on the island of Montreal some municipalities and boroughs are making efforts to deal with the issue.

Five years ago, in my capacity as a city councillor in Côte Saint-Luc and with the backing of Mayor Anthony Housefather and council, I started a Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) and Adopt Program in conjunction with Shelley Schecter and her organization Educhat. Working with a very small group of volunteers, homeless cats are trapped, neutered, vaccinated and either returned to their original location where they are fed, sheltered and kept an eye on or adopted.

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We all feel very uncomfortable with the release part, especially in regard to kittens. The only alternative is for more members of the public to step forward and adopt those which are socialized. If left outside they will remain feral. As Shelley notes, “more cats are dumped than are adopted.  If everyone would take in one homeless cat, this problem would not exist.”

There are also certain owners of outdoor cats who exacerbate this problem by not sterilizing their own animals while letting them outside to impregnate others over and over again.It is estimated that over a period of seven years two unaltered cats can exponentially create over 400,000 offspring.  “For those who pooh, pooh these numbers, you can half the numbers a few times and you are still looking at an alarming amount of cats,” points out Shelley.

Right now the only municipalities and boroughs on the island of Montreal which have TNR Programs, besides Côte Saint-Luc are Dollard des Ormeaux, St. Laurent, Anjou, Montreal North, Sud-Ouest, Verdun Lachine, Ahuntsic-Cartieville and Côte des Neiges-NDG.  Hochelaga Maisonneuve and Rosemount are looking into starting ones of their own.  More municipal bodies must step to the plate. People who do not have allergies and like animals should consider adopting a cat. They make for the most remarkable pets. Unlike dogs, you need not take them for a walk as they do their business in a litter box. You can apportion their food for the day or night when you are out. They even bathe themselves. These are affectionate and brilliant animals who really make a difference in one`s life.

The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC) will hold a fundraising concert on Tuesday, August 25 (7:30 p.m.) at the former Wagar High School (5785 Parkhaven).  Featured performers will be the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra (http://www.musiciansoftheworld.ca), conducted by Joseph Milo and  Montreal-born singer, dancer and actress Nicole Raviv. Funds raised from  A Bouquet of Classics and Other Fun Music  will go towards our  TNR  and Adopt Program . Tickets are only $10 each (tax included) and can be purchased now at the following locations: the main desk at the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library (5851 Cavendish Boulevard); the Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre (5794 Parkhaven Avenue); and the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals (7930 Baily Road). For more information call 514-485-6806, ext. 2200 or log on to www.cotesaintluc.org/cats.   All of the details about the concert can be found on this link.

 


Come support our Cats Committee and enjoy amazing music on Aug. 25th

The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC) will hold a fundraising concert on Tuesday, August 25 (7:30 p.m.) at the former Wagar High School (5785 Parkhaven). Featured performers will be the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Milo and featuring Montreal singer, dancer and actress Nicole Raviv. She now lives in New York, where she has performed in a number of Off Broaday productions.

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Nicole Raviv

Funds raised from A Bouquet of Classics and Other Fun Music will go towards the CSLCC’s Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt Program and Educhat, the volunteer organization headed by Shelley Schecter, which has spearheaded efforts in Côte Saint-Luc and elsewhere. There are many feral cats in the community. The CSLCC’s team of volunteers sets out to trap as many as possible, have them sterilized and then adopted or returned to the spot where they were originally found. The committee has also rescued a number of kittens and found homes for them. The city has a cat licensing bylaw.

The CSLCC will honour the city`s treasurer Ruth Kleinman, Finance Administrative secretary Elizabeth Ruhry and accounting agent Maria Picciuto for their support they have given the committee. In addition, they have set a wonderful example for others to follow by feeding a homeless cat outside the library on a daily basis. They have even named him “Eli.” Stated Ms. Kleinman: “We are just supporting the mission of the Cats Committee. The three of us have cats of our own. My job is to manage the budget. Elizabeth and Maria go out of their way to help.”

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These two kittens were adopted last week via the CSL Cats Committee. They are shown here familiarizing themselves with their new home.

As the city councillor responsible for Animal Protection in the city I wish to note that the concert   will be an opportunity for people who love animals to enjoy an evening of fine music while contributing to a good cause. I also wish to announce that Nutrience Pet Food by Hagen and D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum, will be the evening’s official sponsors.

The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra (MWSO) was founded in 2006 by conductor Milo and his wife Lucy Ravinsky. This one of a kind orchestra was formed when it was discovered that a great pool of professional musicians, recently immigrated to Montreal, had no opportunity to make use of their valuable talent in their new home. The MWSO was created, not only to provide these new Canadians with the opportunity to engage in their main passion; making beautiful music in an orchestral setting, but to give them back the professional dignity they had enjoyed in their homelands and most especially, to share their wonderful talents with the music lovers of Montreal. The MWSO is composed of 55 musicians: about 80 percent of its members are from 15 countries around the world, while the remaining 20 percent are natives of Montreal who successfully facilitated the integration of the newcomers. To date, the orchestra has entertained Montreal audiences with over 30 performances, including several benefit concerts as well as having produced several recordings. The orchestra has also been selected as the subject of four documentary films. They have been rehearsing at Côte Saint-Luc City Hall for many years and as part of the arrangement, they agree to perform a free concert once a year.

The CSL Cats Committee and Educhat are the 2015 beneficiaries. Nicole Raviv is a singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. She was a child actor in the touring cast of The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre and is a recent graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Recent New York theatre credits include The Butterfly's Day (Off-Broadway), Be Our Guest (Off-Broadway), and Crossf 8 - A New Musical. Nicole has made TV appearances on The Good Wife and The Dr. Oz Show, and is currently working on her own EP album as a recording artist with producer Chris Young.

Tickets are only $10 each (tax included) and can be purchased now at the following locations: the main desk at the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library (5851 Cavendish Boulevard); the Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre (5794 Parkhaven Avenue); and the Côte Saint-Luc Hospital for Animals (7930 Baily Road), Tickets can be purchased at the first two locations by credit and debit card or cash and cash only at the Animal Hospital. Councillors Cohen and Sam Goldbloom note that information will be available that night for people interested in possibly joining the committee or adopting a cat. Educhat will hold a bake sale before the concert and at intermission.

The committee wishes to thank Jacques Monfette, Michel Leblanc, Hipolito Corral and the staff at the Marymount Adult Education Centre for their cooperation, as well as key event organizers Alvin Fishman, Harold Cammy, Maurizio Giobbi, Regine Banon and Lisa Milner for their help.

For more information call 514-485-6806, ext. 2200 or log on to www.cotesaintluc.org/cats. 


Support the SPCA's petition to halt rental units from not allowing pets

Did you know that every year, thousands of Quebecers are forced to part with their pet in order to move into a rental unit where animals are not allowed? 

Did you know that according to a 2012 statistic by the Régie du logement, only  three percent of landlords accept tenants with dogs? 

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Quebec is considered to be the worst province for animal protection. It’s unthinkable to allow outdated, abusive clauses to force so many avoidable pet abandonments that cause undue stress and hardship for the families they tear apart. 

It needs to change! Like me, you can act at www.spca-mtlaction.com/keepingfamiliestogether/?g=ma&lang=en

As the city councillor responsible for animal protection, it disturbs me greatly that these measures exist. There are such buildings in Côte Saint-Luc. We have a similar problem with high rise condos, but in those cases we cannot intervene. I would like to reach out to those condo boards and sensitize them to the issue. So often I get calls from animal lovers eager to adopt, but held off because their board says no. I must ask the question- what harm does  a cat that stays indoors all the time really do? Attitudes like this need to change.


VCOPs come aboard to assist Cats Committee

A huge word of thanks to Eric Goldapple, a member of the Volunteer Citizens on Patrol (VCOP). He has agreed to be the official liaison between the VCOPs and the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee, something I have been trying to establish for some time now.

Eric Goldapple
Eric Goldapple makes his points.

With support from Councillor Glenn J. Nashen and Public Safety Director Jordy Reichson, I believe we are moving in a positive direction. The VCOPs patrol the streets of Côte Saint-Luc regularly, so it makes perfect sense for them to be our eyes and ears.

Eric and his wife Joan were cat owners. “I personally adopted two cats, although I am highly allergic, on two different occasions when I noticed them wandering around in my backyard,” says Eric. “One died after six months as he had a heart murmur and the other lived for five years as he had Feline immunodeficiency virus or FIV. I knew that both must have been abandoned as they had been fixed. They made great pets.”

At a VCOPs meeting, Eric asked his fellow patrollers to begin looking out for strays, , kittens, as well as domestic cats that may have been abandoned and become homeless. “I mentioned how important it was to keep the feral cat population under control and emphasized the need to rescue kittens as well as domesticated cats if they can be identified as such,” he said.

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Owners of outdoor cats in CSL implored to purchase license tags

Here is a press release we issued on the two year anniversary of Côte Saint-Luc requiring owners of outdoor cats to purchase licenses.
 
Owners of outdoor cats are required to buy a licence for their cat, which includes a tag worn around the neck that can be used to help reunite lost cats to their owners.
 
“I implore cat owners to license their outdoor cats,” said Councillor Mike Cohen, who is responsible for the animal protection portfolio. “We have had some recent success stories about outdoor cats who got lost but were found and reunited with their owners thanks to the tags.”
 
In late August, Lydia Ghazal, a member of the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC), trapped a cat that had been hanging around her house for some time. The cat was terrified, starving but had a collar and tag around its neck. Diane Liebling, who oversees the CSLCC’s fostering program, took the cat in while Shelley Schecter from Educhat spoke with the city who was able to provide the contact information of the cat owner and they were reunited.
 
A few days later, the CSLCC was alerted that someone’s Siamese cat had left the home and not returned. Because the owner had purchased a license, it was easier for the CSLCC to assist in the search. Fortunately, the cat came back on its own.
 
“Personally, I have always had concerns about people who have outdoor cats,” Councillor Cohen said. “I have seen the pain and anguish experienced by some of my own neighbours, whose cats went out at night and never returned. The fact is, if you do insist upon having an outdoor cat then please purchase a license and make sure they are micro chipped by the local veterinarian. It is a small price to pay to significantly increase the odds if your cat goes missing.” 
 
Outdoor cat
Outdoor cats in the City of Côte Saint-Luc need a cat licence following By-law 2394 that came into effect on November 1, 2012. Owners of outdoor cats must have them registered at City Hall (5801 Cavendish Blvd.) and obtain a cat identification tag, provide relevant information required to process the registration of the cat, and produce a certificate from their veterinarian stipulating that the cat has been spayed or neutered, provided the cat is six months or older.
 
The annual registration fee is $10 for an outdoor cat that is spayed or neutered and that bears a microchip or a tattoo, $15 for an outdoor cat that is spayed or neutered, but does not bear a microchip or tattoo, and $20 for an outdoor cat that is not spayed or neutered as a result of a medical exemption. The latter alludes to a feline 10 calendar years or older or one that has a medical exemption from the veterinarian attesting to the fact that it cannot be spayed or neutered. Fines will be issued to cat owners not complying with the by-law. They range from a minimum of $40 to a maximum of $1,200. 
 
For more information about licensing, visit CoteSaintLuc.org/PetLicenses. For more information about the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee, visit CoteSaintLuc.org/cats.

2014 Cat's Meow concert raises funds and provides great entertainment

I was proud to steer the ship once again for the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee's (CSLCC) third summer fundraising concert , held on Tuesday, August 26 at the former Wagar High School.The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra were outstanding. Ditto for soprano Brigitte O' Halleran and singer Alexandra Cohen, who doubled as emcee. Thanks to Councillor Sam Goldbloom for serving as co-chair with me, to event coordinator Alvin Fishman for his tireless work, Communications and Public Affairs Manager Regine Banon for taking care of publicity needs and a cast of many more.

Orchestraperforms 1)
Joseph Milo and his orchestra take a bow. (Rami Negev photo)

We had a crowd of more than 350 people on hand. Funds raised went towards our CSLCC Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt Program and our partner organization Educhat, run by the extraordinary Shelley Schecter.

The Music We Love: Best of the Classics – the Cat’s Meow was the theme. We began with a tribute to the late Mayor Bernard Lang, who was a member of our committee and a true cat lover. His wife Miriam, son David and grandson Dylan accepted our special certificate of merit. Miriam confided to me that her family continues to feed homeless cats. Mayor Anthony Housefather, whom along with members of council has been very supportive of our group, gave words of welcome.

Lang Award
Sam Goldbloom, Anthony Housefather, Dylan Lang, Miriam Lang, David Lang and Mike Cohen. (Rami Negev photo)

Our newly elected Liberal MNA for D'Arcy McGee David Birnbaum was unable to attend,but he did send a nice message which Councillor Goldbloom read. "As member of the National Assembly, I am proud to support this event," he stated. "I’ve been pleased to discuss Côte Saint-Luc’s visionary approach to animal welfare with my colleague Pierre Paradis, Ministre de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation, with a view to having other municipalities follow your fine example. I expect that cats across Côte Saint-Luc will be proudly purring along to the beautiful music you are about to hear!"

Mr. Birnbaum has informed us that a $500 donation from his office will be directed towards the CSLCC, a tradition started by his predecessor Lawrence Bergman. Via District 2 resident Howard Liebman, we also received encouraging words from Mount Royal Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, who tabled animal protection motions in the House of Commons recently.

Lily Percs and  a nice delegation from her Women's Group (Chomedy Branch) of  Stamp out Violence attended, with transportation provided by Preferance Motor Coach.

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Mike Cohen, Sam Goldbloom, Diane Liebling and Shelley Schecter. (Rami Negev photo)

Our most worthy honouree this year was Diane Liebling, one of the key players in the CSLCC. She has virtually given up the use of her own family garage - her family members park outdoors even on frigid winter days– so that space can be made available for homeless cats. Diane fosters these cats; in many cases she  has fallen so deeply in love that she has adopted. Shelley Shecter often says : “If only we could clone Diane.”  Diane Liebling has saved the lives of countless cats in CSL. She is a model for all of us.  We presented her with a certificate and a nice gift donated by Norm Zimmerman of Steve's Music Store.

There are many feral cats in the community. The CSLCC’s team of volunteers sets out to trap as many as possible, have them sterilized and then adopted or returned to the spot where they were originally found. The committee has also rescued a number of kittens and found homes for them. The city’s first ever cat licensing bylaw was adopted last year and we have already seen some success from it.

The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra (MWSO) was founded in 2006 by conductor Milo and his wife Lucy Ravinsky. This one of a kind orchestra was formed when it was discovered that a great pool of professional musicians, recently immigrated to Montreal, had no opportunity to make use of their valuable talent in their new home. The MWSO was created, not only to provide these new Canadians with the opportunity to engage in their main passion; making beautiful music in an orchestral setting, but to give them back the professional dignity they had enjoyed in their homelands and most especially, to share their wonderful talents with the music lovers of Montreal. They are a treasure and we remain lucky to have them.

Below is a video of the entire evening, done by CSL Director of Public Affairs, Communications and IT Darryl Levine:

 

Thanks to all of our committee members, some of whom baked goods for an intermission fundraising sale and to the staff at the Marymount Adult Education Centre.  Principal Jacques Monfette, educational advisor Hipolito Corral and caretakers Michel Leblanc and Brenda Pion. Michel really performed  above and beyond the call of duty, serving as our de facto sound advisor.

From this evening we did get some new committee members. We also hope some folks heard our message and will consider adopting a cat. Diane has a few beauties looking for good homes right now.

 


Animal Protection meeting results in first step towards Dog Owners Group

As the city councillor responsible for Animal Protection, I was pleased to hold my first forum on the subject at the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library. It was really the first time that a joint meeting had been held between cat and dog owners.

I was very pleased to welcome our newly elected Liberal Member of the National Assembly for D’Arcy McGee David Birnbaum, who succeeded Lawrence Bergman. David has been named a Parliamentary Secretary to Premier Philippe Couillard. We are thrilled to once again have a local MNA who is part of the government in power.

 

BirnbaumAnimalMeeting
Councillor Mike Cohen, David Birnbaum, Shelley Schecter and Bram Eisenthal.

Lawrence Bergman was  a strong supporter of the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee (CSLCC). David told us that he has always been an animal lover, having grown up with pets in his household. He was very pleased to learn about our activities. We asked if he could speak with the new Minister of Agriculture, Pierre Paradis, who has responsibility for Animal Welfare. While we will sit down with David in the near future to brief him on our goals and objectives, we would very much appreciate meeting Mr. Paradis as well.

I have known David for a long time. We are lucky to have him as our new provincial representative.

A number of members of our CSLCC were on hand for the meeting, our two leaders Shelley Schecter and Diane Mendel Liebling. It has been almost four years since I called a meeting at City Hall to talk about what we could do to address the homeless cats situation in our community. Well more than 100 people turned out that evening and the rest is history. We have a small, but devoted, group of volunteers who handle Trap, Neuter, Release and Adoption, community relations, education, fundraising and other matters that come up.  Overall we have already saved the lives of hundreds of beautiful cats. The first ever cat licensing bylaw has been passed and we have many more projects at hand.

I was pleased with the turnout for our Forum, particularly among dog owners. There was a clear interest among those on hand to try and launch a Côte Saint-Luc Dog Owners Association. I would indeed support such an initiative, with these individuals serving as the perfect advisory group for my portfolio.

Since being appointed as the councillor responsible for Animal Protection last January, I have already met and spoken with countless dog owners. I will soon be announcing an exciting new partnership with a local pet food store.

Right now we have one dog run in Côte Saint-Luc, on Mackle Road near Caldwell. The city has already received a petition to see a new dog run built at Richard Schwartz Park, located on Westluke and Côte Saint-Luc Road near Meadowbrook Golf Course.  We are studying this request seriously to determine whether we can find a suitable section of land at that park or anywhere in the vicinity to suit that purpose. Dog owners near Decarie Square have a similar request.

It was clear from everyone on hand that we need to promote responsible dog ownership. That means keeping your canine on a leash and most importantly picking up after he or she. Never leave the house without a plastic bag to dispose of the dog’s dirty business. We are working towards a project which would have more bag dispensers available, with a trash can at the same location.

One lady told the story of someone in her building who refused to pick up after her dog. “I warned her that if she did not do so, I would put it in a bag and leave it on her doorstep,” she said. “Well right in front of me she let her dog do his business, with no cleanup at all. The next day she did find it on her doorstep.”

Steve Stein said he has been disgusted by some of the actions of irresponsible dog owners. “I have never seen such neglect,” he said. “My 16 year old son finally saw enough and he has taken to cleaning up the mess himself as part of his community service at school.”

Shelley Schecter said that the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough in Monteal now has a bylaw which requires dog owners to carry  a bag with them or else they risk a fine.

Bram Eisenthal, the publisher of Precious Pets newspaper, announced a new partnership with the CSLCC. We will be co-sponsoring some of his Grief Counselling meetings for people whose beloved pets have died. He has done a few sessions already on the West Island. They have been very therapeutic for those in attendance. I have personally lost three cats in my lifetime. Only a pet owner can understand what this is like. Absolutely devastating! Bram is giving people a chance to share their feelings with others who have gone through the same thing. A future meeting will take place in CSL.

I look forward to reporting upon developments on the formation of a Dog Owners Association. Louise Chenevert, who has started such a group in Montreal West, was on hand at our meeting and provide some good background on the subject.