As I complete my 17th year as the Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor for District 2, it is a pleasure to present my annual Year in Review. While restrictions may have been removed, we are still living in the midst of a global pandemic. Nonetheless, there is more of a sense of normalcy in the air. Our facilities reopened to the public.
In person public city council meetings returned, as did events. I am pleased that our council has maintained a mask wearing policy at our meetings for now. Between COVID, the flu and RSV one cannot be too careful. One good thing that did come out of the pandemic was our ability to meet virtually. As a result, our public meetings are broadcast live on YouTube. Residents can watch the proceedings via Zoom and even ask questions from home. It is a good system.
Alors que je termine ma 17e année en tant que conseiller municipal de Côte Saint-Luc pour le district 2, j'ai le plaisir de vous présenter mon bilan annuel de l'année. Même si les restrictions ont été levées, nous vivons toujours au milieu d'une pandémie mondiale. Néanmoins, il y a un sentiment de normalité dans l'air. Nos installations ont rouvert leurs portes au public.
Les réunions publiques en personne du conseil municipal ont repris, tout comme les événements. Je suis heureux que notre conseil ait maintenu une politique de port du masque lors de nos réunions pour le moment. Entre le COVID, la grippe et le VRS, on n'est jamais trop prudent. Une bonne chose qui est sortie de la pandémie est notre capacité à nous réunir virtuellement. Ainsi, nos réunions publiques sont diffusées en direct sur YouTube. Les résidents peuvent suivre les débats via Zoom et même poser des questions depuis chez eux. C'est un bon système.
Here are some of my highlights.
Voici quelques-uns de mes points forts
ADOPTING OUR BUDGET/ L'ADOPTION DE NOTRE BUDGET
When Suburban municipalities voted to demerge from the Montreal mega-city in 2003, there was only one downside. The City of Montreal, disguised as thecontrolling power of what is known as the Agglomeration Council, would determine 50 percent of our tax rate and we’d have little say over how that was calculated. It is a shameful practice. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante and her party have shown complete disrespect for the suburbs. During a tough financial year, they are making us pay for their inflated spending.
The administration at Montreal City Hall establishes the agglomeration budget without input from us. In fact, Montreal’s finance department presented the 2023 agglomeration budget to the suburban mayors several hours after they had presented it to journalists and after its content had already been reported in the news. Our Deputy Mayor Dida Berku notes that the Plante administration “took advantage of the situation and pushed the limit of what extra costs it could dump on the agglomeration” because the suburbs are footing 38 per cent of the spending increase resulting from the new valuation roll. The suburbs are home to 12 per cent of the island’s population."
We are also victims of the property valuation roll. Residential properties jumped in value by an average of 35.6 per cent from three years ago. Single-family homes are up 38.6 per cent, while condominiums went up 30.7 per cent, according to the 2023-2025 valuation roll for Montreal.
With all of this bad news, our council still managed to keep the average property tax increase to 5.9 percent. It was an extremely difficult exercise. And please keep in mind the Mayor and Council are taxpayers as well. We must work with the other suburbs and find a way to take legal action against Montreal to deal with their dishonesty!
Lorsque les municipalités de banlieue ont voté pour se séparer de la "megacity'" de Montréal en 2003, il n'y avait qu'un seul inconvénient. La Ville de Montréal, déguisée en pouvoir de contrôle de ce qu'on appelle le Conseil d'agglomération, déterminerait 50 % de notre taux d'imposition et nous n'aurions pas grand-chose à dire sur la façon dont il est calculé. C'est une pratique honteuse. La maire de Montréal, Valérie Plante, et son parti ont fait preuve d'un manque total de respect pour les banlieues. Pendant une année financière difficile, ils nous font payer pour leurs dépenses exagérées.
L'administration de l'hôtel de ville de Montréal établit le budget de l'agglomération sans nous consulter. En effet, la direction des finances de Montréal a présenté le budget d'agglomération 2023 aux maires de banlieue plusieurs heures après qu'ils l'aient présenté aux journalistes et alors que son contenu avait déjà fait l'objet de reportages. Notre maire adjointe Dida Berku note que l'administration Plante "a profité de la situation et a repoussé les limites des coûts supplémentaires qu'elle pouvait imposer à l'agglomération" parce que les banlieues assument 38 % de l'augmentation des dépenses résultant du nouveau rôle d'évaluation. Les banlieues abritent 12 % de la population de l'île".
Nous sommes également victimes du rôle d'évaluation des propriétés. La valeur des propriétés résidentielles a augmenté en moyenne de 35,6 % par rapport à il y a trois ans. Les maisons unifamiliales ont augmenté de 38,6 %, tandis que les condominiums ont augmenté de 30,7 %, selon le rôle d'évaluation 2023-2025 de Montréal.
Avec toutes ces mauvaises nouvelles, notre conseil a tout de même réussi à maintenir l'augmentation moyenne des taxes foncières à 5,9 pour cent. Ce fut un exercice extrêmement difficile. Et n'oubliez pas que le maire et le conseil sont aussi des contribuables. Nous devons travailler avec les autres banlieues et trouver un moyen d'intenter une action en justice contre Montréal pour faire face à leur malhonnêteté !
LIBRARY NAMING/UN CÉRÉMONIE HISTORIQUE
How honoured I was on September 18 to preside over a historic ceremony In 2007, two years after I was first elected to city council, I brought forward a naming rights proposal which was approved. Over the years we named events, programs and benches after individuals and companies in return for financial gifts. But the confirmation of the Bibliothèque des jeunes Max Margles Children’s Library, thanks to a $500,000 gift from Roslyn Margles in honour of her late husband, far and away entered into our record books. The unveiling and ribbon cutting ceremony took place many months after myself, Library Director Janine West, Treasurer Angelo Marino and Legal Counsel Andrea Charon began discussions with Ms. Margles. At the library, we will now seek a naming rights donor for our beautiful art gallery. There is also our Aquatic and Community Centre and Arena, as well as possibly Wiffle Ball Field.
Mayor Brownstein, Roslyn Margles, Janine West and myself.
Quel honneur j'ai eu le 18 septembre de présider une cérémonie historique En 2007, deux ans après ma première élection au conseil municipal, j'ai présenté une proposition de droits de dénomination qui a été approuvée. Au fil des ans, nous avons donné à des événements, des programmes et des bancs le nom de personnes et d'entreprises en échange de dons financiers. Mais la confirmation de la Bibliothèque des jeunes Max Margles, grâce à un don de 500 000 $ de Roslyn Margles en l'honneur de son défunt mari, est entrée de loin dans notre livre des records. La cérémonie de dévoilement et de coupe du ruban a eu lieu plusieurs mois après que moi-même, la directrice de la bibliothèque Janine West, le trésorier Angelo Marino et la conseillère juridique Andrea Charon ayons entamé des discussions avec Mme Margles. À la bibliothèque, nous allons maintenant chercher un donateur de droits d'appellation pour notre magnifique galerie d'art. Il y a aussi notre centre aquatique et communautaire et notre arène, ainsi qu'éventuellement le terrain de Wiffle Ball.
LOCAL AUTHORS/D’AUTEURS LOCAUX
I was very pleased when Mayor Mitchell Brownstein gave me the portfolio of Library and Culture. Working with Director Library Services Janine West and her staff, one of my first objectives was to introduce a local authors series. On January 26, to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day (commemorated on January 27), we started off in a big way with the fascinating Pinchas Eliayahu Blitt. At 90 years young this proud Côte Saint-Luc resident became an author for the first time. A Promise of Sweet Tea depicts a Jewish community coming alive in this vividly told story of a childhood interrupted by the Holocaust, Pinchas Blitt conjures Kortelisy — a humble, vibrant village in the backwoods of western Ukraine where he lived in fear of Cossacks and wolves and the local antisemitic children. Remarkably, he and his family spent two and a half years living in the woods. How he survived beyond his 10th birthday is nothing short than a miracle. It was published by the Azrieli Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs: Published Titles. I have followed that up with a series of other interviews. You can find them all on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtGEI-5c6q3pt4LimYnMYnQ/featured
J'ai été très heureux lorsque le maire Mitchell Brownstein m'a confié le portefeuille de la bibliothèque et de la culture. En collaboration avec la directrice des services de bibliothèque, Janine West, et son équipe, l'un de mes premiers objectifs a été de lancer une série d'auteurs locaux. Le 26 janvier, pour marquer la Journée internationale de commémoration de l'Holocauste (commémorée le 27 janvier), nous avons commencé en beauté avec le fascinant Pinchas Eliayahu Blitt. À 90 ans, ce fier habitant de Côte Saint-Luc est devenu auteur pour la première fois. A Promise of Sweet Tea dépeint une communauté juive qui prend vie. Dans ce récit très vivant d'une enfance interrompue par l'Holocauste, Pinchas Blitt évoque Kortelisy, un village humble et dynamique situé au fin fond de l'Ukraine occidentale, où il vivait dans la crainte des cosaques, des loups et des enfants antisémites du coin. Fait remarquable, lui et sa famille ont vécu deux ans et demi dans les bois. La façon dont il a survécu au-delà de son 10e anniversaire est tout simplement un miracle. Ce livre a été publié par la série Azrieli des mémoires de survivants de l'Holocauste : Titres publiés. J'ai enchaîné avec une série d'autres entretiens. Vous pouvez les trouver toutes sur notre chaîne YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtGEI-5c6q3pt4LimYnMYnQ/featured.
YIDLIFE CRISIS
I had the great honour of being part of the opening sequence for the sensational YidLife Crisis special show poking fun at the City of Côte Saint-Luc. You can see it here. If you'd like to see the entire show, for any donation go to: https://www.yidlifecrisis.com/whatsnu...
J'ai eu le grand honneur de faire partie de la séquence d'ouverture de la sensationnelle émission spéciale YidLife Crisis qui se moque de la ville de Côte Saint-Luc. Vous pouvez la voir ici. Si vous souhaitez voir l'intégralité de l'émission, pour tout don, allez à : https://www.yidlifecrisis.com/whatsnu...
Voici l'ouverture avec votre serviteur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgbqncULzBA
MAISON FLEURIES
The first in-person annual Maisons Fleuries Contest Awards presentation in three years took place at City Hall on November 14, 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 bee Councillor Sidney Benizri and I co-chaired the program. Some of the District 2 winners included: Under Single Family Homes, Gabriel Malca at 5777 Ilan Ramon Crescent, first place and Gerald Abitbol and Esther Attias at 6573 Mackle Road (Cambridge Courts), second; Under Highrises, 5840 Marc Chagall (Le Bellagio), represented by Viviane Silver, Edie Ojalvo and Sonja Langburt and 5845 Marc Chagall (La Marquise).
With Vivian Silver and Sonja Langburt.
La première présentation en personne des prix du concours Maisons Fleuries depuis trois ans a eu lieu à l'hôtel de ville le 14 novembre. Elle a permis de mettre en valeur certains des magnifiques travaux réalisés par nos propriétaires, qu'il s'agisse de maisons individuelles, de maisons de ville, de duplex ou de tours d'habitation. Cette initiative annuelle d'embellissement des jardins ne rend pas seulement notre ville plus belle, elle est également bénéfique pour l'environnement. En plantant et en entretenant des arbres, des fleurs et d'autres plantes, vous contribuez à réduire la pollution atmosphérique, à augmenter la production d'oxygène et à sauver l'abeille. Le conseiller Sidney Benizri et moi-même avons co-présidé le programme. Voici quelques-uns des gagnants du District 2 : Dans la catégorie des maisons individuelles, Gabriel Malca au 5777 Ilan Ramon Crescent, premier prix, et Gerald Abitbol et Esther Attias au 6573 Mackle Road (Cambridge Courts), deuxième prix ; dans la catégorie des immeubles, 5840 Marc Chagall (Le Bellagio), représenté par Viviane Silver, Edie Ojalvo et Sonja Langburt et 5845 Marc Chagall (La Marquise).
MASTER PLAN/LE PLAN D’URBANISME
Hard work continues on the part of our city to inform the public and enable citizens to participate in the full consultation process for the revision of our municipal Master Plan and Zoning By-law revision documents. Spearheaded by Associate City Manager Tanya Abramovitch, we recently organized a series of in-person workshops at City Hall. As the councillor responsible for Local Commerce, I took part in the one on November 2. The focus was on Home-Based Businesses and Local Commerce Commercial activity is a fundamental part of any thriving city. With the three large commercial centres undergoing major transformation over the next few years and changes in the world of retail, we need to consider what kinds of commercial activity are relevant, desirable, and accessible for our residents in commercial zones and in homes. Home-Based Businesses have fallen into somewhat of a grey zone over the years. Officially, if you are operating a business out of your residence you are supposed to register the company with the city. Subsequent workshops were held on housing, the Westminster Corridor and Mobility and Connectivity.
A session on local commerce at City Hall.
Le Plan d’urbanisme est un document de planification qui définit les principes directeurs et les priorités pour le développement de la Ville au cours des prochaines décennies. Il aborde la manière dont les terrains seront utilisés et oriente les décisions concernant les installations communautaires, les espaces verts et les transports.
Vos commentaires sont importants, ils nous aident à nous assurer que nous planifions la ville que vous voulez. Complétez une sondage en ligne pour partager votre vision et vos commentaires
Les résultats de ce sondage, ainsi que les commentaires reçus lors diverses autres consultations, seront résumés dans un rapport qui sera publié en 2023. Le contenu de ce rapport guidera la Ville dans la conception du nouveau Plan d’urbanisme.
PARC REMBRANDT PARK
As the city councillor for District 2 these past 17 years, I am very proud of the work that has been done to enhance Rembrandt Park. When I was first elected, the park had a sunken field that was used by delinquents to hide out late at night and even dump benches. We were able to level that field, much to the benefit of users. A skateboard bowl, deemed dangerous by many parents and confirmed by senior staff, was removed. The splashpad project was installed well over a decade ago and is a popular attraction. Park equipment has been consistently upgraded and last year we finally installed a brand new basketball court, as well as a half court for youngsters. In addition, we purchased large nets so youngsters could play soccer. I have received nothing but warm thanks for the youngsters who use these facilities.
As for the tennis courts, they have been refurbished over the years and benefited from new lighting. A permanent ping pong table, installed in 2021, has been a big hit from the start. In the winter, for two years in a row now, we have but in an ice skating rink at one of the tennis courts. There is also a popular toboggan hill. This is an extremely well utilized park, a hub of activity and a wonderful mix of young families and seniors who live in the immediate area. I am not pleased to see people having picnics and not cleaning up after themselves. It lends the impression that the park is dirty. That is not the case. We have ample trash cans. On weekends in particular we have a small crew of staff circulating throughout the city so they cannot possibly visit each park for cleanup.
I walk through this park regularly from the spring to the fall, constantly interacting with users and the park attendants who oversee activities. When people have concerns, they direct them my way. That is the best process to follow. Last summer, for instance, a woman called to advise me that she was pushing her husband in his wheelchair to the park, but the pathway was not smooth enough to get there. In a matter of days I had a crew from Public Works present to pour more cement and create an easier entry. Understandably, residents who use a particular park a lot tend to have large wish lists. We do everything we can to comply, however it is very important to emphasize that the city has dozens of parks to take care of. There is only so much funding available. That being said, Rembrandt Park is indeed on a list prepared by our Public Works Department for changes to the playground areas. This will not occur overnight, as it is a costly endeavor. As well, because the playgrounds are divided into sections for young and older children, a complete redesign will be required.
In the meantime, we continue to roll out new initiatives:
The chalet roof has been redone in aluminum, a sustainable material that can last up to 50 years and added handicapped/stroller accessible washrooms.
Three new lamp posts were added at the Merrimac side of the park.
Eleven new benches were installed in concrete bases along the pathway near the playground and chalet.
We replaced and added four extra large garbage bins.
Two new drinking fountains have now been installed ( water bottle accessible).
We removed dead and sick trees and planted new ones.
We replaced the single doors at the tennis courts with double doors.
The chalet art room was renovated, including a custom made (by our employees) stainless steel double sink.
Last winter parents with young children enjoyed the Rembrandt Park Toboggan Hill. However, I did receive some complaints about safety concerns with some trees located in dangerous spot. We took corrective measures on this matter securing the area (from kids ending up on the street ) with a snow fence along the sidewalk on Rembrandt. Also, we wrapped the two trees closest to the hill with an orange snow fence too. This way the trees now stick out and there’s still plenty of room for many toboggans to run.
At the park.
En tant que conseiller municipal du district 2 depuis 17 ans, je suis très fier du travail accompli pour améliorer le parc Rembrandt. Lorsque j'ai été élue pour la première fois, le parc avait un terrain en contrebas qui était utilisé par les délinquants pour se cacher tard le soir et même pour jeter des bancs. Nous avons pu niveler ce terrain, au grand bénéfice des utilisateurs. Une cuvette de skateboard, jugée dangereuse par de nombreux parents et confirmée par les responsables, a été supprimée. Le projet de splashpad a été installé il y a bien plus de dix ans et constitue une attraction populaire. Les équipements du parc ont été constamment améliorés et l'année dernière, nous avons enfin installé un tout nouveau terrain de basket, ainsi qu'un demi-terrain pour les plus jeunes. En outre, nous avons acheté de grands filets pour que les jeunes puissent jouer au football. Je n'ai reçu que des remerciements chaleureux de la part des jeunes qui utilisent ces installations.
Quant aux courts de tennis, ils ont été remis à neuf au fil des ans et ont bénéficié d'un nouvel éclairage. Une table de ping-pong permanente, installée en 2021, a connu un grand succès dès le début. En hiver, depuis deux années consécutives, nous avons installé une patinoire sur l'un des courts de tennis. Il y a également une piste de luge très appréciée. C'est un parc extrêmement bien utilisé, un centre d'activités et un merveilleux mélange de jeunes familles et de personnes âgées qui vivent dans le voisinage immédiat. Je ne suis pas heureux de voir des gens qui font des pique-niques et ne nettoient pas après leur passage. Cela donne l'impression que le parc est sale. Ce n'est pas le cas. Nous avons de nombreuses poubelles. Les week-ends, en particulier, nous avons une petite équipe qui circule dans toute la ville et qui ne peut pas se rendre dans chaque parc pour le nettoyer.
Je me promène régulièrement dans ce parc du printemps à l'automne, interagissant constamment avec les utilisateurs et les préposés qui supervisent les activités. Lorsque les gens ont des préoccupations, ils les dirigent vers moi. C'est le meilleur processus à suivre. L'été dernier, par exemple, une femme m'a appelé pour me dire qu'elle poussait son mari dans son fauteuil roulant jusqu'au parc, mais que le sentier n'était pas assez lisse pour y arriver. En quelques jours, j'ai fait venir une équipe des travaux publics pour couler plus de ciment et créer une entrée plus facile. Il est compréhensible que les résidents qui utilisent beaucoup un parc particulier aient tendance à avoir de grandes listes de souhaits. Nous faisons tout ce que nous pouvons pour nous y conformer, mais il est très important de souligner que la ville a des dizaines de parcs à entretenir. Les fonds disponibles sont limités. Ceci étant dit, le parc Rembrandt figure effectivement sur une liste préparée par notre département des travaux publics pour des changements dans les aires de jeux. Cela ne se fera pas du jour au lendemain, car il s'agit d'une entreprise coûteuse. De plus, comme les aires de jeux sont divisées en sections pour les jeunes enfants et les enfants plus âgés, un réaménagement complet sera nécessaire.
En attendant, nous continuons à mettre en place de nouvelles initiatives :
- Le toit du chalet a été refait en aluminium, un matériau durable qui peut durer jusqu'à 50 ans, et nous avons ajouté des toilettes accessibles aux handicapés et aux poussettes.
- Trois nouveaux lampadaires ont été ajoutés du côté Merrimac du parc.
- Onze nouveaux bancs ont été installés sur des socles en béton le long du sentier près de l'aire de jeux et du chalet.
- Nous avons remplacé et ajouté quatre poubelles de très grande taille.
- Deux nouvelles fontaines à boire ont été installées (accessibles aux bouteilles d'eau).
- Nous avons enlevé les arbres morts et malades et en avons planté de nouveaux.
- Nous avons remplacé les portes simples des courts de tennis par des portes doubles.
- La salle d'art du chalet a été rénovée, y compris un évier double en acier inoxydable fabriqué sur mesure (par nos employés).
L'hiver dernier, les parents avec de jeunes enfants ont apprécié le Toboggan Hill du parc Rembrandt. Cependant, j'ai reçu quelques plaintes concernant des problèmes de sécurité avec certains arbres situés à des endroits dangereux. Nous avons pris des mesures correctives à ce sujet en sécurisant la zone (pour éviter que les enfants ne se retrouvent dans la rue) avec une barrière à neige le long du trottoir de Rembrandt. Nous avons également entouré les deux arbres les plus proches de la colline d'une clôture à neige orange. De cette façon, les arbres dépassent maintenant et il y a encore beaucoup de place pour que de nombreux toboggans puissent courir.
MARC CHAGALL PARK NAMING /MAGNIFIQUE ESPACE VERT
I am pleased to share that via our Public Affairs and Communications Department, the process to name the now beautiful greenspace on Marc Chagall Avenue is underway. History will note that after having rented the greenspace to the developers of the Equinoxe buildings for three years, the property was left in poor condition. Some litigation was necessary in order to not only restore the area, but vastly improve it. That was indeed done by our Public Works Department. Besides installing sod (instant grass), we have a pathway, new benches and lighting, picnic tables and trees. So it is time to find a name for the "Place" or "Square." According to our new naming policy, we consulted with residents in the immediate area. Our Toponomy Committee, which I chair, has reviewed and we willl make a recommendation to city council in early 2023.
The beautifully refurbished greenspace.
J'ai le plaisir de vous annoncer que, par l'intermédiaire de notre département des affaires publiques et de la communication, le processus visant à donner un nom au désormais magnifique espace vert de l'avenue Marc Chagall est en cours. L'histoire retiendra qu'après avoir loué l'espace vert aux promoteurs des immeubles Equinoxe pendant trois ans, la propriété a été laissée en mauvais état. Il a fallu engager des poursuites pour non seulement restaurer l'espace, mais aussi l'améliorer considérablement. C'est ce qu'a fait notre service des travaux publics. Outre l'installation de gazon instantané, nous avons un sentier, de nouveaux bancs et éclairages, des tables de pique-nique et des arbres. Il est donc temps de trouver un nom pour la "Place" ou le "Square". Conformément à notre nouvelle politique de dénomination, nous avons consulté les résidents des environs immédiats. Notre comité de toponymie, que je préside, a examiné la question et nous ferons une recommandation au conseil municipal au début de 2023.
PROPOSED BUILDING/COMPLEXE D’APPARTEMENTS
Last summer I received many calls from people asking about a small notice that was placed at the corner of Marc Chagall Avenue and Kildare Road. It was from our Urban Planning Department and explained that the city had received an application from a developer to build a seven floor, 28 unit apartment complex on the site at that spot near Beth Chabad CSL and Bialik High School. This land is presently zoned for a two storey commercial building. A zoning amendment approved by Council and then taken to local residents for consultation would have been required. Our Planning Advisory Committee reviewed the proposal and recommended against the project. I had invited the developer to have an information meeting with residents first, but he favored going directly to Urban Planning.
The vacant land.
L'été dernier, j'ai reçu de nombreux appels de personnes s'interrogeant sur un petit avis placé à l'angle de l'avenue Marc Chagall et de Kildare Road. Il émanait de notre service d'urbanisme et expliquait que la ville avait reçu une demande d'un promoteur pour construire un complexe d'appartements de sept étages et 28 unités sur le site à cet endroit, près du Beth Chabad CSL et du lycée Bialik. Ce terrain est actuellement zoné pour un bâtiment commercial de deux étages. Une modification du zonage approuvée par le Conseil et soumise ensuite à la consultation des résidents locaux aurait été nécessaire. Notre comité consultatif d'urbanisme a examiné la proposition et s'est prononcé contre le projet. J'avais invité le promoteur à tenir d'abord une réunion d'information avec les résidents, mais il a préféré s'adresser directement au service de l'urbanisme.
SNOW DUMP/LA DÉMANTÈLMENT DE LA COLLINE
Thanks to our Public Works Department for their annual destruction of the large and ugly hill of muddy snow at the snow dump. This is no easy feat. Our team We usually starts to break up the snow dump towards the end of June / beginning of July. The mountain is generally too hard and frozen to start operations, as the equipment (mechanical shovel) will likely break. This had happened in the past when the contractor started too early in the season. With several years of experience now, we work together with the contractor preparing the proper schedule for breaking down the hill.It takes approximately 100 hours of work to complete the project. This year it was all finished earlier than scheduled.
The hill before it was broken apart.
Merci à notre service des travaux publics pour sa destruction annuelle de la grande et laide colline de neige boueuse à la décharge à neige. Ce n'est pas une mince affaire. Notre équipe commence généralement à détruire la décharge à neige vers la fin du mois de juin ou le début du mois de juillet. La montagne est généralement trop dure et gelée pour commencer les opérations, car l'équipement (pelle mécanique) risque de se briser. Cela s'est produit dans le passé lorsque l'entrepreneur a commencé trop tôt dans la saison. Avec plusieurs années d'expérience maintenant, nous travaillons ensemble avec l'entrepreneur pour préparer le calendrier adéquat pour le démantèlement de la colline. Il faut environ 100 heures de travail pour terminer le projet. Cette année, tout a été terminé plus tôt que prévu.
LEAF BLOWERS/SOUFFLEURS DE FEUILLES
Great news for the many people who have expressed their dismay over the years about the noise pollution emanated by leaf blowers. A new bylaw will take effect on April 28, 2023 prohibiting leaf blowers between June 1 and August 30. During the other months they will only be permitted between 8 am and 5 pm. Thanks to our Public Works Department, which researched the situation and came to Council with this new proposal. I think this a good start for us. Many people work from home and keep their windows open during the summer. The noise from the leaf blowers is hardly welcoming.
Excellente nouvelle pour les nombreuses personnes qui ont exprimé au fil des ans leur désarroi face à la pollution sonore émanant des souffleurs de feuilles. Un nouveau règlement entrera en vigueur le 28 avril 2023, interdisant les souffleurs de feuilles entre le 1er juin et le 30 août. Pendant les autres mois, ils ne seront autorisés qu'entre 8 h et 17 h. Merci à notre service des travaux publics, qui a fait des recherches sur la situation et a présenté cette nouvelle proposition au Conseil. Je pense que c'est un bon début pour nous. De nombreuses personnes travaillent à domicile et gardent leurs fenêtres ouvertes pendant l'été. Le bruit des souffleurs de feuilles n'est guère accueillant.
PARC ELIE WIESEL PARK
Did you know that the sister of Elie Wiesel lived in Côte Saint-Luc before she passed away in 1974? I was unaware of this fact until the Foundation for Genocide Education welcomed Elisha Wiesel, the son of Elie Wiesel, to come speak at a fundraising event at Beth Israel Congregation. Elie Wiesel was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwaldconcentration camps. On the afternoon of the lecture we invited Elisha to the park we named in honour of his late father at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare and in my District 2. Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko, Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and some others joined us as we unveiled bench plaque at Elie Wiesel Park honouring Beatrice Wiesel Jackson - Elie's sister.
At the plaque ceremony.
Saviez-vous que la sœur d'Elie Wiesel a vécu à Côte Saint-Luc avant de décéder en 1974 ? J'ignorais ce fait jusqu'à ce que la Fondation pour l'éducation sur le génocide accueille Elisha Wiesel, le fils d'Elie Wiesel, pour venir parler lors d'un événement de collecte de fonds à la Congrégation Beth Israël. Elie Wiesel était un écrivain, professeur, activiste politique, lauréat du prix Nobel et survivant de l'Holocauste américain d'origine roumaine. Il est l'auteur de 57 livres, écrits pour la plupart en français et en anglais, dont Night, une œuvre basée sur son expérience de prisonnier juif dans les camps de concentration d'Auschwitz et de Buchenwald. L'après-midi de la conférence, nous avons invité Elisha dans le parc que nous avons nommé en l'honneur de son défunt père, à l'angle de Cavendish et Kildare, dans mon district 2. Le rabbin Reuben J. Poupko, le maire Mitchell Brownstein et quelques autres personnes se sont joints à nous pour dévoiler une plaque de banc au parc Elie Wiesel en l'honneur de Beatrice Wiesel Jackson - la sœur d'Elie.
LOCAL COMMERCE/ COMITÉ DU COMMERCE LOCAL
During this mandate I am also chairing the Local Commerce Committee. One of the first initiatives I implemented was to recognize a different merchant every month. In District 2 this has included David Banon and Sarah Ettedgui of Pharmaprix Cavendish, orthodontist Jordan Nemes on the Avenue and Bruce Gurberg of the new CinéStarz Deluxe Cavendish.
Pendant ce mandat, je préside également le comité du commerce local. L'une des premières initiatives que j'ai mises en œuvre a été de reconnaître un commerçant différent chaque mois. Dans le District 2, il s'agit de David Banon et Sarah Ettedgui de Pharmaprix Cavendish, de l'orthodontiste Jordan Nemes sur l'Avenue et de Bruce Gurberg du nouveau CinéStarz Deluxe Cavendish.
NEW MOVIE THEATRES/CINÉSTARZ DELUXE AU QUARTIER CAVENDISH
Speaking about Gurberg, the long wait for the return of movie theatres at Quartier Cavendish is over. History will note that Cineplex closed the cinema more than a year ago. At the time I speculated that Gurberg, who owns the CinéStarz chain, might fill the void. Sure enough he did step forward. He signed a multi-year lease. Since Cineplex removed virtually everything from the interior, Gurberg used the opportunity to do a total relaunch. The complex opened in the summer. Each room is spanking new, from the most comfortable (and expensive) electronic reclining seats I have ever experienced; new screens, speakers; new washrooms; new carpeting and flooring and even LED strips in each room that will change colours. Not only is there a concession stand, with the CineStarz to die for popcorn, but yes a full bar with 15 stools.
Félicitations au propriétaire Bruce Gurberg du nouveau CinéStarz Deluxe, maintenant ouvert au Quartier Cavendish (5800, boul. Cavendish) à Côte Saint-Luc. Ce cinéma possède huit écrans offre des commodités que l’on ne voit nulle part ailleurs au Québec et au Canada. Cette salle de cinéma fait partie de la chaîne CinéStarz de M. Gurberg. Au Québec M. Gurberg opère des salles à Côte des Neiges, Saint-Léonard et Grenville au Québec, ainsi que des salles en Ontario à Orléans, Ottawa et Burlington. Cineplex a fermé son emplacement au Quartier Cavendish, il y a plus d’un an. Pour M. Gurberg, qui vit et a grandi dans la communauté, il s’agit de la réalisation d’un rêve et, par conséquent, il a fait un investissement financier important dans l’installation. C’est pour cette raison qu’il a baptisé cette salle CinéStarz Deluxe.
Les locaux précédemment occupés ont été entièrement rénovés afin que M. Gurberg puisse offrir un intérieur tout à fait nouveau. CinéStarz Deluxe est le premier cinéma au Québec à offrir de grands sièges en cuir avec dossiers inclinables électroniques et repose-pieds extensibles. Il y a de nouveaux écrans plus grands, de nouvelles toilettes, de nouveaux tapis et revêtements de sol, des haut-parleurs de haute qualité et même des bandelettes D.E.L. qui changent de couleur. En plus des comptoirs de concessions, où l’on vend du maïs soufflé CinéStarz, il y aura un bar de 15 sièges.
TRAFFIC ISSUES/CIRCULATION
Côte Saint-Luc has a wonderful Traffic Engineer in Spyro Yotis. He makes sure that our Traffic Committee, Chaired by Councillor Mitchell Kujavsky, is on top of all the issues. Not surprisingly, this is usually the topic that comes up most when constituents speak to me.
Speeding remains a problem city-wide. Of course I wish there were more speed traps set up by our Police Station 9. We keep a close eye on problem areas and report them to police. If only Public Security officers were able to enforce moving violations!
I continue to work with the administration of JPPS-Bialik School on traffic issues. To their credit, the school has an army of staff on site for drop off and pickup times. There are a lot of vehicles circulating in this area, the main reason being an increase in enrolment at the primary and secondary levels.
As part of the District 2 Advisory Council I established a few years ago, my representative for Ilan Ramon Crescent and Sir Walter Scott Avenue Frank Palucci advocated for a speed bump on Sir Walter Scott. This street is home to half a dozen apartment buildings and of course two entrances to Ilan Ramon. Via Frank’s persistent reminders, I was able to get the attention of the Traffic Committee and a seasonal speed hump at the mid-way point of Sir Walter Scott was installed and it made a huge difference. We also brought back another one at the rear entrance/exit of City Hall which serves as deterrent to speeders. So thank you Frank, as well as Spyro Yotis.
Meantime, there continues to be complaints about speeding on Marc Chagall Avenue. We do have a speed hump near the snow dump, so cars seem to pressing the accelerator when they turn the corner and drive towards Mackle. We reached out to Police Station 9 Commander Martin Montour. “We believe it is the same youngsters who are speeding along Cavendish,” he said, confirming that the complaints are continually followed up.
Citizens who witness speeding infractions are asked to send an e-mail directly to [email protected] and it will be acted upon. You can call 911 in the case of an emergency.
Frank Palucci and the new speed bump.
Côte Saint-Luc a un merveilleux ingénieur de la circulation en la personne de Spyro Yotis. Il s'assure que notre comité de la circulation, présidé par le conseiller Mitchell Kujavsky, est au fait de tous les problèmes. Il n'est pas surprenant que ce soit le sujet qui revienne le plus souvent lorsque les électeurs me parlent.
Les excès de vitesse restent un problème dans toute la ville. Bien sûr, j'aimerais qu'il y ait plus de pièges à vitesse installés par notre poste de police 9. Nous surveillons de près les zones problématiques et les signalons à la police. Si seulement les agents de la sécurité publique étaient en mesure de faire respecter les infractions au code de la route !
Je continue à travailler avec l'administration de l'école JPPS-Bialik sur les questions de circulation. L'école a le mérite d'avoir une armée de personnel sur place pour les heures de dépose et de reprise des enfants. Il y a beaucoup de véhicules qui circulent dans cette zone, la raison principale étant l'augmentation des inscriptions aux niveaux primaire et secondaire.
Dans le cadre du conseil consultatif du district 2 que j'ai créé il y a quelques années, mon représentant pour Ilan Ramon Crescent et Sir Walter Scott Avenue, Frank Palucci, a plaidé en faveur de l'installation d'un ralentisseur sur Sir Walter Scott. Cette rue abrite une demi-douzaine d'immeubles d'habitation et, bien sûr, deux entrées d'Ilan Ramon. Grâce aux rappels incessants de Frank, j'ai pu attirer l'attention du comité de circulation et un ralentisseur saisonnier a été installé à mi-chemin de Sir Walter Scott, ce qui a fait une énorme différence. Nous en avons également remis un autre à l'entrée/sortie arrière de l'hôtel de ville, qui a un effet dissuasif sur les automobilistes. Merci donc à Frank, ainsi qu'à Spyro Yotis.
Entre-temps, des plaintes continuent d'être déposées au sujet des excès de vitesse sur l'avenue Marc Chagall. Nous avons un ralentisseur près du dépôt de neige, donc les voitures semblent appuyer sur l'accélérateur quand elles tournent le coin et roulent vers Mackle. Nous avons contacté le commandant du poste de police 9, Martin Montour. "Nous pensons que ce sont les mêmes jeunes qui font des excès de vitesse le long de Cavendish", a-t-il déclaré, confirmant que les plaintes font l'objet d'un suivi permanent.
Les citoyens qui sont témoins d'un excès de vitesse sont priés d'envoyer un courriel directement à [email protected] et il y sera donné suite. Vous pouvez appeler le 911 en cas d'urgence
GOLF CLASSIC/CLASSIQUE DE GOLF
Following a three year absence due to COVID-19, the Côte Saint-Luc Golf Classic returned on August 9 to Meadowbrook Golf Course and it was a huge success. I was pleased to co-chair this 41st annual event with Councillor Dida Berku and Mannie Young. Dida has been a champion on keeping Meadowbrook green for decades. Mannie, the former chair of the Men’s Club and a retired pharmacist, added an entire new dimension to this program with his wealth of contacts and fundraising abilities - no to mention his sense of humour. A few years ago, we introduced the Parks and Recreation Bursary Fund to help disadvantaged families and for children who have special needs in Côte Saint-Luc who cannot afford to register their children in seasonal programs and activities operated by our city. It was created by myself and Harold Cammy, with the support of McDonald’s franchisee Pierre Brunet. This year, thanks principally to Mannie and event coordinator Anisa Cameron, we exceeded expectations. New corporate sponsors were brought in and we raised over $9,000 for our charity. Former City Councillors Glenn J. Nashen and Sam Goldbloom were this year’s honorees.
Congratulating our winners at the Golf Classic.
Après une absence de trois ans en raison du COVID-19, la Classique de golf de Côte Saint-Luc est revenue le 9 août au terrain de golf Meadowbrook et ce fut un énorme succès. J'ai eu le plaisir de coprésider ce 41e événement annuel avec la conseillère Dida Berku et Mannie Young. Dida est une championne du maintien du vert à Meadowbrook depuis des décennies. Mannie, ancien président du Men's Club et pharmacien à la retraite, a ajouté une toute nouvelle dimension à ce programme grâce à ses nombreux contacts et à ses capacités de collecte de fonds - sans oublier son sens de l'humour.
Il y a quelques années, nous avons créé le Fonds de bourses des parcs et loisirs pour aider les familles défavorisées et les enfants ayant des besoins spéciaux de Côte Saint-Luc qui n'ont pas les moyens d'inscrire leurs enfants aux programmes et activités saisonniers de notre ville. Il a été créé par moi-même et Harold Cammy, avec l'appui du franchisé de McDonald's, Pierre Brunet. Cette année, grâce principalement à Mannie et à la coordinatrice de l'événement, Anisa Cameron, nous avons dépassé les attentes. De nouvelles entreprises commanditaires ont été recrutées et nous avons recueilli plus de 9 000 $ pour notre organisme de bienfaisance. Les anciens conseillers municipaux Glenn J. Nashen et Sam Goldbloom étaient les lauréats de cette année.
CATS AND DOGS/CHATS ET CHIENS
As the city councillor responsible for Animal Protection in Côte Saint-Luc, I feel fortunate to have devoted dog and cat owners who take care of our companion animals – and in the case of felines those who are homeless.
Last summer CSL Dog Owners Committee Co-Chairs Jonathan Goldman and Anna Marie Katz and I met me at the Mackle Road Dog Run. We were very fortunate to have CSL Public Safety Manager of Operations Jean-Marc Dubois with us. A dog owner himself, Jean Marc takes this dossier to heart. First let me thank the team at Public Works who have undertaken some attractive modifications to the Dog Run. Six new benches were installed in the park on concrete pads to prevent dogs from digging along with 30 tons of additional river stone while the vines growing along the CP fence were removed. Manager Dubois was joined by a public security officer at our meeting. We will now make sure that an officer visits the site at least once per shift. From time to time we do have issues with aggressive dogs. There is no place for them at this location. Our officers do have the authority to label a dog as potentially dangerous. The owner will be asked to leave with his or her canine and if they return a fine can be issued. We are working on some important changes to our dog by-laws so stay tuned in early 2023.
En tant que conseillère municipale responsable de la protection des animaux à Côte Saint-Luc, je me sens privilégiée d'avoir des propriétaires de chiens et de chats dévoués qui prennent soin de nos animaux de compagnie - et dans le cas des félins, de ceux qui sont sans abri.
L'été dernier, les coprésidents du Comité des propriétaires de chiens de CSL, Jonathan Goldman et Anna Marie Katz, et moi-même nous sommes retrouvés au Dog Run de Mackle Road. Nous avons eu la chance d'avoir avec nous le directeur des opérations de sécurité publique de CSL, Jean-Marc Dubois. Propriétaire de chiens lui-même, Jean Marc prend ce dossier à cœur. Tout d'abord, permettez-moi de remercier l'équipe des Travaux publics qui a entrepris des modifications attrayantes au Dog Run. Six nouveaux bancs ont été installés dans le parc sur des socles en béton pour empêcher les chiens de creuser, ainsi que 30 tonnes supplémentaires de pierre de rivière, tandis que les vignes qui poussaient le long de la clôture du CP ont été enlevées. Le directeur Dubois a été rejoint par un agent de sécurité publique lors de notre réunion. Nous nous assurerons désormais qu'un agent visite le site au moins une fois par quart de travail. De temps en temps, nous avons des problèmes avec des chiens agressifs. Il n'y a pas de place pour eux à cet endroit. Nos agents ont le pouvoir de qualifier un chien de potentiellement dangereux. Le propriétaire sera prié de partir avec son chien et s'il revient, une amende pourra lui être infligée. Nous travaillons sur d'importants changements à nos règlements sur les chiens, alors restez à l'écoute au début de 2023.
HYDRO QUÉBEC
Due to a variety of issues at Hydo-Québec, a planned major electrical system upgrade of the network has been put on hold. Work was supposed to occur between 2023 and 2026 and impact homes on Merrimac Road, Marc Chagall Avenue as well as Bialik High School. Hydro planned to convert three 120-kV substations to 315 kV. This included the Hampstead substation (in Côte Saint-Luc) and rebuilding the 120-kV Aqueduc-Saraguay overhead transmission line at 315 kV over a span of 18 km between LaSalle and Saint-Laurent. Known as the Aqueduc-Saraguay project, the cost is estimated at over $500 million.
The project involves replacing aging equipment, maintaining the system’s reliability, meeting future electricity needs and supporting economic development. We did form a committee, which included residents, and a number of our requests are being looked at for when the project does get the go ahead. This includes: the height of the substation being lowered by one storey; the movement of the line from Kildare to behind JPPS-Bialik (for which they will require the city’s assistance for a servitude) and exchanging the one from the Meadows; and the result of the sound study demonstrating that a sound wall along Baily is not necessary. We have been told that many Hydro projects are under stress from exploding costs, far in excess of budgeted amounts compared to the projected capex budgets, and that HQ CEO Sophie Brochu is restructuring the company. Every single project is being reviewed. The Aqueduc-Saraguay Project is also changing configuration somewhat, though not on CSL territory. It is for these reasons that they are not at all ready to have a city-wide consultation on the project anytime soon, and project 2023 as the earliest that it can occur.
The rewiring of the Hydro grid on Merrimac Road is also long overdue. Work was supposed to occur a decade ago, however Hydro and the Meadows Condominium could not come to an agreement on the exchange of servitudes.
Afin de répondre aux besoins croissants en électricité du secteur, Hydro-Québec investira plus de 500 M$ pour moderniser son réseau de transport dans l’axe nord-sud de l’île de Montréal, entre les arrondissements de Saint-Laurent et de LaSalle. Les équipements du réseau sont vieillissants, et doivent être remplacés.De plus, ce projet vise à améliorer la fiabilité de l’alimentation en électricité et la continuité du service à long terme pour tous les résidents de la région.
GARBAGE COLLECTION/COLLECTE DES ORDURES
Thanks to our Public Works Department, a problem with garbage collection at 6700 The Avenue was resolved. Buildings constructed in recent years only receive garbage collection once a week. The idea is for composting to take place as well once a week. But since that is still not a reality I was able to arrange with Public Works to add a second day each week the pickup schedule in the interim. 6700 The Avenue has 90 units. Once a week pickup is not sufficient at the present time for a building this size. For starters they do not have enough bins for this to be done properly, emitting a foul smell outdoors and in the garage where the garbage had to be returned.
Grâce à notre service des travaux publics, un problème de collecte des ordures au 6700 The Avenue a été résolu. Les bâtiments construits ces dernières années ne reçoivent la collecte des ordures qu'une fois par semaine. L'idée est que le compostage ait lieu également une fois par semaine. Mais comme ce n'est pas encore une réalité, j'ai pu m'arranger avec les Travaux publics pour ajouter un deuxième jour par semaine au calendrier de ramassage dans l'intervalle. Le 6700 The Avenue compte 90 unités. Le ramassage une fois par semaine n'est pas suffisant à l'heure actuelle pour un immeuble de cette taille. Pour commencer, ils n'ont pas assez de poubelles pour que cela soit fait correctement, ce qui dégage une odeur nauséabonde à l'extérieur et dans le garage où les ordures doivent être retournées.
MY PODCAST
Please listen to my podcast, which focuses on people and issues pertinent to Côte Saint-Luc.
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Saul Ettinger, an iconic figure on the Montreal restaurant scene. Saul was a well-known respected restaurateur and real estate magnate, having brought us the Briskets smoked meat chain and the Il Etait Une Fois burger spot. More than 40 years ago, Saul opened his first Briskets deli on Bishop Street. Twelve franchises in Montreal and Ottawa soon followed. As Saul told me just a few years ago, people who remember dining at Briskets described the smoked meat sandwiches as "addictive."
While I knew Beryl Peletz was in his 90s, he was one of those individuals whom I thought would simply live forever. Supported by his wife Miriam, he was a model constituent, always providing timely advice. When there was an issue they would call me together, with one of them doing the talking and the other sharing comments from the background. When it came to election time and campaigns, Beryl would give me the ultimate compliment when I knocked on his door by saying, “you don’t need to ask our vote…it is guaranteed.” Beryl was a true leader with the Côte Saint-Luc Men’s Club.
Joe Presser and I at an event a few years back.
I knew Joe Presser for most of my life, so when I learned that he had passed away suddenly on January 30 I took the news quite badly. I first met Joe when I was a young child. In the summer of 2018. we honoured Joe at the Côte Saint-Luc Golf Classic. Extreme heat postponed our day at the links, but the luncheon banquet to pay tribute to him carried on. Despite the fact I was dealing with an intolerably painful case of kidney stones, I made sure to be there for Joe’s sake. I am so glad the city did something to recognize his remarkable community work. I considered Joe a good friend and a true supporter of mine in District 2 from day one of my time on council. Joe had been active at programming in Côte Saint-Luc for most of his life, notably at Beth Zion Congregation, the Parks and Recreation Department, the Cummings Centre Sports Celebrity Breakfast and the Côte Saint-Luc Men’s Club. But he was often the man behind the scenes, not getting his deserving day in the sun.
Malheureusement, nous avons dû dire au revoir à certaines personnes merveilleuses en 2022. Parmi elles, un certain nombre de fidèles du District 2.
Donald Goldberg est décédé le 12 novembre à l'âge de 92 ans. Donald était le frère cadet de l'ancien conseiller municipal Isadore Goldberg. Il est décédé il y a presque trois ans et je me souviens d'avoir partagé des souvenirs avec la famille lors de la shiva organisée au domicile de Donald et Jeannie.
J'ai été profondément attristé d'apprendre le décès de Saul Ettinger, une figure emblématique de la restauration montréalaise. Saul était un restaurateur et un magnat de l'immobilier très respecté, qui nous a apporté la chaîne de viande fumée Briskets et le restaurant de burgers Il Etait Une Fois. Il y a plus de 40 ans, Saul a ouvert sa première charcuterie Briskets sur la rue Bishop. Douze franchises à Montréal et à Ottawa ont rapidement suivi. Comme Saul me l'a dit il y a quelques années, les gens qui se souviennent avoir mangé aux Briskets décrivent les sandwichs à la viande fumée comme "addictifs".
Même si je savais que Beryl Peletz était nonagénaire, il était l'une de ces personnes dont je pensais qu'elles vivraient tout simplement pour toujours. Soutenu par sa femme Miriam, il était un électeur modèle, donnant toujours des conseils opportuns. Lorsqu'il y avait un problème, ils m'appelaient ensemble, l'un d'eux parlant et l'autre faisant des commentaires en arrière-plan. Quand venait le temps des élections et des campagnes, Beryl me faisait le compliment ultime quand je frappais à sa porte en disant : "Vous n'avez pas besoin de demander notre vote... il est garanti." Beryl était un véritable leader au sein du Men's Club de Côte Saint-Luc.
J'ai connu Joe Presser pendant la majeure partie de ma vie, alors quand j'ai appris qu'il était décédé subitement le 30 janvier, j'ai mal pris la nouvelle. J'ai rencontré Joe pour la première fois lorsque j'étais un jeune enfant. Au cours de l'été 2018, nous avons rendu hommage à Joe lors de la Classique de golf de Côte Saint-Luc. Une chaleur extrême a reporté notre journée sur les links, mais le déjeuner-banquet pour lui rendre hommage s'est poursuivi. Malgré le fait que je devais faire face à un cas de calculs rénaux intolérablement douloureux, j'ai fait en sorte d'être là pour l'amour de Joe. Je suis si heureux que la ville ait fait quelque chose pour reconnaître son remarquable travail communautaire. Je considérais Joe comme un bon ami et un vrai partisan du District 2 depuis le premier jour de mon mandat au conseil. Joe a été actif dans la programmation de Côte Saint-Luc pendant la majeure partie de sa vie, notamment à la Congrégation Beth Zion, au Service des parcs et loisirs, au Petit-déjeuner des célébrités sportives du Centre Cummings et au Club des hommes de Côte Saint-Luc. Mais il était souvent l'homme de l'ombre, n'obtenant pas son jour mérité au soleil.
Dr. Ernest Burman
More than a year prior to the 2005 municipal elections, I announced that I would be running for the city council post in District 2. I launched this blog and literally began campaigning.
One of the first persons to contact me was Dr. Ernest Burman, a retired dentist who lived in the Rothchild. “I saw in the newspaper you want to become my city councillor,” he said, upon tracking me down. “I want to meet you.”
Dr. Ernest Burman
A few days later I sat down with Dr. Burman and formally introduced by myself. He shared with me issues of concern and I told him how I would try and resolve them. When we finished, he put out his hand and proclaimed: “You have my vote Mike!”
When the election came around I did have an opponent. We set up an office at the Quartier Cavendish and supporters came by and helped call people to go out and vote. Dr. Burman was among them.
Since that time Dr. Burman his wife Caroline (Kelsey) contacted whenever an issue needed my attention. I never forgot Dr. Burman’s support and I was very sad to learn that he passed away on December 20.
Plus d'un an avant les élections municipales de 2005, j'ai annoncé que je me présenterais au poste de conseiller municipal dans le district 2. J'ai lancé ce blog et j'ai littéralement commencé à faire campagne.
L'une des premières personnes à me contacter a été le Dr Ernest Burman, un dentiste à la retraite qui vivait dans le Rothchild. "J'ai vu dans le journal que vous vouliez devenir mon conseiller municipal", a-t-il dit en me retrouvant. "Je veux vous rencontrer."
Quelques jours plus tard, je me suis assis avec le Dr Burman et me suis présenté officiellement. Il a partagé avec moi des sujets de préoccupation et je lui ai dit comment j'allais essayer de les résoudre. Quand nous avons terminé, il a tendu la main et a proclamé : "Tu as mon vote Mike !"
Lorsque l'élection est arrivée, j'ai eu un adversaire. Nous avons installé un bureau dans le Quartier Cavendish et des partisans sont venus nous aider à appeler les gens à aller voter. Le Dr Burman était parmi eux.
Depuis lors, le Dr Burman et sa femme Caroline (Kelsey) m'ont contacté chaque fois qu'une question nécessitait mon attention. Je n'ai jamais oublié le soutien du Dr Burman et j'ai été très triste d'apprendre qu'il est décédé le 20 décembre.
More than a year prior to the 2005 municipal elections, I announced that I would be running for the city council post in District 2. I launched this blog and literally began campaigning.
One of the first persons to contact me was Dr. Ernest Burman, a retired dentist who lived in the Rothchild. “I saw in the newspaper you want to become my city councillor,” he said, upon tracking me down. “I want to meet you.”
Dr. Ernest Burman
A few days later I sat down with Dr. Burman and formally introduced myself. He shared with me issues of concern and I told him how I would try and resolve them. When we finished, he put out his hand and proclaimed: “You have my vote Mike!”
When the election came around I did have an opponent. We set up an office at the Quartier Cavendish and supporters came by and helped call people to go out and vote. Dr. Burman was among them.
Since that time Dr. Burman his wife Caroline (Kelsey) contacted me whenever an issue needed my attention. I never forgot Dr. Burman’s support and I was very sad to learn that he passed away on December 20.
Dr. Burman is being remembered as wonderful person and dentist. Noted Renee Gutterman Sandler: “He was not only our dentist, he was a family friend. He was the best dentist I have ever had, having lived in Chicago and Cincinnati. I'll never forget how he saved my wedding day. Our late mom woke up that morning with a filling missing on her front tooth. There was major panic in the house and Ernie came to the rescue. When most Mother of the Brides are getting their hair done, Ernie met her very early and fixed her up! He will be missed by many."
Added Frank Chalk: “Ernie had such a gift for friendship, caring, dentistry, wood carving, stained glass, and sports. He was an instinctive builder, improving every association and project that earned his support. And what a joy it was to be his friend! We were so fortunate to have him among us. He will be missed and remembered. May his memory be a blessing.”
Lynn Gordon from the Cummings Centre remembered a dear friend. “Ernie was a dedicated volunteer for many years sharing his wisdom, and expertise to enhance the daily lives of seniors in our community. In his own kind and gentle manner, he helped bring about positive changes, all with compassion for the well-being of others.”
Carol Levine has fond memories of Dr. Burman’s connection to her late brother. “More than 55 years ago a young boy was inspired to become a dentist because of his great admiration for Dr. Burman,” she recalled. “My brother the late Dr. Jeffrey Levine, who had cystic fibrosis, achieved his goal defying all odds. “
Last Monday (April 11) Côte Saint-Luc City Council convened for our first in-person meeting in over two years,
Despite the fact we have over 60,000 cases of COVID-19 daily in Quebec, the CAQ government is in election mode so no matter how backed up our emergency rooms get and regardless of how many crucial surgeries are cancelled due to the explosion of the pandemic it is business as usual according to our National Director of Health.
So, among the many senseless things our provincial government has done is force councils back in public. It was ironic that on the day we did return, former Councillor Sam Goldbloom was admitted to the Jewish General Hospital with a serious case of COVID. I spoke to Sam today. His condition is improving and he should be released in the coming days. The list of people I know who have come down with COVID in the past two weeks is endless. Yet here we were in the Council Chamber, albeit everyone masked and distanced,asked to meet in the presence of the public. Vaccine passports are now part of our past.
Seated at our first in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic.
The council meeting proceeded similarly to those of the past two years. While we were indeed all seated in the Council Chamber, we wore headphones and via Zoom the session was broadcast live on YouTube. One member of the public showed up, but she left before we got started. Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and I are immunosuppressed. So after the agenda was approved, we each went to separate rooms and continued to participate in the meeting. Oh yes, we did have plenty of questions and all of them came online.
What we proved on April 11 is that hybrid meetings do work. We adopted a resolution, calling upon the Quebec government to allow us to conduct such meetings. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, St. Laurent Borough Mayor Alan DeSousa and The Association of Suburban Mayors back this format. Will the Quebec government budge? It would be nice for this occur, but I am not betting on the CAQ doing the right thing where COVID protocols are concerned until after the October election.
RESOLUTION TO REQUEST LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS TO ALLOW REMOTE PARTICIPATION OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS:
WHEREAS Ministerial Order 2020-029 authorized the remote participation of elected officials in municipal council meetings as well as in public consultation assemblies due to the state of the declared public health emergency throughout Quebec;
WHEREAS Ministerial Order 2022-024, taken on March 25, revoked Ministerial Order 2020-029, thus requiring physical presence at municipal council meetings and public consultation assemblies;
WHEREAS the sixth wave of the COVID-19 infections is causing a sharp rise in cases across Quebec;
WHEREAS an elected municipal official is at the heart of municipal democracy and that its presence is essential in order to fulfill his duties and obligations;
WHEREAS the remote work mode promotes the participation of elected officials on the move, work-family balance as well as the possibility of voting at a municipal council meeting even in the event of illness;
WHEREAS experience shows that remote communication is done effectively within the framework of the various council meetings;
It was
MOVED BY COUNCILLOR Andee Shuster
SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR Sidney Benizri
AND RESOLVED:
THAT the Council of the City of Côte Saint-Luc ask the government and the National Assembly of Quebec, by means of a letter addressed to the provincial deputy, to adopt the necessary legislative amendments in order to confer on municipalities the power to determine, by by-law or resolution, the procedures for the remote participation of elected officials in meetings of the municipal council as well as in public consultation assemblies.
THAT a certified copy of this resolution be sent to the MNA of D'Arcy-McGee, Mr. David Birnbaum, to the ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation, to the Union des Municipalités du Québec as well as to the Association of Suburban Municipalities ;
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
RÉSOLUTION POUR DEMANDER UNE MODIFICATION LÉGISLATIVE RELATIVEMENT AUX MODALITÉS DE PARTICIPATION À DISTANCE DES ÉLUS MUNICIPAUX
ATTENDU QUE l’Arrêté ministériel 2020-029 autorisait la participation à distance des élus aux séances du conseil municipal ainsi qu’aux assemblées publiques de consultation en raison de l’état d’urgence sanitaire déclaré sur tout le territoire québécois ;
ATTENDU QUE l’arrêté ministériel 2022-024, pris le 25 mars dernier, a abrogé l’arrêté numéro 2020-009, obligeant ainsi les élus municipaux à siéger en présentiel aux séances du conseil municipal et assemblées publiques de consultation ;
ATTENDU QUE la sixième vague d’infections à la COVID-19 provoque une forte hausse des cas à travers le Québec ;
ATTENDU QU’un élu municipal est au cœur de la démocratie municipale et que sa présence est ainsi primordiale afin de remplir ses devoirs et obligations ;
ATTENDU QUE le mode de travail à distance favorise la participation des élus en déplacement, la conciliation travail-famille ainsi que la possibilité de voter à une séance du conseil municipal même en cas de maladie ;
ATTENDU QUE l’expérience permet de constater que la communication à distance s’effectue efficacement dans le cadre des différentes assemblées du conseil ;
Il fut
PROPOSÉ PAR LE CONSEILLER Andee Shuster
APPUYÉ PAR LE CONSEILLER Sidney Benizri
ET RÉSOLU :
QUE le conseil de la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc demande au gouvernement et à l’Assemblée nationale du Québec, par le biais d’une lettre adressée au député provincial, d’adopter les modifications législatives nécessaires afin de conférer aux municipalités le pouvoir de déterminer, par règlement ou résolution, les modalités de participation à distance des élus aux séances du conseil municipal ainsi qu’aux assemblées publiques de consultation.
QU’une copie certifiée conforme de la présente résolution soit transmis au député provincial de la circonscription de D’Arcy-McGee, monsieur David Birnbaum, au ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation, à l’Union des Municipalités du Québec ainsi qu’à l’Association des municipalités de banlieue ;
For the past 16 years I have measured my life in elections. Wow, how quickly a four-year mandate comes and goes!
I was first elected in 2005 as the city councillor for District 2. Twice I faced opponents and three times I was acclaimed, most recently on October 1. A huge thanks to my father-in-law Reuben Spector, who has served as my campaign manager for all five elections. Without the support of my wife, daughter, mother-in-law, my mom and my late father, none of this would have been possible.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 and simply did not go away, I wondered how we would even manage to hold an election. But life has gone on with new precautions. I personally started my re-election efforts in the summer of 2020 when I decided to walk the entire district at least five days a week with business cards and a pen and paper in hand. This included regular stops at the well-utilized Rembrandt Park and engaging in dialogue with every person I met, be it someone walking by or sitting on their balcony. I took note of potholes, damaged sidewalks, lights that did not work and speeding vehicles.
With Mayor Brownstein.
I also turned to Zoom, creating my own District Advisory Council with reps from all buildings and streets. It proved to be an excellent exchange of information. I write this blog, host a podcast and have multiple Facebook pages.
Council meetings and committees moved to Zoom and while we will go back in public soon, Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and our council led the way in COVID-19 safeguards. Our online meetings resulted in more citizens following our activities. With the new Omicron variant and COVID cases skyrocketing, I do not see in-person meetings resuming anytime soon.
I formally launched my 2021 re-election campaign last June, with a committee in place. While I stepped up my walkabouts, door to door began after Labour Day with visits to homes and some meet and greets at apartment and condo buildings. The message was loud and clear: please do not come walking down our hallways during a pandemic.
It has been my adage that a city councillor should always be in election mode, responding to every inquiry regardless of when the next vote may be. When I got calls at midnight on a freezing winter night that a new high rise had its generator making so much noise people could not sleep, I got dressed, drove over and recorded a YouTube video. That was sent to the building owners and our inspectors at City Hall. Action was taken.
I am honoured to have been acclaimed again this year. It is my sincere hope that the efforts I make during my our next 48 months in office contribute to that. Mayor Mitchell Brownstein has assigned me the following portfolios for this mandate: Communications, Toponomy (naming of streets, parks, districts etc.), Local Commerce, Library and Culture and Animal Protection.
Here is look back on 2021.
Rembrandt Park Basketball Courts
In the company of Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, members of city council and staff, I was proud to preside over the formal launch of the refurbished Rembrandt Park basketball courts in October. Besides the main court, we also built a half court for younger children. 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.
à
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. A big thanks to Dalia Mohamed, our lead engineer on the project.
Another effort to make Rembrandt Park more handicapped accessible
Last summer I was contacted by a constituent on Rembrandt Avenue. Her husband is an amputee in a wheelchair. She told me that there was a problem leading into the park as the unipave bricks were not even and they had a difficulty getting from the sidewalk into the park and leaving. Compounding issues, the wife just had hip surgery, so she was using a walker and managing the bumpy bricks was beyond problematic. She asked if our Public Works team could smooth out the bricks. "Because of the wheelchair we can't use our balcony, so going to the park is our outing for fresh air," she said. I want to thank our Public Works team for immediately assessing the situation. It was determined that the problematic path be adjusted with new asphalt as there would be too many bricks to replace. Soon after they completed the work.
Electric scooters banned in our parks following incidents at Rembrandt last summer
In 2020 some parents presented a petition to me out of concern over the dangers of reckless scooter drivers at Rembrandt Park. I took the matter to City Hall, where our senior legal official and City Manager Jonathan Shecter and Director of Public Safety Philip Chateauvert examined the request and began the process of banning such scooters at any parks. In fact, the by-law adopted at our Monday, February 9, 2021 Council meeting went much further. It is now law in Côte Saint-Luc that scooter-style electric bicycles are included in the list of vehicles prohibited by Section 5.7 of the Nuisance By-law (2470), primarily because of the danger related to the considerable speed they can reach (+30km/h). The speed and weight of this type of bike significantly increases the risk of serious injury. Our second piece of legislation is to include a section prohibiting driving and/or reckless or dangerous use or use that puts the safety of others at risk, regardless of the type of vehicle. This section now covers all means of transportation whether electric or not. We believe that no one should be allowed to use a skateboard, bicycle or any other means of transportation in ways that put the safety of other users of the park at risk. The motion was adopted unanimously, and I am pleased to say that over the summer I saw Public Security enforce this by-law multiple times. In fact, I even did so myself.
An Outdoor Rink
In 2021 we also debuted the first ever skating rink at Rembrandt Park. It was in one of the tennis courts. Families and young children really enjoyed this new edition.
Repaved Pathway
When I started my re-election campaign last summer, a few 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 Wilds from the Villas Merrimac Condominium Association in August and we took a proper walk through. There were several potholes. Rembrandt Avenue resident Meyer Freed also called, concerned about the water buildup in those sections when it rained. I consulted with our Public Works Department. Given the fact this was 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!
Restoring the Marc Chagall Greenspace
The owners of the Equinoxe apartment buildings 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. The understanding was that the company would return that land in the precise form that they found it. Regrettably this did not occur. In the fall of 2020, 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. Our legal team intervened and in October we took over the project. The contractor we hired removed the entire existing top layer of space, added a new layer of proper soil and then hydro seeding and new sod and watered it for a few weeks. The grass was still growing as late as November so we will follow this closely in the spring and make any adjustments necessary. We also created a new pathway with benches and picnic tables with backs. As well, new trees will be planted on the grounds.
Isadore Goldberg Park
A new paved walkway now exists on Marc Chagall Avenue leading to Isadore Goldberg Park. This was never accessible to anyone other than for the Kildare Road and Sir Walter Scott Avenue residents. We planted new trees and flowerbeds, removed heavy bushes, installed new lighting and added new park equipment.
Traffic on Marc Chagall
Last winter I worked regularly with the Traffic Committee to try and come up with solutions to deal with actions of speeding on Marc Chagall. Last summer we introduced a new 30 km/h speed zone and at the curb, between the Marquise and the Bellagio, two bump-out sidewalks. 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. I wish to add that for quite some time residents have been asking us to come up with new measures to deal with speeding vehicles. I personally monitored this, and vehicles did indeed reduce their speed. We also added a sign that measures the speed vehicles are going.
Janine West and Myra Shuster.
Monarch Butterfly Program
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. Last September, 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 submitted the application, committing to the city to follow through with at least 15 action items out of 24 possibilities, 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.
6700 Avenue apartment expands commercial use on ground floor
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 supported 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 allowed them to widen their search for commercial tenants. On Wed. June 24 we launched a 15-day write-in consultation period. Subsequently, 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. We approved the move and 6700 The Avenue will welcome a storefont business likely by the spring.
Changes to Come
In early 2022 Quartier Cavendish will formally propose a large-scale mixed-use redevelopment with residential and commercial space. That process will also involve Decarie Square and the Côte St. Luc Shopping Centre.
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. There was a clear need in 2019 to cut down many dead and diseased trees. A total of 20,000 stems of buckthorn were removed. We had the area inspected and undertook prunings.
Train Noise
During my 16 years on council, and well before that, meetings between the city and Canadian Pacific over train noise have been quite common. Residents of Merrimac, Baily Road and parts of Hampstead have been repeatedly woken up at the ungodly hours near 3 am during certain periods each year. This has impacted constituents of myself and Councillor Dida Berku. In meetings we reminded CP officials that the last time the noise was this bad in 2017, CP put a stop to it. Resident Charles Guerin collected written complaints from people, and we presented these to them. This remains a continuous file. Sadly, our noise bylaw does not impact CP so we must continue to apply pressure.
Improvements made to reduce noise emanating from the snow dump
There was shortage of snow last winter and that meant a lot of activity in our snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue. I want to thank our Public Works team, notably Director Beatrice Newman and Manager of Operations John Monteiro for taking numerous actions to try and curtail noise from the snow dump. Over the last two years we have implemented several changes to reduce the noise emanating from the snow dump. There are large signs posted at the entrance/exit to the snow dump advising truckers that banging the rear truck gate is strictly prohibited. These signs did not exist in the past. The snow wall along Marc Chagall has been increased in height to reduce the sound traveling towards the town houses to the west. In the past the wall was constructed only using the bulldozers. Last year a large shovel was used to build the wall that is 50 percent higher. The bulldozer operators were advised to no longer drop the blade onto the ground creating a thumping noise. Previously the bulldozer operators would drop the plow in one swift action. Now they drop the blade halfway before allowing the blade to drop onto the ground reducing the loud thump. Finally, the monitors have always been instructed to advise the drivers who bang their truck gates that this will not be tolerated. Now they also make a note of the truck and if this is a recurring problem, we advise the contractor that the driver is banned from entering the snow dump.
While the complaints are minimal, I have always believed if even one person is disturbed then I would act. I gathered a few of the concerned individuals with Ms. Newman, Mr. Monteiro and Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. “This is a snow dump,” Ms. Newman began. “Although we try to reduce the noise, it doesn’t always happen big trucks, 10 tons of snow in each truck and pushing tons of snow uphill with a bulldozer.” The tailgate noise may occur, but it’s important to remember that this level of noise has dramatically dropped
Hydro-Québec’s planned major electrical system upgrade
District 2 will be part a major electrical system upgrade of the Hydro-Québec network. Work will occur between 2023 and 2026 and impact homes on Merrimac Road, Marc Chagall Avenue as well as Bialik High School. Hydro will be converting three 120-kV substations to 315 kV. This includes the Hampstead substation (in Côte Saint-Luc) and rebuilding the 120-kV Aqueduc-Saraguay overhead transmission line at 315 kV over a span of 18 km between LaSalle and Saint-Laurent. Known as the Aqueduc-Saraguay project, the cost is estimated at over $500 million. The project involves replacing aging equipment, maintaining the system’s reliability, meeting future electricity needs and supporting economic development. Both Hydro and Côte Saint-Luc did a study related to what the level of Electromagnetic fields (EMF) will be, that being a combination of invisible electric and magnetic fields of force. They occur both naturally and due to human activity. Hydro’s study showed that the EMF’s will be within the norms. Our investigation confirmed that. There are valid reasons for this work. Despite the fact people are becoming more energy efficient, power consumption is up, and more people are purchasing electric cars. In District 2 alone we just added two large Equinoxe towers. Not far off, the former Blue Bonnets Raceway will become the base to some 5,000 housing units.
A joint working committee of representatives from Hydro-Québec, the City of Côte Saint-Luc and a few members of the public started work January 27, 2020 to address public concerns about the Aqueduc-Saraguay project. The committee’s mandate was to review how Hydro-Québec can implement the project in Côte Saint-Luc while minimizing its impact. For example, the committee is to assess how greenspaces can be enhanced. There will be as many as 12 towers constructed in Côte Saint-Luc and this entire project will take over a decade to complete. We also have questions about noise and public safety we need answered. The feedback from our committee resulted in Hydro going back to re-evaluate certain problematic aspects of the project. We expect some news from them soon.
Another Hydro project which directly impacts the upgrading of wiring at the Meadows has been delayed for several years because it involves the exchange of certain servitudes. The Meadows did have some say in that matter, but keep in mind that the condo property is supported by very old equipment and we may pay the price for this.
Why microchipping your dog or cat is mandatory and important!
Microchipping dogs and cats became mandatory in Montreal and Laval last January. The law also applies to Côte Saint-Luc and we decided to give pet owners more than a year's grace, but that time is now over. Starting April 6, 2021, all Côte Saint-Luc cats and dogs over six months of age had to be microchipped. A proof of microchipping will be asked when you renew your annual dog or cat tag. A microchip is computer chip, the size of a grain of rice, with a serial number associated with the owner’s contact details. It is inserted, by a veterinarian, under the skin of the animal. A microchip makes it possible to identify a lost animal and quickly find its owner. The device cannot be lost and accompanies your pet throughout its life. Dog and cat ownership information is accessible to veterinarians. This avoids overloading shelters and most importantly carrying out avoidable euthanasia. You can get your pet microchipped at your local veterinarian or at the SPCA. All of my cats have been microchipped. My 12 year old Cleopatra never goes outside. But we worry heaven forbid if she ever escaped (when I open the sliding door for the barbeque she heads in the opposite direction) what would happen? I hope to never find out, but a microchip is a vital purchase if you love your pet. We have all heard stories about dogs breaking lose from a backyard or off a leash. You have to be a pet owner to understand this. Our dogs and cats are family. We care about them, well at least I do, like they are your own flesh and blood. So please, adhere to this new regulation!
Dog Owners
Just over four years ago I was completing my door to door campaign for the 2017 elections, with a pledge to create a Côte Saint-Luc Dog Owners Committee and allow dogs in parks. It was mission accomplished on both counts. Jonathan Goldman, Anna Marie Katz and Tamar Hertz (representing non-dog owners) were among those who stepped up. Jonathan and Anna paid special attention to our two dog runs, notably the one on Mackle Road. One idea I had was to create a system of special reps in each district. These individuals would serve as our eyes and ears, taking note of any developments and spreading the word on our mandate to other dog owners. We just needed someone to steer that ship. In recent months a leader surfaced in Sivan Rehan, who just happens to be the wife of Jonathan Goldman. We recently declared November as Scoop the Poop Month.
Illegal Animal Traps
Last summer 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.
Cats Committee
Our CSL Cats Committee continued its mandate of Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt. Our all-volunteer committee, headed by Diane Liebling, continued to rescue felines. We have people fostering cats until homes are found for them as well as feeders for outdoor homeless cats. Our annual fundraising concert has been cancelled two years in a row due to the pandemic but replaced by a very successful raffle.
Harvey Levine
In Memoriam
I was deeply saddened to share the news that Harvey Levine, longtime CSL resident and the director of B'nai Brith Canada in Quebec, lost his battle with cancer in May. 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.
The community mourned the passing of Miriam Lang, the longtime first lady of Côte Saint-Luc. Her late husband, Bernard Lang, served Côte Saint-Luc as mayor and a member of city council for 35 years. He passed away in 2014. The couple were married for 65 years. In her own right, Miriam Lang was an active figure in our community.
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. Last April Steve passed away. 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. Steve loved surfing the internet and he would regularly sound out mass e-mails to all 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
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..
Bilan de l'année 2021
Au cours des 16 dernières années, j'ai mesuré ma vie en termes d'élections. C'est fou ce qu'un mandat de quatre ans passe vite. J'ai été élu pour la première fois en 2005 en tant que conseiller municipal du district 2. Par deux fois, j'ai affronté des adversaires et par trois fois, j'ai été élu par acclamation, la dernière fois le 1er octobre. Un grand merci à mon beau-père Reuben Spector, qui a été mon directeur de campagne lors des cinq élections. Sans le soutien de ma femme, de ma fille, de ma belle-mère, de ma mère et de mon défunt père, rien de tout cela n'aurait été possible.
Lorsque la pandémie de COVID-19 a frappé en mars 2020 et n'a tout simplement pas disparu, je me suis demandé comment nous pourrions même réussir à organiser une élection. Mais la vie a continué avec de nouvelles précautions. J'ai personnellement commencé mes efforts de réélection à l'été 2020 lorsque j'ai décidé de marcher dans tout le district au moins cinq jours par semaine avec des cartes de visite et un stylo et du papier à la main. Cela incluait des arrêts réguliers au parc Rembrandt, très utilisé, et l'engagement d'un dialogue avec chaque personne que je rencontrais, qu'il s'agisse d'un passant ou d'une personne assise sur son balcon. J'ai pris note des nids de poule, des trottoirs endommagés, des feux qui ne fonctionnent pas et des véhicules qui roulent vite.
Je me suis également tournée vers Zoom, en créant mon propre conseil consultatif de quartier avec des représentants de tous les bâtiments et de toutes les rues. Cela s'est avéré être un excellent échange d'informations. J'écris ce blog, j'anime un podcast et j'ai plusieurs pages Facebook. Les réunions du conseil et des comités sont passées à Zoom et, même si nous reviendrons bientôt en public, le maire Mitchell Brownstein et notre conseil ont montré la voie en matière de garanties COVID-19. Nos réunions en ligne ont permis à davantage de citoyens de suivre nos activités. Avec la nouvelle variante d'Omicron et la montée en flèche des cas de COVID, je ne vois pas les réunions en personne reprendre de sitôt. J'ai officiellement lancé ma campagne de réélection pour 2021 en juin dernier, avec un comité en place. Alors que j'ai intensifié mes marches, le porte-à-porte a commencé après la fête du travail avec des visites à domicile et quelques rencontres dans des immeubles d'appartements et de copropriétés. Le message était fort et clair : s'il vous plaît, ne venez pas marcher dans nos couloirs pendant une pandémie.
Selon mon adage, un conseiller municipal devrait toujours être en mode électoral, répondant à toutes les demandes, peu importe le moment du prochain vote. Lorsque j'ai reçu des appels à minuit, par une nuit d'hiver glaciale, au sujet d'une nouvelle tour d'habitation dont le générateur faisait tellement de bruit que les gens ne pouvaient pas dormir, je me suis habillé, je me suis rendu sur place et j'ai enregistré une vidéo sur YouTube. Celle-ci a été envoyée aux propriétaires de l'immeuble et à nos inspecteurs à l'hôtel de ville. Des mesures ont été prises.
Je suis honoré d'avoir été élu par acclamation cette année encore. J'espère sincèrement que les efforts que je déploierai au cours de mes 48 prochains mois de mandat y contribueront. Le maire Mitchell Brownstein m'a confié les portefeuilles suivants pour ce mandat : Communications, Toponomie (dénomination des rues, des parcs, des quartiers, etc.), Commerce local, Bibliothèque et culture et Protection des animaux.
Loi 96
La Ville de Côte Saint-Luc a demandé au gouvernement du Québec de retirer le projet de loi 96 du feuilleton et de consulter de façon significative la communauté d’expression anglaise du Québec et les associations comme le QCGN qui représentent cette communauté avant de présenter toute législation qui permettrait de modifier la Charte de la langue française.
La résolution adoptée à l’unanimité par le conseil municipal de Côte Saint-Luc le 4 octobre 2021 stipule également que « plusieurs des modifications contenues dans le projet de loi 96 contreviennent manifestement à l’esprit d’équité et d’ouverture d’esprit et ne respectent pas la communauté d’expression anglaise du Québec, conformément au préambule et à l’esprit de l’actuelle Charte de la langue française. »
Le projet de loi 96— Loi sur la langue officielle et commune du Québec, le français—est actuellement à l’étude à la Commission de la culture et de l’éducation de l’Assemblée nationale du Québec. Il s’agit d’une mise à jour de la loi 101, la Charte de la langue française.
Pour lire la résolution adoptée par le conseil municipal de Côte Saint-Luc, pour voir la séance du conseil, ou pour lire le mémoire présenté par l’Association des municipalités de banlieue, dont Côte Saint-Luc est membre, visitez www.cotesaintluc.org/fr/projetdeloi96.
Côte Saint-Luc s’opposera à tout effort de la CAQ pour retirer le statut de ville bilingue
La Ville de Côte Saint-Luc est préoccupée par de récentes déclarations du ministre provincial responsable de la Langue française laissant entendre qu’il envisageait des changements à la Charte de la langue française qui pourraient entraîner certaines villes à perdre leur droit d’offrir des services en anglais aux résidents.
« Nous nous mobiliserons avec toutes les municipalités et tous les arrondissements ayant un statut bilingue afin d’empêcher toute tentative du gouvernement du Québec de s’ingérer dans la façon dont nous communiquons avec nos résidents, a déclaré le maire de Côte Saint-Luc, Mitchell Brownstein. Nous sommes les mieux placés pour connaître nos résidents et comprenons leurs besoins. » Environ 7,5 % des municipalités québécoises possèdent le statut bilingue. Les changements qu’envisage le ministre Simon Jolin-Barrette pourraient, potentiellement, retirer le statut bilingue à la moitié d’entre elles.
Depuis 1977, il est illégal pour les municipalités du Québec de communiquer avec ses résidents, de façon générale, en anglais, à moins d’obtenir une exemption, appelée statut bilingue. Ce statut se voulait être permanent. Le statut bilingue donne à la municipalité la permission d’ériger des panneaux de signalisation et d’émettre des communications en anglais. La communication en français reste obligatoire, quel que soit le statut bilingue.
Le fait que les municipalités aient besoin d’une autorisation pour communiquer avec ses résidents de langue minoritaire est inhabituel dans les démocraties libérales. Soit l’État laisse aux villes le soin de décider elles-mêmes des langues à utiliser, soit il oblige les villes à servir la population dans la langue minoritaire lorsqu’un certain seuil est atteint, c’est ainsi en Finlande pour la minorité suédophone. Au Québec, les villes doivent obtenir une autorisation spéciale pour servir leurs résidents en anglais.
« Nous ne demandons pas au gouvernement d’augmenter le nombre de municipalités qui peuvent offrir des services en anglais, a déclaré le maire Brownstein. Nous lui demandons simplement de maintenir le statu quo et de permettre aux municipalités ayant un statut bilingue de décider elles-mêmes si elles offrent des services en anglais. »
En 2013, le gouvernement du Parti québécois déposait un projet de loi visant à retirer le statut bilingue de la même façon que ce que suggère le ministre Simon Jolin-Barrette. À l’époque, la CAQ s’était opposée aux dispositions du projet de loi 14. Selon un document synthèse préparé par le gouvernement péquiste de l’époque, la position de la CAQ était que les villes elles-mêmes devraient avoir un droit de veto sur les changements à leur statut bilingue. Nous demandons au ministre Jolin-Barrette de revoir la position précédente de la CAQ.
« La CAQ exige que le comité consultatif soit composé de 3 membres issus de la municipalité en instance de perdre son statut de ville bilingue. Le comité devrait faire rapport à la municipalité elle-même plutôt qu’au gouvernement, ce qui consacrerait un droit de veto à la municipalité. »
Lorsque la Charte de la langue française a été tout d’abord adoptée en 1977, il y avait une forte opposition de la part de plusieurs secteurs de la société, venant particulièrement des communautés non-francophones du Québec. C’est ainsi que, de façon à diminuer les craintes des communautés non francophones, certaines municipalités, certains hôpitaux, certaines institutions d’enseignement, et d’autres qui fournissaient leurs services à des personnes en majorité d’une langue autre que le français, furent reconnus par ce qui fut appelé à l’époque l’article 113(f) de la Charte de la langue française. Ceci leur permettait d’être exemptés de certaines règles qui s’appliquaient aux autres institutions suite à l’adoption de la Charte.
La Ville de Côte Saint-Luc est une municipalité de banlieue de 35 000 résidents située au cœur de l’île de Montréal. Selon le recensement du Canada de 2016, environ 67 pour cent des résidents ont indiqué que l’anglais était leur première langue officielle parlée. Côte Saint-Luc est également une ville multilingue et multiethnique.
Dida Berku, Deputy Mayor, Master Plan, Rezoning & Re- Development, Community Engagement & Living Lab
Master plan, central city, Cavendish Extension, Public Consultations for Masterplan, living lab
Steven Erdelyi, Finance, Climate Change & Resiliency, Hydro Quebec and Vcops
Water, green infrastructure, electrification, waste, heat island mitigation, air quality, Aqueduc-Saraguay Project
Mitch Kujavsky, Urban Development, Parks, Public Spaces & Engineering
Includes Traffic Committee, Urban Planning, PAC
Mike Cohen, Library Culture, Communications, Toponymy, Animal Welfare & Local Commerce & PME MTL
Website, publications Local Commerce Committee, PME Rep St Laurent, Hampstead, CSL, Montreal West, grants, young entrepreneurs.
Sidney Benizri, Public Works and Intercommunity relations
Communicating with community organizations based in the city and managing the dossier of synagogues in residential zones.
Oren Sebag, Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness
Public Safety Dept, EPP Plan (being re-done this year), Emergency Preparedness Committee
Lior Azerad, NextGen CSL and sponsorships
Youth, young adults, Families and sponsorships for programs, events and facilities
Andee Shuster, Recreation & Wellbeing Cities
Recreation, Dramatic Society, Community Activities & Initiatives Committee and Seniors, Age-friendly city, Advisory Council, poverty, social isolation, accessibility, newcomers, sanitation
For the past 16 years I have measured my life in elections. Wow, how quickly a four-year mandate comes and goes.
I was first elected in 2005 as the city councillor for District 2. Twice I faced opponents and three times I was acclaimed, most recently on October 1. A huge thanks to my father-in-law Reuben Spector, who has served as my campaign manager for all five elections. Without the support of my wife, daughter and mother-in-law none of this would have been possible.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 and simply did not go away, I wondered how we would even manage to hold an election. But life has gone on with new precautions. I personally started my re-election efforts in the summer of 2020 when I decided to walk the entire district at least five days a week with business cards and a pen and paper in hand. This included regular stops at the well-utilized Rembrandt Park and engaging in dialogue with every person I met, be it someone walking by or sitting on their balcony. I took note of potholes, damaged sidewalks, lights that did not work and speeding vehicles.
My opponent from 2017, Melodie Cohn, supported my re-election bid.
I also turned to Zoom, creating my own District Advisory Council with reps from all buildings and streets. It proved to be an excellent exchange of information. I write this blog, host a podcast and have multiple Facebook pages.
Council meetings and committees moved to Zoom and while we will go back in public soon, Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and our council led the way in COVID-19 safeguards. Our online meetings resulted in more citizens following our activities.
I formally launched my 2021 re-election campaign last June, with a committee in place. While I stepped up my walkabouts, door to door began after Labour Day with visits to homes and some meet and greets at apartment and condo buildings. The message was loud and clear: please do not come walking down our hallways during a pandemic.
It has been my adage that a city councillor should always be in election mode, responding to every inquiry regardless of when the next vote may be. When I got calls at midnight on a freezing winter night that a new high rise had its generator making so much noise people could not sleep I got dressed, drove over and recorded a YouTube video. That was sent to the building owners and our inspectors at City Hall. Action was taken.
I am honoured to have been acclaimed again this year. It is my sincere hope that the efforts I make during my 48 months in office contribute to that.
Chatting with constituents like prominent oncologist Dr. Nathanial Bouganim, make my walkabouts that much more pleasant
This election campaign began in September 2020 when Councillor David Tordjman met a Global TV reporter at a park and announced he would run for Mayor. Incumbent Mayor Brownstein waited a full year, until September 17, 2021, to declare his re-election plans.
There were races for mayor and in seven out of eight districts. Tordjman had a team of five candidates. One dropped out two weeks before the vote. That meant Councillor Steven Erdelyi was acclaimed in District 4, he too having now served for 16 years.
When all was said and done, just less than 9,000 residents voted out of about the 24,000 eligible.
Returned to office was Mayor Brownstein and Councillors Oren Sebag, Dida Berku, Mitch Kujavsky, Sidney Benizri, as well as myself and Erdelyi. Our two newcomers are Lior Azerad and Andee Shuster.
Congratulations to all of the candidates. Some people wonder why candidates get acclaimed. Ask anyone who runs for public office. This is no simple task. You must be able to finance your campaign to print posters and literature; open a bank account; get the posters affixed to poles; go door to door at least five days a week, followed by hours at home reviewing your lists; volunteers need to be enlisted to accompany you; after the campaign detailed financial reports need to be filed; and on advance poll and election day, you are on the clock for a good 16 hours.
You need a good team to get those posters up.
If you get elected, being a councillor is no easy task. The phone calls and emails roll in non-stop. There are multiple meetings and commitments to attend. You are a moving target for complaints wherever you go and in this day in age, there is consistent abuse via social media. Family time is constantly disrupted. It is all enough for some people to say, “this is not for me.”
I have been a community activist all ofmy life and I am proud to serve in this position. Indeed, I take pride knowing how many initiatives I have been able to push through these past 16 years,.
The next mandate will be busy, starting with proposals to redevelop our three major malls – Quartier Cavendish, Decarie Square and the Côte St. Luc Shopping Centre. There is major work coming from Hydro Québec and much more. Our online portals will this easier to communicate, especially in the cold winter and for Snowbirds who can remain in the loop.
The first meeting of our new council will take place next Monday night, November 15 at 8 pm. Stay tuned to www.cotesaintluc.org for the live YouTube link.
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.
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.
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..
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.
It has been 15 years now since I was elected as the city councillor for District 2. I have always made it a point of remaining in direct contact with my constituents and 2020 was no different. This has been no ordinary year. The COVID-19 pandemic hit us in March and our staff and council immediately swung into action. I am very proud of how we performed.
In my protective gear.
Thanks to the internet we all shifted to video platforms. Not only has all city council activity taken place on Zoom, but our recreation and library programming switched to that mode as well.
Since last spring I have been taking regular walks through my entire district. This gave me an opportunity to communicate with constituents on their balconies or from a proper social distance. I took notes and photos of issues that need to be resolved, be it an imperfection at a park, a pothole in the road, construction disruptions or a faulty traffic light. Even as the cold weather arrived I continued these promenades. Now I have reverted to District drives in my car. In addition I initiated zoom calls with constituents and the formation of my first District Advisory Council, composed of representatives from the different buildings and streets.
Even when this pandemic ends, Zoom and similar platforms are here to stay and it is a wonderful way to communicate.
We broadcast our public meetings live now on YouTube, via Zoom, and as Larry David would say, attendance is “pretty..;pretty..pretty good.” People can ask questions in the comments section or send them in advance.
I shudder to think of how we would be functioning if this pandemic had occurred in say 1987?
Constituent Laura Elfman receives her air conditioner.
During this pandemic, community supporter Ariel Davidson and I put out a call for people to donate used air conditioners and fans to low income families and individuals in Côte Saint-Luc. First of all thanks to our invaluable jack of all trades Morris “Moe” Giobbi from Parks and Recreation who took care of the first set of pickup and deliveries Hats off to our initial donors: Steven Adler from Almar Appliances provided two 10,000 BTU units and Daniel Gal had a 12,000 BTU portable unit. Moe picked up the machines, placed them in his truck and delivered them to three very happy individuals. One was District 2 resident Laura Elfman. Previously I donated one of my own old ACs to a family on Sir Walter Scott Avenue. They immediately told me how much they appreciated this.
I want to thank Kelly Epstein, Toby Shulman and Megan Grossman who helped make phone calls to seniors in District 2 and check on how they were coping during the pandemic. Let me give a shout out to our library staff. They have been making over 400 care calls a day to people whom they know are isolated and lonely.
Overall, District 2 resident Kelly says this experience was very positive. “Each person expressed how much they appreciated my call, and how wonderful and unique our city is for checking on their elderly,” she said. “I am thankful for this opportunity and I encourage the youth in our community to continue with this initiative as I return to work at the hospital, as a few minutes of your day can make a world of a difference to those quarantining alone.”
Cela fait maintenant 15 ans que j'ai été élu conseiller municipal pour le district 2. Je me suis toujours efforcé de rester en contact direct avec mes électeurs et l'année 2020 n'a pas fait exception à la règle. Cette année n'a pas été ordinaire. La pandémie COVID-19 nous a frappés en mars et notre personnel et notre conseil municipal sont immédiatement passés à l'action. Je suis très fier de la façon dont nous avons
ASHKELON WOODLANDS/PAYS-BAS ASHKELON
In 2019 the city felled about 700 diseased trees in the Ashkelon Woodlands behind City Hall Hundreds there were infested with the Ash Borer and the Dutch Elm disease. These trees were dangerous for people who were walking in the area (from the possibility of falling branches or trees) and even constituted a fire hazard. The city requested our expert contractor, Nadeau Foresterie Urbaine, to prepare an inventory of the affected trees. In total, some 300 trees were cut; we cleared approximately 21,000 buckthorn plants and bushes, a species that interferes with healthy tree growth. We intend to plant up to 600 new trees.
We are looking forward to providing our future generations with the woodlands they deserve and hope that they will appreciate the diversity that was planted. Some future potential projects in the woodlands might include a pathway or boardwalk
As for the snow dump, a major cleanup has been completed. Public Works scraped the terrain of the dump, moved the materials toward two small hills; one located at the north-east of the yard and the other at the south-east of the deposit. They cleaned the ditches and estimated the volume that will need to be removed. They will continue to transport materials to reduce and eliminate the hills at the south-east ends at the beginning of season 2021. Then it is recommended we undertake the verification of levelling and slope of the ditches. The readjustment of the slopes and levelling of the land will provide better stability of the yard and better management of water flow during the snowmelt.
En 2019, la ville a abattu environ 700 arbres malades dans la forêt d'Ashkelon, derrière l'hôtel de ville. Des centaines d'arbres y ont été infestés par l'agrile du frêne et la maladie hollandaise de l'orme. Ces arbres étaient dangereux pour les personnes qui se promenaient dans la région (possibilité de chute de branches ou d'arbres) et constituaient même un risque d'incendie. La ville a demandé à notre expert contractuel, Nadeau Foresterie Urbaine, de dresser un inventaire des arbres touchés. Au total, quelque 300 arbres ont été abattus ; nous avons éliminé environ 21 000 nerpruns et buissons, une espèce qui empêche la croissance saine des arbres. Nous avons l'intention de planter jusqu'à 600 nouveaux arbres.
LIGHTING ON MARC CHAGALL/ÉCLAIRAGE SUR MARC CHAGALL
To the question of what will happen to Marc Chagall Avenue in the winter, we have worked towards brightening the street at night. All bulbs were changed to LED and will stay like this until the Engineering Department takes on the project to change street lights throughout the city.
À la question de savoir ce qui arrivera à l'avenue Marc Chagall en hiver, nous avons travaillé à éclairer la rue la nuit. Toutes les ampoules ont été remplacées par des LED et le resteront jusqu'à ce que le service d'ingénierie prenne en charge le projet de changement des lampadaires dans toute la ville.
HYDRO PROJECT/PROJET HYDRO
District 2 will be part a major electrical system upgrade of the Hydro-Québec network. Work will occur between 2023 and 2026 and impact homes on Merrimac Road, Marc Chagall Avenue as well as Bialik High School. More information will be forthcoming. A committee, which includes residents, has been meeting with Hydro officials.
Hydro‑Québec compte investir plus de 500 M$ pour moderniser son réseau de transport dans l’axe nord-sud de l’île de Montréal, entre les arrondissements de Saint-Laurent et de LaSalle.
Le projet de modernisation du réseau électrique entre les postes de l’Aqueduc et de Saraguay prévoit :
la reconstruction à 315 kilovolts (kV) de la ligne de transport aérienne à 120 kV entre les postes de l’Aqueduc, à LaSalle, et de Saraguay, à Saint-Laurent, sur 18 km. La ligne sera reconstruite dans l’emprise actuelle, mais dans le cadre des étapes suivantes, le tracé pourrait être optimisé pour en atténuer les impacts selon des critères techniques, économiques, environnementaux et sociaux.
la conversion de trois postes de transformation de 120 kV à 315 kV, soit les postes Rockfield (à Lachine), de Hampstead (à Côte Saint-Luc) et Laurent (à Saint-Laurent).
CONSTRUCTION
After three and a half years of disruptions, work on the two towers of the Equinoxe project apartments is finally complete. Just a reminder to all: the zoning for this land was established more than 30 years ago by a former city council. It took many years for a developer to come forward. When Jadco and Trantor did so, city council had lowered the maximum amount of storeys permitted from 17 to 14.
From the moment this project was announced I established a committee of representatives from each condo to meet with ownership a number of times per year and to communicate by email to deal with ongoing issues and get updates.
Finally we were able to say good-bye to the Equinoxe construction.
From the start of construction we imposed regulations restricting outdoor construction on weekends, made the greenspace across from the Marquise available as a parking lot when residents and their guests complained about a lack of spots on the street, dealt with noise levels from generators and ventilation systems, enforced street cleaning protocols, insisted upon the hiring of flagmen for safety purposes and numerous other initiatives.
The temporary parking lot has been returned to its original setting. In the spring new grass will be planted and I will begin holding some focus groups with residents to hear their ideas on how we can beautify the spot. Yes we have already been approached by many developers anxious to build there, but I can assure you this will never occur on my watch.
Le stationnement temporaire a été remis dans son état initial. Au printemps, de nouvelles pelouses seront plantées et je commencerai à organiser des groupes de discussion avec les résidents pour connaître leurs idées sur la façon d'embellir l'endroit. Oui, nous avons déjà été contactés par de nombreux promoteurs désireux d'y construire, mais je peux vous assurer que cela ne se produira jamais sous ma surveillance.
At one point we considered relocating Isadore Goldberg Park there. But in the past year we removed bushes and trees, refurbished and cleaned up the park and created a nicely paved walkway to make it fully accessible via Marc Chagall. We even moved the park sign from Kildare Road, a location that never made any sense.
An exterior piece of land near the Beth Chabad parking lot is zoned for a two storey commercial building. At this point we have no formal proposal for a project on that land.
LE MONTEFIORE
Five years after the Manoir Montefiore senior’s residence on Mackle Road near Cavendish shut its doors, the facility reopened as a rental called Le Montefiore. Jadco Real Estate, the company behind the Equinoxe towers on Marc Chagall Avenue, purchased the property and completely gutted the interior to introduce a luxury rental apartment building. There have been some growing pains, but hopefully the kinks will be worked out soon.
With the arrival of the second Equinoxe in November and Le Montefiore, I now welcome new District 2 constituents in three buildings since the last election.
Manager Oren Elbaz in the lobbty of Le Montefiore.
Rising nine stories and consisting of 94 residences, unit sizes at Le Montefiore range from 440 square foot studios to 1600 square foot penthouses. Oren Elbaz, the manager of the Equinoxe handles similar duties here. In order to accommodate the additional cars, a second indoor parking lot was constructed where the Manoir Montefiore dining hall used to sit.
Residents began moving in towards the end of June.
Cinq ans après la fermeture de la résidence pour personnes âgées Manoir Montefiore sur Mackle Road près de Cavendish, l'établissement a rouvert ses portes sous la forme d'une location appelée Le Montefiore. Jadco Real Estate, la société derrière les tours Equinoxe sur l'avenue Marc Chagall, a acheté la propriété et a complètement vidé l'intérieur pour introduire un immeuble d'appartements de location de luxe. Il y a eu quelques difficultés de croissance, mais on espère que les problèmes seront bientôt résolus.
THE AVENUE/L’AVENUE
The new owners of 6700 The Avenue have lived up to all of their promises to bring their building up to proper standards. A contractor completed all of the requested items on a list of deficiencies. The contractor installed the new asphalt for the driveway and walkway that leads to and from Park Place. A fence was installed a day later on the walkway.
Last spring the rear parking lot was paved and the fencing against the Park Place residential backyards was repaired. There was also important work done at the front entrance and the large patch of land which had been used to house construction material was turned back into beautiful greenspace.
The new refreshed look.
Part of the main floor of the building is zoned commercial. At the present time the owners have no potential new tenants. However, work will begin soon on at least two new residential units.
The five floor building has an indoor pool and workout room, ceramic floors and custom kitchens with Quartz countertops and stainless kitchen appliances (with dishwashers). Security cameras are on every floor and exterior. Central A/C, heating and hot water are included.
Thank you Melissa Latifi, Emile Badea and your town for all the excellent work on this project. A shout out as well to the original developer Ron Basel. From the city, Charles Senekal, Jeff Davey, Beatrice Newman and Dalia Mohamed and company steered this ship wonderfully!
Les nouveaux propriétaires du 6700 The Avenue ont tenu toutes leurs promesses de mettre leur immeuble aux normes. Un entrepreneur a réalisé tous les éléments demandés sur une liste de lacunes. L'entrepreneur a installé le nouvel asphalte pour l'allée et la promenade qui mènent à Park Place et en reviennent. Une clôture a été installée un jour plus tard sur l'allée.
SNOW DUMP/LE BOUCHON DE NEIGE
Over the years the noise emanating from the banging of tailgates of trucks going in and out of our snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue has disturbed some residents. Our Public Works Department has tried to manage this the best way possible. At the beginning of the winter season we even build a snow wall to try and shield the sounds. During heavy snowfalls, the noise is more difficult to control. There is also the fact that we are dealing with subcontractors, so the drivers change. Public Works launched a new approach by installing signage to try and further deter the banging noises. I would like to thank Director Beatrice Newman and her team for this.
The snow dump was nicely cleared again.
As noted, when we are in the midst of an incredible snowstorm, the city attempts to remove the snow as quickly and efficiently as possible and that during snow removal operations there is much more back and forth traffic in the area. One of the problems we run into at the dump is the fact these truck drivers come from sub-contractors. We make our point very clear about the tailgate clanging, they comply and then new drivers arrive at the scene. It is frustrating for all of us and I hope that these actions initiated by Ms. Newman and her team are successful.
Each spring I lobby for funds to break down the accumulated snow and ice at the dump. This requires a lot of heavy equipment, including two mechanical shovels and one bulldozer.
Au fil des ans, le bruit émanant des hayons des camions qui entrent et sortent de notre décharge de neige sur l'avenue Marc Chagall a perturbé certains habitants. Notre service des travaux publics a essayé de gérer cela de la meilleure façon possible. Au début de la saison hivernale, nous avons même construit un mur de neige pour essayer de faire écran aux bruits. Lors de fortes chutes de neige, le bruit est plus difficile à contrôler. Il y a aussi le fait que nous avons affaire à des sous-traitants, donc les conducteurs changent. Le ministère des travaux publics a adopté une nouvelle approche en installant des panneaux de signalisation pour tenter de dissuader davantage les bruits de choc. Je tiens à remercier la directrice Beatrice Newman et son équipe pour cela.
TRAFFIC/TRAFIC
It has been more than two years now since a new stop sign was placed at Kildare Road and Rembrandt. Police authorities okayed it from the start and monitored it often. Check on it regularly. Some people expressed concern that the stop sign was too small. So a larger one was installed recently. Overall, this sign has made a huge difference for motorists exiting from Rembrandt Avenue. It was an issue that came up over and over again in my last door to door campaign. By going through the proper channels I am glad it has worked out.
During the year some residents of the town houses on Kildare Road, between Cavendish Boulevard and Kellert Avenue, were upset that new restricted parking signs (Tuesday and Thursday) went up in front of their homes. These same signs were removed when construction commenced in 2009 on their homes. Interestingly, there were no restricted parking signs present when work was complete in 2013. For six years that section of Kildare continued to have no such signs. According to Public Works this was a serious oversight on their part. It turns out that it was a complaint from across the street, asking why they had no parking two days a week and their side did not. Engineering did some research and realized that the signs were removed during construction in 2009, but never put back. Since I was never consulted, I asked for a review and that did take place. Public Works insisted that they had complaints for years that the sweeper during spring, summer and fall could not clean the street properly. Their personnel were not aware of the sign situation. At the meeting their operations director said they still need some restrictions in place.
At the newly installed larger stop sign.
For residents this poses a major inconvenience, notably when guests come over during the day or they themselves want to leave a car on the street instead of going back into the garage. A compromise was reached. They now only maintain restrictions between April 1 to December for the sweeper. Instead of two days, it is part of one day (Tuesdays from 10 am to 2:30 pm.
One foot note: Montreal Transit Commission mandated bus lines will be introduced island-wide in the next year or so. That could impact on parking for everyone, including this stretch. We have no power on such decisions. We will keep everyone posted.
On the subject of Kildare Road, allow me to quote the late Mayor Bernard Lang who used this comment to refer to the extension of Cavendish Boulevard: “We don’t need it, we don’t want it and we cannot afford it!”
Well that was several decades ago. The Cavendish extension will occur in my lifetime. But as long as I serve as the councillor for District 2, I will vehemently oppose any discussions around extending Kildare Road to Jean Talon and Decarie. Why? We don’t need it, we don’t want it and we cannot afford it!”
I take my hat off to our city officials who put together an outstanding brief called Transit First: Connecting The Sector in Namur-De La Savane. We do not need a highway running past an elementary and high school (JPPS-Bialik) nor Beth Chabad, which also benefits from a beautiful piece of greenspace they use for weddings in the summer. Buses turn around in that section and children are dropped off at school. The area is already has enough traffic.
Mayor Mitchell Brownstein wanted to share this clarification. "Our brief requests many improved options for movement in and out of our city," he told me. "The recommendation regarding extending Kildare could be through a tramway, and/or pedestrian and bicycle paths. Our priority for cars remains the Cavendish extension, with two lanes in each direction for cars and a tramway in the median down the center linking Saint Jacques to Namur. Imagine if that tramway could go through Kildare to Jean Talon directly as well, either using the perimeter of the rail yards or some other configuration. We also need train stations to make use of the existing Saint Jerome line that passes through our city There is a lot we can do and the four mayors in the region, Mayor De Sousa of Saint Laurent, Mayor Roy of Town of Mont Royal and Mayor Montgomery of Cöte des Neiges/ NDG are working together with us to move these ideas forward."
Many years ago the City of Montreal was supposed to extend Kildare. Then Mayor Jean Doré reneged on deal with Mayor Lang who took the matter to the Quebec Municipal Commission. Côte Saint-Luc won a multi-million dollar cash settlement as well as ownership of the area of homes in what was then called North Hampstead Estates (renamed North of Hampstead) near Decarie Square.
Anytime the extension of Kildare came up again thus far in my 14 years on council, it came with a massive price tag attached to it. This simply is never going to happen. Residents of Marc Chagall, Merrimac, Rembrandt, Ilan Ramon and Sir Walter Scott in particular do not want it. Ditto for the congregants at Beth Chabad and the parents, students and staff at JPPS-Bialik.
Finally, the traffic lights at Cavendish and The Avenue were not working consistently for the last few months. I tested it out myself during regular walks. In mid-December the problem was resolved.
Cela fait maintenant plus de deux ans qu'un nouveau panneau d'arrêt a été placé à Kildare et Rembrandt. Les autorités policières l'ont approuvé dès le début et l'ont souvent surveillé. Vérifiez-le régulièrement. Certaines personnes ont exprimé leur inquiétude quant à la taille du panneau d'arrêt. Un panneau plus grand a donc été installé récemment. Dans l'ensemble, ce panneau a fait une énorme différence pour les automobilistes qui sortent de l'avenue Rembrandt. C'est un problème qui est revenu sans cesse dans ma dernière campagne de porte-à-porte. En passant par les canaux appropriés, je suis heureux que cela ait fonctionné.
PARKS/PARCS
Isadore Goldberg Park
When I was first elected 15 years ago, I pledged to one day make Isadore Goldberg Park more accessible. For reasons I never understood, the park was built between a number of apartment buildings on Sir Walter Scott and Kildare Road. The actual sign was at the corner of Kildare and Merrimac, but with no clear direction of how to even get there. It was essentially a park for the residents of these buildings and while it was well utilized, this could have been the case for such a wider audience.
Our original plan was to relocate the park to the large patch of green space on Marc Chagall Avenue across from the Marquise and next to Les Cours Chagall. However, that was derailed when we desperately needed that spot for construction workers at the Equinoxe to park in order to ensure residents could find places on the street.
The new entrance to Goldberg Park.
Well, over the years Director of Public Works Beatrice Newman and I maintained a regular dialogue on this topic. Last year she came up with the brilliant idea to revitalize the existing park and at the same time make it widely accessible.
Eh bien, au fil des ans, la directrice des travaux publics, Beatrice Newman, et moi-même avons entretenu un dialogue régulier sur ce sujet. L'année dernière, elle a eu la brillante idée de revitaliser le parc existant tout en le rendant largement accessible.
All of the old benches were removed and replaced with new ones. Ditto for the garbage cans. Five new benches were installed on concrete bases plus five temporary wood picnic tables were put in the park. Five new lights were purchased. Four new games were installed. About 40 tons of sand was poured and we also sifted the sandbox, removed dead trees and bushes and trimmed some others.
A gravel pathway was made and in November paved. What a beautiful site! And yes, the sign has been relocated to the entrance to the pathway. Isadore Goldberg Park is truly now accessible to all.
Less than a year ago former Councillor Goldberg passed away. I know that his brother, sister in law and niece, each of whom reside in my district, will be pleased to represent him when we do a re-dedication in 2021. Next year we will be installing a gate as we have in Trudeau Park. Only pedestrians will be able to enter through there. Vehicles will not do so unless the employee has the key. Until the final installation, we will place cement bells at the entrance so the Equinoxe team can no longer drive over our property to get to their dump. Last year all the dead trees and shrubs were removed.
REMBRANDT
On one of my regular District 2 walks during the fall, one of my constituents, and some youngsters asked me when the Rembrandt Park basketball courts would be fixed up. As part of our Capital Works Program, I was promised that this was in the plans for 2021. However, given the financial impact of the pandemic I could not be sure.
After speaking with project manager Dalia Mohamed I can now confirm the work will be done. The city will call for tenders in March and the renovations will occur towards the end of May. First and foremost, there will be new asphalt installed. That is very important given the surface is in pretty poor condition. They will also paint new lines, install new benches and new lighting to allow for evening activity. The city will replace the existing headboards and nets with new backboards of rectangular shape with the double rim. For the basketball poles they will be sanded and painted with two coats. I spoke to Alex Fyon of J-Hoops, which runs basketball programs year-round and there could be a possible partnership in the works. Meanwhile, the tennis season at Rembrandt was extended due to the unseasonably warm weather. For tennis court # 1, the city awarded a contract to install a 15-feet barrier to allow the Public Works trucks to enter the court.
KIds at the basketball court.
During the summer we installed a brand new ping pong table, a high-end model that is bolted to the ground and will stand the test of time. You must bring your own racquets and ping pong balls
At Rembrandt Park three drinking fountains were opened this year; and were adjusted for filling water bottles as per COVID-19 protocols. Three temporary lights were installed on the pathway going towards Merrimac The frame for the swings for the bigger kids and some benches were painted. Six new benches and two waste receptacles were installed on the pathway going towards Merrimac at the same time we recuperated the pavé and repair the holes where the pavé is missing (in front of the chalet and near the fountain). Plans also call for the chalet bathrooms to be gutted and replaced this winter and for a small skating rink to be installed in one of the tennis courts - a first.
Early in the summer I discovered that rat and mouse poisoning pellets had been found at and near Rembrandt Park. Dogs often consume things on the ground that look like food when you take them for a walk. Owners must watch them carefully. Then there are outdoor cats. They have nobody looking out for them. One of my neighbours saw a torn package of green pellets on the ground and threw them in the garbage. He also found a wrapper on the ground clearly labelled as Wilsarin: Rat and Mouse Bait. Public Security officers from Côte Saint-Luc carried on an investigation and reported this to police. Sadly, we have had previous cases of people who clearly hate animals of doing such a horrible thing. A family member was walking her dog near Mackle Road and Marc Chagall earlier this year. The pooch ingested something, fell very ill the next day and had to be rushed to the vet. He almost died. It cost her $5,000 to regain his health. There is clearly someone out there who wants to harm animals. I repeat the importance of reporting to us any suspicious behavior. It is almost as if this person wants us to know what he or she is doing. Why else are they leaving their wrappers on the ground?
Après avoir parlé avec la responsable du projet, Dalia Mohamed, je peux maintenant confirmer que le travail sera fait. La ville lancera un appel d'offres en mars et les rénovations auront lieu vers la fin du mois de mai. Avant tout, un nouvel asphalte sera installé. C'est très important étant donné que la surface est en assez mauvais état. Ils vont également peindre de nouvelles lignes, installer de nouveaux bancs et un nouvel éclairage pour permettre l'activité en soirée. La ville remplacera les têtes de lit et les filets existants par de nouveaux panneaux arrière de forme rectangulaire à double rebord. Pour les poteaux de basket, ils seront poncés et peints avec deux couches. J'ai parlé à Alex Fyon de J-Hoops, qui gère des programmes de basket-ball toute l'année et un éventuel partenariat est en cours. En attendant, la saison de tennis à Rembrandt a été prolongée en raison du temps anormalement chaud. Pour le court de tennis n°1, la ville a attribué un contrat pour l'installation d'une barrière de 15 pieds pour permettre aux camions de Travaux publics d'entrer sur le terrain.
ELIE WIESEL
Elie Wiesel Park at the corner of Kildare and Cavendish is a difficult one to maintain due to its makeup. Public Works weeded the park a few times. They even decided to pull out many shrubs and perennials this year due to the extensive amount of deep weeds (Phragmite). In an ideal world, we would need to pull everything out and start from scratch. Since we can't do that we pulled everything that was impossible to work with for now. It takes a minimum of 12 people to clean that park during a few days, which is frustrating.
Le parc Elie Wiesel, à l'angle de Kildare et Cavendish, est difficile à entretenir en raison de sa composition. Les Travaux publics ont désherbé le parc à plusieurs reprises. Ils ont même décidé d'arracher de nombreux arbustes et plantes vivaces cette année en raison de la grande quantité de mauvaises herbes profondes (Phragmite). Dans un monde idéal, il faudrait tout arracher et repartir de zéro. Comme nous ne pouvons pas le faire, nous avons arraché tout ce qui était impossible à travailler pour l'instant. Il faut un minimum de 12 personnes pour nettoyer ce parc pendant quelques jours, ce qui est frustrant.
MOPEDS
During the summer I began receiving complaints about people recklessly driving mopeds in some of our parks, notably Rembrandt. I want to thank Co-City Manager Jonathan Shecter and Public Safety Director Philip Chateauvert for the excellent work they did on the dossier. At a December Council meeting we passed a notice of motion that will prohibit the use of electric mopeds in parks and to prohibit circulation in a manner that compromises the safety of other park users.
Pendant l'été, j'ai commencé à recevoir des plaintes concernant des personnes conduisant imprudemment des cyclomoteurs dans certains de nos parcs, notamment celui de Rembrandt. Je tiens à remercier Jonathan Shecter, co-directeur de la ville, et Philip Chateauvert, directeur de la sécurité publique, pour l'excellent travail qu'ils ont accompli sur ce dossier. Lors d'une réunion du Conseil en décembre, nous avons adopté un avis de motion visant à interdire l'utilisation de cyclomoteurs électriques dans les parcs et à interdire la circulation d'une manière qui compromet la sécurité des autres usagers des parcs.
TRAIN NOISE/BRUIT DES TRAINS
At my most recent District 2 Advisory Committee meeting, held via Zoom, train noise was on the agenda.
Councillor Dida Berku is teaming up with me for a District 2 and 3 Coalition to try and deal with excessive train noise from the CP Railway. Frank Palucci said he even hears the trains all the way on Ilan Ramon Crescent. There was an incident recently in which a piece of equipment broke down, causing a few sleepless nights for residents of Merrimac and Baily Road residents.
Merrimac resident Charles Guerin is leading an effort to gather complaints. What we need from people are for them first to email a complaint to CP Rail “Community Connect “ ([email protected]), it’s sort of a help desk for CP Rail. The email should CC: [email protected] on all correspondence, Cote St Luc’s legal counsel.
Community Connect will send everyone back a form letter the next day that explains why CP is good and their complaint is a waste of time…everyone should ignore that.
La conseillère Dida Berku fait équipe avec moi pour une coalition des districts 2 et 3 afin d'essayer de régler le problème du bruit excessif des trains du CP. Frank Palucci dit qu'il entend même les trains sur Ilan Ramon Crescent. Il y a eu récemment un incident au cours duquel une pièce d'équipement est tombée en panne, provoquant quelques nuits blanches pour les habitants des rues Merrimac et de Baily.
HONOURS/HONNEURS
Seven years ago Côte Saint-Luc got lucky when a most distinguished citizen, Elliot Lifson, moved to our community from Hampstead. In fact he became my constituent in District 2. In December it was announced that Elliot has been appointed to the Order of Canada by the Governor General for his leadership and mentorship in the apparel industry, his commitment to Canada’s economic growth, and for his community involvement. Next to his name on the press release, it says Côte Saint-Luc instead of Montreal. “That was done on purpose,” said Elliot. “I am so proud and happy to be living in Côte Saint-Luc that I wanted that included.”
BUSINESS/AFFAIRES
Twelve year old Matthew Liebman is one of three sons to Howard Liebman, a long-time political strategist to the likes of Irwin Cotler and Denis Coderre and current government relations director for Air Transat and Willingdon Elementary School Grade 4 English teacher Heather Leckner. I have known his grandparents, Rick and Gloria Leckner, for most of my life. Rick, of course, was the legendary traffic reporter on CJAD and for many years an investor relations and PR guru to corporate giants.
Given his lineage, it was not surprising to hear that young Matthew has decided to put his baking skills to good use during these times of confinement. The Côte Saint-Luc resident and District 2 constituent of mine is impressive. After his full day of remote learning is done as a Grade 6 graduating student at JPPS, Matthew dons his apron to bake dozens of fresh cookies for his growing client list.
Helping to keep track of orders and behind the beautiful packaging is mom Heather. Swift local drop off deliveries (free in CSL, Hampstead, NDG and Montreal West) have been entrusted to dad, Howard, to allow the baker to focus on his creations in the kitchen you may place orders for these delicious cookies at [email protected]
Meanwhile, COVID-19 claimed another victim as the Cineplex Odeon Theatres at the Quartier Cavendish have closed for good I was surprised to see the theatres last this long. They never did a booming business, but it is nonetheless a loss for our community. Seniors in particular appreciated having a multiplex so close by. It was also great for young families. In recent years our city has held our Volunteer Appreciation Evening there.
When they first opened here about two decades ago it was a celebration. Prior to that the closest theatres were at Decarie Square (now a Dollar Cinema) and Plaza Côte des Neiges (now Cinéstarz). The movie theatre business has taken a massive beating since COVID-19 hit last March. They did reopen for a few months, but crowds were weak. Would Cinéstarz owner Bruce Gurberg consider stepping in and saving the Cavendish theatres or has the curtain closed for good? A sign at the Quartier Cavendish does inform everyone that the theatres are closed permanently and to head to the Forum downtown. Cineplex Odeon also operates a cinema in LaSalle. The last movie I saw was at Cavendish - Academy Award winner Parasite.
Owners David Banon and Sarah Ettedgui have closed their Caldwell Pharmaprix location and merged operations at the larger Cavendish spot. They have actually established a "pharmacy within a pharmacy" and when you call, they still answer "Caldwell."
CSLSC TESTING/TEST DE CLSC
As of August 10, anyone who wants to make an appointment at one of the CLSC test centres to have blood drawn or other samples tested must go to CLICSANTE.CA. Then they should choose “Blood test and specimens” and enter their postal code. Clic Santé will propose an appointment, which may not be for the same day. Since some people may find it difficult to gain access to this website, and in order to ensure a smooth transition, the CLSCs can also be phoned to book an appointment.
CATS/CHATS
It has been a decade now since I helped establish the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee, a small group of volunteers who oversee a trap, neuter, release and adopt program. Retired nurse Diane Liebling leads the efforts and I cannot say enough about the work she puts in. Despite the pandemic, she continued to rescue homeless cats and find new homes for them. When our annual fundraising concert had to be cancelled due to COVID-19, Diane, Malka Labow and Randi Kader embarked upon a fundraising raffle which was a huge success. We also held a Virtual Variety Show, which is still available to watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB4u01mxZTY&feature=emb_logo
My Cleopatra
Cela fait maintenant dix ans que j'ai participé à la création du Comité des chats de Côte Saint-Luc, un petit groupe de bénévoles qui supervise un programme de piégeage, de stérilisation, de remise en liberté et d'adoption. Diane Liebling, infirmière à la retraite, dirige les efforts et je ne saurais trop insister sur le travail qu'elle accomplit. Malgré la pandémie, elle a continué à secourir les chats sans abri et à leur trouver de nouveaux foyers. Lorsque notre concert annuel de collecte de fonds a dû être annulé en raison de COVID-19, Diane, Malka Labow et Randi Kader ont organisé une tombola qui a remporté un énorme succès.
DOGS/CHIENS
During the year I moved a motion to modify our by-law for the regulation of dogs. This was deemed necessary to be in line with new provincial government legislation. One minor change was done to the draft by-law that was tabled at the April 6, 2020 meeting, namely, that the coming into force of the obligation to microchip all dogs on the territory of CSL will be on April 6, 2021. The remainder of by-law 2555 came into force as of July 11, 2020 (in order for Public Security to inform the City of Montreal of the modifications), with the exception of the microchipping articles.
This new regulation aims to provide a basis for reducing the risk of attacks and tragic incidents related to dangerous dogs. For instance, dogs 20 kg and over must wear a halter or harness at all times. Wearing a leash with a maximum length of 1.85 meters is also now compulsory, except in a dog park, hunting, in a training course or a dog competition (the latter three will unlikely occur in CSL). Doctors are obligated to report serious dog bites. Veterinarians must report dogs they believe to pose a risk, and municipalities will enforce the rules and order any dog responsible for an attack to be euthanized.
We have had issues in the past with dangerous dogs. But usually, it is the owner who is fault. In CSL we have an active Dog Owners Committee I launched after the last election.
Nous avons eu des problèmes dans le passé avec des chiens dangereux. Mais généralement, c'est le propriétaire qui est fautif. Au CSL, nous avons un Comité des propriétaires de chiens actif que j'ai lancé après les dernières élections.
PAS D’AUGMENTATION DE TAXES POUR UN LOGEMENT MOYEN/ 2021 BUDGET REPORT
La Ville de Côte Saint-Luc a adopté un budget de fonctionnement 2021 et le budget d’investissement lors d’une assemblée spéciale du Conseil le 21 décembre 2020. Notre objectif principal lors de l’élaboration du budget 2021 était de geler les taxes pour une maison résidentielle moyenne, c’est-à-dire une maison, condo, ou maison de ville. La résidence moyenne, dont la valeur a augmenté de 14,2 % avec le dépôt du dernier rôle, connaîtra une augmentation d’impôts de 0 % en 2021. Les propriétés dont la valeur a augmenté de moins de 14,2 % bénéficieront d’une réduction de taxes tandis que les propriétés dont la valeur a augmenté de plus de 14,2 % verront une augmentation de taxes en 2021. En 2021, nous continuons de vouloir rester connectés avec nos résidants, par le biais de divers programmes et services, sécuritaires et qui encouragent le bien-être, offerts par la bibliothèque, le service des loisirs et des parcs, le service des travaux publics et en partenariat avec des organismes externes. Ainsi, nos résidants pourront continuer à rester engagés et actifs. Ces initiatives comprennent notre programme de diffusion par téléphone, une augmentation de la programmation en ligne, une montagne de toboggan aménagée et entretenue par une équipe professionnelle, une patinoire réfrigérée extérieure située dans l’annexe et cinq patinoires extérieures additionnelles. »
The City of Côte Saint-Luc adopted its operating budget and capital expenditures budget for 2021 at a special council meeting on December 21, 2020. Our primary objective when building the 2021 budget was to freeze taxes for the average residential home. The average house, condo and townhouse will see a 0% tax increase in 2021. In other words, if the value of the property in the last tax roll increased by less than 14.2%, your property tax bill will be lower this year. If your property value increased by more than 14.2%, you tax bill will be higher. And if your property rose exactly 14.2%, your property tax will be the same as last year. Our priority for 2021 will be to continue to stay connected with our residents by providing services that improve health and are safe through our library, parks and recreation and public works departments and by partnering with other organizations so every resident can remain engaged and active. Initiatives include our telephone broadcast system, increased online programming, professionally groomed dedicated tobogganing mountain, outdoor refrigerated ice at the annex and five more outdoor skating rinks.
Les Villes de Montréal, Côte-Saint-Luc, Ville Mont-Royal ainsi que les arrondissements de Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce et de Saint-Laurent, situés aux abords du boulevard Décarie, se mobilisent pour créer un plan axé sur le transport collectif et actif pour le secteur Namur-De la Savane. Le secteur Namur-De la Savane est situé entre l’autoroute Métropolitaine, la rue Jean-Talon Ouest, le boulevard Cavendish, la gare de triage du CP et le corridor Décarie. Il chevauche deux villes (Côte Saint-Luc et Mont-Royal) et deux arrondissements de Montréal (Saint-Laurent et Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce). Une résolution conjointe a été adoptée au conseil d’agglomération afin que l’agglomération de Montréal demande d’une même voix à l’ARTM la mise en place d’une desserte appropriée en transport collectif électrique dans le secteur élargi de Namur-De la Savane, incluant l’axe du boulevard Cavendish.
The cities of Montreal, Côte Saint-Luc, Town of Mount Royal and the boroughs of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Saint-Laurent—all located along Décarie Boulevard—are mobilizing to create an active public transit plan for the Namur–De la Savane sector. The Namur–De la Savane sector is located between the Metropolitan Expressway, Jean-Talon Street West, Cavendish Boulevard, the CP rail yard and the Décarie Corridor. The sector straddles two cities (Côte Saint-Luc and Mount Royal) and two Montreal boroughs (Saint-Laurent and Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce). A joint resolution was tabled at the Agglomeration Council on Thursday so that the Agglomeration of Montreal can request to the ARTM with one voice the implementation of an appropriate electric public transit service in the expanded sector of Namur-De la Savane, including along Cavendish Boulevard. More specifically, the Agglomeration will ask the ARTM to propose an appropriate mode of transportation as well as an optimal route for this service in order to obtain a suitable and efficient service to the citizens of the sector and the Agglomeration.
PROLONGEMENT DU BOULEVARD CAVENDISH/THE CAVENDISH EXTENSION
La Ville de Côte Saint-Luc demande à la Ville de Montréal de soumettre le projet de prolongement du boulevard Cavendish au Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement du gouvernement du Québec, ou BAPE, le plus tôt possible et au plus tard le 1er mai 2021. Les villes, cités et arrondissements ayant un intérêt à voir le boulevard Cavendish prolongé sont en accord avec le projet. La prochaine étape doit être que Montréal soumette le projet au BAPE afin qu’il soit passé en revue, tel que cela fut annoncé l’an dernier. Le projet du prolongement du boulevard Cavendish est appuyé par la Ville de Montréal, notamment par les maires des arrondissements de Saint-Laurent (Alan DeSousa) et de Côte-des-Neiges-NDG (Sue Montgomery), ainsi que par la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc (Mitchell Brownstein) et la Ville de Mont-Royal (Philippe Roy). Tous les maires ont convenu d’en faire un prolongement axé sur le transport actif et collectif incluant un éventuel projet de tramway relié à la station multimodale Namur Hippodrome. Le projet de prolongement du boulevard Cavendish permettrait de relier le boulevard Cavendish à Côte Saint-Luc au boulevard Cavendish à Saint-Laurent, en passant par les gares de triage privées exploitées par le Canadien Pacifique et le Canadien National. La distance à parcourir à travers les gares de triage pour effectuer la connexion avec le réseau routier est d’environ 1,3 km. Les premières discussions sur le prolongement de ses deux parties ont débuté au milieu des années 1960.
The City of Côte Saint-Luc is urging the City of Montreal to submit the Cavendish road extension project to Quebec government’s environmental public hearings bureau, or BAPE, as soon as possible and no later than May 1, 2021. The cities, towns, and boroughs with an interest in the Cavendish extension have reached a consensus on this road project,The next step is for Montreal to send the project to the BAPE for review, as was announced a year ago.” The Cavendish road extension project is supported by the City of Montreal, including the mayors of the boroughs of Saint-Laurent (Alan DeSousa) and Côte-des-Neiges–NDG (Sue Montgomery), as well as the City of Côte Saint-Luc (Mitchell Brownstein), and the Town of Mount Royal (Philippe Roy). All Mayors have agreed to the extension including public and active transport as well as an eventual tramway connected to an intermodal hub at Namur-Hippodrome. The Cavendish road extension project would connect Cavendish Blvd. in Côte Saint-Luc with Cavendish Blvd. in Saint-Laurent, through private rail yards operated by Canadian Pacific and Canadian National. The distance to cross through the rail yards to connect the road network is approximately 1.3km. The first discussions of this issue began back in 1960.
On the eve of Yom Kippur I repeat something everyone has heard many times since last March: be careful! There are new limitations to public gatherings. Please abide by them.
COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon. We had a brief reprieve over the summer when too many people let their guards down, but now we are entering a second wave.
I do not think that Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, our seven members of council and our staff ever imagined a mandate like this. It has been a challenge and that is for certain, but I think as elected officials we have handled this pandemic responsibly.
First let me underline the incredible leadership shown by our senior management trio of Tanya Abramovitch, Jonathan Shecter and Nadia Di Furia. They have been ahead of the game every step of the way. Our teams in Finance, Urban Development/Engineering, Public Works, Purchasing, Communications, IT, the Library, City Clerk’s Office, Parks and Recreation and Public Safety have done an incredible job. I could not be more proud.
Look at our Men’s Club. This is a group which lives for personal gatherings, but since last spring they have embraced the Zoom video platform and opened up an entire new world. This brings me to my next subject. Out of respect for social distancing measures and in order to discourage seniors and others coming to public gatherings, all of our city council and committee meetings have been held via Zoom since March. And you know what? It works beautifully. In fact, over the past seven months our number of meetings have more than doubled!
Until there is a vaccine, bringing eight elected officials, staff and the public into a hardly spacious council chamber would be a very bad idea. Just look at the recent spate of COVID-19 positive cases for politicians: the leaders of the Bloc Québecois and the Conservative Party of Canada. Our own Councillor David Tordjman was at an event for the latter. He said he stayed for less than a half hour, wore a mask at all times and made sure to clean his hands any time he touched something. Nonetheless he got COVID as well. Please see this story.
This is how I dress to go to work now!
There are a number of hot button issues coming up on our agenda. We broadcast our public meetings live now on YouTube, via Zoom, and as Larry David would say, attendance is “pretty..;pretty..pretty good.” People can ask questions in the comments section or send them in advance.
I shudder to think of how we would be functioning if this pandemic had occurred in say 1987?
I have spent the past few months walking my District 2 on foot several days a week and talking to constituents from a distance. My district meetings have successfully moved to Zoom and I am happy to say work is getting done at a good pace.
We all want this to be over, but now we must brace ourselves for a rough fall and winter. Get your flu shot! One can only pray that by spring that elusive vaccine will arrive.