A constituent contacted me this week to express concern that the test centre at the CSLC René-Cassin at Quartier Cavendish was closed.

People wait outside the test center.

I reached out to CIUSSS West-Central Montreal and they provided me with full story.  They aim to re-establish blood testing services  three days per week, in April. In the meantime, clients are referred to the local point of service at Décarie Square (6900 Décarie Boulevard) and other CLSCs on the territory.

The hours of operation are   Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clients can call  514-734-9911 and obtain an appointment for any urgent (within 24-48 hours) or routine test within 10 days, free of charge. It is also possible to book an appointment online via Clic Santé . As for ear cleaning, appointments have been re-directed to CLSC Côte-des-Neiges, CLSC Parc-Extension and CLSC Métro.

Left to right Dr. Baliesh, Clinical Manager Roxane Plaza, Secretary Erica Kremer and Nurse Laira Bouzo.

What prompted a young family physician to launch his own private medical clinic? After Dr. Shayne Baliesh completed his residency at McGill University, the Côte Saint-Luc resident began to work in the public system. His workplace was the CLSC et Centre de services ambulatoires de Vaudreuil-Dorion. However, with two young children at home and another on the way, the commute – exacerbated by the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge construction – became just too much. It was time to switch gears.

Dr. Baliesh and Laura Bouzo review a chart.

Dr. Baliesh decided to make the biggest career move of his life and opened a new private medical clinic on Royalmount Avenue in TMR called Rose M.D. It is located right next door to the large new mall.

Rose MD, named after Dr. Baliesh’s children Romy and Jesse, is open to patients of all age. The clinic offers urgent care, annual check-ups, mental health consults, weight loss pharmacotherapy, telemedicine, forms, and private lab testing. “Basically we take care of everything related to general family medicine,” Dr. Bailesh explained. “We guarantee appointments within 24 hours, usually the same day. We have a no hidden cost policy. There are no chart opening fees and no membership requirements.”

Dr. Baliesh. grew up in Dollard des Ormeaux and attended Hebrew Foundation School and Herzliah High School, followed by John Abbott College (Sciences) and Concordia University (Behavioral Neurobiology). He then proceeded to medical school overseas and in Chicago before returning home and McGill for his residency.

Dr. Baliesh is up to the challenge.

With the support of his wife Roxane Plaza, Rose M.D. was established in February 2025. “The public system places too many challenges in the way of family physicians,” Dr. Baliesh. said. “That is what motivated me to launch my own clinic and do so privately.”

With the severe shortage in family physicians, Dr. Baliesh. very quickly began to see the interest in his services. “We recognize that it’s very difficult to access a doctor here in Quebec,” he said. “People either don’t have a family doctor or have one that is not available to see them quickly enough, which is why we prioritize this easy accessibility. Visitors from outside of Canada who need medical assistance have to pay anyhow. We are here for them too. I am really trying to provide a great service to people and I believe that my clinic can fill a void in terms of healthcare!

“Our clinic is designed for your convenience, offering prompt and accessible appointments for a wide range of health concerns for all ages. These include minor injuries, infections, rashes, flu-like symptoms, abdominal pains and other minor urgencies.”

There is a wide range of on-site laboratory tests, including blood work, urine analysis, STI testing and other diagnostic tests. Rose MD ensures accurate results with quick turnaround times. They provide reliable lab services that cater to each patient’s individual health needs.

Rose M.D. is located at 5500 Royalmount, Suite 250. There is plenty of free parking and the entrance to the building is just past the RBC branch. To book an appointment or find out more information call 438-944-7673 or log on to www.rosemd.ca

Dorothy Baker (Hart Winterfeld) was a dynamic and fully independent 89 year old, who drove a car and resides in my Côte Saint-Luc District 2. On January 11, 2025, what should have been her weekly outing to Walmart on Jean Talon turned into a medical emergency. She slipped and fell a mere 30 to 40 feet from the entrance next to her vehicle in the first handicapped spot.

Photos from the scene.

According to her grandson Jonathan Labow- Hart, the accident occurred at 12:15 pm. She was exposed in an open parking lot for over an hour despite an immediate call made to 911. Due to the area surrounding the fall, an individual went into the store to alert Walmart staff asking them to barricade the area to avoid her being hit by a car. Staff said they could not comply nor did they come out to assess the situation. A good Samaritan by the name of Milan retrieved a sleeping bag from inside the store to cover Dorothy. Milan then called her grandsons who quickly arrived at the scene. Her grandson Simon Fauteux held the sleeping bag over her head to shield her from the falling snow, however she was still laying on top of the snow covered ground as she could not be moved. After numerous calls to Urgences Santé, paramedics finally arrived at about 1:05 pm. Paramedics from the Fire Department showed up a few minutes earlier to mobilize her and bring her inside. If it was any colder she could have died from hypothermia

“Not once did any Walmart personnel come to check on Dorothy or ask if they needed assistance,” said daughter-in-law Malka Labow. People parked their cars near Dorothy and opened their doors to create some kind of barrier to prevent further injuries.”

Dorothy was operated on at the Jewish General Hospital a little more than 24 hours after being admitted. Due to the severity of her shattered hip, full hip replacement was not possible; they did however insert two metal rods and multiple posts to stabilize her hip so that she would be able to walk again.

Dorothy at Rehab.

Family members went to Walmart the following day to speak with Store Manager Jonathan Price. Although he was not on duty Saturday, he was apprised of the situation. According to Mr. Price, who was quite apologetic and sincere, “She (the on duty manager) did not receive full details and underestimated as a result of the urgency of the situation,” his text message read. “Their actions could’ve potentially impacted the well-being of your mother and (they should be) re-trained as needed on how to deal with these kinds of emergencies. I would like to make sure we are doing our best to take care of our community and I’m sorry that this wasn’t the case yesterday.”

Jonathan Price then escalated this to his Regional Manager. He did in fact call Michael Hart and said that he would get back to him within the next 24 to 48 hours, which he did not.

On February 5, the insurance company representing Walmart told Michael Hart that they were reviewing the case and within the next 24 hours would be sending him a Demand Letter to complete. As of yet he has not received it.
Soon after surgery Dorothy was moved to the Catherine Booth Hospital in NDG for an extended rehabilitation. Ten days later she was rushed back to the JGH and diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. A few days after her return to Catherine Booth she came down with COVID-19.

What the family is seeking is accountability from Walmart. This ordeal has taken a toll on both Dorothy and her family. Her life will be greatly impacted as a result of this. “We thought Walmart was all about community and customer appreciation,” a family statement reads.

I reached out to Mr. Price. He forwarded me to Steeve Azoulay, senior director of public affairs for Walmart. “We’re aware of the incident and are very sorry to hear a customer was injured in the parking lot,” he responded. “While we’ve been in touch with their family, given that this is an ongoing matter and out of respect for all parties involved, we cannot provide further comment. “

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

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

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

The busy front desk.

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

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

One of the examing rooms.

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

One of the long and winding hallways.

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

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

More About Clinique Médicale Step

Clinique Médicale Stephas a lot to offer:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congratulations to a constituent of mine in District 2, Nina Cohen, who saved someone’s life last week.

Nina, who  lives on Rembrandt Avenue and works as a nurse’s assistant/PAB ( préposés aux bénéficiares) at the Jewish General and Royal Victoria Hospitals. She got her training at the Shadd Health and  Business Centre, part of the English Montreal School Board.

Nina Cohen

Last Monday night Nina and Rozanne Abramson were on the balcony overlooking Heywood when there was a car crash. They both headed towards the accident, with Nina swinging into action. The driver had no pulse. Two people removed him from the vehicle and she gave him CPR. When he regained consciousness it was clear  he had been driving under the influence. Public Security, Urgences Santé, Emergency Medical Services and the police all arrived. The car was totalled .

A view of the accident. (JP Amiel Photo)

I called Nina to thank her for what she did.

“I am just so glad that I had the training which allowed me  to step in and save someone’s life,” Nina said.

Said building mainstay JP Amiel: I don't know if the victim survived and has learned a lesson, but his chances were greatly improved by the presence of Nina and Roxanne."  

We all salute her!

Félicitations à l'une de mes électrices

Félicitations à l'une de mes électrices du district 2, Nina Cohen, qui a sauvé la vie d'une personne la semaine dernière.

Nina, qui habite sur l'avenue Rembrandt, travaille comme infirmière auxiliaire/PAB (préposés aux bénéficiaires) à l'Hôpital général juif et à l'Hôpital Royal Victoria. Elle a suivi sa formation au Centre de santé et d'affaires Shadd, qui fait partie de la Commission scolaire English-Montréal.

Lundi soir dernier, Nina et Rozanne Abramson se trouvaient sur le balcon surplombant Heywood lorsqu'un accident de voiture s'est produit. Elles se sont toutes deux dirigées vers l'accident, et Nina s'est empressée d'intervenir. Le conducteur n'avait plus de pouls. Deux personnes l'ont sorti du véhicule et Nina lui a fait un massage cardiaque. Lorsqu'il a repris conscience, il était évident qu'il conduisait sous influence. La sécurité publique, Urgences Santé, les services médicaux d'urgence et la police sont arrivés sur les lieux. La voiture a été détruite.

J'ai appelé Nina pour la remercier de ce qu'elle avait fait.

"Je suis tellement heureuse d'avoir reçu la formation qui m'a permis d'intervenir et de sauver la vie de quelqu'un", a déclaré Nina.

JP Amiel, pilier du bâtiment, a déclaré : "Je ne sais pas si la victime a survécu et en a tiré une leçon, mais ses chances ont été grandement améliorées par la présence de Nina et de Roxanne".

Nous la saluons tous !

When former Liberal Health Minister Gaetan  Barrette introduced Bill 10, the infamous health network reform, it did not get a ringing endorsement from too many people. The controversial bill led to the abolishment of individual health institutions boards, mainly hospitals, and merged them into 28 regional boards in the aim of saving the province $55 million in its first year.  This was the introduction of what we is presently know as the CIUSSS networks.

Our CSL delegation was welcomed to the Command Centre.

Well, after visiting the Digital Command Centre for the CIUSS West-Central Montreal  this week, based at the Jewish General Hospital, I can definitely see some of the major advantages of such an amalgamated system. Councillors Dida Berku, Sidney Benizri, Steven Erdelyi and I, along with Associate City Manager Tanya Abramovitch, were invited for an exclusive briefing at the actual Command Centre earlier this week.

Our briefing session.

As officials reminded us, the CIUSSS is determined to use technology and other tools to amplify and improve care across the  network. At the  Command Centre we also got some background into Virtual Care (including Hospital@Home, formerly COVID@Home) and Telehealth and the Connected Health Record (CHR).

This is all part of the  Care Everywhere initiative, which emphasizes the delivery of the right care at the right time in whichever location is most appropriate, safest and most convenient for the recipients of health care and social services.

Care Everywhere—based on the vision and philosophy of our CIUSSS’s President and CEO and Côte Saint-Luc resident Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg—is supported by four pillars:

• The Command Centre
  This is the CIUSSS’s digital nerve centre, where numerous screens display real-time data about the care of healthcare users across the CIUSSS. As a result, data-driven decisions are facilitated, in order to improve patient flow and other complex aspects of care. The award-winning Command Centre is also known as C4, because its activities enable the Jewish General Hospital and the CIUSSS to be better able to Care, Communicate, Collaborate and Create. I was amazed to see the instant data coming in from multiple locations. Clearly this would not have been possible prior to the formation of the CIUSSS network.
   
• Virtual Care
  Several forms of virtual care are provided in this CIUSSS, including the award-winning Hospital@Home program. Originally developed as the COVID@Home program, it enables certain hospitalized patients who otherwise would have remained in the hospital to continue their hospitalization at home. The patient is monitored remotely by digital devices that are linked to our virtual care team, with the frequency of monitoring adjusted according to the patient’s needs for care. Care is provided by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who combine hospital and community expertise. In effect, the patient’s home is transformed into a virtual hospital until the patient can be safely discharged from the program.
   
• Connected Health Record
  The Connected Health Record, which is currently being developed by and for the  CIUSSS, will result in the elimination of the numerous computer programs and digital systems currently in use in nearly three dozen facilities across the CIUSSS. In their place will be a single platform, accessible to all CIUSSS staff to simplify and accelerate access to medical information about healthcare users. Staff will have access to uniform, accurate and up-to-date information about patients, clients and residents, no matter where care is provided in our CIUSSS. In addition, patients will eventually have access to their own clinical information via a state-of-the-art portal—a key aspect of improving the patient experience through Care Everywhere.
   
• OROT
  OROT’s contribution is pivotal to Care Everywhere, which relies on digital technology to deliver care. Anchoring the CIUSSS’s Digital Health program, OROT brings together healthcare professionals, users and private-sector entrepreneurs to scrutinize the network’s needs and problems, co-develop prototypes, accelerate commercialization and, ultimately, integrate the innovation. OROT gives entrepreneurs access to the insights of users and professionals, resulting in products that truly meet everyone’s requirements.

We even got to see what is called a “daily huddle,” where key players connected virtually and gave a complete update on capacity at the different health centres. It included a listing of all COVID patients (yes there are still COVID patients) and cardiac care.

“We no longer work in silos,” one of the spokespersons told us.

Of course, in  Côte Saint-Luc, we have three CIUSSS institutions – Maimonides Geriatric Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital and the CLSC René-Cassin- and the fabulously run vaccination centre at Decarie Square.

We are in good hands with the CIUSS West-Central Montreal.

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.

Here I am on CTV Montreal

Here I am on CJAD

Here is the video of our first in person meeting

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 ;

ADOPTÉE À L’UNANIMITÉ

The Quebec government continues to dig its head in the sand, doing away with COVID-19 measures as if this is a race.

Public Health Director Luc Boileau said today that he may delay the lifting of the mask mandate past mid-April. Well,  that makes sense. We are now officially in a sixth wave. Hospital workers are out in big numbers. A number of restaurants and pubs have had to shut down and while the hard to get PCR testing numbers show over 3,000 cases a day, Boileau  admitted that the real number of daily infections in Quebec is likely closer to 30,000.

Some people from our government do indeed have their heads in the sand.

I know it is an election year for the Quebec government, but if the governing CAQ continues to act like COVID does not exist they are removing the incentive for people to get vaccinated or boosted - and just watch as hospital emergency rooms go beyond capacity.

As a city councillor in Côte Saint-Luc,  I am at loss to understand why municipalities have just been advised that we are now being forced to return to in-person public meetings.  For the past two years we have been convening virtually. The process has worked exceptionally well and while we all want to do this again with the public in attendance and for them to be able to ask questions directly to us, it really is all about timing. Since we now have live webcasts of these meetings, more people than ever are tuning in.  And nobody can argue about the safety factor.

As this sixth wave begins,  no less than nine Members of the National Assembly - including the Premier and the Deputy Premier- sit home isolating because of COVID. Would it not make more sense for the government to leave this choice up to each municipality? Clearly they are spreading the new variant among each other in Quebec City.

Today, Health Minister Christian Dubé spoke about not entirely lifting the State of Emergency; that the government still requires the power to make some urgent decisions. He took a lot of heat for this. Well, here is a perfect opportunity for him to grant municipalities to return to public sessions at the very least when this sixth wave subsides.

Here is the memo municipalities received

À la suite des derniers développements concernant les mesures de la COVID-19, le ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation confirme que l'arrêté 2020-029 du 26 avril 2020, qui permet la participation à distance des membres de toute réunion, séance ou assemblée d’un organe délibérant (dont le conseil d’un organisme municipal), a été abrogé le vendredi 25 mars dernier par l’arrêté ministériel 2022-024. Dans ce contexte, l’ensemble des séances du conseil doit de nouveau se tenir en présentiel, conformément aux règles prévues, entre autres, à la Loi sur les cités et villes et au Code municipal du Québec.

Le site Internet du MAMH sera mis à jour sous peu pour tenir compte de cette abrogation.

I was interviewed by CTV Montreal News. You can see the report here.

CBC also did a report. You can see it here.

It is quite a shame that the CAQ Quebec government and the supposedly independent Director of Public Health Dr. Luc Boileau are rushing to make us believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us.

According to Premier François Legault, Health Minister Christian Dubé and Dr. Boileau, the vaccine passport is no longer necessary. Entertainment venues and restaurants can return to full capacity. Daily COVID case counts basically no longer exist. You think you have COVID? Take a rapid test. Masks are also set to go by mid-April, to me the biggest mistake of them all.

I feel more comfortable seeing others wearing masks in stores.

COVID-19 and the Omicron variant have not disappeared. COVID remains a pandemic, not endemic. What was the rush to remove masks of students on March 7, just days after many returned from holidays outside of the country? I know more people with COVID now than I have in the last two years.

Well, there is a Quebec election in October and Legault is worried. Sure, polls show that he should win a majority. But the fledgling Conservatives are making a dent in his base in Quebec City and do not count the Liberals out just yet. The Freedom Convoys made a lot of noise and provincial politicians gave in to their demands.

I feel sad and worried to see the mask mandate come to an end. For the past two years wearing a mask at a mall, grocery store or at work gave me true sense of comfort. There is a reason why nobody got the flu. Family members of mine, prone to bronchitis, bad colds and the like, have never been healthier. If someone coughs in the fruits and vegetable aisle, odds are when and if they sneeze on the zucchini, we are well protected.

Would I feel safer at the Bell Centre next to non-vaccinated maskless individuals? Absolutely not!  Only time will tell to see whether this roll of the dice by the government is a giant mistake.

In Côte Saint-Luc we were early leaders on mask mandates. Well, we will not be able to order people to wear masks at the Quartier Cavendish, synagogues, stores or in apartment buildings when Quebec lifts the mandate. But we sure can do so in our own buildings. I hope our council will decide to maintain mask mandates inside our City Hall, Library and Aquatic and Community Centre.

As for council meetings returning to a live in person format, there is no rush to do so. Since we pivoted to an online format, there are more eyes on our meetings, and I must say during my door to door last fall nobody complained. Sure, we want to return to the City Hall Council Chamber, but only when the time is right. Hopefully that will be soon. It would be prudent to wait and see how the Quebec COVID experiment works first. What happens if the case count doubles in the next month?  On public council meeting evenings, we convene several hours earlier in caucus. The space we use at City Hall is tight under normal circumstances, especially since we have working dinners. This presents a problem we must find a solution to.

And when we do return to public, I believe we should require members of the public to show a vaccine passport or alternatively ask their questions virtually if they have decided not to get the jab.

Folks I had COVID in January 2021. It was a miserable month in my life. I have friends who are Long Haulers. One still has not regained his sense of taste or smell in a year and half.

Now we wait and watch!

See this report on CityNews for which I was one of the people interviewed.

See this Gazette story

The following is an update on the vaccination program of the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal.

Vaccinations to date

All long-term care residents who consented to and qualified for COVID-19 vaccination have received their vaccine (in CHSLDs, Intermediate Resources and Family-Type Resources). The vaccination campaign for those who live in private seniors’ residences (RPAs), and religious orders is ongoing and expected to be completed by February 26th. The CIUSSS is also currently vaccinating seniors who are living in municipal low-income housing and non-profit housing.

Indigenous residents of our territory and clients of the following homeless shelters in our area have been vaccinated: Chez Doris, Resilience Montreal, the Open Door, and the Côte-des-Neiges warming centre.

Recruiting vaccinators

To combat COVID-19 quickly and effectively, the Human Resources team of our CIUSSS is looking for anyone who is available and interested in assisting in the vaccination campaign.

We are looking for physicians, midwives, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, nurses and licensed practical nurses, as well as:

Acupuncturists

Dental hygienists

Podiatrists

Audiologists

Veterinary doctors

Ambulance technicians

Audioprosthesists

Prescription opticians

Medical technicians

Chiropractors

Optometrists

Medical electrophysiology technologists

Denturists

Speech therapists

Physiotherapy technicians

Dietitians or nutritionists

Physiotherapists

Medical imaging technologists

Occupational therapists

Students in nursing, medicine, pharmacy and dentistry are also invited to apply.
Details of hiring conditions and schedules will be specified when the candidates are contacted by our Human Resources teams.

To apply: [email protected] or 514-293-0526.

Public Vaccination Program

a) Eligibility for Vaccination

We expect the public vaccination program to start soon. During this first phase of the public vaccination program, priority will be given to residents of the territory who are 70 or over.

b) Making an Appointment
It will be necessary to make an appointment to be vaccinated. Appointments will have to be made online or by telephone.

c) Preparing for the Appointment
Residents should plan on a visit lasting 30 to 45 minutes, which covers time for registration, the vaccination itself and post-vaccination observation.
Residents should bring their health card with them.

Mise à jour sur le programme de vaccination du
CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal

Vous trouverez ci-dessous une mise à jour sur le programme de vaccination du CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.

Personnes vaccinées jusqu’à maintenant

Tous les résidents des centres de soins de longue durée admissible et qui ont consenti à la vaccination contre la COVID-19 ont été vaccinés (dans les CHSLD, les Ressources intermédiaires et les Ressources de type familial). La campagne de vaccination pour les personnes vivant dans les résidences privées pour personnes âgées (RPA) et les communautés religieuses est en cours et devrait être terminée d’ici le 26 février. Le CIUSSS vaccine actuellement les personnes âgées qui habitent dans des logements municipaux à coût modique et des logements sans but lucratif.

Les résidents autochtones et les clients des refuges pour sans-abri suivants de notre territoire ont été vaccinés : Chez Doris, Résilience Montréal, La Porte ouverte (the Open Door), et la halte-chaleur Côte-des-Neiges.
La semaine prochaine, nous prévoyons de vacciner les patients âgés de 70 ans et plus hospitalisés à l’Hôpital général juif.

Recrutement de vaccinateurs

Pour lutter rapidement et efficacement contre la COVID-19, l’Équipe des ressources humaines de notre CIUSSS est à la recherche de toute personne disponible et intéressée à participer à la campagne de vaccination.

Nous cherchons des médecins, sages-femmes, inhalothérapeutes, pharmaciennes et pharmaciens, infirmières et infirmiers et infirmière et infirmiers auxiliaires autorisé(e)s ainsi que des :

Acuponcteurs

Hygiénistes dentaires

Podiatres

Audiologistes

Médecins vétérinaires

Techniciens ambulanciers

Audioprothésistes

Opticiens

Techniciens médicaux

Chiropraticiens

Optométristes

Technologues en électrophysiologie médicale

Denturologiste

Orthophonistes

Techniciens en physiothérapie

Diététistes ou nutritionnistes

Physiothérapeutes

Technologues en imagerie médicale

Ergothérapeutes

Les étudiants en soins infirmiers, médecine, pharmacie et médecine dentaire sont également invités à présenter leur candidature.
Les détails des conditions et des horaires de travail seront précisés lorsque les candidats seront contactés par les membres de l’Équipe des ressources humaines.

Pour présenter votre candidature :

[email protected] ou 514-293-0526.

Programme de vaccination public

a) Admissibilité à la vaccination

Nous nous attendons à ce que le programme de vaccination public soit lancé prochainement. Au cours de la première phase du programme de vaccination public, la priorité sera donnée aux résidents du territoire âgés de 70 ans et plus.

b) Prise de rendez-vous
Il sera nécessaire de prendre un rendez-vous pour être vacciné. Les rendez-vous devront être pris en ligne ou par téléphone.

c) Préparation au rendez-vous
Les résidents doivent prévoir une visite d’une durée de 30 à 45 minutes pour l’inscription, la vaccination et le temps d’observation après la vaccination.

Les résidents doivent apporter leur carte d’assurance maladie.