I have repeatedly voted against allowing the Town of Hampstead to use our snow dump each winter. Yes, we do get valuable revenue and when the snow reaches a certain level during the season the agreement ceases. Nonetheless, I remain concerned by the number of large vehicles going down Marc Chagall Avenue and of course the messy mountain that accumulates in the winter and remains with with us through most of the spring.

Marc Chagall Avenue resident Bobby Gordon has been consistent in his concerns about the snow dump sharing agreement.

Here is the most recent letter he sent to city council,

I am sure that if I had showed up at the meeting for the vote on Oct 16, 2023 with half the residents of Marc Chagall and a marching band, the result of the vote would not have changed. 

Dida Berku seemed fixated on the $100,000 that Hampstead is paying CSL to use our dump. I guess money is the motivating factor over the concerns and safety of our residents. She made no mention of the negative effects such as the extra truck traffic, the dangers to pedestrians, air and noise pollution, and the wear on our road!  

I am convinced that the city councilors who voted to accept the money from Hampstead would sing another tune if the dump was on their street.    

 When I first voiced my concerns to all the city councilors, in an email response to me, Andee Shuster said she will study the matter. I doubt if she  really studied it so I am personally inviting her next time there is a snow fall to come with her fellow counlcilors to  Marc Chagall and stay for an hour. This way they could see the negative impact it has on our residents due to the trucks not being able to access the dump by Kildare Road.  

 From 6:30 am to 6 pm there is  constant truck traffic back and forth on our street every few minutes non stop! This goes on for days until the streets are cleared.  The trucks are very noisy and spew pollution all the while exceeding the speed limit. It is a miracle that nobody has been run over and that there has not been a major accident but it is only a matter of time until this occurs.  

 The fact is if we did not take the snow from Hampstead it would help alleviate some of the negative issues I have pointed out! 

I would really like to thank Mike Cohen and Oren Sebag for having the courage and decency to put their fellow citizens safety and concerns above the almighty $$ by voting against renewing the Hampstead deal. 

Bobby Gordon

Noted realtor Marc Ezerzer has been engaged  by the owners of the land at the corner of Marc Chagall Avenue and Kildare Road to seek potential interested parties who might want to take advantage of the existing two storey commercial zoning.

Last year the owners proposed to our Urban Planning Department   a seven floor, 28 unit apartment complex on the site at near Beth Chabad CSL and JPPSBialik right next to the snow dump. It was not approved for a number of reasons.

I am eager to hear what proposals Ezerzer receives..

Ezerzer can be reached at 514-772-0771.

Chatting with Isadore at the last Remembrance Day ceremony he attended.

Isadore Goldberg was a city councillor for District 1 in Côte Saint-Luc from 1982 to 2001. He was unbeatable in any election for one reason: he gave constituents what they wanted, that being full customer service. This was before the internet era.  What you got from Isadore was a return phone call or a personal visit.

In February of 2020 Isadore passed away.  In a strange geographic makeup, District 1 in Isadore’s day included the area of MacDonald Avenue, North of Hampstead, some buildings along Côte Saint-Luc Road and yes – Marc Chagall and Sir Walter Scott. The latter two became part of my District 2 in time for the 2005 election. It is for this reason that a park, located behind the apartments on Sir Walter Scott, was named after Isadore. At that time a sign was placed on Kildare Road, meaning for those who wanted to actually go  to the park they had to navigate their way through a parking lot and a narrow strip of land.

Friends and family join us at the rededication ceremony.

When I was elected I promised Isadore that I would do something about this.   We spent considerable time looking into the feasibility of moving the park to a large green space on Marc Chagall Avenue. When that land was needed for parking lot to accommodate workers for a large construction  project, discussions were placed on hold for three years.

Public Works Director Beatrice Newman, Foreman for  Parks, Horticulture and Green Spaces Joanne Warren and their team were absolutely marvelous to deal with.  In late 2019 I called Isadore with good news. His park would be refurbished and the sign moved to a more appropriate spot. Sadly, he passed away soon after and then the pandemic hit. Again. Projects were delayed.

Our group visits the park.

Last year, Public Works completed work on Isadore Goldberg Park. For starters, the sign was moved to Marc Chagall next to a new, nicely paved pathway. Finally, there was a easy way to get there.  Bollard lights and trees were installed in that space as well.

At the park itself, Public Works removed all invasive species of weeds and trees. New sand and some new play equipment was added as well as urban furniture. A drinking fountain will be added in the next few months. Because we have named the large greenspace on Marc Chagall as Sheila Finestone Park,  an  arrow will be added to the Goldberg sign pointing people in the right direction.

A few weeks ago we held a ceremony to dedicate Finestone Park. I decided it would not do justice for Isadore to merely mention his park as a sidenote. So, on September 3, members of the Goldberg family and some friends joined myself and Councillors Steven Erdelyi and Sidney Beniziri for a lovely rededication ceremony.   We were also lucky to have local teenage recording artist Rachel Dara on hand to sing a beautiful tribute song to Isadore.  Rachel is 16, the same age Isadore was when he went to fight for Canada in World War  II.

I shared some kind words about Isadore, as did his sister-in-law.  Mayor Mitchell Brownstein was not able to attend, but he wanted me to express how much he appreciated the 11 years he served on council with Isadore. Everyone loved Rachel’s song, Comme Toi by Jean-Jacques Goldman, about Sarah, a Jewish child victim of the Holocaust. Rachel felt it was appropriate given that Isadore was veteran of  WWII.

Please watch the video

Most appropriately, we all  took a walk over to  the park, which is used regularly by families living in the area and those in the condos who bring their grandchildren there.

It took some time, but Isadore Goldberg Park and its signage have been properly delivered. I am very proud to have helped see this through.

With Stephen and Daniel Finestone.

I was honored to preside over   a formal dedication ceremony for a park named  after former Mount Royal Liberal MP and Senator Sheila Finestone on Marc Chagall Avenue. located in my District 2, on August 14. A big thank you to Barry Herman from the CSL Men's Club for the photos you see here.

Some members of the family and political representatives.

Sheila Finestone was the Liberal MP for  Mount Royal from 1984 to 1999, which had previously been held since 1965 by former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Finestone admired Trudeau and said he inspired her to go into politics. She concluded her political career a member of the Senate, retiring in 2002. She passed away from cancer at the age of 82 in 2009.

Members of the Finestone family.

I always felt that our city should name something after her. She served our community with great distinction and this tribute was a longtime in coming.

Mayor Brownstein with Sidney Margles.

Finestone was a devoted community activist before entering politics. Notable among these, at a young age she ascended to the presidency of the Women's Federation of Allied Jewish Community Services of Montreal (now Federation CJA), followed by many executive and leadership roles in this community. She then brought her insight and drive to the broader community where she earned the position of president of Les Federation des Femmes de Quebec. Her passion for the rights and dreams of all people ultimately took her into the political sphere, first as an advisor to the leaders of the Quebec Liberal Party, then as a Liberal MP, Cabinet Minister in Jean Chretien's government and ultimately to the Red Chamber as a Senator. She worked tirelessly and with passion for the causes of a united Canada, human rights, the cause of Soviet Jews, equality and justice for all peoples regardless of origin or geography. Amongst her proudest accomplishments were her leadership of Canada's delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, her membership on the Executive Committee of the No Campaign in the 1980 referendum on national unity and as a principal mover of the "Yvettes," her engagement with other notables to rid the world of landmines and most of all the fight for human dignity, privacy and the inherent rights that are intrinsic to all peoples.

Anthony Housefather, Elisabeth Prass and Robert Libman.

Extending her influence beyond Canada's boarders, Finestone was a force in upholding the values of Canadian democratic tradition in such organizations as the Inter Parliamentary Union as well as other groups pursuing important global causes. In a life filled with tributes and awards her final accolade came from her parliamentary peers when in 2008 she was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award on behalf of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians. She well understood and exemplified the notion that with power and influence comes great responsibility and she never shrank from the challenges it presented.

The new park is a lovely piece of green space, outfitted with benches, picnic tables, trees and pathways.  It is a nice spot for visitors to gather. There is also space for people to toss the football or frisbee or kick the soccer ball.

One of  Finestone’s sons, Stephen and nephew Daniel, drove in from Ottawa for the ceremony while a nice entourage of family and friends, as well as those who reside in the neighbourhood were in attendance. Later on a Zoom link at our public council meeting, his siblings joined us.

Irwin Cotler

Also on hand were Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, members of council, present-day Liberal MP for Mount Royal Anthony Housefather, Finestone’s immediate successor, Irwin Cotler, former CSL Mayor and D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Robert Libman and present day MNA Elisabeth Prass.   Resident Sidney Margles, whose late wife Merle served as Finestone’s executive assistant, was there along with his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. He played a leading role in consultation we took last winter to choose a name for the park. We were also privileged to have Deborah Wasserman Schultz with us. The US Congresswoman from Florida works closely with Housefather on combatting worldwide antisemitism and she was in town to speak to our Men's Club.

Stephen Finestone said that as a politician his mother always focused on the Triple A: "Accessible, Accountable and  Active."

Libman told me he remembered sitting with Finestone at countless community dinners. He was a very young politician at the time and  Finestone always shared motherly advice

Both Housefather and Cotler said this honor was well deserved while Prass, while acknowledging she never met Finestone, saluted the late MP’s leading role as a female politician.

Margles pointed to the sign and said and read the name as “Finest  One,” something a youngster came up at campaign event years ago,

Brownstein called Finestone a role model, stating how he first became active in politics as part of the Young Liberals of Canada in the Mount Royal riding when she  was the MP.

With Mayor Brownstein, Stephen Finestone and Michael Abramovitch.

Michael Abramovich, a  saxophonist who lives in Côte Saint-Luc,  performed some extraordinary music prior to the ceremony.   I thank him very much for doing so.  He is available for private events. See a bit of his performance here.

 This greenspace is immediately next to a pathway leading to  Isadore Goldberg Park. Goldberg was the Councillor for District 1 from 1983 to 2000. We will be having a re-dedication ceremony there on Sunday, September3 (10 am).

 Here is a brief from CTV Montreal News

Thank you to Public Works and Engineering for developing this park and all of the other supporters.

Anyone who passes by our snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue will agree that it is a hideous sight.

The latest view of Mount Chagall.

There was a lot of snow this winter and as a result the dump is being called “Mount Chagall” by some people.

Dating back a number of years now, I have successfully advocated members of council to vote in favor of a special allocation to bring in equipment to chop the remnants of the hard and filthy snow into pieces. We dis so again last week.

Normally this kind of work commences in May, but our Public Works Department notes that the contractor they hire might not be able to break the snow up until June in order to ensure the work will be successful.

I would like to thank Isabella Pietracupa,  our Sustainable Development Technician at Public Works for taking the time to provide me with this exclusive report. I had earlier alluded to environmental concerns from a study on a snow dump in Regina.

Isabella is a scientist and an engineer who has assisted in the evaluation and development of many projects related to the environment, the analysis of plans, estimates and contracts as well as acted as the representative of DDO for various events and working groups. "We are very proud to have this type of expertise in our department so that we can work on projects related to sustainable development, contaminants, biodiversity, and many other aspects of healthy environments necessary for our city," notes Public Works Director Beatrice Newman.

What follows is proof positive of the care Public Works is taking to ensure that the highest safety standards are in place.

The reality of the Marc-Chagall snow dump by Isabella Pietracupa

Although I can’t speak to the standards at which Regina’s snow dump is held to, I can speak to the regulations that Quebec snow dumps must follow.

The Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) has very strict regulations is place for both the building and operating of a snow dump (or a Lieu d’élimination de neige, LEN).

A snow dump must first and foremost be authorized by the Ministère by way of a certificate of authorization as defined in the Loi sur la qualité de l'environnement. The Marc-Chagall snow dump received its certificate of authorization allowing the City to build and exploit the land in accordance with all the Ministry’s requirements. This certificate was emitted in 2002 following the acceptance of various documents describing the following technical aspects of the dump (not an exhaustive list):

• What would be stored on the site
• Infrastructure in place for rain and melt water management
• Wastewater treatment systems and points of discharge in the surrounding environment
• Direction of waterflow (slopes, ditches)
• Size of the site
• Management of debris from the site
• Access points to the site

Once the certificate has been emitted, cities must ensure the snow dump is then followed on a yearly basis and continues to meet all the Ministry’s requirements. Cities are held accountable to ensure the snow dump meets the regulations outlined in in the Règlement sur la gestion de la neige, des sels de voiries et des abrasifs.

In addition to visual inspections by our expert city personnel, a characterization of meltwater and runoff must be done four times a year, during the spring/summer season.

These tests, performed by an accredited laboratory, are required to ensure the protection of the surrounding environment and people. Simply put, these tests ensure the negative impacts of meltwater on our hydrological cycle are mitigated.

In the case of Marc-Chagall, there is no surrounding natural watercourses that the meltwater can access. All meltwater is directed into surrounding ditches, where it then flows:

• into two manholes,
• a catch basin,
• and finally gets discharged into the city’s sewer system where it undergoes treatment in a wastewater treatment site.

The flow of the meltwater has been designed to ensure pollutants are treated to the highest extent before reaching the sewer system. For example, snow melts in the center of the site where the slope of the ground directs the water down the side of a vegetated ditch where vegetation acts as a primary filter for contaminants.

From there it slowly travels down the ditch, and into one of two manholes. Once in the manhole, the water accumulates in the catch basin, allowing particles to sediment to the bottom (this avoids them entering the sewer system). The basin and ditches are also cleaned regularly, and debris is disposed of in proper disposal sites.

The four water samples test the following 3 contaminants:

• Matières en suspension (MES ) (Suspended matter) (3 different tests are performed for this)
• Oils and fats
• pH

The results of these tests can show the quality of the snow and meltwater collected in the site. Often these types of contaminants come from various sources such as debris on roadways, abrasives, salts, and corrosion of vehicles. The Ministry has a certain concentration of the above-mentioned contaminants which is acceptable. To my knowledge, only once did we exceed the acceptable concentrations, in 2022 and this, for only two of the four samples taken that year. It was concluded that our results for suspended matter and total oils and fats were above the acceptable limits during the June and September sampling. However, it was deduced that these results may have been too high due to work being done in the snow dump around the same time as the sampling (operations to break down the snow hill in the spring/summer). A report was prepared and sent to the Ministry justifying the causes of these results and corrective measures were put in place to ensure this would not repeat itself (more frequent cleaning of the catch basin and ditches for example).

So far, the first sampling of 2023 has come out to be conforming and under the limit for potential contaminants.

It goes without saying that having a snow dump site in Côte Saint-Luc is, by far, an absolute necessity for city snow removal operations. Have a site in our backyard allows our trucks to easily double (and probably triple) the amount of snow they could collect in one day. Without our snow dump, we would have to transport the snow to another site, taking up time that could be spent on snow removal. Employees would have to drive farther, more greenhouse gases would be emitted, snow removal costs would go up, more hours would be put on the vehicles, and even more snow would need to be blown on lawns. With a well managed snow dump site, the city, its residents, and the environment all win.

Figure 1: Example of test results for 4 samplings (notice for MES 3 different tests are used, we must be under the limit of at least one to be conforming).

Director Newman has provided me with a  wide array of additional facts which underline how lucky we are to have our own snow dump.

TRUCKS, COSTS, ETC.:

• The cost for a transport truck is currently $100 per hour and we don’t know what it will be next year.

• The external dumps cost between $2-$3 per cubic metric ton
• We clear 50% of the city in-house while the contractors do the other 50%.
• We currently have 15 trucks for our 5 blowers (sectors). If we must travel to a dump, we will need to double or triple our total trucks.
• The contractors use approximately 20 trucks, they too will have to double or triple their trucks, going from 20 to approximately 60
• Trucks will have to wait in line with other cities at the dumps. For example, If the lineup goes until closing time at the dump, you’ve paid $100 per hour for them to sit on the street for hours and then they have to return and start the day in line again.

 

• The number of trucks and their drivers has substantially decreased over the last few years. It’s difficult to hire.
• Gas emissions will increase considerably
• Fuel costs will increase considerably
• If directed to a sewer depot and not a snow hill dump, the truck can stand in line and if the water gets too cold the truck will be turned around because they won’t be permitted to dump their truck.
• When working with a dump as we do with garbage, there must be a contract that usually requires guaranteed hours upfront.
• We must follow Montreal’s schedule.

 

TIME DELAYS:

• The schedule for snow operations will no longer be three days but will take 2 weeks
• During a snowstorm, the transport trucks will be stuck in traffic back and forth from the city, again delaying city operations
• Between 7a m – 7 pm CSL can do 4 loads (transports) per hour- it takes 10 minutes to get to Marc Chagall from Blossom
• The same schedule but snow dumped elsewhere, will total approximately 12 loads (transports) per hour
• Last year, 2022, transport trucks were sent away because the dumps were at full capacity. There were no dumps available for a contract.
• We will absolutely blow most of our snow on all lawns as Hamstead does. Eliminate to exception lists and direct the contractors to blow snow from the mains on local properties.

 

HAMPSTEAD:

·         The Town of Hampstead blows all of its snow on all properties. There aren’t any No Snow lists whatsoever. When they wish to use our dump, it’s because there is no room left in the Town

·         At most, the Town will use not more than 15% of our snow dump. This percentage does not impede our operations.

·         Our total amount of snow in February was 108,314 m3. Hampstead contributed 15m3.

·         We earn revenue from the Town using our dump.

·         We will continue to have good relations with our neighbour. Perhaps we can’t always visualize the benefits of being a good neighbour. We share equipment, ideas, employees, and data with the Town. It helps our operations and at times saves us expenses (putting up the menorah).

·         If a natural disaster may occur like an ice storm, floods, or other, it’s necessary to be able to get assistance from our neighbours and vice versa. In the meantime, during good days and regular life, Hampstead and CSL share equipment, ideas, and good relations.

·         If their mayor doesn’t want us to use Fleet then maybe we can negotiate and use the snow dump as an incentive.

 

COLOUR:

·         Snow naturally turns black in the winter when melting.

·         When snow is exposed to high temperatures, it turns black because the water in the snow turns into steam.

·         When steam touches metal, it produces heat. This heat can be seen as black smoke coming out of the bottom of a pot or pan that is on a stove. The same thing happens when snow is exposed to high temperatures.

·         The snow that enters the dump is mostly fresh snow that our blowers take from the street directly to the dump.

·         The actual residue of residual waste/garbage is nominal.

·         There is a fair amount of street waste ie sand, salt, and stone that also contributes to the colour.

 

MAINTENANCE:

·         Public Works manages the snow dump according to regulations dictated by the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) which has very strict regulations in place for both the building and operating of a snow dump.

·         We have a specific budget for the breaking down, clearing and tamping of the dump floor from late spring to early fall. Depending on the amount of snow that we received that year, the snow can be cleaned up faster in those years when we have a light year.

·         We can only break down the hill as it starts to melt. There are no machines or equipment that can crawl up the hill and start breaking solid ice. That is why we work in there for a bit and return a few times when the area has melted and is safe to approach.

 Mont Chagall

Tous ceux qui passent devant notre décharge située sur l'avenue Marc Chagall conviendront qu'il s'agit d'un spectacle hideux.

Il y a eu beaucoup de neige cet hiver, ce qui a valu à cette décharge d'être surnommée le "Mont Chagall" par certaines personnes.

Depuis plusieurs années, j'ai plaidé avec succès auprès des membres du conseil municipal pour qu'ils votent en faveur d'une allocation spéciale afin d'apporter de l'équipement pour couper en morceaux les restes de la neige dure et sale. C'est ce que nous avons fait la semaine dernière.

Normalement, ce type de travail commence en mai, mais il se peut que nous ne puissions pas briser la neige avant le mois de juin afin d'assurer la réussite du travail.

The Equinoxe Marc Chagall (https://collectionequinoxe.com/en/marc-chagall/),  marketed as refined rental condos, opened its first  of two phases in the summer of 2018.  As the five year anniversary approaches, the facility is full to capacity yet still seemingly experiencing some growing pains.

In my 17 years as the city councillor  for District 2, this building has kept me very busy.  I am pleased to say that the administration has always worked closely with me on issues of concern, never dodging my calls. In addition, some of the residents there remain in very frequent touch with me.

Over the past few weeks I was made aware of a problem with the hot water at the Equinoxe. On many days, it simply does not work.

On March 23 I responded to a request from some residents to meet virtually. As I have said before, this is probably one of the few positive things  the COVID-19 pandemic has brought us. Organizing last minute meetings via Zoom is quite productive and I do so with my constituents often.  In the case of the Equinoxe tenants, they appear very well organized. There were more than 70 units represented, some of whom shared the computer screen with neighbours so as many as 140 people.

Besides the hot water, tenants shared some other concerns which I have relayed to the building administration.  According to them, there is a need to permanently repair or replace the three boilers and they hope to have this resolved very soon. I told the tenants I am always there to listen and advocate for them.

One thing does come across clear whenever I visit the building; tenants like the atmosphere. “We are one big family,” tenant leader Stephen Wise said. “Friendships have been built. We got through COVID together and want the problems that exist to all be resolved.”

Tenant Alisa Clamen, a lawyer by profession, and Wise, a long time tenant have indicated plans to advise tenants and the building of possible actions involving the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) immediately. 

I will remain closely in touch with the administration and the tenants on this issue.

L'Equinoxe Marc Chagall, commercialisé en tant que condos locatifs raffinés, a ouvert la première de ses deux phases à l'été 2018.  À l'approche de son cinquième anniversaire, l'établissement est plein à craquer, mais semble encore éprouver quelques difficultés de croissance.

Au cours de mes 17 années en tant que conseiller municipal du district 2, ce bâtiment m'a beaucoup occupé.  Je suis heureux de dire que l'administration a toujours travaillé en étroite collaboration avec moi sur les questions qui me préoccupent, sans jamais esquiver mes appels. En outre, certains des résidents de l'immeuble restent en contact très fréquent avec moi.

Ces dernières semaines, j'ai été informée d'un problème d'eau chaude à l'Equinoxe. Certains jours, elle ne fonctionne tout simplement pas.

Le 23 mars, j'ai répondu à la demande de certains résidents de se rencontrer virtuellement. Comme je l'ai déjà dit, c'est probablement l'un des rares points positifs que la pandémie de COVID-19 nous a apportés. Organiser des réunions de dernière minute via Zoom est très productif et je le fais souvent avec mes électeurs.  Dans le cas des locataires d'Equinoxe, ils semblent très bien organisés. Plus de 70 logements étaient représentés, certains partageant l'écran d'ordinateur avec des voisins, soit jusqu'à 140 personnes.

Outre l'eau chaude, les locataires ont fait part d'autres préoccupations que j'ai transmises à l'administration de l'immeuble.  Selon eux, il est nécessaire de réparer ou de remplacer définitivement les trois chaudières et ils espèrent que ce problème sera résolu très bientôt. J'ai dit aux locataires que j'étais toujours là pour les écouter et les défendre.

Une chose est claire à chaque fois que je visite le bâtiment : les locataires apprécient l'atmosphère qui y règne. "Nous formons une grande famille", a déclaré Stephen Wise, chef de file des locataires. "Des amitiés se sont créées. Nous avons traversé COVID ensemble et nous voulons que les problèmes existants soient résolus.

La locataire Alisa Clamen, avocate de profession, et M. Wise, locataire de longue date, ont fait part de leur intention d'informer les locataires et l'immeuble des actions possibles impliquant immédiatement le Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL).

Je resterai en contact étroit avec l'administration et les locataires sur cette question.

Traduit avec www.DeepL.com/Translator  

For many years Côte Saint-Luc has signed a contract with the Town of Hampstead, allowing the community to use our snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue. For the record I have voted against this agreement each year. It is not that I do not want to be a good neighbour, but the dump tends to fill up quite rapidly during the winter.

No this is not a Laurentian mountain ski hill, but our snow dump.

Due to an  unprecedented amount of snow that has fallen during this winter, we recently gave notice to Hampstead that they can no longer use the snow dump for the rest of the season.

As per the terms of our original agreement, more specifically article 3.3, the Town of Hampstead’s right to dump snow shall cease once  Côte Saint-Luc provides written notice that the dump has reached 80,000 cubic meters between February 1 and 28.  

Let me take this opportunity to thank our Public Works Department for the excellent job they have done managing the snow dump this winter. It is no treat for residents who live next to this area, not to mention members of Beth Chabad CSL and students, staff and parents at JPPS-Bialik. The dump was present long before any buildings, synagogue or school was built here. Nonetheless, we have made every effort to act upon their concerns by creating a snow barrier to try and shield neighbours from the frequent noise. As well, our staff have policed  the vehicles -operated by sub-contractors – going in and out of the dump to try and avoid any tail banging.

We will indeed hire contractors to break apart the dump starting in the late spring. That is never an easy task. Keep in mind that the hill is so rock solid  it can support large tractors  frequently going  up and down the structure.

Hampstead ne peut plus utiliser notre dépotoir à neige cette saison

En raison de la quantité sans précédent de neige tombée cet hiver, nous avons récemment avisé la Ville de Hampstead qu'elle ne pouvait plus utiliser le dépôt de neige pour le reste de la saison.

Selon les termes de notre entente originale, plus précisément l'article 3.3, le droit de la Ville de Hampstead de déverser la neige cessera lorsque Côte Saint-Luc fournira un avis écrit indiquant que le dépotoir a atteint 80 000 mètres cubes entre le 1er et le 28 février.

Permettez-moi de profiter de l'occasion pour remercier notre Service des travaux publics pour l'excellent travail qu'il a accompli dans la gestion du dépôt de neige cet hiver. Ce n'est pas un plaisir pour les résidents qui vivent à proximité de cette zone, sans parler des membres de Beth Chabad CSL et des élèves, du personnel et des parents de JPPS-Bialik. La décharge existait bien avant la construction de bâtiments, de synagogues ou d'écoles. Néanmoins, nous avons fait tout notre possible pour répondre à leurs préoccupations en créant une barrière de neige pour tenter de protéger les voisins du bruit fréquent. En outre, notre personnel a surveillé les véhicules - exploités par des sous-traitants - qui entrent et sortent de la décharge pour essayer d'éviter les coups de queue.

Nous allons en effet engager des sous-traitants pour démanteler la décharge à partir de la fin du printemps. Ce n'est jamais une tâche facile. Il ne faut pas oublier que la colline est tellement solide qu'elle peut supporter de gros tracteurs qui montent et descendent fréquemment la structure.

Traduit avec www.DeepL.com/Translator

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, picnic tables and trees. Lighting will be next.

So it is time to find a name for the "Place" or "Square." According to our new naming policy, we are consulting with residents in the immediate area. All they have to do is go to www.cotesaintluc.org/marcchagall and fill out the form. Our Toponomy Committee, which I chair, will initially review the suggestions and then make a recommendation to city council.

A beautiful property.

La ville de Côte Saint-Luc souhaite nommer l’espace vert de l’avenue Marc Chagall, que nous avons récemment embelli avec des lumières, des arbres et un nouveau gazon. Nous aimerions
avoir vos suggestions pour un nom pour cet espace.

Let me take this opportunity to thank our City of Côte Saint-Luc Public Works and Engineering teams for the remarkable work they did with the highly anticipated makeover of the greenspace on Marc Chagall Avenue.

History will note that the land across from the Marquise and next to the town houses had been rented to the developers of the Equinoxe for three years as a parking lot in order to ensure residents and guests had places to park. Alternatively,  all available spots would  have been taken by the workers. When it came time for the developers to return the land to the way they found it, they failed to do so. This became a legal matter after several ill-fated attempts to get it right. The city took over the job and got it right and then some.

A look at the greenspace and some of the new trees after being planted.

Some dead trees had to be cut down. Public Works installed a new pathway, repositioned  the picnic tables, added new benches and trees. The grass has been watered on almost a daily basis. People are happy. I did have one constituent who shared some concern over the fact people are letting their dogs run unleashed .  That is against the law and dog owners doing this will be ticketed.

What shall we name this place?

I met by Zoom with some Marc Chagall residents lately as I wish to formally name this location. The protocol is being reviewed by our Toponomy Committee, which I chair.  It is not a park, but rather a “Place” or a “Square.” I have already received some suggestions and we will embark on a formal process soon, with the goal of agreeing upon a name by spring.

Oh yes, still to come next to the greenspace are new lights along the path leading to Isadore Goldberg Park.

Work is progressing nicely on the  large greenspace on Marc Chagall Avenue, across from both the Marquise and the snow dump.

The new grass looks very nice.

History will note that this land was leased to the owners of the Equinoxe as a parking lot for three years in order to avoid having their   workers parking on the street. The developers had signed a written contract to return the land the way they found it. Regrettably that did not occur and litigation ensued. Attempts to properly beautify the area were unsuccessful, so in June council adopted a resolution allocating fund  to finally get this job done right.

Work was supposed to begin in June, but like everyone else across the globe we were victims of supply and demand. The delivery of the sod did arrive last week and it was a delight to watch it take shape on most of the land. It looks beautiful.

Laying sod.

Some people asked me why they did not lay sod on all of the space. Please note that in the next few weeks new trees will be planted and lights installed, after which more grass will be placed. We have a new walking path and new benches in place. Our staff are watering the grass daily.

I want to thank our Public Works and Engineering teams for getting the job done. We will watch closely for the final chapter in September, following which I will begin a discussion on what to name the greenspace.

This is where some new lights will go.

Staff have been digging a trench  for lights to be installed along the cement pathway to Isadore Goldberg Park.