A brand new kosher deli, Fin Gourmet sur l’Avenue, held its grand opening this week on The Avenue in Côte Saint-Luc District 2, which I represent.

The ribbon cutting.

When the apartment building on The Avenue opened seven years ago, the ground floor was zoned commercial. Last year an orthodontist opened shop and now we have a  fabulous spot offering a wide array of kosher cuisine. It should help fill part of the void left by the closure of the J &R Kosher deli.

My Bialik High School Local Commerce interns share in the celebration.

The husband and wife team of Edmond and Veronique Abecassis are the owners. Their son Brandon, a general contractor for Jackson Construction, built the interior. Bhavik Patel and Chelsea Delena are the chefs.

Some of the goods for sale.

I was delighted to attend the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony in the company of Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather and five members of my Local Commerce Student Committee, Avery Hannon, Noah Galambos, Jeremy Nashen, Alexa Omer and Liana Levary from Bialik High School. Bravo to landlord Emile Badea for choosing an excellent tenant.  Here you can explore an exciting array of offerings that are sure to delight your palate and satisfy your cravings. From in-house meals crafted with love to convenient grab-and-go options,  they have something for everyone.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

•      Packaged Grab & Go Meals: Perfectly portioned and ready to enjoy wherever you are.
•      Cold Cuts & Exclusive Meat Cuts: A curated selection of fine kosher meats, including artisanal cold cuts and exclusive cuts you won’t find anywhere else.
•      Frozen Packaged Food: Stock up on high-quality, frozen delights that are perfect for quick and easy meals.
•      Baked Goods & Big Cakes: From everyday treats to special occasion cakes, our bakery will satisfy your sweet tooth.
•      Charcuterie & Pâté: Gourmet selections for your charcuterie boards or sophisticated snacks.
•      Spices & Nuts: Enhance your culinary creations with our diverse range of spices and premium nuts.
•      Packaged Olives: A variety of olives, perfectly packed to complement your meals or as a savory snack.

“We’re passionate about offering only the finest ingredients and products to our community,” said Veronique.

There was a such a superb selection of ready to eat and freshly made items,  including chicken shawarma,  bbq wings, roasted potatoes, green beans, chicken wings, chicken fingers, chicken schnitzel, chicken burgers, general tao chicken, sweet and sour meatballs, fried rice, noodles, spring rolls, fish balls, quiche, sandwiches and spring rolls.  They had fresh challahs and rolls and some delicious chocolates. In addition, there was kosher chicken, minced meat, lamb rack and more.

For more information call 514-369-2522. Their website will be online soon.

For anyone who missed our virtual information session on the upcoming revisions to the CSL dog by-law, please watch this recording.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTqaGORxWW8

Subjects discussed included: fine increases, abandoned dogs, dangerous dogs, number of dogs permitted, prohibited leashes,hybrid breeds, parks prohibiting dogs, new rules for the dog park, maximum number of dogs that a person can walk and more.

An amendment to our dog by-law will not allow people to walk more than two dogs at a time unless you have a special permit.

There was some very interesting back and forth.

 A draft by-law has not yet been presented to Council for review. At present, we are looking for feedback from the public on the ideas below, as well as asking the public to share its feedback.

The following are some of the ideas we are considering for the eventual draft by-law:

• Can walk only two dogs at time. Need a dog-walking permit for walking 3 dogs or more on pubic domain.
• Can't leave dog unattended, for instance attached to a pole.
• Can't use ball or stick with dog at dog park if other dogs are present.
• Can't feed dogs at dog run if other dogs are present.
• Can't bring more than two dogs to the dog run.
• After moving to CSL, you have 30 days to get  dog permit.
• It is illegal to abandon a dog in the city.
• It is forbidden to practice any form of animal breeding, including the operation of a kennel for commercial purposes.

You can send feedback and your ideas to me at [email protected].

A big thanks to our Manager of Operations for Public Safety Jean-Marc Dubois. He is drafting the by-law amendments, which we hope to adopt by the end of 2024, and provided a very good overview of the major components.

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

Some of the buildings now under new ownership.

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

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

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

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

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

More news to come on this dossier.

You must hand it to Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather. He knows how to  work his riding.

The past year has by no means been easy for Anthony, whom I served under on city council during his 10 years as mayor of Côte Saint-Luc. He has spoken out against his party’s language policy and threatened to  leave the Liberals over their position on the Israeli war in Gaza. The Federal Conservative Party already has lawyer Neil Oberman lined up to challenge him in the fall 2025 election. But Anthony is the consummate campaigner and one of the things I learned from him is that you don’t wait until just prior to a vote to reach out to the electorate; do it non-stop.

On August  29 I was among those in attendance at Ashkelon Gardens behind our library where Anthony hosted a ceremony for 20 outstanding volunteers in the riding of Mount Royal,  awarding them all with a King Charles Medal. It was a brilliant political move and also one well appreciated by the very large gathering, which included many community leaders. Let me also applaud him for using a beautiful outdoor venue as our summer starts to slip away.

With Jacob Kincler (Dida's husband), Anthony Housefather and Dida Berku.

The recipients were all from all across the riding, and one councillor in each city was also recognized. In Côte Saint-Luc it was our Deputy Mayor Dida Berku, a tireless worker whom I have been proud to sit with for 19 years.

Anthony Housefather at the ceremony.

Here is a closer look at the eight CSL recipients.

Dida Berku has been a city councillor in CSL for over 30 years.  She is indeed the dean of our council and showcases so many leadership qualities.  For many years she worked as a tenants rights lawyer. On our council, Dida leads on some of the most important files and works non-stop for our citizens and her constituents. Said Anthony: “I served on Council with Dida for 14 years. It is rare to find someone who combines the precision of an attorney, the political smarts of an elected representative, and the passion of an environmentalist but Dida does so.  When I was Mayor she was my back up at the regional level of government and I relied on her advice and counsel when it came to many of the most important issues facing the city such as the protection of Meadowbrook and the Cavendish extension. Even today as an MP, I work closely with her on projects like the Smart City initiative. Her presence on Council is not only in the interest of District 3 but in the interest of the entire City of Côte Saint-Luc.”

Anthony with the recipients.

 Yair Szlak has served as  the President and CEO of Federation CJA since May 2019.  Prior to this he held the role of Chief Development officer at Federation CJA from 2013 to 2019. He was also the Campaign Director  (2007-2013), and the Director of Campaign Operations (2005-2007). A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, with a Bachelor’s degree from York University, he is a lawyer by training. He moved here to pursue a career in the Jewish community. Since Oct. 7 he has been front and centre on reacting to and dealing with the fallout from the war in Israel and the increase in antisemitism. I can tell you from personal experience how approachable he is and proactive in responding to any ideas on how to combat the hate we have been experiencing.

My first connection with Eta Yudin came in  1999 when I left my job as head of communications for the Canadian Jewish Congress to join the English Montreal School Board. She was chosen as my successor in Quebec, rising to the rank as vice-president of  CIJA (The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs), the successor organization to the CJC. She and Szlak have formed a formidable one, two combination in leading our community against the intolerance we are facing. Eta  built her expertise in communications, advocacy, and community and government relations starting as a grassroots student advocate. At CIJA, she  originally served as Deputy Director of Public Affairs and Community Relations before being appointed Vice-President (Quebec) in 2016. She was instrumental in facilitating the first official visits to Israel of a sitting Quebec Premier,  a Montreal Mayor and the recent historic opening of a Quebec Bureau in Israel, a significant milestone in the Quebec-Israel relationship. She has appeared as an expert witness before Quebec National Assembly commissions and serves as a media spokesperson. She is a recipient of the Medal of the National Assembly and the Tel Aviv University Friendship Award honouring her leadership in representing the interests of her community.

Andrew Toeman  was born  in London England. He immigrated to Canada 1954 and attended Northmount High, McGill and then Dental School. He later taught at McGill and the Jewish General Hospital. He was the president of American Academy of Dental Practice, and retired after 46 years. For 35 years, he worked with the Y Wolf Pack, served as VP of the Y, ran a few marathons and climbed Kilimanjaro. He also worked with his wife raising money for Israeli wounded Veterans. Beit Halochem. Now, Andrew spends his time biking three times a week and raising money for Cancer Research,  all while becoming the newly installed president of the CSLL Men’s Club.

Brian Blumer is best known as the first person you see when entering the CSL Aquatic and Community Centre. He learned the meaning of community service from his late father Leon. These days he is devoted to be a member of the fraternal order  Syracuse Lodge #9, a subordinate lodge of the Knights of Pythias. He served as a Knight in Syracuse Lodge before joining the executive of this subordinate lodge in 2019.   In 2019 he was elected to an executive position of the Grand Lodge, Domain of Quebec as a Grand Outer Guard.  He was in charge of special programming, and he was indeed very busy during the  pandemic.  He organized a project bringing speakers to   members and guests via Zoom.  He coordinated at least 10 speaker evenings over the next three years, bringing exciting and interesting speakers into the homes of guests.   His latest project will be a live comedy show featuring well known comic Mike Paterson for a live and in person performance on Sept. 19 at the ACC.

Jamie Fabian is the outgoing commissioner in CSL/Hampstead for the English Montreal School Board. He is not seeking another term in order to devote more time to his studies at McGill Law School. Jamie has a Bachelor's of Arts with Distinction on Scholarship from Concordia University in Public Affairs and Policy, and is a third year law student. He is vice-president of Finance for the Jewish Law Students' Association and is an editor for the McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution.   Since October 7 he has taken a lead role in advocacy in combating antisemitism, including organizing multiple events and being a lead spokesperson for students against the Encampment.

Nicole “Nikki” Nashen is a McGill law student and Jewish student advocate. Nikki's upbringing instilled in her a passion for tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedek (justice). During her Bachelors of Arts in Community, Public Affairs and Policy Studies at Concordia University, she realized the pervasiveness of antisemitism within the Concordia campus community. Nikki therefore decided to serve on the Concordia Student Union, and as the President of Hillel Concordia, where she advocated for the interests of Jewish students within the CSU and to the Concordia Administration.  Over the past two years, Nikki has taken her advocacy a few blocks east down Sherbrooke to McGill, where she has been a prominent student leader on campus, especially since October 7. Most recently, Nikki testified in Parliament about the Antisemitism on campus, and the vital need for university administrations to implement concrete steps to protect their students from violent extremism and anti-Jewish discrimination. Nikki is eager to spend this upcoming school year as the Vice President of the Jewish Law Students Association, where she will continue to fight for the inclusion and safety of Jewish students on campus.

Joe Panunto was born in Italy in 1941 and came to Canada with his family in 1956.   He went on to earn a B.A. in French Literature from Loyola College, and an M.A. in French from McGill University.  He taught high school French for many years before becoming part of the Service des Communications at the Commission des Écoles Catholiques de Montréal.  He retired in 2000. Ever since he moved to CSL in 1979 he has been actively involved in the community in various social, educational, religious, cultural, political, and sports related activities. He sat as  a city councillor from 1994 to 1998 and served on the planning and financial committees. As a parishioner of St. Richard’s Catholic Church, he has served as Warden, sat on the Parish Council, was the president the Men’s Club, has overseen renovations in the church, and organized many fundraising events over the past 45 years.  He is currently a Eucharistic minister, usher, and reader in the parish, and acts as liaison between the City Council, provincial and federal associations and the Parish.  As an involved member of the community he served as a member of the Côte Saint-Luc Winemaking Contest ( at   which he won prizes in 2008 and 2009), and has often won the Maison Fleuries contest in District 7.   On the political scene, he has been very active in the D’Arcy McGee Quebec Liberal Party Riding as well as the federal riding of Mount Roya. A fervent believer in volunteerism and the altruism of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “where there is a will there is a way,”  he continues to be involved and encourage others to become involved in the very vibrant community that is CSL.

Bravo Anthony and to the other recipients from Hampstead, Snowdon, Côte des Neiges and TMR.

After extensive deliberation, Manager of Operations for Public Safety Jean-Marc Dubois has almost completed a series of extensive amendments to the Côte Saint-Luc by-law concerning the regulation of dogs.

As the city councillor responsible for Animal Protection I want to thank Jean-Marc, who is a dog owner himself, for his dedication to this file. Before we adopt the updated by-law before the end of 2024 this is an opportunity for dog owners to provide feedback at a virtual information meeting. We will discuss issues such as  increases in fines abandoned canines, dangerous dogs, the number of dogs permitted by one owner, prohibited leashes, new dog run rules and more.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to Jonathan Goldman and Anna Katz for their leadership on our Dog Owners Committee. A shout out as well to Tamar Hertz, who as a non-dog owner has provided a much needed perspective to our discussions.

Just log on to www.cotesaintluc.org/dogschiens on Tuesday, September 3 at 7:30 pm and sign in.

When I covered Côte Saint-Luc City Council meetings back in the day as a reporter for The Suburban and The Monitor, the topic of extending Cavendish Boulevard came up often. Then Mayor Bernard Lang would repeatedly tell anyone listening: “We don’t need it, we don’t want it, we can’t afford it!”

Mayor Lang, may he rest in peace, would probably not be happy if he were still with us to see  our council now pushing hard for such an extension. In my 19 years as a city councillor, different scenarios have been discussed. In 2017 the Quebec government sold the former Blue Bonnets Raceway land to the City of Montreal, worth $50 million, for $1. Seven years later, Projet Montréal and the Mayor Valerie Plante administration have still done nothing with the property. With word that they plan to proceed with some kind of housing development, it seems that Mayor Plante has complete amnesia. The government gave the city this huge gift on the condition they extend Cavendish. Now, she is reneging on that deal.

Rick Leckner with Dida Berku and Mayor Brownstein at our meeting.

Traffic expert Rick Leckner, who is now a Côte Saint-Luc resident,  attended our public city council meeting on August 12 to support a petition spearheaded by D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Elisabeth Prass to call upon the provincial and federal governments to block any funding for this project unless the Cavendish extension is included. In Côte Saint-Luc, Councillor Dida Berku has been leading the way on this dossier.

“What has been going on at Montreal City Hall is shameful,” said Leckner. “It is time to get the public involved. This is affecting all of us. You can’t get out of Côte Saint-Luc.”

Leckner is part of a group called the  Business Alliance for Cavendish Extension. This has the full backing of the mayors of Côte Saint-Luc, TMR and St. Laurent,

Here is the petition and the link posted by MNA Prass.

Bonjour,

Au nom des résidents de D'Arcy-McGee, la députée Elisabeth Prass a marrainé une pétition sur le site de l'Assemblée nationale du Québec pour demander au gouvernement de la CAQ d'exiger que la ville de Montréal respecte l'accord de 2017 concernant la vente de Blue Bonnets, qui stipule que l'extension du boulevard Cavendish est nécessaire pour développer les terrains de Blue Bonnets.

Voici le lien de la pétition : Pétition : Respect du cheminement du projet de raccordement de la route Cavendish-Cavendish selon l’échéancier déposé devant le BAPE (assnat.qc.ca)

Veuillez signer et faire circuler.

Merci,

Arianne Leclerc au nom d’Elisabeth Prass

Hello,

On behalf of the residents of D'Arcy-McGee, MNA Elisabeth Prass has sponsored a petition on the Quebec National Assembly website to ask that the CAQ government require the city of Montreal to uphold the 2017 agreement upon the sale of Blue Bonnets, which stipulates that the extension of Cavendish boulevard is required to develop the Blue Bonnets lands.

Here is the petition link: Petition: Compliance with the Cavendish-Cavendish road connection project schedule submitted to the BAPE (assnat.qc.ca)

Please sign it and share with others.

Can we influence the CAQ government? I certainly hope we can get the support of Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry, who has lived in Côte Saint-Luc and Hampstead for many years. So she lives the same frustration we do.

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]

The traffic lights on Cavendish Boulevard, from Mackle to Kildare, are a constant source of frustration for motorists and pedestrians. I receive many inquiries on the topic and I wish to thank our hard-working traffic engineer Spyro Yotis for he really does his best to please everyone.

For motorists, the wait at each light is too long. Then we hear from pedestrians who complain that they do not have enough time to cross.

On August 8, constituent Joey Grossman (who lives on Mackle near Cavendish) joined Spyro and I for a walkabout an examination of the lights near his corner and at the Avenue near City Hall. Joey had contacted me to express his concern that the traffic lights on Cavendish are not set properly for today’s traffic flow. “It’s amazing how long it takes to drive up and down Cavendish,” he stated.

Spyro is very hands on and certainly doesn’t perform his duties exclusively from a desk. He is out in the field often, as this meeting illustrated. Spyro reminded us that the last analysis and modification of the traffic lights on Cavendish was back in 2018. Since then the Montefiore complex reopened as an apartment rental and the Equinoxe twin towers debuted on Marc Chagall. And very soon, Quartier Cavendish will present us with a proposal to rezone and add several high-rise buildings.

Very soon, Spyro confirmed, the Urban Planning Department will present city council with a proposal to have another professional study undertaken on Cavendish. Based on the budgetary process protocols, that means this work should occur in 2025. “I hope we will be able to improve the efficiency of the lights,” Spyro said.

Spyro also explained that programming at the corner of The Avenue and Cavendish changes based on the detection. Sometimes the green light for The Avenue will be very short if there are few cars and no pedestrians; other times the green for The Avenue will be much longer. Although there was some work for synchronization, the main work done in 2018 was to increase detection and optimize individual intersections. “ I have personally evaluated the lights at The Avenue towards Kildare and yes, sometimes the green leads you to a red at Kildare,” said Spyro. “However, there are other times where it leads you to a stale red which will soon be green. The goal is of our previous work was not to allow greens along Cavendish for cars to speed down through all the lights, but to increase efficiency at each intersection. The only intersection which we were not able to change was Kildare due to the existing timing and heavy traffic/pedestrians in every direction.”

Joey agreed that the problem is predominantly at rush hour.

We have the commitment of Spyro that this situation is not being overlooked.

With Joey and Spyro at the corner of Cavendish and Mackle.

Les feux de circulation sur le boulevard Cavendish, de Mackle à Kildare, sont une source constante de frustration pour les automobilistes et les piétons. J'ai reçu de nombreuses demandes à ce sujet et je tiens à remercier notre ingénieur de la circulation, Spyro Yotis, qui travaille dur et fait vraiment de son mieux pour satisfaire tout le monde.

Pour les automobilistes, l'attente à chaque feu est trop longue. Les piétons se plaignent ensuite de ne pas avoir assez de temps pour traverser.

Le 8 août, Joey Grossman (qui habite Mackle près de Cavendish) s'est joint à Spyro et à moi pour un tour de table et un examen des feux près de son coin et de l'avenue près de l'hôtel de ville. Joey m'avait contacté pour me faire part de son inquiétude quant au fait que les feux de circulation sur Cavendish ne sont pas réglés correctement pour le flux de circulation d'aujourd'hui. "C'est incroyable le temps qu'il faut pour monter et descendre Cavendish", a-t-il déclaré.

Spyro est très pragmatique et n'exerce certainement pas ses fonctions exclusivement depuis un bureau. Il est souvent sur le terrain, comme l'a illustré cette réunion. Spyro nous a rappelé que la dernière analyse et modification des feux de circulation sur Cavendish remonte à 2018. Depuis, le complexe Montefiore a rouvert ses portes en tant que location d'appartements et les tours jumelles Equinoxe ont fait leurs débuts sur Marc Chagall. Et très bientôt, le Quartier Cavendish nous présentera une proposition de rezonage et d'ajout de plusieurs tours.

Très bientôt, a confirmé Spyro, le service d'urbanisme présentera au conseil municipal une proposition visant à réaliser une autre étude professionnelle sur Cavendish. D'après les protocoles de la procédure budgétaire, ces travaux devraient avoir lieu en 2025. "J'espère que nous pourrons améliorer l'efficacité de l'éclairage", a déclaré M. Spyro.

M. Spyro a également expliqué que la programmation à l'angle de l'avenue et de Cavendish change en fonction de la détection. Parfois, le feu vert pour l'avenue sera très court s'il y a peu de voitures et pas de piétons ; d'autres fois, le feu vert pour l'avenue sera beaucoup plus long. Bien qu'il y ait eu quelques travaux de synchronisation, les principaux travaux réalisés en 2018 ont consisté à augmenter la détection et à optimiser les intersections individuelles. "J'ai personnellement évalué les feux de The Avenue vers Kildare et oui, parfois le vert vous conduit à un rouge à Kildare", a déclaré Spyro. "Cependant, il y a d'autres moments où il vous conduit à un rouge périmé qui sera bientôt vert. L'objectif de nos travaux précédents n'était pas d'autoriser des feux verts le long de Cavendish pour que les voitures passent à toute vitesse tous les feux, mais d'améliorer l'efficacité à chaque intersection. Le seul carrefour que nous n'avons pas pu modifier est celui de Kildare, en raison de la synchronisation existante et de l'importance du trafic et des piétons dans toutes les directions.

Joey reconnaît que le problème se pose surtout aux heures de pointe.

Spyro s'est engagé à ce que cette situation ne soit pas négligée.

Premier Legault with Meadowbrook Manager Mike Johnson. Is it an accident that he is standing in front of the English part of the signage?

The Côte Saint-Luc Golf Invitational,  organized by our city council in cooperation with the Men's Club, took place at Meadowbrook on Tuesday, August 6. It was a gorgeous day to hit the links and while I have a lot to share the biggest news came away from our event. When I went to rent my electric cart, I learned that  someone who is not known to show much fondness for the anglophone community has come to golf here on at least three occasions this summer, most recently the previous Friday. Yes, I am talking about the Premier of Quebec, François Legault.

Wouldn't it have been nice for the Premier to organize a foursome with Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, D'Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Elisabeth Prass and Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather?  I am shocked the Premier even knows where Côte Saint-Luc is; although his Repentigny MNA and Minister for Higher Education Pascale Déry lived in our community for many years before moving to Hampstead.

According to personnel I spoke to at Meadowbrook, Legault came with his family and a security detail. At least one family member stated that the venue was chosen specifically because it was in an English area where they would not necessarily be recognized. Perhaps Meadowbrook should start asking for certificates of English eligibility to golf? All kidding aside, Mayor Brownstein was golfing with Councillor Dida Berku and former mayor Robert Libman. They were all quite interested to hear the Premier came to CSL. Our mayor will indeed formally invite him to come golf with him so they can discuss the Cavendish Boulevard extension and keeping Meadowbrook as green space for eternity.

My foursome, including Amelio Santini, Peter Lipari and Buddy Manis.

Review of our Golf Event

And now back to our golf outing, First off, a big thanks to staff Irene Lahaie and Moe Giobbi for all of the hard work they did. This was only part one. Our special awards banquet reception will take place at the end of September, an upgrade from the luncheon event we held in past years. From the Men's Club, Mark Kotler, Mannie Young and Norman Goldfield have been key contributors. I am proud to have served as the lead elected official on the file, with Councillors Berku and Lior Azerad on board. Our honoree this year was noted sportsman Eli "Buddy" Manis. At 83 years young he is in remarkable condition. He still plays ice hockey once a week and despite tearing his rotator cuff a few months ago in a game, he soldiers on telling me "I'm too old for surgery. Buddy was in my foursome with Peter Lipari, the prince of a man who runs the CSL Shopping Centre  IGA and a longstanding sponsor of our event. Rounding out the group was 16 year old Amelio Santini, a CSL resident who is headed for greatness.  He is an elite hockey player who was drafted by the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Maritimes Major Junior Hockey League. There are indeed dreams of the NHL dancing in his head. Listen to my podcast with him here.

A big thanks to McDonald's Pierre Brunet and his team.

Officials sponsors were real estate agents Marc Ezerzer and Hagai Brener from Vantage Mortgage & Realty Group and  Philippe Mamane, a wealth management advisor   at Assante Wealth Management.  Proceeds from the event will go to the Parks and Recreation Bursary Fund, which assists parents with financial difficulties and children’s with special needs in registering for specific programs they might otherwise not be able to afford.

Pierre Brunet, Amelio Santini, Philippe Mamane and myself.

The team from Pierre Brunet’s McDonald’s franchise at the Côte St. Luc Shopping Centre welcomed golfers as they got set to tee off with coffee and muffins. Pierre was there personally to welcome folks. He is a special human being who has always been there for us.

With Buddy Manis, Dida Berku, Mitchell Brownstein and Robert Libman.

There were trophies up for grabs for the longest drive and closest to the pin (male and female categories). We will find out the winners at our banquet.

With Mannie Young and Buddy Manis.

I am hardly a good golfer. But I really do look forward to this event each summer. It is a way to truly enjoy the beauty of Meadowbrook. Developers have wanted to turn this space in a large housing development for decades. Our council has stood firmly against this.  I have heard, though, from some potential investors who would love to purchase the property. They'd maintain the golf course (two nine-hole courses straddling Côte Saint-Luc, Montreal West and Lachine) and build a large reception hall and restaurant to host weddings, celebrations and meetings. This would be a winning solution!

With the English Montreal School Board foursome of Jack Chadirdjian, Mario Cardin,  Nick Katalifos and Mario Argiropoulos. They proudly meet now former Royal Vale student Amelio Santini.

Marty Lipes with Joan, Helen and Morty Zafran.

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

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

The vacant land on Sir Walter Scott.

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

The vacant land on Park Place.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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