So Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has finally agreed to step down as leader of the Federal Liberal Party. But as usual he has put himself first before the country and will stay on until the end of March when his successor is chosen.

Anthony Housefather

This is good news for Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, who faces a strong opponent in the next vote in Neil Oberman representing the Tories. Had Trudeau insisted on leading the party at election time, polls indicated that we would have seen the kind of Liberal route the Conservative Party faced in 1993. That is  when Kim Campbell inherited a majority of 156 seats and ended up with only two MPs elected. NDP leader Jagmeet   Singh, one of the greatest hypocrites of all time, was busy trashing Trudeau today. Yet he was the one who kept him in power. Now that Singh knows he will remain in office past his pension eligibility date at the end of February he is a big talker. He could have forced Trudeau to face the electorate months ago.

Pierre and Justin.

As long as Foreign Minister Melanie Joly is not chosen as the new leader, it is likely that many of the Mount Royal electorate who pledged not to vote Liberal because of Trudeau will turn around and remain loyal to Housefather. I mention Joly for she has been part of Trudeau’s one, two punch that has infuriated Jewish constituents in particular  over the party’s position on the Middle East. However, it is a lot more than Israel. People are merely tired of Trudeau. He was sent multiple strong messages since last summer, losing three successive Liberal strongholds in by-elections. Yet he did not take the hint. If someone like Mark Carney or Chrystia Freeland leads the party, the stench of Trudeau in the riding could be eradicated.

Neil Oberman<

I remember being a high school student at Wagar in Côte Saint-Luc. The Liberal MP for Mount Royal was Pierre Trudeau, Justin’s dad. Not only did he make several visits to Wagar, when my class went on a field trip to Ottawa and visited Parliament he came to meet us. This is in direct contrast to Justin, who is the MP for the East End Papineau riding Wearing my hat at the English Montreal School Board, we have two schools in Papineau: one in St. Michel and the other in Park Extension. Despite an endless array of requests, the Prime Minister has not made one single visit to either school in over nine years. This is absolutely shameful, especially for someone who worked as a teacher before entering politics. I know how I never forgot meeting the Prime Minister of Canada at my school many decades ago; the kids at our school have been robbed of that opportunity unless Justin decides to do the right thing before the end of March and come say “hello.”

As per tradition since I was first elected as the city councillor for District 2 in Côte Saint-Luc in 2005 I would like to provide this look back on some highlights from both my constituency and the portfolios I hold : communications, toponomy, animal welfare and local commerce.

I continue to walk the district several days a week with notepad in hand, more so when the weather is conducive. Via my website at www.MikeCohen.ca I provide timely reports on important developments as well as on Facebook, Instagram, X while my podcast focuses on interesting personalities in our milieu. I pioneered the concept of District meetings soon after my first election and now all other councillors do the same thing. During and after the COVID lockdowns, this process was simplified via Zoom presentations, something the public still prefers.

With my Bialik student interns going door to door on Park Place about the master plan.

Master Plan

For the first time in 20 years, the City of Côte Saint-Luc is completely revamping its Planning Program (also known as the Master Plan). We haven’t had a new one since the Montreal Borough era, and the city has come a long way since then. Almost 20 years after the adoption of our current Planning Program (Master Plan), the City of Côte Saint-Luc has determined that now is the time to establish new guidance for the development and enhancement of the city. This effort is more than timely, given that the current plan was adopted in 2004 while Côte Saint-Luc was still merged with the City of Montreal and was part of the Borough of Côte Saint-Luc—Hampstead—Montreal West. More recently, Côte Saint-Luc residents have expressed their desire for reimagined, connected, and better-developed living environments, notably through pre-consultation activities held in 2022–2023. These activities facilitated a dialogue with the community on various aspects such as land use planning, quality of life, and mobility. This has brought forth the desire for a city connected on multiple levels, which led to the emergence of the central theme of the initiative: Côte Saint-Luc, Connected. While the document I completed by staff was extremely well done, I was left with no choice but to vote against this proposal because om two crucial issues for my constituents public consultation was inadequate. For Quartier Cavendish, I had been asking for at least two years for city officials and those from the shopping centre to join me for a District meeting based on what kind of zoning they would granted.

I only learned two weeks before the master plan was tabled that the Quartier will be granted significant parameters for buildings between two and 20 storey high. Those people living immediately next to the shopping centre should have been apprised of this months earlier. Then, on the weekend before the meeting to table the document, we received the final documentation and there it was in black and white: the city’s intention to build a new Public Safety station at the corner of Park Place and The Avenue. Yes, this location has been discussed in caucus meetings. But I made it clear that if in fact the council’s desire was to move forward with the Park Place/The Avenue location then we must consult with the residents first. People on Park Place, The Avenue and part of Cavendish had always expected a park on this green space. I asked that the Public Safety station be removed from the document. Council refused. When I asked for the city to facilitate a Zoom meeting in late December, they indicated I could only do so if a staff person joined me. Nobody was available, so I proceeded to organize one on my own personal account. There will be a public consultation on Monday night, January 13 in person and online.

Quartier Cavendish Survey

Last winter and spring Bialik High School students Avery Hannon and Noah Galambos who volunteer for the Local Commerce Committee filed a special survey on Quartier Cavendish. The goal was to ask people to reflect on their views about how they use the venue and what they believe will improve their experience. A total of 20 participants were surveyed and presented with a series of questions. Although an effort was made to ask shoppers these questions, many kindly declined. As a result, participants sitting at the food court became the primary sample upon which the results are based. One of the most interesting aspects was the fact that few if any people call the place Quartier Cavendish; they still prefer the “Mall” term. Not surprisingly we learned that the IGA, Pharmaprix, Dollar Store, the CineStarz and the food court remain the most popular stops.

Two of my constituents in front of their then troubled building on Kildare Road.

Five Buildings Sold Twice

For more than the first half of 2024 I was very preoccupied with the status of five apartment buildings in my district: 6565 and 6575 Kildare and 5775, 5755 and 5765 Sir Walter Scott. During the winter Group CLV sold them to a numbered company. From that moment forward tenants lived in fear of renoviction, complained about a lack of communications with the owners and dealt with neglect of the premises. I was forcefully reminded the landlords that we had adopted a renoviction by-law in place. We also organized tenants rights meetings at the library and helped them form a de facto tenants association with legal representation. I visited several units in person to see firsthand the various problems and I had our building inspectors play an active role as well. I believe that all of this pressure played a pivotal role in the landlords selling the properties six months after the initial purchased. This was win win for all parties. The new owners have done all of the right things, including the hiring of a full-time individual to manage the five buildings. Dedicated phone lines were set up for tenants to call for assistance daytime and after hours. They cleaned up the buildings and undertook necessary repairs. A landscaper was also engaged to beautify the grounds. For the city at large, the $3.2 million in welcome taxes we received will help everyone.

With constituent Joey Grossman and Traffic Engineer Spyro Yotis.

Traffic

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. We are hoping for a professional analysis to be done in 2025 aimed at improving the efficiency of the lights. The 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.

The vacant lot on Sir Walter Scott.

Vacant Land on Sir Walter Scott

In Côte Saint-Luc we take pride of the beauty of our surroundings. Sadly, in District 2, there is vacant land on Sir Walter Scott which has been kept in poor condition. I have asked our O Building Inspection Department to initiate the necessary fines and remove the pieces of junk from their land. The neglect by the owners is absolutely unacceptable.

The snow dump.

Snow Dump

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 us through most of the spring. I have successfully been able to ensure that our budget includes an allocation to have the hill chopped up in May and June.. During the season, a snow wall is constructed to try and limit the noise levels from the vehicles going inside.

The permanent ping pong table at Rembrandt Park.

Rembrandt and Goldberg Parks

Our Public Works Department worked diligently to keep Rembrandt Park clean. The basketball courts continue to be well utilized. Old and crumbling benches were replaced. A new virtual booking system was successfully introduced for the tennis courts. At Isadore Goldberg Park, we had a new water fountain installed which was well received by the users.

The newly placed IlanRamon plaque.

Ilan Ramon

Ilan Ramon was the first Israeli astronaut on the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) that was launched on January 16, 2003. The seven astronauts died on February 1, 2003, when Columbia broke apart during re-entry into the atmosphere over Texas on its way to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Soon after this tragedy, then Mayor Robert Libman proposed that a new street off of Sir Walter Scott Avenue in Côte Saint-Luc’s District 2 be named Ilan Ramon Crescent. As a veteran fighter pilot, Ramon was part of a risky but successful 1981 mission that destroyed an unfinished nuclear reactor in Iraq. Twenty years ago I attended a ceremony for the installation of a plaque at the corner of Ilan Ramon and Sir Walter Scott. It eventually had to be removed due to construction. Last summer I had the plaque reinstalled in a different position right in the middle of the crescent. Happily, it is only a few feet away from the home of an Israeli family.

At the ceremony for Alexandre Look Park.

Alexandre Look Place

Last winter, several months after long-time Côte Saint-Luc resident Alexandre Look was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, I got a call from Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. He and his wife Elaine knew the Look family very well as their eldest son Andrew grew up with Alex. They wanted to know how we could properly honor his memory. In my capacity as the city councillor responsible for Toponymy (Naming Opportunities), I immediately zeroed in on a large piece of greenspace in my District 2, sandwiched between Bialik High School and Beth Chabad CSL. We had been looking for a name there for a few years. Sadly, this was the perfect match. Alex had attended Bialik and he also frequented Beth Chabad CSL. Alexandre Look grew up in Côte Saint-Luc, attended Bialik High School, was a frequent visitor at the Parkhaven Pool, the Cavendish Mall, and played numerous sports. As a child, Alex was very protective of his younger sister Kayla, and as he grew, he would extend that sense of duty to protect all those in need. On Monday night, September 9 (the eve of what would have been his 34th birthday), we formally dedicated Alexandre Look Place. Our Director of Public Works Beatrice Newman prepared the grounds beautifully. Associate City Manager Tanya Abramovitch met with the family and ensured the property was adequately prepared. And Darryl Levine, our Director Public Affairs and Communications, handled the branding, signage and wording on the inscription on the large plaque. It was an emotionally fitting ceremony and dedication.

Hydro-Québec

District 2 in Côte Saint-Luc will be part a major electrical system upgrade of the Hydro-Québec network. It will impact homes on Merrimac Road, Marc Chagall Avenue as well as Bialik High School. The installation of towers will take place no earlier than 2027. Other work, including the construction of a new substation behind Mount Sinai Hospital, will likely commence sooner. One of the big towers- currently behind the Meadows condo near the train tracks will likely be relocated on the grounds of JPPS-Bialik. As well, the wiring will likely wind behind all the buildings on Marc Chagall, JPPS Bialik and The Meadows along the railway lines. Towards the end of 2024 there was significant Hydro work on Kildare Road and Rembrandt. We are expecting a similar project on Merrimac next summer.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony for the upgraded reference area.

Library

Last fall we completed the installation of the new acoustic study pods as well the renovation of the reference area. It really looks fantastic. Mayor Brownstein, Chief Librarian Janine West and other senior library staff accompanied me for a ribbon cutting ceremony. Some of the money to finance the project came from the 2022 $500, 000 donation by Roslyn Margles that I procured. You can also now borrow an IPad or laptop while at the library by inserting your library card in a slot. And the news keeps getting better! Our library received a 96 percent score for library service from the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ) for service in 2023, which is the highest score we have ever received and well above the Quebec average.

Thanks to a generous donation in centenarian Sarah Fremeth’s name, new sensory panels were
added to the early childhood corner of our CSL Public Library. Sensory panels are bright, colorful, and stimulating for young children. Through visuals, touch, and sound, they engage the senses. They also help develop motor skills, balance, hand-eye coordination, and visual processing, which are all essential for young childrens' development. Through these toys which are designed to develop essential skills, children can also begin to learn about color, pattern, gravity, and develop spatial reasoning.

With my foursome at the golf event.

Golf Invitational

Every summer in Côte Saint-Luc we hold a golf day at Meadowbrook and send out judges to select winners for our Maison Fleuries contest. In the past, golfers would gather for lunch after their morning on the links and take part in an awards ceremony. Meanwhile, for the Maisons Fleuries we’d hold a reception in the fall to salute those with the finest floral arrangements. Last spring I sat down with Parks and Recreation Director Cornelia Ziga and staffers Irene Lahaie and Morris Giobbi where a new format was proposed. The golf luncheon was challenging to organize, especially if the day on the course was cancelled due to rain. Some participants also had to go back to work and missed it. Our idea was to schedule a banquet on Sept. 30 and merge the two celebrations into one. As a bonus, golfers were invited to bring a plus one. I am pleased to share that this event was a huge success. It was held at the Aquatic and Community Centre, where City Council was already convening for some important budget meetings. As a result we took a break from our session and joined the festivities. Traditionally Morris (we call him Moe ) and others before him the likes of Harold Cammy and Alvin Fishman obtained a sizeable array of door prizes. This year Moe had our sponsors donate generous portions of food. That allowed us to serve a buffet dinner that went over very well. Our special honoree was longtime sportsman and volunteer Eli “Buddy” Manis. At 83 years young, it was about time Buddy got such a salute.

Local Commerce

When Mayor Brownstein asked me to oversee the Local Commerce portfolio, I initiated a Business of the Month award. It as the perfect way to engage and provide recognition to a variety of different businesses operating in our city. Each recipient is provided with a framed certificate and personal visits by myself, accompanied by another member of council or the mayor.

In District 2, a number of businesses were recognized. A brand new kosher deli, Fin Gourmet sur l’Avenue, held its grand opening in September on The Avenue in Côte 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. 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.

Recognizing the new Step Medical clinic.

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. They received the Business of the Month award. So did the Biron Group, a new blood test centre and laboratory. More recently, Forcemedic, which service adults, as well as Uniprix Anne Benguira opened there too. In 2025 a daycare centre will make its debut there. The landlords hope to bring in a radiology clinic and a café with a terrasse. The RBC branch remains an anchor tenant.

With constituents Cheryl and Harry Rajchgot.

Recognizing Volunteers

In the City of Côte Saint-Luc we held our annual Volunteer Recognition Night at CinéStarz Cavendish on November 6. The format began with our award winners arriving early for photos. Guests then filed into the different theatres, picking up complimentary drinks, popcorn and candy. Before the curtain came down to show one of two movies, the award winners were announced on the big screens. The William Kesler Award, which recognizes a volunteer for their exceptional contribution, went to Diane Liebling. Through Diane’s efforts and that of our committee of volunteers, the CSL Cat Trap Neuter Return Program that I founded 15 years ago, helps rescue, neuter, and find foster homes.

Members of our Cats Committee attend a council meeting.

The Cats Committee

This was an expensive year for our Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee. This all-volunteer group s involved in a Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt program. We rescue homeless cats. If they cannot be adopted, they are sterilized and placed back to the area where we found them. Our devoted Chair Diane Liebling has a team of feeders who keep these cats nourished year-round. There are also others who foster cats until we find them a forever home. The committee had an annual grant of $5,000 from the city for many years. In pre-COVID years, fundraising and special events brought in more revenue. It has been tougher since then. In 2023 the city upped the contribution to $10,500. However, due to across the board cuts last winter the Cats Committee was brought back to $5,000. That and a shrinking amount of surplus funds puts the committee's work in jeopardy. I spearheaded a special fundraising campaign which brought in over $12,000. It was a big help, but it is unclear whether our committee will be able to continue to fulfil our mandate in 2025.

At the Dog Park.

Updated Dog By-law

For the past two years I worked diligently with our Manager of Operations for Public Safety Jean-Marc Dubois to update our dog by-law, with the input from members of our committee for canines. Last September I organized a very successful virtual information meeting. It has been viewed by more than 500 people. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTqaGORxWW8
Some of the key new components of the new by-law include the following: you can walk only two dogs at time, requiring a dog-walking permit for walking three dogs or more on pubic domain; do not leave dog unattended, for instance attached to a pole; the use of a ball or stick at the dog park if other canines are present is prohibited and the same goes for feeding dogs on those premises ; you 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; certain fines have been increased; and no chokehold leashes are allowed;. The process went very smoothly and we have certainly accomplished our goals.

Bilan de l'année 2025 de la conseillère municipale de Côte Saint-Luc pour le district 2

Comme le veut la tradition depuis ma première élection en tant que conseiller municipal du district 2 de Côte Saint-Luc en 2005, j'aimerais vous présenter une rétrospective des faits marquants de ma circonscription et des portefeuilles que je détiens : communication, toponymie, bien-être animal et commerce local.

Je continue à parcourir la circonscription plusieurs jours par semaine, bloc-notes à la main, et ce d'autant plus que le temps s'y prête. Via mon site web www.MikeCohen.ca, je fournis des rapports opportuns sur les développements importants, ainsi que sur Facebook, Instagram et X, tandis que mon podcast se concentre sur les personnalités intéressantes de notre milieu. J'ai lancé le concept des réunions de district peu après ma première élection et tous les autres conseillers font désormais de même. Pendant et après les blocages de COVID, ce processus a été simplifié par des présentations Zoom, ce que le public préfère toujours.

Plan directeur

Pour la première fois en 20 ans, la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc procède à une refonte complète de son plan d'urbanisme (aussi appelé plan directeur). Nous n'avons pas eu de nouveau plan depuis l'époque de l'arrondissement de Montréal, et la ville a fait beaucoup de chemin depuis. Près de 20 ans après l'adoption de son plan d'urbanisme actuel, la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc a décidé qu'il était temps d'établir de nouvelles orientations pour le développement et la mise en valeur de la ville. Cet effort est d'autant plus opportun que le plan actuel a été adopté en 2004 alors que Côte Saint-Luc était encore fusionnée à la Ville de Montréal et faisait partie de l'arrondissement de Côte Saint-Luc-Hampstead-Montréal-Ouest. Plus récemment, les résidents de Côte Saint-Luc ont exprimé leur désir d'avoir des milieux de vie repensés, connectés et mieux aménagés, notamment lors des activités de préconsultation tenues en 2022-2023. Ces activités ont permis d'établir un dialogue avec la communauté sur divers aspects tels que l'aménagement du territoire, la qualité de vie et la mobilité. Il en est ressorti le désir d'une ville connectée à plusieurs niveaux, ce qui a mené à l'émergence du thème central de l'initiative : Côte Saint-Luc, connectée. Bien que le document rempli par le personnel soit extrêmement bien fait, je n'ai pas eu d'autre choix que de voter contre cette proposition parce que sur deux questions cruciales pour mes électeurs, la consultation publique a été inadéquate. En ce qui concerne le Quartier Cavendish, j'ai demandé pendant au moins deux ans que les représentants de la ville et du centre commercial se joignent à moi pour une réunion de district sur le type de zonage qu'ils allaient accorder. Ce n'est que deux semaines avant la présentation du plan directeur que j'ai appris que le quartier se verrait accorder des paramètres importants pour des bâtiments de deux à vingt étages. Les personnes qui vivent à proximité immédiate du centre commercial auraient dû en être informées des mois plus tôt. Puis, le week-end précédant la réunion de dépôt du document, nous avons reçu la documentation finale et elle était écrite noir sur blanc : l'intention de la ville de construire un nouveau poste de sécurité publique à l'angle de Park Place et de The Avenue. Oui, cet emplacement a été discuté lors des réunions du caucus. Mais j'ai clairement indiqué que si le conseil souhaitait aller de l'avant avec l'emplacement Park Place/The Avenue, nous devions d'abord consulter les résidents. Les habitants de Park Place, de The Avenue et d'une partie de Cavendish ont toujours attendu un parc sur cet espace vert. J'ai demandé que le poste de sécurité publique soit retiré du document. Le conseil a refusé. Lorsque j'ai demandé à la ville de faciliter une réunion Zoom à la fin du mois de décembre, on m'a indiqué que je ne pourrais le faire que si un membre du personnel se joignait à moi. Comme personne n'était disponible, j'ai organisé une réunion sur mon compte personnel. Une consultation publique aura lieu le lundi 13 janvier au soir, en personne et en ligne.

Cinq bâtiments vendus deux fois

Pendant plus de la première moitié de l'année 2024, j'ai été très préoccupé par le statut de cinq immeubles d'habitation dans mon quartier : 6565 et 6575 Kildare et 5775, 5755 et 5765 Sir Walter Scott. Au cours de l'hiver, le groupe CLV les a vendus à une société à numéro. À partir de ce moment, les locataires ont vécu dans la crainte d'une rénovation, se sont plaints d'un manque de communication avec les propriétaires et ont dû faire face à la négligence des lieux. J'ai rappelé avec force aux propriétaires que nous avions adopté un règlement sur les rénovations. Nous avons également organisé des réunions sur les droits des locataires à la bibliothèque et les avons aidés à former une association de locataires de facto avec une représentation juridique. J'ai visité plusieurs logements en personne pour constater de visu les différents problèmes et j'ai demandé à nos inspecteurs en bâtiment de jouer un rôle actif. Je pense que toutes ces pressions ont joué un rôle essentiel dans la vente des logements par les propriétaires six mois après l'achat initial. Toutes les parties ont été gagnantes. Les nouveaux propriétaires ont fait tout ce qu'il fallait, notamment en engageant une personne à temps plein pour gérer les cinq bâtiments. Des lignes téléphoniques dédiées ont été mises en place pour que les locataires puissent appeler pour obtenir de l'aide pendant la journée et après les heures de bureau. Ils ont nettoyé les bâtiments et entrepris les réparations nécessaires. Un paysagiste a également été engagé pour embellir les terrains. Pour la ville dans son ensemble, les 3,2 millions de dollars de taxes de bienvenue que nous avons reçus aideront tout le monde.

Circulation

Les feux de circulation sur le boulevard Cavendish, de Mackle à Kildare, sont une source constante de frustration pour les automobilistes et les piétons. Je reçois de nombreuses demandes à ce sujet et je tiens à remercier notre ingénieur de la circulation, Spyro Yotis, qui fait vraiment de son mieux pour satisfaire tout le monde. Pour les automobilistes, l'attente à chaque feu est trop longue. Les piétons, quant à eux, se plaignent de ne pas avoir assez de temps pour traverser. Nous espérons qu'une analyse professionnelle sera effectuée en 2025 afin d'améliorer l'efficacité des feux. 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 effectués en 2018 ont consisté à augmenter la détection et à optimiser les intersections individuelles.

Terrain vacant sur Sir Walter Scott

À Côte Saint-Luc, nous sommes fiers de la beauté de notre environnement. Malheureusement, dans le district 2, il y a un terrain vacant sur Sir Walter Scott qui a été maintenu en mauvais état. J'ai demandé à notre service d'inspection des bâtiments d'infliger les amendes nécessaires et d'enlever les débris de leur terrain. La négligence des propriétaires est absolument inacceptable.

Décharge de neige

J'ai voté à plusieurs reprises contre le fait de permettre à la Ville de Hampstead d'utiliser notre dépotoir à neige chaque hiver. Oui, nous obtenons des revenus précieux et lorsque la neige atteint un certain niveau au cours de la saison, l'entente prend fin. Néanmoins, je reste préoccupé par le nombre de gros véhicules qui descendent l'avenue Marc Chagall et, bien sûr, par la montagne de neige sale qui s'accumule en hiver et qui reste avec nous pendant la plus grande partie du printemps. J'ai réussi à faire en sorte que notre budget comprenne une allocation pour le déneigement de la colline en mai et juin. Pendant la saison, un mur de neige est construit pour essayer de limiter le bruit des véhicules qui entrent dans le parc.

Parcs Rembrandt et Goldberg

Notre service des travaux publics a travaillé avec diligence pour garder le parc Rembrandt propre. Les terrains de basket continuent d'être bien utilisés. Les vieux bancs qui s'effritaient ont été remplacés. Un nouveau système de réservation virtuelle a été mis en place avec succès pour les courts de tennis. Au parc Isadore Goldberg, nous avons installé une nouvelle fontaine d'eau qui a été bien accueillie par les utilisateurs.

Ilan Ramon

Ilan Ramon a été le premier astronaute israélien à bord de la navette spatiale Columbia (STS-107) lancée le 16 janvier 2003. Les sept astronautes sont morts le 1er février 2003, lorsque Columbia s'est désintégrée lors de sa rentrée dans l'atmosphère au-dessus du Texas, alors qu'elle se dirigeait vers le centre spatial Kennedy en Floride. Peu après cette tragédie, le maire de l'époque, Robert Libman, a proposé qu'une nouvelle rue de l'avenue Sir Walter Scott, dans le district 2 de Côte Saint-Luc, porte le nom de Croissant Ilan Ramon. Pilote de chasse chevronné, Ramon a participé en 1981 à une mission risquée mais réussie qui a permis de détruire un réacteur nucléaire inachevé en Irak. Il y a vingt ans, j'ai assisté à une cérémonie d'installation d'une plaque à l'angle d'Ilan Ramon et de Sir Walter Scott. Cette plaque a dû être retirée en raison de travaux de construction. L'été dernier, j'ai fait réinstaller la plaque à un autre endroit, en plein milieu du croissant. Heureusement, elle n'est qu'à quelques mètres de la maison d'une famille israélienne.

Alexandre Look Place

L'hiver dernier, plusieurs mois après l'assassinat d'Alexandre Look, un habitant de longue date de Côte Saint-Luc, par des terroristes du Hamas le 7 octobre, j'ai reçu un appel du maire Mitchell Brownstein. Lui et sa femme Elaine connaissaient très bien la famille Look, car leur fils aîné Andrew a grandi avec Alex. Ils voulaient savoir comment nous pourrions honorer sa mémoire comme il se doit. En ma qualité de conseiller municipal responsable de la toponymie (possibilités de dénomination), j'ai immédiatement jeté mon dévolu sur un grand espace vert situé dans mon district 2, coincé entre le lycée Bialik et l'école Beth Chabad CSL. Cela faisait plusieurs années que nous cherchions un nom pour cet espace. Malheureusement, c'était la solution idéale. Alex avait fréquenté le lycée Bialik et il fréquentait également le Beth Chabad CSL. Alexandre Look a grandi à Côte Saint-Luc, a fréquenté l'école secondaire Bialik, s'est souvent rendu à la piscine Parkhaven et au centre commercial Cavendish, et a pratiqué de nombreux sports. Enfant, Alex était très protecteur envers sa jeune sœur Kayla, et en grandissant, il a étendu ce sens du devoir à la protection de toutes les personnes dans le besoin. Le lundi 9 septembre au soir (la veille de ce qui aurait été son 34e anniversaire), nous avons officiellement inauguré Alexandre Look Place. Notre directrice des travaux publics, Beatrice Newman, a magnifiquement préparé le terrain. Tanya Abramovitch, directrice municipale adjointe, a rencontré la famille et s'est assurée que la propriété était convenablement préparée. Enfin, Darryl Levine, notre directeur des affaires publiques et de la communication, s'est occupé de l'image de marque, de la signalisation et du texte de l'inscription sur la grande plaque. La cérémonie et l'inauguration ont été très émouvantes.

Enquête sur le quartier Cavendish

L'hiver et le printemps derniers, Avery Hannon et Noah Galambos, élèves du lycée Bialik et bénévoles au sein du Comité du commerce local, ont réalisé une enquête spéciale sur le Quartier Cavendish. L'objectif était de demander aux gens de réfléchir à la manière dont ils utilisent le lieu et à ce qui, selon eux, pourrait améliorer leur expérience. Au total, 20 participants ont été interrogés et ont reçu une série de questions. Bien qu'un effort ait été fait pour poser ces questions aux clients, beaucoup ont gentiment refusé. Par conséquent, les participants assis dans l'aire de restauration sont devenus l'échantillon principal sur lequel les résultats sont basés. L'un des aspects les plus intéressants a été le fait que peu de gens, voire aucun, n'appellent cet endroit Quartier Cavendish ; ils préfèrent encore le terme de « centre commercial ». Il n'est pas surprenant que nous ayons appris que l'IGA, Pharmaprix, le Dollar Store, le CineStarz et l'aire de restauration demeurent les arrêts les plus populaires.

Hydro-Québec

Le district 2 de Côte Saint-Luc fera partie d'une importante mise à niveau du système électrique du réseau d'Hydro-Québec. Les travaux toucheront les résidences du chemin Merrimac, de l'avenue Marc Chagall et de l'école secondaire Bialik. L'installation des pylônes se fera au plus tôt en 2027. D'autres travaux, notamment la construction d'une nouvelle sous-station derrière l'hôpital Mont-Sinaï, commenceront probablement plus tôt. L'un des grands pylônes, qui se trouve actuellement derrière l'immeuble Meadows, près des voies ferrées, sera probablement déplacé sur le terrain de l'école JPPS-Bialik. De même, le câblage passera probablement derrière tous les bâtiments de Marc Chagall, JPPS Bialik et The Meadows, le long des voies ferrées. Vers la fin de l'année 2024, d'importants travaux d'hydroélectricité ont été réalisés sur Kildare Road et Rembrandt. Nous nous attendons à un projet similaire sur Merrimac l'été prochain.

Bibliothèque

L'automne dernier, nous avons achevé l'installation des nouveaux modules d'étude acoustiques ainsi que la rénovation de la zone de référence. L'ensemble est vraiment fantastique. Le maire Brownstein, la bibliothécaire en chef Janine West et d'autres membres du personnel de la bibliothèque m'ont accompagné pour la cérémonie d'inauguration. Une partie de l'argent nécessaire au financement du projet provient de la donation de 500 000 dollars de Roslyn Margles que j'ai obtenue en 2022. Vous pouvez désormais emprunter un IPad ou un ordinateur portable à la bibliothèque en insérant votre carte de bibliothèque dans une fente. Et les nouvelles ne cessent de s'améliorer ! Notre bibliothèque a reçu une note de 96 % de l'Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ) pour le service de bibliothèque en 2023, ce qui est la note la plus élevée que nous ayons jamais reçue et bien au-dessus de la moyenne québécoise.

Grâce à un don généreux au nom de la centenaire Sarah Fremeth, de nouveaux panneaux sensoriels ont été ajoutés au coin de la petite enfance de notre bibliothèque. ont été ajoutés au coin réservé à la petite enfance de notre bibliothèque publique CSL. Les panneaux sensoriels sont lumineux, colorés et stimulants pour les jeunes enfants. Par le biais de l'image, du toucher et du son, ils éveillent les sens. Ils contribuent également au développement de la motricité, de l'équilibre, de la coordination main-œil et du traitement visuel, qui sont tous essentiels au développement des jeunes enfants. Grâce à ces jouets conçus pour développer des compétences essentielles, les enfants peuvent également commencer à apprendre les couleurs, les motifs, la gravité et à développer le raisonnement spatial.

Invitation au golf

Chaque été, à Côte Saint-Luc, nous organisons une journée de golf à Meadowbrook et nous envoyons des juges pour sélectionner les gagnants de notre concours Maison Fleuries. Dans le passé, les golfeurs se réunissaient pour le déjeuner après leur matinée de golf et participaient à une cérémonie de remise des prix. Quant aux Maisons Fleuries, nous organisions une réception à l'automne pour saluer les personnes ayant réalisé les plus belles compositions florales. Au printemps dernier, j'ai rencontré Cornelia Ziga, directrice des parcs et loisirs, et Irene Lahaie et Morris Giobbi, membres du personnel, pour leur proposer une nouvelle formule. Le déjeuner de golf était difficile à organiser, surtout si la journée sur le terrain était annulée en raison de la pluie. De plus, certains participants devaient reprendre le travail et manquaient le déjeuner. Notre idée était de programmer un banquet le 30 septembre et de fusionner les deux célébrations en une seule. En prime, les golfeurs étaient invités à amener un proche. J'ai le plaisir de vous annoncer que cet événement a remporté un franc succès. Il s'est déroulé au centre aquatique et communautaire, où le conseil municipal se réunissait déjà pour d'importantes réunions budgétaires. Nous avons donc interrompu notre séance pour participer aux festivités. Traditionnellement, Morris (nous l'appelons Moe ) et d'autres avant lui, comme Harold Cammy et Alvin Fishman, ont obtenu un grand nombre de prix de présence. Cette année, Moe a demandé à nos sponsors de faire don de généreuses portions de nourriture. Cela nous a permis de servir un buffet qui a été très apprécié. Notre invité d'honneur était Eli « Buddy » Manis, sportif et bénévole de longue date. À 83 ans, il était temps que Buddy reçoive un tel hommage.

Commerce local

Lorsque le maire Brownstein m'a demandé de superviser le portefeuille du commerce local, j'ai créé le prix de l'entreprise du mois. C'était le moyen idéal d'impliquer et de reconnaître une variété d'entreprises différentes opérant dans notre ville. Chaque lauréat reçoit un certificat encadré et reçoit une visite personnelle de ma part, accompagnée d'un autre membre du conseil municipal ou du maire.

Dans le district 2, plusieurs entreprises ont été récompensées.

Une toute nouvelle charcuterie casher, Fin Gourmet sur l'Avenue, a ouvert ses portes en septembre sur l'avenue de la Côte. Lorsque l'immeuble d'appartements de l'avenue a ouvert ses portes il y a sept ans, le rez-de-chaussée était zoné commercial. L'année dernière, un orthodontiste a ouvert ses portes et nous avons maintenant un endroit fabuleux offrant un large éventail de cuisine casher. Il devrait permettre de combler en partie le vide laissé par la fermeture du J &R Kosher. Edmond et Véronique Abecassis, mari et femme, sont les propriétaires. Leur fils Brandon, entrepreneur général pour Jackson Construction, a construit l'intérieur. Bhavik Patel et Chelsea Delena sont les chefs cuisiniers.

La Clinique Médicale Step, à la pointe de la technologie, est désormais pleinement opérationnelle dans le bâtiment situé à l'angle de Cavendish et de Kildare, et accueille les enfants de l'école primaire. Elle a reçu le prix de l'entreprise du mois. Il en va de même pour le Biron Group, un nouveau centre d'analyse sanguine et laboratoire. Plus récemment, Forcemedic, qui offre des services aux adultes, ainsi qu'Uniprix Anne Benguira ont également ouvert leurs portes. En 2025, une crèche y fera son apparition. Les propriétaires espèrent y installer une clinique de radiologie et un café avec terrasse. La succursale de la RBC reste le locataire principal.

Reconnaissance des bénévoles

Dans la ville de Côte Saint-Luc, nous avons tenu notre soirée annuelle de reconnaissance des bénévoles au CinéStarz Cavendish le 6 novembre. Les lauréats sont arrivés tôt pour les photos. Les invités se sont ensuite dirigés vers les différentes salles de cinéma, où ils ont reçu des boissons, du maïs soufflé et des bonbons. Avant que le rideau ne se lève sur l'un des deux films, les lauréats ont été annoncés sur les écrans géants. Le prix William Kesler, qui récompense un bénévole pour sa contribution exceptionnelle, a été décerné à Diane Liebling. Grâce aux efforts de Diane et de notre comité de bénévoles, le programme CSL Cat Trap Neuter Return, que j'ai fondé il y a 15 ans, permet de sauver, de stériliser et de trouver des foyers d'accueil.

Le comité des chats

Cette année a été coûteuse pour le Comité des chats de Côte Saint-Luc. Ce groupe entièrement bénévole est impliqué dans un programme de piégeage, de stérilisation, de remise en liberté et d'adoption. Nous sauvons les chats sans abri. S'ils ne peuvent pas être adoptés, ils sont stérilisés et remis dans la zone où nous les avons trouvés. Notre présidente dévouée, Diane Liebling, dispose d'une équipe de nourrisseurs qui veillent à ce que ces chats soient nourris tout au long de l'année. D'autres personnes accueillent les chats jusqu'à ce que nous leur trouvions un foyer définitif. Pendant de nombreuses années, le comité a bénéficié d'une subvention annuelle de 5 000 dollars de la part de la ville. Avant l'arrivée de COVID, la collecte de fonds et les événements spéciaux rapportaient plus de revenus. Depuis, la situation est plus difficile. En 2023, la ville a augmenté sa contribution à 10 500 dollars. Cependant, en raison des coupes budgétaires généralisées de l'hiver dernier, la contribution du Comité des chats a été ramenée à 5 000 dollars. Cette situation et la diminution des fonds excédentaires mettent en péril le travail du comité. J'ai mené une campagne spéciale de collecte de fonds qui a rapporté plus de 12 000 dollars. Ce fut une aide précieuse, mais il n'est pas certain que notre comité soit en mesure de continuer à remplir son mandat en 2025.

Mise à jour du règlement sur les chiens

Au cours des deux dernières années, j'ai travaillé avec diligence avec notre gestionnaire des opérations pour la sécurité publique, Jean-Marc Dubois, pour mettre à jour notre règlement sur les chiens, avec l'aide des membres de notre comité pour les chiens. En septembre dernier, j'ai organisé une réunion d'information virtuelle très réussie. Elle a été visionnée par plus de 500 personnes. Voici le lien : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTqaGORxWW8

Voici quelques-unes des principales nouveautés du nouveau règlement : vous ne pouvez promener que deux chiens à la fois ; un permis de promenade est nécessaire pour promener trois chiens ou plus sur le domaine public ; ne laissez pas votre chien sans surveillance, par exemple attaché à un poteau ; l'utilisation d'une balle ou d'un bâton dans le parc à chiens en présence d'autres chiens est interdite et il en va de même pour nourrir les chiens sur ces lieux ; il est interdit d'amener plus de deux chiens au parc à chiens ; après avoir déménagé à CSL, vous avez 30 jours pour obtenir un permis pour chien ; il est illégal d'abandonner un chien dans la ville ; il est interdit de pratiquer toute forme d'élevage d'animaux, y compris l'exploitation d'un chenil à des fins commerciales ; certaines amendes ont été augmentées ; et les laisses étrangleuses ne sont pas autorisées ;. Le processus s'est déroulé sans heurts et nous avons certainement atteint nos objectifs.

(Traduit par Deepl.com)

Stanley Diamond was one of those people I always thought would live forever. So when I learned that he passed away  on December 18 at the age of 91 years young, I felt profound sadness. In our regular talks over the last year he would often discuss his own mortality. “I know I am over 90, but I feel great and I don’t want to think about not being on this earth anymore. I have too many things to do.”

Stan attended his McGill Faculty Management 70th Reunion on October 30. He is seen here with Dean Chan.

I first met Stan decades ago when he played in the Côte Saint-Luc Slo Pitch Association and I was the scorekeeper. Years later, in 1995, he established a reputation for himself as a groundbreaking researcher in genealogy and the executive director of Jewish Records Indexing – Poland, a searchable online database. His commitment to uncovering family histories obscured by war and upheaval paved the way for countless people of European Jewish ancestry to trace their roots and track down surviving relatives. I was a journalist by then and he always had a good story to share. In 2005 I was elected as the Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor for District 2 and Stan became one of my strongest supporters. Last year he called to tell me that he was selling his condo and moving into assisted living. It was not a move he cherished, but quipped “my wife and I are 177 years old between us and I wanted to ensure she is in a safer place with support for the day I am no longer here.”

Stan was passionate about what he did. And a week did not go by over the last few decades when he did not message me or pitch a story. He spoke proudly about earning a commerce degree at McGill and an MBA at Harvard, then starting a very successful decorative ceiling business called Intalite with factories and clients around the globe. He and his wife Ruth had three adoring daughters  and four grandkids.

Of Ruth, Stan told me in a blog I wrote last year: “My wife and I were born five years and five days apart.

In honor of Stan’s 90th birthday, JRI-Poland kicked off its 2024 NextGen Fundraising Campaign by adding $90,000 to their goal in recognition of his contribution to this organization. Funds raised went towards website development project.

JRI-Poland is a searchable online database. Stan’s commitment to uncovering family histories obscured by war and upheaval has paved the way for countless people of European Jewish ancestry to trace their roots and track down surviving relatives. His personal journey to trace his family lineage not only unveiled surprising connections but also ignited a vision: making genealogical research more accessible for all. JRI-Poland, since its inception in 1995, has become a cornerstone for those tracing their Polish Jewish roots. With collaboration from the Polish State Archives, the organization has built a database of over seven million records.

Stan going door to door with me in 2017

Back in 2017, Stanley gave a speech at his synagogue, Shaare Zion, which I happily covered. “It’s truly humbling to be honored by my synagogue where 71-years ago this week, I celebrated my bar mitzvah,” he said at the time. “Many years ago, my wife Ruth remarked, ‘what are you going to do when you retire?’ Other women in this sanctuary may have asked a similar question - if they witnessed what Ruth endured for many years…a husband who had a passion for his international decorative ceiling business…and was consumed with it almost every waking hour. Little did I know that the seeds for my post-retirement had already been sown back in 1977 when my nephew Mark Diamond was diagnosed as being a carrier of the beta thalassemia genetic trait, and blood tests revealed that my father Harry, all four of his children and nine of 13 grandchildren were also carriers. I could hardly have anticipated how being a carrier, the fall of the Iron Curtain and the opening up of the Polish archives…the growth of the Internet and the dramatic changes in communications made possible by personal computers and email…and my international business experience - all seemingly unrelated - would come together to play such a huge role in my second career…a new chapter in my life that blossomed into something far bigger than I could have ever imagined.

“My family does not suffer from the Thalassemia disease…but we carry the beta thalassemia genetic trait. Only children who inherit the trait from both parents can have the disease known as Thalassemia Major. Children who only inherit the gene from one parent - like the members of my family - live normal lives. Since the trait manifests itself as mild chronic anemia, carriers in populations where it is not prevalent – like my Ashkenazi family – were never or rarely tested for the trait. Although Thalassemia trait is widely seen in Mediterranean and Southeast Asian families, and a very small percentage of Sephardic Jews, we were one of the first among Ashkenazim diagnosed as carriers in 1977…and that’s where my story begins. Dr. Arthur Cooperberg, head of hematology at the Jewish General was fascinated to learn about our family as he had only seen the trait in Greeks and Italians in Montreal. Cooperberg’s 1977 study of our family revealed that my father was the carrier…as were the families of his sister Ray Steinhouse and brother Barney Diamond. Many of us had been misdiagnosed over the years as being anemic and had been prescribed massive doses of iron which are totally ineffective.But where did it come from? We were naturally curious about the source of the trait…and we knew the potential danger to future generations as well as relatives near and far who were likely unaware that their mild chronic anemia could be something else. But, we knew little if anything about genealogical research and no one bothered to learn. In 1991, I became both the family genealogist and beta thalassemia detective. But to build a family tree of carriers, I first had to discover if it was my father’s father or father’s mother who had passed the trait to him. This was a challenge because my grandparents came to Montreal from New York in 1898 and left their siblings’ families behind.

“Fortunately, my sole living aunt finally remembered a distant cousin in Florida, a descendant of my grandmother’s brother Aron Hersz WIDELEC. After identifying myself and discussing how we’re related, I hesitatingly asked, "Is there any incidence of anemia in your branch?" "Oh, you mean beta thalassemia, it's all over our family!" In that one moment I knew I had to concentrate my research on my father’s mother’s branch from the town of Ostrów Mazowiecka – halfway between Warsaw and Białystok. My luck continued when I learned about Michael Richman, a remarkable young lawyer in Washington who also has roots in my ancestral town. Using the Mormon microfilms of the 1808 to 1863 Jewish records of the town, Michael not only documented the early generations of his own early family but out of curiosity, two hundred other families – including my grandmother’s WIDELEC family. Within a year, after hundreds of phone calls and countless letters, I had connected the main branches of the WIDELEC family in the United States to the earlier generations in Poland documented by Michael. But to research the other branches of my family from Poland, I needed access to the post-1863 records in the Polish State Archives and the pre-war records in the city hall archives. In May 1994, it was bashert that the keynote speaker at the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Jerusalem was Jerzy Skowronek, Director-General of the Polish State Archives. Skowronek immediately grasped my humanitarian quest and offered his full cooperation. Eighteen months later I made my first visit to Poland. But before leaving, I sent letters to a fourteen genealogists with an interest in my town and nearby towns. I suggested we do joint research of the microfilmed records and avoid senseless duplication of effort. The reaction to the letter was swift and just months later, in the spring of 1995, it led to the birth of Jewish Records Indexing-Poland in its early, rudimentary form.”

Stan sporting a most unique Habs shirt.

Stan shared too many success stories from JRI-Poland to print here. Like the woman in France with records proving that her maternal line is Jewish so that she could get married in a Jewish ceremony in Israel. JRI-Poland also contributed invaluable research for two TV series “Finding Your Roots” and “Who Do We Think We Are” about famous personalities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Carole King, and Alan Dershowitz.

Stan was also a lecturer and author

For all of us, including Amy Fish, Stan left us too soon. For the past six years Amy has been writing a book about Stan. “I am heartbroken that he did not live to hold the book in his hands, and at the same time grateful that he trusted me to document his legacy,” she said.

Amy, I can’t wait to get my copy.

Stan we miss you already!!!

Is the City of Montreal doing enough to curb antisemitic violence on the island? Absolutely not.

At our December 9, 2024 meeting we adopted this resolution

WHEREAS since October 7, 2023, there have been more than 450 demonstrations in Montreal where the majority were related to the Middle East conflict;

WHEREAS there have been numerous acts of violence and hate crimes linked to these demonstrations, including on March 4, 2024, in front of the Federation CJA of Montreal, on September 30 in front of Concordia University and on November 5, 2024, in front of the Shaar Hashamayim synagogue;

WHEREAS during these demonstrations illegal behavior was observed, such as street blocking, graffiti on cars and buildings, or occupation of university areas, in addition to hateful and violent language;

WHEREAS the police are limited in their intervention by the fact that the demonstrators do not announce the exact location or itinerary of their march and demonstration, and are for the most part masked while uttering hateful language and engaging in intimidation;

WHEREAS it is the responsibility of the municipality to legislate laws and regulations on the prevention of disturbances of the peace, security and public order and on the use of public property, in order to facilitate the work of police officers in protecting participants and residents during demonstrations;

WHEREAS it is desirable to find concrete ways to better equip SPVM police officers to deal with these violent demonstrations, in order to protect public order and safety, as well as the rights and freedoms of participants and the general public;

WHEREAS in an interview on QUB radio on November 25, 2024, SPVM Police Chief Fady Dagher stated that law enforcement could be better managed with better technology, including body cameras and computer technology to retrieve all footage ;

WHEREAS ICI Radio-Canada published an article on November 28, 2024, in which Yves Francœur, President of the Montreal Police Brotherhood, explains that the City of Montreal has not presented legislative amendments to compensate and give new tools to the police since By-law P-6 was invalidated, and calls for demonstrators to be forced to be unmasked.

It was moved

"THAT the City Council of Côte Saint-Luc ask the Council of the Agglomeration of Montreal to adopt a by-law to ensure the peaceful and safe conduct of demonstrations, promoting the safety of all, participants and population included:

THAT, among other measures, this by-law should:

i) provide the police with the necessary tools to enforce the Criminal Code when demonstrations become illegal gatherings and;

ii) prohibit participants in such assemblies or demonstrations on the public domain from having their faces covered without reasonable cause, the whole according to prescribed criteria and conditions.”

Thursday, December 12 at 7:30 pm/Jeudi, 12Decembre 19h30

Log on to/ Participer à la réunion : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86857461808?pwd=uh062DJR9501uPQRViVVhgDOjKwYmR.1

Meeting ID: 868 5746 1808
Passcode: 9UT53i

AGENDA

• A new Public Safety Station at the corner of Park Place and The Avenue?/ Un nouveau poste de sécurité publique à l'angle de Park Place et de The Avenue ?

•  The proposed redevelopment of Quartier Cavendish/ Le projet de réaménagement du Quartier Cavendish

•  Public Consultation January 13, 2025/ Assistez à la réunion de consultation le lundi 13 janvier 2025

Le district 2 comprend Merrimac, Rembrandt, Kildare (entre Rembrandt et Marc Chagall), Sir Walter Scott, Ilan Ramon, Marc Chagall, Mackle (entre Cavendish et Brandeis), le Quartier Cavendish, Cavendish (Manoir Montefiore, Manoir Camelia, L’Excelsior, les nouvelles maisons en rangée), ch. du Jubilé, Place Park Place et Honoré-de-Balzac./ District 2 encompasses Merrimac, Rembrandt., Kildare  (between Marc Chagall and Honoré Balzac), Sir Walter Scott,  Ilan Ramon, Marc Chagall, Mackle  (between Cavendish and Brandeis),  Quartier Cavendish Mall, Cavendish (Manoir Montefiore, Manoir Camelia, L’Excelsior, new Town Houses),  Jubilee, Park Place, Honoré-de-Balzac..

If you want the Zoom link sent to you please e-mail [email protected]

Si vous souhaitez que le lien Zoom vous soit envoyé, veuillez envoyer un e-mail à [email protected]

Why did I vote against the master plan?  Go here

Pourquoi ai-je voté contre le plan directeur ? Cliquez ici

What is a Public Safety Station? Watch this short video

Qu'est-ce qu'un poste de sécurité publique ? Regarder cette courte vidéo

Growing up in Côte Saint-Luc, where I still live and have served on city council for 19 years, my fondest memories go back to the days when I played in the local sports leagues. Front and center during all of those years, as a volunteer for minor hockey and baseball and a player/coach, was Kenny Saxe.

The late Kenny Saxe.

I have been thinking a lot about Kenny since I learned of his passing last week. Our sympathies go to his family, notably sons Glenn and Gary whom I grew up with.

Kenny was incredibly devoted. In the CSL Slo Pitch Association he managed and played for a team sponsored by the Famous Delly Boys. After most games you would find Kenny and the boys enjoying a smoked meat sandwich.

In what turned out to be my last year as hockey player, I was playing in the local CSL Midget league. My goal was to make it to the higher level squad that played in a league with teams from Hampstead, Montreal West and Ville St. Pierre. One night I got a call at home from Kenny. His team was down a man and he and co-coach, the late Solly Levine, wanted to add me to the roster for one game. I jumped at the opportunity, suiting up as number 17 for the CSL Cougars and setting up the winning goal. After the game Kenny came and told me: “Good game Mike! We want to keep you on the team.”

Kenny with sons Gary and Glenn.

In my last game I was knocked off balance by a player from Hampstead and hit the ice hard, crushing two vertebrae on my spine. I was taken to the hospital and what followed was a long recovery. The following season I resurfaced as a writer for The Monitor Newspaper, with the assignment to write a weekly column on minor hockey in CSL. Now I was interviewing Kenny and Solly.

“Kenny was a ‘giant’ in the early history and growth of minor hockey and minor baseball in Côte Saint-Luc,” said former Recreation Department sports league guru Harold Cammy. “ He was always known for his humility, warm smile, good humour, and kindness to all. He took great pleasure in his volunteering activities and when he arrived at the arena or the baseball field it was easy to see he was ‘where he belonged.’ I had the good fortune of bumping into (Kenny) at the Montreal eye care clinic a few years ago...thanks to the long wait for the eye doctor we took the opportunity to reminisce about our times in Cote Saint-Luc sports. The smile on his face and the look in his eyes while he spoke of those days clearly told me that when we bumped into each other on that day ‘it was meant to be.’ My condolences (to the family) in knowing how much your dad was so respected and admired!"

Ricky Steinberg, who also worked closely with Kenny as a hockey volunteer, called him “a tireless worker and very dedicated ensuring that our youth had a great minor hockey program. Kenny was a prolific hockey coach and a builder of minor hockey and baseball programs. He was one of the first coaches to take our hockey teams on cultural exchanges and various hockey tournaments. Kenny worked with me in hosting the first Côte St Luc-CBC Baseball Tournament . Besides all the accolades for his numerous community achievements, Kenny was an honest and sincere individual always putting others before himself.”

My old hockey teammate Leon Krantzberg (number 16) says he has fond memories of Kenny coaching him in minor league hockey and then through spending some time at his house. “As my mother didn’t drive and my father had to work, he generously gave us lifts to and from the hockey rink,” Leon recalls.

Rest in peace Kenny!

For the first time in 20 years, the City of Côte Saint-Luc is completely revamping its Planning Program (also known as the Master Plan). We haven’t had a new one since the Montreal Borough era, and the city has come a long way since then. 

Almost 20 years after the adoption of our current Planning Program (Master Plan), the City of Côte Saint-Luc has determined that now is the time to establish new guidance for the development and enhancement of the city. This effort is more than timely, given that the current plan was adopted in 2004 while Côte Saint-Luc was still merged with the City of Montreal and was part of the Borough of Côte Saint-Luc—Hampstead—Montreal West. More recently, Côte Saint-Luc residents have expressed their desire for reimagined, connected, and better-developed living environments, notably through pre-consultation activities held in 2022–2023. These activities facilitated a dialogue with the community on various aspects such as land use planning, quality of life, and mobility. This has brought forth the desire for a city connected on multiple levels, which led to the emergence of the central theme of the initiative: Côte Saint-Luc, Connected.

Let me be clear that this document is a masterpiece. I do want to commend our staff team that worked so hard on this project for the past three years. You can read it all here

On Wednesday, November 20 we held a public council meeting to get the process going by giving notices of motion and adopting a series of bylaws.

I am in favor of the vast majority of the visionary statements in the document. However, during my 19 years on city council, I have always placed my constituents first.

We have known from the start that the three large shopping centres, including Quartier Cavendish, want to redevelop. Over two years ago they all presented a large show and tell. For the past year I have been asking our Master Plan team to put down in writing the parameters that Quartier Cavendish would likely have to follow. I walk my district multiple times a week, especially during the warmer months, and this is when I can speak to my constituents. I went door to door in September to homes and apartments near the Quartier Cavendish to let people know potential changes were coming. But I was still lacking the substance of what we’d be placing in the document. That information only came to me about two weeks ago. I simply do not feel that was enough time for me to properly consult. Nonetheless, I was open to the idea of voting in favor of the bylaws on Wednesday in order to let them go forward for public consultation. Then, on the weekend before the meeting, we received the final documentation and there it was in black and white: the city’s intention to build a new Public Safety station at the corner of Park Place and The Avenue. .

Go to the 1:37:37mark here  of the meeting video to hear my comments

Yes, this location has been discussed in caucus meetings. But I made it clear that if in fact the council’s desire was to move forward with the Park Place/The Avenue location then we must consult with the residents first. People on Park Place, The Avenue and part of Cavendish had always expected a park on this green space. The late City Councillor Ruth Kovac had even designated it as “Volunteers Park.” Several days before the November 20 meeting, I asked that the Public Safety station be removed from the document. Council refused.

There will be a public consultation on Monday night, January 13 in person and online. Stay tuned for precise details. In the meantime I will be communicating with residents who live near Quartier Cavendish and where the proposed Public Safety station would go. I am elected to advocate on their behalf so I will be eager to hear what they have to say. It should be noted that such a facility might not be built for another 10 years.

After my remarks on the video, Councillor Dida Berku stated that the Public Safety station is not in the document, yet she then proceeded to state why Park Place and the Avenue is the desired location. By the way it is very much so in the document. Go to page 117 to see for yourself.

What will happen with Quartier Cavendish? It will likely become a large mixed use development. I do hope we will hear more from Quartier Cavendish officials in the coming months. I am sure the vast majority of my constituents will approve of the master plan. But for those living right next to Quartier Cavendish and now a potential Public Safety station, their voices must be heard.

Some members of council were displeased that Councillor Oren Sebag voted against the master plan. There is nothing wrong with that. We do live in a democracy.

Pourquoi j'ai voté contre le plan d'urbanisme

Pour la première fois en vingt ans, la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc procède à une refonte complète de son plan d'urbanisme (aussi appelé plan directeur). Nous n'avons pas eu de nouveau plan depuis l'époque de l'arrondissement de Montréal, et la ville a fait beaucoup de chemin depuis. Près de 20 ans après l'adoption de son plan d'urbanisme actuel, la Ville de Côte Saint-Luc a décidé qu'il était temps d'établir de nouvelles orientations pour le développement et l'amélioration de la ville. Cet effort est d'autant plus opportun que le plan actuel a été adopté en 2004 alors que Côte Saint-Luc était encore fusionnée à la Ville de Montréal et faisait partie de l'arrondissement de Côte Saint-Luc-Hampstead-Montréal-Ouest. Plus récemment, les résidents de Côte Saint-Luc ont exprimé leur désir d'avoir des milieux de vie repensés, connectés et mieux aménagés, notamment lors des activités de préconsultation tenues en 2022-2023. Ces activités ont permis d'engager un dialogue avec la communauté sur divers aspects tels que l'aménagement du territoire, la qualité de vie et la mobilité. Il en est ressorti le désir d'une ville connectée à plusieurs niveaux, ce qui a mené à l'émergence du thème central de l'initiative : Côte Saint-Luc, connectée

Je tiens à préciser que ce document est un chef-d'œuvre. Je tiens à féliciter l'équipe qui a travaillé d'arrache-pied sur ce projet au cours des trois dernières années.

Le mercredi 20 novembre, nous avons tenu une réunion publique du conseil pour lancer le processus en donnant un avis de motion et en adoptant une série de règlements.

Je suis favorable à la grande majorité des déclarations visionnaires contenues dans le document. Cependant, au cours de mes 19 années au conseil municipal, j'ai toujours placé mes électeurs au premier plan. Nous savons depuis le début que les trois grands centres commerciaux, dont le Quartier Cavendish, veulent se réaménager. Il y a plus de deux ans, ils ont tous présenté une grande exposition. Depuis un an, je demande à notre équipe chargée du plan directeur de mettre par écrit les paramètres que le Quartier Cavendish devrait probablement respecter. J'arpente mon quartier plusieurs fois par semaine, surtout pendant les mois les plus chauds, et c'est à ce moment-là que je peux parler à mes électeurs. En septembre, j'ai fait du porte-à-porte dans les maisons et les appartements situés à proximité du Quartier Cavendish pour informer les gens de l'imminence de changements potentiels. Mais il me manquait encore la substance de ce que nous allions mettre dans le document. Ces informations ne m'ont été communiquées qu'il y a environ deux semaines. J'estime que je n'ai pas eu assez de temps pour procéder à une consultation adéquate. Néanmoins, j'étais ouvert à l'idée de voter en faveur des statuts mercredi afin de les soumettre à une consultation publique. Puis, le week-end précédant la réunion, nous avons reçu la documentation finale et elle était écrite noir sur blanc : l'intention de la ville de construire un nouveau poste de sécurité publique à l'angle de Park Place et de The Avenue. .

Allez à 1:37:37 de la vidéo de la réunion pour entendre mes commentaires

Oui, cet emplacement a été discuté lors des réunions du caucus. Mais j'ai clairement indiqué que si le conseil souhaitait aller de l'avant avec l'emplacement Park Place/The Avenue, nous devions d'abord consulter les résidents. Les habitants de Park Place, de The Avenue et d'une partie de Cavendish ont toujours attendu un parc sur cet espace vert. La défunte conseillère municipale Ruth Kovac l'avait même désigné comme « Parc des Bénévoles .» Plusieurs jours avant la réunion du 20 novembre, j'ai demandé que le poste de sécurité publique soit retiré du document. Le conseil a refusé.
Une consultation publique aura lieu le lundi 13 janvier en personne et en ligne. Restez à l'écoute pour connaître les détails précis. Entre-temps, je communiquerai avec les résidents qui habitent près du Quartier Cavendish et de l'endroit où le poste de sécurité publique proposé serait installé. J'ai été élu pour défendre leurs intérêts et je serai donc impatient d'entendre ce qu'ils ont à dire. Il convient de noter qu'une telle installation ne sera peut-être pas construite avant dix ans.

Après mes remarques sur la vidéo, la conseillère Dida Berku a déclaré que le poste de sécurité publique ne figurait pas dans le document, mais elle a ensuite expliqué pourquoi Park Place et l'avenue étaient l'emplacement souhaité. Or, c'est bien le cas dans le document. Allez à la page 117 pour vous en convaincre.

Qu'adviendra-t-il du Quartier Cavendish ? Il est probable qu'il devienne un grand ensemble à usage mixte. J'espère que les responsables du Quartier Cavendish nous en diront plus dans les mois à venir. Je suis certain que la grande majorité de mes électeurs approuveront le plan directeur. Mais ceux qui vivent juste à côté du Quartier Cavendish et d'un éventuel poste de sécurité publique doivent faire entendre leur voix.

Certains membres du conseil n'ont pas apprécié que le conseiller Oren Sebag ait voté contre le plan directeur. Il n'y a rien de mal à cela. Nous vivons dans une démocratie.

For the last three years our city has been gathering feedback from the public on our revision to the municipal Master Plan and Zoning By-law revision documents.

This was a rendering the owners of Quartier Cavendish gave us some two years ago. We do not know their present stance.

 The city has been looking to capture the values and the essence of what makes Côte Saint-Luc home to you. There have been a wide variety of consultations. While the three major shopping centres, Quartier Cavendish, Decarie Square and Côte St. Luc Shopping Centre, will be a major part of this plan we have been provided with little information as to what they precisely have in mind. It has been more than two years since they showcased some ideas at a show and tell at our Aquatic and Community Centre.

I urge citizens to attend in person or watch on Zoom our Wed. November 20 (7 pm) special meeting at City Hall at which time we will give notice of motion to the tabling of draft by-laws This is when developers and the public will first gain access to our new bylaws and may start to review them with their professionals and prepare realistic, conforming plans for their development project.

More than a decade ago the Quartier Cavendish was reduced in size by almost 50 percent, making room for new homes and one apartment building we now see along Cavendish, The Avenue, Park Place, Jubilee and Kellert. Now the ownership wants the city to give them the ability to reinvent themselves completely, with a mixed-use project of commerce and high-rise buildings from two to 20 storeys. We don't know which tenants will stay, leave or be relocated.

The November 20 meeting will provide details on proposed density, height, uses and norms. Those can all be changed if necessary. During this period if developers and the public have concerns with the new by-laws, they may share them (e. g. by writing an opinion brief, speaking at the consultation, or meeting with city officials). For developers, this is the best time to ask the city to include any missing key components of their “wants.”

There is no final vote for rezoning on November 20 agenda, but this will be the first opportunity for residents and merchants to get their first look at the vision our Urban Planning Department has for the entire community and the three shopping centres. A formal consultation will take place in early 2025 and we hope soon after that we will hear from officials from Quartier Cavendish and two others as to what their desired game plan will be.

For District 2, residents of Kildare Towers, Jubilee, Park Place, The Avenue and parts of Cavendish Blvd will be most impacted by any long-term construction. The “vision” by our staff could see two highrise buildings on the Avenue, one between Kellert and the Scotiabank side entrance and another at the corner of Cavendish. The rest of the potential construction would have a more direct impact on District 6 residents along Kellert and those from District 8 along Mackle.

I have taken no formal position on the master plan yet. Keep in mind that when the program does go for a final vote, the city will open a register which will allow every single resident to have their say on whether to force a referendum. Given the fact the number of eligible voters is so large, putting a stop to the master plan will be a task. That is why I strongly recommend everyone stay informed and try to attend all the meetings we hold on this subject.

To learn more about the master plan and how to attend the meeting (in person or virtually) go to www.cotesaintluc.org/engage

In Côte Saint-Luc we held our annual Remembrance Day ceremony at City Hall on November 11.

With Irving Bernstein.

I remember the days when we had so many veterans of World Wars I and II from our own community in attendance. Sadly those numbers are dwindling. But we were fortunate enough to have with us CSL resident Irving Bernstein, a WWII veteran.

With Mitchell Brownstein, Anthony Housefather, Councillor Andee Shuster, Glenn J. Nashen and Allan J. Levine.

Jean-Marc Dubois from our Public Safety Department served as the master of ceremonies. On hand with us were students from four local elementary schools – Merton, Maimonides, Hebrew Academy and JPPS. Former City Councillor Allan J. Levine, whose late dad was a vet, presides over our Brigadier Kisch Branch #97 and he spent several weeks selling poppies. “I sold 6,000 poppies,” he told me, noting that proceeds go to vets who have fallen upon hard times.

Bernstein and Levine lay a wreath.

After the bugler and piper began the ceremony, students from the four schools spoke.

“A poppy is also a way to start a conversation,” said a Merton student.

“Remembrance Day is important and we are thankful for everything done for us,” added a JPPS student.

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein said that he remembers when he was a Merton student “and many veterans would come speak to us.”

Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather had a message for the students. “The most important lesson that can be taught about today is that when I was a little kid most of us had a grandparent who served in World War I and II,” he said. “There used to be a parade here with hundreds of veterans.”
Alex Copeman spoke on behalf of D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Elisabeth Prass. From the clergy, Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko and Father George Joseph spoke.

“After World War II we were optimistic,” said Rabbi Poupko. “We thought the world had learned its lesson. On October 7, Israel learned that you cannot appease those who seek carnage.”

Mayor Brownstein, Housefather, Copeman, Levine and Bernstein and Public Safety Director Philip Chateauvert  laid wreaths.

In the City of Côte Saint-Luc we held our annual Volunteer Recognition Night at CinéStarz Cavendish on November 6. The format began with our award winners arriving early for photos. Guests then filed into the different theatres, picking up complimentary drinks,  popcorn and candy.

Before the curtain came down to show either Venom The Last Dance or Here, starring Tom Hanks, the award winners were announced on the big screens

Watch the video here

“Welcome to the movies,” began Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. “ Anyone who knows me, knows I like theatre, the movies, singing, dancing, swimming, biking, and having fun, but most importantly I like to see people smiling and happy. My philosophy in life is to try to bring a little happiness to others, making this world a better place and in so doing each one of us finds greater happiness ourselves. That’s why this night where we recognize our volunteers, is so special to me. Whether you one of our Angel Heros at EMS responding to those most in need, or an entertaining singer or dancer at the CSLDS, or a Vcop helping improve safety while creating community spirit, or a swim team volunteer helping at meets, or a cyclist participating in club activities or someone who delivers books to people at home while taking the time to talk to them, or those who care for our stray cats, or those who make quilts for our veterans, you all make a difference connecting with one and other, bringing joy and laughter and a feeling of community to so many. You are the backbone of what makes CSL the very special place that it is.”

This was followed by the voices of city council as we announced the recipients

Here are the winners:

Diane Liebling receives her plaque.

The William E. Kesler Memorial Trophy

This award recognizes a volunteer for their exceptional contribution. It goes to Diane Liebling. Through Diane’s efforts and that of our committee of volunteers, CSL Cat Trap Neuter Return Program helps rescue, neuter, and find foster homes. She also helps reunite lost cats with their owners. This work never ends, and Diane is often up in the middle of the night emailing owners with information. Diane got her first cat at age five and she is concerned about the welfare of cats. Diane and her volunteers are incredibly dedicated and continue volunteering because the need is so great. Donations to the Côte-St-Luc Cats Committee can be sent via e-transfer to [email protected].

The Community Services Family Award

The Community Services Family Award recognizes a volunteer couple, siblings, or family for exceptional collective contribution to the community. The award goes to Heidi Rodgers, Joy Rodgers and Jordy Reichson.

Heidi has been a volunteer at the Côte Saint-Luc Public Library for several years, including at the annual used book sale. Heidi also helps with other projects as well, whether it's tidying the CreateSpace area or helping at a special event. En tant qu'ambassadrice de la bibliothèque, Heidi fait passer le mot sur les événements et les programmes de la bibliothèque et invite ses amis à y assister et à donner un coup de main.

Joy and Jordy have been long-time volunteer first responders at Côte Saint-Luc Emergency Medical Services. Jordy joined EMS in 1998 and spent countless hours responding to emergency medical calls. His efforts have been recognized with an Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal. Jordy also served as the Director of Public Safety at the City of Côte Saint-Luc for almost 10 years.

Joy joined EMS in the early 2000s providing compassionate care to those in need. Lorsque le gouvernement du Québec a envisagé de confier la responsabilité des premiers répondants au service des incendies, Côte Saint-Luc a lancé une campagne pour sauver les services médicaux d'urgence. Dans ce reportage, Joy montre au public les soins prodigués avec compassion par les SMU lorsqu'un résidant de Côte Saint-Luc appelle le 9-1-1 pour obtenir une aide médicale.

Heidi, Joy, and Jordy are shining examples of giving back to community and helping those in need.

The Royal Canadian Legion Brigadier Frederick Kisch, Branch # 97 Award

The Royal Canadian Legion Brigadier Frederick Kisch, Branch # 97 Award recognizes a volunteer aged 10 to 17 for impressive leadership or initiative in enhancing Côte Saint-Luc City Services. The award goes to Daniel Brozgold.

Daniel is a long-time teen volunteer at the Public Library and has demonstrated impressive leadership in event planning and execution. In Fall 2022, Daniel took on the role of planning committee co-lead for the Public Library's comic festival. He spent many hours planning and helping lead meetings, creating the website and email listserv, as well as helping with all things technical on the day of the event. This was an outstanding example of community-led programming.

The Library Outreach Award

This award goes to a volunteer that serves as a Library Ambassador, making our Library services more accessible to patrons and enhances the Library atmosphere for all. The award goes to Francie Yudcovitch and Stanley Frackt.

Francie always goes above and beyond to make sure all our mobility-reduced residents get their books. She’s been making weekly deliveries since April 2022 to residents in the Home Library Service program. During periods when the library has fewer drivers, Francie has offered to take on the extra delivery load. Francie is friendly and kind and brightens everyone’s day as she takes the time to listen to the people who’d like a chat.

Stanley Frackt assisted the library at all eight tax clinics throughout the month of April. As a semi-retired tax accountant, Stanley is not only very knowledgeable, but also very friendly and empathetic. The residents served were very happy he was there—as were the other volunteers who very much appreciated the fact Stanley looking over the returns before submitting them.

The EMS Award for Excellence in Operations

The EMS Award for Excellence in Operations goes to Johnny Ringer. As a lieutenant, Johnny has demonstrated outstanding dedication and efficiency in managing our fleet and supporting the logistics team. His commitment to ensuring that the operations run smoothly and his attention to detail have been invaluable assets to the team.

Le prix EMS pour l'excellence dans la formation et le mentorat

Le prix EMS pour l'excellence dans la formation et le mentorat est remis à Hugo Lapointe.
Hugo a une passion pour l'enseignement et le mentorat. Il a joué un rôle essentiel en tant qu'entraîneur pour les nouvelles recrues des services médicaux d'urgence. Hugo se consacre au partage des connaissances et à la promotion de la croissance, ce qui est essentiel à la réussite et à l'excellence continues des services médicaux d'urgence.

The EMS Newcomer Award

This award goes to Gabriel Castillo Vidal. He has gone above and beyond, dedicating countless hours as a volunteer first responder. Son énergie positive et son enthousiasme contagieux ont non seulement encouragé ses collègues, mais ils ont également donné un bel exemple de dévouement et de service à notre communauté.

The vCOP Leadership Award

This award goes to Tina Garnham. She joined vCOP in June 2018 and quickly became an integral part of the team. Her enthusiasm and dedication to the organization were evident from the start, as she eagerly volunteered for additional responsibilities and supported supervisors in various tasks. Tina consistently participates in patrols, attends every meeting, and contributes significantly to special events. Ses compétences interpersonnelles et le respect qu'elle inspire à ses collègues lui permettent de remplir des fonctions clés, notamment la formation de nouvelles recrues et la prise de responsabilités lors d'événements.

With real estate star Cindy Davis and her husband and award winner David Abramovitch.

The Sports Leadership Award

This award recognizes a volunteer for exceptional planning, mentorship, and contribution to the community sports program. The award goes to David Abramovitch. David loves baseball and his involvement in the baseball program has been huge. He was head coach of the U15 team and U18 team. He is always professional, gracious, and generous with his time, which are characteristics that are important to the running of a sports program. He was in constant contact with the league with feedback from himself or the parents. This insight is crucial and the league, as a whole, benefited.

The Aquatics Leadership Award

This award recognizes a volunteer for exceptional planning, mentorship, and contribution to the community aquatics program. It goes to Vadym Sviatnenko. Vadym is Côte Saint-Luc Aquatics Level 3 official. Has been an integral part of the Aquatics swim team over the past 2 years. With a passion for learning, Vadym has swiftly gone from a level 1 official to a level 3 official, dedicating more than 150 hours to volunteering at competitions this past season. He also showed amazing dedication, even volunteering for competitions that his children aren't participating in.

The Recreation Helping Hands Award

The Recreation Helping Hands Award is dedicated in memory of Edward J. Kirwan, the former city councillor who served for more than 40 years. It is awarded annually to outstanding volunteers in the Côte Saint-Luc Recreation Program for exceptional contribution. The award goes to Ian Henriques. As a member of the pickleball advisory committee, Ian has devoted time and effort towards promoting and maintaining community spirit. He encourages players of different ages and skill levels to come together and to enjoy the game at their own pace. Ian also played a significant role in prioritizing respect, fairness, and integrity to ensure a positive environment for everyone involved.

With Gloria Stermer.

The Royal Canadian Legion Brigadier Frederick Kisch Branch #97

The award is presented to volunteers for outstanding contribution to local veterans through city services. It went to the Loose Threads Quilting Club for the Quilts of Valour initiative and presented to Gloria Stermer. The Loose Threads Quilting Club have created quilts to give to veterans as part of the national Quilts of Valour program. The organization that runs the program, calls these Quilt of Valour a hug from a grateful nation. We are proud that our local quilting club is part of this national initiative in support of our veterans.

The week of Oct 20 – Oct 26 is Public Libraries Week.

I could not be more proud to be the city councillor responsible for our Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library.

Mayor Brownstein, Director West, staff and I at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

 Last month we completed the installation of the new acoustic study pods as well the renovation of the reference area. It really looks fantastic and on October 20, Mayor Brownstein, Chief Librarian Janine West and other senior library staff accompanied me for a ribbon cutting ceremomy. Some of the money to finance the project came from the 2022 $500.000 donation by Roslyn Margles. You can also now borrow an IPad or laptop while at the library by inserting your library card in a slot.

The iPads and laptops available to use at the library.

 And the news keeps getting better! Our library received a 96 percent score for library service from the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ) for service in 2023, which is the highest score we have ever received and well above the Quebec average.

Each municipality is assessed on quantifiable indicators including acquisition costs of books and other materials, opening hours, surface area, seating capacity, full-time employees—including librarians and technicians. Extra points are awarded if a library has abolished late fees and offers free memberships.
The 96 percent score in 2023 follows previous scores of 88 percent (2018), 90 percent (2019), 79 percent (2020), 87 percent (2021), and 89 percent (2022). The average percent score is 73 percent among municipalities part of the ABPQ with a population of between 25,000 and 49,999.The program was created to highlight the investments made by municipalities to provide quality libraries for their citizens. Read the report including the breakdown of scores.

The top score from the library association is a testament to Library Director Janine West and her staff, who continue to improve the service and the physical space. Bravo to our team!

“We have long known that the Côte Saint-Luc Public Library is a special place, from the days when founding librarian Eleanor London read story time children like me, to today with our expensive library of books and other materials, and our innovative programs and activities, ” added Mayor Brownstein.

Michael Abramovich lit up the room. (Photos by Kyran Thicke)

Every summer in Côte Saint-Luc we hold a golf day at Meadowbrook and send out judges to select winners for our Maison Fleuries contest. In the past, golfers would gather for lunch after their morning on the links and take part in an awards ceremony. Meanwhile, for the Maisons Fleuries we’d hold a reception in the fall to salute those with the finest floral arrangements.

A decadent Lafrenaie cake.

Last spring I sat down with Parks and Recreation Director Cornelia Ziga and staffers Irene Lahaie and Morris Giobbi where a new format was proposed. The golf luncheon was challenging to organize, especially if the day on the course was cancelled due to rain. Some participants also had to go back to work and missed it. Our idea was to schedule a banquet on Sept. 30 and merge the two celebrations into one. As a bonus, golfers were invited to bring a plus one.

The buffet was well received.

I am pleased to share that this event was a huge success. It was held at the Aquatic and Community Centre, where City Council was already convening for some important budget meetings. As a result we took a break from our session and joined the festivities.

Lenny Rosenberg from TCBY is thanked by the mayor.

Traditionally Morris (we call him Moe ) and others before him the likes of Harold Cammy and Alvin Fishman obtained a sizeable array of door prizes. This year Moe had our sponsors donate generous portions of food. That allowed us to serve a buffet dinner that went over very well. Thanks to David Côté of the SD Group (Dominos Pizza), Johnny Castellano from Côte St-Luc BBQ, the remarkable Peter Lapari of IGA Lapari, Seth Eliahoo from CSL Bagel, Peter and John Christakis from Marathon Souvlaki, David Banon and Sarah Ettedgui from Pharmaprix Cavendish, Les Délices Lafrenaie Montreal West, Gabriel Ovadia from Kosher Pizza Bar and Lenny Rosenberg from TCBY.

Irene Lahaie, Avery Hannon and Noah Galambos.

Everyone had a great time! Our very own CSL resident Michael Abramovich provided fabulous background music, complete with his saxophone and sound system. Three of my Bialik High School student interns Avery Hannon, Noah Galambos and Jeremy Nashen joined Toby Shulman as our much appreciated volunteers.

Mayor Brownstein thanks Hagaie Brenner and Marc Ezerzer.

For the golf, I worked on a committee with Irene, Moe, Councillors Dida Berku and Lior Azerad, as well as Men’s Club reps Mark Kotler, Norm Goldfield and Mannie Young. It was an absolutely beautiful day at Meadowbrook. Pierre Brunet and his team from McDonald’s CSL Shopping Centre welcomed everyone with coffee and donuts. Philippe Mamane from Gestion de Patrimoine Assante/Assante Wealth Management and Marc Ezerzer and Hagai Brener from Groupe Hypothécaire Vantage were our event sponsors. Others who contributed were the CSL Men’s Club, Jerry Zell and Yves Mouchaca from Play it Again Sports.

Andrew Toeman presents a cheque to Councillor Andee Shuster for the Bursary Program.

Money was raised for our Parks and Recreation Bursary Fund, which assists parents with financial difficulties and children with special needs in registering for specific programs they might otherwise not be able to afford. From our two event sponsors and the Men’s Club,  we raised $2,000. Furthermore, via the winter carnival, garage sale and Canada Day our grand total for 2024 is $8,375,40.

Mayor Brownstein congratulates Buddy Manis.

Our special honoree was longtime sportsman and volunteer Eli “Buddy” Manis. At 83 years young, it was about time Buddy got such a salute. My late father Larry used to call him "The Sentimental Gentleman." He still plays ice hockey at least once a week. Buddy was on hand with his wife Marlene, their grandson and some close friends.

Joan Zafran gets her trophy from the mayor and Norm Goldfield.

There are four trophies given out for the Golf Invitational and this year we had two winners: Joan Zafran took home  the Women's Closest to The Pin and Longest Drive; Councillor Kujavsky captured the Men’s Longest Drive and and Closest to the Pin.

Mitch Kujavsky with the mayor, former Councillor Allan J. Levine, Goldfield and Mark Kotler.

It was nice to see such a wonderful turnout of people from both events.

“Flowers have a unique ability to transform any space, infusing it with life, color, and fragrance,” said Mayor Brownstein, who presided over the Maison Fleuries ceremony with Councillor Sidney Benizri.

I brought Frank Palucci (and his dog Teddy) their plaque.

While I salute all of the winners, let me share the recipients from my District 2: The Oak Ridge and Le Bellagio in the High Rise Category; Frank Palucci and Sandra Cambone (Ilan Ramon), Irene Tobianah and Leon Mayer (Ilan Ramon), Matthew Gradinger and Pamela Grischkan (Merrimac); and Marla Pinsler (Merrimac).

Matthew Gradinger, Pamela Grischkan and their daughter Samantha accept the plaque.

To see the rest of the winners click on this link: Download Flowers2024Winners

Sonia Langburt accepts the award for her building Le Bellagio.

Leon Mayer from Ilan Ramon.

With Sarah Hackett and Boyd Weippert at the Oak Ridge.

The official grand re-opening of Edward J. Kirwan Park in Côte Saint-Luc took place on October 1. The park is located at 5732 Wentworth Ave.,at the  corner of Kildare Road. I grew up at 5730 Wentworth Ave. so this facility has special meaning to me. I played baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter. It was the hub of sports activity in the city until Trudeau (originally Centennial) Park was born. Last May my brother Chuck dedicated a bench in the memory of our late father, Lawrence Frederick Cohen (aka Larry Fredericks), who would literally stand on our back balcony and introduce people as they entered the premises.

The official ribbon cutting ceremony.

Renovations into Kirwan Park and the adjacent Allan J. Levine Playground totaled approximately $7 million and was funded in part through a grant from the Government of Quebec for $1,972,050, and a grant from the Government of Canada for $1,972,050.

The project includes a new playground for two- to five-year-olds, an upgraded playground for six- to 12-year-olds, new water games, a new athletics track, the installation of exercise equipment, a wide walking path with new lighting surrounding the entire park, the construction of a new, universally accessible main chalet and secondary bathroom block, a new ice rink, upgraded basketball courts, and an outdoor dance floor.

Mitch Kujavsky speaks.

The process to renovate included place making exercises, and a public consultation meeting in December 2017 to get feedback to better understand what our residents wanted. Funding from the governments of Quebec and Canada was announced in April 2021.

Kirwan Park is named for Edward J. Kirwan, who was a city councillor from 1923 to 1973. The original park name was Wentworth Park. It was renamed Edward J. Kirwan Park in 1976. Until the creation of Centennial Park (now Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park), Kirwan Park was the city’s largest and most important greenspace. It was here in 1967 that thousands of people gathered following a Canadian Centennial parade through our streets. The late Johnny Elias ran his Grand Slam baseball school also operated from here and that is where Montreal Expo greats like Gary Carter and Steve Rogers visited with the kids.

“Thank you to the public who shared their ideas, our local MP Anthony Housefather and then-MNA David Birnbaum and his successor Elisabeth Prass who helped secure the grants, and our staff who managed the project from start to finish,” said Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. “District Councillor Mitch Kujavsky was instrumental in listening to concerns from neighbours during the project and helping to find solutions. I also want to thank former Councillor Allan J. Levine who advocated for this renovation around the council table. The park and playground have so many fun features like a bike path for children, beautiful new playground equipment, a bathroom at the playground, and more at the chalet. I hope residents will spends many hours here as there is something for every age group.”

It was nice to also see former Mayor Robert Libman at the inauguration.

Kirwan Park has memories for so many people like Roy Salomon. “I moved to Montreal from New York in 1960 and someone asked if I had played any baseball or softball,” he told me. “My answer was in the affirmative and I was invited to a tryout. As a complete stranger to the area, all of a sudden I knew 120 people, a few of whom became my closest friends. They were wonderful days. People gathered at Kirwan Park, then called Wentworth, to watch the games. There was lots of banter all around, and then a trip to Delly Boys for a smoked meat sandwich and a coke. Perhaps we tend to glorify the past, but they seemed like simpler days. There were no computers or cell phones, no video games; just being together with friends and neighbors enjoying ourselves in a very special way."

Former Parks and Recreation Department stalwart Harold Cammy also grew up hanging out ar the park. “I see your dad sitting on the back balcony telling me he'll keep his eyes open at night to make sure we keep those rowdy teenagers out after 11 pm,” Harold laughed. “He was my 'undercover' security agent. Let's not forget Côte Saint Luc won a provincial football championship under the leadership of former McGill head football coach Vaughn McVeigh. My late father in law use to walk over from his Davies Avenue home to watch the Slo Pitch games every night. And of course this was home for rge Avengers, where Côte Saint Luc first started its inter-city baseball program. This is also  where I first met my wife Beverly.”

The granddaughters of the late Edward J. Kirwan, Janice Cullen, Jill Kirwan, and Jo-Anne Kirwan Clark, issued this statement: “Our grandfather Ed Kirwan was only five years when his father died in 1899. He was sent to College Notre Dame where he was educated in French. Reading, writing, arithmetic and religion were mandatory but it soon became apparent that Ed Kirwan’s passion in life was sports…especially baseball. In fact, he was the star pitcher (twirler) for the Montreal Monarchs’ in 1916. He became the first English-speaking alderman in Côte Saint-Luc in the early 1930’s because he was completely at home in both languages. He devoted hours of patience and work to provide the young people with facilities to play baseball and hockey. In 1935 and 1936 in the field behind one of the homes on Wolsey Avenue, our grandfather with the help of other interested people, created the first usable playing field for softball in Cote St. Luc. Alderman Kirwan loved kids and he loved sports. It was his pleasure to see young people using the facilities instead of hanging out in parks or on street corners. He sponsored The Golden Boys in Slo Pitch and the Kankees in the Little League. Any softball team that needed equipment would call on Mr. Ed—as he was known in those days. I know our Grandfather, Edward James Kirwan, would be honored and delighted with the ongoing investment in these park facilities and we look forward to seeing them ourselves next time we are in Montreal. “

There are a lot of people to thank for the hard work they did to make this long awaited project a reality. It starts with those who took part in the placemaking exercise at the very start. This included staff from general management, Recreation, Public Works, Urban Development, Purchasing, Public Safety and Finance and Communications. We also had citizens kuje Christine Latreille who runs the Stroller Mom site, and Tamar Hertz who runs the Côte Saint-Luc Families Facebook page.

Members of the public attended the two public consultations. There were internal and external consultants, Marianne Zalzal and Gérald Pau. The contractor, Les Entreprises Ventec Inc. Dr. Mehrnoosh Movahed and Dr. Keiko Shikako-Thomas from the McGill University School of Physical and Occupational Therapy prepared a report on accessibility and choice of equipment.

Parks and Recreation Department Director Cornelia Ziga helped select the equipment at the park. Hats off as well to the artist of the art sculptures, Michel de Broin of Atelier M-D-B. Our City Council approved the project, including District Councillor Kujavsky who advocated for it as did his predecessor Levine. Liberal MP for Mount Royal and former Mayor Anthony Housefather and  D'Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum helped direct us on how to apply for the grants that we eventually received and current MNA Elisabeth Prass  picked up the dossier when she succeeded David.

Watch the video of the ceremony here

Ilan Ramon was the first Israeli astronaut on the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) that was launched on January 16, 2003. The seven astronauts died on February 1, 2003, when Columbia broke apart during re-entry into the atmosphere over Texas on its way to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Soon after this tragedy, then Mayor Robert Libman proposed that a new street off of Sir Walter Scott Avenue in Côte Saint-Luc’s District 2 be named Ilan Ramon Crescent.

At the new spot.

As a veteran fighter pilot, Ramon was part of a risky but successful 1981 mission that destroyed an unfinished nuclear reactor in Iraq.Twenty years ago I attended a ceremony for the installation of a plaque at the corner of Ilan Ramon and Sir Walter Scott. It eventually had to be removed due to construction. Most recently, the plaque was reinstalled in a different position right in the middle of the crescent. Happily, it is only a few feet away from the home of an Israeli family,

Thanks to our Public Affairs and Communications Department for putting this back in place.

La plaque Ilan Ramon a retrouvé sa place à Côte Saint-Luc

Ilan Ramon était le premier astronaute israélien à bord de la navette spatiale Columbia (STS-107) lancée le 16 janvier 2003. Les sept astronautes sont morts le 1er février 2003, lorsque Columbia s'est désintégrée lors de sa rentrée dans l'atmosphère au-dessus du Texas, alors qu'elle se dirigeait vers le centre spatial Kennedy en Floride.

Peu de temps après cette tragédie, le maire de l'époque, Robert Libman, a proposé qu'une nouvelle rue de l'avenue Sir Walter Scott, dans le district 2 de Côte Saint-Luc, porte le nom de Croissant Ilan Ramon.

Pilote de chasse chevronné, Ramon a participé en 1981 à une mission risquée mais réussie qui a permis de détruire un réacteur nucléaire inachevé en Irak.Il y a vingt ans, j'ai assisté à une cérémonie d'installation d'une plaque à l'angle d'Ilan Ramon et de l'avenue Sir Walter Scott. Il y a vingt ans, j'ai assisté à une cérémonie pour l'installation d'une plaque à l'angle des rues Ilan Ramon et Sir Walter Scott. Plus récemment, la plaque a été réinstallée à un autre endroit, en plein milieu du croissant. Heureusement, elle n'est qu'à quelques mètres de la maison d'une famille israélienne,

The late Ilan Ramon.

My District 2 constituent Pauline Wong got to meet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau   at the Montreal Chinese Hospital . He was there to celebrate the Harvest Moon Festival. 

Pauline Wong is at Trudeau's left.

The Chinese Hospital is now a long-term care institution. Pauline also makes regular donations to the Maimonides Geriatric Centre.

Paul Wong (right) with me in Lachine.

Meanwhile, I was pleased to bump into Paul Wong, Pauline's son, and also a constituent of mine last week when he was participating  in the 2024 BDO Cedars CanSupport Dragon Boat Race in Lachine, raising important funds for the Cedars Cancer Foundation.

Back in June 2022, the City of  Côte Saint-Luc began gathering feedback from the public to revise the municipal Planning Program and Zoning By-law documents.

The Planning Program is the municipality’s most important official long-term planning document. This fundamental tool enables the municipal council to draw up a current portrait of the territory, identify issues and then guide decision-making on planning and development solutions and actions for the next 15 to 20 years.

Going door to door with Bialik student interns Noah Galambos, Avery Hannon, Jeremy Nashen, Liana Levary and Alexa Omer.

You are invited to attend an information session on Monday, Sept. 16 at 7 pm at City Hall to find out about the vision and orientations of the Planning Program, the process and next steps, and how you can participate.

For residents of my District 2, the big question has been what will be the Planning Program’s impact on the future of Quartier Cavendish?
The special planning program (SPP) is a detailed component of a municipality’s broader planning program that focuses on areas needing special consideration.

The SPP presents a distinctive vision; guidelines and strategies for the SPP for the Town Centre of Côte Saint-Luc. Its aim is to create an attractive and cohesive town centre that encompasses the Quartier Cavendish property, the City Hall and Library complex, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park. The SPP for the Town Centre of Côte Saint-Luc is a key component of the city’s overall planning program. Its implementation will significantly contribute to the broader planning vision for the city.

The Quartier Cavendish is located at the center of the SPP. It was built in the early 1970s, a time when malls served as downtown areas and community gathering spaces. Its architecture and layout are typical of regional shopping centres from that era. It is set back from the streets and surrounded by a vast open-air parking lot. Upon its opening, Quartier Cavendish stood out as one of the city’s few shopping destinations accessible on foot, a characteristic that, to some degree, remains true even today. It remains a popular meeting place, especially among older adults who commonly use the food court as space to gather. Originally, the land occupied by the shopping centre was nearly twice its current size. In 2010, about 40 percent of the original building was demolished to make way for a residential area, mainly consisting of townhouses, single-family homes and an apartment building.

What is next? The Quartier Cavendish officials wish to implement a total facelift and for that new zoning will be required.

Unfortunately, we will still have no firm details available on Sept, 16 regarding the Quartier Cavendish. All I can tell you is that our planners are projecting zoning for new buildings that could very well range from two to 20 storeys. Mandevco, the owners of Quartier Cavendish, do not have a formal plan ready for council to consider at this point.

More news may only come to Council at the Oct, 21 meeting, with a legal public consultation to follow on Nov. 20. Soon after, the entire city will be able to vote for the municipal Planning Program and Zoning By-law documents. That means that even if residents of District 2 near the Quartier Cavendish oppose the project, they won’t be able to vote it down.

As my colleague, Councillor Dida Berku repeats, the revitalization of the three large shopping centres (Quartier Cavendish, Decarie Square and Côte St. Luc Shopping Centre) is vital to the future financial prosperity of our city. I lament the fact that at this hour we not have all of the necessary information for them to review.

Last week, with five of my Bialik High School student interns, I knocked on doors of people on Park Place, Jubilee, The Avenue and Cavendish Blvd. They live closes to Quartier Cavendish so we wanted to give them a heads up on the Sept. 16 meeting where city officials will be on hand and residents can ask important questions. 

Last winter, several months after long-time Côte Saint-Luc resident Alexandre Look was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7,  I got a call from Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. He and his wife Elaine knew the Look family very well as their eldest son Andrew grew up with Alex.

“How can we properly honor Alex’s memory,” the mayor asked,

As the city councillor responsible for Toponymy  (Naming Opportunities), I immediately zeroed in on a large piece of greenspace in my District 2, sandwiched between Bialik High School and Beth Chabad CSL. We had been looking for  a name there for a few years.  Sadly, this was the perfect match. Alex had attended Bialik and he also frequented Beth Chabad CSL.

Members of Council, the Alain and Raquel Look and other special guests unveil the sign.

Alexandre Look grew up in Côte Saint-Luc, attended Bialik High School, was a frequent visitor at the Parkhaven Pool, the Cavendish Mall, and played numerous sports. As a child, Alex was very protective of his younger sister Kayla, and as he grew, he would extend that sense of duty to protect all those in need.  

On Monday night, September 9 (the eve of what would have been his 34th birthday), we formally dedicated Alexandre Look Place.  Our Director of Public Works Beatrice Newman prepared the grounds beautifully. Associate City Manager Tanya Abramovitch met with the family and ensured the property was adequately prepared. And Darryl Levine, our Director Public Affairs and Communications, handled the branding, signage and wording on the inscription on the large plaque.

I will share below the wording expertly pieced together by Darryl.

Alexandre Look grew up in Cote Saint-Luc, attended Bialik High School, was a frequent visitor at the Parkhaven Pool, the Cavendish Mall, and played numerous sports. As a child, Alex was very protective of his younger sister Kayla, and as he grew, he would extend that sense of duty to protect people in need. He had numerous friends and coached many to achieve direction in their lives. 

A beautiful flower display surrounds the plaque. Some of these flowers were brought back from Israel. The red anemone is the national flower of israel and it blooms in the south. So it is used on all memorials for victims of Oct 7.

Alex had a larger-than-life presence, with unmatched charisma and generosity leaving a mark not only on the community, but the many places he would travel and live. A real bon-vivant with an entrepreneurial spirit, he spoke six languages and was a gifted a salesman, eventually opening his own cosmetics shops in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  

Alex was immensely proud of his Jewish heritage and would visit Israel during the summer months. During his trip in 2023, Alex extended his stay to attend the Supernova Music Festival in the Negev desert of southern Israel. When hundreds of rockets were fired from Gaza in the early morning of October 7, Alex and his friends sought urgent refuge in a bomb shelter nearby at Kibbutz Be'eri, where nearly 40 others were hiding. Hamas terrorists soon arrived and began firing indiscriminately on civilians. Without hesitation, Alex placed himself at the entrance of the shelter, putting himself in harm’s way to protect friends and strangers alike. When a terrorist tried to enter, Alex fought the attacker and was murdered using his body as a shield to save others. Miraculously, eight people survived due to his act of bravery.  

There was a large crowd on hand.

Alex’s ultimate act of heroism stands as a testament to his unyielding spirit and lifelong dedication to others. His fearless protection of friends and strangers and his legacy of compassion serve as powerful reminders of his remarkable life and the enduring impact of his heroism. His memory will live on in the countless lives he touched and forever inspire strength and unity in our community and beyond. 

The City of Côte Saint-Luc mourns the loss of Alexandre Look and the numerous innocent lives lost on that tragic day. 

“This was home to Alex in all of its formative years,” said Mayor Brownstein.

Israel’s Consul General Paul Hirschson admitted that he did not know Alex, yet he has become intimately familiar with him over the past 11 months via  his parents Alain and Raquel. “”We mourn Alex and we celebrate him at the same time.”

Cantor Danny Belolo performs a memorial prayer.

Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather  was in British Columbia at  party caucus, but he sent a message in which he told the parents “ your son was a hero. You know that already. But it needs to be repeated.”

D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA Elisabeth Prass added  “those lives Alex saved by being a human shield showed the values he was raised with.”

Alain Look told me that he and his wife recently moved back to Côte Saint-Luc. “I think Alex was looking over, telling us to make this move,” he said.

Added Raquel: “This is a place that holds profound significance  to our family.  This represents more than just a greenspace. This place will serve as a beacon of hope.”

Federation CJA President and CEO Yair Szlak, a stalwart in the community since the October 7 attacks, said “we still have not had a chance to mourn what happened on October 7.”

You can watch the entire ceremony here

The Gazette

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/friends-travel-from-around-the-world-as-cote-st-luc-honours-alexandre-look

CTV News

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/video/c2990891-alexandre-look-memorialized-with-park?binId=1.1332485

CBC News

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6505357

City News

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2024/09/09/alexandre-look-place-cote-st-luc/

Alexandre (Coco) Abraham Look 

1990–2023 

Alexandre Look a grandi à Côte Saint-Luc, où il a fréquenté l’école secondaire Bialik. On le voyait souvent à la piscine Parkhaven et au mail Cavendish, et il participait à beaucoup d’activités sportives. Enfant, Alex était très protecteur à l'égard de sa jeune sœur Kayla et, en grandissant, il a étendu ce sens du devoir à la protection des personnes dans le besoin. Il avait de nombreux amis et en a accompagné plusieurs pour qu’ils trouvent un sens à leur vie. 

Alex avait une présence plus grande que nature. Son charisme et sa générosité inégalés ont laissé une trace non seulement dans la communauté, mais aussi dans les nombreux endroits où il a voyagé et vécu. Véritable bon vivant à l'esprit d'entreprise, il parlait six langues et était un vendeur hors pair, qui avait fini par ouvrir ses propres boutiques de cosmétiques à Cabo San Lucas, au Mexique. 

Alex était extrêmement fier de ses origines juives et il aimait se rendre en Israël pendant l’été. Pendant son voyage en 2023, Alex a prolongé son séjour pour assister au festival de musique Supernova dans le désert du Negev, dans le sud d’Israël. Lorsque des centaines de roquettes ont été tirées depuis Gaza au petit matin du 7 octobre, Alex et ses amis se sont réfugiés d'urgence dans un abri anti-bombes situé à proximité, au kibboutz Be'eri, où se cachaient près de 40 autres personnes. Les terroristes du Hamas sont arrivés rapidement et ont commencé à tirer sans discrimination sur les civils. Sans hésiter, Alex s’est placé à l’entrée de l’abri, se mettant en danger pour protéger des amis autant que des étrangers. Quand un terroriste a tenté d'entrer, Alex a combattu l'attaquant et il a été tué en utilisant son corps comme bouclier pour sauver d'autres personnes. Par miracle, huit personnes ont survécu grâce à son acte de bravoure.  

L’ultime acte d’héroïsme d’Alex témoigne de sa détermination et de son dévouement aux autres tout au long de sa vie. Sa protection téméraire d'amis et d'étrangers et son héritage de compassion sont autant de rappels de sa vie remarquable et de l'impact durable de son héroïsme. Son souvenir restera gravé dans les innombrables vies qu'il a touchées et inspirera à jamais la force et l'unité au sein de notre communauté et au-delà. 

La Ville de Côte Saint-Luc pleure la perte d'Alexandre Look et des nombreuses vies innocentes perdues lors de cette journée tragique. 

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.