Author name: Brenda O'Farrell The 1510 West

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

If your drinking water has a slightly earthy odour and taste, do not be alarmed. It is safe to consume.

That is the message several West Island towns are issuing to residents who have detected an odour and/or slight change in taste of their tap water.

“It is related to the temperature of the water (in Lake St. Louis) that rises during the summer and the algae that grow with the increasing temperatures,” Beaconsfield director-general Patrice Boileau told The 1510 West.

The towns of Pointe Claire, Beaconsfield, Senneville and the boroughs of Pierrefonds-Roxboro and L’Île-Bizard-Sainte−Geneviève have issued notices about this change earlier this month. All these municipalities receive their water from the filtration plant in Pointe Claire.

The change in the water is caused by increased levels of algae in Lake St. Louis, an occurrence that routinely happens in summer.

Algae are a mix of water-based organisms which together create a mossy-looking green foam, recognizable to anyone who has visited a lake. Water treatment plants remove the algae from the drinking water, but its earthy taste and odour can still persist. To offset this, the towns recommend residents place their water pitchers into the fridge to cool before drinking.

Boileau added that, like in years past, this change is expected to only last a couple of weeks.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

This fall’s mayoral election in Dorval is shaping up to be a two-way race as a veteran lawyer critical of the way the city is managed is challenging incumbent Marc Doret for the top job.

“I want to restore democracy at city hall,” said Umberto Macri. “It is currently run as an autocracy or dictatorship where one man and a few people do whatever they want without sufficient public consultation.”

Marci, who has spent 34 years as a civil, corporate and criminal lawyer, had harsh words for the Doret administration.

“I’ve been living in Dorval since 2015,” he said. “It’s my home. And I don’t like the way my home is being remodelled and managed.”

He vowed to bring change to the city at the highest level.

But Doret appeared unfazed by the criticism.

“I don’t really focus on what the opposition is doing,” he said. “I’m not going to debate what our opposition thinks we haven’t done. I think what we’ve done speaks for itself.”

Where the two candidates seem to agree is the need to address the issue of flooding caused by heavy rain events.

Dorval saw significant flooding from extreme rainfall in the past two summers, causing many basements in residential areas to flood during downpours August 2024 and this past July.

“Given the situation, it cannot be that every time there is a heavy rainfall that the homes of the citizens get flooded,” Marci said. “Something has to be done with the reconstruction of the infrastructures.”

Meanwhile, Doret said he will improve flood resilience over the next term, calling it “the single biggest area that we’re going (to focus on).”

Like Macri, Doret said this will include relief measures for homeowners affected by the storms.

Marci said flood victims should receive financial compensation through subsidies both from the city and from the Quebec government.

“If what belongs to the city has caused damage to the citizens, then those issues must be carefully looked at.”

Doret said his campaign will unveil details of how residents affected by flooding will be supported, how the city will invest in infrastructure, as well as plans for leisure and cultural projects in the north end of the city.

In the coming weeks, Doret will also outline plans for a property on Dahlia Avenue, a 40,000-square-foot annex building at the site of the former Congrégation de Notre Dame, which the city acquired in 2022 for $8 million.

The property, which includes the Quatre Vents manor built in 1873, was constructed in 1965 and served as residence for the nuns of the congregation and contains a large commercial kitchen, a dining room, two floors of meeting rooms and two floors of bedrooms. Among the options the city considered in 2024 was to demolish the four-storey structure, but pushback from residents advocating for its preservation prompted the city to put all redevelopment plans on hold.

Doret said that his team has come up with a vision that he believes will garner public support. “I can’t wait to share it once the election starts,” he added.

Marci is not waiting to share how he feels need to change.

City council meetings habitually devolve into a “circus or a shitshow” when these residents voice their views to the council, he said.

“The mayor and the city councillors must treat the citizens with respect and understanding and not contempt or disdain if they do not agree,” he said.

Macri will run a full slate of candidates. One member of his team who has already been announced is incumbent District 2 councillor Pascal Brault. Brault is one of two councillors elected in 2021 who are not members of Doret’s party, Équipe Action Dorval.

Macri said his team is made up of “very qualified and concerned citizens” willing and able to help him restructure the governance of the city. The party’s name and candidates will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Doret stands by record

Doret is proud of his record Doret had announced his intention to run for re-election back in June.

He was elected mayor in 2021, winning almost 64 per cent of the vote, after serving as a councillor for 12 years.

“I love this city,” he told The 1510 West when asked about his decision to run for a second term as mayor. “I grew up with my family here and want to continue to contribute and continue the good things we’ve done in the past into the future.”

His proudest achievements this past term include the city’s financial performance.

“We’ve been very fiscally responsible,” he said. “People talk to me about the fact that their tax bill is the same as it was 15 years ago. I don’t think there are too many other cities in this province that can make that claim.”

Indeed, property taxes in Dorval over the last four years were raised only twice – the average homeowner paid $58 more (+2%) in property taxes in 2024 and $26 (+0.9%) more in 2025. In total, the average homeowner in Dorval spent $2,974 in property taxes this year, far below fellow West Island cities like Pointe Claire, Kirkland and Beaconsfield, where the average homeowner paid $4,297, $5,330 and $7,261, respectively.

During his term, the town opened the much-anticipated $9.5-million outdoor refrigerated skating rink on Dawson Avenue, as well as invested in upgrades for several parks and public pools.

He also took pride in projects that help the community’s most vulnerable. These include the opening of a warming station near the train station to give unhoused residents a safe place to warm up in the winter months, and the ongoing construction of a four-storey affordable housing apartment buidling at 750 Dawson Ave.

“I stand on that record,” he said.

The election is set for Nov. 2.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Many West Islanders will have noticed a significant increase in the number of e-scooters zipping around their neighbourhoods this year. Their increasing popularity, especially among youth, raising issues of safety and where they should be allowed to be used.

“We are concerned because the popularity is increasing,” said Debbie Friedman, the director of the trauma department at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. “Some of the injuries are life-threatening.”

“We’ve had patients who’ve had severe traumatic brain injuries, facial and dental trauma, abdominal trauma, fractures, lacerations (and) sprains,” explained Friedman, who is also an associate professor at McGill’s Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, as well as director at Health Canada’s injury reporting and prevention program.

She said injuries due to e-scooter use is a growing category of emergencies health officials are seeing

While official numbers won’t be tabulated until the end of summer, she said the number of injuries is “more than six-fold” what it was in 2023. “I can tell you that just in the last two weekends we’ve had a number of serious trauma cases involving e-scooters with pedestrians, with motorists and alone,” she added.

What’s more, the use of these scooters has “skyrocketed” this past year, Friedman said.

The rapid rise in popularity of these electric motorized scooters comes two years after Quebec launched a three-year pilot project to test the use of these devices on public roads. The program outlines the rules for their use, including that riders must be over the age of 14, wear a helmet, and not exceed 25 kilometres an hour. The use of the devices are  permitted on bike paths and on roads with a maximum speed limit of 50 kilometres an hour. Riders are required to obey the same traffic laws as cyclists.

However, there is always the issue of rule compliance. Friedman explained that more than half of the youth hospitalized at the MCH trauma centre who suffered e-scooter injuries this year have been under the age of 14, and a majority had not been wearing a helmet.

Several West Island officials have taken notice of this trend and said to have personally witnessed rules being ignored.

“People are not wearing the proper gear,” said Kirkland Mayor Michel Gibson. “Some are going extremely fast. Basically, it’s a motorized vehicle and it could go to 20, 30 miles an hour.”

“There are some imminent dangers there, because they can go fast,” said Pointe Claire Mayor Tim Thomas. “I’m a runner and a cyclist and I’m out a lot. On occasion, there have been a couple of instances where I thought they were going awfully quickly.”

Both Thomas and Gibson said they don’t believe e-scooters should be permitted on bike paths.

“It’s like putting a car or a motorcycle on the bike path,” Gibson said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

The MCH trauma centre has also been calling for adjustments to the provincial pilot project’s rules, asking that the minimum age to use these devices be increased to 16. This would bring Quebec in line with other jurisdictions across Canada and much of the United States that have already implemented e-scooter regulations.

Friedman is also concerned with the fact that, unlike similarly-sized motorized devices like mopeds, users do not need a driver’s licence to operate an e-scooters.

Overall, parents need to understand the risks involved with their children using e-scooters, Friedman said.

“E-scooters are really not a toy. This is not the next best thing to get for the holidays as a gift. It’s a motorized device that’s on the road with cars and cyclists and motorcycles.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

With Quebec’s beefed up ban on cell phones in classrooms across the province is implemented as a new school year begins this week, the new measures will not change much at St. Thomas High School in Pointe Claire.

For six years, mobile phones have been prohibited during school hours at the school, and it has had a positive impact on both student interactions and grades.

“Effects on learning have been fantastic simply because the distraction is no longer there,” principal Dean Graddon said in an interview last week. “We’re definitely seeing very, very positive effects on the social-emotional level, as well as the academic level.”

The school had implemented a “bell-to-bell ban” on all cell phone use in 2019. The practice is in line with the new province-imposed measures, which prohibits students from using their phones during class, as well as during lunchtime or on breaks.

In January 2024, the province banned cellphones from classrooms, but now, the new measures extends the prohibition of their use on school grounds throughout the entire day.

The ban applies to both public and private schools at both the elementary and high school levels.

The ban has provided a setting that allows students to socialize face-to-face more than had been the case at previous schools without such a ban, said Graddon, who is entering his second year as principal at St. Thomas and his 28^th year with the Lester B. Pearson School Board.  

“You would literally see kids sitting along the floor or on furniture during free time, not interacting with one another; they’re on their phones sitting next to one another,” he explained. “We used to joke, ‘Are you texting each other?’”

“Now you’ve got kids who are doing kid things. They’re interacting. They’re talking. They’re having some fun.”

Parents are changing their attitudes about phone bans, too.

“I think there’s been a shift in people’s attitudes,” said Darren Becker, communications director with the Pearson board. “I think there’s more of an acceptance for these kinds of (measures).”

Recent polling backs up this claim. A poll by the Toronto Metropolitan University pollster “The Dais” in May showed that 81 per cent of respondents across Canada said they “strongly” or “somewhat” support banning the use of cell phones by students at school.

In Quebec, this number support for a ban was higher, at 84 per cent.

Some parents had publicly voiced concerns about these bans, including about how their children wouldn’t be able to reach them as quickly, should they need to.

Becker said that while these concerns are legitimate, it is important to note that cell phones have not always existed in school settings.

“I’m showing my age, but I was in elementary school in the ’70s, and we didn’t have cell phones, but there were always ways to reach someone in an emergency situation.”

Graddon echoed this response.

“Every single school has landline phones that are available for student use,” he said.

If students need to reach their parents, “the kids know (to) report to the office.

“‘Mom, I forgot my homework. Dad, I forgot my lunch.’ Whatever that message is, landline phones work just as well as cell phones.”

The new province-wide ban is an expansion of the original ban, which prohibited students from using cell phones during class time. That measure went into effect in January 2024.

The updated measure applies to all elementary and high schools in the province, including public and private schools. Strategies on how to enforce this ban are up to each individual school.

St. Thomas students who bring their cell phones to school are required to keep them in their lockers until the end of the school day.

The first day of classes for schools in the Pearson board is Friday, Aug. 29.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

After a particularly raucous four years in Pointe Claire politics, the council races for the Nov. 2 vote are starting to take shape.

The 1510 West has compiled a list of who’s in and who’s out so far.

District 1 – Cedar / The Village

After serving a total of two and a half terms, incumbent District 1 councillor Claude Cousineau announced earlier this summer that he will not seek re-election.

The open seat looks poised to be the focus of a two-way race, although only one candidate has officially stepped forward.

David Epstein, owner of the popular Studio 77 café in the village, announced his intentions to run Aug. 1. His platform includes supporting small businesses and promoting local artists and cultural organizations, as well as bringing “common sense decorum” to municipal politics. Cousineau has expressed support for Epstein’s candidacy on Facebook.

David Johnston confirmed to The 1510 West that he is seriously considering running in District 1. A former reporter and editor at the Montreal Gazette, he also was the regional representative of Quebec and Nunavut for the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. Johnston is actively going door-to-door in the district to take the pulse of the voters, but has not officially register with Élections Québec.

District 2 – Lakeside

Longtime councillor Paul Bissonnette is still considering whether to run for re-election. He has represented District 2 since 2005, receiving recognition on behalf of the Union des municipalités du Québec in June for his 20 years of service in municipal politics.

No other candidate has publicly announced their intention to run in District 2.

District 3 – Valois

Two candidates are vying for the seat so far, setting the stage for a rematch of the 2021 election race.

Incumbent councillor Kelly Thorstad-Cullen, who has represented the district since 2013, will face Barry Christensen. Christensen lost to Thorstad-Cullen by 97 votes in 2021. A retired paramedic, Christensen currently serves as the president of the Pointe Claire Citizens’ Association and is the publisher of The Pointe-Claire Record. The online newsletter’s June edition announced Christensen’s intention to run for council, as well as his decision to put the publication into a blind trust.

District 4 – Cedar Park Heights

Incumbent councillor Tara Stainforth announced Saturday she will not seek re-election. In a Facebook post, she expressed appreciation for the support from her constituents and fellow councillors while lamenting the “toxic” work environment and “persistent conflict” between Mayor Tim Thomas and council. “My values and ethics are not reflected in the current leadership, and I cannot support or enable that by running again,” she wrote. Stainforth has represented District 4 since 2017.

No other candidate has publicly announced their intention to run in District 4.

District 5 – Lakeside Heights

Incumbent councillor Cynthia Homan will face off against well-known greenspace advocate Geneviève Lussier, who helped found the Save Fairview Forest group in 2020.

Homan, who has held the seat since 2013, won the 2021 election by securing 73-per-cent of the vote in the district, the largest electoral victory in Pointe Claire that year.

Lussier has greeted residents every Saturday during weekly demonstrations at Fairview Forest – more than 250 since 2020 – calling for the 43-acre woodland to be preserved from development. She was awarded the King Charles Coronation medal in March for her advocacy.

District 6 – Seigniory

So far, incumbent councillor Bruno Tremblay is the only candidate in the district. He was first elected in 2021 and has served on the city’s Public Library Advisory Committee, the Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Committee, the Public Art Advisory Committee and the Demolition Committee.

District 7 – Northview

Incumbent councillor Eric Stork is the only declared candidate in the ward so far. He was first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021, winning about 53 per cent of the vote each time. He describes his political tenure as attempting to “strike a thoughtful balance between responsible development and the preservation of our community’s unique character.”

District 8 – Oneida

With district incumbent Brent Cowan running for mayor, this seat is up for grabs.

So far, Ray Coelho is the only candidate in the race. He played a pivotal role in Montreal Agglomeration council’s decision last year to end water fluoridation at the Pointe Claire and Dorval water treatment plants, launching a petition calling for an end to the practice.

Coelho also stirred controversy for his past connections to the now-defunct Canadian Nationalist Party – a far-right group that operated from 2017 to 2022. Coelho ran in the 2019 federal election as the party’s candidate in the Lac-Saint-Louis riding. He received just 28 votes.

Cowan has been encouraging real estate broker Jeff Zhao to run in the district. “He’s a very active member of the local Chinese community, which is quite extensive in Pointe Claire,” Cowan said. He added that Zhao has organized several Chinese cultural events in the city and has contributed to organizing part of Pointe Claire Days’ international cuisine event. Zhao did not return a request for comment from The 1510 West. He has not yet publicly announced his intention to run, nor has he registered as a candidate with Élections Québec.

“But between you and me and your readers, I think he’s going to (run),” Cowan said.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Among the four declared candidates running for mayor of Pointe Claire three are political veterans — incumbent Tim Thomas, former mayor John Belvedere and councillor Brent Cowan.

Belvedere looking for rematch

Belvedere, who officially launched his campaign last week, said it was an easy choice to throw his hat into the ring again after having served from 2017 to 2021.

“I absolutely loved what I was doing,” Belvedere said in an interview last week. “I care about my community. I believe I have the leadership and the vision to take the city to its next level.”

“I only lost by 60 votes,” Belvedere said, referring to his loss to Thomas in 2021, adding he feels he can swing the momentum in his favour this time around. “People have been asking me to run.”

Belvedere first ran for mayor in 2013, losing to Morris Trudeau. He won the 2017 election, securing a little more than 60 per cent of the vote, before losing re-election to Thomas in 2021.

He wants to shed the label of being pro-development — a point of contention for some residents who argued that the city was too quick to approve like high-rise residential complexes during his tenure.

“I’m not going out looking for development,” he said. “When it comes, we’ll adhere to the rules that are in place,” he added, explaining that the arrival of the REM stations had put pressure on municipalities to approve development projects.

Fairview Forest would be safe from development under his leadership, he said.

Another event that ruffled feathers for some voters was the 2018 decision to demolish the Pioneer Bar, with the site redeveloped into luxury condos. The original 119-year-old building was viewed as a fixture in the city’s historic village. However, the structure had been neglected and had been for sale for a decade before it was bought by a development firm. It was torn down in 2020.

Belvedere said this episode falsely painted him as anti-heritage preservation.

“I’m about heritage. I live in a 1920s house. I’ve maintained the character of my own house since day one.”

If elected, he would bring clarity to what he calls a “mishmash” of what the city defines as a heritage structure.

Thomas vying for second mandate

Incumbent Tim Thomas said his goal for re-election is to “protect and grow the beautiful city that is Pointe Claire, and grow it in an ecological and reasonable manner.”

He will face Belvedere for a third time. Thomas placed third in the 2017 election before winning in 2021. He ran on a platform that advocated for development to be slowed, placing heavy importance on environmental and heritage preservation.

His proudest achievements include the temporary freeze on development in Pointe Claire Village and Valois Village; his advocacy for environmental preservation, including Fairview Forest; and his government’s financial performance, which included keeping property tax increases on par with inflation.

“Despite considerable opposition, lots of good has been done,” said Thomas, referencing his often-challenging relationship with council.

Indeed, tensions have regularly been high between the mayor and the councillors over his term. Tensions boiled over during a meeting in December 2023, when a majority of councillors walked out. This event was followed with councillor Brent Cowan calling for Thomas’s resignation.

Thomas pointed to this tension as largely stemming from differing views on development.

“I don’t see the need to go as fast and as furious as they have wanted to. I think we should try and allow our infrastructure time to catch up, and we should not develop overly-quickly.”

He hopes the fall election will bring a few new faces to council.

“I can work with anybody who can share ideas,” he explained. “I can’t work with people who don’t tolerate other people’s ideas. And that’s been the case in the last four years.”

Cowan pitches himself as pragmatic option

Meanwhile, Cowan is positioning himself as the alternative to both Thomas and Belvedere.

“I served four years on council under John Belvedere and I served four years on council under Tim Thomas,” he said. “And I was contemplating my future a while ago. I said, ‘There’s no way I’m going to serve council under either of these two gentlemen again.’”

“I had an option, I either leave Pointe Claire politics or I run for mayor,” Cowan added. “And after thinking about it a lot and talking with people, I decided I’d make a run.”

He will focus on three objectives: Building cohesion between the mayor, council and administration, organizing a coherent city planning program and enacting a public participation policy to better inform residents on what roles they can play in contributing to municipal government policy.

When it comes to development, Cowan said labels don’t help. “People are going to say, ‘It’s all about development. Are you pro-development or against development?’ That’s not the issue at all. The development is happening whether we want it to or not.”

It’s important for the next mayor and council to “accept the realities of what’s happening” with regards to the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and its 2026-2046 development plan, which recommends increased densification for new residential constructions. “We need to be able to accept the plan that has already been created and we need to be able to get the best deal for Pointe Claire under it,” he said.

As for working with council, Cowan would seek to find common ground with everybody.

“You can’t just impose, like the previous mayors tried to do – impose their own campaign view on everybody else. You have to pitch it, sell it and compromise.”

Municipal elections across Quebec are scheduled for Nov. 2.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

While many in Pointe Claire expected the mayoral contest leading to this fall’s municipal election to be marked by heated and perhaps even fiery debate among political veterans, few anticipated a four-way race. But that is how it is shaping up as incumbent Tim Thomas, former mayor John Belvedere, long-time councillor Brent Cowan and a political newcomer — Jonathan Markiewicz — are set to square off.

But who is Jonathan Markiewicz? And will he be the dark-horse candidate in the race?

The environmental specialist was, in fact, the first authorized contender in the race for the Nov. 2 vote, registering his candidacy with Élections Québec back in January 2024. He also announced his intention to run for mayor on social media in May 2024, unveiling a website to support his candidacy.

In a brief phone call with The 1510 West, Markiewicz refused to comment on his candidacy, saying only he would make an official announcement in the coming weeks.

In a statement posted on his website he said: “I feel that our city is being lead (sic) down a path that does not best represent the needs or values of my fellow citizens; whether it is in regards to our environment, urban development or taxation. We can no longer stand to do nothing, nor can we repeat the old ways of doing things.”

Markiewicz’s LinkedIn profile describes him as a project director for Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc., an engineering and project-management firm specializing in sustainable land development and environmental restoration. His experience also includes a brief stint as a senior environmental specialist at Public Services and Procurement Canada as well as a year as a temporary science teacher for the Sir Wilfried Laurier School Board.

Markiewicz was president of Soccer Pointe Claire from 2019 to 2024. He was thanked warmly by the club in a farewell post on social media for his “tireless energy and enthusiasm” as well as for the “endless hours which he selflessly gave to our club.”

His website says he has been a resident of Pointe Claire for the past 12 years and describes his 20+ year career in environmental science and management roles as having given him “leverage to ensure that Pointe Claire is properly administered today and governed for the future.”

According to his Facebook profile, he grew up in Belleville, Ont., and attended the University of Waterloo, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 2004.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Several residents living on two streets in Baie d’Urfé say the town’s tight deadline to change their aging septic systems is forcing them to take on a hefty cost on a very tight timeline. And they need some wiggle room.

“It’s a heavy burden,” said Bing Wu, who had moved into his house on Magnolia Street with his family about two and a half years ago.

“We’re having difficulties getting this item into our financial planning,” Wu said, explaining he expects it will cost him about $30,000 to replace his septic system. “Basically, we’re struggling, and we’re not alone in our neighbourhood.”

Wu’s house is one of 27 on Magnolia and Balsam streets whose owners received a notice from the town last November after inspections showed their septic systems did not meet provincial standards and would need to be replaced. The deadline to replace the systems was set at December 2026. The notice also explained that those who refuse to comply could face fines from the Quebec government ranging from a minimum of $1,000 for a first offence all the way up to a maximum of $100,000 for a third offence.

Replacing a septic system isn’t an easy process. It can take anywhere between three to five weeks and cost upwards of $30,000 for replacing tertiary systems – one of the more advanced septic systems. That price tag is making Magnolia and Balsam residents balk, explained François Gilbert, another resident of Magnolia.

For the past several months, both Gilbert and Wu have been meeting and discussing with the owners of the other 25 houses on both streets whose septic systems need replacing. They said that the heavy cost, along with the December 2026 deadline are causing no shortage of concern in the neighbourhood.

Homeowners are also having trouble finding and booking companies specializing in the replacement of these systems, he said. Few such companies exist in the West Island. For the handful of companies that can do the work, Gilbert pointed out that summertime is their busiest season, making it difficult to carve out a few weeks to carry out the work.

Gilbert and Wu said they only know of one homeowner among the 27 who has had their septic system replaced so far.

For the majority of residents, Gilbert explained, “there’s no way we’re going to be able to meet the deadline.”

Town declines deadline extension

Gilbert, Wu and other residents have been asking the town to extend the deadline, possibly by a few years. A formal letter requesting this extension signed by more than 20 homeowners on Magnolia and Balsam was sent to the town in early spring. But to date, the town is sticking to the timeline.

The council has repeated on several occasions that the timeframe being offered for this project is fair.

“Even a two-year timeframe is a very long time to do work like this,” said Mayor Heidi Ektvedt in a March interview, describing the December 2026 deadline as “very generous.”

Ektvedt pointed out that the province’s 2019 wastewater law puts the onus on homeowners to pay for their own septic system replacement and that it is the municipality’s responsibility to ensure that residents comply. She added that the town cannot get involved in replacement work or even recommend businesses to carry out the work.

Residents have raised their concerns at the town’s February, March and April council meetings, sometimes resulting in arguments between the mayor and the residents. Ektvedt pointed out at the March meeting that homeowners can take advantage of a Quebec government tax credit for this project of up to $5,500.

“You know, $5,500 compared to $30,000, it’s not much help,” said Wu of the credit.

Ongoing townwide initiative

The town’s ultimate plan is for all aging septic systems in Baie d’Urfé to be replaced to meet the provincial standards. After Magnolia and Balsam, the town will continue street by street, informing homeowners about whether their systems need replacing and giving them a deadline to make the upgrades. The vast majority of homes in Baie d’Urfé use septic systems. Only a few streets close to Highway 20 are connected to a municipal sewer system.

Gilbert and Wu said they had met with the town’s director-general Nicolas Bouchard in June to discuss the issues, but no compromise was reached. They added that Bouchard predicted that between 50 to 60 per cent of septic systems in Baie d’Urfé will likely need to be replaced. Bouchard was unavailable for comment last week.

Baie d’Urfé communications coordinator Justin Mah confirmed Monday that there is still no timeline for when inspections of systems on other streets will be carried out or when homeowners could receive notices.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Michel Gibson is seeking a fourth term as mayor of Kirkland in the upcoming November election.

The veteran politician confirmed his decision to run during a call with The 1510 West last week, but declined to comment until making an official announcement in early August.

Gibson has held the top elected seat in Kirkland for 12 years, after spending several years as a councillor. He was first elected mayor in 2013, beating incumbent John Meaney by 500 votes – a difference of just 6.7 per cent. He was acclaimed in 2017, and went on to sweep the 2021 election with more than 83 per cent of the vote.

His tenure has been marked by careful fiscal management. Annual increases in the town’s spending and residential property tax increases have kept pace with inflation since 2014, even as the Montreal Agglomeration’s slice of the town’s budget has increased gradually each year. At the same time, the municipality’s debt has more than halved since Gibson first entered office, dropping to $17.1 million in 2024 from $36.5 million in 2014.

Gibson has also sat on numerous committees on the Montreal Agglomeration council, as well as the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, where he collaborated on such initiatives as the development of the West Island branch of the REM commuter train network and the adoption of the Metropolitan Land Use and Development Plan (PMAD) 2026-2046.

Under Gibson’s leadership, Kirkland voted to keep its bilingual status in 2023, which would have been lost under the province’s Bill 96, which updated Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, as fewer than 50 per cent of residents had listed English as their mother tongue in the 2021 federal census. The town also took part in a court challenge along with 22 other bilingual municipalities this past fall, calling for the suspension of several sections of the language law, arguing that it was unfairly intruding into how municipalities communicate with residents. The challenge was ultimately dismissed by the Quebec Superior Court.

No other candidates have yet publicly announced their intention to enter the race for mayor this fall.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Although the scheduled opening of the West Island REM light rail system is still officially set for October and the last stages of testing will continue until mid-August with a “dry run” set for September, officials with the transit service are hinting delays could push the launch date by a “few months.”

“For the time being, our goal remains to commission our entire network this fall,” said Francis Labbé, assistant director of media relations for CDPQ Infra, the group responsible for managing the REM network.

But that will depend on a number of factors.

Dynamic testing of the West Island branch of the REM line began in September 2024. This involved simulated real-time travel between the Anse-à-l’Orme station in Ste. Anne de Bellevue and the Bois-Franc station in St. Laurent.

Then in June, West Islanders may have noticed an increase in the frequency of the REM trains passing on the elevated tracks, as the “intensive summer testing” phase kicked off June 20, with trains running between 5:30 a.m. and midnight each day. These tests will continue until Aug. 17.

In September, CDPQ Infra will then initiate what it calls “dry runs,” real-time simulations of the rail service in operation.

Similar testing is being conducted on the network’s other new line, the Deux-Montagnes branch, which services the North Shore.

“If, at the end of our trials, one of the two branches must be prioritized, it will be the Deux-Montagnes branch,” Labbé explained. “If this situation arises, the Anse-à-l’Orme branch would be brought into service a few months later.”

Labbé offered no other details.

Since July 2023, only the South Shore line of the REM network, which links Longueuil with Montreal, has been open to public use. However, this line has been plagued with operational issues, including shutdowns due to poor weather conditions and technical errors. The South Shore line has been completely shut down since July 5 for system-wide testing ahead of its coming expansion and is expected to reopen on Aug. 17.

Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault had told reporters earlier this year that the numerous delays and shutdowns on the REM’s South Shore line were unacceptable and that commuters expect “efficient and reliable service.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

West Islanders looking to beat the heat by taking a dip in Lake St. Louis, Rivière des Prairies or the Lake of Two Mountains may want to check the water quality before diving in. Data collected by Montreal’s aquatic monitoring network points out which shorelines are safe for swimming and others that residents should steer clear of this summer season.

Of the 45 points along the West Island shoreline where the water was tested by the Aquatic Environment Monitoring Network (RSMA) last week, eight were marked as being “poor” quality, while one — along the shore of the Parc de la Rive-Boisée in Pierrefonds-Roxboro —was listed as “polluted.” This data is made available through an interactive map on the City of Montreal’s website.

RSMA calculates the quality of the water based on the number of fecal coliforms — bacteria including E. coli, found in plant soil as well as human and animal feces — measured per 100 millimetres. Levels acceptable for swimming must not surpass 200 coliforms per 100 ml.

Areas measuring 1,001 or more fecal coliforms per 100 ml are listed as “polluted.” Swimming in polluted water can lead to gastrointestinal illness.

Last week, the water along the shore of the Parc de la Rive-Boisée was measured as having 10,000 coliforms per 100 ml. This is not unexpected, as data going back to 2012 shows that the water in that spot routinely scores high in fecal coliform due to a nearby storm sewer pipe draining into the river. Swimming is not authorized at the park.

Of all the areas tested, the waters behind Stewart Hall in Pointe Claire was measured as having the best water quality in the West Island, with just seven coliforms per 100 ml. The only shoreline in all of Montreal with better water quality was at the southern point of the Jean-Drapeau Park, at just two coliforms per 100 ml.

The longest stretch of waterfronts that were measured as having “good” or “excellent” quality water reached from Kelso Park in Ste. Anne de Bellevue all the way to Bayview Park in Pointe Claire.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

The Lakeshore General Hospital launched a $790,000 digital transformation project, the regional health administrators announced last week.

“It’s great. (The hospital) had to come to the 21st century,” said Kirkland Mayor Michel Gibson, who attending the official kick-off hosted by the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, the regional board that administers health services in the West Island.

The project will see the hospital transition to using digital files, abandoning all paper record-keeping practices. This change will provide clinicians with faster access to patients’ medical records and eliminate the irritation of storing and sorting through extensive physical files. The change would facilitate the overall experience for patients, as they can now book appointments and check test results online, as well as have their prescriptions sent directly to pharmacies. Going digital will also fast track information sharing between medical departments, hospitals, clinics and doctors working in Family Medicine Groups.

The transition will also result in a “reduction in redundant tests and better coordination of care,” CIUSSS communications coordinator Hélène Bergeron-Gamache explained in an email.

“It was greatly urgent to do it,” Gibson added. “To be able to have a file where you can communicate from one building to the other automatically, it’s great.”

The project is being totally financed by a $790,000 donation from the Trottier Family Foundation. The Montreal-based charitable foundation has funded projects and initiatives at numerous hospitals across Quebec and Canada since its founding in 2000.

These changes will provide “faster and more streamlined services” that will “only serve to enhance the patient experience during their stay,” said Dan Gabay, president and CEO of the CIUSSS, in a statement.

The full transition is happening gradually, the statement continued, as the Lakeshore staff are undergoing training sessions to adapt to the digitized systems.

The transformation had already begun earlier this month with the hospital’s outpatient clinics transitioning to electronic medical records. This first phase is “already making a real difference in the lives of patients and health-care teams alike,” reads a July 22 Facebook post by the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Throughout the summer, a group of youths in Baie d’Urfé will be collecting donations of non-perishable goods and hygiene products as part of an effort to help the West Island Mission, a non-profit food bank that serves the region.

The initiative offers an opportunity to give the youth, ages 10 to 18 who are part of the municipality’s junior town council, a group who take an active role in their town’s democratic life by discussing local issues, “a better understanding about food insecurity in the West Island, because they’ve been sheltered from that,” said Baie d’Urfé councillor Wanda Lowensteyn.

While residents of Baie d’Urfé may not face the same levels of food insecurity as in other communities, Lowensteyn explained that this initiative will get “our junior council involved in understanding that they have a responsibility to help those who are less fortunate than they are, because they are very fortunate.”

“When you put these bins at various clubs, you hope that people who can afford to be members at these clubs should certainly be able to afford to help out with some donations,” Lowensteyn said.

Donation bins are set up at the town’s community pool, the tennis club and the yacht club. Donors may drop off the items, which are then brought to the West Island Mission in Dollard des Ormeaux.

This new initiative is part of the West Island Mission’s annual summer campaign, titled “Hunger doesn’t take a vacation.”

 “I think that’s great and it’s a new audience for us in the sense that having a youth council involved just gives them a little bit more understanding and awareness of who’s vulnerable in the community and what the community needs are,” said Suzanne Scarrow, the Mission’s executive director.

According to Scarrow, the summer tends to be the slow season for food donations. It is also the time that charities and food banks need them the most.

“A lot of our families are living in areas where schools provide snack programs and potentially even lunch programs,” she explained in an interview. “In the summer, when they (the children) are off school, the parents are responsible for providing those snacks and lunch, so it’s an added expense for our families.”

The West Island Mission is asking for residents to consider donating the following five specific foods: Canned meats, peanut butter, rice, granola bars and canned tomatoes. “It’s really the basic necessities that we run out of very quickly.”

What’s more, she added that donations do not need to be limited to food products. “We’re always short on diapers and feminine hygiene (products),” she said.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

As the cost of living and food prices continue to rise, several local community organizations have expanded their offering in an attempt to curb the issue of rising food insecurity in the West Island, including the non-profit Corbeille de Pain which is expanding its Solidarity Markets initiative, bringing fresh produce and other food products to more locations in the region.

The organization added Dorval to the list of West Island cities hosting the markets that employ a “pay-what-you-can” model, giving some relief to shoppers facing financial difficulties, and a “pay it forward” feature to encourage individuals with more financial stability to add a few extra dollars to their bill to cover some of the cost of the goods for others who can’t afford them.

“The markets are really for everyone,” said Anik Vigneault, communications coordinator for the Corbeille de Pain. “Those who can afford to go to the supermarket, we encourage them to also come because then they can help out other people in their community that way.”

The market’s first day received an impressive response from local residents, Vigneault said.

“We actually had more people show up to the one in Dorval than the first one that we did in DdO last year,” Vigneault explained, adding that the Royal Dixie Park location “was really quite accessible to a lot of apartment buildings. So that was great. A lot of people were able to come on foot, for those who don’t have access to a car.”

The group has also extended the operating hours of existing weekly markets in Pointe Claire, Pierrefonds and Dollard des Ormeaux.

The markets offer fresh fruits and vegetables from farms within a 50-kilometre radius of the West Island, but also offer bread, eggs, maple syrup, preservatives and dried goods.

“I really would encourage people who can afford to pay a little extra” to do so, said Dorval Mayor Marc Doret on Monday. “Even if it’s $1, $2, $5, pay a little bit extra. The money stays within Corbeille de Pain and it pays for the people who use the option of paying what they can.”

Doret said he had begun discussions with Corbeille de Pain just over two years ago to bring the solidarity markets to Dorval. He explained that expanding this initiative is welcomed as food insecurity becomes increasingly prevalent.

“Prices keep going up,” Doret said, adding that food insecurity is becoming a concern “for everybody. Even for the average working family it’s a big concern.”

Non-profit organizations focused on combating food insecurity have witnessed the growing issue firsthand.

“The last 18 months have been terrible,” said Suzanne Scarrow, executive director for the non-profit West Island Mission, a food bank based in Dollard. 

She explained that her organization has gone from serving 250 households to more than 450.

“It’s mostly people on fixed income, but a lot of it is pensioners, and a lot of it is single males,” Scarrow said.

For the past decade, the West Island Mission has attempted to bolster summertime support for charitable donations to combat food insecurity with its campaign titled “Hunger doesn’t take a vacation.” This summer, the organization added three new donation stations in Baie d’Urfé, located at the community pool, tennis club and yacht club. A group of youths will be collecting the donations of non-perishable goods and hygiene products from these stations and bringing them to the West Island Mission throughout the summer.

While Doret is happy with his city hosting four solidarity markets this year, he is hopeful the number will be increased to 17 by next summer – the number of market days already in operation in Pointe Claire, Pierrefonds and Dollard.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Dr. Sylvain Martel of Île Bizard was one of 83 individuals appointed to the Order of Canada last month.

A professor at the engineering university Polytechnique Montréal since 2001, Martel was named a member of the order, honouring his two decades of research on the use of nanorobotics in medical applications.

“It was a big surprise for me,” Martel said in a statement to The 1510 West. “This nomination is a great recognition, not only of the work and progress made in this new field, but also of the impact it could have.”

Martel has spent years in the school’s nanorobotics laboratory working in close collaboration with doctors and other medical specialists on the potential use of nanotechnology for cancer treatment. His research has looked into using nanorobots — some measuring no more than a micrometre (one-thousandth of a millimetre) — to access and administer medicine to cancerous cells via the patient’s bloodstream. This method, Martel said, is more precise and can avoid damaging healthy cells, a casualty  that normally occurs with chemotherapy.

Being named a member of the Order of Canada is not the first honour Martel has received for his research. He was named a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2009, awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013, as well as the Prix Génie Innovation from the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec in 2016. Martel also has won the Prix d’excellence en recherche et innovation from Polytechnique in 2018 and has been credited among the “10 discoveries of the year” twice by Québec Science magazine.

Martel earned his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, followed by a doctorate degree at McGill University. He also worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He currently resides in Île Bizard.

Martel was one of 83 individuals named as members, officers and companions of the Order of Canada – the highest civilian honour awarded to Canadian citizens. Among the appointees were 16 others from Quebec.

“We proudly recognize each of these individuals whose dedication and passion for service not only enrich our communities but also help shape the fabric of our nation,” said Governor General Mary Simon. “Together, they inspire us to strive for greatness and to foster a future filled with hope and possibility.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Construction for a long-awaited affordable housing project kicked off on Dawson Ave. in Dorval on Monday. The four-storey building will offer 82 low-cost rental units to autonomous residents ages 55 and up.

The project, titled “Habitations Les Îles Courcelles,” was first pitched back in 2017, but progress on the file was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The important thing is that we never abandoned this project,” said Mayor Marc Doret at a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday. “There were, of course, difficult moments, but also moments of hope. And today we’re here, proud of what we accomplished together.”

The price tag for the project is set at around $35 million. The City of Dorval will cover approximately $5 million of that cost, which will include the cost of decontaminating the property. The rest of the cost is covered through financial support from the Quebec government and from the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal. Other financial partners will be announced “a little bit later on,” Doret said.

The building will be constructed using prefabricated modules designed by Les Industries Bonneville, a manufacturing and building design company that specializes in prefabricated homes.

Speaking at the press conference, Isabelle Pépin, director general of Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal, expressed excitement about the modules.

“They are vibrant,” she said. “I walked around the factory – they are magnificent,” adding that this is an innovative approach to affordable housing projects.

The building is expected to be completed in early 2027.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

New density levels outlined in the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal’s proposed development plan will not drastically reshape the character of West Island municipalities, officials with the regional authority say.

And CMM officials are encouraging residents to understand the full picture of the increased dwelling density targets laid out in its 2026-2046 development plan, often referred to simply as PMAD, the French acronym for the document’s official title: Plan métropolitain d’aménagement et de développement. The proposed plan was released last month.

According to the proposed update of the plan, the target for the number of dwellings per hectare for new developments in the West Island will be set at 52 by 2031, and gradually be increased until it reaches 69 dwellings per hectare by 2046. This is up from the 30 dwellings per hectare outlined in the 2012 version of the urban plan.

In zones within a one-kilometre radius of a train station, areas known as transit-oriented development areas, or TODs, the density levels outlined in the new development plan will be increased to 240 dwellings per hectare next to REM stations, up from 60; and 140 dwellings per hectare next to Exo train stations, compared with 40 in the current plan.

CMM officials pointed out the new density thresholds “apply exclusively to new residential constructions, and do not apply retroactively to existing buildings,” said communications adviser Jennifer Guthrie.

Guthrie also pointed out that density levels are measured differently in the updated development plan compared with the existing plan.

“The density thresholds in the 2012 PMAD were expressed as gross residential densities, calculated over the total area, including streets, park and public facilities,” Guthrie said in a statement to The 1510 West last week. “In contrast, the new PMAD expresses density thresholds as net residential densities, calculated only on the area used for new residential developments, excluding non-residential uses.”

But despite this modification, could the increased density mean a future of more high-rise apartment complexes and an end to single-family home development in the West Island?

Not necessarily, according to Laurence Pelletier, a research consultant for the CMM’s sustainable and prosperous communities department.

“The PMAD does not impose any height, lot coverage or dwelling dimension,” Pelletier explained, adding that achieving the new density targets will depend on the “different standards established by the cities.”

She gave an example of a four-storey apartment building with apartments each at about 1,000 square feet in size. The density per hectare of such a structure, she explained, would be over 100 dwellings, more than meeting the new target of 52 dwellings per hectare outside of TOD zones by 2031.

The new PMAD also does not outright ban the future construction of single-family homes, which make up the majority of residential dwellings in the West Island.

Pelletier explained that their construction “depends on a number of variables, including modulation of the density and the exceptions to the density identified in the PMAD.”

Kirkland Mayor Michel Gibson is a member of the CMM council. Gibson offered a written statement explaining that future residential developments in his town would focus on social acceptability, along with sustainability and infrastructure capacity.

“It is certain that new developments will emerge with varying levels of density (under the new PMAD), which will allow us to offer a broader range of housing types to meet the needs of our population,” Gibson stated. However, he added: “Let me be clear: We will not pursue development at any cost. Each project must align with the public interest, taking into account key considerations.”

Future developments in Kirkland, Gibson said, would be prioritized in the Lacey Green Village area, the RioCan commercial site next to the cineplex and near the town hall.

“The rest of our urban fabric is largely built out and consolidated, and we remain committed to preserving the same type of housing currently found in those areas.”

Gibson also pointed out that it will be some time before any increased density requirements go into effect.

The proposed new PMAD must first be approved by the Quebec Municipal Affairs Ministry, which has until December to do so. This will be followed by a process of revisions at the agglomeration and municipal levels.

“This process could take up to five years and will allow us to refine our strategy and vision for the future of our community,” Gibson stated.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

The City of Beaconsfield ended 2024 with a $3.2-million budget surplus, according to the annual audited financial report presented at the city council meeting last week. This is the largest budget surplus the city has seen in four years.

According to the numbers read aloud to the council by Mayor Georges Bourelle on June 16, Beaconsfield posted a total of $57,878,804 in expenses last year, while generating $61,128,078 in revenues. The resulting surplus comes in at $3,249,274 in total.

“Part of this surplus may be due to higher-than-expected revenues,” Bourelle said. “These include real estate transfer taxes, subsidies from various governments and interest income.”

The financial report provides numbers on these revenues. A total of $5.2 million more than expected was generated in transfer taxes last year, while $2.5 million more than budgeted was generated in fees for municipal services. Another $465,000 more than budgeted was earned in interest.

The 2024 budget surplus is the highest annual surplus since 2020, when extra revenues totalled just over $5 million.

Increased long-term debt

The report indicates a slight increase in the city’s long-term debt, which was pegged at $21 million, an increase of $2 million compared with 2023. This comes after the long-term debt had steadily decreased each year since 2021 but remains lower than the 2020 long-term debt total of $22.4 million.

Of this debt, a total of $7.2 million, or 33.3 per cent, will be reimbursed to the City of Beaconsfield from the Quebec government.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Members of a local grassroots group advocating for the preservation of Fairview Forest in Pointe Claire were relieved to see the regional governing body recommend preserving the forest in its entirety in its new comprehensive development plan (PMAD) earlier this month.

“We were really grateful to see that Fairview Forest in its entirety is in the final version of the PMAD,” said Geneviève Lussier, a spokesperson for the Save Fairview Forest group, in an interview last week. “We’re feeling really vindicated that the CMM acknowledges that this space is amazing and it’s ecologically biodiverse.”

The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal  — the governing body responsible for setting development, economic and environmental preservation guidelines for 82 municipalities in the Greater Montreal region — released its proposed new development plan for 2026-2046 on June 9. Among its objectives, is the identification of several green spaces as “territories containing natural environments of metropolitan interest,” and encourages municipalities to preserve this land to meet the goal to ultimately protect 30 per cent of natural spaces in the region. The entirety of the 43-acre Fairview Forest was given this label under the new plan.

Pointe Claire Mayor Tim Thomas called the designation a “real coup” for the protection of the forest in an interview last Friday.

“That, for me, is huge, and encouraging that they (the CMM) are seeing it that way,” Thomas said, praising the fact that the CMM recommends preserving the entirety of the forest. Thomas has been a staunch supporter of preserving of the woodland, at times butting heads with fellow members of his council on the subject.

The label of being a “territory containing natural environments of metropolitan interest” would not strictly serve as a legal shield to prevent all possible future development of the forest. However, along with strong recommendations to municipalities to preserve these areas, the CMM would require ecological studies to be done before ground is broken on a development project.

The new PMAD also encourages municipalities to increase densification within a one-kilometre radius of public transit stations, known as TOD zones, in order to limit further urban sprawl. A separate document, detailing management of TOD zones, encourages these municipalities to preserve existing green spaces found within the zone. An interactive map of these zones on the CMM website shows that the Fairview Forest falls within the TOD zone of the future Fairview Pointe-Claire REM station.

This past weekend, the Save Fairview Forest group held its 240^th demonstration, advocating for the city to safeguard the forest from being turned into a “new downtown” of the West Island, as has been proposed by developer Cadillac Fairview since 2020.

Fairview Forest is the largest green space in the city’s northern sector. The forest is surrounded by suburban developments on one side and a business park on the other. 

“I’ve long maintained that (the Fairview Forest) has to be left as a green space for that hugely dense area,” Thomas added.

Though the PMAD is encouraging for Thomas and Lussier, the document is still a few years away from being implemented at the local level.

In the meantime, Lussier said the Save Fairview Forest group will continue its Saturday demonstrations. “We’re going to keep having those protests until we know the forest will be protected in perpetuity,” she said.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

The number of residential units in the West Island will be forced to increase dramatically, according to the new regional development plan unveiled by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal earlier this month.

And, as expected, the locations that will be targeted to accommodate the greatest degree of housing densification will be the areas immediately around the new REM commuter train stations.

The areas around the REM stations will see the densities jump to 240 units per hectare, while areas around the Exo train line that runs parallel to Highway 20 will be pegged at 140 dwellings per hectare.

, according to the CMM’s Metropolitan Land Use and Development Plan 2026-2046 released June 9. Currently, the West Island has the highest density rates ranging from 40 to 60 units per hectare, with many areas falling below that level.

The 318-page planning document, often referred to by its French acronym PMAD, lays out a set of guidelines for the 82 municipalities on and around the island of Montreal that make up the CMM to follow in an effort to strengthen sustainable development and preservation of natural spaces. To achieve this, the CMM focuses on TOD zones, transit-oriented development areas, whereby dwelling density around public transit stations is increased. These zones consist of a one-kilometre radius around train stations and a 500-metre radius around bus stations.

The 240-dwellings-per-hectare target for the areas around the six West Island REM stations represents a four-fold increase in the housing density, according to the CMM. These stations include the Anse à l’Orme station in Ste. Anne de Bellevue; the Kirkland station; the Fairview–Pointe Claire station; the Des Sources station, also in Pointe Claire; the Pierrefonds-Roxboro station; and the Sunnybrooke station in Dollard des Ormeaux.

Around the West Island’s 10 Exo train stations, the density target is proposed to be set at 140 dwellings per hectare – 3.5 times higher than the current rate in those areas, which is now about 40 dwellings per hectare.

The PMAD outlines that achieving the higher-density target is not a strict obligation to municipalities, nor is it asking that municipalities to tear down existing buildings to rebuild denser developments. Rather, it states that the density targets will only apply to new residential constructions.

In a statement released June 9, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante explained the goal of the PMAD is to “enable intelligent densification of the metropolitan region to provide homes for as many people as possible, improve active and public transportation and protect natural environments.”

When asked to comment on Monday on the proposed densification targets in light of the opposition in Pointe Claire about a plan to build 25-storey residential buildings next to the Fairview REM station, Mayor Tim Thomas said: “We will do what is required. But there is no need to maximize.”

The CMM plan now awaits approval from the Quebec Ministry of Municipal Affairs, which has until December to complete its review. It is expected provincial officials will recommend some changes. Municipalities will then have to align their development plans, pushing the implementation of the new targets to 2026.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Life-long West Islander Daniel Todd-Norris often dreamed of one day writing his own fantasy novel during his 17 years working at the Kirkland Provigo, where he started as a grocery bagger at the age of 19, working his way up to a managerial position.

So it was a thrill for him to return to the store recently to host a book signing following the launch of his first book – Alaric Thorne and the Soulforge Amulet.

“It was a bit surreal, to be honest,” said Todd-Norris, who had worked in various departments at the Provigo from 2006 to 2023. “It wasn’t just a great reception from all my co-workers and friends, but just the general public. It was a really surreal and touching moment for me.”

The book signing was held May 31 and again on June 1.

Launched in November, Todd-Norris’s fantasy novel delves into a fantasy world of dragons, magic and adventure. Published by FriesenPress, the 396-page work is available on Amazon and at Indigo-Chapters.

Growing up in Beaconsfield, Todd-Norris had spent much of his childhood absorbed in fantasy novels. He credits the series The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini as cementing his love for the genre.

“I’d always wanted to try and do what (Paolini) did,” the 38-year-old explained. “I would always think (that) one day I’d like to write my own story, my own novella, to be able to do something that’s similar to what he had already done for me.”

Now living in Pierrefonds, Todd-Norris explained that writing had been a hobby of his for several years. He would jot down ideas for chapters, characters and stories “but nothing really clicked.”

“That was until the year 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak, that I decided that now was the time to begin my writing and take it seriously.”

Four years later, Todd-Norris finished the book. He credits his wife, Neveatha, who was “pushing me to go for it” in getting it published, “because it was one of my dreams.”

Fans of Alaric Thorne and the Soulforge Amulet can look forward to a second instalment, which Todd-Norris said is already in the works.

“If I can inspire one person like I was (inspired) or help one person through a dark time with my writing, then it will have been a success and will have been worth it.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Pointe Claire’s longest currently-serving councillor was recognized for 20 years of service at last week’s council meeting. Paul Bissonnette, who has represented the Lakeside district on the council since 2005, was presented with an award by Mayor Tim Thomas on behalf of the Union des municipalités du Québec.

“It makes you realize how fast time went by,” said Bissonnette in an interview, adding: “It’s nice to feel appreciated.”

Will Bissonnette try to reach 30 years as a councillor?

He is not sure for the time being, he said, adding that he is contemplating whether he will run again to keep his seat in this fall election. Nevertheless, Bissonnette said his time on the council has been “very rewarding.”

At the June 3 meeting, Bissonnette was praised by Thomas for his “unwavering commitment to the Pointe Claire community,” including a near-perfect attendance record at council meetings over his 20-year career.

“Beyond his dedication, he has shown a particular concern for the well-being of seniors in Pointe Claire,” Thomas added.

Indeed, Bissonnette helped establish the Navette Or transportation program for seniors in Pointe Claire back in 2012. The service, offered by the Société de transport de Montréal public transit system, provides a 37-stop shared taxi service within the city for residents ages 65 and over.

“It was really a team effort,” said Bissonnette, praising the collaboration of the city’s Sports and Recreation department to bring the program to Pointe Claire. “The main reason (for the program) is to give someone a chance to (take) a bus to a destination where there is no service. Often seniors don’t have cars and they go to different events.”

“It was very rewarding, because it helped a lot of people,” he added. “And it’s still going.”

Bissonnette jumped into municipal politics in 2005, at a time when Pointe Claire’s demerger from the City of Montreal was on everyone’s lips.

“Everyone was all excited about that,” he said, recalling working alongside then-mayor Bill McMurchie.

Since then, Bissonnette has served under four mayors: McMurchie, Morris Trudeau, John Belvedere and Tim Thomas.

He explained how his previous managerial position with the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways had inspired his foray into politics, particularly with the fulfillment he gets from working directly with people, whether they are clients or constituents.

“That’s always been my background,” he said. “My motivation comes from being able to get something fixed. I’ve always enjoyed service-type situations. And I still enjoy it now.”

Bissonnette said he has tried to approach municipal politics with both empathy and open communication with residents.

“I’ve always tried to treat people the way I’d like to be treated,” he said.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Almost two years after a fire destroyed the Collins Clarke MacGillivray White funeral home in Pointe Claire, work to rebuild the facility is set to begin by the fall.

“We’re currently awaiting final approval from the (Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal)” said Simon Dubé, market director for Service Corporation International, the funeral home’s parent company, in a message. “It is too early to have (an estimated end date) at this time, but we think at the end of spring 2026,” he continued. “In a month from now we should have a better idea.”

An early design image provided to The 1510 West shows the new facility will be a two-storey brick building. The design does not include the signature white pillars of the old building that stood at Highway 20 and Cartier Avenue. However, Dubé noted that this design “is not 100-per-cent official until we obtain our final approval.”

Construction of the building is expected to cost $6.5 million, he said.

Earlier this year, Pointe Claire city council approved a series of resolutions permitting the construction of the new building to move forward.

Known simply as “Collins,” the funeral home had been the go-to option for funerals and memorial services in the West Island since it opened in the 1960s. That was until the two-storey structure went up in flames in November 2023. The cause of the fire was reported to be undetermined due to extensive damage to the interior of the building, but Montreal police ruled out foul play.

Pointe Claire residents had described the fire at Collins as the loss of an “icon in the community.” Resident Terry O’Shaughnessy had previously explained to The 1510 West how memorial services for both her parents and her grandparents had been held at Collins. “It’s sort of like a place for our family history that’s now gone,” she said in an interview soon after the fire.

Since the fire, Collins employees have been operating out of an office space across the street, at 201 Cartier Ave., while memorial services and visitations have been hosted at The Church of Saint John the Baptist in Pointe Claire.

The remains of the damaged building were fully removed in August. The lot has remained empty ever since.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

The Ecomuseum Zoo in Ste. Anne de Bellevue is calling on the Quebec and Canadian governments to take swift action to protect the snowy owl following an independent advisory body classifying the species as “threatened” earlier this month.

The classification, announced by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) on May 15, “should really raise a flag” for governments and citizens alike about the need for concrete action around both protecting these animals and combatting climate change, said David Rodrigue, executive director for the Ecomuseum.

Researchers have estimated that Canada’s snowy owl population has declined by more than 40 per cent in the past 24 years, said Dr. Louise Blight, a conservation biologist and co-chair of COSEWIC’s subcommittee overseeing birds. The advisory panel of wildlife experts has been identifying at-risk species in Canada since 1977. Since 2003, the federal government has been legally obliged to consider listing species as being threatened based on COSEWIC’s reports under the Species at Risk Act.

However, the Quebec government must be pushed to act, said Rodrigue in an interview on Monday. Though the iconic bird has been the province’s avian emblem since 1987, the title does not provide legal protections for the animal nor its habitat.

Quebec’s Environment Ministry had previously told media outlets that it will evaluate the snowy owl’s status, based on COSEWIC’s report. However, designating a species as “threatened” is a long process in the province, Rodrigue explained.

“Historically, here in the province, it takes many years to go through that process for a species. So any time soon would be a good time to start looking at the snowy owl.”

Climate, infrastructure driving decline

The snowy owl is faced with many survival challenges linked to climate change and interactions with human infrastructure.

Warming arctic temperatures are leading to a decline in the lemming population, Rodrigue explained. These arctic-based burrowing rodents are the primary food source for snowy owls, and their population decline leads to an increasing number of snowy owl deaths by emaciation.

Snowy owls leave their arctic home during the winter and fly to Canada’s southern regions. During their stay, their diet shifts from lemmings to other available rodents. However, the use of rodenticides in agriculture has been known to cause secondary poisoning of these birds, further contributing to their decline, Blight said.

Even navigating the more populous south is dangerous for snowy owls. A 2022 article published in the peer-reviewed journal Oecologia detailed different studies on causes of death for wintering snowy owls. Multiple studies found that nearly half the deaths of snowy owls observed came from collisions with vehicles, powerlines and other man-made structures.

Preserving the snowy owl population will, however, take more than switching out rodenticide or driving more cautiously during the wintertime, Rodrigue said. There needs to be more public education on how warming temperatures are impacting the environment, and the subsequent impacts this will have on humans.

“Whichever way you look at it, we’re just another animal species that depends on the same ecological mechanisms and systems that all other species do,” he explained. “And we should be worried by what we’re seeing now.”

Rodrigue added that he’s hopeful that the snowy owl’s status as Quebec’s official bird will work to draw attention to the conversation around climate change.

“People often ask, ‘What does it matter if (threatened species) disappear?’” he said.

He responds by comparing our ecosystem to a game of Jenga: “That’s exactly what we’re doing with ecosystems and animals. We’re pulling species out. One day you pull one out, and everything collapses.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

A Quebec government proposal for more equitable decision-making power between the City of Montreal and neighbouring municipalities at the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) level is being praised by groups and municipal leaders as a step toward better representation for these smaller cities and towns.

Following such a proposal, first announced last week, some West Island residents may ponder: could the same be done to the Montreal agglomeration to give the demerged municipalities a stronger voice at the table?

“I doubt it,” said Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle in an interview, adding that the issue has been his “pet peeve” over his 12 years as mayor. He explained that the Quebec Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH) has indicated in the past that it has no intention to involve itself in the agglomeration’s affairs. MAMH officials did not respond to a request for comment from The 1510 West.

He applauded, however, the MAMH’s proposed changes to the CMM council structure. The governing body represents 82 municipalities on and around the Island of Montreal and makes decisions on regional planning and economic development. The council currently has 28 seats, 14 of which are chaired by representatives from the Montreal agglomeration, which includes West Island Mayors Alex Bottausci of Dollard des Ormeaux and Michel Gibson of Kirkland. In the case of a tie, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante holds the deciding vote.

Under the proposed changes, the total number of council seats would be reduced to 26, with Montreal holding onto 12. The Montreal mayor would retain the deciding vote in the event of a tie.

In a statement released Thursday, the Association of Suburban Municipalities (ASM) voiced its support for the proposed changes. Bottausci, who sits as co-president of the ASM, called the bill “a milestone for municipal democracy in Greater Montreal.”

The ASM continued by calling on the Quebec government to enact similar measures at the agglomeration level. “The 15 towns representing 250,000 non-Montreal citizens similarly have no real decision-making rights, nor any real capacity to influence the agglomeration’s orientations and, more importantly, its spending, which is entirely under the sole control of the City of Montreal,” the statement reads.

Bourelle shared in the sentiment.

“The City of Montreal decides on the budget,” Bourelle said. “It decides on the agenda at agglomeration council meetings. They have 87 per cent of the vote, so they can vote on anything that they want at the meetings. (Demerged municipalities) have absolutely no say.”

The agglomeration council is responsible for managing shared services across the Island of Montreal, including public transit, social housing, water management and emergency services. However, West Island cities regularly see up to half of their annual budgets going to the agglomeration’s coffers. Bourelle claimed that Beaconsfield residents “pay 60 per cent more for the same services as residents of the City of Montreal.”

The City of Beaconsfield has an ongoing $20-million lawsuit against the City of Montreal for what it argues have been years of over-inflated payments to the agglomeration. A decision by the Quebec Superior Court in April has allowed the city to call for testimony from current and former municipal and provincial officials, including current Quebec Municipal Affairs Minister Andrée Laforest. No timetable has yet been set for these testimonies to take place.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West

Longtime Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle announced last week that he won’t be seeking a fourth term in the fall election.

“Three mandates to me is enough to pass the torch,” he said in an interview. “I’m going to miss it.”

Having originally retired from his role as a business executive in 2003, Bourelle, now 84, said he has an ongoing joke that he tells people who ask why he decided to run for mayor a decade later. “The joke is (that) I had to go to Lakeshore Hospital to get an MRI because I wanted to figure out what was wrong with my brain getting involved in politics,” he said with a chuckle.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” he continued. “There’s no doubt that it’s been a very demanding, meaningful and fulfilling commitment in my career.”

Announcing his plan to retire from municipal politics at the May 20 council meeting, Bourelle said he was leaving “with peace of mind and with immense pride in what we have built together.” His speech received a standing ovation from the council.

Having served as mayor since 2013, Bourelle has left his mark on Beaconsfield with several cost-saving initiatives as well as getting the ball rolling on future projects that are expected to be completed after he’s left the mayor’s office.

Asked about his proudest accomplishments over his 12 years as mayor, Bourelle began with his administration’s financial performance.

“If you look at inflation and look at the agglomeration tax increases that we’ve had to suffer and you look at the local tax increase, we were well below inflation,” he explained. “That conservative financial management is a very good accomplishment on our part.”

Other noted accomplishments include: the preservation of the Angell Woods in 2014, which is the last old-growth forest and largest wetlands on the Island of Montreal; the “pay as you throw” principle to waste collection, which reduced the city’s overall landfill waste generation; and the 2019 challenge of the Quebec government’s flood maps, preventing losses in both property values and municipal tax revenue.

Ongoing projects include the ambitious upgrade for the recreation centre and the new cultural centre to be located in Centennial Park. Both projects are expected to break ground in 2026.

One of the most significant issues Bourelle said he’s proud to have been part of is the ongoing court challenge of what he described as an imbalance of power on the Montreal agglomeration council. The 14 demerged municipalities, most of which are located in the West Island, “are no doubt a cash cow to help Montreal balance its budget,” he said, pointing out that the City of Montreal holds 87 per cent of the voting power on the council.

Bourelle added that the $20-million lawsuit has gone “extremely well,” thus far. “We’ve won a couple of battles that we’ve had.”

The city is expecting to arrange a date to hear testimony from current and former municipal and provincial officials.

Discussing potential candidates to fill the mayor’s seat, Bourelle said he has full confidence in the current city councillors.

“I would say that I have a very capable council. (They) have a lot of experience around the table, a lot of expertise. There’s no doubt they all can do the job.”

Bourelle added that he does not plan to endorse any particular candidate.

“I will let the electors decide,” he said.

So far, only councillor Martin St-Jean has launched a bid for the top spot.

St-Jean is a lawyer who has been on council since 2020. He also has experience in the municipal field, serving as director of legal services and the city clerk’s office for the City of Westmount from 2015 to 2019; and as a lawyer for the City of Montreal, from 2011 to 2015, where he managed the process of awarding contracts. He also represented Montreal before the Charbonneau Commission, the provincial inquiry into corruption in the management of public construction contracts.