Author name: The Suburban

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

The city of Montreal has a seven-year, $1.8 billion dollar plan to revive downtown Montreal, betting on nine initiatives to strengthen the identity of neighborhoods, create new living environments and improving mobility and cleanliness, as well as the creation of green routes.

Some of the new Downtown Montreal 2030 Strategy priorities: Strengthen the personality of neighborhoods through new distinctive street furniture, highlighting heritage specific to different living environments and public art circuits; celebrate the city centre’s “northern character” by creating a unique winter experience supported by interactive and immersive tours in the heart of the metropolis; designate the Latin Quarter “the Quartier Francophonie”, with a 24-hour sector and carry out major development projects notably at Îlot Voyageur and Parc Émilie-Gamelin; create new mixed and vibrant neighborhoods in the Faubourgs and Bridge-Bonaventure sectors, with the potential to create more than 15,000 housing units; prioritize investments in existing buildings in order to reverse the trend of increasing vacancy rates, particularly at the former Royal Victoria Hospital and Voyageur Island; and improve the cleanliness of public spaces, building maintenance and management of obstacles.

Implementation will unfold over the next six years and be the subject of public announcements, and the city will “put in place governance made up of key partners to ensure the projects are carried out” reads a statement.

Even if the city centre is “doing rather well,” says the administration, “certain challenges have become more pronounced in recent years,” in terms of occupation of spaces in office towers, commercial vitality, social issues or mobility.

Tourisme Montréal CEO Yves Lalumière says global economic growth is slowing and metropolises are facing increased competition to attract the best investments and talent. “This context requires us to redouble our efforts so that Quebec’s economic engine performs well on the international scene. By leveraging our most strategic assets, such as an innovative economy and a qualified talent pool, Montreal will be able to remain a destination of choice for workers, businesses and international organizations from all over the planet.”

Ensemble Montréal’s critic for economic development was unimpressed. One of the biggest problems is the lack of action in terms of security and social cohabitation, said Julien Hénault-Ratelle, adding, “With the extension of street parking hours to 11 p.m. in Ville-Marie borough, coupled with the construction of the new Royalmount Mega-Mall and the presence of outlet centres like DIX30 and in Laval, people are no longer as interested in coming downtown to Montreal.” The Plante administration’s plan he says, “is too little, too late. After two years of working on this plan, we were expecting much more from Projét Montréal.” n

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

It’s been around since the Cold War. Form and function varied a little; from multiple west-end locations to one, but more than 60 years of business savvy kept Jack & Jill running relatively smoothly for generations. But it’s not enough, as store owner Barbara Vininsky recently announced she will be closing its doors come June.

For decades her prime business traffic was during after-school hours, as parents and grandparents, carpooling kids en masse flocked to the shop specializing in school clothing that then morphed into the primary novelty, toy and collectible outlet for tweens in the west end and beyond. The latest jewelry craze, toutou, craft, or summer camp must-haves: this was the destination for legions of Montrealers.

The store has taken big hits in recent years, says Vininsky, 73, who took over operations from her mother Blossom, and has been working the store for half her life.

Pandemic measures, what she and others see as a less welcoming Queen Mary business artery, and finally, the reserved bus lane eliminating parking in front of her store during prime business hours combined for a perfect storm she could not weather.

“The numbers are just not there,” she told The Suburban. “How much longer can I push?” Vininsky says after plummeting pandemic sales and walk-in business, sales volume dropped an additional 25% since the bus lane was installed in 2022. The lane operates Monday to Friday 6.30 a.m — 9.30 a.m. eastbound and 4 p.m. — 6.30 p.m. westbound.

For months, she and employee Hazel stood outside steering customers away from trying to park curbside, alerting them to a small no-parking sign and pointing them to nearby streets. “If they didn’t find parking, they kept going,” she said. “This is exactly what we feared, what we told the city and borough would happen, over and over again. But they didn’t care. The city pays no credence to business. My customers aren’t going to pick up their kids, or wait for carpool then get on a bus and come over here to shop, right?” She knows several of her clients got expensive parking tickets. “They go home and shop on Amazon, or they head over to the big store parking lot or mall.”

The impact was immediate, but other issues endured, such as garbage collection, litter, graffiti, or presence of panhandlers and drug users on the block. “It just doesn’t feel as welcoming.” Add rising commercial rents and it’s even harder to operate a small, independent business. “The numbers are not there. It does not make sense anymore.”

Vininsky’s been here and in a previous location across the street for 35 years, every day meeting neighbours, talking to customers. She knew what good days and bad days were, adapted to competition with Amazon, eBay, Toys-R-Us; to COVID, and tried to adapt to parking restrictions. She says she’ll try to keep a website running so she can offer some special orders and delivery, but that’s in its infancy.

Snowdon city councillor Sonny Moroz called it “an immeasurable loss to lose a local institution that is made for and by local residents.” Many other businesses started up and failed over the years he says, “but this business has stayed and stood the test of time.”

He says small mom-and-pop-type stores are not incompatible with transit needs and social ills of a modern city, “but decisions are being made downtown that impact local streets, hoping these businesses will benefit from measures without consultation. This business owner knows what works on Queen Mary. People come from around the city to visit this store.”

He says the borough administration did not consider her “legitimate concerns about how a decision made without consultation will impact her bottom line, and now we see the bottom line is that the business is no longer viable here.” Moroz says the STM and mayor promised a study after a year to know the impact. “They said in a year we will know how it’s being impacted. There’s no study being done.”

The Suburban asked the borough of CDN-NDG about that promised impact assessment of the lane, parking changes, ticketing and any measures to mitigate said impact. Borough Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa’s office referred The Suburban to the STM website for information.

Asked for precise information, the STM responded, quoting Katahwa (who is also an STM board member) from a press release about the Côte Saint-Luc Road bus lane, extolling the Queen Mary project’s “positive impacts… The measures taken on this key corridor have reduced travel times by almost 20% and improved punctuality, particularly westbound during the afternoon peak period, by about 35% for lines 51 Édouard-Montpetit and 166 Queen-Mary.” Pressed for details, the STM’s Isabelle Tremblay added that “some 60% of trips are made by bus on this route” and that there has been a reduction of travel time variability: up to 34%” along with a “decrease in customer complaints and comments.”

The Suburban also asked the Agence de mobilité durable about bus lane parking infractions, but the AMD offers no public data. The Suburban has filed an Access to Information request.

No information was provided by the borough or STM about merchant complaints or impacts on their operations. n

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

The Red Coalition anti-racism lobby groups is asking all Quebecers to just say NO to blackface.

With the onset of Black History Month, the coalition announced its campaign to end the practice, recalling that last year a controversy unfolded in the West Island of Montreal surrounding a puppet created by Quebec artist Franck Sylvestre.

With exaggerated features reminiscent of the blackface caricatures donned by white performers in the past, and widely recognized as an offensive stereotype, the Coalition said it has no place with children.

“While Mr. Sylvestre maintained that his puppet was a personal representation and an expression of artistic freedom, it sparked concerns among parents who found its portrayal offensive to the Black community,” according to a Coalition statement. “Consequently, this led to widespread criticism within the Black community and among educators.” At least one municipal performance of his show L’incroyable secret de barbe noire was cancelled as a result of the furor, and in another city the play went on but was removed from the Black History Month activity schedule.

“The Red Coalition supports the objections of the community and denouncing the puppet as a form of ‘Blackface’ emphasizing that it should not be shown to young children,” said RC founder Joel DeBellefeuille. The debate highlights the need to balance freedom of expression, age-appropriate content, and the well-being of young Black students, he says, and the situation calls for a re-evaluation of such props and puppets “to ensure it does not perpetuate offensive stereotypes and harm the affected community.”

Quebec Board of Black Educators president Alix Adrien agreed, stating “We and concerned parents and educators argue that certain expressions may not be suitable for young students, and that there is a societal responsibility to protect them from potentially offensive content.”

The blackface issue has arisen frequently in recent years, as local Quebec theatrical and year-end celebratory broadcasts occasionally feature white actors in blackface, as well as revelations of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s admitted, repeated penchant for donning black and brown face in his youth.

The Red Coalition is inviting everyone to join them in celebrating Black History Month 2024 “by championing inclusivity, equality, and racial justice” and is launching a petition against the practice of Blackface. The Canada-wide petition will be launched on https://redcoalition.ca/ ;n

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

A series of proposals to protect the Jewish community during an unprecedented period of anti-Semitic intimidation, harassment and violence in Montreal was met with derision by the mayor of Côte des Neiges—Notre Dame de Grâce.

Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, in whose borough sits numerous synagogues and Jewish schools, the main campus of Jewish organizations, where a Jewish school was shot at, and where posters of kidnapped children were removed by city workers, and a Jewish community organization was firebombed, denounced on social media the suggestion that “Quebec and other provincial governments should allow trained security guards at community organizations, schools, and other locations where the public gather to be armed during this emergency period and set the rules under which such guns can be carried.” She said the solution to hate crimes is not “the addition of more weapons manipulated by private citizens without coordination or direct links to the chain of command of our public safety system.”

Katahwa characterized that one element of the 22-point Community Action Plan on combating anti-Jewish hate in Canada with a focus on Quebec, as “relaxing gun control” and called it “a fallacious proposal,” singling out borough opposition councillors Sonny Moroz and Stephanie Valenzuela for supporting the initial action plan submitted to Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel.

That plan was also endorsed by TMR Mayor Peter Malouf, Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi, Mount-Royal MP Anthony Housefather, D’Arcy McGee MNA Elizabeth Prass and Mount-Royal—Outremont MNA Michelle Setlakwe. Kasoki accused those endorsing the plan of inviting people “to give into fear.”

Since the October 7 massive terrorist attack on Israel and subsequent, immediate explosion of anti-Jewish harassment and violence in cities across the world, particularly in Montreal, many members of the Jewish community have been asking the provincial government to allow armed off-duty police officers to be stationed at vulnerable targeted locations, or to simply allow trained security professionals to carry firearms much as they already do when transporting cash from private commerce in the midst of public roadways, malls, and parking lots in commercial strips, including in the borough of CDN-NDG.

“The last thing our communities need in these very troubled times is to see such serious, grave and delicate issues used for partisan purposes,” said Moroz in a post on X. Ensemble Montréal equally denounced what they call Katahwa’s “misinformation” about the Action Plan to Combat Anti-Jewish Hatred in Canada, particularly in Quebec: “Ensemble Montréal is not in favor of loosening firearm control,” reads a party statement. “Rather than trying to score political points, the Montreal administration should channel all its efforts into finding solutions and taking strong, concerted action to restore solidarity and peace of mind in our metropolis.”

As reported by several media outlets, the Action Plan is in its infancy and a new version will be published shortly. And while the opposition does not support the idea of temporarily introducing armed security guards in Jewish schools, it notes the proposed Action Plan addresses an important problem: “the insecurity and violence experienced by our communities. Ensemble Montréal elected officials are among the signatories, because we believe such a plan is essential.”

Katahwa’s publications are “unworthy of an elected official, whose role is to listen to and analyze the concerns and demands of all citizens and communities, without judgment,” they said in a statement Thursday. “Remember, we must counter misinformation, not encourage it. That’s the vision of Ensemble Montréal, a party committed to honest, humane and inclusive politics.” n

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

Last call for a Momesso’s sub was supposed to be January 27. Unexpectedly,the iconic southern NDG eatery announced that it was closed as of this past Monday, a few months after announcing that the business was up for sale.

“Since 1978 the corner of Old Orchard and Upper Lachine has been a place we called home,” the family wrote on its Facebook page. “Since our family arrived from Italy we have been welcomed to NDG with open arms. It is with a heavy heart we must say goodbye to all of you. All good things eventually come to an end but the memories live on.”

Momesso’s has long been home to a great chicken or sausage sub and was a resource if you found yourself in a last-minute desperate search for a deck of Scopa cards. The basement digs of Momesso’s on Upper Lachine in the south-eastern NDG St. Raymond district was a go-to spot for filling your tummy with grease and catching a Habs game.

The 45-year-old business launched by the family of former Canadiens left-winger Sergio Momesso has been managed by Sergio’s brother Paolo since the passing of their father in 2006.

“Many things have changed in the area over the years but our recipes and little spot on the corner have stood the test of time. We want to thank our faithful clients, friends and family from near and far. Without you we would not be who we are.

Thank you very much. Ciao!” n

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante called it another “excellent reason to choose Montreal to start your family!” Despina Sourias, associate executive committee advisor for the women, diversity, youth and seniors called it “a symbol of Montreal pride,” that will allow thousands of children and families “to get off to an easier start in life, thus contributing to quality of life and equal opportunities.”

That’s a lot of bang for the colourful box filled with $200 worth of baby swag, like a bib, rattle, pants, blanket, and other “ecological, safe, non-gendered” items from local suppliers. Distributed by municipal libraries, for children 0 – 12 months, the city’s new Bienvenue Bébé box is meant to welcome wee Montrealers to the world, “and strengthen families’ sense of belonging to their city.”

Sounds good, right?

Not so much to former CDN-NDG mayoralty candidate Alex Montagano. “It’s just a silly PR stunt that will cost taxpayers money,” he told The Suburban. “Imagine all the resources that went into this while our food banks are struggling. It’s just a silly feel-good distraction, instead of city councillors focusing on day-to-day city services that families really need.”

True to form, Montagano, who once secretly added garbage bins to borough parks at a lower cost than the city which continues to service them without a clue, is not averse to his own silly PR stunt to highlight what he calls city élus’ folly.

His tongue-in-cheek reply to the Montreal Bébé Box rollout is his own welcome gift: the CDN-NDG Baby Bucket. It includes everything from mini traffic cones and detour signs to baby’s first lighter (with candles for all those NDG hydro blackouts.) A litter grabber and commercial grade garbage bags for dirty streets and parks are in there, as are important instructions, e.g. use the bucket to bathe the baby “but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Of course it’s nonsense, says Montagano, who has for years hammered successive administrations over inadequate investments in park maintenance, street cleaning, garbage collection and infrastructure. But the message is real: the Bucket’s detour signs and construction cones introduce CDN-NDG newborns to their new confusing environment and must be moved “randomly without notice,” he says. When the baby cries in confusion, “never explain why it’s being done. Learning to cope with being frustrated are important skill sets to have for living in CDN-NDG.”

The durable plastic bucket serves many functions, including “a convenient scoop to drain flood-prone NDG basements of backed-up sewage,” and the cute parent and baby hardhats are a must for strolling beneath those local old, neglected city trees. “I can’t wait to get elected,” says Montagano, “so that I can consume city resources on my personal pet projects that will get feel-good fluff stories in the local press.”

To pick up the city’s Bienvenue Bébé Box for your new arrival, visit https://montreal.ca/…/welcom….

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

A group of NDG residents affected by the July 2023 floods are seeking class action status to sue the city of Montreal and CDN-NDG Borough Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa for negligence, willful blindness and bad faith.

About 80 millimeters of rain fell on Montreal over a few hours on July 13; some neighborhoods hit much harder than others, including parts of Loyola district where many victims faced municipal responses highlighting the storm’s rarity, residents’ responsibilities, and climate change. “Climate change is no free pass,” says lawyer Charles O’Brien representing applicants, and faulting the city for “not doing their job. Instead, they blame the victims. It’s deceitful.”

Presumed class representative Ilana Grostern and other residents sent some 350 notices to the city within the 15-day claims window, and with few exceptions received rejection letters from Montreal’s Bureau des réclamations stating: “an atmospheric disturbance originating from the United States intensified, resulting in exceptional precipitation. These unpredictable weather conditions affected our operations.” Then it continued: “Please note that we will not be revising any decisions regarding the storm on July 13, 2023.”

Out of pocket some $20,000 and looking at $30,000 more, Grostern says when presented with evidence of infrastructure neglect, “the party line denialism on the part of elected officials and bureaucrats was so degrading and demeaning that I didn’t want anyone to feel as soiled as I did. So legal system it is.”

A trial could begin within a year, the action representing some 1,000 Loyola residents in the quadrilateral of Coronation, Côte Saint-Luc, Fielding, and Brock. The suit seeks tens of thousands of dollars for material damages, increased insurance costs and more for each member, as people’s health, financial security and home values continued to suffer, and peace of mind remains heavily affected: “When it starts to rain people fear leaving the house, they start sandbagging,” says O’Brien. “The stress is unbelievable.”

The suit will highlight a voluminous, 2012 city-commissioned engineering report recommending $270 million (2012 dollars) in major infrastructure upgrades to ensure city-approved developments like the MUHC super-hospital and others would not overload the system. It figures in a similar pending lawsuit representing some 500 residents against the city and Lachine borough Mayor Maja Vodanovic. “Given Defendants presumed knowledge of the Report” reads the Lachine claim, “these omissions must be considered intentional, justifying punitive and Charter damages.”

As the Plante administration’s point-person on water, Vodanovic told Grostern at August city council that homeowners must upgrade their properties and the city will help, including printing brochures to guide them. Vodanovic would not comment on the matter because it’s before the courts. Katahwa told The Suburban “since the July 13 flooding, we have been there for the affected citizens. We understand it was a difficult situation.” As the matter has now become a subject of legal proceedings, she said she will “not issue any comments pertaining to the lawsuit for the moment.”

O’Brien says the city and borough mayors know there is a massive amount of work to do. “They knew about it; they simply didn’t do it. They’re happy to get tax revenue from development but are not putting money into needed corrections for infrastructure — some of which dates from the 1890s.” He says the city’s repeated contention that no city could have handled such flooding is a “crazy, meaningless statement. It’s all propaganda, making up stories to not do what they are legally bound to do.”

Grostern agrees: “The gaslighting and straw-manning I’ve experienced both personally and at the few borough meetings I made the mistake of attending makes me wonder why anyone bothers to deal with these people. If politicking, personal image, and personal agendas are more important to the people we elect and hire, then let’s let a higher authority determine responsibility.”

As increasing numbers of residents lose insurance or insurance affordability, O’Brien says the city must pay. “If the insurer won’t insure, then it’s up to the state to pay, or put in place the system to ensure this doesn’t happen. The victim does NOT pay.” n

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

Some 15,000 Montreal students are walking, carpooling, taxiing and Ubering their way to school Tuesday as the Transco bus driver strike continues.

About 350 drivers of the school bus company serving the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal, the English Montreal School Board, the Lester B. Pearson School Board and the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Service Centre have been on an unlimited general strike since October 31, with no settlement despite the return to school of more than 360,000 Quebec students following two months of public sector labour disturbances. The union has been negotiating with the employer for about 18 months.

Drivers’ demands center on boosting salaries which the union says can easily be financed by the 25% increase the company received from the CAQ government in 2021-2022.

The return of thousands of students, the loss of bus transportation and the arrival of the season’s first snowstorm makes for a perfect storm, says Colette Fortin, dropping off her daughters at École des Cinq-Continents’ two Snowdon campuses. “My employer said we could leave early today but that doesn’t help us this morning.” She was peeved, along with many other parents, that snow clearing operations for a very minor amount of snow on the opposite side of the street proceeded during drop-off time.

“It’s as if the city, school centres, bus drivers, unions, viruses and Mother Nature are conspiring to keep Quebec kids,” she laughs. “And parents too. I have to start work at 9:30 today instead of 8 a.m.. It feels like everything is broken.”

In November, the drivers’ union (STTT–CSN) served notice on the bus company, claiming illegal actions including attempts to negotiate directly with drivers and undermining negotiations at the bargaining table. They denounced the employer’s offer which amounted to a salary less than $32,000, which the union rejected outright, saying it was unacceptable considering employees must be available on a split schedule mornings and afternoons and prevents most of them from acquiring a second job for 10 months per year.

Most boards and service centres are offering increased supervision services after school to accommodate parents’ schedules. n

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

One element of the Community Action Plan being developed to protect Montreal Jews during an unprecedented period of anti-Semitic intimidation, harassment and violence was met with harsh criticism by the mayor of Côte des Neiges—Notre Dame de Grâce.

Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, in whose borough sits numerous synagogues, Jewish schools, the main campus of Jewish organizations, where a Jewish school was shot at, and where posters of kidnapped children were removed by city workers and a Jewish community organization was firebombed, took issue with the idea that Quebec allow armed, trained security guards at community organizations, schools, and other locations where the public gathers during this emergency period, and establish rules under which such weapons can be carried.

“I deeply empathize with the Jewish community’s concerns about safety and security, especially given the troubling rise in antisemitic incidents in our country,” Katahwa told The Suburban, noting Montreal has spent over $2 million in police overtime to increase neighbourhood patrols, and reiterated her commitment “to supporting concrete and effective measures that fight all hate and discrimination, including antisemitism, but this proposal is not the solution that I believe is in our borough’s better interests.”

The immediate explosion of anti-Jewish hate, harassment and violence in cities across the globe, and particularly in Montreal, following the October 7 terrorist massacre of Israelis, prompted appeals from many Montreal Jews to provincial authorities to allow armed off-duty police officers to be stationed at vulnerable locations, or simply allow trained professionals to carry firearms — as they already do when transporting cash from private commerce in the midst of busy public roadways and parking lots across Montreal.

Katahwa had characterized that element of the 22-point Community Action Plan on combating anti-Jewish hate as “relaxing gun control” and “American style” solutions, accusing endorsers of the plan of inviting people “to give into fear,” singling out her opposition colleagues Snowdon city councillor Sonny Moroz and Darlington city councillor Stephanie Valenzuela. Quebec and Montreal have long had a strong gun control consensus that must be maintained, she said, particularly in a borough bearing the heavy scars of the Polytechnique massacre.

The Plan was also endorsed by Town of Mount Royal Mayor Peter Malouf, Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi, Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, as well as D’Arcy McGee MNA Elizabeth Prass and Mount-Royal—Outremont MNA Michelle Setlakwe. Quebec’s Public Security Minister François Bonnardel had already rejected the notion, insisting existing public security forces are up for the task of protecting Montreal’s targeted Jewish population.

Ensemble Montreal stated it is not in favour of loosening gun controls and denounced what they called Katahwa’s “misinformation” about the Action Plan to Combat Anti-Jewish Hatred. The Opposition insists the Plante administration channel its efforts into finding solutions “and taking strong, concerted action to restore solidarity and peace of mind in our metropolis.” n

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

“The city cannot just tell citizens to install backflow valves and shrug their shoulders” says Vana Nazarian.

At city council last week, the Côte-de-Liesse councillor slammed the Plante administration’s funding of water services in Montreal’s 2023-2032 $24 billion capital investment program (PDI). The city has a responsibility because throughout the years issued building permits to build residences in riverbeds, basins and problem areas she says, adding the administration needs “to establish a vision of major projects, instead it is selling us the idea of sponge parks.”

Nazarian panned the amounts slated over the next decade (some $6.1 billion); despite a $788 million hike from the previous plan, “these amounts represent only a very small part of the required investments,”

and maintains that recent years’ investments averaged less than $500 million while some $1.3 billion was required.

“During the 2023 PDI, the administration had planned to invest $763 million for the year 2023, while this year, it plans $701 million for 2024.” So, while the general PDI increases, “in the short term it will be less money.” More money is spent on “maintenance” and “catch-up” operations than yearly investments in the water service says the opposition critic for water infrastructure, adding while work is underway to mitigate risks in the most at-risk pipes or those likely to cause the most damage, the department has neither the budget nor the capacity to do otherwise.

The administration has made renewing secondary waterworks and sewer networks a priority, investing $1.8 invested over a decade, including replacement of lead service lines. “Additional investments are also planned for the primary aqueduct network ($509 million), retention structures ($339.5 million) and primary sewer network ($244 million).” Nazarian is unimpressed, noting the city has replaced 40 of 69 kms of targeted drinking water pipes, and 55 of 85 kms of sewer replacement/rehabilitation. “The administration has, in six years of management, never reached its targets for replacement or renewal of aqueducts and rarely reached those for the sewers.”

Drainage projects investment increases $188 million to upgrade interceptors, collectors and retention structures, but she says it’s unclear which neighbourhoods will be prioritized as studies carried out by the water service demonstrate need for rapid intervention in hard-hit sectors, but designs “have not yet been initiated by the administration.”

“Do we need draining parks? Certainly. Do we need to integrate them into planning? Absolutely. But will the drainage plan solve the problems of the water service or vulnerable citizens affected by floods? Absolutely not… Citizens of Parthenais, Montgomery, Cadillac, Coronation, Fielding, Lanouette and Victoria streets, to name a few, will always live in uncertainty until the work is done,” noting sums kick in in 2026 and there are no details about locations of planned projects. “No ideas, zero details, no plans or visions but good news, we have funds planned!”

She lauds the additional $93 million for multifunctional green infrastructure to develop 40 resilient parks in 2024 and 2025 but deplores the dearth of large-scale projects, contending most parks being designed are low volume, offering minimal impact during torrential rains. “I’m not saying they shouldn’t be done, but the administration should focus its energy on projects with the potential to have a significant impact on flooded citizens.”

“All projects under this administration have doubled or tripled in cost, in time. This is not a random observation, it is a systematic situation. In six years, this administration has not been able to ensure the sustainability of the water service and today we are at this point. We add amounts here and there, we put band-aids on the problems, but what is the vision?”

Nazarian cited the cancelled major Leduc collector project in her own Saint-Laurent borough, whose plans and specifications were completed in 2020-2021, and meant to address 13 episodes of torrential rain over 20 years. “The requirement at the time was 68,000 m3 which today is nearly 112,000 cubic metres. In the meantime, the absorption capacity of the drainage parks is 15,000 cubic metres. We are very far from meeting the need!”

Resilient parks, plazas and streets absorb water otherwise headed for sewers, but are no panacea she says. “It’s an illusion to think so. Other cities with recurrent flooding problems have decided to carry out both green infrastructure and heavy structural works.”

While the city plan includes programs to maintain drinking water assets, e.g. treatment plants ($422.9 million) and reservoirs and pumping stations ($97.8 million), Nazarian says “our sewers are overflowing, we produce so much clean drinking water that is wasted or rather lost in our aging and leaking infrastructures.”

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

The first edition of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce’s $500,000 participatory budget launched on March 15 wrapped up last week, with five winning projects co-created by borough residents.

1,600 voting residents selected the winning projects: Secure our bike paths ($30,000); Secure pedestrian walkways ($40,000); Collective urban agriculture ($200,000); Community refrigerators ($45,000); and accessible public washrooms ($150,000).

“When it comes to neighbourhood life and our day-to-day experience in the city, residents are well-placed to tell us what they need,” said Borough Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa. “These projects reflect what we all want for CDN–NDG: a greener, more inclusive borough, and above all a borough where residents enjoy a good quality of life.”

The first step was to gauge the needs of the population. Solutions then emerged in response to the needs expressed which were then transformed into projects, which various experts at the borough analyzed and costed out. The projects that needed improvement were sent back to the drawing board as part of a final citizen workshop exercise. A total of seven in-person workshops were held to gather ideas and merge or improve them.

The final vote was held between November 1 and December 3, online and on paper, and at borough facilities. Two committees were formed to ensure a transparent process, with experts from the borough, and external partners (Université de Montréal, Concordia and the Conseil jeunesse de CDN–NDG).

Residents turned out in force to make this first participatory budget a success: 3,200 visits to the Réalisons Montréal web platform; 140 ideas from residents transformed into 53 projects; 305 in-person workshop visits and 15 finalist projects.

The winning projects will be implemented over the next 24 months. The list of projects that made the final selection can be viewed online at makingmtl.ca

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

As February’s vote on the controversial Terrebonne bike path approaches, opponents have captured media attention around the city, allied with residents from other boroughs feeling excluded from the process, and challenged the CDN-NDG administration on its plan and consultation model.

There is also some discussion in their 400-plus-member Facebook group about electoral considerations, notably Loyola incumbent Despina Sourias and Borough Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, who won their seats in 2021 by paper-thin margins (101 and 161 votes respectively); signalling that an administration deaf to residents’ concerns will hear them come election time.

For many it’s simply the feeling they’re being ignored, and that “it’s all dictated by downtown” says long-time Terrebonne homeowner Valerie Keszey, who will be significantly impacted by the plan to eliminate hundreds of parking spots and split Terrebonne into two one-way roads with a two-way year-round bike path. “Projet Montréal and Gracia are not listening to us,” she told The Suburban. “The administration is only listening to pro-bike path constituents… Mayor Plante wants bike paths all over Montreal and Gracia has to please her boss.”

Fourteen parking spaces will go on her block alone; 14 families competing with others for spots elsewhere. “With all that parking removed and snowbanks, it’s going to be horrendous.” Keszey supports a bike lane, “but keep the parking. I don’t see any bikes on Walkley and there are two lanes. Why can’t it be like on Lacombe? Like Côte Saint-Antoine or NDG Ave.? One lane and parking on both sides?”

Noemi Sullivan supports “a” Terrebonne path, but not necessarily the current plan. Riding on Girouard near Terrebonne, she would rather see Girouard “much more protected,” than putting money and effort into a new two-way path. “For me it doesn’t matter if a path is one-way, only make it super secure with another direction on a parallel street. It spreads the hassle for residents who have cars and tenants and visitors. And the one-way road change will make it crazy for buses and schools.”

Keszey owns a car but has no driveway or garage. She bikes occasionally to the grocery store, or to downtown appointments, but feels her side of the story isn’t being heard. “It’s very frustrating for me and many people I speak to. All I see around us are ghost paths, not being used, and older residents will have to walk long distances to find their car all year long. This will screw over all those people.”

She isn’t buying any “build it and they will come” concept. “The administration might be drawing at straws to push their agenda… I don’t ride my bike in winter, nor would I try to, and most people I know wouldn’t either. So who will be using this? If they are not listening to us, then who exactly are they listening to? I know who I’m going to vote for next time. But 2025 is not coming soon enough. Please hear us. We need our cars.”

Sourias recognizes the concerns about redesign and how it alters daily life for residents, telling The Suburban her conversations with the community have involved “a range of emotions: from frustration to optimism, particularly among young families excited about improved safety. I want to assure you that my colleagues and I are not just overseeing but are deeply committed to this project. We understand the frustration felt by some, and we are dedicated to working closely with all residents and services to create a redesign that not only ensures safety, but also respects and enhances the community’s way of life on Terrebonne.”

Terrebonne resident Nora Kelly is skeptical. “It’s difficult to trust an administration that refuses to address important issues and refused to consult in a meaningful manner,” accusing Katahwa and council of ignoring problems cited in the city ombudsman’s report concerning the first version of the Terrebonne path. “Your mandate was not to operate with the tunnel vision of a lobby group but to represent the community in its entirety.” She said council is spending “extravagantly” on non-priority issues, noting CDN-NDG taxes have gone up more than the Montreal average, while “Plante’s (Ville Marie) district has gone up less than inflation. Remember Mrs. Mayor that it is the citizens that are your employers and not strictly an ideology fanned by Mrs. Plante and her lobby group.” n

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

“Don’t take us for fools.”

That was just one message delivered last Thursday night as some 300 people came to Benny library for a long-awaited info session on the controversial Terrebonne bike path planned for next summer.

CDN-NDG borough announced that Terrebonne would be transformed into two one-way roads from Cavendish heading east toward Girouard and west towards Belmore, and according to the plan there would only be 171 parking spaces left of the original 478, with all parking removed on the north side.

Borough mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa subsequently clarified at Monday’s council that it will not be 300 parking spaces removed per se from Terrebonne, but rather 200. The discrepancy in numbers is due to the fact that remaining spaces would not actually be removed, but rather liberated by the borough enforcing parking rules already in place, i.e., restrictions on cars parking too close to the intersections.

It’s the newest version of a plan which went ahead in 2020 as a pilot project but quickly scrapped due to overwhelming opposition.

The new plan comes from a technical report the borough commissioned at a cost of $150,000, and requires installation of 200 signs, 350 bollards, eight planters and thousands of linear metres of street markings for an estimated cost of $219,000.

Valerie Keszey bought her home on Terrebonne some 20 years ago with the ability to park outside, she told a group of fellow bike path opponents before the meeting. “I don’t have private parking, I have to park on the street. I can’t put my car in my pocket… Removing 300 parking spaces on Terrebonne is unacceptable.”

More than 200 people filled the room to capacity, leaving some 50 frustrated residents in the lobby waiting for people to leave so they could enter. One man stormed out early saying if the city’s experts “don’t live on Terrebonne then they are not experts.” The presentation was in French, spoken and displayed, but printed English copies were handed out and Loyola councillor Despina Sourias translated responses from the staff during question period, where residents were cautioned to ask only technical and not political questions.

The session was not billed as a consult, which raised the ire of many opponents. “When are we going to have a real consultation?” Irwin Rappoport asked NDG councillor Peter McQueen before the session began. “This is a consultation” replied McQueen, gesturing to the panel. “You know that’s not true” Rappoport replied.

Confusion reigned over the meeting’s vocation, critics repeatedly demanding true consultation take place, the plan seen as a fait accompli by many around the room when Katahwa spoke about discussions with residents, suggesting consultation had taken place. “Where was the consultation?” many shouted.

Katahwa said the study was released in October “so we would have a good six months to answer your questions.” On social media and in a press conference the day before the meeting, opponents of the plan insisted they support bike paths but not without proper consultation of residents affected. “Your concerns are really valid and that’s why I want to hear from you,” said the mayor. “Our goal tonight is to foster a real dialogue where your voices are heard… This is not the end,” she assured, suggesting even after a vote is taken in the new year “we still have time to listen and hear how we can improve the configuration… We are not only here to explain but to listen.”

While reasons cited for opposing the plan are numerous, some slam what they call skewed city priorities, with residents on the road still waiting for Montreal to change their lead water pipes, which won’t happen for at least a year after the path is implemented. Borough planner Jonathan Leduc said currently 400-500 bikes travel the road daily.

Despite rules that only technical questions would be entertained, some residents lambasted the administration for what they claim was bad data, ignoring residents’ positions, lack of consultation, making assumptions on winter usage, selectivity in data collection days and more.

“How are we going to keep paths clear and safe for cyclists if we can’t keep sidewalks clear for pedestrians” asked one woman, to which Sourias replied that a pilot project for Walkley and Lacombe bike paths would determine how. Another resident said the previous bike path attempt, which for her as a woman with a rare disease and who walks with a cane to her car, “was revolting.” She noted Projet Montréal sent out a notice “telling people to come and support this… As a citizen,” she asked Katahwa and McQueen, “respect people for once. Don’t take us for fools!”

Sourias insisted there is no fait accompli, good news for EMSB chair Joe Ortona who told the panel that Willingdon, St. Monica and Mackay schools are on Terrebonne, and administrators’ impression of meetings they had with the borough was precisely that. “If you’re telling us tonight that this is not, I find that reassuring because there were several issues.” For example, he says at Mackay, where many students are severely handicapped, “we have a drop-off on the land but there’s currently a drop-off zone on the north side of Terrebonne on the street. They would be moved to the south” and families drive big vans because they have disabled children that they have to carry and now they have to cross the street.” For all schools he says school buses, pick-up and drop-off on Terrebonne would be disrupted because of the new one-way configuration. The borough “is open to some adjustments,” said Leduc. “We will continue the dialogue with your schools.”

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

Among the more than 70,000 elected officials, bureaucrats, scientists, media, lobbyists, entrepreneurs, academics and observers descending on Dubai this week, will be Official Opposition Liberal critic for environment and climate change, Désirée McGraw.

The Notre-Dame-de-Grâce MNA will be one of the throngs walking the halls of the COP28 (2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference) this week, the only Quebec opposition member to do so.

As local green entrepreneurs and the provincial environment and business ministers bring Quebec’s message to the table, McGraw is part of the Quebec delegation while serving as a counterweight to the official provincial line, investigating on her own what the rest of the world is doing in terms of civil society, the private sector, and what lessons can be brought home to Quebec and Canada for achieving carbon neutrality.

The former youth ambassador at the Rio Youth Summit and reporter says she’ll be watching all negotiations closely. “The government invited, and I accepted. I believe it’s my duty as the critic on climate change to be there and play that role and hold our government to account,” McGraw told The Suburban.

In light of the recent controversy over FTQ union president Magali Picard jetting off to the Dubai summit while almost half a million public sector workers walk frigid picket lines in Quebec, McGraw understands the cynicism, but says “believe me, no one is going on vacation. It’s very intense and I don’t expect to be seeing much of Dubai, which is fine, because I’m there to work.”

What she’s concerned about when people watch these conferences “is that it should not lull people into a false sense of progress, just because people are meeting and talking necessarily, it’s far from sufficient… When the rubber hits the road,” it’s about implementing programs and policies to meet targets “or it’s meaningless.” While bold agreements are needed, “the real work is when you go home and the concern is the targets need to be aligned with reality, science, and then work at a national level and come up with a plan and actions that meet those.”

For example, Quebec has a green plan “but our targets are insufficient to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” and not on track in the short term to meet GHG reductions required compared to 2005 levels, with only 65% of measures in place. In other words, “inadequate measures to get to inadequate targets.”

“Quebec has no excuse; we should be leaders… because our economy is set up for success. There were decisions made — by a Liberal government — in the 1960s to invest in hydro power, clean energy, which does have some environmental challenges but from a carbon, climate perspective, it’s low to zero emissions,” and then under former Premier Jean Charest, Quebec created the first ever carbon market in North America along with California. “Right now with the CAQ, we’re kind of resting on our laurels.”

“Part of the reason I’m going to COP is for solutions; people can get overwhelmed by the science and intellectual pessimism, but we have to be operatively optimistic. It’s an honour and a duty to go, and that’s why I accepted.” 

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

The Red Coalition (RC) anti-racism lobby group and the Jewish Community Council (JCC) are calling for the resignation of Montreal’s Commissioner for the Fight Against Racism and Systemic Discrimination, Bochra Manaï.

Since the creation of the Bureau, both the Commissioner and former executive committee chair Dominique Ollivier have chosen to remain silent and diminish all matters regarding racism and discrimination denounced by Black and racialized City of Montreal employees, says the Coalition. “Both Ms. Ollivier and Ms. Manaï have been aware of the suffering of several of their employees for a long time,” says executive director Joel DeBellefeuille. “They did not act swiftly, but instead chose to remain silent.” As the head of the Office de consultation publique de Montréal in 2020, Ollivier released a report suggesting that in combatting racism and discrimination, the City of Montreal should become an example and serve as a model for its partners, suppliers and civil society. However, following the 2021 municipal elections and with the appointment of Ms. Ollivier as an elected official responsible for the anti-racism and discrimination dossier, says the RC, “the Bureau has gone from having an anti-racism approach to a posture designed to accommodate resistance to change.”

The Coalition maintains after three years of the Bureau’s existence, racism and discrimination are rampant and employees have given up on the prospect of any meaningful changes going forward. RC director of racial profiling and public safety Alain Babineau says Manaï went along with that new stance. “Ms. Manaï has lost the respect of Black and racialized employees, their families and most recently, members of religious and ethnic communities spread across the island of Montreal. The city has also betrayed and failed those who participated in the OCPM public consultation.”

The JCC’s Kalman Emanuel stated even stronger charges. “Since the terrorist attack on Israel on Hamas we have seen an unprecedented rise in antisemitism and repeated attacks on Jewish schools, synagogues and institutions. Our community is frightened. Children are scared to go to school and members of our community are hesitant to attend services. At times like these we need leaders who will stand up against hatred while striving to build bridges between Montrealers of different religions and backgrounds. When she was appointed in 2021 as our City’s first Commissioner to Fight Racism and Systemic Discrimination, Bochra Manaï said, ‘I will be able to put forward my skills in developing strategies to counter discrimination, my leadership in putting into action anti-racist interventions as well as my strengths to raise awareness, develop tools and strengthen the city’s capacity to fight against racism and discrimination.’ The Commissioner’s actions speak louder than her words. Ms. Manai has attended pro-Palestinian rallies and made inappropriate posts on social media. Two weeks ago, our community called upon her to speak out against antisemitism yet she remains silent while our schools and synagogues continue to suffer a wave of anti-Semitic attacks.”

Manaï has been harshly criticized by several Jewish organizations following revelations of her activities including participation in demonstrations which featured highly inflammatory anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric, all while remaining silent as the number of antisemitic incidents, including shootings, fire-bombings and assaults, have risen in the city since the October 7 terrorist attacks on Israel. Calls for her resignation were rebuffed by the Plante administration which instead has mandated her to build bridges with the community.

The Red Coalition was instrumental in orchestrating the March 2023 denunciations revealed in a series of media reports and since that time, these employees have not received an official apology from the City, nor has the City created an independent entity to deal with such complaints. “Instead, the Plante administration has proudly announced the creation of a ‘one-stop counter’ to handle racism and systemic discrimination complaints.” The “zero-tolerance” message sent by city director-general Serge Lamontagne in March “is being laughed at by those set on maintaining the status quo. In many instances it has produced a backlash against racialized employees. There is no faith in that new process!” says DeBellefeuille.

The RC has filed a racial harassment and racial discrimination complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission against Manaï and the City on behalf of EDI expert Nathalie Carrénard who herself is part of the bureau. “Many racialized employees have turned to the Red Coalition for help and to speak on their behalf! They are afraid of retaliations from the city,” says Babineau. The RC has also filed a complaint with the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés regarding an ex-employee of the City who made misogynistic and racist comments towards colleagues, including Carrénard, while working for the city.

Emanuel pointed out that, “A Molotov cocktail damaged our entranceway. Leaders from across the political spectrum spoke out against this horrific act, and many took the time to visit our premises to express sympathy and solidarity. Ms. Manai’s silence was deafening. At a time of increased tension in our city we need a Commissioner to Fight Racism andSystemic Discrimination who is willing to stand up and be counted. In her actions and her words, the Commissioner has to personify the values that bring peace and safety to all Montrealers. Ms. Manai does not have the credibility or the moral fiber to do the job. She should resign or be dismissed.” 

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

As part of the 12 Days of action against Gender Violence running until December 6, SHELTER MOVERS has launched its new campaign ‘’Let’s act on precariousness, let’s fight against gender violence ‘’ to raise awareness of women’s socio-economic conditions and the impact of gender-based violence.

SHELTER MOVERS is a Canada-wide, volunteer-driven charitable organization that provides free moving and storage services to families fleeing violence. Since its inception in 2020, over 500 moves have been completed in Quebec alone. It’s the only service of its kind in Quebec. In collaboration with local businesses and community agencies, the organization supports people who want to break the cycle of violence and overcome the financial obstacles preventing them from leaving abusive environments.

Prominent Quebecers will participate in the campaign’s flagship event, which will take place on December 4. Singer-songwriter Laurence Jalbert will give a lecture, which will be preceded by a panel discussion. Moderator Janine Ross will lead the panel, which will also include former Minister of Status of Women Christine St-Pierre, Annick Brazeau (President of the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de la violence conjugale) and Anuradha Dugal (Vice President, Community Initiatives at the Canadian Women’s Foundation).

” When you are transitioning to a life without violence, you often leave everything behind. A service like « SHELTER MOVERS » which provides, thanks to volunteers, free moving and storage services, is a game changer and a huge impact said Jalbert who is inviting Quebecers to support, financially or voluntarily, the activities of organizations that work with women and children in difficulty. Anyone interested in attending the online panel is invited to register on the campaign page: https://mailchi.mp/transitseco…

Joel Ceausu – The Suburban LJI Reporter

Some high school students who were doubly burdened by concerns over midterm board exams and lost days of learning due to the teachers’ strike, may breathe a small sigh of relief after the EMSB announced that it is cancelling school board midterm exams scheduled for January.

Unlike the provincial ministry exams, the EMSB board exams are not required for graduation.

The school board wrote to parents calling the decision “a necessary adjustment to our academic calendar” due to the “interruption of service caused by the strike days.” After discussion with school principals, the board decided to axe the January exams, although teachers can still hold in-class assessments. The board says their decision “aims to provide teachers with more time and allow students to focus on learning without the added burden of impending board exams.” n