Local Journalism Initiative

Bristol livestock farm incubator seeking new applicants

Local Journalism Initiative / / /
Sophie Kuijper Dickson, reporter
Funded by the Local Journalism Initiative

A new farm incubator project in Bristol is offering people looking to get into livestock farming an opportunity to do so without having to fork up the money to buy land.
A piece of land at the corner of Knox Road and the Eighth Line in Bristol was purchased last year by the Centre de recherche et de développement technologique agricole de l’Outaouais (CREDÉTAO), an organization that works to develop agriculture in the Outaouais region.
Fencing for rotational grazing and irrigation were installed last summer.
Now the organization is hoping to find two people interested in trying their hand at livestock farming to do so on this piece of land, beginning this spring.
“We’ll have full infrastructure in place, and the new farmers need to just bring their animals”, said Ana McBride, the program manager for the livestock incubator project.
“We are looking for someone either that’s starting their farm, are new in farming, or are looking to diversify.”
McBride explained that currently about 50 acres of the pasture is set up for finishing two herds of beef cattle, with another five acres available for other animal production.
The organization also hopes to open another 30 or so acres on the property for another kind of livestock production in the back field, across the Quyon River, but that will take some time to develop.
The initiative is modeled off an organic market gardening incubator farm that has been running in L’Ange-Gardien, Que. near Buckingham, for over a decade, and has been acclaimed as one of the most successful farm start-up programs in the province, according to McBride.
Making land more accessible
Pontiac’s new livestock incubator is one of three that were launched across the MRCs in the Outaouais in the fall of 2023.
In MRC de la Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, the incubator is focused on small fruit production, while the project in MRC Papineau is focused on small forestry agriculture including sugar bush production and intercropping, the practice of growing fields of crops between rows of trees.
“The whole project across all of the incubators is to help with access to land, which we know is kind of difficult,” McBride said.
“It’s also to help farmers get started and focus on the business aspect of their farm and then see how viable it is without having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on acquiring land, acquiring infrastructure,” she explained.
The only cost for use of the land in Bristol will be a yearly rental fee, which McBride figures will be about $3,000.
So far, she said, the project has received some interest from already-established farmers interested in renting pasture, but that this is not quite the demographic CREDÉTAO is hoping to attract.
“We want to help people get started,” McBride said. “We’re really looking to help out people that don’t have access to family land.”
Tailored to the Pontiac
The new farm incubator in Bristol is the first in the province to focus on livestock.
McBride said a livestock farming incubator was chosen for the MRC Pontiac because the region has a long history of successful beef and dairy farmers.
“It’s been an important economic driver in the MRC for a long time, and the Pontiac would offer a supportive community for a new livestock farmer to join,” McBride said.
While many of the incubators in Quebec are focused on market gardening, McBride said livestock farming is one of the most expensive types of farming one can take on if there is not already a livestock business in the family.
The decision to set up a livestock incubator was based on research conducted by CREDÉTAO in 2019, and also based on feedback from a local steering committee that was set up at the MRC to consult on this project .
Shanna Armstrong, the MRC’s economic development commissioner for agriculture, was one of the people on this committee.
She said she has seen farmers who have come out of the incubator in L’Ange Gardien start businesses in the Pontiac region, so she knows this model has been successful, and she believes it can work here.
“We have really good land for animal production, and the cost of land here is lower than much of the rest of the Outaouais,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong noted that part of the selection process will include submitting a business plan so the applicant can indicate they are aware getting into livestock farming will be a longer-term projec and will not turn an immediate profit.
The goal, she added, is for “new farmers starting out [in the Pontiac], getting experience and building up their business, and then they also build up some equity with that and can hopefully look for farms within the Pontiac.”

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CAQ MNAs donate $25,000 to Centre de bénévolat et moisson Laval

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From the left, David Arseneault, political attaché for the riding of Laval-des-Rapides, Valérie Schmaltz, MNA for Vimont, Alice Abou-Khalil, MNA for Fabre, Jean Gagnon, executive director of the Centre de bénévolat et moisson Laval, and Christopher Skeete, MNA for Sainte-Rose and minister responsible for the Laval region.

Martin C. Barry

A few days before Christmas, Laval’s four CAQ MNAs joined together to donate $25,000 to the Centre de bénévolat et moisson Laval.

“This financial assistance was necessary so that Moisson Laval could meet the growing demand for food aid,” said Christopher Skeete, MNA for Sainte-Rose and minister responsible for the Laval region.

“I would like to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of the volunteers who are working hard during this difficult time,” he added.

“The Centre de bénévolat et Moisson Laval, through its admirable work, resolves any situation of need for food with respect and dignity,”said the MNA for Fabre, Alice Abou-Khalil. “By fighting hunger and poverty, this exceptional organization is making a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most.”

Jean Gagnon, executive director of the Centre de bénévolat et moisson Laval, thanked the four MNAs for their support for the cause.

“It’s a commitment of solidarity for the community and it helps us too,” he said. “They join forces and respond to a crying need in society: hunger. We have seen it more and more in recent months, the demands have exploded, the needs have increased, even at the level of people who work.”

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Revelakis praises SCAMA during Christmas seniors’ gathering

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Action Laval city councillor for Chomedey Aglaia Revelakis (left) is seen here with SCAMA executive-director Stéphanie Froissart during the seniors’ gathering held just before the Christmas holidays.

Martin C. Barry

Laval city councillor for Chomedey Aglaia Revelakis expressed strong approval and support for the work done by the Centre de Services communautaires et d’aide au maintien de l’autonomie (SCAMA) during a Christmas-time event held last month at the senior citizens’ centre.

SCAMA provides a range of at-home services to seniors 50 years of age and older, and has been doing so for the past 40 years.

Smiles all around

The event, held a few days before Christmas, put smiles on the faces of the many seniors who attended. A lunch was provided by the Coco Frutti restaurant, which is also located in Chomedey.

“I am proud to support an organization which is so dedicated fundamental values such as the inclusivity of its clientele,” said Revelakis. “This focus underscores the importance of promoting the social interaction of seniors, regardless of their ethnic origins, to actively contribute to the Laval community.”

Support for seniors

SCAMA promotes the social interaction of seniors from ethnocultural minorities in order to answer to their various needs, such as support following loss of autonomy, while encouraging their participation as citizens, and while helping to break them out of their isolation.

“What a pleasure it was to see so many volunteers bringing their help to the organization, but mostly to see the seniors getting out of their habitual comfort zones to come dance, have fun and chat,” said SCAMA executive-director Stéphanie Froissart.

Mission accomplished

“This confirms without doubt that again this year, the SCAMA team has fulfilled its mission perfectly,” she added.

Mrs. Froissart noted that SCAMA’s food services include home delivery of frozen meals, accessible to residents from the greater Laval area, at moderate prices – a service that is greatly appreciated by the organization’s clients, she continued.

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How the institution of slavery built Quebec

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“A general view of Quebec, from Point Levy,” 1761. Courtesy Université Laval

Julia Cieri
Local Journalism Initiative

Saint-Paul Street is considered Montreal’s oldest road, first paved in 1672. Among the many French colonists who established their homes on the street, more than half of all households owned enslaved Indigenous people.

The class of slave-owning white colonists was comprised of merchants, farmers, the political elite, and members of the Church, immensely contributing to the economic prosperity of the colony. 

For more than 200 years, slavery was part of Canada and Quebec’s colonial nation-building. In New France alone, there were over 4,200 slaves from the 17th century until the official abolition of the institution within the British Empire in 1834. 

More than half of enslaved people were Indigenous, and one third were Black. Thousands of enslaved people were bought, sold, traded and inherited as private property throughout  Canada. Indigenous slaves in what is now Montreal were called ‘panis’ in French, which signified ‘Indigenous slave,’ as a large percentage of them came from the Pawnee Nation located in present-day Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas.

The Link sat down with Michael J. LaMonica, a PhD candidate at McGill University whose research focuses on the intersection of law, commerce, and empire in the eighteenth-century French Atlantic, to learn about the origins of slavery in New France.

Prior to colonization, the primary use of enslavement within some Indigenous nations was for prisoners of war, LaMonica explained. “Slavery that existed within Indigenous groups was different,” he said. “They would take people in wars and sometimes make them members of their own nation through this process of fictive kinship.”

McGill history professor Allan Greer, who specializes in colonial North America, early Canada, and the French Atlantic world, explained that when some Indigenous tribes took captives, most were women and children who were exchanged with other groups when forging alliances. “Each side would give the other human beings as tokens of connection,” he said.

By the 1670s, LaMonica explained, the French coureurs-de-bois began venturing into the Great Lakes regions for the fur trade, which they called the Pays d’en Haut. Trade relationships and military alliances between different nations and the French colonists were thus developed. “This is how the first Indigenous slaves made their way into Montreal, through these exchanges,” LaMonica said. 

However, the system of enslavement utilized by the French was more dehumanizing, LaMonica said. Many nations had a particular status for their prisoners captured in war, which differed from the way the colonists regarded captured people, he added. The primary difference was the concept of hereditary slavery present in the French system. He explained that the colonists viewed enslaved people more as property than prisoners of war.

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Skyrocketing food prices impact Montrealers

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Photo Dorothy Mombrun

Ellie Wand & Hannah Scott-Talib
Local Journalism Initiative

When Liam Neary began his studies at Concordia, he expected a monthly grocery bill of around $250.

Now, having almost completed his second year, his food budget has gone up by approximately one hundred dollars—simply from buying enough to cook around three meals per week. “It’s only been going up since,” Neary said.

Like Neary, nursing student Gabrielle Axelle Elie’s Provigo trip now costs her close to $100, almost double to what it cost a few years ago.

According to a 2022 Maclean’s education report, 40 per cent of post-secondary students in Canada are food insecure, and heading into the upcoming year, inflation will continue to drive food prices higher and higher for students like him.

Canada’s 2024 Food Price Report states that overall food prices are likely to increase by 2.5 to 4.5 per cent over the coming year—a slight decrease from the five to seven per cent increase the year prior. The report states that broader factors such as labour disputes, climate change and the geopolitical impact of the Russia-Ukraine war contributed to food inflation throughout 2023.

COVID-19 lockdowns have resulted in higher energy prices, which is straining the food distribution system, and is driving the price of food up, according to Statistics Canada. 


Rebekah Walker is a second-year Concordia student who lives off campus. She says that she currently spends on average $250 per month on groceries. Like Neary, this is more than she had initially budgeted going into university. “I’m making it work and it’s okay,” said Walker. “[But] I feel like if it goes up more, it’ll be a lot harder to manage.” 

When it comes to cutting costs, Dalhousie University’s recent New Year’s Food Resolution Survey showed that 43 per cent of Canadians plan to focus on food promotions and sales to spend less on groceries. In addition to this, the survey revealed that many are looking at ways to reduce food waste to be more cost-efficient in the new year, making use of methods such as canning and freezing, purchasing more non-perishable food items, preserving and eating more leftovers as well as making their meal portions smaller. 

Meanwhile, students at Concordia are finding their own ways of keeping costs down when it comes to grocery shopping.

On his end, Neary religiously checks grocery flyers before going food shopping. His meals are planned and dependent on sales. “I go out of my way to go to the cheapest grocery stores,” he said.

For Walker, cost efficiency comes in the form of sharing groceries within her household. Between her and her three other roommates, products such as milk, butter, and bread are bought collectively, with everyone taking turns to pay for them. However, Walker said that certain perishable items like fruits and vegetables don’t often end up on her grocery list. “They’re pricier and they go bad, so it’s kind of a waste of money,” she said. 

Food Bank Canada’s 2023 Hunger Count also revealed that food bank usage is at an all-time high nationwide. The organization noted that around two million people visited Canadian food banks in 2023, which was reported to be a 32 per cent increase since March 2022.

“[With] what I see in grocery stores, it’s not a huge shock that people need to use food banks,” said Neary. “[But] It’s upsetting that that number has increased so drastically.”

There are several student-run initiatives aimed at fighting food insecurity at Concordia. One of these is the People’s Potato, a student-founded vegan soup kitchen, which is funded by a student fee levy paid through the Concordia Student Union. It provides free meals to students from Monday through Thursday at the Sir George Williams campus. 

For those at the Loyola campus, the Hive free breakfast and lunch program, which is also a student-funded fee levy group, provides free vegan and vegetarian breakfast and lunch to students during the weekdays. 

A few times a month, Walker said she makes use of Concordia-based initiatives such as The People’s Potato and Hive Free Lunch to get a meal, as both operations offer free meals to the community. “I think it’s really convenient, [and] it’s healthy, good food,” she said.

Boris Restrepo, a collective member of The People’s Potato, said that food insecurity is a reality for many students, but is a symptom of larger, systemic problems. “Food insecurity is a reality or a large portion of society, and this includes student communities,” he said. 

For Restrepo, addressing food insecurity means addressing the broader issues at play. “There’s a long list of things that our governments can be doing,” he said. “Universal basic income, access to mental health services, public funding for education or affordable access to education, consolidation of student loans.” 

Restrepo also wants to see food banks have access to more autonomous funding, making them less reliant on large charities.  

Montreal’s food banks are experiencing a severe lack of help and donations. As demand for food grows drastically, places like Moisson Montreal—the largest food bank in Canada—are reportedly not distributing nearly enough food in comparison to the number of clients they are receiving. Additionally, as the provider of food donations to over 300 organizations across the city, the situation is getting desperate, as expressed by Maggie Borowiec, Moisson Montreal’s director of philanthropy.

At Casa C.A.F.I., a support centre based in Verdun that offers food donations to immigrant families, funding has become a problem as well, according to Director Ana Gloria Blanch. She said that the centre received government funding during its first two years of business, but since then, that funding has been pulled. Now, for its food services, Casa C.A.F.I. relies on volunteer work and public donations to remain in operation. 

“The organization is stuck with the [notion] that everybody wants to continue, but we don’t have any money,” said Blanch. “Right now, we are asking others, ‘what do you want to do? How are we going to continue?’ It’s not fair.”

In contrast, Canada’s largest food companies also continue to face ongoing profiteering allegations heading into the new year. According to a 2023 Bloomberg News poll, 15 per cent of respondents deemed the food inflation crisis is in large part a result of profiteering on the side of grocery giants. 

Restrepo doesn’t think the food situation will happen anytime soon. “The system is ruthless,” he said. “Under capitalism, it seems like efforts are always based on profitable and questionable means.”

Skyrocketing food prices impact Montrealers Read More »

Over-policed and underserved: The stark contrast in police activity in Montreal’s different neighbourhoodsOver-policed and underserved:

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Photo Dorothy Mombrun

Iness Rifay
Local Journalism Initiative

The identity of Jade was concealed for their safety.

Jade was 15 when they first witnessed police violence. 

In the summer of 2016, they and their two friends were walking around the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood, near Martin-Luther-King Park. They all had been drinking and were under the influence. 

“Kids sometimes get into their parents’ alcohol and take it,” they recalled. “We were being loud and having fun.”

“I think someone called the police on us because of that,” Jade added. 

One of Jade’s friends was a taller Black girl of the same age. They believe the officers didn’t think she was a minor because of her height.

Upon arrival, the officers seized the girl and slammed her on the ground. 

“I remember looking over at my friend and feeling so helpless,” Jade said. “They didn’t bother coming to us and asking us who we were.” 

The police officers continued pushing her face on the ground, while asking her about the white friends she was with. According to Jade, the police had kept in close contact with the girl’s brothers, and would often roam around her house. 

“It was ridiculous,” Jade said. “When they asked her about the white girls she was with, it became apparent that they were targeting her because she is a Black person.”

“I didn’t need to be convinced anymore that the police found it easy to be so violent,” they added. “We have murderers walking around on the street.” 

In the past, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce has borne witness to several instances of police brutality against visible minorities. 

In 1987, 19-year-old Anthony Griffin was arrested for not paying a taxi fare. He attempted to escape the police station, but stopped in his tracks when told to. Police officer Allan Gosset then shot him in the head.

In 1990, Presley Leslie, 26, was shot several times at the Thunderdome dance club. According to the police, Leslie had allegedly fired into the crowd and threatened officers. However, testimonies following his death hinted at Leslie not having carried a firearm. Moreover, the pistol police believed he used had never been checked for fingerprints.

Mohamed Anas Bennis was shot twice in Côte-des-Neiges in 2005 after allegedly attacking a police officer. He was 25.
 
More recently, in 2018, 23-year-old Nicholas Gibbs was shot and killed by officers who alleged he was threatening them with a knife. A video captured the moment when they shot him five times, twice with his back turned. 

“There are no consequences for police who use violence,” said Ted Rutland, a researcher on policing and public safety in Canadian cities. “There has never been a police officer who has permanently lost their job for killing someone in Montreal.”

Additionally, sectors determined to be more “likely to have criminal activity” by the police force see an increased police presence, according to a 2023 report conducted on the SPVM. The report also states that data does not present an explicit enough tie between criminal activity and interventions. 

“More marginalized communities are always going to be suspected of criminality to a greater extent,” Rutland added. 

Amongst the top six neighbourhoods that see the most police interventions, according to self-reported and SPVM data, are Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal-Nord, and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. 

According to the report, interviews with 69 different police officers found that 85 per cent of them believed racism was not present within the police force, or not to a greater extent than the general population. 

The report found that the overall statements from the officers “are not denying the existence of racism because it’s a truth that disturbs them. They are genuinely convinced that the allegations are false and unfair.” They also allege that when carrying out their duties, they don’t “pay attention to race or gender.”

Rutland believes the issue of racism goes beyond individuals within the police force, but stems from a settler white-colonialist system. “There is a fear of Blackness, of Indigeneity, of the unhoused,” he said.

“There is crime in every neighbourhood. They will all see a certain amount of crime every now and then,” he added, “but the discriminatory, racist and classist way that police resources are deployed means that poorer, more racialized people are just going to get caught for the crimes they commit way more often.”

Some may even be wrongfully charged, such was the case for Mamadi Fara Camara, a Guinean PhD student who was arrested in Park-Extension and detained for six days from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, 2021. He had been charged with attempted murder, assaulting a police officer, and disarming a police officer, all of which were dropped two days later. 

“If he had been arrested in Westmount, or any other upper-class neighbourhood, this mistake would not have been made,” said Amina M’Haia from the Park-Extension Roundtable. “They’re mainly white neighbourhoods.”

Camara sued the city for $1.2 million in damages. A settlement was reached for $347,000.

“I think there is profound systemic racism at play,” M’Haia added regarding Camara’s case.

“When we have a [premier] who won’t recognize that Quebec society has a racism problem, it’s hard to talk about.” Following Joyce Echaquan’s death and the subsequent report that was made, Premier François Legault stated that there was no systemic racism in Quebec.

Data on Park-Extension’s exact racial profiling statistics is difficult to come by, as the borough is grouped with Villeray and Saint-Michel. 

A report was conducted on racism in the sector, but only consulted 45 people, which M’Haia deems unrepresentative. She says a lack of funding is preventing larger-scale studies. 

“I’ve lived in Villeray, and I’ve never seen more police than in Park-Ex,” M’Haia said. “There is racism even in the statistics. As long as we’re immigrants, we’re all in the same basket.” 

M’Haia shared that the complaints on racial profiling the roundtable receives “barely scratch at the surface of the issue.” 

From Jane’s several family trips to Little Burgundy to growing up in Côte-des-Neiges, they found these assumptions to disproportionately impact racialized youth. 

“A lot of kids have had to grow older, faster,” they said. “They’re aware of things that a white family living in Outremont wouldn’t let their kids know.”

Over-policed and underserved: The stark contrast in police activity in Montreal’s different neighbourhoodsOver-policed and underserved: Read More »

Critics say budget hits businesses hard

Local Journalism Initiative / /

Reaction to the city’s 2024 budget predictably focused on the hefty tax increases, particularly on commercial property.

Coun. Alicia Despins of the official opposition Québec D’Abord party told the QCT, “We regret the 4.7 per cent increase in taxes for small business owners. They are already burdened with the impact of COVID and this only mires them further in financial difficulties.”

On the positive side, Despins said, “We are supportive of the new eco-fiscal measures, particularly the tax on vacant land,” but she said the city could have gone further. “In Montreal, it is currently 25 per cent, but in Quebec City, it’s only four per cent.”

Despins, who represents the Lower Town district of Vanier, said she was disappointed the city administration did not accept her party’s suggestions for diversifying revenue sources. “The burden cannot fall entirely on the shoulders of property owners.”

Steeve Lavoie, president and CEO of the Quebec Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a statement Mayor Bruno Marchand “is moving dangerously away from his 2021 election promise” to reduce taxes on business.

Lavoie said, “Quebec [City] is one of the cities where merchants are taxed the most in Canada. Mr. Marchand said he wanted local companies to be among the 50 per cent least taxed in the country before the end of his mandate. We’re moving away from it.”

Coun. Jackie Smith, leader of Transition Québec and councillor for Limoilou, said in a news release, “I am satisfied that the city is embarking on the path of eco-taxation, a concept that I was already hammering home during the electoral campaign and that I took up again when presenting the 2023 budget.

“The variation in taxes based on energy consumption, water and waste production in non-residential areas, taxation on surface parking in the city centre and the increase in [parking] sticker fees are in line with my requests.”

“However,” Smith said, “I believe the city must go further with these types of measures. I agree that the ideal way to change behaviour is to do it gradually, but unfortunately, I don’t believe that this is what the environmental context requires.”

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Coun. Alicia Despins of Québec D’Abord says she believes tax measures in the 2024 budget represent a burden for businesses.

Photo from Ville de Québec

Critics say budget hits businesses hard Read More »

Two biotech companies pick up pieces of Medicago

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Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Ten months after the sudden shutdown of vaccine manufacturer Medicago, two Quebec biotech companies are bringing new life to some of the defunct company’s abandoned facilities.

Last week, the federal government announced a deal to secure Medicago’s technology and research from its Japanese parent company, Mitsubishi, and transfer it to a new company formed by 14 former Medicago employees.

The deal also includes $40 million recovered from Mitsubishi from the $170 million the federal government had contributed to building the huge new facility for Medicago in Beauport.

According to a news release, the deal with the new company, Aramis Biotechnologies, will “maintain Medicago’s intellectual property and critical research assets in Canada; ensure a Canadian company retains the technology platform, talent and expertise; and identify third-party investors that could help maintain and expand Medicago’s platform capabilities in-country. This is to enhance domestic pandemic preparedness capabilities and ensure that a promising technology platform remains in Canada.”

Aramis president Frederic Ors told the Journal de Québec, “If all goes well, in three years we will have 130 or 150 employees. We have set up a business model which ensures that future employees will also become shareholders. We also have private investors because we could not have done this alone. With private investors and employees, we will invest nearly $40 million in the coming years.”

Aramis will resume operations at Medicago’s former facility in the city’s industrial park, which, according to Ors, could be expanded.

Meanwhile, Montreal-based Linearis Labs Inc., which bills itself as “an innovative company at the intersection of AI and biomarker analysis,” has taken over the laboratory space formerly occupied by Medicago on Route de l’Eglise.

In a Nov. 28 release, Linearis said it has acquired “over 650 scientific instruments and hired some of [Medicago’s] most seasoned specialized personnel in mass spectrometry, quality assurance and laboratory management.”

Company president and CEO Alexandre Le Bouthillier said, “[We] are grateful for the support from Medicago during this transaction enabling the creation of this innovative and collaborative laboratory. The identification of disease signatures not only makes prevention accessible, but it also contributes to improving the prevention, screening, discovery of treatments, and acceleration of precision medicine.”

In a Journal de Québec report, Le Bouthillier said the company may eventually be interested in taking over some space at the now vacant, newly constructed facility in Beauport.

A spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne had not replied to an inquiry about the future of the Beauport facility by press time.

Medicago ended operations in February after its COVID-19 vaccine failed to make it to market before the end of the pandemic. The federal government had approved the vaccine, but the World Health Organization refused to authorize it because of Medicago’s association with tobacco giant Philip Morris.

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The future is still uncertain for the shuttered Medicago facility in Beauport.

Photo from QCT archives via CBC

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Attachez vos tuques for possible second coming of ‘Orange Jesus’

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Peter Black

Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

“The things we do for Orange Jesus.”

Let’s put that in nomination for best quote of 2023. It comes from the book Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney, former Republican congresswoman for Wyoming; daughter of Dick, the notorious George W. Bush operative; and co-chairperson of the Congressional committee which investigated the events of Jan. 6, 2021– in case you’ve forgotten, that’s the day the United States of America came within a crazed yahoo’s whisker of being thrown into insurrectionist chaos and violence.

Cheney was quoting Tennessee Congressman Mark Green as he lined up with other Republican lawmakers to sign electoral vote objection sheets, obeying the ousted president’s edict to defy and deny the election of Joe Biden.

As we head into 2024, one suspects many people around the planet are wondering just what exactly American voters are prepared to do for Orange Jesus. Is this woebegotten world about to witness his second coming? Will the rough beast of Mar-a-Lago slouch once again towards Washington?

Sorry for these dark thoughts amidst the New Year’s well-wishing and expressions of hope for humanity, but it may behoove all of us, from Quebec to Qatar, to pay close attention to the political spectacle about to unfold in the United States.

Visitors arriving from another planet might be surprised to learn the human who lost the election to lead the most powerful empire on Earth, who organized and inflamed an attempt to overthrow the duly elected government, who faces 91 criminal charges in four cases and who has already received a civil conviction for sexual abuse, whose business dealings have been found by a court to be fraudulent, who has openly declared he’d be a dictator if re-elected and use the power of the state to “come after” his enemies – is a serious contender for president, and by far, the leading candidate for ​the Republican nomination.

He ​would face Biden, who often looks every bit the frail 81-year-old he is. Despite concerns about his stamina and focus, Biden has racked up a remarkable record of achievements, wrangling progressive legislation from a hostile Republican opposition. However, whatever good he is doing is not getting him traction in the polls.

Nervous Democrats are running out of time to replace Biden with any one of a slate of wholly acceptable (and younger) candidates, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. You can include Vice-President Kamala Harris in the group if you wish.

There is some speculation Biden, whose already crushing burden of office now includes his son Hunter’s serious legal woes and a less-serious impeachment campaign by Republican members of Congress, may ring in the New Year with a decision to stand down.

Either way, barring the truly unforeseeable – for example, fleeing to a country with no extradition treaty with the U.S. – Orange Jesus will dominate the political agenda in 2024 and onwards, and the debate over whether a convicted felon can serve as president will intensify.

Here, in the Great White North, ​folks on the Hill will watch next year’s American election with a mixture of dread and intrigue. The Trudeau government endured four years of a MAGA administration and certainly does not relish more and worse of the same.

Yet, politics being a blood sport, the Liberals undoubtedly must be very privately relishing the prospect of having Orange Jesus around to help frame their Conservative opponents as mini-MAGAs. There is even talk that the threat down south may change the stakes and the timing of the next federal election, which is still in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hands.

Conservative MP and former minister Michelle Rempel Garner, whether thinking wishfully or not, speculated, “A MAGA-messaging-reliant Liberal campaign narrative with Justin Trudeau still at the helm has only one optimal window for an election: the October before a Biden vs Trump presidential election day.”

The Liberals, in essence, may be wondering, “What can Orange Jesus do for us?” as they look for a path to a fourth straight mandate.

Happy New Year, and as former prime minister Jean Chrétien would say, attachez vos tuques!

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City to transform historic buildings in Old City into housing

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

The Ville de Québec plans to convert the Foyer Nazareth building, at left, and the former Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague school in Vieux-Québec into housing.

Peter Black

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The city has reached a deal to purchase a former boys school and a one-time boys orphanage in a prime spot in Old Quebec, and convert both buildings into housing.

The two buildings, situated on a large lot at the intersection of Rue Richelieu and Rue des Glacis, are the former home of private boys school Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague and the once-associated orphanage, whose last vocation was as Foyer Nazareth, a seniors residence operated by the Sisters of Charity.

Both buildings were built in the 1800s and are considered of high heritage value.

The city made an offer of $8.275 million to purchase the 14,164-square-metre property from the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ), well below its $9.460-million municipal valuation. Neither building had been occupied since 2010, although a hair products supplier is listed as an occupant of the former school.

In a Dec. 1 news release, the city said, “By restoring the two buildings, more than 150 housing units could be created, which corresponds to approximately 225 to 250 new residents.”

Coun. Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc, city executive committee member and councillor for the Cap-Aux-Diamants district, said, “This acquisition will also make it possible to give back to citizens one of the most interesting green spaces in the area, the former primary school courtyard. The land could also accommodate other projects dear to citizens, including a community garden.”

The project is part of Mayor Bruno Marchand’s administration’s plan to bring in more residents and improve the quality of life in the Old City. Figures from the city and Statistics Canada show the residential population within the walls of the Old City is in free fall. In 2006 there were 5,278 residents; according to the latest figures, there are 4,600.

The city revealed no details on how it would proceed with the conversion of the two buildings, or the parameters of the proposed project.

The city’s acquisition of the prized site comes in the wake of a project aborted in 2022. The GM Development company had proposed a plan to preserve both buildings and add a 12-storey building on the site, creating some 250 housing units in total. The project was iced when the CHUQ decided, in the middle of the pandemic, to hold onto the buildings.

The school building became vacant in 2009 when Académie Saint-Louis, a subsidized private school, acquired École Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague, and the two schools merged at the latter’s facilities in Lebourgneuf. Académie Saint-Louis moved from Ave. des Érables in Montcalm in 1995.

The structure had been built in 1898 as a boarding school for boys and had been expanded over the years. Foyer Nazareth, situated on the site of an embankment fortification built by the French army, was built by the British army as quarters for married soldiers and their families.

When the British garrison left the city in 1871, the building was handed over to the Sisters of Charity, who turned it into an orphanage for boys. It was enlarged twice by raising the roof and adding an extension. The orphanage closed in 1915, and the building later became a seniors residence. It was operated by the sisters as Foyer Nazareth until 2010 when it was acquired by the CHUQ.

The city announced other measures to boost residential life within the walls. One is “a complete inventory of buildings located on Rue Saint-Jean and Côte de la Fabrique with the aim of analyzing the sector and improving existing subsidy programs to stimulate the creation of housing in vacant spaces.”

The subsidy for such conversions, provided through a provincial program, can reach $85,000 per unit. The city says the program could create about 30 new housing units.

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Photo by Peter Black

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Honorary Spanish consul pens book about colourful predecessor

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Tommy Byrne holds a copy of Premio-Real’s book of musical compositions at the book launch at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

A phone call out of the blue from a historian in Spain launched Tommy Byrne, the honorary Spanish consul in Quebec City, on a quest that culminated in a book about his predecessor from 140 years ago, whose remarkable story is all but forgotten.

Byrne hosted an elegant launch party for the book, Premio-Real Dans La Capitale, on Oct. 26 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Old Quebec. It would have been familiar terrain for the Spanish diplomat, who was a prominent figure in Quebec City society in the late 1800s.

A week later, Byrne flew to Spain to present his book to the Royal Society in Jerez de la Frontera, the home of the historian whose call ended up inspiring Byrne to write the book.

Byrne, the former historical curator at the cathedral, who has a background in international relations, began unearthing the amazing story of the Count Premio-Real, Jose Antonio de Lavalle, when he received an inquiry from the historian wanting to confirm the diplomat’s burial place.

Thanks to a helpful staffer at Notre-Dame-de-Belmont cemetery who found an 1888 obituary of the count in a local newspaper, Byrne’s interest was piqued. He decided to dig into the count’s story and write a book about it.

Five years and a six-month research sabbatical in Spain later, Byrne’s profoundly researched and richly documented 248-page book is now available in French, through legendary Quebec City historical publishers Septentrion.

What Byrne has assembled is not simply a biography of a captivating character, but a fascinating history and analysis of the role of consuls – both honorary and remunerated – dating back to the early days of Canada. As Byrne notes, since 1855, the Spanish representative in Quebec City has been “four times a vice-consul, three times a consul, following which, were civil servants either honorary, career (diplomat) [or] in between.”

Premio-Real, for his part, was a full-blown diplomat, responsible for Spanish relations with all British and French possessions in North America at the time, including Newfoundland and the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

Byrne said the count was “kind of a bridge between the two communities [French and English] as a diplomat.”

Born into a noble but not “grand” family, the newly anointed count, having inherited the title from his deceased father, joined the Spanish diplomatic corps at age 17. Prior to his posting in Quebec in 1874, Premio-Real served stints in Wales, Malta, Philadelphia, Naples and Hong Kong.

However, Quebec is where he thrived as a man of letters, composer, architect, mathematician, naturalist and general social butterfly. As the book’s subtitle suggests, Premio-Real’s 14-year stint in the Quebec capital was a “sentimental journey.”

Byrne said perhaps the most surprising thing he learned about Premio-Real is that he was “one of the greatest patrons of the arts” in the city, supporting artists, writers and musicians and often giving them their first exposure.

The artists he supported were mostly French-Canadians, Byrne said, but also included English-speaking talents. He co-wrote a book with Annie Howells Frechette, the daughter of then-U.S. consul William C. Howells, called Popular Sayings from Old Iberia.

Byrne writes that Premio-Real was “in his element” in the intellectual and scientific circles in the city, including the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, in whose rare book collection one finds a copy of one of the count’s publications, dedicated to the Society.

The count was a close friend of governor generals Lord Dufferin and Lorne, as well as George Stewart Jr., the editor of the Morning Chronicle, a predecessor of the QCT.

Alas, mounting debts, failing health and being stripped of his post ultimately drove the count to suicide on Oct. 16, 1888. A report in the New York Times indelicately noted he blew “his brains out with a pistol.” The report said “the Count was a bon vivant and had a great deal of trouble in consequence.”

Upon Premio-Real’s passing, the book cover notes, “several of his contemporaries paid tribute to him by dedicating works to him, notably Louis Fréchette, Calixa Lavallée and Joseph Vézina.”

Byrne’s account of the life and times of this colourful character is brimming with fascinating detail and depicts a vibrant cultural and political society in Quebec’s post-Confederation history. The preface by Lt.-Gov. Michel Doyon provides some interesting diplomatic context.

The author said he did not set out to glorify the count, but simply to tell a compelling story that’s been lost to time. Premio-Real would surely be pleased.

Byrne said he feels a lot of satisfaction “at having started and finished an undertaking” that began as a New Year’s resolution.

Byrne, honorary consul since 2017, lived in Spain for several years working on a United Nations project, and met his “half-Russian, half-Spanish” wife, Veronica Biriucov González, in Madrid. The community of Spanish expats under his watch numbers about 800.

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Photo by Peter Black

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Mayor on budget: Tax hike less than inflation ‘a gift’ to residents

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Street parkers, parking lot owners, cat owners and anyone who owns a house or a business will feel the pinch of a city budget coping with persistent inflation and other rising costs.

On Dec. 6, the Québec Forte et Fière administration of Mayor Bruno Marchand unveiled its third budget since taking office in 2021, featuring a $131.9-million increase in spending for an overall budget of $1.9 billion.

To help keep a cap on spending, the city is raising taxes and fees on a sweeping array of services, ranging from an average of 3.9 per cent on residential housing property taxes to a new $11 charge for a cat licence.

For a house valued at $293,000, for example, the increase will amount to $120. The property tax increase is the largest since 1991.

The tax bite for non-residential properties, largely commercial and industrial, is even deeper, at 4.7 percent.

One per cent of the property tax hike is designated for the management of water and waste, and is projected to bring in an additional $19 million. A new charge on some 400 outdoor asphalt parking lots, deemed by the city as an environmentally unfriendly drain on municipal services, should raise $1.7 million.

Billing the budget at the City Hall briefing as “a gift” to residents because it kept tax increases below inflation, Marchand said, “Despite a particularly difficult economic situation, we are succeeding in maintaining the quality of services offered, accelerating our investments to respond to the housing crisis and continuing to build up a reserve to enable us to better respond to climate change.”

He added, “I am proud that we have succeeded in doing this by limiting the increase in residential and non-residential tax charges below inflation, for a second consecutive year, in addition to maintaining the priority objective of continuing to reduce the city’s debt.”

The budget is intended to moderate the impact of inflation pegged at 5.6 per cent over the last two years, for a total hike of 11.2 per cent. Two examples the city gives are increases of about 40 per cent in the cost of fuel and natural gas over the past two years.

Cat owners, as of next year, will be required to get a licence for their pet, at a cost of $11. The city said the revenue will help compensate for the cost of disposing of cat litter thrown into garbage collected. The city estimates there are some 12,000 cats on city territory and it costs $5 per cat per year to treat disposed litter.

The tramway project may be on hold, but that doesn’t mean the city isn’t still paying for it. According to city officials, about $613 million will have been spent by the end of the year on preparatory work. Because of the freeze imposed by the provincial government while the Caisse de dépôt et placement studies the issue, the city has budgeted $300 million rather than $600 million to pay for already scheduled work and land acquisition in 2024.

In that regard, a report in Le Soleil confirmed the city concluded on Dec. 1 the single largest property purchase for the tramway, $37 million for land belonging to Industrial Alliance on Route de l’Église which would be used for a proposed exchange hub.

Other budget highlights include:

  • $255 million invested in various housing and renovation programs, including $3 million for new social housing in partnership with Desjardins and the Fonds de Solidarité FTQ.
  • The cost of street parking stickers will jump from $120 to $150 per year, and the cost of a second vehicle registered to the same address leaps from $120 to $225.
  • Under sports and culture spending, $17.2 million will go to tennis and pickleball courts and $8.2 million to two (new?) refrigerated rinks.
  • A slight decrease in overall spending on salaries, from 33.5 per cent of the budget to 33.3 per cent, will be achieved through attrition and not filling vacant positions.

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Mayor Bruno Marchand has called the 2024 city budget a “gift” to residents.

Photo from Ville de Québec

Mayor on budget: Tax hike less than inflation ‘a gift’ to residents Read More »

Napoleonic thoughts: Muscleman’s murder theory and Louisiana Purchase

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

I have a small laminated copy of Jacques-Louis David’s famous portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte, purchased many years ago from the gift shop of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Why, of all possible souvenirs of works of art on offer, your scribe chose a portrait of Napoleon, escapes me. There just must have been something about it, or him (or was it in the bargain bin of historical portraits?).

In any event, that little Napoleon memento comes to mind as British director Ridley Scott’s cinematic opus about the French emperor hits theatres with a three-hour thump – a running time longer, as one critic noted, than Bonaparte’s coronation ceremony.

The latest surge of Boney-mania also brings to mind a certain Montreal muscleman whose passion – beyond bodybuilding and nutrition – was everything Napoleonic.

Ben Weider, with his brother Joe, built a successful global business publishing fitness and health magazines, selling nutritional products and staging body-building competitions. For example, the Mr. Olympia contest, going, um … strong since 1965, famously brought to world attention, Hollywood stardom and the California governorship seven-time champion Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Napoleon may have been a strongman, but he was no muscleman. Yet Weider had a lifelong fascination with the Little Corporal, amassing a collection of some 100 items of memorabilia, many of them owned by the emperor himself. One Napoleonic keepsake, a lock of the emperor’s hair, became key to Weider’s campaign to prove Bonaparte, 51 years old at the time, did not die of stomach cancer, as the generally accepted version states, but was poisoned by monarchist plotters fearing another comeback.

Weider wrote a 1982 best-seller titled The Murder of Napoleon, in which he makes the case, based on reams of personal accounts and forensic science, that Napoleon succumbed to arsenic poisoning. The most convincing proof was the analysis of hair shaved from his head the day after he died in May 1821.

Weider donated his collection to the Montreal Museum of Fine Art in 2008. A ceremony to accept the Napoleonic treasures, with a Bonaparte descendant in attendance, took place eight days after Weider died that year at age 85.

Weider’s interest in Napoleon ran deeper than simple fascination with an epic historical figure. As cited in one tribute, Weider “often said that one of the chief reasons he so admired Bonaparte was because he was ahead of his time in extending rights to Jews and other minorities; he emancipated Jews from the ghettos and lifted restrictions on their freedoms in the European countries he conquered, and even proposed a Jewish state in Palestine.”

When his plan for a Jewish state in the Middle East failed, following his brutal invasion of Egypt and Palestine in 1798, Napoleon declared France to be the homeland of the Jews.

He was somewhat less tolerant when it came to other types of human beings. His mission in 1801 to suppress a slave revolt in Hispaniola, now Haiti, ended in disaster, with only a fraction of his 35,000-man expeditionary force surviving death in battle or by disease.

As a result, Napoleon had to abandon his plan to reinforce the massive swath of territory in the American midwest he had acquired from Spain in exchange for Tuscany in Italy, creating a French territory to replace Canada – Voltaire’s “few acres of snow” lost in the Seven Years War.

Desperate for cash to fill his war chest to take on the British once again, Napoleon eagerly agreed to sell the Louisiana territory to the United States, for the equivalent of about $350 million US in today’s money.

The Americans had originally only wanted to buy New Orleans, but ended up getting some 828,000 square miles west of the Mississippi River, most of which had never seen a French visitor and was occupied only by Indigenous tribes.

Napoleon’s vision of a French-speaking empire in North America ended when the Americans took possession of Louisiana on Dec. 20, 1803, and promptly started making plans to extend slavery to the new possession, sowing the seeds of the Civil War.

Who knows what would have happened had Napoleon not met his Caribbean Waterloo on Hispaniola, and instead been able to muster a massive expeditionary force to claim this huge and sparsely populated territory – running all the way up to the border with British North America – for France?

It certainly would have given new meaning to the dreaded “Louisianization” of Quebec.

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Laval City-Watch

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Martin C. Barry

Snow removal operations can last several days. Make sure to follow the signs in force until you receive a notification indicating the seasonal alternative parking is disable. When in doubt or by choice, you can always continue to practice alternate seasonal parking on a continuous basis.

Efforts: Actions That Count

Because small gestures can make a big difference, Laval residents join our efforts to better manage the 3.8 million cubic metres of snow that Mother Nature sends us each year. And we thank you for your efforts.

Through these joint efforts, there are fewer snow removal obstacles and the machinery is able to manœuvre more freely, thereby ensuring more effective and timely snow removal operations.

1. Clear the snow onto your property and not onto the street and sidewalks Residents and snow removal contractors are prohibited from blowing, pushing or dumping snow onto the street or sidewalk. This practice slows down snow removal operations considerably, which entails additional costs and can hinder public safety (by-laws L-6070 and L-12767).

2. Place collections bins on your property, at the end of your driveway, and not on the street or the sidewalk. On municipal collection days, place your garbage and recycling bins (PDF, 126 KB, in French only) on either side of your driveway entrance, and not on the public road, so as not to hinder snow removal operations.

3. Comply with the parking signage or prepare to respect the seasonal alternation in the targeted locations as soon as precipitations are announced. Complying with the signage in place is key to ensuring the effectiveness of various operations. It’s important to remember that removable signs placed on snowbanks take precedence over fixed signs (by-law L-6070).

4. Park your car in your driveway or no closer than 30 cm from the sidewalk. Whenever possible, park your vehicle in your driveway or your private parking space. If you must park your vehicle on the street, make sure to park it at least 30 cm from the sidewalk so that machinery can pass easily, while ensuring that there is enough space in the street for an emergency vehicle or bus.

5. In the fall, place your car shelter a minimum distance of 2 feet from the sidewalk or 4 feet from the street. There are regulations governing the way car shelters are positioned. By-law L-2000 sets out the distances that must be observed between a car shelter and the public road.

6. Observe the road right-of-way It is prohibited to have anything other than grass or paving on the first metre alongside the curb (by-law L-10378).

7. Clearance from fire hydrants As a preventive measure, residents are asked to leave clearance around fire hydrants in front of their properties. It is strictly prohibited to attach anything to a fire hydrant or to bury it under the snow (Highway Safety Code).

Snow patrol

This year, the snow patrol will travel the city again in an effort to raise public awareness of these small gestures and ensure compliance with regulations. The snow patrol has a mission to:

• Inform the public and promote public awareness of the responsibilities of residents when it comes to snow removal.

• Support police officers by identifying private snow removal contractors, companies and residents who dump snow on the street during snow cleaning operations.

• Hand out statements of offence when towing operations are carried out during snow removal operations or when a parking infraction is observed.

Claims

If your property is damaged by a snow removal crew, you can file a claim.

Firs and Christmas Trees

Free collection of natural Christmas trees to give a second life to your faded tree by transforming it into wood chips. The collection of Christmas trees takes place the same day as the recycling collection. Please note that there are two separate collections, carried out by different trucks.

2024 Collection dates

Until Jan. 19, inclusively. Please view the recyclable materials collection schedule for details on the Christmas tree collection.

How to participate

• Remove all the decorations from your tree, including tinsel strands

• Do not put the tree in a plastic bag

• Place the tree in plain view after 7 p.m. on the day before the collection or before 7 a.m. on the day of the collection:

◦ On your property

◦ Set back from the street and sidewalk (so as not to obstruct the street or sidewalk)

Wood chips obtained from the transformation will then be used in the fabrication of building material or animal bedding. They also serve as mulch for gardening and landscaping.

Laval City-Watch Read More »

ABOVAS is looking for volunteers drivers

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter

ABOVAS, an accompaniment service in the West Island is looking for volunteers.Since 2007, a team of volunteers help West Islanders without the means for transportation to get to medical appointments and conduct errands, free of charge. Volunteer drivers receive a small compensation to cover the costs of using their vehicle.

“Our volunteers go to our client’s homes, they bring them from the door to the car safely, they drive them to their appointment, which is either medical or a non-medical appointment. They help them, and then they bring them back home,” ABOVAS executive director, Denise Hupé, stated.

ABOVAS is recognized by the Agence de la Santé et des Services Sociaux de Montréal. The medical accompanied-transport service covers recurring, annual and unplanned appointments on the island of Montreal. The social accompanied-transport offers accompaniment to the grocery store, the pharmacy, malls, spiritual centers, post offices, cleaners and more.

“It is important to understand that our volunteers do more than drive our clients to their appointments. They listen to them and make them feel safe. They pick them up at home, accompany them to the waiting room of the health center or though the aisles at the grocery stores and drive them back home,” the service stated.

To make a request for accompanied-transport to a medical or social appointment or to sign up to be a volunteer, go to: www.abovas.com

ABOVAS is looking for volunteers drivers Read More »

West Island tenant action committee launches workshops on rights

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter

The West Island’s tenant action committee ‘Comité d’Action des Locataires de l’Ouest-de-l’Île’ (CALODI) launched its second annual in-person and online workshops to educate tenants on their rights and obligations.

In the West Island, 20 per cent of housing units are rentals. The West Island is home to four percent of Montreal’s social housing and it is difficult for tenants to find adequate and affordable housing.

Tenant action coordinator Lily Martin assisted the Table de Quartier Sud de l’Ouest-de-l’Île (TQSOI) with its community consultation workshops. The workshops helped identify issues important to the community in order to develop solution plans. The issues surrounding renters in the West Island were significant and seemed to be missing a category of its own. CALODI was initiated to address those issues by educating renters and advocating on their behalf.

“Tenants have rights codified in the Civil Code of Quebec, but it is up to them to inform themselves of their rights and defend their rights, often against significant barriers and obstacles,” Martin told The Suburban.

The workshops address ongoing issues, particularly rent increases which Martin says makes up 30% or more of the general inquiries.

“Landlords are allowed to present tenants with lease renewal notices that omit key information, namely their right to refuse rental increases or other lease modifications. If tenants do refuse their increase, they are often intimidated by the prospect of having to go to the Tribunal Administratif du Logement (TAL), which is quite far from the West Island,” Martin explained.

She says that the imbalance between landlords and tenants during lease renewal negotiations is primarily due to the lack of transparency as tenants do not have access to the landlords expenses. “They either have to ‘take their word for it’ or do their best to estimate what is fair based on incomplete information.”

New issues may arise each year, which is why the workshops are to be repeated annually. “There have been significant tax increases in the West Island this year and these increases trickle down into tenants’ rent,” Martin explained. Data obtained in 2021 from the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) showed that the number of low-income tenants who spend 30 per cent or more of their income on rent is higher than the City of Montreal average in multiple West Island municipalities. On average, it reported that renters in Dollard-des-Ormeaux spent 33.1 per cent of their income on rent, 32.1 per cent in Beaconsfield, 33.9 in Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue and 43.2 per cent in Pointe-Claire.

The workshops will take place in Pierrefonds on January 15 (French) and January 29 (English) and in Pointe-Claire on January 16 (English) and January 20 (French) and online on January 26 (English) and February 2 (French). n

West Island tenant action committee launches workshops on rights Read More »

Beaconsfield raises lawsuit against Montreal to $15 million

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter

The City of Beaconsfield is suing the City of Montreal for $15 million due to an alleged breach in the 2008 agreement of expense sharing that was set up by the provincial government. Since 2020, Montreal has increased the share that demerged municipalities pay for island-wide services, now at 65 per cent more per capita than residents of Montreal for the same services. “There is no justification for that,” Beaconsfield mayor George Bourelle told The Suburban.

Beaconsfield is one of 15 cities that demerged from Montreal in 2006. As part of that agreement, an agglomeration council was set up to manage island-wide services like police and fire protection, arterial roads and water management. Bourelle says Montreal is running a tab of unjust expenses that it has passed on to the demerged municipalities.

The 2008 agreement established the relative weight for each city for the sharing of Agglomeration expenses based on the 2007 evaluation roll. According to Bourelle, this relative weight was to remain constant for future evaluation rolls except for future new development, which would tip the scale up or down for each city. He explains that it was also agreed that a new calculation algorithm would ensure that neutrality be maintained for future evaluation roles.

“There was no new agreement signed by all 15 demerged municipalities, the City of Montreal and the provincial government and the 2008 agreement was never rescinded and/or annulled,” Bourelle explained. “The 2008 agreement should have been applied for the 2020 and 2023 evaluation rolls.” Bourelle says that Montreal uses demerged cities as “cash cows.”

What tipped the scale for Bourelle is that since 2020, Montreal decreased its share while increasing the shares for demerged municipalities. “The financial impact for the 2020 and 2023 evaluation rolls would be over $122 million. Montreal’s share of agglomeration expenses will be reduced by over $122 million and the demerged municipalities will go up by over $122 million.”

The $15 million lawsuit covers the period from 2020 to 2024. “That number will go up every year until the lawsuit is resolved. As a result, for the period starting in 2020 to 2024(inclusive), our lawsuit is now up to $15 million plus interest and it will go up every year until the lawsuit is resolved. n

Beaconsfield raises lawsuit against Montreal to $15 million Read More »

Tenaquip donates $5 million to Old Brewery Mission’s Lachine project

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter

A new housing project comprising 18 units is being built on the corner of 6th Avenue and William-Macdonald Street in Lachine. The project is expected to be complete by next fall and will be run by the Old Brewery Mission.

The Tenaquip Foundation donated $5 million to construct the 18-unit building. President and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission James Hughes said that this is one of the largest donations the Mission has ever received. Tenaquip has offered ongoing support to the Old Brewery’s existing services over the years. The large donation was made to assist with an additional step to help the city’s homeless population with a more permanent solution.

According to Hughes, it is expected that the project will help approximately 100 individuals transition out of homelessness on a more permanent basis over the course of a decade.

The project has been in the works for three years, while a viable location was being sought out.

Lachine borough officials approved the project, with the Old Brewery Mission in charge of managing services.

Hughes said that 180 units would be required to respond to the overall need for this type of housing. This project makes up 10% of the overall need.

“This is an example of what can happen when the private sector joins forces with non-profits,” Hughes stated. n

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Amber Alert: Child found safe, young mother arrested

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter

The Amber Alert issued on Tuesday afternoon for a missing one-year old girl has been lifted. At approximately 2:05 a.m. Wednesday morning Montreal police officers located the missing child safe and sound in the Saint-Laurent borough.

The mother, an 18 year-old whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was arrested and is scheduled to meet investigators. A thorough investigation into the circumstances which led to the Alert is being conducted throughout the day today. No charges have yet been filed.

The infant was reported missing by her maternal grandmother who is her custodian. The grandmother discovered the infant’s room empty with the window open and reported her missing, triggering the Alert.

“I have not seen the little one yet, I am waiting for youth protection to contact me,” the grandmother told The Suburban. “Our life has been upside down since my daughter met this boy at age 16. My daughter was reported missing multiple times and the ‘system’ badly managed this entire ordeal. I am worried about how this (incident) will be dealt with. I hope that they bring her back home,” she explained.

A Source who had close dealings with the family told The Suburban that the mother was a quiet and shy girl who left her home in Lachine at age 16 to get away from a “difficult” situation. “The police were often at their apartment and the girl’s step-father was arrested on multiple occasions.” The infant was not returned to her grandmother’s home as of 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday and remained in the custody of Youth Protection services.

According to the grandmother, her granddaughter was remitted to her custody at 2 months of age following a three-week stay at the hospital for treatment of severe injuries. At the time of the incident which led to the lengthy hospital stay, the infant was living with her grandmother, her boyfriend and his mother, all of whom lost access rights to the child.

Amber Alert: Child found safe, young mother arrested Read More »

Montrealers protest Bills 96,15 and tuition hikes

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Joel Goldenberg – The Suburban LJI Reporter

The monthly protests against Quebec legislation, usually only against the language law Bill 96, took place again downtown recently outside Premier François Legault’s Montreal office and was expanded as a demonstration against legislation affecting all Quebecers.

Organizer Marc Perez refers to the most recent demonstration as the “rally of rallies,” which also protested against Bill 15, which will centralize health care in the province; Quebec’s economy underperforming, the tuition hikes for out-of-province university students from $9,000 to $12,000, Bill 21 banning religious garb and symbols for people in positions of authority and teachers under provincial jurisdiction and Bill 40, which abolishes school boards.

Perez told reporters that he is especially disappointed in the CAQ, as he had voted for them when they first won in 2018.

“The political choices we had have betrayed us for the last 50 to 75 years,” he added. “Legault said he was going to help build the economy and be the Premier of all Quebecers. I gave him his shot…. Legault’s popularity is going down because he is going way too far. There was a social contract between the francophones and anglophones about the economy, not overstepping on each other, having this cordial atmosphere, which we’ve had since 1995. There was a status quo that was perfect until Legault came. Now people are really seeing who he is — the truth is coming out.”

Perez said the monthly protests have expanded beyond Bill 96 because “there are way too many problems in this province.

“I invited everyone, because we’re just going in the wrong direction.”

Perez also announced the creation of a new website, parlonsdu.quebec/en/ to “start a conversation about what matters most to Quebecers” on such subjects as health care, urban planning, education, the economy, the environment and other topics for a future roundtable discussion.

“We’re going to write policies and figure this out together, because the biggest problem we’re having right now is that nobody — Valérie Plante, Legault — is listening. They’re just doing what they want and destroying everything we’ve built! They want to protect Quebec but all they’re doing is destroying it.”

Dr Arthur Fischer, who ran for the Canadian Party of Quebec in the West Island Jacques-Cartier riding, was on hand as well. Dr. Fischer said he participated in the protest as a retired physician and a recent patient in hospital regarding a kidney stone discovered in 2022.

“Ten months later, I finally had my definitive surgery. I almost lost a kidney. I’m not complaining about the medical treatment, just the long delay I went though to get treated. I believe that since I’m a doctor and a recent patient, I have a better understanding of the things that are going on.”

Dr. Fischer said he strongly objects to Bill 15.

“The fact it’s 1,500 pages, that it was in committee for a year and they only managed to go through half of the legislation and they found lots of errors. The examination of the bill was blocked by the government and just ramrodded through the system. It’s now law. I object to hospital boards being abolished, to the lack of innovation. I do not like the establishment of the central committee rather than having local professionals dealing with local problems. A huge bureaucracy will be created by Bill 15.” n

Montrealers protest Bills 96,15 and tuition hikes Read More »

Pro-Hamas demo leader arrested for assault

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Joel Goldenberg – The Suburban LJI Reporter

Bara Abuhamed, 26, was arrested by Laval police recently for unlawful assembly and assaulting a peace officer following a Dec. 26 Boxing Day pro-Hamas demonstration within the private property of Carrefour Laval. Abuhamed, who was arrested in the mall’s parking lot, was also allegedly involved in a physical attack against Jewish students at Concordia University in early November.

Abuhamed was disrupting Boxing Day shopping, and was seen chanting into a megaphone. Another pro-Hamas demonstration took place the same day, also on private property, in the downtown Montreal underground city where the Zara clothing store was targeted.

Days earlier, pro-Hamas demonstrators intimidated shoppers, including children seeing Santa Claus, at the Eaton Centre in Toronto. One of those demonstrators was seen on video threatening to put “six feet under.”

Abuhamed is known as a leader of the Montreal 4 Palestine group, which has organized several local demonstrations. He was released with conditions, including not stepping foot in Laval, and a prosecutor is to decide whether to lay charges.

Montreal 4 Palestine’s Instagram account claimed Abuhamed did not resist arrest and was “pinned down by the police, thrown against a truck, hit in the ribs and kicked twice in the thigh.”

During the altercation at Concordia, he was heard to say to pro-Israel students, “you have blood on your hands. You want to take part in a terrorist state.”

The Journal de Montréal discovered that an X (previously Twitter) poster named Bara Abuhamed wrote “Death to Israel…. kill them all.” As well, on Oct. 7, in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas massacre of 1,400 people, someone posted on the Montreal 4 Palestine account, “#Celebration” and “the journey has begun.” n

Pro-Hamas demo leader arrested for assault Read More »

Inadequate investments, missed targets on water, says Nazarian

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

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.”

Inadequate investments, missed targets on water, says Nazarian Read More »

CDN/NDG residents select five projects for funding

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

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

CDN/NDG residents select five projects for funding Read More »

CDN-NDG bike path opponents feeling ignored, eyeing elections

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

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

CDN-NDG bike path opponents feeling ignored, eyeing elections Read More »

Champlain campus director placed on temporary paid leave

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Administration and campus operations under investigation by ministry of higher education

By Matthew McCully

Local Journalism Initiative

During a special meeting of the Champlain Regional College board of governors on Wednesday evening, a resolution was passed placing Nancy Beattie, campus director for Champlain College Lennoxville on temporary paid leave.

The resolution follows a motion of no-confidence filed by the Syndicat de l’Enseignement du Collège Champlain Lennoxville (SECCL), Champlain’s teachers’ union, on Dec. 18 to the board of governors.

Beattie will remain on leave, “until the conclusions of the different investigations are brought to the board of governors,” the resolution read.

Beattie is currently facing allegations of psychological harassment before the Tribunal Administrative du Travail.

The college is also under a Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur Investigation into, “Among other things, the administration, operations, and organizational climate of the Lennoxville Constituent College,” the resolution explained.

Wednesday’s meeting was held online and lasted over two hours with the bulk of the meeting involving an in-camera session exclusive to external members of the board.

Before addressing the single-item agenda, board chair Matthew Mazur read the letter and no-confidence motion submitted by the SECCL to the board of governors in December.

“Our aim with this communication is to highlight the urgent need for immediate action from the Board regarding critical issues affecting Champlain College Lennoxville,” the SECCL letter stated, calling it worrisome that the board, made aware of the SECCL’s concerns at an Oct. 27, 2023 meeting, chose not to take action until the conclusion of the ministerial inquiry and the Tribunal Administratif du Travail case. “This inaction is unacceptable to the SECCL membership,” the letter stated.

The SECCL correspondence went on to say its no-confidence motion stemmed from “a culmination of repeated unsuccessful attempts to internally address, through various communication channels and meetings, ongoing leadership failures, systemic mismanagement, and a profound lack of action in confronting critical issues that have plagued our institution for several years.”

Attempts to resolve those issues, according to the SECCL letter, “were met with unreasonable delays and or inadequate responses, contributing to the prevailing sense of mistrust and discontent among the faculty.”

The letter then pointed to recent media scrutiny surrounding Beattie’s work tribunal case saying, “The serious allegations raised against her have not only cast a shadow over the institution but also unearthed glaring deficiencies in governance.” The SECCL also wondered why Beattie wasn’t placed on investigative suspension pending the labour tribunal decision, a move they believed, “Would have mitigated workplace tensions, helped to maintain a healthy environment, and would have protected the high standards and reputation of the College.”

The letter went on imploring the board of governors to consider the gravity of the situation and take action in the briefest delays.

The letter was followed by the SECCL’s no-confidence motion, which referred to “failures in leadership, mismanagement, and lack of action in addressing the critical issues facing Champlain College -Lennoxville have been ongoing for many years,” adding that turnover of the management team indicated a systemic problem in the working climate and eroded trust. The motion also stated that the SECCL had communicated the lack of confidence of its members towards management on Dec. 15, 2022, that Beattie had provided insufficient strategic leadership and guidance regarding pedagogical matters, and that communication issues and the lack of governance transparency were evident.

The motion also pointed to an increasing financial deficit at the college, as well as a failure to update the harassment policy.

“The issues detailed above have been met with lack of adequate response by the College so far,

be it resolved that the above factors have caused an irreparable breach of trust leading to the SECCL to express a vote of no confidence in the Director of Constituent College, DCC, be it further resolved that the SECCL mandates the Executive to convey this vote of no confidence in the DCC to the appropriate stakeholders,” concluded the motion.

After the letter and motion were read, the external members of the board of governors broke off for an in-camera session.

Beattie was brought in at the beginning of the session and permitted to speak, and then returned to join the remaining board members and meeting guests in the main room as the external board members deliberated for roughly two hours.

When they returned, board chair Mazur read the following resolution:

“Whereas numerous articles have been published impacting the image of the college, and whereas the chair of the Board of Governors received on Dec. 18, 2023, a motion of non-confidence in the Director of Constituent College Lennoxville from the Saint-Isaac de l’Enseignement du Collège Champlain-Lennoxville, and whereas a number of allegations of psychological harassment are currently before the Tribunal Administrative du Travail, and whereas the college is presently under a Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur Investigation into, among other things, the administration, operations, and organizational climate of the Lennoxville Constituent College, and whereas it is the responsibility of the Board of Governors to ensure that Champlain Regional College and its constituent colleges fulfill their obligations to maintain a safe and healthy workplace for all, and whereas it is the responsibility of the Board of Governors to ensure the well-being of the community, the integrity, and the reputation of Champlain Regional College and its constituent colleges, be it therefore resolved that the Board of Governors will provide a temporary paid leave of absence effective immediately for the Director of Constituent College Lennoxville until the conclusions of the different investigations are brought to the board of governors, and be it therefore further resolved that the Director General will work with the Director of Constituent College Lennoxville to ensure a smooth transition during this time period.”

Champlain campus director placed on temporary paid leave Read More »

Health ministry pleas a tough pill to swallow

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Matthew McCully

Local Journalism Initiative

ER overcrowding isn’t new. Flu season isn’t new. Labour shortages aren’t new. And unfortunately, neither are the solutions to address these problems.

I think English coughing fits will have to spread across the province for the health network to get the attention it deserves.

Imagine poor Roberge on the streets of Montreal, bearing witness to an RSV-induced hack attack rounded out by a my god! instead of a mon dieu!

“Dubé, we’ve gotta do something, the pure laines are chocking in English, we can’t hear this out on the streets, open more beds, get more vaccines.”

This record-breaking broken record of a health crisis is scary enough without being asked to avoid the emergency room.

It is, by design, the only point of service available to a massive chunk of Quebecers, many of whom haven’t had the privilege of regular checkups from a doctor to know exactly how much their heart or lungs could handle before their need is urgent.

Adding insult to injury, 811 operators will often err on the side of caution and recommend a trip to the ER even if the patient on the line isn’t at death’s door.

And the GAP, designed to accommodate patients without doctors, has a disclaimer that takes longer than the over-the-phone triage.

You have the right to a doctor, anything you say can and will be used to treat you in a medical facility. You have the right to an appointment, but we will only try phoning three times, so if you are working, in the car, changing a diaper, sleeping, or for any reason unable to answer, you go back to the bottom of the list.

All of that sounds less like healthcare and more like a punishment for having the nerve to get sick.

And how sick is sick enough to run the gamut?

Let’s wait until people are at their most vulnerable–with brain fog, repeated sleepless nights, unable to work, unable to eat, unable to get a sentence out without coughing, too weak to walk across the room without being winded—to say hey, chin up, take two health recommendations and call me in the morning, just don’t come to the ER.

Meanwhile, good Quebecers are suffering in silence, managing chronic pain, nursing ailments that will inevitably evolve into diseases, waiting for the system to get better.

Any decade now.

Who could look at a system this broken and think, what we need is someone in Quebec City with a more expensive suit; they will surely be able to fit a square peg into a round hole.

A government is too disconnected from its constituents when it deems it appropriate to ask them to second-guess their own well-being for the sake of a mismanaged health system.

A government has lost touch with its population when the language of the downtrodden matters more than their needs.

Health ministry pleas a tough pill to swallow Read More »

What can go wrong in a one act play?

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Glen Hartle, reporter

Funded by the Local Journalism Initiative

There’s a twinkle in Greg Graham’s eye as he sips tea and reflects on the stage rehearsal just now finished at the Pontiac High School. He and his fellow Pontiac Community Players are several months into preparing for the upcoming presentation of The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong, Jan. 25, 26, 27, and today’s session was the first with the stage and all of her props at the ready.
The play has long been on Graham’s radar and when he secured the rights for a production back in October of last year, the twinkle now present took initial flight.
Graham has been with the Players pretty much since the get-go when then English teacher Joan Conrod laid the foundation for things back in 2001 and now sits as president for the not-for-profit. While his degree in philosophy from Bishop’s University or his horticulture diploma from Algonquin College don’t necessarily provide substantive backdrop for his current role as director of a community play, Graham has plenty of street cred at the ready.
Born and raised local, he has always been involved in community theatre and even penned a play based upon local lore called The Dagg Haunting. News of that play put Shawville on the map in some corners as poltergeist enthusiasts and larger news outlets descended for more details, and it provided Graham with a boost of confidence in exploring his creative side.
From there, he has acted in several of the Players’ productions and directed many others. He has even written and produced creative pieces for a comedy series on Valley Heritage Radio called Fresh Eggs which is still available via podcast. He firmly believes that, as he says, “theatre doesn’t make a healthy community but it is a sign of a healthy one.”
And when he’s not showing signs of a healthy community through theatre, Graham is absolutely additive to the health of it in various other capacities. He is the Executive Director of the Western Quebec Literacy Council, he is a council member for the Municipality of Bristol, he sits as a commissioner on the Western Québec School Board, he helps his family run local business venture Coronation Hall, and he runs his own apple orchard. Add family man to that list and you have a robust ambassador of community.
There is synchronicity with the production currently in the works as it is wholly intended to be about and for community, and is actually a play within a play, requiring both the cast and audience to embrace at least some creative gymnastics in order to keep pace. Without spoiling too much of what is to come, the title of the play offers a fair idea of the comedic tumult to ensue when a troupe of community actors portrays a troupe of community actors putting on a play for the community where pretty much everything goes awry.
Graham suggests that at least part of the allure and joy for him and the entire cast lies in the fact that all have experienced many of the play’s plot points in real life where lines have been missed, props have failed or actors were suddenly absent and improvisation had to take hold. From an audience standpoint, it makes for an entertaining romp akin to a Carol Burnett skit where Tim Conway constantly offers a side-eye to the audience inviting them in on the joke. “We’ve all been there,” says Graham, “and our guiding light is our own experiences.”
There are lots of moving parts to this production – both literal and figurative, and designer Will Bastien had to rely upon his many talents to envision and construct a worthy set that needs to function, and fail, at the correct moments. Graham indicates that the play relies heavily upon situation comedy reinforced by a well-integrated set, for which Bastien’s involvement was key because “he’s a local boy who studied this and really knows what he’s doing.”
The community will see Ken Drummond on stage, but he’s actually acting as Max who is in turn acting the part of Cecil. Deb Stephens plays Sandra who plays Florence, Gord Graham plays Chris who plays Carter, Matt Lottes plays Rob who plays Thomas, Leona Lalonde plays Dennis who plays Perkins and Neil MacIntosh comes out of acting retirement to play Jonathan who plays Charles. Lynn Spencer as Annie and Gavin Murray as Trevor round out the cast and it’s almost useful to have this information handy while watching the play as it provides ballast against understanding the hilarity on stage, and for holding onto the thread of what is real and what is not. As Graham says, “it can be very confusing and I had to tell the cast that it’s ok to overact when playing the community actor, but the main character has to be authentic. Even saying that is confusing.”
In order to help position actors and roles before the play takes to the stage, the Players have been lighting up their social media pages with faux-profiles corresponding to the community actors, but not the actor playing the community actor. Wrap your head around that! “They’ve been really quite fun and successful,” says Graham.
Bringing the Pontiac Community Players’ contributions to community full circle, Graham hopes to present the Pontiac High School with a monetary gift at the end of the production’s run. They’ve been doing this through the years and the school, in turn, has made substantial renovations to the theatre and stage including installing new seats, curtains, lights and a sound booth. “It’s the nicest stage available to us”, says Graham, “and we are glad to give back and grateful to be a part of it.”
On this rehearsal day, the 130 seats are occupied by stagehands and actors when they’re not on set and you can feel that this is fun. They’re there because they enjoy it and they hope you do too. This is, after all, their community and they’re glad of  it.

What can go wrong in a one act play? Read More »

Front commun members to vote on agreement

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Public sector workers in the education, health, and social services networks will decide whether to accept the contents of a collective agreement in principle that was negotiated with the provincial government.

The leaders of the Front commun released additional details concerning salary and working conditions that were included in the five-year deal on January 7, saying the 420,000 members from at least 300 affiliated unions must now sign off on the agreement. The common front leaders agreed to a 17.4 per cent increase, with a six per cent jump in the first year, retroactive to April 1, 2023. The unions say this is the largest salary increase since 1979.

The contract also includes up to three per cent to protect purchasing power over the last three years of the contract, and improvements in terms of vacation leave, retirement, group insurance, parental rights, and other issues.

“It’s important to see the agreement as a whole,” said CSN first vice-president François Enault, CSQ president Éric Gingras, FTQ president Magali Picard, and APTS president Robert Comeau. “Gains achieved at the central bargaining table are added to those obtained at sectoral tables regarding conditions of work and practice. We’ll be seeing some very important debates within our unions over the next weeks.”

The members of the Chateauguay Valley Teachers Association (CVTA) will be voting on the proposed contract at some point between January 22 and February 9. “Members will be well informed before the special general meeting that will be held in order for members to vote on the proposal,” said CVTA president Nick Ross.

Information meetings will take place beforehand with the CVTA executive committee and members of the representatives’ council. An information session for CVTA members will also take place in mid-January with the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers (QPAT) negotiating team.

The New Frontiers School Board director general, Michael Helm, said he is relieved that the negotiations are going in the right direction, and he is hopeful they continue to develop in the coming weeks.

Catching up

Across the Valley, students were out of school for eight days, while others in some French schools in and around Montreal lost 22 days after teachers affiliated with the FAE launched an unlimited strike on November 23.

The Education Minister, Bernard Drainville, released final plans to help students catch up on time lost to public sector strikes on January 9. Helm confirmed he met with representatives from the Education Ministry on at least two occasions prior to the release of the plans, which aim to support students and their learning between now and the end of the school year.

The ministry has already pushed back supplemental ministerial exams to allow students the time to properly prepare.

Front commun members to vote on agreement Read More »

Name changes, new boundaries for area’s federal ridings

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Sarah Rennie – LJI Reporter

During a brief meeting to discuss the fall session in parliament, Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille confirmed that changes to the name and boundaries of her riding had quietly been formalized by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Quebec in June.

The new electoral map became official in September when it was proclaimed by the Chief Electoral Officer. The new ridings will be used during the next general federal election, so long as it is called after April 22.

At that time, the Salaberry-Suroît riding will become known as Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon, and the current Chateauguay-Lacolle riding will be known as Chateauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville.

Significant changes to the boundaries of the two ridings were also formalized as a result of a process started by the publication of the Commission’s proposal on July 29, 2022. Public hearings took place in September and October of that year, before a report was tabled in February 2023. MPs were able to voice any objections to the proposed changes before the representation order was established on September 22.

The Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon riding will be the second most populous riding in the province after the new Vaudreuil riding. It spans across sections of the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, including the Town of Coteau-du-Lac as well as the municipalities of Les Cèdres, Les Coteaux, Rivière-Beaudette, Saint-Clet, Saint-Polycarpe, Saint-Télesphore, Saint-Zotique, Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, Sainte-Marthe, Très-Saint-Rédempteur, and the Village of Pointe-des-Cascades.

The riding includes all the municipalities of the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry except for Saint-Urbain-Premier and Sainte-Martine. The new boundaries split the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent in two, while including the Town of Huntingdon as well as the municipalities of Elgin, Hinchinbrooke, Ormstown, Saint-Anicet, Sainte-Barbe, and the township municipalities of Dundee and Godmanchester. The riding also includes Akwesasne.

DeBellefeuille voiced her objection to the changes, though her opposition was mainly over the proposed name of the riding, which was Salaberry-Suroît-Soulanges. She notes it was understood that the Commission had little choice given the sprawling population growth in Vaudreuil but to balance this within the region.

The Chateauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville riding will include all the municipalities in the MRC des Jardins-de-Napierville, as well as the municipalities of Saint-Urbain-Premier and Sainte-Martine from the neighbouring MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry. The boundaries reach into the MRC de Roussillon to include the towns of Chateauguay, Léry, Mercier, and the parish municipality of Saint-Isidore. Finally, the riding gains the municipalities of Franklin, Howick, and Saint-Chrysostome, as well as the township municipality of Très-Saint-Sacrement and the township.

More information on the redistribution of federal electoral districts is available on the Elections Canada website at elections.ca.

Name changes, new boundaries for area’s federal ridings Read More »

Ormstown is managing a ‘precarious’ financial situation with 2024 budget

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The municipality of Ormstown narrowly adopted its budget for the 2024 fiscal year during an extraordinary municipal council meeting on December 14.

Ormstown mayor Christine McAleer presented the balanced budget, which includes projected revenues and expenses of over $7.7 million. She qualified 2023 as a difficult year, and she did not mince her words in describing the financial situation facing the municipality as precarious “like never before.”

“When we started the exercise, the tax increase [that was] needed to balance the budget exceeded 50 per cent,” she stated. As Quebec municipalities are not able by law to run a deficit, McAleer explained the council was forced to prioritize what was essential, requiring some very difficult decisions. “Each department has been scrutinized. Each expense was reviewed line by line, analyzed, and decreased where possible,” she said.

McAleer referred to the 2024 budget as disciplined and responsible. The municipality introduced a five-year plan for infrastructure last year that requires significant investments per year to carry out urgent and necessary work on the aqueduct system, as well as infrastructure to treat sewage and rainwater, and provide drinking water for the municipality.

She explained that the plan remains a priority for the council, and the budget respects this commitment. “To do this without having a major financial impact on citizens, the council decided to adjust downward the base tax rate for each of the tax categories,” said McAleer.

Lower property tax rates

The mayor also explained the impact of property evaluations on this year’s financial exercise. She noted the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent is responsible for the evaluation of the municipal assessment roll according to a three-year cycle. A new roll was completed this year after the MRC mandated the Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM – Évaluation) to assess the estimated value of all properties in Ormstown. As a result, property values in Ormstown have shot up by 58 per cent on average.

During the presentation, McAleer provided several examples of the impact of the municipal evaluation on citizens’ tax accounts. A private residence valued at $184,500 in 2023 will jump to $301,100 in 2024, while an agricultural property valued at $740,700 in 2023 is now estimated to be worth $1,205,100.

A significant proportion of the revenue generated by all municipalities comes from taxes based on property evaluations. The council in Ormstown was also mindful of this balance in deciding to drop its residual tax rates.

The residential tax rate will fall from $0.8118 per $100 of assessment to $0.5133/$100, which represents a decrease of nearly 30 cents per $100. The rate for agricultural properties will drop from $0.5903 to $0.5133, for a difference of just under eight cents per $100 of assessment. The rate for residences including six dwellings or more will be reduced from $0.8443 to $0.6842, or 16 cents per $100, while the commercial and industrial rates move from $1.4681 to $1.2833, or just over 18 cents.

Investments in capital program

The three-year capital investment program includes around $8.7 million in planned spending for 2024. Of this, $3.8 million will go towards the filtration plant, wastewater overflow plan, and the water and sewer network.

McAleer noted that the previous administrations also struggled with the issue of the municipality’s decrepit water infrastructure. She explained that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been invested in studies to advance the various interrelated projects. The mayor confirmed that after two years, the planning stage is nearing completion and detailed plans will soon be sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Hopefully we will get the required approval and funding soon after,” she said.

Other highlights of the three-year program include $2 million for road maintenance and asphalting, as well as around $903,400 to revitalize sidewalks and $300,000 for the installation of a municipal splash pad.

Opposition to the budget

The budget was successfully adopted by council, but it was not a unanimous decision. Councillor for seat number two, Jacques Guilbault, voted against the budget, as did councillor number four, Eric Bourdeau.

Several residents also expressed their reservations during the question period following the budget presentation. Philippe Besombes, who lives in Ormstown and is the president of the Association des gens d’affaires d’Ormstown et des environs (AGAO+), noted he was especially concerned about the capacity of Ormstown residents and business owners to afford tax increases.

Other questions focused on the stalling of developments that would add revenue to the municipal budget. The mayor explained that the problems plaguing the water and sewer systems were negatively impacting development and noted that the state of the sewer system is such that the municipality has had to block the construction of 24 homes, because the network is unable to handle any additional load.

“Despite the planned tax increase and spending cuts for 2024, we will be continuously monitoring the budget throughout the year to see if we can decrease the tax burden in the future, while still maintaining the services citizens expect us to provide,” said McAleer.

Ormstown is managing a ‘precarious’ financial situation with 2024 budget Read More »

Franklin adopts 2024 budget, lowers key tax rates

Local Journalism Initiative / /

Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The Franklin municipal council has approved its budget for the 2024 fiscal year during a special meeting on December 19.

Franklin director general Simon St-Michel says the balanced budget, which was adopted unanimously by members of council, reflects today’s economic context while remaining affordable for citizens. A press release issued by the municipality notes the budget includes lowered tax rates in light of increases to the property assessment roll for 2024.

According to the property evaluations filed by the Fédération québécoise des municipalités

(FQM), the assessed value of all properties in Franklin has increased from $302,671,700 in 2023 to $474,619,900 in 2024. This represents a 36 per cent increase in the property values that are used by all municipalities to establish the property tax base. As a result, the value of an average residential property will rise from $223,071 in 2023 to $357,863 in 2024. Likewise, a farm property valued at $489,684 in 2023 will jump to $762,188 in 2024.

St-Michel says the council opted to reduce several municipal tax rates in order to limit the tax burden on the people of Franklin. The residential tax rate for 2024 drops from $0.66 per $100 of property evaluation to $0.48/$100, which amounts to a reduction of 18 cents per $100 or roughly 18 per cent. For the average household in Franklin, this will mean an increase of around $246 in property taxes.

The tax rate for agricultural land and property has been lowered from $0.4663/$100 in 2023 to $0.33/$100, which represents a decrease of 13 cents per $100 or 13 per cent. Consequently, the tax bill for an average agricultural property will rise by around $232.

The tax rate for residential properties with six dwellings or more was decreased from $0.86/$100 in 2023 to $0.75, while commercial buildings increased slightly from $0.86/$100 in 2023 to $0.89/$100. Industrial properties will see the largest jump from $0.66/$100 to $0.76/$100 in 2024.

St-Michel points out the municipal administration worked with an accounting firm to review the procedures used during the 2024 budget exercise.

Budget highlights

The adopted budget included details relating to several projects, including the continuation of the municipality’s efforts to reduce the amount of waste collected within its territory. A pilot project was launched late this fall that involved the distribution of standardized garbage bins to each residence and building served by the municipal waste collection service. More than 240 home composters and kitchen bins were also distributed to residents. In addition to these efforts, the municipality will begin work to create an ecocentre. According to the triennial capital expenditures plan, the municipality will spend $137,000 to develop the ecocentre, of which 70 per cent will be covered by a grant from Recyc-Québec.

The municipality’s road repair program will continue, with various grants enabling the Municipality of Franklin to repave roads during the summer. At least $182,000 has been allocated to road maintenance in 2024, with plans to spend upwards of $682,000 over the next three years.

The municipality will also be reminding drivers to respect posted speed limits in school zones through the installation of speed cameras near Franklin Elementary School and the École Centrale Saint-Antoine-Abbé. The radar equipment is expected to cost around $13,500.

Finally, work will be done to refurbish the interior of the town hall as well as the neighbouring municipal building next door to the Franklin post office. The municipality has budgeted over $260,000 to complete this work, of which 65 per cent will be financed through the Programme d’amélioration et de construction d’infrastructures municipales (PRACIM).

The renovations will allow for the creation of meeting and office space for local non-profit organizations, while also providing space for a satellite office for Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette.

Franklin adopts 2024 budget, lowers key tax rates Read More »

Questions swirl over why Walmart dropped plant plans

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report

The news that Walmart Canada has decided to pull out of its plan to operate a $100-million fulfillment centre in Vaudreuil-Dorion – a facility touted to be “the first of its kind” in Quebec for the retail giant when it was announced in the fall of 2022 – has been widely reported in the past few weeks. But the reasons for the decision continue to be the subject of several unanswered questions.

“I was surprised for sure,” said Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon last week.

Pilon has not received any confirmation as to why the retailer abruptly pulled out of the project in late December. He speculated that it could simply be a case of a corporate shakeup at Walmart Canada that prompted the change in plans.

“This is what I think,” Pilon said, but later added he did not speak to anyone at Walmart.

In an email statement to The 1019 Report, Walmart Canada spokesperson Sarah Kennedy, senior director for internal and external communications, confirmed the company plans to sub-lease the facility.

“(Walmart) made the decision to sub-lease the previously-announced Vaudreuil-Dorion facility because we believe we can better serve and fulfill online orders for our Quebec customers by accelerating upgrades to our existing network, including our Quebec stores,” Kennedy said.

She refused to answer any other questions about the lease.

See WALMART, Page 4.

WALMART: Traffic caused by bridge chaos not a factor, retailer says

From Page 1

Pilon said he had previously been informed that Walmart had a 15-year lease with renewal options on the facility – a sprawling building with about 70 truck loading bays, making it one of the largest logistical hubs in the region.

When pressed about whether traffic chaos in the region caused by work on the Île aux Tourtes Bridge played a role in the decision to back out of the shipping hub it planned to open later this year, Kennedy said: “I can tell you that traffic was not a factor in this decision at all.”

Contacted earlier this week, a spokesperson for Chris and Tyler Harden, co-CEOs of the Harden Group, the owners of new industrial park near the junction of Harwood and Henry Ford roads in Vaudreuil-Dorion where the Walmart facility is located, said the company would not comment on Walmart’s decision.

A spokesperson for DEV Vaudreuil-Soulanges, the regional business development agency, confirmed a subletter is being sought.

In an interview Monday, Guy Boyer, the director of territorial development and industrial commission with DEV Vaudreuil-Soulanges, said he is hoping to meet with Walmart representatives as well as officials with the Harden Group to discuss the situation later this week.

Boyer, too, admits he was surprised to hear of Walmart’s abrupt change of plans, adding, however, that he does not believe it will be too difficult to find a new tenant.

Adding to the list of officials who were surprised by the news is Vaudreuil MNA Marie-Claude Nichols. In an interview earlier this week, she said she had worked closely with officials with the Harden Group to obtain the needed ministerial approval for Hydro-Québec hookups for the facility in the first half of 2023. According to Nichols, the CAQ government passed a law earlier in 2023 that required large projects that required more than 50 megawatts of power to obtain government approval before Hydro could provide services. Nichols said she was solicited to help obtain the approvals, which were subsequently granted.

Walmart’s change of plans, she added “was a surprise for me.”

CAQ MNA Marilyne Picard was not available for comment.

Kennedy said Walmart plans to invest about $100 million to upgrade eight stores in the province “by the end of our next fiscal year,” but ignored questions inquiring about which stores the company will focus on.

Questions swirl over why Walmart dropped plant plans Read More »

As SQ costs keep rising, number of officers to be cut

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report

In the last month, all municipalities in the region adopted their budgets for the current year. And just about all recorded increases in expenses for 2024. Among those hikes is a substantial increase is the price of police services provided by the Sûreté du Québec. But there is one thing that the financial documents do not show: As the costs for police services continue to go up, the amount of service is about to go down.

A total of 131 SQ officers are assigned to this region. How many are on duty at any given time, including the number who patrol the streets of the region, varies according to an internal schedule. That overall number, however, is about to drop by seven to 124, according to Patrick Bousez, prefect of the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. And that means only one thing, the amount of police coverage in this region is going to be less – but the bill will not be lowered.

“This angers me,” said a frustrated Guy Pilon, mayor of Vaudreuil-Dorion, the largest municipality in the territory that pays the biggest slice of the MRC’s policing bill. “It’s illogical.”

“We control nothing,” Pilon said, referring to the towns that shoulder the costs. “We just get the bill.”

See SQ COSTS, Page 2.

SQ COSTS: Bill for policing keeps rising year after year

From Page 1.

Municipalities have no control on the policing cost, Pilon explained. “All we have to do is shut up and pay.”

He was informed of the pending cuts by MRC officials.

Bousez said the new arrangement is part of a 10-year agreement signed with Quebec’s Public Security Ministry, which negotiated the deal with the SQ administration and the Union des municipalités du Québec. It was based on a study of a number of factors, including crime rates in the various regions.

What is the most difficult to accept, Bousez said, is that while Vaudreuil-Soulanges will see its police force trimmed, the neighbouring MRC of Beauharnois-Salaberry will see its numbers of officers increase without seeing its cost go up.

“We are not happy,” Bousez said. “No one in the region is happy.”

It’s a situation that all the region’s municipalities are struggling with, Pilon said, as costs for the provincial police service continue to rise year after year.

In Vaudrueil-Dorion, the bill for the SQ in 2024 will hit $7.25 million, up almost nine per cent from the $6.6 million in 2023. In St. Lazare, SQ costs are up 6.55 per cent this year. In Hudson, policing costs are up 5.5 per cent, hitting $1.93 million this year.

In 2022, Vaudreuil-Soulanges was charged $30.2 million for SQ services, according to data obtained by The 1019 Report from the Ministry of Public Security.

Pilon said cities and towns across the province who had their own municipal forces were sold a bill of goods when they were forced to disband their local policing services in favour of SQ services in 2003.

“They sold us smoke, saying it would cost us less,” Pilon said, recalling how the transition was presented two decades ago.

Municipalities were told they would receive the same level of service at a lesser cost, he said. Today, most towns have seen a steady rise in the cost of the SQ and have had to hire public security contractors to provide a presence in parks and to make sure everything from dog bylaws to parking restrictions are enforced – services the SQ does not provide.

The cost of the SQ assessed the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges is set by the provincial government. It is determined by a formula based on property valuations, which provides for the so-called richest regions to pay more. As such, MRCs like Vaudreuil-Soulanges end up footing more of the provincial bill to reduce the financial burden of the SQ on other, less affluent regions.

This formula also includes a provision whereby MRCs that pay the most receive a partial reimbursement. This calculation, however, has been the focus of legal action of late. In 2021, the MRC passed a resolution to change this calculation method. In response, four towns in the region – Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pincourt, St. Zotique and Les Coteaux – challenged this new approach. Last year, the court upheld the new method.

The ruling did not, however, outline how the redistribution of the reimbursements be applied. Now, the town of Hudson is taking issue with the MRCs latest approach. In response, the MRC has launched an internal review of its billing practices.

As SQ costs keep rising, number of officers to be cut Read More »

Average tax bill to jump 4.45% in St. Lazare

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report

The owners of an average single-family home in St. Lazare will see their property taxes increase by 4.45 per cent this year, according to the town’s new $43.1-million budget adopted last month.

The value of an average single-family home in the municipality is pegged at $467,600. The owners of this property will see a tax bill of $3,672 in 2024, which represents an increase of $156 compared with 2023. Last year, the taxes on that same home jumped $141, or 4.19 per cent, bringing the overall hike in taxes on that property since the end of 2022 to $297, or 8.8 per cent.

The residential property tax rate for 2024 has been set at $0.6262 per $100 of valuation, up from the 2023 rate of $0.6034.

Included in the calculation of each tax bill is a $275 annual water tax, up from $250 last year; a $180 garbage tax, up from $165 last year; a $165 sewer treatment charge, which is the same as in 2023 and a $50 potable water treatment plant fee, which is also the same as last year.

The property tax increase “represents less than $13 per month for the average single-family home, which council considers reasonable under the circumstances,” city officials stated in a prepared statement. The increase, in fact, represents exactly $13 a month for an average home.

There are other itemized charges that are assessed based on specific tax rates per $100 of valuation, meaning those properties with higher valuations will pay more, while lesser valued properties will pay less. For the average valued home of $467,600, they include a $25 charge for the construction of municipal buildings, which is up about $3 from last year; a $14 fee for the construction of the new fire hall, which is the same as last year; a $13 fee for the extension of the bicycle path network, up from the $5.61 assessed last year; a $9.82 charge for the reconstruction of Ste. Elizabeth Street; a $7 charge for the expansion of the La Pinière nature park and a $4.68 contribution to the building of the synthetic playing field next to Westwood High School’s junior campus.

Spending is up

Overall, the city will be spending about $5.5 million more this year as compared with 2023. Among the biggest increases are services the municipality has no direct control over. Among those charges is the city’s contribution to the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, which jumps 18.71-per-cent in 2024 compared with 2023, bringing the total handed over to the regional authority to just over $2.4 million this year. Other increases assessed to the town are charges from the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, which jumps 17.53 per cent this year compared with last year; and fees for policing services from the Sûreté du Québec, which increase by 6.55 per cent this year. The city’s contribution to the regional transit authority, or Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain, increases 4 per cent from 2023.

These charges represent about 85 per cent of St. Lazare’s overall spending.

The city also adopted its three-year capital expenditure program on Dec. 19. It includes $25 million in projects in 2024, $28.2 million in spending in 2025 and $13.3 million in plans for 2026.

This year, among the projects planned are $14.7 million to improve and expand potable water services; $6.5 million in recreational upgrades, including refurbishing certain parks, replacing the surface of the synthetic field near Westwood High School and about $1.6 million for the construction of a youth centre, which will be financed in part by an expected $980,000 grant. Another $3.14 million will be spent on road improvements, the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at the community centre and the replacement of certain municipal vehicles.

Most of these items will be financed through a combination of provincial government grants, long-term borrowing and the municipality’s reserved funds.

Average tax bill to jump 4.45% in St. Lazare Read More »

Motorists in this region to be hit with new $59 car registration fee

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report

Vaudreuil-Soulanges commuters sitting in rush-hour traffic as they attempt to travel across the Île aux Tourtes Bridge will have plenty of time to contemplate the irony behind a new tax they will be slapped with this year: A $59 charge that will be added to their vehicle registrations for 2024 courtesy of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and the regional public transit authority.

Beginning this month, all personal vehicles registered in the 11 municipalities in this region that are part of the CMM will be hit with the new charge that aims to help finance public transit in the greater Montreal region.

More specifically, as explained by the CMM, the regional authority that includes 82 municipalities on and around the island of Montreal, “this measure aims to diversify the sources of funding for the public transportation network in the metropolitan Montreal region to meet the population’s needs in terms of sustainable mobility, while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and road congestion.”

The charge is expected to generate about $125 million to $128 million in revenue for the transport authority across the CMM in 2024.

The 11 of the 23 municipalities in Vaudreuil-Soulanges that are part of the CMM include Vaudreuil-Dorion, St. Lazare, Hudson, Pincourt, L’Île Perrot, Notre Dame de l’Île Perrot, Terrasse Vaudreuil, Vaudreuil sur le Lac, Les Cèdres, Île Cadieux and Pointe des Cascades.

The fee will be collected by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec on behalf of the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM), and is in addition to the $30 annual fee dubbed a “public transit contribution” already charged to most residents in the region who are included in the CMM, bringing the total public transit tariff on each vehicle registrations to $89 a year.

Motorists living in Les Cèdres, Île Cadieux, Pointe des Cascades and Vaudreuil sur le Lac are exempt from paying the $30 fee. They will have to pay the new $59 tax, however.

Since 2011, motorists living on the island of Montreal have been paying a $45 annual public transit fee plus the $30 annual “public transit contribution.” Starting this year, the public transit fee they are assessed will be increased to $59, bringing their total public transit annual surcharges to $89.

The CMM council approved the new tax back in April, after the ARTM revealed a substantial operating deficit. In the months that followed, negotiations between the provincial Transport Ministry, the CMM and the transit authority explored ways to address the shortfall. These talks looked at alternative funding schemes. But the mayors who sit on the CMM council were adamant that contributions from the municipalities should remain capped at a 4-per-cent increase.

The provincial government then announced it would pitch in $346 million, which represents about 75 per cent of the expected $461-million operating deficit for 2024. The $346 million includes $218 million from Quebec, as outlined in the CAQ government’s fall economic update announced Nov. 7 and $128 million from transit fees collected through the vehicle registration charges approved in April that come into effect starting this month. The formula still leaves the transit authority with a shortfall, which will still have to be managed, according to the CMM.

“I am completely against increasing the cost of licensing (a vehicle),” said Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon last week.

The original contribution motorists were forced to pay, Pilon explained, was designated to improve services. Now, the transit authority is using these funds and charging more to cover its operating shortfall.

“I am completely against that,” Pilon reiterated, adding that the current financing scheme still does not cover the entire operating deficit, which means the transit authority might have to now cut services. “Everything is on the table,” he said.

Motorists in this region to be hit with new $59 car registration fee Read More »

Despite slow start to ski season, Mont Rigaud looks toward smooth run

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report

Last Sunday’s snowfall put an end to the speculation over whether winter was actually going to show up this year, and it got skiers excited about hitting the slopes. But now, the question for the operator of the Mont Rigaud ski hill is: Will the rest of the winter make up for the slow start?

Although skiers were on the slopes at Mont Rigaud on Sunday as the snow fell at a gentle and steady pace, it was a different story just the day before. On Saturday, Jan. 6, there were a few skiers, but it was far from a busy Saturday.

“The weather is a major influencer,” said Luc Elie, the owner and general manager of Mont Rigaud. It has a major impact on the centre’s monetary performance, he explained.

Up until last Saturday, traffic on the 15 runs at Mont Rigaud was down substantially since the centre opened this season on Dec. 1, Elie said.

Although he did not have exact figures, he estimated the volume of skiers at the centre in each week throughout December and the first week of January was roughly the same as what the centre saw per day last season.

The number of season passes sold at the hill are down, too – by about 10 per cent, he said.

Elie said the centre has three key periods each winter season – the Christmas holidays, the eight weekends in January and February, and March break. So far, the Christmas holiday period has been a financial bust. But he is optimistic things will turn around.

“It’s part of the game,” he said. “March break might be excellent.”

Last year, the centre invested about $1 million in snow-making equipment, a move that has allowed Elie to ensure that just about all runs have a solid snow cover regardless of the amount of natural snow. All 15 trails down the mountain have been open since Jan. 1, he said, explaining that whenever there was a short cold snap, his crews were making snow and grooming the trails.

In December, however, the unseasonably mild temperatures meant the man-made snow kept melting. 

But with the return of below-zero temperatures in January, the groomers have been able to keep a solid base on the hill. The only run that had not yet opened as of last week is the one that winds its way through a wooded area.

“We have had excellent conditions,” Elie said, referring to the performance of his new snow-making capabilities. But he concedes, when people do not have snow at home, they are not as inclined to think of heading to the slopes. He’s hoping that those worries are behind him now that the winter seems to be back on track.

Despite slow start to ski season, Mont Rigaud looks toward smooth run Read More »

Appeal in Sandy Beach case setto move forward, spring decision expected

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

BRENDA O’FARRELL
The 1019 Report

A final decision on the fate of the proposed 214-unit Sandy Beach housing development in Hudson will be rendered in spring, as legal proceedings to hear an appeal contesting the Quebec Environment minister’s revocation of the permit to backfill part of the wetlands at the waterfront site are set to move forward in the coming weeks.

“The tribunal will render its decision within three months of the case being taken under advisement,” stated Julie Baril, the director of legal affairs with the Tribunal Administratif du Québec, in an email to The 1019 Report last week. The tribunal will hear the appeal.

According to documents obtained from the province’s administrative tribunal, Quebec Environment Ministry officials filed the required documents with the tribunal on Dec. 15 and Dec. 18 following an appearance by Justice Department officials on Nov. 23. But to date, “no jurisdictional activity has been held,” Baril said.

Nicanco Holdings, the owner of the waterfront site, and its partner in the proposed housing project, a numbered Quebec-based company, filed a notice of appeal with the tribunal on Oct. 18. On Nov. 15, the companies outlined the basis for its appeal with the tribunal.

The next step is expected to include a management conference, where the parties will receive an overview of the appeal process and deadlines set.

Tribunal officials said this meeting could lead to a conciliation session, which could also lead to

an agreement between the parties or a withdrawal of the appeal.

If there is no agreement or withdrawal, and the appeal proceeds to a hearing. The date for this process will be determined by the parties, the officials said. Once the appeal is heard, the tribunal would then have up to three months to render its decision. On Oct. 4, Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette revoked the certificate of authorization to backfill part of the wetlands along the waterfront in Hudson’s Sandy Beach area that had been issued in March 2014. The minister made the move, citing a provision of a new law that came into force in May 2022, the Loi sur certaines mesures permettant d’appliquer les lois en matière d’environement et de la sécurité des barrages. This law gives the provincial environment minister sweeping powers to ensure consistency in the application of environmental laws within an updated framework.

Appeal in Sandy Beach case setto move forward, spring decision expected Read More »

Flames rip through house in St. Zotique

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

FREDERIC SERRE
The 1019 Report

A St. Zotique residence was gutted by flames last Thursday afternoon, and while no injuries were reported, the house has been declared a total loss.

Firefighters from St. Zotique, Coteau du Lac, Rivière Beaudette, St. Polycarpe, Salaberry de Valleyfield, Pincourt and St. Clet responded to a 911 call at about 3:30 p.m. for a blaze at a residence on 15th Avenue. The fire was already raging by the time firefighters arrived.

The cause of the blaze remains unknown at this time.

Flames rip through house in St. Zotique Read More »

Fire engulfs residential garage in Vaudreuil

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

FREDERIC SERRE
The 1019 Report

An urgent 911 call last Sunday evening in Vaudreuil-Dorion triggered an emergency response, but by the time the first firefighters arrived on the scene on Valois Street, flames had already destroyed the garage of a residence.

According to Chief John Boudreau of the Vaudreuil-Dorion fire department, the call came in at 9 :30 p.m., as flames engulfed the garage attached to the small one-storey house. While the garage was destroyed and the house suffered smoke and water damage, no injuries to the two occupants were reported.

About 30 firefighters from four municipalities, including members of the Canadian Red Cross and the Sûreté du Québec, were on the scene.

Firefighters from Pincourt and Salaberry de Valleyfield also reported to the fire, while a team from the St. Lazare fire department were on standby at the Vaudreuil-Dorion station.

While the cause of the blaze has not been confirmed, police and firefighters said a motorcycle and a can of gasoline inside the garage caused the flames to spread quickly. Thankfully, a firewall prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the building. Police said the fire was finally extinguished at about 1:30 a.m. Monday.

Fire engulfs residential garage in Vaudreuil Read More »

N.D. de l’Île Perrot residents to see 7.2% jump in taxes

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

JOHN JANTAK
The 1019 Report

Homeowners in Notre Dame de l’Île Perrot will see their tax bills increase an average of 7.2 per cent this year after council adopted its $22.99-million budget for 2024 last month.

The residential property tax rate for this year has been set at $0.6585 per $100 of valuation, up from $0.6379 in 2023.

The owners of an average residence valued at $465,000, will receive a tax bill of $3,821 this year, which is an of $257 compared with 2023. The owners of a house valued at $750,000, will see a tax bill will be $5,665, an increase of $369. 

Overall, he town’s $22.99-million budget represents about $1.64 million more in spending this year as compared with 2023. Among the biggest increases are services beyond the municipality’s control.

Some of those charges include the town’s contribution to the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, which jumps to $1.12 million in 2024, a 13.7-per-cent increase compared with 2023; and its fees for the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, which account for $293,500, which represents a jump of 13.7 per cent compared with last year.

Notre Dame will pay almost $2.26 million is fees for policing services from the Sûreté du Québec this year, which represents an 8-per-cent increase compared with 2023. Also, the town’s contribution to the regional transit authority, or Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain, comes to almost $579,700 this year, a 3.1-per-cent hike over 2023.

To reflect the real costs of the various municipal services, a rate increase of $14 per household was also adopted to cover the cost of the new contract for the collection, transport and disposal of household waste.

“This increase remains reasonable this year,” said Mayor Danie Deschênes. “But it is only the tip of the iceberg. We anticipate an explosion in costs over the next five years.”

Council also approved the town’s three-year capital expenditures program. About $12.98 million will be invested in projects in 2024, $12.74 million in 2025 and $18.52 million in 2026. Among the expenditures for this year is $1.14 million for street paving and sidewalk improvements.

As part of the town’s cost-cutting measures, the monthly tree branch collection will be reduced to three this year – in April, May and October – which will enable its blue-collar workers to focus on other priorities.

N.D. de l’Île Perrot residents to see 7.2% jump in taxes Read More »

Residential taxes in Rigaud will go up slightly this year for most

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

JOHN JANTAK
The 1019 Report

Residential property taxes in Rigaud will be going up slightly for some in 2024 and down for others. It all depends on where in the town you live, according to the municipality’s $18.05-million budget adopted last month.

The general property tax rate assessed to all homeowners in Rigaud will not increase in 2024. It remains at $0.6924 for the second year.

“The zero tax represents the basic tax that everyone pays depending on the valuation role, and then you have additional taxes that are paid for specific services depending on where you live and if you have potable water, a septic tank and sewer service,” said Geneviève Hamel, the town’s director of communications.

“It really depends on where you live,” Hamel explained. “You pay for the services you get.”

So for an average single-family home valued at $270,020, the basic residential rate remains at $1,883. Additional charges are then added depending on which of the town’s seven sectors you live in.

For example, an average house valued at $270,020 located in the mountain sector will receive a total bill of $2,566, that’s up $59, or 2.35 per cent, from the $2,507 charged last year.

A property with the same valuation in the village sector, however, will see a total tax bill of $2,929, a jump of $66, or 2.31 per cent, compared with 2023.

In the sector that borders Hudson, known as the Hudson Club development, the owner of a property valued at $272,020 will receive a tax bill of $3,253 for 2024 – an $8 drop compared with last year.

“Some services have increased slightly,” said Hamel. “But overall, if you take all the different sectors regardless of the services they receive, there’s an average of about 2.5 per cent in terms of increase for specific services.”

These services include water, sewers, garbage collection, compost collection and recycling.

Overall, the town will spend almost $769,000 more this year compared with 2023, which represents a jump of 4.45 per cent. The town will see its contribution to the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges increase to just under $1.02 million, which represents a hike of 1.5 per cent. It will also see its policing costs for the Sûreté du Québec increase 4.6 per cent.

Council also approved the town’s three-year capital expenditures program. About $3.3 million will be invested in projects in 2024, $17.6 million in 2025 and $8.2 million in 2026.

Among the expenditures planned for this year is $620,000 to create a cycling path along the former railway corridor. This project will see an additional expenditure of $2.05 million in 2025. Another $643,000 will be spent on cycling paths in other parts of the town. The town will buy a new Zamboni for ice resurfacing and a street sweeper for a total of $373,100, install water games in Chartier Park at a cost of $210,000 and spend $275,000 on street repaving.

Residential taxes in Rigaud will go up slightly this year for most Read More »

Taxes in Pincourt to take 3.4% hike in 2024

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

JOHN JANTAK
The 1019 Report

The owners of an average home in Pincourt will see their property taxes rise by 3.4 per cent in 2024, according to the town’s new $29.96-million budget approved last month.

The increase means the owners of an average house valued at $371,835 will receive a tax bill of $3,320 this year, a $110 increase over the $3,210 charged in 2023. Last year, the taxes on that same home jumped $150, or 4.9 per cent, bringing the overall hike in taxes on that property since the end of 2022 to $260, or 8.5 per cent.

The residential property tax rate for 2024 has been set at $0.6585 per $100 of valuation, up from the 2023 rate of $0.6379.

Included in the calculation of each tax bill is a $218 annual water tax, up from $210 last year; a $280 sewer services tax, unchanged from last year; and a $228 garbage tax, up from $202 last year.

“Since the last election, the municipal administration, council and I have worked towards improving the daily lives of our citizens,” said Pincourt Mayor Claude Comeau in a prepared statement. “Despite inflation, we managed to curb the increase in municipal taxes from 2022.”

“We understand that any increase can be a burden on some households,” Comeau added. “However, this measure remains essential to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens.”

Overall, the town’s $29.96-million budget represents about $1.4 million more in spending this year as compared with 2023. Among the biggest increases are services beyond the municipality’s control. Some of those charges include the town’s contribution to the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, which jumps to $1.9 million in 2024, a 5.41-per-cent increase compared with 2023; and its fees for the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, which account for $331,500, an increase of 13 per cent compared with last year. Pincourt will pay $2.26 million is fees for policing services from the Sûreté du Québec this year, which represents a 6.54-per-cent increase compared with 2023. Also, the town’s contribution to the regional transit authority, or Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain, comes to almost $759,000 this year, a 4-per-cent hike over last year.

The cost for the town’s garbage collection contract for 2024 also took a sharp increase, hitting $761,500, representing a 27.55-per-cent jump over the $597,500 spent in 2023.

Taxes in Pincourt to take 3.4% hike in 2024 Read More »

Shared schools to reopen Jan. 9 as FAE strike ends

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative

When schools reopen Jan. 9, students at most Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) schools will be returning from the usual holiday break of just over two weeks. However, students at Sutton School, Massey-Vanier High School and the Campus Brome-Missisquoi adult vocational training centre will be returning after nearly a month and a half.

The ETSB and the Centre de services scolaire Val-des-Cerfs (CSSVDC) jointly administer the three schools, which have English and French sectors. While ETSB teachers are represented by the Appalachian Teachers’ Association (ATA), affiliated with the Front Commun bloc through the CSQ-linked Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers (QPAT), CSSVDC teachers are members of the Syndicat des enseignants Haute-Yamaska (SEHY), itself a member of the Fédération autonome d’enseignement (FAE). FAE members have been on an indefinite general strike since Nov. 23; as the strike began, SEHY president Sophie Veilleux told the BCN that picket lines around the shared schools would be “watertight.”

As a result, all three schools have been closed since the FAE strike began – along with dozens of French-language public schools around the province staffed by FAE-affiliated teachers. On Dec. 22, the ETSB announced it had reached an agreement with the FAE to allow access to shared schools, and on Dec. 28, the strike ended after the FAE reached an agreement-in-principle with the government.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville is expected to announce a “catchup plan” for strike-affected schools on Jan. 9. ATA union officer Gail Klinck, a teacher at Massey-Vanier, called on the minister not to forget the three shared bilingual schools. “Our students will need the same support as FAE students, and I think the ministry is going to have to direct that,” she said. “Our kids have missed critical time, and we want to make sure they don’t get left out of the loop.” She expects teachers to have to make difficult decisions about curriculum as they try to make up for lost time: “What do you decide to skim over and what do you have to keep? If you miss a certain math topic but you need it to do something else down the road … that could impact you for several years.”

Klinck said she expects the return to class to be “kind of like coming back from COVID times” in terms of learning loss and mental health. “The kids are anxious to come back, not only for the academics but for their social lives,” she said. “The first couple of weeks, everyone’s going to be stressed.”

Drainville announced on Jan. 4 that the January ministerial exams would be rescheduled to later this month; his office has said it would not comment further before the Jan. 9 announcement. Klinck said she is eagerly awaiting ministry proposals on scheduling, year-end exams and support for vulnerable students. “There are no easy answers here.”

She also called on the ETSB, the CSSVDC and the two unions to work out a long-term agreement where “no one shuts down the other side’s school” and where dialogue is encouraged. “Even on days when [FAE and QPAT teachers] were both on strike, there was a red (FAE) group and a green (Front Commun) group, entirely separate. We need to change that – we might not agree on tactics, but we agree on education.”

Requests for comment sent to the SEHY and FAE were referred to FAE president Mélanie Hubert, who was not immediately available.

ATA members to vote on Front Commun agreement

On Jan. 7, the Front Commun – made up of four of the largest union federations in the province, the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), the Fédération des Travailleurs du Québec (FTQ) and the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé (APTS) announced it had reached an agreement-in-principle with the government, which included a 17.4 per cent increase over five years with additional smaller increases pegged to inflation in the last three years. Many of the details around working conditions have been hashed out by sector-specific negotiating tables and will become public in the coming weeks.

QPAT president Stephen Le Sueur said although he could not share details of the sector-specific agreement for teachers, there were steps forward on salary, workloads and class composition. “We haven’t lost anything, and we have made some gains – maybe not as much as we would have liked, but there are some gains,” he said.

Front Commun union members around the province will vote on the agreement between mid-January and Feb. 20. A double simple majority — where over 50 per cent of members in at least half of affected locals vote to approve the agreement – is needed to approve the agreement.

Shared schools to reopen Jan. 9 as FAE strike ends Read More »

Public sector workers to vote on proposed collective agreements

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Leaders of Quebec’s four largest public sector unions, the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), the Fédération des travail- leurs du Québec (FTQ) and the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), said at a Jan. 2 press conference that they have reached an agreement in principle with the government, aimed at ending several months of labour strife and securing a five-year collective agreement.

The four unions represent about 420,000 workers across the health, education and social services sector, including Central Québec School Board (CQSB) teachers, CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence staff and technical and maintenance staff at public health facilities. Since last year, they have been negotiating with the government as a single bloc, the Front Commun.

CSQ president Éric Gingras told reporters the agreement includes a 17.4 per cent salary increase over five years, with possible additional one per cent increases in the last three years of the contract, tied to the rate of inflation. Other gains included an additional week of paid vacation for workers with at least 19 years’ seniority, a 15 per cent signing bonus for certain specialized workers and a 10 per cent salary increase across the board for psychologists in the health and education sectors. Other changes specific to certain professions are expected to come to light in the coming weeks, as sector-specific bar- gaining units conclude their own agreements. Members will then be asked to vote yes or no on the full agreements, which will be approved or rejected through a double simple majority system – over 50 per cent of locals must show that over 50 per cent of their members approved the agreement. Local votes are expected to finish no later than Feb. 20.

Although Gingras emphasized that the last few months of negotiation had won some concessions – “the initial [salary increase] offer was nine per cent, and we doubled that” – he stopped short of formally recommending that CSQ members vote in favour. FTQ president Magali Picard, whose federation was the last of the four to reach an agree- ment, recommended that FTQ members vote in favour. “We made gains at all the [sectorial] tables, which is why we feel comfortable recommend- ing this agreement,” she said.

“We will wait until Feb. 20 to make sure our members think it’s a good deal,” Gingras said. “It’s up to them now.”

Reactions to the agreement on social media were mixed, with some public sector work- ers applauding it while others called for it to be rejected. CSN vice-president François Énault said there were “several scenarios” if the agreement wasn’t approved by all four federations, including federation-specific strikes. Picard said a general strike was now “very unlikely.”

Steven Le Sueur is the president of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers (QPAT), a CSQ-affiliated federation which represents teachers in the province’s English public schools. Although he could not share details of the sector-specific agreement that teachers will vote on, he said said it contained steps forward on salary, workload and class composition. “We haven’t lost anything and we have made some gains – maybe not as much as we would have liked, but there are some gains,” he said.

The Fédération autonome d’enseignement (FAE) which represents about 60,000 teachers at French-language public schools around the province, including in Quebec City, reached an agreement in principle on Dec. 28, ending a month-long general strike. Details have yet to be made public. FAE president Mélanie Hubert said in a statement that individual unions would meet to vote on the agree- ment “after the holidays.” The FAE recommended that its members vote in favour of the agreement, although Hubert said the final decision was in their hands. Students returned to class Jan. 9.

The other major public sector union currently in negotiation with the government, the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), which represents more than 80,000 health professionals, mostly nurses, has not reached an agreement as of this writing. Shortly before Christmas, Labour Minister Jean Boulet appointed a mediator to assist in negotiations. A FIQ source told the QCT that the two sides are “in intensive negotiations” and no further public statements would be made until Jan. 15. FIQ members held a seven-day strike from Dec. 8-14, and the union warned at the time that the next step would be a general strike.

Public sector workers to vote on proposed collective agreements Read More »

Fire department completes Jaws of Life set

Local Journalism Initiative / / /
Camilla Faragalli, reporter
Funded by the Local Journalism Initiative

The Campbell’s Bay/Litchfield Fire Department is now equipped with a complete new Jaws of Life set, partially thanks to local resident Charleen Moore, who raised funds to purchase the last remaining component to the set in December. Hurst’s Jaws of Life is a set of hydraulic rescue tools used by emergency responders to extract victims from car accidents. The $65,000, four-component set that the Campbell’s Bay/Litchfield Fire Department has been acquiring over the past six years was short one piece, the “Ram,” which Moore’s online auction fundraiser in November allowed the department to purchase. “I really believe in having this fire department, and we need these volunteers, so I really like helping out as much as I can,” Moore said. Firefighter Lincoln Smith, brother-in-law to Moore, said the tools are very valuable – and not just monetarily. “It’s very, very important to have a good set of tools when people are trapped, because you don’t have much time before people need to be at the hospital,” he said. His sentiments were echoed by the fire department’s chief Kevin Kluke. “They [the tools] are worth every cent when you’re caught in an accident and need to get out,” Kluke said. “The sooner you can get them [the victim] out, the more of a chance they have of survival.” He added that the department receives about 25 accident calls a year. According to Kluke, the tools previously in use by the department were about 37 years old. “It was time for an update,” he said. Smith’s wife Wendy Moore (Charleen’s sister) also helped to organize the fundraiser. “Because this is such an important tool, we knew the community would get involved,” she said. “We had great donations from individuals, businesses, and not just from Campbell’s Bay/Litchfield. People donated from the entire Pontiac,” she said. “It was very, very successful.”

Fire department completes Jaws of Life set Read More »

Pontiac hits the ice for Farmers Bonspiel

Local Journalism Initiative / / /
Camilla Faragalli, reporter
Funded by the Local Journalism Initiative

Twelve teams of Pontiac locals took over the Shawville Curling Club on Saturday for the 42nd annual Farmers Bonspiel.
The winning team included Ian Mackechnie, Tammy Davis, and Jerry Barber, who play together in the club’s competitive Thursday-night league. Their fourth regular team member Keri Beck was absent from the tournament.
“We were tied going into the last end, and it came down to the last shot,” said Ryan Powell, member of the runner-up team. “But everybody had a lot of fun.”
Eric Smith has been organizing the fundraising event for the club for about 10 years.
“It’s not the most competitive curling bonspiel. We have kids as young as 12 playing and we have guys old like me playing,” he said with a grin.
“It brings everyone together, we have fun, and somebody wins the Plow Point [trophy].”
Winning team member Jerry Barber said the Farmers Bonspiel is important to him both in its capacity to bring people together, and because it offers an opportunity to make sure that “the things that you have in your community stay financially sound and keep going.”
“The curling club’s been here for 102 years,” he explained. “It’s the only curling club in the Pontiac . . . a lot of curling clubs in Canada have closed in the last three or four years, and in small towns like this, it’s a really important part of the community.”
The Bonspiel also included a 50/50 draw, with a prize of $142.50 that was won by Jacques Gagné.

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‘It’s back to life, and it’s beautiful’

Local Journalism Initiative / / /
Camilla Faragalli, reporter
Funded by the Local Journalism Initiative

The Mansfield and Pontefract public library officially reopened its doors on Wednesday, after moving from the George Bryson Heritage House to the Dagenais House just metres away.
While the library never officially closed, its books have been packed since the summer months to make way for the Bryson House Museum. Books remained available upon request for the duration of the move.
“We had to cut back service a bit, but people understood, they were very patient,” said Sandra Armstrong, mayor of the municipality of Mansfield and Pontefract.
“Now it’s back to life, and it’s beautiful.”
Built in the 1800s by George Bryson on the same land as his family home, the Dagenais House was initially intended as an administration office.
The ground floor is now dedicated to adult books, while the upstairs space is home to the library’s children’s collection and boasts a large conference table as well as comfortable reading chairs.
“The way it’s set up now there’s more room than at the Bryson House,” Armstrong said.
“I feel the library should have been at the Dagenais House from the start, it’s just a beautiful, calm place – a nice place for a library.”
Martine Marion has worked as a librarian at the Bryson House library for 28 years.
“I’m very happy to be at the Maison Dagenais,” she said. “There’s something special when you enter the building, it’s a good feeling you get there.”
Marion added that she believes the public will enjoy the look and feel of the library’s new home, too.
“It’s just like if the library was from the old times, like the 1920s. I feel like I’m in the time of our great-grandparents,” she said.
Given the larger upstairs space available, Marion said there is now the possibility of hosting regular activities for the community.
“We were thinking about having soirées (evenings) for readings and crafts for children,” she said.
“We’re trying to have a nice space also for adults,” she added. “We want to give them a space to read and have peace and quiet for an hour.”
The library’s winter hours are 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

‘It’s back to life, and it’s beautiful’ Read More »

Litchfield native a finalist in France dance competition

Local Journalism Initiative / / /
Camilla Faragalli, reporter
Funded by the Local Journalism Initiative

Marie-Josée Corriveau of Litchfield and her dance partner Jason Morel made it to the final round of the eighteenth season of the televised dance competition, France Has Incredible Talent (translated), which aired live on Dec. 22.
“It was a great experience, it was challenging, and it was a lot of fun,” Corriveau told The EQUITY of her time competing in Paris.
The show recruited the pair following their win on Canadian dance competition show, Révolution, in 2022.
“We were really excited. It felt like a nice recognition to get noticed by recruiters all the way in France,” Corriveau said.
The 30-year-old Montreal-based dancer grew up in Litchfield, where she began dancing at the age of four.
“We had to go to dance, we’re a dance family,” she said, explaining that her family owns and runs Pontiac’s Corriveau School of Dance.
Corriveau said she and Morel were asked to audition for France Has Incredible Talent with a piece they had performed during the Révolution competition.
The challenging number, choreographed by Corriveau herself, tells a story of domestic violence, in which Corriveau dances with her eyes closed.
“We didn’t know if this culture would relate to it [the piece], or if they’re going to like it, or if they’re going to understand it, but luckily enough our song is by an artist from France,“ she said.
The pair received the “golden buzzer,” for their performance at the audition, meaning they went straight to the semi-finals.
“Just to get the golden buzzer, have all the confetti fall down, everyone in the crowd after our dance chanting to give it [golden buzzer] to us … it was just surreal.”
Corriveau added that the golden-buzzer moment might be the high-point of the whole competition for her, which lasted from August to December of 2023, and involved three separate trips to Paris.
“It was really, really cool,” she said.
Corriveau said she dreams of one day choreographing for larger companies.
“We do these shows to get more work, to get more people to see who we are and what we can do, [and] create more opportunities for ourselves as a duo, but also individually.”
Corriveau’s dance partner Morel was born in France and has lived in Montreal since the age of 12. The duo have danced together since auditioning for Révolution in 2022.
“I think we share a lot of the same values when it comes to what we like in dance, style-wise, but also in our work ethic,” Corriveau said. “He’s always willing to put in the work, which I was able to see from our first few practices together.”
The pair is currently training to tour with Révolution in February, and will be performing in Gatineau March 21 – 24.

Litchfield native a finalist in France dance competition Read More »

Santa Claus Parade

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

John Griffin, LJI

When the days are short and the nights go on forever, the annual Knowlton Santa Claus parade provides hope of light to come.

The family event returns this year after an irritating hiatus caused by the party-pooping COVID virus, and local Lions Club

organizers are counting on community support and seasonal spirit to ensure a wonderful time is had by all.

“We started talking about this year’s parade in 2022,” said self-effacing Gib Rotherham, who admitted after much prodding that he is club president and therefore in a position to discuss the event.

It is believed this year marks the 61st edition. “We are proud that our little town has held this parade for so long. It began shortly after the Brome Lake branch of the Lions began, around 1960. We thought it would be a good thing for the community. And so we started what has since become a tradition.”

“Bravo to the town for providing the roads and the permits, but this is a Lions members initiative. We are entirely supported by local business, with our firefighters and their decorated trucks

leading the parade route from Windmill Plastics to finish at Knowlton Academy.” There will be horses. And costumes.

“The parade size depends on the number of participants. It usually lasts between one and two hours. One of our members dresses as Scrooge, and Santa, of course, is always the star attraction. It would not be Christmas without him.

“There are also goodies for the kids and a chance for them to chat with Santa. They love it.”

The 61st Knowlton Santa Claus Parade begins at 1 p.m. at Windmill Plastics, rain or shine, sleet, snow or hail, and continues through town to end at Knowlton Academy.

Santa Claus Parade Read More »

Prof-pioneered perennial polar plunge proves popular

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

As the clock struck 10 a.m. on Jan. 1, retired Bishop’s Professor Stephen Sheeran led a growing crowd of intrepid souls into the icy embrace of Lake Massawippi. This annual ritual, a polar plunge started nearly two decades ago by current Bishop’s Professor Carleton Monk, has transformed from a frosty personal challenge into a cherished community event, drawing residents and holiday visitors alike into the chilly waters to mark the new year with a shared, shivering thrill.

“He’s the original ice man,” said Monk referring to Sheeran, “everybody else runs in and runs out.” Sheeran goes in and comes out slowly as if taking a bath, Monk added with a chuckle.

The two have been taking the 10 a.m., Jan. 1, polar plunge at North Hatley’s public beach for around 20 years. In the year 2000, there was hardly any snow and the temperature was mild, Monk remembers. He decided, to ring in the new year, “to go for a little swim”. Three or four years later, Sheeran learned of Monk’s newly-forged tradition and chose to join him. For many years thereafter, it was often just the two of them, though sometimes their children would participate. Around 10 years ago, the tradition began to snowball until dozens started showing up.

One year, Monk recounted, it was at least 20 degrees below zero. It was so cold he could not dry himself because the water turned to ice on his skin. “My suit froze, everything froze.”

Sometimes they have had to put a hole in the ice a few days before, sometimes they need to walk out on the ice to open water, and other times, like Monday, they can just wade right in. Monk speculates the water temperature is around five degrees, similar to the Pacific Ocean near Victoria, B.C., where he also often swims. Some say the Massawippi is only two or three degrees, but he does not believe it.

“The water really takes the heat out of you,” Monk admitted, “you have to be careful.” Going in and getting out quickly is your best bet. Monk is used to cold water, but even he had to be warmed up once in an ambulance at a polar swim event he ran out west. “You have to warm up after.”

“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs over the years,” said Sheeran, “it goes according to the season.” In 2023 there were around 40 people involved, he noted.

On Jan. 1, 2024, at 10 a.m., dozens of all ages had already gathered on North Hatley’s public beach to take the frosty yearly dip or cheer their friends and family on. Sheeran led the way, striding calmly into the frigid waters, even swimming out a bit and treading water while waves of others joined him. Some, like Monk, chose to jump in off a nearby pier. The saunas on shore were open, free of charge, for people to recover from the ordeal.

Prof-pioneered perennial polar plunge proves popular Read More »

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