Benoit Langevin

West Islanders band together after flooding

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Thirty-six hours. That is the crucial period of time in which a clean-up following a flood in a home needs to take place.

While hundreds are on the phone trying to get hold of their insurance companies, the dire needs to clean up and dry up as quickly as possible is the priority.

In the West Island, the community is known for its sense of comradery between neighbours. Friday evening, it turned into a bee hive of activities either cleaning up their own home, the home of a neighbour or checking up on the homes of those who were away on vacation.

In Baie-D’Urfe, one family told The Suburban that the neighbours rushed over to help clean up their basement. This involved getting as much furniture and objects out of the way onto a higher floor, pumping out water and cleaning. “The following day, the Baie D’Urfé rescue team came to check on us. We are very blessed,” the family reported.

Meanwhile in Kirkland, Kevin Groleau, the owner of a local dessert shop, was running around from home to home of customers, friends and neighbours trying to assist in the clearing out and cleaning up process which varies from home to home. “I got home at 2 a.m., there was just so much to do and there is still so much to be done. I’m going to head back ‘out there’ again today,” Groleau told The Suburban on Saturday morning.

In Pierrefonds-Roxboro, city councillor Benoit Langevin made it his priority to serve the elderly, pregnant women and persons with mobility issues. He posted on his e-mail address on his social media page reaching out to those who needed help. “Some of my neighbours were my babysitters and some of them my teachers. What matters to me is that we should lead by example. As a community, we are here to help one another,” Langevin said to The Suburban. n

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Langevin calls latest city homeless consult “a smokescreen”

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The City of Montreal in collaboration with the Montreal Regional Health Authority (CIUSSS) and the Health and Social Services Network is launching a major public consultation which will be conducted by the Public Consultation Office of Montreal (OCPM) “to gather the opinions of the population concerning the conditions for success leading to the harmonious integration of resources dedicated to people experiencing homelessness or of vulnerability in the metropolitan areas.”

At the announcement, the Plante administration acknowledged the increasing pressure on community organizations and promises that “new” solutions to respond to the urgency of the situation will emerge from the consultation process. Pierrefonds-Roxboro City Councillor and the Official Opposition spokesperson on Homelessness Benoit Langevin is calling this announcement another “smokescreen” in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.

“We are seeing that more and more residents, parents, families and business owners are concerned about the way resources are planned in their area and we must do better in anticipation of increasing needs. We have heard the population and we want to involve citizens and community organizations in the search for clear tools and guidelines to improve our practices and ensure more harmonious integration of aid resources in the territory. If we want to adequately respond to the growing needs of vulnerable people, all stakeholders must do more to better plan the opening of resources in neighborhoods and take into account the needs of the population. We must move forward with lucidity while understanding the real issues linked to cohabitation and the feeling of security so that everyone can live with dignity and security in Montreal,” Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante stated.

Dr. Mylène Drouin, regional director of public health for the Montreal region, is calling the circumstances surrounding homelessness a public health crisis. “Visible homelessness is increasing and changing in Montreal. This is a complex phenomenon that has multiple facets. It is important to propose responses adapted to these different aspects while ensuring that the voice of the population, including that of marginalized people and people experiencing homelessness, is included in this consultation effort.”

Langevin told The Suburban that this announcement is a delaying tactic and that persons experiencing homelessness in this city take no immediate or short term benefit from these “talks”. Langevin says he even doubts the long-term benefits as he has seen no concrete action that leads him to trust the new proposed process. “I am seriously asking, why do we need a consultation to know ‘how to consult’? This is prolonging a process. After six years of opening and closing shelters — why does Montreal now need a public consultation to produce a report? Did they not state numerous times that they consulted with the organizations?” n

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PCSM,Kirkland raise awareness on mental health

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Hundreds of West Islanders gathered at the Kirkland Arena last Saturday to attend a series of hockey games between teams made up of community organization representatives, Montreal police officers from Station 1 and Station 3, elected officials and retired NHL players. The event was hosted by the Community Perspective on Mental Health organization (PCSM) in collaboration with the City of Kirkland to raise awareness about mental health and bring together the organizations that contribute to the various factions of the community in need of mental health support.

The second floor gathering space was set up from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. where attendees mingled and had the opportunity to visit the thirty community organization table set-ups to learn more about how each organization contributes to mental health initiatives throughout the West Island. At the far end, a finger-food buffet table was set and PCSM representatives walked through the crowds offering drinks and refreshments.

The event Master of Ceremonies and Pierrefonds-Roxboro city councillor Benoit Langevin kicked off the activities with an opening speech shortly before the games began accompanied by Kirkland mayor Michel Gibson; MNA for Robert-Baldwin Brigitte Garceau, Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis, Pointe-Claire mayor Tim Thomas, Dollard-des-Ormeaux (DDO) mayor Alex Bottausci, DDO city councillor Errol Johnson, Pierrefonds-Roxboro city councillors Sharkie Tarakjian and Catherine Clement-Talbot, PCSM directors Emmanuelle Morin and Patrick Merrigan and former NHL players Patrice Brisebois, Mathieu Dandenault and Stephane Richer.

Singer and songwriter Jewelle McKenzie dazzled attendees with her presence and many look forward to seeing her performance at the West Island Blues Festival.

The Bikers Against Child Abuse organization also gained a lot of attention at the event as their motorcycles were parked at the arena’s entrance as they greeted people arriving from their tent set up adjacent to the front door.

There was a lot of movement throughout the arena as attendees continued to mingle throughout the afternoon discussing potential collaboration efforts between organizations, cities, municipalities, artists and concerned citizens while enjoying the entertaining competitions between players.

“This organization is fundamental to the West Island community. Mental health is so varied and this organization is so important to helping people in need to get the help that they need,” Gibson said to The Suburban.

Former NHL hockey player Stephane Richer told The Suburban that though the stigma attached to mental health has changed significantly, there is still more work to be done. “If you go back thirty years ago when I was playing (in the NHL), as a hockey player you are supposed to be tough, you are not supposed to complain, you are making money, everything is ‘perfect’ but deep inside people have no clue what goes on inside when you are home and you close the door, it’s a different ball game.”

PCSM director of services Emmanuelle Morin stresses the importance of cooperation between community services and creating community awareness to break the stigma and assist persons on the road to recovery. “It is together that we take care of our village,” she said to The Suburban. n

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Langevin slams Plante on homeless after Hotel Dieu failure

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

“They waited until the last minute and once again Montreal demonstrated its inaction on the issue of homelessness,” Pierrefonds-Roxboro city councilor and official opposition critic on homelessness Benoit Langevin told The Suburban in speaking about the refuge project that took place at Hotel Dieu. The project took shape under an emergency measure in the summer of 2021 following the announcement of the closure of a temporary shelter located in a hotel in downtown Montreal right in the middle of a global pandemic. Langevin says that the city has no strategy when it comes to planning for these projects in response to the ongoing needs of the homeless community.

It was not until the summer of 2023 that an investigation by the Quebec Ombudsperson took place revealing that the shelter was inadequate in receiving persons with certain health requirements or risk factors. According to the report, the organizations that ran the facility, Mission Bon Accueil (MBA) and the Old Brewery Mission (OBM), both acknowledged that they do not have the staff required to meet the physical health needs of persons with certain medical profiles.

Unlike health care facilities, shelters do not have admission criteria for their clientele other than homelessness. Some shelters serve only men or women or focus on a native clientele with particular needs, but when it comes to health issues, shelters are not equipped for medical interventions and rely on resources provided by the healthcare network. The project at Hotel Dieu was run by organizations that manage homeless shelters and it did what it does best. The shelter was never intended to become a health care facility and when health-related support was needed, it acted as usual and outsourced. It was workers from the CIUSSS healthcare network that reported situations to their employer that they observed while providing treatment during their visits that led to the investigation.

The Ombudsperson’s report was met with acceptance from all parties involved that collectively wanted to find the best solution for the clientele. The recommendations include, that adequate care is ensured for people admitted to the shelter; prevent vulnerable people from being admitted to an environment that cannot meet their needs; and plan the move of people accommodated to other resources after the closure of the shelter planned for July 2024.

“The urgency in which the project was deployed and the absence of contractual formalities can also explain the confusion regarding clinical and administrative responsibilities of the different actors (CIUSSS, CHUM, OMB, MBA),” the Ombudsperson’s report reads. “The city has no long term plan and when questioned, the Plante administration keeps pointing the finger at everyone else, including the Quebec government and the regional health authority that require the city to provide its long-term plan in requests for funding and implementation of services. But the city has tools at its disposal where Quebec can invest when provided with a plan.” Langevin says this scenario is not new or different from the ongoing reactive rather than proactive process of the Plante administration in how it handles the homeless situation in Montreal.

Spokesperson for the Quebec minister of social services Lambert Drainville told The Suburban that he agrees with Langevin’s perspective that the city and province need to work together in order to meet the needs of the homeless population. When asked what the minister’s position is on the Montreal mayor pointing the finger back at the provincial government, Drainville stated that he would not comment at this time but would review the issue for comment at a later date.

Langevin referred back to the city’s charter which states its obligation toward the homeless population and questions why it continues to leave nine habitable facilities empty. “Even now, it did not offer the vacant heated spaces on its territories for the relocation of Hotel Dieu. Once again, it left volunteer community groups to scramble for a last minute solution. The scenario forces the community organizations to go get mortgage loans to make up for 200 people with a new homeless situation. The city is always playing ‘hot potato’ and in this case it leaves the organizations looking for financing partners at the last minute with no concrete action from the city.” n

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