Côte St. Luc

CSL Mayor blames Plante for SPVM inaction on anti-Israel mobs

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Côte St. Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein recorded a video message last week in the aftermath of numerous verbally and physically violent anti-Israel protests, calling on Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante to support the police in restoring order.

The SPVM has been criticized for the fact the McGill encampment remained up for months, and for not intervening when mobs rampaged at Concordia University during an anti-Israel student strike.

“We are at an inflection point in the history of Montreal,” he said. “The world is watching the streets of Montreal and is horrified by what they see. Is violence and intimidation the new normal, or can Mayor Valérie Plante turn this around and give the police her full support so that they restore order?”

The situation of antisemitism in Montreal has become so bad, writes professor Gad Saad in a recent New York Post opinion article, that he took an unpaid leave from Concordia University to teach at Northwood in Michigan. His article, “How Montreal became the antisemitism capital of North America,” shone a spotlight for the world on what is taking place in the city.

In his video, which includes footage of verbally and physically violent incidents, Brownstein said the protests are a test for the police.

“When the Jacques-Cartier Bridge was shut down, the SQ came in to clear the bridge. When Via Rail trains were delayed by pro-Palestinian protesters, the Longueuil police used their emergency intervention unit to clear the tracks. In Montreal, the tone at the top is wrong! Mayor Plante must start sending a message to change the policing strategy of enforcement.”

Brownstein said the police strategy is to avoid conflict “in the face of demonstrations.This police strategy is a choice — it has failed and it must change. The strategy tolerates certain illegal behaviours such as blocking the street or graffiti on cars and buildings, or occupying university areas. It even tolerates protesters who violate a court injunction requiring them to keep a distance away from Jewish institutions. The Montreal police are allowing for the normalization of antisemitism.” n

CSL Mayor blames Plante for SPVM inaction on anti-Israel mobs Read More »

CSL master plan process flawed say two councillors

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Intense debates ensued during a three-and-a-half hour special Côte St. Luc council meeting to pass draft bylaws regarding Côte St. Luc’s master plan for the future of the city, including the potential redevelopment of the city’s three malls.

A detailed explanation of the bylaws was given at the meeting, and details of the master plan, which Mayor Mitchell Brownstein says is currently a vision with no specific redevelopment proposals presented to the city yet, can be seen at cotesaintluc.org/engage. A public consultation will be taking place 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at a location yet to be determined. Questions included concerns about the potential redevelopment of Décarie Square, an area with a great deal of traffic already.

Councillor Oren Sebag, who represents the area that includes Décarie Square, voted against some of the bylaws. “As much as I believe in a strong vision for the city, I don’t think we’re ready to move forward with this plan,” he said. “We needed to have targeted district meetings before getting to tonight’s meeting. The plan has faced delay after delay. And instead of giving us time to properly review it or consult residents in a meaningful way, we’re rushing to the finish line.” Sebag also objected to the date of the consultation, saying many CSLers will be out of town.

Rebuttals included the fact some 10 percent of the CSL population was consulted in the last two years the master plan process has taken place.

Councillor Mike Cohen said two years ago was the last time the malls presented an idea of how they want to redevelop, and that he only received a briefing more than two weeks before the Nov. 20 meeting. “They’ve been the invisible malls since then,” he added. “My concern is the fact that we’re putting forward our ‘vision’ for the three malls, including Quartier Cavendish, and that vision will likely be 6-2 in favour of everything. The mall will have license to do whatever it wants, based on the parameters being put together in this plan. The plan is magnificent in terms of everything it entails, but I’m very big on consultation….I would have liked to consult on our vision for the mall going back to last summer.” He also objected to the Jan. 13 public consultation date, because of the snowbirds.

Councillor Lior Azerad said the plan isn’t being passed in its final form yet. “Yes, there were things that were rushed, but 1,600 pages weren’t rushed. There’s always little changes.” He added that the city needs revenue — earlier in the meeting, it was pointed out that the valuation of the malls has gone down, while the valuation of homes has shot up. As well, tens of millions of dollars are needed to fix the city’s infrastructure.

Near the end of the meeting, the debate got more intense between Councillor Dida Berku and Sebag. “From day one, Councillor Sebag, you’ve been telling us and me, in particular, ‘I’m voting no,’” Berku said. “You’ve been voting against this from the beginning! It’s not ‘we didn’t have consultations or ‘it’s being rushed.’ From Day 1, ‘I’m voting no!”

Sebag said he took offence to the comments. “I never said ‘from Day 1.’ I listened, I sat at every meeting. I contributed to this, and I told you specifically, in June, that there were delays after delays. I don’t want to get into personal issues here, because then we’ll stay all night. I haven’t been voting no for the sake of voting no. For you to say, in front of everybody here publicly, that I told you I’m voting No, you very well know what was happening, I told you the delays would cause issues.”

Sebag demanded an apology, and Berku retracted her comment. The Suburban then asked Berku if her retraction meant her comments were not true — she replied that she stands by them, and had retracted because Sebag was offended. n

CSL master plan process flawed say two councillors Read More »

CSL honours its volunteers

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The City of Côte St. Luc recently honoured its many volunteers at their annual recognition evening, held at the Quartier Cavendish Cineplex theatre.

Numerous awards were given out — among them:

• The Gerry Weinstein Ambassador of the Year award, “in recognition as the citizen best portraying charitable qualities and serving the community at large,” went to Marc Ezerzer.

“Marc plays and sponsors a team in the CSL Executive Softball League and he also sponsors the annual CSL Golf Classic,” Councillor Mike Cohen said. “He is a prominent real estate agent who lends his high profile to the good and welfare of CSL sports programs. I was proud to have nominated Marc.”

• Aquatics Volunteer of the Year Award: Michèle Castonguay for her great dedication to the City of Cote Saint-Luc and its competitive swimming program,” Cohen added

• The Community Special Events Award, presented to volunteers for their “exceptional contribution to the community special events programs,” went to Bryan Wolofsky for his involvement with the PeeWee National Outdoor Hockey Tournament; and CSL Men’s Club Chairmen of Programming Bernie Green, for his work organizing trips, the Hot Stove League and booking speakers.

• The Eco Award, “in recognition of leadership in the promotion of environmental advocacy and action within the community,” went to Kirwan Garden Coordinator Boyd Hamilton.

• The Edward J. Kirwan Award, “awarded annually to outstanding volunteers in the CSL programs for exceptional contribution,” went to Adriana Rico of the Figure Skating Club.

• The EMS (Emergency Medical Services) awards went to Scott Hunt for excellence in operations, Alizée Znaty for excellence in training and Kassandra Pinsonneault for Rookie of the Year.

•The Hazel Lipes Award, awarded “to the outstanding volunteer for exceptional contribution to the community service program,” went to Diane Liebling, chair of CSL’s Cats Committee.

“She has carried on these duties for the past six years, working virtually 24/7 physically trapping cats, giving up her family garage to feed strays, finding homes and foster homes for them, establishing a network of feeders of outdoor cats, organizing meetings and making repeated visits to the CSL Hospital for Animals,” Cohen said. “Quite simply, the committee would not function without her. I was proud to have nominated Diane.”

More details about the awards and recipients can be seen at Cohen’s website, mikecohen.ca

CSL honours its volunteers Read More »

Caldwell tenant alleges critical problems since 2023 flood

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Many problems remain at 5789 Caldwell Avenue ever since a flood that took place in the building in February 2023, resident Bonnie Lewis told The Suburban and Côte St. Luc council at its October meeting.

“As of today, there hasn’t been any heat, they turn the water off and on and the electricity,”she told council. “We’re living in such a mess. There’s also a major renovation in the entire building. I understand that under Quebec law, we cannot reside in there, they have to move everybody out and pay for our move and the rent for the year, or however long it’s going to take.”

She later told The Suburban that the owners are just “moving people around, and because I’m speaking out, they want me out of the building. They took me to see another of their buildings, and it’s worse than this one.”

Lewis says she has hired a lawyer.

“I want to be put in a place of my choice because I do not want to be with any of their management.”

Lewis also alleged to council that the building is being neglected and that items have been stolen from her.

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein said the city has received many e-mails from Lewis.

“I received all your e-mails, I answered them. I’ve had inspectors from our urban planning department go into the buildings at your request and anything that the city can do to assist, we do. We’re a municipality and there are things we can do on many of your issues and we have been very responsive. So continue to send me e-mail requests that you think we can help in, and we’ll do it.”

Lewis said she has been stuck in her elevator four times.

“That’s the municipal urban inspecting department, they would have to go in and check,” the Mayor said.

Lewis further told The Suburban that ever since she moved into the building in 2017, there has been “barely any heat.

“When the flood happened, that added to the situation….It’s horrible to live in this situation, I have mould. The city inspector came and did a mould report, and 20 months or so later, they haven’t eradicated it or cleaned it. I’m totally allergic, I get rashes and welts and I have all the symptoms of mould and asbestos.”

Leah Berger, CEO of Les Maisons Kehilla, told The Suburban that “in response to the housing crisis impacting many Montrealers, Caldwell Residences is investing $6.5 million in a renovation project and improvements that involve changing the doors and windows and installing heat pumps and air conditioning in all the apartments so that tenants can live comfortably throughout the year.

“During the year-long renovation process, and to mitigate the disruption caused by this project on tenants, we are relocating tenants to vacant apartments within the building. As work is carried out floor by floor, tenants are relocated when their floor is affected.”

Regarding Lewis, “she was additionally offered the option of moving to another Caldwell building or in an apartment in the building to be renovated before her own. All moving expenses are covered by Caldwell; in addition, tenants are not required to pay rent during the month of their temporary move and are receiving Internet access free of charge while they are temporarily displaced.

“I can confirm that the heat is on in Ms. Lewis’ apartment. We have a negotiated agreement in principle with this tenant that addresses her earlier concerns. As part of the agreement, Caldwell has until Nov. 1 to complete the necessary repairs and will fulfill its responsibilities. The agreement is confidential, so I am not able to disclose the details.

Berger said she did not receive any new requests from Lewis lately.

“In fact, on Oct. 17, 2024, prior to the Côte St. Luc council meeting, I contacted the tenant by phone and offered to meet with her, but she declined. The tenant is aware that the process for requesting repairs is to contact the building Superintendent. Rest assured, we are committed to providing a secure, quality and affordable living environment for all our tenants.” n

Caldwell tenant alleges critical problems since 2023 flood Read More »

CSL declares a Filipino Heritage Month

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Côte St. Luc council passed a resolution at its October council meeting declaring June to be Filipino Heritage Month in the city.

On hand were numerous prominent members of the Montreal Filipino community, as well as Marvin Rotrand of United Against Hate Canada.

Councillor Mike Cohen, who read the resolution, pointed out that in 2018, the Canadian government adopted a motion recognizing the contributions of the Filipino community to Canada, and “the richness of the Filipino language and culture.” The federal resolution suggested local jurisdictions do the same.

The CSL resolution recognized the contributions of Filipino residents. Mayor Mitchell Brownstein pointed out that 2,000 members of the Filipino community live in Côte St. Luc, “and I hope it continues to grow, 2,000 is not enough!

“Keep on coming to our city, we enjoy your presence and we’re happy you participate in our activities.”

Al Abdon, a longtime Filipino community leader and chairman of the Filipino Heritage Society of Montreal, said he and United Against Hate collaborated on a project to promote Filipino Heritage Month, and to encourage the twinning of Canadian cities with Philippines municipalities. Abdon expressed gratitude for the city passing the resolution.

“This resolution will be extremely meaningful to the community. I would like to invite all the council members to attend our Global Zoom call planned for next June with United Against Hate Canada,” which has highlighted the historic friendship between the Jewish and Filipino communities, including taking in Jews fleeing the Holocaust.

Rotrand told The Suburban that last August, a Zoom meeting was held in which United Against Hate Canada and the Filipino Heritage Society invited the public to discuss next year’s 20th anniversary of the Montreal-Manila friendship agreement, which came about through Rotrand’s outreach as a Montreal councillor and involves twinning agreements.

“Out of that Zoom meeting came requests [from members of the delegation in CSL Oct. 21], why don’t we try to promote Filipino heritage right throughout Canada. We wrote to 60 Mayors and got an enormous response and a lot of interest. We held a call on Aug. 29 addressed by three MPs, members of four provincial legislatures, a dozen mayors and councillors, and school commissioners, and we are now getting dozens of cities across Canada adopting these types of motions. Côte St. Luc is first. It’s a national movement.” n

CSL declares a Filipino Heritage Month Read More »

Five arrested in CDN and near CSL synagogue

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Five occupants of two vehicles parked in Côte St. Luc as well as at Décarie and Isabella in Snowdon were arrested early in the morning of Oct. 2, hours before the start of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the SPVM announced.

The occupants were allegedly in possession of incendiary devices, police say. We understand it was a bottle with some sort of liquid. The CSL statement says one of the cars was seen near a synagogue on Mackle Road.

A CSL statement says the vehicle was spotted by a CSL Public Security agent, who called police. The SPVM officers intercepted the vehicle on Kildare and made the arrests.

This past August, an email threat was sent to numerous synagogues and Jewish institutions. The “group” claimed to have placed explosives in buildings, in backpacks, which “are set to go off in a few hours. You will all end up in a pool of blood, none of you deserve to keep living. I incessantly have nothing other than scorn for humanity. This will be your last day on earth.”

The SPVM statement says that in the current case, officers “first stopped a vehicle at around 1:50 a.m. at the intersection of Décarie Boulevard and Isabella Avenue, in the borough of CDN–NDG. The occupants were a 16-year-old teenager and two 17-year-olds. Inside the vehicle were incendiary objects.

“About 15 minutes later, thanks to a tip from Côte-Saint-Luc Public Security, the SPVM apprehended two adults aged 20 and 22, near the intersection of Kildare Road and Cavendish Boulevard. Inside the vehicle was also incendiary material. Following their arrest, the suspects were released with conditions and a promise to appear at the Montreal courthouse (adults) and the Youth Division of the Court of Quebec.”

The SPVM’s Arson and Explosives Unit is investigating, seeking to find out if “these events are local repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact 911 or their neighbourhood police station. It is also possible to communicate anonymously and confidentially with Info-Crime Montréal at 514 393-1133 or via the reporting form available on the infocrimemontreal.ca website.”

The CSL statement says “since the October 7 attacks in Israel and the subsequent shootings, vandalism, and incitement targeting Jewish Montrealers, the City of Côte Saint-Luc wants to reassure the public that it is working in close collaboration with all security agencies in order to protect the public. The city has increased patrols by Public Security agents around community buildings, and we are in direct contact with community officials, Federation CJA security team, and the Montreal police department (SPVM).” n

Five arrested in CDN and near CSL synagogue Read More »

CSL candidates go at it on Global

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg

Côte St. Luc mayoral candidates Mitchell Brownstein and Robert Libman debated the issues last Thursday on Global TV’s Focus Montreal, hosted by Jamie Orchard.

Libman praised Côte St. Luc as an “incredible municipality.

“But I don’t believe we’ve achieved our full potential, we can do a lot better with the right leadership,” he added.

Brownstein said that since he became mayor a year and a half ago, “I negotiated a deal with the City of Montreal whereby Côte St. Luc will be paying $4.8 million less for essential [island-wide agglomeration] services, reduced our debt by $4 million and we’re running a surplus of $1.9 million in 2016. I settled collective agreements with our three unions.”

The debate dealt with the most prominent issue in Côte St. Luc for the past 50 years — the long-awaited Cavendish Blvd. link with St. Laurent. Libman said he ended the longstanding impasse prompted by former Mayor Bernard Lang’s opposition.

“In 2000, I developed a consensus that I proposed to the Quebec Transport Ministry and the municipalities in the surrounding area were in agreement with us,” he said. “The City of Montreal created a project bureau with a $5 million budget at the time, public studies and environmental tests were prepared and ready to go for the extension to be completed in 2010, and 15 years later, it’s still not there. We need someone with an urban planning and architectural background that I have to really push this file forward.”

Brownstein said the ceding of the Hippodrome land from Quebec to Montreal last June for a housing development has a condition that the Cavendish extension “must go forward.

“It didn’t happen by itself. As soon as I was elected, I made a commitment I would push Cavendish forward, and I met with Montreal executive committee chairman Pierre Desrochers. We had a meeting with our MNA David Birnbaum, four ministers came, and all the five mayors — everyone was committed to moving it forward. I met with CP and CN for the first time together in my office. The result was that Minister Carlos Leitao announced with Mayor Denis Coderre that there will be an extension…”

“That was the biggest non-announcement,” Libman began, before both spoke over each other.

“If Robert [was going to] to move it forward, he would have been able to do it when he was on the Montreal [megacity] executive committee, but now he can’t do it at all,” Brownstein countered.

‘That’s when we announced it,” Libman responded. “The file was going to go ahead, and 15 years later it’s still sitting on the backburner.”

Brownstein then said Libman is a lobbyist for the development company Olymbec, “and there is a reserve on a piece of land owned by Olymbec that is required for the Cavendish extension. He will have to recuse himself from the whole debate!”

“This is so typical of this whole campaign,” Libman said. “All of the allegations, ridiculous comments…”

Orchard asked if the Olymbec land is under reserve, and if it is required for the extension.

“A piece of land owned by Olymbec has been reserved by the City of Montreal, but it doesn’t affect what I do…” Libman said.

“Would you have to recuse yourself from that debate?” Orchard asked.

“To be perfectly transparent, just to avoid any perceived conflict, perhaps I would, but it’s not even necessary, I’ve spoken with ministry officials about that,” Libman said.

Last week, Libman told The Suburban that while he is registered as a lobbyist, “I have no choice —every architect and urban planner that meets with city officials has to do that.”

At another debate at the Or Hahayim Synagogue Brownstein raised the issue of remerger as a “possible” threat. “The threat is not imminent,” he said, “But there have been Mayors who have told me that they’ve heard discussions of the possibility. I wouldn’t want to say more because I don’t want it to happen. I heard it at the municipal level. Certain people at the municipal level would like that to happen.” Brownstein declined to reveal further details.

Libman said Brownstein’s contention is a “scare tactic. “I have tried over and over again to bring issues to the fore that affect Côte St. Luc residents going forward regarding taxation, urban planning challenges, infrastructure and roads, transparency and creative programs for our city and he hasn’t advanced a single idea,” the candidate said. “All he does is try to spin the 15-year-old demerger tale and shy away from the real issues.”

CSL candidates go at it on Global Read More »

CSL’s Brownstein hopes for new Montreal Mayor

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Côte St. Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein says he hopes Montreal has a different Mayor soon, particularly on the Cavendish extension and general traffic issue.

Brownstein, along with Councillor Dida Berku, was responding at the recent public meeting to council regular Dr. Norman Sabin, who was asking about possible legal action by CSL, TMR and St. Laurent to ensure the Cavendish link between CSL and St. Laurent is built and for Montreal to live up to its 2017 commitment to the Quebec government to build the link along with the Hippodrome housing development.

A National Assembly petition on this issue, sponsored by D’Arcy McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass, is at www.assnat.qc.ca/en/exprimez-votre-opinion/petition/Petition-10931/index.html. The deadline to sign the petition is Oct. 12. As of Sept. 29, 2,464 people have signed the petition.

“The extension is not even in the planning right now,” Sabin said. “What do you think the reaction would be if there was a court order against them?”

Brownstein said Montreal would have to respect a court order, and could appeal it.

“Are we there yet? Do we have a strong enough case against Madame Plante who speaks out of both sides of her mouth, saying she’s not going to do it, but she’s going to do it, not now but maybe sometime. I don’t know if we’re there yet, but it’s something to not be discounted.” The Mayor also said the Montreal-Quebec agreement does not specify exact timelines.

Sabin also asked if CSL would be able to not permit a tramway and bike path, with no roadway, to reach their territory, such as Cavendish Blvd.

“Do you have a legal right as a sovereign city to put up a fence or wall, and say ‘we’re not going to accept that without a roadway’?”

Brownstein said CSL would not want to construct such a blockage.

“Not that we don’t want the road. But we do want the rapid transit and the bike lane. We’re not going to cut off our nose to spite our face. As long as there’s the space to build the road, we’re going to push for the road.”

Brownstein added that Plante “clearly only wants bike paths and rapid transit everywhere, not just on Cavendish.

“Let’s hope that we have another Mayor soon in Montreal.”

“I agree with that,” Sabin said.

Berku said Sabin’s question had many hypotheticals.

“So I don’t think we should be speculating on what our legal position is.” In terms of legal action by the affected areas, she pointed out that St. Laurent is part of the City of Montreal.

“So that doesn’t work very well. We’re exploring all avenues.” n

CSL’s Brownstein hopes for new Montreal Mayor Read More »

Holocaust survivor Ted Bolgar celebrates his 100th birthday

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Holocaust survivor Ted Bolgar, a tireless speaker for decades to students at schools and the general public at the Montreal Holocaust Museum about the horrors he witnessed, turned 100 on Sept. 12.

The Suburban spoke to Bolgar, a Côte St. Luc resident, last week after a second celebration of his centennial year at the Cummings Centre’s Café Europa, a weekly drop-in program for Holocaust survivors, held at the Gelber Centre.

Bolgar, born in 1924 in Hungary, was forced with his family into a ghetto in his town of Sarospatak in 1944 by the occupying Nazis and they were then deported to Auschwitz. Bolgar’s mother and sister were sent to the gas chambers immediately, while he and his father were selected for work. Bolgar, as a slave labourer, was sent to work at the Warsaw ghetto and was forced on a death march to Dachau as the Soviets advanced toward the city. Ultimately, Bolgar and his father survived the war and Ted came to Canada in 1948, where he raised a family.

Asked by The Suburban how it feels to be 100, Bolgar said, “very strange!

“First of all, I never expected it. I got to the point where I wake up every morning, and I think ‘which part of my body will hurt?’ Then I get up! But I’m lucky being in Canada and the CLSC in Côte St. Luc is taking very good care of me. I am very thankful, very thankful. Otherwise, I don’t know what 100 years would look like.”

Bolgar said that after the Holocaust, he realized that he and his fellow survivors had two obligations.

“One is to ensure that the Jewish people will continue, which means we got married — I’m bragging now, I have two children, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.”

The other obligation “was not to let the world forget about the Holocaust. A group of us, once we spoke some English, started to go around, first to schools, from elementary schools to universities, to talk about the Holocaust. Then we went to churches, synagogues and other institutions. We thought it was very important to remind people what went on, and some people were [shocked], they didn’t know much about it.”

Bolgar also went on many March of the Livings, the trip by students and Holocaust survivors to Poland to see the Nazi death camps Auschwitz and Birkenau, followed by a trip to Israel, including a visit to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem.

“I managed 15 Marches —I think I broke the record! The Germans only left a couple of institutions — naturally, Auschwitz, which became a museum. We went with the youngsters. It was important.”

Bolgar said he was surprised when he went on his first March and re-encountered Auschwitz.

“They tried to destroy the institution. Now it has all kinds of exhibits — for instance, thousands and thousands of pairs of shoes, and hair. There were also kitchen dishes — that upset me quite a bit because it showed either how stupid or optimistic we were. The mothers thought, ‘we are going to work hard, we’ll have the family together and have supper.’ And all these dishes were lying on the floor. And on the same table was shoe polish. Again, how stupid or optimistic were we?”

Bolgar retired from his public speaking when the COVID pandemic emerged. We asked him what message he wants to pass on to the public now, especially in light of the rise in antisemitism since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

“I never wanted to live in Israel, although I visited more than 20 times, but I’m very what upset what is taking place there now. I want Israel to remain Israel. As for antisemitism, it has been around since the beginning and has continued more or less everywhere.”

Bolgar also told The Suburban’s Chelsey St-Pierre this past July that ignorance is at the core of antisemitism, and that he is disappointed the ignorance continues today.

“I thought people learned from the Holocaust and understood that it was wrong. I am still here and I will keep trying.” n

Holocaust survivor Ted Bolgar celebrates his 100th birthday Read More »

CSL status quo unsustainable: Berku

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The status quo is unsustainable for Côte St. Luc in terms of its long-term future, especially in terms of needed future revenue, CSL councillor Dida Berku told a public information meeting on the city’s master plan, pre-consultations for which began in 2022.

The master plan includes issue of mobility, the potential redevelopment of the city’s three malls and the creation of small neighbourhoods in these areas, and possible train stations at the CSL Shopping Centre and Décarie Square. The next step will be the notice of motion and adoption of first drafts for Planning Program [Master Plan], Town Centre Special Planning Program, Zoning By-Law, PIIA By-law and other Urban Planning-related by-laws” on Oct. 21.

Residents asked about a variety of issues, including parking at the new redevelopments, coordination with Montreal, plans for Westminster and other topics. Also in attendance were CSL Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and members of council, D’Arcy McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass and English Montreal School Board chairman Joe Ortona, amongst many others.

Brownstein said the city has no specific plans or proposals that have been presented to them, “we just have a lot of great ideas, and what we want to do is have you as a community make those ideas better.”

Berku told the meeting that “we have to ask how we’re going to face the future.

“The status quo is not sustainable,” she said. “I cannot emphasize this enough. The owners of the malls are not able to maintain their malls in the state they’re in. Their evaluations are declining. The contribution they make in terms of taxes are not increasing at the same rate that everybody here is increasing in taxes. By allowing the status quo to stagnate, we cannot sustain the level of [local] service.”

Berku revealed that CSL has to spend, over the next three years according to the city’s engineering department, $15 million for work on the Côte St. Luc Road underpass.

“We share it with the City of Montreal. They come up with the plans and they tell us we have to contribute [that amount]. We only spend $3 million a year on roads! So how are we going to afford this?”

The councillor also pointed out that if CSL wants to redo its roads, lead pipes, water and other infrastructure, “we need more than $3 million a year. We need $10 million, and to maintain the proper level of taxation, [the malls] are all we have. If they are willing [to develop them] — it’s a combination of circumstances that is very opportune for CSL. We are lucky that the agglomeration and the Quebec government are also forcing us to update our plans and we have three major developers who want to do it in a way that’s constructive and positive, and it’s going to be a benefit for all the existing taxpayers of CSL.” n

CSL status quo unsustainable: Berku Read More »

Alexandre Look Place inaugurated

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The City of Côte St. Luc held an emotional ceremony last week to inaugurate the Alexandre Look Place greenspace at the eastern tip of Kildare Road, in between Beth Chabad Synagogue and Bialik High School (now JPPS Bialik), which Alexandre attended. Councillor Mike Cohen, who has the Toponymy portfolio, suggested the location, which is in his District 2.

Look, who was a CSL resident, was killed by Hamas terrorists last Oct. 7 at the Nova music festival as he defended others. Two plaques at the park provide information on Alexandre and the overall attack in which 1,200 people in Israel were killed. The ceremony took place just after the end of the Jewish 11-month mourning period and the day before Alexandre’s 34th birthday.

Hundreds of people attended the ceremony, including his parents Raquel and Alain Look, many of his friends, Israeli Consul-General Paul Hirschson, Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and members of CSL council, D’Arcy McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass, Rabbi Reuben Poupko, Cantor Daniel Benlolo, Federation CJA’s Yair Szlak and Steve Sebag, Hampstead councillor Leon Elfassy, former CSL Mayor Robert Libman and former councillors Allan Levine and Glenn Nashen. A message was read from Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather announcing that he is nominating Look for a federal medal to acknowledge his bravery during the terrorist attack.

“We know that Alexandre is with us, giving Alain, Kayla and I the strength to go on,” a tearful Raquel Look told the gathering. “Together, let us honour Alex’s memory by rededicating ourselves to the pursuit of peace and repairing the world. By standing firm against hatred, antisemitism and violence, and by being loud and proud!”

Brownstein and his wife Elaine met the Look family since before Alexandre and their own first child was born, at pre-natal classes.

“This was home for Alex, particularly in all those formative years,” the Mayor said. “It’s very touching and personal to me, and for all those who knew him and came to know him in the last 11 months, I know it’s very personal to you.”

Hirschson said he got to know Alexandre through his conversations with his parents.

“It’s an ambiguous time — we are prosecuting a war and we are trying to secure the release of hostages,” he said. “It’s an ambiguous time where we mourn Alex and celebrate him at the same time in between his school and congregation, where he will be both mourned and celebrated for a long, long time.”

Prass said Oct. 7 “will forever be burned in our minds, and so will the tragic news of the loss of one of our own. As a community, we collectively mourn his loss.”

Rabbi Poupko said the “most important memorial to Alex is how we all behave, and how we are inspired by his sacrifice and by what we are willing to do for the Jewish people.”

Szlak, whose organization worked tirelessly to bring Look home, said that “not only is it important to talk about how tragic Alexandre’s death was, but how amazing his life was. When we sit here as a people, we still haven’t had a chance to mourn what happened since Oct. 7. We’re in the middle of what’s going on to our people, here at home or in Israel, and there’s no closure.

“We’re facing unprecedented times — antisemitism, days which we all are not sure how to handle, but Alex gives us a light. Let’s celebrate our Jewish life, never cower, never stand down.”

Cantor Benlolo concluded the ceremony by singing a memorial prayer and the national anthems of Canada and Israel. n

Alexandre Look Place inaugurated Read More »

CSL incident reveals delays in Canada Post delivery to Israel

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Côte St. Luc resident Elaine Lallouz told The Suburban she was shocked and confused last week when she went to the Canada Post franchise at Pharmaprix in Quartier Cavendish to send mail to Israel. Lallouz told us that an employee at the franchise told her that Canada Post was not sending letters to Israel whatsoever. The resident said she was told this twice by the employee, last Wednesday Sept. 11 and Thursday Sept. 12.

“I was told ‘nothing’s going to leave here to Israel.’ I said,’what do you mean, nothing?’ She said ‘I was told nothing can be sent from here.’” The resident said she preferred to send the several pieces of mail, given to her by her aunt, at a Canada Post outlet rather than drop them in a mailbox, as some of the mail included cheques. “Everything was ready, the stamps were on it. But I was told, ‘no, no, no, no, nothing goes to Israel!’ The employee was then directing me to leave.”

The Suburban decided to accompany Lallouz to Pharmaprix where we overheard someone from the pharmacy seem to confirm that people were being told letters were not going to Israel. The person declined to go on the record. The Canada Post employee was pointed out to us, and when The Suburban asked her to confirm that letters were not going to Israel, she vehemently insisted we go to a Canada Post post office in Côte St. Luc or the company’s website to get the answer.

“Is there no mail service to Israel?” we asked. “It’s a very simple question.”

“Sir, go to the Canada Post website,” the employee said.

As it turns out, the Canada Post website says, and Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather told us as well, that as is the case in other countries, there is a “yellow alert” as far as mail to Israel is concerned, that took effect Sept. 11, the first day Lallouz went to the Pharmaprix franchise, indicating that mail could indeed be sent, but “expect delays for letters and parcels. Increased safety protocols and flight restrictions into Israel are creating delays for customers.”

Housefather did not indicate he had received any complaints that CSL residents were being told mail was not going to Israel.

But on Friday, Canada Post spokesperson Phil Rogers confirmed to The Suburban that delivery to Israel did stop just before Sept. 11, at which time “mail and parcel delivery to Israel resumed. In August, delivery to Israel was suspended due to lack of available transportation,” he added. “A yellow delivery service alert is currently issued for this country as increased safety protocols and flights restrictions into Israel are creating delays for customers. The delivery service alerts are being posted and updated on our Delivery service alerts webpage. We promptly verified with our colleagues at the post office you mentioned and can confirm they are aware of this delivery service update. If customers have questions about their postal services, they can contact Canada Post’s Customer Service team online at canadapost.ca/support or by telephone at 1-866-607-6301 (TTY: 1-800-267-2797).”

We also found out, from an Alberta Jewish News story, that Canada Post mail delivery to Israel, as well as the West Bank and Gaza, had also stopped on Oct. 12, 2023, five days after the Hamas terrorist attack, for the same reason cited by Rogers.

Lallouz says she is still skeptical.

“Everything’s delayed because Canada Post stopped everything. We have family in Israel and a lot of people are suffering.” n

CSL incident reveals delays in Canada Post delivery to Israel Read More »

CSL gets provincial funding for age-friendly city plan

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Côte St. Luc has received $15,375 in provincial financial assistance to develop a “municipal policy and action plan for becoming an Age-Friendly City,” the city announced last week.

The funding, from the Quebec Health and Social Services ministry, is to “support the development of a municipal policy and action plan as part of the Programme de soutien à la démarche Municipalité amie des aînés (MADA).”

The city announcement explained that in the next two years, CSL will “work to create a Seniors Policy and Action Plan, which will help its population stay healthy and active and keep contributing to the vitality of CSL.

“Under Quebec’s MADA (Municipalités amies des ainés) program, the city has set up a steering committee that will embark on a process to put together an action plan that will, among other things, help older adults age well in community and maintain their independence, and reduce ageism. Municipal services, policies, and structures will be re-examined to better take seniors’ needs into account.”

The city says it wants to offer a “safe, dynamic and inclusive living environment to its older adults to encourage their involvement and promote healthy and active aging. To that end, Côte Saint-Luc’s Age-Friendly Municipality (AFM) Plan of Action will focus on housing, transportation, outdoor spaces and buildings, community support and health services, participation and social involvement, as well as communication and information. In the next few months, citizens will be invited to participate in a variety of consultations that would help the city in its effort to become more age-friendly.”

In 2019, Côte Saint-Luc was a finalist in the Smart Cities Challenge “for its plan to use technology and human resources to help seniors age in place. Most recently, the City is a partner with the Centre for Research and Expertise in Social Gerontology (CREGÉS) of the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal in the research project Smart Environments Supporting the Ecosystem of Fragile and Isolated Seniors: The City of Côte Saint-Luc Living Lab.” n

CSL gets provincial funding for age-friendly city plan Read More »

CSL wins in snow dumping case

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Small Claims Court Judge Daniel Dortélus ruled recently in favour of the City of Côte St. Luc in a case involving snow having been dumped on a local lawn.

The Suburban has heard numerous complaints over the years about snow dumping at council meetings and in phone calls on residential properties within our coverage area, and several cases have ended up in court.

A resident sued CSL for $15,000, saying his lawn on Robinson Avenue was damaged as a result of snow thrown onto his property in 2021. The allegation was that on April 7 of that year, the snow dumping by employees resulted in damage to the lawn and earth in front of his apartment building.

The plaintiff argued that during the winter of 2021, “the defendant’s employees accumulated significant quantities of snow, gravel and calcium on the plaintiff’s land, despite the existence of other less damaging alternatives” and that they “destroyed the plaintiff’s land with machinery, snow and calcium [and] acted abusively and unreasonably.”

The plaintiff also said that “in 2019 following a complaint filed with the city, it replaced the lawn which was damaged by snow during snow removal work.

“I have repeatedly over the years complained by letter and verbally about the practice of the city snow removal employees to collect all the snow between CSL Road and Parkview and proceed to dump it on the façade and entrance of the building,” the plaintiff testified, according to court documents. “Because of the high concentration of calcium accumulated from repeated dumping of the salted road snow during the winter months, my grass is totally destroyed.”

CSL denied responsibility and argued that “any city or municipality has the right to spray snow on adjacent private properties, under section 69 of the Municipal Powers Act (RLRQ c. C-47.1),” that “any local municipality may throw snow covering a public road onto adjoining private lands,” and that the provision “does not specify a maximum quantity of snow that can be thrown on a property and in no way obliges a municipality to adopt alternatives to snow throwing in order to avoid a situation where an owner could receive a greater quantity of snow than its neighbours.”

CSL said it “was not negligent in its snow removal operations, that it committed no fault and that it meets the standards that can be expected in such circumstances.”

The city also “suggested that the damage caused to the lawn is the result of major work that was carried out on the property in 2018 and 2019” and that the Public Works Department “communicated directly with the Plaintiff on several occasions to explain to him that snow removal operations near his property do not differ from regular operations since it does not present any special circumstances.”

The judge ruled that the plaintiff “failed to demonstrate that the city or its nominees committed a fault” and rejected the complaint.

“The evidence presented by [the plaintiff], which essentially consists of his testimony and the photos produced in evidence, is clearly insufficient to establish that the lawn on his property was damaged or damaged by the snow and residue thrown during the snow removal operations on Robinson Avenue in 2021,” the judgment says. “The photos transmitted with the formal notice of April 7, 2021 do not support the claim with regard to the extent and nature of the damage nor when it was caused. As for the estimate produced which was prepared on the eve of the trial for work carried out a year ago by [the plaintiff’s] company, it in no way improves [the plaintiff’s] position.”

The plaintiff was ordered to pay legal costs of $317.

CSL wins in snow dumping case Read More »

CSL consulting public on new master plan

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Côte St. Luc is holding meetings in July, August and September in connection with its master plan for the future of the city, including the potential redevelopment of Quartier Cavendish, the CSL Shopping Centre and Décarie Square.

The news was announced by Councillor Mike Cohen at his District 2 virtual meeting and guest speaker Councillor Dida Berku. The master plan process began in 2022 with public information meetings and other meetings with stakeholders. Cohen said there will be an opportunity for developers to build a “lot of high rises” for redevelopments.

“On Wednesday, July 10 [at 7 p.m], there will be an information session about our master plan at city hall, and on Monday Aug. 12 [at 8 p.m.], all the details will be available that night, and that’s when the consultation will begin,” he explained. “It will go on until we vote on Sept. 16 on the proposed zoning.”

Berku said that the meetings “will deal with the master plan and the special planning program for the Town Centre, including Cavendish Mall, the new zoning bylaws and all the new rules that will be adopted to make way for these new developments not only in the malls, but along the commercial corridors like Westminster and Caldwell.

“We will also introduce new rules regarding home-based businesses and other changes that will make it easier for homeowners to renew the housing stock,” she added. Berku said that “there’s no such things as status quo. We have to prepare for the future and it’s best when we plan and design our future the way we want it….We cannot leave the malls the way they are. There’s no two ways about it. CSL has the same challenges as all the other cities.”

A brief power point presented by Berku described the vision of the Town Centre, which includes Trudeau Park and Cavendish Blvd. between Kildare and Mackle Roads, as a “vibrant and dynamic mixed-use area with lively and inviting public spaces and thriving commerce, which fosters community, promotes well-being and resilience and provides residents with viable housing and mobility options.”

The councillor also said that density is essential, especially in light of the housing crisis, and “if we want to increase the housing stock of all types from rental apartments to condos, from affordable to high end luxury, we will need to think about a city where we can all live and play and even work. We all know what a lively town centre looks like — families living in good housing, viable places to shop and eat and entertain yourself and you need the parks and public spaces that will allow our residents to thrive and maintain a good quality of life at a reasonable price, a fair tax rate. For that, we need more revenue. That is the winning formula.” n

CSL consulting public on new master plan Read More »

CSL to name greenspace after Alexandre Look

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The City of Côte St. Luc will be naming a greenspace after former resident Alexandre Look, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists Oct. 7, 2023 while defending others during the Nova music festival in Israel, Mayor Mitchell Brownstein announced at a recent council meeting.

Brownstein pointed out that the council meeting was taking place a day after the six-month commemoration of the attack, in which more than 1,200 people were brutally murdered, more than 200 kidnapped and thousands injured.

“It was the bloodiest day in Israeli history,” the Mayor said. “It was the bloodiest day for Jews since the Holocaust. One of the many atrocities was at the Nova music festival. One of those killed was Alex Look, who grew up in Côte St. Luc. He was a family friend, same age as my son. We knew Alex well. He went to school here and knew a lot of people here. He died Oct. 7 trying to protect the people he was with. His mom was on Zoom with him.”

Brownstein said CSL will honour the memory of Look and all those killed on Oct. 7 “by naming the greenspace between Jewish People’s and Peretz Schools-Bialik and Beth Chabad ‘Alexandre Look Place.’

“We will also install a plaque explaining the events of Oct. 7 and work with the family and the institutions surrounding the area to conceptualize a meaningful landscape plan for the area.” n

CSL to name greenspace after Alexandre Look Read More »

Man arrested for destroying Israel Rally posters in CSL

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

A 23-year-old man was arrested by the SPVM as a suspect in the April 27 vandalism of posters advertising the 11 a.m. May 14 Israel rally that will take place at Place du Canada.

The individual, suspected of mischief, was released pending further investigation. The vandalism took place about 4 p.m. at Quartier Cavendish in Côte St. Luc, SPVM spokesman Jean-Pierre Brabant told The Suburban. A 911 call was received at that time.

“A man was damaging some posters and some were taken off where they were [posted],” he added. “From there, we had information of a potential suspect fleeing the scene, so officers were able to intercept him. He is considered a suspect. He was released, but is still under investigation. We need to get some surveillance video from some stores that are in the parking lot. We need some proof of image, and from there, there could be a criminal charge of mischief towards that man.”

Asked if the suspect was wearing a keffiyah, a common sight at anti-Israel protests and viewed as a symbol of Palestinian resistance, Brabant said the police report does not mention that.

“We met with some witnesses and we had a good description of the person, and it helped the police officer to intercept him when he was getting away from the scene,” he added. “We’ll see if a charge can be brought against him.”

Brabant declined to provide The Suburban with the description of the individual provided to police at this point, saying the case could go to trial. n

Man arrested for destroying Israel Rally posters in CSL Read More »

CSL, Hampstead pass protest bylaws

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Côte St. Luc and Hampstead councils have passed bylaws designating where protests can take place in their respective municipalities, in what CSL calls a “safe setback perimeter.”

The bylaws are inspired and built on the injunctions obtained by Spiegel Sohmer senior partner Neil Oberman for Federation CJA and the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue protecting 27 Jewish institutions by stating that anti-Israel protests cannot take place within 50 metres of the sidewalk at each institution. The injunctions were obtained following a March 4 blockade by pro-Hamas protesters at Federation CJA and a March 5 hours-long protest at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue.

The Hampstead nuisance bylaw amendment, passed in its final version at a special April 17 council and regarding provisions involving peace, public, order and safety, says that on its territory, “no assembly or other gathering may be held within 100 metres of any place of worship or any school on public thoroughfares, in parks and places or other areas of public property.”

“Council is of the opinion that citizens who exercise their freedom of religion have the right to do so in complete security and peace,” the Hampstead and CSL bylaws draft bylaws say. “The imposition of a minimal distance from places of worship and from schools for manifestations is necessary and reasonable for ensuring public safety and maintaining public order, while respecting the rights and freedoms involved.”

More specifically, Mayor Jeremy Levi said the amendment will “ban hateful, intimidating, and hostile pro-Hamas demonstrations within 100 metres of places of worship and schools. Violators will face a $1,000 fine.” Levi told The Suburban last week that the bylaw applies to a gathering of 10 or more people.

The fine in CSL will be a minimum of $100 and a maximum of $1,000, and for an organization, minimum $200 and maximum $2,000. In Côte St. Luc, the bylaw, also an amendment of their nuisance bylaw and passed in its final version April 10, “forbids for any person or group to demonstrate or protest in such a way that disturbs the peace, public order or public safety within a radius of 50 metres from the sidewalks of any building in IR – CC – CD and IN zone as defined in By-law No. 2217, Zoning Regulation of the City of Côte Saint-Luc.”

Thus, the bylaw protects all schools in CSL, hospitals, any religious institution and commercial establishments, where some religious institutions are now located. Councillor Steven Erdelyi explained that while the city is happy that the injunctions protecting Jewish institutions were granted and extended recently, “the concern is that, one day, the judge could decide not to renew the injunction.”

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein said there have been discussions about how the police can best assist the city in protecting institutions. “The police are the enforcers. We set up the perimeter with the bylaw. The police would know, based on the terms of the bylaw, what to do. If there’s noise, such as loudspeakers, or chants outside of an event, we would point the police to our noise bylaw and say that they’re disturbing an event going on inside a synagogue and they should shut it down. The police rely on us as municipal leaders to direct them to the relevant law that they can then enforce, whether it’s a ticket, arrest or just ensure the peaceful enjoyment of the neighbourhood. People are free to demonstrate, but they have to do so respecting our bylaws and other laws.”

Oberman told The Suburban he could not offer an opinion on the CSL and Hampstead bylaws for reasons of lawyer privilege, “but anything that enhances and protects the community should be supported, maintained and enforced.” n

CSL, Hampstead pass protest bylaws Read More »

CSL residents demand action on potential renovictions

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The March Côte St. Luc council meeting was nearly filled to capacity, mostly with tenants from 5755, 5765 and 5775 Sir Walter Scott and 6565 and 6575 Kildare Road who are concerned about their mysterious new owners.

Councillor Mike Cohen wrote on his www.mikecohen.ca blog that the five residential buildings were recently sold by CLV Group for $40 million to new ownership, listed as Immeubles Galleons S.E.C., located in Laval.

“It is unclear who actually heads this enterprise,” the councillor added. “One name kept coming up; a developer I have worked with in my day job. When I reached him he insisted that he was originally a prospective buyer. ‘I flipped the offer to another investor prior to closing,’ he said.” Cohen confirmed to The Suburban that the developer he was referring to was Henry Zavriyev, a well-known owner of numerous properties in Montreal.

Cohen also said the tenants fear the new owners will proceed with renovictions — evicting tenants to renovate units. This prompted many of the tenants to attend the council meeting.

Kildare resident Alexander Errore told council that in the three weeks following the change of ownership, dramatic changes have taken place for the tenants, such as “confusing and inaccurate information via memos posted in hallways. Emails and calls regarding rent payment, emergency contacts and service to two private cell phone numbers provided have been sporadically answered or not answered at all.”

Errore said that two onsite building managers, identified as Mr. Avi and Mr. David, “have been knocking on doors, attempting to get tenants to vacate their apartments with offers and manipulation instead of concentrating on properly transitioning from the former owners.”

The resident alleged that the two men are employed by Zavriyev, “who the media has dubbed the ‘king of renovictions.’

“His battles with seniors residences and apartment buildings are well documented in the media over the last several years. We have already created an informal tenants association and have received legal consultation.” The Suburban has contacted Zavriyev and we await his reply.

Errore added that “we are not convinced that the City of Côte St. Luc wants the next well-publicized battle against renovictions to happen within their quarters.

“Other than the amendment to the construction permits regarding renovictions, is CSL planning any other safeguards against the practice of renovictions?”

Errore was referring to a bylaw amendment passed by CSL late last year, saying “prior to the issuance of a permit for major works that require evacuation, written documentation must be provided demonstrating the fact the tenants have agreed, in writing, to either temporally relocate or voluntarily vacate their dwellings during the work. Tenants who have agreed to temporarily relocate must have been presented with a clear expected timeline for their return. The contact information of each affected tenant must be provided.” The bylaw also says “the building permit shall become null and void if any documentation or information provided during the permit application process is found to be misleading, untruthful, or inaccurate.”

Deputy Mayor Dida Berku, who was a longtime tenants lawyer, said she has “lived through this experience with many other tenants associations” in other areas of the city.

“We’re very sensitive to this issue, we understand the dynamics. But there’s a role for the courts and the Rental Board, and there’s a role for the city. The city applies bylaws in a fair and regulated fashion. We are not going to intervene in relations between landlords and tenants. You as tenants have to protect and fight for your rights. I understand you have a tenants association and you hired a lawyer, and that’s what you need to do.”

Cohen said the residents did not come to the meeting “in vain. I am sure that, whoever the owners are, they’re going to be well aware of the fact that, unlike other buildings where people have woken up when it’s too late, you have woken up before anything has officially started….We’re going to do everything in our power to back you up, and if that means sending our building inspector over there on a weekly basis, because there’s a problem, we’ll do it.”

Other residents called on CSL to take some type of action, but Berku reiterated that they should mobilize. n

CSL residents demand action on potential renovictions Read More »

Court of Appeal rejects CSL bid to dismiss Meadowbrook case

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Quebec Court of Appeal Judge Benoît Moore has upheld a December 2023 Quebec Superior Court decision to reject the City of Côte St. Luc’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit against them by the owners of the Meadowbrook Golf Course. CSL will, instead, have to argue the case on the merits.

Meadowbrook Groupe Pacifique and the site’s previous owner have wanted to develop the golf course, which is located in Côte St. Luc and the City of Montreal borough of Lachine, for housing for decades. Legal actions have been taken by Meadowbrook contesting Montreal’s refusal to enable the course to be developed. Legal action was also taken in 2002, against CSL’s rezoning in 2000 of its part of the land from residential to recreational, which Meadowbrook’s owner calls a “disguised expropriation.”

In 2022, as reported by The Suburban, Quebec Superior Court Judge Babak Barin rejected two June 2021 bids by Montreal and Côte St. Luc to dismiss then-new legal action against them by Meadowbrook Groupe Pacific. There were previous amendments to the original case by MGP.

Last November, Councillor Dida Berku introduced a resolution at council calling on the firm of Belanger Sauvé to file a motion to dismiss the case. She told The Suburban that “our attorney uncovered [a technical irregularity], that they declare one owner to be the owner of the Lachine side, and another owner to be the owner of the Côte St. Luc side.”

Berku provided an update at the Feb. 12 council meeting, saying the longstanding case is continuing.

“There’s no end to it,” she added. “It’s another motion in the saga of who is the real owner of the golf course. We will soon find out the result of that.”

Two days later, the Court of Appeal made its decision to uphold the Superior Court’s rejection of CSL’s motion to dismiss the golf course owner’s case.

Asked about the latest decision, Berku explained to The Suburban Feb. 22 that there is one plaintiff in the CSL case, and another in the case against Montreal.

The owner “says it’s the same company and our lawyer’s position was that you can’t have the owner on title suing in one case and then the owner who’s not on title, but who has a counter-letter, suing in the other case.

“Basically, the court said it’s a legal issue that can be debated at trial. So we will do that.” n

Court of Appeal rejects CSL bid to dismiss Meadowbrook case Read More »

CSL’s King David Residence closing

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg

The Le King David Residence, a category 3 semi-autonomous seniors residence that first opened in Côte St. Luc 49 years ago, officially announced it is closing and halting all operations by Sept. 30, forcing its residents to move. The owners, Thomas Marcantonio and Alfonso Graceffa, have declined comment to media.

The residence has provided nursing and recreational services.”Since its inception in 1975, Le King David has been a symbol of compassion, empathy, and exceptional care in Côte St. Luc,” the residence’s website says. “With a profound sense of responsibility, we announce the closure of this esteemed seniors’ residence. This decision, influenced by the post-COVID era’s challenges, recognizes the profound impact it will have on our residents and the community.The residence’s website adds that it is “working closely with the local health authority and the CLSC to facilitate transitions for residents opting to move into the public system.”

The CLSC has confirmed that it was advised of the closure and has vowed to help those looking for a new place to live, adding that the 77 residents have been assessed by an independent living for seniors professional and that two information sessions have already taken place for the residents and their families.

Daniel Lévesque of the Syndicat québécois des employées et employés de service, expressed concern about residents aged between 80 and 90 having to seek new housing at this time of their lives. “I have the impression that the owners consider it like real estate,” he told Radio-Canada. Lévesque added that several of the residence’s 40 employees did not receive a $4 per hour bonus for several months, and that the need for unilingual English-speaking employees to find new work is also a concern.

Côte St. Luc communications director Darryl Levine has said that while the city has not received a permit request to convert the building to a new type of housing, no zoning change would be needed to do so. In 2017, it was announced that the Castel Royale seniors residence on Cavendish Blvd. would become an apartment building. The building closed as a seniors residence because of maintenance issues.

CSL councillor Steven Erdelyi told The Suburban that the closure is not a surprise to him, and that “I have since been checking in with the King David and Waldorf, and reached out to the B’nai Brith House and CIUSSS to help make sure everyone can be placed.” n

CSL’s King David Residence closing Read More »

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