council meetings

Deux-Montagnes Council Meeting: Swift Approvals and Minimal Debate

Local Journalism Initiative / North Shore News / March 19, 2025 / council meetings, deux montagnes, Dylan Adams Lemaçon, LJI reporter, Municipal taxes, REM

By Dylan Adams Lemaçon LJI Reporter

The latest Deux-Montagnes municipal council meeting was a relatively uneventful session, marked by swift approvals of agenda items and an absence of formal citizen questions during the designated question period. However, the discussion briefly stalled due to concerns over tax increases related to the REM project and an unexpected modification to the agenda.

Tax Increases Due to REM Project

Mayor Denis Martin opened the meeting by addressing the financial burden imposed on Deux-Montagnes due to the REM (Réseau express métropolitain) project. He noted that the city has been hit particularly hard by tax increases stemming from the project, a point of ongoing frustration for residents and city officials alike.

The Mayor stated that the council is in intense discussions to find a way to appease these increases.

Following this, the council moved swiftly through the agenda, approving financial aid distributions to various organizations, renewing partnerships, and greenlighting several urban planning and public works projects.

Uninterrupted Approvals Raise Questions

By the time the meeting reached halfway through the order of the day, every item had been approved without much discussion. A newcomer to the meeting voiced his concerns, questioning why decisions were being made so quickly without debate. As he continued speaking over the proceedings, Mayor Martin reminded him that there was a designated question period at the end of the session.

Shortly after, an unusual moment occurred when the mayor and the city clerk briefly left the room. Upon their return, they explained that an agenda item had been mistakenly omitted. The necessary modification was made and swiftly approved.

A Silent Question Period

When the meeting reached the question period, not a single citizen formally addressed the council. The only disruption came from a man named Miguel, who made frustrated comments from his seat. His words were difficult to understand, prompting Mayor Martin to assure him that they could discuss his concerns privately after the meeting.

Conclusion

With all agenda items approved and no formal citizen participation in the question period, the meeting wrapped up in an efficient, uneventful, manner. While the tax increases related to the REM project remain a pressing issue, the lack of public engagement suggests either growing frustration or resignation among residents. The next council meeting may reveal whether this trend continues or if citizens begin voicing their concerns more actively.

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Pointe-Claire councillors seek Quebec help to restore order

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A majority vote by seven city councillors requesting that the Quebec Municipal Affairs Department intervene with an analysis and formulate an action plan to help restore order at the City of Pointe-Claire took place last Tuesday at a special council meeting. The councillors who voted in favour are calling for an overall review of conditions that have led to a hostile political environment and the implementation of solutions to enable the city to better serve its constituents.

Bruno Tremblay was the only city councillor to hold out alongside PC mayor Tim Thomas voting against the resolution tabled by PC city councilor Kelly Thorstad-Cullen and seconded by PC city councillor Paul Bissonnette. “Our public council meetings are lacking leadership and do not meet the standards of professionalism,” Thorstad-Cullen said to The Suburban.

Thomas has repeatedly been accused of abusing his power as speaker at council meetings. “They’ve called for my resignation, they’ve walked out of meetings and now they are calling for this. This is part of a series of events to delegitimize me. The hostility never comes from me. I encourage everyone to watch the webcast to make their own determinations,” Thomas said to The Suburban.

“Unfortunately but not unexpectedly and true to form the mayor made it difficult. He could have simply acknowledged that Pointe-Claire city governance is dysfunctional and cooperated with council’s desire to find a way forward. Instead, he and Councillor Tremblay decided to go full ballistic and accuse the other seven members of council of simply playing politics. If this resolution is just political theatre, the seven of us who voted in favour will look like foolish children. So what are Councillor Tremblay and Mayor Thomas so upset about? That the concerns of the seven might actually have a basis in reality?” PC city councillor Brent Cowan told The Suburban. Councillor Eric Stork told The Suburban that if council was truly the problem, Thomas should welcome this solution as it would serve to prove his notion.

Thomas admits that he has reservations and concerns regarding the proposed evaluation process, but remains optimistic at the possibility that it might generate solutions. “Everybody thinks its a kumbaya, but what this does is give municipal affairs an opportunity to hand over the powers of the city to the provincial government. This is a mistake, in my opinion. It’s one thing to help us get along better but to chance a giveaway of authority is an overstep. If this gets my council to finally sit down and work with me as mayor instead of throwing obstacles at me, great. I don’t have the vote to get what I want but I would like to be heard. This might give us an opportunity to review and improve.” n