Dan Laxer

CDN/NDG council rejects motion for safer REM traffic plan

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

At the recent CDN-NDG Borough council meeting, opposition councillor Stephanie Valenzuela tabled a motion, supported by Councillor Sonny Moroz, regarding the REM station at Canora. Valenzuela is the councillor for the Darlington district. Her motion calls on the local Projet Montréal administration to adopt a clear traffic plan around the future Canora REM station.

The portion of the REM network comprising the Canora and Édouard Montpetit stations, which is in Valenzuela’s district, is set to open next fall, borough mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa told the media, with a new bus line and two bicycle paths.

Lest residents charge that the administration is being anti-car, as one resident did at the council meeting, the mayor says the idea is to make it easier not just for pedestrians and cyclists, but for drivers, as well, to safely navigate the area.

Valenzuela’s motion, seconded by Moroz, called on the administration to adopt a plan that includes “a strategy to mitigate the impact of the new influx of users, whatever their mode of transport,” and asks that the traffic plan “be presented to residents so that they are well informed about what’s coming to their neighbourhood.”

The borough said it had planned to publicize its plans, and to hold public consultation sessions, in early 2026, soon after the stations in the area open.

Valenzuela says that since work began on the portion of the REM network in her district there have been closures and traffic disruptions, and safety concerns. The motion she tabled was based on conversations with residents about how to ensure safety and quality of life in the area once the work is done and the stations open. More importantly, however, Valenzuela says that whatever happens she hopes that there is public consultation in earnest. With this administration, Valenzuela charges, public consultation usually amounts to a fait accompli presented to residents with no real consultation. “I really wanted to make sure that, even if I had a feeling that the administration was going to vote against the motion, that I was loud about the need to include the residents in all the changes that will be taking place in the district.”

The motion was indeed rejected by the majority Projet Montréal council. Valenzuela tells The Suburban that “according to them (the borough administration), they will already be doing everything addressed in the motion so there is no need to vote in favour of it.” n

CDN/NDG council rejects motion for safer REM traffic plan Read More »

Westmount, family, and artist all just want their statue back

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

In one of the bolder thefts in recent memory in Montreal, someone walked away with a life-sized sculpture in Westmount.

The bronze statue, Mother and Child, weighs just over 330 pounds, and is worth about half a million dollars, according to the artist, Lea Vivot. It has been on loan to the City of Westmount since 2022. Countless Montrealers and tourists alike have posed for pictures with the sculpture – a mother nuzzling her infant child on a bench. The piece d’art sat on Sherbrooke at Prince Albert, in the small Prince Albert Square.

Before that it was just outside a store on Sherbrooke St. downtown between Bishop and Mackay.

Police say the statue was stolen on the night of Friday, November 27. Oddly enough, this was not the first time thieves had tried to make off with it. About 25 years ago police were called by witnesses who watched as would-be thieves tried to make off with the statue, struggling to get it into a waiting vehicle.

Nor is this the first time one of Vivot’s pieces was targeted by thieves. Montrealers remember The Secret Bench of Knowledge, another life-sized bronze sculpture, this one of a young boy and girl sitting on a bench sharing a romantic moment, the boy holding a red apple. There are a few different castings of that one, one of which is in Montreal. And a piece of hers that is in New York was in the process of being stolen when police arrived.

This is actually the third theft of a public art piece this month. A few weeks ago thieves made off with a statue of racecar legend Gilles Villeneuve in Berthierville. And a few days later a monument was vandalized in a park in Lachine. That one, at 1950 Provost St., honours the founder of the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Anne in Lachine, depicting Sister Marie-Anne and two children. The statue of the boy had had its arms sawed off and stolen, and there is damage to one of the legs.

Police are asking the public’s help in tracking down Mother and Child. The family who owns it, as well as Westmount Mayor Christina Smith, and of course Vivot, all just want the statue back where it belongs. n

Westmount, family, and artist all just want their statue back Read More »

Police seek public’s help to find missing CDN teen

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

by Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A Montreal teen is missing and Montreal police (SPVM) is asking the public’s help in finding her.

Abigaelle Morot is 14-years-old with long black hair and blue eyes. She stands five feet one inch, and weighs 100 pounds.

She was last seen in the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. At the time she was wearing a beige puffy coat, black pants and beige UGG boots.

Police say her family is worried about her safety.

Anyone with information about her disappearance is being asked to contact police.

Police seek public’s help to find missing CDN teen Read More »

Second suspect in Orange Julep killing extradited from France

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A suspect in a 2023 murder has been arrested and brought back to Canada from France where he had been a fugitive until his arrest by French authorities last spring.

The 26-year-old man appeared at the Montreal courthouse last week and faced charges of aggravated assault and manslaughter, in an incident dating back to May 31, 2023.

A fight had broken out after a verbal conflict in the parking lot of the Orange Julep on Decarie Blvd. The argument escalated to the beating of a 50-year-old victim.

Police received a call that night around 10:15. They said the confrontation involved at least three people. The victim was beaten unconscious, with injuries to his upper body, some of which had been inflicted when he was already on the ground.

He succumbed to his wounds in hospital a few days later.

A 24-year-old suspect was arrested the following day, also charged with aggravated assault and manslaughter, while the other suspect remained at large.

He was the subject of both Canada-wide and international arrest warrants, and finally apprehended by French authorities through close collaboration between the SPVM’s Major Crimes unit and French authorities. n

Second suspect in Orange Julep killing extradited from France Read More »

EMSB wants Terrebonne bike paths removed for winter

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Despite Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa stating in a recent borough council meeting that the contentious bicycle paths on Terrebonne will not be removed for the winter even in the face of calls from many residents that it be removed, EMSB Chair Joe Ortona is not giving up. He has written a letter to the mayor asking her to remove the path. He has asked that the letter be tabled as a “public correspondence” at the next borough council meeting on December 2. The letter is effectively asking borough council to change its mind on the issue.

In his letter, Ortona says “a recent accident involving a school bus and a parent’s vehicle that occurred directly in front of St. Monica Elementary School” was “a direct result of the borough’s redesign of Terrebonne Avenue.”

Terrebonne used to be a two-way street. But earlier this year the borough decided to change the street’s configuration to one way in either direction away from Cavendish. And, of course, due to the bicycle paths on either side of the street, Terrebonne is now much narrower.

“The section in front of St. Monica Elementary,” Ortona writes, “is especially problematic, as pre-existing sidewalk extensions were left in place, further reducing the already constrained space for vehicular traffic. The road has become extraordinarily narrow, leaving insufficient room for vehicles to safely manoeuvre.”

He says the decision to leave the street as is throughout the winter “is both reckless and dismissive of the needs of children and families” and rather favours the ostensibly small number of cyclists that are likely to use the Terrebonne bike paths in the winter.

This is not the first time Ortona has written to borough council on the matter. He wrote back in February that the EMSB objected to the bicycle path, saying it would adversely affect pick-up and drop-off, parking for staff and parents, the safety of the students at St. Monica School, the Mackay Centre and Philip E. Layton School, and Willingdon school. The principals of each had also written letters bolstering the school board’s complaints.

“The borough has failed to address these concerns,” Ortona says. “Our schools feel marginalized, as their needs have been overshadowed by the borough’s prioritization of the cycling community.”

Aside from the temporary removal of the bicycle paths, the EMSB is also asking for “the creation of a joint committee comprising EMSB specialists and borough traffic officials to collaboratively design safer conditions for the spring.”

The accident to which Ortona refers happened last month. A mother was getting back into her car after dropping off her child. The school bus, trying to navigate the now narrower street, hit her car door. “Thankfully, no one was seriously injured,” Ortona writes. But “the bus and the car sustained considerable damage, and the students onboard the bus were trapped for ten minutes due to the door being obstructed.” n

EMSB wants Terrebonne bike paths removed for winter Read More »

Concordia puts political correctness above security

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer and Beryl Wajsman, Editor
The Suburban

The Suburban wanted to know why there was no police intervention in last Thursday’s break-in to Concordia by antisemitic and pro-Palestinian mobs where security personnel were assaulted and property on many floors damaged and destroyed.

We put out emails and calls to Concordia Security, to Concordia media relations, and to Graham Carr, the university’s president, as well as to SPVM officers and media personnel. We asked whether security personnel called police for help when the Hall Building was broken into. If they did, what was the SPVM’s response, and if they did not call, why not.

Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci answered that the SPVM were indeed on-hand “around campus. In consultation with them we decided not to request an intervention when protestors entered the Hall Building. We did not feel police presence at that stage would have helped to de-escalate the situation, especially as some seemed to want to provoke a confrontation with our agents and police and the disruption could have actually been longer with an intervention. The protestors did indeed leave after 20 minutes or so.” A source familiar with the situation said there was concern in the Concordia administration that police intervention may have given a “victory” to the demonstrators who would have called it suppression of the right to demonstrate. No distinction was drawn between demonstration of expression and destruction of property.

A statement by Provost and Vice President Anne Whitelaw, and Vice-President for Services and Sustainability Michael Di Grappa sent to The Suburban states, “We are writing to condemn in the strongest possible terms the antisemitic events that took place outside Concordia last week. On Thursday, November 21, during student strike activities, a demonstrator made the Nazi salute and referenced the ‘final solution’ in front of a group of counter protesters on the corner of Mackay and De Maisonneuve streets.These despicable words and gestures, which were clearly intended to intimidate members of our community, are completely unacceptable. We will not tolerate hate speech on our campuses. University personnel are actively working with law enforcement to ensure everyone involved is held fully accountable for their criminal acts and/or violations of the Code of Rights and Responsibilities. We ask all Concordians to stand up against hate, intimidation and violence — showing unequivocally that antisemitism has no place at our university.

SPVM spokesperson Mélanie Bergeron responded to The Suburban as follows, “Last Thursday, around noon, student demonstrations in support of Palestine took place at Concordia University, Dawson College and McGill University. Students demonstrated in the streets and marched towards Concordia University. Around 2:15 p.m., the demonstrators entered a building at Concordia University. Police officers from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) were present to support the security of the institution. An assault was committed against a security guard and graffiti was painted inside the building. University security officers took charge of the demonstrators and deemed that our presence was not necessary. The demonstrators stayed for about an hour and then resumed their march in the streets. An investigation is currently being conducted by the SPVM to establish the circumstances of the misdeeds and the assault. For more information on this event, we invite you to contact Concordia University.” n

Concordia puts political correctness above security Read More »

CDN community centre denies connection to Bedford Affair

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A community centre in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough is distancing itself from the education ministry report into the École Bedford scandal.

The Centre Communautaire Darlington is just up the road from the school on Goyer Street. In a press release issued last week the president, Said Soali, categorically denied any connection to the school, or to the controversy that led to the suspension of 11 teachers at École Bedford. The community centre’s connection to the school was implied in the government’s report into the matter.

A journalist first broke the story of the “toxic” activity on the part of the 11 teachers at the school, along with revelations of similar controversy in other institutions, prompting the involvement of Education Minister Bernard Drainville, and Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy, the official opposition critic for education, who called for the resignation of the Director-General of the CSSDM.

In the press release Soali said, “the Darlington Community Centre, recognized for its role in promoting social cohesion and community development, wishes to make it clear that it has no connection with the internal tensions or management problems highlighted in this report. Any implicit association stems from a misunderstanding of its mission and activities.”

The education ministry report into the École Bedford controversy singled out teachers referred to as being of “North African” or “Maghrebi” origin, with revelations of psychological and physical abuse, denial of learning challenges, banning girls from sports, and other issues. The alleged teaching of religious concepts particularly raised Drainville’s ire, given the scope of the CAQ government’s secularism bill.

In the press release Soali added that the centre “is neither a religious organization nor a centre for the Arab community. It offers a range of inclusive services to meet the needs of Quebecers in the neighbourhood, regardless of their origin.”

Soali goes on to say that even though the centre does offer an “espace de recueillement,” which could be translated either as a meditation space, or a prayer space, the centre’s mission is, rather, the inclusion and well-being of the community as a whole. n

CDN community centre denies connection to Bedford Affair Read More »

Three arrested after NDG car chase

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A car chase that led to the arrest of three suspects started in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough Wednesday night.

Around midnight Wednesday into Thursday Montreal police (SPVM) caught sight of a stolen vehicle on Sherbrooke Street West near Girouard Avenue.

Officers were trying to stop the car and apprehend the suspects. The driver of the car rammed the police cruiser on site, and then sped away.

There was only minor damage to the cruiser, and no one was hurt.

Police pursued the vehicle, catching up 20 minutes later on Henri Bourassa Blvd West near Tohurst Street in Montreal North, about 15 km away. Three suspects fled on foot, with police blocking streets to try to corner them.

About an hour later police arrested the three. One is 16 years old, the other two are 18 and 20 years of age.

The 16-year-old was eventually released, but may still face charges later.

The other two were arraigned on numerous charges including assault, dangerous driving, hit and run, and assault of a police officer. n

Three arrested after NDG car chase Read More »

Pierrefonds has highest increases in 2025 budget

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer and

Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Projet Montréal tabled its 2025 budget, along with its ten-year capital expenditure program, at a council meeting last week. The document, released last Wednesday, November 20, boasts “the city is able to invest more in the immediate needs of Montrealers, whether in housing, fighting homelessness, maintaining its infrastructure or for the vitality of its downtown, all while minimizing the tax burden on residents.”

Ensemble Montréal, the Official Opposition, is warning residents not to be misled.

The budget promises to cap the increase in property taxes for an overall increase of 2.2% for the residential sector, and 1.9% for the non-residential sector. That’s the city average. The rates vary depending on the borough. The Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough’s increase, for example, is slightly higher, at 2.9%. The lowest in the city is Ville-Marie at just 0.2%, whereas Pierrefonds-Roxboro gets hit with the highest at 4.1%.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis said, “they don’t know how to budget and manage Montreal. They are running a city into disarray—it’s dirty, transit is a mess, one issue follows another, all while there’s a gridlock to make way for bike path construction. They fail to prioritize their spending. Beis also says that the administration’s mismanagement of funds has compelled communities like his to raise borough taxes. “They make it appear as though they are implementing only minor tax raises, yet since taking office, they have increased taxes to fund Plante’s pet projects. This has led communities like mine to increase borough taxes.”

By way of comparison, Mayor Valérie Plante pointed out that …Montreal’s tax rate is far lower than both Vancouver and Toronto and in line with inflation.”

Opposition leader Aref Salem disagrees, however, that the tax hike is equal to inflation, telling the mayor in council, “you broke your promise four times during your mandate. Four times you raised taxes over the rate of inflation. Taxes have gone up 38% during your administration.”

The new budget comes with investments of $100 million for housing, $12 million to fight homelessness — which Salem points out is only a $3 million increase from the last budget – and $10 million to deploy the city’s Downtown Strategy.

Ensemble Montréal says the administration would do better to get their spending under control. “We need to spend not more, but better,” says Alan DeSousa, St. Laurent Borough Mayor and Official Opposition spokesperson on financial matters. “Projet Montréal’s administration has failed to meet its responsibilities. Apart from bike paths and greening initiatives, its record is practically non-existent and demonstrates a flagrant lack of sense of priority.”

The new budget is Valérie Plante’s last as mayor, and the party’s eighth since they came to power. Last month Plante announced that she will not be seeking a third term. In tabling the new budget, she said “I am proud to leave the house in order.”

When her term ends, Salem says, she will have left the city “in really bad condition, at least fiscally.” n

Pierrefonds has highest increases in 2025 budget Read More »

Court puts liens on Westmount homes of Robert Miller

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Two houses in Westmount belonging to Robert Miller, one of which is said to be the billionaire’s own residence, have been seized by Quebec Superior Court.

Legal liens were placed on the houses by order of Justice Serge Gaudet. The step is being taken as part of civil lawsuits for four women who allege that when they were underage Miller recruited and paid them for sex.

Several such allegations against Miller began to surface starting in February of last year. When the allegations came out in the media, Miller stepped down as head of Future Electronics, citing health concerns. Last month his defence lawyer claimed Miller was bedridden.

The original allegations against Miller were actually being investigated as far back as 2009, with cases alleged to have taken place going back to 1992 with girls as young as 14. No criminal charges were filed.

The move to place the liens on Miller’s homes is not the usual procedure, as the lawsuits before the courts are actually pending. But the plaintiff’s lawyers, worried that the homes could be unloaded before the cases proceed, asked for the court to take this step. Justice Gaudet agreed.It is said that Miller apparently has no bank accounts in his name, but that there may be others endeavouring to “hide assets in Miller’s name,” which Gaudet says is “troubling.” Also, in a class-action lawsuit last year there was a request to freeze Miller’s assets, or that he be ordered to deposit $200 million in the event that the court ruled in favour of the complainants. The judge in that case, Justice Eleni Yiannakis, denied the request.

The lawsuits also names former Future Electronics executive Sam Abrams who, it is alleged, managed bank accounts for Miller for years. It refers to “the Miller network,” organized to recruit “underage girls in order to satisfy the sexual urges of Robert Miller,” with the help of individuals within the company. In an earlier lawsuit Abrams was referred as “the Matchmaker.” The current suit names him as Miller’s “right hand man.”

One of the houses ordered seized has been valued at more than $2.3 million, and the other at more than $2.1 million. One is owned by a numbered company. The other by Robert Gerald Miller Holdings Inc. Both of the homes are located on Olivier Ave. in Westmount.

Earlier this year Future Electonics was sold to a Taiwan-based company for $3.8 billion U.S. Miller is now considered to be one of the two wealthiest people in Quebec. The 81-year-old was arrested earlier this year. He faces a host of charges, including sexual assault, procuring, sexual exploitation, sexual interference and sexual intercourse with a minor, involving ten victims. n

Court puts liens on Westmount homes of Robert Miller Read More »

Pro-Palestinians disrupt Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in Westmount

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A group of pro-Palestine and pro-Hamas protesters harassed, blocked and pushed attendees at an event at the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in Westmount last week.They were masked, waved the Palestinian flag, chanted calls for intifada and support for Hamas, and called Jews baby-killers and genocide supporters. Police presence was significant but they arrived after the protesters and made no arrests.

The event was a talk by Eylon Levy, a former Israeli Government Spokesman and International Media Advisor to the President of Israel, and the Co-Founder of the Israeli Citizen Spokespersons’ Office. Levy is on a speaking tour that took him to Montreal. He spoke to a packed house of some 550 inside, while outside, according to Cantor Gideon Zelermyer, about 30 to 40 protesters gathered, with about as many police officers on the scene.

Zelermyer said that while protests at the nearby Israeli consulate have become a regular occurrence, “this was the first time we’ve had something like this at the synagogue.” The protesters were on the same side of the synagogue, not across the street, as per the court injunction mandating that they stay 50 metres away.

The Suburban asked the SPVM why the police did not enforce Criminal Code provisions that make demonstrations in neighbourhoods that are “tumultuous” illegal and also disallow demonstrations in front of religiousminstitutions specifically sections 63(1j and (2) and 176(1j and (2j. The SPVM’s Anik de Repentigny answered,”In general, the Montreal Police Department (SPVM) does not comment on specific operations. That being said, the role of our police officers during demonstration activities such as the one on November 5 is to ensure that they take place in peace, in good order, and with the safety of people and property. They must also be carried out in compliance with the laws and regulations in force. It should be noted that the SPVM management has been in regular contact with Jewish communities since the beginning of the conflict 13 months ago. We continue to meet with them and listen to them. Their concerns are important to us and we are sparing no effort to restore their sense of security.” The Suburban responded by asking if the SPVM is saying that these provisions were not broken? We did not receive an answer by press time.

Melissa Libman, an attendee, said the protesters were at two different entrances shouting at attendees, calling them baby killers and supporters of genocide. Libman says she wasn’t worried. “I was not intimidated by their words,” she said.

The shouting continued throughout Levy’s talk, and could be heard inside the synagogue. Levy acknowledged the protesters, but simply said not to pay attention to them. Libman echoed the sentiment. “These are not the people who want to talk to us,” she said.

Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, reacted to the protest, calling it “a disgusting display of vitriol and beyond the pale of any form of acceptable protest.”

Anna Gainey, Liberal MP for Nôtre-Dame-de-Grace–Westmount, posted on her X account that the protests “not only violate the current injunction protecting places of worship, but violate the peace and safety of residents and of our Jewish community members in particular. The hate speech and antisemitic chants filling the quiet residential street are obscene. It’s unacceptable and has to stop.”

Anthony Housefather, Liberal MP for Mount Royal, posted that he’d been in touch with Westmount Mayor Christina Smith, and had spoken with the police. “The location of this protest is meant to intimidate,” Housefather added. “It is appalling.”

A statement he put out the following day read “the police should have enforced the injunction and they did not. They did not, leaving many Montrealers confused, angry, and concerned about their safety. This is not acceptable.”

Mayor Smith agreed, saying she is “very disappointed with the SPVM’s decision to ignore the clear court injunction prohibiting protests within 50 metres of places of worship. This is unacceptable.”

Shaar Hashomayim’s Rabbi Adam Scheier put out a joint statement with Rabbi Reuben Poupko of Côte St. Luc’s Beth Israel Beth Aaron Synagogue, calling on Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and the SPVM “to more effectively protect our community.”

Attorney Neil Oberman who has won more than a half dozen injunctions protecting Jewish institutions said, “This week’s events in Westmount highlight the necessity for ongoing vigilance and effective leadership. Canada, once a respected nation and a symbol of hope, is now facing challenges from individuals who threaten its integrity. Current leadership appears to lack the vision and commitment needed to restore safety and security in our communities.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and Federation CJA also released a joint statement at the time of the protest, saying “this evening, radicals came to desecrate the tranquility of one of our community’s residential neighborhoods and houses of worship by calling for intifida in front of the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in Montreal. That they should do so in violation of the injunction protecting our community’s premises from this kind of antisemitic demonstration, and all that in front of the SPVM, is revolting. We will raise concerns directly with the SPVM as to why protesters were allowed so close despite the injunction.” n

Pro-Palestinians disrupt Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in Westmount Read More »

“The Gallant 80”: West End heroes of the RMR remembered

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

“On October 6, 1944, a company of 80 men from the Royal Montreal Regiment entered into a battle that would do irreparable damage to the Germans suffering 46 casualties; 10 killed, 16 captured, and 20 wounded. The company showed their determination, ultimately defeating the enemy and receiving three military medals.”

So reads a panel as part of an exhibit at the Royal Montreal Regiment (RMR) Museum on Ste. Catherine Street in Westmount. The exhibit, held the week leading up to Remembrance Day, is titled ‘A Regiment’s Sacrifice: Defeating Hitler’s Army.’ It is a look at the World War II liberation of northwest Europe, particularly The Battle of Leopold Canal, which took place from October 6 to 13 in 1944. Colin Robinson, Former Commanding Officer, RMR, says it was the beginning of the end, perhaps not of the war, but certainly of the liberation of Holland.

Leopold Canal is in northern Belgium bordering the Netherlands. And while the RMR was not initially supposed to be a part of the battle, the contribution of the men in the regiment – The Gallant 80, as a poem by Bob McLaughlin calls them – contributed directly to the liberation of northwest Europe and the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

The idea, Robinson explains, was to free up the Port of Antwerp to make the transport of supply ships and troops from Normandy easier, and to mitigate the Hunger Winter, the famine perpetrated on the Dutch by the Germans.

The 80 men of the RMR who fought the battle, dodging heavy German fire amid the blinding smoke from the German guns with little to protect them, were not regular soldiers, says Robinson. They were reservists who’d spend a good part of the war training in England, and were eager to join the war. What they had in common is that they were all Montrealers. They were family men, working men from NDG, Westmount, Montreal West, Pointe St. Charles, and Griffintown. Their average age was about 22, having joined up at 18 and spending time training and preparing for what would eventually be a legendary and decisive battle.

The exhibit, put together by Amynte Eygun, will soon start touring schools. It’s made up of panels telling the stories of the battle, and the stories of the some of the men who fought, along with display cases containing soldiers’ personal effects: razors, bibles, pay books, lighters, and sewing kits. The panels tell of the men, their jobs prior to the war, and the addresses of the houses they lived in.

Eygun says the goal of the exhibit was “to show the personal stories of the men and who they were, to show that they were just regular guys.”

“Regular dudes,” Robinson chimes in.

“It was really to represent them as human beings,” Eygun continues. “As boys who, all of them lived at home, had regular jobs, who volunteered.”

Private Richard Maurice Thornicroft was from NDG. While studying to be an accountant he worked at the old POM Bakery, kitty-corner to the RMR on Ste. Catherine. At the time it would have been known as the Harrison Bros Bakery, the very bakery that made the ration biscuits Thornicroft would have had in his kit.

Private Joseph Adélard Roger Martin was from Griffintown, and worked at the original Montreal location of Northern Telecom in Pointe St. Charles. The building is still there on Shearer at St. Patrick.

The exhibition, says Isabelle Racicot, Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel, RMR “is an ideal opportunity to collectively remember the sacrifice that the military of the past made to ensure Canada’s freedom.”

“The Gallant 80”: West End heroes of the RMR remembered Read More »

Red Coalition calls for united stand against racial profiling appeal

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Red Coalition, a Montreal-based organization fighting systemic racism, is calling on every elected official in Quebec to take a stand in urging the CAQ government not to appeal a recent Quebec Court of Appeal decision on racial profiling.

On October 23, the province’s highest court upheld a previous ruling that random police stops enable racial profiling and that systemic racism results. The controversial provision is Article 636 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code.

In 2022, Quebec Court Justice Michel Yergeau ruled in the case of Joseph-Christopher Luamba, a Black Montreal resident who had been stopped nearly a dozen times without cause. At the time Justice Yergeau ruled that “racial profiling does exist. It is not a laboratory-constructed abstraction. It is a reality that weighs heavily on Black communities. It manifests itself in particular with Black drivers of motor vehicles.” That case went to the Quebec Court of Appeal where Justice Yergeau’s ruling was upheld.

Similarly, last month, as reported in The Suburban, Justic Dominique Poulin ruled that not only does systemic racism exist in the SPVM, but that the city allows it to continue.

Three rulings by three judges, including the highest court in the province, said DeBellefeuille, in a climate where the leader of the provincial government has been insisting for years that systemic racism does not exist. Public Security Minister François Bonnardel posted on X that he was disappointed in the ruling, which DeBellefeuille says is problematic, and the government may even appeal, a move that would send the wrong message, DeBellefeuille says, which is why he wants all leaders to stand against it. “Why, as an elected official, would you want to agree with a law that’s discriminatory?”

Coincidentally, on the day the ruling was handed down another Montreal man, Nigel Berkley, launched his own case, through the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), against racial profiling after being pulled over several times without cause. The Red Coalition’s DeBellefeuille knows firsthand how that feels, having himself been pulled over without cause several times going back to 2009.

DeBellefeuille would also like to see voters put pressure on elected officials to send a strong message to the CAQ to accept the Court of Appeal ruling. To do so would mean, DeBellefeuille said, that those leaders would accept that systemic racism exists in the face of Legault’s insistence that it does not. n

Red Coalition calls for united stand against racial profiling appeal Read More »

Mother of injured teen wants traffic measures improved in Montreal West

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

This could have been a “sentinel event,” potentially life-threatening or life-altering. As an intensive-care unit physician at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Samara Zavalkoff knows all too well what that means, and is grateful that her son escaped with scrapes and bruises after being hit by a car at the intersection of Westminster and Ainslie in Montreal West.

Zavalkoff’s son Charlie, 14, is a student at Royal West Academy. He takes the train from NDG to Montreal West station, and then walks to school from there. He and two friends crossed at the south-east corner where, as the school always tells the students, the crosswalk is more clearly marked. Northbound traffic stopped to let Charlie and his friends cross. But then Charlie noticed just a second too late that a car traveling north was about to hit him.

He was hit on his left side, and knocked down onto the road on his right side. Police and first responders were called to the scene, and Charlie was transported to hospital.

“This was not an accident,” Zavalkoff said. “This was a completely preventable event.”

Morning rush hour traffic on Westminster through Montreal West is worse than it’s been in a long time due to several factors, including road closures on both Sherbrooke and Broughton, and the ongoing construction of the Easton apartment complex at St. Jacques. Zavalkoff says that might be the saving grace that prevented more serious injury to her son.

At the same time, however, the traffic may be at the heart of the kind of driver frustration that would lead to an incident.

Zavalkoff spoke to the Royal West Academy administration and governing board, and to town councillor Lauren Small-Pennefather, who is responsible for public security in Montreal West. She also filed a complaint with SPVM station 9.

The police department oversees the crossing guard program. Whether a school gets a crossing guard depends on a number of factors, including the flow of traffic through a crossing, The speed of traffic, the width of the street, and the age and number of school children. High schools, the SPVM says, are not eligible for the program.

Word of the incident reached Liberal MNA Désirée McGraw. McGraw told Zavalkoff that she spoke with the Transport Minister about the issue, and indicated that action would be taken to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, although Zavalkoff wonders why a problem with an ostensibly simple solution needs to go up that high.

This was not a case of a distracted teen wearing earbuds staring at his phone, says Zavalkoff. Charlie diligently crossed at the crosswalk, with his phone in his pocket on the side where he got hit. His phone did not fare as well as he did.

Town Mayor Beny Masella is travelling and was not available for comment. But Small-Pennefather does want to convene a meeting with the mayor and his team, the school’s governing board, and the police to hash out a solution. “I think we have enough information as intelligent people,” says Zavalkoff, “that we can figure out what to do.”

The kids don’t need another lecture or assembly on safety, said Zavalkoff. “This is about us structurally changing the intersection so that it’s safe.” n

Mother of injured teen wants traffic measures improved in Montreal West Read More »

NDG’s Harvard Stationary closes after four decades

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

After more than 40 years of service to the community, Harvard Stationary (Papeterie Harvard) has closed its doors. The store has been on Sherbrooke Street near Draper in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough for 36 years, selling school and office supplies, providing copy and printing services.

The store first opened a few streets east, at Harvard, of course, and eventually moved to its current location.

Owners Arsak and Sahan Markayan, originally from Türkiye, were unprepared for, and overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection from the community. In fact, Arsak, 71, was reluctant to be interviewed. He was gazing around the store at the near-empty shelves on their last day, last October 31. “I cannot express myself,” he says, turning away. “I might start crying.”

His brother, Sahan, came out of the back room where they’d been packing up. They spoke about the cards and flowers well-wishers have sent and brought, the gifts and wine. And the hugs. Even from customers who still wear covid masks, Arsak says with a smile. Both are overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection, and the reaction from customers and neighbours. “They’re like family,” says Sahan, 65.

They know that they’ll be missed, and they say they’ll miss the community just as much. But they can’t quite understand why they’d come to mean so much to the neighbourhood, to the two generations of families who had been coming in for school supplies. “We’re just selling pens and pencils,” says Sahan. “Nothing essential.”

“Nothing life-saving,” Arsak adds.

But it’s time, they both agree, to hang it up after nearly 41 years. They’re ending on a high note; their store has always done well, and would have continued to do well had they not closed. But it’s almost too busy, Arsak said. An interview request from The Suburban was originally rebuffed. “We’re very busy,” said Arsak. “I haven’t even had my lunch today.” It was a complaint he repeated – with a smile – the following day.

As far as what’s next for the Markayan brothers? “Nothing,” Arsak said, laughing. “We’re free,” added Sahan. n

NDG’s Harvard Stationary closes after four decades Read More »

Public storm over Montreal anti-racism report that omits antisemitism

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By Joel Goldenberg and Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is condemning a report on accelerating changes for a Montreal free of racism and discrimination from 2023 to 2025, saying it omits any mention of antisemitism. Numerous anti-Israel and antisemitic incidents have taken place in Montreal — including antisemitic slurs, Jewish schools being fired upon and Molotov cocktails thrown into Jewish community centres — since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

The report on racism and discrimination was presented to the city last week by Bochra Manaï, Montreal’s Commissioner for the Fight against Racism and Systemic Discrimination. Manaï has been harshly criticized for attending 2023 anti-Israel rallies where antisemitic chants were heard.

A CIJA statement regarding the new anti-racism document says that “we are outraged—though unfortunately not surprised—to see that she did not even mention the Jewish community or antisemitism.

“This report represents a glaring erasure of one of Montreal’s ethnic minorities, by the City of Montreal itself, even though the Jewish community is one of the most frequently targeted by hate crimes and incidents in the city. This omission is concerning, particularly coming from an office responsible for addressing racism and discrimination, and it adds to some troubling stances the Commissioner has taken in the past.”

CIJA is calling on Mayor Valérie Plante to “ensure that the Office of the Commissioner for the Fight against Racism and Systemic Discrimination fulfills its mandate without ignoring one of the groups currently most targeted by hate. She must reconsider her decision in appointing a divisive Commissioner to a role that should never have been contentious.”

In seeking an answer directly from Manaï as to why antisemitism was left out of a report on racism, The Suburban discovered that the Mayor’s office had put all responsibility for responses on the report on the shoulders of CDN/NDG Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa and City Director-General Benoit Dagenais. Katahwa is also the executive committee member responsible for the fight against racism.

Indeed even during the council meeting when the report was debated, and questions on the exclusion of antisemitism were asked, Manaï remained silent even when questions were directed at her and all questions were handled by Katahwa and Dagenais with Manaï nodding her head in agreement.

The Suburban attempted to reach Manaï by phone, email and at City Hall. Surprisingly, we found the whole office of “Commissioner” is Manaï and one assistant.

Finally, editor Beryl Wajsman obtained Manaï‘s personal cell number. He texted her one question: “Chère Mme Manai, nous aimerions avoir une brève explication claire des raisons pour lesquelles l’antisémitisme n’a pas été mentionné dans votre rapport sur le racisme.” She responded that, “Le service des relations média vous achemine une réponse.” The Suburban is still waiting.

Katahwa emphasized twice that the omission does not mean that the Plante administration doesn’t care about antisemitism. “For me, it’s important to say to Montrealers of Jewish origin that this does not mean that antisemitism is acceptable. It is absolutely unacceptable. We have taken action and we will continue to take action to ensure the members of the Jewish community are safe and will always be safe in Montreal.” She added, as mayor of the CDN-NDG borough, that the police are “present and mobilized to be sure to protect the Jewish community.”

For his part, Dagenais acknowledged the omission, adding that “antisemitism is a scourge,” and that the fight against it must be made a priority, especially “in the context of the conflict in the Middle East.” He said the goal is to fight antisemitism, “and all other forms of discrimination and racism. If there are any groups who lack confidence in the commissioner, specifically the Jewish community, she will work to restore that trust.”

Katahwa characterized the Manaï report as a progress update in response to a 2022 report tabled by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) that was highly critical of the city’s record on racial profiling.

With files from Editor Beryl Wajsman n

Public storm over Montreal anti-racism report that omits antisemitism Read More »

CDN man victim of 4 police stops in 8 months

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Nigel Berkley decided he had had enough.

The resident of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce had been pulled over by police without cause one too many times. At the urging of a friend, he approached the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR).

As a Black man, Berkley told The Suburban, when you’re being pulled over and you know you haven’t done anything wrong, your first thought is “what is my next move? Who will be my rescue?”

It’s something that happens all too often, Berkley says. This year alone he says he’s been pulled over four times, or more, while driving a Dodge Caravan registered to his mother. That’s a common pattern, says CRARR’s Fo Niemi.

“One time I had a BMW,” Berkley continues, “and I was pulled over because it had a blue light in the front of the car.” Tinted windows are also a bigger problem for Black drivers than it is for white drivers, says Berkley.

Fighting racial profiling finally became a priority in 2003, says Niemi, under Jean Charest’s Liberal government. However, now, two decades later, despite several court cases proving the existence of both racial profiling and systemic racism, the current government under François Legault continues to dig in its heels, insisting otherwise. That’s why, says Niemi, “we’re encouraging people like Mr. Berkley…to really stand up, to report and complain. Because often people don’t believe in the justice system. They have a crisis of confidence towards the police, and they also have no faith in the justice system. Everything that we do is not only to ensure the full respect of their civil and constitutional rights, but also to restore their faith in our institutions.”

That sense of mistrust, Berkley says, gets passed down. He says his 19-year-old son tenses up just seeing a police car pass by. Berkley says he understand that police have the right to pull a driver over for an infraction. But random stops, even just for identity verification, which has been proven in the courts to disproportionately affect Black drivers, are the problem. In the most recent incident Berkley was pulled over because, the police officer explained, the car he was driving was registered to a woman. That is not an infraction, he says, but Black people are still being stopped for that. “We are all human beings, we all have the time rights,” Berkley says. “But in the eyes of the system it doesn’t work like that.”

CRARR is helping Berkley file a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission, as well as with the police ethics commissioner. n

CDN man victim of 4 police stops in 8 months Read More »

St.Laurent MNA asks for police protection after Bedford comments

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

In a rare show of unity in the National Assembly, all party leaders and members – called to action by Parti Québecois leader Paul St. Pierre-Plamondon – voiced support for Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy. In the wake of the École Bedford scandal, Rizqy has received threatening and harassing messages, and has asked for police protection for her family.

Last week when news about École Bedford came to a head in the National Assembly, Parti Québécois leader Paul St. Pierre-Plamondon held a news conference in which he said the story came to the fore thanks to a Cogeco journalist, “and to the work of an MNA named Marwah Rizqy.” He denounced the harassing and intimidating messages that Rizqy was subject to in the wake of her comments on the issue. “The statements made by a religious leader were degrading and threatening to a member of the National Assembly,” St. Pierre-Plamondon said. He called the other leaders and members of the National Assembly to show support for Rizqy. One particularly galling comment came from controversial Imam Adil Charkaoui – likely the religious leader St. Pierre-Plamondon referred to – who called Rizqy a “Marocaine de service.” The expression was translated in the English media as “token Moroccan,” but it’s nastier in French. Rizqy’s parents are of Moroccan origin.

As the Opposition critic for education, Rizqy took a strong stance in the matter, saying Isabelle Gélinas, the Director-General of the CSSDM, should have done more, and done it sooner. Rizqy was partly responsible for the government report into the 11 teachers who were ultimately suspended pending further investigation. The St. Laurent MNA accused Gélinas of willful blindness, and called for her to step down.

St. Pierre-Plamondon posted his support for Rizqy on X. Rizqy also posted, saying she’d received a call from an unknown number. It turned out to be St. Pierre-Plamondon. “He wanted to know how Greg (Kelley) and I were doing. He offered us his moral support, and offered to walk with me so that I won’t be alone.”

Rizqy added her thanks, as well, to François Legault’s cabinet, saying “last night I received a message of support. On behalf of my family, thank you.”

The St. Laurent MNA announced earlier this year that she would not be seeking reelection. Rizqy is a strong political critic who had been considered a contender for the future leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party. But she announced earlier this month that she is choosing family life over political life. “This mandate will be my last,” she posted on X on October 1. “Of course I will be giving 100% to the best of my abilities.”

Speaking at a news conference last Tuesday, Rizqy admitted she feared for her and her family’s safety, including her husband, MNA Greg Kelley, their two children, and Rizqy’s mother, and has asked for police protection. However, she has not shied away from continuing this fight, tweeting about other public schools with issues similar to École Bedford, and calling on the education minister to put a stop to it.

St.Laurent MNA asks for police protection after Bedford comments Read More »

NDG’s St. Monica’s appeals to city ombudsperson over bike paths

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

St. Monica’s Parish Church has been in the same location, on Terrebonne near Bessborough, east of Cavendish Blvd, for three quarters of a century. This year is its 75th anniversary year, and church warden Paul Wong is worried that it may be their last in this location. Unless a solution can be found to the problems caused by the bicycle path that the Côte des Neiges-NDG borough installed last just July, deterring brides and the bereaved from accessing the church.

A similar bicycle path had been installed four years ago, but was removed due to public outcry. This past summer it was reinstalled on both sides of the street, and the configuration of Terrebonne changed to one-way on either side of Cavendish.

The street outside the front of the church is now a no-stopping zone, which means that seniors and people with mobility issues can no longer be dropped off out front. Bridal and funeral processions are also prevented from parking out front. As Wong told The Suburban, they’ve seen a drop in church attendance, which means a drop in collections, and other revenue streams, like hall rentals, that a church depends on. With little else left at their disposal, the church decided to write a letter to the city ombudsperson, Nadine Mailloux, asking her to intervene on their behalf.

“We have noted a 30% decrease in attendance at our masses and an accompanying decrease in donations,” Wong wrote to Mailloux. “We have had to [cancel] events. In the first time in our history we are running a deficit.”

They had appealed to the borough for solutions at least for funerals, to no avail. As per tradition, caskets are carried out the front door, down the front steps, to a waiting hearse. It’s dignified, say Wong and Father Joseph, and symbolic. But city officials won’t allow it. Rather, they have suggested the church use either the side alleyway, or the pathway between the church and the rectory. Wong says neither would work; the side alleyway is not wide enough to afford a dignified exit from the church. And the path between the church and the rectory is not structurally strong enough to accommodate a vehicle due to the tunnel that passes between the buildings (there are actually barriers installed midway on the path to block vehicular passage). A request for financial assistance to do the work necessary to widen the side alleyway was rebuffed, and the church can’t afford to have the work done on their own dime, especially since so many streams of revenue have been stymied by the bicycle path.

Another suggestion from the borough was to carry a casket out the back door, with pallbearers walking to the next street over – Borden — where a hearse would be parked, a ridiculous and unwieldy solution, say Wong and Joseph, and surely an unpleasant prospect for Borden residents. n

NDG’s St. Monica’s appeals to city ombudsperson over bike paths Read More »

Court of Appeals: Random stops = racial profiling

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The law permitting police to make random traffic stops does indeed lead to racial profiling. The highest court in the province has said so, affirming two earlier rulings.

In 2022 the Superior Court made the judgment. Last week the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the landmark ruling. In 2022, Justice Michel Yergeau had ruled in the case of Joseph-Christopher Luamba, a Black resident of Montreal who had been pulled over several times by police – nearly a dozen, the court heard. Luamba, along with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association as interveneor, argued that the section of the Quebec Highway Safety Code that allows for random stops goes against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Evidence presented at the time showed that random stops disproportionately affected young Black drivers.

“Racial profiling does exist,” Justice Yergeau ruled in 2022. “It is a reality that weighs heavily on Black communities. It manifests itself in particular with Black drivers of motor vehicles.” Last Wednesday the Quebec Court of Appeal agreed, unanimously upholding the ruling.

The ruling came as Premier François Legault continues to insist that systemic racism does not exist in Quebec.

Public Security Minister François Bonnardel took to his X account to air his dissatisfaction with the ruling, saying “this was obviously not the desired result,” adding the ruling could adversely affect the work of the police in keeping the public safe. “We will take the time to analyze the judgment,” he posted.

If the government decides to appeal the ruling it could go to the Supreme Court of Canada. If they choose to accept the ruling, it would mean changes to that section of the Highway Code will go into effect in six months.

The Court of Appeal ruling happened to coincide with the case of another Montreal man, Nigel Berkley who, with the backing of Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), is accusing Montreal police of racial profiling. Berkley says he’d been pulled over at least four times in the past eight months.

The Red Coalition reacted swiftly to the ruling, calling on elected officials to publicly condemn racial profiling, and to oppose any government appeal. n

Court of Appeals: Random stops = racial profiling Read More »

City changes to dangerous NDG intersection raise controversy

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

In yet another project that will pit motorists against cyclists and pedestrians, the City of Montreal has announced that it will finally be doing something about one of the busiest, most danger-prone intersections: De Maisonneuve at Décarie, near the MUHC Glen site and the Vendome train and metro hub. The busy corner is in the heart of the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. But whether the plan will solve or cause more problems has yet to be seen.

One thing is sure: pedestrians and cyclists love the plan, but motorists do not.

Even the borough considers it one of the most dangerous areas in the city, one of the most complicated, and confusing. In the past decade there have been two pedestrian deaths, and countless accidents.

The current configuration was supposed to have been a temporary measure, done just ahead of the Glen hospital launch. But temporary turned into nine years.

The city held an online information session last Thanksgiving Monday to introduce the new plan, which involves completely cutting off access to motorists on the stretch of De Maisonneuve between Décarie and Prud’homme. The intersection is, for all intents and purposes, a five-way intersection. It will be turned into what Jason Savard of the Association of Pedestrians and Cyclists of NDG calls “a traditional four-way intersection.” As it stands, there is a westbound ramp leading from Décarie north, and an eastbound block leading to Décarie south. Furthermore, right now cars coming off of the southbound Décarie expressway are allowed to turn left – eastbound – off of Addington to access the hospital via Décarie. That will no longer be allowed as De Maisonneuve will be designated one-way westbound. So anyone coming off of the expressway will be diverted west and have to drive north to make their way east on Sherbrooke to head downtown, or to turn south onto Décarie, again, to access the hospital.

Cyclists, however, will be allowed two-way access between Prud’homme and Décarie.

To add to that – or rather to subtract from it – vehicular traffic between De Maisonneuve and Claremont will be reduced to two lanes with a special drop-off zone for buses at Vendome station, widened bicycle paths, and the addition of a new bike path on Upper Lachine Road.

Jason Savard of the Association of Pedestrians and Cyclists of NDG says they’ve been pushing for this for a while. To allay motorists’ worries, Savard points out that they’re not really losing very much in either direction. “I think it’s safer for all road users, not just pedestrians and cyclists, but for motorists also.” It will cut down, he said, on the risky manoeuvres everyone had been using to get through the intersection, to get to and from the hospital. n

City changes to dangerous NDG intersection raise controversy Read More »

Benefit of new NDG housing project questioned

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough will be the beneficiary of a $71 million loan from the federal government for housing, but affordable housing activists say it’s not for the kind of housing the borough needs, right now.

Ottawa’s Apartment Construction Loan Program will be investing in Exal NDG, an apartment complex to be built at 7300 Saint Jacques at West Broadway (across from the new RONA+).

Steven Mackinnon, Minister of Labour and Seniors, made the announcement on the site of the future project, along with Notre-Dame-de-Grâce – Westmount MP Anna Gainey, on behalf of Housing Minister Sean Fraser.

Mackinnon said “our government is ensuring that Quebec families have access to a safe, affordable home. Today’s announcement marks another step in our work to end Canada’s housing crisis once and for all.”

“This new housing,” Gainey added, “will benefit middle-class individuals and families while stimulating the local economy.”

Housing advocacy group FRAPRU – Le Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain – took issue with that announcement, stating that “the Trudeau government is still relying too heavily on the private market to solve the housing crisis and, in so doing, is contributing to unaffordability.” FRAPRU says that the government is using public funds “to finance housing that is totally unaffordable for the average tenant.”

The apartment complex is supposed to be ready by next summer, with prices ranging from $1,080 for a studio to $2,390 for a three bedroom. According to the loan program’s own requirements, at least 20 per cent of the apartments have be available at a monthly rate of 30 per cent of the average income of area households. The rents quoted are higher than that, based on the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s own date from last year.

Exal NDG is to be a five-storey complex with 207 units “with high-end finishes,” according to the website. Housing groups say the affordability criteria doesn’t take into account the actual average income for renters — the disparity is a bit higher than 50%. n

Benefit of new NDG housing project questioned Read More »

SPCA No-Fee Adoption Day succeeds again

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The SPCA Montreal held its second of two No-Fee Adoption days on Thanksgiving Monday. It was the last one of the year. It has been doing this twice a year since 2022 – one usually just after moving season. Issues around moving, like higher costs or housing that comes with a no pet clause, lead to an increase in the number of abandoned pets, says spokesperson Laura Becquet. The no-fee event is held in the hopes of rehousing abandoned animals. On average, adopting a pet could cost up to $550, depending on the animal. The cost covers sterilization (spaying or neutering), first set of vaccines, including rabies vaccine and deworming treatment. “For animals who live better with a friend,” says Becquet, “the SPCA will waive the adoption fee for the second animal.”

Laurence Massé, Executive Director of the Montreal SPCA, referred to pet abandonment as a crisis. “More and more animals are being entrusted to us and the reasons are very often linked to inflation,” Becquet explained in an email to The Suburban. “People can no longer afford to pay veterinary bills, food is increasingly expensive and it’s hard to find a place to live with a companion animal.”

The SPCA takes pet adoption seriously, making sure an animal goes to the right family. That is to say, a family that has the means to care for a pet. According to the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (AMVQ), the average annual cost of caring for a cat is $2,400. It’s more expensive to own a dog, with costs ranging from $2,700 to $3,400. The SPCA recommends families who are thinking of taking on a pet first budget for those costs.

There is also a procedure for an animal adoption with adoption counsellors interviewing families to make sure they meet the requirements of the animal they wish to adopt. They might also suggest a different animal, one better suited to a family’s lifestyle. They also caution families to not make promises to children, as there is no guarantee that they will leave with a pet.

Massé also reassured potential adopting families that they are not stuck with a pet that turns out to be not right for them. “If a family realizes, after adopting an animal and having followed our advice, that the animal is not a good fit for their new home, we welcome him or her back and we talk with the family to try to find a better match for them and for the animal.”

This year, SPCA Montreal took in 6,284 animals. That’s down from 12,921 the previous year. In 2023 nearly 5,000 animals “found new families,” said Becquet, that’s a 14% increase from 2022. n

SPCA No-Fee Adoption Day succeeds again Read More »

The EMSB Election: The Ortona Team

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

This year’s English school boards elections will take place on November 3. The English Montreal School Boards elections are contested. Incumbent chair Joe Ortona is seeking reelection, but is facing an opponent after being acclaimed in 2021.

Ortona was Vice Chair under former Chair Angela Mancini. Ortona, a lawyer, is also the president of the Quebec English School Boards Association.

Under Ortona, the EMSB has been fighting the province’s language and secularism laws, and fighting against the move to abolish English school boards.

His leadership is being challenged by Katherine Korakakis, president of the English Parents’ Committee Association of Quebec.

Ortona is running for chair with a full slate of candidates for commissioners.

Ward 1 – Ahuntsic-Cartierville–Montréal-Nord

Susan Perera, a political science student at Concordia University

Ward 2 – Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

Chelsea Craig is Director of Operations for Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, and a board member of the Quebec Community Groups Network.

Ward 3 – Côte-Saint-Luc, Montreal West, Hampstead

Paola Samuel is a former broadcast journalist who is active in Montreal’s Sephardic Jewish community.

Ward 4 – Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve–Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie–Plateau-Mont-Royal–Anjou–Montreal-Est

Maria Corsi has been a parent volunteer in EMSB schools, and on the EMSB Parents’ Committee.

Ward 5 – Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

Sharon Nelson is the 1st Vice President of the Jamaica Association of Montreal and Assistant Director for the Executive MBA Program at the John Molson School of Business (Concordia University).

Ward 6 – Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles

Pietro Mercuri is an educator, having taught both English and French before transitioning into the corporate world.

Ward 7 – Saint-Laurent

James Kromida has been a school board commissioner since 1998, and is the current vice-chair of the EMSB.

Ward 8 – Saint-Léonard

Mario Pietrangelo retired from the Montreal police force in 2016 after a 30-year career that earned him the Police Exemplary Medal.

Ward 9 – Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension–Mont-Royal–Outremont

Paula Kilian is a stay-at-home mom who dedicated time to the Family Association and the governing board at Dunrae Gardens, and to the EMSB Parents’ Committee.

Ward 10 – Westmount–Sud-Ouest–Ville-Marie

Julien Feldman is a former journalist who has served on the governing board at Bancroft School, a board member on the Royal West Academy Foundation, and on the EMSB’s Council of Commissioners.

More information on the Team Ortona platform can be found at teamjoeortona.ca n

The EMSB Election: The Ortona Team Read More »

Eleven teachers suspended at Bedford elementary school

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The eleven teachers from Bedford Elementary School in Cotes des Neiges accused to practices leading to a toxic environment have been suspended. The Centre de services scolaire de Montreal made the announcement on Saturday, receiving a positive response from the education minister, but a lukewarm response from Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy.

However, the story has since caused waves in the National Assembly, with reaction from both Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, and from Premier Francois Legault.

Last week, news surfaced that those teachers were the subject of an investigation into reports of abuse, both psychological and physical. The teachers were alleged to have engaged in what some referred to as old school disciplinarian techniques – bullying, yelling, intimidation, and even physical discipline, avoidance of science, and allegedly banning girls from sports activities.

Over the weekend it was reported that, according to the government,that the teachers in question had introduced religious concepts into their courses and comprised what the report referred to as a “dominant clan.” Other teachers had opposed the reported behaviour of the suspended teachers.

Legault posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “shocked” to hear that “religious concepts” had been introduced into the public school, and has called on Education Minister Bernard Drainville and Jean-Francois Roberge, the minister responsible for secularism, to intervene. “For our part,” Drainville wrote, “we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal.” The move echoes St. Pierre Plamondon who, in the wake of the scandal, called for stricter secularism rules. Legault’s post specified that it was “disturbing” to hear that these teachers brought “Islamic religious concepts” into the school.

Isabelle Gélinas, the Director-General of the CSSDM, asked the school to take the step of suspending the teachers “to restore a safe and healthy environment for Bedford students and the entire educational community as quickly as possible.” Drainville took to X to acknowledge the announcement, and echoed Gélinas’ words, posting that “staff hard at work on game plan to restore safe, healthy atmosphere at Bedford School.”

The allegations date back to the 2016-17 school year. And the ministry is looking at three other schools within the CSSDM: Bienville, Saint-Pascal-Baylong, and La Voie High School. It is not yet clear whether the teachers will lose their licenses. But the suspensions will remain in effect for the duration of the investigation.

Rizqy, who had previously called for Gélinas to step down over the issue, says the move was made too late. Gélinas claimed she took the decision after she learned the identities of the teachers in question, names which Rizqy says were already known. n

Eleven teachers suspended at Bedford elementary school Read More »

Montreal may get its own OLF

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Could Montreal get its own municipal office for the French language?

That is one of the recommendations of a volunteer committee led by former PQ MNA Louise Harel, a one-time mayoral candidate for Montreal, and interim leader of the Parti Québécois. The committee, created in February 2022, was put together as an advisory body for the city’s own French Language Preservation Plan, which seeks to reaffirm “the importance of French as an official and common language. With this plan, the French language is given pride of place while at the same time, honouring the rights of cultural and linguistic communities and Indigenous peoples.”

As part of the committee’s recommendations, the city would work with new Montrealers and acclimatize them to the French culture, giving them free or cheaper access to French cultural events. They also suggested giving Montreal a prominent place in promoting French and, of course, the idea of a creating a Montreal office for the French language. There already is a French language commissioner for the city. Noémie Dansereau-Lavoie has held the position for just over a year.

At a news conference last week announcing the committee’s recommendations, Mayor Plante tried to reassure Montrealers that access to services in English, or non-Francophone cultural festivals would not be affected. Harel echoed Plante’s words, adding that neither would elected officials be bound by the recommendations.

The announcement came on the same day that the federal official languages commissioner, Raymond Theberge, took issue with the Quebec government’s pressure on English-language CEGEPs and universities.

Theberge was specifically speaking of the proposed cap on the number of students who can register for English-language classes, and the rise in tuition for out-of-town students.

While Theberge does agree that Quebec should keep French alive, he urged the provincial government to “always take into account the impact of decisions on the vitality of its minority community.” n

Montreal may get its own OLF Read More »

CDN school sees teachers investigated for bullying

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A Montreal school finds itself in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Eleven teachers from Bedford Elementary School are under investigation after reports surfaced of psychological and physical abuse. At a news conference responding to the allegations, Education Minister Bernard Drainville enumerated some of the incidents that his ministry will be looking into.

“Refusing to recognize that autism exists, refusing to teach sexual education or science, having a student lose consciousness and instead of helping, you start praying?”

Other allegations include bullying, physical and psychological abuse, yelling, pushing, intimidation, and other forms of discipline that would seem to be of an older era, and not acceptable today.

The French public school in Côte des Neiges falls under the purview of the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM). Most of the students come from the area’s cultural communities.

Drainville said that the interests and needs of the students must always take precedence. The reports show that Bedford School is not living up to that expectation. The ministry is sending two representatives to the school charged with re-establishing an environment conducive to the students’ needs and safety.

Aside from the 11 teachers at Bedford, the Education Ministry is looking into three other schools within the CSSDM: Bienville, Saint-Pascal-Baylong, and La Voie High School.

Drainville confirmed that these kinds of allegations go back to the 2016-17 school year. He said in an interview that it is incomprehensible that concerns had not been raised before. n

CDN school sees teachers investigated for bullying Read More »

Westmount appeals to Quebec to stop protests

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Westmount Mayor Christina Smith and Westmount-Saint Louis MNA Jennifer Maccarone have sent a joint letter to Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and Quebec Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel demanding that something be done to quash antisemitic and anti-Israel demonstrations, particularly in the residential area around the Israeli consulate in Westmount Square. This is the first time a local Mayor has directly involved Quebec in an appeal for public security since these demonstrations started after the Oct. 7, 2023 barbarous Hamas attack on Israel.

The demonstrations that have taken place around the consulate over the past year have made life increasingly difficult for residents who live and work in the area, say Smith and Maccarone. Many residents are senior citizens who are blocked from leaving or entering their homes, and businesses have suffered financial losses as customers avoid the area.

“The situation has become more and more volatile,” reads the letter. Last October 7, after a peaceful student vigil in downtown Montreal, near McGill University, masked pro-Hamas protesters marched from Concordia to McGill, where they smashed windows. McGill University confirmed that evening that a security guard had been assaulted.

In the letter, Smith and Maccarone ask that immediate and decisive measures be taken to prevent further disturbances. “Over the course of the past year we have been in regular contact with the SPVM.” Despite that, they say, “little has been done to respond to the rising concerns” of the residents in the area.

It’s time for the city and the province to intervene, the letter says. They are calling for an emergency plan, and the need for further resources, including the help of the Sûreté du Québec, to manage future demonstrations, either to redirect marches or implement a special intervention force to prevent further disturbances and threats of violence.

“This problem cannot wait,” the letter concludes, “and we hope that you act quickly to ensure the security and protection of all.” n

Westmount appeals to Quebec to stop protests Read More »

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