Dan Laxer

Centennial Academy saved!

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Centennial Academy has announced that it will stay open and continue to operate for the next school year and beyond.

Last April The Suburban reported that the private high school in the west end of downtown was facing financial issues that put its future in jeopardy. But community support, along with a short-term commitment from the Quebec government, has turned things around.

Centennial has been around since 1969, educating students with learning challenges, ADHD, autism, anxiety, and other issues. in early June the school highlighted an initiative led by the Léger Family Foundation, with the support of the Molson Foundation, for helping secure the school’s future.

Both are family foundations that are well-known to Montrealers. Jean-Pierre Léger and his daughter, Amélie, are the vice-president and president of the Léger Family Foundation. Jean-Pierre’s parents, Hélène and René, were the founders of the St. Hubert rotisseries chicken restaurant chain. The foundation’s mission is to help vulnerable people in the community. The Molson Foundation, founded in 1958, similarly works toward the betterment of community, focusing on education, health, and the arts and humanities.

“By mobilizing their philanthropic networks,” the school said, “these two foundations have rallied, and continue to bring together, other foundations in support of Centennial Academy’s mission.”

It added “the school’s survival depends on the commitment of an entire community: donors, families, partners, employees, and volunteers have joined forces in recent months to defend a school they consider essential for their children.”

Head of School Angela Burgos says “for more than 50 years, Centennial Academy has been transforming the lives of students with diverse learning profiles. We are proud to be able to continue this vital mission thanks to the generosity and trust of our partners.”

Last spring the school was the subject of debate in the National Assembly. At the time, Liberal MNA Madwa-Nika Cadet warned that the school might not have had made it through the summer. Education Minister Bernard Drainville said that should the school come up with a recovery plan the government would provide emergency funding. Burgos confirmed to The Suburban that, true to his word, the minister did indeed issue emergency funding of $900,000, but just for the coming year. That amount is the equivalent of what the French stream would get annually if it received regular funding. Centennial had originally been an English institution, but added a French stream in 2016, and is now evenly split linguistically. But the school only gets government funding for one – the Anglo side – due to a government freeze on private school funding.

Burgos says they will continue lobbying to see that the French stream receives the same funding as the English stream – $6,000 per student. Centennial is not two separate schools, she says, it is one school with an English and a French stream. “It’s important, long-term, that we have this sense of justice, and know that the French sector is treated (the same) as the English sector is.”

The school confirms that there are still some spaces available for the coming school year. n

Centennial Academy saved! Read More »

Montrealers react to The Bay closure

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer, Joel Goldenberg and Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The Suburban reached out to Montrealers before The Bay’s final closing to gauge their reactions and what the iconic chain meant to them. How people felt seemed to differ along generational lines. Derek Alleyne, responding to The Suburban via Messenger, says The Bay remained for many years as the sole survivor of the Big 3; Eaton’s and Simpson’s being the other two (note the apostrophes). “When I purchased gifts for people from The Bay I felt a sense of pride.” He says he’ll miss walking into the building on Ste. Catherine Street, getting Christmas gifts packed in The Bay boxes, and hearing jingles for The Bay on TV and radio. Whenever he walked past the downtown location he’d think “I’m happy this place is still around.”

Dylan Heisler remembers his first trip to The Bay in 2019. It was at the Rockland location, where he went to buy his first adult wristwatch for his high school graduation. That was also the last time he shopped there. “It’s the oldest store in Canada,” he says. “It’s kind of foundational, so it’s unfortunate.” His sister, Maya, was more matter-of-fact. “It’s sad, I guess,” she shrugged. “I mean sometimes they had good deals. My friends and I would browse there sometimes, but we didn’t spend a lot of money there.”

At the downtown flagship Bay, which has been a department store — first as Morgan’s — since 1891, The Suburban saw at least one employee with a sad, distressed expression. She did not want to be interviewed.

Other longtime Bay shoppers did offer their reactions. “It’s very sad, people are losing their jobs, that’s not so good, but there are reasons they are closing,” said Lise, who did not want to give her last name. “Their systems are archaic. We were waiting two and a half hours in line to place an order for a piece of furniture on the fourth floor.” “We remember Eaton’s and Simpson’s,” said Gilles. Lise added that they have been shopping at The Bay “forever. We’re wondering what will be the next institution with a long life expectancy. I’m sure there will be something else in this building.”

Robert Aubin and Diane Boutin also said they were longtime shoppers, also at the time Eaton’s and Simpson’s existed as department stores. “We shopped in the men’s and women’s departments, for beauty products, many things, and we bought clothes for our two young girls, who are now wives,” said Aubin. “We will remember La Baie, and we’re very sorry about it closing.””I feel the same,” said Boutin.

Rose Marie Perugino said she started shopping at what was then Morgan’s in 1965, when she was working for Bell Canada. “I feel bad that it’s closing, it’s a staple in our Canadian history,” she added. “They should keep the downtown store open, it’s a beautiful place, so well known and the Métro’s there. If the building is not occupied, it would be very sad.”

For some West Islanders however, the reaction to The Bay closures was quite different. When asked how the closure affected them, residents like Nancy Weir’s response to The Suburban was “Not at all. It was a very expensive store.”

Though in agreement regarding high price points, for Steven Zeitz, the closures also represent the loss of Canada’s last standing department store, but that was in a way already losing its charm. “We lost the only department store left in Canada. Once Bonnie Brooks left, The Bay lost sight of who their customer was. They were carrying higher end brands and the stores were old and worn. They lacked value and service. Customer service was almost non existent. They did not respect mall hours, often closing early. Escalators were broken. You can’t serve expensive wine in a paper cup. They did have a pretty good e-commerce business that was quite easy to use but since it was based on in-store inventory, it can not continue. Sad but online sales brands will fill the gap.”

Didier K., a prominent businessman in the West Island, told The Suburban “It’s unfortunate that after all this time, they are closing. It really is an institution. Unfortunately their entire way of doing business was to raise prices, only to put things on special. Their real estate footprint made it impossible for them to survive. And their inability to pivot made it so that they couldn’t sell what they needed in a timely fashion. Trying to find anyone (for service) was worse than trying to find anyone at Rona or Home Depot, and that’s saying something. RIP to the oldest retail store in Canada.” n

Montrealers react to The Bay closure Read More »

The Hon. Marc Garneau is gone

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Marc Garneau was in the pages of The Suburban just last fall with the publication of his book, aptly titled A Most Extraordinary Ride: Space, Politics, and the Pursuit of a Canadian Dream.

The astronaut-turned-politician died Wednesday at the age of 76 after a short illness.

“It is with deep sadness that I share the news of my husband Marc Garneau’s passing,” his wife, Pamela, said in a statement. “Marc faced his final days with the same strength, clarity, and grace that defined his life. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family.”

Garneau entered politics at the age of 56, with an already impressive career behind him. He was the first Canadian to venture into outer space on the space shuttle Challenger in 1984 – and became the first non-American to serve as CAPCOM (capsule communicator) – the voice of mission control in the space shuttle program. He made three shuttle trips into space. He headed the Canadian Space Agency from 2001 to 2005.

He was first elected to the House of Commons from Westmount-Ville-Marie in 2008 (later redistricted as Notre-Dame-de-Grace-Westmount), winning with 46.5% of the vote and served until 2023.

He served as Minister of Transport and then Minister of Foreign Affairs under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In 2013 he ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party, but eventually bowed out, throwing his support behind Trudeau.

While he did not explicitly say why he resigned his seat in 2023, speculation circled around his being dropped from cabinet two years prior. What he did say in his farewell speech is that he promised his family he would leave politics once he tabled the final report on medical assistance in dying.

He also called on politicians to do better, to be better. “Let me issue a challenge to everyone in this chamber,” he said. “Arrive each day in this House with the firm intention of showing respect for colleagues and for this extraordinary place. Be dignified. We must remind ourselves that when emotions run high, as they do for all of us, those emotions need to be channelled in a positive way, whether when supporting something or criticizing it.”

“My challenge to members,” he continued, “is to find their better angels and put away the anger and false indignation.”

As he told The Suburban last October, “What I set out to do… was to live to the fullest of my capabilities rather than shrink from the challenges life threw at me, to stay curious, and to carry myself with dignity. I’ll let the reader be the judge of whether I succeeded.” n

The Hon. Marc Garneau is gone Read More »

QCGN rebrands as TALQ, celebrates 30 years

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Last week the organization formerly known as Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGM) launched its new rebrand. At its annual general meeting the group took the occasion of its 30th anniversary to officially announce its new name: TALQ – Talking Advocating Living in Québec, to re-elect its executive, to add new people to its board of directors, and to party.

“The QCGN gave itself a birthday present with a new look,” said spokesperson Sylvia Martin-Laforge. The colour is different – a solid blue reminiscent of the colours of Quebec – with the accent aigu retained in the word “Québec” to signal that “we’re taking our place in Quebec as an English-speaking community.” The rebrand, reads a press release, is “to better fulfill its mission as stewards of the English voice in Quebec.”

In 1995, after the Quebec referendum, a handful of Quebec-based English community groups came together and eventually formed what became the QCGN to advocate for the English-speaking community of Quebec. The rebrand is part of the network’s natural evolution, says president Eva Ludvig. “A key takeaway was a desire to dispel the ‘us-vs.-them’ perception once and for all. We celebrate the vibrancy of the English-speaking community in a proudly French Quebec. We are citizens and neighbours,” she adds, “enthusiastically integrated into the fabric of Quebec society.”

The name change was a challenge, says Martin-Laforge. They had to come up with something that better represents what TALQ has become while not running afoul of the province’s language laws. The organization has also come to represent individuals as well as groups, so “groups network” no longer applied sufficiently. And Martin-Laforge points out that it’s easier to say; many have said over the years that “Quebec Community Groups Network,” and even “QCGN,” were unwieldy.

“TALQ reflects our commitment to fostering open dialogue, amplifying diverse voices, and uniting communities across Quebec,” Ludvig said. “Talking is as much about being heard as it is about listening. We want to expand a movement that people want to be a part of, one that is positive and inclusive – a conversation everyone is welcome to join.”

The executive remains the same, with Ludvig as president and Katherine Korakakis as vice president. Journalist Leslie Roberts was named to the board, as was English Montreal School Board chair Joe Ortona (also president of the English School Boards Association). “As Chair of the EMSB and President of QESBA,” Ortona posted on Facebook, “I’ve fought to defend the constitutional rights of English-speaking Quebecers and to protect the vitality of our institutions. I look forward to continuing that work at TALQ, alongside inspiring advocates from across the province. Together, we will ensure that our community’s voice remains strong, united, and impossible to ignore.” n

QCGN rebrands as TALQ, celebrates 30 years Read More »

Canada Post and union go back to negotiating table

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Late last week the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and Canada Post returned to the bargaining table. The union says a potential arbitration process is in the works.

“Our goal has remained the same from day one,” reads a June 5 news release signed by CUPW national president Jan Simpson, “to reach new collective agreements that meet the needs of postal workers, while ensuring a strengthened public post office.”

The union had threatened to walk off the job on Friday, May 23. Instead, it instituted a ban on overtime, meaning union members have been refusing to work more than eight hours a day or more than 40 hours a week.

On Friday CUPW announced that negotiating committees were drafting Terms of Reference for a binding interest arbitration process to settle new collective agreements for both postal bargaining units.

Terms of Reference delineate the scope of negotiations to ensure that they remain fair and balanced. “We need to make sure that the criteria that will guide the arbitrator’s decision are neutral. If the Terms of Reference favour the Employer’s positions,” the union says, “it could bias the arbitrator in the Employer’s position – before we’ve even had a chance to present our case.”

Earlier in the week Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families, called both sides back to the negotiating table, saying negotiations would be preferred to binding arbitration. Canada Post agreed, saying that arbitration “would be long and complicated.”

The crown corporation says it is seeking “a timely and fair resolution.” CUPW says it wants “a fair and balanced arbitration process.We will not agree to any criteria that clearly undermines our chances of achieving fair settlements.”

Meanwhile, the nationwide overtime ban remains in effect. n

Canada Post and union go back to negotiating table Read More »

Highway 40 roadwork back on for this weekend

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

by Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The on-again-off-again roadwork scheduled for Highway 40 (The Metropolitan) is on again for this weekend.

The ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité will be completing the work it had planned for last month, but had to cancel due to rain. While the weather forecast does indeed show that conditions will be favourable to complete the work, in the event of rain it will have to be postponed again. Motorists should consult Quebec 511.

The work will mean the complete closure of the Metropolitan Highway eastbound between the Côte-de-Liesse interchange and Highway 15. The following closures will be in effect from 11:00 Friday night to 5:00 Monday morning:

The Cavendish Blvd entrance to 40 east.

The 520 east ramp to the 40.

The entrance from Marcel Laurin Blvd to the 40.

The 40 east ramp to Décarie south.

The 40 east ramp to Decarie north

The Décarie north ramp to the 40 east.

The entrance to the 40 east at Sainte-Croix.

The Stinson/Rockland/Acadie exit (Exit 68) from the 40 east.

Exit No. 71 (R-335 / Boul. St-Laurent / Rue St-Denis) from the 40 east.

The ministry is urging motorists to avoid the area for the duration of the work, and to consider Highway 13, Highway 440, Highway 20, and Highway 30 as alternatives.

There will be at least one more weekend of intensive paving work is planned, also heading east. It will be announced as soon as it is confirmed.

Highway 40 roadwork back on for this weekend Read More »

Athena’s House needs a new kitchen

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

by Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Shield of Athena is holding its annual membership fundraiser next week. This year they need support to rebuild the kitchen at Athena’s House, their emergency shelter.

The non-profit organization formed in 1991 to support victims of family violence. Founder Melpa Kamateros, along with others, initially began speaking to the community in church basements about conjugal violence. They eventually branched out into other areas.

“We developed a model – a model of awareness, and a model of intervention. This model that we perfected with one community we later parlayed into working with many other communities. And as a consequence, this organization, that was not designed to furnish services, presently has a network of services that includes two centres, an emergency shelter, and a soon-to-be fourth point, our second-step resource,” which will be a transition home for women.

The kitchen is the heart of its emergency shelter, Athena’s House opened in 2004. In the almost 21 years since it opened thousands of women and their children have lived been through its doors. Kamateros says they’ve noticed the length of stays getting longer lately. The average is about a month. But recently women and their families have been staying as long as five or six months, if they have four kids, little to no income, and nowhere else to go.

Athena’s House, particularly the kitchen, is showing the signs of two decades of wear and tear.

“We had to increase our intervention space. We had to increase the cost of meals.” And there was an increase in kitchen traffic. So, now the kitchen is in a state of disrepair, and needs urgent work.

“In our kitchen we’re very diverse. If one woman comes and she’s vegetarian we adapt the kitchen to her. If a woman comes and she needs kosher or halal, we always have that. The kitchen is adapted to the needs. The kitchen is essential because it’s part of the reason why a woman would stay at the shelter, not only to come, but to stay.”

There are always cooks of different cultures among the women who stay at Athena’s House, cooking together in the kitchen. “That’s the time that they share their stories, they share where they’ve come from, and bond. They break their isolation in that kitchen.”

Kitchen is community, Kamateros says. It’s where meals are prepared for the women and their children. It’s where some of the women cook meals. And some of those meals and stories make up the bulk of the book Recipes and Stories from Athena’s Kitchen. The book is “a glimpse of what happens in Athena’s Kitchen, and where these women were at, what their recipes are, and just hope for a better future for anybody that comes through that kitchen.”

The renovations will cost $100,000.

The fundraiser, A Seat at the Table, is being held on Wednesday, June 11, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., at Portovino Ristorante in Decarie. There will be dinner and live music. Tickets are $150.00, with the money going directly to the kitchen renovation, “not only helping us feed people,” Kamateros explains, “but in essence, helping us nurture people during their time at Athena’s House.”

Tickets are available on The Shield of Athena’s Facebook and Instagram, or by calling 514-274-8117. Copies the book will be available, as well, although it can also be purchased on Shopify.

Athena’s House needs a new kitchen Read More »

Westmount woman waits two hours for ambulance after fall

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Last Thursday afternoon a woman fell outside the Manoir Westmount seniors’ residence on Sherbrooke Street West. A spokesperson from the Manoir confirmed that the woman, a resident of the Manoir, was fine, but that it did take Urgences Santé two hours to arrive on the scene.

According to another resident of the building, who had called The Suburban to report the incident, Westmount security was indeed on the scene. But the caller said no one was treating the woman.

Urgences-Santé spokesperson Jean-Pierre Rouleau admits that, yes, the wait time for an ambulance was long, but explained that there are protocols in place that determine how fast an ambulance will be dispatched.

Rouleau confirmed that Urgences-Santé had received the call about the woman at 4:28 p.m. on Thursday, May 29. The person who made the call was on the line with the medical dispatcher. At the time of the call, the woman was said to have had a bloody nose. Based on the phone call, the case was assessed as a “category 3”, meaning the person’s life is not in danger. According to its protocol – Urgences-Santé follows the Clawson Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) – patients who are assessed at category 2, category 1, or category 0 are more urgent, and take precedence.

Last Thursday afternoon was busy for Urgences-Santé. An ambulance had been dispatched to the scene outside the Manoir, but had to be redirected to more urgent incidents. In fact, Rouleau tells The Suburban, there were four other higher-priority incidents at the same time.

Rouleau says they had kept regular contact with the individual who made the initial call in order to reassess the woman’s condition, which had remained stable, meaning her case was still considered category 3. At around 5:50 p.m. her condition worsened. At 5:54 she was reassessed as a category 1. First responders were then dispatched to the scene, arriving four minutes later, at 5:58.

The ambulance arrived fifteen minutes later, at 6:13 p.m.

“So, yes, it was long,” Rouleau said. “It’s sad. It was not the kind of situation we would wish for. But then again, we were in constant contact with the woman. Her life was not deemed to be in danger. We tried to send ambulances several times, but there were graver emergencies nearby. So those ambulances were redirected.”

The woman was eventually transported to hospital in what Urgences-Santé calls “non-urgent mode,” as her condition was stable. n

Westmount woman waits two hours for ambulance after fall Read More »

Quebec taking Bill 40 decision to Supreme Court

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Quebec government has announced that it will be taking the legal challenge of Bill 40 to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The decision came just weeks after the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled unanimously in favour of the Quebec English School Boards Association, saying that the law violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Joe Ortona, President of the QESBA said, at the time, that they were “thrilled that our rights have been recognized” by the decision, and expressed the “hope that the government will decide not to take this crystal-clear decision of the Quebec Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.”

However, the province’s Attorney General – Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette – has decided to do just that.

The April decision of the Quebec Court of Appeal was “another big win in a long line of court decisions on Bill 40,” the QESBA said in a statement. The Bill has been before the courts since 2020.

“At a time when Quebec faces serious financial pressures,” Ortona said, “it is disappointing to see public funds used to continue a legal battle that so clearly infringes on the rights of minority communities.”

The QESBA says it remains committed to defending the rights of English-speaking Quebecers “to manage and control our education system.”

Ortona added “we will continue to stand up for our students, our parents, our staff, and the communities we serve, and we will continue our fundraising efforts to help offset the legal costs of this ongoing fight.” n

Quebec taking Bill 40 decision to Supreme Court Read More »

Ensemble Montreal picks candidate for Loyola district

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Ensemble Montréal has a candidate for the upcoming municipal election for borough councillor in the Loyola district of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

Alexandre Teodoresco is known to the community as chair of the board of directors of Rendez-Vous NDG (RDV NDG), the group behind the social happenings in Girouard Park. He is also vice-president of strategic development and innovation at Les 7 Doigts and co-president of Entertain-AI.

Soraya Martinez Ferrada approached Teodoresco, knowing that he was involved in the techno-creative ecosystem in Montreal, as well as in his local community. She announced his candidacy at C2 Montreal, the annual networking conference that brings together business and creative leaders to explore ways to stimulate the economy. She was there to talk about the future of Artificial Intelligence in making the city more efficient. “Montreal must once again become a pioneer in innovation, especially since the loss of the Innovation District,” she said at the conference. “Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool to bring the city closer to its citizens and deliver services that meet their expectations. What I propose is an efficient, ambitious city focused on improving services to the population.”

Teodoresco admits that he is not a politician, that this will be his first foray into public service, and that there will be a learning curve. “But at the core I always wanted to have a positive impact on my community. I think this is the time,” he says, “I think we need to change how things are done for Montreal citizens.”

As things stand, CDN-NDG borough council has two Ensemble Montréal members – Stephanie Valenzuela and Sonny Moroz. Teodoresco is going up against incumbent Loyola councillor Despina Sourias.

“I’m feeling very confident with Soraya,” he told The Suburban. “She convinced me when she told me that innovation needs to be at the core of everything we do at the city and at the borough. This is the only way,” he adds, “that we can solve old problems with new solutions.”

He says that he has always been involved in his local community. “I’m very proud to be a resident of NDG for the past few years.” Working with RDV NDG made him realize that “there are more things that can unite us in NDG than divide us. You see French people laughing with English-speaking people. You see old and young dancing together.”

He says he would not have responded to a similar offer to join Projet Montréal. “I think that part of the problems that we’re facing today is due to the team that we have in place at city hall.” He says the current administration is passing “inertia” onto the next administration, whoever it may be. “A new team, a new vision, a new energy” is what’s needed, he says, “a different focus.”

Martinez Ferrada says Teodoresco “is exactly the kind of leader Montreal needs. He knows the field challenges, understands innovation’s potential, and knows how to bring communities together around meaningful projects. With him, Loyola will have a strong voice focused on the future.”

Innovation, Teodoresco says, is what’s missing. And he says that Martinez Ferrada, with her focus on innovation, is the right choice. n

Ensemble Montreal picks candidate for Loyola district Read More »

Province finds money for Maisonneuve-Rosemont

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Repairs and reconstruction on the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital is finally set to begin. The Quebec government says it has found the money, at least the first phase – the excavation work for the new parking lot. Health Minister Christian Dubé says more money will follow.

As reported in The Suburban, the CAQ government had been under fire after putting off what the hospital community says is urgently needed work. The hospital has been the subject of several media reports about its state of disrepair, and the presence of pests and vermin.

There had been protests by hospital staff, complaints from patients and families, and then, after last week’s violent storm, power to the hospital was knocked out, plunging the ICU and operating rooms into darkness, and affecting the hospital’s generation system.

The health ministry said it will find a way to redistribute $19 billion from other projects and put it toward starting the work at the hospital.

The hope is that another $85 million will be freed up to start the work on the parking lot.

Medical staff reacted negatively to the announcement that work would begin on the parking lot, as did members of the National Assembly. Vincent Marissal, Quebec Solidaire MNA for Rosemont, pointed out that $85 million represents a mere 1.5 percent of the hospital’s budget. But Dubé assured him that by the time phase one is complete, he would find the money for the rest of the work to be done, not just for the hospital, Dubé said, but other projects as well.

Soraya Martinez Ferrada, leader of Ensemble Montréal, was enthusiastic about the news that the urgently needed work would finally be going forward.

“It’s excellent news,” she said. “Montreal East has been waiting for this project for too long.” The Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, the mayoral candidate added, will play a central role in the transformation of the east end, which “will be a priority for my administration.”

Martinez Ferrada highlighted the importance of the municipal administration being an active partner in the project. “Our administration will work in close collaboration with Quebec to move this project forward. “The Maisonnueve-Rosemont Hospital must remain a source of pride for Montreal East.”

The first phase should take about a year and a half. After that, Dubé said, the money will be there. n

Province finds money for Maisonneuve-Rosemont Read More »

Housing activists occupy public spaces in West End

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

As part of a week of action by FRAPRU (Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain), three housing groups in the west end of Montreal took turns occupying public land in different parts of the city.

The groups, POPIR- Comité Logement, the Citizen Action Committee of Verdun (CACV), and Regroupement Information Logement, spent the latter half of last week, May 21 to 24, occupying sites that have been “abandoned or threatened by private projects,” according to a press release. “All illustrate the same impasse: in the absence of an ambitious and sustainable Quebec program, social housing is slow to see the light of day while the rental crisis deepens.”

One of the properties occupied by the activists, at 4000 St. Patrick in Cote Saint Paul, is the site of the old Canada Power Boat Company, a firm that manufactured torpedo boats during World War II. Before that it was a World War I shipbuilding plant. It had also more recently served as a kind of artists’ community. And there is a sign from an old car detailing outfit.

But it’s now a decrepit, shattered, crumbling shell, empty save for a handful of squatters.

The City of Montreal expropriated the building in 2012 under then-mayor Gérald Tremblay (who would soon resign after corruption allegations).

The property, says Flav Choquette of POPIR-Comité logement, is 28,000 square meters, “as big as four football fields.” There are proposed projects for the lot that came out of a design competition held in 2021. The firm that won, Sid Lee Architecture, says it’s hoping to start work this year on Les Ateliers Cabot, named for a nearby street. The project is described as “an artistic, entrepreneurial and technological hub,” comprising art studios and exhibition space, a food hub with “a large greenhouse for urban agriculture, a cluster for tech companies as well as accommodation for artists and a hotel.”

“We don’t get it,” says Choquette. It’s an ambitious project that would have people living in the complex in the short term, which means, they said, that the infrastructure would be there for people to live in the neighbourhood long-term. And that is what the three agencies are calling for. “In the middle of the housing crisis and homelessness crisis, we need social housing.”

FRAPRU is calling on the provincial government to fund 10,000 new social housing units per year in order to double the number of social housing units within the next fifteen years. They also want to see programs in place that meet the needs of social housing tenants.

“Solutions exist,” says Choquette, “but they are hampered by the lack of stable public funding.”

Nicholas Di Penna-Harvest of Regroupement Information Logement agrees, saying the occupations are “to remind the Quebec government that the housing crisis is not inevitable.”

The three groups gathered with a group of local residents to talk about their needs and possible solutions. They also held a similar session over the weekend at the Ethel parking facility in Verdun, one of the last remaining sites, the groups say, available for social housing. “As long as this land remains empty,” says Camille Roffoli of CACV, “it’s Verdun families who are footing the bill.”

The week of action ended with an event that began at Joe Beef Park on Centre Street in the city’s Sud-Ouest sector.

On that same day the City of Montreal announced a series of investments amounting to more than $25 million over the next three years to address homelessness, including an $8 million increase for its Homelessness and Inclusive Environments program.

It also announced financial deals with groups who help homeless people avoid the courts, to help with social reintegration, as well as for investments for Accueil Bonneau, Action-Réinsertion, and the St. Michel Mission. n

Housing activists occupy public spaces in West End Read More »

Suburban Mayors pleased with added powers in Quebec bill

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Outgoing Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, and her successor as Projet Montréal leader, Luc Rabouin, are both reacting badly to the CAQ government’s bid to give the suburbs more power in the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM).

The opposition Ensemble Montréal leader Soraya Martinez Ferrada, doesn’t like it any more than they do, but she is laying the blame squarely at Projet Montréal’s feet, saying they should have seen this coming.

The CMM is responsible for planning, coordinating, and financing the 82 municipalities, or the 4.3 million people, spread over its territory. The move is part of Bill 104, “An Act to amend various provisions in particular to follow up on certain requests from the municipal sector.” The bill was tabled last Wednesday by Municipal Affairs Minister Andrée Laforest.

Laforest says it’s about making the CMM more democratic, and getting the suburbs to work together.

Plante took to social media to denounce the plan. “The government must explain its true motivation for changing the governance of the metropolitan region today,” Plante posted on X, “knowing that in eight years, the City of Montreal has never used a casting vote.”

The mayor is the head of the CMM and as such has the right to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie between the municipalities that make up the council. However, the provincial government says that the city no longer has a majority voice in the CMM. In 2006 it did indeed make up 51 percent of the CMM. But as of last year, due to urban sprawl, that has dipped to just 46 percent.

Until now the city’s majority consisted of 14 council seats out of 28. Under the new law, the city’s seat count would be 12 of 26.

“Instead of reforming democratic institutions without notice,” Plante added, “the government would benefit from working on the fundamental issues that are concentrated in its metropolis.”

Pointing out that between 2017 and 2024 the population across the entire CMM territory increased faster than that of the Greater Montreal area, Martinez Ferrada says that Projet Montréal has failed to create an enviable quality of life for residents. The resulting “urban exodus,” reads a news release put out by the party, “is very real and has accelerated under the (Projet Montreal) administration.

“This relative population loss is the result of short-sighted policies, which are catching up with us today.”

The Association of Suburban Municipalities, representing the agglomeration’s 15 independent municipalities, had high praise for the changes. It said last Thursday that, “this long-awaited reform responds to a recurring demand from suburban municipalities for more equitable and democratic metropolitan governance. Until now the status quo favoured an excessive concentration of power in the hands of the City of Montreal, to the detriment of other municipalities’ voices.”

Dollard des Ormeaux Mayor Alex Bottausci, a co-president of the ASM, said “this bill is a milestone for municipal democracy in Greater Montreal. It’s also a recognition that all citizens are entitled to fair representation in the decisions that affect their quality of life.”

The ASM adds that the same problems also plague the Montreal Agglomeration and it is hoping the Quebec government shows the same concern for the Agglo as its latest move shows for the CMM. n

Suburban Mayors pleased with added powers in Quebec bill Read More »

Dogs and bicycles can go on the REM through August

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Since last summer REM riders have been allowed to travel with their pets, under certain conditions, but only during specific times. As of last week, dogs are now permitted on the train at all times, but only during the summer months.

The Réseau express métropolitain announced earlier this month that starting on May 19 riders can now bring their dogs with them at all times. They must, of course, be leashed at all times, or in a cage or carrier.

Last August it allowed pets as part of a pilot project, but only outside of rush hour. Pets were not allowed Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 9:30 a.m., or from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. The restrictions will come back into effect starting on August 18. (The REM will be closed from July 5 to August 17, and dogs will not be allowed on the bus shuttles that will be made available. Exceptions are in place for service dogs).

The rules and conditions dictate that all dogs must be muzzled, even while in the station, and must be leashed. The leash must be no more than 1.25 metres (or 49 inches). Only one dog per passenger is allowed, and they are not allowed on seats or benches.

The REM cautions that some of their stations – notably Du Quartier and Gare Centrale – are located in buildings that do not belong to the Réseau. The policies of these buildings’ owners would apply, for instance, if pets are allowed only in certain areas. It is up to travellers to be informed ahead of time.

The same rules and dates have applied to bicycles since last August, and the same allowances will also apply through August 17. In other words, bicycles will be allowed on REM trains. The rules are that cyclists may not ride their bicycles either in the REM stations or cars. Riders are only allowed to park their bicycles in racks provided, and are not permitted to park them outside of the REM’s operating hours.

REM riders with bicycles must be at least 14 years old or accompanied by an adult.

There can be no more than two bicycles on an REM car.

Cyclists must let other riders get on and off the train first, and must hold their bicycles securely and not lean them against the car, the seats, doors, etc.

The rules apply regardless of the style of bike – bicycle, electric cycle, scooter, unicycle, or tricycle. Gas-powered scooters are not allowed. Folding scooters are fine as long as they don’t disturb anyone or cause a safety issue. n

Dogs and bicycles can go on the REM through August Read More »

SPCA’s Families Walk takes aim at no-pet leases

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

by Dan Laxer
The Suburban

SPCA Montreal is holding a Walk to Keep Families Together, taking aim against no-pet clauses.

July 1, Quebec’s unofficial moving day, is just weeks away. So the SPCA is urging all provincial political parties to declared the clauses null and void.

“We see the growing problems caused by these extremely restrictive and arbitrary clauses every day,” says Sophie Gaillard, Director of Animal Advocacy and Legal and Governmental Affairs. “The impact is significant, not only for the animals themselves and for shelters overflowing as a result of forced surrenders, but also for the families broken up by these unfair clauses.”

Being forced to leave pets behind in a move is a heartbreaking choice, she adds. Children form deep attachments to their pets, which is beneficial to their development. And research shows that single senior citizens who live with a companion animal fare better. Yet children and the elderly are among the groups directly affected by the no-pet clauses. Other vulnerable groups most affected by the bans include people suffering from loneliness. Victims of family violence, the SPCA says, sometimes decide to remain in unsafe situations rather than leave without their pets.

Fifty-two percent of Quebec households include pets. Given the current housing crisis and the rising cost of living, the SPCA points out, the imbalance caused by no-pet clauses is “extremely problematic.”

The organization characterizes a residential lease as “a contract where the stronger party imposes its terms on the weaker party, without negotiation.” Responsible tenants, it says, whose animals cause no damage or nuisance should not have to live with the constant threat of losing their home or being forced to part with their companion.

More than one animal a day is surrendered to the SPCA because of the difficulty of finding a home where animals are accepted.

“Our team is so frequently called upon to deal with these issues by citizens in distress, and the impact on shelters is so significant, that the SPCA considers it a province-wide priority issue,” says Gaillard. “Citizens even tell us,” she adds, “that a commitment to ban no-pet clauses could influence their vote in the next provincial election.”

While SPCA Montreal points out that no-pet clauses are prohibited in Ontario, there are exceptions. The Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario explains that landlords cannot ban a tenant from having a pet, but under some circumstances – where a pet causes damage, for example, or whose noise or behaviour is a nuisance to others – a landlord could evict a tenant for having a pet.

Here in Quebec, there is no provision in the law regarding pets in rental housing. So it comes down to what is written in the lease. There are exceptions for helper animals or support animals. But the SPCA wants to see the no-pet clauses removed completely.

A petition to this effect from 2022 was signed by more than 33,000 people. And in 2023 Québec solidaire tabled Bill 494, “An Act to amend the Civil Code to render without effect the clauses of a lease of a dwelling tending to prohibit companion animals.”

The Montreal SPCA is asking the public to contact their MNAs and demand that all political parties commit to resolving this issue. The Walk to Keep Families Together is on Sunday May 25 at 1 pm at Square St-Louis.

SPCA’s Families Walk takes aim at no-pet leases Read More »

NDG school for Indigenous boys gets support from EMSB

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The English Montreal School Board is joining forces with an alternative school in NDG that provides support for Indigenous students at risk.

Ulluriaq has been in the neighbourhood for about six years. Its students are boys from Nunavik and communities in and around the Ungava Peninsula, and operates under the Ungava Tulattavik Health Centre. The unit has two components. One is a detention facility. The other is a high school that provides education to at-risk and neurodivergent teens in a setting that prioritizes cultural connection and hands-on learning.

The EMSB will be providing the school’s educational component.

Life in the north is hard. Suicide rates are high. And life expectancy, at least at one time, was no longer than 21 years. The thinking behind setting up Ulluriaq was that, rather than send people to northern communities, it would be better to bring at-risk kids to the city where they might experience a bigger world. The mission has changed somewhat, says head teacher Ophir Benjacob. Now Ulluriaq – which means “star” – takes in kids who might either be in youth protection, or in the justice system. Their home communities don’t have the tools to give them the help they need. So they send them to Ulluriaq.

The partnership between the school and the EMSB means that the board will provide educational support – teachers who will be going into Ulluriaq. That comes with challenges. Many of the boys at Ulluriaq have never been to school, Benjacob tells The Suburban. Those who have, he says, might have come out traumatized. There are cultural and linguistic differences to overcome. Many of the boys at Ulluriaq speak only Inuktitut. They are disconnected from their homes and communities. The teachers will have to learn about where these boys come from, about their culture. And they will need to have the teaching and communication skills necessary to help the boys overcome their challenges.

Last fall the EMSB hired two new teachers as project development officers for Indigenous support. Raymond Johnson-Brown and Kurt Kerschl work to ensure a safe environment for Indigenous students at schools in the board. The two will work as liaisons with Ulluriaq. Johnson-Brown knows what it means to grow up in the care system. “I felt an immediate pull when I learned that we provide education services to children in a facility that is locked down,” Johnson-Brown says. “It’s such a surreal and disorienting experience to be taken from your home, your culture, and your language, and then placed in an environment where you can’t even begin to process what’s happening to you.”

Benjacob explains that the partnership will give Ulluriaq “the capacity to expand on the program beyond the basic academics that are conventional for a high school” to encompass elements of the Inuit culture.

At Ulluriaq, “we are not just teaching, we are building a foundation for resilience, self-sufficiency, and cultural pride,” says Benjacob. “By meeting our students where they are, both academically and culturally, we are proving that education can be a tool for empowerment, not a barrier to success.” n

NDG school for Indigenous boys gets support from EMSB Read More »

School boards discourage Friday’s planned student anti-cellphone ban strike

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

by Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Suburban recently reported that there was mixed reaction to the Quebec government’s school cell phone ban, particularly among students. So much so that some are planning on staging a walkout tomorrow (Friday, May 9) to protest the ban, leading the English Montreal School Board to put out a message discouraging the action.

Word has been spreading about the strike via TikTok

“We would like to remind all students and families,” the message reads, “that students are expected to be in school during the regular hours.”

The board points out that schools are “in examination mode and disruptions to classroom teaching and exams will not be tolerated.”

The cellphone ban is based on the recommendations of a multi-party committee who recommended that, despite whatever policies individual schools have, starting in the next school year all elementary and high schools must enact a ban on cellphones and other electronic devices for the duration of the school day.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville, who officially enacted the ban after hearing the committee’s recommendations, has also discouraged the walkout. Speaking in the National Assembly, Drainville said that students can find several other ways to express themselves concerning the ban, “but missing school should not be one of them.” And he is asking parents to be on board with making sure kids stay in class.

The EMSB said in its message that “the safety and security of EMSB students and staff remains our priority at all times.”

That sentiment is echoed by the French side by the Centre de services scolaire de Montreal.

While some students are defiantly planning to strike, others are saying a strike goes too far.

School boards discourage Friday’s planned student anti-cellphone ban strike Read More »

Westmount sees 2,000 student climate champions march

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Last Friday morning Montrealers thought they might see some high school students protesting the Quebec government’s cellphone ban. There were none. But there were students out marching for the environment.

Traffic on The Boulevard and on Belmont Avenue in Westmount was delayed for about a half an hour to give students from several schools in the area time to walk from their schools to Murray Hill Park.

The event was called Rising Voices: A Call to Climate Action.

Students from Roslyn Elementary School met up with students from St. George’s at the corner of The Boulevard and Belmont. They walked to the park from there, meeting up with students from several other Westmount schools – St. Leon de Westmount, St. George’s Elementary and High School, The Priory, Miss Edgar’s and Miss Cramp’s, The Study, Roslyn, Villa Maria, and Trafalgar School for Girls.

The students from St. Georges carried a mascot that they created. They worked with artist Bronwen Moen from the One Drop Artefact for Change Foundation to create the mascot based on their conception of what a Water Protector would look like.

Laura Officer, a Grade 3 French teacher at St. George’s, started the march two years ago as a different way to get students involved with environmental issues.

Sustainability, she tells The Suburban, could be “a difficult subject to talk about with children.” Depending on how the subject is broached, it could cause some anxiety. “So if you’re going to be talking about it then you should also be talking about different solutions that are available to all of us.” Kids need to learn to work collaboratively, she says, “to create change by working with other people.”

Students are taught that some of the ways you can create change is by talking to about the issues, starting a petition, creating art, or by organizing a walk.

The first march was in 2023 with just one school, St. George’s Elementary. At the time students marched was just a short way to the high school and back. A teacher from The Study happened to see them walking by and asked if her school could join the following year. So the next one, in 2024, involved all of the schools along The Boulevard.

They had also invited MNA Jennifer Maccarone, MP Anna Gainey, and Westmount Mayor Christina Smith, who all attended. In fact, Mayor Smith invited students to a council meeting to plead their case for environmental solutions in the community, including a bicycle path along The Boulevard (there isn’t one on The Boulevard. But there are three in Westmount – on De Maisonneuve, on Cote Saint Antoine, and on Westmount Avenue. The path on De Maisonneuve takes cyclists through Westmount Park.).

This year’s participants had to contend with a cold, rainy day. But the 2,000 students who gathered at Murray Hill Park didn’t seem to mind. They all stuck it out through student speeches about water, single-use plastic, and other environmental issues.

The same elected officials who were there last year had been invited to attend again this year, but unfortunately none of them were available.

“The biggest success,” Officer says, “was how many students really felt like they had been heard and that they have this sense of agency and importance. And that goes beyond climate issues. It goes for everything in life. If you feel like you have a voice and you’re able to work with others to bring about change, that has positive repercussions in many different sides of life.” n

Westmount sees 2,000 student climate champions march Read More »

EMSB tables motion to save F.A.C.E. School

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The English Montreal School Board has tabled a motion to help save F.A.C.E. School. The arts core education school serving both Anglophone and Francophone elementary and high school students is facing an existential crisis after the CAQ government went back on its promise to fund urgently-needed renovations, thereby keeping it open.

Instead, the education ministry announced last month that the planned renovations to the heritage building have become too costly. The work was originally estimated at $243 million. But the government says the actual costs have risen to $375 million. As reported in The Suburban last month, the government has opted, instead, to separate the elementary school and high school, and house them in two different locations – École Christophe Colomb and École Saint-Urbain.

With the school’s fate all but decided, the EMSB has tabled a motion at the April 29 Board of Commissioners, “calling on the government to keep F.A.C.E. school.” The motion was tabled by EMSB Chairman Joe Ortona and by Ward 4 commissioner Maria Corsi, who commented at the meeting that “the F.A.C.E School community, both on the CSSDM side and the EMSB side, was blindsided” by the ministry of education.”

Ortona agrees. “While we were well aware that the F.A.C.E. building is in need of significant renovations, the possibility of this building closing as a school permanently was never raised,” Ortona said, calling the ministry’s decision “disgraceful” and “shameful.”

“For the Minister to just announce this late on a Friday afternoon (April 4) left everyone with more questions than answers,” Ortona added. “The Minister has an obligation to consult, even in the French sector. It’s a disregard of our rights.”

The decision to withdraw funding for the renovations, Corsi said, essentially spells “the end of the highly successful and unique F.A.C.E. School cohabitation model and program.” Corsi points out that the government made its decision without consulting the communities that will be affected.

Corsi highlighted, as did Geneviève Gueritaud, a mom of F.A.C.E. students who spoke with The Suburban last month, that the locations proposed by the government are inappropriate to F.A.C.E. School’s arts-core education. They don’t have the facilities required, or the space, to accommodate its arts-core curriculum.

The motion is calling on the government to consider alternatives to the rehabilitation project that would “reduce costs to allow F.A.C.E. School to return to its current location without impacting the safety and security of students and staff.”

The motion also suggests as an alternative, if retaining the current F.A.C.E. location is rejected, the site of the former St. Raphael School at 8735 Henri Julien “for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility specifically designed for the arts, to house elementary and high school students of the CSSDM and the EMSB together.”

F.A.C.E. is the only school in the city that houses students from both the CSSDM and the EMSB. The CSSDM owns and manages the building.

If the government’s decision stands, Corsi argued, future students will no longer have access to the educational benefits and advantages of F.A.C.E. School’s cohabitation model. “It is incorrect and disingenuous,” she says, “for the minister to say that the F.A.C.E. program would remain the same in two separate buildings. So, it’s imperative, and the school community expects, and in fact demands, that the minster reconsider this decision, and that the costs of the F.A.C.E renovation project be reevaluated and that all options be considered to ensure the integrity of the program, and that the students remain together in one building.”

The motion was passed unanimously. n

EMSB tables motion to save F.A.C.E. School Read More »

Massive sinkhole on Somerled will take weeks to repair

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

In the evening of last Sunday, May 4 a rather sizable sinkhole opened up at the corner of Somerled and Mariette in the the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.

The hole has been described as “car-sized” by some. It’s not quite that big, but is deep.

Deep enough, in fact, that the watermain well below street level is visible, with water still gushing out of it by Monday afternoon.

And that, workers on the scene explained, was the problem. The sinkhole was caused by a broken watermain that nobody knew about because it was underground, and had not, as yet, caused any problems at street level. But over time the leaking water eroded what lay beneath the asphalt until that section of road collapsed.

The sinkhole has been fenced off, and the intersection is closed to traffic, with the 102 bus being diverted to Monkland eastbound, and to Fielding for the westbound bus.

Residents in the area did notice a slight drop in water pressure, but by Monday afternoon the city decided that there was no reason to close off water in the area completely.

The repair work should take a couple of weeks. n

Massive sinkhole on Somerled will take weeks to repair Read More »

Minimum wage earners get a raise

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Quebec government’s announced rise in the minimum wage took effect last Thursday.

Labour Minister Jean Boulet announced the raise last January. Bringing the minimum wage up, he said at the time, will respect “businesses’ ability to pay, while allowing workers to increase their income and preserve their purchasing power.”

The wage went up from $15.75 to $16.10, a raise of 35 cents. It amounts to 2.22 percent, and will mean, Boulet said, that “workers will see an increase in their disposable income of up to $484 per year.”

Tip earners’ minimum will go up just 30 cents to an hourly rate of $12.90, an increase of 2.38 percent. That same percentage increase, the government said in January, will also apply “to workers assigned exclusively, during a pay period, to picking raspberries or strawberries. Thus, the minimum wage payable will increase to $4.78 per kilogram for raspberry picking and to $1.28 per kilogram for strawberry picking.”

This will bring Quebec’s minimum wage above some provinces, like the maritime provinces where, as of April 1 – according to the Retail Council of Canada – minimum wage is between $15.65 and $16. Ontario’s minimum wage is at $17.20, but it’s not the highest; Yukon’s minimum wage is $17.94, and Nunavut’s is $19.

Boulet noted, that “the minimum wage increases made by our government since 2019 is higher than inflation.” That’s “despite the inflationary economic context that followed the pandemic years.” n

Minimum wage earners get a raise Read More »

Drainville blames teachers union for CDN Bedford scandal

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Education Minister Bernard Drainville is putting at least some of the blame for the École Bedford scandal at the feet of the Alliance des professeures et professeurs de Montréal, the teachers’ union that is a part of the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement.

Drainville intimated last week that the union’s “attitude and behaviour” have contributed to the abuses at École Bedford that brought it and other schools to the attention of the National Assembly last fall providing justification, as far as the Coalition Avenir Québec government is concerned, for strengthening the secularism bill.

The incident at Bedford sparked an investigation, last December, into it and sixteen other schools for contravening the secularism law. At École Bedford, eleven teachers were suspended for creating a toxic climate. There were allegations of psychological and physical abuse, that religious education and “Islamic concepts” were being imposed on the students, with teachers disregarding science, separating genders, banning girls from sports, etc.

Drainville specifically called out FAE President Melanie Hubert, saying that the union ignored complaints by teachers at École Bedford regarding the situation that was then unfolding.

Hubert says Drainville is out of line.

She says that it is not the union’s place to deal with supervising staff, which is the responsibility of management, adding that the union does not have direct interaction with school service centres.

At the time of the scandal, Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy called for CSSDM Director-General Isabelle Gélinas to step down.

Last August the Alliance and the FAE joined the English Montreal School Board’s challenge of Quebec’s secularism law, Bill 21. The FAE said, at the time, that it was against the government’s pre-emptive use of the Notwithstanding Clause, that the law infringes on rights and freedoms guaranteed in the charter.

Drainville took umbrage to the union joining the challenge, saying Hubert did not have member support to do so. Hubert disagrees, saying her mandate from members to challenge Bill 21 goes back to 2013. The FAE maintains that the law has led to discriminatory practices when hiring, and is an attack on the teaching profession. n

Drainville blames teachers union for CDN Bedford scandal Read More »

Public transit fares going up this summer

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

It’s been about a year since the last time a rise in public transit fares was announced. That fare hike took effect in July of last year. There’s another one coming this July.

The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) – which is the Greater Montreal transit authority – announced last Wednesday that public transit fares will be going up on July 1 – Canada Day.

It says it is taking a “responsible approach” in limiting indexation to 3 percent, “paying particular attention to citizens’ ability to pay in order to maintain the affordability of services for all customers.”

The rise last year saw the monthly pass go from $97 to $100. Here is a list of what riders will pay come July 1: One-trip and two-trip fares will remain the same – $3.75 and $7.00 respectively in Zone A. Monthly fares will go up from $100 to $104.50. A 10-trip pass will go up from $33.25 to $34.25. A 24-hour pass will go up to $11.25, a raise of just 25 cents. Weekly passes (Monday-Sunday) will go up to $32.00 from $31.00.

ARTM Director General Benoît Gendron says “this measure helps limit the financial impact on customers, while ensuring that we can continue to offer a reliable and efficient service.”

The authority says it will continue to ensure that special bus tickets line up with the commissioning of the REM, as well as withdrawing old exo, TRAM and TRAIN tickets.

Last fall the ARTM announced a restructuring that amounted to $3 million in cuts. At the time, Gendron said “all stakeholders in public transit can and must adapt to do more with existing resources. Citizens expect all industry players to adopt more efficient practices” in tough economic times. n

Public transit fares going up this summer Read More »

Archdiocese sets up new real estate division to respond to social needs

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Archdiocese of Montreal has announced the creation of what it is calling a new “innovative not-for-profit entity dedicated to the strategic management of church properties.” This new arm will be in addition to their real estate division, but with a mind to “reimagining how our spaces can serve the common good,” says Monseigneur Christian Lépine, Archbishop of Montreal.

It’s being called the Corporation Immobilière Catholique Romaine de Montréal (CICRM). Its mission is to act as the intermediary between churches – specifically the fabriques that manage them – and municipalities, governments, and “development partners.”

Stefano Marrone, who has been responsible for Archdiocese real estate for the past few years, has been appointed CEO and General Manager of the CICRM. This new position will broaden his work, and open the mandate to the wider Catholic community – other dioceses, congregations, or missions.

Fabriques are the legal entities that own or manage parishes, Marrone explains. The CICRM was put together to provide the fabriques with “a complete, centralized service” to help them work through decisions as to what they can do with their properties in terms of opening them up to the needs of the community. Marrone’s job would be to help the fabriques decide when it comes to renting out church space, reconsidering usage or zoning of church buildings, redevelopment, and other matters.

The corporation would not be telling the fabriques what they can and cannot do with their space or properties, Marrone says. It would simply help them work through whatever decisions they do make.

Church property can refer to a presbytery, an adjacent parking lot, a church basement, etc.

Marrone acknowledges that the word “redevelopment” tends to make people uneasy, particularly with the housing shortage and the homelessness crisis dominating the news. However, the mission of the CICRM is to “leverage real estate development as a tool for community benefit and heritage valorization,” according to a news release put out by the Archdiocese. That could mean identifying potential for affordable housing projects, Marrone explains, “but always in a way that’s going to give back to the community somehow. So we’re not looking ever to gentrify a community,” he adds, “but housing projects would not be off the table.” But it will always come down to the needs of the community. And that would mean open discussions with each municipality and fabrique.

Outside of housing, it is not unusual for community groups like theatre companies or daycares to operate out of a church space. That’s another area where the CICRM would help them come up with ways to use church space, and facilitate a transaction. “Where there are spaces that are underutilized, we can match them with the right organization.” Fabriques were considered autonomous bodies. The CICRM, as a centralized entity, would bridge the gap between the fabriques and community organizations.

The hope is that the CICRM will “ensure that every project serves a tangible local social need.” n

Archdiocese sets up new real estate division to respond to social needs Read More »

Filipino community in CDN-NDG holds vigil for Vancouver victims

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Pinay Quebec and other groups in the Filipino community came together to organize a vigil last Monday evening in Mackenzie-King Park.

The vigil was of course to mourn the deaths of those killed the weekend before in Vancouver.

As is now well-known, last Saturday, April 26 the Filipino community of Vancouver were celebrating the Lapu-Lapu festival when a 30-year-old man, who has since been arrested, drove his car into the crowd, plowing into celebrants, killing eleven people and injuring several others.

Several hundred people attended the vigil, including several of Montreal’s elected officials from all levels of government, and several representatives of the Filipino community.

“We grieve these losses and feel the pain of the families of the deceased,” said Jasmin de la Calzada of Pinoy Quebec. “Tonight’s vigil is about our own Montreal community’s process of mourning. Tonight is a venue to grieve, process what’s happened.”

CND-NDG Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa told The Suburban “We have the biggest Filipino community in Quebec here in Cote des Neiges-NDG. For me it was important to tell the community that we are with them in this difficult moment.”

Norberto Mandin Jr. is the creator of Canadian Pinoy Radio-Montreal. He woke up to the news of the horrific incident, and started reaching out to friends in Vancouver right away, calling and texting. But he received no reply, which worried him. Eventually he found out that one of those killed was a friend.

“A celebration of pride of our culture, or our heritage ended in eleven lives lost,” adding “we are gathered today as one community demonstrating that despite this darkness in our community, we are one, we are together, and we will move forward.”

Projet Montreal leader Luc Rabouin was also in attendance, as were NDG-CDN councillors Despina Sourias and Sonny Moroz, and D’arcy-McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass. Anthony Housefather and Neil Oberman werr also there, just hours before the polls closed in the federal election.

Community members were laying wreaths and flowers before a banner that read “Luksang Bayan,” meaning “National Mourning.”

Stephanie Valenzuela, the Ensemble Montreal councillor for the Darlington district in the CDN-NDG borough, is a member of the Filipino community. She spoke emotionally, saying “tonight we gather as one in sorrow, in solidarity, and in strength.”

“If there is anything that we’ve learned from what happened on Saturday,” she added, “it’s that we continue moving forward with kindness and compassion in our hearts, because that’s who we are not just as Filipinos, but as Canadians.” n

Filipino community in CDN-NDG holds vigil for Vancouver victims Read More »

Rodents, dilapidation plague Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A letter was published in a recent edition of The Suburban (Santé Quebec, you there?) about an infestation of ants at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital. The letter was a visceral reaction to a news story that aired on the LCN network. The story was subsequently picked up by Le Journal de Montréal, and led to a badly-sealed can of worms, as it were.

Pests are not unique to the east end hospital. But it is true that Maisonneuve-Rosemont is in a state of disrepair, and needs urgent reconstruction even though the ant problem has for the moment been solved. And that was indeed the plan; the provincial government had announced plans to reconstruct the hospital at least as far back as 2023, with the hope of starting the work last fall. Soon after came news that budgetary constraints would mean the start date for the work would have to be put off to the middle of this year. Even more recently, however, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé said the work was again being postponed, and would likely not happen until next year.

That sparked a protest, earlier this month, outside the hospital, with staff, management, and patients calling on work to begin right away. Their demand for immediate work on the hospital was echoed by André Morin, the Liberal MNA for the Acadie riding.

The protestors had also referenced the LCN report, citing pests, rodents, and a roof in dire need of repair. That report contained photos and videos, presumably taken by patients, visitors, or perhaps even staff, showing ants on walls and window sills, with reports of ants being found “around the insertion site of a patient’s jejunostomy feeding tube,” according to Adams’ letter.

There was even a skin-crawling shot of ants crawling all over one patient’s dentures sitting on a hospital night stand.

While these kinds of situations are out of the ordinary, pests in hospitals are not. Most Montreal-area hospitals budget anywhere from $12,000 to $67,000 a year for pest control. And Maisonneuve-Rosemont is by no means the only hospital in the city to have had reports of infestations; flies, ladybugs, even cockroaches have been reported in other hospitals.

But most hospitals seem to have it under control.

Maisonneuve-Rosemont is busy and cramped. On some floors there is barely enough room in tight hallways for much more than a gurney. And a recent visit to the hospital by a reporter from The Suburban gave the impression that even cleanliness is lacking.

The Régie du bâtiment du Québec did promise to send inspectors to the hospital. As for the needed reconstruction, Dubé said recently that he will no longer be providing any updates as to when the work is expected to actually begin. n

Rodents, dilapidation plague Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital Read More »

Gainey, Miller, and Guay add to the Liberal West End wave

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

This was a tight election, but with few surprises on the Island of Montreal.

Notre-Dame-de-Grace-Westmount, Lasalle-Emard-Verdun, and Ville-Marie-Le Sud-Ouest-Île-des-Sœurs had all been Liberal strongholds until last September. Liberal MP David Lametti tendered his resignation in 2023 after being shuffled out of cabinet. He went into private practice. The Liberals ran former city councillor Laura Palestini against Craig Sauve for the NDP, Louis Ialenti for the Conservatives, and Louis-Philippe Sauve for the Bloc. The riding went Bloc.

But last Monday night Liberal Claude Guay took back the riding, winning with 50.7 percent of the vote, or 20,920 votes. Sauve did come in second with just 21.3 percent, or 10,446 votes. The Conservatives’ Zsolt Fischer ran third.

The Conservatives haven’t held a riding on the Island of Montreal since 1988. If they had any hopes of winning one, Notre-Dame-de-Grace-Westmount was not going to be it.

Incumbent Anna Gainey took the riding with 63.9 percent of the vote, or 34,116 votes. Conservative candidate, former federal Ministerial Chief of Staff Neil Drabkin received 10,517 votes, 20.1%. The NDP’s Malcolm Lewis-Richmond received 3,954 votes amounting to 7.4%. By the time Monday’s results had come in Gainey was on her way to Ottawa for meetings.

There was no surprise in the Ville-Marie-Le Sud-Ouest-Île-des-Sœurs where incumbent Marc Miller – Immigration Minister until last Month – held onto his riding with 58.3 percent of the vote, or 10,571 votes. Conservative Steve Shanahan in second place with 22.1 percent, or 4009 votes. n

Gainey, Miller, and Guay add to the Liberal West End wave Read More »

NDG Skatepark already a hub of activity

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Its official inauguration is weeks away, but that didn’t stop skateboarders and others from taking advantage of some recent unseasonably warm, sunny weather to try out the new Benny Skatepark in NDG.

It was just a taste, as cooler temperatures brought more ice and snow for a last kick at the can. But the skaters came back as soon as the warmth did – just in time for the weekend – and it became clear that the Benny Skatepark will become a hub of activity in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.

Peter McQueen, CDN-NDG councillor for the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district, has been involved with the skatepark project for several years. “As the father of a keen skateboarder who explored the other skate parks in the city,” McQueen says, “I became interested in building one in NDG.”

In 2021, a group of community members formed the Coalition de Skatepark NDG. One of those was Betty Esperanza, who, last January, was awarded the King Charles III medal for her work with Skateboards for Hope. Esperanza was thrilled to see so many already enjoying the skatepark. “It was obvious that the skatepark is going to be used every day, all day, and all night.”

For Esperanza the most important thing is that kids will be able to skateboard safely. She said she’s excited to see girls as well as boys skateboarding, to see adults learning, “lots of women trying it out.”

“It’s an exciting time for Côte-des-Neiges-NDG,” she says. There was a time when kids from the area who wanted to skateboard found themselves travelling out to Brossard or to the St. Michel district. She says the Benny Park is not just for NDG. “We’re going to have an influx of kids from other neighbourhoods, which is great, because there will be more friends. Why not? We can all use more friends.”

Jonathan Stein, who was part of the original Coalition de Skatepark NDG, and whose son, James, had been involved with the park’s design committee, couldn’t be happier. He said his son had been at the park for most of the past two weeks. “When I saw the first photos and clips of my son skating at the new park, it was an amazing feeling. Now he and all the kids in our neighbourhood have a beautiful, modern park to call their own.”

James, 14, agrees. “Lots of kids biking and scootering at the same time, which is good and bad at the same time.” He says if he had to find a problem, it’s that the path around the skatepark is gravel instead of sold.” Other than that, says James, it’s good. “Super fun.”

The park’s official inauguration is scheduled for Saturday, May 31. The city wanted to wait until all the spring planting was done. There are as yet no confirmed plans for the day, except that Esperanza will be on hand giving away refurbished skateboards and helmets to kids who don’t have one. n

NDG Skatepark already a hub of activity Read More »

Teen victim of CDN stabbing is dead

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A teenager is dead after being stabbed in the evening last Tuesday, April 15, in the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.

Several calls were made to 911 around 6:00 p.m. reporting an armed attack. When police arrived on the scene, they found the 16-year-old conscious but with severe injuries to his upper body.

The incident occurred at the corner of Barclay and Victoria in Côte-des-Neiges. The teen was rushed to hospital, reportedly losing consciousness in the ambulance. He was pronounced dead early Wednesday morning.

Witnesses say a suspect ran off before the police arrived.

Montreal Police spokesperson Raphael Bergeron confirmed the death as the city’s eighth homicide of the year.

This is, at this point, an ongoing investigation, Bergeron says, as they try to identify a suspect and a motive.

There have been no arrests.

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante reacted to the murder on her X account, saying “What terrible news. No parent should have to go through something like this. My most sincere thoughts are with the family and the teen’s loved ones.” n

Teen victim of CDN stabbing is dead Read More »

Three arrested in NDG murder

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Montreal police have made three arrests in connection with the shooting death of a man in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce last February.

Jean-David Isme, 55, was gunned down last February 2 at the corner of St. Jacques and Beaconsfield. As reported in The Suburban at the time, police said they had received 911 calls around 11:45 that night. The murder occurred on a Sunday night. Police had the area roped off through to the following Monday evening. Residents were initially not allowed out of their homes, or to exit through the back doors of their buildings.

The three men arrested – one of whom is connected with the Blood Family Mafia street gang – are 26-year-old Bryan Moreau-Gignac of Montreal, 22-year-old Dariush Kabirinaeini of Pierrefonds, and 35-year-old Samuel Jordain Cody of Quebec City.

Police say search warrants were issued in Montreal and Laval, and in Quebec City and Baie Comeau.

The three men were arrested last Thursday, April 10, and were charged the next day with first-degree murder. As they were all detained in three different places, they appeared via videoconference before Quebec Court Justice Marie Kettlyne Ruben.

Isme was known to police, with past criminal charges including possession of a loaded weapon and cannabis possession with intent to traffic. He pleaded guilty to both in 2022.

Isme’s death was the city’s third homicide of the year.

He was the uncle of a known gang member, Andrew Luberisse, known as “Ali Baba,” a member of the Profit Boyz. Last December he was found murdered in his cell at the Rivière des Prairies Detention Centre. n

Three arrested in NDG murder Read More »

Two Montreal schools in fight for their lives

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Two Montreal schools, F.A.C.E. and Centennial Academy, are facing existential threats.

The Quebec Education Ministry has decided that renovations to F.A.C.E. have become too costly – rising to $375 million from the original estimate of $243 million. It has decided, rather, to move the high school and elementary school to two different buildings, École Christophe Colomb and École Saint-Urbain. Both also need work. The cost of renovating them will come to a little more than $200 million.

Geneviève Gueritaud has two children who graduated from F.A.C.E., and another who is in Secondary II. She says the government’s plan and attitude toward the school is shortsighted.

F.A.C.E. combines a core education with arts education. It is housed in the old Montreal High School, a heritage building completed in 1924. With a building that old a certain state of disrepair is to be expected: lack of drinking water due to lead pipes, the façade and school under constant construction, hallways closed for repairs. “When you enter the school, you are baffled by how beautiful it is,” Gueritaud says, “but you are also appalled by the state of it.” Surely, she says, the government has the money to do what is necessary to keep it open.

The two new locations, Gueritaud says, don’t have the facilities and space that F.A.C.E. needs, no auditorium, not enough art rooms, and no library.

And separating the elementary from the high schools defeats the purpose of F.A.C.E., where younger students learn from the older ones, French and English coexist, and teachers follow students throughout their time there. It is as if the government considers the school a failed experiment, even though it’s been around since 1975, and lacks the will to save it.

But Gueritaud says the government is missing the point.

“This is not just about one school in the core of downtown Montreal that few privileged kids are lucky to attend. It’s about allocating public funds for what actually matters for society.”

Gueritaud chokes up when she talks about F.A.C.E., a school that alumni come back with pride.

“Do we really want to scrap a project that is actually working, that is actually producing culturally engaged, culturally committed, interested, articulate people in downtown Montreal?”

Centennial Academy is also facing closure. The private high school for students with learning challenges, ADHD, autism, anxiety, and other issues is in dire financial straits.

An English institution for nearly six decades, it added a French sector in 2016. The school is now evenly split Anglophone and Francophone, But it only gets government funding for one – the Anglo side – due to a freeze on private school funding. As a result, Centennial Academy is looking at a deficit that it may not be able to overcome.

But unlike in the case of F.A.C.E., which seems a done deal, Education Minister Bernard Drainville is said to be considering emergency funding for Centennial if it can show it has some kind of recovery plan in place.

Centennial is a private school with a tuition price tag of $23,000 per year.

The prospect of its closure was discussed in the National Assembly, with Liberal MNA Madwa-Nika Cadet warning that the school may only have two months left.

Both F.A.C.E. and Centennial have groups fighting for each school’s survival, with Facebook pages – Sauvons F.A.C.E./Save F.A.C.E., and Coalition Sauvons – raising awareness. Centennial. Drainville has met with the latter group. And F.A.C.E. has a petition before the National Assembly presented by Jennifer Maccarone, the MNA for the school’s riding. n

Two Montreal schools in fight for their lives Read More »

Local doctor resigns from CFPC over article praising Hezbollah

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A Montreal doctor has resigned in very public protest from the College of Family Physicians of Canada over an article in their journal that, he feels, is in praise of terrorists.

Dr. Michael Kalin of Santé Kildare in Cote St. Luc posted on Facebook last Thursday that “after careful reflection and correspondence with the leadership at the CFPC, it became clear that the organization no longer represents my values.”

Kalin’s anger stems from an article in the February edition of Canadian Family Physician. The medical journal “is the official publication of the College of Family Physicians of Canada,” according to its website.

The article, “a political and terrorist-praising puff-piece,” Kalin calls it, is written by Nisrine Makarem, an MD, and assistant professor of clinical family medicine at the American University in Beirut. The Day the Pagers Exploded chronicles the aftermath of the Israeli mission of last September 17 in which thousands of pagers armed with miniscule explosives detonated in the hands and pockets of Hezbollah operatives, killing 10 and injuring many others.

Makarem was working that day in the Emergency Department (ED) of the American University of Beirut Medical Centre. Her article recounts the injuries that apparently overwhelmed the ED.

But her last paragraph is the source of the consternation not just of Kalin, but of other physicians who either commented on the article, or registered their anger with the College through letters and a petition.

Makarem wrote that she “was struck by the composure of the patients and their families.” She added “I struggle to find the right words to describe the scene: strength, resilience, denial, endurance, faith, indoctrination; perhaps a mix of all these. Whatever it was, it is something that deserves to be shared with the world.”

Her patients, Kalin points out, were Hezbollah fighters. Hezbollah has been designated a terrorist group in Canada since 2002.

He says he accepts that the journal operates with editorial independence. “But what really, really offended me,” he says, “was that (the article) was submitted by a non-Canadian physician regarding non-Canadian patients, had nothing to do with family medicine, and beyond that the author very covertly neglects to mention that her patients are in fact recognized terrorists.”

He had hoped the College would see that Makarem’s piece has no place in the journal. What he had asked and hoped for was a complete retraction.

The College, he tells The Suburban, is a national body that’s supposed to speak on behalf of all family doctors in Canada, “for our interests, for our patients.” He questions why the article was included in the journal even though “it meets none of the mission criteria of the journal or of the College itself.”

The Canadian Federation of Jewish Medical Associations was made aware of the article by its members from across Canada. Dr. Lior Bibas, president of the Association des Médecins Juifs du Québec (AMJQ) agreed with Kalin that the CFPC should have done a better job of acknowledging “the significant pain and distress experienced by a large number of Canadian Jewish family physicians as a result of this article.” He adds that he has heard from physicians and patients – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – “who do not understand why the official journal for Canadian family doctors has published an article that they read as glorifying Hezbollah.”

CFPC leadership claims that there is nothing they can do. In a comment, Executive Directors Michael Allan and Eric Mang wrote that “the article neither violates the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines for the conduct of journals nor does the article meet recognized criteria for retraction.”

Kalin called the College’s response “complete cowardice.” They chose to stay silent, he says.

“Medical journals should focus on medicine,” he added, and not on a conflict happening thousands of miles away.

Kalin assures his patients that his resignation from the CFPC in no way affects his standing as a physician. n

Local doctor resigns from CFPC over article praising Hezbollah Read More »

After 90 years Bicycles MCW is leaving NDG

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Another legendary NDG mainstay is leaving for greener pastures. But not because they want to. Bicycles MCW recently announced to the community that they are moving out of the neighbourhood.

The building where Bicycles MCW has been since 1980 was family-owned. But it was recently sold. The hope, owner Salvatore Mastantuono tells The Suburban, was that the shop would be able to stay right where it is for a fair rent. But the company that bought the building doesn’t want to keep the shop. It wants the storefront for what Mastantuono says is going to be a grocery store.

Unfortunately, Mastantuono wasn’t able to find an affordable location in the neighbourhood. So Bicycles MCW is off to a West Island location that has yet to be decided, either on St. John’s or St. Charles. Either way, it will be gone from its Sherbrooke Street location by the end of the month.

Bicycles MCW has a more than nine-decade history in NDG. The “MCW” comes from McWinnies, the shop’s original name. It started as a general fixit shop owned by Joseph McWinnie. He and his partner at the time, Fred Francolini – Mastantuono’s godfather – eventually focused on repairing and selling bicycles. And locksmithing, of course.

Both businesses survived under the Mastantuono family. Sal’s father and uncles Nick, Pino, and Bruno, took over the bicycle shop from McWinnie and Francolini, and Sal eventually took over the locksmithing business. His brother, Ricardo, is also involved, so it remains a Mastantuono family business. Even the guys who work in the repair shop who are not Mastantuonos are considered family.

Mastantuono says it was a tough decision to leave the neighbourhood. He remembers hanging around the original location just two blocks over, doing his first bicycle repairs as a boy. There are still customers who come in today that remember “Mr. McWinnie.” The spirit of the shop is the same as what many consider to be the spirit of NDG. Kids who couldn’t afford bike parts, or even a new bike, would come into McWinnie’s, and Nick would give them what they needed, and let them pay it off by working in the store. Sal says he’s the same. “Every now and then you give back. You build that relationship and you get to know people through the years, and you start to become friends, and it starts to become like a family.”

Nothing will change with the move, Mastantuono says.

The new location will have to be within budget. And they’ll have to make sure the layout is right for a shop like Bicycles MCW. Given that they are under the gun to move out by April 30, it is possible, says Mastantuono, that they may not open the new location until mid-May. But the online business will continue. And if they can they’ll still provide a pickup and drop-off service for repairs.

The locksmith business will be moving along with the bicycle shop. And maybe with a little piece of NDG as well. n

After 90 years Bicycles MCW is leaving NDG Read More »

West End MNAs come to the aid of ‘The Little Red Playhouse’

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

It started with an anonymous complaint.

Now, one of the most unique and most loved preschools in Montreal is being threatened with closure.

The Little Red Playhouse is not a CPE in the usual sense. It is one of only a handful of places that offer services to kids who are not neurotypical, and who don’t fit in elsewhere. Founder Sharon McCarry explains that because of the services it provides and the specialists who work with the kids there, it falls outside the government’s current definitions of early childhood educational facility. Hence, there is no actual license for what The Little Red Playhouse does. That anonymous complaint – just like the kind that one might make to the OQLF – led inspectors from the ministère de la Famille to pay McCarry a visit at her home, accusing her of operating an unlicensed daycare.

McCarry’s own son, now 21, has autism. As a child he had been rejected from several schools, different Ys, and even church community groups until she took him to the Little Red Playhouse. It had been operating as a nursery school for years. McCarry was able to bring her son there a couple of days a week. In 2008 she took it over out of sheer desperation, and turned it into an inclusive education centre open to other kids with autism. They started providing art therapy, slowly adding on Social Skills and Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), bringing in occupational, speech, and music therapists, and others, all supervised by a behavioural consultant.

McCarry’s facility has been through this before. The government had made an exception for her in the past so that she could continue to operate. Needless to say, she was not expecting a visit from government inspectors.

Ten years ago McCarry had lobbied three ministries – education, family, and health, asking that they “recognize our model,” and to effectively create a new type of license “to replicate what it is we’re doing, because the outcomes that we were having were exceptional.”

It has always been difficult for neuro-atypical kids and their families to get the help and services they need in Quebec. Right now, McCarry tells The Suburban, there more than 5,000 kids on waiting lists in the West Island and the Sud-Ouest. Many of them end up in schools or daycares that simply cannot accommodate them.

In Quebec a regular daycare cannot have more than 20 percent special needs kids. McCarry says she doesn’t want to have to revert to the accepted model and have to severely reduce the number of atypical kids The Little Red Playhouse serves.

She enlisted the help of three Liberal MNAs – Jennifer Maccarone (Westmount–Saint-Louis) and Elisabeth Prass (D’Arcy-McGee), both of whom have kids with special needs, and Désirée McGraw (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce).

Maccarone has been in contact with Minister of Families Suzanne Roy, and Prass has been speaking with social services minister Lional Carmant. He knows about the Little Red Playhouse, Prass says, and is presumably on board with its model. The goal is to get Roy and Carmant to work together on a pilot project for facilities like The Little Red Playhouse. “The government is not providing the services,” Prass says, “these daycares are.” In the same way that Quebec has been leading the way in daycares for 25 years, Prass says, this would be another opportunity to do the same where facilities like McCarry’s is concerned.

McGraw is also lending her support. The Little Red Playhouse is a pillar of the Montreal West community, she wrote on X. “With so many kids on waiting lists we need more specialized pre-schools like The Little Red Playhouse, not fewer.” n

West End MNAs come to the aid of ‘The Little Red Playhouse’ Read More »

Hijab poster removed from City Hall

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

What Montreal City Hall described as a “welcome sign” or a “welcome poster” is finally being replaced. Last week it was actually taken down.

The poster of a hijab-garbed woman had garnered a lot of controversy since its installation at City Hall last fall. The administration first tried to defend it as displaying the city’s diversity, then later acknowledged that the inclusion of a hijab – a religious accoutrement – flies in the face of the province’s secularism policy.

The offending sign looks like a pencil sketch of three people – a young man dressed in an urban style with a long coat, hoodie, and baseball cap; an older man in glasses, and in the middle a woman in a hijab, standing together beneath the phrase “Bienvenue àl’Hôtel de Ville de Montréal!”

The offence came from several directions. The Parti Québécois objected to the image of the hijab as flying in the face of the province’s secularism policy, as did groups like Mouvement laïque québécois. Women’s rights groups like the Association of Iranian Women of Montreal and Pour les droits des femmes du Quebec objected over what the hijab symbolizes for oppressed women. The Canadian Council of Muslim Women, on the other hand, said the sketch was an inaccurate depiction, but just the same, removing the poster sent the wrong message, effectively rendering Muslim women in Montreal invisible.

Mayor Valérie Plante acknowledged, at the time, that the image caused some to be uncomfortable, and that it would be replaced. Last week a spokesperson for the mayor, Catherine Cadotte, reiterated that the reaction to the poster was not what they had hoped, and the project fell short of its intention.

The poster will be replaced not by a new one, but by several in a rotating exhibit that will showcase the work of several young artists from Montreal. n

Hijab poster removed from City Hall Read More »

Election 2025: NDG – Westmount

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The election posters went up the night before Prime Minister Mark Carney paid his visit to Governor-General Mary Simon to kick off the 2025 election campaign. But in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount riding posters for only one candidate went up, that of Liberal incumbent Anna Gainey.

The riding has always been a Liberal stronghold.The current boundaries are fairly new, created in 2012 when federal ridings were redistributed. It encompasses the towns of Westmount and Montreal West, along with the neighbourhood of NDG, part of the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, with a bit of the Ville Marie borough thrown in (the historical block of Îlot-Trafalgar-Gleneagles).Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount is a majority Anglo riding.

Gainey won the riding in the by-election held on June 19, 2023, which was held to replace Marc Garneau who had resigned the previous March.For the past year Gainey has been on the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group, the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group, the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association, and the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group.

In the last few elections the NDP had come in behind the Liberals, with the Conservatives consistently in third place. Mathew Kaminski, who had run for the Conservatives in both the 2021 election and the 2023 by-election, told The Suburban that he will not be running. Sources confirmed to The Suburban, days later, that Neil Drabkin will be running against Gainey. His name began to appear on the party’s website and social media shortly after.

Drabkin had run in the riding before, going up against Garneau in 2011 and 2019. He had also run as a Progressive Conservative in 1993 in the Mount Royal riding. He is a lawyer and political commentator, with plenty of political experience as Chief of Staff in the federal government to then Ministers Stockwell Day and Joe Oliver, and had been senior policy and legal advisor to former Multiculturalism and Citizenship Minister Gerry Weiner.

Malcolm Lewis-Richmond will be running for the NDP.

Félix-Antoine Brault is the Bloc Quebecois candidate.

The Green Party has consistently come out ahead of the Bloc Québécois, except in 2021 when Jordan Craig Larouche beat Sam Fairbrother for fourth place.

Alex Trainman Montagano is once again running as an independent. n

Election 2025: NDG – Westmount Read More »

Martinez Ferrada attacks Plante for closing Mount Royal road

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Newly-acclaimed Ensemble Montréal leader Soraya Martinez Ferrada went after Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante last week, after the executive committee approved a contract for the planned redesign of Mount Royal that would close cross-mountain car access.

If Ensemble Montréal is elected to office next November, making Martinez Ferrada mayor of Montreal, she said she would retain car traffic on Camillien-Houde Way.

“What’s the hurry?” Martinez Ferrada said in a news conference, insisting that the mayor should rather make it an election issue and let Montrealers decide.

Ensemble Montréal says that Plante has consistently been ignoring Montrealers’ true feelings on the subject, and are accusing her of pushing the plan through to make sure it is a done deal before she leaves office. In a post to X (Twitter) the party reiterated Projet Montréal’s “lack of respect for consultations will cost taxpayers.”

The approved contract was awarded to two companies – CIMA+ and Lemay. The two teamed up to present one bid. Alex Norris, the executive committee member responsible for Mount Royal Park, said there were five bids in total, even though as recently as two weeks ago only one bid had been presented by deadline.

The six-year, $89 million redesign of the mountain would begin with a preliminary $12.8 million planning contract, approved at last Wednesday’s executive committee meeting, with a view to bringing the project to completion by 2029.

At last Wednesday’s meeting Plante said that she is in the last 300 days of her tenure, emphasizing the importance of getting things done. The mayor insists the plan is the right one, telling her executive committee “I will continue to strongly defend this project.” n

Martinez Ferrada attacks Plante for closing Mount Royal road Read More »

EMSB asks parents to ensure measles vaccinations

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Quebec government is calling it an outbreak. Since last December there have been 31 reported cases of measles in the province. Most – about 24 of them – in the Laurentiens. There are, so far, fewer than five cases in the Montreal area. The same is being reported for Laval and the Montérégie. Last March 3, one case was reported at the Bell Centre.

It was in the midst of the Habs-Sabres game. It was a KISS-themed game, with a KISS tribute band playing during intermission. Public health officials are suggesting that there may have been exposure to either workers or spectators who had either been at the Pizza Pizza and Tim Hortons counters, or in the reds, sections 111 to 117.

Measles is of particular concern for school children, so the English Montreal School Board has issued a warning, asking parents to make sure that their children are vaccinated. That means that they have received two doses of measles vaccine when they were at least one year old. It is a good idea, the board suggests, to make sure others in the family are protected.

“It is strongly recommended that people who are not protected get vaccinated as soon as possible,” the EMSB said. “If a case of measles occurs in a school, all adults and children who are not protected will be excluded from school for a period of up to several weeks.”

Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, and of course skin rash appearing first on the face, then spreading over the body. A person who contracts measles is considered contagious for four days before and after the rash appears. The disease lasts up to two weeks.

Measles can be a serious illness. One in 10 people need to be treated in hospital. In Canada one in 3,000 people die of the illness. The province is calling this Quebec’s second measles outbreak. The disease was believed to have been eradicated in Canada in 1998, but it has made a resurgence, with some blaming declining vaccination rates. There was an outbreak in Quebec from February to June of last year. There had also been a outbreak in 2011, with cases reported in 2015 and 2019.

In Montreal, possible exposure sites between February 21 and March 3 include the Rialto Theatre on Park Avenue, the Montreal Police Pension Fund office, on Gilford, Trudeau Airport – including on a flight from Dubai to Montreal (EK243), Ste. Justine’s Hospital, and the Bell Centre.

More information about the current measles situation can be found here: https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/measles/measles-outbreak#c320659 n

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City opposition wants dogs allowed on buses

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Montreal may soon join other major cities – like Copenhagen, London, Boston, Lyon, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Helsinki, and even Toronto and Calgary – by allowing dogs to ride on STM buses.

As it stands, dogs are allowed on the Métro, and have been since a pilot project approved in August 2022, and launched two months later.

The original motion was tabled by the opposition Ensemble Montréal party. It started with an SPCA petition, as well as an STM poll that showed that most were in favour of allowing dogs – muzzled and leashed – on the Métro. As of last December, the pilot project having been deemed successful, dogs are allowed on the Métro with certain restrictions.

Now the opposition is asking that dogs be allowed to ride on buses, as well.

“The coexistence between users and their dogs is going wonderfully in the Métro,” said Official Opposition leader Aref Salem. “However, many Montrealers don’t have the good fortune to live near a station, or must take the bus to complete their journey. Our goal is to offer them the same flexibility and make public transportation more accessible and pleasant for everyone.”

The same rules would apply that now govern dogs on the metro.

The STM says it is not completely opposed to the idea, but it’s not completely on board, either. Dogs are actually allowed on buses with some conditions – they have to be in some kind of enclosed carrier. And of course guide dogs are permitted. But allowing dogs on buses comes with some risks and challenges that the organization is not prepared to entertain at present.

Salem says the STM should try it first before dismissing it out of hand.

The party will be presenting their motion at the next city council meeting on March 17 and 18. If it does not pass, Salem says, Ensemble Montréal will make it an election issue.

(Even though Soraya Martinez Ferrada was recently named leader of Ensemble Montreal, Salem is still considered Leader of the Opposition; Martinez Ferrada would need to be elected to occupy that post. Hence, Salem is still opposition leader until the municipal elections in November). n

City opposition wants dogs allowed on buses Read More »

TMR-based company cancels Covid vax contract with US supplier

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

BMC, a TMR-based vaccine manufacturer, has cancelled a contract with American biotech firm Novavax almost five years to the day since the Covid-19 shutdowns.

Novavax filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, saying Montreal’s Biologics Manufacturing Centre cancelled the deal – an Advanced Purchase Agreement – on March 7.

In February, 2021, the Canadian government made a deal with Novavax to manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine in Montreal. It was to be the first company to make a Covid vaccine in Canada. The vaccine, Nuvaxovid, was to be made with ingredients produced at BMC. The multi-million-dollar deal was announced, at the time, by Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne. Production was supposed to start toward the end of 2021, with about two million doses of the vaccine to be produced every month.

However, the vaccine was never produced. At least not at BMC. Neither Canada nor Quebec had any Nuvaxovid for the 2024-25 Covid season. Admittedly there was little need for it by that time.

Still, BMC cited a missed deadline of December 31, 2024 for the cancellation. There were hints last fall of the possible cancellation, given that production was three years behind schedule. Novavax was required to get regulatory approval for the Montreal-made vaccine before the end of 2024, or the deal would be quashed.

That deadline was part of a 2023 amendment to the 2021 agreement, which also stated that Novavax would provide extra preparedness services to the government.

However, the Canadian government is only getting back $28 million, while Novavax keeps the $556 million it was paid for future doses of the vaccine.

BMC did not respond to requests for comment from The Suburban by press time. n

TMR-based company cancels Covid vax contract with US supplier Read More »

House arrest for impaired driver who caused best friend’s death

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A 16-year-old was killed.

His stepmother, Soulanges MNA Marilyne Picard, said the accused – the deceased’s best friend – has suffered enough, and needs help more than he needs prison.

Twenty-three-year-old Julien Ségaux of St. Lazare was sentenced, last week, to house arrest and community service.

In December, 2021, Ségaux was behind the wheel of a Honda Civic with a blood alcohol level of nearly double the legal amount. High speed was also a factor in the crash on Sources near Highway 20 in Pointe Claire.

The car hit a guard rail and then fell several metres. Noah-Leewis Mercier, 16 years old, was severely injured in the crash, and died in hospital three days later.

Ségaux was also seriously injured. He was thrown from the vehicle, ending up in a three-week coma. He still suffers the ill effects of the accident, including cognitive issues. He cannot follow a conversation, has problems with memory retention, and cannot work or study.

Last year he pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing a death. The crown had asked for a sentence of two years less a day in prison.

“The unique elements in the case have such weight that they clearly favour rehabilitation,” Judge Jean-Jacques Gagné said last Thursday in court, as he sentenced Ségaux to house arrest, plus community service.

The judge acknowledged that Ségaux did show remorse, apologizing to the victim’s family

For the first year of the sentence Ségaux will be confined to his home, with 200 hours of community service in the second year. He will be permitted to leave for such matters as medical appointments.

He is also prohibited from driving for the next five years. n

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Ten West Islanders among 23 arrested in alleged grandparents scam

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Canadian fraudsters targeted seniors in the United States, cheating them out of more than $31 million US. Last Tuesday, in a massive operation, police arrested 23 people, 10 of them from the West Island, all subject to a U.S. extradition request.

The investigation involved more than 100 law enforcement officers from the RCMP, the Sûreté du Québec, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The arrests were made last Tuesday around 6 a.m. in Montreal, Laval, St. Eustache, Pointe Claire, DDO, Deux Montagnes, Île Perrot, Vaudreuil-Dorion, and Les Coteaux, and in Burlington, Ontario.

The alleged crimes occurred between summer 2021 and June of last year.

According to ICE, the suspects operated a typical grandparent scam, making calls to seniors posing as a relative, usually a grandchild, who had been arrested following a car crash, needing bail money. Another suspect posed as an attorney who would send an accomplice posing as a bail bondsman to collect the money.

They are alleged to have worked out of three call centres on the West Island – two apartment buildings in Pointe Claire, both on Avenue de la Baie de Valois, and one in a house on Harwood in Vaudreuil.

The stolen funds were transferred to Chicago or New York, and then back to Canada through cash deliveries, financial transactions, or cryptocurrency.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched the investigation in 2022 with the collaboration of the SQ. Last June the SQ went into the alleged call centres, catching 20 of the suspects in the act, fleecing victims in Virginia, and stopping another suspect in his car. That suspect apparently had a list of people from the U.S.

The successful joint operation comes a day after U.S. President Trump enacted his 25 percent export tariffs, and as he continues to raise concerns about Canadian border security, particularly with the trafficking of fentanyl. But all those involved in the investigation praised the joint effort of U.S., Canadian, and Quebec law enforcement.

“Today’s arrests are the result of domestic collaboration as well as our critical international partnerships with our colleagues in Canada, Sûreté du Québec and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” said ICE Special Agent Michael J. Krol. “Tackling transnational crime is one of our greatest priorities and we’re working hand-in-hand with our neighbours to dismantle organized criminal groups that threaten our safety and security.”

An ICE attaché for Ottawa, Madalena Sigur, called the operation “an excellent example of ICE Canada’s partnership with the Sûreté du Québec,” saying they will “continue to partner with the SQ, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other law enforcement agencies to identify and dismantle criminal organizations operating throughout North America and abroad that exploit our shared border and vulnerable population for illicit gain.”

SQ Chief Inspector Michel Patenaude added that the arrests “highlight the efficiency of our joint efforts, demonstrating that our cooperation delivers concrete results in enhancing public safety on both sides of the border.”

The suspects include Usman Khalid, 36, of Les Coteaux; Andrew Tatto, 43, of Pierrefonds; Stephan Moskwyn, 42, of Pierrefonds; Ricky Ylimaki, 31, of Île-Perrot, and Adam Lawrence, 41, of LaSalle, two of whom are still at large.

There were nine other suspects arrested in the U.S., including one Montrealer: 24-year-old Philippe Alvarez.

The charges include fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, and money laundering, charges which could carry a sentence of 20 to 40 years. They are expected to be tried in the state of Vermont. n

Ten West Islanders among 23 arrested in alleged grandparents scam Read More »

West Island renovator acts against US tariff threat

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

There are two big Canadian flags, and a big Quebec flag, flying on the roof of Renovco Renovation and Restauration in Dorval. They’ve been up for a little over a month, since before U.S. President Trump put his threatened trade tariffs into effect (and then pulled back on them, again, until April 2). In fact, Renovco had already stopped buying American products as soon as Trump started with the “51st state” line and calling Trudeau “Governor.”

Renovco is now working either with Canadian and Quebec suppliers and distributors, or those from Europe and other parts of the world.

“We take it personally,” said Walter Assi, president of Renovco. It’s not about standing with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he says. “We feel it’s a patriotic thing to be angry.” The company’s headquarters is on Côte-de-Liesse Rd, a stone’s throw from the airport. Assi says that was part of the reason for the big flags; he’s hoping travellers see them from passing planes, or on their way to and from the airport.

Cutting off his American suppliers comes with challenges, Assi admits, like cost and logistics. But it’s what his clients have all asked for, and what the situation calls for.

It was a difficult decision, he says, having worked with many of his American suppliers for 25 years, and developed strong business and personal friendships with them. For some of them it was a shock, but they understood. Even those who are Trump supporters would apologize for the situation, telling Assi “this is not what we signed up for.”

There are some products, like drying machines, dehumidifiers, and negative air machines used in post-flood restauration, that are dominated by American supply. Assi says it is a challenge sourcing out similar products in the Canadian market, but that’s part of the costs of doing business in this new era.

The lesson to be learned from this trade fiasco, Assi says, is a lesson taken from investing, to not put all of one’s eggs in one basket. Even if this trade war ends tomorrow, even if Canada signs a new agreement with the U.S., things are not the same anymore, Assi says. The U.S. may be our closest trading partner, he says, but they’re not our only trading partner.

Assi is calling on other individuals and businesses to take the same tack. He says it shouldn’t be a question of who is prime minister. “This isn’t a job for one person, it’s a job for 41 million Canadians that have to all speak in once voice.”

Assi distinguishes Canadian patriotism from American-style nationalism. “We now appreciate being Canadian more than ever,” he says. “We’re different.” n

West Island renovator acts against US tariff threat Read More »

“It’s the prices that decide things…” says Montreal shopper

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Since President Trump’s inauguration, he has threatened tariffs, pulled back on those threats, offered a month’s reprieve, then finally threw down the gauntlet – at one minute after midnight last Tuesday, March 4 – putting them into effect: 25 percent on Canadian goods, and 10 percent on energy exports.

Meanwhile, Canadian consumers have been turning against American products and companies.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directly addressed Trump in a press conference, calling his actions “dumb,” promising retaliatory tariffs, and warning Canadians about what was to come. “I won’t sugarcoat it,” he said, “this is going to get tough.”

But after an allegedly tense, profanity-laced phone call between Trudeau and Trump on the following morning, Canada is off the hook until April 2.

How have Canadian consumers been responding? It depends.

Sara McQuaid of NDG says even if and when the tariffs end she won’t be buying American. She’s cancelled trips south, even swallowing hefty cancellation fees, and cancelled Amazon, Netflix, and Disney+. “It will take me an extra 10-15 minutes at a store to shop,” she says, “but to me it is worth every second because I will not allow my money to fund an oppressive regime.”

Tom Zalatnai, also of NDG, is between jobs with four mouths to feed. He says budget constraints will be the deciding factor, rather than political considerations. “A lot of the time people have to buy stuff that they’re not necessarily ethically cool with because it’s the thing they can afford that’s going to be the most nutritious for their family.” He says he will try to be more discerning at the grocery store, “but ultimately, it’s going to be the prices that decide things for me. If I buy Canadian more than American, it’ll just be because the Canadian stuff is cheaper.”

Grocery stores are finding ways to respond to customers’ worries. Loblaws and Supermarché PA have both come out with measures to weather the tariff storm, buying and highlighting products from Canada or sources other than American.

The Supermarché PA website already has a banner that says “Buy Canadian,” with a link to all Canadian-made products available in store. Operations Director Joanna Erimos says that 80 percent of their in-store products are already either Canadian or European. There are some challenges when it comes to products that are made here using local ingredients, but are American-owned (Habitant soup, as an example, is now manufactured in the U.S., and owned by Campbell’s). She says the PA team is keeping a close eye on the day-to-day changes. Kosher food is of particular concern, as most of it comes from the U.S. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath of Chabad NDG said that the tariffs have “put kosher food and wine in the crosshairs” a month ahead of Passover. It’s created “a modern-day crisis for Jewish families who rely on American imports to keep their traditions alive.” Retaliatory tariffs, if they’re implemented, would affect about 3,000 kosher products. Prices could skyrocket by up to 60 percent.

Kosher importers have been scrambling to bring in as much as possible before tariffs come into effect. Some grocery stores are already stocked with Passover products like matzah (unleavened bread), grape juice, and canned goods. But the SAQ has already removed American products from its shelves, including kosher wine. Bernath is suggesting that Jewish families stock up early, support local kosher suppliers, and make their voices heard, reaching out to their MPs to ask for exemptions. n

“It’s the prices that decide things…” says Montreal shopper Read More »

WI Ricochet shelter honoured by Centraide

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Ricochet was founded in 2017. It is the only organization offering housing solutions and support to individuals experiencing residential instability in the West Island of Montreal. The organization was recognized recently with a Centraide of Greater Montreal award.

The Solidaires Awards cover several categories – Social Relevance, Social Transformation, Collaboration, Evaluation, Management and Governance, and Citizen Engagement.

Ricochet was awarded the Solidaire Social Relevance, which “recognizes concrete actions implemented to address current or emerging issues related to poverty and social exclusion, particularly concerning historically marginalized groups.”

The shelter is located on Gouin Blvd in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough. People experiencing homelessness on the West Island have not had traditional access to proper resources. Ricochet provides a one-of-a-kind shelter: it is the first – and only – inclusive, mixed-gender shelter in the region. It’s doors are open day and night to 70 people who get much more than just a roof over their heads. Ricochet serves three hot meals a day, provides psychosocial support, and a safe space for those looking for a fresh start.

The award is part of Centraide’s 51st fundraising campaign, which brought in $71.3 million. Claude Pinard, president and executive director of Centraide of Greater Montreal, says the campaign came at “a crucial time for our society, when the geography of poverty is changing. Costs for basic needs like housing and food are increasing and creating greater vulnerability along with a plethora of other social challenges. The results of this campaign show how much we can accomplish when we tap into our collective desire to do more and tackle these challenges together.” n

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Archdiocese commits to Pointe Claire windmill restoration

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Pointe Claire windmill is the oldest windmill on the island of Montreal. The more than 300-year-old structure – the symbol of the City of Pointe Claire – is in need of work. It is something the city has been talking about, along with the Pointe Claire Heritage Preservation Society and the Archdiocese of Montreal, for a few years now.

It finally looks like there is a solution.

The windmill has been in the Archdiocese’s hands since 2020. As its custodian, archdiocese Head of Real Estate Stefano Marrone told The Suburban in 2023 that the church has a responsibility to it. In a recent announcement the Archdiocese said it has signed a 50-year lease agreement with the Pointe Claire Heritage Preservation Society, “securing the long-term restoration and preservation of the historic Pointe Claire Windmill.”

The windmill itself, and the property it sits on, have both been designated heritage sites in 1983 and 2013 respectively. The Sulpician priests, at one time the Seigneurs of the Island of Montreal, built the windmill between 1709 and 1710. It became a symbol of Pointe Claire in 1911. “This new partnership,” Marrone said in the statement, “will allow the people of Pointe Claire to be at the heart of the project.”

The heritage preservation society will oversee the restoration, and transform the site into a culture and educational hub. The hope is that the windmill can be restored to working order, and continue to inspire future generations.

“We are honoured to be entrusted with this important mission,” said Andrew Swidzinski, president of the Pointe Claire Heritage Preservation Society, “and wish to acknowledge the collaboration of all those involved, including the Mayor of Pointe Claire.”

The first phase of the work is slated to begin this year, and has been made possible through private donations. The Archdiocese particularly singled out the family of Claude Lesage, a civil engineer, and a former president of Giant Inc., the family-owned water heater company. The family made a significant contribution to the project. And Lesage will also chair a committee overseeing fundraising and restoration efforts.

The Pointe Claire Heritage Preservation Society is also asking residents to play a role in the project through donations. More information is available on its website. n

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Westmount’s Miller to face judge and jury

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A week after accused sex offender Robert Miller appealed the class action suit against him, the billionaire has opted, through his lawyers, for a trial by judge and jury in the three criminal cases against him.

Miller is 81 and said to be bedridden, too sick to appear in court.

Last Tuesday his lawyers, Isabella Teolis and Nicolas St-Jacques of the Roy, St-Jacques, Teolis law firm, appeared at the Montreal courthouse for a hearing. Teolis asked for a preliminary hearing in two of the three cases, to determine if there is enough evidence for the cases to go to trial. Preliminary hearings or preliminary inquiries are held, in Canada, for an indictable offense that is punishable by 14 years or more in prison.

As is now well-known, the Westmount resident stands accused of several sex charges involving women who say that they had been recruited by Miller, through accomplices, and paid for sex when they were minors. The cases are said to have taken place between 1994 and 2016. The plaintiffs allege they had been brought to hotel rooms, or in some cases to Miller’s home.

Miller was arrested in May of 2024. An accomplice, 67-year-old Teresita Fuentes, was arrested days later. The Sexual Exploitation Section of the Montreal Police Department charged her with one count of pimping. Police said at the time that her arrest was in connection to one of the (then) 10 victims linked in the charges against Miller. The charge against Fuentes, who is said to be a resident of the same Westmount address as Miller, alleges that she acted as a procurer or a pimp for Miller who did “recruit, hold, conceal or harbour a person who offers or provides/exercises control, direction or influence over the movements of a person who offers or provides sexual services for consideration.” She also asked for a trial by judge and jury. The case against her returns to court in May.

Miller is the former owner of Future Electronics, which he sold in 2023 when allegations against him came to light. n

Westmount’s Miller to face judge and jury Read More »

Montreal transit strike may be looming

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Could Montreal be facing an all-out transit strike?

The 2,400-strong STM maintenance workers – represented by the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) – voted 97 percent in favour of a strike mandate. This could mean, at some point, an unlimited general strike.

“STM maintenance workers are ready to mobilize,” says Dominique Daigneault, president of the CSN’s Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain. “The STM must move up a gear and issue mandates so that negotiations can move forward if it wants to avoid a strike. For the good of users, we must improve working conditions and rely on public expertise.”

The union represents mechanics and other staffers who maintain the bus and Métro service. It has been negotiating with the STM for almost a year with little progress, said a statement by the union. It has been asking the STM to rein in outsourcing and privatization. The employees also want a better work-life balance, and the union is asking for measures to attract and retain workers. At last Sunday’s general assembly they voted to increase pressure tactics to strengthen their position at the bargaining table.

Bruno Jeannotte, President of the Syndicat du transport de Montréal–CSN, says the STM doesn’t seem willing to move forward in negotiations. “The STM runs every day thanks to the expertise of its maintenance employees. The employer must stop using subcontractors and must work with us to improve our working conditions and salaries. We are seeing more and more people leaving for other sectors. We need to reverse the trend as quickly as possible.”

The STM, the union points out, recently announced job cuts and more subcontracting for adapted transport. It also called out the Legault government for refusing to increase public funding for public transit.

“These negotiations are taking place in a complex context,” says Simon Mathieu Malenfant, VP of Fédération des employées et employées de services publics. “The government and transport companies are passing the buck for funding public transport. Another path is possible: investing in public transport to promote the ecological transition and preserve sustainable jobs.”

In an email to The Suburban, the STM pointed out that an agreement between it and the union expired last January 5. “The STM is doing everything possible to avoid such a situation and will actively continue discussions at the negotiating table. In the event of a strike,” it added, “the STM will communicate the potential impacts to customers in advance and in real time via its customer information tools.” n

Montreal transit strike may be looming Read More »

Lachine warehouse among several illegal cannabis sites raided

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Montreal police worked in collaboration with the Mascouche Police Department to dismantle a criminal drug network. It was a large-scale illegal cannabis operation that involved 21 searches, most of which were carried out in Montreal. The main production sites turned out to be two warehouses in Montreal – one in the Lachine borough and the other in Montreal North – with a third in Mascouche. The off-island community is about an hour north of Montreal.

Police came away with 10,628 cannabis plants worth more than $10 million, plus 1,167 pounds of bulk cannabis worth more than $1 million, smaller quantities of hashish, speed, and magic mushrooms.

Police say they also found some luxury items and more than $60,000 in cash.

The alleged members of the now dismantled criminal network held seven residences and buildings that investigators now have blocked. They also allege that the perpetrators had “fraudulently used certificates for personal production of cannabis for medical purposes issued by Health Canada,” according to a police statement.

Police say the network includes four men and two women between 30 and 60 years of age. They will make arrests at a later date, once the investigation is submitted to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions so that they can charge the alleged perpetrators under the Cannabis Act and in matters of fraud. n

Lachine warehouse among several illegal cannabis sites raided Read More »

Soraya Martinez Ferrada acclaimed leader of Ensemble Montréal

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Montreal’s official opposition Ensemble Montréal party now has a leader – Soraya Martinez Ferrada. That makes her EM’s mayoral candidate to face off against whoever will end up succeeding Valérie Plante as leader of Projet Montréal.

Ferrada announced her candidacy just a few weeks ago, after stepping down as Liberal Member of Parliament for Hochelaga and Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. A new leader was to have been elected at the party’s next convention in April. However, as no other candidate came forward before the end of the nomination period, Ferrada was acclaimed.

She says she will hit the ground running. “I want to bring Montrealers together and make them proud of their city with a party that represents their realities,” Ferrada says. “Beginning next week, I’ll be embarking on a comprehensive tour across Montreal’s boroughs to connect directly with residents, businesses, and community organizations.”

The party says that Ferrada embodies the bold and unifying leadership needed to address Montreal’s challenges. “Today, a new era begins for our party and its members,” says party president Carmine Pollice.

Ferrada has the experience, having been a city councillor before moving into federal politics.

“We are confident that Montrealers will choose her in turn to lead their city and respond to their needs. It’s time to give our metropolis a municipal administration that takes responsibility. Soraya possesses both the listening skills and determination that we collectively need.”

The next municipal election is in November. n

Soraya Martinez Ferrada acclaimed leader of Ensemble Montréal Read More »

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