Dan Laxer

Montrealers march for Ukraine as war enters fourth year

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

“Arm Ukraine! Save the World!” was one of the slogans shouted at the march held held last week to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Hundreds showed up to march through downtown, from Dorchester Square to a rally at Phillips Square. The accumulated snow of two storms was brightened by the yellow and blue of hundreds of Ukrainian flags. There were banners saying “Stop Russian aggression” and “Hold Russia accountable.”

Several dignitaries and politicians were on hand, including Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia who said “Ukraine is us,” and “Defending liberty in Ukraine is defending liberty everywhere.” The honourary Consul of Ukraine also spoke, as did Michael Shwec, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

“The Ukrainian population has shown incredible resilience,” Shwec said. “Everyone thought that after three days Ukraine would be finished. Three years later we continue to defend ourselves, to defend democracy, to defend the same values as the west, the same values as all Quebecers.”

Shwec thanked Canada and Quebec for giving refuge to Ukrainian families “who came here rather than staying in cities that have been completely destroyed.” Since the invasion 300,000 Ukrainians made their way to Canada. 25,000 now live in Montreal.

“I can’t believe it’s been three years,” says Gregory Bedik, Vice President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Quebec Provincial Council. “Who would think that these boys and girls would courageously and heroically defend their country for so long?”

And it’s not just a war, Bedik says. “They want to annihilate the memory of what Ukrainians are.”

Shwec called for continued western support, telling the crowd at the rally not to forget about the war, “because if Ukraine falls, it’s certain that Putin will keep going.” There will not be peace in Ukraine, Shwec said, until Russia ends the occupation, the murder and rape end, and Ukraine is given back to Ukrainians.

Bedik agreed, saying the international community needs to do more. “Until the war is over,” he said, “it’s not enough.” n

Montrealers march for Ukraine as war enters fourth year Read More »

Hippodrome among sites for modular units for the unhoused

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Montreal has come up with an initiative to relieve the homelessness crisis that the unhoused can live with and in: actual homes, temporary though they may be.

The city will be building three developments in three different spots around the city. Each one will be made up of modular units like those seen on construction sites. Each development will have 30 furnished living spaces either for individuals or couples, or people with mobility issues. Each development will have a common area, plus a shared kitchen and bathroom.

The units will be set up in three different locations, one at the Hippodrome site, one on Louvain Street in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough. The location of the third one is not yet known.

This is being done in collaboration with the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal.

It comes at a time when the city’s homeless shelters, whether night shelters or day centres, are overflowing. Mayor Plante has been calling on the provincial government to do more to help solve the homelessness crisis in the city.

The mayor admitted that the project,“will not replace the crying need to accelerate the construction of social housing.” The city’s executive committee member responsible for homelessness, Robert Beaudry, agreed, adding that this pilot project is in addition to Projet Montréal’s Loger Plus program to develop more social housing. The mayor is touting the temporary units as a holdover for those waiting for more social housing to be built.

Last month the city announced it had awarded a $3.2 million contract to RCM Modulaires for the prefabricated units. The city is describing them as high-quality units that had actually been used by Hydro-Quebec workers during the construction of the La Romaine power plant. Each unit will have a full bed, including mattress and box spring, chairs, TV stands, small refrigerators, and a window.

Residents will also have access to psychosocial workers. Construction will start next month and should be complete in April. n

Hippodrome among sites for modular units for the unhoused Read More »

Montreal TB cases rose in 2024

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by Dan Laxer
The Suburban

In the fall doctors were concerned about the rise in the number of cases of walking pneumonia, particularly among small children. Now, with flu season in full swing, with the usual warnings and vaccine recommendations, doctors are worried about the rise, albeit slight, in tuberculosis.

The incidence of TB in Canada and Quebec is generally low. The average number of cases in Montreal each year is around 120. But in 2024 there were a reported 200 cases of the disease, or 9.4 for every 100,000 people. That’s an increase of 54 percent, prompting the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal – the city’s public health authority – to issue an Appel à la vigilance, warning doctors to be on the lookout.

According to Dr. Mitch Shulman, in Montreal if a patient presents with symptoms like a cough, a low-grade fever, a bit of weight loss, tuberculosis would not be the obvious diagnosis. Shulman, a regular contributor to The Suburban, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at McGill Medical School as well as an Attending Physician in the Emergency Department of the McGill University Health Centre. For the most part, he explains, TB is brought in by those coming from, or having travelled to, countries with a high incidence of untreated TB, like Southeast Asia or Africa.

In Quebec reporting and treating the disease is mandatory. In fact, it is the only disease in the province that carries that requirement. Shulman says the advisory is to suggest that it might be appropriate, where symptoms warrant, to get a patient’s travel history and to test for TB.

There are fundamentally two forms of the disease. Latent TB, which stays in the lungs, won’t necessarily cause symptoms. The problem is when it becomes active either through travel, stress, or a change in health status. Then it becomes transmissible.

“It really is a function of poor living conditions, unsanitary living conditions, malnutrition,” says Shulman. “And under those circumstances, if you’re living close to someone with TB for prolonged periods of time TB can be spread.”

TB is treatable, though, “with the right antibiotics, in the right sequence, taken for the right amount of time.” What is worrisome, says Shulman, are the cases of treatment-resistant TB which, if they becomes the dominant strain could lead to a health crisis, which is why global health organizations keep a close watch on the bacteria.

For most people living on the island of Montreal TB is not a concern. Where it does become a concern, Shulman says, is in First Nations communities. “Because of living conditions like crowding, poor housing, and in some cases malnutrition and poor access to healthcare, we do know that the rate of tuberculosis in some First Nations communities is much higher. That’s a clear sign of a failure on our part to take care of people properly, to make certain that they receive adequate nutrition, water, and housing.”

Montreal TB cases rose in 2024 Read More »

Waste collection set to resume while snowbanks still abound

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Communities and boroughs in Montreal have all announced in the past few days that regular garbage and recycling collection is resuming this week.

To facilitate snow removal operations, collections had been cancelled to allow crews to get through the 74 centimetres of snow that had fallen over the period of a week.

By the end of last Friday afternoon streets like Draper Avenue in NDG, between Cote Saint Luc Road and Somerled in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, remained unplowed. If parents and buses dropping off and picking up students at Royal Vale School had trouble making it through, will collection crews even bother?

There are about 3,000 snow removal crews and 2,500 trucks and machines facing about 11,000 kilometres of roads and sidewalks that need clearing, only about 35% of which had been cleared by the end of Friday, after which crews took a mandatory break.

Snow removal does take priority, however, over waste collections. So while many communities had posted notices online saying that collections were, in fact, resuming on Monday (February 24), the city of Montreal is advising residents to verify the collection schedules in their areas for updates.

People are still being reminded to make sure bins are where they are supposed to be, and not blocking the way for snow removal vehicles, and that they obey parking restrictions where applicable. Check the Montreal Snow Info app for real-time updates. Track snow removal operations via the INFO-Towing system. Consult free parking maps to find available parking during snow removal. And subscribe to email and text alerts. n

Waste collection set to resume while snowbanks still abound Read More »

Plante announces Bureau de la langue française for Montreal

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

With less than a year left in her final mandate, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante has decided to open Montreal’s own Bureau de la langue française, “fully assuming (the city’s) status as a French-speaking metropolis of the Americas.” This was expected since last October, it was a recommendation of the city’s French Language Committee, presided over by former interim PQ leader, Louise Harel.

“Montreal stands proudly as a bastion of the French language,” the mayor said. “The creation of the Bureau de la langue française marks a decisive turning point in our commitment to promoting and protecting our shared language.”

The bureau’s mandate will be, among other things, to ensure the implementation of the new provisions applying to municipal administrations provided for in the Act respecting the official and common language of Quebec, French.

“This office will spearhead our mission and will make French shine in every corner of our city,” Plante said, “supporting our municipal services and inspiring our citizens to value our linguistic heritage.”

But with the Charter of the French language already governing the province, some question the necessity of this new office. Andrew Caddell, president of the Task Force on Linguistic Police says “it’s a battle that’s already been won,” pointing out that a large majority of Anglophones can already carry on a conversation in French. But while he does give the Plante administration its due for promoting French, he cautions that it’s going to come down to how the Bureau applies the law. “Is it going to be that much more restrictive on Anglophones to be able to access information” from city institutions that they pay for, he wonders. “If the law is applied as written,” he says, “it could be carte blanche for any hypernationalist to make sure that no Anglophone get services or is allowed to have a meeting in English.”

Caddell hopes the Bureau exercises flexibility. “But if it’s an office that is completely inflexible, and is applying both the spirit and the letter of the law, then we have a problem.”

Caroline Bourgeois, the executive committee member responsible for the French language, acknowledges that “this will present challenges in an international Metropolis like Montreal, but we are determined to build bridges with all of the pillars of our community. French will continue to unite us,” she adds, “as the common language of Montreal.”

The official opposition Ensemble Montréal party had no official comment or reaction by publication. n

Plante announces Bureau de la langue française for Montreal Read More »

CDN-NDG declares March Bangladeshi Heritage Month

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Last February 3, at the first borough council meeting of the year, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce council voted unanimously to declare the month of March Bangladeshi Heritage Month in the borough.

The motion was tabled by Snowdon councillor Sonny Moroz (Ensemble Montréal), supported by councillor Stephanie Valenzuela.

Moroz said the community had asked for this for a variety of reasons that include recognition, acceptance, and respect as members of a multicultural society. Bangladeshi Heritage Month is recognized federally, and provincially in Ontario. The Month of March was chosen because the 26th is Bangladeshi Independence and National Day.

“I find the community to be welcoming, open, and particularly Québécois in the way that it celebrates its holidays,” Moroz said in tabling the motion. “One of their biggest holidays is International Mother Language Day, which highlights the diversity and cultural-linguistic uniqueness of mother tongues.”

International Mother Language Day is on February 21, and was officially recognized by the UN General Assembly in 2002, thanks to a Bangladeshi initiative. That date was chosen to commemorate the day in 1952 when unrest erupted, and many people died as the Bengali community fought to retain its language rights. Two decades later Bangladesh declared independence, celebrating it for the first time on March 26th, 1972.

Suhel Miah is the founder and former-president of the Bangladesh Socio-Cultural Forum of Canada (BSCF), based in the borough. He was in attendance at the meeting, along with several members of the community. He said it feels great to have the community acknowledged in this way, and expressed hope that the City of Montreal would be next, and perhaps even the province. “It’s a big achievement for the community.”

Miah says the Montreal Bangladeshi community is a growing community, with about 25,000 members situated mostly in the borough, and in Park Extension. He says they are looking forward to adding events to their usual Independence Day celebrations to mark the month.

Current BSCF president Ashish Barua, who was also in attendance, expressed his thanks, on behalf of the community, to Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa and the council for recognizing the community.

Moroz assured the community that they have a home in the borough. And he said he hopes that this will lead to better relations with the province, as well. n

CDN-NDG declares March Bangladeshi Heritage Month Read More »

Westmount synagogue hit with Nazi graffiti.

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

“Now, here’s the thing.”

Rabbi Lisa Grushcow posted a video on Instagram, last week, calling upon Gentiles to show up for the Jewish community. Her synagogue, Temple Emanu-El–Beth Sholom in Westmount, was “the latest target of antisemitic hate,” hit with hateful graffiti recently.

This happened on Shabbat – the Jewish day of rest – on Saturday, February 15. A Nazi swastika was painted on the side of the building on Sherbrooke Street.

“This is our holy space,” she said in her video, “where we come to pray, to build community, for our children to learn and to play and to grow, where we cook food for the hungry, where we do our bit to make a better world. This is a place where we try and open doors and build bridges.”

Police say there is an investigation under way.

Mayor Valérie Plante, whom the Jewish community has several times demanded do more to prevent and prosecute acts of antisemitism, posted on her X account that these kinds of incidents are unacceptable. “I had the pleasure of visiting the synagogue recently,” she wrote. “I can assure Rabbi Lisa Grushcow that the SPVM is investigating. We must all unite and denounce all forms of antisemitism.”

Grushcow pointed out that antisemitism is skyrocketing “in our city and around the world, the highest levels of government, in our schools and in our streets.” She asked, in her video, that the wider community be an active part of the solution.

“For some of us, what’s just as disturbing as these acts of antisemitism is the silence of our friends.”

Reach out to your Jewish friends, she said. “Educate yourself… to learn about how long and how deep the history of antisemitism is, and why hateful words and symbols matter so much.”

And she asked non-Jews to speak up: “If you hear something antisemitic – a joke, a comment – don’t wait for the Jewish person in the room to say something. And if there is no Jewish person in the room it’s even more important to say something. Be an ally,” she continued. “We know how to do this.”

She invited non-Jews to get to know more about Jewish life, to visit synagogues or community centres, to “pay attention to what we love and what we cherish about Jewish life, why we’re proud to be who we are.”

“Stand with me against antisemitism,” she asked. “Stand with me against hate. Enough is enough.”

Westmount Mayor Christina Smith condemned the painting of the swastika saying, ‘‘I condemn this antisemitic act in the strongest possible terms. Antisemitism, racism, and hatred of others have no place in Westmount. At times like these, we are fortunate to have the leadership of Rabbi Lisa Grushcow, whose wisdom and guidance serve as an example for us all. We must all take a stand to denounce these acts that in no way reflect the society in which most of us want to live and raise our children.’’ Smith added that the Westmount Public Safety team will “pay particular attention to the synagogues in the city and will also collaborate with the Service de police de Montréal (SPVM) in the investigation.”

Westmount synagogue hit with Nazi graffiti. Read More »

Miller appeals class action decision

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by Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Robert Miller, accused of several counts of sex charges perpetrated against at least 46 alleged victims, is appealing a Superior Court decision to allow a class action suit against him to go forward.

The decision was rendered by Judge Catherine Piché last January 14, as reported in The Suburban. Miller’s lawyers filed the appeal in the late afternoon of February 19.

The billionaire’s legal team is saying the judge made several errors, particularly in allowing anonymous testimony from Miller’s alleged victims. They argue that the judge should rather have stuck to the three original accusations.

The appeal says that the judge’s ruling failed to find enough commonalities to justify the class action, which names not only Miller, but his former company, Future Electronics, along with three alleged cohorts – Helmut Lippmann, Sam Abrams, and Raymond Poulet.

This is in addition to the four civil suits and the 24 criminal counts that Miller is facing.

In her ruling, Judge Piché says that there were about 100 victims, all minors between the age of 11 and 17, selected for Miller and brought to him at hotel rooms. They were given money, clothing, jewellery, or even trips.

Miller appeals class action decision Read More »

Think before you move, Montreal warns renters

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The City of Montreal launched an information campaign hoping to help Montreals navigate what they are calling an unprecedented housing crisis, and to deal with rent increases amid the shortage of affordable housing.

The recommended rent increase, announced last month by the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL), and reported on in The Suburban, is the highest increase in the last three decades: 5.9 percent. The city points out that landlords have until the end of March to submit notice of rent increases for leases starting July 1. Tenants have a month to either accept or refuse.

The city put out its warning in the hopes of reducing the number of households using the rehousing service offered by the city in collaboration with the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM).

“The housing crisis in Montreal has dramatic repercussions for some households who find themselves homeless on July 1, because they have not found housing that meets their financial capacity,” said Montreal’s head of housing Benoit Dorais. “It is crucial to know your rights to better enforce them.”

The city is warning Montreal tenants to think carefully before terminating a lease and moving. It is recommending to those thinking of moving to start searching for a new place to live now due to the shortage of affordable housing. It is also suggesting renters visit the city’s website to avail themselves of online tools from the OMHM that groups available housing by the number of rooms and amount. It also recommends the organization Vivre en Ville organization as a good source of information about the costs of rent in different areas.

The city said in its release that neighbourhood housing committees are available, as well, “to help you see things more clearly.” n

Think before you move, Montreal warns renters Read More »

Concordia, McGill see enrolments drop, deficits continue

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Concordia University has seen a concerning decrease in winter registrations, even as it deals with financial woes not unlike those at McGill.

McGill discussed its budgetary problems with the student body in a virtual town hall in which it mentioned other Canadian universities, Concordia included, that are dealing with large deficits.

In an email to The Suburban, Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci says the university has been faced with deficits since the spring of 2023 (when they posted a deficit of $15 million). “The approved deficit for 2024-2025,” she said, “is $34.5 million, and we have been focused on reducing costs and stabilizing enrolment so that we can return to a balanced budget in 2028-2029.”

The drop in applications is worrying since Concordia has been working on recruiting 1,000 new students for the next academic year, specifically to deal with declining enrolment.

Like McGill, Concordia is striving to balance its budget by 2028. Both schools are working with Quebec’s Ministry of Higher Education on a recovery plan. And, like McGill, part of the problem is Quebec’s restrictions on international students, leading to a drop in applications for winter, summer, and fall 2025. New registrations are down five percent for January of this year. This follows some 10-20% application drops last fall.

Student enrolment does account for the bulk of the university’s revenue – 85 percent. But Maestracci points out that enrolment tends to be lower in the winter than in the fall, so it’s hard to say, at this point, how things will turn out in the coming months. But in an budget update in December Provost Anne Whitelaw did point out that the loss from the drop in enrolment affects the three years those students would have spent at Concordia.

Cuts to expenses were inevitable. Some of the measures include adjusting the temperatures in some buildings depending on the hours of operation – turning off heat or air conditioning, and other measures. Last month, while covering a story at Concordia, some journalists from The Suburban noted the “freezing” temperatures in some administration buildings.

And, again, like McGill, Concordia is also in a hiring freeze. Some positions have been closed, and several others have not been filled.

Concordia’s overall operating budget is $665 million. n

Concordia, McGill see enrolments drop, deficits continue Read More »

Alleged WE,WI real estate fraudster arrested

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Montreal police have finally caught up with Adnane El Fehdi, the alleged kingpin of a real estate fraud ring that duped victims out of more than $5 million, many of them in the West End and West Island of Montreal. El Fehdi has been the subject of a manhunt since 2023. He was arrested in Malaga, Spain on February 7 and brought back to Montreal.

He is the 18th suspect arrested in a case that dates back to 2021.

The police made the arrest in collaboration with Interpol and Spanish authorities. El Fehdi appeared in court the following Saturday to face charges of fraud, conspiracy, and offences relating to the proceeds of crime. In November 2023, 17 other suspects – seven women and 10 men – were apprehended and faced similar charges. El Fehdi has been on the run since then.

Those arrested include a St. Laurent resident who was acquitted, and a Montreal-North resident who pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 15 months to be served in the community, a $1,000 fine, and 50 hours of community service.

The crimes involved mortgage-free properties in Westmount, NDG, and Beaconsfield, and three vacant lots in Ile de Soeurs.

“Using false identification,” police said, “the fraudsters allegedly managed to pass themselves off as the owners of the houses and lots. They appeared virtually before a first notary to sign a power of attorney giving full powers of administration of the property to an agent who was part of the criminal network.”

They opened bank accounts under the real owners’ names, obtained financing from a private lender, then signed a mortgage with another notary. They deposited the loaned money into the fake account, then withdrew it soon after.

“The consequences of these real estate frauds were major,” the statement continues, “both for the affected owners and for the private lenders.”

This happens often, says Terry Kilakos of North East Real Estate and Mortgage Agency, but there are prevention measures. Before the Covid-19 pandemic he would insist on in-person, face-to-face meetings. “That one thing in itself goes a long way to preventing mortgage fraud.” Now, 95 percent of transactions are done online or by phone. “We still do our due diligence to make sure that we’re talking to the right person,” checking out properties, gathering ID documents, and verifying property registries. The credit bureau, Kilakos explains, also has fail-safes in place. On top of that, mortgage brokers have worked toward implementing Fintrac guidelines (Fintrac is the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, the country’s financial intelligence unit). Committing fraud should be next to impossible. For crimes like these to occur, Kilakos says, there has to be multiple levels of complicity, from lenders to mortgage brokers to notaries. Or the unwitting help of less experienced professionals.

One of the best things people can do to protect themselves, Kilakos says, is to get title insurance, which protects both lenders and homeowners.

Police also recommend being wary of clients in a hurry, and of those who don’t ask questions, and learning to distinguish a real driver’s permit from a fake one.

Alleged WE,WI real estate fraudster arrested Read More »

Where is the help you offered? Resilience Montreal asks government

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Resilience Montreal put together a detailed budget into its services and its financial needs specifically because provincial Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant asked them to. Why, then, Executive Director David Chapman wants to know, are they now being ignored?

Resilience Montreal is planning a move to a larger, better facility – from its current location at the corner of Ste. Catherine and Atwater to 780 Atwater a few blocks further south. The move will come with extended hours, and will require new hires to respond to increased need in the community. And that requires funding.

Last November Carmant’s office reached out to the shelter, offering to help. Carmant, the CAQ MNA for Taillon, met with Chapman, and brought along Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, the opposition MNA for Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne. They toured the site of the new facility, discussed the shelter’s mission and needs, and talked about funding.

Carmant acknowledged, at the time, that the money Resilience does get is nowhere near enough. Cliche-Rivard had also asked about the shelter’s budgetary shortfall. But since then there’s been no contact from Carmant’s office. So Chapman sent a letter to Carmant, co-signed by Nakuset, director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal (and co-founder of Resilience).

In the letter, a copy of which was sent to The Suburban, Chapman writes, “we were surprised in January to learn that no funding would be allocated to address this shortfall and that our expansion proposal, designed with the neighbourhood’s well-being in mind, was not being supported.”

Carmant’s office says that Resilience Montreal already receives funding through the provincial government’s plan to alleviate homelessness and its Indigenous support. His office then suggested they ask the federal government for more funding.

Chapman explains that Carmant is referring to money that comes from the Secrétariat aux relations avec les Premières Nations et les Inuit (SRPNI). It’s something Chapman says Resilience gets every year to the tune of $100,000. Their budget, however, is $2.2 million. “$100,000 is two months’ of groceries.”

Resilience Montreal operates with an all-Indigenous board, a team of 50% Indigenous operating staff, and an 80% Indigenous intervention team. “And a lot of the clients we service,” Chapman tells The Suburban, “are second-generation residential school survivors.”

Chapman acknowledges that Resilience does get $500,000 a year from the CIUSSS. But combined with the funding that Carmant is referring to, they start off each year with less than half of their budget, having to scrounge to make up the balance via private donors.

So Chapman is wondering why, if the provincial government either can’t – or won’t – help, why did they approach Resilience Montreal in the first place?

“Our situation is dire,” Chapman’s letter warns, “and the future of Resilience Montreal is uncertain.”

He says they have enough money left in the bank to get them through the next three weeks. “After that we go below zero.” If no money is forthcoming after that, Chapman says, they may have to close “for a while.”

He says that Resilience Montreal remains committed to the partnership that Carmant proposed. “We believe that with your support,” he wrote to Carmant, “we can make a significant difference in the lives of the homeless population and the community at large.” n

Where is the help you offered? Resilience Montreal asks government Read More »

Cinemas Guzzo chain closes temporarily

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A Quebec Superior Court judge has approved the closure of all theatres in the Cinemas Guzzo chain.

The post-Covid period has not been kind to the company. During the pandemic, owner-operator Vincenzo Guzzo railed against the government’s blanket closures of establishments, including movie theatres. Like a lot of businesses, Cinemas Guzzo has had trouble bouncing back.

At one time the largest movie theatre chain in the province, Guzzo has been steadily closing locations due to financial pressures, including the Méga-Plex locations in Marché Central and in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, and before that – as reported in The Suburban – the Dollard des Ormeaux location.

The company had been placed under receivership, overseen by Dominic Deslandes of Raymond Chabot, who had petitioned the court to allow the receiver to close the cinema chain, which has been steadily losing money – a “financial hemorrhage,” as Judge Michel Pinsonnault termed it in his ruling, granting the request.

Cinemas Guzzo was initially put under interim receivership in November of last year, and then given a reprieve of 13 weeks in which it was hoped it would get its financial issues in order, and avoid the closure of more locations than necessary.

The court found that Guzzo had been making “irregular” payments, and the closure comes as the receiver doubts the company’s ability to put its finances in order.

The closure is not necessarily permanent, according to Pinsonnault’s ruling. However, neither Raymond Chabot nor Cinemas Guzzo provided any indication as to what that means for the future of the chain. n

Cinemas Guzzo chain closes temporarily Read More »

Police investigating NDG murder

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A 55-year-old man is dead after a shooting in the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.

Montreal police (SPVM) said they received 911 calls around 11:45 on the night of last Sunday, February 2.

The shooting occurred at the corner of St. Jacques and Beaconsfield, where the 55-year-old was found unresponsive. Police say first responders worked to resuscitate the man, who was then transported to hospital where he died of his injuries.

The street had remained closed off even until late Monday afternoon while police carried out their investigation. Residents were not allowed out of their homes.

One resident, who asked that her name not be used, told The Suburban that the entire block was taped off. Police were instructing those residents who had to leave to use the back exit.

Nearly a week after the fact, there are no new developments in the investigation. SPVM spokesperson Constable Marianne Allaire Morin tells The Suburban it is ongoing, but they still have no suspects, and no arrests have been made. n

Police investigating NDG murder Read More »

“Margins are too slim to absorb tariffs!”

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By Beryl Wajsman, and Dan Laxer The Suburban

Despite the tariff reprieve until March 1,The Suburban decided to get a sense of how the Montreal business community could be affected at the local level.

While it was all well and good for politicians to react at the macro level — including the now delayed threat to pull American products off SAQ shelves — and the general provincial and federal statements about financial support, the picture on main street is troubling indeed.

When Finance Minister Eric Girard – also Minister Responsible for Relations with English-Speaking Quebeckers – said that there will be measures to ensure that. “We will protect our economy, our business, and our citizens,” he, like his counterparts, had few specifics. In part because since Canada had never faced such a serious trade threat, few could calculate the full ramifications.

Bold statements are necessary to give Canadians courage, but they do not address the specific damaging effects on individuals and companies. The tariffs would be an existential threat to lives and livelihoods.

Elliot Lifson, President of the Canadian Apparel Federation and Vice-Chairman of Montreal’s Peerless Clothing- Canada’s largest menswear manufacturer with a massive export component — had this to say to The Suburban. “The margins in this industry — one of Canada’s largest — are too slim to absorb the tariffs. if there is no permanent resolution, our focus will be on protecting the jobs and livelihoods of our workers. And to do that this industry will need help from all three levels of government.” Peerless has some 4,000 workers at its east end facility in Montreal.

The Suburban also contacted several transport companies. Many of their executives were not available for comment and at least one did not want to comment. However, Lachine-based Prince Logistic Services dispatcher Emilio Fiore pointed out that, “our biggest fear is that markets slow down, less product goes to the U.S., less product comes in and definitely it would impact the transport industry.”

We also contacted executives in heavy industry and tech sectors. Though none wanted to speak for attribution, one common thread was that they are trying to reach their American clients and see whether a mutual absorption of tariffs was possible. None had yet concluded any arrangements.

~ with files

from Joel Goldenberg n

“Margins are too slim to absorb tariffs!” Read More »

Plante makes private Airbnb rentals illegal except in summer

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

In a bid to solve at least part of the housing crisis, and the problem of illegal holiday rentals, the Plante administration is cracking down on Airbnb-type rentals in all main residences in the city except in the summer.

In a news conference held last week, Mayor Plante said there are still too many people who abuse the system. The new rules will mean that it will now only be possible to rent out a residence between the 10th of June and September 10 – a period of just over three months in the summer.

Some tourist residences in specific commercial areas, like parts of Ste. Catherine Street or St. Denis, will be allowed to rent year-round.

Projet Montréal’s head of housing, Benoit Dorais, explained that starting this June, it will now be necessary to have a valid permit to rent out a residence during that period.

Dorais and Plante explained that anyone who wishes to do so – particularly “offending owners,” to use Mayor Plante’s words – will now have to prove to a judge that they have, or should have, the right to rent out their residence. “It will no longer fall on the shoulders of the City of Montreal,” the mayor said.

And they will have to obtain permits from both the Ministry of Tourism and the City of Montreal.

Offenders would face fines of $1,000-$2,000 per night, depending on whether they are individuals or businesses. And the city will increase the number of inspectors who oversee the issue from three to seven.

The new regulations come almost two years after the 2023 fire that destroyed a heritage property in Old Montreal, and resulted in the deaths of seven people. Even though, since then, the city has tried to curb the practice, it was difficult to stay ahead of offenders who took advantage of the system.

Benoit points out that there are a lot of housing units that could, if illegally renting to tourists becomes less profitable, be reverted to rental units for Montrealers.

Depending on peak tourist periods, the time when tourist rentals are allowed could be altered. For example, next year the Grand Prix will take place in May. Dorais assured “we want to make sure that the Grand Prix is included” (in tourist season).

The new regulations come into effect this June. n

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Standish announces departure from CaPQ leadership at John Rennie meeting

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Canadian Party of Quebec (CaPQ) founding leader and co-leader Colin Standish is leaving the party – and leaving politics, at least for now. He has accepted a position as a Crown Prosecutor in another province, a position he refers to as a “dream job.” The formal announcement was made at a CaPQ community meeting at John Rennie High last week.

Standish says he took the “proverbial, and literal, ‘walk in the snow’,” referring to former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s own such walk before his resignation in 1984.

Standish has been looking for new employment for a while, and had even posted on his Facebook page last August that he was “actively seeking the next career move that will propel me forward professionally for the next decade.”

The new position will take Standish out of the province. He would have preferred to stay in Quebec. Several local opportunities had presented themselves, but Standish was passed over. He did wonder, he told The Suburban, if that had had anything to do with his involvement in politics. “I started looking in the rest of Canada,” he says, where he had several promising offers. He took the position that made the most sense to him as a lawyer. “It really is a great way to serve the public good. I certainly wouldn’t move away for anything less than a dream job,” he adds, “but I think it’ll make me the lawyer I wanted to be.”

Standish was born and raised in the Eastern Townships. He was fresh out of law school, articling for a law firm, when he became disillusioned with the federal and provincial governments’ evolving stance on language, which in Quebec would lead to Bill 96. That, added to the post-Bill 21 climate, and the use of the Notwithstanding Clause – both of which are currently being challenged in court – created the perfect storm that would lead to Standish’s involvement in the Task Force on Linguistic Policy and the creation of the Canadian Party of Quebec. CaPQ has been compared to the Equality Party founded in 1989 by Robert Libman. In fact, Keith Henderson, who led the Equality Party during the 1995 referendum campaign, is CaPQ advisor.

This does not spell the end of the party. Co-leader Myrtis Fossey will continue in her role. Founding party member Joseph Cianflone will step into the co-leader position. Standish will stay on as a board member and advisor. And he may return to the fold at some point (the new position is a one-year contract). Cianflone says the party is in “a stronger position than ever before.” Standish agrees, saying “we have an accomplished leadership team, money in the bank, paid off our campaign debts ahead of schedule, have thousands of supporters and a dedicated group of volunteers,” Standish says. “The CaPQ will continue the fight for a better Quebec based on principled leadership.”

Standish says the decision to leave was heartbreaking. He would rather be in Quebec. “The Eastern Townships is the only place that’s ever felt like home.” He is scheduled to start his new job later this month. CaPQ will have a full leadership convention later this year. n

Standish announces departure from CaPQ leadership at John Rennie meeting Read More »

Opposition parties want Quebec to roll back rent increases

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Suburban reported last week on the recommended rent increases in Quebec at nearly 6 percent, the highest it’s been in three decades. Now groups are calling on Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau to do something to pull it back.

The groups include not just housing organizations and tenants’ groups, but also provincial opposition parties – the Quebec Landlords Corporation (CORPIQ), the Coalition of Housing Committees and Tenants Associations of Quebec (RECLALQ) the Liberal Party, and Québec Solidaire.

They are calling on a change to the formula used to come up with the annual rent increases. Liberal Housing Critic Virginie Dufour says she would like to see a committee made up of both landlords and tenants who could come up with a new formula that would take into account landlords’ actual expenses, but that would be clearer for tenants.

Québec Solidaire Housing Critic Andrés Fontecilla agreed. But first and foremost, he says, is to rein in the newly announced rent increase. He says it should be capped at Quebec’s yearly consumer price index, which for 2024 would be 2.3 percent.

CORPIQ’s Eric Sansoucy, however, said this year’s increase is good for landlords, helping them mitigate increased costs. He does acknowledge that this year’s rent increase is high, and that the formula does need to be looked at, but that it’s also not the first time the increase was excessive. In 2022, for example, inflation was at 6.7 percent, and the recommended rent increase was up to five percent. He suggests landlords’ profit index be tied into the inflation rate, averaged over three years, to bring rent increases to levels that benefit both landlords and tenants.

But representatives from RECLALQ insist that the formula shouldn’t even include profits. Moreover, it says rent should be frozen until a better system can be set up for calculating increases. Fontecilla says a freeze would be unfair to landlords who if they can’t cover their costs, would find themselves in the untenable position of having to sell to corporations, which in turn would exacerbate the housing crisis. He says there has to be a balance.

Premier François Legault will not intervene, saying the TAL should be independent of the government, even though, as Fontecilla points out, they intervened to limit Hydro-Québec rate hikes. He says the government should intervene. And between now and the end of March – the period in which landlords have to issue notifications for July 1 increases – the government has plenty of time. n

Opposition parties want Quebec to roll back rent increases Read More »

Pierrefonds Mayor warns Quebec cuts threaten school programs

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre and Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Montreal borough mayors are mounting strong opposition to recent provincial funding cuts that could jeopardize access to school sports facilities and after-school programs across the island.

The “Reflex Montreal” agreement, established in 2018, had enabled schools to offer their sports facilities free of charge during evenings and weekends to community organizations. While the initial notification indicated that the funding would end on January 11, the province extended the funding until this past Saturday, February 1, according to Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.

At a January 23 press conference, Plante strongly criticized the Quebec government’s decision, stating that they were “not respecting the deal” made with municipalities. The announcement comes amid broader educational budget constraints, as the Quebec government recently announced cuts of more than $200 million to Quebec’s education system for the period ending March 2025.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis warns that these cuts could force local organizations to either cancel activities or significantly increase registration fees. He estimates the financial burden would reach hundreds of thousands of dollars for affected communities.

“We’re facing a situation where children might be priced out of structured activities,” Beis explained. “Instead of participating in supervised programs, they could end up spending more time isolated at home with electronics or wandering neighbourhoods without proper supervision.”

The Quebec Education Ministry maintains that school service centres can continue the facility-sharing agreement beyond February, though without provincial funding. Education Minister Bernard Drainville took to social media to assert that there is no reason for school boards to terminate the facility-sharing arrangements, despite the funding cuts.

Borough mayors have emphasized that these cuts could spell the end of weekend swimming lessons and soccer matches at school-owned facilities. Mayors continue to push for a resolution that would preserve these vital recreational spaces and maintain affordable access to school facilities during non-school hours.

With the deadline past, municipalities and school boards are scrambling to find alternative solutions to maintain essential community programs without increasing costs for families. n

Pierrefonds Mayor warns Quebec cuts threaten school programs Read More »

Amazon’s Quebec pull-out hits locals

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer and Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Just one day after news broke that Amazon is pulling all of its operations out of Quebec, the Amazon sign had been removed from the massive recently built Lachine distribution center. And nearly 2,000 workers – 1,700 permanent staff and 250 temporary workers – were suddenly without a job throughout the province.

The move appeared to have stemmed from a push to unionization. Last April the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN) filed with the Tribunal Administratif de Travail (TAT) to represent the 300 employees at the Laval location of the Amazon DXT4 warehouse. A majority of employees joined the union, so the TAT officially certified it in May. July saw the start of negotiations for a collective agreement. Even though talks were not concluded, a statement by the CSN says they had been “progressing.”

The closures, says CSN President Caroline Senneville, “are part of an anti-union campaign against the CSN and Amazon employees.” Quebec was the only Amazon location in Canada represented by a union. There had been attempts to unionize Amazon facilities in British Columbia and Ontario, but those efforts had been rebuffed by the company. The “wild closures,” Senneville says, “is a slap in the face for all workers in Quebec,” Senneville says. “Since the beginning of our campaign three years ago, Amazon has done everything it can to prevent its employees from unionizing: fear campaigns, anti-union messages, contesting the Labour Code, disguised dismissals. And today, we learn that the multinational prefers to withdraw from Quebec rather than respect its obligation to agree on a collective agreement? This is totally unacceptable.”

Senneville points out that there had been a push to unionize at the Lachine location, which was rebuffed by Amazon. In fact, last August the TAT ordered Amazon to stop getting in the way of unionization; the company had posted anti-union posters at different locations. It was also ordered to pay $30,000 in moral and punitive damages.

Amazon’s position, however, is that the closures have nothing to do with unionization. Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait provided The Suburban with the company’s position, saying the move “will allow us to provide the same great service and even more savings to our customers over the long run.” Employees impacted by the closures, Agrait says, will be given a package that includes up to 14 weeks pay and transitional benefits, like job placement resources.

Premier François Legault had little to say about the closures. He expressed sympathy for the employees who have lost their jobs, but said the move is “a private decision by a private company.” Federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne said that he reached out to the head of Amazon Canada to express “dismay and frustration” about the closures and resultant job losses. “This is not the way business is done in Canada.”

Workers’ reactions ranged from fear to uncertainty over immediate employment prospects. In the West Island, warehouse workers and logistics specialists have taken to professional networking sites to signal their availability, actively connecting with other local businesses in the area.

In Montreal, particularly around the Lachine facility, workers have created informal job-search networks, sharing leads on warehouse and logistics positions. “Team morale is at zero and no one feels like working,” said one Amazon delivery driver after learning of the closure. “It’s so unfortunate. Over 2,000 jobs will be lost,” said another affected worker. “We’re worried. We have families to support and the notice is very short.”

Meanwhile in Laval, where employees had recently unionized, workers posted they were “dissatisfied” with what they described as a “hectic work pace, low wages and inadequate health and safety measures”. The upcoming closure has sparked a grassroots support network among affected staff in all three regions, with many offering to help colleagues update resumes and prepare for interviews with other employers.

Demonstrations of solidarity have begun taking place at multiple locations, with dozens of unionized Amazon employees in Laval participated in protests as discussions continue between CSN and the company. Local labour organizations remain firm in their stance that the withdrawal is connected to unionization efforts, despite Amazon’s denials.

The company’s departure has also sparked widespread community backlash, with thousands of Quebecers, workers and non-workers alike, joining a boycott movement. Montreal resident Anne Lagacé Dowson, one of the boycott participants, expressed relief at cutting ties with the company. “Amazon is a terrible corporation, unethical, with drivers and people working conveyor belts in horrible work conditions, constantly being rushed,” she said to The Suburban. “I don’t want to do business with this company anymore. I feel relieved.”

Posters supporting the boycott have begun appearing on homes and businesses throughout Montreal. The impact of Amazon’s exit extends beyond immediate job losses. According to company statements, Amazon plans to return to a third-party delivery model, similar to its approach before 2020, which could create opportunities for local small businesses to fill the delivery void. The complete closure of all seven facilities is scheduled to be completed by March 2025. n

Amazon’s Quebec pull-out hits locals Read More »

TMR’s Carlyle School gets visit from Finance Minister and MNA

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard paid a visit to Carlyle Elementary School in Town of Mount Royal recently along with Michelle Setlakwe, Liberal MNA for Mont Royal-Outremont.

As the Minister Responsible for Relations with English-Speaking Quebecers, Girard had accepted an invitation from the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) to visit some of their schools. He was at Royal Vale School in NDG two years ago, and Dunrae Gardens last year.

Setlakwe joined Girard on this particular visit because the school is in her riding. Both she and Girard live within walking distance of Carlyle. In fact, Girard told students he often walks his dog past the school.

The visit to Carlyle was a bit different in that the school’s Media Club, made up of Leadership students from Grades 5 and 6, were given the opportunity to interview the MNAs in a mock news conference.

The 10 students in the club have been learning about media and journalism. Part of the program is the production of Carlyle Live: The Carlyle Elementary School Podcast. The students, guided by their animator – a former broadcaster-turned-print journalist – write and record their own stories culled from day-to-day life in the Carlyle community. They spent some time coming up with questions for Girard and Setlakwe. The students asked their questions in English. Girard and Setlawke answered for the most part in French.

There were questions about how kids can play a role in the political process even though they can’t vote. Girard responded that young people have a lot of influence. They can write to their leaders, or speak with them, or have discussions with their parents. Politicians, Girard said, “have a long-term responsibility to future generations.”

Some took the bold step of asking Setlakwe and Girard their thoughts on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepping down as Liberal Party leader, and on U.S. President Trump’s threats to take over Canada.

On Trudeau, Setlakwe said there comes a time when leaders need to step aside and let others take over. She encouraged the students to pay attention to upcoming leadership races – federal, provincial, and municipal, adding “even if we don’t agree with everything a politician puts forward, I think politicians deserve respect.”

On Trump’s threats to take over Canada, Girard said it’s not going to happen. “Canada is a beautiful country,” the CAQ minister told the students. “We are proud to live here. Trump says a lot of things,” Girard added. “We should watch what he does and not listen too much to what he says.”

Both MNAs said they enjoy their jobs, they enjoy working in the National Assembly, and in their ridings. Setlakwe said she loves working with her co-citizens and neighbours. Girard explained that they work in Quebec City from Tuesday to Thursday eight months out of the year. “When I’m in Quebec City,” he said, “I miss my family. And I miss walking my dog in Town of Mount Royal past Carlyle School.” n

TMR’s Carlyle School gets visit from Finance Minister and MNA Read More »

Court approves class action suit against Robert Miller

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Just weeks after liens were placed on two Westmount homes owned by Robert Miller, a Quebec Superior Court judge has authorized a class-action suit against the billionaire.

Miller stands accused of paying women, who were allegedly minors at the time, for sex. Their lawyers, Jeff Orenstein and Lawrence David, made the request, which was approved by Quebec Superior Court Justice Catherine Piché.

The request was originally made last November. At the time Miller said he wanted to defend himself, but insisted, through his lawyer Karim Renno, that he could not effectively mount a defence if his accusers were allowed to remain anonymous.

Miller is accused, along with three of his former Future Electronics employees – Helmut Lippman, Raymond Poulet and Sam Joseph Abrams – of sex offences that are alleged to have taken place in Montreal-area hotels, as well as a home in Westmount. After a Radio-Canada documentary about the allegations, Miller sold Future Electronics, which is also named in the suit.

In Piché’s 76-page ruling, the judge wrote that some legal and factual questions will need to be answered, namely, did Miller indeed exploit minors for the purposes of sex, and whether the other defendants in the case “encouraged or aided as accomplices in the performance of these wrongful conducts”. And “Did one of more of the defendants wrongfully participate in an organized juvenile prostitution scheme?”

Also in the ruling was the authorization as representatives in the case against Miller “All persons who, while less than 18 years old, provided sexual services in exchange for remuneration, and/or were victims of sexual exploitation, and/or have been victims of incitement to sexual contact from Robert G. Miller, Raymond Poulet, Sam Joseph Abrams, Helmut Lippmann and/or Future Electronics Inc.”

Miller is 81, and is said by his lawyers to be too sick to appear in court. n

Court approves class action suit against Robert Miller Read More »

Westmount Mayor Christina Smith will not seek re-election

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Westmount Mayor Christina Smith announced last Friday that she would not be seeking a third term. Smith said, “After 12 years on Council, including eight as Mayor, and following thoughtful discussions with my family, I have decided not to seek another mandate in the upcoming municipal election this November.”

Smith was first elected to Westmount city council in 2013. In April 2017 she stepped into the position of Mayor when Peter Trent retired. She handily won the Mayoralty election the following November.

After earning a Bachelor of Political Science from Bishop’s University, Smith pursued a career in public affairs and public policy. In the private sector, she was Director of Industry and Government Affairs for Coca-Cola. In the public sector she served as Policy Advisor to then-Federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Stéphane Dion who went on to lead the Liberal Party of Canada.

Smith said she got into politics, particularly at the municipal level, “to foster civic engagement, contribute meaningfully to our community, and shape a promising future for Westmount. Municipal government lies at the very heart of our democracy, serving as the closest point of contact with the people.” She will continue as Mayor and serve out her term and will continue to work in the city’s interests.. “We will welcome a spirited debate on our fiscal, physical, architectural, environmental, and social challenges as we strive to ensure Westmount remains a livable city,” she added.

Smith highlighted that “much remains to be accomplished.” And there certainly is a lot on the Westmount agenda for the coming months, including the future of the city’s south-east sector; the area’s revitalization played a big role in Smith’s election to the mayoralty. Smith also mentioned the city’s aging infrastructure, its debt, and the future of Hydro Westmount as crucial matters in her mandate and for whoever takes over in the next one.

Smith is married, with three children. “Serving on City Council has been an immense honour and privilege,” she said. “The opportunity to directly impact the daily lives of our residents has been deeply fulfilling. I am immensely proud of the collective achievements we have made together.” n

Westmount Mayor Christina Smith will not seek re-election Read More »

Homeless warming shelter closed because of “mild weather”

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Last week, a warming station in the city’s Ville Marie borough was shut down, because authorities said that it wasn’t cold enough outside to keep it open.

The city-run shelter, operated out of the Stanley Street YMCA, is usually open in the urgent event of frigid temperatures below -27 degrees with wind chill factored in. It was warmer than that when the city initially opened the shelter. But then they shut it down on the 9th, when the overnight temperature was -13.

The shelter was originally meant to accommodate 50 people, but the city increased capacity due to the extreme cold. Between last December 21, when the shelter opened, until its closure, nearly 1,300 people had been through its doors.

There are other places for homeless Montrealers to go, including Welcome Hall Mission, the Old Brewery Mission, the EMMIS shelter in Old Montreal, Resilience Montreal, and others. But, like hospitals, many of them are at overcapacity. In fact, hospitals report that some homeless have been seeking shelter from the cold in emergency rooms, adding to their already acute overcrowding problem.

Since the warming centre on Stanley is open only in extreme weather conditions, closing it when the weather turns milder is considered normal. However, as Sam Watts, CEO and Executive Director of Welcome Hall Mission, tells The Suburban, that is beside the point. “Warming centres are not a suitable response to a humanitarian crisis. Tents aren’t either.”

Watts says the City of Montreal is following an outmoded model of care for its disadvantaged and disconnected citizens. “The disjointed, seasonal, temporary patches that we’ve come to accept need to be replaced by a well-crafted strategy that is people-centred.” That requires a combined effort of all levels of government, along with the healthcare system, and those who provide frontline care for those in need.

Watts outlines a three-pronged solution to the current trend, which includes prevention, rethinking the way care is provided in the community, and ensuring that housing is viewed “as a fundamental building block of human health,” with policies to ensure everyone has a place to call home.

The weather has been mild the last couple of weeks, but Montreal may see overnight windchill factors of at least -26 before the end of the month. The city has not indicated whether the YMCA shelter could be reopened if the need arises. But in an email to The Suburban spokesperson Guillaume Rivest stated “risk is also assessed on the basis of field data and other emergency resources available to people experiencing homelessness.” n

Homeless warming shelter closed because of “mild weather” Read More »

Montreal car registration tax triples

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Montreal motorists have been subsidizing the city’s public transit system with a “public transit contribution” since 1992. The charge is added to the vehicle registration fee which the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) then hands off to the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable.

Last year a new tax was instituted in addition to the $30 public transit contribution. For 2024 the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) set the tax at $59.

This year that tax rose to $150, as of January 1.

The cost comes as a bit of a shock to those who might not be aware of it, even though the hike was voted on by the CMM and announced last May. The CMM at the time said that they were “forced” to raise the tax.

Not all municipal mayors were in favour of it, although most were. Mayor Plante was one of 20 out of 24 mayors who voted for the hike. Bernard Daoust, mayor of Les Cèdres south of Montreal, was against it, as was Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon. Those who objected to the tax as unfair said that not all communities have access to public transit. Yet everyone is now required to pay the same $150 tax, regardless.

Those in favour of the tax, including Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer, point to losses from the pandemic, rising costs, and loss of revenue to the Réseau express métropolitain (REM). Municipalities sought help from the provincial government. It was willing to contribute about half of the $421 million municipalities were asking for. The CMM downloaded the remainder onto motorists.

No fare hikes for transit users were announced for 2025. n

Montreal car registration tax triples Read More »

Dorval man loses house and beloved dog in Christmas fire

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Tragedy struck early last Christmas morning for Stephen Flood. The Dorval resident woke to find his house in flames. He managed to escape with his life, suffering second-degree burns to his legs, face, and head. But he lost everything in the fire, including his beloved dog, Bella.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Flood by his son, Matthew.

The fire broke out around 3 a.m. The house on O’Connell Avenue was completely destroyed and Flood lost everything, including a valuable collection of Montreal Expos baseball memorabilia, and Christmas gifts meant for family.

“Most tragic of all,” his son wrote on the GoFundMe page, “is that his poor little dog Bella, a two-year-old puppy he loved so dearly, didn’t make it out.”

Flood said he could hear her whimpering inside the burning house but could not get back inside to save her.

“To lose every single thing you own is unimaginable, but the loss of his little Bella hurts him most of all,” Flood’s son said. “We are trying to do what we can while his body heals from burns and his heart heals from the tragic loss of his angel.”

There has already been a show of support from the community in the way of donations, including clothes. Matthew Flood posted his gratitude on his Facebook page, adding that his father could use household items or gift cards for groceries and other supplies.

Just over $15,000 has been donated via the GoFundMe page, so far.

At the time of this writing investigators still don’t know what caused the fire. n

Dorval man loses house and beloved dog in Christmas fire Read More »

Metro riders safer with STM’s new text service

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

In a bid to make Métro riders feel safer, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has launched a new text line. The text line is active and riders can text concerns to 1-800-786-1119.

The line is to increase riders’ “sense of safety,” says the STM, and was set up to alert the STM to “potentially problematic situations.” The texts go to the STM’s surveillance room where, depending on the severity of the issue, the message gets funneled to either the City of Montreal’s mobile social mediation and intervention team (EMMIS), the Montreal police (SPVM), or even maintenance staff.

As for what the line should be used for, The Suburban was told by Laurence Houde-Roy of STM public affairs that it could be anything that a rider feels could have an impact on safety, such as threatening behaviour, harassment, drug use, or cleanliness issues.

The text line is an addition to the security measures the STM already has in place, like the intercoms on the Métro cars that reach the conductor, and the red phones located on the platforms that are a direct line to the control room.

“Our customers wanted an easy, discreet way to report hostility and other situations that could make people feel unsafe in our network,” said Marie-Claude Léonard, CEO of the STM. She adds, “The text message service will also give our security teams more information, which will help them respond quickly and defuse situations that could adversely affect the experience of our users.”

As of last June, there are 15 new “special constables” staffing the Métro system, for a total of 180, and another 20 currently in training. They’ll be on the job in late December.

There are also 14 new “safety ambassadors” in training, which, later this month, will bring the total number of safety ambassadors to 30.

Teams comprised of special constables and safety managers have had an increased presence in 13 Métro stations since November 4.

This is all in addition to partnerships the STM has in place with community organizations to offer services and resources to vulnerable STM users, like primary healthcare and psychosocial support services through the OBM mobile clinic, outreach workers from Health and Social Services and harm-reduction workers from CACTUS Montréal at certain stations.

There are also needle drop boxes at some stations, and the special constables, along with other staffers, carry naloxone kits. n

Metro riders safer with STM’s new text service Read More »

A renaissance for The Empress Theatre?

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The city may finally have plans for the legendary Empress Theatre known to generations of Montrealers as Cinema V.

The city brought up the ramshackle property at a public hearing into its 2025 operating budget. Annie Gerbeau, the interim director of the city’s real estate strategy department, said the city is gearing up to sell the NDG building for possible redevelopment.

The Empress was built in 1927, and is the only theatre in Canada designed in the Egyptian Revival style. It opened a year later as The Empress Theatre and, after several name changes, became Cinema V in 1975.

The building on Sherbrooke Street W., across from NDG Park, was all but gutted by fire in 1992, and remained abandoned until the city bought it in 1999. There have been several plans for revival over the years, by Geordie Theatre, the Black Theatre Workshop, and even the McGill Conservatory (which closed its own doors in 2022).

In March of 2020 there was talk of redeveloping the building into a mixed-use facility. That may still be the case, the city says, with the possibility of combining a cultural element with residential. A profitability analysis was launched earlier this year, and now the next step is to put out a call for proposals, and to “proceed with a sale shortly,” Gerbeau said.

The question remains as to the building’s condition. The city had at one time considered demolishing the building, either partially or completely, with the hope of retaining the building’s façade, which calls to mind the fate of the Seville Theatre in downtown Montreal, which was two years younger than the Empress, and suffered a similar fate – abandonment, and eventual “demolition by neglect.” n

A renaissance for The Empress Theatre? Read More »

More kids coming down with walking pneumonia

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

There has been an uptick in the number of children coming down with walking pneumonia, not just in Montreal, but across North America. But doctors say that parents needn’t worry.

Dr. Earl Rubin, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, says there have been “a lot more” cases since the last spring / early summer. But specific numbers are not available. As of yet walking pneumonia is not tracked the way that other illnesses are, so it is a difficult thing to monitor. So the rise in cases, which is corroborated all across Canada, and in the U.S., is anecdotal, but significant.

Walking pneumonia is a milder form of the lung infection, brought on by the bacteria mycoplasma pneumoniae, the number 1 cause of pneumonia in school-aged kids, adolescents, and young adults. And although it is quite contagious, it is less of a cause for concern than full-blown pneumonia. “it’s called ‘walking pneumonia’,” Rubin explained, “because you’re not wiped out and hospitalized and really sick. You’re still functional.”

Rubin and others have said that it is plausible that the surge in the number of cases may be due to the Covid-19 pandemic; masking, distancing, and isolating led to fewer instances of cold, flu, or anything from one another, leading to a lower immunity. “There’s no science or proof of that,” says Rubin, “but that’s the working hypothesis for almost anything post-pandemic.”

The disease has been affecting a higher number of kids, of late, and younger kids at that, some as young as two to four years old. Rubin has been a summer camp doctor for more than 30 years. He says that all the summer camps had outbreaks this past summer.

Since walking pneumonia doesn’t lead to an immune response, it is possible for those who have had it to catch it again. And it is very infectious, Rubin says. “If it gets introduced into a household, about one third of the people in the household will get it.” And it is difficult, because of the incubation period, to know where you caught it.

Diagnosis of walking pneumonia requires clinicians to be aware that the illness is out there to know to look for it, and to know what type of antibiotic to prescribe. Symptoms include low energy, cough, low-grade fever, and it comes on gradually. There may be some wheezing, and some heaviness in the chest.

Only about 25% of kids who are infected with the bacteria will actually develop pneumonia (inflammation of the lung tissue), as opposed to a simple upper respiratory condition, which generally gets better without treatment. Those who do present symptoms can see their physician (if they have one) and don’t need to go to the ER.

As communicable as it is, a child with walking pneumonia is usually not contagious after a five-day course of antibiotics, says Rubin. But that doesn’t mean you should send them to school if they’re not feeling up to it. n

More kids coming down with walking pneumonia Read More »

CDN schools among 17 investigated for Bill 21 violations

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville has announced that the Ministry will launch an investigation into 17 schools in Quebec, including three in Montreal. Those three are already the subject of recently announced audits.

The Montreal-area schools being investigated are École La Voie, a high school in Cote des Neiges; École Bienville, an elementary school in St. Michel; and École Saint-Pascal-Baylon, also in Cote des Neiges.

The schools are being singled out for their apparent non-compliance with the province’s Secularism Law, commonly known as Bill 21. It is the intention of Education Minister Bernard Drainville to legislate further if necessary in order to reinforce secularism in schools.

Drainville said the investigation is being launched following complaints by citizens. As in the case of École Bedford, there have been complaints in these three schools about issues like toxic climate, quality of education, or, “behaviours that could potentially threaten the physical or psychological safety of the students.”

The findings of a report into École Bedford found that a “dominant clan” of teachers said to be of Maghrebi descent was ignoring the province’s secularism law, introducing “Islamic religious concepts” into the school, among other disturbing allegations. Similar concerns have been raised about École La Voie, École Bienville, and École Saint-Pascal-Baylon.

All of the schools being investigated are part of the French system, subject to the service centres created after the government abolished French school boards. The Centre de Services Scolaire de Montréal came under scrutiny in recent months after a journalist and Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy exposed similar issues at École Bedford. Eleven teachers were dismissed in the wake of the Bedford scandal. Rizqy had also called for director-general Isabelle Gelinas to step down. The MNA, the Official Opposition Critic for Education, ended up asking for police protection due to threats she received following the incident at Bedford.

“The nature of the allegations (in the current investigation),” reads a press release issued by the Ministry of Education, “is cause for concern, and an in-depth investigation is needed to shed light on the conditions prevailing in these schools.” The ministry says the “audits” will be kept private for now, but a final report is expected out in January.

Quebec schools “must offer (children) a safe and healthy environment,” Drainville said in a statement. “We will not compromise on this. Since the publication of the report on Bedford School, I have acted on the facts. This is what I will continue to do when problematic situations are reported to us.”

The Minister added that the CSSDM is cooperating with the government “to support students throughout this process, to ensure their well-being, safety, and academic success.” n

CDN schools among 17 investigated for Bill 21 violations Read More »

English threshold drops in local municipalities

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Over the past few years many municipalities — on the West Island, in the West End and in the Laurentians — have voted to retain their bilingual status. Many of those municipalities scrambled to do so in the face of Bill 96, which states that bilingual status could be retained only in those communities where the population is more than half Anglophone mother tongue unless council votes to retain it. Recent census statistics show, however, that in some of those municipalities the number of households where English is the mother tongue is in decline.

This is the case in places like Beaconsfield and Pointe-Claire on the West Island, and even the Anglo bastion of Westmount.

Mayor Scot Pearce of the city of Gore in the Laurentians, a town that once had more than 50% Anglo households, says that in his municipality the number of English-speaking households is down to around 20%.

As reported in The Suburban in February 2023, the 48 municipalities in Quebec that needed to pass a resolution had all done so. That brought to 99 the number of municipalities that now have bilingual status, which means they can communicate with residents, and offer services, in both official languages.

The provincial government has been saying for some time, now, that French is also on the decline in many of the same places where English is said to be in decline. In both cases the explanation could be the rise in the number of immigrants whose mother tongue is neither English nor French.

But some municipal mayors also point out that the population is more bilingual than it has even been. Municipalities that currently have bilingual status want to retain that status, but it is unclear how often or when they would need to renew their bilingualism resolutions. n

English threshold drops in local municipalities Read More »

CDN/NDG council rejects motion for safer REM traffic plan

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police seek public’s help to find missing CDN teen

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

by Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

Police say her family is worried about her safety.

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

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

Second suspect in Orange Julep killing extradited from France

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EMSB wants Terrebonne bike paths removed for winter

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EMSB wants Terrebonne bike paths removed for winter Read More »

Concordia puts political correctness above security

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer and Beryl Wajsman, Editor
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

Concordia puts political correctness above security Read More »

CDN community centre denies connection to Bedford Affair

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CDN community centre denies connection to Bedford Affair Read More »

Three arrested after NDG car chase

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three arrested after NDG car chase Read More »

Pierrefonds has highest increases in 2025 budget

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer and

Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pierrefonds has highest increases in 2025 budget Read More »

Court puts liens on Westmount homes of Robert Miller

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pro-Palestinians disrupt Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in Westmount

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Regular dudes,” Robinson chimes in.

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

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

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

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

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

Red Coalition calls for united stand against racial profiling appeal

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mother of injured teen wants traffic measures improved in Montreal West

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NDG’s Harvard Stationary closes after four decades

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

“Nothing life-saving,” Arsak adds.

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

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

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

Public storm over Montreal anti-racism report that omits antisemitism

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg and Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With files from Editor Beryl Wajsman n

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

CDN man victim of 4 police stops in 8 months

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Nigel Berkley decided he had had enough.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

St.Laurent MNA asks for police protection after Bedford comments

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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