Hampstead

Israel flag at Hampstead town hall stays put

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The flag of Israel that has been flying at Hampstead town hall at Queen Mary Road and Stratford will be staying in place, Mayor Jeremy Levi recently said.

Levi had been asked about a letter posted online calling for the flag’s removal. The Mayor said he had not received the letter in question

“To whoever is spending their time on this nonsense: don’t bother,” he posted. “I will never take down the Israeli flag. If that’s a problem for you, vote me out next election. If standing with Israel costs me the next election, so be it. I’ll wear it as a badge of honour.”

The letter, allegedly from Hampstead residents, was posted on the Hampstead Community Dialogue notwithstanding their stated desire to settle the matter internally and not attract press that would negatively affect the Jewish community.

The writers, identifying themselves as Canadian citizens and Hampstead residents of “varying religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, argued that it is “inappropriate for the Israeli flag, a foreign flag, to be raised on the grounds of a Québécois and Canadian municipality.

“It would be equally inappropriate for the town of Blainville to raise the Iranian flag, and the town of Saint-Leonard to raise the Italian flag. These communities are not homogenous, and they serve people of diverse faiths and cultures. Hampstead is not fundamentally different from these towns. According to the 2021 census, approximately only 3.6% of residents of Hampstead possess Israeli citizenship. That would equate to about 250 individuals…..We can imagine that rather than being raised to represent constituents of Israeli origin, the flag is to be indefinitely raised because of Hampstead’s deeply Jewish population. Nevertheless, almost 37% of the population of Hampstead is not Jewish, but rather a mix of Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist. This leaves about 2,095 Québecois/Canadians/Hampstead folk who are all but guaranteed to have no inherent association with Israel.”

The letter writers also claimed that flying the flag at town hall, “simply because of a Jewish demographic majority, lends itself to the fallacy that the whole of Canadian Jewry aligns with Israeli politics or values, simply because they are Jewish. This in turn feeds into the antisemitic trope raised by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance that ‘Jewish citizens [are] more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.’

“Raising the flag at town hall effectively removes each Hampstead citizen’s ability to express their personal stance on Israel, (whether it be in support, ambivalence, or in opposition) in a way that is independent and self-determined. We feel it is unfair for you to unilaterally make this decision on behalf of 7,037 people.”

Some respondents have pointed out that Israel’s flag also flies at Côte St. Luc city hall, and that it is present as a sign of solidarity following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack in which 1,200 people were killed, many more injured and 250 kidnapped. One notable respondent, Florida Congressman Randy Fine, referred to Levi as a “hero”.

One of the alleged writers, identifying himself as Adam Ben David, said it was he and a couple of residents who wrote the letter, and that he will be presenting the letter to Levi in the near future. The next Hampstead council meeting is taking place Aug. 25.

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Hampstead’s Levi, Steinberg spar again

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The third round of the ongoing sparring match between Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi and former mayor William Steinberg took place at the July 2 council meeting.

Previous debates between the two concerned town parkland on Queen Mary Road being potentially sold to make way for houses, and spending by the Mayor and council on trips to municipal conferences and salary increases. The June meeting concluded with Levi asking the SPVM to eject Steinberg from the meeting after the latter declined to relinquish the microphone, following a 15-minute debate between the two.

At the July meeting, Levi read the rules regarding conduct at council, pointing out that the Mayor is the chairman of the meeting and that certain behaviours are prohibited, including disobeying an order of the Mayor regarding order and decorum. The Mayor added that violations of rules could result in a $100 fine for a first offence and $200 for repeated offences. The bylaw also says a question can be asked, followed by a statement of no more than one minute.

Levi said the council rules would be adhered to strictly.

“These are not rules that were created by this mandate, they have been here for 20 years. We have been very lenient over the past four years at these council meetings during question periods, but there was a very unfortunate situation at the last council meeting, which basically crossed the line into civil disobedience and we have an obligation to carry out these meetings in the proper fashion and decorum.”

It was under these conditions that Steinberg asked his question.

Steinberg alleged that just after Levi was first elected Mayor in 2021, “you told the administration that you wanted your block of Merton and the sidewalk sections in front of your new house done that spring and summer….and it was done as requested,” Steinberg said. “The road and sidewalk sections were not amongst the worst in the town.”How do you justify this favouritism?” Steinberg asked.

Levi said Steinberg’s allegation was an “absurd, fallacious claim, that I directed Public Works to repave my street. I looked into it, because I saw that you wrote another slanderous piece [at billsteinberg.ca],” the Mayor said. “As it turns out, in 2019, when you were Mayor, there was a five-year plan [for] repaving roads, and Merton was scheduled to be repaved in 2022. You can file all the access to information requests that you want to regarding this. Merton had a scarification (road surface condition) rating of 54 back in 2019. It is absolutely absurd to suggest that I had anything to do with repaving my road. This was done under your watch! There was an entire schematic presented to me by our former Public Works director. You are more than welcome to file an access to information request, all the back up documentation showing it was scheduled in 2019 when I was not Mayor. It’s all there for your perusal.”

Steinberg then sat down and the council meeting proceeded. n

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Hampstead’s Levi, Steinberg clash over parkspace

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The May 5 Hampstead council meeting was almost filled to capacity, and featured a clash between Mayor Jeremy Levi and his predecessor William Steinberg over the potential future of park space at the corner of Queen Mary and Northcote.

Before the meeting, Steinberg circulated a flier based on meeting agenda item 9.2, the “awarding of a contract to Profusion Immobilier Inc. for real estate broker services for the sale mandate of four lots owned by the Town of Hampstead.” Steinberg, who got more information about the item from a source, claimed in the flier that Hampstead is about to sell the Northcote park space “so that two enormous homes can be built there.

“No consultation, no referendum, no notice — just a small item on the agenda which does not even identify which lots are being sold,” the flier says.

At the meeting, before question period, Levi explained that the item was being deferred because of public reaction the previous weekend and that there was never any vote intended at that meeting for the sale of the land, “full stop.”

The Mayor explained that council brainstormed last summer over the possibility of selling the piece of land, potentially a $6 million transaction, and the town then gathered more information. A public consultation would then follow, he added.

“For Item 9.2, the purpose of giving out a mandate was to have a real estate firm create a rendering of what potential two single-family homes at that corner would look like. Council is trying to be extremely objective. What we’re trying to do is come up with creative ways that the town can increase revenue to fast track [ways to] better our infrastructure, parks and recreation services, community services and, in doing so, we need to find a balance of what are acceptable parameters that the public accepts.”

Levi also pointed out that the town’s intention is to “come up with options, present them to the public and discuss them. If it works, great, if it doesn’t, put it to the side.”

The Mayor also pointed out that the park land is actually zoned as residential, and thus not subject to a zoning referendum if the town decided to sell the land for housing; and even if there was a referendum, the entire town would participate, not just area residents. Levi said he would not feel comfortable selling the land if just over 50 percent of residents voted to do so, because so many would have opposed the selling option.

“We are not trying to hide anything.”

Residents at the meeting strongly expressed their opposition to the selling of the parkland, with one urging the town to zone the area as a park almost immediately. Levi said the flier had misinformation, which Steinberg strongly denied.

Steinberg, during his second time at the microphone, quoted an email written to him by Levi saying that council would “probably” have a consultation. Levi said he wrote the email at midnight. “I don’t think we should get caught up on semantics,” the Mayor said.

“When I put information out, I’m very careful and I say only what’s true,” Steinberg responded.

“And you said that ‘this is your last chance to stop it’ in the flier, which is not true!” Levi said. “You said that they were going to build enormous homes, which is not true! We haven’t even seen a rendering, how do we know?!” n

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Heroes remembered, Mayor honoured at Hampstead Remembrance Day

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The Hampstead Remembrance Day ceremony, held at the Cenotaph at Hampstead Park, was attended by many dignitaries with a special participation by a detachment of Grenadier Guards and a moving exhibit including an original Grenadiers Vimy Ridge Memorial. The dignitaries included Mayor Jeremy Levi and council members, Israeli Consul-General Paul Hirschson, who laid a wreath representing those killed in the Holocaust; Senator Leo Housakos, Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, Conservative Mount Royal candidate and lawyer Neil Oberman; Alex Copeman, D’Arcy McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass’ political attaché; Hampstead Director General Joe Nunez and other town employees; Rabbi Moishe New of the Montreal Torah Centre, and students from Solomon Schechter Academy, Hampstead Elementary School, Bialik High School and John Grant High School.

Also in attendance was the family of Montrealer and World War II Sgt. Samuel Moses “Moe” Hurwitz, the most decorated Canadian Jewish soldier in World War II who fought bravely as part of the Canadian Grenadier Guards. He died in 1944 of wounds suffered in combat.

“Sgt. Moe Hurwitz’s life and service exemplified the very essence of what it means to be a guardian of freedom and a beacon of hope to his comrades and fellow citizens,” Mayor Levi said. “His story is a testament to the enduring values of inclusivity, unity and the unshakable commitment to upholding the principles that bind us.”

Senator Housakos also paid tribute to Hurwitz, saying he turned down a tryout with the Boston Bruins and instead enlisted to fight in the war.

“He said ‘there’s no time to play hockey when millions of my brothers are getting killed in Europe.’ It was said at the time of his passing, ‘lost to the regiment was its most purposeful and persistent soldier, whose deeds of gallant leadership were an inspiration to those who succeeded him in the battles that were to follow.’ May Moe’s memory be a blessing and inspiration to all of us gathered here today and may it serve as a critical reminder of our collective responsibility to preserve the peace and freedoms Moe and every other soldier fought so hard to achieve.”

Wreaths were also laid representing Canada, Quebec, municipalities, veterans, Hurwitz; the Canadian Grenadier Guards, the Royal Montreal Regiment and the Royal Canadian Legion — members of each were on hand as part of the ceremony; and the SPVM and the SIM — the Montreal Fire Department.

Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi was presented with the King Charles III Coronation Medal by Conservative Senator Leo Housakos, following the ceremony. Honourees are recognized for outstanding achievement in public service and volunteerism. Levi is known for being very active and outspoken, in public and on social media, in support of Israel and against the anti-Israel and antisemitic protests that have taken place in Montreal since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

The medal presentation took place in the Adessky Community Centre, where the town also presented an elaborate exhibition of war artifacts from the Canadian Grenadier Guards, the Royal Montreal Regiment and individual collections — including an original 1917 Canadian Grenadier Guards Vimy Ridge memorial.

Senator Housakos said during the medal presentation, “Mayor, I want to thank you for being a strong voice for what is right in our country and our society and your community.

“I say to everybody, as a Senator, when I go to coast to coast to coast in this country, that the best Mayor in Canada is Mayor Levi, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. He never shies away from doing the right thing, from saying the right thing. The medal goes to people for significant contributions to community and country, and Mayor Levi, you have done that in spades. Hampstead is lucky to have you.”

Levi thanked Housakos, and humbly responded that the medal “belongs to the entire community. I’m just a voice for the community.”

The Mayor then presented Housakos with a Freedom of the City commemorative coin, one side representing Hampstead and the other side representing the Canadian Grenadier Guards. n

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Hampstead Mayor granted power to appoint special constables

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Hampstead council voted unanimously, in a voice vote, to grant Mayor Jeremy Levi the power to appoint special constables in case of an emergency in the town.

The bylaw points out that Quebec’s Police Act enables a council to grant the Mayor this power.

“In case of emergency, the Mayor is authorized to appoint, in writing, for a period not exceeding seven days, special constables with authority, under the supervision of the Director of the Montreal Police Service, to prevent and suppress offences under the municipal bylaws within all or part of the territory of the Town of Hampstead.”

During question period, the Mayor further explained that now that the bylaw has been passed, “I have instructed our Director General to consult with legal counsel to develop a working framework to analyze what would merit an emergency, what qualifies as an emergency.

“A special constable is a particular status of a peace officer in Quebec with a specific type of training and certification. It’s important to note that if and when a special constable is appointed, it’s under the Director of the SPVM. It’s a work in progress.”

Levi added that “obviously, the hostile environment that we’ve witnessed over the past few months has pushed us to look for all avenues with regards to Public Security as well.

“I’m not going to get into details of what we have done, for security reasons, but we are looking at making significant changes to Public Security, in a good way, and I’ll leave it at that.” n

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Hampstead Mayor asks for special constable powers

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi is asking the town council to give him the power to appoint special constables in case of an emergency.

Levy introduced a notice of motion June 3, as is the procedure, and the bylaw will be voted on at either a special meeting in June or at the next regular meeting in July. The notice of motion was given by Councillor Michael Goldwax and, from comments overheard by The Suburban, is likely to be approved unanimously.

The resolution notes that Section 108 of Quebec’s Police Act authorizes a town council to grant the Mayor such a power. The resolution says that the Mayor can authorize, “for a period not exceeding seven days, special constables with authority, under the supervision of the Director of the Montreal Police Service (SPVM), to prevent and suppress offences under the municipal bylaws within all or part of the territory of the Town of Hampstead.”

Levi told The Suburban that the bylaw, which has been adopted in other municipalities over the years, is being passed as a precaution in light of recent attacks against Jewish institutions, including the Belz School last week in CDN-NDG and other attacks on institutions in Toronto and Vancouver in recent days.

“The rampant wave of violent antisemitic attacks on Jewish institutions witnessed last week demands immediate action,” Levi posted on X. “I will not hesitate to invoke this power at the earliest opportunity through an emergency decree, ensuring the safety and security of all Jewish institutions in Hampstead. Enough is enough.”

The Mayor told The Suburban that the motion is “much broader than just armed constables.

“We can have unarmed special constables. We were talking about different tiers, special constables that can carry taser guns, that would have the certification to give traffic violations, if we were having a major event and we thought we needed to ensure safety on the road. There’s different scenarios on what would constitute an emergency. This gives us the ability to navigate through that.”

Levi added that the motion “gives Hampstead Public Security an additional tool to deal with [emergency] situations.”

The Mayor said there is no specific threat to Hampstead.

“This is just a precautionary measure. We’d rather be proactive. We received a comprehensive legal opinion on this, we did a deep dive. We’re looking at all kinds of measures to offer a next level of security for our community.” n

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CSL, Hampstead pass protest bylaws

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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All options on table against Agglo: Masella

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Nothing is off the table when it comes to the island-wide agglomeration, including some sort of legal action or Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi’s recently revealed proposal for all 16 demerged municipalities to withhold their portions of the agglomeration bill, Montreal West Mayor Beny Masella told The Suburban.

Masella is also head of the Association of Suburban Municipalities, which represents the 16 demerged municipalities. The ASM recently announced that it would systematically oppose any island-wide agglomeration expenditure or financial measure it deems to be inequitable, unless there is a clear benefit for one or more cities.

Levi had said to his fellow Mayors that while Quebec could place individual cities under trusteeship if they do not pay their portions for such services as public transit, fire and police services, the province would likely not be able to place 16 municipalities under trusteeship.

“I don’t know that I agree that the province couldn’t put us all under trusteeship,” Masella told The Suburban after the March town council meeting. “In my mind, we need the provincial government to step up. By taking that path [of withholding the funds], I don’t know if it’s the best path to get to where we need to get to.”

“But you didn’t completely rule it out?” we asked, referring to his response on the issue during the council meeting to resident Ian Robinson.

“Absolutely,” Masella responded. “It’s not the path I think would be the right one, but we’re going to have all the discussions now, because I think everything still needs to be on the table.”

Earlier in the meeting, the Mayor, as part of his monthly report, said that “as we mentioned last month, we have taken a firmer position with the City of Montreal. We are ensuring that for every motion, we will raise the issue and vote ‘against’ every time we cannot justify the benefit to the demerged towns.

“To ensure that we can never be perceived as being uncooperative, along with the Mayor of Senneville, I will be meeting [March 26] with the new president of the City of Montreal Executive Committee. Though I am having trouble maintaining my optimism, I will undertake this last-ditch effort. Rest assured though that by the end of that meeting, they will know that the status quo is not an option.”

Robinson asked if Montreal West would be involved with Beaconsfield’s $15 million lawsuit against Montreal that alleges a breach in the 2008 agreement of expense sharing that was set up by the provincial government, or Levi’s proposal.

Masella responded that regarding the path Beaconsfield has chosen, “I’m not sure that it would be fruitful, just the way they’re framing their legal action. I’m not sure they’re going to have success. “That’s not to say we’re closing the door on any legal action. Something needs to be done. All options are on the table.” n

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Hampstead flags at half-mast until hostages released

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg

Flags in the Town of Hampstead will remain at half mast as a symbolic gesture until all the more than 100 hostages held by the terrorist group Hamas since its Oct. 7 massacre of 1,400 people in Israel are released, Mayor Jeremy Levi told the Feb. 5 town council meeting.

A resolution was passed to this effect. The flags are at the Adessky Community Centre, where council meetings take place, and at town hall at Queen Mary and Stratford. The Israeli flag has been present, along with the Canadian and Quebec flags.

The Israeli flag “will be a permanent mainstay, with the other flags,” Levi pointed out.

The Mayor also reminded residents that at its October meeting, the council unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Canadian government to do everything in its power to demand the unconditional release of all hostages from Gaza.

“This council is very disturbed by Canada’s position, the way they voted at the UN, voting for an unconditional ceasefire,” Levi said.

The resolution passed by council says:

“Whereas the Town of Hampstead acknowledges the recent decision by the Government of Canada to vote in favour of a UN unconditional ceasefire; Whereas the town council expressed its discontent with the aforementioned decision, particularly in light of the ongoing hostage situation involving Israel; Whereas the safety and well-being of the hostages are of utmost concern and a strong stance is deemed necessary to advocate for their release.”

The resolution then says the town “voices its discontent with the Government of Canada’s decision to vote for a UN unconditional ceasefire given the unresolved hostage situation.

“The Town of Hampstead will keep the flags of all its facilities at half-mast as a symbolic gesture until the hostages are released, demonstrating solidarity with those affected by the ongoing crisis.”

A copy of the resolution has been sent to the federal government. n

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