Mayor Jeremy Levi

Hampstead’s Levi, Steinberg clash over parkspace

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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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Mount Royal election debate a mystery

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

B’nai Brith Canada and Anthony Housefather’s Liberal campaign are declining to confirm whether a federal election debate in the Mount Royal riding had been planned by the organization and cancelled because the incumbent was not available.

The last debate in the riding took place in 2019, was organized by B’nai Brith Canada and was between Housefather and former Conservative candidate David Tordjman. Debates had also taken place during the 2015 Mount Royal campaign.

The Suburban has seen a graphic and an alleged B’nai Brith post announcing that their Mount Royal debate was cancelled because Housefather had a scheduling conflict, but we could not find either on the organization’s social media page.

Asked to confirm whether a debate was to take place, B’nai Brith Canada Quebec regional director Henry Topas told The Suburban, “we thank you but have no comment at this time.”

Former D’Arcy McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman, speaking for Housefather’s campaign, told The Suburban that any request for an appearance at an event would “have to be based on the merits and Anthony’s time.”

Earlier last week, Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi posted on social media that he had heard Housefather could not participate in a debate because of scheduling conflicts.

Also asked about the issue, Conservative candidate Neil Oberman told The Suburban, ”I am prepared to engage in discussions or any other methods necessary to ensure the electorate is fully informed about their rights and the key issues affecting their daily lives. Canadians have long been silenced, and it is crucial for every citizen to amplify their voices regarding their rights so they can make informed choices at the polls.If the Liberal Party and its agents choose not to debate me, it is their decision. However, the residents of Mount Royal deserve the opportunity to understand who the candidates are and what they stand for.” Stay tuned. n

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Probe finds no harassment against Hampstead employees

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

A thorough independent investigation has found that no psychological harassment took place against any town employee, Mayor Jeremy Levi announced at last week’s council meeting.

As well, the Mayor said, “the investigation did not result in any recommendations, as the town already has strong procedures in place to ensure a professional, respectful and safe work environment.

“The well-being of our employees is of the utmost importance. The conclusions of this independent investigation reinforce our confidence in the strength of our existing policies and our unwavering commitment to fostering a workplace rooted in integrity, fairness and mutual respect….Employees are always encouraged to share their concerns through internal channels.”

The town had received internal complaints, and allegations emerged into the public sphere, when CSL resident and former Hampstead employee Jeremy Biskin told council late last year that “during my time in Hampstead, I witnessed multiple instances of discrimination, verbal harassment and verbal abuse.”

Biskin made The Suburban aware of communications from other employees, one addressed to a union and the town alleging workplace harm and abuse, negligence and psychological harassment; and another alleging a toxic and unhealthy work environment.

A town statement following the independent investigation pointed out that Hampstead could not address the allegations raised by Biskin at the time “due to the serious and confidential nature of the ongoing process.” The town also contends that “sensationalized media coverage” presented an “incomplete picture of the situation.”

Following the council meeting, The Suburban asked if the allegations of psychological harassment, those alleged in public and in communications viewed by us, were found by the investigation to be fabricated or mischaracterized.

Hampstead Director General Joe Nunez told The Suburban the investigation found, based on witnesses who were interviewed, that “there was no credible information to warrant a finding in the definition of what is psychological harassment.

“Sometimes we’ll get a report that says, based on this conclusion, we’ll recommend certain actions. At this point, there was not even any recommendation. We do have a very good policy in place, we acted quickly to launch this investigation. It was a very serious accusation and the findings are there.” n

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Housefather to remain with Liberals

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By Joel Goldenberg and Suburban Staff
The Suburban

The Liberals and NDP co sponsored a motion in the house of commons calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and a halt in arms exports to Israel. The government has in fact halted arms sales to Israel for its defence. Liberal MPs Anthony Housefather, Ben Carr and Marco Mendicino were the only Liberals to vote against. The Conservatives unanimously opposed the motion. Housefather said he felt isolated and that the revised motion was too hurriedly passed. After this event Housefather began a period of self-reflection.

The Trudeau government, currently low in the polls, has also gone through a series of scandals in recent years, regarding ethics issues on the part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the SNC Lavalin judicial interference affair, the WE charity scandal, the alienation of India after a disastrous visit, the revelation Trudeau wore blackface as a teen and as an adult, the $60 million dollar overspending on an APP (arrivescan) where people who did no work received cheques for an App that malfunctioned, and, most recently, revelations about the government’s lack of action regarding Chinese government interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

Housefather said that the NDP-Liberal motion overwhelmingly passed in March “was a blow not only to me but to many within the Jewish community. It followed a wave of antisemitism across the world that over the last five months has left many Canadian Jews feeling bewildered and intimidated and fearful for their future in this country.” The MP added that he heard from thousands of constituents and that his feelings about the resolution “are widely shared,” including by “many Jewish Canadians who have previously voted Liberal, who have been particularly impacted by the events of the last five months. But notwithstanding his anger over the NDP-Liberal resolution he decided to stay in the Liberal party.

The community reacted:

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) reacted, posting, “Anthony has long been a determined voice for the Jewish community and his decision to stay in the Liberal caucus is one we hope will result in meaningful action on the part of the Government of Canada to address the toxic levels of hatred towards Jews and the Jewish state that have infected Canadian society.”

But Housefather’s decision has been a source of some criticism and debate in his riding. Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi, who has been publicly pushing for Housefather to cross the floor to the Conservatives, says that while he agrees with the goals for Canada in Housefather’s statement, “…it seems these aspirations better resonate with Conservative values rather than contemporary Liberal ideals. Anthony, an industrious MP, undoubtedly prioritizes his constituents. Nonetheless, I find the optimism surrounding Anthony’s task somewhat unrealistic in achieving success. I’d rather be represented by a party currently aligned with these values, instead of attempting to sway the views of the Liberals. The fact that the Liberal party previously ignored Anthony raises the question: what has prompted a change now?”

Mount Royal constituent Dan Vigderhous addressed Housefather on social media, posting, “I’ve always voted Liberal, and having you as the MP made it even easier. But you’ve been kicked around, insulted and disrespected by Trudeau. He is reactive instead of proactive. The thought of losing the strongest Liberal riding in the country is obviously what spurred him to placate you.”

Community activist Joannie Tansky commented that, “…as a Jew, nothing in the Liberal Party aligns with Anthony Housefather’s professed love of Israel. Nor does it align with Quebec Anglos who Anthony also professes to love, who were tossed under the bus by Justin.”

Former Mount Royal Conservative riding president Jeff Joseph had this to say: “Anthony ultimately acted in the best interests of himself. Ultimately, he will have to defend the interests of his party and NDP coalition partner to voters. Best of luck.”

CSL city councillor Lior Azerrad said, “All the community leaders are going to represent the interests of our community and the interests of Canada. Each of us must choose for ourselves where we stand and whom we stand next to.” 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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Plante confronted at Agglo on failure to deal with antisemitism

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

After agglomeration meetings in December and January in which 16 anti-Israel questioners were allowed to attack Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi for his support of Israel in its conflict with Hamas since its Oct. 7 terrorist attack, Montrealers confronted Mayor Valérie Plante at the Agglo meeting on the city’s allowance of hateful anti-Israel demonstrations. Attorney Neil Oberman, senior partner at Spiegel Sohmer, recently served Plante with a formal demand letter by bailiff that the City of Montreal immediately intervene and enforce all laws, by-laws and regulations governing unlawful assemblies.

Before the question period began, agglomeration council meeting chair Nancy Blanchet explained that a meeting took place between the City of Montreal and the Association of Suburban Municipalities following the January meeting regarding the rules of question period. At the December and January meetings, Blanchet allowed more than the three permitted questions on a specific subject, a subject of two complaints to the Quebec Municipal Commission by B’nai Brith Canada. At the February meeting, she employed the three-question limit. As it turned out, there was only one anti-Israel question.

(Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi posted on X that “the initial minutes from the January agglo meeting failed to mention the ASM’s preference for addressing only agglo-related questions. I contested this and successfully prompted a revision of the minutes. Additionally, I’m pleased to report that Valérie Plante has now implemented the longstanding three-question limit on similar queries.”)

This time, the three allowed questions regarded what is seen as lack of action by Montreal and Plante against antisemitism, particularly at anti-Israel demonstration that include placards with the genocidal slogan “from the river to the sea.” Some questioners wore clothing with the message “Bring Them Home,” referring to hostages held by Hamas since Oct. 7.

Juran Tel Aziza, speaking in English, asked Plante if she asked Montreal police to report to her “…the hateful words that incite violence and the total destruction of the entire Jewish people…That’s their solution, from the river to the sea. You, Madame Plante and the police, let them go week after week until words turn into action! Look at what’s happening in London, Toronto, Paris, Belgium and now Montreal! How come there haven’t been any arrests for the attacks on schools, institutions and incitement to hatred that is heard on our streets, week after week?!”

Plante declined to answer in English, instead doing so in French. She said it is important for the SPVM to provide security “and we’re working very hard to do that.” She also said demonstrations are allowed under the Canadian and Quebec Charter, and that the SPVM is on hand to maintain the peace.

Georgette Bensimon brought up the letter sent by leaders from numerous ethnic communities demanding the resignation of Bochra Manaï, the city’s Anti-Racism Commissioner who attended anti-Israel rallies where antisemitic chants were heard.

François Limoges, the new Projét Montréal majority leader replacing Alex Norris, repeated the message Plante said last November, when the controversy first arose, that Manaï will meet with all of the affected communities, and that there is “clearly a bond of trust to be strengthened.” Bensimon said, to her knowledge, Manaï has not yet met with the Jewish community, “at all.

“She should be neutral and open to all communities.”

Later, Côte St. Luc resident Sharon Freedman told Plante that demonstrations must be peaceful, respectful and obey the law, but that the ones that have taken place since Oct. 7 “spew out horrible, hateful language and they usually incite violence. Mayor Plante, our community has asked you often to protect our Jewish community against the violence, the gunshots [at Jewish schools], but you have not done much about that. What are you prepared to do to stop those kinds of demonstrations?”

Instead of Plante, Freedman received a response, this time in English, from Alain Vaillancourt, the Montreal executive committee member in charge of public security. He claimed that the anti-Israel demonstrations have been peaceful.”We understand it’s been difficult, we understand that people need to express themselves on both sides, and they choose to do so through demonstrations in different forms.” Vaillancourt repeated Plante’s point that the Canadian and Quebec Charters allow demonstrations.

“They need to do it peacefully and in the correct way. I frequently speak with police chief Fady Dagher about everything that’s going on, and the demonstrations have been relatively peaceful, have been well balanced as far as protection and safety. When there’s a criminal or hate incident, the police are there to intervene. We ask people, if you’re witness or are subjected to a [crime or hate], call 911. We’ve increased the resources for people to investigate the situations, and the police are serious about it. We’re serious about it. It’s zero tolerance….Both communities are [demonstrating] in the right way.”

Freedman, who wore clothing expressing her support for Mayor Levi, directly asked Plante “and nobody else” why she “continues to remains silent when questions of hatred, totally inappropriate for this wonderful chamber, are hurled at Mayor Levi. When are you going to take a stand, Mayor Plante?!”

Plante refused to answer. n

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Hampstead flags at half-mast until hostages released

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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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