Mike Cohen

Suburban Exclusive: Royalmount boss says he is open to a pro baseball stadium

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By: Mike Cohen
The Suburban

The man behind the Town of Mount Royal project told The Suburban that he is open to any potential proposals to build a professional baseball stadium on the premises within the 90 percent of buildable density available.

Businessmen Stephen Bronfman and Mitch Garber attempted to bring pro baseball back to Montreal, working on a concept of sharing custody of the Tampa Bay Rays. Part of the plan was for a downtown stadium. The project fell through and there is now talk about Montreal getting a franchise in the minor pro Frontier League, which also has teams in Quebec City, Trois-Rivières and Ottawa.

Andrew Lutfy gave an exclusive video interview for The Suburban. You can watch the piece online at The Suburban.com — On Air channel under Cohen in the City. So baseball at Royalmount? “We have land,” he said. “I will put it out there. We have enough room. I love transformational projects that will outlive me. If the city wants baseball and there is a market, I am happy to consider it.”

Lutfy emphasized how this is merely Phase One of the project. He says there is a lot to look forward to: a significant residential project, welcoming thousands of families; a Restoration Hardware (RH Home) mansion with a large rooftop restaurant; a kosher dining establishment; the largest Rolex store in North America; a flagship Tiffany store and more.

“It’s all about global brands,” Lutfy said. “We were happy to get two or three; we got over 15. We are the talk of the town around the world. As every month goes by we are growing.”{div}Long-time professional sports executive Mark Weightman had this to say about the baseball possibility.

“A key criteria for any stadium is access. The Royalmount location is very central and has direct access to the metro, making it an attractive option. Another important criteria to consider is the ability to create a vibrant commercial district around the stadium, giving fans other social and entertainment options pre and post game. When a stadium is downtown there are always restaurants and bars nearby providing natural options to the fans, but if an entertainment district can be built around the site, in addition to the Royalmount itself, it could definitely be a viable option.”{/div}Go to https://www.thesuburban.com/on_air/cohen_in_the_city/ to watch the interview. n

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Howie Myers honoured as Irishman of the Year

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By: Mike Cohen
The Suburban

The Erin Sports Association held its 46th annual Irishman of The Year Breakfast on Saturday March 8 at Plaza Centre-Ville Evo. A total of 660 people were on hand to honour Howie Myers, a community leader who has volunteered his time for over 45 years in various capacities, notably in the Pointe St. Charles area where he grew up.

The event has raised almost $600,000 to support families, individuals and organizations in need in the Sud Ouest area of Montreal. “Growing up in the Pointe people got us involved in sports so we could stay out of trouble,” said Myers.

Myers, who was introduced by his brother Wayne, says he is most proud of being the chief organizer of the Pointe Wish Softball Tournament. Established in 1993, it has raised $1.6 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, helping to grant life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses,

On the eve of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, set for Sunday, the city has been turning green. The gala dance took place recently while the luncheon is set for this Friday. Parade Queen Amanda Keating and her court were on hand Saturday as was Grand Marshal Danny Doyle and a head table of special guests. Amateur Athlete Awards were handed out to Pointe-Claire ringuette player Emma Mills, NCAA Division 1 Lake Superior State Lakers goalie Rorke Applebee of Chateauguay and Kristy Lee Fisher, a Special Olympian from Beaconsfield. Ronnie James was the event chairman.

Please go to our website and watch some video highlights from the event. n

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Union demands removal of Urgences Santé CSL video

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

A lawyer for the CSN union representing paramedics sent Côte St. Luc councillor Mike Cohen and resident Nancy Benabou letters of demand that they take down a now very widely seen video on Instagram of an Urgences Santé paramedic after she allegedly declined to speak English while in the process of treating a patient.

The paramedic was treating CSL resident Rachel Benabou, 91, and was speaking to her and her daughter Nancy in French. But when neighbour Lana Mastromonaco asked the paramedic to clarify something in English, the paramedic allegedly refused. It was at this point that Nancy Benabou began filming. They allege the female paramedic said, “Madame, nous sommes au Québec.” Cohen was alerted about the incident by the residents, who live in his District 2.

Urgences Santé has defended the paramedic, saying it was agreed that the exchange with the patient would be in French, and also cited patient confidentiality in the paramedic declining to translate.

Cohen told The Suburban Friday that the video of the dialogue with the paramedic received 1.6 million views. He and Benabou, after receiving the legal letter, took down the video. We are told the letter contended that the reputation of the paramedic was being harmed. Cohen made a new Instagram video explaining this latest development.

“With the video and the publicity we generated of this incident, I think we made our point,” Cohen told The Suburban. “We’ve spoken to Urgences Santé and they’ve been very attentive.”

Cohen, CSL Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather also sent a letter in English and French Friday to Urgences Santé on behalf of Rachel Benabou and “all our constituents who would prefer to express themselves in English when interacting with your staff during a medical call.”

The three explained the paramedic’s alleged refusal to speak English, and added, “as you are aware, the current Quebec government has stated on several occasions that health care services are exempt from Law 96 and has revised the recent directive to make clear that anyone can ask to receive services in English.

They added that it is difficult to imagine “that any paramedic working in the western sector that includes CSL where the minority language population is approximately 70 percent, is not sensitive to the fact that they may need to address a patient, or anyone in their entourage in English.

“Indeed, the paramedic in question apparently had spoken in English earlier, so irrespective of whether it is the patient or someone in their entourage trying to help them, there is no legal impediment for your paramedic to comply, especially considering the pressure of the situation and desire for someone to help a 91-year-old.”

Cohen, Brownstein and Housefather are seeking “clear confirmation” from Urgences Santé that those who contact the ambulance service and ask to receive responses in English “will indeed receive responses in English”; that employee and contractors of Urgences Santé “will be trained on how to respond in this type of situation and that it will not reoccur. As this has received a considerable amount of publicity, we encourage you to respond to us as quickly as possible.

“As you know, we are available to meet with you and would like the signatories of this letter to be present, as our aim is to work together in a spirit of mutual respect to ensure that this type of interaction does not happen again.” n

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