Mitchell Brownstein

CSL legalizes another residential synagogue

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

A long-existing synagogue in a home at 5748-5750 Parkhaven was legalized for “conditional use” during the recent Côte St. Luc council meeting.

“We’re responding to a need in a responsible way,” Mayor Mitchell Brownstein said.

Changes were proposed to the home to secure council’s approval. Four homes in four zones were identified in which surrounding residents are generally approving of the synagogues.

Council recently legalized another residential synagogue at 6501 Baily, and CSL also approved the demolition of 5727 Léger near Kildare, which will result in a new two-storey detached home that can become a synagogue.

During the approval process at the Sept. 8 CSL council meeting for the Parkhaven home, Councillor Dida Berku said the residential synagogue issue has been going on for years.

“I’m very pleased, in this mandate, that we finally adopted four areas of the city, four zones, where you have conditional use and them we agreed to the conditional use on Heywood, on Léger and then Baily, and now this brings it to a fourth on Parkhaven,” she said. “I think it’s a great achievement. I’m very, very proud of this council. We did something that we were talking about for many years before and we figured out a way. I spoke to a councillor from Outremont, who called to ask how we are managing these non-conforming uses and how we are integrating them to our zoning, to make them more secure and regularized, and legalized. We’re showing a great example.”

Berku added that the city has to be strict.

“We have four zones, four places of worship that have been approved for conditional use and the others [on other streets] are going to have to get in line, in the sense that they will have to adjust to the new reality.”

Brownstein, who said the synagogue in the Parkhaven home has been in existence for 25 years, pointed out that the front facade will generally remain the same with some planned exceptions, including two front doors that will be converted to one front door with windows and a double garage door that will be converted to a single garage door with a new exit door added.

“We’ve ensured that it’s safe, that it has sprinkler systems and there’s soundproofed walls,” the Mayor added. “It’s done in a way that will minimize the inconvenience, rather than increase something that’s been there for 25 years. The situation has improved…for the neighbours and the individuals who will be using it. There are ways to accommodate and enforce parking restrictions and for neighbours to treat a religious institution in a different way now that it’s legalized. The religious institution has to be good neighbours.”

Councillor Steven Erdelyi said he had been concerned about safety, but “I’m happy to see with this renovation, it will increase the number of emergency exits, and access and egress. If, God forbid, there is an emergency, people can escape safely.”

Councillor Mitch Kujavsky said the residential synagogue will comply with building codes.

“We should be proud of what we’ve done.”

Councillor Lior Azerad said, “we were able to get through this because lines of communication were open between residents and different institutions, as well as through the council.”

Earlier in the meeting, Azerad, in response to a resident, said the city should not be looking at the overall issue as a residential synagogue problem.

“We need to look at this from a service point of view. Are we allowing more services in our communities? There are home-based businesses that aren’t legal. We’re not going around saying ‘why is this business open in a home?’ Let’s not point it out as religious institutions because that’s targeting a specific group. We need to look at it as a non-conforming business or institution, and how do we make it conforming because that’s what our residents want.”

Councillor Andee Shuster, responding to a concern brought up by a resident earlier in the evening, said the residential synagogue will have discreet signage, “so it’s not a surprise when you move into the neighbourhood of what’s there — nice discreet classy signage that will integrate well.” n

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CSL Mayor not invited to master plan meeting

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Last week at a District 1 information meeting hosted by Councillor Oren Sebag at the Le Vicomte residential complex, regarding what a potential redevelopment of Décarie Square could entail, it was revealed that Mayor Mitchell Brownstein was not invited to attend. Brownstein, who viewed the meeting on Zoom, revealed this as part of a long letter that he asked to be read to the meeting in lieu of attending — the letter was in response to a petition of Le Vicomte residents, put together by Sebag and residents, calling for a halt in the tabling of the master plan.

“I was disappointed that I was not allowed to attend, but I will maintain positive relations and open communications with Councillor Sebag, who I consider a friend, as with all my councillors,” Brownstein told The Suburban after the meeting’s conclusion. “We all want what’s best for the city.”

Tensions in Côte St. Luc over the master plan for the future of the city — including the potential redevelopment of its three malls — manifested themselves Nov. 20 when at a special meeting, council voted 6-2 for draft bylaws related to the plan. Sebag and District 2 councillor Mike Cohen voted against most of the draft bylaws, saying the more than two-year-old master plan process is flawed in terms of consultation and timings of meetings. Tense debates took place.

There will be a 7 p.m. Dec. 11 area meeting at Décarie Square, with doors open at 6:30 p.m., which will include attendance by the mayor, councillors and a presentation by city staff. During the Nov. 26 meeting, questions were raised about potential traffic issues, what the redevelopment of Décarie Square could entail and many other issues.

Councillor Dida Berku held her own master plan district meeting Nov. 5, to which she invited Brownstein and Councillor Steven Erdelyi, as well as CSL Shopping Centre representatives.

Asked about the non-invite of the Mayor, Sebag told The Suburban that the Nov. 26 meeting “was organized by the Vicomte, they sent the invitation…there was no reach out to other councillors because we, and I, wanted to present the facts as [related to the master plan].

“There is a clear exercise where they pitch the master plan…. This wasn’t a pitch. This was me presenting the facts and I do believe the way I presented it was different than the way [associate city manager Tanya Abramovitch] or Dida Berku would have done it, because they are pushing this master plan in a way that they might not be sensitive enough to the way the [area] residents feel.”

Asked for a response, Berku told The Suburban, “it’s not about who was invited or not invited, it’s about the traffic — there is a traffic problem and I am the champion of the city to solve those problems. We are working on it. There’s more things that will happen, and it’s not just in reaction to the master plan, it’s been the city’s mission for the past four years. We have enough briefs and presentations to wallpaper a room, and on Dec. 11, we’ll bring them all so everyone can see what we’re doing and continue to do to open up Vézina and Cavendish.”

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Tordjman running for CSL Mayor in 2025

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Former CSL councillor David Tordjman announced this week that he will be running for the city’s mayoralty in the November 2025 election.

Tordjman also ran with a team of candidates in the 2021 municipal election against incumbent Mitchell Brownstein, who was re-elected. One member of Tordjman’s team, Lior Azerad, was elected.

In a statement, Tordjman stated that his decision to run again is “driven by a deep commitment to the city’s future and concern about the current direction of the Master Plan, [I’m] stepping forward at this time to help ensure that voices of all residents are heard and respected.

“The Master Plan is a vital blueprint for the growth and development of our city. In its current form, it is a draft that needs consideration. We need to take into account the need for more housing, greater density in certain parts of the city while ensuring that we maintain safety and security as well as manage significant traffic issues. I firmly believe it is an essential tool to enhance the quality of life for everyone in CSL. It’s time to move forward responsibly and inclusively, ensuring that every resident feels engaged in shaping the path ahead.”

Tordjman added that “as a candidate and a professional Civil Engineer, I bring a wealth of municipal experience, having served as the city’s Director of Engineering, Urban Planning and Public Works from 2005 to 2010 and having previously held office as a city councillor from 2017 to 2021.

“[I am] committed to advancing the Master Plan in a way that reflects the city’s collective interests and priorities. We need to bring everyone to the table and create meaningful progress for CSL. Our community deserves a leader who can navigate complex challenges and find common ground. This is about building a future that works for all of us, and I have the experience and know-how to guide us through this.” n

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CSL candidates go at it on Global

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By Joel Goldenberg

Côte St. Luc mayoral candidates Mitchell Brownstein and Robert Libman debated the issues last Thursday on Global TV’s Focus Montreal, hosted by Jamie Orchard.

Libman praised Côte St. Luc as an “incredible municipality.

“But I don’t believe we’ve achieved our full potential, we can do a lot better with the right leadership,” he added.

Brownstein said that since he became mayor a year and a half ago, “I negotiated a deal with the City of Montreal whereby Côte St. Luc will be paying $4.8 million less for essential [island-wide agglomeration] services, reduced our debt by $4 million and we’re running a surplus of $1.9 million in 2016. I settled collective agreements with our three unions.”

The debate dealt with the most prominent issue in Côte St. Luc for the past 50 years — the long-awaited Cavendish Blvd. link with St. Laurent. Libman said he ended the longstanding impasse prompted by former Mayor Bernard Lang’s opposition.

“In 2000, I developed a consensus that I proposed to the Quebec Transport Ministry and the municipalities in the surrounding area were in agreement with us,” he said. “The City of Montreal created a project bureau with a $5 million budget at the time, public studies and environmental tests were prepared and ready to go for the extension to be completed in 2010, and 15 years later, it’s still not there. We need someone with an urban planning and architectural background that I have to really push this file forward.”

Brownstein said the ceding of the Hippodrome land from Quebec to Montreal last June for a housing development has a condition that the Cavendish extension “must go forward.

“It didn’t happen by itself. As soon as I was elected, I made a commitment I would push Cavendish forward, and I met with Montreal executive committee chairman Pierre Desrochers. We had a meeting with our MNA David Birnbaum, four ministers came, and all the five mayors — everyone was committed to moving it forward. I met with CP and CN for the first time together in my office. The result was that Minister Carlos Leitao announced with Mayor Denis Coderre that there will be an extension…”

“That was the biggest non-announcement,” Libman began, before both spoke over each other.

“If Robert [was going to] to move it forward, he would have been able to do it when he was on the Montreal [megacity] executive committee, but now he can’t do it at all,” Brownstein countered.

‘That’s when we announced it,” Libman responded. “The file was going to go ahead, and 15 years later it’s still sitting on the backburner.”

Brownstein then said Libman is a lobbyist for the development company Olymbec, “and there is a reserve on a piece of land owned by Olymbec that is required for the Cavendish extension. He will have to recuse himself from the whole debate!”

“This is so typical of this whole campaign,” Libman said. “All of the allegations, ridiculous comments…”

Orchard asked if the Olymbec land is under reserve, and if it is required for the extension.

“A piece of land owned by Olymbec has been reserved by the City of Montreal, but it doesn’t affect what I do…” Libman said.

“Would you have to recuse yourself from that debate?” Orchard asked.

“To be perfectly transparent, just to avoid any perceived conflict, perhaps I would, but it’s not even necessary, I’ve spoken with ministry officials about that,” Libman said.

Last week, Libman told The Suburban that while he is registered as a lobbyist, “I have no choice —every architect and urban planner that meets with city officials has to do that.”

At another debate at the Or Hahayim Synagogue Brownstein raised the issue of remerger as a “possible” threat. “The threat is not imminent,” he said, “But there have been Mayors who have told me that they’ve heard discussions of the possibility. I wouldn’t want to say more because I don’t want it to happen. I heard it at the municipal level. Certain people at the municipal level would like that to happen.” Brownstein declined to reveal further details.

Libman said Brownstein’s contention is a “scare tactic. “I have tried over and over again to bring issues to the fore that affect Côte St. Luc residents going forward regarding taxation, urban planning challenges, infrastructure and roads, transparency and creative programs for our city and he hasn’t advanced a single idea,” the candidate said. “All he does is try to spin the 15-year-old demerger tale and shy away from the real issues.”

CSL candidates go at it on Global Read More »

Mayors, MNAs, MPs form caucus to press for Cavendish link

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

A “Cavendish caucus” of Mayors, MPs and MNAs has been created and met virtually with federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser to press for the realization of the Cavendish link between CSL and St. Laurent before the Hippodrome housing project is completed.

The caucus includes Mayors Mitchell Brownstein (CSL),  Peter Malouf (TMR), Alan DeSousa (St. Laurent) and Jeremy Levi (Hampstead). It also includes MPs Anthony Housefather, Anna Gainey and Emmanuella Lambropoulos; MNAs Elisabeth Prass, Desirée McGraw and Michelle Setlakwe and councillors Dida Berku and Sonny Moroz.

Lambropoulos said she and the other members of the Cavendish Caucus are requesting that the “Province of Quebec enforce the terms of its agreement with the City of Montreal which mandated the completion of the Cavendish project in return for ceding the Hippodrome land to Montreal.”

“We pressed upon [Fraser] that’s it’s very important that the federal government, which has billions of dollars to give for housing, as well as the provincial government, not give money for housing without demanding that the transport be there in order to service that housing — not to finance the housing without the transport,” Berku said. “Without the support of the federal and provincial governments, Montreal won’t be able to [go ahead with] these plans….We recognize the housing needs, but we need good transit to fuel and promote good development.”

A National Assembly petition sponsored by Prass asking for the realization of the Cavendish link is being launched.

The petition, specifically, will also ask the provincial government to “respect and enforce the Hippodrome agreement of 2017, which stipulated that the transfer was conditional on the realization of the Cavendish extension.”

A letter from the caucus to Fraser also says they are asking “for an environmental impact study to be done immediately so that it can be brought before the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) as soon as possible, and for the Cavendish extension to be developed in parallel to the Namur-Hippodrome housing project, as it was meant to be.”

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein said the business community is clear that the Cavendish link has to accompany the housing development. “For residents to want to move into those developments, for businesses to succeed — people need to be able to get there.”

Neil Oberman, the new Conservative Mount Royal candidate and a former CSL municipal candidate, told The Suburban he is supportive of this effort.

“Cavendish needs to be open, its a question of people having a right to circulate, to go see their families without getting stuck in traffic. It’s been long overdue, it needs to be done, it shall be done because people won’t accept being locked in their homes and blocked in their cities.”

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Info meet planned on ‘Hippodrome without Cavendish’

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

An information meeting will be held in the next few weeks regarding the prospect of a Hippodrome development without the Cavendish extension, Côte St. Luc councillor Dida Berku told the May council meeting. Berku said she is hoping hundreds of people attend.

Berku told The Suburban that the date and location for the meeting still has to be worked out.”The three Mayors of Côte St. Luc, Town of Mount Royal and St. Laurent will host the information session,” she added. “Suddenly, the City of Montreal is on a fast track [regarding the Hippodrome], they’ve been dragging, dragging, dragging since they filed at the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement. They announce the development on April 19, they have an information session on May 15, you have to file briefs on June 21. Suddenly, we’re on a fast track without Cavendish.”

During the question period, CSL resident Sharon Freedman, who has questioned council often on the delayed Cavendish link, said the recent alliance between, CSL, TMR and St. Laurent and business leaders to demand the link be prioritized was a pretty good idea, “but nothing much will change.You are all being outplayed by Mayor Plante. How long will this council allow themselves to continue to be disrespected and blown off by her again? It’s really time to play hardball. They need to demand that the Quebec and federal governments take over this project. The feds need to withdraw any money going to Plante. We need to withhold our agglomeration taxes,” as proposed by Hampstead Mayor Jeremy Levi in terms of all demerged cities withholding their respective shares.

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein challenged Freedman to suggest what the city can do to play hardball, adding that withholding the agglomeration shares for police, fire and public transit services would lead to the municipalities being placed under trusteeship by the province.

“It’s time to sue them,” Freedman suggested.The Mayor replied that he agrees with legal action, but that according to legal opinions received by the city, municipalities “don’t necessarily have the right to sue.It would have to be you (residents) who would sue them,” he added. “The residents, in my opinion, have the right because they pay the taxes to the agglo, and you’re the ones who are not able to get in and out of the city. Maybe residents like you can all get together, or the business alliance.” n

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Hundreds gather at Gelber Centre to observe Yom Hazikaron

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Israel Consul-General Paul Hirschson and Deputy Consul-General Shulamit Chouraki Nadiv lay a wreath at Sunday’s annual Montreal Yom Hazikaron commemoration, to remember the 30,134, as of May 12, Israeli soldiers and civilians killed since Israel’s independence in 1948. Steve Sebag, board chair of Federation CJA, on behalf of the Montreal Jewish community, and Colonel Alain Cohen on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces, also laid wreaths. On hand, amongst many at the standing-room only event at the Gelber Centre, were Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry, D’Arcy McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass, CSL Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and Rabbi Reuben Poupko. Montrealers killed in Israel were remembered, including Alexandre Look, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists Oct. 7 while defending others. His mother, Raquel Look, in an emotional speech, told the gathering that the sacrifices of those who fell “have and will pave the way for the vibrant, resilient nation we know today, a beacon of hope and perseverance in a tumultuous world.” Also remembered was Montrealer Yisroel Suissa, who died this past March in a motorcycle accident after serving in Gaza for 150 days since the Israel-Hamas war began. n

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Zoubris:”Cavendish has to be a priority”

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By Joel Goldenberg and Beryl Wajsman,Editor
The Suburban

Jimmy Zoubris, Mayor Valérie Plante’s special counsel, responded Sunday on CJAD’s The Suburban Radio Hour to questions from The Suburban’s editor-in-chief Beryl Wajsman on the long-delayed plan to build a “city within a city” in the Hippodrome area and the plan’s lack of a Cavendish link from Côte St. Luc northward.

CSL Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and councillor Dida Berku told The Suburban last week that the extension is left out completely from the plan, even though a link was a condition of the sale of the land from Quebec to Montreal for $1.

Wajsman pointed out that without a west of Décarie access and egress, horrible traffic congestion will continue and intensify when the Hippodrome project is completed and, even sooner, when the Royalmount megamall is completed late this summer. There are also plans for a redevelopment of Décarie Square, which is in close proximity to the Hippodrome site; a 268-unit rental project is currently being built at Décarie and De La Savane, and a new commercial-residential building has been completed at the Westbury development. “There’s a feeling that what the west end is concerned about doesn’t necessarily get the attention of city hall — what about the Cavendish link?” Wajsman asked.

Zoubris replied that the city is moving quickly, calling the site of the former Blue Bonnets raceway “not only one of the last big untouched sites in the City of Montreal, but it’s also very important for the development of that area. “When the Mayor and my colleagues mentioned that we’re going through with this project, she did mention Cavendish, she did say for us, it’s necessary that Cavendish be done as well. But we can’t stop the whole progress of the area to complete Cavendish, which is a very difficult project.”

Zoubris said the first phase of the Hippodrome project could involve Cavendish going to Jean Talon because it does not require BAPE approval. “There are many factors involved in [the extension], including dealing with the rail company (CP), which has never been easy. People have been talking about Cavendish for as long as I can remember.” Wajsman insisted, especially in light of the Royalmount project, that the Cavendish link is needed to ease traffic, and that all the municipalities involved — CSL, TMR and St. Laurent — want the extension done. Zoubris said many options are being considered, and added that Montreal has worked with TMR to alleviate traffic around the Royalmount site, including the new pedestrian bridge over Décarie north of the Royalmount-De La Savane overpass.”For us, [Cavendish] is a priority, people are working on this, it hasn’t been left behind.”

Does the city understand the Cavendish link is important to ease traffic and would make the Hippodrome project a viable one? Zoubris replied that with the planned amount of houses and existing and future businesses on Décarie, Cavendish “has to be a priority, something we have to work on all together, which I think we are as much as possible with the [island-wide agglomeration] and different levels. There’s a lot of factors and it’s a very technical thing.”

Wajsman emphasized that it is important for a political leader to speak about doing the link.”Can we hope to hear the Mayor say more on the subject as time goes on?”Zoubris replied that much will be heard about the link. “I expect there’s going to be a lot of announcements in the next while concerning development in the area. It was the first time in a long time where everyone was at the table — federal, provincial, municipal — and even the committee we created with some of the major players from the city of Montreal.”

Wajsman said some of thse major players are frustrated they are not hearing more on Cavendish.”What I’m hoping to see in the coming weeks and months is that the Mayor will underscore this, because the words of the highest elected official in the city count.” n

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