Pierrefonds-Roxboro

No solutions for neighbours of Pierrefonds hoarders

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A family living on Devlin Street in Pierrefonds has seen their joy of living reduced for the last 25-years due to the hoarding of their neighbour. Numerous complaints were made to city officials in the last two decades and the family has been in direct contact with Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis since 2019. Beis even visited the property and spoke to neighbours, promising to do his best to help mediate the situation.

Beis explained to The Suburban that every possible course of action that could be taken by the municipality has been taken. “We’ve issued several tickets (via City of Montreal) and even sent crews to help clean up. At this level, there is only so much we can do regarding private property.” The Mayor also explained that the sensitive intersection between potential mental health involvement and legal considerations is difficult for authorities to navigate. Beis moved the file up the ladder to the City of Montreal and stated to The Suburban that he will look further into the matter in order to come up with answers for the complainants.

“This is a nice neighbourhood, but it is ruined by the ugliness and the stench coming from that house,” The neighbour explained to The Suburban. “It brings in mice and rats. There are things rotting there and it just keeps getting worse.”

The neighbour witnessed the City’s efforts to execute a clean-up of the property in 2021, where the owner kicked the workers off of his property, insisting on keeping his “belongings” in his front and back yard. When asked about this incident Beis said “That’s what I mean (by what was explained earlier) and in that case, all we can do is issue a ticket, which we have many times.”

The Suburban visited the neighbourhood and the putrid odours emanating from the yard were evident. A truck parked on the front lawn was filled with junk and surrounded by junk. The entire backyard had piles of junk, spreading over almost the entire canopy of terrain and reaching just a few feet short of the rooftop in certain spots.

“We understand that there may be some sensitive aspects to this problem, but everyone on this street is forced to live with the consequences. Where is the line drawn? Who is coming up with a fair solution? This certainly is not fair to us,” The neighbour explained. “We are not insensitive people, but its to the point where people are uncomfortable sitting outside on their own properties, at times. The City, or someone, has to come up with a solution. We understand that this is difficult, but for us who are forced to ‘live with it’, is that fair?” n

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Pierrefonds approves national design competition for public square

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A nationwide design competition for a public square slated to be constructed by 2028 adjacent to Pierrefonds-Roxboro’s aquatic and recreational complex is soon to be launched following the approved proposal at the borough’s council meeting.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro city councillors approved the proposal to launch a design competition with the goal of awarding a design contract for the development of a planned public square. Another mandate for the development of the technical and functional parameters has also been approved.

In order for a private contract to be authorized, the borough submitted a request for an exemption from the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (MAMH) that was approved.

“Pierrefonds-Roxboro seeks to encourage excellence in urban planning, landscape architecture and design throughout its territory. Through this competition, the borough hopes to create an exceptional place that will become the focal point of community, cultural and civic life in our area,” Pierrefonds-Roxboro mayor Jim Beis stated. “Through the development of this future public square, we want to create a sense of pride among our residents. Our intention is to create a unifying atmosphere in a space that people can fully identify with.”

Pierrefonds-Roxboro intends to complete its overall community design project entitled “projet connexion” that began with the expansion of the Pierrefonds library in 2019 followed by the redevelopment of Millennium Park in 2022 and the construction of the Pierrefonds-Roxboro Aquatic Complex that is currently underway. n

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Langevin slams Plante on homeless after Hotel Dieu failure

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

“They waited until the last minute and once again Montreal demonstrated its inaction on the issue of homelessness,” Pierrefonds-Roxboro city councilor and official opposition critic on homelessness Benoit Langevin told The Suburban in speaking about the refuge project that took place at Hotel Dieu. The project took shape under an emergency measure in the summer of 2021 following the announcement of the closure of a temporary shelter located in a hotel in downtown Montreal right in the middle of a global pandemic. Langevin says that the city has no strategy when it comes to planning for these projects in response to the ongoing needs of the homeless community.

It was not until the summer of 2023 that an investigation by the Quebec Ombudsperson took place revealing that the shelter was inadequate in receiving persons with certain health requirements or risk factors. According to the report, the organizations that ran the facility, Mission Bon Accueil (MBA) and the Old Brewery Mission (OBM), both acknowledged that they do not have the staff required to meet the physical health needs of persons with certain medical profiles.

Unlike health care facilities, shelters do not have admission criteria for their clientele other than homelessness. Some shelters serve only men or women or focus on a native clientele with particular needs, but when it comes to health issues, shelters are not equipped for medical interventions and rely on resources provided by the healthcare network. The project at Hotel Dieu was run by organizations that manage homeless shelters and it did what it does best. The shelter was never intended to become a health care facility and when health-related support was needed, it acted as usual and outsourced. It was workers from the CIUSSS healthcare network that reported situations to their employer that they observed while providing treatment during their visits that led to the investigation.

The Ombudsperson’s report was met with acceptance from all parties involved that collectively wanted to find the best solution for the clientele. The recommendations include, that adequate care is ensured for people admitted to the shelter; prevent vulnerable people from being admitted to an environment that cannot meet their needs; and plan the move of people accommodated to other resources after the closure of the shelter planned for July 2024.

“The urgency in which the project was deployed and the absence of contractual formalities can also explain the confusion regarding clinical and administrative responsibilities of the different actors (CIUSSS, CHUM, OMB, MBA),” the Ombudsperson’s report reads. “The city has no long term plan and when questioned, the Plante administration keeps pointing the finger at everyone else, including the Quebec government and the regional health authority that require the city to provide its long-term plan in requests for funding and implementation of services. But the city has tools at its disposal where Quebec can invest when provided with a plan.” Langevin says this scenario is not new or different from the ongoing reactive rather than proactive process of the Plante administration in how it handles the homeless situation in Montreal.

Spokesperson for the Quebec minister of social services Lambert Drainville told The Suburban that he agrees with Langevin’s perspective that the city and province need to work together in order to meet the needs of the homeless population. When asked what the minister’s position is on the Montreal mayor pointing the finger back at the provincial government, Drainville stated that he would not comment at this time but would review the issue for comment at a later date.

Langevin referred back to the city’s charter which states its obligation toward the homeless population and questions why it continues to leave nine habitable facilities empty. “Even now, it did not offer the vacant heated spaces on its territories for the relocation of Hotel Dieu. Once again, it left volunteer community groups to scramble for a last minute solution. The scenario forces the community organizations to go get mortgage loans to make up for 200 people with a new homeless situation. The city is always playing ‘hot potato’ and in this case it leaves the organizations looking for financing partners at the last minute with no concrete action from the city.” n

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Pierrefonds man wakes up to bullet-ridden car

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A Pierrefonds-Roxboro resident noticed bullets that were fired into his car while it was parked in his lot on Clark Street near Flemming. When officers arrived, they discovered the vehicle riddled with bullets and at least one bullet on the house next door.

Emergency calls to Montreal police (SPVM) reporting gunshots were made around 11 p.m. on Saturday but investigators did not locate any shell casings or gunshot entry points at that time. “After doing all the necessary checks, the patrol officers found nothing conclusive,” SPVM spokesperson Sabrina Gauthier said. “At 11:45 a.m. the next morning, we received a call from a resident who located the projectile impacts on his car.”

The scene was taped off to allow investigators and forensic identification technicians to analyze the evidence in order to determine the circumstances of the shooting. n

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