West Island

The West Island remembers The Twelve

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Denzil, Margo, Marilyn, Brenda, Carol, Alan, Donna, Paula, Leon, Edwin, Diane, and Estelle.

These are the names the West Island will remember — 12 children whose lives were cut short on July 13, 1954, when a summer picnic on Île-Bizard turned into one of Montreal’s most devastating tragedies.

Seventy-one years later, families and community members gathered last weekend to honour them. The memorial began inside the Île-Bizard chalet, where relatives and dignitaries — some holding back tears, others holding hands — filled the room. Joan Lee, President of the West Island Black Community Association (WIBCA), welcomed everyone as master of ceremonies. “We will always remember them and say their names,” Lee said, pausing on each one so the silence could settle in. For the families, that silence is familiar. Their loss is never far away.

Montreal poet Svens Telemaque opened the event with a reading. “Words have no value if I can no longer share them with you,” he said, urging everyone present to reach out to their loved ones while they still could.

Early in the ceremony, Kevin Deer, Elder and knowledge keeper from Kahnawake, offered words of wisdom, reminding everyone that life is precious, and so is the land we live on. His message set the tone for the day: remembrance not only of those lost, but of the connection between people, place, and community.

Allison Saunders described how, on that hot July morning, sixty-two children from Little Burgundy’s Negro Community Centre boarded a bus with their counselors, filled with excitement for a summer picnic. The children played in the sand, ate hot dogs and oranges, and lined up for their turn on a small motorboat — a thrill for kids who rarely left the city. For most, it was just another day of summer freedom.

The first two boat trips were uneventful. But on the third, seventeen children and two adults boarded, far exceeding the boat’s proper capacity. The motor flooded, a wave hit, and in a moment that changed Montreal forever, the boat capsized. None of the children wore life jackets. Most couldn’t swim. The chaos that followed was unimaginable — children calling for help, counselors and onlookers scrambling to save whomever they could.

Some were pulled to safety by the boat’s owner and a camp counselor. But the day’s bravest act belonged to David Tagliaferro, just twelve years old at the time. Seeing the disaster unfold, David jumped into a boat and went out to help save two children, risking his own life. Last weekend, Francis Scarpaleggia, Speaker of the House of Commons and MP for Lac-Saint-Louis, recognized David’s courage, and the room erupted in heartfelt applause.

The audience included Pointe-Claire Mayor Tim Thomas; Maja Vodanovic, Mayor of Lachine and executive committee member responsible for water; Brigitte Garceau, MNA for Robert-Baldwin; Rita Amira on behalf of Monsef Derraji, MNA for Nelligan; Catherine Clément-Talbot, city councillor for Pierrefonds-Roxboro; Danielle Myrand, city councillor for Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève; Erene Anthony, community advocate; Akilah Newton, founder of Overture with the Arts; Cynthia Waithe, President of Barbados House Montreal; John Westlake, retired SPVM officer; Ken Anabelle, community member; Cindy Finn, Director General of the Lester B. Pearson School Board; and Frank Di Bello, commissioner with the school board.

Île-Bizard Mayor Doug Hurley didn’t just express empathy — he shared his own grief, speaking about losing his grandson to drowning only a few years ago. The pain, he said, does not fade, no matter how much time passes. “Whether it’s three years or seventy-one, it doesn’t matter. You just miss the person.” His raw grief gave weight to every word, connecting him to every family in the room.

Brigitte Garceau reminded the crowd that remembrance is a communal act, and that courage sometimes comes from the most unexpected places — even a twelve-year-old boy rowing into danger. “Life is precious,” she said. “As a community, we mourn together and remember together.”

The gathering was further lifted by song from four generations of family members — DaVonne Parsons, Josette Camara, Gail Millington Grant, and Christina Grant — whose voices carried the weight of memory and the strength of legacy, a powerful reminder that the past lives on through those who remember.

After the words, prayers, and song inside, the crowd made their way out into the sunlight and gathered around the new commemorative bench, donated by Rideau Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home. It faces the water, a quiet spot to sit and remember, and stands as a promise that these children will not be forgotten. n

The West Island remembers The Twelve Read More »

Sharp rise in attempted murders and assaults in WE and WI

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Crimes against individuals greatly increased in the areas served by the western sector of the SPVM, including the West Island and the west end, says the recently released SPVM 2024 annual report.

As a whole, for the entire island, the report said that firearm crimes decreased by 19 percent from 2023, and by 47 percent from 2021. Thefts of vehicles decreased by 25 percent compared to 2023 — some west end councils have warned owners of Japanese SUVs to be especially vigilant.

“The upward trend in many crimes against persons, seen in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada before the pandemic, continued in 2024,” the report points out. “In Montreal, the number of crimes against persons reported in 2024 increased by 7.3% compared to 2023 and by 27.8% compared to the average for the last five years.”

The report says that, overall, Criminal Code offences increased by 3.4 percent, while crimes against property “remained stable.” The Suburban has reported in recent years about numerous incidents of arson at businesses and of vehicles, including in parking lots and at private homes.

The western sector of the SPVM covers Station 1 (Baie-D’Urfé, Beaconsfield, Kirkland, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Senneville), Station 3 (Île Bizard, Pierrefonds, Ste. Geneviève, Roxboro), Station 4 (Dollard des Ormeaux), Station 5 (Dorval, Dorval Island, Pointe Claire), Station 7 (St. Laurent), Station 8 (Lachine, St. Pierre), Station 9 (Côte St. Luc, Hampstead, Montreal West, NDG), Station 13 (LaSalle), Station 26 (Côte des Neiges, Town of Mount Royal, Outremont), and Station 55 (Trudeau Airport).

As a whole for the western sector, crime against people increased from 8,294 in 2023 to 8,804 in 2024. Murders decreased from seven to six, and in 2024, they occurred in DDO (one), St. Laurent (one), Lachine (three), and LaSalle (one). There was one offence resulting in death in 2024, taking place in the Station 26 area.

Attempted murders increased significantly from 19 in 2023 to 32 last year in the western sector. The most, eight, took place in the Lachine area, followed by six in the Station 26 area, five each in Dollard and St. Laurent, and four in the Station 9 area.

The bulk of the crimes against people in the western sector was assaults, with 4,988 taking place in 2024 compared to 4,808 in 2023. The highest number of these took place in the Station 26 area (1,233), with 718 taking place in the Station 9 area. As well, 565 sexual assaults took place in the western sector in 2024, compared to 539 the year before. The highest number of these (111) took place in the Station 26 area, followed by 95 in St. Laurent, 84 in LaSalle and 66 in the Station 9 area.

There were 846 robberies in the western sector in 2024, compared to 753 the year before. The highest number of these (200) took place in the Station 26 area, followed by 121 in the area covered by Station 9.

There were 2,366 other offences in the western sector in 2024, compared to 2,168 in 223. The highest number of these by far was 561 in the Station 26 area, followed by 347 in the Station 9 area.

In other categories, crimes against property amounted to 15,943 in the western sector in 2024, compared to 16,866 in 2023, a significant decrease. The highest number of such crimes were instances of petty larceny. As mentioned above, The Suburban has reported on several instances of arson, and 26 of those took place in St. Laurent followed by 21 in the Station 9 area. n

Sharp rise in attempted murders and assaults in WE and WI Read More »

Ten West Islanders among 23 arrested in alleged grandparents scam

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Canadian fraudsters targeted seniors in the United States, cheating them out of more than $31 million US. Last Tuesday, in a massive operation, police arrested 23 people, 10 of them from the West Island, all subject to a U.S. extradition request.

The investigation involved more than 100 law enforcement officers from the RCMP, the Sûreté du Québec, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The arrests were made last Tuesday around 6 a.m. in Montreal, Laval, St. Eustache, Pointe Claire, DDO, Deux Montagnes, Île Perrot, Vaudreuil-Dorion, and Les Coteaux, and in Burlington, Ontario.

The alleged crimes occurred between summer 2021 and June of last year.

According to ICE, the suspects operated a typical grandparent scam, making calls to seniors posing as a relative, usually a grandchild, who had been arrested following a car crash, needing bail money. Another suspect posed as an attorney who would send an accomplice posing as a bail bondsman to collect the money.

They are alleged to have worked out of three call centres on the West Island – two apartment buildings in Pointe Claire, both on Avenue de la Baie de Valois, and one in a house on Harwood in Vaudreuil.

The stolen funds were transferred to Chicago or New York, and then back to Canada through cash deliveries, financial transactions, or cryptocurrency.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched the investigation in 2022 with the collaboration of the SQ. Last June the SQ went into the alleged call centres, catching 20 of the suspects in the act, fleecing victims in Virginia, and stopping another suspect in his car. That suspect apparently had a list of people from the U.S.

The successful joint operation comes a day after U.S. President Trump enacted his 25 percent export tariffs, and as he continues to raise concerns about Canadian border security, particularly with the trafficking of fentanyl. But all those involved in the investigation praised the joint effort of U.S., Canadian, and Quebec law enforcement.

“Today’s arrests are the result of domestic collaboration as well as our critical international partnerships with our colleagues in Canada, Sûreté du Québec and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” said ICE Special Agent Michael J. Krol. “Tackling transnational crime is one of our greatest priorities and we’re working hand-in-hand with our neighbours to dismantle organized criminal groups that threaten our safety and security.”

An ICE attaché for Ottawa, Madalena Sigur, called the operation “an excellent example of ICE Canada’s partnership with the Sûreté du Québec,” saying they will “continue to partner with the SQ, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other law enforcement agencies to identify and dismantle criminal organizations operating throughout North America and abroad that exploit our shared border and vulnerable population for illicit gain.”

SQ Chief Inspector Michel Patenaude added that the arrests “highlight the efficiency of our joint efforts, demonstrating that our cooperation delivers concrete results in enhancing public safety on both sides of the border.”

The suspects include Usman Khalid, 36, of Les Coteaux; Andrew Tatto, 43, of Pierrefonds; Stephan Moskwyn, 42, of Pierrefonds; Ricky Ylimaki, 31, of Île-Perrot, and Adam Lawrence, 41, of LaSalle, two of whom are still at large.

There were nine other suspects arrested in the U.S., including one Montrealer: 24-year-old Philippe Alvarez.

The charges include fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, and money laundering, charges which could carry a sentence of 20 to 40 years. They are expected to be tried in the state of Vermont. n

Ten West Islanders among 23 arrested in alleged grandparents scam Read More »

Two WI arrests in major vehicle export ring

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A months-long investigation by the Quebec provincial police (SQ) resulted in the arrest of two West Island residents last week, marking a significant breakthrough in the fight against organized vehicle theft operations in the region.

Alex Badagbor, 48, from St. Laurent, and Bertha Yeboah, 42, from Pointe-Claire, were taken into custody following coordinated raids at their residences. The pair faces 12 criminal charges related to the possession and trafficking of stolen vehicles, specifically involving six vehicles between June and July of last year.

The operation, which began in May 2024, involved approximately a dozen SQ officers and targeted what investigators believe to be part of a larger vehicle export network. This network has been contributing to the surge in auto thefts across the West Island, particularly in commercial areas.

The arrests come at a critical time for the West Island community, where vehicle theft has become an increasing concern for residents and law enforcement alike. The Fairview Pointe-Claire shopping centre has emerged as a particular hotspot, with 156 vehicles reported stolen from its parking lot in the past year — averaging more than one theft every two days.

Despite these concerning numbers, recent data suggests that enhanced police efforts are beginning to show results. Quebec has seen a 36 percent reduction in vehicle thefts during the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. In the Greater Montreal Ares (GMA), police statistics show approximately 8,200 stolen vehicles between January and November 2024, marking a significant decrease from the nearly 11,000 vehicles stolen throughout 2023.

The West Island’s strategic location, with its proximity to major highways and shipping routes, has made it an attractive target for organized theft rings that export stolen vehicles overseas. Law enforcement sources indicate that many of these vehicles end up in shipping containers at the Port of Montreal, where authorities recently intercepted 54 stolen vehicles in a separate operation.

The SQ’s operation reflects a broader provincial strategy to combat vehicle theft, which has included increased surveillance in high-risk areas and closer cooperation between different police forces. The Montreal police force (SPVM) has also intensified its presence around known hotspots, particularly in commercial parking lots and residential areas where luxury vehicles are frequently targeted.

The SQ has established a dedicated tip line for this ongoing investigation, encouraging anyone with information to contact their criminal information centre at 1-800-659-4264.

This case remains active as investigators continue to examine potential connections to other vehicle theft operations in the region. The SQ has indicated that additional arrests may follow as the investigation progresses. n

Two WI arrests in major vehicle export ring Read More »

English threshold drops in local municipalities

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Over the past few years many municipalities — on the West Island, in the West End and in the Laurentians — have voted to retain their bilingual status. Many of those municipalities scrambled to do so in the face of Bill 96, which states that bilingual status could be retained only in those communities where the population is more than half Anglophone mother tongue unless council votes to retain it. Recent census statistics show, however, that in some of those municipalities the number of households where English is the mother tongue is in decline.

This is the case in places like Beaconsfield and Pointe-Claire on the West Island, and even the Anglo bastion of Westmount.

Mayor Scot Pearce of the city of Gore in the Laurentians, a town that once had more than 50% Anglo households, says that in his municipality the number of English-speaking households is down to around 20%.

As reported in The Suburban in February 2023, the 48 municipalities in Quebec that needed to pass a resolution had all done so. That brought to 99 the number of municipalities that now have bilingual status, which means they can communicate with residents, and offer services, in both official languages.

The provincial government has been saying for some time, now, that French is also on the decline in many of the same places where English is said to be in decline. In both cases the explanation could be the rise in the number of immigrants whose mother tongue is neither English nor French.

But some municipal mayors also point out that the population is more bilingual than it has even been. Municipalities that currently have bilingual status want to retain that status, but it is unclear how often or when they would need to renew their bilingualism resolutions. n

English threshold drops in local municipalities Read More »

West Island Black Community Association Hosts Successful ‘Tropical Nights’ Community Gala

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Rosie Awori

The West Island Black Community Association (WIBCA) held its annual “Tropical Nights” gala on September 21st in Dollard-des-Ormeaux. The event celebrated the community’s achievements and raised funds for future generations.

The evening featured live Caribbean-inspired entertainment, including steelpan music and dance performances. Attendees enjoyed a Caribbean-themed dinner and the gala’s festive atmosphere.

WIBCA presented Golden Heart Awards to individuals who have made significant contributions to the community. This year’s recipients included Elizabeth-Ann Williams, Yvonne Durant and Svens Telemaque. The Hon. Gerry Weiner, former mayor of Dollard-des-Ormeaux and a Canadian politician is recognized for his leadership and dedication to community service. Sharon Nelson, the second vice president of the Jamaica Association was awarded the special Golden Heart award in memory of the late Egbert Gaye.

Joan Lee, WIBCA’s President, expressed gratitude for the community’s support and the success of the gala. The funds raised will support WIBCA’s ongoing initiatives, including youth programs, educational support, and community development.

WIBCA is excited to announce its upcoming Corporate Gala on April 5th, 2025. The event will focus on raising funds for the rebuilding of their multipurpose community center.

For more information, please contact WIBCA at 514-683-3925 or visit www.wibca.org

West Island Black Community Association Hosts Successful ‘Tropical Nights’ Community Gala Read More »

Scroll to Top