Westmount

Westmount council adopts redevelopment plan

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

On September 18 a special council meeting was held in Westmount to announce that council had unanimously adopted the plan to redevelop the south sector of the town.

The Special Planning Program (PPU) referred to as Imagine Westmount has drawn a lot of ire from those who believe the town’s character is at stake, but also support from the many who believe, as Smith does, that the area is in dire need of the kind of change inherent in the plan.

Opening the meeting, Mayor Christina Smith said she knew that she was “not changing any minds here in this room tonight.” She said that council knew any decision made regarding the redevelopment of the area would be divisive. She acknowledged that there were many who had hoped for more time, who had hoped the issue would be deferred to the next council to be elected on November 2.

Delay, she said, has led to nothing being done for nearly a decade, “with further decline, more vacancies, and no investment.” Crime and homelessness have become big problems in the area, she said. “Delay has not solved these problems. Delay has made them worse.”

At one point Smith made an error, referring to the south side of the Dorchester instead of the north side, before she was corrected. She assured those present that she was not pulling a sneaky move and changing the plan, “even though I think that majority of you in the room think I would.”

In the end council voted to implement that plan that Smith said was “years in the making,” adding that it cannot be delayed again.

The councillors present each took a few minutes to speak, taking the opportunity to reiterate their arguments either for or against implementation or further delay. Matthew Aronsons went over some of the changes made to the plan prior to the vote, including what he referred to as “incentive zoning” to give the city more bargaining power with developers moving forward, and even reducing the proposed height of the some of the buildings in the plan. After suggesting that the plan is the best possible plan for the community and can’t be improved, councillor Kathleen Kez spoke, saying “the current plan is not ready, and needs more time to mature.” She listed several elements that she felt were missing from the plan, and called for it to be carried over to the next newly elected council.

“The Special Planning program should be a source of pride, and not a division for Westmounters,” she said. “I am not prepared to take a leap of faith and adopt the current plan as it stands. It needs to mature before we commit.” She was applauded after saying that if council chose, rather, to move forward, she would have no choice but to vote against it.

Mary Gallery, who is running for mayor in the upcoming elections, saying “This is not rushed; this was clearly designed from the start.”

“Let me be clear,” she added, “this is not a blank check for developers, this is a framework to attract serious, responsible investment.” By moving the plan forward, Gallery said, the next council will have something to work with, even if they make changes. “Adopt and adapt,” added councilor Conrad Peart.

Residents had their time to question or comment on the plan, with one, Dr. Caroline Reinhold, present a petition with more than 10,000 signatures, “ten times the number who attended each of the public consultations,” Reinhold said, “and three times the number who responded to the city’s online survey,” calling for a delay.

The adopted plan will now be in the hands of a new council to be elected on November 2. Smith announced some time ago that she is not seeking re-election. n

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Gallery, Casgrain run for Westmount mayoralty

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Westmount City Councillor Mary Gallery (District 6) has announced that she will be running for mayor in the next municipal election to replace Christina Smith, who announced in January that she would not be seeking another term.

Gallery has been on Westmount City Council for two terms. She said she decided to run “because I care deeply about the future of Westmount. I want to continue the work of protecting, preserving, and improving our community. This city deserves thoughtful, civic-minded leadership — leadership grounded in experience, integrity, and a deep understanding of what makes Westmount so special.”

Her key platform priorities include: strategic budgeting that balances fiscal responsibility with high-quality services; programs that support families, youth, and seniors at every stage of life; infrastructure renewal and “smart city” technologies that improve quality of life and revitalization of the southeast sector, grounded in careful planning and open dialogue.

Gallery says her campaign will focus on responsive governance, responsible budgeting and inclusive, community engagement.

“Westmount is one of the most remarkable communities in Canada,” said Gallery. “We have a responsibility to protect what makes it exceptional — our people, heritage, and character — while planning wisely for the future. I’m committed to working with residents, city staff, and fellow councillors to ensure Westmount remains a vibrant, responsive, and resilient city for generations to come.”

Gallery is the daughter of the late Brian O’Neill Gallery, who served as Mayor from 1983 to 1987. She has been immersed in civic life for decades. Her full platform will be released in the coming weeks.

Also running is Lynne Casgrain, a lawyer and the former ombudsman of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Casgrain says she has a number of concerns with decisions made by the current administration, including reducing garbage collection to once every two weeks.

And there is also the redevelopment plan for the city’s southeast sector. As reported in The Suburban recently, the City of Westmount is going to great lengths to show residents the merits of the redevelopment plan. For Casgrain the project misses the mark. What bothers her the most is what she sees as the lack of consultation on the project. She would want her administration, should she be elected, to be more inclusive of resident input. n

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Court approves class action suit against Robert Miller

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Just weeks after liens were placed on two Westmount homes owned by Robert Miller, a Quebec Superior Court judge has authorized a class-action suit against the billionaire.

Miller stands accused of paying women, who were allegedly minors at the time, for sex. Their lawyers, Jeff Orenstein and Lawrence David, made the request, which was approved by Quebec Superior Court Justice Catherine Piché.

The request was originally made last November. At the time Miller said he wanted to defend himself, but insisted, through his lawyer Karim Renno, that he could not effectively mount a defence if his accusers were allowed to remain anonymous.

Miller is accused, along with three of his former Future Electronics employees – Helmut Lippman, Raymond Poulet and Sam Joseph Abrams – of sex offences that are alleged to have taken place in Montreal-area hotels, as well as a home in Westmount. After a Radio-Canada documentary about the allegations, Miller sold Future Electronics, which is also named in the suit.

In Piché’s 76-page ruling, the judge wrote that some legal and factual questions will need to be answered, namely, did Miller indeed exploit minors for the purposes of sex, and whether the other defendants in the case “encouraged or aided as accomplices in the performance of these wrongful conducts”. And “Did one of more of the defendants wrongfully participate in an organized juvenile prostitution scheme?”

Also in the ruling was the authorization as representatives in the case against Miller “All persons who, while less than 18 years old, provided sexual services in exchange for remuneration, and/or were victims of sexual exploitation, and/or have been victims of incitement to sexual contact from Robert G. Miller, Raymond Poulet, Sam Joseph Abrams, Helmut Lippmann and/or Future Electronics Inc.”

Miller is 81, and is said by his lawyers to be too sick to appear in court. n

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Pro-Palestinians disrupt Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in Westmount

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

A group of pro-Palestine and pro-Hamas protesters harassed, blocked and pushed attendees at an event at the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in Westmount last week.They were masked, waved the Palestinian flag, chanted calls for intifada and support for Hamas, and called Jews baby-killers and genocide supporters. Police presence was significant but they arrived after the protesters and made no arrests.

The event was a talk by Eylon Levy, a former Israeli Government Spokesman and International Media Advisor to the President of Israel, and the Co-Founder of the Israeli Citizen Spokespersons’ Office. Levy is on a speaking tour that took him to Montreal. He spoke to a packed house of some 550 inside, while outside, according to Cantor Gideon Zelermyer, about 30 to 40 protesters gathered, with about as many police officers on the scene.

Zelermyer said that while protests at the nearby Israeli consulate have become a regular occurrence, “this was the first time we’ve had something like this at the synagogue.” The protesters were on the same side of the synagogue, not across the street, as per the court injunction mandating that they stay 50 metres away.

The Suburban asked the SPVM why the police did not enforce Criminal Code provisions that make demonstrations in neighbourhoods that are “tumultuous” illegal and also disallow demonstrations in front of religiousminstitutions specifically sections 63(1j and (2) and 176(1j and (2j. The SPVM’s Anik de Repentigny answered,”In general, the Montreal Police Department (SPVM) does not comment on specific operations. That being said, the role of our police officers during demonstration activities such as the one on November 5 is to ensure that they take place in peace, in good order, and with the safety of people and property. They must also be carried out in compliance with the laws and regulations in force. It should be noted that the SPVM management has been in regular contact with Jewish communities since the beginning of the conflict 13 months ago. We continue to meet with them and listen to them. Their concerns are important to us and we are sparing no effort to restore their sense of security.” The Suburban responded by asking if the SPVM is saying that these provisions were not broken? We did not receive an answer by press time.

Melissa Libman, an attendee, said the protesters were at two different entrances shouting at attendees, calling them baby killers and supporters of genocide. Libman says she wasn’t worried. “I was not intimidated by their words,” she said.

The shouting continued throughout Levy’s talk, and could be heard inside the synagogue. Levy acknowledged the protesters, but simply said not to pay attention to them. Libman echoed the sentiment. “These are not the people who want to talk to us,” she said.

Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, reacted to the protest, calling it “a disgusting display of vitriol and beyond the pale of any form of acceptable protest.”

Anna Gainey, Liberal MP for Nôtre-Dame-de-Grace–Westmount, posted on her X account that the protests “not only violate the current injunction protecting places of worship, but violate the peace and safety of residents and of our Jewish community members in particular. The hate speech and antisemitic chants filling the quiet residential street are obscene. It’s unacceptable and has to stop.”

Anthony Housefather, Liberal MP for Mount Royal, posted that he’d been in touch with Westmount Mayor Christina Smith, and had spoken with the police. “The location of this protest is meant to intimidate,” Housefather added. “It is appalling.”

A statement he put out the following day read “the police should have enforced the injunction and they did not. They did not, leaving many Montrealers confused, angry, and concerned about their safety. This is not acceptable.”

Mayor Smith agreed, saying she is “very disappointed with the SPVM’s decision to ignore the clear court injunction prohibiting protests within 50 metres of places of worship. This is unacceptable.”

Shaar Hashomayim’s Rabbi Adam Scheier put out a joint statement with Rabbi Reuben Poupko of Côte St. Luc’s Beth Israel Beth Aaron Synagogue, calling on Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and the SPVM “to more effectively protect our community.”

Attorney Neil Oberman who has won more than a half dozen injunctions protecting Jewish institutions said, “This week’s events in Westmount highlight the necessity for ongoing vigilance and effective leadership. Canada, once a respected nation and a symbol of hope, is now facing challenges from individuals who threaten its integrity. Current leadership appears to lack the vision and commitment needed to restore safety and security in our communities.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and Federation CJA also released a joint statement at the time of the protest, saying “this evening, radicals came to desecrate the tranquility of one of our community’s residential neighborhoods and houses of worship by calling for intifida in front of the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in Montreal. That they should do so in violation of the injunction protecting our community’s premises from this kind of antisemitic demonstration, and all that in front of the SPVM, is revolting. We will raise concerns directly with the SPVM as to why protesters were allowed so close despite the injunction.” n

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Westmount appeals to Quebec to stop protests

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Westmount Mayor Christina Smith and Westmount-Saint Louis MNA Jennifer Maccarone have sent a joint letter to Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and Quebec Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel demanding that something be done to quash antisemitic and anti-Israel demonstrations, particularly in the residential area around the Israeli consulate in Westmount Square. This is the first time a local Mayor has directly involved Quebec in an appeal for public security since these demonstrations started after the Oct. 7, 2023 barbarous Hamas attack on Israel.

The demonstrations that have taken place around the consulate over the past year have made life increasingly difficult for residents who live and work in the area, say Smith and Maccarone. Many residents are senior citizens who are blocked from leaving or entering their homes, and businesses have suffered financial losses as customers avoid the area.

“The situation has become more and more volatile,” reads the letter. Last October 7, after a peaceful student vigil in downtown Montreal, near McGill University, masked pro-Hamas protesters marched from Concordia to McGill, where they smashed windows. McGill University confirmed that evening that a security guard had been assaulted.

In the letter, Smith and Maccarone ask that immediate and decisive measures be taken to prevent further disturbances. “Over the course of the past year we have been in regular contact with the SPVM.” Despite that, they say, “little has been done to respond to the rising concerns” of the residents in the area.

It’s time for the city and the province to intervene, the letter says. They are calling for an emergency plan, and the need for further resources, including the help of the Sûreté du Québec, to manage future demonstrations, either to redirect marches or implement a special intervention force to prevent further disturbances and threats of violence.

“This problem cannot wait,” the letter concludes, “and we hope that you act quickly to ensure the security and protection of all.” n

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Westmount pilot traffic project raises objections

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Ceausu
The Suburban

A pilot project in Westmount has some residents concerned.

The closing of the Notre-Dame-de-Grace Avenue diagonal roadway around the Claremont triangle to cars reclaims 515 square metres for potentially more greenspace and safer passage on foot and bicycles, particularly around Marianopolis.

Forcing motorists right on Claremont to go south and then left on Westmount if heading east, that intersection is a major problem, says local Shona Godwin. “It’s poorly designed,” she said, noting the short block between NDG Ave. and Claremont is now two lanes, one way, and accommodating a bus stop where the stop sign is obscured when buses actually stop.

The diagonal still has a bike lane with a stop sign, but the stop on eastbound Westmount is gone. The Suburban witnessed several close calls as cyclists rode through their stop across Westmount while eastbound vehicles approached. Eastbound cyclists on NDG at Claremont are also pressured by impatient motorists forced to turn right. (A shockingly close call occurred with a public works truck reversing at the intersection, nearly striking some pedestrians. When alerted loudly by citizens, the driver expressed surprise, seemingly annoyed by the callout while waiting for them to pass).

Godwin says it’s a recipe for disaster. “They’re planning to completely redo Claremont and using this opportunity to try this,” she said, but questions “why now, and why wasn’t the neighborhood consulted?”

Westmount Mayor Christina Smith insists the project, running through October, is part of that process. “In 2025 Claremont will be reconstructed entirely from NDG Ave. to Sherbrooke. It gives us an opportunity to re-imagine how it should be. It’s long overdue.”

She says the city heard from citizens in the spring about crossings, signage and more, “but we did not come with a design of any sort. We’re really going with a blank slate. The major player is right here, where people walk from Villa Maria or Vendôme, how pedestrians move about.”

A final Claremont design will be tendered in winter, she said, adding the SPVM and Westmount Public Safety are monitoring the situation. “I understand it causes a bit of confusion and sometimes people take the wrong lane to turn east onto Westmount. We are constrained by space, but once we rebuild, we’ll have flexibility to address that…That’s the point of a pilot project, to see if it works. It doesn’t mean it will.” A public consultation is scheduled for September 25.

Godwin says NDG Avenue “is now a bicycle lane, bus lane, fire lane and traffic lane, which means it will back up to Décarie putting pressure on other roads. We’re just dumping traffic into NDG, forcing people onto Grey or Vendôme.” Councillor Elisabeth Roux opposes the project “but was in the minority” she told The Suburban. “Since it is a pilot project, it is now up to residents to voice their opinion. I truly hope the outcome of all this will be a design that is safest for pedestrians and most respectful for residents.”

Smith agrees traffic changes are difficult, “but I’ve also been around long enough to know that people adjust. If it doesn’t work, we will look at that in terms of overall design. I don’t discount that it impacts a family who has difficulty getting home. We will 100% listen to them. But we rebuild a road every 50 years and it’s not the same as before. We have 3,000 students walking around. The intent is all about pedestrian safety, how we can improve it. Nothing is off the table.” n

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