Aug/Sept - Ville de Montréal Ouest

New residents, new businesses,
interesting MoWesters
Montreal West Viewspaper
August-September 2012, Vol. 40, No. 6
Clockwise from upper left: Roman Sigal
and Rimma Beyl of Comfort Keepers
(page 8), Rusty Wiersma (page 7), Ani
Kurk of OX Jewelery (page 23), Melissa
Ross of Pharmaprix (page 17) and Julie
Petersen of Totem (page 10)
INDEX
This is ragweed! So, pull it up!
Community Centre . . . . . . . . .21
CRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Environmentally yours . . . . . . .22
Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
IODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Joan Foster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9, 13
MW Operatic Society . . . . . . . .20
MW Horticultural Society . . . . . .4
News from the pews . . . . . . . . .20
Réunion du Conseil . . . . . . . . .26
Rotary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-13
Scouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Town Council Report . . . . . . . .24
Vôtre en environnement . . . . . .27
2
Some of the more than 75 residents who attended the 3rd annual June 9 Ballantyne Avenue “200 block” party.
The main organizer was Andrea Staudinger.
Welcome to MoWest
Send your congratulations, condolences, good news and whatever you want to crow about to:
montrealwestinformer@
gmail.com or call Heather at
489-7022.
10 Westminster North
Montreal West, Quebec
H4X 1Y9
The Informer’s role is to provide MWesters
with information about their Town and its
citizens in order to foster the small-town,
close-knit atmosphere that makes Montreal
West a special place in which to live.
ISSN: 084741X
This is Kevork Ohanian, newest
business manger in MoWest. Kevork was
born in Egypt, raised in Alexandria by
Armenian parents, immigrated to Canada
in 1969 and studied biology at McGill
University. He obtained an M.Sc. in medical chemistry at the Université de
Montréal.
He established his own pharmacy at
7390 Sherbrooke West in June 1980.
Later, (June, 2008) he sold his business
but continued to manage it for
Pharmaprix. Now that Pharmaprix has
taken over the newest building in Town,
with Kevork still in charge, he has now
become a real MoWester in the sense that
he now works in the Town!
Also employed in the pharmacy is his
daughter, Aida, who has a McGill degree
in psychology and economics. She works
as a technician.
Kevork is a long time member and
past president of the Montreal Westward
Rotary Club.
New arrival on Fairfield Crescent!
MoWesters Melissa Felsky and Cory
Engelberg are thrilled to announce the
birth of their daughter, Riley Jordyn, on
February 13 at 10:29 am weighing 6 lbs
10.5 oz. This summer, Riley hung out in
Strathearn Park and make new friends
while on long walks in her stroller.
The Informer Is published nine times a year (usually) on the second-to-last weekend the
month except June, July and December. Out-of-town subscriptions: $15 per year.
Typesetting by Informer staff, printing by King Press. Extra copies available at Town Hall
and both libraries. Funded, in part, by the Town of Montreal West.
www.montreal-west.ca/en/the-informer/
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Jeannette Brooker - Chair
Rick Lavell - Treasurer
Jane Williams - Secretary
Heather Baylis
Véronique Belzil-Boucher
René Boucher
Jeanne Ragbir
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Heather Baylis 489-7022
LAYOUT DESIGNER
Julia Ross julia@ross.cd
AD MANAGER
Susan Reeves 312-3682
smreeves66@yahoo.com
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Rhonda Schwartz 482-0227
photo: Harold Rosenberg
Informerly yours
RATES
(camera-ready art):
1/6 page $45
1/12 page $25
Prof. card $125 per year
Classifieds:
25-50 words $10
25 words or less $6
ISSUE EDITOR: Heather Baylis
LAYOUT DESIGNER: Julia Ross
TASK FORCE
René Boucher
Jeannette Brooker
Maryl Murphy
Lydia Shuster
Rose Marie Smith Randi Weitzner
and those we omitted inadvertently
NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE
September 12
Informerly yours
New coin
A picture of Robert Ganz and
Beverley A. Lepine (Chief Operating
Officer of the Royal Canadian Mint) with
a framed copy of the winning photograph
and the very first coin struck of the winning image. Canadian Geographic
Wildlife Photography contest winner’s Praying Mantis, which features the work
of Robert Ganz, the grand prize winner
in the fourth annual Canadian Wildlife
Photography of the Year contest.
3
Terry Fox Run in MoWest
gone. In addition to this, Lauren has not
missed a run in over 15 consecutive
years and her daughter, Avah, who turns
4 in September, has done the Run with
Lauren since she was born. In fact one
day before her due date, Lauren was on
the field at Westmount Park doing a 5 k.
As the Terry Fox Run is not a competitive event, participants are not required
to register in advance, nor is there an
entry fee. When you arrive, you will be
asked to complete a very brief entry
form. If you have not collected pledges,
simply make a donation. So, get out and
run in the Terry Fox Run!
For more information, email
tfmowest@hotmail.com
Once the soccer season began, we all
rolled the stand to the field every Saturday
morning and she sold 50-cent glasses of
lemonade, cookies and hot coffee (with
the help of her little brother, Jay).
Through generous donations and
unwavering support from her teammates
and their families Sarah was not only able
to reach her goal of $40 but surpass it by
raising $144.
Sarah would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made a donation, bought a cookie or glass of lemonade
and to let you know that she sponsored
not just one animal but three animals, one
wolf, one lynx and one jaguar.
She has set her sites on a polar bear
next, so we will be back next season!
Thank you.
The Faith Family
Town Council approved the Terry Fox
Run that will take place in Strathearn
Park on Sunday September 16. But it was
Lauren Small-Pennefather who envisaged having the Run in the Town since
she and her family moved here in 2008.
She presented the idea to Counsellor
Elizabeth Ulin last November and
Elizabeth was the “champion” for the
event. Lauren has also been in regular
contact with the Terry Fox provincial
office to ensure that the Run goes
smoothly.
Lauren lost both her parents to cancer:
her father in 2009 and her mother in
1992, so this run is really a tribute to her
mother and the 20 years that she has been
Sarah makes a difference
Sarah is seven years old and has a
love for MoWest that grows stronger as
she gets older. Last year, through her
school, she was sensitized to the plight of
wild animals/endangered species and later
introduced to the World Wildlife
Federation. It wasn’t long before she
understood that people need to take action
in order to make a difference in the world
and that is exactly what she did. She
came home one day and announced that
she wanted take the lemonade stand that
she and her friends Lexi and Tashy had
made the summer before to each of her
soccer games to raise money for the
World Wildlife Federation. Her goal was
to raise enough money to sponsor a wolf
($40) and she knew that her community
would support her.
Armed with paint, brushes and rollers
the kids from the street spent one
Saturday helping to give the lemonade
stand a facelift.
Dr. Michael J. Wexel
Chiropractor / Chiropracticien
Tel: 773-7246
E-mail: drmjwexel@videotron.ca
18 Westminster N., Suite 110
Montreal West, QC H4X 1Y8
Groupe Sutton
Centre-Ouest Inc.
514-575-2419
mwilson@sutton.com
Mary Wilson
Courtier immobilier résidentiel
Dr. Mark Santaguida, O.D.
docteur en optométrie / optometrist
• examen de la vue • eye exams
• lunettes
• glasses
• verres de contact • contact lenses
• consultation laser • laser consultation
514 481- 4791
43a av. Westminster Ave. N. Mtl West,QC H4X 1Y8
4
Next meeting
The MW Horticultural Society’s popular plant sale was held last May 19.
Volunteers divided, packaged and priced
plant donations from local gardens the
day before the sale. Besides quantities of
iris, forget-me-nots and ferns were rarer
offerings such as heirloom tomatoes and
rose bushes. On sale day, healthy perennials were snapped up quickly for rock
bottom prices.
September ’s meeting of the
Horticultural Society will be on forcing
flower bulbs. David Wees, faculty lecturer at the Macdonald Campus of
McGill University in horticulture since
1988, will present the necessary tricks to
get tulips, daffodils, crocus, lilies and
other species to flower indoors in winter.
Take advantage of David’s expertise on
Monday, September 17 at 7:30 pm at the
Town Hall.
Everyone is welcome. Admission for
non-members is $5.
Diabetes support and
information meeting
There will be a diabetes support and
information meeting on the first Tuesday
of each month at the adult public library
from 7-9 pm.
The group will be led by local resident, Diabetes Nurse Educator, Lynn
Derry, who has had over ten years of
experience in this specialty during her
years as a registered nurse.
Caregivers of those with diabetes are
also welcome.
First meeting:
Tuesday, September 4 at 7 pm
Ragweed!
I’ve noticed ragweed growing in
many front gardens in the last few years
and, I suspect, many of us are unaware
we are producing such a noxious weed.
Considered the most vicious of all pollens for allergy sufferers, it spreads horribly easily and grows fast. A determined
survivor, it doesn’t take long for an infestation to occur. A plant can arrive almost
overnight; yesterday I pulled one up from
my front lawn. So please people, study
the picture, read the article in Wikipedia
and help everyone in our community.
Should you identify ragweed on
ground belonging to the Town, inform
Public Works and it will be removed. Be
aware that the nuisance by-law can be
applied to property owners who do not
remove ragweed and a fine is possible
after due warning given.
from Ann Compton
Plant sale committee prepares for the May 19 Horticultural Society plant sale
Artists’ Showcase
“Contained” is the theme of the
autumn 2012 edition of the Artists’
Showcase, scheduled to open at the Town
Hall in mid-September. Local artists were
invited to interpret the concept imaginatively, so expect to see a variety of
enclosed objects and claustrophobic
abstracts. The show will continue in the
music room, the upstairs meeting hall and
the front hall display case until January.
Meanwhile, there are still a few weeks
left to enjoy the delightful children’s display that has been on view all summer.
If you are a MoWester and an amateur
or professional artist who works on
canvas, paper, photography, fabric, pottery or other medium, you are welcome
to participate in the Artists’ Showcase.
The deadline for the fall show is
September 10. To find out more, or to get
an application form, go to the Town’s website under “culture,” or pick up an application at the Town Hall. You may also contact Elizabeth Ulin at eulin@montrealwest.ca, 486-1081 for details.
centre-ouest inc.
agence immobilière
Whether buying or selling,
we are there for you
every step of the way
Call the father-daughter team
that will make the difference
ERICH ZOLTAN KOS
SIMONA KOS, B.A.
COURTIER IMMOBILIER AGRÉÉ
(514) 483-6240
ekos@sutton.com
COURTIER IMMOBILIER
(514) 297-1813
skos@sutton.com
French, English, German, Hungarian and Romanian
MoWest Charity
Golf Tournament
The events that bring us together as a
community are what make our Town so
special. Events, like our Canada Day celebration, cause families from around the
Island to descend upon Montreal West,
hoping to get a glimpse at what makes
our little town so extraordinary. This is
why we are pleased to announce the first
MoWest Charity Golf Tournament which
we hope will carry on for years to come.
The inaugural tournament will be held
Thursday, September 13 at the
Caughnawaga Golf Club, teeing off at 1
pm. The tournament will benefit the
Children’s Library and Coco’s Place
Foundation, two wonderful MoWest
institutions.
The event is being organized by a
group of local Oldtimers’ Hockey League
veterans and they are actively looking for
entrants for this exciting event. The tournament entrance fee, which covers golf,
cart and dinner, is $125 per player.
Significant others, who may not know
how to swing a golf club, are welcomed
to join for dinner for $75.
The scramble format ensures that the
tournament will be enjoyable to players of
all skill levels, whether you shoot 59 (PGA
tour record) or 159, so please don’t be shy.
The Children’s Library has been at the
centre of children’s education in the community for over 30 years. Coco’s Place
Foundation, founded by a MoWester, has
worked hard to enrich the lives of children with autism spectrum disorders
from all over the Island.
7th Annual
NDG Pet Fest
The 7th Annual NDG Pet Fest is
taking place on Saturday, September 8
from 10 am to 3 pm at 6870 Terrebonne,
corner Mariette. The NDG Pet Fest is run
entirely by volunteers and is headed up
by Nancy Cunningham, a longtime
MoWest resident.
All of the funds raised at the event will
go to support three groups: Women on the
Rise and HIPPY (Home Instruction for
Parents of Preschool Youngsters), two
community-based groups which serve the
needs and promote the well-being of local
residents and new immigrants to
Montreal and Eleven Eleven Animal
Rescue which is a Montreal, no-kill,
foster home based rescue and registered
non-profit organization.
Many local businesses and organizations will have a booth at the Pet Fest. It
is a very popular family event even if you
don’t have a pet. Activities take place all
day. There are special demos such as dog
agility training; we have food stalls; there
are contests and prizes, shopping, music,
and activities for children.
Come and be a part of it! You don’t
even need to have a pet!
Kathleen Weil
MNA for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
and Montreal West
Minister of Immigration and
Cultural Communities
Pre-registration
Pre-registration is required, so to
reserve your spot, contact us at montrealwestgolf2012@gmail.com. To learn more
about the organizations this tournament
will be benefiting, please visit their
respective websites: www.cocosplace.ca
and www.mwcl.ca.
We hope to see you September 13 at
the Caughnawaga Golf Club for the start
of our next community tradition: the
Montreal West Charity Golf Tournament.
René Boucher
RB
Traduction
Montréal-Ouest
Révision de texte
Québec
Translation
(514) 482-3486
Text revision
rene-bou@videotron.ca
5252 de Maisonneuve Blvd West
Suite 210, Montréal, Qc, H4A 3S5
Tel.: 514-489-7581
A Professional Ad in
costs only $125 per year
Intrerested? Call the Ad Manager:
Susan Reeves 312-3682
smreeves66@yahoo.com
JANE F. LEE, B.Sc., D.D.S.
Chirurgien Dentiste - Dental Surgeon
63 WESTMINSTER N
MONTREAL WEST
H4X 1Y8
369-0255
MoWesters doing it
for themselves
On Thursday mornings at 10, starting
September 6 at the CLSC NDG/Montreal
West (2525 Cavendish Blvd), MoWesters
with chronic illnesses (and their care
givers and/or spouses ) can participate in
MY TOOL BOX, a free, six-week workshop series, offering strategies to better
cope with the consequences of living
with chronic health conditions. Learn to
be better self-managers and start on the
path to healthier living despite the complications of chronic disease.
To register or learn more about this
highly successful, evidence-based program offered through the MUHC
(McGill University Health Centre) call
Patricia at 934 1934, extension 71585 or
visit mytoolbox.mcgill.ca/.
While many MoWesters have been
vacationing at the cottage this summer,
we have have been busily working on the
CRA programs for the fall/winter session.
Important news for this year: all registrations for CRA programs must be done
ON-LINE. Members must go online at
our website (mwcrasports.ca) click the
registration tab, follow the instructions to
fill in the form online, print the confirmation and send in your cheque to the CRA.
We will have office hours if you prefer to
come to our office and use our computer
to fill in the form on-line and give us
your payment in person, but we are not
accepting any printed registration forms.
Please consult our web site for
updated September schedules for all
levels of soccer, updated program information, office hours and other important
information and notices.
We are looking forward to seeing all
our members in our recreation activities.
Palmtop / laptop specialists since 1986
Wireless Pentium-M notebooks
$299+
Virus removal and repairs
37 Westminster Ave. N.
514-487-9293
Richard Eckerlin We environmentally recycle old and
President
broken laptop/notebook computers.
5
6
Rotary Club
Westward Rotary Community Service Award and
Paul Harris Fellow: Joan Foster
On May 24, we had the pleasure of
awarding our third Rotary Community
Service Award which is given to a community member that has been identified
by friends and Rotarians to have contributed extraordinarily to the betterment
of our community. Joan Foster fits this
description well. We present the recipient
with the top Rotary honour, ‘The Paul
Harris Fellowship’. Paul Harris was the
founder of Rotary.
Born in Montreal to Dr. Campbell
(Cam) Dickison, a surgeon at the MGH
and Thelma Blanche Stuart a physiotherapist, Joan grew up in Hampstead
and was schooled at Hampstead
Elementary and then Trafalgar School for
Girls. She obtained a Bachelor of
Nursing from UNB, and then worked at
the Montreal General Hospital where she
rapidly rose to be the Head Nurse on the
orthopaedic ward. It was there that she
met her husband Bill. Joan and Bill have
four children: Sarah and Rebecca (who
grew up in MoWest and who are both
well known to most in the community)
and Mark and Anna and three grandchildren – Max, Frankie and Jackson.
With a surgeon father and physiotherapist mother, it is perhaps not surprising
that Joan chose to make her career in the
health sciences. She followed her position as head nurse at the MGH with one
in the newly introduced CLSC system in
the early 1980s. There she spent a
number of years as the Home Care
Liaison Nurse for the McGill University
teaching hospitals before joining the
CLSC NDG/Montreal West as a community nurse. And as with all things she put
as much emphasis on the community element of that job as the nurse element –
always going above and beyond for her
patients and their families.
Over the years, she has taught at the
McGill School of Nursing and the
Dawson and John Abbott CEGEPs and
has been a frequent presenter at conferences, symposia and workshops particularly in the areas of home and palliative
care. Her expertise in these fields is well
recognized and she continues to serve as
a member of the Council on Palliative
Care and of an MUHC committee whose
mandate is to ensure Geriatrics Quality
Assurance Review. Despite her supposed
retirement, Joan remains very active in
these fields by helping friends and community members navigate the health care
system in times of stress and by organizing impromptu flu vaccine clinics.
Rotary President Simon Allotey, Joan Foster and Doug Yeats
Joan and Bill settled in MoWest in
1978. Joan has thrown herself into the
life of the Town and community. While
the girls were growing up, Joan restricted
her professional activities to part-time,
but being a person with seemingly
boundless energy who took a very real
interest in MoWest and its institutions
and activities, she was soon involved in a
range of activities such as the Elizabeth
Ballantyne Home & School Association
(1983-93), MW Children’s Library
(1990-95), MW Guides (1983-2000),
Meals-on-Wheels (1985-1990), Canada
Day festivities, Remembrance Day celebrations and the “day away program” for
the NDG Senior Citizens’ Council. Last
but not least, Joan was the driving force
behind the Extra Miles Program which
grew out of her experiences in the
MoWest and NDG communities during
the great “ice storm,” and the community
Christmas dinner. Both of these activities
bring together members of MoWest and
the MW United Church with individuals
in our communities who for a variety of
reasons are isolated. Her many and substantial volunteer activities and contributions were fittingly recognized in 2003
when she was invested with the Governor
Generals Caring Canadian Award. And
care she clearly does – for her commu-
nity, her church, her patients, her family,
her friends. It would be hard to imagine a
Montreal West without her boundless
energy, kindness and outreach. It would
be a very different Montreal West.
Lobsterfest 2012
Our June Lobsterfest was another
great success with the Legion Rink filled
to capacity. Thank to all who participated
and helped out at our event.
Isabelle Morin – NDG/Lachine MP
Will be our guest speaker on
Thursday, September 13. This
meeting/luncheon is open to the public.
We require reservations on a first call
basis. Please contact me by e-mail: Doug
Yeats at doug@westendpiano.com or by
phone 486-5373.
from Doug Yeats
5765, av Monkland
Montreal, QC, H4A 1E8
Sandra Roscanu
Affiliated Real Estate Agent
Bur: (514) 481-0241
Jon “Rusty” Wiersma: Executive Director, Scouts Canada
love of the outdoors. In Scouts they learn
to live with nature and travel to jamborees. As Venturers they learn how to
plan their own program/project and organize fundraising. Boys and girls will make
life long friendships through each stage.
All this is possible for $195 for the
school year. Costs are kept low with
many fundraising activities. The recent
Fertilizer Drive sold $22,000 with about
50% profit and this money is used to
support camp and outing costs and the
no-one-left-behind-fund, which pays for
camp and uniforms for those in need.
by Maurice Krystal
It was dusk when I got a call that my
fertilizer order was only minutes away. I
stepped outside and saw a MoWest
pickup truck slowly creeping along
Sheraton Drive. Tom Johnstone apologized profusely; explaining the truck had
some problems and CAA had to be
called. The driver was Rusty Wiersma,
a man synonymous with Scouts Canada.
I knew this was the 100th anniversary of
the Scout movement in Montreal West so
I asked if I could interview him.
At the age of 8, while a student at
Edinburgh, his mother (aka Mrs. W) registered Jon for the coming Scout year
and, after much deliberation and gentle
persuasion, he agreed to go to one
meeting. It wasn’t so bad so he consented to try the next. He overcame his
shyness and as a teenager, while in
Venturers, he assisted with the Beaver
and Cub programs. Jon learned the
importance of community volunteer service from his mother, who was active in
the CRA and Edinburgh for many years.
He also was on the staff of the after
school program at Edinburgh and the
Town’s Community Services Department
prior to joining Scouts Canada as a full
time employee in 1990. Jon’s long volunteering list includes: a member of the
Town’s Community Services Council,
Informer reporter, involved in Canada
Day and Remembrance Day ceremonies,
the Edinburgh Governing Board
Community Rep and tour director with
the Edinburgh School Choir.
Rusty has accumulated his share of
honours and awards. In 2003 he was
awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee
Medal. Last year he was awarded the
Baden Powell Fellow designation, a
World Scouting award, presented at a ceremony in Ottawa, by His Majesty, King
Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, Honorary
President of the World Scout Foundation.
Though there has been a decline in
Scouts the last decade, Rusty is pleased to
note that numbers have increased in
Canada the past three years and in the last
two years in Quebec. For many years the
MoWest troop had the largest membership
in the province but recently dropped to
second place behind Pointe Claire. Today
the MoWest group has 115 people, which
includes youths and leaders. The success of
the program is mainly due to the community’s strong leadership team. Rusty
believes the Town’s success is due to dedicated leaders such as Bob King, Karen
Johnston, Beth McMillan, Mark
Brenchley and Jenny Chopra. It is rare
for a group to have even one such long
Become a volunteer!
serving leader. The vast majority will stay
as long as their children are in the program.
Rusty is optimistic that the MoWest
group will again vault into first place in
the next few years. The decline was
mostly due to such factors as parents limiting their children’s activities during
school evenings, but whether sports,
music, or culture, take priority one year
over the next, there is no denying that the
lessons learned in Scouting last a lifetime.
In Beavers, the children learn how to
share and cooperate. In Cubs, they learn
camping skills, working on earning
badges, leadership in groups of six and
Scouts Canada is always looking for
volunteers. For the past 15 years every
volunteer has to go through a rigorous
process called VRAD (Volunteer
Recruitment and Development). It
involves obtaining references, police
checks, and an interview by two specially
trained Scouts Canada interviewers.
Rusty has spent, other than five years in
Ottawa, working for Scouts Canada, his
entire life in Montreal West. Jon is the
eldest of three children. He has a brother
Andrew and a sister Karen. He has a
dream to build a family cottage in the
Owl’s Head/Mansonville area where the
family went when he was growing up
learn to ski and explore the outdoors. He is
trying to convince his siblings to join him
in this endeavour. While he is still single,
he admitted he hasn’t given up looking. He
laughingly suggested that interested parties
might submit their T-4 slips.
Registration for kids and adults interested in volunteering take place at the
Arena the first week of September with
the CRA registration. For further information: tel 334-3004 ext 208, cell 9660881 or email jwiersma@scouts.ca
7
8
Roman and Rimma: fighting elder abuse
by Maurice Krystal
People are living longer. On the other
hand elder abuse (defined as the physical,
financial, emotional, and sexual mistreatment of individuals 60 and older) is a
growing problem. Accurate numbers are
difficult to ascertain because research by
academics, Statistics Canada and seniors’
advocates suggests that almost one of
every 10 senior Canadians experiences
some form of abuse. Much of it goes
unreported. Adult children are concerned
with their parents’ wellbeing and are desperate to find a solution to ensure it.
Guilt of not giving their parents the same
attention and comfort they got growing
up is the driving force behind the major
decisions that adult children have to take.
Roman Sigal and Rimma Beyl, a
MoWest Northview couple, know exactly
how frustrating it could get, as they are
surrounded by family members well in
their 80s. They had to always rush to provide care for their two children, to support
their parents and to help the rest of their
family. They soon realized that many families deal with the same issues and decided
to look into homecare as a service they
could offer to those in need and a business
opportunity. It is in this environment they
have purchased a homecare franchise
called Comfort Keepers.
Comfort Keepers was started in the
United States and quickly established
itself on the international stage. With
more than 650 locations worldwide it
became the leader in providing homecare
to everyone who is in need. The first
Quebec office was opened seven years
ago in the West Island. The services are
now provided on the whole Island of
Montreal, as well as in Laval, Gatineau
and Québec.
Neither Roman nor Rimma have a
medical background, thus it was important for them to stay within the non-medical field. “We are there not to replace the
family members, daughters and sons of
our clients, but rather to help them
reestablish their family ties and to work
with them. It can be a painful experience
when the family roles are inversed and
parents become dependent on their children,” says Rimma. After all, people
choose to stay at home because they
cherish their independence.
Roman was born in Tallinn, Estonia,
and came to Montreal in 1994. His
family, including his now 86-year-old
grandmother, came in stages. He
obtained his B.Com. from Concordia’s
John Molson School of Business. Not
Donna Nicholson
481-3406
surprisingly Roman looks after the business end of the enterprise.
Rimma was born in Russia, spent two
years in the States as a student before
immigrating to Canada in 1995 to join
her family. She studied linguistics at
McGill. Later she became interested in
the travel industry and attended ITHQ to
obtain her Montreal tour guide licence.
She is a people person and the Client
Care Manager. Rimma communicates
with the clients, does the home assessments, hires and trains the caregivers and
matches them to the clients.
Comfort Keepers is the first and only
private company to receive accreditation
from the Conseil québécois d’agrément.
All employees undergo a criminal and
driver’s background check, and personal
and professional references. They are all
insured and bonded. The caregivers are
women in their 50s. When hiring, Rimma
looks for people who enjoy this type of
work and are not in it just for money.
Their tasks are varied and include:
bathing and hygiene, toileting, feeding,
companionship, meal preparation, shopping and transportation.
Comfort Keepers doesn’t only provide
care for seniors, but also to those who need
rehabilitation after surgery, disabled children, and new mothers. Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Each client has different needs and the
range of services can be customized to fit
them. The areas in the city this franchise
covers include: MoWest, Outremont,
Downtown, Plateau and Old Montreal.
For further information contact:
Tel: 419- 9636
Fax: 227-5546
www.comfortkeepers.ca
outremont@comfortkeepers.ca
35 years ++
Let my Experience Work for You
Serving the Montreal West area
in the buying and selling of homes.
For an informal rendez-vous,
please call.
481-3406
Vitrine artistique
Hours / Heures
Monday - Thursday / lundi - jeudi :
9 h 00 - 12 h 00; 13 h 30 - 18 h 00
Friday / vendredi :
9 h 00 - 12 h 00; 13 h 30 - 17 h 00
Saturday / samedi : 13 h 00 - 16 h 00
The fall brochure is now available at
the library and registration for all of our
programs starts on September 4 as do our
winter hours.
New program!
Parents: Do you dread project time?
Let us help! For a small fee your child
can join our research super team and
become a research superstar! The library
will be offering workshops that teach
research skills and safe internet
searching. Your child will learn how to
do research for their projects, to cite their
work and search for information from
safe internet sites and other trustworthy
sources that have been evaluated by
teachers, librarians, and research experts.
Starting in September, the program
runs once a week (from 3:45-4:45) for
three weeks and costs $25 for friends of
the library or $35 for patrons. Suggested
A Professional Ad in
costs only $125 per year
Intrerested? Call the Ad Manager:
Susan Reeves 312-3682
smreeves66@yahoo.com
grades are 5th and 6th. Groups are limited to a minimum of three and a maximum of six. Session 1: September 17, 24
October 1. Session 2: October 15, 22, 29.
Session 3: November 12, 19, 26.
Come with a friend, registration is
limited and opens September 4.
Fees
Starting in September, all resident
families will be asked for a $10 per year
fee to cover basic services. We regret this
change, but rising costs have made this
necessary. The non-resident fee will
increase to $25 per year per family.
As in the past, we will require a
$25/year Friends of the library donation
for families to borrow from our DVD
collection as well as to register in any
program. This is in addition to the basic
fees mentioned above.
We appreciate all the efforts made by
those who have sold freezies, supported
Rock the Rink and who will continue to
support fundraising initiatives.
Hopefully, these, combined with the
nominal yearly fee, will enable us to continue to offer a high level of service.
Condolences extended
It is with great sadness that we note
the passing of George Holland, a longtime supporter and board member of the
library. To his wife, Nancy, we extend
our heartfelt condolences. Many will
know Nancy from her many years on our
board and on our staff. George will be
missed.
PORTES OUVERTES
et INSCRIPTION
OPEN HOUSE and
REGISTRATION
mercredi
5 septembre
Wednesday
September 5
8 am - 18:00
Le thème de la vitrine artistique de
Montréal-Ouest pour l’automne 2012 est
« Contenu ». Le vernissage aura lieu à
l’hôtel de ville à la mi-septembre. Les
artistes locaux sont invités à interpréter
le concept avec toute leur imagination.
Attendez-vous donc à voir une variété
d’objets enfermés et d’abstractions
claustrophobes. L’exposition se
déroulera dans la salle de musique, la
salle de réunion au premier étage ainsi
que dans le cabinet vitré du hall d’entrée
jusqu’en janvier prochain. Entretemps, il
reste encore quelques semaines pour visiter la superbe exposition des œuvres de
nos enfants en montre cet été.
Si vous résidez à Montréal-Ouest et
que vous êtes un artiste, amateur ou professionnel, qui travaille sur toile, sur
papier, en photo, sur le tissu, en poterie
ou dans tout autre médium, nous vous
invitons à participer à la vitrine artistique. L’échéance pour l’exposition de
l’automne est le 10 septembre. Pour de
plus amples informations ou pour obtenir
un formulaire d’inscription, rendez-vous
sur le site Web de Montréal-Ouest à l’onglet « culture » ou procurez-vous une
copie du formulaire au bureau de l’hôtel
de ville. Vous pouvez aussi communiquer
avec Elizabeth Ulin au eulin@montrealwest.ca, ou au 486-1081, pour plus de
détails.
9
10
Totem: Teas and spices on Westminster
by Maurice Krystal
Tea has a long history, and unlike
coffee, it has a certain elitist attraction.
Fancy hotels have a high tea and not a
high coffee. In North America, exotic
teas are gaining in appeal. Perhaps we
have become saturated with the multitude of coffee shops on every second
corner. There are rituals connected to tea
brewing, many of them religious, that
forces one to slow down and appreciate
one’s surroundings, something we sometimes lose track of in our busy lives.
Next to a yoga and pilates centre, Totem
seems ideally located.
Totem is a tea and spice store opened
this June by Julie Pedersen, a
Vancouver transplant who came to study
design and illustration two decades ago
at Dawson College. There she met
Michel, a fellow student in the same program, fell in love and got married. For
ten years she was involved in marketing,
specializing in branding and package
design.
With the birth of a son, Julie put her
career on hold. Five years ago, after she
gave birth to her daughter, she decided to
work from home making use of her
design talents. She discovered ETSY, an
online American site selling hand made
goods. Today, over 80% of Julie’s
custom kits are sold online to US customers.
Opening Totem will allow Julie to
interact more with local customers. She
is an avid “tea-head” and “foodie,” especially from far flung ethnic areas. She
hopes people will come and ask her
questions. She has already started cre-
ating custom blends based on client’s
requests.
It is impressive how much Julie
knows about teas, spices and salts. She
obviously doesn’t just put them in fancy
packages. Plans are being formulated to
have tea and baked goods sampling
evenings. She already has enlisted a local
baker to make cookies, truffles and teacakes that are sold in the shop.
Her specialty drink is the “fog” latte,
which is popular on the west coast. A fog
consists of infused tea, which is topped
with hot steamed milk. The classic
Oxford fog, made with Earl Grey, has a
shot of vanilla syrup added for those with
a sweet tooth.
The Town is ready for a café-like
hang out. Julie fell in love with the space
as soon as she saw it, with the exposed
bricks and wood. Though it’s up a flight
of stairs, she plans to make it as inviting
as possible, eventually placing a few
small tables on the sidewalk.
Julie has a few favourite tea blends
she created: Walk in the Woods,-Rooibos
tea and mint; Fifty Shades of Grey, Earl
Grey tea with raspberry; and Cin-Cité
Chai, a classic Indian chai recipe loaded
with cinnamon. Cin-cité is quickly
becoming a customer favourite.
In the spice department, Java Love
Rub, coffee, chili, cinnamon, garlic,
onion and French sea salt; Jamaican Jerk
Rub, paprika, cayenne, garlic, nutmeg,
clove, and allspice; Berbere Rub,
(Ethiopian cuisine) cayenne, ginger,
paprika, cardamom, and fenugreek, are
top sellers.
As well, the store carries infused salts
with such exotic labels as: Smoked
Applewood, Roasted Garlic,Napa Merlot
and Black Lava.
All ingredients are purchased in small
quantities from local distributors to
ensure freshness, and all products are
labeled in case of allergies. All her teas
are whole leaf and sold loose as opposed
to most teas sold in tea bags are filled
mostly with dustings (leftovers). A wide
variety of filters, infusers, and meshes are
sold. According to Julie the spice bottles
that go into specially designed racks look
like miniature totem poles, and that
accounts for the name of the shop, but
the fact that she’s originally from BC and
tea has this spiritual history, might also
be an unconscious link as well.
Julie is taking reservations for evening
book clubs, knitting groups, etc. She is
also assembling gift boxes and baskets of
glassware, grilling kits, handmade aprons
and other cooking related items. There
will be a range of favors for weddings,
showers, etc.
The family moved to MoWest a year
ago from the Monkland Village.
Husband, Michel Hébert, is a mechanical designer who works on airplane
instrument panels. Son, Adrien, is 7 and
daughter, Jasmine, is 5 and the entire
family loves the breathing space, gardens
and sense of community of our small
town.
For further details visit:
Totem at 51A Westminster N.
Phone: 233-5854
Web site: www.purposedesign.etsy.com.
Email purposedesign@videotron.ca
214A Promenade Ronald Drive
l’École des Amis du monde
Une nouvelle communauté scolaire
s’organise, pour mieux nous servir
Madame Lina Fortin nous souhaite la
bienvenue dans notre nouvelle école. À
l’aube d’une année scolaire pleine de
promesses, madame Lina veut créer un
climat de collaboration entre l’ensemble
du personnel scolaire, les communautés
desservies et les familles afin de contribuer le plus possible à la réussite
éducative de tous les élèves. Madame
Lina a aussi à cœur d’offrir des services
éducatifs adaptés aux besoins spécifiques
des enfants, pour permettre à chacun
d’eux de développer son plein potentiel.
La nouvelle équipe-école est formée
de gens dévoués, désireux d’offrir des
services de haute qualité à nos enfants.
Certains membres du personnel
enseignant ont connu nos jeunes à l’école
de la Mosaïque et ont choisi de poursuivre leur carrière auprès d’eux. Dans
cette nouvelle communauté scolaire qui
s’organise avec dynamisme, les parents
occuperont une place de choix.
Prévoyez-donc dès maintenant de participer à la vie scolaire de vos enfants si
vous avez envie de vous joindre à une
équipe enthousiaste, vouée à la réussite
des élèves.
Michael Brooker
•
•
•
•
BMI Kontrols
Weigh what you want
Change your thinking... Change your weight
Individual courses
Group courses at Vanier College
Tel.: (514) 481-8583
Fax: (514) 481-5428
mije@magma.ca
72 Curzon Street
Montreal West, QC H4X 1H9
Google Michael Brooker Montreal West
Notre nouvelle école est située dans
l’ancien édifice Mackle de l’école de la
Mosaïque. Elle a été réaménagée afin
d’offrir des installations modernisées
comprenant deux gymnases, un local de
musique, un local d’art dramatique, un
local pour l’enseignement de l’anglais et
une bibliothèque. Madame Lina sera
fière de vous faire visiter ces nouveaux
locaux. Elle vous invite aussi à une rencontre le 5 septembre prochain, afin de
former le nouveau conseil d’établissement et l’organisme de participation des
parents de l’école des Amis du monde.
Soyez-y en grand nombre et prenez part à
la naissance d’une communauté scolaire
unique, dans laquelle il fera bon grandir
avec nos enfants.
Il ne me reste qu’à vous souhaiter, au
nom de madame Lina, au nom de son
équipe et en mon nom personnel, une
année scolaire très enrichissante pour
vous et pour vos enfants.
par Brigitte Rivard
Maman d’Auréliane Fréchette,
4e année
ANITA CONIDARIS
Consultation in
Decorating
and the ideal colour
palette for your home
Design d’intérieur
44 Easton Ave.
Montreal West
485-4639
Madame Lina Fortin
Stephen Coull B. Comm.
Courtier en Assurances de Dommages
Broker in Damage Insurance
68 Westminster Ave. N.
514-481-1134
www.rccoull.com
Theopiste (Theo)
Hondzoglou
bur.: (514) 483-5800
fax: (514) 483-2699
mobile: (514) 898-3821
hondzoglout@sutton.com
Groupe Sutton – Centre-Ouest Inc.
5800, avenue Monkland
Montreal, QC, H4A 1G1
11
12
Have a secret passion
for performing?
Join our new choir!
Do you like to sing in the shower?
Does your child like to perform?
Well here is your chance to show off
those talents. Starting in September, we
are launching a community choir for
everyone over the age of 9. Mme Jojo
Poirier-Ledoux will be directing the
choir as she has done for many years with
the children from Edinburgh School.
There will be two practice sessions:
2:25-4 pm (for Edinburgh students) and
from 6:30-8 pm (for community members). All practices take place
Wednesdays at Edinburgh School, beginning September 19.
So come on out on your own, or use
this opportunity to try something new
with your child. We will have a lot of fun
singing all genres of songs, performing
in the community and beyond.
There will be an information session
on Wednesday, September 12 at
Edinburgh at 6:30 pm. Registration
forms can be picked up that evening or
email us at choralemusijo@gmail.com
and we will send you one.
from Heather Miller
maison mise en scène
home staging services
maria pietracupa
www.mariemaison.ca
marie@mariemaison.ca
514.484.9098
Visit us on the web
http://www.bonder.com/
LIBRAIRIE BONDER INC.
BONDER BOOKSTORE INC.
52 Westminster Avenue N.
Montreal West, Quebec
H4X 1Z2
Tel: (514) 484-7131
Fax: (514) 484-3745
E-mail: bonder@bonder.com
CALL FOR ANY BOOK IN PRINT
Edinburgh School
Edinburgh’s class of 2012 had a
fun-filled June as they said their
farewells to the elementary school.
A two-day trip to Kingston featured the ever-popular Disco Cruise
and Upper Canada Village. “Bright
Lights, Big City” was the theme of
the graduation dance where the
graduates enjoyed pretzels, cotton
candy and M&Ms from New York
style street carts while dancing
away the evening (under the Statue
of Liberty’s supervision!). After a
sunny morning pool-party, the graduation ceremony was a touching
look back at the grads’ days at
Edinburgh and a tribute to all they
have accomplished. Congratulations
class of 2012! And good luck!
13
Nursery School
Little Red Playhouse /
Coco’s Place
Hello and welcome back! Yup, that
was our Coco’s Camp gang swimming at
the pool, picnicking and playing in the
park and having FUN all summer long!
A BIG thank you goes out to the pool
staff and to all the families who made our
third year of camp simply wonderful.
Our devoted, enthusiastic teaching
team is back to ensure a well-rounded
pre-school experience for your little
ones! Miss Megan’s rainbow room gets
messy as the 2.5 and 3 year olds have fun
learning in all sorts of creative ways.
Miss Adrienne’s pre-k group benefits
from the Handwriting Without Tears program which makes learning to write a
fun and positive experience. Vanessa’s
excited for more gym and dance activities for all, while Felipe’s got his ukulele
tuned for another year of music and
songs. Jon is ready for our Coco’s Place
learners who are on the autistic spectrum
and integrated into our morning program
which provides a wonderful learning
experience for all. And our very own
superhero Captain Coco will be back for
weekly visits to help teach us valuable
lessons.
We can’t wait to get started on
September 5. A few spots remain so
don’t delay and get to know that Little
Red school in your neighbourhood! Our
early drop-off, lunch and afternoon programs make us flexible to fit your needs.
Give us a call at call 486-4032 for more
info or to work out a friendly visit. For a
little peek or some parent testimonials
check out www.littleredplayhouse.com
or www.cocosplace.ca
Jardin d’enfants Curzon
Hi ho, hi ho, it’s back to school we
go! This first week of September, Jardin
d’enfants Curzon will be opening its
doors for the school year... welcoming
new friends and reuniting with old. The
teachers have been busily preparing the
classrooms and programs and now, with
all those cute little Owls, Pussycats and
Piggywigs, the fun and learning can
begin! The very experienced team of
Nathalie, Nina and Pat are back to
share their magic with the Owls and
Pussycats in Curzon’s pre-school program. Upstairs at Mini Curzon, Linda
welcomes her new colleague, Kelly, to
love, laugh and learn with their lucky
two-year-old Piggywigs!
Curzon extends a huge thank you and
oodles of good wishes to Pam for the
wonderful job she did in her two years of
teaching with the Piggywigs. Pam has
taken on more hours at the Children’s
Library and luckily, as soon as library
visits begin at the end of September, her
ex-Piggywig students will be thrilled to
get the chance to see her!
Jardin d’enfants Curzon is a parentparticipatory cooperative offering
dynamic, bilingual programs for two- to
five-year-olds in a loving, safe, stimulating and fun environment that fosters
social, emotional and cognitive growth in
each child as an individual and as a
member of their classroom community.
The five morning a week pre-school program for three-to five-year-olds also
includes weekly gym, yoga and music
sessions, the library visits, skating and
swimming lessons, field trips, Captain
Catalyst’s monthly science program,
and the option of extended day programs.
•
45 Westminster South
481-7441
Hours
Monday - Thursday
10 - 12, 2 - 4, 7 - 9
New books
Abbott, Jeff
Berry, Steve
Cussler, Clive
Ford, Richard
Mantel, Hilary
Fiction
The Last Minute
The Columbus Affair
The Storm
Canada
Bring Up the Bodies
Mysteries
Box, C.J.
Burke, James Lee
Deaver, Jeffery
Lutz, Lisa
Patterson, James
Slaughter, Karin
Force of Nature
Creole Belle
XO
Trail of the Spellmans
11th Hour
Criminal
Non-fiction
Adler, Karen
The Gardener & the Grill
National Geographic
Walking Paris,
Walking London,
Walking New York
Semenak, Susan
Market Chronicles, Marche Jean-Talon
DVDs
The Artist, Modern Family Season 2, Paul
Simon Graceland Documentary, Doc Martin
Series 5
14
What a fabulous day in the Town on
July 1. The weather was great, the parade
happened (thanks to Ann Mackay and
Vic Paré, Barbara for the fabulous gifts
collected for the parade and bike decorating), the entertainment was super and
the greatest of all was the community
spirit that we have all come to enjoy and
cherish. What a unique place! The day
could not have happened without the support and generosity of so many volunteers
in the Town.
Where would our famous BBQ tent be
without Joan Foster and Jamie
Moorehouse at the helm (40 volunteers
serving and greeting the public as they
waited for there food led by our Mayor Beny Masella with Joyce and Cathy next
to him) leading the troops. Our pool and day camp staff who make our Town so
special for our little ones on the games, arts and crafts and in the parade. An
amazing group in the ticket booth (Pauline, Marla, René, Dave and Mary) and of
course our refreshment tent led by Mike, Wayne, Marty and the Senderak boys
and friends. Thanks to our Public Works department who made sure the park was
ready to go for the day, Public Security to keep us safe during and after the parade.
We cannot forget our sponsors for the event starting with Heritage Canada, Town
of Montreal West, Montreal Westward Rotary Club, Canbec, IGA Pagano and
Schneidman, our local merchants and the Community Centre staff who continuously go over and above their jobs. What a Team! What a Day! What an event!
Thanks to all for making Canada Day 2012 a great success.
J u ly 1 j u i l le t,
2012
FÊTE DU
CANADA
DAY
Photography: Robert Ganz.
15
16
The King of Courage of Westminster North
by Howard Rosenberg
The corner of Westminster Ave. and
Sherbrooke Street is now the site of the
new Pharmaprix, but for more than 35
years it was the location of a service station operated by a man people called The
King of Courage.
Thomas Harold Darou, usually
known as Jimmy, was a former jockey.
He was injured in August, 1933 at
Connaught Park in Ottawa when the
horse he was riding fell during a race. As
a result of the injury to his spinal cord,
Darou lost the use of his arms and legs.
Always the optimist, the ever-smiling
Darou slowly regained the use of his
upper body. While recuperating in a convalescent hospital, he organized a letterwriting club that inspired and attracted
thousands of shut-ins worldwide.
A gift
In 1936, some fellow Montrealers
(Darou never discovered who they were)
wrote to the American First Lady,
Eleanor Roosevelt, describing Darou’s
situation and asking if she could send
him a word of cheer. They felt she might
sympathize because her own husband
was also in a wheelchair. Shortly thereafter, a gift arrived from Mrs. Roosevelt
– a brand new wheelchair. In it, Darou
took the first moves that were to lead him
to more independence and mobility.
A business
The Montreal Sportsmen’s Association
organized a benefit entertainment show to
raise money for Darou’s long term care.
Darou asked that the proceeds be used to
help him start a business so he could support himself. In April, 1937 Darou bought
the lease on the gas station in Montreal
West and moved into a small apartment
above the service station.
Darou’s story became widely known.
LIFE magazine featured him in a 1938
article and US network radio shows
interviewed him. Friends visited him regularly to buy gas and cheer his spirits.
CPR engineer Norman McMillan would
give Darou the high-sign whenever he
pulled his locomotive out of the MoWest
station. John McPherson (of 211
Ballantyne N.) privately financed the
printing of 100 copies of a book entitled
Jimmy Darou: The King of Courage by
Ernest A. Ball, detailing Darou’s struggles and accomplishments.
On long winter evenings, Wilfred T.
Trenholme (of 150 Brock S.), his good
friend and owner of thoroughbred race
horses, visited Darou at the garage apartment to talk horses and play a game of
bagatelle. In 1940, Trenholme gave
Darou a racehorse, fulfilling Darou’s
ambition to become a horse owner.
Darou went on to breed horses, as well as
working as a race announcer at Blue
Bonnets Raceway. In 1960, Darou
opened a second service station facing
that racetrack. Jockeys were among his
best customers.
Helping others
Meanwhile, Darou made sure he
helped others. One of his favourite projects was raising money to buy radios for
shut-ins. Jimmy Darou died on
November 5, 1975.
Melissa Ross: Town’s new pharmacist
by Maurice Krystal
Very few new business ventures in
MoWest have stirred as much public
debate as the new Pharmaprix on the
corner of Westminster and Sherbrooke.
Looking now at this busy intersection,
even the harshest critic probably has to
concede that the site is visually far
improved compared to its earlier life as a
garage. Plunked quite innocently into the
centre of this controversy is a cool, calm,
and friendly Melissa Lena Ross, pharmacist and proprietor of the new franchise.
After Melissa obtained her B.Sc. in
Biology from McGill in 2004 her plan
was to do medical research, but she
wanted to also work with people, as
apposed to mice and guinea pigs. She
opted for pharmacy and obtained her
degree in 2008, from the Université de
Montréal. Now, with continuing medical
learning and contact with customers, she
feels she has the best of both worlds.
Melissa worked at the Pharmaprix store
at Alexis Nihon, a franchise owned by
Dominique Voyer, a MW resident as
well as two other establishments on the
West Island.
Though she had no say in the construction of the building, she is pleased
with the outcome. She is particularly
happy with the design that makes an
attempt to blend with the rest of the street
and give the impression that it is four
buildings instead of one large store.
Melissa purposely held out for this location when she was shopping around for a
franchise. She liked its tight sense of
community, something she admires and
respects. She likes the idea of micromanaging to suit the specific needs of the
community. As such, she initiated the
store’s VIP program, and got involved in
the Town’s Canada Day celebrations
with small gifts of water bottles and sun
block. As far as hiring of staff was concerned, a concerted effort was made to
hire residents and on opening day 40, out
of 50, employees are from the Town.
Melissa also brought on staff Kevork
Ohanian, who was the pharmacist at the
recently closed franchise on Sherbrooke
near Patricia.
Melissa knows that parking was a
major issue in the debates during the
permit/construction period. All staff park
elsewhere out of respect for customers.
While only eleven spots, so far there is
usually availability in the lot. She
presently lives in Ahunsic but is keeping
an eye open for a place in our community.
When you walk into the store and the
pleasant scents of the perfumes and cosmetics, you are greeted by one of the
ladies welcoming you into the store. It is
friendly but also a policy Melissa initiated. But even more important than the
greeting, Melissa wants people to feel
comfortable asking questions, especially
regarding prescriptions. She was thrilled
to see a few dozen people lined up for the
opening day. It probably was, as she said,
an issue of being curious, but she hopes
they will make the store theirs.
Melissa was born in England to
Trinidadian parents who immigrated to
Canada when she was five. She grew up
in Roxboro. Her younger brother,
Michael, is also interested in medicine
and is presently studying to be a nurse.
Melissa has a keen interest in music,
takes piano lessons and goes to the
Llambda music school in the West Island.
She is a very active person and enjoys
tennis, badminton, squash, jogging, and
hot yoga. She is also a fan of social
dancing, Latin styles being a favorite,
especially salsa. Keeping active keeps
her life in balance and allows her to work
at her fullest potential.
1 Westminster North
Telephone: 482-8126
Email: pphx1947@pharmaprix.ca
Web site: www.pharmaprix.ca
Joel Rahman
Real Estate Broker
514-771-5922
Call me for a
free market analysis
of your property.
17
18
MW Scout Group
www.mwsg.ca
Cub Scouts
With the weather we have been experiencing this summer, what better place
to be than at camp? The MW Cub Scouts
spent the week of July 8 at beautiful
Camp Jackson Dodds on the
Tamaracouta Scout Reserve.
What do you do at Cub Camp? The
day starts with morning dip, followed by
a Grand Howl. Each morning there is a
program period, consisting of work on a
Cub badge, learning a waterfront skill
(such as how to sail or kayak) or visiting
the craft shop (this year the crafts related
to the medieval theme of the camp, so
the cubs made things like a sword or a
shield). The main afternoon activities
include camp-wide games and activities
with your own Pack. In between, there
are many opportunities to swim, use the
boats or have free time to play with your
friends. Evening activities include camp
fires, a talent show and wide games.
Something I always enjoy at camp,
especially on an action-packed day, is the
chance to sit quietly and enjoy the plentiful
and tasty food that is served. Probably
more important for the Cubs is the afternoon canteen period when they can buy
chocolate bars, drinks, chips and ice cream!
When Saturday morning arrives and
you realize that it is time to go home, you
wonder where the time went. That is a
good sign – nobody was sick or injured,
and everyone had a good time!
from Bob King
Scouts
Our Scouts also attended camp at the
Tamaracouta Scout Reserve. Their program was full of exciting activities
including setting up a campsite, cooking
their own meals, hiking, swimming,
sailing and raft building. The highlight of
the week was a 3-day canoe trip on the
Kiamika Reservoir. They were also
treated to a special evening when several
older Scouts completed their initiation
into the “Knights of Tamara” – something about lard and cocoa powder. They
have a lot of stories to share with the
Scout Troop this fall.
Volunteers needed
We are always looking for new
leaders, badge testers, group committee
members and resource people to help run
our various community events such as
the Annual Food Drive, Blood Donor
Clinic and Christmas baskets. If you
have a special talent, skill or activity to
share with the Scouts (ages 5 to 17)
please call Karen Johnstone at 4831152. NB – High School students who
need community service credits are most
welcome.
Registration 2012/2013
Returning members and siblings
should have received and returned their
forms by September 1. New members
can request information and obtain forms
by calling Karen Johnstone at 483-1152
or e-mail at karenjohnstone@sympatico.ca.
Meetings will start the second or third
week of September. Leaders will inform
you by e-mail or telephone with the exact
dates, locations and times.
DR. HEATHER FOX B.S ., D.D.S.
Dentist
C
16 Westminster N. #315
Tel: 487-4577
Fax: 487-8376
Venturers
Some of our Venturer Scouts went
on Adventure 2012; here is a report
from Venturer Slater Covenden:
“It was a week-long camp held at
Haliburton Scout reserve; we were
camping with other groups, most
from Quebec. We had different activities every day: GPSing, boating, the
overnight hike and the decathlon.
“During boating day the two best
activities were battleship and water
soccer. Battleship puts three people
in a canoe with three paper plates
strung up above them and 30 tennis
balls. The aim is to keep your plates
and knock down others. Needless to
say it was total chaos with 10 ships.
“Water soccer was more intense;
two canoes strapped together with 2
x 4s, a piece of plywood on top and a
mounted pump with two hoses. We
were 12 people in each canoe (three
rowing, two bailing, two pumping,
one holding both tubes) and the captain (Chris). It was soccer, fairly
simple, except on the water. We lost,
but as we were heading back to dock,
Chris ordered us to speed up to the
other ship and ambush them. They
were already rocking back and forth,
so we just added a bunch of water to
make them sink.
“During the decathlon we did a
bunch of different activities: rock
climbing, rappelling, war canoe
races, kayaking, shooting and
archery. I discovered that I am apparently very good at archery; I was the
5th of 700 people to hit the centre of
the ace card in the middle of the
target. Overall, I think we should do
something with that group again.”
Girl Guides of Canada
19
where they make most of the decisions
with an adviser (rather than having a
challenging Guide program organized
for them).
Brownie program
The Brownie program, for girls in
Grades 2 and 3, is non-academic and
cooperative and opens the doors to the
world around them: service projects such
as birthday cards for St. Andrew’s Home
and collecting pennies for the United
Church’s Christmas turkeys. (Please give
us your pennies, we will roll them and
count them – while having fun.)
Christine Downey, our Sparks
leader, is great at finding challenges
(with badges) from other provinces to
round out the program, so for example
we will be celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s
Diamond Jubilee with the girls.
Registration
Registration for all levels of Guides is
now by e-mail at girlguides.ca. Paper
registration is available for some. Doing
it in advance of all the school startup
expenses is easier for some families.
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Sparks, Brownies, and Guides start
regular meetings on September 12 at the
MW United Church on Wednesday afternoons. The Pathfinders, who are girls
just starting in high school will decide
on their meeting times once they know
schedules.
Pathfinders
A small group of Pathfinders had a
great camping experience in the spring
and are excited about the next level
Cookies arrive!
Mint cookies arrive too soon, in midSeptember. The girls have kept lists of
their loyal customers and there may still
be the classic ones available for those
who prefer them. All keep well in the
freezer, out of sight.
A provincial day camp is planned for
September 29, at Wa-Thik-Ane: camp
skills, games, outdoor cooking and lots
of fun. Details through the Guiders soon.
from Janet King
CONTACT: (514) 481-1134
Jason Demers x224 s Belinda Herder x223
www.rccoull.com
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20
News from the Pews
Montreal West
Operatic
Society
Pirates…
everyone dreams
of being a pirate
Now’s your chance to have that dream
come true! The MW Operatic Society
announces its 2012-2013 production of
the G&S favourite, Pirates of Penzance.
All singers: soloists and choristers (experienced and otherwise) are welcome.
Please visit www.mwos.org for guidelines and further information. Call: 9908813 or email casting@mwos.org for an
audition appointment.
Join us on Monday, August 27 for our
read-through of Pirates at Victoria Hall
(4626 Sherbrooke W.) at 7:30 pm.
If you’d like to join the Society in
another capacity: production, marketing
or management, please go to mwos.org
‘Contact
Us’
or
email:
members@mwos.org.
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St. Philip’s
Over the summer, the building and
maintenance group has been working
with architects, engineers and consultants
to find a solution to water problems in
the church tower. St. Philip’s was
designed to mimic an English country
church. Unfortunately, the weather we
experience here in Montreal is much
more severe than in England, with more
freezing and thawing. Our architect has
engineered a change to the way water
and snows drain from the roof of the
tower, so that it does not seep into the
walls and damage the masonry. None of
the modifications will be visible from the
street, and so we will preserve the
church’s appearance. Bids have been
solicited for the first phase of the project,
and we hope to start work in October.
Fashion show coming soon
News of St. Philip’s social calendar is
“The Most Fabulous Fashion Show of
the 21st Century” on Saturday,
September 22. Member Ronald Pilgrim,
has been designing and making clothing
for 60 years and will be showcasing his
talent in a benefit for the church. Fr. Pratt
and many parishioners will be making
appearances on the runway. Hors d’oeuvres will be served to make a festive
evening. Tickets ($25) may be obtained
by calling the church office (481-4871).
Blessing of pets
The annual St. Francis Day blessing of
pets will take place on Sunday,
September 30 at 3 pm on the church
lawn. All creatures great and small are
welcome.
Our Tuesday evening forum this fall
will focus on our relationship with God’s
creation. We will be exploring the Bible,
theologians like Teilhard de Chardin and
Matthew Fox and the modern environmental movement. The group will meet
Tuesday s evenings at 8 pm beginning on
September 18.
MW United
...the brick one
Back in the saddle
Vacation done, our doors re-open for
Worship on Sunday, September 9, at 10
am as usual with Rev. Janet Bisset in the
pulpit. The Sunday school and nursery
service begin the following Sunday.
Sunday schools have come a fair piece
since mother was a girl. The well-developed curriculum finds joyful and creative
ways to involve children in learning
about kindness, thoughtfulness and
sharing. Last winter, the Moderator (our
‘Pope’) of the United Church sent each
congregation in Canada a package of
black-eyed Susan seeds. Ours got planted
in starter pots during the children’s time
one Sunday. Involving the young ones in
handling dirt, seeds and water in the
sanctuary was a leap of faith, right there.
But they did well and in June, they
planted them in the garden outside. And
they are blooming beautifully as I write.
Fodder for many stories there.... Brenda
Murray manages our program, shaping
it to the children and looking for meaningful opportunities to involve them with
the whole congregation. So how can you
tell if a United Church has an active
Sunday school? Look for black-eyed
Susans in their garden!
Looking for a Labyrinth?
Our next Indoor Labyrinth Walk will
be held in October. In the meantime, if
you look very closely, you will see a
small seven-circuit one in the grass on
Ballantyne Ave. Enter at the opening,
walk between the yellow ropes until you
arrive at the centre, then re-trace your
steps back out. Use it any time.
If you are new to the neighbourhood,
if you would appreciate some time to be
still and listen to a thoughtful message or
if you have always wondered what this
building is like inside, please know that
you are welcome here. Sundays at 10 am
we are there and happy to have you with
us. 482-3210 or www.mwuc.org.
from Susan Upham
• CANADA • UNITED STATES • STORAGE •
LOCAL • OVERSEAS
481-1122
6645 SHERBROOKE ST. W.
TEL: 514 806-3056
FAX: 514 484-4467
Email: curtaincall@primus.ca
MW
50+
Club
5
Outings and events
for September
Movie Matinée:
My Week with Marilyn
13 Tour the world with
Colette Tours
25 Bridge. Please call to sign up
for the new session!
27 Soup’s On: Senior tours
NOVA Foot Clinics
September 12 & 26
by appointment only.
484-6186
Registration
Registration is ongoing for Town programs at the Community Centre during
regular working hours (8:30 am - 12:15
pm; 1:15 pm - 4:30 pm).
The $10 early bird discount for the
fall programs ends August 31.
Please call the Community Centre for
more information at 484-6186 or check
our website: montreal-west.ca or
Facebook page: facebook.com/montrealwest for all the programs.
DR. SUSAN MCDONALD
Dentist • Dentiste
73 WESTMINSTER N.
MONTREAL WEST
H4X 1Y8
486-4411
labrossemichaels.com
21
Community Centre
Shave to
Raise 2012
I would like to
thank and congratulate everyone who
participated in this
summer's edition of the
Shave to Raise. Parents
and kids of all ages, 23
boys and girls, made the
sacrifice of their hair for
a cause that has been
dear to the community
for at least six years
now: Andy Collins for Kids
Foundation benefiting the Montreal
Children’s Hospital.
I say at least 6 years because our
neighborhood is famous for being the
home to so many kids, which makes
this cause a sensitive matter for each
MW family. Fortunately, the event
was another great step forward with
pledges totaling close to $20,000!
That’s an impressive number no
matter how one thinks about it (200
hundred dollars bills or 1000 twenty
dollar bills) and the community
should be proud of the impact it has
made on improving the life of kids
from proximate neighborhoods.
Finally, I would like to express my
gratitude to all the sponsors who provided the event with gifts to be raffled. Thank you to everyone who
made this event another great MoWest
achievement and I hope to see you
again next summer!
from Nicolas Westgate
Summer 2012
Thank you to all the participants, staff
and volunteers for making our 2012
summer special events a great success.
We had a sunny summer and only had a
couple of rainy Tuesday evenings in the
park.
Our events went a little something like
this: Community Night (rained out),
Mexican Night, Japanese Night (rained
out), Fête National, Canada Day, Queen’s
Diamond Jubilee, the Town Chase,
Multicultural Night and Corn
Roast/Movie Night, Summer’s End.
We have two more events coming up:
Fall festival
Welcome new residents
Sunday, September 16
Join us for a BBQ and festivities for
the whole family at Davies Park, things
get started at noon. There will be a performance by the Edinburgh Choir, pony
rides, petting zoo and the fire simulator
truck and more.
Halloween on ice,
Sunday October 28 at the Arena
from 1-2:30 pm
If you have any ideas or suggestions
for next year, don’t be shy to contact
Marian Scully at 484-1610 or email
mscully@montreal-west.ca.
Dr. Michael J. Wexel
Chiropractor
Neck Pain
Headaches & Migraines
Stiffness
Sports Related Injuries
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Call For An Appointment Today So You Can Feel Better Tomorrow.
22
Leave it to us!
Trustworthy, reliable and there to help
people manage their busy lifestyles.
Some of our services offered include:
• Running errands
• Organizing and paying bills
• House sitting
• Pick up and delivery service
• Wait service: waiting at your home for service or
repair personnel
Please feel free to contact us with special requests.
514 448-2602
FOR THE BEST SERVICE IN TOWN
POUR LE MEILLEUR SERVICE EN VILLE
N.D.G. & Montreal West
Real Estate Agency
Agence immobilière
.
.
Environmentally yours
Emerald ash borer
As you probably know,
the emerald ash borer beetle
has infested many ash trees
on the Island of Montreal,
including several trees in Montreal West. If
left untreated, infested ash die within five
years. To combat this infestation, the Town
has undertaken a rigorous vaccination program. After consultation with the Canadian
Food Inspection Agency and the City of
Montreal, all our public ash trees are being
inoculated with TreeAzin. You may have
seen the blue markings at the base of certain street trees, indicating that they are
included in the program. Please note that
this program covers public trees only.
Trees on private property have not been
identified or inoculated.
There are a large number of ash on
private land (some over 70 years old).
Many of these are likely infested.
Therefore, I strongly urge you to have
your own ash trees inspected – even if
they look healthy. It is nearly impossible
to see if a tree is badly infested until it’s
too late. While there’s a cost for inspection and inoculation it’s certainly less
costly than removing a large dead tree.
RICK ISABELLE DAVID
LAVELL PAPINEAU DOUBT
Real Estate Brokers . Courtiers immobiliers
office: 514 483-5800
www.rickandisabelle.com
1-800-260-1445
And leaving some local ash untreated
threatens all trees in the area. Having
your tree inspected provides protection
for you and your neighbours. Please consult the website www.bioforest.ca for a
list of companies that can perform
inspections and apply TreeAzin. If
you’re not sure what an ash tree looks
like, check out the Loblaw’s parking lot;
it’s entirely landscaped in ash.
Magnolia scale
On another tree note, there’s an outbreak of magnolia scale around Town.
Scale looks like a fungus but it’s actually
an insect which covers itself in a whitish
dome for protection. The insects drink
the sap from the tree, robbing it of nutrients, then excrete a clear, sticky fluid,
attracting wasps. If left unchecked scale
will eventually kill the tree. And what a
shame to lose our beautiful magnolias! I
believe Cramer Nursery uses a product
called EndAll, but contact them directly
for advice. Some products should be
administered by professionals.
Elizabeth Ulin
Councillor for Recreation and Culture
Chair, Environmental Action Committee
ECOLE DE CONTUITE
DRIVING SCHOOL
24 heures de théorie / 15 heures de leçons de conduite
24 hours of theory / 15 hours of driving lessons
18 Westminster, #10, Montréal-Ouest
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Canadian
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History
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French
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English
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Kinderdance (3-4 years)
Ashton Method (4-5 years)
Clasical Ballet (6+ years)
Pointe classes
Registration
Sept. 5, 3:30 - 6:30 pm
3400 Connaught - St. Philip’s Church
Ani Kurk:
Hugs and Kisses on Westminster
23
by Maurice Krystal
Like all commercial streets,
Westminister is in flux. Businesses open
and close and that is to be expected. What
is different is that the pace of change has
recently gone into overdrive. Like clichéd
mushrooms, new restaurants and business
ventures seem to open up that weren’t
there the day before. One of the more
interesting changes on Montreal West’s
main street involves Ani Kurk.
Ani was the owner of Orchid Dry
Cleaners and after seven years she
recently sold her business and moved
across the street to help out at XO Jewelry
together with her husband and son. Her
husband, Harry, is a third generation jeweller, while their son, Eddy, is learning
the trade from his father.
Born in Istanbul, Ani came to Montreal
in 1973 at the tender age of 11. Her older
sister, Nancy, was already living here and
brought her up like a mother. She met
Harry, also a fellow Armenian from
Istanbul, when she was 17 and she married him a year later. She gave birth to a
daughter and a son and in 1988 the family
moved to Vancouver. They had cousins
there who raved about the city’s beauty.
Harry always had a dream of living by the
sea and owning a boat.
Every year, for 12 years, they returned
to Montreal to visit their extended family
of 10 cousins. With each visit they realized how much they missed Montreal and
moved back in 2000. The children were
now almost adults and Ani was restless
for something to do. Harry opened a jewelry plant in the city but she didn’t feel
comfortable working at that time with him
so she set out to find her own career.
With limited French skills, Ani fell into
the dry cleaning business due to her
sister’s connections. Nancy worked as a
tailor for Nova Cleaners in the West
Island and Nova was servicing Pfizer,
who wanted a dry cleaner on their
premises in the plant. Working part time
for the next five years she learned the dry
cleaning business. She was ready to strike
out on her own and, with two other partners, purchased a dry cleaning establishment with three branches. Eventually she
took over one branch, Orchid Dry
Cleaners.
It was initially hard to be accepted in
the community but her mantra was, “Give
me a chance to serve you” and she built
up a loyal clientele. Eventually the 12hours shifts caused pain in her arms from
tagging and brushing. After four cortisone
shots, her doctor advised cutting down her
hours. Her husband and daughter, Natalie,
came to help out.
It was not her intention to sell Orchid.
The new owner, Bobbi, who actually lives
across the street from her in DDO, had
made an offer to purchase the business
three years earlier but complications
arose. This time the deal went through.
There was supposed to be a three-week
transition period where Ani would show
Bobbi the ropes and say her goodbyes to
clients, but this didn’t work out.
Reminiscing...
Ani’s eyes lit up when she recounted
the good times at the store. She used to
give lollipops to children who came into
the store until Mr. Hammonnay (many in
the Town knew him as The Egg Man) told
her it wasn’t healthy. She continued, however, to give dog biscuits to her four
legged friends.
When Harry began helping out at
Orchid, he would bring some of his latest
jewelry samples and this drew some positive interest. Customers suggested he consider opening a retail jewellery outlet in
the town. Meanwhile, Natalie’s assistance
at Orchid brought her in contact with
Sarados, then owner of nearby Chien
Chaud. To tie all the loose ends in this
narrative, Natalie and Sarados recently
got married and the couple has a store in
Pointe Claire called Funky Toys.
It was Eddy who thought of the name
XO. People tend to buy such objects for
those they love and XO stands for hugs
and kisses.
For further information visit:
XO Jewelry at 14B Westminster North
Tel. 419-6787
info@xojewelrystore.com
www.xojewelrystore.com
On September 11, at our regular
meeting, we shall again be putting
together “ditty bags” for women who
arrive at Auberge Transition. The supplies for these come from those collected
on the front porch of 131 Wolseley
Avenue North and by the women carpet
bowlers at the MW Curling Club. Basic
necessities such as toothbrush and toothpaste, floss, a facecloth, shampoo and
soap, as well as pens or pencils, notepad,
shower cap and other donated travel
items. Little things can add up to a lot
and these bags, nicely made and filled,
are regarded as “gold” by the shelter
staff; they always comment on how
nicely our chapter does them.
Other things that arrive on the porch
are redistributed: wool and sewing stuff
go generally to Nunavik House (the
Northern Quebec Module) to help fill in
the time until the Inuit can return to their
villages after medical treatment here.
Some of the wool is also used to make
tuques and scarves for children in
Labrador and some is passed on to
Tyndale House or St. Columba House.
Many thanks for the mostly anonymous
donations.
We also deliver birthday cards to the
residents of St. Andrew’s Home. The
cards are coloured by the 36th Montreal
Brownies, signed by them and taken to
St. Andrew’s at the beginning of every
month by HMS Victory Chapter IODE
member.
We welcome new members to help us
in these endeavours. Come to our
meeting at the Community Centre on
September 11 at 2 pm!
from Janet King
141A Westminster
485-1351
24
by Carol Foster
May Meeting
The Mayor opened the
meeting with an update on the Town’s
contribution to North America’s battle
with the emerald ash borer. An inventory
of the location and health of trees in the
Town made it easy to pinpoint all 43 ash
trees on Town property. A specialist was
hired and he found that 34 of them can
be saved with an injection treatment.
The
provincial
government
announced a new infrastructure program
and the Town immediately headed up the
queue of municipalities applying for
grants, including one for the refurbishing
of Hodgson’s Field.
Councillor Ulin reported that the
popular $10 tree program delivered 43
trees to residents this year. It was noted
that the mountain ash tree included in
some of the deliveries is not the one
affected by the nasty beetle.
Since Councillor Mazzone was
absent, it was Councillor McKenzie
who concluded the councillors’ reports
with an update on the Town’s efforts to
save the ash trees and indicated that the
injection process will finish by the end of
July. Homeowners are responsible for the
ash trees on their property. Twice a
month, the Town workers will shred
branches left at the end of driveways and
dispose of them properly. Details can be
obtained on the Town’s website or by
calling the Public Works Department.
Question period
Residents’ questions, complaints and
suggestions followed in rapid succession.
Town Council Report: May, June
The perceived waste of the $200 monthly
expenditure for a non-functioning Wi-Fi
system in the Town was the first complaint. A question followed concerning
the possibility of installing trafficcalming measures on Strathearn.
Councillor Tasker-Brown explained
the policy that determines where the
speed and volume of traffic need to be
studied for possible solutions when
resources are available. She added any
solution would also require the assent of
more than 50% of residents in the
affected area.
Road conditions on Brock North were
the topic of a very angry resident who
questioned why money was being spent
on speed humps and not on badly needed
new asphalt.
The Mayor responded by pointing out
that the province dictates where to make
improvements and that underground
water and sewer pipes trump a patch of
asphalt. (However, both parties agreed
that Brock North is one of the bumpiest
streets in town.)
Inadequate garbage disposal by some
commercial establishments has attracted
rats which appeared in the yard of a new
homeowner in the Town. This resident
suggested that the use of commercial
garbage bins could solve this extremely
upsetting situation.
The Mayor will see that the Building
Inspector investigates the problem, but
added that the pick-up of commercial
garbage is an ongoing issue since it
involves an alley which is private property.
Councillor Ulin sympathized with the
resident and stated firmly that a solution
must be found as rats in the backyard are
unacceptable.
In spite of many areas of discontent,
there was some praise handed out to
Public Works which responded promptly
to a report of a burnt-out street light, as
well as to a Public Security officer who
very effectively assisted a resident when
a rock was thrown through his car
window.
The meeting, which lasted longer than
many recent ones, was finally adjourned.
June Meeting
Following the considerable damage
caused by the torrential rainfall on May
29, the Quebec government has set up a
program to help defray expenses not covered by insurance, the Mayor announced
in his opening remarks.
The Mayor went on to report that the
Town is continuing to find ways to save
money by joining forces with other
municipalities when negotiating contracts for certain services. Additional savings of $10,000 in administration fees
will be realized by the selection of
another firm to manage the Town’s
employee pension plan.
In traffic news, the Mayor reported
that a recent meeting with senior managers of the ATM has provided assurances that the challenges faced in the
Town because of the trains are being recognized and the problem must be solved
regardless of the Train de l’ouest resolution. A company has been hired to work
exclusively on this issue.
Councillor Tasker-Brown led off the
councillors’ reports by elaborating on the
new traffic-calming policy which contains a procedure to determine where and
when calming measures will be implemented. The goal is to make the process
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Town Council Report: May, June
fair for all and policy details will soon
appear on the Town’s website.
Following the discovery of mould
under the arena roof, Councillor Ulin
indicated that the Town has rented two
trailers and made use of the facilities in
Elizabeth Ballantyne School to accommodate indoor Day camp activities.
Removal of the mould is under discussion.
Rock The Rink raised approximately
$4,000 benefiting the four organizations
that helped organize it. Garden compost
was available in early June to all participants in the program and Cynthia
Nichols was thanked for her contribution
to the children’s art exhibit currently on
at Town Hall.
Residents were cautioned, once again,
by Councillor Mazzone, about work
completed without a permit that may
subsequently have to be removed.
Councillor McKenzie announced the
purchase of a new tractor to replace a 25year-old piece of equipment. More trees
will be planted on Town property this fall
and residents can request one by calling
Public Works. The attractive gardens
around Town Hall now contain a mix of
perennials and annuals, decreasing the
costs from $10,000 to $6,500.
Question period
The most highly charged topic during
question period involved the recent
flooding experienced by residents on
Ballantyne North which, according to
two spokespersons, appeared to have
become more serious since the reconstruction of that street. Even the flood of
1987 didn’t do as much damage as the
recent 20-minute downpour, according to
one resident who added that his insurance company had advised him they
were aware of the frequency of flooding
in this area.
An intense debate ensued followed by
the Mayor concluding that flooding due
to torrential rainfalls is a huge problem
and predicted it will get worse. Montreal
West is particularly vulnerable because
of its high water table, but the residents
as well as the Town must explore ways
to deal with these circumstances. Cracks
in foundations should be investigated.
The installation of back-water valves,
sump pumps and French drains are
important safety measures.
Councillor Tasker-Brown supported
the judicious preservation of green
spaces which cause less water to go into
the drains as another precaution. All of
this information will immediately be
made available on the Town’s website.
With a reminder that Council will not
meet again until August 27, the meeting
was adjourned.
25
La société
opératique de
Montréal-Ouest
«Pirates of
Penzance»
Le MWOS annonce sa production
2012-2013 de l’opérette préférée de
Gilbert et Sullivan, «Pirates of
Penzance». Nous souhaitons la bienvenue à tous chanteurs, solistes et choristes
(avec ou sans expérience).
Visitez www.mwos.org pour de plus
amples renseignements et des lignes
directrices ainsi que la façon de procéder.
Appelez au 990-8813 ou courriel :
casting@mwos.org pour fixer un rendezvous pour l’audition.
Rejoignez-nous le lundi, 27 août pour
notre lecture à vue de «Pirates» à Victoria
Hall (4626 Sherbrooke Ouest) à 19h30.
Si vous souhaitez vous joindre à la
Société à un autre titre: la production, le
marketing, ou la gestion, s’il vous plaît
aller à mwos.org «Contact Us» ou par
courriel : members@mwos.org.
Water meter readings
Don’t miss the September 27 deadline to get your water meter reading to the
Town Hall! If you do, you’ll have to pay a $50 service charge!
If you don’t receive your card by September 12, call the Town Hall at 485-8941.
If you call after business hours, please clearly state your meter reading, your name,
address and phone number. You can also submit your reading via email at
aotis@montreal-west.ca... just be sure to give your name and address!
Can’t read the meter? Call Public Works at 485-8597.
Billing or other questions? Call Ann Otis in the Treasury department at 4858941.
Be prompt and save $50!
Catherine Gardner
Real estate broker
Courtier immobilier
Electronics
Groupe Sutton
Centre-Ouest Inc.
514-793-5608
cgardner@sutton.com
26
par Carol Foster
traduction par René Boucher
Réunion ordinaire du Conseil : mai et juin
Réunion de mai
Le maire a ouvert la réunion par une
mise à jour sur la participation de la
Ville à la guerre nord-américaine à l’agrile du frêne. Un relevé de l’emplacement et de l’état de santé des arbres de la
ville a facilité l’identification des 43
frênes sur la propriété de la Ville. Un
expert engagé a conclu qu’un traitement
par injection pouvait sauver 34 d’entre
eux.
Le gouvernement provincial a
annoncé un nouveau programme d’infrastructures et la Ville a immédiatement
sauté en tête de file des municipalités
demandant des octrois, dont un pour la
rénovation du Terrain Hodgson.
La conseillère Ulin a relaté que le
populaire programme des arbres à 10 $ a
livré 43 arbres aux résidants cette année.
À noter que les sorbiers livrés ne sont
pas touchés par l’horrible agrile.
Le conseiller Mazzone étant absent,
c’est le conseiller McKenzie qui
présente le dernier rapport. Il indique
que l’inoculation des frênes se terminera
vers la fin juillet. Les propriétaires sont
responsables des frênes sur leurs propriétés. Deux fois par mois, les employés
Lecture des
compteurs d’eau
Ne manquez pas la date limite du
27 septembre pour retourner vos lectures de compteurs d’eau à l’hôtel de
Ville! Si vous la manquez, des frais
supplémentaires de 50 $ vous seront
facturés!
Si vous ne recevez pas votre
carton avant le 12 septembre, appelez
l’hôtel de ville au 485-8941. Si vous
appelez après les heures d’ouverture,
veuillez laisser votre lecture, votre
nom, adresse et numéro de téléphone.
Vous pouvez aussi faire parvenir
votre lecture par courriel en écrivant
à aotis@montreal-west.ca... mais
n’oubliez pas de donner votre nom et
adresse!
Vous éprouvez des difficultés à
lire votre compteur? Appelez le
Service des travaux publics au 4858597.
Pour toutes autres questions,
veuillez appeler la Trésorerie au 4858941.
Soyez à temps et sauvez 50 $ !
municipaux déchiquetteront les branches
laissées dans les entrées de voitures et en
disposeront correctement. On peut obtenir
les détails sur le site Web de la Ville ou en
téléphonant aux Travaux publics.
Période de questions
Des questions, plaintes et suggestions
de résidant se sont rapidement succédé.
La première plainte portait sur la perception du gaspillage mensuel de 200 $
pour un système WiFi non fonctionnel
dans la ville. Une question a suivi sur la
possibilité de doter Strathearn de mesures
d’apaisement de la circulation similaires à
celles qui existent déjà sur Brock et
Ballantyne.
La conseillère Tasker-Brown a
expliqué la politique qui régit où la vitesse
et le volume de circulation doivent être
étudiés pour des possibilités de solutions
lorsque des ressources sont disponibles.
Elle a ajouté que toute solution exigera
aussi l’assentiment de plus de 50 % des
résidants du secteur touché.
L’état de la chaussée sur Brock Nord
provoque l’ire d’un résidant qui se
demande pourquoi on dépense pour des
dos d’âne plutôt que pour du nouvel
asphalte dont on a grandement besoin.
Le maire a souligné que la province
dicte où faire de améliorations et que les
canalisations d’aqueduc et d’égout l’emportent sur un bout de bitume. (Par
ailleurs, les parties s’entendent pour dire
que Brock Nord est une des rues les plus
accidentées en ville.)
La façon inadéquate dont certains commerces disposent de leurs déchets attire
des rats qui sont apparus dans le terrain
d’un nouveau propriétaire. Le résidant a
suggéré que l’utilisation de bacs à déchets
commerciaux pourrait mettre un terme à
cette situation extrêmement déplaisante.
Le maire va s’assurer que l’inspecteururbaniste examine le problème, mais il a
ajouté que la cueillette des ordures commerciales pose un problème continuel, car
elle implique une ruelle privée. La conseillère Ulin a compati avec le résidant et
a affirmé fermement qu’une solution s’impose, car on ne peut tolérer des rats dans
sa cour.
Malgré de nombreux sujets de mécontentement, on a félicité le service des
Travaux publics qui a réagi promptement
à un rapport de lampadaire défectueux, de
même qu’un agent de la Sécurité publique
qui a très efficacement aidé un résidant
lorsque quelqu’un a lancé un caillou dans
la glace de sa voiture.
La réunion qui s’est prolongée plus
tard que plusieurs autres dernièrement, a
finalement été levée.
Réunion de juin
Le maire a ouvert la séance en
annonçant que, par suite des dégâts considérables causés par les pluies torrentielles du 29 mai, le gouvernement du
Québec a instauré un programme pour
aider au remboursement des dépenses que
les assureurs ne couvrent pas.
Il a continué son rapport, disant que la
Ville poursuit ses efforts pour épargner en
se joignant à d’autres municipalités pour
négocier les contrats pour certains services. Des économies additionnelles de 10
000 $ en frais administratifs seront réalisées par le choix d’une autre firme pour
gérer le fonds de retraite des employés de
la Ville.
Au chapitre de la circulation, le maire a
rapporté qu’une rencontre récente avec
Honesty
Integrity
Hardworking
Enthusiastic
Réunion ordinaire du Conseil : mai et juin
des cadres supérieurs de l’AMT l’avait
rassuré que les difficultés auxquelles la
Ville est confrontée en raison des trains
sont reconnues et que le problème doit
être résolu quelle que soit l’issue du Train
de l’Ouest. Une firme a été embauchée
pour travailler exclusivement sur ce point.
La conseillère Tasker-Brown a amorcé
les rapports des conseillers en apportant
des précisions sur la politique d’apaisement de la circulation qui comprend une
procédure pour déterminer si des mesures
d’apaisement doivent être mises en place.
Le but est de rendre le procédé équitable
pour tous et les détails de la politique apparaîtront sous peu sur le site Web de la Ville.
Comme suite à la découverte de moisissure sous le toit de la patinoire, la conseillère Ulin a fait savoir que la Ville avait
loué deux remorques et utilisait les installations de l’école Elizabeth Ballantyne
pour les activités intérieures du camp de
jour. L’enlèvement de la moisissure est à
l’étude. La soirée Rock The Rink a
recueilli environ 4000 $ au profit des
quatre organisations qui ont aidé à la
mettre sur pied. Du compost pour jardins
était offert au début juin à tous les participants au programme. La conseillère a
remercié Cynthia Nichols pour sa contribution à l’exposition d’art des enfants
actuellement en cours à l’hôtel de ville.
Le conseiller Mazzone a de nouveau
mis en garde les citoyens à l’égard des
travaux exécutés sans permis et qui subséquemment pourraient devoir être
défaits.
Le conseiller McKenzie a fait part de
l’achat d’un nouveau tracteur qui remplace un équipement datant de 25 ans.
D’autres arbres seront plantés cet automne
sur la propriété de la Ville et les résidants
peuvent en demander un en s’adressant
aux Travaux publics. Les attrayants
jardins autour de l’hôtel de ville contiennent maintenant un mélange de plantes
vivaces et annuelles, abaissant les coûts
de 10 000 $ à 6500 $.
Période de questions
Le sujet le plus chaud touchait les
inondations récentes qu’ont vécues les
résidants de Brock Nord, lesquelles semblent plus sévères depuis la reconstruction
de cette rue, aux dires des deux porteparoles. Même l’épisode de 1987 n’a pas
causé autant de dommages que le récent
déluge d’une vingtaine de minutes selon
un résidant; ce dernier a ajouté que sa
compagnie d’assurance l’avait informé
être au courant des inondations fréquentes
dans le secteur.
Un débat animé s’ensuivit au terme
duquel le maire a conclu que les inondations provoquées par des pluies torrentielles posent un grave problème et il
prédit que la situation se détériorera
davantage. Montréal-Ouest est particulièrement vulnérable en raison du haut
niveau de sa nappe phréatique et les
citoyens ainsi que la municipalité doivent
rechercher les moyens de composer avec
cette situation. L’installation de soupapes
de retour d’eau, de pompes de puisard et
de pierrée (French drain) est une mesure
de sécurité importante. Mme TaskerBrown a appuyé la préservation judicieuse
des espaces verts qui font que moins
d’eau est acheminée dans les canalisations
comme autre précaution. Tous ces renseignements seront rendus disponibles
immédiatement sur le site Web de la Ville.
La séance est levée avec un rappel que
le Conseil fait relâche jusqu’au 27 août.
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Vôtre en
environnement
Comme vous le savez sans
doute, l’agrile du frêne a
infesté de nombreux frênes
sur l’île de Montréal y
compris plusieurs à Montréal-Ouest. Si
rien n’est fait, un frêne infesté meurt dans
les cinq ans. Pour combattre cette infestation, la ville a entrepris un rigoureux programme de vaccination. Après consultation avec l’Agence canadienne d’inspection des aliments et la ville de Montréal,
nous avons entrepris l’inoculation de tous
nos frênes publics au « TreeAzin ». Peutêtre avez-vous déjà remarqué des marques
bleues à la base de certains arbres en bordure des rues indiquant qu’ils font partie
du programme. Veuillez noter que ce programme vise uniquement les arbres du
domaine public. Les arbres situés sur des
propriétés privées n’ont ni été identifiés ni
inoculés. Et les frênes sont nombreux sur
les terrains privés (certains ont plus de 70
ans). Plusieurs d’entre eux sont probablement infestés. Je vous encourage donc
fortement à faire inspecter vos frênes –
même s’ils ont l’air en santé. Il est pratiquement impossible de voir si un arbre
est fortement infesté avant qu’il ne soit
trop tard. Même si des coûts sont reliés à
l’inspection et à l’inoculation, c’est moins
cher que de faire enlever un grand arbre
mort. Sans compter que de laisser
quelques frênes sans traitement dans un
secteur donné, menace tous les autres
arbres dans ce secteur. L’inspection de vos
arbres vous protège en même temps
qu’elle protège vos voisins. Veuillez consulter le site Web www.bioforest.ca pour
obtenir la liste des entreprises en mesure
d’effectuer l’inspection et d’appliquer le «
TreeAzin ». Si vous n’êtes pas sûr de quoi
a l’air un frêne, rendez-vous au stationnement du Loblaws; tous les arbres qui s’y
trouvent sont des frênes.
Parlant d’arbres, une épidémie de
cochenille du magnolia s’est déclarée dans
notre ville. Malgré son apparence de
champignon, il s’agit d’un insecte qui se
recouvre d’un dôme blanchâtre pour se
protéger. Ces insectes boivent la sève des
arbres ce qui enlève de la substance nutritive à ces derniers puis excrètent un liquide transparent et collant qui attire les
guêpes. Si rien n’est fait, la cochenille
finira par tuer l’arbre. Et quel dommage
de perdre nos superbes magnolias! Je crois
que Cramer Nursery utilise un produit
appelé « EndAll », mais communiquez
avec eux directement pour vous faire conseiller. Certains produits devraient être
appliqués par des professionnels.
Elizabeth Ulin
Conseillère, loisirs et culture
Présidente, comité d’action environnementale
27
COMING EVENTS
28
Classifieds
Please call the Editor: Heather at 489-7022
e-mail: montrealwestinformer@gmail.com
Next deadline: September 12
AUGUST
Mon 27 Pirates of Penzance read-through. Come sing along with
us at the launching of our 72th Gilbert & Sullivan production.
990-8813. Victoria Hall. 7:30 pm.
Town Council Meeting. Town Hall. 8 pm.
SEPTEMBER
Sun
Tue
2
4
Sun 16
Mon 17
Tue
Sun
Mon
Thu
18
22
24
27
Sun 30
Last day at the pool.
Diabetes support and information meeting. Adult Library.
Meeting the first Tuesday of every month. 7-9 pm.
Terry Fox Run. Strathearn Park. Starts at 11:30 am.
Fall festival/Welcome new residents. Davies Park. Noon.
MW Horticultural Society presents David Wees on forcing
flower bulbs indoors. Town Hall. Guest fee: $5. 7:30 pm.
Tuesday Forum (first). St. Philip’s Church. 8 pm.
Fashion Show. St. Philip’s Church. 5:30 pm.
Town Council Report. Town Hall. 8 pm.
Deadline for water meter readings.
Date limite des lecteurs des compteurs d’eau.
Pet blessing. St. Philip’s Church. 3 pm.
UNE FEMME DE MÉNAGE : Pouvez-vous
nous en recommander une ? Nous
sommes à la recherche de quelqu’un
disponible une demi-journée par semaine.
485-7738 or hlacroix@lacroixgci.ca. Can
you recommend a CLEANING WOMAN? We
are looking for someone available half a
day per week.
Concerned that your previous attempts at
WEIGHT CONTROL were not successful?
It’s not your fault; it’s the methods you
used! Still, you are responsible for
achieving a healthy weight! In the How to
Weigh What You Want course you learn to
change your thinking to control your
weight. Phone 481-8583.
High school or college students who need
guidance/help with preparations for future
entrance exams and auditions into any
Cegep or university MUSIC PROGRAM,
please email jana.jast@gmail.com to
schedule an assessment session at
Marianopolis College this fall semester.
You may also contact Mrs. Jast directly at
489-8809 after August 29.
A HUGE thank you...
to our participants and sponsors of the Canada Day Parade
2012. The parade could not have happened without you!
Participants
Scouts and Guides, Town Council, Isabelle Morin/MP,
Kathleen Weil/MLA, RCMP, West Island Pipes and Drums,
Heather McNabb Scottish Dancers, Mudhens/baseball, MW
Operatic Society, MW Environment Group, Les amis de
Meadowbrook, Solo Cycle, Marché de Fleurs Westminster,
Bernadette Short School of Irish Dance, Children’s Library,
Jardin d’enfants Curzon, Little Red Playhouse, MoWest Day
Camp, Kosa Drummers, Comfort Keepers, Dogzworth, MoWest
Pool, bike contest participants
Congratulations the float award winners: MW Day Camp and
Children’s Library; the merchant award winner: Alex/Marché de
Fleurs Westminster.
Sponsors
Bonder, Budnings, Dr. John Drummond/Dr. Anthony
Seminara, Orchid Cleaners, Ébénisterie Kleinveld, Imagine
Realties, Marché de Fleurs Westminister, MW Upholsteringv
Mini Cout, New Moon Restaurant, Orchid Cleaners,
Pharmaprix, Posh, Quality Fruit Bowl, Solo Cycle, Studio BBG,
Top Beate and Trattoria Micco
A special thank you to: Paula Cordeau (coordination
advice), Jimmie Georgious (security), Montreal Police, John
Drummond and Andy Michelin (security), Karen Warshaw
(former parade organizer) and Barbara Brzinzski (sponsorship
coordination).
We apologize for any errors or omissions.
If there are any other businesses or groups interested in participating in 2013 or you have feedback, please contact us.
Ann MacKay and Vic Paré
anndmackay@gmail.com or vicpare@videotron.ca