April - Ville de Montréal Ouest

Montreal West Viewspaper
Leslie Juhos:
photo: Maurice Krystal
Ébénisterie ABCD
by Maurice Krystal
I rang the bell and a dog barked. I immediately thought of a big
Doberman guarding the industrial premises. Instead it was a cute
little dog named Gizmo who made sure that his owner, Leslie
Juhos, and I were never out of his sight as we toured the work
space. Leslie kept apologizing for the sawdust, and Gizmo kept
wanting his head scratched. In his small, cluttered office we conducted the interview.
Leslie’s father came to Canada from Hungary in 1956 to start
a new life. Years later, when Leslie was 12, he, his mother and
younger brother, Mike, were brought over. His younger sister,
Elizabeth, was born in Canada when the family reunited.
Leslie graduated from McGill in electrical engineering and
worked at the Nortel St. Laurent plant for 20 years. In 2002, after
the company’s fortunes declined, he and hundreds of others were
let go. He decided to forgo competing for scarce engineering employment to pursue his passion for woodwork. Like his father,
working with wood was a beloved hobby.
continued on page 5
April 2014, Vol. 42, No. 3
Coming soon to MoWest:
Curbside dog waste collection
by Loof Lirpa
Following the success of the
curbside organic waste collection, The Informer has learned
that Town Council is planning
to introduce a curbside dog
waste collection. This initiative
is slated to commence this summer and will be the first of its
kind on the Island of Montreal,
if not in all of Quebec.
With the organic waste now
separated from the regular
garbage, the companies responsible for the
garbage collection
report that dog waste
now accounts for approximately 25% of
the garbage collected from
dog owners. Montreal West has
an above average dog population and most dogs in the Town
are large ones. Forty-five percent of MW homes own at least
one dog and many have two or
more, all of which adds up to a
large amount of dog waste.
According to sources, dog
waste can be treated and recycled to make a highly effective
flower and lawn fertilizer that
has twice the nourishment of
regular fertilizer. The compost
I N D EX
Community Centre ..........17
CRA ................................ 16
Environmentally yours ...... 11
Guides................................ 15
Horticultural Society ............ 5
IODE .................................... 2
Libraries ....................3, 12, 15
produced will be sold through
local retailers that normally sell
gardening products.
Dog owners would be required to collect their dog’s
waste in special eco-friendly
plastic bags made with corn
waste that will integrate with
the dog waste in the recycling
process. A special container for the curbside
collection, similar to the
organic waste bins, but
decorated with a bone
motif, will be supplied
by the Town for a modest fee. The amount of
the fee is yet to be determined. The special
bags will also be available from the Town at a reasonable cost and will be sold by
dog food stores and other retailers with pet food sections. The
dog waste collection will take
place every other week on Tuesdays. The Town will conduct a
special orientation meeting for
dog owners late in the spring.
According to a Town spokesperson, “The council is proud
that MoWest is in the forefront
of the waste recycling movement and this dog poop idea
will keep us there.”
Mailbox ................................ 5
News from the pews .... 12-13
Réunion du Conseil ........ 19
Rotary .............................. 6
Schools........................ 8-10
Scouts ............................ 14
Town Council Report ........ 18
Vôtre en environnement.... 10
2
10 Westminster North
Montreal West, Quebec
H4X 1Y9
Photo: Katherine Meyendorff
The Informer’s role is to provide
MoWesters 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
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Jeannette Brooker - Chair
Rick Lavell - Treasurer
Jane Williams
Heather Baylis
Véronique Belzil-Boucher
René Boucher
Jeanne Ragbir - Secretary
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Heather Baylis
489-7022
LAYOUT DESIGNER
Julia Ross
[email protected]
AD MANAGER
Heather Baylis,
489-7022
[email protected]
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Rhonda Schwartz 482-0227
RATES
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Professional card:
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Classifieds:
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TASK FORCE
René Boucher
Lise McVey
Maryl Murphy
Jeanne Ragbir
Lydia Shuster
Rose Marie Smith
Randi Weitzner
and those we omitted inadvertently
The Informer Is published nine times
a year (usually) on the last weekend
of 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. Articles are printed
in French or English as submitted.
NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE
April 9
I Can Dream Theatre Group
Spring is in the air, and the I Can Dream Theatre
Group wants to sing about it!
On Saturday, April 26, the group will be performing in a musical showcase evening for all
ages. Unplugged and One Night Only will feature
pop songs that the group have sung in some of
their past theatre productions, and will also include some new surprises. We’ve got songs from
the 50s, 60s and 70s coming right at you! And it’s
all songs that you know!
And stay tuned for November 14 and 15 at the
Oscar Peterson Hall for their latest and tastiest
production yet: Hannibal the Musical.
Unplugged and One Night Only will be at 7:30
pm at the Holiday Inn Midtown (420 Sherbrooke
Street West). Tickets are $20. Contact [email protected] for more details. There
will be a limited number of tickets available at the
door.
Check out icandreamtheatregroup.com for information on the group and follow them on Facebook (I Can Dream Theatre Group - Montreal)
and Twitter (@icandreamMTL).
Are you the next
Alice Munro?
Members of HMS Victory
chapter packed up and delivered
24 pretty personal property bags
for women arriving in Auberge
Transition. Thanks to the many
people who donate travel toiletries, pens and toothbrushes etc. to Eileen Motton or to the porch at 131 Wolseley Avenue North.
At our next meeting, on April 8 at 2 pm at the
Community Centre, we will be collecting childrens’ books, new or gently read, to redistribute.
Each chapter of IODE across Canada will be
doing the same thing, and the national chapter
IODE will then send to Buckingham Palace a report on the Royal Baby Literacy Programme, in
honour of the birth of Prince George.
Would you like to improve your writing skills?
If you do, we invite you to join the peer-writing
group to be held at the library. The group will
meet every second Tuesday evening (7-9) starting
May 6. There is no charge, just a commitment to
write and read other peoples’ work and offer suggestions for improvement. Due to space limitations, there will be a maximum of eight
participants. Maurice Krystal, who writes for
The Informer will animate. Please call (481-7441)
or email ([email protected]) the library if you
are interested.
Send your congratulations, condolences, good news and whatever
you want to crow about to:
[email protected] or
call Heather at 489-7022.
3
Left to right: Victoria, Stephanie, Tristen, Wessel and Béa (a key
organizer of the event) with another friend take a break from the dance
Lindsey Skeen and Carley Decarie prepare for the next class to arrive
Children’s Library needs
more than just a facelift
Anne-Sophie Sheppard (left) and Tristen Clarke Cousineau (right)
giving a cheque for $819 to Fiona Crossling of Share the Warmth
DJ and lightshow raises funds
for fun and charity
Anyone passing St. Phillip’s Church on the evening of Saturday,
February 1 was probably surprised to see it alive with light, music
and teenagers. There were about 150 teenagers inside dancing to a
DJ and lightshow, and all for fun and charity.
“We wanted to have a party, but not a big one like the high
school dances we usually go to,” explained Tristen Clarke
Cousineau of Percival Avenue. She and Anne-Sophie Sheppard
were the driving force behind this and a similar charity event a year
ago. Tristen noted, “I have always wanted to be an event planner,
so this is good experience.”
The secondary 3 students gathered “seed money” by going doorto-door asking for donations. Generous MoWesters donated over
$200 (receipts will be issued). The girls met with several DJs and
came to terms with DJ Baktis, who also sold tickets for the event.
They also arranged a location for the event through a representative
from St. Phillip’s. They found St. Phillip’s to be very generous and
accommodating. The girls also enlisted parents, siblings, cousins
and friends to get supplies, print the tickets, man the door and snack
bar and to patrol the hall. Several friends helped with decorating
and ticket sales to make the event a success.
On top of showing 150 people a great time, the event raised $819
for Share the Warmth. The girls chose this organization because of
their work which includes preparing and delivering nutritious food
to 2,500 hungry students in 25 Montreal schools every week. Anne
Sophie noted that “it has been proven that you can’t learn properly
if you go to school hungry every day.”
Last year the dance raised $300 for the Alzheimer Society of
Canada. With a successful track record, will the girls do it again?
The response: “Maybe not a dance, because it is a lot of responsibility, but we’ll probably come up with something.” Stay tuned.…
Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy!
goes the floor in the middle of
the library. The first graders are
all excited to think it’s some sort
of a trampoline, but us adults,
we understand the time has
come. Our Children’s Library is
due for renovation.
Back in 1922, the library’s
foundation was built on a piece
of pyrite rock, material which,
as we know today, has a tendency to shift and heave with
the time. That’s how we’ve
ended up with bumps and lumps
under the carpets.
A private, non-profit organization run by a volunteer Board
of Directors, the library serves
both the students of Elizabeth
Ballantyne School and the children of the area as their community library.
The EMSB School Board is
planning to repair the floors (we
are hoping, this summer), while
the library Board of Directors
has decided it would be a good
idea to do the rest of the renovations at the same time. Frances
Sodhi, who is a member of the
Board and an interior designer,
has many great ideas for the library space. A fundraising campaign is about to be launched to
raise money to allow for new
lighting, air conditioning, new
shelving and a circulation desk.
“Our plan is needs-driven,”
says Tanya Radhakrishna, the
Vice-Chair of the board. “We
want be able to do more. We see
our library as a community
space for MoWesters, where we
could potentially invite people
for a lecture or a movie night.
“For example, we want to
get moveable shelves (on locking wheels) that could be
pushed aside so that we could
host a bigger group of kids, like
all of cycle 1 or cycle 2. (Elizabeth Ballantyne students have
regular classes in the library
twice a week.)
“We want to make the library
more attractive to them, so that
they would want to come back
here more often and read more
books!
“We are also talking about
possibly introducing new technology. There are new apps out
there designed for kids to help
them learn to read, develop
comprehension, make things interactive. Many modern libraries have those today and kids
love playing with them – it’s another way to learn.”
The Children’s Library will
present its vision for the future to
the Rotary Club on May 8. At the
end of May, the library Board is
planning to have an open house
evening, where all MoWesters
will be invited to see the plans,
give their opinions and hopefully
support the renovations.
The Informer will follow the
story and keep you all updated.
What MoWest parent hasn’t
been here: from Mother Goose
times to mother-daughter book
club evenings, from LEGO club
to summer reading programs.
This library is a very special
part of our Town.
by Julia Ross
4
MoWest trainer's mission to help
Haitian youth through sports
by Kenny Baye
Concordia University athletic therapy student and trainer,
Philippe Gagnon-Joseph was
shocked when he couldn’t find
a basketball to play with kids in
a park during a visit to Haiti in
2011, so he decided to help.
Now he is gearing up to send
sports equipment to schools in
Haiti this spring, through his budding non-profit organization, ActivHaiti. Gagnon-Joseph, 22, is
looking for soccer balls, cleats,
shin pads, basketballs, volleyball
sets, badminton sets and any other
sports equipment that is easy to
set up and climate appropriate.
“It is such an easy way to
give back: everybody has sports
equipment still in good condition, gathering dust in an attic or
basement,” he says. “I truly believe sports have saved lives. It
teaches a lot to the youth. The
fact that some Haitian kids have
less accessibility to sports
equipment and therefore less of
a learning experience is why we
need to facilitate that access.”
Born and raised in Montreal
by Haitian and American parents, Gagnon-Joseph has always
had sports in his life. He realizes
how fortunate he was to have
access to proper equipment and
appreciates that not all kids are
as fortunate as those living in
North America. “It is almost
like a sense of duty,” he says.
“We were blessed here with this
life and privileged situation. My
privilege was that sports could
teach me discipline, hard work
and keep me out of trouble…. I
want kids in Haiti to have the
same type of education.”
Three jobs and full-time
studies aren’t curbing this Montrealer’s desire to lend a hand.
Gagnon-Joseph aims to grow his
non-profit into a sports camp in
Haiti. “I’m trying to provide an
opportunity for kids to learn
about life through sports, keep
them out of trouble, and give
them a way of escaping the often
harsh reality there,” he says.
Out of respect for the people
of Haiti, Gagnon-Joseph has
made it clear that his organization only accepts equipment in
proper usable condition. He is
also planning to accompany as
many shipments to Haiti as possible in order to ensure that
everything arrives safely and is
used properly. Gagnon-Joseph
intends to use his MoWest
workplace, Action Sport Physio
Clinic, as a drop-off location for
donations and is offering 25 to
50% discounts on personal
training sessions to people who
donate equipment. An equipment drive will be held at the
clinic on Friday, April 25.
Eventually, Gagnon-Joseph
plans to go to Haiti to open a full
sports complex. “I’m just working hard and studying, but I
want to contribute right now and
start my non-profit,” he says.
“We will see about the future.”
For donations or further details, please check out:
activhaitifr.wordpress.com
activhaiti.wordpress.com
Facebook: activ’haiti
[email protected]
Action Sport Physio
14A Westminster Avenue N.
Dr. Michael J. Wexel
Chiropractor
Neck Pain
Headaches & Migraines
Stiffness
Sports Related Injuries
Wellness & Preventative Care
Low Back Pain
Muscle Pain
Numbness & Tingling
Nutritional Counseling
CSST & SAAQ
773-7246
18 Westminster N., Suite 110
Call For An Appointment Today So You Can Feel Better Tomorrow.
5
Leslie Juhos:
Ébénisterie ABCD
continued from page 1
Leslie took some woodshop courses, invested his severance package, added some
loaned money and opened a workshop/
classroom in LaSalle. Business was good, at
least for the first five years. Baby boomers
were retiring and they had time and money
to spend. At one point, he had as many as 65
students taking woodwork classes. But then
the recession hit and times were tougher.
He decided to downsize after some bad
contract decisions and last year he moved
to Montreal West. The location was central
and the right size.
Courses start in April
Leslie plans to start courses again in
April and each group will be a maximum of
six students. More than that can pose a
problem to give each student the time required. The beginners build a secretary desk
and the intermediates, a chiffonier. There
will be day and evening classes, as well as
Saturdays. Students work from planning,
cutting the rough lumber and going though
all the steps to complete the finished product. The cost is $750 and that includes
everything being supplied. To buy the end
product in any furniture store would probably cost a similar amount.
Leslie accepts contracts to build made to
measure wooden cabinets for kitchens and
bathrooms and, his favourite thing, fine furniture. He enjoys making desks and bureaus, but draws the line at chairs. He
simply can’t compete with the large manufacturers when it comes to that product. He
also rents out space to those individuals
who are working on their own projects.
Leslie’s family
In his office are pictures of a young girl.
He said, with a laugh, that he started late
family wise. He looks to be in his early sixties and from the way he talks about her he
is immensely proud of his kindergarten
daughter, Alex. His wife, Claude, works for
Rendez-vous familial at the licence bureau
at Decarie Square. They live in Point St.
Charles, but not the trendy part, he added.
As I was leaving, I saw Gizmo chewing
on a piece of wood as if it was a bone. A real
woodworker’s dog!
Get in touch
If you wish to make contact about
courses, renting space, or making anything
from wood, contact:
Ébénisterie ABCD
[email protected]
210 Ronald Drive
992-9663
Mailbox
What are our
Council’s priorities?
As an avid reader of The Informer, I was moved to write
this letter by two things that appeared in the most recent edition.
I found Councillor Feeney’s comments
with regards to the previously published letter from Paul Kenton to be most curious. I
was hoping, in fact, that she would address
some of the substantive budget issues he
raised in his earlier letter. Her response, in
fact, came across as somewhat disingenuous since The Informer quoted her as being
supportive of establishing a budget committee last November. It seems to be taking unusually long to determine “what its mandate
and membership would be,” and since no
counter to Mr. Kenton’s written comments
were offered I am left with no choice but to
presume his data was correct. And alarming
data it was.
In the same edition in an article written
by Mr. Masella, he wrote about “the future
of our existing arena and its possible replacement.”
Possible replacement? I have lived on
the same block of Ballantyne North for over
21 years and have yet to see one cent of our
ludicrously high taxes spent on improving
the horrific condition of our street and sidewalk, and the Mayor is considering possibly
replacing our existing arena?
This highlights to an even greater degree
the need for citizen’s input and I highly support Mr. Kenton’s suggestion for the immediate establishment of a budget review
committee.
Mark Bromby
Ballantyne North
Attracting butterflies
to the garden
Bees do it and so do butterflies, and who
wouldn’t prefer to have butterflies pollinate
the flowers in their garden. Lydia Benhama, Nature Interpreter at the Montreal Insectarium, will explain how to attract
butterflies to the garden, both for their
beauty and their usefulness.
Learn what plants to use and how to
make an oasis for butterflies in all stages of
their life cycle. Lydia will also tell us about
current concerns for the Monarch butterfly
and what can be done to help.
Ms. Benhama is coming to the Horticultural Society during the current Butterflies
Go Free exhibit at the Montreal Botanical
Gardens, on until April 27; it’s a magical
experience not to be missed.
This meeting will be held Monday, April
14, 7:30 pm at the Town Hall. Guests are always most welcome. Refreshments will be
served, and people are encouraged to bring
their own cup for tea or decaf coffee.
6
Rotary Club
Kathleen Weil
We had the
pleasure of hosting our MNA,
Kathleen Weil,
for lunch on February 27th. She was first elected
to the National Assembly in
2008. She held various positions in the Liberal government
namely Minister of Justice and
Minister of Immigration.
Kathleen’s discussion topic
was Promoting an Inclusive
Quebec. The discussion revolved around the issues associated
with the law being proposed by
the PQ commonly known as
The Charter.
She was very critical of the
government’s plan and made a
point that the PQ government
rates a French speaking person
from Bordeaux as better than a
French speaking person from
Vietnam because the former
speaks French at home. She was
also critical of the general attitude of the PQ in raising issues
where issues do not exist.
Kathleen spoke to how The
Charter came about. The PQ
passed Bill 101 years ago. Bill
14 was recently proposed to further restrict the rights of Quebec
Anglos. The CAQ was prepared
to discuss this while the Liberals were completely opposed.
The PQ decided to drop this legislation and came up with The
Charter instead. The PQ have
repeatedly stated that the people
affected would just comply and
remove the offending clothing
or symbol. This is a far cry from
the original intent of the reasonable accommodation proposal.
Kathleen commented that
most associations presenting before the hearings into The Charter were opposed to it. The PQ
ministers were, in some cases,
chastised for arguing with the
presenters. Kathleen expressed
her belief that The Charter
would be implemented using
the “not withstanding clause”
even though the majority of
Quebec organizations were not
in agreement. A key point she
raised is that The Charter will
restrict our ability to hire the
best and the brightest. The
Charter would be imposed on
all our major hospitals and
learning institutions.
In addition, she raised the
spectre of the costs to pay severance and other penalties associated with implementing it.
Again the comment from the PQ
was that “don’t worry they will
conform.”
Kathleen indicated that this
government is promoting fear to
win this election. Kathleen
promised the Liberals would be
fighting the election on the basis
of jobs, education, health care
and the economy in general not
to mention avoiding another
referendum.
Phil Labreque
Rotarian and financial planning industry colleague Brian
Belanger introduced our
speaker Phil Labreque at a recent meeting saying that it was
in 1979-1980 that the financial
planning industry really started
in Canada. It has blossomed because of outstanding people like
Phil Labreque. Phil’s father
started Peak Investment in
1987. Phil graduated from
McGill in ’96 and found his
way to MoWest via Steve
Coull. They work together at 72
Westminster N. Phil and Steve’s
partnership has great synergy.
Phil talked about family
planning and how income replacement is important. He then
talked about business partners
and said they need insurance if
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7
Rotary Club
one dies and make sure that a
good partnership agreement is
in place. Most partners have life
insurance, but many overlook
critical illness insurance.
Phil said he could not give a
financial planning prediction
on what is going to happen but
did say that the market dropped
so much in 2008 that his crystal
ball broke. He also said it is important to know if you are
looking at a secular or cyclical
market. Right now he says we
are in bull mode for most markets and in bear mode for
bonds and fixed income. You
grow a portfolio over time and
he believes in the law of inertia. He said the best way to prepare for planned giving is
through life assurance because
the premium is tax deductible.
Phil ended his talk by saying it
is dangerous to listen to and act
on predictions. Phil’s open for
business and would be very
happy to help anyone interested in financial planning and
insurance related topics.
Phil was a soccer player in
his youth and coaches his two
daughters who are 8 and 10.
Phil’s hobbies include astronomy. He says he supports both
Royal West Academy and the
Curzon School. Phil was able to
raise $16,000 for the West Island Palliative Care facility
recently through a golf tournament which prompted the offer
that he join our Rotary club immediately.
Rotary luncheon
speakers
APRIL 3:
Serge Bouharevich
“Social media – Why and
what am I doing?”
APRIL 17:
Kabbs Twijuke
Ambassador to ICAO
from Uganda: update on
Uganda Heifer Project
MAY 1:
Margarita Schultz
pharmacist at Bristol
Myers Squibb: the revolution in cancer treatments
Lobsterfest 2014
The 2014 Peter Webster Memorial Lobsterfest, our annual
all you can eat lobster event, will
take place Saturday, May 31 at
the Legion rink. Tickets are $85
per person; 16 and under half
price and children 10 and under
free. This event will have an assortment of other foods includ-
Catherine Gardner
Real estate broker
Courtier immobilier
Groupe Sutton
Centre-Ouest Inc.
514-793-5608
[email protected]
ing cold cuts, salads, dessert, etc.
There will be a silent auction
along with a live auction.
This event is our major fundraiser and, in my opinion, an extremely fun event. Tickets will be
available by mid- to late April
and can be reserved and purchased by contacting Doug Yeats
at [email protected].
MAY 8:
Tanya Radhakrishna
Vice-Chair, Board,
MoWest Children’s
Library: vision for the
Children’s Library
Our doors are open to the
public if you’d like to join us to
sit in on one of our presentations. Presentations are usually
20-30 minutes starting at 1:10
pm. Should you like to join us
for an excellent catered lunch,
the cost is $20 and we sit down
to dine at 12:30 pm. Our Club
meets at noon every Thursday at
the Town Hall. Hope you’ll
come and join us soon.
from Doug Yeats
8
École des Amis-du-Monde
Notre printemps est plein de soleil!
Le défi du mois :
« Je joue sans conflit »
Chaque mois, madame
Lina Fortin (notre directrice)
nous lance un nouveau défi.
Cette fois, nous devons jouer
sans conflit pour ramasser 1000
points. Les surveillants à la récréation observent les élèves.
Si nous jouons bien ensemble,
ils nous donnent cinq points
pour rajouter à notre tableau.
Ceci pourrait durer jusqu’à
deux mois!
Denise et madame Loredana.
Pour être bénévole, vous devez
être en 3e, 4e, 5e et 6e année. Si
vous voulez vous inscrire,
voyez madame Loredana ou
madame Denise. Les responsabilités sont: aide aux élèves de
voles absents), animateurs et
nulle autre que la bibliothèque.
Voici les impressions de
quelques élèves qui sont dans le
bénévolat pour la bibliothèque:
Auréliane : « Je trouve ça
bien de ranger la bibliothèque,
Par Gisella Oviedo Bethel,
Dolores Villanueva,
Jessica Llamas
et Auréliane Fréchette
La cabane à sucre
de l’école
Par Gabrielle Murray
Cette année, en mars, l’école
Des-Amis-du-Monde est allée à
la cabane à sucre… mais c’était à
l’école! Au début, beaucoup de
camions sont venus et les employés ont installé ce qu’il faut
pour que les élèves et les enseignants puissent se sentir
comme si ils étaient à la cabane à
sucre. Ils ont amené beaucoup de
sortes d’animaux et on a mangé
de la tire. Je vous le dis, c’était
très bon!
Harmonie en folie
L’école Pierre-Laporte nous
a offert un parascolaire gratuit.
Pour débuter, les gens inscrits se
choisissent un instrument, puis
apprennent comment le jouer.
Un professeur expert se
présente pour être leur chef.
Saviez-vous que ce professeur a
été enseignant de notre prof de
musique? Ceci nous a surpris
énormément. À la fin de notre
parascol-aire avec cet orchestre,
on fera un beau spectacle (ce
sera le 2 mai prochain).
Par Gabrielle Murray
et Mariya Georgieva
Un bon coup de main!
On va vous parler du
bénévolat. Les responsables des
élèves bénévoles sont madame
mon livre à la bonne place
lorsque j’ai terminé ma lecture.»
Jessica : « J’aime ranger des
livres, car j’aime travailler avec
des codes de classement comme
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aider les gens. »
Par Lama Aziz
maternelle, responsable du
matériel de jeu pour la cour, responsable des objets perdus, assistants pour madame Loredana,
remplaçants (vous remplissez
les responsabilités des béné-
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Office: 514-931-4242 ext. 2323
Cell: 514-572-9470
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A division of London Life Insurance Company
tous nos livres sont toujours
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Dolores : « Pour moi, ranger
la biblio est très cool car parfois,
quand on a fini ce travail, on
peut lire. Évidemment, je range
Article produit avec la collaboration de Petrina Lee Poy,
Nathalie Grégoire et Brigitte
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printanier est l’œuvre de
Teanna Eboigodin.
9
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March break
madness
The week before spring
break, students participated in the
school’s carnival week. Every week day
brought with it a new theme or activities.
Monday was beach day and students had the
opportunity to wear their most tropical attire! Tuesday was sport’s jersey day; students from kindergarten and cycle 1 enjoyed
the production of Pinocchio at La Maison
du Théâtre. Wednesday was crazy hat or hair
day when students from cycle 2 and 3 enjoyed an outing at Mont Avila. Thursday
was also crazy hat or hair day, but this time
students from kindergarten and cycle 1 enjoyed a day of great fun at Beaver Lake. Friday was supposed to be outdoor Olympic
day, but due to the weather, it was rescheduled for after March break. Hot chocolate
was served at lunch time as planned. Students spent the remainder of the afternoon
enjoying activities in their classrooms.
Thanks for your help
This week is a blast for our students and
would not be possible without all of the help
from our Home and School members and
parent volunteers! Thank you to all the
helping hands.
On Monday, March 10, we began collecting non-perishable food items for local
food banks. Students and parents alike did
a great job contributing to this amazing
cause. Thank you!
Thursday, March 13, students were
treated to a concert to celebrate black history month.
Storytelling
at Edinburgh
Cycle 3 students have been working hard
on their storytelling projects. Every student
prepared two three-minute long stories –
one in English and one in French. These stories were presented first in class, then before
all the cycle 3 teachers in order to select a
group of finalists.
On Friday, March 14, the 14 finalists
presented their stories to a large audience
including their cycle 3 classmates, grade 4
students, the invited judges and several parents. Khayden Cesar-Mohammed and
Cassidy Comeau were excellent emcees.
Resource teacher Chisette Sarenas and retired teachers Johanne Poirier Ledoux and
Sandy Cudzinowski were the judges faced
with a very difficult task.
Two stories were selected to represent
Edinburgh at the EMSB Regional Storytelling Finals. In French, Matthew Tussman, with Une journee pas ordinaire and
in English Carl Miller and Elliot Mann
with their Two Sides of the Story. Runners
up were Alexia Marcotte with Un regime
de licorne and Simon Radhakrishna with
Taxi Villain.
From vocal expression to body language,
the storytellers were truly an accomplished
group. The audience laughed and cheered.
Congratulations to all!
Edinburgh is very pleased to be acting as
host for the Regional Storytelling showcase
this year on Monday, March 31.
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Elizabeth Ballantyne School
Vôtre en environnement
Vous m’avez sûrement assez lu au sujet du programme de collecte porte à porte de déchets organiques et je vous invite donc à voir ce qu’en disent
vos amis et vos voisins. Si vous faites partie des attentistes à ce sujet, peut être que vous vous laisserez
convaincre par certains de leurs commentaires.
Voici donc ce qui en est – et ça vient de personnes autres que
moi!
Tout ce que je vous demande à présent c’est de prendre leurs
conseils à cœur et d’essayer. Et si vous utilisez déjà le système,
je vous en remercie. J’espère que ces quelques trucs et conseils
pratiques contribueront à améliorer votre expérience.
Elizabeth Ulin
Conseillère, Loisirs, culture et environnement
Présidente, Comité d’action environnementale
Kindergarten students enjoy hot chocolate and cookies after the
Skate-a-Thon
Cold ice, hot chocolate!
On February 21, EBS students from all grades crowded noisily
into the Legion Rink for their annual Skate-A-Thon. This tradition
dates back over 40 years. The event raises funds to purchase new
books for the Children’s Library.
Students recruit sponsors who can choose to donate a lump sum
or sponsor children based on the number of laps they complete. Although there is no official prize for the greatest number of laps, many
kids try to complete as many laps as possible. Adam Semergian of
cycle 3 completed the most laps at 128.
The Skate-A-thon is a popular event for many reasons. “I like
skating and raising money,” says kindergarten student Zachary
Chambers, but most of his friends agree that the best part is the
hot chocolate and cookies which are served afterwards.
This year the $2,500 raised was used to purchase 135 books.
The funds are divided between English and French titles. Some additions have been made to popular book series such as M. Bonhomme, 39 Clues and LEGO. There are also some new books about
robots, magic and sign language. Once the books have been purchased, each one is given a hand drawn bookplate designed by a
student. According to librarian and EBS parent Lindsey Skeen,
the bookplate tradition was started over 30 years ago as a way to
identify the books bought with Skate-A-Thon money. “It gives
each one a personal touch and keeps the event a completely EBS
initiative,” she said.
Cycle 3 field trip
This year the annual cycle 3 field trip took place at Mont Tremblant. The students got a break from the classroom to enjoy three
days of outdoor activities such as tobogganing, snowshoeing, archery
and skating. One of the goals of the field trip is to encourage French
language usage and all the events take place in French including a
talent show. The students spent the final evening roasting marshmallows around a campfire. It has been a fun winter for EBS!
from Caroline Dick-Semergian
Pourquoi participer au
programme de compost?
Le plus formidable de ce
programme c’est que je peux y
inclure les viandes, les os, et les
produits laitiers, tous des produits qu’il m’était impossible de
composter chez moi, dans ma
cour.
Barbara Tekker,
Wolseley N.
Je composte aussi désormais
les essuie-tout et les mouchoirs
de papier usagés, ce qui réduit
les déchets chez moi.
Wendy Dodge,
Sheraton Dr.
Mes déchets réguliers n’ayant
plus d’odeur désagréable, ils
n’attirent plus les petites bêtes.
Rose Marie Smith,
Strathearn N.
Nous essayons d’être les plus
« verts » possible. Grâce au
compostage c’est facile.
Petrina Lee-Poy,
Ballantyne S.
J’utilise le programme de
compostage pour être un bon
citoyen et faire ce qu’il faut.
Annette Wolfstein-Joseph,
Brock N.
Doutes initiaux et solutions
Nous n’avons pas aimé
utiliser les sacs et en avons es-
DR. SUSAN MCDONALD
Dentist • Dentiste
[email protected]
73 WESTMINSTER N.
MONTREAL WEST
H4X 1Y8
486-4411
sayé quelques types différents.
Nous couvrons de fond de notre
petit bac de journaux, ce qui
fonctionne très bien!
Emmanuelle and Martin Bazinet,
Strathearn N.
J’hésite à acheter encore plus
de déchets en achetant des sacs,
mais j’enveloppe les choses
dans une feuille de papier journal ou dans une vieille boîte à
céréales quand j’en ai. Quand
j’obtiens des sacs de papier, je
les garde jusqu’à la première
occasion de les utiliser.
Greg Bailey,
Brock S.
Je craignais les odeurs, j’ai
donc placé du désodorisant dans
un petit contenant sous l’évier.
Pour économiser, j’utilise de petits sacs de papier dans la maison pour les mouchoirs et les
serviettes de papier.
Wendy Dodge
Je craignais que le fait de «
replier » le sac ne suffise pas à
empêcher le contenu de s’en
échapper au moment où le bac
était vidé. J’ai résolu le problème à l’aide de ruban de papier
pour que le sac reste fermé.
Rose Marie Smith
J’ai pensé que cela allait être
problématique et que ça ne
vaudrait pas la peine pour notre
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Vôtre en environnement
petite famille de deux mais le
petit contenant est pratique dans
la cuisine et nous nous y
sommes habitués très facilement. Le couvercle étanche
coupe très bien les odeurs.
Annette Wolfstein-Joseph
Trucs et conseils pratiques
Je couvre l’intérieur de mon
bac avec des journaux. Puis
quand il est presque plein je
vide le tout dans d’autre papier
journal et j’en fais un joli petit
paquet. Ça me rappelle les paquets qu’on ramenait de chez le
boucher dans ma jeunesse.
Barbara Tekker
Si vous avez besoin de contrôler les odeurs vous pouvez
aussi garder un sac de feuilles
d’automne et les utiliser dans le
grand bac. Le fait de mettre des
feuilles au fond du bac permet
aussi de le garder propre.
Greg Bailey
J’utilise toujours un bol pour
les déchets quand je prépare à
manger. C’est facile ensuite de
jeter ces déchets sur une feuille
de papier journal puis de les déposer dans le bac. Et puis, je me
débarrasse du journal en l’utilisant pour envelopper les
déchets.
Colleen Carroll,
Curzon
J’aime garder le petit bac au
frigo. J’enlève le couvercle et je
laisse le sac ouvert et j’y mets les
résidus de cuisine sans avoir à
sortir le bac du frigo. Il n’y a pas
d’odeur parce qu’il est au frigo.
Rose Marie Smith
Si on regarde la situation
dans son ensemble, et non pas
juste selon notre propre convenance, nous avons tous fini par
nous habituer au recyclage, qui
paraissait bien compliqué, au
début.
Annette Wolfstein-Joseph
Environmentally yours
You’ve probably heard enough from me on the
door-to-door organic waste program, so let’s hear
what your friends and neighbours have to say. If
you’ve been on the fence about joining in, maybe
some of their comments will help you decide.
So there you have it – and not from me!
All I ask now is that you take their advice to heart and give
it a try. And if you’re already using the system, thanks! I hope
a few of these tips and tricks will help improve the experience.
Elizabeth Ulin
Councillor for Recreation, Culture and Environment
Chair, Environmental Action Committee
Why use
the compost program?
Initial misgivings
and solutions
The best part about the program is that I can put meat and
bones, dairy products – all
things I could not compost in
the backyard.
Barbara Tekker,
Wolseley N.
We didn’t like using the bags
and tried a couple of different
types. We’ve been using newspaper to line the bottom of our
small bin and that’s working
very well.
Emmanuelle and Martin Bazinet,
Strathearn N.
I also now compost used
paper towels and tissues, so less
trash at my house.
Wendy Dodge,
Sheraton Dr.
It stops my regular garbage
from being smelly and a potential source of food for “critters.”
Rose Marie Smith,
Strathearn N.
We are trying to be more
“green.” Composting seemed
an easy way to do this.
Petrina Lee-Poy,
Ballantyne S.
I use the composting program to be a good citizen and
do the right thing.
Annette Wolfstein-Joseph,
Brock N.
I am loathe to go buy yet
more garbage by purchasing
bags, but now I put stuff in a
sheet of newspaper or an old cereal box if I have one. If I ever
get paper bags then I save them
for the occasion.
Greg Bailey,
Brock S.
I was afraid of odours so I
put a deodorizer in the small bin
under the sink. To save money,
I use a couple of small paper
bags around the house for tissues and paper towels.
Wendy Dodge,
Sheraton Dr.
My biggest concern was the
simple ‘folding over’ of the bag
not being sufficient to keep the
contents inside when the bin
was being emptied. I solved this
by using paper tape to hold the
bag closed.
Rose Marie Smith
I thought it would be too
much trouble and not worthwhile for our small household
of two, but the small container
is handy in the kitchen and
we’ve gotten used to it quite
easily. The tight lids really keep
odours under control.
Annette Wolfstein-Joseph
Tips and
advice
I line my small bin with
newspaper. Then when it is
pretty full, I dump it into more
newsprint and tie it up into a
pretty bundle. Reminds me of
the butcher’s packages I would
see in my youth.
Barbara Tekker
If you need to control odours
you can also keep a bag of
leaves from the fall and use
them in the big bin. Putting
leaves in the bottom of the bin
also keeps it clean.
Greg Bailey
I always use a bowl for waste
when I’m cooking. It makes it
easy to dump the waste on a
sheet of newspaper then deposit
it in the bin. And I get rid of
newspaper
by
wrapping
garbage in it.
Colleen Carroll,
Curzon
I like to keep the small
bin in the fridge. I just leave
the lid and bag open and put
food waste in the bag without
having to take the bin out.
Because it is in the fridge, it
doesn’t smell.
Rose Marie Smith
Think of the big picture, not
just your own convenience. We
all got used to recycling and that
seemed a nuisance at first.
Annette Wolfstein-Joseph
Avanti West End
Groupe Sutton
Centre-Ouest Inc.
514-575-2419
[email protected]
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Courtier immobilier résidentiel
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12
News from the Pews
St. Philip’s
Hours / Horaire
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
We are so excited that spring has finally
arrived! The library will be closed on Good
Friday and Easter Monday. We will be open
as usual on Saturday, April 19.
Our origami workshop in March was a
great success. The children had a wonderful
time making all sorts of animals and other
creations! We will certainly invite Indra
back soon because it was so popular.
In celebration of spring, the library will
be hosting an egg decorating workshop for
children ages 6-12 on April 12 from 2-3 pm.
Long-time friend of the library Margaret
Griffin will be animating the workshop and
sharing some of her wonderful talents with
us. The cost for the workshop
is $7 which includes the
one-hour workshop and the
art supplies needed. Please
call the library to register. Spaces are limited.
Our spring brochure
is available. Please call
or visit the library to register as spaces are limited.
As always keep checking our Facebook page for
news and our website for
new books and DVDs
coming into the library!
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As anyone who owns a beautiful older
home knows, things are always breaking and
needing repair, and keeping up with maintenance can be a struggle. A beautiful church
like St. Philip’s is no different. In recent years,
we have invested in a new furnace, a new
roof on our tower and restoration of the exterior masonry. But the needs for maintenance,
repairs and upgrades keep coming, and the
costs exceed our ability to pay for them.
At the annual vestry in February, the
membership formed a redevelopment task
group to evaluate and negotiate a redevelopment of the church property, except for
the church itself. The goal is to build a new
facility that will allow St. Philip’ to continue
its fellowship and mission, and generate
sufficient income to be economically sustainable. We also hope to preserve some
green space; we do not want to sell the
property to someone who will build a massive condominium project. As we prepare
to celebrate our 125th anniversary, our goal
is to put in place the means for the parish to
be viable for the next 125 years.
Holy week and Easter.
Our observance of Holy week begins on
Sunday, April 13, with the Palm Sunday
procession and dramatic reading of the Passion. On Tuesday night, we will join Trinity
Memorial Church for Stations of the Cross;
St. Philip’s hosts Tenebrae (the Service of
Darkness) on Wednesday evening at 7:30
pm. The Maundy Thursday liturgy will take
place at St. Thomas’ Church at 6 pm. On
Good Friday we will have our traditional
Good Friday liturgy at noon. On Saturday
evening at 8 pm we will have a children’s
Easter Vigil, with a lighting of the new fire,
a creative telling of parts of the story of sal-
vation and joyful proclamation of the resurrection. Bring bells to ring. Finally, our
usual Easter morning celebrations will be at
8 and 10 am.
On Sunday, April 27, there will be a potluck lunch following the 10 am Eucharist.
Bring your appetite, as there is always
plenty of good food.
Our annual community yard sale to benefit the NDG Food Depot will be Saturday,
May 3. Call the church office at 481-4871
to rent a table. The book and bake sale will
take place on Saturday, May 10.
St. Ignatius of Loyola
April, with all the Easter celebrations is
a busy time for our parish. Please join us as
we begin the month with a family retreat
day on Sunday, April 6 from noon to 5 pm.
Hosted by our NET team, this is a wonderful opportunity to take some time as a family to reconnect with one another and with
God in order to prepare for the holiest festivities of the year.
Holy week begins with Palm Sunday on
April 13 in which palm branches will be
distributed at all the masses. Please join us
as well on April 17, Holy Thursday, for the
mass of the Lord’s Supper at 8 pm. The following day, Good Friday, we will commemorate the Passion and Crucifixion at 3 pm.
On Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil will
begin at 8 pm with the lighting of the Easter
candle as we mark the most solemn night of
the Christian calendar. On April 20, we will
joyfully celebrate the resurrection with our
Easter Sunday masses at 9 and 11am.
May you and your family have a blessed
and hope filled Easter.
from Fr. Michael Leclerc
13
News from the Pews
MW Presbyterian
Spring is coming and the sap will be running – I have it on good authority! So on
Sunday, April 6, we’re all going sugaring
off, right after the church service. The bus
will be leaving at 11:45 am and returning at
5:30 pm. Excitement is in the air!
If you would like to join us please call
the church office (484-7913 weekday
mornings) a.s.a.p. and Mildred will give
you all the information.
7913), Janet Dimock (484-27830) or
Margie Brass (488-0864).
Easter services
A service will be held on Good Friday,
April 18 at 10:30 am.
Easter Communion will be served on
Easter Sunday, April 20 at 10:30 am.
Outdoor sale
Our treasure, book, bake sale and BBQ
will be held outside on Saturday, May 24.
More details in next issue.
Card party success
Our card party was a great success and
we thank you for your support. Jean
Munro was unable to run it this year, but
we did our best to do things her way. I’m
sure you will join with me in thanking Jean
for the many years of making our card parties “just right and very special.”
On Ash Wednesday, our student minister, Sampson Afoakwah, led us in a very
meaningful service. Our chapel provided an
intimate setting for an evening service to
usher in the Lenten season.
Ongoing
Bible study on Wednesdays at 7 pm in
the church parlour. Entrance – 160 Ballantyne N.
Weekly Sunday services and Sunday
school at 10:30 am, followed by a social
hour. A warm welcome awaits you.
from Janet Dimock
MW United
Looking ahead
Reaching out in Lent
Our Outreach Committee has given us a
new challenge for the Lenten period. This
year, we are being asked to offer a prayer
and donate a coin daily towards the Children of War charity. The name says it all.
Come Easter, our coins will be tallied and
sent to this worthy cause. Thinking beyond
one’s-self makes us who we are.
Following worship each Lenten Sunday,
Communion will be offered in the Bethlehem aisle (east transept) for those who wish
to stay. In addition, on April 6, a time of
silent meditation will follow for an additional
half hour, furthering one’s Lenten journey.
Our next card party and light luncheon
will be held on Friday, May 2 at 1 pm. Tickets ($10 each) will soon be available. So
make up your tables and join in the fun. For
information and tickets call Mildred (484-
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DR. HEATHER FOX B.S ., D.D.S.
Good Friday at 7 pm
Always a thoughtful time, with some
quiet space included, our Good Friday service will be held at 7 pm, April 18. One of
the most spiritual services of the year, Good
Friday entitles us to embrace the full joy of
Easter Sunday, soon to follow.
And Easter Sunday with its glorious
flowers, stunning music and triumphant
message brings us together in such a meaningful way. Not to be missed, bonnets or not.
Still walking
An African gospel concert will be held
at MWPC on Saturday, April 5, at 7:30 pm.
Special guests will be the Brebeuf African
Choir from LaSalle. Tickets are $10; children under 12 years, free. Call Mildred
(484-7913), weekday mornings for information and tickets.
Card party
Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday
Our April 13 service will begin with
marking Jesus’ triumphant arrival in
Jerusalem when children waved palm
branches and shouted “Hosanna.” Then
when our children have departed for Sunday
school, the service will look toward Holy
Week and the Passion of Christ, depicted
through beautiful music by the choir and
soloists. Hear the lilting, melodic way Dvorak relates a tender aspect of this time.
Donna Nicholson
481-3406
On Tuesday, April 29 between 7 and 9
pm we will lay the Labyrinth in Wadsworth
Hall for all those wishing to engage in the
peace of a walking meditation. All are welcome at no cost, but please walk in socks or
slippers.
Books, movies, CDs,
good magazines, puzzles, etc.
Unburden your shelves and yourselves
of the above, dropping them off at the
church most days and evenings. Kids’ stuff
welcomed. Our Book Browse Plus will be
Saturday, May 3. 9:30 am - 3 pm. Coffee,
tea and goodies available for browsers.
from Susan Upham
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.
C
Dentist
16 Westminster N. #315
Tel: 487-4577
Fax: 487-8376
481-3406
14
MW Scout Group
www.mwsg.ca
Beavers
After a well deserved break the
Beaver Colony has
been very busy during March.
Each week one Lodge got to try
a new activity. The Beavers
took turns to make cookies,
squares, muffins and Gorp (like
trail Mix); tried board games
such as Chinese checkers and
chess; built obstacle courses in
the gym for everyone to try and
made pencil holders that look
just like Puffins. If winter hasn’t
turned into spring by April 1 we
will try to give Mother Nature a
boost by having a beach party.
Beavers at winter camp
Scouts
The MW Scout Troup continues its weekly meetings. When
game time is over, we learn about something cool, usually Scout
related, but with the occasional broader subject. On the second
weekend of March, we partook in a snowshoe hike at a trail park
up north. We brought our own lunches and ate them on the trail.
When we were done, we were all very tired ,but could all agree that
we had a good time. We are now planning the details for our spring
camp at Lake Lovering Scout Reserve near Magog, a favourite location of the Troup, which will take place on Victoria Day weekend.
The holiday will give us one extra day at the camp. Camps always
excite us as Scouts and this spring camp is no exception. We also
sold garden supplies in March, a percentage of the proceeds goes
to help pay for our big cycling tour in P.E.I. this summer!
by Isaac Million-Lovett,
4th-year scout
Garden supplies
Olympic hockey with Alex Manolakos in goal
Thank you to everyone who supported our fundraiser; your help
is greatly appreciated. March 26 was the deadline to hand in your
order forms, but if you forgot and would still like to place an order,
please call Bob King at 481-6523 or drop your form at 131 Wolseley Ave. N. It’s not too late! We usually place a last minute order.
Delivery date is April 11 or 12.
Free time
Olympic Low Ropes Course
15
Guiding
481-7441
Hours
Monday - Thursday
10 - 12, 2 - 4, 7 - 9
Fiction
Baldacci, David
King and Maxwell
Clancy, Tom
Command Authority
Faulks, Sebastian
Jeeves and the Wedding Bells
McCall Smith, A.
The Forever Girl
Oates, Joyce Carol
Evil Eye
Robinson, Jennifer Somewhere in France
Simison, Graeme
The Rosie Project
Mysteries
This month the girls did a project entitled “50 objects of Guiding.” In small groups, they were
encouraged to talk about what Guiding meant to them. It was almost unanimous. We had
three separate groups – and to all of them, it was the same: Guiding means friendship, fun...
and selling cookies!!
News about
cookies!
Girl Guide cookies are here.
The best selling classic cookies
(the vanilla and chocolate sandwich) are
made by Dare in a peanut-free facility on
the South Shore and are now certified
Kosher dairy by the Orthodox Union. This
fact could add to our customers people who
will enjoy them safely for religious reasons,
but also help people who are watching for
vegetarian or special dietary reasons. They
are not yet gluten-free!
The girls and leaders had fun experiencing activities of Girl Guides in some of the
144 countries around the world. St. Vincent,
South Africa and New Zealand were our
choices this year. We explored crafts, food,
games and so on from these countries. Find-
ing them on a globe was a little more tricky,
but it was an exercise in awareness of the
big, wide world.
There was a skating party on Beaver
Lake for some, joining other Guides from
the Monklands District with the CBC in attendance.
We have two new leaders with the Guide
group, Zinovia and Lori, who are doing a
great job. Of course, more leaders are welcome any time. Meeting times are now 5 6:30 pm and may move forward by another
half hour in September. We really appreciate the use of the MW United Church. We
are impatiently waiting to see the bulbs
(that we planted around the Westminster
side of the church building) bloom.
from Janet King
Bradley, Alan The Dead in Vaulted Arches
Camilleri, Andrea The Dance of the Seagull
Lippman, Laura
After I’m Gone
Paretsky, Sara
Critical Mass
Robb, J.D.
Concealed in Death
Walker, Martin
The Crowded Grave
Non-fiction
Doolittle, Robyn Crazy Town – Rob Ford
Gilbert, Elizabeth
The Best American Travel Writing
Guiliano, Mireille
French Women Don’t Get Facelifts
Kingsbury, Noel
Garden Designers at Home
Koppel, Lily The Astronauts Wives’ Club
Mead, Rebecca My Life in Middlemarch
Northup, Solomon Twelve Years a Slave
Tauton
Kitchen Remodeling
DVDs
The Book Thief, 12 Years a Slave, The Tutors Season 3, Sherlock Season 3, Nurse
Jackie Season 5
16
Civic Recreation Association
Spring is here and it’s time to PLAY
BALL! You can register online at
www.mwcrasports.ca.
will be ready and posted on the CRA site by
the week of April 28.
Programs
April 16
Figure skating
Coaches’ Clinic
Thank you to everyone who came out to
watch the CRA figure skating show on
March 22. A special thank you to Anne and
Heather for all their hard work.
Micro soccer – ages 4-6
Soccer – ages 7+
Intercommunity baseball – ages 8+
Rubgy – ages 4+
Gymtastics – ages 3½ - 10
Baseball:
Go Mudhens!
Our league is Westmount, Hampstead,
Côte Saint-Luc and Saint-Laurent. Tryouts
and spring training start April 14 at the
arena. Check the website for more a more
detailed schedule.
Soccer
New this year! We have added spring
training and evaluations on April 5 and 12
at the Catologna Soccerplex in Lachine. We
will be sending out more information about
the soccer program shortly. Team schedules
Theopiste (Theo)
Hondzoglou
Referees’ clinic
April 23.
If you are interested in becoming a
coach, please contact the CRA office at [email protected] or call the office at
485-8598.
Rugby
Now open to ages 4-17 and starts May
11 at Hodgson field for six weeks. We are
fortunate to have two amazing coaches this
year. Graeme McGravie is the current
head coach of the Concordia women’s
rugby team and Susy Beinstock is an accomplished former national team player and
a certified coach. Sign up today!
Gym-fit
Our spring season has just begun. The
10-week program focuses on strength, en-
durance, balance and coordination. Each
week highlights a new skill and activity.
Register now!
Learn to skate
Congratulations to all our skaters who
completed our eight-week learn to skate
program. We look forward to seeing you in
the fall!
Hockey
Congratulations to all our MWH Knights
on another fabulous hockey season.
Suggestions?
We are always looking for feedback and
suggestions. Feel free to contact the CRA
office at 485-8598 or email Samantha
Mitra at [email protected].
Individual
coaching
in all
academic
areas
Canadian
History
Study
French
Skills
English
Mathematics
bur.: (514) 483-5800
fax: (514) 483-2699
mobile: (514) 898-3821
[email protected]
Groupe Sutton – Centre-Ouest Inc.
5800, avenue Monkland
Montreal, QC, H4A 1G1
Science
Step up to PDec.
The
Homework
Program
smart way to address the school year!
Consultants: Birdie Goodman and Elaine Wisenthal-Milech
#$#$" "$' $"#$'
'! #%$$#& $" www.pdec.ca
17
Community Centre
MW
50+
Club
Outings and events for
April
2 IMAX: Titans of the Ice Age
4 Movie matineé: Diana
8 Diners’ Club: Baton Rouge
10 Soup’s On: Asia’s Ancient
Superhighway, Speaker:
Hassan Elshafei
15 Collette Travel presentation
22 Earth Day tea
24 Upper Canada Playhouse:
The Summer of Love
29 Bridge
New York City:
April 27 - May 1
Shaw Festival:
August 25 - 28
For more information on
50+ activities and special events
or any suggestions for speakers or
entertainment, please call:
Tammy Loftus
484-1610
Foot clinics
April 9
Fees for services:
$40 for the first visit and
$35 for subsequent visits
Spring and Summer
Community Centre
Registration
Registration is ongoing for all our programs. The spring session begins the week
of March 31, for 10 weeks. Consult the web
site montreal-west.ca or call 484-6186 for
more information.
There is still space in the spring programs for fitness enthusiasts (adults).
• Gentle Yoga
Thursday, 8 pm
• Essentrics
Wednesday, 7 pm
• Yogalates
Monday and/or Wednesday, 7:15 pm
• TRX Suspension Training
Monday, 6:30 am or Friday, 9 am
Don’t miss out on a super-fun summer at
the day camp and pool! New activity
brochure is online and a physical copy will
be delivered by the end March, so check out
all our new activities and register early to
get the early bird discount! Information:
consult our website montreal-west.ca, facebook.com/montrealwest or call 484-6186.
Red Cross
babysitting certification
11 years and up
Saturday, April 26
Community Centre
Learn the skills required to carry out
babysitting duties.
9:30 am-4 pm.
Cost: residents: $50; non-residents: $62.
• Stretching
Tuesday and/or Thursday, 6:15 pm
Special event
Youth Fit Program
This program is a great way to introduce
your child to functional exercises that will
support them in their sport or fitness level
and to help them develop a stronger sense
of their capabilities. The program will ensure proper exercise mechanics with squats,
push ups and other exercises as well as
work on speed, quickness and agility training. Tools that will aid in their development
range from the TRX suspension training to
cones, speed ladders and bosu balls. The
program will also involve active stretches
leaving the fitness/sport enthusiast feeling
renewed, restored and relaxed.
Day: Mondays, starting April 28
Time: 4-5 pm, ages 11-13 years
5-6 pm, ages 13-15 years
8 weeks
Cost: $75 for residents;
$85, non-residents
Place: Hodgson Field
Limited spaces available.
Small class size.
JANE F. LEE, B.Sc., D.D.S.
Chirurgien Dentiste - Dental Surgeon
484-6186
Day Camp
and Pool
by appointment only
63 WESTMINSTER N
MONTREAL WEST
H4X 1Y8
369-0255
Cotton Tail Party
La fête du lapin
for 2- to 10-year-olds
Sunday, April 6
2-4 pm
at the Town Hall
Come and enjoy an egg hunt, face
painting, crafts and a magic show!
Tickets are available at the Community Centre. Limited space. Cost
per child: in advance, $10; at the
door, $12.
18
Town Council Meeting: February
Aside from clearing up after two big
snowstorms and a few new water main
breaks, Councillor Torres reported a relatively quiet period in the Public Works Department. The summer work schedule is
being planned and will include major infrastructure work on Brynmor and Brock South.
Councillor Tasker-Brown reviewed the
types of calls that should be directed to the
Public Security dispatcher, the police and
911. The four-hour parking limit is still
under review, lots of requests for trafficcalming measures have been received and
rail safety is currently being emphasized.
Plans to beautify Westminster will be presented to Council during the last week of
February.
Councillor Ulin was absent.
by Carol Foster
Canada Post’s proposed reform of home mail delivery is
raising serious concerns for
the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities according to the Mayor, and
Montreal West is adding its voice to the
objections. Issues include hardship for the
handicapped and the elderly, as well as
problems of space, traffic, snow removal,
graffiti and overflowing city trash cans
filled with unwanted junk mail. Consequently, Canada Post is being asked to
postpone this decision and to consult with
the Federation before any further action is
taken.
The third Coffee with the Mayor included an update on the dog park plans, the
resolution on wood-burning stoves and, as
always, traffic problems in the Town.
An out-of-court settlement has been
reached to resolve an outstanding claim for
decontamination costs of the property adjacent to John A. Simms Park. The owner of
the property has accepted an amount of
$40,000 to be divided equally between Imperial Oil and the Town, without admission
of liability, as a compromise to close the file
and prevent litigation. Councillors Feeney
and Torres have completed a training course,
required by law, for all newly elected town
councillors and they were joined by the
Mayor. Earth Hour is scheduled to begin at
8:30 pm on March 29 and participation is
urged. A crosswalk, which has been requested by nearby residents, will be established at the intersection of Radcliffe and
Wolseley to make it safer for children to
cross the street on their way to school.
Councillor Feeney reviewed the entire
process by which property taxes are determined and reminded residents of the payment methods possible as well as the
deadlines.
Question period
A resident from Brock North suggested
that a detailed explanation of how municipal taxes are determined would be a welcome addition to the tax bill each
homeowner receives. He also questioned
what challenges by the Town are possible to
the agglomeration portion of the total bill.
The Mayor assured him challenges are regularly put forward but only count for 13%
of the final decisions on what should be
considered shared costs between the city of
Montreal and the demerged municipalities.
A perception that decisions made by
Council concerning the Town’s bylaws
were not transparent enough was voiced by
the next resident. The Mayor pointed out
that public consultation sessions were held
whenever major changes were proposed
and all updated amendments are posted on
the website as well as on the wall in the
Town Hall. Councillor Tasker-Brown added
that the public question period at each
Council meeting is also always available for
any questions or input.
Once again, objections to the curb extensions were raised and, once again, the
Mayor repeated his plea for patience while
the situation is carefully assessed.
Several angry dog owners demanded to
know why the decision on a permanent location for a dog park was taking so long.
The lengthy and very difficult process of
agreeing upon a suitable location in the
Town was reviewed by Tasker-Brown. She
added that much progress has been made,
but information concerning the cost and
consultation with residents in the designated
area are still required before a final decision
can be made.
The Dufour-Lapointe family, including
the three sisters of recent Olympic fame,
was welcomed as new residents of the Town
and the meeting was adjourned.
par Carol Foster
traduction par René Boucher
La réforme de la livraison à
domicile annoncée par Postes
Canada soulève de sérieuses questions pour
la Fédération canadienne des municipalités,
selon le maire, et Montréal-Ouest ajoute sa
voix aux objections. Les oppositions incluent
des difficultés pour les personnes âgées ou
handicapées ainsi que des problèmes d’espace, de circulation, d’enlèvement de la
neige, de graffitis et de poubelles débordant
de publicités importunes. En conséquence,
on demande à Postes Canada de retarder
cette décision et de consulter la Fédération
avant d’entreprendre toute autre action.
Le troisième Café avec le maire comprenait une mise à jour des plans pour le parc de
chiens, la résolution sur les poêles à bois et,
comme toujours, la circulation dans la ville.
Une réclamation pour les frais de décontamination de la propriété adjacente au parc
John A. Simms a été réglée hors cour. Le propriétaire a accepté une somme de 40 000 $,
versée en parts égales par la Pétrolière Impériale et la Ville et sans admission de responsabilité, comme compromis pour clore
le dossier et éviter le litige. Les conseillères
Feeney et Torres ont assisté à une formation
requise par la loi pour tous les nouveaux élus
municipaux; le maire Masella s’est joint à
elles. L’Heure de la terre s’amorcera à 20 h
30 le 29 mars et tous sont incités à participer.
Un passage pour piétons demandé par les
résidents du voisinage sera installé à l’intersection Radcliffe et Wolseley pour rendre
plus sûr le passage des écoliers.
La conseillère Feeney a revu le processus complet de fixation de l’impôt foncier
et a rappelé aux résidents les modes de
paiement possibles ainsi que les échéances.
La conseillère Torres a fait part d’une
période relativement calme aux Travaux
publics, mis à part le déblaiement de deux
grosses chutes de neige et quelques nouveaux bris d’aqueduc. On planifie le calendrier des activités estivales qui incluront des
travaux majeurs d’infrastructure sur Brynmor et Brock Sud.
La conseillère Tasker-Brown a passé en
revue les types d’appels qu’on doit diriger
au centre d’appels de la Sécurité publique,
à la police ou au 911. La limite de stationnement de quatre heures est toujours à l’étude, on a reçu de nombreuses demandes de
mesures d’apaisement de circulation et l'on
insiste actuellement sur la sécurité aux
abords des voies ferrées. Des plans pour
l’embellissement de Westminster seront
présentés au Conseil pendant la dernière semaine de février.
La période de questions a suivi, vu l’absence de la conseillère Ulin.
Réunion du Conseil : février
19
RICK
LAVELL
ISABELLE
PAPINEAU
DAVID
DOUBT
FOR THE BEST SERVICE IN TOWN • POUR LE MEILLEUR SERVICE EN VILLE
Real Estate Brokers • Courtiers immobiliers • Groupe Sutton Centre Ouest
514 483-5800 • www.rickandisabelle.com
lère Tasker-Brown a ajouté que la période
de questions publique lors des réunions du
Un résident de Brock Nord a suggéré Conseil est aussi l’occasion de questions ou
qu’une explication détaillée de l’établisse- commentaires.
ment des taxes municipales serait un ajout
Encore une fois, on s’est opposé aux
apprécié au compte de taxes que les proprié- avancées de trottoir et, encore une fois, le
taires reçoivent. Il s’est aussi enquis des maire a plaidé pour de la patience alors que
contestations possibles de la Ville quant à la situation est minutieusement évaluée.
la portion agglomération de la facture toDe nombreux maîtres de chiens ont detale. Le maire l’a assuré que les contesta- mandé pourquoi la décision sur un emplacetions sont courantes, mais ne représentent ment permanent pour un parc pour chiens
que 13 % des décisions quant à ce qui de- tardait tellement. Mme Tasker-Brown a revrait être considéré comme coûts partagés laté le processus long et ardu pour en arriver
entre la Ville de Montréal et les municipal- à un accord sur un endroit approprié. Elle a
ités reconstituées.
ajouté qu’on avait fait de grands progrès,
L’observation suivante concernait une qu’il manquait encore des renseignements
perception que les décisions du Conseil sur sur les coûts et qu’on doit consulter les résiles règlements de la Ville ne sont pas suf- dents du secteur envisagé avant d’arrêter
fisamment transparentes. Le maire a fait une décision.
remarquer que la Ville tenait des con On a souhaité la bienvenue à la famille
sultations publiques lors de la proposition Dufour-Lapointe, incluant les trois sœurs
de changements importants et que tous les de renommée olympique, nouvellement
amendements sont affichés sur le site Web arrivée dans notre ville. Puis la séance a
et sur le mur à l’hôtel de ville. La conseil- été levée.
Période de questions
20
CO M I NG E V E N TS
Please call the Editor: Heather at 489-7022
e-mail: [email protected]
Next deadline: April 9
MAR
Sun 30
Mon 31
APR
Sat
Sun
5
6
Tues 8
Sat 12
Sun 13
Mon 14
Wed 16
Thu 17
Fri 18
Sat
19
Sun 20
Wed
Sun
Mon
Tue
23
27
28
29
MAY
Fri.
2
Sat
3
Afternoon Labyrinth Walk. Wadsworth Hall. MW United.
Socks or slippers. 2-4 pm.
Town Council Meeting. Town Hall. 8 pm.
Absolute latest date for Scout garden supply orders.
Call Bob King: 481-6523.
African gospel concert. MW Presbyterian. 7:30 pm.
Sugaring off. MW Presbyterian. Info: 484-7913.
Cotton Tail party/La fête du lapin. Town Hall. 2-4 pm.
Royal West Academy presents the full-scale original musical
Oh Boy, It's You Girl! Continues until Thursday, April 10 at
7:30 in the auditorium. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors,
$10 students (available at the door). There is a dinner theatre
on Friday, April 11 (dinner at 6 pm); tickets $25 and must be
reserved in advance by calling S. Westlake at 489-8454.
Scout Group garden supply delivery.
Palm Sunday liturgy of the palms and Eucharist.
St. Philip’s. 8 and 10 pm.
Palm/Passion choral service. MW United.10 am.
MW Horticultural Society presents Lydia Benhama on
attracting butterflies to the garden. Everyone welcome;
non-members, $5. Town Hall. 7:30 pm.
Tenebrae (Service of Darkness). St. Philip’s. 7:30 pm.
Holy Thursday mass of the Lord’s Supper. St. Ignatius. 8 pm.
Good Friday Service. MW Presbyterian. 10:30 am.
Good Friday Liturgy. St. Philip’s. Noon.
Passion and Crucifiction. St. Ignatius. 3 pm.
Good Friday evening service. MW United. 7 pm.
Children’s Easter Vigil. St. Philip’s. 8 pm.
Easter Vigil. St. Ignatius. 8 pm.
Easter Sunday Eucharist. St. Philip’s. 8 and 10 am.
Easter Sunday masses. St. Ignatius. 9 and 11 am.
Easter Sunday service. MW United. 10 am.
Easter Communion. MW Presbyterian. 10:30 am.
Coffee with the Mayor. Town Hall. 7:30-9 am.
Pot-luck lunch. St. Philip’s. 11:30 am.
Town Council Meeting. Town Hall. 8 pm.
Evening Labyrinth Walk. MW United. 7-9 pm.
Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook
Animals on parade
We in Montreal may do things differently but we definitely get them done and
with a flair all our own. The Patrick’s Day
parade was a chilly, but perfect, illustration
of civic energy; for the fourth year, the animals of Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook
scampered and swooped, waving paws and
wings at the St. Patrick’s Day crowds and
reminding them that the protectors of the 57
hectare green space are celebrating the future park and will never hibernate, even in
a minus 24 wind-chill.
So it wasn’t quite the first robin of
spring, but it was a blue jay. This smiling
blue jay was 13-year-old Geneviève
Boulerice, swooping through the crowds
with her father Dan, the Meadowbrook
crow. Always visible was the Meadowbrook
fox (Campbell Stuart) who danced, posed
happily for pictures, and occasionally
scratched at what seemed to be a photo-op
flea. Also marching were Michael Primiani, a bird-bedecked Meadowbrook tree
(Vicky Scheid), a grey squirrel (Erica
Brown), and beekeeper (Don Hobus) living examples of how you can’t keep good
animals – and their habitat – down.
Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook has protected the area from development for over
25 years, and has thankfully moved into the
planning phase with the City of Montreal to
design a public park on the green space –
hence our new name. The disaster at Lac
Mégantic and the derailment in St. Henri
have made the prospect of building so close
to rail yards unarguably unwise, but the
group is ready for the work still required to
turn Meadowbrook into a park. For more information visit our website at lesamisdemeadowbrook.org or like us on Facebook at
SosMeadowbrook.
from Erica Brown,
Member, Les Amis du Parc Meadowbrook
Card party. MW Presbyterian. Light luncheon.
Tickets $10 each. Info. 484-7913. 1 pm.
Book Browse Plus. MW United. 9:30 am - 3 pm.
Classifieds
SUMMER RENTAL: MoWest executive family house. Our elegant family home, fully
equipped and beautifully furnished for professionals. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms. On
a tree-lined street. Lovely backyard with garden and deck. Available late June for two
months. Includes utilities, two-car parking, bikes, etc. Robert at 507-2802.
FOR RENT: modern apartment in old hill town of Sarnano, Le Marche, one of central Italy’s
most beautiful villages. Two bedrooms, full kitchen, living and dining rooms, large bathroom, central heating. Close by restaurants, stores, great hiking paths, museums, fabulous
views. See apartment on www.vrbo.com search Sarnano, Italy. David: 484-5543.
Essay writing and English conversation help for CEGEP and university students. Experienced teacher, published author. Call Galit (759-5533) or e-mail: [email protected].
Geneviève Boulerice