Single MOMtreal works to connect donors directly to single mothers in need

By Isaac Olson
Soon after an article about Single MOMtreal was published by the Montreal Gazette on Nov. 29, the new non-profit organization was swept up into the spotlight. The group was highlighted on radio and television while the Gazette article was widely shared online.

Ever since that day, founder Nadia Wiseman has been dealing with a flood of donations as private individuals and businesses from across the Montreal region reach out to her, trying to help all the single moms that are struggling to get by.

At the same time, she says there has also been a flood of single mothers joining the group. Some are just looking to be part a network of single moms that are active together. Others need help. They need help bad.

Wiseman, working closely with dedicated volunteers like Tanya D’Amato, has heard a lot of sad stories and seen a lot of devastating conditions that single mothers are living in with their children.

Some mothers have escaped domestic abuse or unhealthy relationships with nothing but a few suitcases of clothes. Wiseman has seen women living in barren apartments with empty refrigerators, bare shelves and hardly enough blankets to go around.

“What I’ve been doing is matching donors directly with these single mothers in need,” Wiseman explains, noting she tries to connect donors to single mothers by area. For example, an NDG donor might be connected to an NDG mother or, at the very least, somebody right nearby. “I post to our Facebook page and in different groups, asking people to help.”

The nice thing about connecting donors directly to single mothers is people can see exactly who they are helping. It’s a more tangible way to give to those in need. People can actually meet the mother they are helping, she says, and, because of that, people feel more comfortable opening their wallets or digging into their storage for hand-me-down clothing.

“A lot of people don’t like just giving to organizations because they don’t know where their money is going,” observes Wiseman. “Or they still give, but they wonder after if their money actually went to a good cause. But with the way I am doing it, they don’t have to wonder because I show them who it is that they are helping.”

Wiseman says she has been overwhelmed by all the support as people bring in groceries, gift cards and clothing, but more donations are needed. As it is, a lot of people that are stepping up to the plate are single mothers. Wiseman adds, “It’s amazing to see single moms that are already going through hard times themselves, helping others.”

Wiseman says she also needs a place to store all these donations as she lives in a small studio apartment in Côte-des-Neiges with her son. There just isn’t enough space to keep it all.

The Single MOMtreal support group helps mothers connect to resources in the community. In the private Facebook group, mothers can discuss whatever they need, ask questions and seek advice. They help each other every day, plan meetups, trade services and more.

Overall, Wiseman says she is grateful for all those that have given so far. The list is too long to name everybody, but she has regularly made posts to her group’s public Facebook feed. Those posts document all the companies and individuals that have donated. A lot of people, she notes, enjoy giving directly to the organization rather than dumping their second-hand items in donation bins, never sure where they’ll end up.

“People go out of their way to bring me donations,” Wiseman says.

“It’s amazing. One mom received 12 bags of groceries. There are so many examples. People have been so generous. A social worker who came here twice now, she works nearby, she dropped off like $400 in gift cards that she collected from her coworkers at the hospital. She also dropped off some dishes and a brand-new Monopoly game just in time for a mother that was coming out of a woman’s shelter with two children.”

Wiseman says she is grateful for all those that have reached out, but more help is welcome. To learn how you can give, visit Single MOMtreal’s public Facebook page or email admin@singlemomtreal.com.

The group's website can be found here: http://singlemomtreal.com/

Inspired by his mother's illness, Royal Vale student launches hair-raising campaign that supports two causes at once

After watching a video on Facebook a couple years ago about a boy donating his locks to cancer patients in need of high-quality wigs, a young Côte St. Luc resident decided to take that initiative a step further.

“Everybody cuts their hair for cancer,” said Oren Sendel with a smile that never seems to fade from his face. “I wanted to do more.”

When he started growing out his hair, Oren had a buzz cut. Now weeks away from his 13th birthday, he has long, wavy hair that reaches the middle of his back and curtains his face like a lion’s mane. Small for his age, but giant in heart, Oren is looking to help two causes at once.

Oren has grown up watching his mother, Laurie Sendel, struggle with Multiple sclerosis (MS), a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. To honour her struggle, Oren is not only donating his locks to a group that makes free, human-hair wigs for cancer patients, he is looking for sponsors to support his cause by donating money to the Montreal Neurological Hospital in the care of the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic.

“An account will be set up and the funds will go towards making some dark days a little brighter for those who need it,” he writes on his website that he launched in mid-October — one month before he plans to snip off all his hair. “The money can be used to pay for a taxi on a day when a patient is exhausted or to buy a cane for someone who needs one.  It can also be used to offset the cost of the medicines needed as they are very expensive.  I trust that the hospital will know where the money is most needed.”

Laurie Sendel said Oren, her youngest of three children, has not let go of his mission and that has impressed the entire family. At first, people were asking why he wasn’t cutting his hair, but, as soon as they heard the reasoning, they have been supporting him ever since. So far, about $200 has come in from friends and family, but Oren is hoping to earn as much as possible.

Oren often keeps his hair tied back, leaving his vision clear for football practice, biking around his neighbourhood and his studies at Royal Vale School. He plans to cut it in time for his bar mitzvah, but, before that, he is asking people to spread the word about his fundraising mission.

“My mom has MS and I wanted to help,” he said. “Everyone always needs help, I guess, and somebody needs to do it.”

Laurie Sendel said she is proud of her son not just as his mother, but as an MS patient.

“It’s taking something that is a little bit negative in our lives and giving it such a positive feel,” she said. “Oren surprises us a lot, so I wasn’t shocked when he came up with this idea. I was very impressed. What I was surprised with is it has taken him such a long time to grow his hair and, throughout this journey, he has never let go of that idea. He has never let go of the idea that he is going to donate his hair and help people with MS.”

Below is a video of my interview with Oren and his mother. Be sure to check out his website and donate: http://orensendel.weebly.com/

Little Shop of Horrors debuts in Côte St. Luc

The Côte St. Luc Dramatic Society will be performing Little Shop of Horrors until June 25, offering local theatre lovers a full-scale, professional production of a classic, horror-comedy-rock musical.

Mayor Mitchell Brownstein, who performs in the play and serves as the producer, said the performance is suitable for kids aged 10 to 12, depending on their level of maturity. There is a cast of 23 amateur and professional actors, two puppeteers and a five-piece band.

Of course, Audrey II, a talking plant that develops a taste for people meat, will be on stage as well in four different stages of development. By the second half of the play, the plant is larger than life.

The play is being held in city hall's Harold Greenspon Auditorium, but buy your tickets soon because the venue only seats 136 and word of this vibrant, exciting performance is spreading fast.

Tickets can be bought on this website or at various locations in Côte St. Luc, including city hall and the Aquatic and Community Centre.  For the full story on this play, read my article in the Montreal Gazette and then check out these photos below provided by production manager Reesa Rosenfeld.

-Isaac Olson

Cyclist and pedestrian group demands safer, protected bike paths in NDG

By Isaac Olson
Members of the Association of Pedestrians and Cyclists of NDG (APC NDG) gathered in front of the Benny Library and Cultural Centre on May 5 holding up signs demanding safer bike paths in the district.

About two dozen sign-holding members of the APC NDG gathered despite the rain, holding up bilingual signage with slogans such as “protegez les cyclists” or “we need concrete barriers on de Maisonneuve bike path.” 

This demonstration was held as politicians, borough staff and citizens streamed into the building for the monthly Côte des Neiges—NDG borough meeting.

“Other cities in Canada are moving forward with bike paths,” Deanne Delaney told the council during the question period. She cited the city of Vancouver as a specific example while reminding councillors that the non-profit advocacy group submitted a bike plan proposal on August 7, 2016 and have since "been asking for news and updates, coming to borough meetings, to no avail.”

A meeting with borough officials is slated for late June. Delaney said the group now feels listened to  but the need for safe bike paths in NDG has not been resolved. By safe, she noted, the group is not just talking about lane lines painted on the road, but actual infrastructure that protects cyclists of all ages. 

As one of the signs stated in French: "Don't wait for the death of a cyclist."

She reminded the mayor that he is invited to come on a bike ride with the group to tour the de Maisonneuve bike path. That path, she said, needs more protection and “other measures” to reduce vehicular speed as motorists use the street as an east-to-west connection, bypassing the traffic lights on Sherbrooke St.

Borough mayor Russell Copeman said the bike path plan had been received and “our borough services have been looking at it.” Reflections on that plan will be shared in late June during the meeting, he said. He said he accepts the invitation to go on a bike ride with the group and he plans to take advantage of Bixi for that trip which, he said, will likely happen in August.

Earlier in the meeting, Loyola district councillor Jeremy Searle suggested that the de Maisonneuve bike path be raised up on concrete to further protect cyclists because motorists will be less inclined to drive on the path if there is a curb to hop. As it is, despite the bollards, motorists are regularly seen weaving onto the path to avoid slow or turning cars. Trucks are also known to cross into the path while making wide-sweeping, right-hand turns onto de Maisonneuve. 

This protest and discussion comes as the fight for a green pedestrian and cyclist bridge connecting NDG to LaSalle over the highway and Turcot rail yard continues to build steam.  At noon on June 11, an assembly is planned to further that fight and make that bridge a reality. Known as the “dalle-parc” in French, the gathering begins at 6450 Notre Dame St. W. For more information, make sure to check out the Facebook page dedicated to this cause.

NDG district councillor Peter McQueen has been leading the charge for this bike bridge, saying it is important that NDGers have access to the Lachine Canal, Angringon Park and everything else to the south of the highway. Otherwise, cyclists and pedestrians have to go to Westmount or Montreal West to get south of Route 20. He invited the public to attend the June 11 assembly. 

"They're building road bridges over what is going to be the new highway down there," said Mcqueen during the meeting. "They're building them all in advance, so they should be building the bicycle bridge too."

Like and follow the APC NDG Facebook page to stay updated on these issues.

Deanne Delaney addresses the council. All photos: Isaac Olson

'Below the Tracks Reunion' planned for NDGers from 50s, 60s, 70s

The “Below the Tracks Reunion” is going to be an exciting event on May 19 at the NDG-based Crowley Arts Centre, bringing together those that grew up in the area in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Nick Patulli, director of operations at the Crowley Arts Centre. “It is a very close-nit community that will come together  for the first time in 30 - 40 years and some even 50 years. It will be a very special evening where we will be celebrating life and paying tribute to friends that have passed away too early.”

Patulli is one of the countless people that have fond memories growing up in NDG, south of the tracks, and he has fostered hundreds of lifelong friendships over the years. While many stayed in the area, still others moved on and this event will bring everybody, near and far, all back together again to remember days gone by. There are several big names that will be attending the event, he said, as a good many people went on to be quite successful in life.

The event will be held at the beautiful Crowley Arts Centre on Crowley Ave., just west of Decarie Blvd. The facility is fully equipped to host events like this that will include live music, an open bar and a free smoked meat buffet. The live musical entertainment will be jamming out tunes from the era, spurring memories as people enjoy first-class food, drinks and fun.

The event begins at 6:30 pm and it will run into the wee hours of the morning. Tickets are $40 presale or $50 at the door. For more information, click this link.

May 1 borough council meeting highlights - $27 million going to borough roads

Citizens and borough officials gather in 6767 Côte-des-Neiges Rd. for the
May 1 borough council meeting. Photo: Isaac Olson

Kicking off the May 1 council meeting, borough mayor Russell Copeman said that, with the votes coming later in the evening, Côte-des-Neiges–NDG will approve a total of $27 million of road and sidewalk reconstruction work in 2017.

The borough, he said, will be repaving 30 kilometres of roads in 2017, adding to all that has been done since he was elected in November 2013.

The borough, he said, will have redone 35 percent of its streets by the end of 2017. This is a “level of investment never seen before,” said Copeman. His administration, he added, has been committed to the task since taking office.

Most of the money, Copeman noted, is coming from centre city.

Old Orchard Ave. resident complains about parking
An Old Orchard Ave. resident came forward with 54 petition signatures from residents that want reserved parking in their neighbourhood just south of Sherbrooke St.

With an increasing amount of reserved parking around the Vendôme Metro, the resident said metro and train users are forced to park as far away as Old Orchard Ave. That is combined with the two mechanics at the de Maisonneuve Blvd. intersection using some eight to 10 parking spots every day.

While the resident was concerned that the process would take up to two years to get approved, borough director Stéphane Plante said it won’t take more than two month. There was a request in the past, but studies found the parking situation wasn’t that bad. Now, however, if it as bad as residents claim, it won’t take more than two months to get reserved residential parking.

NDG district councillor Peter McQueen said parking is increasingly an issue as far west as Beaconsfield Ave. as reserved parking around the metro station is clearly creating issues in the surrounding neighbourhoods. The garages in de Maisonneuve will eventually move out, he said, and the area has been rezoned for residential. With condos coming in, he said he will insist on underground parking.

McQueen pulls church motion
Councillor Peter McQueen withdrew his motion to protect church green space likely, he said, to be presented at a later meeting. To read more about the motion, click here.

400 Alouettes passes purchased
The borough council approved the purchase of 400 Montreal Alouettes football game passes on June 16 to be be distributed to community and sporting organizations in the borough. The total cost for this purchase is $2,400. Snowdon councillor Marvin Rotrand said the tickets are purchased at a reduced rate.

Pedestrian mall coming to Côte-des-Neiges Rd. 
The southern side of Côte-des-Neiges Rd. between Queen-Mary Rd. and Frère-André St. will be extended to create a pedestrian mall and public square from May 26 to September 8. This will include the installation of sidewalk cafes and “beautification items.”

Councillors make $6,825 in one-time contributions 
Borough councillors and the mayor all have discretionary budgets to tap into throughout the year and give to organizations or initiatives. This month the total of one-time financial contributions reached $6,825. View these images for the break down.

-Isaac Olson

Hebrew Academy students win big for charity

Four students from Hebrew Academy, a private Jewish school based in Côte St. Luc, won $5,000 for Montreal's Donald Berman Chai Lifeline on April 27.  

Four semi-finalist student groups representing the Starlight Foundation, Friendship Circle, Yaldei Developmental Centre and Chai Lifeline presented their charities before their peers and a panel of student and parent judges that included Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, states a school press release.  The winning team was awarded a big fat cheque for the Chai Lifeline.

"The nail-biting face-off signified the climax of students’ months-long participation in the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), a project of the Toskan Casale Foundation that encourages teens to research and advocate for a local charity for the chance to win it a $4,000 grant," states the release. "Hebrew Academy will donate $500 and the students are raising another $500."

Touting it as a real-life educational experience, the school's lead YPI teacher Celia Natanblut incorporates the initiative as part of her Grade 10 Ethics and Religious Culture (ERC) curriculum.

Based on their research, students prepare a request for funding proposal on behalf of their charity, along with a presentation to introduce their cause to their peers. Charities the teens advocated for include Sun Youth, MADA Community Center, Friendship Circle, Chai Lifeline, Share the Warmth, Starlight, Make a Wish, Auberge Shalom and The Donald Berman Yaldei Developmental Centre.

YPI Social Impact Coordinator Rachel Paris flew in from Toronto to facilitate the event and present the winners, Grade 10 students Isaac Safran, Nathan Benizri, Kyle Fallenbaum and Yehuda Bessner with a giant cheque.

“The Hebrew Academy community has truly gone above and beyond in supporting our Chai Lifeline Warriors,” said Montreal's Chair Lifeline coordinator Stu Guttman. “We feel privileged to be able to count them among our trusted friends in fighting illness with hope and love.”

Chai Lifeline is a charity for ill children, helping parents cope by offering a range of services.

Citizen push for green bridge over incoming highway, Turcot yards heating up

This Transports Quebec image of a green bridge dates back to 2010.

By Isaac Olson
The push for a green bridge over connecting NDG to the Southwest borough is heating up, with a protest planned for June 4.

Montreal’s city council approved a plan to construct a bike path down the falaise St. Jacques in southern
NDG as that is clearly under city jurisdiction, said NDG district councillor Peter McQueen during the May 1 borough council meeting.

However, he said, Transports  Quebec needs to commit to building a bike bridge over the incoming Highway 136 which will replace the 20. There is a video on Facebook that discusses this issue in French. It can be found here. In the video, it outlines the disappearance of a "dalle parc" or green bridge plan that was promised to cyclists back in 2010.

That plan has since been taken off the table and now people are fighting to make it a reality. The original plan called for a large concrete overpass decorated with trees and vegetation. Read Andy Riga's article the Montreal Gazette to learn more.

“Once the new highway comes into use in the next two years, the old highway will still be there,” said McQueen. “We’re asking Transports Quebec to plan that bicycle path now.”

Cyclists want to be able to access the Lachine Canal, St. Lawrence River, Angrignon Park and everything else that can be found in the Southwest Borough and beyond. As it stands, cyclists and pedestrians must head east into Westmount or west into Montreal West to get south of the highway and Turcot yards.

“This is a major goal,” he said. “We must continue to push for this.”

In that continued effort to push for a bridge, a protest is planned for May 21 at the Vendôme Metro station, he said.

To stay updated on these issues, follow the Association of Pedestrians and Cyclists NDG on Facebook.

Team Inspirations raises $5,500 for charity as contributions continue to pour in until May 22

With 35 members, Team Inspirations participated in the Scotia Bank Charity Challenge on
April 22, raising $5,500 for Inspirations so far and the money will continue to roll in until the May 22 deadline.

What is Inspirations? According to The Inspired Blogger, it's "the hub of special needs news in the greater Montreal and surrounding areas, providing a voice to people with special needs and a valuable platform for collaboration and sharing of resources."

Team ambassador and NDG resident Jay Jones-Doyle walked five kilometres during the event despite having cerebral palsy. The newspaper's managing editor, Wendy Singer, reports that, while walking with Jones-Doyle, he did fall a couple times during the journey and he was the last to finish, but he pushed on to the end, determined to complete the challenge.

The event was held in Jean Drapeau Park with 10k and 5k races. Be sure to read more about Jones-Doyle and the race by clicking here. 

On his fundraising page, Jones-Doyle writes, "It gives me great pleasure to be participating in this charity walk as the ambassador of Inspirations.  Inspirations is a Montreal-based publication dedicated to showcasing the successes disabled individuals, and much more. The publication runs solely on ad revenue and donations, so please help me to support this wonderful cause by giving whatever you can."

To donate before May 22, visit here.

Jay Jones-Doyle 

Borough testing electronic, remote locks on park bathrooms for more efficient opening hours

NDG Park Chalet in March 2016. Photo: Isaac Olson

The Côte-des-Neiges–NDG is testing electronic locks on bathrooms in an undisclosed park this summer with hopes that it could solve the problem of public toilets not always being reliably open on time during the summer months.

Borough director Stéphane Plante says the locks are a test run because, as it stands, borough workers have to go around to all the parks and open the doors manually. They sometimes get distracted by emergencies or other issues and the bathrooms are not always unlocked in timely manner.

These remote-operated electronic locks could be the solution, he said, as it would allow the borough to open all the bathrooms at the touch of a button from a remote location.

Meanwhile, while the chalet in NDG Park is under renovation this summer, there will be an effort to ensure toilets are always available, he said. It may be necessary, he said, to install portable toilets for a time if the bathrooms need closing, but there will always be an effort to supply the public with bathrooms of some kind.

There are no plans to change the operating hours of park bathrooms this summer, Plante said. Park bathrooms are closed for the winter and generally begin opening in early May.

-Isaac Olson

Spring thaw reveals litter-strewn parks, citizen cleanup initiatives coming

Sylwia Bielec posted this photo of Confederation Park on April 20 to
the popular Facebook group Parents NDG.

By Isaac Olson
While there is plenty of rejoicing when the spring thaw comes, there's also plenty of cleaning up needing to be done as the melting snow reveals months of uncollected litter in yards, parks and streets.

There are at least four city sponsored cleanups of parks, bike paths and streets scheduled for NDG in the coming weeks and dozens more throughout the city.

On April 19, Sylwia Bielec posted a photo of litter in Confederation Park to the popular Parents NDG Facebook group. The photo shows a split garbage bag and plenty of clutter pushed up against a fence with playground equipment in the background.

"Do parks get cleaned, or do citizens have to clean them?" She wrote. "This is Park Confederation, just now. I'm just posting one pic, but it's representative. It's gross and I feel as though it gets worse every year."

Gayle Laird notes the park is busy with St-Luc High School students that eat their lunch there and then "leave their garbage behind. I often pick up what I can while I'm there with my kids."

French school board commissioner Marie-José Mastromonaco states that she will speak with the student council about the issue  and, she adds, " I am sure they will be ready to find a way to help."

There are other parks in NDG, like Trenholme, in similar condition. Antonio da Mota says the garbage cans are overflowing there.

Marlo Turner Ritchie notes that the Éco-Quartier NDG does support citizen cleanup initiatives. The organization will get community groups and schools involved with cleanups.

By the morning of Apirl 20, a Facebook post by Karen Martin was circulating, touting a city sponsored cleanup of Confederation Park scheduled for April 30. The plan is to assemble at the Dug Harvey Arena at 10 am and break up into groups to target. For more information and to register, click here.

A cleanup is also coming soon to NDG Park and Sherbrooke St. Scheduled for April 29 from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, the cleanup will begin in NDG Park and head west on Sherbrooke St. To learn more about this initiative, visit the Facebook event page here and, most importantly, don't forget to register here through this city page.

It's important to register with the city, writes Melissa Fuller, "So the city can send us a shirt and materials for you."

The annual cleanup of the de Maisonneuve bike path is taking place on May 6. Click here for details. For a list of upcoming cleanups in the NDG area, click here.

The city's annual cleanup day, dubbed Grande OpérationMontréal.net, brought  politicians
and residents out to places like Royal Vale School to clear all the litter on April 30, 2011.
Photo: Isaac Olson

In case you missed it in the Montreal Gazette

In case you missed my recent articles in the Montreal Gazette, here is a run down.

Of course, all these stories can be found on my author profile page here.

1. Emergency repair fund: The borough has established a $250,000 emergency repair fund that will be used to repair neglected issues in rental housing. It is a rolling fund that will be replenished when the borough bills the landlord for the work. Now housing groups are asking what the criteria will be to qualify as an "emergency." To read more, click here.

2. Searle paints potholes: Councillor Jeremy Searle has been painting potholes white in protest of the current administration's spending priorities. He says he will paint the potholes white to warn drivers of the danger and protest centre city's lack of investment in roads until the potholes are repaired. To read more, click here. 

3. NDG fights Bill 122: On April 3, with an uneven vote, the borough council officially voiced opposition to the proposed provincial Bill 122 which would, as written, take away the citizen's right to a referendum when it comes to municipal zoning changes. As it stands, borough and city council's can approve zoning changes and citizens have the option to collect petition and registry signatures to oppose projects. That may change in May. To read more, click here.

4. St-Luc rail yards on valuable land:  It looks as though Canadian Pacific could earn a half-billion dollars by moving the St-Luc rail yards. According to a study done by McGill University urban planning graduate students, the rail company would profit even after the costs of moving and decontamination are factored in. To read more, click here.

Searle's pothole painting story gets plenty of attention

Loyola district councillor Jeremy Searle after painting a Fielding Ave. pothole
on  April 13. Photo: Isaac Olson

Loyola district councillor Jeremy Searle has been getting plenty of media attention since the Montreal Gazette ran my article and photo on his plan to paint potholes white until they are fixed.

My story was published on April 13 after Searle phoned with his plan to paint potholes white in protest of the current administration's inattention to road repairs. The story was picked up by other media in the coming days, including CTV and TVA Nouvelles.

Noah Sidel, who is quoted in my article, approached Searle about his pothole painting and made a video that can be found on his blog here.

The story, posted to the Montreal Gazette Facebook page and circulated heavily on social media, garnered loads of feedback.

For example, Cassi Evelyne writes, "At least he is doing something. He is thinking of the citizens. Which I can totally appreciate. I have one car that now has a broken rim and the other car got a flat tire. The roads are out of control. The only way you get compensated from the city is if you can prove the city knew about the pot hole and then they didn't fix in a timely manner. How do you prove such a thing, I have no idea."

Another commenter, Soui Chan states, "This is a man who feels for his citizens."

However, not everybody is on board with Searle's pothole-painting protest.

"Searle will accomplish nothing by this stunt," comments Andrew Ross, a 2013 borough mayor candidate. "It is simply electioneering, giving the impression of doing something while actually doing a whole lot of nothing. He should instead be working with city officials to improve funding for road repair, but that would require him taking the coveralls off and showing up for work. A disgrace."

Again, to read more about this, read my story in the Montreal Gazette. 

Loyola district councillor painting a pothole on Westmore Ave. on April 13.
Photo: Isaac Olson

Livre-service coming back to the borough at the start of summer

Examples of NDG-based Livre-service boxes in May 2015. Photos: Isaac Olson

By Isaac Olson
The borough's  self-service book-exchange boxes have vanished from borough streets, but director Stéphane Plante says they will be back by the beginning of summer.

Started under the guiding hand of then borough mayor Lionel Perez in December 2012, Côte des Nieges—NDG installed a dozen retrofitted newspaper-dispensers on busy neighbourhood streets throughout the borough. The boxes once belonged to the Montreal Gazette.

Calling it “Livre-service” in French, it is a free resident-to-resident book exchange program that allows citizens to take or leave a book at will. There’s no charge, no registration and no obligations. When these boxes were installed, it was stated that the success of these boxes would be determined by citizen participation.

Former city councillor Sharon Leslie went before the borough council on April 3 to say she brought a "whole bunch of books" down to the box in front of the Co-op la maison verte on Sherbrooke St. over the weekend only discover that it had disappeared. Noting it was a popular service and that people were distressed to learn the boxes had gone missing, Leslie asked if the borough would be replacing the boxes and how long it would take.

Borough mayor Russell Copeman said the borough made two missteps in pulling the boxes for refurbishing. The public should have been better informed of the plan, he said, and he suggested the borough could have, instead, not taken all the boxes away at the same time. Copeman suggested the borough put up signs letting people know that the boxes will be back soon.

"I think we could have done better," said Copeman.

"We were very surprised by the strong reaction," Plante admitted. "We are very pleased by that reaction because it means that they are used."

He said the plan is to refurbish the boxes that are damaged and buy new ones where needed. Notifications did go out via the borough's social media, he said, but, when prompted by the mayor, he agreed that more notification was needed.

“Hopefully by the beginning of summer they will be back because some of them were badly damaged,” Plante said. "But we need at least two months."

Sharon Leslie asks the borough council about Livre-service during
the April 3 borough council meeting. Photo: Screenshot of video archive.

Quality of Life conference coming May 13

NDG is changing fast. Photo: Isaac Olson

By Isaac Olson
The NDG Community Council’s Quality of Life conference is slated for May 13 from 9 am to 3 pm in the St. Raymond Community Centre and everybody is invited, assuming you pre-register through this link here.

“We are aiming to have a diversity of people and issues represented,” states the event’s Facebook page.

The aim of the bilingual event is to gather groups, institutions and citizens together to learn more about what the needs are in the neighbourhood.

Ideas and resources will be pooled while various themes related to quality of life, such as housing, food and security, will be discussed.

There will be an effort to accommodate people with whatever they may need so as to “maximize your involvement in this event.”

To read more about this event and how it is part of the triennial NDG Strategic Plan, please read my article in the Montreal Gazette. 

As the NDG Community Council's executive director Halah Al-Ubaidi says in that article, “The portrait of the neighbourhood is changing so fast, and we need to cope with that. There are big changes in N.D.G.”

April 3 borough meeting highlights

CDN-NDG borough council meeting gets underway April 3 Photo: Isaac Olson

Borough council approves $250,000 emergency housing repair fund

On April 3, the borough council authorized a fund of $250,000, established with management surpluses, that will go toward the emergency repairs of poorly maintained rental housing.

The fund was established so the borough director can have the ability to carry out “certain urgent, one-time” repairs on borough housing that requires immediate attention for “reasons of health and safety and the building owner has failed to do so.”

Read about this fund on CBC’s website here.

Jennifer Auchinleck told the council,  “We are very happy to see this proposition.”

Auchinleck is a community organizer with the Community Development Corporation of Côte-des-Neiges. She asked the borough council if there will be “concrete criteria” in place that defines an “emergency situation” requiring intervention.

Copeman said there will be a collaborative effort with borough officials, committees and organizations to establish criteria. He said he wants that criteria to be in place by the time moving season gets underway.

Urban Planning Advisory Committee won’t have citizen question period

The council has nixed a proposal to authorize public questions and discussion periods during Urban Planning Advisory Committee (CCU) meetings.

The motion was proposed by Darlington district councillor Lionel Perez. In 2013, while he was the interim borough mayor, Perez proposed making the meetings public and he pushed that proposal through to fruition, but citizens are still disallowed from participating as the CCU reviews and discusses housing and commercial projects in the borough.

Having no decision-making authority, the committee's mandate is to consider applications for minor exemptions from zoning and subdivision by-laws. The CCU,when in session about seven times a year, may discuss a range of municipal concerns related to land use planning be it urban development, zoning modification, location of equipment, urban planning guidelines, etc.

Perez, who gave an impassioned speech on the topic, said he was pushing for citizen participation in the interest of governmental transparency. It is not unheard of to allow citizen participation in CCU meeting as, for example, the borough of St. Laurent already does it this way.

Councillor Magda Popeanu, president of the committee, noted it is hard to find members as the hope is to attract experienced people, often architects, that are willing to volunteer their time. As it is, she said, the meetings “end very late” and she is “not very comfortable” to have volunteers confronted by questions from the public.

“As far as I am concerned, I am uncomfortable with this motion,” said Loyola district councillor Jeremy Searle. The volunteers, he added, “Are not in a position to be asked questions.”

Searle said, the public has the option to come to the borough council meetings to make observations and ask questions of the council.

Snowdon councillor Marvin Rotrand said he supports open CCU meetings, but allowing a question period would make committee membership a “full-time job” and members would need salaries. He said the reason he is “really voting against it” is because the members have not been consulted on this.

Copeman and Perez are the only two members of Équipe Denis Coderre on the council. After Copeman spoke in favour of the motion, McQueen called on his colleagues to withdraw the motion.

With Popeanu, McQueen, Rotrand and Searle voting against, the motion did not pass.

Motion to protect churches in NDG nixed

McQueen’s motion to protect NDG churches was voted down by the council, with Perez, Copeman, Rotrand and Searle all voting against the proposal.

Read more about the motion here.

McQueen and Popeanu, both members of Projet Montreal, continued to voice support for the measure as a starting point when it comes to the issue of protecting churches from development. McQueen said there is concern brewing among residents in the borough as community organizations like the NDG Food Depot need space and people want to protect historic churches from development. This motion, he said, is an effort to do something about those growing concerns. It is an effort, he said, to take action rather than sitting idly by while churches are sold to developers.

Copeman, among his arguments against, questioned why the motion does not include all houses of worship and why it is limited to NDG rather the rest of the borough.

In the audience, several members of the Anglican Diocese, including Executive Archbishop Bill Gray, sat until the vote was cast after 10 pm.

No right on red

The council approved a motion to inform the Quebec government that Côte-des-Neiges―NDG borough wishes to maintain the ban prohibiting drivers from turning right at red lights on the island of Montreal. The motion was moved by Rotrand to express opposition to a collaborated effort by suburban mayors to lift the ban.

Searle said he chaired the committee meetings in 2002 on this issue before the right-turn was outlawed. Searle said,”If you think it is safe to have right-turns on red, just take away the traffic light.”

Copeman said he is against right turns on red as a driver, pedestrian and cyclist.

The motion was approved without a nay vote.

One-time financial contributions

Each of the five councillors and mayor have a discretionary budget which they can dip into and contribute to community organizations and initiatives. On April 3, the council approved a total of $4,300 in contributions. Below are some NDG or close-to-NDG organizations that benefited.

Just north of the NDG border in Snowdon, the Black Coalition of Quebec received $750 ($250 from Copeman, $250 from Councillor Marvin Rotrand and $250 from Popeanu) to help the non-profit organization continue its mission of defending the rights of the black community against racial profiling and discrimination especially in terms of justice and employment.

Lunar New Year celebrations on February 4. Photo: Isaac Olson

The NDG Community Council was awarded $150 from Copeman and $250 from McQueen for a total of $400 to support the celebration of the 2017 Lunar New Year held on February 4 at the St. Philip’s Anglican Church.

A total of $750 was awarded to the NDG Parish to support its summer program for children ages six to 16. In this case, McQueen’s contribution accounted for $500 and Copeman’s for $250.

The NDG YMCA was awarded $400 (Copeman for $150 and McQueen for $250) to help maintain the community service program delivered by teens for purposes of socio-economic integration.

Zerf Productions, based on Harvard Ave., was awarded $300, $200 from Copeman and $100 from McQueen, to support activities for celebrating the 150th anniversary of the community in NDG.

New soccer field coming to Loyola Park

Comeau Expert-Conseils was awarded the contract for professional services in the amount of $115,722.34 (including taxes) to construct a new soccer field in Loyola Park. A total of nearly $140,000 was approved for this expenditure.

Bocce court to get a new roof

The popular, well-used bocce court in Georges St. Pierre Park (commonly called Oxford Park) will be getting a new roof to protect players from the rain and sun. A total expenditure of near $58,000 was approved.

Other spending

An agreement between LogisAction NDG was approved along with a $20,000 payment to the organization.

Eleven grant agreements with nine organizations to hold summer day camps in summer 2017 as approved. Financial contributions in this case will total $258,301.92.

A 10-month memorandum of agreement between the borough and the Jewish Public Library was approved, allowing the institution to carry out community awareness-building activities from May 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018. This agreement comes with a $28,000 contribution.

A total of $86,000 was authorized to go to various organizations for events to be held in 2017 as part of activities celebration Montreal’s 375th anniversary. It was adopted with discussion, but no nay votes.

-Isaac Olson

Bust a Move Moving shovels out cars for charity

By Isaac Olson
Bust a Move Moving co-owners Jonathan Painchaud and Brad Clarke were driving home on February 13th
when they noticed plenty of people struggling to get their street-parked cars out of the snow.

After stopping to help two people, they came up with an idea — shovel people out of their parking spots for charity. So, they put out an announcement on their Facebook page and shared it in a couple of groups on Valentine’s Day, offering to shovel people out for $10 with all the proceeds going to the NDG Food Depot.

The offer was shared widely and, sure enough, they started getting messages and calls. The partners eventually helped eight cars out in about two hours, earning $96 and a couple bags of food for the depot.

“It was something we want to think about doing again in the future,” said Clarke in a phone interview.

Michele Goldman, a resident of De la Savanne St. in Côte des Neiges was one of those eight people that took advantage of the service. When contacted, she said she was grateful that they shovelled her car out.

On Facebook, she published a photo of the two men and wrote, “OMG, the guys from Bust a Move Moving—Déménagement drove around NDG doing snow removal to raise money for charity! They saved me. I had no idea how I was going to get my car out.”

Bust a Move Moving co-owners Jonathan Painchaud (right) and Brad Clarke
 shovel out a car on De la Savanne St. on February 14. 
Photo courtesy of Michel Goldman. 

DIY Easter egg hunt planned for April 16 in NDG Park

The fourth annual do-it-yourself Easter egg hunt is planned for April 16 at 1 pm in the historic NDG Park, corner of Girouard Ave. and Côte St-Antoine Rd.

According to the Facebook event page, “One group of parents will stay with the kids in the playground area and try to distract them while the other group hides the eggs in the sloping area down to the statue. After all the eggs are hidden we let the kids go chase them — we give the little ones a head start.”

Once a child has found six eggs, parents will ask them to help to help others.

Parents are asked to bring eight plastic easter eggs per child, stuffed full of small prizes such as erasers, stickers etc.  Candy is acceptable also, but no nuts due to potential allergies. Kids are limited to finding six eggs because nobody is excluded, notes the event page. If park-going families weren’t aware of the event but want to participate, they are welcome. The hope is to have extra eggs on hand for the extra kids that may particiapte.

Weather-appropriate clothing is recommended as is monitoring the event page because, if rain is predicted, the event may be preponed to April 15 instead. Either way, the hunt will be over by 2 pm, so make sure to get there on time. Happy hunting!

For ideas on egg stuffing, click here.