Montreal West: A late bloomer
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Montreal West Viewspaper January-February 2021, Vol. 49, No. 1
Montreal West:
A late bloomer
by Maurice Krystal Very recently I learned idyllic MoWest
wasn’t always this way.
In researching the founding of The In-
Small is good former some 48 years ago, I was in touch
My wife and I moved into MoWest in the with Wavell Cowan, the inspiration behind
summer of 1987 with a one-and-a-half- the enterprise. He shared a memoir he wrote
year-old. The local park, now named after about the Town’s struggle against apathy
Toe Blake, was woefully lacking in play- with the political structure and the fight for
ground equipment for toddlers. Three years democracy.
later, now with our second son, we were
concerned with the unsafe play area. After The history of MoWest
a phone call, Pat Mann from the Recre- and elections
ational Department and councillor Pauline mation by the commissioners. This was in
Ducharme came by and told my wife that “Montreal West, located some 12 miles
west of Montreal’s city centre, was founded contrast to another railway town, Town of
she should gather a group of concerned par- Mount Royal. Incorporated in 1912, two
ents to discuss what equipment was wanted. in the 1890s by the Canadian Pacific Rail-
road Company. It was established as a small years after the Canadian Northern Railway
It was all friendly and informal. (later the CNR) dug a tunnel under Mount
In September a small group of people in railroad town where executives and senior
employees of the company were housed. Royal. TMR’s election for mayor had been
our living room were looking at catalogues. held that very first year.
In the spring, new playground equipment The town was located at the junction where
the east and west branches of the CPR came According to Wavell, “things were run-
was installed. When my wife hinted it was ning smoothly without any need for con-
beautiful but there was no place for the par- together on the Island of Montreal. Thus,
railroad tracks enfolded the town giving it cerns by the citizenry until they weren’t. I
ents to sit, the next day Pat came by with a would say that there was no real concern
spray paint can to mark the locations for a particularly cozy geography. Most of the
town was contained by these tracks with a that ’democracy’ was not being well served.
some new benches. I was impressed. Mov- History simply caught up with the commu-
ing here from Montreal, this sort of service small ‘old town’ enclave over the tracks to
the south and a ‘new town’ enclave over the nity when its absence became a problem.”
was unheard of. Small was beautiful! The
Town was intimate enough that you knew tracks to the north.
“The governing body, a mayor and coun- The collapse
almost everyone. Your municipal officials
were your neighbours. You were a some- cil members, was originally selected from of the old system
body with a voice that was heard. the resident CPR executives. Over time this Then in the 1960s, “the old infrastructure
selection process came to be handled by a – water lines and sewage pipes – began to
Citizens’ Association. When I joined the fall apart and required replacement. Also, at
community (in the 1960s) this group was
INDEX populated from the town’s social ‘upper-
this time, the provincial government bailed
out a bankrupt City of Montreal by giving
Budget 2021 ........................ 10-11 crust,’ and membership was by invitation it taxing authority over the suburban towns
Community Centre ............ 16, 19 only. Property taxes were low compared to through a new Montreal Urban Community
Council Meeting ............ 18-19, 22 other communities on the Island of Mon- (MUC). These events overwhelmed the
Guides ........................................ 9 treal. The efficiency of garbage collection town as the property tax rate rapidly esca-
Horticultural Society .................. 4 and winter snow clearing were the only lated. The status quo was no longer accept-
concerns of residents. The status quo was able, and the governing body – with no
IODE ...................................... 4, 5
quite acceptable.” electoral tradition or experience – was over-
Kosher corner .......................... 18 When I read this memoir, I was not sur-
Libraries .................................... 6 whelmed.”
prised that such a political structure was
MADA ...................................... 14 part and parcel of the town’s establishment.
News from the pews ................ 15 What surprised me was that elements of
Réunion du Conseil ............ 21, 23 “the old order” persisted for the next 80 In the next issue of The Informer,
years. you will discover how a home-grown
Rotary ........................................ 5
Ever since the Town of Montreal West citizens’ group changed politics in
Schools .................................. 7, 8 Montreal West.
Scouts ........................................ 8 was incorporated in 1897, the position of
mayor had always been appointed by accli-
2
Tales of a feathered celebrity: Butters
10 Westminster North So, what is all the fuss
Montreal West, Quebec about? For one, she is oddly
H4X 1Y9 alone, which causes much con-
The Informer’s role is to provide
cern as the species travels in
MoWesters with information about flocks of 30 in summer and
their Town and its citizens in order to larger ones in winter. Other con-
foster the small-town, close-knit at- cerns are Can she forage for
mosphere that makes Montreal
West a special place in which to live. enough food? What does she
eat? Turkeys eat grain, seeds,
ISSN: 084741X fruit and nuts.
Will she survive the winter?
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Cynthia Koomas - Chair
They are an indigenous species
Jeanne Ragbir - Secretary so the cold will not kill her, but
Robert King - Treasurer traffic could. She could suc-
Heather Baylis cumb to starvation. She is quite
Véronique Belzil-Boucher
Jeannette Brooker plump, so she is managing well
René Boucher between foraging in local parks, Photos of BUTTERS
Carol Foster people’s gardens and receiving by Louise Chenevert
Maurice Krystal
Lise McVey handouts from concerned resi-
Julia Ross dents. Some people have been
Rhonda Schwartz feeding her bread, which is talked about newcomer. She is when she sees her reflection. If
detrimental! definitely a conversation starter! you have a chance to witness
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Experts have been consulted Taxi drivers slowed down, two her pruning her feathers, as I
Heather Baylis
489-7022 and the SPCA contacted. The public work trucks stopped. The have, it is quite a show!
summary is that wildlife cannot employees jumped out, and out Remember that many animals
LAYOUT DESIGNER be interfered with nor fed and came the phones and there were perish due to their popularity.
Julia Ross we should strive to coexist with it. a few chuckles. Police officers Don’t allow your curiosity to
julia@ross.cd
She has been adapting to her were seen smiling as they es- make her a pet. Let her be wild.
AD MANAGER urban landscape. She travels up corted her to safety. She is I feel privileged to have seen
Heather Baylis and down sidewalks, waits in bringing joy to so many. her twice and was able to get
489-7022 bus shelters and has traversed Keep an eye out for her when some photographs. I will not
montrealwestinformer@gmail.com you are out walking. Please do hunt her down for more. If I see
Côte Saint-Luc Road on a green
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER light. As a species that travels in not feed her but do admire her her, I will take a fleeting glance
Rhonda Schwartz 482-0227 flocks, she is probably copying beautiful bronze and copper and let her be.
human behaviour. plumage and her personality as Please slow down if you are
RATES January 11, the first day of she struts. Her head may be bare driving. She hasn’t yet mastered
1/6 page: $50. billed annually or schools’ reopening, many peo- which only highlights her ex- oncoming two-way traffic. And
semi-annually. Monthly billing ple stopped to photograph her; pressive eyes. She likes to look don’t startle her by honking.
$60/per insertion.
so much so, she was impeding into windows and bus shelters; Be patient. Give her space.
1/12 page: $30. billed annually.
Monthly billing $35/insertion. traffic flow. Most passersby some say she is quite the pee Keep her safe!
Flyers: $50 (non-profit), $85 (com- were curious, in awe, ecstatic to pping tom. I believe she feels
mercial) finally have met the much that she has found her own kind from Louise Chênevert
Professional card: $135/year
Subscriptions: $20
Classifieds: 25-50 words – $10,
25 words or fewer – $6
TASK FORCE
René Boucher
Lina Harun
Cynthis Koomas
Lise McVey
Jeanne Ragbir
Randi Weitzner
The Informer is published nine times
a year (usually on the second or third
weekend of the month) except June,
July and December. Typesetting by
Informer staff, printing by Les Public-
ités A. Campeau Ltée. Extra copies
available at Town Hall and both li-
braries. Funded, in part, by the Town
of Montreal West. Articles are printed
in French or English, as submitted.
Town of Montreal West employees Tom Simboli and Jake Sutherland are working day (and sometimes night too!) to ensure
NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE smooth ice surfaces for the town’s many outdoor rinks this year. Not pictured, but part of the dedicated ice grooming crew, Jack
February 10 Moncado. Jack Connell, 10 years old, was the first on the ice at the Bedbrook outdoor rink this year. Kate Shingler took these
photos and sent them to The Informer.
3
In memoriam tomer. Jack’s company provided sound Mailbox
Jack Dunn equipment for many, many functions organ-
ized by the Recreation Department. Jack
“He was a great guy.” would not only lend the necessary equip- Kudos to Paula Cordeau
“Jack was a family man ment free of charge, but would also set it up
and take it down. Among the as-yet unsung he-
who gave his all.” roes of the COVID-19 experi-
Many young hockey players will re-
“He was generous and always pleasant.” member their end-of-year hockey banquets ence in Montreal West – and no
“Jack was funny and a tease.” at the Town Hall. Jack would provide a full doubt many others will be re-
arcade of machines to keep the boys enter- vealed in the weeks to come – Paula
“He was a real gentleman Cordeau is an obvious choice. She’s al-
who loved sports.” tained before and after the meal.
Jack loved baseball and coached our ways been a great leader of fitness classes
These were some of the remarks I heard youth until he was in his fifties. He spoiled and a role model for her many fans. But
from fellow citizens who had volunteered himself rarely but did attend the Expos’ when COVID-19 blanketed us all in despair
with Jack during his many years of selfless Fantasy Camp in Fort Myers, Florida, and inactivity, Paula stepped up and
giving to his community. where amateurs got to play with the pros. brought a whole new dimension to her role.
Jack Dunn moved to Montreal West in This was a highlight for Jack! In the summer, she found a location in the
1963 and quickly became involved in local He loved hockey so much that he pre- high school football field for her Stretch and
sports programs. ferred to come back to Montreal instead of Reach classes, and she even seems to have
In business, Jack was a self-made man spending the winter at his Florida condo. intervened with the Supreme Being to give
who saw opportunity in the arcade business. Jack would spend a few days in the sun, us fair weather nearly every time! Suffering
He went on to develop Alouette Amusement, then come home to play multiple hockey to work the unwilling muscles and improve
and Montreal West became a loyal cus- games each week – where he was probably balance was sweetened by the lovely smell
the oldest guy on the ice. of grass and the lovely sight of clear sky
Our former Director of Recreation, (free of all airplanes!) and gorgeous sunsets.
Patrick Mann, had nothing but good things For the few occasions when rain fell, she had
to say about Jack, and his remarks perfectly set up a little canopy perfect for people who
sum up this man. didn’t mind getting their toes wet while their
“Jack wanted to improve his hockey most crucial parts stayed dry.
coaching credentials, so he took the necessary For the fall sessions, she undertook a
courses and attended the required clinics to steep learning curve to allow for both in-
earn his Level 6 for hockey coaches. This was door (Town Hall) and virtual (Zoom)
a very big deal. Levels 1 and 2 were for those classes. This situation rapidly evolved into
coaching locally, levels 3 and 4 for regional Zoom-only, with Paula working to get her
hockey (Lac St. Louis, AA, etc.), but levels 5 voice and the music in proper balance as
and 6 were for coaches at the provincial and she demonstrated every move in solitary
national levels. I remember asking him why splendour in the Music Room. Always
he went to all that trouble when his Level 3 cheerful and energetic, she has jollied us
certification would be fine for the AA teams through dark and stormy nights and prom-
he was coaching at the time. He told me he ises to continue to do so through the spring.
wanted to be a better coach. Very few people There really is no way to express the grati-
achieved Level 6 coaching certification.” tude we Reachers and Stretchers feel.
Let’s hope there is a rink in the sky! Thanks, Paula!
from Pauline Ducharme from Ellen Moore
Aiguisage Cunningham Sharps
Service d’aiguisage de patins a MoWest
Suivant l’esprit entrepre- maintenant dans la ligne sco-
neurial de sa famille, Louis- laire avec les Dragons du Col-
Charles (LC) Cunningham, lège Ste-Anne. Il est également
hockeyeur, 15 ans, a décidé de assistant dans le programme es-
se partir en affaires et d’offrir un tival de Hockey Montréal de
service d’aiguisage sur mesure Eric Rayment.
de son domicile. Louis-Charles aspire à pour-
Il a investit ses économies suivre sa passion dans la
dans l’achat d’une machine de LHJMQ ou NCAA.
grade professionnel de marque N’hésitez pas à lui confier vos
Sparx (sparxhockey.com). patins. 7$/1 aiguisage/sharpen-
Louis-Charles est passionné ing; 12$/ 2 aiguisages/sharpen-
de hockey depuis son enfance. ing; 10$/ 1 sharpening, home
Il a évolué au sein des pro- pick up and delivery
grammes de MTL-Ouest
(Knights, Kings) et du pro- LC Cunningham
gramme des Lions (AAA). Il est (514) 701-0932
4
West End Quilters IODE
There are advantages to the Partnering with
pandemic and staying at home. other MoWest or-
The West End Quilters’ bi- ganizations was
weekly meetings have become rewarding and
weekly on Zoom. On the extra necessary during
days, we just stitch and chat. the pandemic year. First, we
In February we are having an successfully joined forces with
online class with Cheryl Arkin- The Rotary Club of Montreal
son who we couldn’t afford in West and NDG, which while
person and of course we all have helping local merchants, raised
more time to quilt. We are mak- funds to provide meals for over
ing more baby quilts to donate, 3000 frontline healthcare work-
thanks to Monique and her ers, first responders and those
cross-stitch squares and blocks without shelter.
for Quilts of Valour. Our members were as busy
New quilters have joined our as ever: long-time member Christmas cards delivered to Resilence
guild and are getting pointers at Montreal
Heather Ferguson sewed 50
our meetings and by email. grooming bags filled with toi- adopted class in Labrador. The
Check out our Facebook page letries destined for Resilience children also received holiday
facebook.com/westendquilters Montreal that services those gifts. She also gathered toi-
or contact Mary at marysdog- without shelter. Moira Bet- letries from Edinburgh Elemen-
bob@gmail.com. tinville knitted mittens, slippers, tary School and redistributed
Holiday time on Brock North from Mary Sutherland tuques and scarves for our them to Auberge Transition. For
Resilience Montreal, she con-
tributed dozens of handmade
Artists’ Showcase protective masks.
President Janet King and
The Great Outdoors Barbara Marshall were in-
volved with our local Cubs and
Winter 2021 - Virtual Exhibition Brownies in making Christmas
MoWest Artists are invited to display their art on the website for the online exhibition. All media cards which were delivered to
are accepted from pottery to jewellery to paintings and much more. To find out more about the Artists’ St. Andrew’s Residential Centre.
Showcase, or to get an application form, go to the MoWest website under “Culture.” For more details,
call 484-6186. Please submit your art by February 7. from Giuliana Pendenza
a staggering $20 a year! There are no floral
competitions, but volunteers do open their
gardens to visitors in June every couple of
years. We have had an eclectic assortment
of speakers and have learned how to prop-
The Garden Suburb agate seeds, take care of tender seedings,
choose appropriate trees for our properties,
MoWest has always been The Garden plant spring bulbs, colour coordinate our
Suburb. Over one hundred years ago, in gardens, attempt to keep destructive critters
1908, several MoWesters got together to away from tomato plants and much more.
form an exclusive garden club – The Mon- The garden club has considered a web-
treal West Horticultural and Agricultural site for some time and, what with certain in-
Society. The fees were $.50 per year and dividuals having more time on their hands
meetings were held at various members’ during current restrictions, the website has
homes. Early interest was in annual flower come to fruition.
shows and competitions where many mem- Beyond our history and list of executive
bers won prizes. The Horticultural and members there is not much to see, but it will
Agricultural Society was incorporated in be a venue for posting our meetings and
1917 and eventually the agricultural part of speakers in the future.
the name was dropped. The Horticultural Society is looking for-
No longer the “exclusive” club it once ward to holding its meetings once again,
was, membership is open to anyone, resi- hopefully by the fall of this year, and to wel-
dent and non-resident alike: people with coming new members. To be in the know,
gardens, people living in condos or apart- keep your eye on The Informer and check
ments growing flowers or produce on their out our website: montreal-west-horticul-
balconies and to anyone with an interest in tural-society.ca.
Cover of 1931 prize list booklet. Competitions were
nature. held for cut blooms, plants and even canned goods
Meetings are normally held at the Town and preserves.
Hall and membership fees have increased to from Sue Sladen
5
Rotary
Deborah Marcogliese: Rotary Global Grant
Scholarships
We are looking for candi-
dates who have a wide range of
experience, a sense of adventure
MoWest Public Library The single 7040 Global
Grant Scholarship is awarded
and a desire to change the
world! The deadline for applica-
annually to a District 7040 per- tions is Aril 15 with interviews.
Deborah Mar- shut down. They decided to de- manent resident (Western Que-
cogliese is a profes- liver books; all returned items bec, Eastern Ontario, northern
sional librarian are quarantined for a week.
Rotary Peace Fellowship
NY state) whose undergraduate
with an inclination Deborah and a few volunteers degree will be awarded by the Rotary offers two types of
for librarianship and delivered the books and the end of June and who will be en- Peace Fellowships: a two-year
community service. She has service has been a great boon to tering the first year of a first Master’s program and a three-
been the director of the Public the library’s patrons. Like Ama- Master’s degree in studies re- month certificate program in
Library (MWPL) since April zon, they can deliver the goods lated to one of Rotary’s seven peace studies. Candidates must
2017. When Deborah joined the in 24 hours. Now the library of- areas of focus. Further criteria have three years experience for
library, she had one overall guid- fers free membership to all res- are listed on the District website the Peace Fellowship Master’s
ing principle: “To transform the idents of Montreal West as and the list should be read care- degree and five years for the cer-
Montreal West Public Library public libraries are free. Non- fully. The Global Grant Scholar- tificate program in a field related
from best kept secret to a cultural residents have to pay $40. ship is for $30,000 USD. to peace studies. Once again,
hub of the community.” 2020 has been one heck of a The purpose of the criteria is any candidates should read the
The library is a small non- year and the library has had to to give a boost to one of our tal- criteria on the Rotary Interna-
profit organization with three turn on a dime, from cozy face- ented young people as well as tional website very carefully.
full-time staff. In March, to-face to doing everything on- promote the Rotary theme of As a district, we have been
COVID-19 hit and they had to line. Now they are moving as World Understanding and Peace. fortunate to have had 14 Peace
they are making way for a new The area of study must relate Fellows over the years, many of
condo project and when the strongly to Rotary International’s whom have come from the ranks
building is built, they will be areas of focus: peace and conflict of the federal civil service. We
moving back. They are trying to prevention/resolution; disease are looking for candidates whose
transition into a 21st century li- prevention and treatment; water dedication to a better world
brary and this will take between and sanitation; maternal and through peace is driving them to
3-5 years. There is still a lot of child health; basic education and further studies. The deadline for
work to be done. They want to literacy; economic and commu- applications is April 15.
be a cultural hub and create a nity development; support for the
safe haven for young adults. environment. from Doug Yeats
Rotary and IODE
Holiday tidings and goodwill work
IODE HMS Victory chap- normally not have to rely on them. We
ter and the Rotary Club of thought it was great idea. Ron D’Souza
Montreal West and NDG were reached out to Joan Foster who suggested
busy organizing their holiday the Westhaven Community Center. Quality
meals while helping local Fruit Bowl filled the baskets with fresh veg-
businesses: Pasteizza provi- etables and fruits and Stöllen. Altogether,
ded Philly beef luncheon with 12 families benefitted.
trimmings and Mini-Coût pro- Tatu Katabe of Westhaven Elmhurst
vided cookies, brownies and Community Recreation Association: “Dear
carrot squares with eggnog to Resilience Ron D’Souza, the team from Westhaven
Montreal. Traci Swim provided Christmas Elmhurst Community Recreation Associa-
cards that she had collected from students. tion, the parents and the kids would like to
They were given to participants at the shel- send the Rotary Club of Montreal West and Traci Swim from Extra Miles with Christmas cards that
she had collected from students
ter, who are lonely at this time of the year, NDG our greatest appreciation for the
more so since the pandemic. Christmas baskets. Seeing the parents’ and There was such an abundance of non-per-
Margo Buchanan at Resilience Mon- kids’ faces was magical during this difficult ishables, I was surprised and humbled!
treal: “Thank you everyone for your incred- time. We thank you immensely for that “We were able to fill our baskets and
ible contribution to our mission in this crazy great project and wish to stay in your list.” send the extra to St. Monica’s for their bas-
year. We would not be here without the sup- Another fellow Rotarian Tiffany Blouin kets and St. Vincent de Paul needs.
port and strength of our community. Happy with MoWest Merchant Association had a I wish you the very best for 2021, stay
Holidays to everyone!!” very successful food drive at Action Physio healthy and God bless you!”
New Rotary member Margarita Schultz Sport and donated the food to St. Ignatius
suggested because of Covid-19, we do hol- Church. Anna Del Duca from St. Ignatius from Ron D’Souza and
iday baskets for those families who would of Loyola: “Ron, Thank you so much! Giuliana Pendenza
6
C h i l d r e n ’s L i b r a r y
Santa book bag Library services
delivery and programs
What is Christmas without a In compliance with the gov-
thrill, without Santa Claus? We ernmental guidelines, access to
managed to get in touch with the library’s shelves is still sus-
Santa who was very happy to pended, until the guidelines are
help deliver book bags to your lifted. The library’s collection is
homes. His visit made this holi- within reach thanks to our
day season special to the young Books in a Bag service which
members of our library. We pre- has been operational since
pared bags of library books, March 2020. To return books,
Santa added some surprises to you can visit us during the mod-
them and toured the houses of ified opening hours. To receive
the neighborhood children. We a new bag, please send us an e-
were delighted to add some mail, give us a call or make
magic to the holiday. . reservations through our cata-
logue. On our website, you can
12 Days of Holiday find past virtual story-times, and
Challenges past Take and Make craft proj-
December 19, the library ects. To receive timely informa-
started sending daily messages tion about our programs and
to the subscribers on its mailing activities, make sure you are
list, with different challenges of part of our mailing list.
the day. There were story-times
with questions, puzzles, riddles, Parent and Child
mind games, physical chal- Book Club
lenges to take on. For a different The forthcoming meeting
number of answers, the library February 26 will provide the
awarded special gifts. What a possibility to talk about the
fun way to keep busy around the modern classic Inkheart by Jude and Maggie Williams received a bag of books from Santa
holidays! Together with the Cornelia Funke. Contact us to
challenges we had prepared two borrow a copy, and to join the her father, who repairs and life when one of those charac-
special craft projects and in- Zoom discussion. In this story, binds books for a living, can ters abducts them and tries to
struction videos. 12-year-old Meggie learns that “read” fictional characters to force him into service.
ChildrenÊs Library Hours/Horaire
P u b l i c L i b r a r y - B i b l i o t h è q u e p u bl i que
For pick-ups and returns only. Please con-
tact us for a book bag. / Pour collecte et re-
tour des sélections. Veuillez nous contacter
pour demander un sac de livres. The library is moving!
Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri Happy New Year to everyone. We hope cause we are up to our eyeballs in boxes.
lun, mer, jeu, ven : that you are all safe, healthy and reading We hope to be up and running by Febru-
15:30-18:00 from our wonderful collection. We hope ary 15. If not in person at least virtually with
Tue / mar :15:30-19:30 that you were able to get everything you some new programs and continuation of
Sat-Sun / sam-dim : wanted from use before the holiday break some old ones. Please don’t be a stranger,
10:00-15:00 because, right now, we are in the throes of come and wave to us starting February 1!
packing up the entire library. So, if we do Here are some photos of our current
484-7194 not answer our email or phone it may be be- space and a glimpse of our new space.
info@mwcl.ca mwcl.ca
Public Library: 481-7441
Reservations/requests:
mwlib.requests@gmail.com
Visit us online at:
mwpl.daphnis.opalsinfo.net/bin/home
OFFICE HOURS
(COVID-19)
Monday - Thursday
12-6 pm
7
Edinburgh School
“I look forward to doing a lot fied by Mr. Cho has been trying
less laundry.” This was the un- to teach gym via distance learn-
expected answer given by Edin- ing: “Having to interact with
burgh physical education students via screens is not how
teacher William Cho when I ever envisioned teaching this
asked what he’s most looking subject. Because it is such a lim-
forward to in terms of teaching ited platform for physical activ-
physical education once ity, I have had to get quite
COVID-19 subsides. creative in finding ideas, re-
“Currently we are using sources and workouts to keep
coloured pinnies to visually dif- the kids engaged. I must thank
ferentiate between the bubbles my own family for helping me
during recess, and I am using create videos and giving me in-
pinnies as single-use in P.E. spiration to pass on to my stu-
class so I have to wash them,” dents.”
he explains. Also, “I look for- Mr. Cho’s advice to parents:
ward to being able to use the en- “Include your kids in some of
tire outdoor facilities for my your physical activities and
classes again when we go out- think of games that you can do
side.” Grade 3-4 split class ready for Phys Ed together. Almost all children
COVID-19 has prompted a loved to be chased and so many
Phys Ed class…
shift to as much outdoor time fun games can be structured
during Phys Ed as possible. But, around that simple fact.” He
given the staggered recess and adds that it is important to also
in a pandemic
lunch times that have been make time for yourself and your
scheduled to avoid having large own physical and mental well-
numbers of students outside at being: “If possible, try to get
once, he is more limited in the some physical activity ‘me
spaces he can use outdoors. In the gym, Mr. Cho keeps the dows are always open, but after time’ away from your children
addition, with the cold weather windows open. “When we are a few minutes of physical activ- as well. Overall, it will make
here, having children exercise in in the gym, many students ini- ity, they are happy to have the you a better parent.”
their winter gear can be chal- tially complain about the gym fresh air coming in.”
lenging. When they exercise in being too cold because the win- The biggest challenge identi- from Joanna Duy
Edinburgh gets creative with
fundraiser
Due to Covid-19, Edinburgh Elementary so proud; we had to share their work!” M.
School’s grad fundraiser had to be ex- Emmanuel exclaimed.
tremely creative! Part of the assignment was for us to taste
This year we could not rely on traditional test our recipes at home, it was so much fun!
activities such as bake sales, pizza days, etc. To date, M. Emmanuel’s favorite recipes are
Luckily, our parents discovered a recipe as- Aryan’s poutine and Solana’s salmon. Each
signment given to us by our grade 6 French student also had to design their own unique
teacher, M. Emmanuel. He decided to web cover and learned a lot about technology
build on something he’d done last spring in the process. “My favorite part remains the
with his students, “During the first wave of students’ excitement over this project. They
confinement, I chose to organize a few completely forgot this was a school assign-
cooking sessions over video conferencing. ment!” announces M. Emmanuel.
Before I knew it, all the students were par- The fact that the book was virtual allowed
ticipating with siblings as well. I received a us to sell the books to our friends and fami-
lot of positive feedback from the students lies that live far away and those that we can- Finley Klein and Audrey McCutcheon, Grade 6 students
and parents. Even students this year brought not see given the circumstances. The money
it up, so why not keep going!’’ he is quoted will go towards a yearbook and hopefully an but we are not done!” M. Emmanuel af-
as saying. He had each of us in grade 6 cre- awesome party (if guidelines approve). firms. They are available for $10 at edin-
ate a recipe page in French as part of a col- We would like to thank everybody who burghhomeandschool.com/graduation-cook
laborative virtual book. “When the participated in the project, especially M. book-orders/
Graduation Committee suggested using this Jean Michel, grade 6 French teacher for his
project as a fundraiser, I did not hesitate one support and everybody who bought a cook- from Finley Klein and
second. It was a great idea! With the excite- book. So far, we raised $2,442 and sold 256 Audrey McCutcheon
ment, I could not refuse. The students were books! “This is quite an accomplishment, grade 6 students
8
Elizabeth Ballantyne School
Students give back! been built and the fourth will be
started in 2021. The goal is to
Africa, visit the website at team-
frankafrica.org/ or view the video:
build 30 schools altogether. youtube.com/watch?v=d79suGn
EBS held its first virtual the children a video message EBS’ kindness does not go p6OQ.
house assembly to learn and re- explaining all about her organi- unnoticed. Students and staff
inforce our core value of grati- zation and how “gratitude is the felt it was important to give Crazy Hat Day 2021
tude. Students were excited to be best attitude.” back to a charity focused on ed-
resuming some activities that Team Frank Africa is a non- ucation. During Spirit Week,
have been put off due to the pan- profit organization that was students brought in donations
demic. During the assembly, the started to honour Frank Joseph and raised over $200 for Team
meaning of gratitude was shared, Doyle, a loving husband and fa- Frank Africa.
as well as the importance of ap- ther, who tragically perished in We thank the EBS students
preciating everything one has the World Trade Center attacks and their families for their gen-
and not taking things for granted. in 2001. Its mission is to build erosity and for helping to make a
Ms. Kimmy Chedel, found- one preschool per year in remote dream become reality. For more
er of Team Frank Africa, sent areas of Africa. So far, three have information on Team Frank
Montreal West Scout Group
Cubs dents of B’nai Brith House and St. Andrew’s In particular, we miss going to camp! At
Our Cub Pack is still re- Residential Centre! Well done, Cubs! online meetings we recently discussed what
stricted from meeting together in Until we can again begin gathering in to do if one finds oneself lost in the woods.
person, so we have continued our person, we will continue our meetings over We discussed the importance of taking care
weekly meetings over Zoom. It has been Zoom. Activities for January and February of basic needs for food, water, and shelter
going surprisingly well, as the Cubs seem include making cookies and creating Valen- and, importantly, knowing when to stay put
to need this extra outlet for socialization tine cards for our health care workers. and helping searchers locate you.
during these difficult times. One recent Our Cub Pack is open to all boys and Our December 9 meeting was a special
highlight of our meetings was when the girls who are in grades 3, 4, and 5 (generally one in which four new Scouts, who had
Cubs learned how to make cake in a coffee ages 8-10). Everyone is welcome and new completed their Pioneer Training, were in-
mug, and did so during our meeting! kids can join at any time. Just contact the vested into the Troop.
Although we could not perform our an- Pack Akela at nefariousphd@gmail.com.
from Andy Chapman
nual Christmas caroling due to pandemic re- from Todd Stedl
strictions, our Cub Pack was able to create Registration 2021
a special holiday season for many seniors.
A dilemma was that the seniors no longer Scouts The past year has been out of the ordinary
had access to the common rooms where we The Scout Troop has been getting to- to say the least. The MoWest Scout Group
would normally display a few cards. In- gether through online meetings which have has made many adjustments to carry on as
stead, the Cubs had to create enough cards been a success. More and more, though, we best as we are able. Our Cub Pack and Scout
to ensure that holiday cheer was abundant are missing the opportunity to get together Troop Scouters have stepped up and created
throughout the residence. The Cubs ac- in-person. Our aim this year was to get to- online programs to fill the void and keep our
cepted the challenge and put in an enormous gether regularly on the weekends to explore youth engaged. We realize that this is not for
effort in creating holiday cards, and we were the city parks and trails and practice outdoor everyone but there are many young people
able to deliver more than 120 to the resi- activity skills. who enjoy seeing their Scouting friends and
working on the activities planned and pre-
sented by their leaders. If you know a young
person who may be interested in joining our
Scouting program, please send us an email
to arrange for an online visit.
At the present time we do not have an ac-
tive Beaver Colony, ages 5 to 7 (kinder-
garten/2/3). If you have a child who may be
interested when we are able to set up online
meetings, please call our group Commis-
sioner Karen Johnstone at 717-5696, to
put your child’s name on the list.
Cub Pack: ages 8 to 10 (grades 3/4/5);
please email Pack Akela at nefarious-
phd@gmail.com
Scout Troop: ages 11 to 14 (grades
6/7/8); email Troop Scouter Robert at
mantzeiser@gmail.com
Venturers: ages 15 to 18 (grades
9/10/11); please contact the Troop Scouter
Robert at mantzeiser@gmail.com.
9
Guiding
We are all very aware that
the pandemic situation in
Quebec is not yet under con-
trol. Given this, the Guiding
units of MoWest, as with
most activities in our region, continue to
be virtual. The girls who attend the meet-
ings are having great fun. Some of them
do not want the meetings to end and
linger after our official closing for a chat
with some of the other girls and the lead-
ers. The Guiders know they are providing
the young ladies with a much-needed
Photo: Elizabeth Barnes
creative outlet, and so don’t rush them
off the Zoom calls.
Guides
The Guides learned some important
emergency preparedness skills to help them
if they should find themselves at home dur-
ing an emergency. Knowing exactly where
the family keeps their emergency supplies Guides winter party
was one helpful activity. Even how to place
an unconscious person in the recovery po- pals in BC. They learned a bit of Canadian how to be prepared for the colder weather
sition while they await the arrival of the geography and climate of BC. Did you we tend to experience here in Montreal.
EMS. These girls are ready for just about know there is a desert in BC? They made The last regular meeting of the calendar
anything! hat crafts for their new pen pals. The hope year, the younger girls and their leaders held
Leading up to the holidays, the girls par- is to be able to meet with their pen pals vir- a talent show. They had great fun playing
ticipated in a service project. They made tually at some point in 2021. the piano, harmonica and trumpet. While
holiday cards and painted rocks with uplift- At the end of November and early De- others displayed their amazing drawing and
ing designs. All these thoughtful creations cember, the girls learned of different holi- dancing skills. Some girls even regaled the
were donated to the residents of the Vigi days celebrated during the darker days of group with their jokes. Of course, no meet-
Mont-Royal seniors’ home. Their thought- the calendar year. They learned of Diwali, ing would be complete without the partici-
fulness was well received. Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanza. They pation of family pets.
To wrap up 2020, the guides planned a found it interesting how there were similar- The Sparks and Brownies started off the
special holiday bridging meeting with the ities among the holidays. Like the older new year with another service project. They
Sparks and Brownies. The girls played girls, the younger ones also made holiday made Valentine’s Day cards for Veterans.
games together, they shared what their cards. These cards were distributed to the Given how things can take a bit longer to
favourite traditional family treats were and residents of St. Andrew’s Residential Cen- complete these days, the Guiders decided a
created a cookbook. It was a wonderful way tre. bit more time was needed this year for the
to end a very different year. Like their older Guiding sisters, they cards to be mailed overseas to members of
learned some first aid, although on a more the Canadian Armed Forces.
Sparks and Brownies basic level. The leaders were all impressed
The Sparks and Brownies have been with how well they all knew their home ad- Registration
busy young ladies as well. They started on dress. They practised scenarios where they Registration is always open for girls and
a project to connect with some Brownie pen would need to call 9-1-1. They also learned leaders. If you think your daughter would
be interested in joining in on our fun, reach
These Valentine's cards were made by members of Montreal West Guiding at all levels. In addition to the Sparks out to one of the Guiders and we can help
and Brownies, Amilia from the 110th Guides was asked by Brown Owl to sign some blank cards which had been you get set up. Girls are able to attend two
made. Catherine and Stephanie Barnes also offered a helping hand with the project. meetings free of charge to see if it is some-
thing they would like to commit to.
Mint cookies
We still have mint cookies available at
$5/box. Feel free to contact Brown Owl
(Janet King 481-6523) or Pearl (Christine
Downey 483-3303) They would be more
than happy to help you fill your cookie
cravings and to support a fantastic program
where girls are empowered to become the
leaders of tomorrow.
from Guiders
of Montreal West
10
Budget Commentary
On December 16 Council adopted its op-
BUDGET 2021
erating budget for 2021. As in prior years, Revenus /Revenues
our objectives were to keep the tax increase
for the average-valued home to less than the 2021 2020 Total
rate of inflation while maintaining the level $ $ %
of service and continuing the renewal of our Taxes
infrastructure. There were new challenges Résidentiel / Residential 12,332,887 12,213,609 75.06
this year however due to COVID-19 and its Lots vacants / Vacant Lots 39,742 39,342 0.24
effect on our services and anticipated rev- Non résidentiel / Non-residential 1,335,501 1,322,930 8.13
enues and expenses. Taxe d’eau / Water Tax 447,000 447,000 2.72
Revenues: Tax Revenues will increase CMM / MMC 115,352 108,730 0.70
by $191k or 1.2%. Other Revenues are down Droits de mutation / Duties on Transfer 600,000 550,000 3.65
however. Notably, revenues from Recreation Reçus au lieu de taxes /
and Tickets (mostly SPVM) are budgeted to Payment in lieu of Taxes 236,554 234,148 1.44
decrease by over 35% or $283k. To offset 15,107,036 14,915,759 91.95
this loss, $260k will be transferred from our Autres/ Other
surplus account, a surplus which increased Récréation et culture
in 2020, thanks in part to a $503k grant from Recreation and Culture 426,898 664,500 2.60
the Minister of Municipal Affairs to assist Contraventions / Tickets 80,000 125,000 0.49
municipalities with increased expenses and Stationnement et permis
revenue losses due to COVID-19. Total Rev- Parking and Permits 122,500 117,000 0.75
enues are expected to increase $172k. Intérêts / Interest 134,250 134,250 0.82
Expenses: Operating expenses in most Intérêts à recevoir sur subvention
departments remain almost unchanged, de- Interest Receivable on Grants 240,428 242,343 1.46
spite increases in salaries and benefits as per Autres / Other 58,600 58,800 0.36
collective agreements and government con- Transfert de l’excédent de fonctionnement
tributions. One exception is Public Works, Transfer from Surplus 260,000 0 1.58
where the budget increased by $213k due 1,322,676 1,341,893 8.05
to: new waste management and other con- REVENUS TOTAUX
tracts; additional personnel to respond to TOTAL REVENUES $16,429,712 $16,257,652 100%
new requirements for sanitation and sched-
uling; increased budgets for road work and Dépenses / Expenses
related engineering costs; and an increase in
expenses of $71k for the Adult Library as a 2021 2020 Total
result of its upcoming move, renovations $ $ %
and rent. The other exception is the Recre- Par service / By Department
ation Department where the budget de- Conseil / Council 187,137 187,756 1.14
creased by $63k due to lower remuneration Administration 1,528,229 1,530,006 9.30
and building costs. To keep overall expenses Sécurité publique / Public Security 517,441 513,609 3.15
down, there will be no Capital Expenditures Travaux publics / Public Works 3,221,233 3,008,229 19.61
out of the operating budget this year, a sav- Hygiène du milieu / Environmental Health 903,711 890,101 5.50
ings of $40k. Inspection et permis / Building Inspection 146,542 145,126 0.89
Debt: Debt servicing charges will de- Récréation, culture et parcs
crease by $80k due to a drop in interest rates Recreation, Culture and Parks 2,577,607 2,641,135 15.69
and Council’s decision to accelerate repay- Dépenses en capital à même les revenus
ment of our Working Fund. The Working Capital Expenditures out of Revenues 0 40,000 0.00
Fund was built up on past surpluses, and is Service de la dette / Debt Charges 1,463,812 1,543,990 8.91
used for capital investments on a Pay-As- 10,545,712 10,499,952 64.19%
You-Go basis instead of accruing debt. Quote part Agglomération
Summary: Total Local Expenses in- Agglomeration Remittance 5,884,000 5,757,700 35.81
creased $46k or 0.4%; Agglomeration Ex-
penses increased $126k or 2.2%, bringing DÉPENSES TOTALES
the Total Budget Expenses to $16.4M for an TOTAL EXPENSES $16,429,712 $16,257,652 100%
overall increase of 1.1%.
This translates into a 0.99% increase in
the tax bill of the average-valued home adopted a three-year capital expenditure will be reviewed and reconsidered in light
($727,991) for 2021. program which includes anticipated spend- of government grants and available funds.
Over the past five years, property tax in- ing of approximately $3.6M in 2021. Sup- To see how the 2021 budget lines up
creases for the average home have been 0.99% ported by government grants, plans include with the Town’s Strategic Financial Plan,
(2021), 1.95% (2020), 1.88% (2019), 1.66% road and water infrastructure work on Fen- please see my article in the Council Com-
(2018), -0.43% (2017), for an annual average wick, improvements to Town buildings, muniqué section of this Informer.
of 1.21%. Council remains committed to resurfacing on Avon and improvements to
monitoring expenses to optimize tax dollars Davies Park. These last two projects were Colleen Feeney
and keep tax increases as low as possible. planned for 2020, but postponed due to the Councillor for Finance, Administration,
Capital Investments: Council also pandemic. Capital programs for future years Human Resources and Urban Planning11
Analyse du budget Comparaison du compte de taxe
Le 16 décembre, le conseil adoptait son Taxation comparison
budget de fonctionnement pour 2021.
Comme pour les années précédentes, nos Résidentiel / Residential
objectifs sont de nous assurer que l’augmen- Résidence valeur moyenne / Average Value Residence
tation des taxes d’une maison de valeur Rôle 2020-2022 Roll: $727,991
moyenne reste en dessous du taux d’infla-
tion, tout en maintenant la qualité de nos 2021 2020
services et en continuant le renouvellement $ $
de nos infrastructures. Cependant, la Ville a Valeur imposable / Taxable Value 727,991 728,419
fait face à de nouveaux défis cette année due
à la COVID-19 et à ses effets sur nos servi- Taxes locales + Agglo / Local Taxes + Agglo 8,118.56 8,041.75
ces et nos revenus et dépenses anticipés. CMM / MMC 72.80 69.20
Revenus : Les revenus de taxes aug- $8,191.35 $8,110.95
menteront de 191 000 $, ou 1,2 %. Cepen-
dant, les autres revenus sont en baisse. Augmentation relative à 2020 / Increase over 2020: $80.41
Notamment les revenus des loisirs et des con- % augmentation / % increase: 0.99%
traventions (principalement la SPVM) sont
budgétés avec une réduction de plus de 35 %,
ou 283 000 $. Pour compenser cette perte,
260 000 $ seront transférés de notre surplus, Taux de taxes/100 $ d’évaluation
un surplus qui a augmenté en 2020, entre
autres grâce à la subvention de 503 000 $ du
Tax Rates/$100 valuation
ministère des Affaires municipales pour 2021 2020
soutenir les municipalités aux dépenses ac- Local Agglo Local Agglo
crues et qui ont subi une perte de revenus due Taxe foncière générale
à la COVID-19. Les revenus totaux devraient General Property Tax 0.6475 0.4677 0.6466 0.4574
augmenter de 172 000 $. Immeuble 6 logements +
Dépenses : Les dépenses de fonction- 6 Units or more 0.7323 0.529 0.7312 0.5174
nement restent pratiquement inchangées pour Immeubles non résidentiels
la majorité des départements, malgré l’aug- Non-residential Buildings 1.6795 1.3687 1.6801 1.3429
mentation des salaires et des avantages selon Lots vacants / Vacant Lots 1.2950 0.9355 1.2931 0.9149
la convention collective et les contributions CMM / MMC 0.0100 0.0095
du gouvernement. Les Travaux publics sont
une exception, puisque leur budget a aug-
menté de 213 000 $ dû à : la nouvelle gestion
des déchets et autres contrats; au personnel
Programme triennal d'immobilisations
additionnel engagé pour répondre aux nou- Three-year Capital Program
velles exigences concernant l’hygiène et la
planification; à l’augmentation des budgets Catégorie / Category 2021 2022 2023
pour les travaux de voirie et les frais d’ingé- $ $ $
nierie qui y sont liés et à une augmentation Infrastructures / Infrastructure 3,200,000 2,000,000 1,800,000
des dépenses de 71 000 $ pour la Biblio- Bâtiments / Buildings 381,000 245,000 100,000
thèque publique du fait de son déménagement, Véhicules / Vehicles 0 45,000 50,000
ses rénovations et son loyer. L’autre exception Équipements / Equipment 0 25,000 25,000
est le service des Loisirs qui a vu son budget $3,581,000 $2,315,000 $1,975,000
diminuer de 63 000 $ dû à une baisse des ré-
munérations et frais d’entretien des bâtiments.
Cette année, pour diminuer les dépenses to- Cela se traduit par une augmentation des Fenwick, la mise à niveau des bâtiments
tales, il n’y aura pas de dépenses en capital taxes de 0.99% pour une maison de valeur municipaux et du parc Davies et le resur-
à même les revenus de fonctionnement, cela moyenne (727 991 $) en 2021. Au cours des façage d’Avon. Ces deux derniers projets
permet une économie de 40 000 $. cinq dernières années, l’augmentation de la étaient prévus pour 2020, mais ont dû être
Dette : Le coût du service de la dette taxe foncière a été de 0,99 % (2021), 1,95 repoussés dû à la pandémie. Les pro-
diminuera de 80 000 $ dû à une baisse des % (2020), 1,88 % (2019), 1,66 % (2018), - grammes d’immobilisation pour les
taux d’intérêt ainsi que la décision du Con- 0,43 % (2017), pour une moyenne annuelle prochaines années seront révisés et recon-
seil d’accélérer le remboursement de notre de 1,21 %. Le Conseil s’engage à surveiller sidérés à la lumière des subventions du gou-
fonds de roulement. Le fonds de roulement les dépenses pour optimiser les impôts et vernement et des fonds disponibles.
est constitué de surplus passés, et est utilisé garder l’augmentation des taxes aussi basse Pour voir comment le budget 2021
pour des investissements de capitaux sur une que possible. s’aligne avec le plan stratégique financier
base prépayée au lieu d’accumuler la dette. Investissements en capitaux : Le Con- de la Ville, veuillez lire mon article dans la
Bilan : Les dépenses locales totales ont seil a également adopté un programme d’in- section Communiqués du Conseil.
augmenté de 46 000 $, ou 0,4 %. Les dé- vestissement en capital sur trois ans qui
penses de l’agglomération ont augmenté de inclut des dépenses anticipées d’environ 3,6
126 000 $, ou 2,2 %, amenant les dépenses millions de dollars en 2021. Soutenus par Colleen Feeney
du budget à un total de 16,4 millions de dol- les subventions du gouvernement, les plans Conseillère Finances, administration,
lars pour une augmentation globale de 1,1 %. incluent des travaux d’infrastructure sur ressources humaines et urbanisme12
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COUNCIL
communiqué
STRATEGIC FINANCIAL PLAN AND THE 2021 BUDGET
The 2021 budget is the fourth budget approved under the
Town's 2018-2022 Strategic Financial Plan (SFP). The SFP
has been an invaluable resource to help the Town in its short
and long-term planning. The following checklist provides a
report card on how the budget measured up against the SFP
objectives.
1) Limit property tax increases payment of our Working Fund to de- ✓Communications have been en-
✓The 0.99% tax increase for residen- crease debt servicing costs hanced
tial properties is less than the pro- ✓Capital expenditures, such as im- ✓The MW Public Library budget was
jected CPI of 1% provements to the Town Hall, Public increased to upgrade their new fa-
✓To balance the budget, we used Works building and Fire Station will cilities to better serve residents
funds from our accumulated surplus be funded through the accumulated
surplus and Working Fund to avoid 6) Improve preparedness for external
to offset the loss of revenue from agglomeration costs
recreation due to COVID-19 in- incurring additional debt
stead of making up this loss by in- ✓Proceeds from the sale of the li- ✓As President of the Association of
creasing property taxes brary lot will be used to help fund Suburban Municipalities (ASM), the
major projects, thereby reducing the Mayor continues to seek changes to
2) Continue investing in infrastructure amount of debt to be incurred the Agglo funding formula which
renewal would make it more equitable for
4) Increase the overall tax base the ASM municipalities
✓Infrastructure work is planned for
Fenwick and Avon with the assis- ✓The future development of the li-
brary lot into condos and commer- ✓A portion of our 2020 surplus will
tance of government grants be allocated to cover the anticipated
cial space will significantly increase
✓The Town has also applied for a our tax base increases in our Agglo remittance in
grant for a multi-generational recre- upcoming years due to COVID-19
✓Triplexes have been approved in
ational centre and for the replace- The Town continues to work on other
several zones, potentially increasing
ment of sidewalks on Westminster long-term strategies, but the 2021
the value of many units that were
✓The budget for road repairs and re- previously duplexes budget has hit the mark on several key
lated engineering costs has been in- objectives of the SFP. The full SFP can
✓Funds are being allocated for a re-
creased be found on the MW website under Fi-
view of Town properties to identify
✓Work continues on our program to areas for potential future develop- nance and Administration.
review the state of our buildings ment
3) Manage the debt level 5) Provide high-quality, cost-effective
✓Debt servicing is 13.9% of our local services Colleen Feeney, Councillor
budget, well below the maximum ✓Services have been adjusted to meet Finance, Administration,
18% outlined in the SFP the needs of residents during the Human Resources and Urban Planning
✓Council approved an accelerated re- pandemic cfeeney@montreal-west.ca
MW Town Council newsletter • (514) 481-8125 • info@montreal-west.ca • Issue 63, January 2021You can also read
