Oct/Nov - Ville de Montréal Ouest

Montreal West Viewspaper
October-November, 2012, Vol. 40, No. 8
Dylan Kotansky: Atelier Westminster
by Maurice Krystal
photo: Maurice Krystal
A new art studio/school has opened
on 67 Westminster N. next door to
Atelier Quartz. The studio is on the
second floor. At one end there is a picture window that looks down on busy
Westminster. At the moment, half the
space is leased to Dylan Kotansky.
Plans are in the works to rent out the rest
to other artists to work and display their
work. André Choquette, who owns the
building as well as the one next door
housing the Quartz gallery, has become
something of an arts patron of our town.
Dylan grew up with art in his blood.
His father, Mitchell, is a well-known
sculptor with a school of his own in the
Montreal area. Dylan briefly attended
Dawson to study art but, after a short
stay, went to Italy to learn to paint in
more intensive classes than offered at
Dawson.
In Italy, he learned to let nature be his
guide and that improvement comes from
hard work, not only from relying on
others. After his six months in Italy, he
continued to travel in most of Western
and a little of Eastern Europe. Within the
year, he returned to Montreal to his
familiar haunts but, within the year, was
restless to be on the road again.
INDEX
Bob Barnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Community Centre . . . . . . . . .15
CRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Lettre du maire . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Letter from the mayor . . . . . . . .16
Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9, 11
News from the pews . . . . . . . . .13
Réunion du Conseil . . . . . . . . .19
Rotary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-8, 12
Scouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Town Council Report . . . . . . . .18
In 2010 Dylan went to the Middle
East and East Asia. He wandered about
and observed the culture; his only
responsibility was maintaining his own
safety. He found the Third World
changed him; it was another planet,
very different from the one he was used
to growing up in NDG and CSL. His
travels have made his art more open to
different cultures and his perception
of his world. At the same time he has
seen the gritty side of life. He witnessed
those who fell through the cracks; so his
work has taken a more realistic, critical
and, at times, cynical aspect.
The style and technique in his paintings show a refined and careful brushstroke. Dylan has an eye for detail and
the play of light and shadow on his subjects. His faces stare at you in almost the
same manner as an onlooker stares at the
painting. While many paintings show traditional classical objects: old books,
fruit, candles and clocks, others have a
more whimsical side. A number of these
continued on page 9
2
Informerly yours
Montreal West
Operatic
Society
Do you like to sing in
the shower, or whistle
while you work? Yes?
Then, you’re just the
person we’re looking for.
JOIN US – take part in our Pirates of
Penzance show. Having a good ear and a
nice voice are all you really need to be in
the chorus. Other roles available, too.
Call: 990-8813 or email casting@
mwos.org for an appointment or more
information. Please visit mwos.org or
come to a rehearsal to see what we are all
about. All singers (experienced and otherwise) are welcome.
The MW Operatic Society is a charitable, non-profit community theatre
group. We raise funds for the Montreal
Children’s Hospital.
Fêtes à la main
Condolences
Fêtes à la main celebrates its fourth
edition on November 24 and 25, 10 am 4 pm, at the home of potter Sheila
Caplan (188 Sheraton Drive).
In addition to her functional and decorative stoneware pottery, there will be
organic and fair trade bath and body care
products by Anastasia Polito, jewellery
by Lesley Levy and greeting cards by
Sharon Smith. Jennifer Lonergan of
Artistri will have silk shawls, scarves,
ornaments and accessories made by
women from around the world.
Lots of great hand crafted items for
gift-giving or treating yourself to something special!
In August, MoWest lost a long-time
member of our community: Martha
Bishop who died following a long illness.
Martha and John have lived for many
years on Ballantyne North. Martha was a
quiet “doer” in the community.
She spent a lifetime dedicated to
volunteering including the Red Cross,
the Montreal Volunteer Bureau, Girl
Guides of Canada and the Douglas
Hospital. Martha was a champion for
patient’s rights and was a recipient
of the Quebec and Montreal Rights and
Liberties Award.
Our thoughts are with John and the
family.
Artists’ Showcase
The fall edition of the MoWest
Artists’ Showcase, based on the theme
“Contained,” is currently brightening up
the walls of the Town Hall, so don’t
forget to check it out the next time you
visit the building.
Meanwhile, all artists who live in the
town are invited to prepare for the showcase’s winter edition, which will have the
intriguing theme “Moody Blues, White
Nights”. Artwork may include paintings,
drawings, collage, sculpture, quilting,
pottery, etc.
Works on paper should be framed and
ready to hang and three-dimensional
objects must be able to fit in the display
case in the front hall. The deadline for
entries will be in mid-January.
To find out more, or to get an application form, go to the MoWest website
under “culture”, or pick one up at the
Town Hall office. You may also contact
Elizabeth Ulin at [email protected], 486-1081 for details.
Wedding bells
Andrew Dolan, son of Becky and Charles Dolan, long-time residents of
Strathearn North and Emma Hamilton, daughter of Francie and Peter Hamilton,
formerly of Ballantyne South, were married at the Town Hall in September by our
mayor, Beny Masella. The newlyweds are currently living in Toronto working as
an industrial designer (Andrew) and civil engineer (Emma).
The Informer Is published nine times a year (usually) on the second-to-last weekend the
month except June, July and December. Out-of-town subscriptions: $15 per year.
Typesetting by Informer staff, printing by King Press. Extra copies available at Town Hall
and both libraries. Funded, in part, by the Town of Montreal West.
10 Westminster North
www.montreal-west.ca/en/the-informer/
Montreal West, Quebec
H4X 1Y9
The Informer’s role is to provide MWesters
with information about their Town and its
citizens in order to foster the small-town,
close-knit atmosphere that makes Montreal
West a special place in which to live.
ISSN: 084741X
EXECUTIVE BOARD
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE
November 7
3
A town comes together for Terry
The old adage of “It takes a
village…” rings very true, but
in this case, it took a town: the
Town of Montreal West.
It was 32 summers ago that
a young man from British
Columbia captivated a nation
with his determination to find
a cure for cancer.
On September 16, in
Strathearn Park, more than 30
participants came out and
raised in excess of $5,700 in
support of the MoWest Terry
Fox Run to continue Terry’s
dream to find a cure for
cancer. Since Terry’s Marathon of Hope in 1980, the
Terry Fox Foundation has
raised over $600 million for
cancer research.
Lauren Small-Penne father, a resident on Ballantyne North, who has participated in 15 consecutive Terry
Fox Runs, decided to organize the MoWest event this
year with her four-year-old
daughter Avah, to commemorate Lauren’s mother’s passing to cancer 20 years ago.
Her father Sam also passed
away from cancer in 2009.
Councillor Elizabeth Ulin
who provided opening
remarks to kick-off the Run,
was the “champion” of the
event which was approved by
Town Council.
Of course the Run could
not have been a success
without the core of volunteers, neighbours, friends,
family, council representatives and Town merchants who gave selflessly
of their time. A big thank
you goes out to Patrick
Baral, Naomi Berkovic ,
Paula Cordeau, Demetrios
Georgiou, Mark Goldenberg and family, Alex
Jagric, Tamara Kreissl,
Heidi Majdell, Corey
Matticks, Jeff Mogilv, Avah
and Jeff Pennefather,
Marian Scully, Beth SmallStepman and Jerry and
Leah Stepman.
A special thank you goes
out to the MW Fire Department, MW Public Security,
Zoe Stern, Tamara Kreissl, Patrick Baral and Corey Mattick
Trattoria Micco, Melissa
Ross of Pharmaprix and the
Town merchants who happily
displayed posters for the
event. And who could forget
our first runner to sign up,
Carl Andersen and our hero
of the day Ross, the resident
on Strathearn, who generously let us use his driveway
to secure electricity for our
DJ Alex to spin his tunes!
The Run continues to be a
grassroots, non-competitive
event and espouses a community feel which is why the
MoWest serves as an ideal
venue. Participants are not
required to register in advance,
nor is there an entry fee. The
MW Terry Fox Run will take
place again next year in
Strathearn Park on September
15, so mark your calendars!
REMEMBRANCE DAY 2012
Take time to remember
A tradition in MoWest during Veterans’ Week, that runs from
November 5-11, is our Cenotaph Memorial Service that will be
held on Sunday, November 11 at 12:30 pm in Memorial Park,
Westminster Ave South.
Canada’s Veterans have a proud heritage, history and tradition. Our
Veterans were ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things. They
were there when we needed them the most. On November 11th we take the
time to honor and remember all those who served Canada in times of war,
military conflict and peace. We remember those who served and died protecting Canadian values and honor those who continue to serve our country
in Afghanistan and other areas of conflict.
Taking part in Remembrance events strengthens who we are as
Canadians. The parade will start at the United Church at Curzon and
Westminster at 12:15 pm and the service will begin at 12:30. We hope to see
you and your family there.
from Joan Foster
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4
Remembering my friend
Bob Barnes 1942-2012
These days, when everything changes
so rapidly, I think it quite unique to have
had the privilege of a relationship which
endured for over 50 years. Such was my
friendship with Bob Barnes.
We first met in a NDG Boy Scout troop.
I recall a sly expedition to the Montreal
Star Building one Saturday morning to buy
two months’ worth of back issues so we
could complete our Newspaper Badge in
one afternoon. I also remember our horrifying 3-day hike to Camp Tamaracouta to
fulfill the requirements for our Pathfinder
Badge. Sometime around midnight, after
smugly settling into our sleeping bags, a
car loaded with local joy-riders cut the
ropes of our isolated tent. We grimly struggled to raise it up again – in the rain – then
stayed awake all night, frantic that the
“enemy” might return.
My wife Sue and I reconnected with
Bob and Norma, newlyweds and newcomers to Toronto, in 1968. All of us,
being homesick for friends and family
back in Montreal, endured many Friday
evenings stuck in 401 traffic (pussy cat
included). After a year of this friendshipstraining commute, we all decided to
return to our roots and became neighbours once again – first in NDG, and
finally in MoWest.
One year, Bob and I took a Chinese
cooking class. We would carefully
observe our instructor and then return
home to reproduce these meals for our
wives. Thereafter we made frequent trips
to Chinatown to get the ultimate ingredients and utensils for future feasts. Our
wives were nothing but supportive!!!
As our meals required libation, we
followed these cooking classes with new
Michael Brooker
BMI Kontrols
•
•
•
•
adventures in wine making
and a continuing search for
the perfect mix and the
most effective bottling
strategies. Wives supported
this also!
Bob’s different employment experiences provided
him with countless stories
of the challenges and
opportunities which he was
delighted to share with
others. I loved his stories.
Bob graduated from Sir
George and became a
leader in their Alumni
Association. He was passionate about protecting the
memory of SGW within
Concordia University. He
ultimately became a proud
and respected member of
their Board of Governors.
As a retired faculty member
from Concordia, I particularly enjoyed
his anecdotes about my former place of
employment.
Bob was a talented handyman –
boldly taking on significant domestic
projects (kitchen, bathroom). He developed an extensive and expensive passion
for model trains, transforming a significant portion of his basement to accommodate them – much to the delight of all
his grandchildren. Generous with construction advice and help, last year, even
when his health was failing, he insisted
on helping me rebuild my patio.
He was extraordinarily community
minded (having an abiding interest in
local politics) and he participated
actively in Montreal West, for many
years organizing the Canada Day BBQ,
and participating in the Christmas Eve
“slice and dice” and “turkey bake” at the
United Church.
We shared many family holidays in
Maine and, for the last 35 years, have
spent every New Year’s Eve together,
reminiscing and celebrating the many
milestones in our lives.
Bob died on June 2, the tragic result
of a fall, while power washing the roof
of his RV (“caboose”) in Port Kent, N.Y.
I will miss him, his opinions, his personality, his generosity and his friendship.
from Ron Smith
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5
Rotary Club
Dorothy Yeats was
our guest speaker on
Thursday, October 18.
Dori has come of age
this past year. She started
by winning the Junior
(U21) National Wrestling championship
and unexpectedly won the Senior
National championships, too, this past
March. She continued her success by
winning several international tournaments in the late spring and early
summer. In September, she became
Junior World Champion winning in
Pattaya Thailand and finished the month
off by placing second, Silver Medalist at
the Senior World Championships in
Edmonton. Dorothy, who turned 19 this
past summer, is one of three finalists for
Canada’s Top Junior Athlete for 2012.
She came to our club to show us her
medals and winning matches at the
Junior and Senior World Championships
and answered several questions. Dori is
in her final year of pure and applied science at Vanier College.
Check out Dorothy’s win at
wrestling.ca/i/articles/2012_Yeats_silver.JPG.
World Champion is local: Dorothy Yeats
depot work and keep the funding at
acceptable levels to maintain their service commitments. Our community
understands the Depot’s needs and purpose. Many people help out. The priority
is helping under-nourished children and
teenagers, trying to keep nourishment up
and keeping them in school. 39% of the
Depot’s clients are children under 14.
The annual food drive takes place in
November. Through the mid-part of the
month 17,000 bags are sent out to many
homes in the neighborhoods they serve.
We ask that you fill up the bag with
canned and other non-perishable goods.
On December 1, many volunteers,
along with Loyola students and alumni,
will canvass the area picking as many of
these filled bags as possible. Centraide,
provincial and federal governments fund
the depot. Approximate 40% of funds are
raised privately. Linton accepted a cheque
from Rotary to help off set the cost of the
paper bags used in the food drive.
Community Service Award
NDG Food Depot
Our Guest speaker on October 4 was
Linton Garner who works with the
NDG Food Depot.
Linton’s main purpose in life has been
to help the underprivileged. Last year,
the NDG Food Depot served over 38,000
meals to over 10,000 families living in
NDG, Snowdon, Mo-West, Côte SaintLuc, Westmount, LaSalle and Lachine.
Moisson Montréal contributes the vast
majority of the food.
The Depot relies heavily on private
donations and to volunteers to make this
Over the past 18 months our club has
honoured three community members
(Janet King, Ann MacKay and Joan
Foster) with the Paul Harris Fellowship
for exemplary community service. Paul
Harris was the founder of Rotary and the
fellowship is named in his honour. To
continue this community service award
we invite you to submit names of other
community members along with a brief
resume of their exemplary community
service. Please submit any names and
resumes for consideration to me by e-mail
at [email protected].
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agence immobilière
Call the father-daughter team
that will make the difference
ERICH ZOLTAN KOS
SIMONA KOS, B.A.
(514) 483-6240
[email protected]
Mark Friday, November 2 in your calendar. This is the date of our annual
Oyster party to be held at the Town Hall
starting at 6 pm. Tickets are $50 and we
will have an all you can eat oyster bar
along with an abundance of cold cuts,
salads, pastries and the like. There will
be a cash bar open as well. We have been
running this event for as long as I can
remember and if you’re an oyster lover
this event must not be missed. Another
part of the fund raiser is our auction and
silent auction. Very often there are many
sets of Habs’ tickets (as long as there is a
hockey season) for auction along with
many other choice items. To reserve and
purchase tickets please e-mail me at
[email protected] or contact me,
Doug Yeats by phone at 486-5373.
The Montreal Westward Rotary Club
is welcoming one-time and regular visitors and is always looking to embrace
new members. If you want to give back
to your community, city, country, world
etc., Rotary is an excellent way, a worldwide organization that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical
standards and helps build goodwill and
peace. There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians and that number is still
growing. Our Club meets at noon every
Thursday at the Town Hall for lunch. We
have very interesting guest speakers.
Come check us out some time. For further information please contact Doug
Yeats at [email protected] or by
phone 486-373.
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French, English, German, Hungarian and Romanian
www.mariemaison.ca
[email protected]
René Boucher
514.484.9098
RB
Traduction
Montréal-Ouest
Révision de texte
Québec
Translation
(514) 482-3486
Text revision
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6
l’École des Amis-du-Monde
L’éducation physique,
coup de cœur des enfants
Les élèves journalistes s’amusent avec madame Valentina et monsieur Michel
Des élèves-journalistes ont rencontré
les spécialistes d’éducation physique.
Madame Valentina Vancea et monsieur
Michel Labrie adorent leur travail. Ils
enseignent aux élèves à améliorer leur
santé et leur condition physique.
L’éducation physique aide aussi à
développer la concentration et la persévérance.
Monsieur Michel a travaillé pendant
26 ans à l’école de la Mosaïque et il est
très heureux de faire partie de l’école des
Amis-du-Monde. Il dit qu’il aime beaucoup observer les élèves, car il apprend
toujours quelque chose de nouveau avec
eux. Madame Valentina a enseigné l’éducation physique en Roumanie. Elle
enseignait surtout la gymnastique dans
les écoles. Elle a expliqué qu’il n’y a pas
de compétition dans les cours d’éducation physique, qu’il faut apprendre à se
dépasser soi-même, sans chercher à
dépasser les autres. L’entraînement de
course à pied que nous suivons aide
chacun à s’améliorer.
Monsieur Michel nous a aussi parlé
d’un de ses groupes qui s’était entraîné
sérieusement durant toute une année. Les
enfants couraient régulièrement avec leur
enseignante pour s’améliorer encore
plus. Au mois de mai, tous les élèves de
cette classe pouvaient courir durant
douze minutes, donc tout le groupe a
réussi le test avec un beau ‘A’! Madame
Valentina nous a raconté qu’une élève a
convaincu sa maman d’aller courir au
parc avec elle. La mère et la fille sont
maintenant en excellente forme!
Le jour de notre visite, madame
Valentina et monsieur Michel préparaient
le matériel du nouveau gymnase. Ils ont
ouvert des « boîtes du Père Noël » qui
contiennent de nouveaux accessoires,
comme le matériel de cirque.
Madame Valentina a expliqué que les
exercices de cirque sont très efficaces
pour développer la coordination.
Certains d’entre eux stimulent notre
cerveau pour nous préparer à l’écriture!
Comme elle ne connaissait pas l’art du
cirque en arrivant au Québec, elle s’est
perfectionnée à l’École du cirque de
Verdun pour donner de meilleurs cours
aux élèves et elle a même fabriqué de
ses mains une partie du matériel de
cirque de l’école.
Nous avons questionné nos
enseignants sur leurs capacités sportives.
Madame Valentina peut faire environ
mille sauts à la corde! Monsieur Michel
est un excellent coureur. Il peut faire 100
fois le tour du nouveau gymnase à la
course! C’est vrai que nos enseignants
sont impressionnants, mais en travaillant
chaque jour, les élèves peuvent tous
atteindre eux aussi de beaux objectifs.
Équipe journalistique :
Alizée Rioux (maternelle),
Laurence Rioux (3e année),
Sarah Smolkin (5e année),
Auréliane Fréchette (4e année),
Marie-Claude Taillefer
et Brigitte Rivard (mamans)
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7
Edinburgh School
Ben and Jerry and the split class
214A Promenade Ronald Drive
Theopiste (Theo)
Hondzoglou
bur.: (514) 483-5800
fax: (514) 483-2699
mobile: (514) 898-3821
[email protected]
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5800, avenue Monkland
Montreal, QC, H4A 1G1
Cette année à l’école Edinburgh, nous
avons une « split class/classe partagée »
de 1 re et de 2 e , avec madame
Véronique comme enseignante. Avant de
se joindre à notre équipe, elle a travaillé
principalement dans les classes d’accueil
et dans divers pays comme l’Espagne et
le Mexique. Dès son enfance, elle a toujours su qu’elle voulait devenir
enseignante. Comme sa famille a
accueilli plusieurs étudiants étrangers
d’Italie, du Brésil et d’Allemagne, et
qu’elle a aussi passé une année comme
étudiante étrangère en Allemagne, elle a
décidé de devenir enseignante de français
langue seconde.
Cette année, il y a 9 élèves de 1 re
année dans la classe et 12 élèves de 2e
année. Ils sont divisés en équipe de trois
ou quatre. Le matin, les élèves travaillent
selon leur niveau. Les après-midis sont
consacrés à des ateliers ou des activités
communes. Il y a une bonne entente entre
les élèves des deux niveaux.
Au cours de l’année, chaque équipe
accumule des points. Avec cent points,
on peut choisir un privilège comme « Je
donne la dictée aux élèves. » ou « Je travaille au bureau de mon enseignante. »
La nouvelle la plus excitante dans la
classe est la venue de Ben et Jerry, les
deux hamsters nains le 1er octobre.
and Melika White was 8th among the
girls. We would like to congratulate all
the participants who practised hard and
who showed together a great result!
Terry Fox Run
The same day back at Edinburgh, the
whole school participated in the Terry
Fox Run. This year we have a goal of
$5,000 and have raised almost half to
date: $2,279. We are awaiting final donations and will calculate the total in the
next few weeks. Thank you to all for the
support!
Math-a-Maniacs
In October our Math-a-Maniacs
started their fifth year. This lunch program is open for Grades 3-6 and we currently have 56 students registered.
For three years, Edinburgh has participated in the Mathematica Centrum contest along with 60,000 other Canadian
students in grades 3-9. Last spring, we
had 41 students writing the test and many
scored well above the Canadian average.
Special honours to Taisei Fu, who not
only won the grade 4 medal, but was also
the Quebec Provincial Champion for the
second year in a row with a near perfect
score of 29/30!
Cross country race
On September 27, in Parc des
Hirondelles our team of 15 girls and 15
boys ran a 2 km cross country race on a
terrain consisting of two steep hills (140
m and 91 m). Out of 15 schools, our
girls’ team came in first.
In personal results, Louis MessierLavallée came in 4th out of 225 boys
141A Westminster
485-1351
8
Elizabeth Ballantyne School
taste of autumn. Our outdoor lunch was
met with a friendly visit from Pépin, the
orchard’s mascot. Before calling it a day,
we stopped by the petting zoo where we
were able to greet the resident goats,
horses, rabbits and chickens.
Don’t miss the open house
Open house at EBS
Cycle 1 room 6 class
Terry Fox Run
Cycle 1 trip
September has always been about
Terry Fox and the students and staff of
EBS take to the streets of MWest in an
ongoing effort to raise awareness.
Incredible distances are run; some students covering more than 14 km, along
with the tireless push by students to raise
funds. This year’s run was a great success. Our morning would not have been
complete without the traditional cycle 3
corn roast.
Thanks to the help of all our volunteers and a very much appreciated cooperation from Mother Nature, we could
not have asked for a better outcome!
On October 3, the Kindergarten and
cycle 1 classes set out to Vergers
Lafrance for a day of apple picking fun.
Upon arrival, a quick visit to the play
area was enough to forget about the cool
and damp weather. Next, a short wagon
ride out to the orchard where countless
Cortland apples waited to be picked. The
low branches made for easy picking,
while some of our more adventurous kids
climbed atop ladders, grabbing apples
and enjoying the view of an endless sea
of trees. Once the apples were picked,
while waiting for the tractor to take us
back, it was time to “dig in” for a crisp
November 7 is open house day at
Elisabeth Ballantyne. This is an opportunity for parents of potential students to
stop and see what life is like at EBS. Our
dynamic staff will be in full action
teaching classes; parents can tour the
school and visit our facilities and meet
with parents of existing students.
We invite you to stop by our daycare
and learn about the After School program.
Additionally, we encourage everyone to
inquire about Quest and see the many different programs it has to offer your children. Parents are invited to stop by the
school on November 7, 9 am - 12 pm, and
6 pm – 8 pm. The school is located at 314
Northview.
from John Korzekwa
***
Colours in Peace
by Aleksi Kemppi, Room 8
Green, Mother Nature begins life every day
Orange is a burst of happiness and joy
White snowflakes which sparkle and fall
Tan is sand that smoothly slides
off my hand
Red fire burns the past,
leaving the future space to grow
Purple flowers smell like the beauty of life
Silver shines in the sun,
reflecting peace and harmony
Colours are sources of memories and love
bringing back joy and tears.
Top Beauté
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Pedicure, Manicure, Artificial Nails, Airbrush
Hair Styling, Perms, Colour, Highlights, Barber
Facial, Make-up, Eyelash Extension, Waxing
55 Westminster North 484-0118
ANITA CONIDARIS
Consultation in
Decorating
and the ideal colour
palette for your home
Design d’intérieur
44 Easton Ave.
Montreal West
485-4639
Donna Nicholson
481-3406
35 years ++
Let my Experience Work for You
Serving the Montreal West area
in the buying and selling of homes.
For an informal rendez-vous,
please call.
481-3406
9
And finally, a big thank you to John
and Stephanie Korzekwa for donating
their home-grown giant pumpkin. Many
children came in to guess its weight; it
was trickier than it looked!
What’s new on the shelves
Hours / Heures
Monday - Thursday / lundi - jeudi :
9 h 00 - 12 h 00; 13 h 30 - 18 h 00
Friday / vendredi :
9 h 00 - 12 h 00; 13 h 30 - 17 h 00
Saturday / samedi : 13 h 00 - 16 h 00
Our annual Used Book Sale will be
held on Thursday, November 29 from 9
am to 7 pm. There’s a great selection of
both English and French titles, with all
proceeds going to the library. Books sell
between 50 cents and $1. Hurry in!
We still have a few spaces available in
Research Superstars program! Call today
to reserve your child’s spot and help
them hone their project skills. We have a
new session starting on November 12,
which runs on Mondays until the
November 26.
Thanks to all who supported us, our
freezie sales during the summer activities
at Davies Park helped us to raise over
$600! Every little bit helps and we thank
all of you who bought a freezie, it added
up to many new books on our shelves!
Do you have any unwanted Lego cluttering up your house? The library is currently seeking donations of Lego blocks for
a new club. Every little bit is appreciated!
Dylan Kotansky
continued from page 1
were on display at the Shaika Café on
Sherbrooke. They showed portraits of
famous people with small extra details,
such as a Harper with devil-like horns.
Classes offered
Each class is for three hours. Four
classes are $175. Eight classes are $300
as are four six-hour classes. Some materials are provided and there is a $25
refund if you convince a friend to join
you. While the age range is nominally 13
and up, Dylan will accept anyone who
can focus and concentrate.
Plans are under way to have open
model nights once or twice a week.
There will also be an open studio where
people can come and work on their
paintings.
He hopes people will come to Atelier
Westminster, feel relaxed and be at the
Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series
comes to an exciting conclusion in The
Last Guardian and the evil pixie Opal
Koboi is wreaking havoc yet again.
Nevermore marks the end of James
Patterson’s Maximum Ride series.
There is one last chance for Max, Fang
and Dylan before it all ends!
Fans of non-fiction will enjoy
Michael O. Tunnel’s Candy Bomber,
which tells the story of an air force pilot
dropping candy into the streets of Berlin
from his plane! If that’s not enough, you
can read all about Space Tourism by
Peter McMahon, which talks all about
the machines of the future.
We have a new series by Gary
Paulsen featuring the books Liar, Liar;
Flat Broke and Crush. These books tell
the story of Kevin, a boy with an
amazing ability to lie.
The Year of the Book, by Andrea
Cheng, tells the story of a fourth grader
who has friend trouble, but finds comfort
in reading classic books.
Does your child have a grimace on
their face come supper time? Josh
Schneider’s award-winning Tales for
Very Picky Eaters might be the book
you’re looking for!
Finally, pirate fans will love Small
Saul, by Ashley Spires, the story of a
small, friendly pirate who tries to fit in
on a big ship!
See you in the library!
studio because they want to be there.
Presently living on Mayfair Ave., he
chose to open Atelier Westminster after
exhibiting some of his artwork at Atelier
Quartz and meeting Irene Marconi and
Andre Choquette. The chance for a
dream to quickly become a reality fell
into his lap and couldn’t just be ignored.
Leave it to us!
Trustworthy, reliable and there to help
people manage their busy lifestyles.
Some of our services offered include:
• Running errands
• Organizing and paying bills
• House sitting
• Pick up and delivery service
• Wait service: waiting at your home for service or
repair personnel
Please feel free to contact us with special requests.
514 448-2602
FOR THE BEST SERVICE IN TOWN
POUR LE MEILLEUR SERVICE EN VILLE
N.D.G. & Montreal West
Real Estate Agency
Agence immobilière
For more information:
757-5776
[email protected]
www.atelierwestminster.com
RICK ISABELLE DAVID
LAVELL PAPINEAU DOUBT
.
.
Real Estate Brokers . Courtiers immobiliers
Stephen Coull B. Comm.
Courtier en Assurances de Dommages
Broker in Damage Insurance
68 Westminster Ave. N.
514-481-1134
www.rccoull.com
office: 514 483-5800
www.rickandisabelle.com
1-800-260-1445
10
MW Scout Group
www.mwsg.ca
November; however, the location is still
to be determined. Stay tuned.
Thank you for your contributions
Beavers
We have a large group of very active
Beavers this year. They have all learned
their “Motto”, “Promise” and “Law” and
were invested as “Eager Beavers” on
October 9, assisted by their parents.
The Beavers have received their new
tail colours and their Lodge patches. In
our new Lodges, we have talked about
the beaver (the animal) and many other
animals that live in the same forests as
the beaver. The children have made
wooden necklaces and painted beaver
plaques as souvenirs of our discussions.
On October 16, we collected non-perishable food in our Edinburgh neighbourhood for the NDG Food Bank. We are
planning a Halloween party for the end
of October. See our new Colony in the
photo – minus a few bodies.
People in the Town and surrounding
areas were very generous with their
donations of food. We always get a letter
of thanks from the NDG Food Bank
expressing their appreciation for your
contributions. This is a small way of
teaching our youth to think of others and
share the wealth.
We only do this once a year but the
Food Bank is there all year long – so
please keep them in mind when you are
shopping for your family.
The MW Scout Group, St Philip’s
Church and Héma Quebec would also
like to thank all of you who donated
Blood on October 25. More than one
person benefits from the contribution of
each pint. Thanks to our volunteers who
make this annual event possible.
Harvest party 2012
On Saturday, September 16, Royal
West Academy hosted the annual harvest
party organized by Action Communiterre
where all collective gardens of the organization got together and celebrated the
successful seasons they’ve had.
Contrary to the community gardens,
collective gardens are public gardens
where members join together to put time
into the crops and share the harvests.
Royal West’s collective garden was built
by the students this past April. They
recycled old wooden desks and turned
them into planters with the help of their
teacher and environment committee
leader, Xavier Désilets.
Several members of the environment
committee attended the harvest party,
helping set up and taking care of the
children. What was surprisingly great to
see was the number of kids who showed
up: at least 20! There were plenty of
activities that Action Communiterre
planned for them. Royal West students
monitored the children while they traced
themselves on canvas, painted on paper
plates, had their faces painted and even
participated in a puppet show.
It was a great turnout with about a hundred people and although the weather was
uncooperative at the beginning, the sun
popped out later. Peter McQueen, District
Councilor from NDG said, “During the
rain, I did see a few people leave, which
was unfortunate because now the sun is
out and everyone is having a good time.”
He firmly believes that “Collective gardens are the way of the future.”
There was musical entertainment, raffles, great prizes (huge basket of fresh
vegetables and chiropractic sessions),
delicious food and dessert and wonderful
people coming together to celebrate such
a wonderful thing.
from Alyssa Pellin
Scouts
The MW Scout Troop has officially
commenced its year of activities and
have already had three meetings. The
Scouts took part in a troop BBQ in
Davies Park on September 27, where we
played Morse-Code-solving relay
games. The Scouts also had an opportunity to put together a list of activities
they would like to take part in this year;
these include axe training, canoeing,
hiking, pioneering and trampoline
jumping, just to name a few.
The Scouts will get to use their
shelter-building skills for an autumn
camp planned for the first weekend of
Honesty
Integrity
Hardworking
Enthusiastic
11
Girl Guides of Canada / Guides du Canada
Girl Guides have been
busy this season: at the
investiture there were 20
girls enrolled at a new
level of Guiding or completely new to
the movement. The Sparks enter under a
rainbow, Brownies twist and turn at the
pond and the Guides made fascinators
and had a red “carpet” to start their celebrations of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
We are looking forward to a busy year.
Places for more girls depends on
having more adults to help; please call
Christine Downey at 483-3303 if you
need more information.
The Provincial Day Camp had a school
bus full (52 campers: girls and mothers
and Guiders) from the Town Hall to Wathik-ane (Morin Heights), leaving at 7:45
and not returning until almost 9 pm. With
some singing, we enjoyed the beautiful
fall colours en route and then
joined 350 other members of
Guiding for a full day.
The Brownie part of the
program included a water filtration project, making pine cone critters, exploring
the camp, doing improv, cooking their
own hot dogs over real fires (170 people
on one campsite!) and enjoying the company of so many other girls with the
same interests.
The low ropes obstacle course was
fun for the Sparks, as well as making
fairy houses out of natural materials and
hiking up and down the hilly site.
Pathfinders put together solid wooden
benches for each site and painted them.
There was a brief campfire before we
found our way in the dark back to the
waiting busses. Most of the little ones
slept on the return trip.
45 Westminster South
481-7441
Hours
Monday - Thursday
10 - 12, 2 - 4, 7 - 9
New books
Fiction
Albom, Mitch
Follett, Ken
Genova, Lisa
Jonasson, Jonas
Rowling, J.K.
Smith, Zadie
The Time Keeper
Winter of the World
Love Anthony
The 100 Year Old Man
The Casual Vacancy
NW
Mysteries
Patterson, James
Lehane, Dennis
Meyer, Deon
Nesbo, Jo
Robb, J.D.
Zoo
Live by Night
Seven Days
The Bat
Delusion in Death
Non-fiction
Davis, William
Ghomeshi, Jian
Owen, Mark
Rushdie, Salman
Simpson, Jeffrey
Wheat Belly
1982
No Easy Day
Joseph Anton
Chronic Condition
DVDs
Breaking Bad Season 1, Modern Family
Season 3, Judge John Deed Season 6,
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
DR. HEATHER FOX B.S ., D.D.S.
C
Dentist
16 Westminster N. #315
Tel: 487-4577
Fax: 487-8376
Simply the Best Burger
Talk of the Town • Thank you
58 Westminster Ave N.
Montreal West
12
Nursery Schools
Jardin d’enfants Curzon
L’automne et l’halloween... appropriately October’s classroom theme at Jardin
d’enfants Curzon, began with the gobblegobbling of “what I am thankful for”
turkeys and concluded with the magic and
fun of our Halloween party! Mini
Curzon’s Piggywigs joined their big Owl
and Pussycat friends for a spooky snack
and then all the ghosts and goblins lined
up for a spectacular costume parade to
share the Halloween spirit with our older
friends at the NDG Senior Citizens’
Council. What a special day!
Captain Catalyst, our friendly science specialist, began this year’s handson science program with a very exciting
chemistry show to celebrate Halloween!
The children had an opportunity to help
create all kinds of reactions and learn
about “safe chemistry” at the same time.
Curzon’s enriched programs are
keeping some Owls and Pussycats busy
on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
The smaller groups lend to focussing
more on French and English language
and pre-K skill development, as well as
giving the children more time to build
social skills within their peer groups.
Having lunch together is a great opportunity to practice French vocabulary too!
As a non-profit cooperative preschool, Curzon relies on fundraising
efforts in order to keep the tuition reasonable. Please put aside the evening of
Thursday, November 29 as Curzon’s
much anticipated annual fundraising auction returns to the Curling Club! The
event begins at 7 pm and tickets are $5 at
the door. Everyone is warmly welcome!
Curzon has a very few places left in
the pre-school and two-year-old programs. If you are interested, please make
arrangements with our registrar, Susy at
993-2242 or [email protected] to visit our
incredible school and see firsthand what
Curzon is all about!
Little Red Playhouse /
Coco’s Place
Does it get much better than
Halloween? Pumpkin picking at Quinn
Farm, endless crafts, songs and activities,
costumes, ooey gooey science experiments... oh boy!
Up next, our annual teddy bear picnic
pajama hibernation day.
Part of our unique curriculum
involves theatre. Each week, the children
take part in a live play or puppet performance, to help them learn valuable
lessons to do with school, home, friends,
family, safety... just about anything!
They “look, listen and feel” to help
them decide what’s right, and interact the
whole way through to assist our superhero “Captain Coco” in catching the
selfish, naughty “Dr. Mine.” It always
ends with Dr. Mine being sent to the LRP
to learn another lesson and then... a dance
party to celebrate! Who knew learning
could be so much fun.
Last year’s holiday magic show at the
Town Hall was great! And guess what?
It’s that time of year again! Stay tuned
for flyers around Town or give us a call
for more info about our wonderful bilingual show with Fredo the magician.
We provide a balanced curriculum that
cultivates a love of learning and encourages empathic social interactions. With
daily options starting at 7:30 am and
ending at 4 pm, we are flexible to fit your
needs. For more info contact us at 4864032 or www.littleredplayhouse.com. For
info about our unique integration program check out www.cocosplace.ca and
get to know that little red school in your
neighbourhood!
Groupe Sutton
Centre-Ouest Inc.
514-575-2419
[email protected]
Mary Wilson
Courtier immobilier résidentiel
Electronics
labrossemichaels.com
13
News from the Pews
St. Philip’s
MW Presbyterian
With the holiday season upon us, our
thoughts turn to serving the less fortunate. As in the past, the fruits and vegetables which decorated the church for the
Harvest Festival went to St. Michael’s
Mission for their lunch program. In addition, we made a special appeal for coats
and toiletries and sent several bags to the
Mission along with the food. We will
continue to collect coats and warm
clothing over the winter.
Our annual shoebox collection for
Operation Christmas Child will take
place on November 18. Two weeks later,
on December 2, we have our annual
White Gift Sunday in support of Mile
End Mission.
Our big outreach project for the
season is of course the annual food drive
for the NDG Food Depot. Once again St.
Philip’s will be the collection and sorting
point for western NDG and MoWest.
Teams of volunteers will be canvassing
the neighborhood and our dedicated
sorters and packers will be busy in the
basement.
Work on the tower roof will be
starting shortly. Phase I will consist of
modifications to the way water drains
from the roof, to prevent it from running
down the sides of the tower. Most of this
work will be invisible from the street. In
the spring or summer, we hope to begin
restoration of the masonry. Plans are
under way for a special fundraiser in the
new year.
Finally, don’t forget St. Philip’s Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 10.
Come check out what’s new.
Where were you when the earthquake
struck? I was at the computer; yes, I’m a
nighthawk!
Speaking of birds: two turkeys have
been donated for a raffle to help raise
money for roof repairs. The draws will
be held on Sunday, December 3. Tickets
are on sale ($5 each or 3 for $10) are
available at the church office 484-7913.
Dr. Michael J. Wexel
Chiropractor / Chiropracticien
Tel: 773-7246
E-mail: [email protected]
18 Westminster N., Suite 110
Montreal West, QC H4X 1Y8
DR. SUSAN MCDONALD
Dentist • Dentiste
73 WESTMINSTER N.
MONTREAL WEST
H4X 1Y8
486-4411
Looking back
Our fall BBQ was a tremendous success. However, our chef par excellence
noticed that a few holes have developed
in the base of the BBQ, so if anyone has
a large BBQ that is looking for a new
home, we would be delighted to receive
it. Please call the church office, 484-7913
any weekday morning.
Administrative assistant
We are pleased to welcome Bernard
(Bernie) Gibbs to the church office, as
administrative assistant. Bernie, a graduate of Concordia University, will help
us with all facets of our administration.
Elders
Members of the church session are
delighted that Kevin Alladin and Vikki
Jacobson were ordained as elders in
September. Both are long-standing,
faithful members of our congregation.
Vikki also sings in the choir and is president of the Women’s Service Club.
Baptisms
Matthew, infant son of Kim Austin
and Javier Andres Mondello, grandson
of Victor and Sandy Austin and great
grandson of Pamela Duff, was baptized
on September 30.
Julian, infant son of Stephanie
Munby and Yamil Vega, grandson of
Marnie Duff and great grandson of
Pamela Duff, was baptized on October 4.
Our congratulations to all.
Looking forward
Our Treasure, Book and Bake Sale
will be held on Saturday, November 17
from 10 am to 2 pm.
Any contributions will be gratefully
accepted and can be left at the church
(160 Ballantyne Ave N. entrance)
weekday mornings, 1-2 weeks before the
event. Please, no clothes, encyclopedias,
text books, or Reader’s Digest condensed
books. Thanks for your help.
A light lunch will be available. We
know that our sale coincides with ART
etc. but we also know that, as in the past,
you will try to find time for both events.
Thank you for supporting our card
party.
Ongoing
Our weekly Sunday service and
Sunday school at 10:30 am. A social
hour follows. All are welcome.
from Janet Dimock
MW United
...the brick one
Bakin’ up a storm!
The chill is in the air, but our kitchens
are cozy and fragrant as we prepare for
the Bazaar, Saturday, November 3, 102ish. Come and bring the family. Yummy
luncheon reasonably priced, home baking
and pickles, men’s table – with all kinds
of goodies, some imported from Muir’s
of Maxville, all kinds of Christmassy
things, treasure trove and the popular
silent auction! You never know what services (massages, piano tuning), tickets
(sports, musical), treats like weekends
away... and all manner of baskets will
pique your interests. See ya there.
Robert Sigmund on tour
Music Director, Robert is busy this
year. He and his harpsichord have been
invited by the National Arts Centre
orchestra and Pinchas Zukerman to
play on a Yukon/NWT concert tour!
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons no less.
Wonderful to see Robert recognized in
this way. Hear him in concert with piano
music in our sanctuary on Sunday,
November 18 at 3 pm.
Labyrinths and things
The Ottawa area has 32 Labyrinth
sites. Here, our Labyrinth will be spread
in Wadsworth Hall for your individual
walking meditative experience Sunday
afternoon, November 25, between 2 and
4 pm. Socks or slippers required. See if
you find a sense of calm, perhaps an
answer or a new perspective on some
issue. All welcome.
Calling all angels and shepherds
Sunday school begins preparing in
November for their pageant on
December 14.
Check out our new web page
www.mwuc.org, call us at 482-3210 or
just come.
from Susan Upham
14
Sécurité
sur les autoroutes
Marie-Christine Nobert, agent
socio-communautaire, SPVM, poste
de quartier 9 vous suggère de
visionner un petit film « le corridor
de sécurité, notre responsabilité à
tous! » expliquant bien la nouvelle
loi qui est entrée en vigueur le 5 août
dernier sur les autoroutes. Allez au :
corridordesecurite.gouv.qc.ca/portal/
page/portal/grand_public/vehicules_pr
omenade/securite_routiere/accueil_cor
ridor_securite
En cas d’infraction, une amende
pouvant atteindre 300 $ et 4 points
d’inaptitude sont prévus.
Safety
on the highways
Marie-Christine Nobert, sociocommunity officer of Police de la
Ville de Montréal, Station 9, suggest
you check out a short film on “Protect
those who protect you”: respect the
Mover over Law that came into effect
on August 5. See it at:
corridordesecrite.gouv.qc.ca/portal/
page/portal/grand_public_en/vehic
ules_promenade/securite_routiere/a
ccueil_corridor_securite
Failure to respect the Move over
Law could cost you as much as
$300 in fines and 4 demerit points.
Another apology
...for misspelling Ray Kahala’s
name in the article entitled Ray
Kahala, a CPR operator. Sorry,
David Watson!
season games. We would like to thank all
of our parent coaches and volunteers and
also our new soccer committee which
has offered to take on various responsibilities for this very popular program.
Norman Rae
Memorial Sportsmanship Award
Program suggestions?
Above is a photo of coach André
Lavoie and his U17 boys soccer team.
André is the first recipient of the Norman
Rae Memorial Sportsmanship Award.
This award was donated by Cynthia
Norman in memory of Norman Rae who
coached his three sons in soccer in
Montreal West. Cynthia was the family’s
babysitter for many years. Congra tulations André. Thank you for your all
of your hard work with our kids.
The CRA would like to congratulate
all of the soccer teams on their end of
As with all of the CRA programs
offered to our members, we are interested in your program suggestions so
please email Chris Rasytinis at the CRA
office with your feedback.
For those who have not yet done so,
please return your soccer uniforms to the
CRA office at the MoWest arena.
Chris Rasytinis, CRA Program
Manager, has office hours at the arena
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 4 - 7 pm.
He is also reachable by email or phone:
[email protected] or 485-8598.
15
Community Centre
Halloween
on Ice
Sunday, October 28
Location: Arena
Time: 1- :20 pm
Bring you skates & come dressed up!
Enjoy DJ Jake, face painting, crafts
and much more!
Remembrance
Day Ceremony
Sunday, November 11
Location: The Cenotaph
Time: 12:30
The ceremony will be followed by a
reception for Veterans and their families
at the Town Hall.
Free skate
Saturdays and Sundays
1-2:20 pm
Passez un joyeux
Halloween en sécurité
Marie-Christine Nobert, agent
socio-communautaire, SPVM, poste
de quartier 9 a quelques suggestions
pour passer un joyeux Halloween
toute en sécurité. Voir le site :
spvm.qc.ca/fr/jeunesse/enfant-prudent-halloween.asp.
Have a happy and
safe Halloween
Marie-Christine Nobert, SocioCommunity officer at Station 9, has
some suggestions on having a happy
and safe Halloween.
Here’s the site to check out:
spvm.qc.ca/en/jeunesse/enfant-prudent-halloween.asp.
Outings and events
for November
MW
50+
Club
NOVA Foot Clinics
1
Bowser & Blue
at Hudson Theatre
2
Movie matinée:
My Week with Marilyn
6
Scarf tea party
14
Diners’ Club:
Le Bourlingueur
19
From Versailles to Dinan –
The Renaissance treasures
of France.
Speaker: Frederic Hore
22
Greek tour of Montreal
with Amarrages sans frontières
27
Bridge,
new players are welcome!
November 14 & 28
by appointment only.
484-6186
16
Letter from the mayor
Awarding of contracts
There has been much discussion inside and outside the Town about the
awarding of contracts for work to be undertaken. Because there is much misinformation about the process the Town must undertake, I felt it was pertinent to clarify
the process we must follow as mandated by provincial law.
For contracts valued under $25,000
Usually, there is not an estimate prepared by a consultant engineer in these
cases because the cost of this estimate is
too high compared to the cost of the contract. For example, if the contract is
$15,000 but it costs $5,000 to have the
estimate prepared, it does not make fiscal
sense. In this case, we rely upon our
experience and upon the common experience of our neighbouring demerged
municipalities to have a very solid idea
of what a particular job should cost.
For contracts valued
between $25,000 and $100,000
Provincial law mandates that for contracts at this level, municipal administrations must invite at least 2 firms to provide tenders for the work. In many cases,
this administration has invited 2-4 firms
to provide tenders.
The Town may or may not have an
estimate for the work to be completed. If
there is not an estimate prepared by a
consultant engineer, we have the contractors come to the Town and see the job
that must be undertaken. Again, we rely
upon our experience and upon the experience of our neighbouring demerged
municipalities to have a very solid idea
of what a particular job should cost.
When the tenders are received, we are
mandated by provincial law to take the
lowest bid received. Assuming Firm Z
provided the lowest bid, we have the
choice of awarding the contract to Firm
Z or not awarding the contract at all. We
may decide to not award the contract
because it is above our estimate.
For example, every winter, we hire a
firm to help our Public Works department
with snow removal. In this case, we do
not have an estimate of the work to be
completed and we rely upon our internal
knowledge of the work to have a solid
idea of the cost. This year, administration
invited 4 firms to submit tenders for the
work.
If Council decides to award the contract, it formulates a resolution and holds
a vote.
For contracts valued over $100,000
Provincial law mandates that we have
a public call for tender for these contracts. The Town has plans and specifications (tender documents) prepared by a
consultant engineer. The call for tenders
is then published electronically on a website (SEAO) that is open to all firms in
the province. If a firm decides it may be
interested in bidding for the contract, it
can purchase the tender documents via
the SEAO website. The call for tenders
specifies that the bids will be opened on
a particular date and time.
When the bids are opened, they are
then analyzed by our consultant engineer.
They are analyzed for conformity to the
tender documents. The consultant engineer has also prepared an estimate for the
Town. After their analysis, they make a
recommendation to award the contract to
the lowest conforming bidder.
Again, Council can either award the
contract to the lowest conforming bidder
or it can decide to not award the contract
at all. This was the case this past summer.
Council wanted to undertake traffic
calming work on Westminster. We had an
estimate of the work to be done, we went
to a public call for tenders but the bids
came in higher than our estimates so we
decided to NOT award the contract. We
went out to tender again a few months
later and again the bids were still higher
than estimated. Again, we did not award
the contract.
If Council decides to award the contract, it makes a resolution and holds a
vote.
In all instances, if we want to award
the contract, we must award it to the
lowest conforming bidder. Period. If
Firm Z submitted the lowest conforming
bid, we cannot say we do not want to use
Firm Z because of any allegations or
insinuations or because we don’t like the
colour of their eyes.
Furthermore, in order to help close
any loopholes or shortcomings in our
awarding of contracts, we have instituted
a contract management policy over the
past few years. I will detail the changes
we have instituted at our upcoming
Council meeting.
Beny Masella
Mayor, Town of Montreal West
Catherine Gardner
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Lettre du maire
L’attribution des contrats
Il y a eu beaucoup de discussions dans cette ville et ailleurs concernant l’attribution des contrats pour la réalisation de travaux. Parce qu’il y a beaucoup de désinformation concernant le processus que la Ville doit mettre en œuvre, j’ai cru pertinent
de clarifier ce processus que nous devons suivre comme le veut la loi provinciale.
Pour les contrats évalués
à moins de 25 000 $
Généralement, aucune évaluation n’est
préparée par un ingénieur-conseil en pareil
cas, en raison de son coût trop élevé par
rapport à la valeur du contrat. Par exemple,
si le contrat se chiffre à 15 000 $, mais
qu’il en coûte 5 000 $ pour la préparation
de l’évaluation, cela n’a pas de sens budgétairement parlant. Dans ce cas, nous nous
basons sur notre expérience et celle des
municipalités reconstituées environnantes
pour nous faire une idée assez juste de ce
que devrait coûter un travail donné.
Pour les contrats évalués
entre 25 000 $ et 100 000 $
Pour les contrats de ce niveau, la loi
provinciale oblige les administrations
municipales à inviter au moins deux
firmes à soumettre des offres pour le travail. Dans plusieurs cas, cette administration a invité de deux à quatre entreprises
à soumissionner.
La Ville peut avoir, ou non, une évaluation pour le travail à exécuter. S’il n’y a
pas d’estimation préparée par un
ingénieur-conseil, nous invitons les entrepreneurs à venir inspecter le travail à
faire. Encore ici, nous nous basons sur
notre expérience et celle des municipalités reconstituées environnantes pour
nous faire une idée assez juste de ce que
devrait coûter un travail donné.
Après réception des soumissions, nous
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LIBRAIRIE BONDER INC.
BONDER BOOKSTORE INC.
52 Westminster Avenue N.
Montreal West, Quebec
sommes tenus, selon la loi provinciale, de
prendre la plus basse soumission reçue. En
supposant que la firme Z a fourni la plus
basse soumission, nous avons le choix d’accorder le contrat à la firme Z ou de n’accorder le contrat à personne. Nous pourrions décider de ne pas accorder le contrat
parce que le coût dépasse notre évaluation.
Par exemple, chaque hiver nous embauchons un entrepreneur pour seconder les
Travaux publics avec le déneigement. Dans
ce cas, nous n’avons pas d’évaluation pour
le travail à faire et nous nous appuyons sur
la connaissance interne du travail pour
nous faire une idée des coûts. Cette année,
l’Administration a invité quatre entreprises
à soumissionner pour ce projet.
Lorsque le Conseil décide d’accorder
le contrat, il formule une résolution et
procède au vote.
Pour les contrats évalués
à plus de 100 000 $
La loi provinciale nous impose de
procéder par appel d’offres pour ces contrats. La Ville fait préparer des plans et
devis (dossier d’appel d’offres) par un
ingénieur-conseil. L’appel d’offres est
ensuite publié électroniquement sur un
site Web (SEAO) ouvert à toutes les
entreprises de la province. Si une firme
décide qu’elle pourrait avoir intérêt à faire
une offre pour le contrat, elle peut acheter
le dossier d’appel d’offres par le biais du
site SEAO. L’appel d’offres stipule la date
et l’heure d’ouverture des offres.
Quand les offres sont ouvertes, notre
ingénieur-conseil les analyse. Il les étudie
quant à leur conformité au dossier
d’appel d’offres. L’ingénieur-conseil a
aussi préparé une évaluation pour la
Ville. Après son analyse, il formule une
recommandation d’accorder le contrat au
plus bas soumissionnaire conforme.
Encore là, le Conseil peut accorder le
contrat au plus bas soumissionnaire conforme ou il peut décider de ne pas
accorder le contrat. Ce fut le cas l’été
dernier. Le Conseil souhaitait mettre en
œuvre des mesures d’apaisement de la
circulation sur Westminster. Nous avions
une évaluation pour le travail à exécuter
et avons procédé par appel d’offres, mais
les soumissions ont excédé nos évaluations et nous avons décidé de NE PAS
accorder le contrat. Nous avons lancé un
nouvel appel d’offres quelques mois plus
tard et les offres dépassaient à nouveau
notre estimation. Encore une fois, nous
n’avons pas accordé le contrat.
Si le Conseil décide d’accorder le
contrat, il formule une résolution et
procède au vote.
Dans tous les cas, si nous voulons
accorder le contrat, nous devons aller
chez le plus bas soumissionnaire conforme. Point final. Si la compagnie Z a
soumis l’offre conforme la plus basse,
nous ne pouvons pas refuser d’utiliser la
compagnie Z en raison d’allégations ou
d’insinuations ou parce nous n’aimons
pas la couleur des yeux de son président.
De plus, afin d’aider à fermer les échappatoires ou les lacunes dans notre attribution des contrats, nous avons instauré une
politique de gestion des contrats au cours
des dernières années. Je détaillerai les
changements que nous avons apportés lors
de notre prochaine réunion du Conseil.
Beny Masella
Maire, ville de Montréal-Ouest
Dr. Michael J. Wexel
Chiropractor
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Tel: (514) 484-7131
Fax: (514) 484-3745
E-mail: [email protected]
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773-7246
18 Westminster N., Suite 110
Call For An Appointment Today So You Can Feel Better Tomorrow.
17
18
Town Council Report: September
by Carol Foster
After announcing that he
had very little to report, the
Mayor corrected the names of
the parks where dog are currently
allowed to run off leash: Hodgson Field
and George Booth Park. A contract has
been awarded for infrastructure work to
begin on Brock North, but it is contingent
upon the approval of the loan bylaw. A
grant has been applied for to assist in the
replacing the drafty Town Hall windows.
Under other Town business, it was
reported that residences at 30, 60 and 90
Sheraton Drive are in danger of being
sold for back taxes.
PAC and the Building Inspector,
Raymond Beshro, have been working
diligently on a revision of the bylaw concerning the Site Planning and
Architectural Integration Program that
will be ready for public consultation on
October 27. Planning is in progress for
the rental of equipment and operators to
ensure efficient snow removal, accompanied by a warning that these costs are
continually rising.
All of the Councillors, following the
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Mayor’s lead, also had brief reports.
Councillor Tasker-Brown announced a
67% drop in crime this August compared
to the same period in 2011. Emergency
evacuation assistance is now available
from Fire Department and the Traffic and
Safety Committee is reviewing and
updating the animal bylaw.
There is a new exercise class aimed at
people with balance and hip issues,
Councillor Ulin reported. New residents
were welcomed at the fall festival held in
September and a new art show with a
theme of “containment” is being prepared. Air quality continues to be monitored in the arena and the re-institution of
a Wi-Fi installation is expected to proceed following consultation with the
Westminster merchants.
The Town’s budget for 2013 is being
prepared and Councillor Mazzone welcomes all ideas and feedback from residents.
Annoyed by stop-sign scofflaws,
Mazzone videotaped some offences and
presented them to Police Station 9 which
took action. Councillor Tasker-Brown
suggested there was an alternative way
of dealing with traffic violators since the
SPVM on-line complaint form is now
available in both French and English.
Councillor McKenzie proudly
announced that, in spite of continually
rising costs, the Public Works Department has reduced expenditures by
$200,000 over the past few years without
reducing services. Decisions have been
made concerning where concrete will be
used in patching sidewalks and this
information will be made available at the
October meeting of Council.
Question period
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Although a few new faces were present during question period, the concerns
and questions raised were predominately
the old, familiar ones: traffic and parking
problems.
A Brock resident whose driveway was
being repaired had obtained an overnight
parking permit and was annoyed to
receive a parking ticket early the next
morning before she had even finished
brushing her teeth. The Mayor suggested
she discuss the matter with Lieutenant
Georgiou after the meeting.
Several residents living on Wolseley
Avenue pointed out that its four-hour
daytime parking policy was too restrictive for rental properties with several tenants as well as for properties with shared
driveways. Councillor Tasker-Brown was
sympathetic to these observations and
explained that the parking bylaws are
under review and that perhaps one rule
does not fit all circumstances.
The process for requesting an evaluation of perceived excessive and speeding
traffic on a particular street was explained
to one unhappy resident living near Côte
Saint-Luc who felt that problems in his
part of the Town were being neglected.
Another old, familiar and seemingly
unsolvable problem was raised yet again
by a regular attendee concerning the lack
of an official dog run in the Town. This
topic led to a lengthy debate. Although
the current practice of providing some
areas for dogs to run off-leash is a carefully monitored experiment while the
animal bylaws are undergoing a review,
this resident demanded that the existing
bylaw which prohibits dogs off leash
should be respected until the bylaw is
actually changed.
The Mayor and several of the
Councillors pointed out that bylaws are
constantly evolving as circumstances
change. Being a small town, means we
have the freedom to experiment with different options before casting decisions in
stone. The final aim is to try and find a balance between the safety and the enjoyment
of all the residents. Not everyone at the
meeting was convinced a balance could
ever be achieved in this particular topic.
In spite of differing opinions
expressed during question period, there
had to be general agreement that the
Mayor seemed very pleased with one of
the duties he was recently called upon to
perform. With a very big smile on his
face, he announced that he had, for the
very first time, married a couple in the
Town, and he is very much looking forward to being asked to do it again. Any
candidates out there?
Joel Rahman
Real Estate Broker
514-771-5922
Call me for a
free market analysis
of your property.
19
Réunion ordinaire du Conseil : septembre
par Carol Foster
traduction par René Boucher
Après avoir annoncé avoir
très peu à rapporter, le maire a
corrigé le nom des parcs où l’on
tolère que les chiens courent en liberté,
soient le terrain Hodgson et le parc
George Booth. Un contrat pour le début
de travaux d’infrastructure sur Brock
Nord a été accordé, soumis à l’approbation du règlement d’emprunt. On a fait
une demande de subvention pour le remplacement des fenêtres moins qu’étanches de l’hôtel de ville.
Au chapitre des affaires diverses, on
rapporte que les résidences au 30, 60 et
90 promenade Sheraton sont sujettes à
être vendues pour défaut de paiement de
taxes. Le CCU et Raymond Beshro,
inspecteur-urbaniste, ont travaillé avec
zèle à la révision du Plan d’implantation
et d’intégration architectural qui sera
disponible pour consultation publique le
27 octobre. La planification est en cours
pour la location d’équipement avec
opérateurs pour assurer un déneigement
efficace. Cette information est accompagnée d’un avertissement de l’accroissement constant des coûts.
Suivant l’exemple du maire, les conseillers ont aussi présenté des rapports brefs.
La conseillère Tasker-Brown a fait
part d’une baisse de 67 % de la criminalité
au mois d’août, comparativement à la
même période en 2011. Le Service des
incendies offre maintenant un programme
d’aide à l’évacuation d’urgence et le
Comité de circulation et de sécurité révise
et met à jour le règlement sur les animaux.
La conseillère Ulin a fait part d’une
nouvelle classe d’exercices visant les
personnes avec des problèmes d’équilibre et de hanches. On a accueilli les
nouveaux résidants lors du Festival d’automne, en septembre, et une nouvelle
exposition d’art sous le thème « confinement » est en préparation. On surveille
toujours la qualité de l’air à l’aréna et on
peut s’attendre au rétablissement d’une
zone Wi-Fi comme suite à la consultation
des marchands de Westminster.
Le budget de la Ville est en préparation et le conseiller Mazzone accueille
toutes les idées et la rétroaction des
résidants.
Contrarié par les automobilistes qui
se moquent des panneaux d’arrêt, monsieur Mazzone a enregistré un certain
nombre d’infractions et a présenté ses
enregistrements au poste de quartier 9;
des actions ont été entreprises. La conseillère Tasker-Brown a suggéré une
autre façon de s’occuper des contrevenants depuis que la PDQ 9 du
SPVM offre un formulaire de plainte en
ligne, en français et en anglais.
Le conseiller McKenzie a fièrement
annoncé que, malgré les coûts toujours
grandissants, les Travaux publics ont
réduit leurs dépenses de 200 000 $
depuis quelques années, sans réduction
des services. Des décisions ont été
arrêtées concernant les endroits où l’on
utilisera le béton pour réparer les trottoirs; l’information sera disponible à la
réunion d’octobre du Conseil.
Période de questions
Bien que l’on voyait quelques nouveaux visages lors de la période de questions, les sujets et questions soulevés
étaient, en bonne partie, les mêmes : la
circulation et le stationnement.
Une résidante de Brock dont l’allée
était en réparation avait obtenu un
permis de stationnement nocturne et
s’est dite contrariée d’avoir reçu une
contravention tôt le lendemain matin,
avant même qu’elle ait pu se brosser les
dents. Le maire lui a suggéré de discuter
son cas avec le lieutenant Georgiou
après la réunion.
De nombreux résidants de l’avenue
Wolseley ont indiqué que la politique de
stationnement limité à quatre heures leur
paraît trop restrictive pour des propriétés
avec plusieurs locataires de même que
pour celles ayant une allée mitoyenne. La
conseillère Tasker-Brown s’est dite sensible à ces remarques; elle a expliqué que
les règlements sur le stationnement sont
en voie de révision et que peut-être une
règle unique n’est pas adéquate pour
toutes les situations.
On a expliqué le processus de
demande d’évaluation de la circulation
perçue comme étant de débit excessif ou
à vitesse élevée pour une rue donnée
à un résidant demeurant près de CôteSaint-Luc; il avait l’impression que
l’on ignorait les problèmes dans cette
partie de la ville.
Un habitué des séances du Conseil a
soulevé un autre sujet tenace, bien connu
et d’apparence insoluble : le manque de
parc pour chiens dans la ville. Ce point a
occasionné un long débat. Même si la
pratique actuelle de laisser les chiens en
liberté à certains endroits est un essai
suivi de près alors que le règlement est
en voie de révision, ce résidant exige que
le règlement actuel prohibant les chiens
sans laisse doive s’appliquer jusqu’à ce
qu’il soit amendé.
Le maire et plusieurs conseillers ont
fait remarquer que les règlements sont en
constante évolution selon que les circonstances changent. Le fait d’être une petite
ville nous donne la liberté de mettre différentes options à l’essai avant de couler
une décision dans le béton. Le but ultime
est de trouver l’équilibre entre la sécurité
et la jouissance de l’ensemble des
citoyens. Tous n’étaient pas convaincus
que tel équilibre peut être atteint sur ce
point précis.
Malgré les opinions divergentes
exprimées au cours de la période de
questions, il y avait consensus que le
maire semblait particulièrement heureux
d’avoir récemment eu à remplir un de ses
devoirs. Le visage éclairé d’un large
sourire, il a annoncé qu’il avait, pour la
toute première fois, marié un couple dans
la ville et qu’il avait bien hâte qu’on lui
demande de le refaire. Y a-t-il des volontaires dans la ville?
20
This year ART etc. is Saturday and
Sunday, November 17 and 18, and the
Floral Café will be open from 11 am
until 2:30 pm both days.
Manned by Horticultural Club members, the café offers lunch with homemade soup, sandwiches, quiche, sweets
and tea or coffee. It’s an excellent way to
relax when the shopping is done or to
brace yourself for browsing for treasures
from local artisans upstairs.
COMING EVENTS
MW Horticultural Society’s volunteers at Floral Café last year
Please call the Editor: Heather at 489-7022
e-mail: [email protected]
Next deadline: November 7
O C TO B E R
Sun 28 Halloween on ice. Arena. 1-2:30 pm
Mon 29 Town Council meeting. Town Hall. 8 pm.
N OV E M B E R
Fri
2 Rotary’s oyster party. Town Hall. 6 pm.
Sat
3 Family bazaar. MW United. 10 am -2 pm.
Sat 10 Christmas bazaar and lunch. St Philip’s. Home baking,
jams and preserves, crafts, collectibles, raffles, videos/CDs,
books and much more! Info: 481-4871. 10 am to 2 pm.
Sun 11 Remembrance Sunday. St. Philip’s. 10 am.
Remembrance Day ceremony. Cenotaph. 12:30 pm.
Sat 17 Treasure, Book and Bake Sale. MW Presbyterian. 160
Ballantyne N. Light lunch available. 10 am - 2 pm..
ART etc. Town Hall. 10 am - 5 pm.
Sun 18 Operation Christmas: child shoebox collection. St. Philip’s.
ART etc. Town Hall. 10 am - 4 pm.
Robert Sigmund in concert. MW United. 3 pm.
Sat 24 Fêtes à la main. 10 am - 4 pm. Continues on Sunday.
Please see page 2.
Sun 25 Labyrinth Walk, Wadsworth Hall. MW United. 2-4 pm.
Mon 26 Town Council meeting. Town Hall. 8 pm.
Thu 29 Compte de taxe d'eau est exigible / water tax bill is due.
Curzon Pre-School Live Auction. Over $10,000 in items;
easy holiday shopping! Curling Club. Tickets $5 at the door.
Come support our great, neighborhood school! 7 pm.
DECEMBER
Sat
1 Food Drive bag collection. NDG Food Depot. St. Philip’s. 9
am - 2 pm.
Bowser and Blue at the Curling Club. $50/person. For
tickets, please call the Curling Club at 486-5831.
Sun 2 White Gift Sunday. St. Philip’s.
Tue 4 Much Ado About Nothing will be presented in the Royal
West Academy auditorium at 7 pm. Continues on Wednesday
and Thursday. Tickets: $10 adults, $7 seniors, $5 students.
Dinner theatre presentation on Friday, December 7: dinner at
6:30, production at 7:30, tickets: $25 and must be reserved in
advance by calling 489-8454 S. Westlake.
Mon 17 Town Council meeting. Town Hall. 8 pm.
Classifieds
TUTORING: McGill student available for
tutoring high school and CEGEP math and
science. Contact Oliver at 514-402-6318.
CHRISTMAS HOUSESITTERS: Two sisters
and a very well-behaved dog looking for a
home to take care of for the Christmas
season. Before relocating to Nova Scotia,
we operated a housesitting company, for 11
years, in Montreal; local references available. Flexible dates, would consider house
exchange. Linda or Marilyn Zinowki:
[email protected]