450 473-2717 saint-eustache

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
SERVING THE AREA FROM KANESATAKE TO ROSEMERE
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Volume 12 Issue 1
February/March 2011
Ringuette Tournament
By Bobby Fordham
On Monday, January 10, 2011 DeuxMontagnes hosted their 12th Edition of the
Ringuette tournament at the DeuxMontagnes Olympia Arena. On Thursday,
January 13, 2011 the Deux-Montagnes
C o yo t e s / M os q u i t o
Division, ages 47, played St. Eustache
and came away with a
5-1 victory.
They
played a solid team
game. A player to
watch was Madison
Gi guer e
as
sh e
displayed unselfish
play for a very young
player. Well done.
The next game was
the Junior C team,
ages 13-14 they played
Des Moulins. There was great action and
lots of scoring plays. The Coyotes finished
strong with the 4-0 win. On Friday, January
14, 2011 a great game took place between
Thetford Mines and La Capitale. Both
teams played very well. The score was tied
1-1 in the last period with seconds to go
Thetford scored to break the tie and prevail
with the 2-1 victory.
The same day the Bantam B Coyotes,
ages 11-12 played Chaudiere (Quebec
City). The score was tied 2-2 in the last
period. Chaudiere scored late to lead 3-2.
Deux-Montagnes came close, to score with
the goalie pulled. Chaudiere scored into the
empty net to earn a hard fought victory 4-2.
On Sunday January 16, 2011 the DeuxMontagnes Bantam C Team played
Thetford Mines in the Final. The lone
scorer for the Coyotes was Jessica Parr as
she displayed her good skating skills.
Thetford prevailed 3-1 to take the Gold
Medal.
DeuxMontagnes took the
Silver. There was a
great team effort by
both
teams.
Congratulations to
both teams and to all
of
th e
DeuxMontagnes Coyotes
Teams, and to the
coaches. Some of
th em
ar e
Pat
Giguere, Jeff Nelson,
Gary Nixon and
Manager Margie
Lavallee.
Congratulations to the referees and
sponsors.
Congratulations go to the
tournament committee which consists of
Linda Desjardins (Tournament President)
Nadine Lapointe
(Deux-Montagnes
Ri n g u et t e,
President)
and
Richard Beaudry
( H o n o r a r y
President).
This
wa s
a
wel l
o r g a n i z e d
tournament and
yes the players had
fun as did the
FANS.
See more pictures
on page 23.
Lion Arthur Glover with
Laurie Pominville.
Photo by Umberto Jr.
Roveto
Table of Contents
Message from the Mayor
2
Lions Den
6
School Matters
9
Sue Chef
15
Church Mouse
13-14
PANDA/CESAME
17
Police Report
19
Health and Fitness
22
Sports Rap
24
A look at Rosemère
26
Birthday‟s, etc
30
Community Connections
Message from
The Mayor
Dear readers of the Community Connections
For myself and on behalf of all the City‟s
personnel, I would like to wish you all a
prosperous new year, filled with joy, peace
and most of all, good health.
A collective effort for the recovery of
public finances
The 2011 budget was adopted
unanimously on December 9, 2010. After
the pre-budget public meetings, your
elected officials and I undertook a
comprehensive analysis of the city‟s budget
items in order to introduce a balanced and
realistic budget while striving to maintain
services. The budget reached a total of
$28,060,600, even though the city‟s
operations incurred an increase of 2.4%
compared to 2010 which includes spending
cuts in the amount of $78,000. This
increase in the budget is directly related to
new mandatory expenses incurred by the
City which amount to $1.5 million dollars
(the beginning of repayment of work
performed on the drinking water treatment
plant and on the aerated ponds, the
Page 2
provision to be paid to write off the
Olympia deficit, the Manoir, Phase 1 deficit
and the pension fund deficit, increases in
the financial contributions to outside
organizations and debt repayment).
Emergency requirements of various
municipal services were also assessed at
$483,350.
I especially wish to thank councillors
who were involved in the development and
adoption of the budget.
We are all
confident that the collective effort required
from everyone this year will enable the
stabilizing of our public finances.
The Citizens’ advisory committees are
hard at work
Nearly fifty citizens decided to get
involved in the citizens‟ advisory
committees to deal with the following
issues: Development, Olympia and Manoir
Grand-Moulin,
Infrastructures,
Public
Safety and Civic Spirit, Environment,
Sports and Recreation and Culture. Most of
these met at the end of last year and will
pursue their meetings on a monthly basis.
Committed to find solutions for the
economical and social betterment of the
City, these citizens have one year to find
sustainable solutions for the issues at stake.
Work is ongoing and everyone is looking
forward to a progressive future.
1.5 Million Fewer Plastic bags in 2010
This was the first full year of application
February/March 2011
of
the
plastic
bag
regulation.
Congratulations to all citizens and retailers
who helped stop plastic bags from reaching
landfill sites in 2010. Since June 2009,
everyone has been using reusable bags for
their purchases. Congratulations to all!
Our city is 90 years old!
On August 18, 1921, the village of SaintEustache-sur-le-Lac was born and was then
renamed Deux-Montagnes in 1963. The city
numbered 300 inhabitants when it was first
created. Today the municipality numbers
17,402 inhabitants. Festivities are being
organized in celebration of this special
event and will be publicized in the near
future.
Let’s make snow-clearing operations
easier
In order to make snow-clearing
operations easier, Public Works is asking
everyone not to park on public streets
throughout the day and night and to place
their garbage bins and recycling bins on
their driveway‟s property lines. Public
works employees will do everything in their
power to have roads cleared for citizens to
get around in the winter. Please help out by
cooperating with them. Thank you.
On that note, I wish everyone a wonderful
start to the New Year and a marvellous
Saint Valentine‟s Day.
Citizens of Two Mountains Face Municipal Tax Increase of 13.6% in 2011
By Jim Colmer
The City of Two Mountains recently
held consultation meetings open to its
citizens relating to the 2011 municipal
budget. French sessions were held on
November 17 and 22 while English sessions
were held on November 18 and 23. The
French/English sessions held on November
17 and 18 related to police services, fire
safety services, recreational services,
communications, finance and management
expenditures. The French/English sessions
held on November 22 and 23 related to
public works, urban planning, the registry
and municipal council expenditures.
Departmental directors for each of these
categories explained in detail their
requirements for 2011 in the operations
budget as well as presenting project
spending items that are necessary either as a
result of new requirements or as a result of
requests from citizens during the Citizens‟
Summit held in June of 2010. Citizens‟
participation in the French sessions
numbered about 25 in each session while
only half a dozen persons participated in
each of the English sessions. This is
surprising considering how significant the
potential tax increases are for 2011.
Citizens attending these four sessions had a
chance to vote, yes or no, with coloured
cards (green-yes or red-no) during the
sessions and this sampling of citizens‟
wishes would be considered when the
council finally voted on which items would
be included in the budget and which items
would be excluded. Citizens were given a
chance to ask questions and were also given
a chance to express their opinion on the
budget items verbally during the meetings.
Those not present at the meetings had an
opportunity to express their opinions until
December 1 to the city administration.
Tax increase continued on page 16...
Community Connections
Page 3
Habitat for Humanity Canada
It can also negatively impact individuals‟
education and career paths, and further
perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
This is a sad fact, but there is hope.
Habitat for Humanity Canada is one of
many organizations dedicated to finding a
solution to our national housing crisis.
Habitat provides safe, decent and affordable
housing by giving a hand up, not a hand out.
Habitat‟s Homeownership Program helps
individuals and families in financially
vulnerable situations build and buy quality
affordable homes by reducing barriers to
homeownership. We sell homes with no
down payment, no-interest mortgages, and
payments set at 30 per cent or less of the
owner‟s gross income. Habitat also offers
homeowner training and support services,
giving our families access to affordable
housing and helping them build equity for
the future.
According to our research, safe and
affordable housing can improve peoples‟
physical and mental health. For example, a
child living in decent housing is ten times
less likely to contract meningitis, asthma or
respiratory complications, which effectively
reduces dependency on social services.
A separate study commissioned by the
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation,
an active supporter of National Housing
Day, shows that 40 per cent of families saw
an improvement in their children‟s school
grades after moving into a Habitat home.
More than half of Habitat families
experienced an improvement in their
children‟s behaviour and nearly two-thirds
reported an improvement in their overall
well-being.
Though Habitat has successfully placed
almost 1,800 Canadian families in safe and
affordable homes, there is still much to be
done at the national, provincial and
municipal level. We need to acknowledge
that this problem does in fact exist in our
own backyard.
My hope is that someday there will be no
need for a national day to reflect on our
housing crisis. Until that day, Habitat will
continue to mobilize volunteers and partners
to help build and supply affordable housing
so that no Canadian is forced to endure
inadequate living conditions or make
impossible choices. We simply cannot do it
alone. It is time for our national housing
crisis to receive the attention it deserves.
Habitat for Humanity Canada is looking
for available land or building lots in our
North Shore areas. If you know of such
sites please contactt: Kate Marshall
National Director of Marketing &
Communications,
HFHC
[email protected] or 416-644-0988
x320.
support.
Our Christmas Bingo held in December
was so much fun. We had a total of 49
players, who lunched on meat pie, baked
beans, and wieners rolled in bacon, along
with desert, coffee and tea.. Some special
homemade fudge was also available. There
were drawings for many beautiful prizes,
and the Club in turn thanked Sally Warren,
Sandy Allan, and Rod, our caller, with a
special gift. We thank all who attended
and hopefully the increase in players will
continue.
December 17, we had a nice
pot luck supper followed by
Karaoke. This was just a
few people who decided to
have a little fun at the last
minute and all went well.
Last year there was a New
Year‟s Eve Dinner and
Dance December 31, 2010.
Schedule of Events for
2011:
F e br ua r y 19, - St .
Valentine‟s Day Dinner and
Dance (information about
tickets) ; Tickets, July 30 – Annual Golf
Tournament – same golf course as last
year. October 29 – Halloween Dance;
November 29 – Grey Cup Party; December
31 – New Year‟s Eve Dance
We will announce other events at a later
date such as a Second Annual Baseball
tournament to be held sometime in August,
and maybe a casino, Karaoke, etc. In
closing we thank all who help support the
HERITAGE SOCIAL CLUB increase its
membership since last year.
By Stewart Hardacre
President and Chief Executive Officer
It is a sobering reality: 1.3 million
families, or more than four million
Canadians, are currently living in
substandard housing. With an average
household income of under $20,000 –
nearly 75 per cent below the national
average – these men and women, mothers
and fathers, are forced to make impossible
choices between adequate shelter and other
basic necessities of life like food, clothing,
education and medical and dental expenses.
This is a national crisis and it cannot be
ignored.
National Housing Day, Nov. 22, 2010
reminded Canadians to recognize and
reflect on the issue of affordable housing.
On this day, we were challenged to
acknowledge that there is a real and urgent
need for a solution – for a national housing
policy as well as private and public
partnerships that lead to capital investment
and contribute to a stronger and more stable
society.
Lack of affordable housing can take
numerous negative tolls on individuals and
the communities in which they live. It can
cause increased stress, limited sense of
belonging and overall feelings of insecurity.
HERITAGE SOCIAL CLUB
By Norma Lariviere
Another year to look forward to: 2011.
Our Annual General Meeting was held
November 21. We elected Board Members
for the new fiscal year. There were three
positions to be filled for a two year period,
elected President Rudy Neumayer for
another term, 1st Vice President Diane
Mitchell, and Treasurer Pam Pierre. Also at
that time we had several members
volunteer to set up for fund raising and
special events. For the future we also have
an organized Planning Programs
Committee headed by Darlene Gargul
along with Jan O‟Neil and Bev Taillon,
further information to follow. This
committee already has plans for A Senior
Brunch day for February, we will be in
touch with the seniors at a later date.
November 28, we had a Grey Cup Party –
approximately 35 people came out to
watch the game on the large screen,
followed by hot smoked meat, chilli and of
course the highlight was the Al‟s win a
great time was had by all. Thanks for your
February/March 2011
Community Connections
Page 4
February/March 2011
wished to sell their
stores in St. Eustache
and Deux-Montagnes because their father
was ill and retiring from managing the IGA
in the Ste-Dorothee Shopping Centre.
Sonia decided to buy the IGA store in Deux
-Montagnes, which she owns as part of the
Sobeys' conglomerate
Sonia has big plans for the store in Deux
-Montagnes.
She wants to run it
successfully on her own, and perhaps later
direct several more with managers working
for her. Sonia hopes to achieve the first
step this plan with the store in DeuxMontagnes, which has a good team and
good personnel. So far she thinks that
things are going well and that she will
achieve her goals.
Sonia Sénécal –New Owner of the IGA Deux-Montagnes
By Heather
Brown
I met with the
new owner of the
IGA
DeuxMontagnes
on
January 7 to get
to know her and
to discuss her
plans for the
future of the
store.
Ms. Sénécal
was
a
New
Year‟s baby in 1977, who later went to
Cégep in Valleyfield. She received her
Diploma as a florist. Sonia began working
for the IGA Corporation in 1998. She
started in the Fruits and Vegetables section
where she worked for about two years.
Then she was promoted to the post of
manager of one of their butcher shops, a job
which she loved. Subsequently, she became
the manager of the Ready to Eat food
section, which was the realization of her
dreams. She then was named a Co-Director
in the Sobeys Corporate office, and later
became Co-Director at the IGA in VimontLaval with her partner.
They worked together for five years and
when they separated, they sold the IGA in
Vimont-Laval. Sonia then asked to be put
on a waiting list for a store she could own.
At that time Fanny and Manon Crevier
BERNICE’S CHRISTMAS
WONDERLAND
grandparents to bring their
little ones to come and see
it. Teachers have even
brought their class over to
view the village. Their
eyes light up in awe.
Bernice‟s son,
Chri s, design ed an
inventory list on the
computer to keep a tally of
all the houses, buildings,
figurines and accessories
which keeps his Mom
organized. To give you an
idea of the grandeur of this
village, Chris gave me
some of the totals. There
are 11 boxes of figurines
(327 in all), 128 houses, 43 combos, 73 sets
of skiers, sleighs, toboggans, snow-shoeers,
skaters, etc. Bernice is very proud of her
Thomas Kinkade collection from the
Bradford Exchange, which is up to ten
houses at $85.00 each. Over the years
people have made different houses,
figurines and decorations and given them to
Bernice as gifts. There is a lot of
time, effort and money invested in
this village, but all well spent,
according to Bernice, towards
fulfilling her holiday passion.
There is so much activity
and so many different themes in
process that you need more than
one visit to grasp everything and
appreciate all the detail . In one
area a train runs through a tunnel,
under a mountain, stops at a
station and goes around a river.
There are skiers and snow-shoeers
on top of that mountain. Then
Post-Christmas Story
By Cookie Smith
Bernice Gallotti, well known in
our community, moved into her house in
Deux-Montagnes 42 years ago. During the
holidays, Bernice started with a small
village, nativity scene and train under the
Christmas tree. Over the years she kept
accumulating and adding to her village,
which grew from one layer of houses to an
extended three layers this year. The village
actually takes up two rooms of her
basement. Bernice, who is 77 now, still
loves Christmas as much as ever and does
not intend to stop decorating anytime soon.
“It‟s my favourite time of year!” exclaimed
Bernice.
It takes Bernice three weeks in
October just to set up all the extension cords
to bring light, sound and movement to the
village, which is in full operation a good
month before Christmas. She leaves the
village set up until March and encourages
there are sections on ice-cutting and a sugar
shack in the woods with buckets fastened to
the trees collecting maple syrup. There are
igloos with Inuit hunters, penguins, polar
bears and dog sleds, all part of a winter
wonderland! Along the streets the Churches
are flanked with ministers, choirs, nuns,
christening and wedding combos. The Fire
Departments are busy with firemen and
hoses. City Hall is active with lawyers and
the town crier. The Schools are busy with
children at work and at play. The stores are
bustling with shoppers. Marching bands and
musicians bring the gazebo to life. The
streets, lined with old-fashioned lampposts,
are filled with horse-drawn sleighs. To see
it is to believe it!
Bernice also decorates upstairs and
certainly keeps the spirit of Christmas alive
in her home. It was a joy to visit Bernice‟s
village and a trip back in time. Ah what a
Christmas wonderland!
Community Connections
Page 5
February/March 2011
RON CAPANNA
Feb 16, 1952 – Nov 7, 2010
“Ron was a gentle man and a sweet
soul. Having had the privilege to play
music with him, we don‟t know in which
role he was better; as a man or as a
harmonica player.
As a man, we always knew him as a
warm, kind, witty, perceptive and curious
individual. Plus he had that special quality
that seems so old-fashioned and out of place
in our modern world but that only the truly
authentic people possess; he was a humble
man.
As a highly talented harp player, he
could reach deep down and touch your soul
ever so gently, then, in a matter of seconds,
light you up with pure energy and literally pardon the pun – blow you away!
Ultimately, these two sides – the man and
harmonica player – complemented and fed
on each other. When someone passes away,
it is a personal tragedy for those who loved
him. But when a musician and an artist
sets out for the Great Gig in the Sky, it is
the whole cultural world that loses part of
its identity and its essence.
As for Ron, he leaves us with a mission
though: to keep on playing music – and
may we say „enjoying‟ it, because that‟s
what he did – so that his memory lives on.”
- Paul, Robert & Joseph
Ron playing with “Harp’n Soul”
on Canada Day 2010, Deux-Montagnes
On November 13, there was a memorial
gathering for Ron at Christ Church in DeuxMontagnes. I‟d like to give a heart-felt
thank you to our family and friends who
made this tribute to Ron so unforgettable.
Also, a heart-felt thank you to the musicians
who played and sang with such tender
sensitivity that afternoon: Annie Busque
(piano), Gordon Fisch (guitar), Sarah
Burnell (fiddle) and the Siamsa singers who
sang a Celtic prayer. The world has truly
lost a shining star; my husband…the love of
my life.
- Margaret
Community Connections
THE LIONS’ DEN
By Cookie Smith
Senior’s Day
Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011
Mark your calendars for this annual Lions‟
Club event, which is free for all senior
citizens of Deux Montagnes. It will take
place at Veteran‟s Hall (Legion) between
1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Lions have
kept this tradition going in memory of
Shirley Barth, the first organizer of this
activity with the Lions‟ Club. Bingo will be
played with prizes for the winners, plenty of
door prizes and raffle prizes as well. As
usual, two big food baskets will be drawn
for. Who will be the „oldest gentleman‟ and
„oldest lady‟ in the hall this year? Mayor
Marc Lauzon will do the honors and pin a
corsage on the 2011 celebrities and give
By Tiara Hammond
The 4 Korners Family Resource Center
programs will be re-initiated the week of
January 24, 2011.
Did you see our new sign? Thanks to the
volunteers that made this possible, you
know who you are!
We are pleased to announce the success of
the Part-Time Daycare Service! Many
moms have taken advantage of this FREE
service already, why not you?!
Every Monday: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. You
must call to reserve your spot! (January 24)
The Senior Men‟s Drop-In: This program
has really taken off, with our unique
Facilitor-Stagiare Stephanie; our group is
expanding and covers a wide range of
engaging topics. Shoot the breeze guys!
Tuesdays 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (January 25)
Brainwaves Tutoring: This service is
offered by our experienced volunteer
teachers; subjects covered: Math, English &
French, Grades 4, 5, 6 and secondary levels.
Revised hours: Sunday: 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
You must call to register! Reminder to
parents: your child must bring homework!
(January 16)
The Chatterbox: This program is designed
for Mother‟s of pre-school aged children. It
covers an array of up-to-date topics on
health, social and other topics related to
child development. The facilitator is open
to suggestions on the topics of interest of
Page 6
February/March 2011
them a special prize. A delicious hearty
stew, a favorite with the seniors, will be
served at the end of the afternoon.
Entertainment will be provided for your
pleasure. Special thanks to the Lions for
their continued dedication to our senior
citizens!
collection now boasts over 1,000 books and
documents in both French and English.
Contribution to the Deux-Montagnes
Library
The Deux-Montagnes Lions‟ Club
presented a cheque for $1,500 to Johanne
Chaput, Director of the Municipal Library.
This annual donation enables the Library to
purchase large-print books and audio books
for the visually impaired children, adults of
our community, and seniors with
diminished vision. The Club‟s interest in
developing this specialized collection dates
back to the opening of the Library in 1980.
Thanks to the Lions‟ financial support, this
your choice and will build a discussion and
engage the group around what you decide!
So come and see what you‟re missing!
Thursday: 930 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Cost: $20
for 10 week program for child‟s snacks
(January 27)
What‟s For Lunch? (Mom‟s & Children
under 6): This program provides healthy
meals for both moms & children,
information sessions dealing with meal
preparations and healthy eating habits.
Wednesday: 0930 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (January
26)
Want to know more about our programs and
what we do at the 4 Korners? Please visit
our website: http://www.4kornerscenter.org/
Join us on Facebook; we have already 152
members online!
1906 Chemin d‟Oka, Deux-Montagnes
Tel. (450) 974-3940
LESAN (Laurentian English
Service Advisory Network) Lacdes-Deux-Montagnes
Did you know that the CSSS Lac-desDeux-Montagnes region has a total Englishspeaking population of 7.2%? The English
speaking population total is 7,085.
The Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes region
still has the largest Anglophone population
of all the 7 CSSS regions in the Laurentians.
Our CSSS Territory covers 542 square km
from MRC Deux-Montagnes to the South of
Mirabel.
The English -Speaking minority
population often falls through the cracks of
Quebec‟s Health and Social Services
System. LESAN‟s goal is to create chapters
Donation to Christmas Food Baskets
Lion Dave Byers presented a cheque for
$750 to Andre Ouellet, Depannage SaintAgapit; President, at the 2010 launch of La
Guignolee Christmas drive in our city. The
Deux-Montagnes Lions‟ Club contributes to
this annual fundraiser, which provides food
baskets to needy families in our community,
by means of hot dog sales, bowling nights
and garage sales.
Blood Donor Clinic, March 1, 2011
In cooperation with Hema Quebec a Blood
Donor Clinic is scheduled to take place on
Tuesday, March 1, at the Veterans‟ Hall in
the former Canadian Legion building, 141
Grand Moulin St., Deux-Montagnes, from
11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m..
in each Health and Social Service Center
(CSSS) territories across the Laurentian
region. Chapters will work with each CSSS
to identify existing local communication
needs in the health and social service sector.
Local priorities for English language
services can then be initiated. Our goal is to
create each chapter composed of Englishspeaking community representatives,
municipal officials, religious leaders,
education and local service providers. In
short; people interested in working toward
better access to health and social services.
The English speaking community must ask
for services and participate in the service
offers given. Service requests from local
LESAN chapters will provide each CSSS
with a better understanding of what the
needs of their local English-speaking
people. Let us work together to prioritize
our English community requests. Two
LESAN chapters have been created: Lacdes-Deux-Montagnes and Pays-den-Haut.
The following LESAN Lac-des-DeuxMontagnes meeting will be held Wednesday
January 26th 2011 at 1:30 p.m. at the 4
Korners Family Resource Center. We will
have an article on LESAN‟s progress every
month in the Main Street (The largest
English-Language newspaper distributed in
the Laurentians). It will be available at the 4
Korners. Supplies are limited, first come
first serve!
For more information about your local
LESAN chapter Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes
please contact:
Tiara Hammond (LESAN Coordinator):
[email protected]
Tel. (450) 974-3940
Community Connections
Page 7
February/March 2011
Morning at the Deux Montagnes
Medical Clinic
By Gordon Wetmore
and two females. The women smoked one
cigarette each. The man smoked three.
The second group of chatters
quickly established themselves as the most
energetic and loud, but in an agreeable way.
Their leader was one of those wearing a
light coloured coat, a somewhat fleshy man
with a broad grin and a ready laugh. He had
no hat, wore his collar open, and his hands
were bare. He was the one who smoked the
three cigarettes.
Amazingly, no one in the queue
seemed very sick. It was a mystery that
solved itself later.
Music, rhythmic and cheerful,
came from one of the cars parked near the
clinic‟s door. A slim woman hugged and
energetically rocked a little girl in a pink
snowsuit, bouncing to the song‟s beat.
Then they popped out of the car. The little
girl ran to the stolid man in the parka and
hugged his knee. He pulled back his hood
and picked her up, hugging her, and they
grinned at each other. He went back to the
car with her and they snuggled together in
the front seat, obviously delighted to be
with each other.
The young woman, who had to be
the girl‟s mother, took the daddy‟s place at
the front of the line and immediately began
talking and laughing with the others. That
group then became the most animated. As
if to make up for lost time, she smoked two
cigarettes in 15 minutes. Then she returned
to the car, where she
and her daughter
pr a cti sed m aking
funny faces in the rear
view and vanity
mirrors, and the father
returned to his silent
vigil by the door. The
child seemed equally
happy to be with her
adults despite their
very different styles.
By 7:47 a.m.,
15 minutes after
sunrise – making the morning was only
slightly less grey – there were 40 people in
line. And then suddenly, there were many
more as the actually sick people joined their
family members who had stood in line for
them. The lady with the lawn chair stood
up, unwrapped her blanket to reveal that she
was dressed in a very stylish ski suit, and
put the chair and blanket in her car. At 8:00
a.m. exactly, the clinic doors opened, and
we all shuffled forward in that penguin-like
way that cold feet produce.
Inside, the patients handed in their
Medicare cards and found chairs to wait
again until the friendly receptionist called
us up to give us our time to return and wait
some more to be admitted to the examining
room of one of the two doctors of the day. I
was lucky, getting a recall time between
10:00 and 11:00 a.m. While I waited, more
people came in, two on crutches.
When I left at 8:45 a.m., the
“Clinic Full” sign had already been hung on
the entrance window.
The sun rose at 7:32 a.m. December 30.
The man who joined the queue for the walkin clinic at the Deux Montagnes medical
clinic at that moment became the thirty-fifth
in line.
When I arrived at 6:59 a.m., I was
already fifteenth. The earlier goers had
already formed three distinct social
groupings. By the door – which would not
open before 8:00 a.m. – was a knot of four
cheerful chatters, then came three
individuals one after the other as a line
should be, then a second knot of five
chatters, and finally we last three properly
but raggedly in line.
There were 10 men and five
women. One lady, second from the front,
had brought a lawn chair and sat
comfortably wrapped in a white blanket
while catching up on the news with the
others. It took me a few minutes to realize
that the man at the very front, a heavy
fellow whose beige parka hood completely
obscured his face, was not part of the chat
pack but only surrounded by them. He
neither engaged with the others nor even
shuffled his feet.
The short woman in front of me
was sipping coffee, as was I. We didn‟t
speak but silently cheered each other with
our Styrofoam cups, hers from Tim Hortons
and mine from the fair trade thermos at a
Boni Soir. She wore a dark burgundy parka
and I was in olive drab, appropriate for the
gloomy morning, I thought. Most people
were in dark colours except for the really
chatty ones. When I threw my cup out, the
trash can was full of empties, mostly from
Tim‟s.
More people joined the line behind
us. They were dressed darkly, too. By 7:20
a.m. there were 28 in line, 10 female and 18
male. Only three were smokers, one male
Christmas Parade 2010
Community Connections
41st Annual Santa Claus Parade
By Denis Naud
Translated by Heather M. Brown
Photos by Ric Painter, Gord and Carol Wetmore and
Ginette Banville
On December 5 at 1:00 p.m., the Deux
Montagnes Santa Claus parade left from the
corner of 20th Avenue and Oka Road
toward
City Hall.
It turned
a w a y
from the
overpa ss
b e t we e n
11th and
th
th
12 avenues up 15 Avenue to go along
Henri Dunant to 11th Avenue and back
down to Oka Road.
This year the parade‟s theme was “The
Joy of Music.” There was more music than
ever this year to enliven its 41st anniversary.
As always the whole community was
invited to participate in the parade. About
800 walkers represented sports clubs,
schools, day care centres,
service clubs or religious
organizations. Santa Claus
rode on the last float at the
end of the parade.
Spectators were invited to
bring new and used games to
contribute to the Optimist
Club‟s toy collection. The
toys were placed in the Christmas baskets
from Agape and Joujou-Recup‟r, an
organization that aids the intellectually
handicapped people of the region.
The parade committee wants to thank
the Club des Radios Amateurs des Basses
Laurentides and Quebec Secours, who offer
their services to ensure the safety of the
volunteers and participants and without
which the parade would be impossible.
This year‟s parade was dedicated to Mr.
Claude Deslisle, one of the Committee‟s
members who passed away in October.
Parade Committee members include: John
A. Green, Denis Naud, Martin Hensen,
Ginette Banville, Dave Byers, Brigitte
Blanchet, Diane Gareau, Arthur Glover,
Michel Rochon, and Erik Johnson.
The sponsors for the 2010 parade were:
the Ville de Deux-Montagnes, IGA DeuxMontagnes, Caisse Desjardins St-Eustache
Deux-Montagnes, 105.7 Rythme FM,
Promenades Deux-Montagnes, Le Roi du
Camion, and Les Immeubles Barnac.
To become a participant or sponsor for
next year‟s parade or to learn more about
the parade please go to http://
www.Paradedm.ca.
Page 8
Watching Parades Go By
By Martin Hensen
Watching the Santa Claus
parade go by on December 5,
you might have wondered how
this parade gets organized. You
might have thought that there
must be a lot of people involved
in planning this parade year after
year. Well, have I got news for you. The
whole Santa Claus Parade Committee
consists of not more than 10 people. All are
volunteers who like to see smiles on the
faces of young and old alike, and those
smiles make all the hard work worthwhile.
However, it is getting harder and harder to
find volunteers who are willing to give
some time to serve their community.
Since people are retiring at an earlier
age, not always of their own free will, you
might think this would create a pool of
volunteering retirees. That is just not
happening for reasons I cannot come up
with either. Are they perhaps watching the
other parades, one of
reruns on TV or are they
perhaps not aware of the
need?
S o
m a n y
organizations in our City
are crying for volunteers
who are willing to give
back a little to the
community they live in. The Santa Claus
Parade Committee would love to include
some new members. The present ones are
getting older (a fact of life) and would love
to pass some of their knowledge and
experience on to new volunteers, who in
turn would hopefully bring fresh ideas for
even a better parade.
The Annual General Meeting of the
Santa Claus Parade Committee will be held
on February 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Annette
Savoie Hall, 200 Henri Dunant Street. Why
February/March 2011
not drop in and
offer
your
services or just
come in, attend
the meeting and
show that you
appreciate their
efforts.
For
more
information visit the website at:
[email protected] or call John Green at
450-472-2968.
The Deux-Montagnes Lions' Club is a
service organization involved in many
activities around town. They help citizens in
need - lend canes, wheelchairs or walkers at
no charge to the recipient. The club also
supports various other charitable
organizations. Their members are getting
older and without new members even the
Lions club will have to curtail its activities
and eventually close. Gone would be the
Lions‟ Winter Carnival, the annual book
sale, the senior citizens appreciation day,
garage sales, participation in Canada Day,
the St Jean Baptiste festivities, and
numerous other activities that help make
this City a friendlier and more humane
place.
Membership fees are very
reasonable, or if you do not want to join, or
want to get the feel of the club, become an
associate member and help out in the
activities.
For information on the Lions Call Dave
Byers at 514-602-7054 or visit our website
at http://Deuxmontagnesca.lionwap.org.
There are other associations in town that
would love your help .We cannot list them
all in this article but your City calendar
includes a list of them. If you have never
volunteered, you have deprived yourself of
the inner glow and satisfaction that you get
when you realize that you can indeed make
a difference in your community.
Don‟t let the parade of life pass you by
get involved in your community.
Community Connections
SCHOOL MATTERS
By Gordon Wetmore
Part 1 - Conditions for those graduating
from high school have changed as the
economy has changed. A few years ago,
the education ministry and the CEGEPs
amended the standards of admission so that
a regular high school leaving certificate was
no longer an automatic ticket into college.
Now the requirements to get into CEGEP
have toughened again. Sandra Botelho, a
Grade 11 (level 5) student at Rosemere
High, sets out the problem very clearly in
her perceptive editorial in this issue: there
are more applicants than there are seats in
the English CEGEPs.
What does that mean for collegebound students in levels 4 and 5? It means
that their acceptance will depend on how
their grade averages compare to others. A
simple pass will not cut it now. They will
have to put more time into homework, less
time on recreation and socializing. They
will have to pay better attention in classes,
especially the boring ones, and raise the
level of their performances. Teachers will
have to inform their students of the new
conditions, produce focused classes and
assignments, give useful feedback, and deal
with their anxieties. Parents will have the
task of keeping them both secure and
motivated.
Parents and teachers must
remember that they are on the same side.
Part 2 - “A camel is a horse designed by
committee,” said Sir Alex Issigonis, the late
British automobile designer who created the
Mini. Committees have also been called the
place where good ideas go to die.
Committees are very much on the
minds of the citizens of Deux-Montagnes,
where five citizen committees are to grapple
with the economic and other problems of
the community and, within a year, come up
with a blueprint for a brighter future. It is a
huge challenge.
In public education, committees
abound. Every school has a PPO, a parents‟
participation organization that is in essence
a large committee. An executive committee
will organize its activities. The school will
have a Board of Governors, an advisory
committee with members of the public, staff
members, and even students to give
direction to the school‟s administration.
Page 9
February/March 2011
There are staff committees for subject
matter issues and social activities. Every
school club has a committee to run it.
Teachers unions and school boards
have nearly uncountable committees and
sub-committees. One vice principal, a nononsense type, once facetiously proposed to
his school board that he would create a
committee to study the elimination of
useless committees. The board took him at
his word and sent notification to all its
schools and offices. Within 45 minutes he
had three callers volunteering to join. “I
disbanded the committee,” he said. “At
least I got rid of one.”
The thing is, it is committees that
do the hard, detailed, time-consuming work
that actually produces sound development.
They usually meet after the regular work
day, and the research and planning bite into
the individual members‟ private time. At
the school level, committee members are
rarely compensated for their time. Yet I
have seen excellent programs come out of
this committee work. In one case, I
witnessed changes take place at an urban
school whose population had dwindled
almost to the closing point because of an
unjustified bad reputation. A combined
staff and administration committee set out
to rebuild the school‟s image and to ensure
that its students were well served at the
same time. Today that school is bursting at
the seams.
Consider the camel versus the
horse: it is bigger, faster, stronger and more
enduring, a well designed beast, although
neither pretty nor friendly (and it is inclined
to spit).
If the committees in Deux
Montagnes can design a solution as
functional as a camel, that would be cause
for celebration. If it is also as handsome
and loveable as a horse, wow! So, to those
citizens who are willing to dig into the dirty
work for the benefit of their friends and
neighbours, thank you. We are in your
debt.
What’s the Buzz at
Mountainview? Excitement!
By Darlene Miller, Principal
The year started out with a technological
bang! Much to the excitement of teachers
and students, three more Smart Boards were
installed in classrooms.
These touch
sensitive multi-media white boards add a
touch of pizzazz to regular classroom
instruction and offer many opportunities for
diversified learning.
We also launched our House System with a
day of team building activities with
Dynamix Adventures. All students now
belong to one of four houses: Cougars,
Avatars, Robinclaws or Eagles. Students
have been anxious to earn good behaviour
points for their house. The first reward
went to the Eagles in the form of a pizza
lunch.
Students have been actively learning both
inside and outside of the classroom. The
Kindergarten students visited the
Ecomuseum as part of their unit on
hibernation. Cycle 2 was treated to a visit
from an Iroquois representative, Mr. Maltie.
He presented a unit on the Iroquois way of
life and legends.
A classroom was
transformed into a museum and a life sized
teepee was built on the front lawn!
Cycle 3 students began the year with an
overnight trip to Camp Papillion. Dynamix
Adventures planned two days of fun
teambuilding activities and challenges. The
students are anxiously planning for their
two day trip to Ottawa in June!
In December we wound down with a
professional theatre presentation of
“Beauty” in the gym on December 22. This
was followed on the 23rd with our
traditional Holiday Assembly; by coming
together to share and sing songs we
strengthen our “family” bonds.
At
Mountainview we are one big family, happy
to be learning and growing together.
Mountainview Cares!
Alexander Beaupre, secondary 3, set up his
informational kiosk generalized anxiety disorder
(GAD)
Community Connections
Amber Simon, level 1, knows how to
make Rise Krispies jump.
Page 10
curiosity and investigation.
For instance, our infrastructure and
services have been very much in the news –
and our taxes. Secondary 4 student Tommy
Legault, who has an interest in construction,
wondered whether adding nylon fibres to
concrete would make it stronger, so he
made his own concrete rods and tested them
with weights until they broke. Conclusion:
the tiny fibres increased the rods‟ strength
by many times.
Philip Roberge, also
secondary 4, found that the design of a
building‟s frame significantly affected its
stability. Thomas Vermette, secondary 3,
checked on the quality of our water
treatment and found that our tap water is
safe to drink.
Because he has seen how strongly
INTERESTING PROJECTS
FROM INTERESTED MINDS
By Gordon Wetmore
Curiosity, scepticism, sense of fun,
health issues, vocational interest, personal
concern, teacher encouragement:
these
motivators result in projects that make
science fairs stimulating places to visit. The
Lake of Two Mountains High School‟s fair
December 9 and 10 showed that interested
minds produce interesting results.
A team of judges comprised
Thomas Vermette, level 3, looked into whether our
water treatment mean’s it’s safe to drink from our
taps.
mostly of retired LTM staff and headed by
former LTM science teacher and founder of
the school‟s science fair, Marguerite Hayes,
chose a number of projects to go on to
compete in the regional science fair. Those
results will be reported on in the next issue;
however, the main purpose of science fairs
is not the competition but the products of
February/March 2011
Their lightly scented shampoo cleaned
better and did less damage than a popular
commercial shampoo and a leading baby
shampoo.
Which framework would produce a stronger building/
Ask Philip Roberge, level 4
LTM laboratory technician Bhanu Kotecha and
Margarite Hayes, retired teacher, founder of the LTM
science fair and head judge, flank science teacher Joe
Vettickal
anxiety disorders can affect both sufferers
and their families, Alexander Beaupre,
secondary 3, set up his informational kiosk
to make people aware of this largely
unnoticed but erosively harmful condition.
A person with generalized anxiety disorder
(GAD) will be afflicted by fear, guilt,
frustration, indecision, loneliness and
despair.
“More than 65 per cent of
Canadians are affected either directly or
indirectly by severe anxiety,” he said.
In the midst of the flu season,
Lindsay Parr‟s “Did you wash today?”
investigation into which hand cleansers
worked best was timely. She infected agar
plates with bacterial contaminants, let the
cultures grow, and then treated them with
readily available products. Just rinsing with
water helped, hand soap and water worked
well, anti-bacterial soap even better but best
were hand sanitizers and wet wipes.
The secondary 2 team of Audrey
Roberge and KasSandra Alarie believed that
by using natural essential oils they could
produce a better hair shampoo than popular
commercial products. Using their own hair
for testing, they examined the strands under
a microscope and found – they were right.
Andrea Simon, secondary 1, found
that static electricity could make Rice
Krispies(TM) do more than snap, crackle
and pop – they will jump.
Projects not shown, but interesting
included Patrick Walling‟s (secondary 4) on
whether copper or galvanized steel pipes
thawed more quickly. Copper won. Andrea
Dupuis of secondary 3 tested natural dyes
from 14 common foods or spices. Among
others, raspberries and blueberries stained
well but also washed out fairly well. Watch
out for coriander, though. Annique Tracton,
secondary 4, showed that water moisture
really speeds up the spread of mould in
bread.
For the first time, this year‟s fair
was presented both during the day and in
the evening to give parents a chance to see
the students‟ projects. Principal Sollie
Gliksman said that the evening turnout was
good and the comments were very
gratifying. Congratulations to the teaching
and technical staff of the LTM science
department and the participating students.
Lindsay Parr’s “Did you wash today?” investigation
into which hand cleansers worked best was timely.
Community Connections
Page 11
February/March 2011
LTM High’s New Literacy Program
Students who get the opportunity to work
one on one or within a small group at the
resource centre get the chance to reflect on
characters in a story and discuss problems,
motivations and solutions as they view and
interpret different media.
Careful and continuous monitoring is an
integral part of an effective literacy and
resource program.
As literacy skills
improve, I am confident that student
achievement will rise across the curriculum
spectrum; this is a benefit that will have a
profound impact for the ultimate success of
our students at L.T.M.
entry into English CEGEPs. Under Bill 101,
students who are forced to attend French
elementary and secondary institutions are
permitted to choose the language of
education for post-secondary studies. Many
took the opportunity – and jammed up
English classes. The economic recession of
2008 has also been a prevailing cause, as
many unemployed workers have returned to
learn new disciplines.
While students have sought alternatives
after rejections, the Quebec government has
focused on funding. A million dollars was
given to the three Montreal Island colleges
(Dawson College, Vanier College, and John
Abbott College). Physical space was also
reorganized. For example, Dawson College
built nine classrooms and two social science
laboratories in the neighbouring Pepsi
Forum. This enabled Dawson to accept 300
more students. Acceptance became an
“English” priority, and late admissions were
permitted. Former Minister of Education
Michelle Courchesne stated, “Anglophone
CEGEPs must first accept Anglophones.”
Thus, the crisis of college admissions was
temporarily resolved.
Considering that the crisis will continue
for the next three years, current
undergraduates feel the pressure. Despite
the effective measures that have been
adopted, competition remains, making high
60% and low 70% averages insufficient.
Putting effort in all assignments, by
dedicating more study time and completing
homework, is the only way of guaranteeing
access to higher education. For those who
hope to be successful, remember that
pr esent endea vours ar e crucial .
Laurie King, Reading Resource Teacher
A commitment to student success lies at
the core of our school system. Giving
students the best learning environment
possible and preparing them for their future
are goals shared by all teachers at Lake of
Two Mountains High School. A literacy
program is now underway and a resource
centre is available to the students at L.T.M.
We will continue to encourage student
achievement by helping them develop the
learning skills that will equip them for
success in school and in their every day
lives.
The goal of the literacy program is to
offer a suitable range of reading material,
appropriate for adolescents that will allow
our students to see that reading can be
enjoyable, relaxing and even entertaining.
The centre has some comfy sofas, a shared
reading space, a few computers and lots of
books and magazines to choose from.
The students that work in the literacy
centre will benefit substantially from this
program. Our goal is to improve reading
abilities and accuracy; improved
comprehension, writing skills and, in some
cases, improved spelling and vocabulary, as
well as organization of their materials. The
desired aim is to instill confidence and a
greater willingness to engage in reading and
obtain meaning from the text.
The literacy program aims to build the
self-esteem of struggling readers, and the
centre can even be a place for peer tutoring
as well as an environment that could open
up opportunities to explore creative writing
and poetry. The centre is now available to
the students during their lunch break to sit
and read in comfort or work on homework
or perhaps discuss literature and poetry.
Providing a quiet space for teens to read or
spend time on their writing could only
improve the atmosphere of our school.
Literacy is critical for success. We are
witnessing a crisis in the school system
today due to many factors that are not
entirely in our control. The world is
moving so fast and information is readily
available; unfortunately many students have
not attained the skills to keep up or are not
confident in their abilities and simply need a
little extra support to achieve their best.
The literacy program hopes to meet the
needs of the student body at L.T.M.
Students today are immersed in popular
culture and media literacy is also a priority
for us.
As educators, we have an
opportunity to engage our students in
literacy activities that are fun and engaging.
College Admissions: A Pass Is No
Longer Enough
By Sandra Botelho
Secondary 5, Rosemère
High
School
Have you ever dreamed of becoming
an astronaut? Discovering the cure to
cancer? Solving a crime? Being called
Professor? Of course. Humans, regardless
of their background, aspire to a future in
which they will be recognized, admired and,
most importantly, remembered. In our time,
the most effective way of achieving goals is
to pursue higher education, but what
happens if everyone has the same aim?
Competition thrives. Indeed, in the early
spring of 2010, English colleges were faced
with a dramatic increase in applicants.
Lacking facilities, the five anglophone
CEGEPs of Montreal had to refuse qualified
students.
The crisis occurred when English
CEGEPs noticed the exceedingly high
number of applications for two-year
programs, as in Social Sciences, Health
Sciences, Commerce, Literature, and
Creative Arts. According to Geneviève
Lapointe, communications director of the
Service Régional d‟Admission de Montréal,
CEGEPs received 2700 more applications
than the previous year! As Dawson
communications director Donna Varrica
stated, “There were about 400 applicants [at
Dawson] this year... that were refused due
to lack of space.” Consequently,
prioritization was necessary, which boosted
enrolment in programs requiring fewer
qualifications. Faced with only five colleges
with limited space, many anglophone
students encountered disappointment.
The demand for pre-university programs
has been attributed to an increase in
undergraduates, which was caused by a
demographic boom in the 90‟s. Also, the
growing English-speaking population in
Montreal had to compete with Francophone
Secondary 4 student Tommy Legault, who has an
interest in construction, wondered whether adding
nylon fibres to concrete would make it stronger
Community Connections
Page 12
February/March 2011
ÉCOLE PRIMAIRE MOUNTAINVIEW
MOUNTAINVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2001, rue Guy, Deux-Montagnes (Québec) J7R 1W6
Tel: (450) 621-7780, Fax: (450) 472-6804
www.swlauriersb.qc.ca/schools/mountainview
Kindergarten Registration
Registration for 2011-2012 begins week of February 1st, 2011
Mountainview Elementary School is an English language school that has a proud tradition
of inspiring each child to reach his or her individual potential. We were proud to be chosen
by Today’s Parent Magazine as being one of Canada’s top 30 schools in 2006. Our caring
and dedicated staff work together to offer a variety of academic and extra-curricular learning opportunities. Our motto “Mountainview Cares” permeates all aspects of our school
life. Some of the opportunities Mountainview offers are as follows:

A Math programme focusing on the core competencies of the QEP with a an emphasis on developing and understanding situational problems

A strong English programme with multi-levelled reading that challenges students to
constantly develop and improve their Language Arts skills

A thematic based French Second Language programme (30% of instructional time is
in French)

Computer-assisted learning incorporating 33 IBM think pads and FIVE interactive
Smart Boards

A Kindergarten to Grade 6 academic Music programme

120 minutes of Physical Education per week

Extra-curricular music, science and circus activities

Lunchtime intramural sports activities, and various clubs

Extra-curricular and co-curricular field trips including overnight excursions for Cycle 3
students

Student-led Portfolio Conferences

Ongoing community partnership programmes

A school-wide positive behaviour and character building programme, including a
House System

MELS Daycare
For more information or to make an appointment please call:
(450) 621-7780
Community Connections
Page 13
February/March 2011
The Church Mouse
By Norma Painter
A message from your “Church
Mouse”
Message from the Church Mouse
This issue‟s message is really going to be
a thank you note to all those Church
members who do so much to help their
parishes. That is the work that they do from
setting up everything from the altar flowers
to when the men are usually asked to set up
the tables and chairs for all the different
activities that go on throughout the year.
The bazaars of course seem to be a
favourite where the women‟s wonderful
baking can be found in the Church halls.
Not to mention the myriad of other things
such as crafts, knitting etc.
The pastors and congregations are the
heart of the churches which keep them
operating throughout the year and we can
never thank them enough for their devotion
to God and their fellow parishioners.
The” Church Mouse” Contacts also serve
their Churches in many other ways, and
their pastors and people of the parish must
be as justly proud of them as I am.
Although I realize how very busy we all
are in this modern world of ours, I feel it
would be very nice to put aside an hour or
two each Sunday to spend in Gods house
with your family and friends and be able to
restore yourself with love and hope for the
coming days as we worship and thank God
together.
So once more, a heartfelt thank you as we
continue into the New Year. May God‟s
blessings be upon us all.
Norma
Holy Family Parish
1001 OKA ROAD
DEUX MONTAGNES, QUEBEC J7R 1L9
Tel: 450-473-2163/ Fax: 450-472-7258
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.holy-family-dm.org
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL:
Please join us in Welcoming our New
Parish Priest Father Cyril MacNeil.
Masses will be celebrated: Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9:00
a.m. and Friday at 3:00 p.m.
Weekend Mass: Saturday evenings at 5:00
p.m. and Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m.
PARISH EVENTS:
March 8 –Shrove Tuesday – Pancake
Tuesday 6:00 p.m. (Tickets sold in advance)
March 9 – Ash Wednesday (time to be
announced)
March 12 – CWL Progressive Whist at
12:00 noon
March 13 – First Sunday of Lent
Regular Children‟s Faith Education is
held during the 10:00 a.m. Mass on
Sundays.
God Bless one and all, we hope you will
join us.
Father Cyril MacNeil
Christ Church United
214-14th Avenue, Deux Montagnes
February 6, there will be a congregational
lunch after worship.
February 20, our annual congregational
meeting will be held after worship.
This year our church and Minister have
been very busy, far and near. Reverend
Cathy Hamilton went on a pilgrimage to
Turkey and Greece and retraced the
“Footsteps of Paul,” and showed the
pictures of that trip on January 23. She will
again be taking a trip, this time to Cuba to
visit some Cuban communities, including
Havana and Matanzas where the protestant
seminary is located. While there, she plans
to visit a group of women in Cuatro
Esquinas who use the profits earned by
sewing to help feed and provide vitamins
for the retired farmers of the community.
Our own craft corner of Christ Church is
pleased to be sending along some materials
and notions to aid their cause, with a letter
of introduction that we hope will open a
gateway of communication between us.
Hats and mittens was a project our whole
congregation took on with zeal and
provided those items, handmade and bought
for children in our community who may
need a helping hand at school, during these
cold winter months.
Along with the Santa Parade open house
where lunch was provided free for those
watching the parade from our comfy church
vantage point, we at Christ Church are glad
t o
b e
extending a
hand to our
commun ity
and beyond.
Blessings to
all.
All Saints Church
248-18th Ave., Deux Montagnes
Priest: Reverend David Hart
[email protected]
Telephone: 450-473-9541
All are welcome to these and all events!
Sunday services with Sunday school and
nursery at 11:00 a.m.
1st Sunday,
Morning Prayer
2nd / 4th Sunday, Holy Communion
3rd Sunday,
Family service (Morning
Prayer)
10:30-11:00 a.m.: Time to connect (coffee,
tea, juice, snacks and friends)
Youth Group: For all high school-aged
youth. Every Friday starting at 6:30 pm
(with supper) at the rectory (next to the
church).
4th Friday: SPAM (Sports Night at
Mountainview) – 7:30 pm Contact:
Christine Sandilands – 450-974-9722
February/March
Feb. 5/March 5 “Food for Body and Soul”
monthly breakfast 9:00 a.m. at the church
hall
March 8, 5:30 pm, Shrove Tuesday Pancake
Supper, Church Hall
March 9, 7:00pm, Ash Wednesday Service
Feb. 24/March 24, 10:30 a.m. Holy
Communion service at Les Cascades
Feb. 27/March 27
Worship & Share at
All
Saints
Church
Hall
– Meal, Music and Message starting at 5:00
pm
People’s Church
370-5th Avenue, Deux Montagnes.
We at People‟s Church want to wish
everyone a Happy Valentine‟s Day. The
bible says that God is love and we see His
love poured out to us in so many ways.
God gives us life and "every good and
perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the father of the heavenly lights, who
does not change like shifting shadows."
(Jas 1: 17) You are welcome to come and
worship with us on Sunday mornings at
11:00 a.m. and also join us as we study
Genesis on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Look
for an upcoming rally for all the children
who attended Vacation Bible School this
summer. Please call 450-472-4105 for
more information.
Community Connections
Page 14
February/March 2011
The Church Mouse
By Norma Painter
Ste-Marie-du-Lac Parish
1002 Oka Rd., Deux Montagnes
Christmas Basket Food Drive (“La
Guignolee”)
Andre Ouellet, President of Depannage
Saint-Agapit Inc., would like to thank
everyone for their cash and food donations
and all the many volunteers who helped
with the driving, collecting, sorting and
packing of all non-perishable food and toys.
He would also like to emphasize how
generous the citizens of Deux-Montagnes
were once again in bringing happiness and
hope to so many families in our community
for the 2010 Christmas Season.
Ash Wednesday: March 9
Baptism: Feb. 6 + 13 11:15 mass at
St-Agapit
Mar. 6 + 13 11:15 mass 1st Pardon:
Feb. 1
19:30
Mar. 10 19:00
1st Communion:
Sat. Feb. 26 5:00 mass at St-Agapit
Sun. Apr. 3 11:15 mass
For more information on any of the
Sacraments, please refer to the following
par i sh we bsi t e:
h ttp://
w w w. m a p a r oi s s e . i n fo/ vi vr e - s a - foi /
sacrements/confirmation.fr.html
Holy Cross Parish (Rosemère)
Parish Centre: 555 Lefrançois, Rosemère,
QC, J7A 4R5
450-621-2150 Fax: 450-621-9080
www.holycrossrosemere.com
210 Rue de L’Église, Rosemère, Québec
Important Dates:
February 2,
Candlemas
February 7,
Confirmation Classes begin
February 14, Valentine‟s Day
March 9,
Ash Wednesday; Beginning
of Lent
March 13,
Communion Classes begin +
Daylight Savings Time
March 17,
St. Patrick‟s Day
March 20,
Spring Equinox
March 25,
the Annunciation
Parent Workshops for SPP:
February 05 to 12, March 05, 19 and 26
In February, may we open our hearts not
only to our loved ones but also to those who
are alone or homeless and for whom
Valentine‟s Day can be a reminder of
painful isolation.
Wouldn‟t this be a
magnificent act of charity in preparation for
Lent, sharing our love with the lonely?
Lent is the 40 day period before Easter,
when we participate in alms giving,
repentance, self-denial, and prayer,
reflecting on sacrifice and Jesus‟ suffering
before His resurrection.
Love is a spiritual gift from heaven
St. James Anglican Church
328 Pine St. Rosemère
450-621-6466
[email protected].
St. James had a successful fall fund
raising season that we hope to repeat during
the coming winter. Hivernal events have
yet to be decided so we would invite you to
visit our website at
www.stjamesrosemere.ca. Information will
be posted as our program unfolds.
If you are looking for a place to hold a
meeting, a family reunion or for any large
gathering ... St. James' Havill Hall is
available for your needs. Reasonable rates
available, give us a call.
Rosemère Memorial Church
200 Grande Cote, Rosemère
www.rosemerememorial.org
Ste.Therese United Church
24 rue Saint-Charles, Sainte-Therese
Kanesatake United Church,
209 rue des Anges, Oka.
Information for all churches: 450-437-5560
The World Day of Prayer will be held on
Friday, March 4, and I believe that St.
James Anglican in Rosemère will be
hosting the service.
It also includes
Rosemère Memorial and Ste. Therese
United, Holy Cross Parish and Ste.
Francoise Cabrini.
For our three churches, regular services
are:
Rosemère Memorial: Services at 11:00 a.m.
except the 4th Sunday of the month at 7:30
p.m.
Ste. Therese at 9:30 a.m.
Kanesatake - 1st Sunday of the month at
the Elders‟ Residence and the other Sunday
services will be at the Church at 11:00 a.m.
Christmas Parade 2010
Cool
By Bianca Mercadante
I guess they call it cool
because of the way
those kids huddle up really close
as if they were freezing cold
while their gossip wanders
to the ears of the passing stranger
I guess they call it cool
because of the way
their words sting like bitter icicles
stabbing the back
of the kid who forgot to watch it
I guess they call it cool
because of the way
their eyes pierce through you
scrutinizing your every move
sending you chills
that make you turn away
I guess they call it cool
because of the way
their eyes are glazed over with ice
and their smiles are frozen
not quite reaching their eyes
because they have no warmth to melt it
Ms. Mercandante is a secondary 2 student
at Rosemere High School. Her
observations belie her age.
Community Connections
Page 15
garnish with lemon wedges!
Sue Chef
By Sue Sanders
Hello again! I would
enjoy this dinner any
cold winter day. To
turn it into a special
Valentines Day dinner
just place red roses, red
candles and red wine on the table. Et voila!
Menu
Chili Shrimp Kabobs
Fettuccine with Scallops, Bacon & peppers
Strawberry crepes with Whipped Cream
(Serves 4)
Chili Shrimp Kabob
16 Large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Garlic Clove
1 Tbsp. Cilantro Leaves, finely chopped
1 Long red chili pepper, seeded and finely
chopped
(Use more ore less depending on your
taste.)
2 Tsp. Lime juice
2 Tsp Vegetable oil
1 Tsp Sesame Oil
3 Tbsp. Light soya sauce
Salt and white pepper to taste
4 Medium length wooden skewers
Ingredients:
Combine all ingredients,
except the shrimp, in a bowl and mix well.
Add shrimp and mix well. Cover and place
in the fridge to marinate for at least a few
hours, or overnight.
Soak skewers in water for one hour.
When ready to skewer the shrimp, preheat your grill or broiler to Medium-high
heat. Then skewer 4 shrimp on each
skewer.
Lightly oil your grill if using one. If you
are broiling, place skewers on a foil lined
baking sheet cook for two to three minutes.
Shrimp are cooked when opaque through
and pink outside.
Arrange nicely on or along side of a
green salad, or simply serve on its own, and
Fundraiser for local Food Bank
Give from the Heart
In partnership
with The
Pampered Chef
Saturday
February 12th,
2011
Fettuccine with Scallops, bacon and
peppers
Ingredients: 6 Bacon Slices
1 Cup red pepper, chopped
½ Cup Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
¼ Cup Olive Oil
12 Scallops, medium halved or quartered
12 ounces Fettuccine
¼ Tsp. Crushed Red peppers or to taste.
½ Cup Parmesan cheese finely grated.
Fry bacon until crispy. Drain on paper
towels. Discard fat. Heat the oil in the pan
over medium-heat. Add onion and sauté
until tender. Stir in red peppers, garlic and
crushed red pepper. Sauté for two minutes.
Add cleaned scallops and sauté over high
heat for about three minutes.
When
scallops are cooked through add the bacon,
which you have crumbled into chunks with
your fingers.
Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in boiling
salted water until cooked to your taste.
Drain and toss with the scallop mixture.
Mix well and serve on warmed plates. Put
Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Place on
the table for those who would like to
sprinkle some on top! If you would like
more of a cream sauce, just add ½ cup 35%
cream after the addition of the crumbled
bacon to the scallop mixture. Stir until the
cream is warmed.
Strawberry Crepes with Whipped Cream
Ingredients: 1 ½ Cup Strawberries, washed,
halved and sliced
¼ Cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 Cup Flour, All Purpose
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
½ Tsp. Salt
1 Cup Milk
2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
2 Eggs.
Place sliced strawberries in a bowl.
Drizzle syrup on top. Mix well, cover and
From 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Maison des citoyens, (beside the
library)
200 Henri-Dunant, DeuxMontagnes
Join us for demos, prizes, balloon
pops and a « high rollers club » All
for a worthy cause.
All proceeds will go to help needy
families in Deux-Montagnes
February/March 2011
refrigerate for three hours.
To make crepes place flour, salt and
baking powder in a bowl and mix well.
Gradually add milk and whisk until smooth.
Add the butter and one egg, whisk. Then
add the second egg and whisk again.
Place crepe pan or a non-stick frying pan
if you don‟t have a crepe pan, on medium
heat. Add a little butter to the pan. When
butter is hot, but not burned, add just
enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan,
very thinly. The best way is to pour in
some batter and quickly tilt the pan as you
rotate it until the pan is just coated. Cook
for a minute, flip and cook for another
minute.
The crepe should be nicely
browned. Remove from pan. Place on wax
-paper continue making crepes, stacking
them with wax paper in between each one
being cooked. Depending on pan size you
should have six to eight crepes. (Can be
made a day ahead, just cover and
refrigerate.)
Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
1 Cup 35% Cream
¼ Cup sugar (add more sugar if it tastes too
bland for you.)
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract.
Before starting, make sure the mixing
bowl, beaters and cream are cold. Place in
the fridge until cold.
When cold, pour cream into a mixing
bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff
peaks form. Gradually add in the sugar and
then the vanilla.
To put together – place equal amounts of
strawberries and syrup in the centre of each
crepe. Spread out with a knife. Roll up the
crepe gently. Place on plates and top with
whipped cream.
A little drizzle of Grand Marnier™
before topping with whipped cream, adds a
special touch.
As always, I hope you
enjoy.
This is your chance to buy some great
kitchen tools (and more) from
Pampered Chef while supporting
your community.
Bring your friends – and help make
a difference.
Can’t make it? You can still help!
contact :
Cathy Bobkowicz, 450-491-2116,
www.chefcathybob.com
Community Connections
Page 16
February/March 2011
Local Entrepreneurs Salon Pil-Poil
their own grooming business so they could
bring a more personal service to their
clients, who have followed them to their
new location. Laura felt that this would
not possible while working for someone
else.
They looked for the perfect place and
name to open their salon and believe that
they have found them at their present
location, which is at the side entrance of
the building across Oka Road from the
CLSC Jean-Olivier Chenier. Renovations
were done and a dog bath with steps was
installed so that small and large dogs can
make their way up to the bathtub on their
own. The rooms were painted with the
help of family members. The name Salon
Pil-Poil is a French expression that means
Tip-Top or A1, which is the kind of service
they wish to provide.
Laura has worked as a groomer for
many years in Deux-Montagnes and St.
Eustache. Alexandra is 21 years old and
her specialty is the cats and the guinea
pigs, which she loves to work with, doing
baths, shaving and caring for them. She
says that cats have a short attention span
and that the 20 minutes it takes to wash
them makes them impatient. She has been
working with animals since she was 15
years old and has always wanted this to be
her profession.
Both Laura and Alexandra are pet
lovers and they have their five dogs, Billy,
Winston, Austin, Alie and Mia, with them
every day to calm and welcome other
animals for their appointments.
If a
customer‟s dog is nervous about having
other dogs around, the groomers‟ dogs go
behind a barrier or in cages. Dogs can be
loose while they are waiting for you and
you may stay and wait for your dogs to be
groomed if you wish. It usually takes
about two hours for a dog to be shaved and
bathed so they are ready when you arrive
to pick them up.
You can expect to pay $5 to have the
claws cut, $50 for grooming a small, short
haired Golden Retriever or $60.00 for a
large, long haired one. Grooming for cats
costs $30.00 and for guinea pigs, $15.00.
It always depends on the size of the animal
and the time it takes to complete the work
done on your animal. Laura and Alexandra
would like to invite new clients to come
and meet them and try out their services.
Laura and Alexandra will answer
you in English or French when you call for
at 450-598-6979. They seem to be friends
as well as colleagues, so we‟d like to wish
them well and hope that you will give their
service a trial run.
(wastewater treatment plant, public
buildings and the synthetic field at PDM),
increases of regional financial contributions
(public transit, CMM, wastewater sanitation
board), the end of 2010 tax relief funding,
and debt repayment.
Additionally, numerous improvements in
services were detailed which came with a
price tag of about $20/tax bill for every
$100,000 of expenditures. These 100 or so
requests coming from departmental
directors or citizens during
the Citizens‟ Summit in
June, 2010, were analyzed
by the town council when
determining the final budget for 2011.
In the days following these information
sessions, town council debated each of the
budget items until a consensus was reached
and it was presented to the citizens at a
special session of the town council on
December 9, 2010. There was unanimous
agreement by all members of the town
council that the budget passed was the best
plan possible for the citizens of Two
Mountains given the current financial
situation. The average tax increase for a
residence in Two Mountains will be about
13.6%.
Laura Agombar and Alexandra De Carufel
By Heather M. Brown
I met with Laura Agombar and her
partner Alexandra De Carufel on January 6
at their new animal grooming business at
20B Chemin d‟Oka, St. Eustache. They
opened their doors on December 4, 2010,
and are eager to welcome you to Salon Pil-
Poil.
Both Laura and Alexandra have
certificates from the colleges where they
studied their craft. Laura‟s was received in
1991 from Elegance Canine and
Alexandra‟s from the Studio au Dame a
Chien in 2005. Their team has been
working together for three years since they
met at another salon. They decided to run
Tax increase continued from page 2...
To maintain the present services, an
average minimum tax increase of $211 is
forecast for a residence having a value of
approximately $187,000. This amount will
vary depending on the assessment roll. The
increase is attributable to several major
factors the most important of which are:
interest on financing 2009 work
Cathy Rickert
Owner
Community Connections
PANDA – THE INSIDE SCOOP!
By Lisa Agombar
“Parents Apt at
Neg otiatin g
Attention
Deficit
Disorder” also
kn own
as
“ P A N D A
BLSO” is a not
for profit community organization that
supports people living with symptoms of
ADHD.
PANDA BLSO organizes conferences,
specialized workshops, and information and
support services on a monthly basis and was
created by parents and intervention workers
when they started looking for English
support services in our region that would
provide information and strategies to help
their children.
Over the years PANDA has evolved; we no
longer only had parents, we also had adults
looking for information. Soon to follow
were intervention and community workers,
teachers, and extended families that began
to participate in our conferences; as well we
added specialized workshops for children
and teens.
We recently reviewed our general rules and
realized that modifications were needed to
reflect that we are a people‟s organization
and not just for parents with an official
change in our name “People Apt at
Be Impeccable With
Your Word
By Marsha Baxter
Don Miguel Ruiz wrote a
book several years ago,
entitled
The
Four
Agreements. I found it quite interesting and
always remember the one which is the title
of this article. I appreciate the fact that we
must mean what we say, and choose our
words wisely. Granted, at times I slip and
say something that I regret afterwards. I am
disappointed in myself if I say something
hurtful. The same applies towards a child,
who does not have the years of experience
that we do, to differentiate between what
someone tells us when they are upset or
angry and how they sincerely feel about us.
Of course you love your child, but keep in
mind that words can hurt deeply and we
have to be careful if we speak in anger. It is
better to keep silent and calm down; rather
than hurt our child with a caustic remark
Page 17
Negotiating Attention Deficit Disorder” to
follow.
There are several PANDA‟s throughout
Quebec under the umbrella “Régroupment
des Associations des PANDA,” all with
their own histories, guidelines and services
yet we share the same purpose; to provide
information and support in living with
symptoms of ADHD and moving towards
becoming a people‟s organization.
This past October the PANDA‟s of Quebec
came together to review the objectives of
our individual associations and those of the
Régroupment, as well discuss our
accomplishments to date and share ideas for
the future.
One of the major
accomplishments was a decision that all
PANDA‟s would take part in an October
ADHD campaign with the Centre for
A D HD / A D D A d voc a c y, C a n a d a
(CADDAC) where PANDA‟s across
Quebec were contacted by the media and
interviewed by television or radio stations
with the common theme being that our
ministry of education needs to recognize
ADHD in Quebec as a disability and allow
for classroom accommodations
Positive feedback and praise was given
throughout the workshop with regards to
our ability to maintain a bilingual PANDA
as we are the only one in Quebec with an
English chapter. We graciously accepted
the compliments while acknowledging the
time, effort and patience that it requires on
everyone‟s part; not to mention mastering
that leaves a scar that we cannot see. There
is no magic bandage to heal this kind of
wound, and what often happens is that we
chisel away at our loved one‟s sense of selfworth and value. It is very sad to see a
smiling face, turn dark and gloomy.
At C.E.S.A.M.E. we have a “Take a Break”
corner where the children are encouraged to
go and chill out, if they are upset, angry or
just need a few minutes to calm down. It is
wonderful to see a little one realize that he
needs to step away for a few minutes,
before doing something he regrets; such as
yell or hit for example. As an adult, we can
surely be aware of what comes out of our
mouths and be impeccable with our word.
Everyone gets angry, but surely we have
evolved enough to be able to take a break,
breathe, calm down and then speak. We can
ask for a few minutes to think before
reacting, or using words that we do not
mean to. This is a learned behaviour that
can start at a young age.
February/March 2011
our very own language called “Franglo”, a
combination of French and English!
Your PANDA continues to develop and
enhance its services and we have recently
expanded our workshop topics for parents
to include relevant information for adults.
This past January we offered a session on
“ADHD Money Management; Finally
Dollars and Sense!”, and we are venturing
into some of the other co-morbidities that
are associated with ADHD.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES:
Date: February 10, 2011
Topic: Depression
Speaker: Dr.Peter Gantouse
Date: February 24, 2011
Topic: Anxiety
Speaker: Brian McGirr, MSW
Should you be interested in either or both of
these topics please don‟t hesitate to contact
me so you can come out and join the group.
A membership fee of $5.00 for an
individual or $7.00 per family covers this
calendar year of conferences as well access
to borrow books from the PANDA library,
purchasing a membership simply means you
support the organization.
For more information contact Lisa Agombar
at 514-713-5353 or visit our web-site at
www.pandablso.ca
It is important to discuss emotions with
your child and give him the tools to be able
to handle them in an appropriate way. We
have made “mood meters” with the children
that they took home, and hopefully some
are in use. The children are able to move the
“hand” to the picture that corresponds to
their feeling and show it to mom and dad. If
a child is able to name his emotion and
learn the best ways to deal with
them, he will be able to carry this on
throughout his life.
Feel free to call C.E.S.A.M.E. 450623-5677 if you have, or know of a
child who could benefit from our
Stimulation Workshops and learn
many things, including how to deal
with anger and stress.
Community Connections
Page18
Building Healthy Communities
thanks to the volunteers for their
involvement.
When my own children were growing
up, my husband's work necessitated his
being away from home about seventy
percent of the time.
We relied on
neighbours and friends to help us keep pace
with the kids‟ activities. I was grateful
then, as I am today for the many
recreational programs offered to us by our
local municipalities and our school boards.
Looking over the huge assortment of
recreational activities offered here in
Rosemère, Boisbriand, Blainville, St.
Thérèse, Deux Montagnes and other local
towns here in the Lower Laurentians, I am
amazed by the variety and the minimal cost
of each one.
These days, I am a grandparent in fairly
good health, so I want to help out my
children by attending their kids‟ many
activities, and volunteering in any capacity
that I can.
Someone once asked Mother Thérèsa of
Calcutta: "How can I create World Peace?"
She replied, "Go home and love your
family."
See you at my grandson's soccer
game……
By Emily Barber
As I write this article, it's New Year's
Eve 2010 and I am looking over the Queen
Elizabeth II‟s Christmas message. The
Queen said: "Getting involved with sports
can help people build communities and
develop social skills."
Who could argue against this message?
I believe in a civilized world, and that
we need to think and to work as a team.
Teamwork is very beneficial to all in our
Global Society.
However, we cannot overlook the huge
contribution of music, art and literature to
improving our world, and they will do so in
all future generations.
I have a friend in Blainville who has
attended her grandsons' hockey games
religiously for the past 13 years. She has
given her time and attention to her boys and
she has enjoyed every minute of watching
these games. There is a message given to
them by her attendance, that "they” were
important to her and the family. The
volunteer efforts of the coaches, referees,
etc., have such a positive impact on our
youth and our attendance at the events says
Facebook, the Internet
and Your Job
By Daryl Dagenais
Facebook seems like lots of fun but do not
kid yourself, it is not all fun & games on
Facebook.
Folks are putting up all kinds of stuff on
Facebook.
When the pictures on Facebook are of you
looking bleary eyed, or scantily clad or
worse, ask yourself this very important
question, is this what you want present and
future employers to see?
When you are in a job search, employers are
in a process of getting information about
you .
If employers are taking the time to check
your references, they may also be taking the
time to check out your presence on
Facebook.
When your Facebook page reveals you on
the beach in Florida, or the bar in Bali, ask
yourself do these pictures represent a
professional portrayal of you?
Employers may also use Facebook when
they are considering you for a promotion.
All the information that they have received
about you prior to that promotion are taken
into consideration.
It is not because you have a job that you can
feel free to let loose on Facebook.
Imagine, your presence on Facebook can
take you out of the running for the
promotion that you worked hard for.
Do a complete review of your Facebook
page. Analyze what is on there. Is it
appropriate? Take the necessary steps to
remove any items that put you in a less than
positive light. Enlist the help of those
around you, by asking your friends and
connections for their cooperation and to be
careful what they post and if you are not
comfortable, do have a discussion with them
and be clear about your concerns. Adjust
your privacy settings, restrict access and
remember to test the settings to make sure
that you got it right. Your life is your gift,
make the very best of it .
By Daryl Dagenais
Daryl Dagenais is the president of Vertex
Human Resources Solutions Inc.
and is a certified professional and personal
coach.
You
can
reach
Daryl
at
[email protected].
February/March 2011
WHEN IS A DEAL
NOT A DEAL
By Mr. Good Buy
Buyers beware! When you have bought
a home and you think that you have
purchased a bargain, be very careful.
Many buyers are looking at a
REPOSESSION or REPRISSE de
FINANCE. These are homes that have
been taken over by the banks and resold
through a Chartered Real Estate company
such as Century21, La Capital, etc. Yes,
some of these homes can be at a low market
price, but the reasons could be:
1) The person or persons that owned the
home previously lost it, probably due to
financial difficulties. Most likely they did
not maintain their home for several years.
2) When the home is put up for sale as
repossession, a lawyer is assigned to take
care of the sale.
As a third person
negotiator, neither the lawyer nor the bank
is responsible for any defects, so it is sold
as "Sale without legal warranty of quality,
at the buyer's risk." This means that if
there are any hidden defects, you, the
buyer, are responsible.
3) It can also be a cannabis house, which
will be stated in the addendum on your
MLS listing. Do you want this type of
dwelling which most times has to be gutted
and redone inside?
So, in closing, even if you are a vigilant
person and you know everything about
buying a house, the deal of the century can
turn out to be a nightmare. Your real estate
broker will help you with all these issues,
but be careful -- a deal can come back to
haunt you.
Community Connections
BOUTIQUE DES ARTISANS :
Juergen Weiss and Friends
By Juergen Weiss
Spontaneously I took the decision at the end
of October 2010 to rent a boutique in the
mall Les Promenades Deux-Montagnes for
the Christmas season, to present with a
group of local artisans our wonderful and
unique pieces of artwork.
With around 100 beautiful old apple crates
and with our creations of candles, pottery,
jewellery, paintings, greeting cards, wooden
Safety on the Ice!
By Christopher
Harding
Community Agent
Police Regionale de
Deux-Montagnes
Every winter tragic events take place in
the province of Quebec as a result of
activities that occur on the ice. Your police
service calls for you to be careful when you
are participating in on ice activities. You
must first measure the thickness of the ice
Page 19
February/March 2011
sculptures
and
orn am ent s, fra m ed
i m a ges, h a n dm a de
cr afts,
etc.,
we
transformed the empty
store into a lovely,
charming
and
welcoming boutique des
artisans.
Most of the time I was
present in the store
because some of the
artists were working full
-time and some had
already signed up for
other Christmas craft
fairs. I had a wonderful
time and it was a great
experience. I met a lot
of
nice
clients and I had some
interesting conversations, even
in French ... (because now I‟m
not a beginner anymore). I
grew up in this kind of
business since I was little,
when I worked in Germany in
my grandmother‟s store.
We decided to keep the
boutique open until the 31st of
December. I had a strange and
sad feeling when I closed the
doors of our boutique for the
last time ... after one month of being there.
A lot of people told me that we had a
“wonderful store!” Especially during the
last week, people asked me where we would
be after December. I told them that I rented
the boutique only temporarily and that we
don‟t have a permanent location. My plan
is to organize some shows in the fall and
again for Christmas.
I would like to say “Thank you” and “Merci
beaucoup” to all our visitors and clients and
to my friends, the artists and artisans . I‟m
proud of every one of you and it was a
pleasure for me to be surrounded by you.
Thank you again for making this event
come true.
before driving on it. These measures must
be taken in different locations, assuring that
the ice will support your weight, that of
your fishing equipment and your means of
transport.
The Rescue Society (La Societe de
sauvetage) recommends that the thickness
of the ice be at least 10 cm (4 inches) for a
person to walk on it, to fish there or to take
a long skiing trip. Before driving on the ice,
be assured that it is sufficiently frozen. The
Deux-Montagnes Lynx Snowmobile Club
(Club de motoneige les Lynx de DeuxMontagnes) reports that every season about
one-quarter of snowmobile deaths is caused
by drowning. Please be careful!
It is important to note that changes to the
laws concerning off-street vehicles forbid
you to drive an off street vehicle between
10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. in all venues.
Police operations during the winter season
are going to assure that you respect the
changes to this new article of the law.
Ice is classified by its colour and what its
function should be. Blue transparent ice is
the most resistant. This is the reason why
we ask that activities on ice take in the
regions assigned by the people who are in
charge of verifying the local thickness of
the ice.
Before going out, take a moment to
evaluate the state of your intended path with
the help of internet sites of our local
or ganization s
wh i ch
are:
clubquadbasseslaurentides.com and
clublynx.qc.ca. At these locations you will
find all the information necessary for a safe
and pleasant outing. Have a good trip.
Community Connections
Page 20
St. Patrick’s Day Stories
By Gordon Wetmore
Since I'm protestant English, my first real
memory of St. Patrick's Day came when I
was in my mid-twenties in Frobisher
Bay. A large and very Irish friend barged
into my bedroom at 7:00 a.m. with a gleam
in his eye and a bottle of John Jamieson in
his hand, partly consumed. "Wake up," he
commanded, "nobody sleeps in on St.
Patrick's Day!" He handed me the bottle
and said, "Drink or I'll beat you." Well, I
looked him in the eye and decided to take
him seriously. I took a slug, coughed,
gasped, and spluttered. "There, there," he
said, patting me on the back in a kind of
b o n e - r a t t l i n g
affection. "Now," he said,
taking the bottle back,
"you threaten me and I'll
drink." As it turned out,
nobody around him slept
that morning, that night,
nor all the next day.
By Heather M. Brown
Being of Irish ancestry, St. Patrick‟s Day
brings back a memory for me. It was a
favourite thing on that day in our family to
have potato cakes, which were small
pancakes made with mashed potatoes
instead of flour. They were cooked by my
father in an old frying pan on our electric
stove.
It seemed a bit odd to me for Dad to do
make these potato cakes, as he never
cooked anything else. It was a tradition
remembered by my Dad, whose father had
come from Ireland to minister to the
neighbouring farmers and his mother from
the Isle of Mann. I‟m sure they must have
missed their families and the familiar foods
and customs they had left behind.
We don‟t follow the tradition any longer
in our home, but it is still a nice memory of
St. Patrick‟s Days gone by.
Valentine’s Day
By Heather M. Brown
Well, it is almost Valentine‟s Day again,
a day when we want to show our loved ones
our enduring love. We want to buy a card,
chocolates, or candies to prove that we still
care.
Our Valentine‟s cards show once again
that we remember how important our loved
ones are to us. To do this, perhaps we
could give them a coupon to use at a later
date, a written promise to do something for
them when they want or need it but
especially when we haven‟t thought of it. It
might be a coupon with an offer to do a
simple task, something we‟d usually do
anyway but might have forgotten, or a
blank coupon to do something really special
that we never would have thought of.
A card with a poet‟s message can often
express better than we can how the love
that we began to feel years ago has grown
to become more special in our lives, the
reason why we do the things we do.
In showing our Valentine‟s that we still
care for them in a special way, we can
reawaken the passion we used to feel, and
remind ourselves how important it is that
we don‟t take for granted the love we share.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
By Cookie Smith
Here‟s a well-known traditional Irish
Blessing I‟d like to share with everyone.
We‟re all Irish on St. Patty‟s Day and we
can all use blessings in our lives!
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And
until
we
meet
again,
February/March 2011
“Because of pressure from other
commitments, Colleen Baxter Sullivan
reluctantly has had to discontinue her
column “Coffee with Colleen.” Her
welcoming style and views on what is
going on generated interest and debate
among many of our readers. We thank her
for her contributions to the Community
Connections and wish her success with the
publication of her second novel Jaded”
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
May God be with you and bless you,
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your
home
And may the hand of a friend always be
near.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.
Community Connections
By Ron Kesseler
Driving in Quebec
I for one am tired of inconsiderate, ignorant
and sometimes downright dangerous drivers
here in Quebec. You know the ones I mean,
male and females alike, some going so fast
one can only wonder where the heck they
are going, or the super overly cautious
group who prefer going 20 or 30 kilomètres
under the speed limit because no, they
aren‟t in a hurry. But maybe, just maybe,
they should be considerate to the 40 cars
behind them that might be!
We mustn‟t forget the tailgaters, you know,
the ones who crawl up your bumper and
make rude gestures with their hands (and
fingers) at you in an attempt to make you
move your two ton mastodon out of their
way. We all know that wherever they have
to go, whatever they have to do is surely
more important than what you have to do!
I don‟t want to categorize drivers, but I will
Adessa Public
Auction
By Heather M. Brown
T h e
A d e s s a
Corporation held a public
auction on November 20,
at their St. Eustache
facility that holds plenty of
automobiles, vans, trailers,
sn owmobiles,
and
4wheelers for sale.
The auction for once was
open to the public. You
had to register at the front
desk and have a photocopy
of their driver‟s license
taken. People could buy
as many vehicles from the
list that was provided that
they wanted. Buyers were
free to open the doors and
check inside the vehicles
as they were driven
through the auction lane H.
The driver‟s moved the
cars slowly so that the
auctioneers would have a
chance to try to get some
bids for them. Most often
they were successful
although there were
several occasions when the
Page 21
February/March 2011
just ask you this. Is it just me that sees
more and more young females driving little
cars as if they were on a racetrack, and this
while still talking on their cell phone [which
is illegal]?
Did you ever notice than on a rain or slush
covered highway, someone always passes
you, then cuts in front of you only a few
feet from your car instead of staying in the
passing lane for a little longer? This would
prevent you from being blinded by rain or
slush as you fumble for the wiper switch,
then notice you need washer, then once
again are unable to see clearly for valuable
seconds and that‟s assuming you have
window washer left.
In traffic going or coming from work, have
you ever noticed that on highways such as
the 13 or 15, traffic is at a crawl, but as you
pull up to the guy on your right, he thinks
your lane is moving faster so he pulls in
front of you at the same time he puts on his
turning signal … as if the fact he used his
signal automatically gives him the right to
cut you off.
How about Quebec‟s well designed merging
lanes?
You know the ones such as on
Aurotroute 13 south at the Laval/Montreal
Bridge where the lane just disappears…!!!
Wow, now that can be a challenge. Or as
you merge from Autoroute 13 south to the
40 West and have to cut off traffic to go
onto the 40 on some of the best asphalt I‟ve
ever been on [just kidding]! Then let‟s not
forget attempting to merge from Autoroute
440 east to the south bound 15 service road
towards Carrefour Laval, which forces you
to cross three lanes of speeding traffic, isn‟t
that a charm…?
Well, none of this would be an issue if only
we thought of the consequences should we
be involved in an accident, damaging cars,
injuring someone, or even worse. So we
should all think for a second: do I have any
of those driving habits, and is it that
important to get there with no consideration
for others?
I could go on and on about our roads and
drivers but, hey, we live in Quebec, roads
won‟t get better, but maybe, just maybe we
as drivers can! Those are my thoughts,
what are yours?
auctioneers passed a car
through when there were no
bids or the bids were not
high enough.
The main consignees for
that auction were the TD
Bank and Bell Canada.
Several of their older
vehicles were put on
auction just to get rid of
them I think. The old Bell
vans were pretty rusty but
were well equipped and
maybe they would be useful
for many years yet even in
that condition.
Other
vehicles were in very good
condition, with few miles
ta lli ed up on th eir
odometers.
You could purchase food
from the restaurant that
exists and Adessa, from my
neighbour Louise.
I didn‟t end up buying
any vehicles from the
auction that day, but I sure
had a lot of fun. I hope they
will have another public
auction for in my case the
entertainment value.
Community Connections
Making Your 2010
Fitness Resolution
Successful
By Glenda Esguerra
Paravie
Personal Fitness Specialist
Once again, we review the year that‟s
passed and make some New Year‟s
resolutions.
Making resolutions is easy, but actually
keeping them is quite another achievement.
Perhaps a better way to create success is to
keep things simple. Make a check list of
things you want to do or change and check
off each point as you accomplish them.
Page 22
* Socialize more.
* Volunteer in your community.
* Smoke less, or quit smoking.
* Make your meals colourful.
* If you haven‟t worn a piece of clothing in
3 months,
give it away.
* Keep a “can-do” attitude.
* Speak positive words, practice positive
actions.
If you wish to ask any questions, give me a
call and do not hesitate to ask them.
February/March 2011
from you.
The Middle layer is the insulating layer.
Materials like down and fleece are good choices
and they also carry moisture away from the base
layer.
The Outer layer is to block wind, repel water and
allows moisture to escape. Gore-Tex or other
repelling materials should also be resistant to
tears and abrasions.
Cover your head, hands and feet appropriately
also. Fifty percent of all body heat escapes
through your head. Fleece is warm but it does
not protect against the wind or keep you dry.
Mittens are better than gloves as they keep your
fingers together. Proper footwear is also very
important.
Or visit me at the gym, 1901 Oka Road.
Exercising in the Cold
Written by: Russell Hughes
Sante EPTC Health
Your Success List:
* Get a physical check up from your family
doctor.
* Walk more.
* Park your car further from your
destination.
* Eat breakfast every day.
* Limit fat, cholesterol in your diet.
* Limit sugar and sweets.
* Limit sodium.
* Eat less ice cream, and chips.
* Find an exercise partner for motivation
and socialization.
* Get a personal trainer.
* Drink 8-10 cups of water today and
everyday.
* Get a massage.
* Get 7-8 hours of sleep.
* Exercise.
* Say thank you to someone today.
* Make time for family and friends.
Winter and cold weather doesn‟t mean we need
to hibernate with the bears.
However, prolonged cold exposure can be very
uncomfortable and even dangerous for
unprepared athletes and it‟s important to take
precautions when exercising in the cold and to be
aware of the early signs and symptoms of
overexposure to the cold.
When deciding to exercise outdoors this winter
always verify the conditions including the
temperature and the wind chill factor. The wind
chill factor can make things much worse than
they seem. The weather can also change rapidly
turning your 30-minute walk into a mid-winter
trek through 6” of snow. So know the conditions
before you head out.
Layering your clothing keeps you warm and dry.
There are three layers to consider when
exercising in the cold. Each layer has a specific
function and combines to help regulate your
body temperature and keep you dry.
The Base layer works to keep moisture and
perspiration away from your body to keep you
warm. It should be in contact with your skin.
Materials such as Polypropylene, silk, Thermax
and Thinsulate are all good choices. Cotton
should be avoided as it stays wet and draws heat
Frostbite and hypothermia are the two most
dangerous conditions associated with cold
weather exposure. Knowing their signs and
symptoms can be very helpful.
Frostbite is described as the superficial freezing
of the face, ears, fingers and toes. Symptoms
include: pain, burning, numbness, tingling, skin
turns white, peels or blisters and begins to itch.
Hypothermia is described as a significant drop in
the core body temperature. Symptoms include:
shivering, confusion, numbness, lack of
coordination, difficulty speaking, muscle
stiffness and eventually unconsciousness.
Treatment for both conditions includes getting
the person to a dry and warm place, removing all
wet, constricting clothing, applying warm
compresses or blankets, or your own body heat.
Do not rub frostbitten areas.
So remember to stay warm this winter, layer
your clothing, wear a hat, mittens and proper
footwear, know the signs of frostbite and
hypothermia, drink water not alcohol and enjoy
the winter like it should be.
Community Connections
Page 23
February/March 2011
Two Mountains Rinquette Tournament
Junior C Champions Deux Montagnes
Moustique Champions: Deux Montagnes
Top left: Bantam C Champions Thetford
Bottom left: Atom A Champions Blainville
Top right: Bantam B Champions Thetford
Bottom right: Novice B Champions
Montreal North
Community Connections
Basketball Deux-Montagnes is in their
25th year. It is
a recreational
sports program
made up of 1216 teams that
have
played
their games at
E c o l e
Emmanuel
Chenard School for the past 18 years. In
the past we used Lake of Two Mountains
and Lac Deux-Montagnes schools. There
are three Divisions made up of four teams
each. Division One are ages five, six, seven
and eight. Division Two are ages nine, 10,
11 and12, Division Three are ages 13-14-15
-16. There are 18 dedicated coaches, six
referees, six timers and markers.
All
players learn the basics such as how to hold
the ball, pass the ball, receive the ball,
dribble the ball, shoot the ball, offensive
and defensive stances, and to pivot, all
relating to ball control and team play. The
schedule consists of 17 league games and
three playoff games. We then have a
banquet at the Veteran‟s Hall on the first
Saturday in May.
Here is a list of some of the dedicated
coaches, Sylvain Lachance, Greg Barr,
Brian Kane, Craig Vanslet, Craig
Ballantyne, Tommy Lapierre, Gary Owens,
Patrick Buchanan-Legacy, Eileen Wilson,
Alex Kwan, Jean-Maxime Noiseux, Debbie
Eagle and Sue Busby. They have coached
from five to 12 years and dedicated their
time to promote team play. Congratulations
to all of them, and the timers and markers,
and the referees, who have the toughest
function in all of sport. Many thanks go out
to all of the players, who play with great
enthusiasm, skill and determination.
Congratulations to Basketball DeuxMontagnes for 25 great years.
Page 24
February/March 2011
Many thanks must go to this
year‟s committee, Jennifer
M c P h e e , t h e t ou r n a m e n t
coordinator, and of course all of
the teams, players, coaches and
referees. You did a great job and
congratulations.
(Photo by Hugo Vincent)
Sports Rap: My Opinion
By Bobby Fordham
13th Pee Wee Hockey Tournament
On Saturday, December 18, 2010, in
Deux-Montagnes at the Olympia arena,
Hockey lac-des Deux-Montagnes were
hosting their 13th Annual Pee Wee Hockey
Tournament. At 11:00 a.m. the DeuxMontagnes Panthers were playing La Plaine
in the Pee Wee B division. Our Panthers
prevailed with a 3-1 victory. In the next
game our second Pee Wee B team lost to a
very strong Terrebonne Team.
On Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010 in division
CC West Island played Mirabel. This was a
very entertaining game with a strong
display of controlled competitive hockey.
It went into double overtime as West Island
came out with the 2-1 victory. The next
game featured Lachenaie up against
Lachine in the CC Division. The referees
had to call numerous penalties. Lachine
scored first but Lachenaie roared back with
two quick goals and hung on for the 2-1
victory.
In the Pee Wee Division B Final, DeuxMontagnes played Terrebonne and late into
the third period the score was tied 2-2.
With 18.8 seconds left Terrebonne scored
and clinched the Championship 3-2.
In the Pee Wee Division A Final,
Lachute played Rosemount. Lachute was
leading 2-1 late but Rosemount scored to tie
the score 2-2 to force overtime. Lachute
consequently scored for the 3-2 win
and the championship. It was a great
game on the part of both teams with
superb goaltending. In the afternoon
The Lions Club of Deux-Montagnes
represented by Dave Byers presented
the most Sportsmanlike award to
Kevin Coppee from Deux-Montagnes.
Attending this year‟s tournament
was Andre Roy from the NHL
Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay
Lighting and acted as the Honourary
Chairperson for the event.
The 98th Grey Cup was played
November 28, 2010, featuring the
Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. the Montreal
Alouettes in Edmonton at Commonwealth
Stadium Ninety percent of western Canada
and Ontario, TSN, The Score, Sports Net,
and yes, even the CFL wanted the
Roughriders to win the Grey Cup.
The Roughriders had the better hotel and
dressing room while the defending
Champions the Alouettes did not have the
same facilities. They deserved better. It
seems that Quebec based teams and athletes
do not get the respect they deserve from the
English Canadian media. As mentioned
above, the Montreal Alouettes are the most
winning team in the CFL since 2000 with
three Grey Cups. The Laval Rouge et Or
also the most winning CIS team since 2000
with six Vanier Cups.
Where is the
coverage concerning these teams on TSN,
SCORE, or SPORTS NET?
Also, how many interviews does
Georges St. Pierre get on Canadian English
TV? He is pound for pound the best MMA
fighter in the world but he is from French
Canada. Just imagine if he were from
Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver.
Also
Jonathan Duhamel recently won 8.9 million
dollars at Texas Hold-Em game in Las
Vegas. Where are the interviews? But
again he is from Boucherville/Montreal,
Quebec. And not to mention our Short
Track skaters at the Vancouver Olympics,
who again were amazing.
WE DEMAND MORE RESPECT
FROM OUTSIDE OF QUEBEC AT THE
MEDIA LEVEL. These are all great
Canadian teams and athletes. So TSN,
SCORE and SPORTS NET, please stop
concentrating on just Toronto, Calgary and
Vancouver and get your act together. By
the way, RDS covers all sporting events and
interviews English speaking athletes in
English because they have respect for
Canadian athletes. That's my opinion,
what‟s yours?
Community Connections
Page 25
Art Actually
By: Sarah Nantel
This time of year the
local art scene appears at first
to be a little less than vibrant.
However, one need not look
far to realize that this is not the
case. In fact, for a two to three
month period, the art scene is
perhaps more vibrant than
ever. This is the one time of
year that provides the
opportunity for emerging and
unrealized artists young and
old to showcase their talents
via an unconventional and
often overlooked form of art:
holiday lights.
Can holiday lights really be
considered a form of art? If
one‟s perception dictates that
art is something that is
available exclusively in museums, galleries
or seen on exhibition then the simple
answer would be no.
This opinion,
arguably to some the extent of worthy art, is
not without its limitations. Art is far more
complex than its institutional boundaries. It
extends well into everyday life. It is
something that does not need to be curated
for the viewer, it need not be housed within
the framework of the cultural institutions,
nor does the viewer require extensive
background knowledge to appreciate it.
This is simply because it rests in the
periphery of the beholder. One need not
look any further than a short stroll through a
park or neighbourhood this time of year to
gain evidence of this. Art exists all around
us. Lights of every range and color are
abundant throughout, reds, blues, yellows
and greens adorn exterior foliage and
facades of buildings and homes.
Holiday lights are a form of art that is
often taken for granted, but they provide so
much more than a simple string of bulbs
attached to an electrical socket. They offer
the perfect example of classical
conditioning through visual language. They
provide the first signs of the holiday season,
a time for most people that is filled with
joy, friendship, love and time to relax
briefly from the daily grind before the New
Year kicks in.
Holiday lights are a way for people to
showcase their creative side while
participating in the cohort known as the
holiday season. It could be argued that some
displays of lighting are way over the top
bordering on kitsch. Kitsch by definition is
art considered to be aesthetically deficient,
inferior or even tasteless and often contains
a clear association to sentimentality.
Despite this categorization it is important to
February/March 2011
t a k e
i n t o
consideration what
goes into the process
of this type of art
making. Some people
prefer to work alone,
creating and hanging
their light creations,
others utilize the time
as an opportunity to
bond with their
children or significant
others.
In some
homes it is an annual
tradition followed by
hot chocolate and
holiday music. It is
this deeper aspect of
the
art-making
process that sets
holiday lighting apart
from kitsch. It is also
the feelings that the
appearance of these colourful creations and
their holiday associations manifest in
people. Sure, the season is also filled with
its share of stresses and lack of parking at
the shopping malls, but it is also instigates
an assessment of one‟s surroundings. It
makes us a little more thankful for what we
have, a little more caring of people around
us and a little more generous to those less
fortunate.
It makes no difference whether as in my
case, it be one small string of lights to prove
that the holiday spirit does in fact exist in a
particular household, or a large elegant
display of intricately woven lights of all
colors and holiday shapes like the house in
St. Eustache on the corner of Grand Cote
and 18th Avenue.
This form of art
illustrates, to build on the words of Hugh
Grant, that love (and art), actually, is all
around.
Community Connections
Page 26
February/March 2011
A Look at Rosemère
each month has special dates. Aren‟t we
lucky! If you didn‟t get one, I‟m sure there
will be one available for you at the City
Hall.
Hardy, historian for the City, resides there.
We then headed for the Riviere de Golf
which borders on the Lorraine Golf Club.
We passed our moguls Gold Medalist,
Alexandre Bilodeau‟s home, and the park
named after him on our way to Holy Cross
School where we got off, went in and saw
the new indoor soccer arena. Behind the
school is a beautiful park where people can
stroll, walk their dogs, etc. We then headed
back. Even though I have lived here many
years, there are nooks and crannies I was
not aware of. If at another time, they would
do this tour again I would suggest you take
it in. Along with the tour we were given a
map with photos, etc.
By Marge McCord
February is the second month of the
year, and the shortest. It is from a Latin
word meaning to purify. An old saying –
“Thirty days hath September, April, June
and November; all the rest have thirty-one,
excepting February alone, which hath but
twenty-eight is fine, till Leap year gives it
twenty-nine.” It is a cold and stormy month
in the northern half of the world. But on
sunny days you start to feel spring is not far
off. People in Christian countries celebrate
Valentine‟s Day on February 14. Schools
hold parties and make special decorations
for their classrooms.
The custom of
exchanging Valentine‟s greetings goes back
hundreds of years. Scholars have found
records of Valentine notes that date from
the Middle Ages. A happy Valentine‟s Day
to you!!
Rosemère Pioneers
A citizen of Rosemère for over 50 years is
considered a pioneer. In Pioneers‟ Park
adjacent to the Municipal Library, 339
Grande Cote, names of each pioneer family
will be engraved leaving upcoming
generations with a tangible reminder of
their involvement in its development. A
unique idea!
A Tea Party
During December, a good friend, Rosemary
DeVillers held a tea for some of us gals. It
was great with a glass of wine, fancy
sandwiches and sweets, good conversation
and of course a good cup of tea. It was a
super way to start the holiday season.
2011 Rosemère Calendar
Rosemère puts out a Calendar each year
which is delivered to every door. The
photos for each month are submitted by
residents and chosen by the City. It also
gives a print-out of services available,
photos of the mayor and town council, and
Bus Tour
At this time, I would like to reminisce about
a bus tour given by the City last September
25. Jean Rivard was the guide
accompanying the group and gave detailed
explanations of what we saw in English and
French. The first stop was the Rosemère
Golf Club where we were greeted by a Club
official, given an historical background and
a short tour of the building. We then took in
Rosemère west where points of interest
were described, Hamilton Park, ex-Mayor‟s
home Willowtree and then on to Ile
Ducharme where a couple of famous
hockey players lived. One is still living
there. Next stop was the Hamilton House
(now the Rosemère Cultural Centre) and
Bleury Castle with its condos and
boardwalk. We got out and walked around.
Going east, were the Community Centre,
United Church, Horizon Club
and
Rosemère Volunteer services Gift Boutique
and halls where many activities take place.
The next stop was the Rosemère Curling
Club where we entered a building and given
some background on it. We saw the sheets
of ice, swimming pool and tennis courts
outside.
Next summer Aleksandra
Wozniak‟s father (she is a famous tennis
player.) will be giving tennis lessons to
young people at the Club. Tennis anyone?
Still heading east, we passed our new
railroad station built in 1999, and then
passed two heritage homes, the Hubert
Maisonneuve House built in the 1800s and
Twin Chimneys also built in the 1800s.
This last house was believed to have been
built by the army. In fact its first occupant
was a British Colonel in charge of prisoners
captured between Rosemère and St.
Eustache during the Papineau rebellion in
1837. We do not know, however, if it was
used to accommodate prisoners or as a
private residence.
The next stop was Academie SteTherese, where we could see a home
through trees called Val-Marie House that
was owned by the Hardy family from the
end of the 18th Century to the end of the
19th Century. In 1964 the Corporation
Archiepiscopal de Montreal purchased it.
The estate was used as a summer residence
and retreat for officers of the Catholic
Church. Here, Cardinal Leger even played
host to many bishops who had come to visit
Montreal‟s World‟s Fair in 1967. Denis
Meals on Wheels in Rosemère
Blanche Nicole Roy
Our non-profit organization has been in
existence for 25 years and we are
continuing our service to the Rosemère
Community.
No one knows when their life could hit a
snag and they could need a little extra help.
This is how we could make your life a little
bit easier.
Each week on Monday and Friday,
volunteers prepare fresh food for anyone in
difficulties as a result of an accident, a
surgery, a pregnancy, an illness, being
handicapped or being a senior citizen.
Regardless of your financial means, this
service is available to individuals of all ages
and any of the conditions mentioned above
for a minimum cost of $4.00 per meal.
These meals include a main dish with
fresh vegetable, and a homemade dessert,
which have been cooked the same morning
of the delivery. We have a good choice of
menu and it varies on a continuous basis.
There is a delay of two working days for
new clients requesting the service for the
first time.
For further information please call Alet
Bosse at 450-621
-9179,
Annie
G‟Sell at 450965-9233
or
Armande Payette
at 450-621-7287.
We will always
be there for you.
Community Connections
Page 27
Rosemère High School Raiders
A Season of Honour
turnovers and sacking quarterbacks.
The team finished the regular
season with a 4-3 record and avenged
a regular season loss by upsetting
Georges Vanier in the quarter finals
to advance to the semi's, where they
lost a heartbreaker to the eventual
undefeated regional champion MontLaurier in Mont Laurier by a score of
61-46. It was a great game that the
Raiders led at the half. In fact in two
match-ups against the Mont Laurier
team (roster of 58 players) the
Raiders were the only team that
challenged them, scoring 74 points
(Mont Laurier only gave up 71 to the
rest of the league).
The Raiders are truly blessed with
an amazing staff.
Defensive
coordinator Stephane Gilbert is a
sergeant in the army and has built a
defensive foundation that takes no
mercy on offensive opponents.
Joshua Frankel was a new edition to
the Raiders staff this year who
brought enthusiasm and state-of-art
drills to the team. Marc Belhomme,
the offensive line coach brought
along a very young and inexperienced
line to protect our quarterback and to
open up holes that you could drive a
truck through. Brad Puklicz was the master
mind behind the Raiders offensive
playbook. Brad‟s vision and creativity was
the envy of the league. Brads‟ attention to
detail and perfection kept all teams guessing
“what will he call next?” Paolo Ruscito
was also a new edition to the Raiders
coaching staff, taking on several roles; he
will be assisting the head coach with many
of the administrative duties.
Jennifer
Leduc, our team trainer, is out every game
By Jason Pukliz, Head Coach
In a year where
there were a lot of
question marks and
unknowns as to how
c om p e t i t i v e
the
defending champions
would be, it was a
season of great
s u c c e s s .
Coming off of a record-breaking
championship season, the Raiders had big
shoes to fill with the departure of half of the
2009 team. With many first year players,
the team made tremendous progress
throughout the year, coming together each
week and peaking at the right time.
Many players shone for the Raiders,
including quarterback Shaden Hetu-Frankel,
who replaced former QB (and current
Cegep starter) Jason Azzoparde. HetuFrankel was surrounded by talent on the
offense. Tutored by offensive coordinator
Brad Puklicz, he was league‟s finest at his
position. Rookie wide receiver Giordano
Marinello scored 22 touchdowns on the
year. Marinello also kicked 40 yard field
goals of more than 40 yards in addition to
his receiving duties. Samuel Renaud and
Sebastien Methot also shone for the offense
by laying out any would-be defensive
tacklers.
The defense was a “bend but don‟t
break” defense that created many turnovers
and was a nightmare for all offensive
opponents and was clearly the league's
hardest hitting team. Kamar Elder Dhillon
and Jordan Tremblay were the leaders on
defense, continually making plays, causing
February/March 2011
caring for and tending to the injured
players. Finally Damon Duval of the 20092010 Grey Cup Champions Montreal
Alouettes introduced several drills and
schemes and coordinated our special teams,
which were the most dominant in the
league.
The Raiders also must thank the
RAIDER Nation, who always show-up in
full-force for our games, supporting and
cheering the players on.
Community Connections
Page 28
February/March 2011
Community Connections
Page 29
February/March 2011
Community Connections
Page 30
February/March 2011
Birthdays:
Gigi O‟Brien Mar. 11
Happy Birthday
and love from
your family and
many friends
Belated Happy Birthday
Ayden Snell, Dec. 29
Jean-Guy Levesque - Jan. 10
Happy “Belated” Birthday and best wishes
from Margot and all the gang at Manoir
Grand-Moulin
Thomas Joannette, Jan. 12.
Happy Birthday:
Dorothy Morgan, Feb. 2,
Paul Beatty, Feb. 7,
Jackie Lavigueur - Feb. 8 Happy Birthday
and best wishes from all your family and
friends
Bobby Firdham, February 10
Dennis Choquette - Feb. 13 Happy Birthday
and all the best from Pat and all the family
Garry Mason, Feb. 13,
Ken Collins - Feb. 14 Happy birthday from
Pat, family and friends
Costa Anagnostaras, Feb. 14,
Christian Shore, Feb. 14,
Eddie Green, Feb. 14,
Simon Frigault-Baoudreau, Feb. 19,
Shane Thivierge, Feb. 21,
Auric Cockburn Goulet, Feb. 23
Jim Richards, Mar. 23,
Nel McCristie, Feb. 25
Yolande Smart, Mar. 1,
Carolyn Plesz, Mar. 4,
Sharon Byers, Mar. 7,
Maxximus Fata, Mar. 10,
Gil Docherty, Mar. 11
Ivan Fata, Mar. 13,
Pat Glover, Mar. 16,
Lynda Draycott, Mar. 17,
Mike Lanthier, Mar. 18,
Martin Hensen, Mar. 19,
Kaeden Michlick Mar. 20,
Rene Heibl, March 26,
Henry Turner, March 27
Anniversaries:
Memorial:
George Clarkson,
Elizabeth (McLarnon) Terry,
Gladys Sundborg,
Anita Tremblay Larocque,
Jean-Paul St-Charles,
Martin Demers,
Sylvia Batley,
Gordon Allan Main,
Mr. Neumayer,
Claude Trottier,
and Gwen Shand.
Happy Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s Day to
all our loyal readers from the Commnity
connections.
Announcements:
Craft fair displaying and selling works of
local artists and atisans. Saturday, April 2,
2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Laurentian Regional high school, 448
Argenteuil, Lachute. For more information
contact Jan Hannan:
[email protected]
Hi, to our readers:
We would like to invite you to submit
articles or send your comments to me at:
[email protected].
If there are topics you would like us to
address, please feel free to let me know.
Thanks, Heather M. Brown, Content Editor
This publication (Community Connections) is made possible by a grant from: Fonds Régional de
Promotion de l’accessibilité aux Services de Santé et Aux Services Sociaux en la Langue Anglaise (CRASLA)
and our proud sponsors.
Community Connections
Page 31
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