Montreal West Viewspaper
April 2011, Vol. 39, No. 3
by Loof Lirpa
SIDEWALK SNOW CLEARING
to become responsibility of residents
photo: Julia Ross
After much worry expressed by citizens concerning the cost of snow
removal in Montreal West, the Town
Council has announced a number of measures to save on next year’s budget.
Chief among them is a new bylaw that
will require residents and business
owners to clear the snow from the sidewalk in front of their property and spread
salt on the sidewalk in the event of ice
formation. Residents living on corner lots
also will be required to clear and salt the
sidewalk on the side of their houses.
Residents will be required to clear the
snow from the sidewalk onto their property when the snowfall accumulation
reaches 7 centimetres. The weather office
at Trudeau Airport and radio station
CJAD will be the official sources of
snow accumulation information. Also, a
special snow accumulation metre will be
installed on the Town website for residents to follow during snowstorms.
According to the councillor in charge of
Public Works, Joseph McKenzie, it is
expected that this move will save the Town
about $300,000 per winter season and,
more importantly, free the Town workers
for other snow clearing tasks. Similar practices have been successfully implemented
in other communities in Canada.
Reached at the Pâtisserie de la gare,
a Town worker estimated that to clear
7 cm of snow from the front of the
average house in MoWest should take
a resident about 10 minutes, double that
for a corner lot.
There will be a zero tolerance for
infractions and tickets, which will be
issued by Town Security, will be $45 for
the first offence and $90 for subsequent
infractions. In addition, the Town will
have the right to bill the resident for sidewalk snow clearing and salting. Town
Security officers will be equipped with
special snow measurement devices and
will be required to photograph the property with a time stamp.
In the bylaw, there will be a tax benefit to residents in that they will be
allowed to deduct the cost of a snow
shovel (one per year) and salt (25 pounds
per year) from their Town property tax
bill. Residents who use a contractor
to fulfill their snow-clearing obligation
will not be able to claim the cost against
their tax bill.
photos: Robert Ganz
INDEX
On Sunday, March 20, MoWesters came out to join the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in
downtown Montreal. Among them were local photographer, Robert Ganz, the MW
Garbage Bowl group, Les amis de Meadowbrook and the Royal West Honour Band.
Community Centre . . .17 - 18
CRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Curling Club . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
IODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Libraries . . . . . . . . . .7, 10, 18
Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Looking back . . . . . . . . . . . .3
MW Horticultural Society . . .6
MW Operatic Society . . . . . .7
News from the pews . . . . .15
Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 - 11
Scouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Town Council Report . . . . .19
West End Quilters’ Guild . . .6
2
... Informerly yours ... Informerly yours ...
A new grandson
Proud grandparents, Janet and Bob
King are thrilled with newest grandson,
Tyler, born February 27, who is the son
of Rosemary King and Patrick Watson
(not the singer). If you’re not up to date
on Rosemary’s activities, she completed
a degree in psychology and criminology
at Bishop’s. She and Patrick married in
2007. Rosemary, Patrick and Tyler live in
St. Polycarpe.
Don’t miss this!
asking neighbours for contributions.
Early in 2006, at 6 years of age, Evan
threw out the idea of a bake sale (and
Russell added, “With a lemonade stand”).
With that in mind, the Goulet family
started planning the first bake sale. To
date, with the help of Slater and Lauren
Covenden, their Mom/pie lady Suzanne
Gaboury, Aunt Jo Hamill (of Ballantyne)
and many neighbours and friends, the
Goulet Family and Friends Bake Sale has
donated over $8,500 to the Montreal
Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Each sale comes with a surprise or two.
One year, there were a couple of tomato
soup cakes; for the last couple of years,
Angie Vilanova has run across the street
with a just out-of-the-oven carrot cake;
Janet King has dropped off gluten-free
goodies and, just last year, some lucky
passersby managed to enjoy Barbara
Brezinski’s fresh, homemade croissants.
People stop by for: a chat; a cup of
coffee (or lemonade) and muffin; a pie
(or two); a cake or cookie. So here they
are, six years later… Evan, 11, Russell,
13 and their parents, Tracie and Peter,
are looking forward to Saturday, May 7
and all the little surprises it holds. The
sale starts at 9 am… so for the best
choice, get there early!
Thank you to Trattoria Micco
and Burger de Ville
In 2003, while listening to CHOM’s
radiothon for the Children’s Hospital, 3year-old Evan Goulet commented, “Sick
Kids is no fun”. Rather than just make a
donation, Evan and his Russell thought of
ways that the family could “make” money
to “help sick kids get better”. On their list
were garage sales, selling pictures and
Nazareth House would like to thank
both Trattoria Micco and Burger de Ville
for their immediate and generous
response to a need.
The non-profit shelter in Shaughnessy
Village has been serving meals and offering
beds, warmth and support to homeless men
since 1975. Both restaurants have committed to providing a nutritious meal
monthly to the men at Nazareth House.
Send your congratulations, condolences, good
news and whatever you want to crow about to:
[email protected] or call Heather at 489-7022.
10 Westminster North
Montreal West, Quebec
H4X 1Y9
The Informer’s role is to provide MWesters
with information about their Town and its
citizens in order to foster the small-town,
close-knit atmosphere that makes Montreal
West a special place in which to live.
ISSN: 084741X
“I knew the neighborhood would
come to our aid,” said Sheila Woodhouse of 40 Ballantyne N.
If you would like to help or have
more information about Nazareth House,
please call Sheila at 933-6916.
Open for business again
In case you hadn’t noticed yet,
Dogeared Books has reopened with
Terry’s wife Elizabeth Rae at the helm.
She plans on doing her utmost to keep the
store’s atmosphere fun and welcoming as
he would have wanted. So, stop by to
have a chat and browse the books. Please
keep in mind that the book sale for Mealson-Wheels will be held again this year on
Saturday, May 7. If rained out, it will be
held the following Saturday, May 14. Get
out and support this great cause. Please
see Coming Events.
A note of thanks
The Informer also got this note from
Elizabeth: “I would like to take this
opportunity to sincerely thank our
clients, friends and neighbours for their
support and kindnesses during this most
challenging time. In particular the MW
United Church family with special
thanks to the phenomenal Joan Foster,
her husband Bill, the serving ladies and
Dr. Ralph Watson. Although I have
always been aware of what a special
place Montreal West is to live, I was
extremely touched by the cards and
offers of assistance I received. And so a
new chapter begins….”
So, you think you can write, MoWest?
Well, if you do think you can write,
how about volunteering to write some
feature articles, like those by Maurice
Krystal, for The Informer. Maurice will
gladly share his experiences interviewing
some interesting residents and hints on
how to get the most out of an interviewee. Interested in writing a few articles? Contact Heather Baylis at 4897022 and become The Informer’s next
star reporter!
The Informer Is published nine times a year (usually) on the last Friday of every month
except June, July and December. Out-of-town subscriptions: $15 per year. Typesetting
by Informer staff, printing by King Press. Extra copies available at Town Hall and both
libraries. Funded, in part, by the Town of Montreal West.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
www.montreal-west.ca: Highlights
Jeannette Brooker - Chair
Rick Lavell - Treasurer
Jane Williams - Secretary
Heather Baylis
Véronique Belzil-Boucher
René Boucher
Fran Goodman Pellatt
Anya Orzechowska
Jeanne Ragbir
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Heather Baylis 489-7022
LAYOUT DESIGNER
Julia Ross [email protected]
AD MANAGER
Susan Reeves 312-3682
[email protected]
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Rhonda Schwartz 482-0227
RATES
(camera-ready art):
1/6 page $45
1/12 page $25
Prof. card $125 per year
Classifieds:
25-50 words $10
25 words or less $6
ISSUE EDITOR: Heather Baylis
LAYOUT DESIGNER: Julia Ross
TASK FORCE
Jeannette Brooker Maryl Murphy
Jeanne Ragbir
Lydia Shuster
Rose Marie Smith Randi Weitzner
and those we omitted
inadvertently
NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE
April 13
3
My house and the
Spanish-American War of 1898
Every day, when I walk my dog
along the streets of Montreal West, I
wonder about the histories of the old
houses that we pass. Who lived there
years ago? What were their backgrounds? How did they live in the
early 1900’s? What has changed?
I recently decided to satisfy my
curiosity by researching my own house at
203 Ballantyne N.
I started by checking old Lovell’s
street guides for all the years since 1916,
the year my house was built. I discovered
that the first owner, E.F. Jervey, worked
as the chief clerk, auditor’s dept, of the
Canadian Pacific Railways (CPR)
In 1920, a new owner, Wesley C.
Elliott, appeared. He lived in my house
for the next 25 years. He was described
in Lovell’s as Montreal manager for the
B.F. Sturtevant Company, known then as
“America’s First Fan Company”.
I googled Wesley’s name and found
him listed in The Quebec History
Encyclopedia. It said that he was born in
Patten, Maine in 1876, earned a degree in
electrical engineering from the University
of Maine, married Mary Helen Rogers
in 1902 and began working for Sturtevant
in Boston. The couple moved to Montreal
West in 1920 with their four kids, all born
between 1903 and 1914. Wesley enjoyed
motoring, baseball and track athletics. He
was a Kiwanis member and a Republican.
I also learned that Sgt. Wesley Elliott
had served in the Spanish War of 1899,
with the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery. Things
were now getting really interesting… what
if I could find a photo of him in uniform?
Later, I discovered a family tree online
that included Wesley. I contacted the treemaker, Elliott Hersey of Maine, Wesley’s
78-year-old grandson and he sent me military photos of his grandfather and photos
of other family members. Elliott remembered visiting MoWest as a child in the
1930s and being allowed to circle the
block if he stayed on the sidewalk. He
BUDNING PHARMACY
Opening hours:
40 Westminster North
Montreal West
481-5665
Monday to Friday: 8:30 am to 6 pm
Saturday:
9:00 am to 5 pm
www.groupeproxim.ca
photos: Elliott Hersey
... Looking back ... Looking back ... Looking back ... Looking back ...
used an old wooden wagon, in which he
kneeled with one knee and pushed with
the other leg. He also built his first model
airplane in his grandfather’s house.
I also contacted Wesley’s 87-year-old
granddaughter, Eleanor Hoffman, who
fondly remembers her grandmother’s
wonderful vegetable and herb garden, as
well as her favourite room, the sun porch.
The garden she described was part of the
double lot on the north side of the house.
In 1980, it was sold and another house
was built. The sun porch still exists.
Mary Helen died in 1945, and Wesley
died in 1949.
I never knew Wesley Clarendon
Elliott and his family before I started my
research. After looking at his photos and
communicating with his grandkids, I now
think of them often and their years spent
in “our” house. It’s a nice feeling.
You can find Lovell’s street guides at
bibnum2.bnquebec.ca/bna/lovell/index.htm
from Harold Rosenberg
Photos:
Wesley Elliott in military
garb (ca. 1898).
Mary Helen Rogers
(ca. 1920's).
Wesley Elliott (ca. 1921).
Sgt. Wesley Elliott,
standing in back row,
top right side, with the
1st Maine Heavy
Artillery Unit (ca. 1898).
5765, av Monkland
Montreal, QC, H4A 1E8
Sandra Roscanu
Affiliated Real Estate Agent
Bur: (514) 481-0241
4
Environmentally Yours
I’m happy to announce a new seasonal organic basket program beginning in late June. Arlington Gardens, a
family-owned organic farm in the
Eastern Townships, will provide
weekly baskets to residents who register as members of its Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.
While location and times remain to be
confirmed, the plan is to provide a convenient drop-off point on Wednesdays.
The CSA formula is simple: you
commit to purchasing baskets of seasonal produce for 16 weeks. Basket
contents vary with the season.
Arlington Gardens grow 50+ kinds of
vegetables. The cost is $395 for an
“individual” portion (two adults) or
$523 for a family portion. A real bargain for good food that you can feel
good about buying!
For more information, call owners
Nasser Boumenna or Claire Lanctôt
at 833-6521 at their farm or check out
their website at www.arlingtongardens.ca.
Elizabeth Ulin
Councilor, Recreation and Culture
Chair, Environmental Action Committee
EXPLORING OPTIONS
before Train de l’Ouest becomes
entrenched in Montreal West
The future of the quality of life in MoWest is on the line. The AMT
commuter line proposal regarding the projected augmented rail
service presents the opportunity to improve our centre of Town or
ruin it aesthetically and restrain it economically, depending on the
solution chosen.
+/- 100 linear feet
Grade
A
Line of curb on
southeast side
of Sherbrooke,
east of Westminster
Line of curb on
northwest side
of Broughton,
east of Westminster
OPEN TRENCH (Bridge at grade)
Grade
B
OPEN TRENCH (Bridge 10 feet above grade)
Grade
C
Sherbrooke St.
Broughton St.
COVERED TRENCH (Cover at grade and bridge grade)
Rail configuration design options
have different costs, advantages and burdens. We must remember that the AMT
proposes to run a lot more trains through
our Town, and we do have a say. Let’s try
to understand what is at stake and then
get involved to obtain the best solution
for our Town, whose founders were
railway leaders who never compromised
the interests of MW.
What it involves
The new rail scheme will involve a
vertical separation of the vehicle road
bed from the train rail line. All information we’ve seen suggests that this would
entail excavating a trench which would
lower the rail tracks in order to allow
vehicles to pass over on some sort of
bridge structure. The following guidelines from the AREMA manual for
Railway Engineering would need to be
respected (the AMT specifications should
be very similar):
• Approximately 23 clear feet is
required for train clearance (top of rail
to underside of structure above);
• Minimum width of 3 rail lines would
be approximately 40 feet;
• Maximum grade for embankments
would be approximately 45 degrees;
• A heavy rail grade would be greater than
approximately 1.8 %.
There are various ways to accomplish
the new rail and road structure configuration. At the risk of oversimplifying the
problem, the accompanying sectional
sketches will illustrate what a tremendous impact this project will have on
our Town.
Section A
Section A depicts an Open Trench (30
feet deep) with bridge at grade (no hump).
The distance between the start of the
slopes on each side would be +/- 100 feet.
In our situation it would start at the sidewalk on Sherbrooke St. and reach the sidewalk on Broughton for the full distance
between Westminster and the existing train
station, extending approximately 1500 feet
further in both directions.
If the trains are powered by diesel
electric motors, the exhaust discharge
would be at street level. A six-foot high
fence would close off the entire depression and one wonders how they would
accommodate a train station. This is a
relatively inexpensive solution, but a less
expensive approach (Section B) is even
more offensive aesthetically in its
encroachment footprint.
Section B
Section B shows a humped bridge
overpass in order to meet the minimum
clearances for a shallower trench. The
bridge ramps could begin their incline on
the north side near the video store and on
the south side near the Community
Centre. If anyone has a problem conceptualizing this design, you only have to
stand on top of the “hump” bridge on
Westminster North and look down.
Clearly, the Town could not tolerate
being split through the middle of its core.
Regretfully, this solution was imposed in
the past and it cannot be allowed to
happen again.
lines) is approximately 60,000 square
feet. Among other requirements would be
the probable need for existing dual fuel
technology (diesel and/or electric) or
simply electric powered locomotives, a
concept being promoted by Peter Trent,
the mayor of Westmount. This Option C,
in addition to being the safest solution, is
clearly the only option that ensures the
integrity of the Town core.
Section C
Make our needs known;
get involved
Section C – Covered Trench, the
safest solution (especially considering
the very large number of trains proposed), shows a straight structural walled
trench covered at grade for the entire
length of the passage through Town, rendering the trains and tracks invisible.
Access to the station platform below
would be integrated into the trench structure. The use of the covered surface
would probably be a negotiation with the
railway, but options include green space,
parking and even small buildings. The
area reclaimed between Westminster and
Brock (area presently occupied by rail
The covered trench, Option C, is the
progressive solution that is in everyone’s
best interest: it offers safety, aesthetics,
an elegant access to the train platforms,
and responsible urban development. We
cannot afford to sell ourselves short. Get
involved in the Town discussions and
support our elected officials in their
battle to defend our interests!
from Tim Goforth
and Carlo Cattelan
Corporate & Leisure Travel
and
Customized Golf Packages
s to
u
h
wit as!
e
m
eg
Co as V
L
labrossemichaels.com
Kathleen Weil
MNA for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
and Montreal West
Minister of Immigration and
Cultural Communities
5252 de Maisonneuve Blvd West
Suite 210, Montréal, Qc, H4A 3S5
Tel.: 514-489-7581
DR. HEATHER FOX B.S ., D.D.S.
Dentist
489-2994
Specializing in
fully-escorted senior tours
Calèche/White Star
489-5544
Your complete travel centre at 14 Westminster Ave N.
C
16 Westminster N. #315
Tel: 487-4577
Fax: 487-8376
!"
&"
"
"
%
!"
$
!"
!" #
&
•
#
5
6
West End Quilters’ Guild
hosts quilt show
both residential and external programs to
young parents experiencing difficulty in
adjusting to their pregnancy and/or role
as parents. Last year, the Guild presented
35 multicolored crib quilts for the babies
of these young parents.
In addition, a project is in the making
to produce holiday-themed place mats to
accompany Meals-on-Wheels deliveries
during the next yuletide season. With all
these activities in mind, we can imagine
sewing machines purring and thimbles,
threads and needles being gathered
whenever there is a lull in the busy
schedules of these artisans
A show to admire and inspire
Spring is in the air and what better way
is there to celebrate than to drive, walk,
take a bus or cycle to a rejuvenating quilt
show. The West End Quilters’ Guild members have prepared a variety of activities
and presentations for everyone to enjoy at
St. Ignatius of Loyola Church on April 30
and May 1. While strolling and admiring,
one can learn the art of creating a quilted
place mat. We all know the pleasure of
having a little something handmade to
bring to a special friend on occasion.
Well, here is our opportunity to discover
the easy way to “stack and sew” a few
sets of colorful place mats. Vendors will
be on the premises to offer whatever supplies are needed for this or any other
quilting project.
About the angel banner
The West End Quilters’ Guild banner
is a creation by a former member, Ann
Kaufman, and is an assembly of blocks;
each one created and sewn by a member,
depicting her personal style, her profession or hobby. Its artistic appearance
makes it a very unique quilt and is displayed at every quilt conference and
reunion. This will be only one of the
many attractions at the spring quilt show.
In attendance will be Diane Shink, one
of North America’s certified quilt
appraisers. Space has been provided for a
boutique and a silent auction.
Many associations benefit
from the talents of the quilters
Quilters gathered on many occasions
this fall and winter to create patterns for
quilted lap blankets to be donated to
young parents of Elizabeth House. This is
a non-profit rehabilitation center offering
Rose expert
comes to share
advice
It has been a long time since we
have been treated to a presentation
on roses. At our April meeting, rose
specialist Serge Martin will speak
to us about how to grow roses: what
choices and varieties are suitable to
our climate and what pests and diseases to watch for. Serge is one of
the founding members of the
Quebec Rose Society where he is
still an active participant. He has
been growing roses for over 30
years and has experimented with
breeding, grafting and beneficial
companion plants.
Join us on Monday, April 18,
7:30 pm at the Town Hall. Everyone
welcome. Guests, $5. If you would
like to be informed on coming meetings, plant sale and garden tour,
membership may be had for $15
(good until December 2011).
Tree Day
Seventy trees will be
made available to residents on a first come
first serve basis.
Completed order forms
may be brought in person to
the Community Centre (8
Westminster South) or sent
via fax to 485-8596 starting
at 8:30 am on April 12 and
continuing until April 18 at 4:30 pm.
Orders received before the start
time will not be considered.
Maximum of one tree per household. Trees will be delivered to the
residents in early May.
Trees will be available for a $10
administration fee (cash) and payment must be received at the
Community Centre no later than
April 24. Trees must be planted by
the residents themselves. Please
note, however, that these trees
cannot be planted on land that
belongs to the Town, that is, in the
area between the property line and
the sidewalk.
For all questions please contact
Chris Kearney at [email protected] or 484-1976.
FOR THE BEST SERVICE IN TOWN
POUR LE MEILLEUR SERVICE EN VILLE
N.D.G. & Montreal West
Real Estate Agency
Agence immobilière
.
.
RICK ISABELLE DAVID
LAVELL PAPINEAU DOUBT
Real Estate Brokers . Courtiers immobiliers
office: 514 483-5800
www.rickandisabelle.com
1-800-260-1445
An appeal from the MW Children’s Library
In the present economic climate, it is not surprising that the MW Children’s Library
has been feeling the pressure. Over the past four years, the library’s funding has not
increased, while the cost of books and overall operating expenditures have. In an effort
to maintain the quality of our current programs and collection, fundraising must
become an integral part of our budget.
With that in mind, we have planned a fun-filled year of activities. In April, we will be
hosting a movie night. In May, we will be participating in the MW annual garage sale. In
the fall, as it has become an annual event, we are hoping to be the hosts yet again of a
classical music concert at the United Church. In November, we will be at it again with
our annual book sale and, in December, we will be hosting Santa’s Breakfast.
In order to keep our community well read and interested in reading we need to
increase our fundraising efforts; therefore, we are asking for your help to realize our
goals. There are many ways in which you can support the library. You can participate in
the events, you can volunteer your time, donate items for our garage sale (starting midApril at 223 Strathearn Ave N.) or you can just make a donation to the library. All donations over $25 are tax deductible. If you have any further questions, please feel free to
call the library 484-7194.
Thank you,
Jennifer Morris
Fundraising coordinator
Dr. Michael J. Wexel
Chiropractor
Neck Pain
Headaches & Migraines
Stiffness
Sports Related Injuries
Wellness & Preventative Care
Low Back Pain
Muscle Pain
Numbness & Tingling
Nutritional Counseling
CSST & SAAQ
773-7246 or 481-5155
31 Westminster N.
(In Médi-Centre de Montréal-Ouest)
Call For An Appointment Today So You Can Feel Better Tomorrow.
Artists’ Showcase:
Creative Kids
Once again this summer, the MoWest
Artists’ Showcase will feature the creations of some of our younger residents.
The Creative Kids art exhibit is always
extremely popular with both the young
artists and the viewers, so if your youngster is a budding Picasso or just loves to
paint, draw or sculpt, please encourage
him to participate. Works of art can be
made at home, at school or in an art
class. Each entry must be framed and
ready to hang or small enough to display
in the front hall cabinet. The deadline for
entries is Friday, May 20.
To find out more or to get an
application form, go to the Town website, pick one up at the office in the
Town Hall, or contact Elizabeth Ulin,
[email protected], 486-1081.
Montreal West
Operatic
Society
Trial by Jury
The Montreal West Operatic Society
presents the ever-popular Trial by Jury
and selected songs by Gilbert & Sullivan:
May 7 (7:30) at Haskell Opera House,
Stanstead; May 14 (7:30) at The Piggery,
North Hatley; May 20 (7:30) and May 21
(2:00 and 7:30) at Rialto Theatre, 5723
Avenue du Parc. ‘Is Justice truly blind, or
does she lift her blindfold occasionally –
to wink?’ Come and judge for yourself.
Dinner and theatre specials offered.
Prizes. Reduced prices for seniors and
students. Special rates for groups and
families.
Tickets:
990-8813,
[email protected] and online tickets at
www.mwos.org.
La société opératique de MontréalOuest présente le toujours aussi populaire
« Trial by Jury » ainsi que des refrains
choisis de Gilbert et Sullivan : le 7 mai
(19 h 30) au Haskell Opera House,
Stanstead; le 14 mai (19 h 30) au Théâtre
Piggery, North Hatley; le 20 mai (19 h
30) et le 21 mai (14 h et 19 h 30) au
Théâtre Rialto, 5723 avenue du Parc. La
justice est-elle vraiment aveugle, ou lèvet-elle parfois le bandeau sur ses yeux –
pour cligner de l’œil? Venez juger pour
vous-même. Profitez de forfaits souperthéâtre ou de prix réduits pour aînés, étudiants, groupes et familles. Courez la
chance de gagner des prix. Billets : 9908813, [email protected] ou achetez vos
billets en ligne à www.mwos.org.
7
8
... Nursery Schools ... Nursery Schools ...
Interesting people
The Informer is always keen on
hearing about MoWesters who have
unusual occupations, hobbies or
interests so that we can highlight
them in the paper.
If you know someone who
should be featured, plesase call
Maurice Krystal at 485-7674.
Dr. John Drummond
Dental Surgeon • Chirugien dentiste
484-0521
12 Brock Ave. North
Montreal West, Quebec H4X 2E9
Leave it to us!
Trustworthy, reliable and there to help
people manage their busy lifestyles.
Some of our services offered include:
• Running errands
• Organizing and paying bills
• House sitting
• Pick up and delivery service
• Wait service: waiting at your home for service or
repair personnel
Please feel free to contact us with special requests.
514 448-2602
Little Red Playhouse
Coco’s Place
Our gang couldn’t be happier that
spring is upon us! We’ve gotten so good
at dressing ourselves in our snowsuits,
but are happy to have those days come to
an end. We took the change of season as
inspiration for all sorts of colourful activities last month as we started at the top of
our rainbow with red and worked down
to purple with an emphasis on green for
St. Patty’s!
With preschool decisions for next year
fast approaching, the LRP team would
like to help by raising some points you
may want to consider while visiting
schools. Taking into account the primary
objectives of the school as well as
teaching styles is a good starting point, as
well as reflecting on how the school’s
philosophy matches with what you want
from a preschool. Asking yourself how
the curriculum is going to prepare your
child for kindergarten and how the school
will make sure that your child is going to
succeed are other factors that may help
you make your decision. And let’s not
forget how your child likes that particular
school environment! So bring them along
and pop by for a visit! We’d LOVE to
hear from you.
Through stories, songs, arts & crafts,
movement, games and LAUGHTER, The
Little Red Playhouse and Coco’s Place
allow for your children to flourish. Our
Little Red door is always open, for more
info call 486-4032 or visit our website to
take a peek at who we are www.littleredplayhouse.com or www.cocosplace.ca
Donna Nicholson
481-3406
Jardin d’enfants
Curzon
A, B, C ... March’s l’alphabet theme
had everyone singing The Alphabet Song
in English and in French. It was amazing
to see those little Owls and Pussycats
putting together letter sounds and reading
words. You can just imagine how proud
they felt!
Splish, splash. The pool is at the beautiful Centre sportif Petite Bourgonne
where Curzon has exclusive use of the
beach-style pool and the duckie pool
every week for its swimming program.
Play time and lesson time will help prepare the little swimmers for safe, summer
water fun!
Everyone celebrated St. Patrick’s Day
with Irish songs, games, stories, crafts,
Irish soda bread and even Irish dancing
made for a great celebration! Megan
Schmidt, outfitted in her elaborate costume, presented a beautiful dance show
and helped the little ones enjoy some
fancy footwork of their own!
The Owls & Pussycats headed out to
the Morgan Arboretum for some cabane
à sucre fun! After a wagon ride out into
the woods to the cabane to learn about
the maple syrup process, everyone
enjoyed rolling la tire for a sweet treat!
Curzon is a non-profit, parent-administered cooperative. Registration for the
2011-12 school year is under way. For
more information or to arrange a visit to
either program (children 3 - 5 years old,
or the 2-year-old), please contact the registrars: Nadia (pre-school) at 473-5591 or
Monique (Mini Curzon) at 487-8163.
35 years ++
Let my Experience Work for You
Serving the Montreal West area
in the buying and selling of homes.
For an informal rendez-vous,
please call.
481-3406
9
... l’École de la Mosaïque ... l’École de la Mosaïque ...
Avril, le mois des bonnes nouvelles!
Vive les musiciens ambassadeurs!
De beaux locaux tous neufs
pour nos enfants
Ce n’est un secret pour personne, la
popularité de notre école augmente
d’année en année. Les estimations du
Ministère de l’éducation pour l’accroissement de la clientèle prévoient
qu’on pourrait même atteindre mille
élèves à moyen terme.
Pour mieux servir cette clientèle
grandissante, madame Isabelle Boivin
est très heureuse d’annoncer le début de
la deuxième phase des travaux d’agrandissement amorcés l’an dernier. Ces
travaux viennent tout juste d’être
autorisés par la ministre madame Line
Beauchamp. Les édifices Mackle et
McMurray auront chacun leur nouveau
gymnase double et de nouveaux locaux
de classe seront aussi ajoutés dans les
deux édifices. On construira donc 9
classes supplémentaires à l’édifice
McMurray et 8 nouvelles classes à
l’édice Mackle. Les travaux débuteront
très prochainement. Merci de votre
compréhension.
Notre énergique enseignante de
musique Madame Rachel est très fière
des efforts des 40 choristes de 4e et 5e
année qui forment le nouveau chœur de
l’école. Les élèves feront une tournée à la
fin de l’année scolaire 2011-2012.
Voici son compte-rendu: ‘Les enfants
aiment bien les pièces de répertoire que
nous travaillons. Nous tentons d’apprendre des œuvres pour présenter au
mieux notre culture québécoise et canadienne, mais aussi pour le bonheur de
chanter, tout simplement. Nous voulons
apprendre ‘La petite suite québécoise’,
qui résume six pièces de notre folklore.
Nous interprétons aussi Allegria, du
Cirque du Soleil.
Pour rigoler un peu, nous chantons
une pièce de Mozart intitulée
‘L’Alphabet’. Avec Cantamos Juntos,
nous allons démontrer notre côté multiculturel en chantant en français, en
anglais et en espagnol. Nous travaillons
également une œuvre plus sérieuse du
répertoire classique en latin, Dona nobis
pacem. C’est très énergisant de voir ces
enfants chanter et de sentir qu’ils sont
heureux! Viva la musica!’
Dr. Michael J. Wexel
Chiropractor / Chiropracticien
Tel: 773-7246
E-mail: [email protected]
18 Westminster N., Suite 110
Montreal West, QC H4X 1Y8
Theopiste (Theo)
Hondzoglou
bur.: (514) 483-5800
fax: (514) 483-2699
mobile: (514) 898-3821
[email protected]
Groupe Sutton – Centre Ouest Inc.
5800, avenue Monkland
Montreal, QC, H4A 1G1
Electronics
La famille se donne rendez-vous
le 8 avril
Ce sera une autre soirée familiale avec
repas santé, gardiennage pour les enfants
et conférence pour les parents. Ces belles
soirées sont une gracieuseté de la CSMB
et du CSSS Cavendish. C’est un rendezvous dès 17 h 30, notre thème ce mois-ci:
‘Comment intervenir avec succès auprès
de mon enfant’.
Le mois de l’alimentation,
tout en originalité
En plus de débuter le projet de boîte à
lunch écologique avec des élèves du
comité vert en mars, le mois de l’alimentation fut également souligné en 6e année
avec de beaux projets, dont un concours
de sandwich dans la classe de Madame
Francine. Les élèves formant euxmêmes le jury, les ‘œuvres’ sont jugées
pour leur goût, leur beauté et leur originalité. Il faut être en mesure de réunir des
ingrédients appartenant aux quatre
groupes d’aliments. Bon appétit!
Par Brigitte Rivard,
maman de Zachary (6e année, salle 27)
et Auréliane (2e année, salle 11)
Michael Brooker
•
•
•
•
BMI Kontrols
Weigh what you want
Change your thinking... Change your weight
Individual courses
Group courses at Vanier College
Tel.: (514) 481-8583
Fax: (514) 481-5428
72 Curzon Street
[email protected]
Montreal West, QC H4X 1H9
Google Michael Brooker Montreal West
10
... Edinburgh School ... Edinburgh School ...
45 Westminster South
481-7441
Grey Cup visits Edinburgh
Hours
Monday - Thursday
10 - 12, 2 - 4, 7 - 9
The Library is closed while a heating
problem is being resolved. SORRY for the
inconvenience. Updates at 481-7441.
New arrivals
Fiction
Forsyth, Frederick
The Cobra
Hoffman, Alice
The Red Garden
Koonz, Dean
What the Night Knows
McLain, Paula
The Paris Wife
Picoult, Jodi
Sing You Home
Rich, Roberta
The Midwife of Venice
Mysteries
McDermid, Val
Paretsky, Sara
Robb, J.D.
Robinson, Peter
Todd, Charles
Fever of the Bone
Body Work
Treachery in Death
Not Safe After Dark
An Impartial Witness
Non-fiction
Anderson, Christopher William & Kate
Grennen, Conor
Little Princes
Oates, Joyce Carol
A Widow’ Story
Proulx, Annie
Bird Cloud
Wheeler, Sara
The Magnetic North
DVDs
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,
A Single Man, 127 Hours, Glee Season 2,
The Kids are Alright, The Fighter,
Incendies
Catherine Gardner
Real estate broker
Courtier immobilier
Groupe Sutton
Centre-Ouest Inc.
514-793-5608
[email protected]
Grade 3 with the Grey Cup
In January, for the second year in a
row, the students at Edinburgh enjoyed a
visit from the Grey Cup. Edinburgh
parent, Dr. Scott Delaney, Team
Physician for the Montreal
Alouettes, arranged this occasion. Although Dr. Delaney
brings the cup to many other
places such as the Royal
Victoria Hospital, he says
that the visit to his children’s
school is special because it
makes up for events that he
misses while he is on the road
with the team. Thank you Dr.
Delaney for this special privilege.
Junior Concert
In January, Kindergarten, Grades 1 and
2 held their Junior Concert. Set against
background scenery created by Grade 2
which depicted the MoWest train station
and the “Edinburgh Express,” the students
performed a selection of songs about
trains, houses and the neighbourhood.
There was beautiful art all over the gym
created by the three grades. The school
band performed songs with their recorders.
In February, instead of waiting until
recess to go outside, the children enjoyed
an outdoor day. They participated in
activities such as tug-o’-war, an obstacle
course and fort building. They were
divided into teams based on their house
colours. The Green team, called Pythons,
won. At the end of the day, the Home and
School Association volunteers provided
hot chocolate.
Chess class for Kindergarteners
For the first time, a six-week chess
class was offered to Kindergarten during
the lunch period. The Chess ’n Math
Association and the Home and
School organized this activity.
The class began with a short
theoretical explanation; then
the kids paired up and
began playing. Within a
short time, everyone was
engaged and developing
strategies.
Chess is believed to enhance
math and logic skills as well as creative problem solving
Congratulations to the two students
who were selected for the QESBA
(Quebec English School Boards
Association) Holiday Card Contest!
Sarah Bachour placed second and
Jessica Brodeur placed third. The finalists received a certificate and their artwork will be featured on holiday greeting
cards. Thank you to art teacher Mme
Anna Evangelista for coordinating this
contest and to all the students in Grade 5
for their submissions.
Edinburgh’s La Chorale Choir performed the national anthem at the Verdun
Auditorium for the Montreal Juniors on
March 17. They will be travelling to
Quebec City this spring.
from Caroline Dick Semergian
11
... EBS ... Elizabeth Ballantyne School ... EBS ...
I LOVE E.B.S.
“... on a des smartboards dans presque
chaque classe. Il y a un assistant professeur
dans presque chaque classe.”
Nicholas, grade 5
BECAUSE...
“... skool is fun.” – Keyshaun, grade 1
“... there is a drama class and
most schools don’t have that...”
Kiana, grade 6
“... our principal is great. We have a
beautiful school. We feel welcome
and safe. The teachers are nice.
Everyone is respected and nobody is
left out.”
Leia, grade 3
“... of all the sports we
can sign up for.”
Alon, grade 6
librere.”
“... we have a great
1
de
gra
a,
ann
Joh
n,
“... we sing songs.” – Be
K
Jeremiah, grade 4
“... of the friends I made and the
teachers are fun. The gym is big.
This school is AWESOME!!!!”
Shoshana, grade 5
“... we learn a lot of French.”
Noa, grade 3
“... les professeurs sont les meilleurs, on a
un Skate-a-thon chaque année, on a un
parc à côté de notre école, on commence à 9
heures, on a beaucoup d’enrichissement, on
fait beaucoup de gym.”
Ryan, grade 4
)
!
%
" ! &) *
(
"
"
! $
"
"
"! "
*
"
# "
Julia, grade 6
#!
(" ! &
% &!
"(! % &
"
“this school is unique. Whatever
we learn we remember.”
Ewan, grade 3
JANE F. LEE, B.Sc., D.D.S.
Chirurgien Dentiste - Dental Surgeon
63 WESTMINSTER N
MONTREAL WEST
H4X 1Y8
369-0255
Top Beauté
Nails / Stylist / Esthetician
Pedicure, Manicure, Artificial Nails, Airbrush
Hair Styling, Perms, Colour, Highlights, Barber
Facial, Make-up, Eyelash Extension, Waxing
55 Westminster North 484-0118
EBS students skate laps to raise money for the MW Children’s Library
Dr. Mark Santaguida, O.D.
docteur en optométrie / optometrist
• examen de la vue • eye exams
• lunettes
• glasses
• verres de contact • contact lenses
• consultation laser • laser consultation
514 481- 4791
43a av. Westminster Ave. N. Mtl West,QC H4X 1Y8
12
... MW Scout Group ... www.mwsg.ca ...
Friendfest 2011
MoWest Scout Group
is participating in FriendFest 2011.
Scouts invite friends to try out Scouting
to see if they would like to join us for the
rest of the season, including summer
camp! If you know anyone who’s curious
about Scouting, invite them to our next
meeting; they may be inspired to “Join
the Adventure.”
Cubs
Each year, the Cubs and White Tail
Beavers (Beavers in their senior year)
have a special trip together. It is usually
in the spring, but this year we decided to
go to Quebec City during Carnaval.
We left early on a Saturday morning
and drove straight to the Aquarium. We
broke into small groups to explore the
inside exhibits: saw the polar bear show
before lunch and the seal show afterwards. As always, the shop was a good
place to spend the money that was
burning a hole in the Cubs’ pockets.
Then we drove into the City itself and
were let off near the Plains of Abraham. In
our groups, we explored the various displays and activities. The highlight seemed
to be making miniature sculptures out of a
block of snow, but decorating and eating
cupcakes was also popular.
We had arranged to spend the night in
the hall of Holy Trinity Cathedral, so we
went there and got our sleeping bags set
out, then went to McDonald’s for supper.
That was the night of the second Carnaval
parade. We managed to find a front-row
viewing spot near the National Assembly,
so we were able to shake hands with
some of the paraders and collect souvenirs being handed out. We managed to
return to the church without losing anybody (it is not easy taking a large group
of children through a crowd at night!) and
settled down for a good night.
Sunday morning we had breakfast and
packed up, then headed to Valcartier for a
day’s tubing and rafting at the Village
Vacances. This is a very fine sledding
park, with runs, rated from easy to very
difficult, to please one and all. A very
tired and happy group of Cubs, Beavers
and leaders returned to the bus with tales
of all the places they had visited.
As we left, it started to snow, and the
drive was quite scary. A car went into the
ditch right in front of our bus and we
went very slowly. Thanks to our driver,
Darren King (former MW Beaver, Cub,
Scout, Venturer and leader) and his
superb skills at driving our Skyport
coach, we arrived back in MoWest an
hour and a half late, but safe and sound.
Ian Patterson, Owen Bruemmer, Matthew Dore, Luke Moreau, Monique Lariviere,
Matthew Lariviere, Liam Cowan, Jaryd Lariviere, Max Moreau and Matthew Bruemmer
Scouts
February is the traditional month of
celebration of the founding of Scouting
by Lord Baden-Powell. In preparation
for our area’s celebrations for Founder’s
Day on February 22, the Scouts prepared
a banner with artwork showing what
Scouting means to each. We then participated in the area-wide ceremony at
Westmount Park United Church,
together with MoWest Cubs, Brownies
and Guides.
Other activities in February included
an outdoors day playing broomball and
just playing silly on the snow mounds,
followed by the traditional hot chocolate
and cookies. Another recent meeting
focused on major world religions,
encouraging discussion and sharing
insights in small groups. Coming activities will include an evening of indoor
rock climbing and of course, in May, our
spring camp.
Beavers
In the last Informer, we told you that
many other exciting things were planned
for the Beavers. One that we have to tell
LINDA DE GUISE
Courtier immobilier
1260 Bernard Ouest, bureau 2
Outremont, QC H2V 1V9
bur. : (514) 272-1010
fax : (514) 272-3034
[email protected]
www.suttonquebec.com
you about is our annual winter camp.
This year, on February 12 - 13, we went
to Centre Notre-Dame-de-Fatima on Île
Perrot and did we have fun! We spent a
whole lot of time tubing down the best
sliding hill ever, snowshoeing, going out
after dark to look at the stars and having
a terrific time in the deep, deep snow. We
stayed overnight and got to sleep in a
really cozy cabin with bunk beds and
bathrooms right in the same building!
That was nice! The food was tasty and
there was lots of it to enjoy.
On Saturday night, we had our own
mini campfire (with an electric “fire”)
and the Beavers got to do their own skits.
But the best part of the trip was the beautiful weather. We had sunny skies both
days and it wasn’t very cold at all. That’s
why we got to spend so much time outdoors. It was a great two days.
Now the Beavers are finishing up their
rotation programs and will soon move on
to other fun meetings. The next big thing
on the agenda is our sleepover at the
Biodome in May. That’s when we get to
“sleep with the fishes”. Now THAT’S
going to be really, really fun.
René Boucher
RB
Traduction
Montréal-Ouest
Révision de texte
Québec
Translation
(514) 482-3486
Text revision
[email protected]
...Girl Guides of Canada... Guides du Canada...
Several members of the MW Guiding
family participated with the Scout group
of Stoney Point in a Founders’ Day celebration at Westmount Park United
Church on February 22. We renewed our
promises, lighting the appropriately
coloured candle (yellow for Brownies,
blue for Cubs). Guides call the birthday
of Lord and Lady Baden Powell
Thinking Day, as we collect money for
the World Friendship Fund, while
thinking about Guides all over the world.
Some also went skating on Beaver
Lake with Guides from Monklands
District the following evening.
The Brownies experimented with
hammers, nails and glue while putting
together bird houses, courtesy of a woodworking father.
We are preparing for our big museum
sleepover, at the Museum of Civilisation
in May.
The classic cookies ($4 a box and for
such a good cause!) arrive in late March.
We know we can count on our regular
customers. Please look for our girls to
help them to sell these delicious treats.
from Janet King
Photos:
Bridging meeting where Sparks, Brownies and
Guides share and learn together.
Catherine Barnes is working on her bird feeder.
Anna is working with her father, who prepared all the
recycled wood and sawed it in advance.
BOUCHERIE Aliments MARCHIGIANI
w
e
N
n
io
t
ca
o
l
1715 Thierry St.
LaSalle, Quebec, H8N 1H6
489-6819
Italian gourmet specialties
'
!"
!"
#!
33 Westminster N. • 369-6888
Master butcher
Home made sausage, porchetta
B.B.Q. spareribs and sauces
Épicerie gourmande italienne
Maître boucher
Coupes spécialisées
Saucisse ~ charcuterie maison
Porchetta ~ rôtisserie
13
14
A GREAT
FIRST JOB!
The Informer
has openings for carriers who
deliver the paper and flyers to
every home and business in the
Town of MoWest.
Deliveries take place nine
times a year (not in June, July or
December), generally the last
weekend of the month.
And… you get paid!
If you’re a responsible individual and are interested in
working for The Informer, please
contact:
Rhonda Schwartz
482-0227
[email protected]
Visit us on the web
http://www.bonder.com/
LIBRAIRIE BONDER INC.
BONDER BOOKSTORE INC.
52 Westminster Avenue N.
Montreal West, Quebec
H4X 1Z2
Tel: (514) 484-7131
Fax: (514) 484-3745
E-mail: [email protected]
CALL FOR ANY BOOK IN PRINT
Summer Employment
Application Deadline – April 10
Groundskeeper
Variable part time-hours, available
evenings and weekends as of May 1
Submit CVs to:
[email protected]
HELEN REID
honoured with National
Life Membership
I
NK
Helen Reid became
a member of IODE in
1969 when she joined
H.M.S. Victory Chapter
in MoWest. Helen has
held all offices in the
chapter and kindly continues to assume each task with efficiency
and effectiveness. Her gracious enthusiasm and talents were quickly recognized
as she progressed to the provincial level.
Helen served as Provincial President
of Quebec from 1994-1996. By virtue of
this position, Helen was a National VicePresident of IODE Canada. Under
Helen’s capable leadership, Quebec cohosted the 1995 National Annual
meeting in Ottawa. She regularly attends
events at National Theatre School on
behalf of IODE Canada. Helen served on
the War Memorial Selection Committee
from 2007-2009 and continues her contributions as National Councillor.
It is with great pleasure that a
National Life Membership is awarded to
Helen Reid in recognition of her valuable
and continuing service to IODE Canada.
Depot inc.
Refill your empty ink / toner cartridges
124 Westminster North
Good price, great service and fast work
Opening special Ink $9.96, Toner $45.99
489-0568
Canon • EPSON • HP • Dell • Lexmark • Brother
• Locksmith services
• Window and screen repairs
15
... News from the Pews ... News from the Pews ...
MW United
Church
April holds promise...
If you are inclined during these last
cool-ish days to reflect on your life –
consider aspects where you would like to
stretch beyond the usual – then you could
be on some form of a Lenten journey.
There needn’t be any ritual involved,
although there can be. One can simply
ponder as the opportunity arises. If you
prefer however, one can choose a time,
light a candle, ring a gong, put on meditative music, stretch, or exercise for
example, as a prelude to such contemplation. The resulting peace, the relaxation,
the shift in perspective can all be an illuminating experience. Not unlike the
Labyrinth Walk (April 27, 7 - 9 pm).
Book Browse Plus+++
If spring is your time to weed out your
book shelves (or stacks), your CDs,
DVDs, video games, jig saw puzzles,
magazines, records, not to mention kids’
stuff, then let us provide you with a destination for them. Our Annual Book
Browse Plus will be held Saturday, April
16. You can drop off your bags or truckloads at the church by April 14. Then on
April 16, come on by between 9:30 am
and 3 pm. Have some refreshments at the
wee café while you thumb through the
wares offered at amazingly low prices.
Great bargains – pleasant atmosphere –
all for a good cause.
Easter defines us as Christians
It is our belief – or perhaps it is more
accurate to say, our hope – that there is
something beyond this mortal earthly
existence. If we had absolute proof, we
wouldn’t be required to have faith, simply
put. So this time of year we tell the story
of Jesus, his trial, his death and his resurrection. Holy week begins with Palm
Sunday, when the children share in
relating a part of this story. On Good
Friday, the events of Christ’s trial and
death on the cross are conveyed through
scripture and song at an evening service
(7:30) in which the community’s churches
share. Easter Sunday morning, we celebrate the resurrection in a splendid worship service with flowers, special message
and music. Quite glorious.
Sunday services are always at 10 am
with Sunday school and nursery service.
Coffee follows. Rev. Janet Bisset and
the congregation welcome all.
MW Presbyterian
Church
Robert Burns and Martin Luther King,
two men who were dedicated to brotherhood and peace, were well-feted at our
Gospel, Dinner and Jazz event. Our
thanks to the musicians: Bert Boldon,
piano; Brian Cezair, bass; Wayne
Stoute, drums and Hayes Thurton (aka
Kali Dove), guitar.
Another tradition seems in the making
for our church – a snowy evening for the
night of our Chili Dinner. And once
again, so many of you ventured out to
join with us for great food and fellowship. Thank you.
Dr. John Simms and many of our
congregation attended the induction of
Father James Pratt at St. Phillip’s
Anglican Church, on March 5. The very
meaningful service was followed by a
reception where we had the opportunity
to welcome Father Pratt as well as to
meet and chat with many of our friends
and neighbours.
Looking forward
Easter Services at our church will be as
follows: Good Friday – April 10 at 11 am;
Easter Communion Sunday – April 12 at
10 am preceded at 8:30 am by an Easter
breakfast prepared by the Alladin Family.
Mark your calendars
Our Spring Card Party will be held on
Friday, April 24 at 1 pm. A light luncheon
will be served. For tickets ($7), please
call Jean Munro at 486-8718.
The Treasure, Book and Bake Sale
will be held on Saturday, May 3, 9 am - 2
pm. Treasures may be delivered prior to
and the week of the sale. Please, no encyclopaedias, Readers Digest Condensed
Books, National Geographic or old magazines.
We look forward to welcoming you to
our weekly Sunday service, held at 10 am
Sunday school is held at the same time.
from Janet Dimock
St. Philip’s Church
St. Philip’s Holy Week schedule will
be different this year. We are building our
ties with the other Anglican parishes in
NDG and coming together for services.
On Tuesday evening, April 19 at 7:30
pm, we will gather at Trinity Memorial
(5220 Sherbrooke) for Stations of the
Cross. On Wednesday, April 20 also at
7:30 pm, St. Philip’s will host Tenebrae,
a service of darkness from the monastic
tradition. On Thursday, April 21, St.
Thomas (6897 Somerled) will be the site
of a pot-luck supper at 6 pm followed by
the Maundy Thursday Eucharist. On
Good Friday, St. Philip’s will have the
usual Good Friday Liturgy at noon, and
in the evening we will join our friends at
MW United.
The annual Book and Bake sale will
take place on Saturday, May 7, from 10
am to 1 pm The following Saturday, May
15, will be our second annual community
yard sale in support of the NDG Food
Depot. Anyone may rent a table for $25;
call the church office at 481-4871 to
reserve a table.
THE MOVER INC.
Since 1932
Why choose just
anyone... when you
can move with UNITED
“THE PERFECT MOVERS”
In a day when personal service
seems like a chapter from history,
you’ll be pleased with Meldrum’s
genuine concern. Call us. We’ll make
a helpful house call... right away.
• CANADA • UNITED STATES • STORAGE •
LOCAL • OVERSEAS
481-1122
6645 SHERBROOKE ST. W.
16
MWCC
Looking back…
and forward
Well… it happens every year…
spring is springing… and another season
of curling is coming to an end. But it’s
been a great year… all the leagues have
a full complement of teams… our
’spiels and other events have done
unusually well and MoWest teams have
performed admirably on the road.
And this applies to all categories –
the open competitions, the Ladies and
the Juniors.
Apropos of the latter, a young (very
young) MoWester, Alex Hall, won our
Lyle Bradford Calcutta back in February
(a great event in which teams are purchased by members’ syndicates at a very
entertaining auction run by the
redoubtable Ed Jones). Alex’s team also
copped first place in the second half
ladder competition and he led a foursome to the Junior Provincial
Playdowns where they came very close
to winning it all. A terrific reflection on
our junior programs!
More to come
But this is a busy time of year with a
recently concluded and very successful
Shamrock Bonspiel, Dominion clubteam championship eliminations,
closing dinners and banquets, a junior
Family Fun Day and much, much more
– why not drop by the club any week-
Indoor golf
A $20 CRA membership
is a pre-requisite for all
CRA programs. Please note
that the fees indicated are
for MoWest residents only.
The non-resident fee is an
additional $20 per person,
per program.
All details on age requirements, days and times
may be found on our web
site at mwcrasports.ca
Volunteers needed
We are looking for volunteer coaches, referees for
soccer and score keepers for
baseball.
The best way to get ready for
the golf season is to practise
while there is still snow on the
ground. The CRA has set up a
large golf net in the arena for
players to get back into the
groove. You may use the
facility as often has you wish
during regular office hours.
April 25 to June 16,
during office hours
(supervision required)
Cost: $30 individual,
$50 family
Micro soccer
An introduction to basic
soccer skills through specific
drills, exercises and fun
games.
April 30 to June 18
and September
Cost: $50
night (or weekday) to take in some
curling? You’ll enjoy it – guaranteed!
Need a reception venue?
April 18 is the date that we take the
ice out – but that doesn’t spell fini to
club activities. The club’s attractive
upstairs and downstairs lounges are
available at very reasonable rental rates
for receptions, meetings, banquets or
what-have-you. If you are planning an
event, you might do well to check us out
by calling Dave Dubeau at 484- 9926.
Summer activities
And there are other things happening
over the summer, including softball and
golf. The latter has become more and
more popular with low, group rate green
fees and a great group of guys and
ladies. You might call Dave Dubeau or
Jacques Lacroix at 694-7068… and
you don’t have to be a scratch golfer.
See you next October!
from Neil Shee
Boys’ soccer
Non-competitive recreational
program.
April 30 to June 18
and September
Cost: $75
Girls’ soccer
Non-competitive recreational
program.
April 30 to June 18
and September
Cost: $75
Baseball
Our philosophy is to teach children recreational baseball.
They start with T-ball and work
through a progressive step-bystep process. The number of
teams is based on registration.
May 2 to June 16,
Atom - Born 2002-03-04: $50
T-Ball - Born 2005-06: $35
Stephen Coull B. Comm.
Courtier en Assurances de Dommages
Broker in Damage Insurance
68 Westminster Ave. N.
514-481-1134
www.rccoull.com
Inter city baseball
We offer a semi-competitive
league with surrounding communities. We travel to
Westmount, Côte Saint-Luc,
Hampstead, Town of Mount
Royal and DDO.
April, May and June
Cost: $100
Gym-fit
(gymnastics)
We have revamped our gymnastics program into a more
fun and exhilarating program
focussing on strength,
endurance, balance and coordination, all of this accomplished in a gymnastics environment. There will be
rewards and certificates for
all participants.
March 29 to June 16
Cost: $100 (one session)
ANITA CONIDARIS
Consultation in
Decorating
and the ideal colour
palette for your home
Design d’intérieur
44 Easton Ave.
Montreal West
485-4639
17
.... Community Centre ... www.montreal-west.ca ...
New bus service
In the fall, the Société de transport de
Montréal (STM) launched the Navette Or
262. It is a small bus that runs between
Côte Saint-Luc and Carrefour Angrignon
and makes stops at senior-important areas
like the CLSC Cavendish, Cavendish
Mall, Maimonides and St-Patrick’s Square.
The bus made its last pick up at
Westminster and Côte Saint-Luc Road and
then continued along Westminster (without
additional stops) and then left onto
Sherbrooke on the way to Angrignon.
I got in touch with the STM and asked
that they consider adding stops in MoWest
to service our seniors. I am happy to
announce that they fully agreed. As of
March 28, the Navette Or 262 will make
two additional stops in our Town. The first
stop will be at the corner of Westminster
and Parkside to service our seniors in the
north and centre parts of Town and the
second stop will be at the corner of
Westminster and Milner to service seniors
(although it is open to all STM users as
well) in the centre and south part of Town.
The shuttle will stop at the same places
the 162 stops at those corners.
I would like to thank Michel
Tremblay at the STM for addressing our
request so promptly.
Beny Masella, Mayor
Summer Employment
in MoWest
Positions available: Day Camp
Counsellors and Junior Counsellors,
Community Centre Animators.
Applicants: Send your résumés to
Chris Kearney, 8 Westminster Ave S.
H4X 1Y5; [email protected].
Spring and summer
programs
Registration is ongoing for all our programs. The spring session begins the week
of April 4 for 10 weeks and the summer
session begin June 27 for 8 weeks.
Day Camp
Don’t miss out on a fantastic summer
day camp! Registration is ongoing during
regular business hours with an early bird
discount until April 29!
Pool
Registration for the MW Pool is also
ongoing. Don’t miss out on our early bird
discount and our programs to keep your
kids active and occupied all summer
long, like Swim Team!
Cotton Tail Party
La fête du lapin
Sunday, April 10
2 - 4 pm at the Town Hall
Come enjoy the egg hunt, face
painting, crafts and a magic show!
Tickets on sale at the John A.
Simms Community Centre. Cost (per
child): $6 in advance or $10 at the
door. For more info: 484-6186.
Take part in our
Community Night?
We are having our second annual
Community Night. All community
groups are welcome to take part in this
event. It will be held on the evening of
Wednesday, May 31; this will be the first
of our outdoor events at Davies Park.
The idea is to share with residents all the
available programs, groups and services
in Town. There will be demonstrations
from some of our instructors, entertainment and a BBQ. Hopefully we’ll be
luckier with the weather this year!
If you are interested in having a table
to display information about your
group or service for more information,
please contact Marian Scully at the John
A. Simms Community Centre by phone
484-1610 or by email at mscully@
montreal-west.ca.
Volunteer Week
April 10 - 16
Thank you Volunteers!
Merci aux bénévoles!
DR. SUSAN MCDONALD
Dentist • Dentiste
73 WESTMINSTER N.
MONTREAL WEST
H4X 1Y8
486-4411
Palmtop / laptop specialists since 1986
Wireless Pentium-M notebooks
$299+
Virus removal and repairs
37 Westminster Ave. N.
514-487-9293
Richard Eckerlin We environmentally recycle old and
President
broken laptop/notebook computers.
All your hard work and dedication does
not go unnoticed. Here are few of the
groups in the community that thrive thanks
to their wonderful volunteers: Art etc.,
Canada Day Committee, Children’s
Library, Community Service Council,
Civic Recreation Association, Environment Action Committee, Extra Miles
Program, Guides, Horticultural Society,
IODE (Imperial Order of the Daughters of
the Empire), The Informer, Les Amis de
Meadowbrook, Meals-on-Wheels, MW
50+ Club, MW Curling Club, MW Swim
Team, Montreal Westward Rotary Club,
NDG Senior Citizen Council, Public
Library, Scouts. THANK YOU!
On behalf of the Town of Montreal West
18
MW
50+
Club
5
Dr. Michael J. Wexel
Chiropracticien / Chiropractor
Neck Pain
Headaches & Migraines
Stiffness
Sports Related Injuries
Wellness & Preventative Care
Outings and events
for April
7
11
14
26
27
29
Movie Matinée: Mao’s Last
Dancer
Favourite colour tea party
CTV tour (take 2)
Diners’ Club
Bridge
Johnny & June at the Upper
Canada Theatre
Spring Luncheon
18 Westminster N., Suite 110
email: [email protected]
Call For An Appointment Today So You Can Feel Better Tomorrow.
NOVA Foot Clinics
April 13 & 27
By appointment only.
Please call: 484-6186.
Overnight trips
Chicago: May 11-17
Shaw Festival: June 6-10
Stratford Festival: September 12-16
484-6186
Tibia
Fibula
Tibialis anterior
Soleus
Cuneiform
Tendon from
gastrocnemius
Talus
Flexor digitorum longus
(extends under foot,
dividing into four tendons)
Calcaneus
Distal phalanges
Abductor hallucis and
flexor hallucis brevis
Navicular
What’s new on the shelves
Hours / Heures
Monday - Thursday / lundi - jeudi :
9 h 00 - 12 h 00; 13 h 30 - 18 h 00
Friday / vendredi :
9 h 00 - 12 h 00; 13 h 30 - 17 h 00
Saturday / samedi : 13 h 00 - 16 h 00
Easter Egg workshop with Margaret
Griffin will be held on Saturday, April 9
at 1:30 pm for kids aged 5+. The cost
will be $8 per child. Each child must
bring six blown-out eggs, as well as an
empty egg carton to bring their works of
art home! (This might get messy... a
smock or cover-up is strongly recommended!) Please register in advance!
The library will be closed on Good
Friday, April 22 and on Easter Monday,
April 25. We will be open as usual on
Saturday, April 23.
773-7246
Low Back Pain
Muscle Pain
Numbness & Tingling
Nutritional Counseling
CSST & SAAQ
We have received two new Elephant
and Piggie books by Mo Willems – We
Are in the Book! and I Broke my Trunk!, a
whole new set of funny adventures by
everyone’s favorite pals.
This year’s Caldecott Medal winner, A
Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C.
Stead tells the story of Amos McGee, a
friendly zookeeper whose good friends
from the zoo come to help him when he
wakes up with sniffles and sneezes.
The Caldecott Medal Honor book
Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra
Stein, is the story of Little Red Chicken
who wants Papa to read her a bedtime
story, but interrupts him almost as soon
as he begins each tale.
This year’s Newbery Medal winner for
older readers is Moon Over Manifest by
Clare Vanderpool. Twelve-year-old
Abilene Tucker is the daughter of a drifter
who, in the summer of 1936, sends her to
stay with an old friend in Manifest,
Kansas, where he grew up and where she
hopes to find out about his past.
Two Newbery Honor novels are Turtle
in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm, in
which, in 1935, when her mother gets a
job housekeeping for a woman who does
not like children, eleven-year-old Turtle is
sent to stay with relatives she has never
met; and Heart of a Samurai, by Margi
Preus, which takes place in 1841, when
rescued by an American whaler after a terrible shipwreck leaves him and his four
companions castaways on a remote island,
fourteen-year-old Manjiro, who dreams of
becoming a samurai, learns new laws and
customs as he becomes the first Japanese
person to set foot in the United States.
... Town Council Report ... February ... Town Council Report ...
by Carol Foster
Sparse attendance and a slim agenda
helped make the February meeting of the
Town Council shorter than usual.
Mayor Masella opened with a progress
report on the Town’s participation in plans
for dealing with the anticipated increase in
train traffic. He has been advised by an
ATM official that part of the recently
approved $22 million study is earmarked
to design a solution for Montreal West. He
assured residents, once again, that
Montreal West will seek, but not spend,
money to cover the costs of any solution
and that he will forcefully ensure the needs
of the Town are being met.
The Mayor went on to announce that
arrangements have been made with the
STM to include two stops in the Town
for the #262 mini bus. This new bus service is designed for seniors seeking convenient transportation to the Angrignon
Shopping Centre. Originally intended to
assist seniors in Côte Saint-Luc, it will
now include stops on Westminster at the
Parkside and Milner bus stops beginning
on March 28. The bus operates on
Tuesdays through Thursday, makes four
runs a day and requires the standard bus
fares. The schedule will be posted on the
Town’s web page.
Items from the Town Clerk’s office
included a request from a resident at 354
Brock North to purchase the adjacent vacant
lot (which is presently a tiny park) owned
by the Town. The request was refused.
Public Works is now the proud owner
of a brand-new Ford pick-up truck
recently purchased for $23,000.
Councillor Tasker-Brown explained
that the Dispatch Centre in Pointe Claire,
through which information is passed on
to our security officers, handles over
8,000 calls a year within its jurisdictions.
Approximately 3,000 of these calls are
non-emergency calls and should be
directed elsewhere. The Town pays the
Dispatch Centre over $37,000 annually
for its service and recognizes the need to
increase the efficiency of the centre
where possible. Since much confusion
still exists concerning the definition of an
emergency vs a non-emergency call, and
who to call for what situation, an information sheet is being prepared and will
soon appear in The Informer.
Councillor Ulin invited residents to
turn off their lights on March 26 for one
hour beginning at 8:30 pm as the Town is
participating in Earth Hour 2011. She
reported the annual Volunteers’ Party is
scheduled for April 13 and that a visiting
hockey team from Australia recently participated in an exhibition game with our
MW/Hampstead PeeWee CC team.
Councillor Mazzone expressed his
appreciation for the Rotary’s ongoing
generosity to this town and added that a
plaque honouring their many contributions will be displayed in the Town Hall.
Mr. Mazzone outlined his plan to conduct a line-by-line analysis of the Town’s
budget in an effort to ensure both efficiency and accountability in how taxpayers’ money is being spent. Final decisions concerning the Pharmaprix project
have not yet been reached. He concluded
his report by announcing that Council
has accepted PAC’s recommendation to
submit the houses at 4 Parkside and 234
Wolseley North to the selection committee of OPAM 2011.
Question period
A very brief question period followed
with Councillor Mazzone asking
Councillor Ulin to explain more about
CLD, an economic development organization, of which MoWest is a member.
Ms. Ulin gave a brief description of the
organization’s purpose which is to provide front-line assistance or technical or
financial support to potential entrepreneurs or existing businesses, individual or
collective, whatever their age or stage of
development. She urged residents to take
advantage of the many benefits being
offered by CLD. More information can
be obtained from Ms. Ulin upon request.
A resident from Courtney Drive questioned the logic of the snow removal
process on his street which leaves residents with no place to park. The Mayor
promised to look into the problem.
Carole-Ann Budning asked for an
update on the Pharmaprix project. She
indicated she was particularly interested in
the parking and traffic issues. The Mayor
explained that Council, at its last meeting,
had requested PAC to focus on their mandate (which is solely to involve the architectural elements of the project).
Council would then proceed with its
own deliberation concerning the
remaining issues. Since then PAC has
held a meeting on this subject and has
issued a recommendation. The recommendation was to refuse the project, but
it came with a list of conditions which
were communicated to the promoter, who
is now working to meet them. PAC is
expected to review the file again in the
next few weeks and again report to
Council. Both Councillor Mazzone and
Councillor Ulin indicated Council was
interested in hearing PAC’s advice, in an
unofficial capacity, on matters concerning
the traffic and parking considerations.
Councillor Tasker-Brown added that the
Traffic and Safety Committee has also
expressed a concern about all issues
affecting that corner in the Town. The
Mayor concluded this discussion by
saying the traffic engineer who reviewed
the original Traffic Study Report will be
invited to answer questions from Council.
The question period then ended in
record-breaking time and the meeting
was adjourned.
[Il n’y a pas de traduction car monsieur
Boucher n’est pas disponible ce mois-ci.]
centre-ouest inc.
agence immobilière
Whether buying or selling
We are there for you,
every step of the way
Call the father-daughter team
that will make the difference
ERICH ZOLTAN KOS
SIMONA KOS, B.A.
COURTIER IMMOBILIER AGRÉÉ
(514) 483-6240
[email protected]
COURTIER IMMOBILIER
(514) 297-1813
[email protected]
French, English, German, Hungarian and Romanian
19
COMING EVENTS
APRIL
Fri.
8
Sat
9
Sun 10
Tue 12
Sat
16
Mon 18
Wed 20
Fri 22
Sun 24
Tue 26
Mon 28
Sat 30
MAY
Sat
7
Please call the Editor: Heather at 489-7022
e-mail: [email protected]
Next deadline: April 13
Spring Card Party. MW Presbyterian Church. 1 pm.
Empty Bowls 2011. Unitarian Church of Montreal,
5035 de Maisonneuve W. (Métro Vendôme).
100% of proceeds go to: NDG Food Depot, Montreal Diet
Dispensary, Multi Caf. 11 am - 2 pm.
Cotton Tail Party - La fête du lapin.
Town Hall. 2 - 4 pm. Please see page 17.
Trees: appplicaton for trees starts at 8:30 am
(continues until April 18 at 4:30 pm).
Book Browse Plus+ MW United Church. 9:30 am - 3 pm.
Please see page 15.
MW Horticultural Society presents Serge Martin on roses.
Town Hall. 7:30 pm. Everyone welcome; non-members, $5.
Service of Tenebrae. St. Philip’s Church. 7:30 pm.
Good Friday Service. MW Presbyterian Church. 11 am
Good Friday Liturgy. St. Philip’s Church. Noon.
Good Friday Evening Choral Service.
MW United Church. 7:30 pm.
Easter Sunday Holy Eucharist.
St. Philip’s Church. 8 and 10 am.
Easter Communion.
MW Presbyterian Church. All welcome. 10 am.
Evening Labyrinth Walk. MW United Church. 7 - 9 pm.
Town Council Meeting. Town Hall. 8 pm.
Treasure, Book & Bake Sale.
MW Presbyterian Church. Light lunch. 9 - 2 pm.
West End Quilters’ Guild: Quilt Show.
St. Ignatius of Loyola Church. 10 am - 5 pm.
Continues on Sunday: 10 am - 3 pm.
Classifieds
LARGE SUNNY DETACHED 6 ½
upper duplex for rent on Westminster
Ave. Three bedrooms, separate
dining room. Laundry room in basement. Includes heating. Close to all
amenities. Sorry, no pets. For information please call Sue at 484-7619.
Available as of May 1. $1150 monthly.
LOOKING FOR A HOUSE: A family
living in Montreal West wants to rent
for 12 - 15 months (beginning August
1), 3 or 4 bedrooms + basement, 2
parking spaces, preferably furnished
or minimal kitchens electrical equipment + washing machine). We’ll take
good care of your house. Tel: 3694694 or [email protected].
MoWest joins
the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Goulet Family & Friends 6th Annual Bake Sale,
a fundraiser for the Montreal Children’s Hospital: at
60 Wolseley Ave. North. There will be many scrumptious
things to choose: pies, brownies, carrot cake, banana bread,
cookies, muffins, lemonade and a lemon loaf or two. 9 am.
Dogeared Books Sale for Meals-on-Wheels. Corner of
Westminster N and Milner beside the RBC. 9 am - 3 pm.
If rain, it will be held on May 14.
Book and Bake Sale. St. Philip’s Church. 10 am - 1 pm.
Photos: Robert Ganz
20