Cavendish link a longstanding issue

The Suburban looks back at 50 years in our community

Cavendish link a longstanding issue in The Suburban

April 18, 2012

Joel Goldenberg, The Suburban

 

Sometimes, when I go out into the community and identify myself as being from The Suburban, longtime readers will frequently bring up the Cavendish extension issue. And why not? The issue of the link, or lack thereof, between St. Laurent and Côte St. Luc is almost as old and perhaps even older than the paper itself, and has become synonymous with us.

At a recent press conference announcing the ceding of the Hippodrome land from the Quebec government to Montreal and the resultant resurfacing of the Cavendish link, I inwardly chuckled as a local reporter said she has been hearing about the issue since she started reporting about 16 years ago. That’s only a fraction of the time the matter has been discussed.

For the last 45 years, motorists from Côte St. Luc, Hampstead, NDG and St. Laurent stuck in traffic on the Decarie expressway have been dreaming of an alternate north-south route. But it always seemed elusive. Côte St. Luc was opposed for many years (”We don’t want it, we don’t need it and we can’t afford it,” former mayor Bernard Lang famously said) and then supportive under the Robert Libman and current Anthony Housefather administration.

The link resurfaced during the merger years – with a project bureau even being formed – and was seemingly placed on the shelf again after demerger.

Yet, in recent weeks, Côte des Neiges/NDG, Town of Mount Royal, Côte St. Luc, Montreal West, St. Laurent and Hampstead have passed resolutions calling on Quebec and Montreal to prioritize the link. And some believe the future development of the Hippodrome land gives the project new hope.

Hopes of this sort were temporarily dashed in one of the earliest stories The Suburban had on the Cavendish link. The front page of the June 16, 1966 issue carried the story “Cavendish WILL NOT be extended.” The story quotes an A. Branchand, chief engineer for the department of roads; and Jean-Paul Matte, project director for what was to be a second bridge from Montreal to Laval, as saying there was “no intention” to extend Cavendish from Côte St. Luc to Côte de Liesse in St. Laurent. Both told The Suburban that bigger priorities were the second bridge, the Décarie expressway then nearing completion and what became the Rockland overpass north o f Van Horne and south of Jean Talon. Matte even said that Montée de Liesse in St. Laurent was more of a possibility for an extension, to be linked northward with the second bridge.

To this day, there has been no Montée de Liesse extension to Gouin and there is no span west of the Lachapelle Bridge in the area where an extended Montée de Liesse would be.

“Both Mr. Branchaud and Mr. Matte agreed that ‘Cavendish was not a provincial problem,’” the 1966 story concludes.

But today, the municipalities involved are very much looking to the province to finally resolve this issue. As the years go by, many have told us they wonder whether the Cavendish link will ever be completed in their lifetimes. At least there is a little more hope now than in 1966.

Marking Raoul Wallenberg Centennial

The Consulate General of the State of Israel, in conjunction with the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre, the Riva and Thomas O. Hecht Scholarship Program, Teaching of the Holocaust for Educators, the City of Côte Saint-Luc, the English Montreal School Board and the Office of Mount Royal Liberal Member of Parliament Irwin Cotler,will announce plans to mark the centennial of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg. This will take place on Friday, May 11 at Bialik High School (6500 Kildare Road) in Côte Saint-Luc and include some distinguished speakers.

Raoul Wallenberg was the Swedish diplomat who saved the lives of tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust. While serving as Swedish envoy in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, from July 1944, Wallenberg gave Jews Swedish travel documents and set up safe houses for them. He is also credited with dissuading German officers from massacring the 70,000 inhabitants of the city’s ghetto.

Ron Meisel, a Holocaust survivor who was among the Jews saved by Wallenberg, will be in attendance. His video testimonial will be shown on the big screen.

The Nazis, who occupied Hungary in early 1944, launched mass deportations of Hungarian Jews to concentration camps such as Auschwitz with the collaboration of local authorities. Wallenberg disappeared after being arrested in Hungary by the Soviet Red Army in 1945. The Russians have said he was executed on July 17, 1947, but unverified witness accounts and newly uncovered evidence suggest he may have lived beyond that date.

Israel Consul General for Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces, Joel Lion, will formally announce plans for a Raoul Wallenberg Legacy Competition Project. Students from Bialik will be joined in the audience by their counterparts from a number of other local schools, including Marymount Academy in N.D.G., LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent and Westmount High School.

Plans call for this to be an interactive project in which students from Montreal area high schools will seek to explain to their fellow peers in a three to four minute video how Raoul Wallenberg’s legacy and message is still relevant in their own lifetime. Students will have complete access to video files from different Holocaust-related websites.

Winners of the competition will receive a special certificate and be honoured at a breakfast hosted by the Consul General of Israel in December 2012 followed by a visit to the Montreal Holocaust Museum. All of the videos will be posted on the EMSB Vimeo site and made available to school teachers as resource teachers.

The legacy of Raoul Wallenberg will also be marked by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre during their Holocaust Education Series next fall. On May 23 (5:30 p.m.) the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation of Montreal will hold a commemoration at the Monument at Raoul Wallenberg Square (600 de Maisonneuve).

The EMSB will work with The Riva and Thomas O. Hecht Scholarship Program, Teaching of the Holocaust for Educators, to solicit participation from English and French public and private schools in the Montreal area. Each year the The Riva and Thomas O. Hecht Scholarship Program, Teaching of the Holocaust for Educators, sponsors teachers to attend a Summer Session of the International Seminar for Educators at Yad Vashem. Past winners represent a natural connection to bring the Wallenberg story into the classrooms.

Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Anthony Housefather, working with City Councillors Mike Cohen and Allan J. Levine, proposed a local launch of the Wallenberg commemoration in their city for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Côte Saint-Luc is the home to a large Jewish community per capita in the world. As well, Wallenberg was inducted to the city’s Human Rights Walkway at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park a number of years ago.

Speakers will include Consul General Lion, Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Housefather, Professor Irwin Cotler, Liberal MNA for D’Arcy McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman, EMSB Commissioner Syd Wise, Thomas O. Hecht, Bialik Principal Ken Scott and students Allix Caron and Tori Perlman. Peter Rona from the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation will also be on hand.

Israeli President Peres given a hero’s welcome to Montreal

Israel’s 9th president, Shimon Peres, was given a hero’s welcome as he entered the Shaare Hashomayim (Gates of Heaven) synagogue in Westmount yesterday to a packed house of 1800 well-wishers.

Peres was joined by a who’s who of diplomatic, political and community leadership including the Israeli ambassador to Canada Miriam Ziv, the Canadian ambassador to Israel Paul Hunt, Mount Royal Member of Parliament Irwin Cotler, D’Arcy McGee Member of the National Assembly Lawrence Bergman, Israeli Consul General Joel Lion and many more.

Cote Saint-Luc Council was well represented by Councillors Dida Berku, Ruth Kovac who proudly shook the President’s hand, Mike Cohen looking on from the media balcony and myself.  I was proud to deliver a token gift on behalf of Dr. Hartley Stern, Executive Director of the Jewish General Hospital.

Huge crowd greets President Shimon Peres in Montreal

Shaare Hashomayim Rabbi Adam Sheir praised the close relationship between Montreal Jewry and the State of Israel going back generations.  He listed the impressive leadership that visited his congregation including Golda Myerson, 20 years before she would become Israel’s first Prime Minister, as well as President Chaim Herzog, General Moshe Dayan, Prime Minister Menachem Begin and then Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

“We celebrate Montreal’s strong ties to Israel.  We take great pride in the Jewish State and in its accomplishments.   For generations we have stood with Israel. It is only in Israel where the People of the Book are also known, in the words of President Peres, as the People of the Facebook,” the Rabbi said to great chuckle. His invocation was both inspiring and uplifting in praise of the President and the State of Israel.

Music conductor Stephen Glass,  Cantor Gideon Zelermayer and the Shaare Hashomayim choir were called up to deliver a stirring and melodic blessing for the State of Israel.

President Peres responded with humour how pleased he was to be at the Gates of Heaven.  He added that his official visit to Canada was a “Voyage of profound and sincere friendship”.  In unfailing French he thanked Canada for a warm welcome.  He added that Montreal was the most dedicated and active community in the founding and development of the State of Israel.  ”Jerusalem salutes you.”

“Our land is so small, it is just a statistical error by comparison to Canada.  I see your lakes and rivers and I’m jealous.  We have only one river.  It is richer in history than water.  We have two lakes.  One is dead.”

“We were outnumbered, outgunned, not supported, not accepted,” Peres said.  ”The greatness of Israel is that we started with nothing.  When you have nothing, you may discover the greatest thing in life:  The human being.”

” We were always numerically inferior. Always being challenged.  There isn’t another country in the world that has faced such challenges.”

With regard to the War of Independence, Peres remarked, “Ben Gurion said, ‘I don’t know if the Israeli army is the best in the world, but I don’t know of any army in the world that is better than Israel’s.’”

Of Jews and Israel, Peres said, “We were born to seek peace. The Ten Commandments  remain our guide after 3500 years.  We don’t exist to threaten or to rule other people.  We are here for Tikkun Olam, to create a better world for all.”

“The DNA of our nation became invention and technology.  25% of Nobel laureates are Jewish. This is a gift to the world.”

“Another gift of the Jewish People is dissatisfaction.  We’re never satisfied,” the President proclaimed to great laughter. “So we strive for more.  To do better. To aim higher.”

Security was extremely tight around the Shaare Hashomayim with dozens of plain clothes police from RCMP and Israeli agents, uniformed Montreal Police, and many private security agents. Seen here the motorcade with more than 25 motorcycle escorts, many limousines and an ambulance speeds off through the streets of Westmount.

The Twittersphere was abuzz with mentions of @PresidentPeres and #PeresinMtl.

At 88 years of age Shimon Peres remains unrelenting in the pursuit of peace. His speech was historic and illuminating.

Watch the entire speech on Federation CJA’s website.

I was privileged to have met and spoken with Shimon Peres in the mid 90s in Jerusalem.

Related articles

• Peres praises Canada during official visit (jta.org)
• Israeli President Shimon Peres welcomed by Gov. Gen. (ctv.ca)
• Gov.-Gen. greets Israeli President, hails ‘diplomacy of knowledge’ (theglobeandmail.com)

Victory in Europe commemorated in Cote Saint-Luc

Each year Cote Saint-Luc salutes its veterans and remembers those who have passed.  V-E Day takes place on the first Sunday in May.  Unfortunately, the crowd of veterans grows thinner each year and those still attending grow a little more frail, a little older.  Their ages have now reached the upper 80s and many into their 90s.

The Cote Saint-Luc ceremony is solemn and meaningful.  Remarks are given by members of the Royal Canadian Legion, the diplomatic corps, municipal officials and a military band and trumpeter provide musical accompaniment.  The Master of Ceremony was Frank Levine, a veteran of the Second World War and local Legion president. The event co-chairpersons were councillors Allan J. Levine and Ruth Kovac.

I have been attending the Cote Saint-Luc ceremony for some 32 years since I first joined the CSL Emergency Measures Organization in 1979.  Back then, EMO members would march, 30 or 40 strong, from 8100 CSL Road to the CSL Shopping Centre where we would meet up with hundreds of veterans, firefighters, police officers, soldiers, scouts and other volunteers.  The larger parade, including marching bands would make its way further down CSL Road to the reviewing stand near the fire station and the parade would assemble at the old cenotaph at Father Foley Park between the fire station and the post office.  Hundreds of spectators would line the street.

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Today’s assembly is smaller.  The event is simpler.  But it is still very important to remember.  Mayor Anthony Housefather spoke eloquently about the veteran’s returning from WWII who built CSL into a modern and thriving urban city.  He thanked them for their dedication in building our community.

I am fortunate to once again have attended with my father, George Nashen, a veteran of the RCAF who served in England from 1942-1946.  I salute him, the members of the Brigadier Fredrick Kisch Branch 97 of the Royal Canadian Legion and all those who served in the Canadian Armed Forces.

We will remember them.

View more photos on the Cote Saint-Luc Flikr page.

Read more on Mike Cohen’s blog.

Read more in the Suburban.

Commemorating VE Day – We will remember them – Nous nous souviendrons d’eux

 

The City of Côte Saint-Luc and the Brigadier Frederick Kisch Branch 97 of the Royal Canadian Legion launched the We Will Remember Them online campaign.

The goal is to encourage the Facebook generation to honour the sacrifice of the Greatest Generation by changing their Facebook profile photo to the We Will Remember Them logo or to pose with the We Will Remember Them poster, both available for download at www.cotesaintluc.org/WeWillRememberThem.

“Every new generation must remember those who fought to defend Canada and her allies,” Mayor Anthony Housefather said. “Côte Saint-Luc is a community that remembers its past and honours the veterans who returned to build our community and the memory of those who did not.”

The annual Victory in Europe (V-E) Day commemoration ceremony in Côte Saint-Luc takes place on Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 2 pm at Veterans Park (on Cavendish Blvd. next to City Hall).

In the event of rain, it will take place next door at City Hall, 5801 Cavendish Blvd.

The Master of Ceremony will be Frank Levine, a veteran of the Second World War and local Legion president. The event co-chairpersons are councillors Allan J. Levine and Ruth Kovac.
 
The City of Côte Saint-Luc and the Brigadier Frederick Kisch Branch 97 of the Royal Canadian Legion organize the V-E Day event, which commemorates the victory of the Allies over Nazi Germany.

Victory in Europe (V-E) Day was May 8, 1945, the date when the Second World War Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany. The cenotaph at Veterans Park honours the memory of those who gave their lives in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. 

The Greatest Generation is a term coined by journalist Tom Brokaw to describe the generation who grew up during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in the Second World War, as well as those whose productivity within the war’s home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort.

Yom Hashoah – Remember – Souvenez-Vous

 

Naked and bare

We were chased from our home

In darkness

Driven into the fields

And storm, hail and wind

Have accompanied us, my child

Accompanied us into

The abyss of the world.

(Close your Little Eyes, a poem composed by Isaiah Shpigl who survived the Lodz ghetto and Auschwitz wrote the lyrics to this song. The music had been composed by David Beyglman who was murdered in Treblinka’s gas chambers)

Last night I attended the Yom Hashoah Holocaust Commemoration Service in Cote Saint-Luc with my 11-year-old daughter. The residents of Cote Saint-Luc and throughout Montreal were there in large numbers.

Our City Council was in attendance along with Mayor Anthony Housefather as was the Council from the Town of Hampstead, Councillor Peter McQueen of NDG, Irwin Cotler, MP for Mount Royal and Lawrence Bergman, MNA for D’Arcy McGee, who assisted in the candle lighting as the son-in-law of a survivor.  Also present was Jacques Chagnon, MNA for Westmount,who told me he found the commemoration very moving.

Israel’s Consul General Joel Lion spoke of his personal connections as the son of Holocaust survivors.  He was accompanied by two members of the Knesset (the president and vice-president of the Israeli parliament). MK Bensimon said what a very special time this is in Israel and for Jews around the world as we mark the lowest point on the calendar for a tear-filled week of reflection leading up to Yom Hazikaron, the Day of Remembrance of those who perished in Israel’s wars, followed the next day by Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day.  From sorrow and remembrance to joyous celebration in the course of a week.

The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre undertakes this remembrance service each year under the banner, “Unto Every Person There is a Name.”

Related articles

• Peres: We Came to Say and to Swear “Never Again” (israelnationalnews.com)

Côte St. Luc a livable, innovative community

Côte St. Luc a livable, innovative community

Largely residential city has strong education, recreation facilities

 

BY MEGAN MARTIN, FREELANCE, The Montreal Gazette, FEBRUARY 1, 2012

 

Côte St. Luc is a bilingual municipality with a diverse population, located west of the downtown core. Featuring ideal real estate for families, the largely residential city is the third largest municipality on the island of Montreal. The town was incorporated in 1903 and graduated to city status in 1958.

 

The city’s population of roughly 32,500 is spread over 6.95 square kilometres of land. There are around 13,500 households on the territory, divided almost equally between owned and rented properties. A mayor and eight city councillors administer the city, each for a term of four years. Each councillor serves a separate district of the city.

 

INNOVATION

 

Côte St. Luc has been a leader in health and safety issues, becoming one of the first municipalities in Quebec to ban pesticides. It was also the first municipality in Quebec to outlaw smoking in public places and to require bicycle helmets. Additionally, Côte St. Luc is the only community in Quebec to have a volunteer first responder service, which was created almost 30 years ago. And in 2006, it became the first city in the province to launch a Citizens on Patrol program.

 

SCHOOLS

 

There is no shortage of schools at a variety of academic levels in Côte St. Luc. Moreover, because of the large Jewish population in the city, there are several private, specialized schools. Preschools include the Hebrew Day School on Hudson Ave., and the Jewish People’s and Peretz School on Westminster Ave. Elementary schools include École Maimonides located on Côte St. Luc Rd., Hebrew Academy on Kellert St., Merton Elementary on Robinson Ave., École de la Mosaique on McMurray Ave., and Yeshiva Yavne on Wavell Rd. There are also several high schools in Côte St. Luc including École Secondaire Maimonide on Parkhaven Ave., Bialik High School on Kildare Ave., and Hebrew Academy on Kellert Ave. Lastly, Marymount Adult Centre and John Grant High School for children with special needs share a building on Parkhaven Ave.

 

RECREATION

 

The sports and recreation programs offered by Côte St. Luc make it an attractive residential community, especially for families. The Parks and Recreation Department in Côte St. Luc offers residents various leisure, sporting, and cultural programs. It coordinates events year round and runs facilities such as the Samuel Moskovitch Arena.

 

The city boasts 28 parks and a brand new Aquatic and Community Centre on Parkhaven Ave. The new centre, which opened in September 2011, was created to offer residents access to resources geared toward leading an active and healthy lifestyle. The centre features an indoor competition pool and a separate recreation pool, which provides a year-round venue for a range of aquatic activities, a fitness room for aerobic conditioning and a dance studio.

 

There is also a teen lounge on site, a satellite library, a game room, kids’ zone and babysitting service available. The venue also offers large, rentable rooms including a catering kitchen for events such as conferences and parties.

 

In addition, the Eleanor London Côte St. Luc Public Library is widely regarded for its services. The library contains roughly 231,365 books for children and adults, and stocks thousands of videos, DVDs, audiobooks, periodicals and music. The library is so popular, in fact, that an average of 1,144 items are taken out on a daily basis.

 

CÔTE ST. LUC HUMAN RIGHTS WALKWAY

 

The Côte St. Luc Human Rights Walkway was established in 2000 in Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park. The Walkway honours men and women who have, throughout history, been dedicated to the advancement of human rights. It is an attraction and historical monument unique to Côte St. Luc.

 

HEALTH CARE

 

The city has the advantage of being mere minutes away from a major health care institution: the Jewish General Hospital on Côte Sainte-Catherine Rd. Moreover, Mount Sinai Hospital, which specializes in respiratory, palliative, and long-term care, is located on Cavendish Ave. Also on Cavendish Ave. is CLSC René-Cassin; and the Donald Berman Maimonides Geriatric Centre is on Caldwell Ave. There are also many small health clinics throughout the city.

 

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

 

 

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/C%c3%b4te+livable+innovative+community/6082288/story.html#ixzz1l8qD8ip8

CSL loses a leader: Eva Silverman

Côte Saint-Luc has lost another one of our leaders. The dynamic Eva Silverman, former president of the Côte Saint-Luc Senior Social Club, passed away on December 15. She was 94 years young and active in the community until her final days.

via MikeCohen.ca: Mourning the passing of Eva Silverman.

Yangtze Restaurant burns away

Sad news as an icon of restaurants for Cote Saint-Lucers since the 1960s goes up in flames.  The Yangtze was prominently featured in this Gazette article just a few weeks ago as well as in a recent National Post article.

Read more here from Mike Cohen’s blog: The Suburban.com – The Suburban – Mike Cohen: Yangtze Restaurant burns away.

 

The Suburban, Dec. 8, 2011

JPPS’ Rita Guindi, Winner of the Nachum Wilchesky Memorial

JPPS’ Rita Guindi, Winner of the Nachum Wilchesky Memorial Educational Leadership Award

 

Rita Guindi

 

Côte Saint-Luc resident and JPPS teacher extraordinaire Rita Guindi was selected as this year’s recipient of the Nachum Wilchesky Memorial Educational Leadership Award at last weeks JPPS-Bialik Annual General Meeting.

A French teacher at JPPS for more than 40 years, Madame Guindi received this prestigious award in the name of one of the school’s most revered leaders initiated in recognition of his 60 plus years devoted to the pursuit of excellence in Jewish education. As a testament to the fact that Mme Guindi has been active in the community as well, she also recently received from Federation CJA the General Campaign Special Achievement Award to add to the many already received, including the Médaille du Rayonnement de la Culture Française, awarded by the French government for enhancing the culture and teaching of the French language. Most notably, Mme Guindi co-authored the French grammar book Voulez-vous apprendre le français ?, and she was also on the Board of the Fondation de la tolérance and President of the Federation CJA’s Sépharade Campaign in addition to being a long-standing coordinator of JPPS’ French Department.

Adina Matas, Principal and Educational Director of JPPS, said, “Rita’s passion and enthusiasm for teaching makes learning in her classroom a unique experience. She always goes the extra mile for her students, colleagues, parents or any person in distress. She always has a way of connecting with students and is never judgmental.”

On a personal note I’m proud to say that I was among Rita’s first students 40 years ago at Jewish Peretz School on Wavell Road in Cote Saint-Luc, prior to the merger forming JPPS. As a student teacher, Rita was progressive in her teachings and interactions with her students and loved by all.  Learning French was far from an effort for Rita’s students, with music, drama and story’s forming a part of the fun learning environment.

I hope that my children will be lucky enough to benefit from Rita’s radiant and inspiring personality as their teacher, just as I did so many years ago.

I’m sure my classmates from long ago on Wavell join me in wishing Rita Guindi a hearty Mazal Tov, felicitations et Chapeau! (If you guys are reading this please click on comment and leave your own wishes for Rita).  Rita stands out as my favourite teacher!  I wish her many more years of success in her teachings at JPPS.

Veterans’ Day 2011

Make remembrance more than something you feel.

Make it something you do.

CSL City Council honours its veterans in front of the cenotaph

Every year the City of Cote Saint-Luc honours its veterans who established the bustling suburb when they returned home after the Second World War.  Their numbers may grow smaller year after year, but our resolve to remember and to honour their service and their sacrifice grows stronger with time.

Standing at Attention: The Cote Saint-Luc Cenotaph

As our veterans began to age, the City started commemorating Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) each May, when it was easier for the vets to gather outside in warmer weather than on a typical November 11th.   The local Frederick Kisch Branch 97 of the Royal Canadian Legion nowadays spends Remembrance Day indoors at the commemoration at the YMHA on Westbury Ave in Snowdon.

George Nashen

This year, I’m very proud to honour my own father, George Nashen, who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII.  Like many others in his class at Baron Byng High School he rushed to volunteer despite being on the young side. and to the chagrin of his protective mother.

My father was stationed in London, England where he was posted to the accounting division to handle the mountains of paperwork pertaining to supplying the troops serving overseas.  While he didn’t see the front lines, many of his close friends did, never to return.  On many occasions, the bombardment over London forced him to take cover with many close calls – one such bombing just a few blocks away blowing out the glass doors to his bedroom.

George Nashen and grand-daughter Nicole at 2011 CSL VE Day ceremonies

After the war, my father was one of the builders of modern Cote Saint-Luc, marrying and moving in during the boom years of the 1950s and starting a family.  Like so many Cote Saint-Luc families with similar stories, ours has been here ever since.

My father continues to be a role model for our large and expanding family.

On this Remembrance Day, I stand with my father and our entire family and salute our 700,000 veterans and remember those who served and made the supreme sacrifice.

We will remember them.

A time of joy and celebration

Last night I joined Mayor Anthony Housefather and Members of City Council in Rabbi Mendel and Sarah Raskin’s Chabad Cote Saint-Luc Sukkah for a lovely dinner in celebration of the holiday of Sukkot.

This marks 25 years since the Raskins established themselves in Cote Saint-Luc to build the Jewish Community within the Chabad movement.  This holiday also marks the arrival of the Hechal Menachem Community Centre and Synagogue, the long held dream of the Raskins and many in the community.

I was pleased and honoured to finally enter the new synagogue on Rosh Hashana to personally congratulate Rabbi Raskin on fulfilling this dream.

The Mayor thanked the Rabbi and his wife for their extraordinary work over the past two-and-a-half decades in shaping the future of Cote Saint-Luc and doing their part to rejuvenate the city.

I reiterated my firm belief that Cote Saint-Luc is a big family, where residents help one another and that no matter the language, nor one’s religious affiliation, we are a close community, highly respectful of one another.

I also asked the Rabbi to offer a prayer and a l’Chaim noting the imminent release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

A special guest appearance was made by newly installed Consul General of Israel Joel Lyon and his wife.  The Consul General spoke beutifully about the holiday, about his warm welcome into the community and the impending freedom of Gilad Shalit.

The evening ended, as it always has with dancing across two lanes of Cavendish Blvd.

Thanks to Rabbi Mendel and Sarah Raskin for bringing overwhelming joy and deep compassion to the people of Cote Saint-Luc and beyond.

A dream come true in Côte St. Luc

A dream come true in Côte St. Luc

Long-awaited Aquatic and Community Centre opens Sept. 6

By Joel Goldenberg, Suburban Newspapers, Aug. 31, 2011

Indoor pools and sufficient space for local community groups have been long time goals for successive Côte St. Luc councils, and after decades of wishes and hopes, the new Aquatic and Community Centre has finally come to fruition.

The new facility, which will officially open for business Sept. 6, came about with the help of the federal and Quebec governments. Each provided about a third of the cost of the $18 million centre, with the city providing the rest.

Some of the many notable facilities in the centre are two swimming pools — a 1.1 metre-deep pool for general use by the public and another, especially large — 10-lane and 2.6 metre-deep — pool for competitive swimming. There is also a large area, fully wired for sound, where groups like the Côte St. Luc Senior Social Club and Senior Men’s Club can meet, and where special events such as weddings can be held, which will also bring back revenue to the city.

A large crowd was on hand for a ribbon cutting and open house Sunday, presided over by Mayor Anthony Housefather. Also on hand were members of Côte St. Luc council, Senator Judith Seidman, Mount Royal MP Irwin Cotler, D’Arcy McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman, Côte St. Luc staff, former mayors Bernard Lang and Robert Libman, and representatives of sports associations.

“At one time, this building was just a dream,” Housefather said. “It was something the founders of Côte St. Luc one day contemplated…. One of the goals of our city council was to have a place in this community that gathers every generation, a place where people will look and say ‘I want to move back to Côte St. Luc.’”

Seidman, representing the federal government, said the centre “is the culmination of so much hard work and dedication on the part of so many, especially the efforts of you in Côte St. Luc.

“This type of facility is necessary to the vitality of community life.”

Cotler said Sunday’s event was “a celebration in every sense of the word.

“I think Anthony Housefather said it best — this is the realization of a dream, and that will make this centre a crown jewel for Côte St. Luc,” the MP said. “It will have a transformative impact on the people in Côte St. Luc.”

Bergman also welcomed the centre on behalf of the Quebec government, and joked that he “bothered” Quebec Municipal Affairs Minister Laurent Lessard “so much” to help fund the project.

Not long before Sunday’s ceremony, The Suburban was taken on an extensive tour of the centre by the very enthusiastic city manager Tanya Abramovitch and David Taveroff, director of parks and recreation. Taveroff pointed out that construction began Oct. 29, 2010 and was completed on time “and on budget.

“Before we started construction, we visited some newer facilities, older facilities, off island and even Gatineau,” he added. “We were trying to be inspired, and in some cases not inspired, by what we saw.”

The tour began just outside, where visitors are greeted by what Abramovitch explained are “the walking fish,” an artwork. “I love them, and kids will love them,” she said. “They’re so cute and whimsical.”

Other sights of note in the wi-fi-connected building were the mezzanine, which offers a spectacular overlooking view of Maimonides Park, close to the site of a future terrasse; the auxiliary library which has the look of an airport bookstore; parking areas for strollers, a family locker room which includes wider lockers and a water extractor to dry out wet bathing suits; and an office for the Brigadier Frederick Kisch Branch 97 of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Taveroff added that the temperature can be adjusted for each pool, providing warmer water for seniors’ aqua activities, and cooler water for competition. He also said that more room was wanted for competitive swimming and that the 10-lane pool is unique to Côte St. Luc. That amount of lanes was needed for competition using eight lanes.

The upper level includes the wired-for-sound multi-purpose room for local club meetings such as speeches and special events like a wedding, bar-mitzvah or business conference, adjustable according to the capacity and nature of the event, with an advanced audio/visual system; and a separate senior’s club lounge with items like a refrigerator and microwave oven, and room to play cards and watch TV; a teen/senior lounge (depending on time of day) with games, bean bag seats and a very large-screen TV, and an exercise room with state-of-the-art equipment which looks onto the pool area.

“In this building, there is always flexibility of space,” Abramovitch said.

Thousands visit the new Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre

Côte Saint-Luc, August 29, 2011 – An estimated 2,000 people streamed into the Aquatic and Community Centre, or ACC, on Sunday, August 28, 2011 for the official open house giving the public its first viewing of the new $18 million municipal facility.

Mayor Anthony Housefather cut the ribbon to officially open the ACC. He then spoke to a packed atrium saying that this building had been a dream in Côte Saint-Luc for a very long time.

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our Aquatic and Community Centre,” said Mayor Anthony Housefather to great applause from the crowd. “When I was young, I was a competitive swimmer growing up in the West Island. I have always dreamed of bringing a building like this to Côte Saint-Luc.”

A part of the Mayor Housefather’s speech and highlights from the event are in a 5-minute video on the front page of CoteSaintLuc.org.

Representing the Government of Canada, Senator Judith Seidman spoke about the government’s commitment to investing in communities.

“This type of facility is necessary to the vitality of community life,” Senator Seidman said. “The Government of Canada is proud to contribute to the development of communities throughout the province. It is essential that we help them meet the challenge of modernizing and building quality public facilities.”

The Member of Parliament for Mount Royal, Irwin Cotler, paid homage to the team that made the building a reality.

“This is really a celebration in every sense of the word,” said Professor Cotler. “It leads to me express on everyone’s behalf a real commendation… to the great mayor of Côte Saint-Luc, Anthony Housefather, to the model Côte Saint-Luc council, to all those who worked with him, to the governments who contributed to this, and to all the citizens who will benefit from it.”

Lawrence Bergman, the Member of the National Assembly for D’Arcy McGee and chairperson of the government caucus spoke about the building as a place for people of all generations.

“I hope these new installations will benefit the entire community and contribute to improving their quality of life in all regards: social, sports, community and cultural,” Mr. Bergman said.

The ACC will open for business on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. Regular building hours will be weekdays from 6 am to 11 pm, and weekends from 8 am to 10 pm. The address is 5794 Parkhaven Ave. (corner Mackle Rd.).

The $18 million ACC took just 11 months to build. The ACC was designed to promote and facilitate active lifestyles and promote wellness, in the holistic sense of the term. People will be able to benefit from an indoor competition pool, an indoor recreation pool, a fitness room, a teen lounge, a games rooms, a kids room and babysitting service, a large rentable space for parties and conferences, a dance and aerobic studio, senior lounges, a library branch, an art studio and more.

The governments of Quebec and Canada gave Côte Saint-Luc grants totaling up to a maximum of $11.57 million, which equals two-thirds of the costs of building the facility. The City of Côte Saint-Luc funded the other third. The City of Côte Saint-Luc appreciates its partners who worked closely with council and staff on the ACC. MHPM Project Managers Inc. oversaw this building project and design plans for the new building. Pomerleau was the design builder and the architects were Rubin & Rotman Associates, and Martin, Marcotte/Beinhaker.

Official announcement from the Government of Canada

CSL loses a special resident: Mollie Udashkin passes away at 101

An icon of health aging, community activism and youthful spirit has passed away at the age of 101. Mollie Udashkin, a model citizen passed away yesterday, on Thursday morning.

Born in Austria in 1910, Mollie emigrated to Canada at an early age. Mollie married in Montreal, had four children and with her husband founded a fur coat business that prospered, largely due to her passion and energy. Although not formally educated, in business, Mollie was a force to be reckoned with. After the passing of her husband and with the business closed, Mollie needed to find an outlet for her boundless energy. She recognized that seniors living in apartments in the area where she lived needed a place to socialize, exercise and perhaps to answer cultural appetites. The need was answered when Mollie and Helen Knight found a suitable place and with the help and co-operation from the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Cote Saint-Luc, the Creative Social Centre was established in 1980 and still exists today as an important community arts centre.

Ahead of her time, Molly was interested in healthy living, particularly in good nutrition and fitness in seniors. In 1981, she voluntarily began giving an exercise class to willing seniors at Creative Social Centre and lecturing them on healthy eating .

Mollies’ reputation spread within Cote Saint-Luc, when seniors hearing about her, also requested an exercise program. In 1983 she volunteered to give classes three times a week to both men and women, which led to multiple decades of teaching seniors how to exercise safely to experience the physical and psychological benefits. Mollie inspires others by example, her energy and enthusiasm is positive reinforcement for seniors.

Mollie had been involved in various causes and had been an ardent volunteer at the Montreal Childrens’ Hospital for seventy years and received the Tiny Tim award in 1983 for her dedication to the hospital.

She found the time to lecture at various venues and received many letters of thanks.

The City of Cote Saint-Luc had previously honoured her for her dedication to improving the quality of life for both children and seniors alike.

In honour of her 100th birthday, the City of Cote Saint-Luc nominated Mollie for the Governor General Award for her years of devoted service to our Community.

Right into her 100th year, rain or shine, sleet and snow, fifty to seventy-five ardent exercisers, most on foot, sometimes on slushy sidewalks, made their way to take a fitness class at the Senior Centre. Mollie was a force to be reckoned with after a century of living life to the fullest.

Just a few years ago Mollie approached me about becoming involved in the volunteer Citizens on Patrol (vCOP). She was invited to address the group and to discuss concerns seniors have when walking outside, waiting for and boarding city busses and going to city parks or sitting on benches. She spoke from experience and helped our volunteers to understand the concerns of centenarians. At one point, leaning back in her chair, she toppled back, hitting the floor, and with the flexibility and energy of a person a quarter of her age jumped to her feet and said she was just fine, no need for concern.

Mollie Udashkin was a true inspiration to all Quebecers, and will long be remembered for demonstrating that age is no barrier in contributing to society.