CJPAC Action Party 2012

This year Cote Saint-Luc Mayor Anthony Housefather, Councillors Ruth Kovac, Dida Berku,  Mitchell Brownstein, Mike Cohen and I attended the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC) Action Party at the Arsenal in St. Henri.

Councillor Mike Cohen and I meet Member of Parliament Tyrone Benskin

CJPAC is a unique national, grassroots, independent organization whose mandate is to engage the community in the political process. CJPAC mobilizes the grassroots across the country, builds relationships with elected officials – of all political parties – and works for Jewish community interests, on a multi-partisan basis, during and between elections.

Former party organizers Mike Cohen, Sandie Sparkman and me. We were the leaders of the Jewish Adult Programming Society (aka JAPS) that threw large soirees in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Calgary as well as trips to Israel in the late 80s and early 90s.

We met with several elected officials and their staff from all levels of government along with many young people interested in engaging with politicians.  You’d think that Mount Royal riding, encompassing Cote Saint-Luc, Hamsptead, Town of Mount Royal and a slice of Snowdon was up for grabs as former candidate Saulie Zajdel made the rounds talking up Stephen Harper‘s great support of Israel while the current MP’s (Irwin Cotler) Chief of Staff, Howard Liebman, worked the other side of the room.  Meanwhile, former Mount Royal Tory candidate Neil Drabkin was also in attendance easily working his way across the floor connecting with younger voters.

Mike Cohen and I meet up with former Montreal City Councillor and candidate for MP of Mount Royal Saulie Zajdel. Could Saulie be planning to run yet again?

CDN-NDG Borough Councillor Lionel Perez is a superb local leader who tells me that the Jewish General Hospital has done a marvelous job at promoting the current expansion to the neighbouring residents. Also in attendance were NDG-Lachine MP Isabelle Morin, with whom I recently had the pleasure of meeting one on one with JGH Executive Director Dr. Hartley Stern.  The NDP’s Pat Martin was also in from Winnipeg to experience the Action Party for the first time.  NDP big boss Thomas Mulcair did rounds of the packed industrial party place as did MP Justin Trudeau, DDO Councillor Herbert Brownstein, Hampstead Councillor (and possibly next Mayor?) Bonnie Feigenbaum and longtime political organizers Steve Pinkus, Jonathan Schneiderman and Jonathan Goldbloom.

Could Howard Liebman of the Liberal Party face off against Neil Drabkin of the Conservative Party in Mount Royal riding in the next federal election?

The Action Party is a terrific opportunity to turn young voters on to voting and becoming involved at all levels of government.  One word of advice to the organizers for next year (an I do feel “old” saying it):  Turn down the incredibly loud music so people can hear each other.  There’s hardly any dancing at all but lots of shmoozing where I struggled to lip read what was being said to me (I hope all good things of course).

All in all, a tremendous idea and well organized venture.  Bravo to the sponsors and committee.

Read more on Mike Cohen’s blog.

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)

Bergman, 71, set to run for sixth time

Congratulations to our MNA, Lawrence Bergman, on his nomination as the Liberal candidate for D’Arcy McGee in the next provincial election. A five term incumbant, there is little surprise in this nomination, yet it is significant just the same.

Lawrence is a hard-working, dedicated and honest man who never forgets his roots.  He is ferociously committed to his riding and to the issues facing us as Cote Saint-Lucers.  He is very approachable, interested in helping local folks with their issues and can be credited with many achievements in our community.

In a word, he’s a real Mentch.

Most important on my agenda, Lawrence was very much involved in saving the CSL Emergency Medical Services during the merger with Montreal when the new island-wide fire department gobbled up all of the suburban brigades and took over emergency medical first response, except in CSL.

He was also integrally involved in securing funding for the new CSL Aquatic and Community Centre. His involvement with the Jewish General Hospital is becoming legendary.  And ask any member of the CSL Senior Men’s Club and they’ll speak of Lawrence in endearing terms, as they would of a close family member.

I often joke with Lawrence how he put me out of work back in 1994 when I was serving as Robert Libman’s chief of staff.  Libman was the former MNA for the riding.  Bergman won the general election that year evicting me (and Libman) from the office. (I harbour no ill feelings toward Lawrence. He helped advance my career by tossing me out of work).

Although I would like to see Lawrence and his fellow English-speaking MNAs speak out more forcefully on language issues and the erosion of our rights, which are constantly under attack, I must give him high marks on other aspects of local representation.  Having spent two years in his office before his arrival, and working as a City Councillor for a significant portion of his constituency, I know personally how difficult it is for him to be responsive to the many requests that he receives and to balance these demands with his obligations in the National Assembly, his responsibilities to the government and to his political party.

This is not an easy job to be sure.  But Lawrence does an impressive job and makes it look easy.

Read more in this week’s Canadian Jewish News: Bergman, 71, set to run for sixth time | The Canadian Jewish News.

Bergman, 71, set to run for sixth time

Janice Arnold, Staff Reporter, Tuesday, April 10, 2012

MONTREAL — At 71, Lawrence Bergman is going to seek a sixth term as the member of the National Assembly for D’Arcy McGee.

Bergman, who was first elected in 1994, was unopposed in his bid to once again run for the Quebec Liberal Party in the next provincial election.

A standing-room-only audience of about 300 turned out at Hampstead’s Congregation Adath Israel, of which Bergman is a past president, for the April 2 nomination meeting.

Two cabinet members, Health and Social Services Minister Yves Bolduc and Kathleen Weil, minister of immigration and cultural communities, were present to praise Bergman, who chairs the government caucus.

Bergman and Bolduc talked at length about the major expansion the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) is undergoing.

Bergman was credited with tenaciously working to persuade the Charest government to approve the construction of Pavilion K. The first phase, to which the government contributed $95 million, is expected to be finished at the end of this year. The government is committed to contributing more than $300 million toward the next three phases, planned through to 2016.

“This will change the face of health care in Montreal for generations to come,” Bergman said.

“If Lawrence was not your MNA, the work of Pavilion K would not even be started now,” Bolduc added.

Bolduc lauded Bergman’s personal qualities of likeability and gentlemanliness, and his effectiveness in representing the interests of the anglophone and Jewish communities.

“He’s good for you. He knows how to speak to a French guy like me, from Lac St. Jean,” said Bolduc.

Bergman noted that every Tuesday morning, he meets for 1-1/2 hours with Premier Jean Charest.

Weil reassured that she and Bergman, as well as Families Minister Yolande James and MNA Geoff Kelley, are representing the concerns of anglophones within the government.

She also said speaking English is OK. “Yes, we promote French as the language of work and the common language, but to speak a second or third language is not a threat to the creation of an overall French society.”

Bergman said, “Quebec values are that everybody, whether they were born here or chose to live here, whatever their colour, religion or language, has equal rights.”

D’Arcy McGee is the only Quebec riding with a majority Jewish population, and Bergman has garnered more than 90 per cent of the vote in some elections.

Bergman, a notary by profession, singled out for gratitude one of his most prominent supporters from the start, Steven Cummings, “the de facto president of the Quebec Jewish community.”

Another person he is counting on for support once again in the next election campaign is his mother, Nettie Bergman, who was also present.

Bergman recalled that his proudest achievement in the National Assembly was the unanimous adoption of his bill officially recognizing Yom Hashoah in December 1999, when the Parti Québécois was in power.

Looking to the future, he said his government’s priority is the economy. Charest’s Plan nord, an ambitious project to develop the province’s territory north of the 49th parallel, will benefit all of Quebec, Bergman said.

“When Robert Bourassa launched the James Bay hydroelectric project, there was opposition at first, too,” he said.

Bergman echoed Charest’s resistance to the demands of students to not go ahead with increasing university tuition.

“It’s important that students pay their fair share. We will maintain the increase over five years, notwithstanding the protests,” Bergman said.

For area residents, Bergman held out hope that the long-awaited linking of the two sections of Cavendish Boulevard will be realized with the purchase by the City of Montreal of the former Hippodrome site for residential development.

The Free Press, April 10, 2012:

Click to enlarge. The Free Press. April 10, 2012.

Read more in Mike Cohen’s blog

JGH and CSSS Cavendish partner up to improve care to patients

Montreal, January 30, 2012 – Taking blood tests or other similar tests just got easier for patients who live around the Cavendish Mall. If they choose, the residents of Côte Saint-Luc, Hampstead, NDG, Snowdon-West and Montreal-West can now go to the CSSS Cavendish – CLSC René-Cassin Test Centre at the mall instead of making a longer trip and possibly spending more time waiting to be seen at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) Test Centre. Through an agreement by both healthcare institutions, the service offered by the CSSS Cavendish to the population shortens wait times and improves the quality of care.

To ensure continuity of care, the two test centres are electronically linked. Results from samples taken at Cavendish are transmitted directly to the JGH, where they are processed as usual. This guarantees that physicians receive accurate results quickly, so that patients do not have to worry about long waiting times for their results. A quick transfer of information is vital to the partnership, as the two institutions work together to provide rapid and efficient service.

“Giving patients the option of going to the Cavendish Mall for their tests is another example of the creative partnerships that the JGH is developing to make healthcare services more accessible and easier to use,” says Dr. Hartley Stern, JGH Executive Director. “This arrangement will also help to reduce patient volume at the JGH Test Centre, making the process faster and more convenient for those who continue to come to the hospital.”

“The service is convenient, since it is open 7 days a week in a very accessible location,” says Francine Dupuis, CSSS Cavendish Executive Director. The CSSS Cavendish Test Centre provides patients with flexible operating hours, as well as free on-site parking at 5800 Cavendish Blvd., in Côte Saint-Luc. It is also accessible by public transit on the 104, 138, 161, 162, and 262 (Golden Shuttle) bus lines throughout the day. Hours of operation are 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., Saturday and Sunday.

 

***

 

L’HGJ et le CSSS Cavendish s’associent pour améliorer les soins aux patients

Il est maintenant plus facile pour les patients qui habitent près du Mail Cavendish d’avoir une prise de sang ou d’autres prélèvements semblables. S’ils le veulent, les résidants de Côte Saint-Luc, Hampstead, NDG, Snowdon-Ouest et Montréal-Ouest peuvent aller au centre de prélèvement du CSSS Cavendish – CLSC René-Cassin situé dans le mail, au lieu de se rendre plus loin et possiblement d’attendre plus longtemps pour être vus au centre de prélèvement de l’Hôpital général juif (JGH). Grâce à cette entente entre les deux établissements de santé, ce nouveau service offert à la population par le CSSS Cavendish permet de raccourcir le temps d’attente et d’améliorer la qualité des soins.

 

Afin de veiller à la continuité des soins, les deux centres de prélèvement sont reliés par voie électronique. Les résultats des échantillons prélevés à Cavendish sont transmis directement à l’HGJ, où ils sont traités de la façon habituelle. Les médecins reçoivent donc les résultats exacts et les patients n’ont pas à s’inquiéter d’une longue attente avant d’avoir leurs résultats. Ce partenariat exige le transfert rapide de l’information, puisque les deux établissements travaillent de pair pour offrir un service rapide et efficace.

 

« La possibilité maintenant offerte aux patients de faire faire leurs prélèvements au Mail Cavendish s’ils le désirent est un autre exemple des partenariats créatifs établis par l’HGJ pour rendre les services de santé plus accessibles et plus faciles à utiliser, explique le Dr Hartley Stern, directeur général de l’HGJ. Cet arrangement aidera également à réduire le volume de patients au Centre de prélèvement de l’HGJ, ce qui accélérera d’autant le processus et le rendra plus pratique pour ceux qui continuent de venir à l’hôpital. »

 

« Le service est pratique puisque le centre est ouvert 7 jours par semaine, dans un endroit facilement accessible », ajoute Francine Dupuis, directrice générale du CSSS Cavendish. Le centre de prélèvement du CSSS Cavendish offre aux patients des heures d’ouverture flexibles et un stationnement gratuit, au 5800 boulevard Cavendish à Côte Saint-Luc. Il est également accessible en transport en commun par les trajets 104, 138, 161, 162, et 262 (Navette Or) tout au long de la journée. Les heures d’ouverture sont de 7 h 30 à 9 h 30 du lundi au vendredi, et de 8 h à 10 h les samedis et dimanches.

 

All aboard the Golden Shuttle 262

The one-year-old 262 ‘Golden’ shuttle is gaining in popularity among seniors.  After launching the 262 with the intention of evaluating its potential over a period of a year, the STM has since discovered it to be in Montreal’s top three busiest shuttle services.

The best way to ensure the service is expanded is to ride it.

Read the full article from the Free Press here: 2011-12-08 Free Press Bus 262

Launch of Bus Route 262 and map

 

Bilingual status of cities, hospitals in potential danger: CSL mayor, councillor

Bilingual status of cities, hospitals in potential danger: CSL mayor, councillor

By Joel Goldenberg, The Suburban, May 18, 2011

Côte St. Luc mayor Anthony Housefather and Côte St. Luc Councillor Glenn Nashen are hoping residents of municipalities with bilingual status already or will properly identify themselves as mother tongue English on the 2011 Census questionnaire.

The issue of bilingual status is especially important now, says an article on Nashen’s blog, because of a PQ proposal to “change the rules related to bilingual status of municipalities.”

“The new tools the PQ wants to grant the Office Québécois de la Langue Française would see many communities potentially lose bilingual status,” the blog article adds. “Even a community with as many English-speaking residents as Côte St. Luc would be in jeopardy.

“The ramification of not indicating English as your mother tongue, if indeed it was one of them, is huge should the next PQ government decide to take a closer look.”

“As a mayor, this is dear to my heart,” Housefather told an audience at Westmount’s Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue Sunday.

Bilingual status enables a municipality to post signs and communicate with users in English and French. The rule also applies to hospitals.

The problem, Housefather and Nashen said, is that while the Quebec government currently cannot revoke a municipality’s bilingual status, unless the municipality requests it, the PQ proposes to give the OQLF back this power.

Another problem is that in the 1990s, the PQ made attaining bilingual status more difficult, by demanding that more than 50 percent of residents be mother tongue English, rather than the original rule of language most often used.

Moreover, an even bigger problem, Housefather pointed out, is that some municipalities that have bilingual status already have less than 50 percent English mother tongue speakers, even though most residents might use English regularly. Town of Mount Royal is in this situation, as it is “way below the criteria for bilingual status,” the mayor said.

Thus, if the PQ comes to power and follows through on its promise, such bilingual status could be at risk.

And in terms of hospitals, “there are very few on the island of Montreal where 50 percent of the users are mother tongue English speaking,”

Housefather said. “You may have hospitals like the Jewish General where 75 percent of patients may prefer to speak English, but if you go to the mother tongue question, they’re probably well below 50 percent.

“If you go to municipalities across the island, you have that same issue. Many of the cities across the island have dropped below 50 percent mother tongue.

The mayor warned that the PQ will now look at the 2011 Census answer of mother tongue language, not what language is used at home.

“A lot of people, perhaps, didn’t understand that when they filled out the census – they may have written Yiddish when they could have reasonably said they learned Yiddish and English at the same time. You’re allowed to write both. If you forgot your first language or don’t speak it very much anymore, you’re allowed to write your other new language, which would be English.

“People don’t understand the importance of this question and it’s totally unfair, because [mother tongue] is a ridiculous rule and law. So it’s very important the whole English-speaking community in Montreal and anywhere else in Quebec – anybody who is legitimately, legally able to write English on that question, you’re the one who decides what your mother tongue is – understands the ramifications of writing English on that question.”

JGH wins two top prizes in communications

Jewish General Hospital honoured for excellence in healthcare communications

Stephanie Malley, Communications Coordinator; Dana Frank, Event Planning Coordinator; Glenn J. Nashen, Director of Public Affairs & Communications

The Canadian Health Care Public Relations Association has selected the JGH staff newsmagazine Pulse as the best internal hospital publication in the country for the second consecutive year. This marks the fifth time since 2003 that Pulse has been recognized by the HCPRA as one of Canada’s leading internal hospital publications.

Representing communications professionals in hospitals and healthcare institutions across Canada, the HCPRA recently presented a Hygeia Award to Glenn J. Nashen, Director of Public Affairs and Communications, and publisher of Pulse, in honour of this year’s achievement at the organization’s annual conference in Ottawa.

Regularly seen in the hands of JGH employees, volunteers, and visitors alike, Pulse is produced by Editor-in-chief Laure-Elise Singer and Senior Communications Specialist Henry Mietkiewicz, and is distributed throughout the hospital. An online version is available on jgh.ca.

The JGH’s popular NaNa musical video was also chosen as a finalist at the L’Association québécoise d’établissements de santé et de services sociaux (AQESSS) annual communications awards ceremony. The lighthearted music video, created to celebrate the JGH’s 75th anniversary, stars both patients and hospital staff members and is available for viewing at youtube.com/NaNaMusical.

“These honours reflect the dedicated effort of our entire team on behalf of the hospital,” says Glenn J. Nashen, Director of Public Affairs and Communications. “JGH employees are special people, so we do our best to keep them informed and to portray their sincere commitment to patients from across Montreal and Quebec.”

“The Department of Public Affairs is our vital communications link inside and outside the hospital,” adds Executive Director Dr. Hartley Stern. “It’s our ambassador in spreading the word about our leadership role in strengthening the healthcare system for the benefit of all Quebecers.”

About the Jewish General Hospital

Since 1934, the Jewish General Hospital has been a mainstay of superior medical care for generations of patients of all backgrounds. One of Quebec’s largest and busiest acute-care hospitals, the JGH is committed to improving the quality of healthcare for all Quebecers in partnership with the provincial healthcare network. Moreover, The Jewish General Hospital has redoubled its commitment providing patients the best possible care in a clean, safe and human-centered environment. The JGH is able to deliver these pioneering, innovative medical services by strengthening its role as a McGill University teaching hospital, by expanding and upgrading its facilities, and by pursuing cutting-edge research at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research.

Finance Minister visits CSL Senior Men’s Club

 

Mayor Anthony Housefather, Finance Minister Raymond Bachand, Councillor Mike Cohen, Men’s Club President Sidney Margles, MNA Lawrence Bergman

 

Yesterday the Cote Saint-Luc Senior Men’s Club welcomed D’Arcy McGee Member of the National Assembly Lawrence Bergman with special guest Raymond Bachand, Quebec Minister of Finance.

A lawyer by profession, Bachand also has a doctorate of administration from the Université de Montréal and an MBA from Harvard University.  He was elected MNA for Outremont in a by-election in December 2005, and re-elected in 2007 and 2008. He headed the ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation, and the ministère du Tourisme. Premier Jean Charest appointed him Minister of Finance and he was also entrusted with the Revenue ministry.

Mr. Bergman began by presenting Senior Men’s Club President Sidney Margles with a $1,000 cheque from the Quebec government for the Men’s Club. 

Bergman then introduced Bachand, whom he credited with assisting on three important files in the riding: the saving of our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program; the millions of dollars of support from the government for the Aquatic Community Centre which is being funded by the Quebec and Canadian governments and Côte Saint-Luc; and another substantial contribution to the construction of Pavillion K of the Jewish General Hospital which will focus on patients requiring emergency treatment, surgery, or intensive, coronary, or neonatal intensive care.

“For Pavillion K I was originally told I had a half hour to discuss our role with the premier,” Bergman recalled. “When I walked into his office, who was sitting there but my good friend Raymond Bachand. Now I knew I would be successful. And I was.”

Bergman also recalls going to Israel with Bachand and sharing in the experience of visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum. “I can only describe with one word and that is a mensch,” Bergman said, referring to the Yiddish translation for “a person of integrity and honour.

Bachand captivated the audience with a power point presentation on the Quebec economy and left time to answer questions. “Our five-year financial framework will stay in place,” he commented. “We are going back to a balanced budget, we are going to control our debt. But we are doing so while protecting health and education. That’s a choice we’ve made in Quebec.”

In March Bachand tabled a “stay the course” budget, meaning he intends to keep on the path toward eliminating the provincial deficit by 2013-2014. “The Quebec economy is going well,” he assured us. “During the recession we were very active in providing financial support to good companies and stepped in with guaranteed bank loans. As a result we created an additional 60,000 jobs. If we had done nothing, by 2013-2014 we would have had a $12 billion deficit.”

(With reporting by Cllr. Mike Cohen)

Many fooled by JGH ‘archeological find’ joke

By Joel Goldenberg, The Suburban, April 20, 2011

The news initially appeared to be very exciting. According to the Spring 2011 edition of the Jewish General Hospital newsletter Pulse, ongoing construction of the hospital’s Pavilion K yielded a major archaeological find from the dig- medical instruments dating from the 1700s, providing proof that a medical facility existed on the JGH Côte Ste. Catherine site in the mid-18th century.

Pavilion K will be the site of the hospital’s expanded emergency department and underground parking lot, a project that was introduced with great fanfare by the hospital and Premier Jean Charest.

The seemingly credible story contained comment from a hospital spokesperson, a McGill University archeologist and – best of all – a picture of the instruments in question lying on a bag on the construction site.

But careful reading would result in some raised eyebrows. The “old medical instruments” in the photo were made of steel and looked very new, the name of the 18th century community in which the medical facility “existed” was called the Journeyers’ Glorious Homestead, which just happens to have the initials JGH. Those quoted in the story were named De Ceiver and Bluffer (read them again). And the 18th century facility’s doctor’s name was Fooleshevsky, who was scheduled to begin practicing in April, sometime in the 1750s.

Get the picture?

JGH public affairs director Glenn Nashen, with a twinkle in his voice, said Friday many in the community thought the archaeological story was true.

“We do this [April Fool's Joke] annually, in fact it has been going on since the 1950s in the Pulse newsletter, which just won an award at the Health Care Public Relations Association of Canada as Best Internal Newsletter in Canada,” Nashen said. “The jokes keep getting better and better.

“I heard many people fell for this,” Nashen added. “A lot of people came up to our department, asking for information about [the find]. In fact, my previous CEO, Henri Elbaz, asked me to stop producing the April 1 edition because so many people would go into his office
asking about all these incredible things we were promoting, which obviously weren’t true and they were so disruptive.”

Nashen pointed out that one of the JGH staff members passed the “story” on to her father, an antique dealer.

“The father immediately called McGill University, to find out how he could have dibs on this find. They didn’t know what was going on, and of course, there were just a whole bunch of phone calls until they tracked it back down to the source for someone to read the story, only to find out they were taken in for April Fools.

“The joke did make the rounds, and many people fell for it.”

via Many fooled by JGH \\\’archeological find\\\’ joke.

New medical clinic opens in CSL

The new CLSC René Cassin medical clinic was inaugurated with great fanfare a few days ago in Cote Saint-Luc.  The clinic is located on the ground floor of the Cavendish Mall with an entrance through the north-west entrance of the mall or through the corridor across from Pharmaprix.

A parade of VIPs, doctors, nurses, allied healthcare professionals and local dignitaries filled the new clinic to toast the centre and its staff and cut the ribbon.

CSSS Cavendish Executive Director Francine Dupuis was all smiles as she welcomed D’Arcy McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman, Regional Health Board Director David Levine, Jewish General Hospital (JGH) Executive Director Dr. Hartley Stern, Mt. Sinai Director Michel Amar, Maimonides Geriatric Centre Director Barbara Gold and CSSS Cavendish President Alan Maislin.

Mrs. Dupuis pointed out that 25% of CSLers do not have a family doctor and this clinic will help to meet their needs while keeping them, and many others, out of hospital emergency wards.

I was particularly proud to represent Mayor Anthony Housefather and Council as the municipal representative, and also because of my position as Public Affairs and Communications Director at the JGH and my longtime affiliation with CSL Emergency Medical Services.  The JGH will have a strong operational partnership with the new clinic.  It is expected that thousands of JGH patients each year will have their blood tests done at this clinic which offers ample free parking, shopping and close-to-home convenience.

The quarters are spacious, ultra-modern and so convenient for Cote Saint-Lucers and West-Enders.  What’s more, the new Golden Shuttle 262 stops at the clinic three days a week.

These are the services that will be offered at the new medical clinic:

- Intake, Reception

- Health Education Centre

- Medical Services

- Nursing Services

- Nutrition Services

- Psychosocial Services

- Youth Clinic

- Test Centre

- Vaccination

Opening hours of the new Medical clinic are:

Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm

Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 8am to 4pm

Opening hours of the Test centre are:

Monday to Friday: 7:30am to 9:30am

Saturday and Sunday: 8am to 10am

Holidays: closed

Read more:

CSL CLSC launches new medical clinic (The Suburban Newspaper)

Postcard from Deerfield Beach, Florida: Cote Saint-Luc of the South

The boardwalk at Deerfield Beach

When visiting this part of South Florida it’s remarkable just how many Cote Saint-Lucers you’ll come across here and there.

The experience often begins in the line-up to check your bags at Dorval’s Trudeau International Airport and continues into Duty Free, the departure lounge and the flight. Familiar faces, kids’ classmates, next door neighbours are all part of the experience.

What caught us by surprise as we approached the luggage carousel at Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, on a previous visit, was a friendly greeter in a bright red jacket. This Broward County Ambassador volunteering his services to welcome visitors was Sam Rappaport, well-known at the CSL Senior Men’s Club.

Speaking of the Men’s Club, each year they organize their annual luncheon in Deerfield Beach. Chief organizers Sidney Margles (CSL Senior Men’s Club President) and Peter Sternberg (also a Past President as well as Citizens on Patrol or vCOP volunteer) will receive more than 240 CSLers to a Chinese buffet on US1 today as they welcome D’Arcy McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman as their keynote speaker.

I bumped into Tamara and Leon Lewis (of Merrimac Ave). Tamara tells me that a while ago more than 35 former nurses from Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital gathered for a luncheon at the Clubhouse of Century Village.

Century Village's $6 Million Club House

The pool areas around Century Village are rife with CSLers, especially the Lyndhurst North pool. Such notables like Sidney and Merle Margles, Michael and Pat Kutz as well as Lynne and Gerry Weinstein are regulars, along with caterer extraordinaire Harvey Leavitt and his wife and business partner Harriet, Eli and Norma Moscovitz, past president of the JGH Auxiliary Judy Shaikovitch and hubby Jack and former district returning officer Frances Boxer and Ben.

You’ll also find Miriam Klein, Irving Rabinovitch, Reggie and Henry Korman, vCOP Beryl and Miriam Peletz, Archie and Ruth Katz, Herbie Obront, Bert and Francis Eisenberg and Irving and Bobby Schreter all around the pool and the village. CSL Men’s Club photographers Sid Birns (and Gloria) and Jack Frank have been spotted at the shows in the Club House.  Several other CSL vCOP members are also snowbirds at Century Village including Harvey Schwartz.

Unfortunately we missed Henry Grover this year, who usually has the crowds in stitches of laughter, including my folks, Lyndhurst residents George and Phyllis Nashen.

Each outing is bound to result in another chance encounter with a Cote Saint-Luc resident, from malls to flea markets to restaurants to playgrounds and golf courses.

In fact, Cote Saint-Lucers are so connected to South Florida that one day I am hoping to convince our Council to bring a little of the down south feeling back home by planting faux palm trees along Cavendish Blvd.  What better way to beat the winter blahs by seeing what will surely remind any resident of the warmer climates frequented by so many CSLers. One might say that CSL and Century Village are twins, of sorts.

Wouldn't you like to see Cavendish Blvd. looking like this year round?

What do you think about twinning our cities? Please comment on this blog posting.

Regard français sur la laïcité québécoise

Regard français sur la laïcité québécoise

By ELIAS LEVY, CJN

Thursday, 13 January 2011

Un grand spécialiste français de la laïcité, l’historien et sociologue Jean Baubérot, a été l’invité du Congrès Juif Québécois.

Click here: The Canadian Jewish News.

Montreal UFO sighting ‘probably explainable’

Montreal UFO sighting ‘probably explainable’.

UFO over Cavendish Mall?

Marvin the Martian

Montreal Gazette

First of all, Dr. Cleve Ziegler would like to emphasize that he is not a crazy person. In fact, he’s an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Jewish General Hospital.

But he acknowledges that what he saw while driving home from surgery early Wednesday will definitely seem crazy: a strange flashing object in the sky, right above the Cavendish Mall in Côte St. Luc.

Was it a UFO?

Ziegler was driving along Cavendish Blvd. around 1 a.m. when he saw the bizarre object, near the intersection of Kildare Rd. He parked his car and got out to get a better look, he said.

He said it was like nothing he had ever seen before. It had blue and red twinkly lights, and looked nothing like a plane or someone shining a flashlight at the sky. The sighting left him feeling very disturbed, he said.

“The pattern of motion was erratic – it was moving up and down, sideways. It was not like a flying saucer, more like a couple of triangles,” he said.

There was another guy on the street looking up at the sky, he said. He went over and they looked at it together, agreeing that they were seeing something unusual. The guy said his girlfriend also saw it and was “freaked out.” Another woman in the parking lot also witnessed what they took to be a UFO.

Ziegler says he took out his cellphone and called 911 to report the sighting. He watched the object for about 10 minutes total, then went home. Police officers came to interview him at home a few hours later, he said.

Police said they received three calls reporting UFOs Wednesday – two in Côte St. Luc and another in the east end. Officers investigated the claims, but nothing proved there was anything strange going on, Constable Daniel Lacoursière said.

“We called the airport in Dorval and they said there was nothing on the radar in that area,” he said. “In the east end, they said there may have been a chopper flying over, but nothing appeared in the Cavendish area.”

Had something suspicious showed up on the radar, the case would have been transferred to the RCMP, Lacoursière said.

Still, Ziegler is shaken and certain of what he saw.

“This left me with the deep sense that I had seen something not from this planet.”

Read more:  UFO over Cavendish Mall?.

Coverage on CTV and  CBC.

In my opinion:  Knowing Dr. Zeigler, this story just bumped up three notches on my believable scale.  And having lived a stone’s throw from the epicentre for so many years, why didn’t I get a glance?  Anyhow Dr. Zeigler, next time you’re drivimg home from a late night delivery and Marvin the Martian comes calling, be sure to snap a couple of shots off your cell phone and try to get an autograph!!

What do you think was hovering over the mall?  Post your thoughts here.  Click comment.

Jewish General video hits YouTube

Jewish General video hits YouTube

By Anthony Bonaparte, The Suburban, August 11, 2010

To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Jewish General Hospital decided to jump on the YouTube bandwagon with a music video that would make even the most jaded newspaper writer break down and crack a smile — excluding myself, of course.

“We’ve done a number of different things that are more traditional that one would expect within a hospital environment and we had the idea of doing something musical involving many different people — from patients to volunteers to staff members across the board — and came up with this,” said Glenn Nashen, the hospital’s director of the Public Affairs and Communications.

The theme of the three-minute video, It’s my hospital, was developed to show pride in an institution which services Quebecers of all stripes. The hospital enlisted the services of director Neil Oakshott and local jingle writer Ian Cooney who composed the score and bilingual lyrics with Robert Paradis.

Though the shoot took only a couple of half days, organizers began to hold auditions six months ago and admittedly had to pull some teeth to get the100-plus participants to throw their scrub hats into the ring. “They were suspicious, asking, ‘What is this thing?’ But once they came out they told another colleague, and another doctor, and another volunteer, and people did come out in the end,” said Nashen.

“The whole reason for this was to have some good fun but also to serve as a morale booster for the staff, a bit of inspiration for the donors, and a little bit of comfort for patients and families.”

The video rides a popular wave of viral lip-dub videos released on YouTube in the past year, one of the most popular being L’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Arts students’ take on the Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling. But the JGH video is no lip-dub.

“This is the only one that I’ve seen so far where it’s completely our own and we got someone to write it. And when you listen to the words, they ring very true for this place,” said Nashen.

“We wanted it to represent the faces, the languages, the cultures and the religions of the hospital. And we also wanted to break down the lack of understanding of a large part of the Quebec population that views us as a hospital different from what it really is. It’s multilingual, multiracial, multi-everything.”

As the English segment goes: “Cause no matter what your faith, or the colour of your skin, at the Jewish General, you’re always welcomed in!”

To view the Jewish General’s music video, visit www.YouTube.com/NaNaMusical

— anthony@thesuburban.com