The Westmount examiner, 3 mai 2001, jeudi 3 mai 2001

[" ranscontinental WELALY Canadian Publication no: 1375822 Vol.66, No.17 - Thursday, May 3\u201c 2001 » www.westmountexaminer.com + (514) 484-5610 » 9,800 copies MAKING ALL OF WESTMOUNT YOUR HOME | Éd TE \\ g J : To ! 8 N 3 STAFF INQUIRIES INVITED www.maromac.com 485-1135 One mayor, one argument Trent addresses students at LCC conference Sidhartha Banerjee ayor Peter Trent took his one- M- anti-merger show on the road to Lower Canada College last Wednesday, speaking to students on municipal mergers and the impact they will have on local communities.His speech was part of Destiny Quebec 2001, a bilingual conference for Quebec youth that deals with topics affecting the immediate future.It had originally been billed as Pierre Bourque versus Peter Trent in a showdown over the megacity.It was then downgraded to Trent versus Jean Fortier, chairman of the Montreal Executive Committee.When Fortier failed to show up, Trent was left to show students both sides of the argument.\u201cOne of the problems is when people get into positions of power, they feel they have to do something,\u201d Trent said.\u201cThere's nothing more dangerous than a politician that feels they have to do something; sometimes you need to guide things, but you don\u2019t have to make radical changes.I believe in evolution, not revolution.\u201d \u201c] am a politician, and I can tell you that the thirst for power is a very dangerous thing,\u201d Trent added.\u201cIt\u2019s not just the people you elect who are part of democracy, you yourself must be part of democracy and in a small city you can be.\u201d Trent began his address by correcting what he called a glaring error on a sheet given to the students\u2014that muriicipal amalgamations are \u201csweeping\u201d North America.\u201cThat is absolutely false,\u201d Trent told the students.\u201cIn the United States, the last municipal amalgamation occurred 102 years ago, I wouldn\u2019t exactly call that sweeping North America.\u201d (continued on page 2) #.+ Scoop speaks! Classified ads of 3 anscontinental Weeklies They work! 12) 321-2000 4918 Sherbrooke St.W., Westmount 486-7305 www.decormariepaule.com decor marie-paule Yves Delorme bars, 2001 Collection Exclusively at Décor Marie-Paule 40003761 1090 Laurier West, Outremont 273-88H9 email: dmpa videotron.net Page 2 - THE WESTMOUNT EXAMINER - www.westmountexaminer.com - Thursday, May 3, 2001 (continued from page 1) Trent said that what's happening in the U.S.is closer to de-amalgamation, using examples such as communities within greater Los Angeles, New York and Chicago as examples, with a slight difference.\u201cIn the United States you can't have an amalgamation without a referendum, because they're democratic in the U.S.,\u201d Trent said taking a swipe at provincial government.Finding himself without a pro-merger counterpart to debate, Trent attempted to show both sides of the argu- ment\u2014but admitted it was going to be difficult.\u201cWhat's frustrating about what I'm doing here today is that there are no good arguments for the megacity,\u201d Trent told the students.The most recent amalgamations in Canada were in Halifax in 1996 and Toronto about two years ago.Both mergers have been so disastrous and costly that it prompted Ontario Premiere Mike Harris to put a halt to any future amalgamations in the province about three weeks ago.Trent also rebutted that municipal mergers were a \u2018international trend.\u2019 \u201cThe only place they are taking in North America amalgamations are taking place are right here in Quebec,\u201d Trent said.\u201cIn fact, it is the only place in the world that amalgamations are taking place are here in Quebec.\u201d Merger proponents usually refer to things like the economies of scale when promoting it\u2014that things will be cheaper because its bigger.\u201cBut of economies of scale work, why is the City of Montreal spending 35 per cent more than the rest of the communities?\u201d Trent asked.\u201cThe proof is right there in front of us.\u201d He added that no academic research has shown that economies-of-scale actually exist, But the most ludicrous argument of all, Trent said, is the fact that since Toronto did it, so Montreal should too.\u201cIt\u2019s what I call lemming logic,\u201d Trent said.\u201cBut now that Toronto has merged, most Torontonians are in horror of amalgamations and they will tell you today that it was a failure in Toronto.\u201d Trent added that even the mayor of Toronto, Mel Lastman, has been quoted as saying that it\u2019s been a failure.Toronto was supposed to save $300 million a year by merging communities, but instead they are $305 million dollars in the hole.483-1870 Pre-arranged funeral information | COLLINS CLARKE FUNERAL HOME 5610 Sherbrooke St.W., Montreal FUNERAL DIRECTORS John B.Fraser - Manager LOCAL NEWS \u201cThey have lost public services in Toronto and they're paying more taxes,\u201d Trent said.\u201cThat\u2019s the result of one- island, one-city, and that\u2019s what we're going to be doing here,\u201d he added.Less politicians and fewer bureaucrats also won't necessarily equal less salaries, Trent added.If mergers go through, then employees tend to get the highest salary of the former municipalities.As it stands, about 0.5 per cent of Westmount\u2019s budget goes towards the mayor and councillors.In the case of the city of Montreal, it costs 1.4 per cent.\u201cSo much for the argument that it will cost less for politicians\u2014but an even more serious argument is that there will be one councillor for 25,000 people,\u201d Trent said.There is also a sense of community with events and parties and volunteers\u2014that can\u2019t be recreated in city of 1.8 million people.Trent said there was some justification for the idea of fiscal equity\u2014that everyone should pay their fair share.\u201cBut they forget one thing, the created the Montreal Metropolitan Community only a year ago to do precisely that,\u201d he said.\u201cThe role of the MMC is to help Montreal out for services it provides of a regional nature, so the problem is being solved and there is no reason to merge.\u201d Trent said some people may even say that mergers will Tel: Fax: Shirley Kushner is pleased to announce the opening of her private physiotherapy practice in Westmount.* Sport physiotherapy * Manual physiotherapy e Private treatment Shirley Kushner B.PE.B.Sc.PT.M.Sc.PT.Diploma Sports Physio (514) 938.3628 (514) 938.9532 215 Redfern, Suite 427, Westmount skphysio@hotmail.com counteract the MACGILLIVRAY i trend of popula- WHITE e tion moving to the suburbs\u2014about Physiothérapie 200.000 Kushner Montrealers in the last 20 years, but disagrees with this idea.\u201cPeople will leave in an even greater number because they will seek the same kind of small, controlled environment when they had their small cities,\u201d Trent said.\u201cThe problem of urban sprawl] by definition occurs of the island and not on the island.\u201d Everything will change in the smaller communities, and Trent told the students he didn\u2019t buy Bourque\u2019s claims that it wouldn't.\u201cA borough cannot borrow, cannot tax, cannot hire, cannot fire and has no legal status.In my book, that means Westmount disappears,\u201d said Trent.\u201cWe will lose our fire department, our first responder, our Light & Power department, and even we did have some residual powers, a separate city would control our budget and our spending.\u201d Trent also told students he was crossing his fingers that The World Charter of Local Self-Government, a bill the United Nations are trying to get countries to sign the legislation.An extension of a similar document adopted in Europe, the charter would prevent countries from conducting amalgamations without consultation or referendum.\u201cThere is the possibility that a world charter will exist in a year or two that will say you can't wipe out cities around the world,\u201d Trent said.Although Mayor Bourque did attend the event\u2014only after Trent had left\u2014his schedule allowed him only a few minutes to mingle with students and address them briefly.40003805 Visit our Textile Art Studio, a source of unique and exciting gift items that are designed and sold in Art Galleries and Museums-Shops.Hand-painted silks, scarves, ties, cushions and much more, Special pieces have been painted for Mother's Day.Friday May 4\" and saturday May 5\", from 10 am to 7 pm 1050 Lacasse #226, Montreal Just below Westmount available upon request | 40203302 Choosing the * One you feel at ease with - if you don\u2019 fe ® One who can negotiate skillfully home the attention it deserves experienced or an inexperienced hroker talk with those agents.Find out if they know vour market.if they're RE/MAN Westmount inc.Chartered Real Estate Broker 1330 Greene Avenue, Westmount.Telephone: (514) 933-6781 regmorden@remax.net sylviel@remax.net \u201cRight\u201d Real Estate Agent(s) A good real estate agent is the matchmaker that will bring you.your 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classified ad in The Examiner Is easy.Call 321-2000.Vernissage, May 2 6-8pm.939-2075 \u2014 I Recent Paintings May 3-12 Anthony Hobbs Gemst Gallery 5380 Sherbrooke Street West Tel: 488.5104 Tuesday to Saturday 10a.m.-5 p.m.40003765 Offers Plux * Make up Application + Skincare & Haircare + Posture & Poise * Nutrition & Exercise * Wardrobe planning + Interviewing skills + Etiquette + An introduction to modeling * Evening & Saturday classes available for teens and adults 40100958 Examiner welcomes new publisher Gordon Brewerton Transcontinental Weeklies has announced the appointment of Gordon Brewerton as publisher of the Westmount Examiner.In addition to his new duties at the Examiner.Brewerton will remain publisher of the West Island Chronicle, as well as serve as regional manager for western Montreal an area that now includes the West Island.NDG and Westmount.Brewerton took over as Examiner publisher on Monday, April 30.He replaces interim publisher Louis- Charles Ménard.who is now part of the management team of Metro, Transcontinental\u2019s French-language free daily distributed throughout the MUCTC's métro stations.Anti-merger rally set for ay 11 Westmount is planning to make its presence known in a large lunchtime anti-merger rally in downtown Montreal next Friday.May 11.Starting in Lafontaine Park at 11 a.m.demonstrators from across the island are scheduled to march down to René Lévesque Boulevard for a noon rally in front of Premier Bernard Landry's office at the Hydro Québec building.City councillor Karin Marks said that Westmount\u2019s float from the St.Patrick's Day Parade will be a featured part of the march.and a large number of volunteers have been working hard over the past several weeks to ensure the participation of as many Westmounters as possible.Among those helping to organize the event.she said.are members of the Westmount Municipal Association.city councillors and many of the volunteers who were involved in the organization of Westmount's Nov.19 forced merger referendum.\u201cThey ve organized a very sophisticated network\u2014the same as they did for the referendum\u2014complete with poll captains and people to phone and make sure everyone is aware of the rally.\u201d Marks said.Westmounters will be meeting at Victoria Hall at 10 a.m.and taking the 24 bus along Sherbrooke to Lafontaine Park.For more information, the City has set up a telephone hotline at 989-5236.LOCAL NEWS A BLAST FROM THE PAST A 1967 Plymouth Fury II will be among items up for grabs at Rotary antique show Sidhartha Banerjee t may very well be an fier better suited for the archives of the Westmount Historical Association, except for one little problem\u2014it probably wouldn't fit into the basement of the Westmount Public Library.A 1967 Plymouth Fury IT that has spent most of its existence on Roslyn Avenue is being donated to the Westmount Rotary Club for its first annual antique show and sale by its most recent owner.Gerry Leclerc.The vintage automobile will be among the items that prospective collectors will be bidding on during a silent auction to be held this Friday evening and through out the weekend.\"What's interesting about the car is that it was there when Gerry bought the house.\u201d said Ted Sancton.president of the Westmount Rotary Club.\u201cAnd the car was even bought at a car dealership that used to be in Westmount.so conceivably this car has never left Westmount,\u201d he added.It was originally purchased at a Westmount dealership in 1967.Gerard Automobile.which would be located roughly where Cantor's is now located on the west side of Victoria Avenue just below Sherbrooke Street.The Canadian-made sedan has remained in Westmount ever since.li belonged to a woman who lived on Roslyn Avenue ind drove it regularly.Leclere purchased the property in 1993.not knowing that there was a large present waiting for him in the garage.The car was discovered during a final tour of the home before the purchase was to be finalized.\u201cWe took a look in the garage and thought we'd find some junk in it and found that big thing sitting here.\u201d Leclerc said referring to the car.When he first saw it.he told the previous owners that he wanted them to get rid of it.After some negotiation, the previous owners got Leclerc to agree to keep the car.telling him it would be too Gerry Leclerc's 1967 Plymouth Fury n much trouble to move the automobile-\u2014which hadn't been started in a long time.When Leclerc found the car.it was originally in terrible condition.Living much of the last few years in the garage where squirrels had made a home out of it.virtually every part that had rubber had deteriorated and needed to be replaced.Many of the mechanical components were also damaged because the previous owner hadn't stored it properly.\u201cIt's 19 feet long and goes from one end of the garage to the other, you can barely clear the front door with the bumper.it's quite à monstrosity,\u201d joked Leclere, who hung on to the car because of sentimental reasons he had learned to drive in 1967.\u201cIt's really a time warp because the car is pretty much in mint condition- it\u2019s been here 33 years and hasn't gone much further than when it first left Gerard Automobile in 1967.\" he added.According to Leclere, the furthest the car may have gone is to Lachute.where the former owners had a country place.Leclere found evidence of this when numerous pine needles were discovered while cleaning out the beast.However, the car viewers will see this weekend at the antique show will be near perfect.The upholstery is like new and the car only has 45,000 km on its odome- tre, plus Leclerc put some dollars into getting the car running and roadworthy, essentially leaving it in its original 1967 condition, Leclerc only used the car a few times a year but said it passed its recent provincial auto inspection with ying colours.\u201cIt's not bad on gas either because it doesn\u2019t have a big V-8 engine, but it uses leaded gas which does- n't exist anymore, so you actually have to add lead to the gasoline,\u201d Leclere added with a chuckle.Hanging onto the car was noi an option for Leclerc, with storage being a major hassle.\u201cBut it would be nice if it would stay in Westmount and not leave the community,\u201d Leclerc said.YMCA residence relocates to Reddy building Sidhartha Banerjee e Montreal YMCA has announced that it will be moving its refugee residence to the former Reddy Memorial Hospital building on Dorchester Boulevard.The planned move was discussed at an information meeting at Centre Greene last Wednesday.as the Y is eager to determine the impact of the move with Westmounters living in the immediate area of the former hospital.But while there were some citizens and city councillors on hand at the meeting, there was a noticeable lack of local residents present.\u201cI'm a little concerned that there are very few residents,\u201d said John de Castell.city councillor for the ward that is immediately affected by the Y's move.\u201cI would ask of you to consider holding another evening like this.\u201d Despite the lack of residents, there was no real opposition to the arrival of the refugee residence in the neighborhood.The Y hopes to move into their new residence by Sept.1.However.the date is tentative.as the building still has to be brought up to code, said Michael Weil, president and CEO of the Montreal YMCA.\u201cWe wanted to have a residence for the refugee program close to the downtown Y.because many of our services are located downtown,\u201d Weil said.\u201cWe went to see the Regie Regionale about a building, and they immediately suggested the Reddy.\u201d The Reddy is ideal for the residence because it is close enough that the downtown Y is accessible by walking or public transportation.The Covered Garden program will be housed at the Reddy, a program that allows for the integration of newcomers into the Montreal community.The program is a joint partnership with the CLSC Cote-des-Neiges.MUC police.and the Service d'aide aux réfugiés et aux immi- granis du Montréal métropolitain (SARRIM).among others.Services offered include a first home for new arrivals, complete with beds.meals, counseling, information sessions, and support services.Many of those arriving are coming from precarious situations in their former countries and the program aims to reduce feelings of isolation.said Sheila Laursen of the YMCA.\u201cThe average number of people we have in the residence at any one time is around 200 but at the Reddy we will have capacity for 260 beds,\u201d Laurson said.adding that families can be better taken care of in the new facilitv \u201cWe have both individuals and families and that's why the Reddy is such an ideal place for us.\u201d she added, \u201cOur residence (downtown) was not built to house families, it was built to house single men or students.\u201d The refugees live at the residence for anywhere from one to three weeks, becoming familiar with the city and building a network of contacts.\u201cWhen they leave the Y-anywhere from seven to 21 days later- to go into an apartment, they do so with a web of support,\u201d Laurson said.Paul Lubundi, who arrived four years ago from the Democratic Republic of Congo said that the first week at the Y had anenriching learning experience.\u201cWhat | learned at the YMCA helped me climb the ladder.not to the level of the people of Westmount, but | did pretty well nonetheless,\u201d said Lubundi, now working in the information technologies sector, \u201cThere will be others who will integrate better than | did thanks to the YMCA,\u201d he added.Komla Zafoé, who also met his wife at the Y when she came from Algeria at the same time, came to Canada five years ago.\u201cIt was like having a mother,\u201d said Zafoé of the treatment of the workers at the Covered Garden.\u201c1 know that without the Y's help, we would have ended up far worse than we did,\u201d he said.\u201cThe downtown Y is a real meeting place.a real community centre,\u201d Weil said.\u201cWe're hoping that the old Reddy can be as a welcoming place for the refugees.\u201d But the bottom line is to get them on their feet so they can get on with their lives, The physical impact of the move should be limited, Weil said.The rest- dence employs between 10 and 15 full-time staff members and « number of volunteers.Traffic shouldn't be a problem as most refugees will walk or take public transit.Volunteers are also involved in the integration process, and Laursen hoped that people from the community would get involved.Residents with questions can contact Sheila Laurson at the YMCA at (514) B49- 8393, ext.740 \"EARN VEPSIDYL + WOMIAURUENIUNOLISAMN WWM - YINHNYYT [NNOINISIW IHL ¢ ç abey - 100 ce.sane iy The Rotary Club of Westmount A Antique Show & Sale if\" Westmount Arena, May 4-6.Over 50 booths of Canadiana & period furniture, jewellery, glassware, silver, lamps, rugs, Moorcroft china, paintings, books, stamps, coins, linens, lace and collectibles for sale by quality dealers from Quebec and Ontario.And of course.as Westmount's only service club, 100% of the funds raised will be used on local, national and international humanitarian projects.as we have been doing for over 70 years.You can help The Rotary Club of Westmount help others and at the same time have a wonderful day antique shopping.Don't forget.restaurant on site.Saturday, May 5: 10 am - 6 pm Sunday, May 6: 10 am - 5 pm Admission: $5.00 \u2014 Children (under 10 years) free \u201cCome for lunch and eat at our Restaurant: | - Soup, Salad, Pizza, Pasta, Cookies, Muffins ; ANTIQUES [busts Westmount Arena 4625 St.Catherine St.West, corner Lansdowne \u2014 metro Venddme ALSO - DURING THE WEEKEND TO BE SOLD BY SILENT AUCTION 1967 Plymouth Fury Il £3 New motor, original paint, 45,700 miles only The Rotary Club of Westmount.C 6) .is dedicated to support community needs and projects and, ant through the Rotary Foundation, international programs such as international scholarships and the fight against Polio.This Antiques & Collectibles Show & Sale is one of the major fund raising projects of the club.Thank you to all who donated articles for our silent auction and those who will be attending.You know that the Rotary Club will use the funds raised for good causes.Westmount Rotary: 935-3344.Page 4 - THE