Innovation in Compost collection and waste management 

In 2008 Steven and I launched pilot composting collection programs in our respective districts. 

As part of the campaign we went out to see a compost plant, where we found massive zuchinis growning in the compost heap. 

CSL was one of  first city on the island of Montreal to collect kitchen waste compost 

Brief to the Montreal Urban Agglomeration Land Use and Development Plan

On November 6, 2014, I will be presenting a brief regarding the Montreal Urban Agglomeration Land Use and Development Plan. Here is the brief in two parts:

• Part 1 deals with the designation of Meadowbrook in the Urban Plan as a Green Space Recreational
• Part 2 relates to the proximity guidelines which should be adopted for all new development along railway corridors (plus annexes) 

Here are the annexes in support of the Part 1 with regard to designation of Meadowbrook in the new Urban Plan:

• Annexes Part 1 

The annex includes the following documents:

• Annexe 1: Lettre de CP à la Ville de CSL 2012 ; 
• Annexe 2: Lettre de l’AMT à la Ville de Montréal 2013 ;
• Annexe 3: Défense de la Ville de Montréal 17 Avril 2014 Meadowbrook Pacific Inc. c. Ville  de Montréal. Nu. 500-17078875-138 ;
• Annexe 4: Lettre de la Ville de Montréal, 18 mars 2013, Pierre Dubois Chef de division Lachine ;
• Annexe 5: Pieces de la Défense de la Ville de Montréal, D-12 & D-15  C.S. Nu. 500-17078875-138 ;
• Annexe 6: Extrait du Plan d’Urbanisme 2004 Notes Générales ;

Staying Livable, Building Resilience and Being Smart

I recently attended the FCM sustainabilily conference in Ottawa ( Feb 2012) and learned so much about what we must all do to adapt to climate change. There can be no doubt that CSL like all other cities will have to adjust its policies and modify its practices in order to become more sustainable and in order to adapt to the conditions of the future. We all will have to do our share to reduce, reuse and retrofit our homes and our behaviours to the new realities. Please take a look at this presentation on Staying Livable, Building Resilience, and Being Smart by professor
Thomas Homer-Dixon of the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation.

http://fcm.ca/Documents/events/SCC2012/Sustainable_Communities_And_The_GPT_Transition_EN.pdf
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW 2012 (SCC)
CONFÉRENCE ET SALON PROFESSIONNEL SUR LES COLLECTIVITÉS DURABLES (CCD)
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES AND THE GPT TRANSITION:
Staying Livable, Building Resilience,

Hi have not written in a very longtime. So I will try to catch up on latest news.

Cavendish Mall,
As Cavendish Mall is being demolished, the Mayor and Council are reviewing all the options available for our public spaces. The layout of the homes and streets have been finalized as can be seen from the posters which are up at the site, but the exact design and function of the streets and public spaces are still under review. One of the objectives of this new development was to create a commercial town center and old fashioned "main street" along the new avenue which will be running from City Hall -Cavendish boulevard right down the middle of the site. This avenue should be an active street which will encourage our residents to walk down from City Hall and shop and visit the Mall and the surrounding parks and activities.

As well the intersections along Cavendish need to be redesigned starting with the ones in front of City Hall and Kildare-Cavendish. They need to be safer for cars and more pedestrian and bicycle friendly.

As we are presently working on these plans, I encourage residents to give us their input on how they would like to see this main street be developped and what uses they would like to see in the parks and in front of City Hall.

Urban Forest Tree tours with Bronwyn Chester

On September 2nd 2009, Bronwyn Chester lead the residents of district 3 on a guided tour of the trees of the streets and parks. Here we are in McDowell Park between Borden and Randall.

Irving Singerman Park renovation

As announced there will be major renovations to Irving Singerman Park. Due to financial and technical considerations phase 1 (renovations to the soccer field and lighting) and phase 2 (renovations to the playground) are now proposed to be executed in 2010.

Irving Singerman Park, circa July 2009

Finance issues

As councilor responsible for finance, I am proud to say that we have successfully settled important cases worth millions of dollars that were dragging for years. The Mackle and St. Pierre Collector cases were settled in exchange for the claims of the City of Montreal for the 2001 and 2005 deficits. After so many years, it is very satisfying for me to have been involved in resolving these matters to the advantage of the city without any extra tax burden to our residents. As well as chairperson of the Finance and Audit Committee, I have had the pleasure to work with an exceptional team led by our treasurer Angelo Marino and members of our committee: councillors Steven Erdelyi, Alan Levine, Ruth Kovac and former Councillor Harold Greenspon who is our mentor and who still gives us good counsel. Along with Councillor Ruth Kovac one of my most important tasks is to review the city’s expenditures once every two weeks. This is very time consuming and painstaking job however we do it in order to keep a very close eye on all our expenses.

Lower speed limits and traffic calming

Now that the Quebec government has given its approval, we will be reducing the speed limit on side streets to 40km/h and asking the police to enforce the limit. As well we have introduced bollards on some local streets and will continue to monitor the effectiveness of these traffic calming devices.

Taking public transport

Over the past winter months, I gave up my car. To my great satisfaction, I discovered that the bus service to our city and particularly to our district is very good. I encourage you to use our public transit. Along with the reconfiguration of the Cavendish Blvd. intersection, we introduced a new bus island and protected bus stop for buses 104 and 138 which take you right downtown. This now makes it more appealing for residents to take the bus at Cavendish and Fleet. As well we created protected crosswalks at the Cavendish Blvd. intersection and urge residents to cross only at these crosswalks.

Meadowbrook golf course on its way to becoming an eco-territory

The preservation of Meadowbrook golf course as a green space has been one of my priorities for the past 20 years since I became a councillor in 1990. In May 2009, in collaboration with Mayor Campbell Stuart of Montreal West, I presented a brief on behalf of the City of Côte Saint Luc to the hearings of the Commission of the Agglomeration on the Natural Space Policy in favour of the recognition of Meadowbrook as an eco-territory. As a result of our presentation and the briefs presented by Les Amis de Meadowbrook and the Groups Heritage Laurentien, the Commission agreed with our suggestions and made recommendations to the City of Montreal and the Agglomeration that Meadowbrook be recognized as an eco-territory. To read these briefs and the Agglo commission recommendations please visit: www.cotesaintluc.org/en/meadowbrook.

As a follow-up, in June, I also made a similar presentation to the Bape hearings on the Turcot Exchange with a view to promoting a private –public exchange with the Ministry of Transport of Quebec.

Photo: Mayor Campbell Stuart, Patrice Martin the Assistant to Michel Labrecque the President of the Commission (who also visited the site and took the picture), Councillor Bonnie Feigenbaum of Hampstead, Patrick Ash from Heritage Laurentien and Councillor Dida Berku, visiting Meadowbrook with Councillor Michel Labrecque President of the Commission and Councillor for the Plateau and President of the STM.

Waste management

I recently helped draft and proposed the new waste management by-law 2302 “By-law to regulate the collection and disposal of waste materials”. This by-law encourages residents to do the right thing. Our waste is not garbage to be thrown away in plastic bags—it is a resource that must be managed responsibly.

Remember 40 percent of our waste can be composted and another 40 percent can be recycled. By using all the services the city offers you will help make our city a green city to be proud of. As well, being green will help us save money. At the present time, with about half the residents of the city participating in the brown bin program, we collect around 20 tons a week of organic waste. If we could increase the collection to 40 tons a week, we could reduce the crews collecting garbage and save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. So if all households participate effectively, the brown bin program will actually help us reduce costs.

Therefore, in accordance with our new by-law we are asking residents to make their best efforts to comply with the new requirements. The most important first step is to make sure you and your gardener uses the brown bin for leaf and yard waste. Do not put your yard waste in plastic bags. Please use the brown bins. As well if you need help or assistance in sorting your waste, our waste technicians and green patrollers as well as myself, will be pleased to come and assist you in any way we can. I recognize that some residents are unhappy with the size of the bins, however these are necessary in order to work efficiently with the mechanized arms of our collection trucks. As well, on days when there is no collection, please remove your bins and garbage cans away from the curb and store them in your garage or next to your house.

Hazardous and electronic waste should not be placed in the garbage. Please be sure that you bring this waste including to an eco centre. The closest one is the Écocentre de Côte-des-Neiges (6925 Côte-des-Neiges Rd.). Also you can bring your waste on August 23 to the Hazardous Waste Collection Day at the Public Works Yard in Côte Saint-Luc at 7001 Mackle Rd. from 9am to 5pm.

Saint Patrick Square 25th anniversary Art Show

As always it was wonderful attending the St. Patrick Square Art Show. This year was their 25th anniversary and it was a very special event. The residents of the Saint Patrick Square pre-retirement community never cease to amaze us with their creative talents. Here I am with Mayor Anthony Housefather, Councillor Allan J. Levine and the artists of the show.

(front) Barbara Sweeney, Carol Donoghue, Tony Shorgan, Helen Leduc, Betty McNamee, Audrey McGuiness (back) Hilma Heinrich, Patricia Ann Nestor, Georgina Cotnam, Councillor Allan Levine, Arthur Pereira, Gilbert Prevost, Ann Dalton, Mayor Anthony Housefather, Lillian Di Zazzo, Councillor Dida Berku, Helen Lord, Maureen Young. (Photo credit: John Landon)

Block party

It was a great pleasure to participate at the first Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem (TBDJ) block party held on June 21, 2009 in front of the synagogue on Baily Rd. It was a beautiful day with many residents of the neighbourhood coming out for a good time. Our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) truck was on display while kids enjoyed the face painting, inflatable games and street hockey. The event also featured a local dog show. It was a very well organized event and the city welcomes residents holding such parties and looks forward to more such events in the future.

TBDJ block party organizer Rachel Aspler and Councillor Dida Berku

In the urban forest: the trees of Côte Saint-Luc

We can all be proud of the commitment of our city to preserve and replace the trees in our neighbourhoods. In order to raise awareness about the beautiful trees which populate our streets and parks, we will be bringing in a local writer who will conduct tree tours for the residents.

Bronwyn Chester will give tours, which will allow residents to learn about the value and the variety of trees in Côte Saint-Luc. These tours will be given on three consecutive Wednesdays August 26, September 2 and September 9 from 5:30pm to 7pm.

Please call the library at 514-485-6900 to register. The tours are free.

• Tour 1 (August 26, 2009): Veterans Park forest and Nathan Shuster Park. Rendez-vous at the library.
• Tour 2 (September 2, 2009): District 3, Baily to Merton. Rendez-vous at synagogue on Baily Rd.
• Tour 3 (September 9, 2009): District 5, Westminster to Blossom. Rendez-vous at Beth Zion synagogue.

Glencrest Ave Traffic

At tonight's council meeting residents from Glencrest deposited a petition asking the City to review the traffic on their street.