Martin C. Barry

Following renovations over the last few weeks at the Rosemère public library, on Saturday Nov. 23 elected officials were joined by a few dozen enthusiastic parents and kids as the town inaugurated a refreshed children’s section at the library.

For the occasion, and much to the delight of the children, there was a magician and a candy bar. Brighter, more spacious and more modern, the new facilities have been redesigned to create an inviting environment for young people.

Just for kids

“Children are given a special place in Rosemère,” said Mayor Eric Westram who presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony which was attended by five of the six town councillors.

As part of a provincial Child-Friendly Municipality encouraging support for children’s services, “the town wants to increase initiatives such as this one to help young people thrive,” added Westram.

Educational resource

“Their education begins at home, of course, and at school, but also at their library. With this renovation work, we wanted to be sure that children could be proud of their library and that they would be able to come here as often as possible.

“I hope that all the children here today are as proud as I am of your new youth section,” added the mayor. “I hope you will be able to take fully advantage of it and I hope you will enjoy it.”

Earlier on the same morning also at the library, the mayor and councillors paid tribute to young Rosemère athlete Melina Giorgi.

Honoring an athlete

She distinguished herself on the national scene with her teammates from the Performance Synchro synchronized swimming club, when she won the Canadian gold medal in the 13-15 combo event at the SYNC competition held in Gatineau, July 17-20 of this year.

At the close of the two events, the town took the opportunity to announce the winner of the Ride, walk, run, the library’s fun! Program. Florine Lescut won a $500 gift card awarded jointly by Sports Experts Rosemère ($250) and the Town of Rosemère ($250). The gift cards were presented by Sports Experts Rosemère store manager Sébastien Vanier.

A healthy initiative

Once again, the initiative – which aimed to raise awareness of the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles, while including this with their visit to the library – proved to be very popular.

In fact, the Ride, walk, run, the library’s fun! program will be back again in 2020 for its third year. The program is very simple: residents who visit the library are given a loyalty card, which is stamped by an employee at the circulation desk each time they ride, walk or run to the library.

Martin C. Barry

Elected officials with the Town of Rosemère have decided to take immediate action to carry out badly-needed renovations on the Tylee Marsh boardwalk.

The popular nature site along the Rivière des Mille Îles waterfront closed over the summer after it was found to be in a potentially dangerous state of disrepair.

Boardwalk needs fixing

During a special sitting of Rosemère town council on Nov. 25, the councillors voted unanimously to submit applications to the provincial government for financial assistance to “support the upgrading and improvement of outdoor trails and activity sites,” as stated in a resolution.

At the same time, council also decided to apply for funding from the government to upgrade Charbonneau Park. The applications are being made to the Quebec Ministry of Education and Higher Learning through a financial assistance program that focuses on recreational and sports infrastructure.

Grant applications made

During a public question period, Mayor Eric Westram explained how the town is proceeding to repair the Tylee Marsh boardwalk. “The government has issued some grants and there is a limitation of time to ask for them,” he said.

“As you know, the Tylee boardwalk is in bad shape,” he continued. “So we’re asking for the grant now. When we will know from the engineers whether we need to replace it totally or just repair it, then we’ll apply the grant to whatever work needs to be done.”

Town to pay some cost

According to the town administration, Rosemère stands to receive from the government as much as 60 per cent of the cost to repair the boardwalk – up to $150,000. The rest of the cost would be paid by the town itself.

There has been speculation as to why the boardwalk’s structure appears to be failing, some 13 or so years after it was first built. “To tell you the truth, we’ve got this feeling that the foundation of the boardwalk wasn’t built the right way originally,” said Westram.

Damaged by weather

He suggested that the seasonal cycle of freeze and thaw took its toll and loosened the boardwalk’s submerged and semi-submerged anchor posts. “I’m not an engineer, but it looks that way, and it looks like the whole thing will have to be replaced,” he said.

As for possible legal claims by the town of negligence committed by the contractor during the original installation, Councillor Philip Panet-Raymond said, “We’ve investigated that and it’s beyond the timelines of being able to go after anyone. There is no way of proving if it was actually their fault.”

Time limit in play

Westram continued, “We’re making a move to get the grant. Because if we don’t go for it we won’t get it. And the actual engineer’s recommendations will soon be coming in because we’ve asked a firm to tell us whether to fix it or replace it.”

The boardwalk through the Tylee Marsh was a project completed by the Town of Rosemère around 13 years ago. Located on Grande Côte Rd. behind the Memorial Community Centre, the boardwalk takes strollers out through the dense Tylee Marsh straddling the Mille Îles River.

Picturesque attraction

The boardwalk is regarded as a very unique attraction that draws not only local residents, but also people from all over the Montreal region eager to experience a riverside marsh up close. Although the boardwalk is officially closed, some people have been jumping over the barrier and going out over it anyway.

The mayor previously pointed out that the Quebec environment ministry’s mandate to protect wetlands and marshes (with rules that have become stricter in recent years) could make efforts to restore the boardwalk more complex.

Martin C. Barry

A record number of families from all over the North Shore region huddled beneath blankets with small children along the sides of Oka Road in Deux-Montagnes on Sunday Dec. 1 as the city played host for its 50^th annual Santa Claus Parade.

A big parade

“There must be 10,000-15,000 people here today for sure,” said Deux-Montagnes city councillor Michel Mendes who rode on a float in the parade with Mayor Denis Martin and the five other council members.

For some, the Deux-Montagnes Santa Claus Parade is one of two annual opportunities to return home, often over great distances, for a reunion with family and friends. (The other is Canada Day on July 1.)

It was a cold one

As such, former Deux-Montagnes resident Sandra Tremblay came all the way from Florida to be with her mother, Shirley Tremblay, so that both could take in the Santa Claus Parade from the corner of Oka Rd. and Eighth Ave.

With all the time she’s been in Florida, however, Sandra forgot one thing: Canada gets cold during the winter. While her mother was dressed in a sensible winter coat, Sandra shivered to the end in a relatively light albeit festive red top with humorous season’s greetings printed across it.

Parade’s historic roots

The origin of Deux-Montagnes’ Santa Claus Parade can be traced back to the late 1960s. In 1969, Eaton’s department in downtown Montreal ceased the presentation of its traditional Santa Clause parade, thus depriving thousands of children of a spectacle that had been enjoyed by many generations. However, volunteers from Deux-Montagnes took on the challenge of giving back the magic of Christmas to children. The first Deux-Montagnes Santa Claus Parade was held in December 1970.

(NSN) The long-awaited Rosemère Christmas Market and festivities will be held December 6-8 at the Memorial Community Centre.

The popular “Torch Walk” will open the celebrations, followed by the Christmas Market, where dozens of crafts workers will present you their locally made products.

The Torch Walk will launch the festivities on Friday Dec. 6 starting at 7 p.m. in the train station parking lot. Torches will be handed out to participants in this event between 6:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.

Tochlight parade

The walkers will be accompanied by the float featuring Santa Claus and the Snow Queen, who will parade along Grande-Côte Road to the Community Centre, where music, dancing and entertainment will continue until 9 p.m.

“Christmas celebrations in Rosemère are always filled with magical enchantment and contagious joy,” says Mayor Eric Westram. “We are proud to invite you to our traditional Torch Walk, which will be followed throughout the weekend by our Christmas Market. These festivities are increasingly popular, year after year. Join us for the 2019 edition.”

Pre-Christmas shopping

The town is inviting everyone to take advantage of the presence of some forty shops and crafts workers gathered in one place to support local merchants and start buying your Christmas gifts.

Among the gift ideas: decoration accessories, delicacies, crafts, jewellery, clothing, etc. The Christmas Market is organized by Etsy Laurentides. These festivities are organized in partnership with Place Rosemère, the Aile des gens d’affaires de Rosemère and Jeunesse Action Rosemère. Many thanks to these invaluable contributors.

Martin C. Barry

As December 6 marks the 30^th anniversary since the École Polytechnique shootings in Montreal in which 14 women died, the City of Deux-Montagnes has decided to create a new park to honour a former Deux-Montagnes resident who was one of the victims of the attack.

Commemorative park

Elected officials with the city, including Mayor Denis Martin and several city councillors, gathered with relatives and former friends of Maud Haviernick. She was one of the 14 young women who lost their lives. Sylvie Haviernick, Maud’s sister, was joined by a few other relatives and friends for the launch.

The new park, which will open officially next spring, is located on the edge of Lake of Two Mountains, at 101 26^th Ave. behind the municipal water filtration plant. A plaque and signage will be installed to identify it as Maud Haviernick Park.

Remembering Maud

“Although she is not coming back, I would say that for us in Deux-Montagnes Maud is someone who is our citizen for life,” Mayor Martin said during a short dedication ceremony held last Tuesday afternoon in the chosen spot.

“We are dedicating this park in this magnificent place in order to celebrate her life and to remember her and the impact she had on those who knew her.”

Maud Haviernick had already completed a degree in environmental design from the University du Québec à Montréal and was studying metallurgical engineering at the École Polytechnique while pursuing her dream of becoming an engineer.

Women were targeted

On Dec. 6 1989, she was at the École Polytechnique when a heavily armed gunman entered a mechanical engineering class in the building and separated nine women from the mixed class, instructing the men to leave.

He then shot the nine women, killing six. Following this, he made his way for 20 minutes through corridors, the cafeteria and another classroom always shooting women, before killing himself with a gunshot in the end. It was the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history.

Deux-Montagnes city councillors Erik Johnson and Margaret Lavallée, both being longtime area residents, recalled knowing Maud Haviernick more than three decades ago, as well as the impact her sudden and brutal death had on themselves and the community.

Impact in Deux-Montagnes

“It was very devastating that this could happen to someone so young and from our community. You just never think this is something that could happen here,” said Lavallée, who knew the Haviernick family.

Johnson also knew the Haviernick family. “I was coached at hockey by Maud’s brother,” he said. Councillor Micheline Groulx Stabile noted that the site selected for the park is exceptionally beautiful and peaceful. “People will be able to come and sit here while remembering Maud Haviernick,” she said.

Martin C. Barry

Rosemère mayor Eric Westram began the town’s Nov. 11 municipal council meeting – which was taking place on Remembrance Day – by paying homage to the many thousands of Canadians who showed courage, determination and devotion while helping protect the country.

“If we have the privilege of living in a world where peace reigns, it is largely because of these people who valiantly served their country, often at the cost of their precious lives,” Westram said.

Tribute to veterans

“They were Canadian who sacrificed everything to protect the values and freedoms that we all treasure,” he continued.

“Yet still today, and beyond our own borders, our defenders continue to ensure peace and stability in other regions of the world. Together, let us remember the big sacrifice made by our fellow citizens. But most of all let us say thanks with all our hearts to our veterans for the heritage that is so dear to us.”

State of flood dikes

This was followed by a moment of silence observed by all in the council chamber at town hall, “in memory to those who paid with their lives for our peace and our freedom,” added Mayor Westram.

During the first questioned period, Jonathan Rheault of Louis Hémon St. told the mayor he wanted information on a study the town is working on regarding the state of the anti-flood dikes along the Rivière des Mille Îles.

Government subsidies

The mayor said the town’s three dikes are designed to stand up to 100-year floods. Rheault said he was aware that Infrastructure Canada had pledged a considerable amount of money for flood protection in Rosemère.

The mayor said that prior to the recent federal election, the town had been accorded a $4.4 million subsidy from Ottawa, which he said is supported by an equal amount from the Quebec government.

Waiting for Quebec

According to Mayor Westram, that will leave Rosemère with responsibility for paying a remaining $2 million since the dike construction project the town will be building amounts to around $10 million.

“The only portion that needs to be validated is from the government of Quebec, since the part from the federal was, as I said, allotted before the elections,” he said, while adding that the town is waiting for a study to be delivered in February which might determine where additional dikes need to be created elsewhere in Rosemère.

Applications in process

According to Councillor René Villeneuve, town council applied for a certain amount of money for the anti-flood infrastructure from both governments “in case we should ever need it,” he said.

Mayor Westram added, “We were asked by the office of Linda Lapointe, who was our MP at that point, I would say three weeks to a month before the election, to mention a certain amount of subsidies with regards to our flood zones.

Waiting for a report

“We preferred to be cautious,” he continued. “We said we hadn’t yet gotten back the report from our engineers regarding the actual state of our current dikes.” He said the town plans to take the subsidies while keeping in mind that they could come in handy for future flood control.

Rheault, who has two properties near the water in Rosemère, said the arrival of spring is always a great concern. “We see the water rising, and there was confusion last year,” he said. “All of this to say that everything is clear: when you say the subsidies are going ahead we are willing to believe you.”

An ounce of prevention

Westram said that regardless of the situation, but taking into account that even if major flooding were to recur in Rosemère, “we will do what we did last year. We’ll add to the existing dikes in case. We’ll be acting preventively.“For us it will be important to validate the state of the dikes,” Westram continued. “We want to make sure that what happened in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac doesn’t happen here. That’s why we want to make sure our dikes can stand up to a 100-year flood.”

Martin C. Barry

Deux-Montagnes mayor Denis Martin says the Quebec government has agreed to make an exception for the owners of around 150 homes in Deux-Montagnes which won’t be subject to rigid flood control restrictions as the provincial government had originally planned.

“The government gave us exception for the special intervention zone for the flooding,” he said in an interview last Tuesday with the North Shore News. “We got that yesterday.”

Hearing on Dec. 5

According to the mayor, a special hearing by the government will be taking place at the Polyvalente Deux-Montagnes on Dec. 5 for any of the homeowners who may wish to raise further issues regarding the local flood zone situation.

“The special intervention zone that the government declared in July was a worst case scenario prior to the spring of 2019,” said the mayor, referring to the government’s flood strategy and response following the devastating 2017 floods.

Back to 100-year zone

“Deux-Montagnes and Pointe Calumet had been asking to go back to what was there in the spring of 2019. So we’re bringing back most of the territory to the 100-year zone and we were accepted yesterday by the government of Quebec. We’re happy about that for the citizens who were affected.”

According to Mayor Martin, the flood zoning restrictions revoked by the government would have affected the ability of homeowners to renovate or build. When the government issued new parameters for flood zones in recent years, some areas of Deux-Montagnes not normally considered to be at risk were included.

Negotiation paid off

“Some properties all of a sudden were in a zone where they were not before,” he said. “Some of these homes never got any water from flooding. So we were able to negotiate with the government to prove to them that those areas were not really in the intervention zone that was declared by the government back in July.

“So the residents who are there will be able to renovate their homes and go about their lives as they used to be. Because they were kind of blocked since that special intervention zone was declared. We were working to have that removed.”

Permits not possible

The government’s previous definition of the zone’s area meant the City of Deux-Montagnes couldn’t issue any renovation or building permits to the owners in question until the matter was resolved, Mayor Martin continued. “There were also concerns for people wanting to sell their property,” he said.

The change affects around 150 homes mostly between Ninth and Thirteenth avenues. In Pointe Calumet, the situation was similar, but more drastic since more than 2,000 homes stood to be permanently impacted had the flood zone rules been maintained in their area.

Christmas reminders

At the same time, Mayor Martin issued a reminder to all Deux-Montagnes residents that volunteers from Dépannage Saint-Agapit will be soliciting donations of non-perishable food on Sunday Nov. 24 for the charitable organization’s annual Christmas basket campaign.Paul Goyetche is the honorary chairman of the campaign this year. As well, he wished to remind all residents that the city’s 50^th annual Santa Claus Parade will be taking place on Sunday Dec. 1 beginning at 1 pm.

Martin C. Barry

The first signs of winter creeping into the North Shore region weren’t enough to keep patriotic Deux-Montagnes residents away from Veteran’s Hall on Grand Moulin Road on Sunday Nov. 10 when Remembrance Day was commemorated.

The World War I Armistice was signed 101 years ago in a railway carriage located in the Forest of Compiègne in France. After four years of relentless combat, the conflict had taken the lives of as many as 19 million people, while leaving a significant part of Europe in ruins.

Grateful to Legion

“Deux-Montagnes is always proud to have Branch 185 commemorate the veterans year after year,” Mayor Denis Martin said in an interview following the ceremonies. “We have to thank the organization for organizing these ceremonies which remember all our veterans. We’re very proud here in Deux-Montagnes of the involvement of the Legion in making sure that this is a well-done ceremony.”

Sandi MacDonald, president of Branch 185, said the branch feels very fortunate that so many individuals and organizations support the local Remembrance Day commemoration. “We get so much support every year,” she said. “We have a dinner the night before which is always sold out. Everybody comes to support the veterans and it’s absolutely amazing.”

Statement from PMO

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued the following statement for this year’s Remembrance Day. “Today, we come together to honour the brave Canadians in uniform who have served our country throughout our history,” he said. “They’ve built peace. They’ve defended democracy. And they’ve enabled countless people to live in freedom – at home and around the world.

“Remembrance Day was first held in 1919 on the first anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended the First World War,” he continued. “A century later, our respect and admiration for Canada’s fallen and veterans has not wavered. We owe them and their families an immeasurable debt of gratitude. We honour all those who have served, including the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit veterans and current service members.

Tribute to our veterans

“Today, we pay tribute to our veterans, to those who have been injured in the line of duty, and to all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Trudeau. “They stood for liberty, and sacrificed their future for the future of others. Their selflessness and courage continue to inspire Canadians who serve today.”