The Deux-Montagnes municipal council, at the traditional ribbon cutting. From left to right: Mr. Michel Mendes, Mr. Frédéric Berthiaume, Mr. Érik Johnson, Mr. Denis Martin, Mayor of Deux-Montagnes, Ms. Margaret Lavallée, Ms. Micheline Groulx Stabile and Ms. Manon Robitaille.
Over the past year, Armitage Park located on Oka Road, at the intersection of 26e Avenue, has undergone a real metamorphosis, to say the least. From a green space with lawn bowling grounds, it has grown into an essential park offering attractions for all generations. The new developments now completed and already highly appreciated by the population and were officially inaugurated by the municipal council of the City of Deux-Montagnes last Thursday, June 10th.
“We were impatient to inaugurate this intergenerational park and the 3rd area with water features on the two-Montagnais territory. Seeing the many families treading the ground there since the arrival of good weather, we are happy to note that the nautical themed park is already helping to improve the quality of life of people in the neighborhood, and even elsewhere”, said Denis Martin, mayor of Deux-Montagnes.
With its water games (in operation since the end of last May) and its new play areas for children, including one designed for 2-5 year olds and another for 6-12 year olds, Armitage Park allows families to take full advantage of the site and go on an adventure thanks to the magnificent fun ship made of wood (the first installed in Quebec!).
This park is not only for the little ones. In addition to the lawn bowling grounds, the park now houses a lighted volleyball court and a rest area with shade cloth and deckchairs. There is also an inclusive carousel at Armitage Park, designed for the use of all, regardless of the child’s abilities. The carousel, large enough to accommodate several people, both children and adults, has a seat and handles for comfortable and optimal use of the game which improves depth perception and coordination.
The City of Deux-Montagnes tabled its consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2020, during the regular municipal council meeting last Thursday June 10th.
City representatives announced that in addition to reflecting a prudent and skillful management of public funds, the financial results for 2020 confirm the City’s proven capability to develop responsibly while ensuring diversified and quality services for all Deux-Montagnes residents. The redevelopment of certain neighbourhoods in the city is revitalizing them and at the same time increasing the tax base for the benefit of all citizens.
“Our financial performance demonstrates once again how rigorously our elected officials are managing public funds. The municipality’s general manager and treasurer also play a key role in achieving our organizational and financial objectives. I’m especially grateful for the work they do,” said Deux-Montagnes Mayor Denis Martin. “Sound financial management like this allows us to reinvest more in infrastructure and residential services. Many streets were repaved, and a new park has been built without having to mortgage the City’s fiscal future.”
Deux-Montagnes ended 2020 with an operating surplus of $1.4 million, representing 4.9% of its original budget. This surplus is largely due to a $1.3 million provincial COVID grant and a decrease of $200,000 in expenses and other fiscal items.
Of the $8.8 million in investments made in 2020, more than $4.5 million was dedicated to urban infrastructure (permanent dike, sewer and water system, Parc Armitage). The federal/provincial grant the city received for the permanent dike covers approximately 80% of its cost.
The financial statements for 2020 fiscal year are available on the Deux-Montagnes website.
The current issue of The North Shore News volume 17-24 published June 11th, 2021. Covering North Shore local news, politics, sports and other newsworthy events. (Click HERE to read the paper.)
Front page of The North Shore News, June 11th, 2021 issue.
The City of Rosemère was called upon to respond to a public presentation of a project by the owners of the former golf course that raised questions among some citizens. According to apress release from the City, it is made clear that neither the City nor the City Council was aware of the project entitled “Quartier Melrose”. The City learned of this project through the media on June 2.
The project was submitted on March 10 by François Vachon and Patrick Varin, owners of the former golf course. Following this submission, Rosemère notified the owners in writing on March 16 that their project was inadmissible due to its non-compliance with the current zoning.
Furthermore, Mayor Eric Westram had declared on March 16: “The councillors and I have taken note of the project submitted on March 10 by the owners of the former Rosemère golf course. And since it does not respect the minimum guidelines set by our fellow citizens in the urban planning vision, this project will never see the light of day as long as I am mayor of this town. I reiterate that no zoning change will be made without consultations with all Rosemerites as well as with those in the areas adjacent to the property, as prescribed by law. I say it again: I am committed to protecting as much of the land as possible as green space, while preserving our Rosemère identity.”
The City and its Council announced that they believe that nothing has changed since March 16. The “Quartier Melrose” project represents the same project as the one submitted last March. It is therefore still inadmissible, despite the marketing campaign launched via an Internet site.
The City of Rosemère has declared that it will continue with the citizen participation approach it has been taking since 2018 in the former golf course file. This has led Mayor Westram to say that “the citizens of Rosemère will have the final say in this matter, as we have always stated.”
Residents in private seniors’ residences in the Laurentians are now fully vaccinated
The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) des Laurentides announced that, as of June 1, residents of private seniors’ residences (RPAs) in the Laurentians region have received their second dose of vaccine. Residents of these facilities are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19! Residents of RPAs who consented to vaccination were able to get their second dose within the prescribed deadlines, enabling them to enjoy maximum protection against the virus. This important operation was conducted onsite at each of the RPAs and executed by the CISSS des Laurentides mobiles vaccination teams. “For our seniors, full vaccination combined with the positive evolution of the epidemiological situation in our region, along with the gradual reopening now underway, is a major step forward on the way to resuming a normal life. Seniors can now rejoice at the prospect of seeing progressively more of their family and friends, which will be extremely beneficial to their well-being”, said the deputy President and Executive Director of the CISSS des Laurentides, M. Jean-Philippe Cotton. Mr. Cotton also emphasized the importance of complying with health regulations. ”With the summer season beginning soon, we must keep in mind that protecting everyone’s health and safety remains our top priority. It’s why we must remain vigilant, even if our seniors are now fully vaccinated. I am counting on everyone’s cooperation on this last leg of our collective efforts to vanquish the virus”, he declared.
Arbre-Évolution’s socio-arboriculturists, along with corporate partners, the Rosemère public works team and dozens of Rosemère volunteers, took part in a large-scale community planting operation: 1200 trees and shrubs on six parcels of land throughout Rosemère. Rivière aux Chiens back in the green For the past 7 years, the Arbre-Évolution solidarity cooperative has been piloting the social reforestation program, whose objective is to plant trees in living environments in order to bring residents together and protect ecosystems. The City of Rosemère got a $10,400 grant as part of this program, in addition to the help of volunteers for planting the trees. “As soon as we put out the call to Rosemerites on our communication platforms to volunteer for this large-scale planting operation, many of them hastened to favourably respond, in just a few days’ time! I’m so proud to be part of this tightly-knit community that is very involved in protecting the environment. These planting operations are a strong, concrete gesture for the enrichment of our urban forest and for improving the quality of life of all our residents,” said Rosemère Mayor Eric Westram. “Rosemère submitted a request to us this winter and it was clear that we could meet their greening needs, while creating a positive impact for the City’s residents and their environment,” stated Julien Hamelin-Lalonde, project manager for Arbre-Évolution. Among these needs are those of the Rivière aux Chiens and its banks, which have been significantly affected by the loss of ash trees ravaged by emerald ash borers. “The ash tree problem is causing us many headaches. We appreciate being able to team up with Arbre-Évolution and its program to remedy the situation and improve other spaces in Rosemère,” explained Caroline Roy, Urban Forestry and Horticulture Coordinator for the City of Rosemère. The other revegetated green spaces that Mrs. Roy mentioned are those in the Des Bernaches Street, Cheminot woodland (Bourbonnière Park), Roland-Durand Boulevard and the Rosemère train station areas. Dozens of volunteers moreover lent a hand in these areas to take part in the planting operations. “Planting a tree is an act of faith in the future and a gesture of solidarity towards the younger generations. This is what the volunteers did with us!” added Hamelin-Lalonde. Ateliers Jacob and three other partners providing support If Arbre-Évolution was able to inject more than $10,000 into this project, it is thanks, in particular, to Ateliers Jacob, a company that specializes in high-end kitchen equipment. “We are striving to give back to the planet and make a positive gesture for communities. Arbre-Évolution and the social reforestation program seem to us to be an excellent way to do this!” mentioned Laurence Gaudreau, marketing director of this company. In addition to Ateliers Jacob, the companies Actumus, Multicolore and Agence de voyage SolSya helped top up the project’s budget. “This is our first association with Arbre-Évolution. We are delighted to create a positive impact in Rosemère,” added Tristan Limoges, director of sales and marketing for Actumus, a health products developer. “From the moment we opened our travel agency, it was only natural to do our part for the environment, as we believe in responsible tourism. With the contributions of our clients and the same amount matched by SolSya, we are able to get involved in this renaturalization project in our community. We are very proud of this”, mentioned Sylvie Aquin, founder of Agence de voyage SolSya.
The current issue of The North Shore News volume 17-23 published June 4th, 2021. Covering North Shore local news, politics, sports and other newsworthy events. (Click HERE to read the paper.)
Front page of The North Shore News, June 4th, 2021 issue.
Arrest of a suspect in connection with the sale of illegal products around schools.
Maria Diamantis
On April 22, investigators from the Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville (RIPTB) conducted a search of a private residence located in Blainville. The police service had for some time been investigating an individual involved in the sale of products related to the consumption of tobacco and cannabis. The suspect operated near high schools in the Laurentians region and sold mainly to minors. The search of the suspect’s residence and vehicle led to a major seizure estimated at an approximate value of $ 100,000. The majority of the products seized are vaping articles, some of which contained (THC) cannabis. The seller was distributing vapers and refills containing either nicotine and others with cannabis. We do not know the origin and composition of the product not being distributed by the Quebec cannabis society. It is an investigative work of more than two months involving in particular the agents of the section of intelligence and criminal analysis as well as the department of the criminal investigations which will have made it possible to intervene in an effective way in this affair. “This is a worrying issue since it involved criminality around schools. It is a regional survey. We are very satisfied with the collaborative work between the prevention division, the investigation office as well as the intelligence and criminal analysis section.” said Michel Duchesne, lieutenant-detective, criminal investigations division. The main suspect was arrested and questioned before being released on conditions including not being within 500 meters of a school. He will have to appear in court on August 11. Inspector Martin Charron from the Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville in an interview with the North Shore News said that the collaboration between the schools and the police is exemplary. The different schools engage surveillance people who dedicate certain hours daily to monitor school activity. They check for suspicious cars, take down plate numbers etc. If they come across suspicious behaviour, they report to the Thérèse de Blainville PD which subsequently opens a case file. This is what happened in this case as well. Note that this operation was carried out within the framework of ACCES Cannabis. The Accès-Cannabis program fights against contraband cannabis at all stages of supply, ranging from illegal production to neighborhood contraband throughout Quebec, in particular to promote the integrity of the Quebec tax system and reduce the accessibility of illicit cannabis on the Quebec market, especially among young people. To do this, the police officers: Locate outside productions; Identify responsible illegal producers in order to make arrests; Recover offense-related property and proceeds of crime; Dismantle places of illegal production and eradicate plants; Slow down illicit sourcing and redirect consumers to the legalized market. A significant number of illegal cannabis productions is still found in Quebec. These productions are highly profitable for criminals acting alone or for criminal organizations, small or large, and generate significant income that can be used to finance criminal activities. These illegal productions can be linked to other crimes, for example the theft of energy, in addition to being able to be linked to problems of public safety and to be able to contribute to a decrease of the feeling of safety.
The City of Rosemère is offering a choice of approximately ten varieties of trees or shrubs to all interested citizens. Residents are invited to reserve their tree shoot online via the Voilà! Rosemère platform. The registration period is from Monday, May 31 at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, June 11 at noon. The delivery of the tree shoots, which will take place at the Ecocentre, will take place from Tuesday to Friday, generally from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., between June 8 and 30, depending on the time slot selected by the citizen. The document presenting the varieties and their characteristics is available on the city’s website. Eligibility criteria: Be a citizen of Rosemère Have a valid citizen card Limit of one tree shoot per civic address
Second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine available without appointment
Starting May 29, those interested in getting their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier can go to one of our designated walk-in clinics. Individuals should meet the following criteria: • Be 45 years old and over • Have received the 1st dose of Astrazeneca or Covishield vaccine at least 8 weeks ago • Not be immunosuppressed For more information, visit QUÉBEC.CA/VACCINCOVID. About the AstraZeneca vaccine The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1-S) is used to prevent COVID-19. This disease is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Canada has authorized 2 manufacturers of the ChAdOx1-S vaccine: AstraZeneca (brand name AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine) Verity Pharmaceuticals and Serum Institute of India (SII) in collaboration with AstraZeneca (brand name COVISHIELD Vaccine) The vaccine is approved for people who are 18 years of age and older. Its safety and effectiveness in people younger than 18 years of age have not yet been established. Health Canada authorized both applications for this vaccine with conditions on February 26, 2021, under the interim order respecting the importation, sale and advertising of drugs for use in relation to COVID-19. How it works Viral vector-based vaccines use a harmless virus, such as an adenovirus, as a delivery system. This “vector” virus is not the virus that causes COVID-19. Adenoviruses are among the viruses that can cause the common cold. There are many different types of adenoviruses, and many have been used as delivery systems for other vector-based vaccines for decades. When a person is given the vaccine, the vector virus contained within the vaccine produces the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. This protein will not make you sick. It does its job and goes away. Through this process, the body is able to build a strong immune response against the spike protein without exposing you to the virus that causes COVID-19.
