The North Shore News

Launch of #Partagelaroute Awareness Campaign

Local News

October 22, 2020

Launch of #Partagelaroute Awareness Campaign

The MRC Thérèse-De Blainville, in collaboration with the municipalities of Boisbriand, Blainville, Bois-Des-Filion, Lorraine, Rosemère, Sainte-Anne-Des-Plaines and Sainte-Thérèse as well as the Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville, the Service de police de Terrebonne and the Service de police de Blainville, is launching its new road safety awareness campaign: #Partagelaroute. This campaign aims to protect vulnerable people with regard to road safety risks, more specifically by targeting road sharing. The campaign will be rolled out in three phases and based on three themes: pedestrians (WATCH), motorcyclists (SLOW DOWN) and cyclists (SHARE). The first phase begun on October 22nd, while phases two and three will be rolled out next May and June.
“A general challenge facing municipalities is the safety of vulnerable users. The MRC is constantly creating territory-wide initiatives that encourage inter-municipal collaborative efforts by all the community’s key players. It is within this context that we are very pleased to contribute toward funding this prevention campaign, in partnership with the Government of Québec,” stated Kamal El-Batal, Director General of the MRC Thérèse-De Blainville.
The first phase of the campaign runs from October 22 to November 22 under the theme “WATCH” and is aimed at motorists and pedestrians. Awareness will be raised mainly through an animated video clip shared on social networks. Also, posters with the colours and images of the campaign will be displayed in the municipalities and stickers will be distributed by police officers during awareness operations.
“With this regional campaign, we want to improve our road safety record and make residents aware of their responsibilities, particularly in terms of sharing the road. We want to emphasize the protection of more vulnerable users and the safe habits to adopt,” added Richard Perreault, Préfet (warden) of the MRC Thérèse-De Blainville.
“To watch is to be 100% vigilant at all times. Each one of us, whether we are in our own vehicle or pedestrians, we must make sure that we can see, hear and are seen by the other road users. We are all part of the solution!” stated Rosemère Mayor Eric Westram.
According to the SAAQ, there is a higher number of accidents involving pedestrians in October, November and December. The Greater Montréal area is by far the region with the highest number of pedestrian accident victims, all injuries combined. Making pedestrians and drivers aware of the rules of the Highway Safety Code is the key to ensuring safe road sharing, in harmony!
This campaign is made possible through the financial assistance program of the Fonds de la sécurité routière of the Ministère des Transports du Québec.

Replacement of the recycling bin: the collection of old bins still in progress

Local News

Dimitris Ilias

October 19, 2020

Replacement of the recycling bin: the collection of old bins still in progress

The operation to distribute the new blue recycling bin is, with a few exceptions, completed throughout the territory. However, several old bins still have to be recovered in exchange from citizens. To the big disappointment of the city of Deux Montagnes, the supplier who won the contract was unable to meet the schedule and manage this operation.
Therefore, the public works team is taking over and will be roaming the streets of the city over the next two weeks to ensure the collection of all old bins. The city is asking for citizens who still have one or more bins to be collected by the City to leave them at the corner of their driceways for the duration of the operation.

It’s a go for the new Charbonneau Chalet!

Local News

Dimitris Ilias

October 19, 2020

It’s a go for the new Charbonneau Chalet!

One of Rosemère’s most beloved projects was initiated in a groundbreaking ceremony by Eric Westram, Mayor of Rosemère, surrounded by members of Town Council and accompanied by Fernand Proulx, President of the Corporation de développement culturel et sportif de Rosemère (CDCSR); David Maréchal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Éco-Nature organization, and Jean Lauzon and Director of Development of the Éco-Nature organization. The ceremony signaled the official kickoff pf the construction work on the new Charbonneau Chalet, located in the park of the same name on the shores of the Mille Îles River.
“This is a project that is near and dear to our hearts and long awaited, as we made a commitment to build it back in 2017. It is with great excitement that we are embarking on this major project, which will become an ecological, recreational and tourist hub in partnership with the Corporation de développement culturel et sportif de Rosemère and the Éco-Nature organization. We are confident that the official inauguration will take place next fall,” stated Rosemère Mayor Eric Westram.
The Rosemère community will soon be able to benefit from a superb municipal chalet featuring modern architecture and built with eco-responsible materials and an eco-responsible design. It will be located on the former volleyball court, near the existing splash pads. Covering an area of 35 feet by 40 feet, this building will be accessible both summer and winter. It will feature a rest area where people can change their clothes and put on their skates during the winter, locker rooms with washrooms, a terrace on the second floor where it will be possible to admire the scenery as well as a watercraft rental stand in the summer. In addition, educational posters on the features of this eco-responsible building will give residents the opportunity to learn more about this ecological aspect, and even to be inspired by it as well!
The City is benefitting from a significant financial support of the CDCSR, which has agreed to contribute an annual amount of $60,000 over a 15-year period, which represents 50% of the cost of building the chalet.
“Our mission, as a non-profit organization, is to promote and implement cultural, sports and community activities and projects for the residents of the Town of Rosemère. The construction of this new recreational and tourist chalet will enable us to greatly diversify our service offer to the entire community, which is why we are proud to offer this financial contribution,” stated CDCSR President Fernand Proulx.
Waterfront area accessible
The construction of the chalet is in line with the primary idea of restoring access to the waterfront area for residents who want to enjoy the pleasures of water sports, in particular. Moreover, the Éco-Nature organization that manages the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Park, along with its regional partners, would like to submit a project (Rés’eau-Vélo) to the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) aimed at implementing an ecological, utilitarian and recreational transportation network along the river and waterfront area as part of the second phase of development of the blue-green infrastructure. In particular, Éco-Nature will offer the clientele self-guided tours, an electric shuttle boat service and the rental of various watercraft as well as traditional and electric bicycles. This new range of services will help ease the pressure on the Laval tourist welcome site, increase accessibility to residents of all waterfront municipalities, create the connectivity that this park needs to pursue its development mission and create the public involvement required to ensure the sustainability of its ecosystems.
“For more than 20 years, the Town of Rosemère has supported the mission of Éco-Nature, which is to protect, conserve and enhance the Mille Îles River and its tributaries through concrete actions. The development of Charbonneau Park, which is well appreciated by the Town’s residents and very popular with them, too, is yet another example. Rosemerites can be proud of their Town Council, which once again is taking part in an innovative, ecological and recreational tourism project that is accessible to one and all!” stated Jean Lauzon, the founder and Director of development of Éco-Nature – Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Park.

Blainville pays tribute to former mayor André de Carufel

Featured

Dimitris Ilias

October 18, 2020

Blainville pays tribute to former mayor André de Carufel

The mayor of the City of Blainville, Richard Perreault, on behalf of the members of the municipal council and the population of Blainville, paid tribute to André de Carufel, mayor of the city from 1973 to 1977 and died on September 21 at the age of 90. He was also a municipal councilor from 1983 to 1985.
“Mr. de Carufel, the second mayor in our citie’s history, played a very important role in our development. Under his leadership, Blainville negotiated with the Government of Canada to acquire the lands of the former Bouchard camp. The administration of Mr. de Carufel was therefore able to start the construction of the first arena there and set up the first real town hall as well as the police station. He also set up separate real municipal services and installed the municipal garage in larger premises. It is the precursor of the modernization of the City. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. de Carufel on a few occasions and I will always have fond memories of him. I offer my sincere condolences to his wife, his children and grandchildren, as well as to the people who worked with and appreciated him, ”said Mayor Richard Perreault.
In memory of the former mayor André de Carufel, the flag of the City of Blainville was lowered to half-mast from October 16 to 19, 2020.
It should also be noted that a room in the town hall bears the name of André de Carufel.
At the end of his term, not wishing to run a second campaign, he returned to his business and hotels in the United States, having invested in the purchase of several places at the time. , abroad and here, in addition to having a family to care for, with two children, a girl and a boy.
“I managed to do what I had set for myself in my one mandate, in addition to bringing order to the city. It was my sole goal as a director,” had said a proud André De Carufel.
Interesting fact to mention for, André De Carufel had shared certain anecdotes and facts of the time with the media, such as the salary deserved by a chief magistrate of the 1970s. Indeed, a mayor was paid 25 cents per citizen at the time, which represented approximately $ 2,900 per year to manage the City of Blainville. Still according to him, a municipal councillor, for his part, was also remunerated according to the number of citizens, 10 cents per person.

Beware of misinformation! Drinking water In Sainte-Marthe-Sur-Le-Lac

Local News

Dimitris Ilias

October 18, 2020

Beware of misinformation! Drinking water In Sainte-Marthe-Sur-Le-Lac

Following several erroneous and inaccurate information conveyed in recent months by certain citizens in the media and on social networks on the dangerousness of drinking water, the City of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac is reassuring the population and reminding them that the standards on the treatment of drinking water imposed by the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change are fully respected.
Furthermore, the Public Health Department (DSP) of the CISSS des Laurentides confirmed to us that a citizen has never been asked to carry out a census on health problems within the population. For the DSP, the information obtained by a “house census” has little real scientific value and above all can unnecessarily worry the population. A study of this type requires a different methodology and very strict protocols. The City of Sainte-Marthe-sur-Lac is working with the CISSS des Laurentides in order to characterize the situation and determine solutions.
Manganese is an element naturally present in the soil that is found in water collected from wells. Oxidation of this element causes the water to color. Several cities in Quebec that get their water from wells have episodes of colored water like in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac.
It is for this reason that the City has been working for several years with drinking water experts as well as with researchers from Polytechnique Montréal to resolve the problem of water coloring. This renowned university institution worked with the City during the installation of the wells in 2012. In addition, in 2016, following the recommendations of Mr. Benoit Barbeau, professor and senior Chair of the Industrial-NSERC in drinking water at the Polytechnique Montréal, the City has taken the lead with the establishment of a manganese treatment station.
As is the case with the COVID-19 pandemic, the proliferation of false information can create anxiety among the population, the city invites the citizens to learn about drinking water from the official sources of information, namely the City of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac and the DSP of the CISSS des Laurentides. They can also view Frequently Asked Questions and Water Tests on this page on our website.

COVID-19 test results can now be sent by text message

Health

Dimitris Ilias

October 18, 2020

COVID-19 test results can now be sent by text message

COVID results by txt-Text-messaging will be used only to convey negative results.

As of now, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) des Laurentides will add text-messaging to its toolbox for sending negative test results to people being screened for COVID-19.
This feature will gradually be deployed in the region and will reduce response times while still providing written confirmation. This will have a considerable impact on people awaiting their results and on those close to them.
Ms. Rosemonde Landry, President and Executive Director of the CISSS des Laurentides, believes this new possibility will greatly improve the service in our region. “Identifying cases of COVID-19 is a crucial aspect of controlling the spread of the virus. More than 1000 tests are done every day in the Laurentians, which means just as many people each day must be given their test results so that they can comply with the required guidelines.”
Text-messaging will be used only to convey negative results. The Department of Public Health will continue to convey positive results by telephone, to ensure personalized follow-up and to begin contact-tracing without delay.

The CISSS des Laurentides assigns new locations for COVID-19 treatment

Local News

Dimitris Ilias

October 18, 2020

The CISSS des Laurentides assigns new locations for COVID-19 treatment

“If the need for hospitalization increases, we will be ready to face the situation,” concluded Ms. Landry.

The Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) des Laurentides is currently working to identify certain areas secured at the Laurentian Hospital of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts and at the Saint-Eustache Hospital in order to be ready, if necessary, to receive patients positive for COVID-19. For its part, the Saint-Jérôme Regional Hospital maintains the availability of its beds for the admission of people positive for COVID-19 and remains the designated environment for cases requiring intensive care.
If the context requires it, people who need to be hospitalized may no longer be automatically transferred to the Saint-Jérôme Regional Hospital. The new spaces dedicated to the care of patients with COVID-19 will have the necessary safety and protective equipment for staff and patients.
According to the President and CEO of the CISSS des Laurentides, Ms. Rosemonde Landry, this new approach will offer several advantages. “The addition of hospitalization areas for people infected with COVID-19 will allow us to transfer patients to different hospitals, which will facilitate the delivery of our care and services. This will undoubtedly have beneficial effects for users, but also for our staff who will be able to support each other even more in the current context, ”she explained.
Teams are already hard at work to prepare the new hot zones with the rigor and caution acquired in recent months. These will be put into operation, if needed only, if the number of hospitalizations related to COVID-19 increases in the region. “This is not what we want and we hope that the population takes all the necessary measures to protect themselves against COVID-19. However, if the need for hospitalization increases, we will be ready to face the situation,” concluded Ms. Landry.

North Shore News 16-29

Archives

Costa Hovris

October 16, 2020

The current issue of The North Shore News volume 16-29 published October 16th, 2020.
Covering North Shore local news, politics, sports and other newsworthy events.
(Click HERE to read the paper.)

Front page of The North Shore News. — Front page of The North Shore News, October 16th, 2020 issue.

Freeze on property taxes says Mayor Marlene Cordato

Local News

Dimitris Ilias

October 14, 2020

Freeze on property taxes says Mayor Marlene Cordato

The mayoress of Boisbriand, Marlene Cordato, proposes a property tax freeze for the year 2021. This announcement follows the granting of financial assistance totaling nearly $ 2.6 million from the federal and provincial governments.

“This financial assistance will allow us to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and to subscribe to the objectives set by the governments, that is to say that of not increasing the tax burden on our citizens”, declares Ms. Cordato.

Consequently, the 2021 fiscal year currently underway will be carried out in anticipation of a possible freeze on property taxes for all taxpayers; the pandemic already having significant economic and social repercussions.

“The City has few resources to help and support citizens during this difficult period. Freezing property taxes is one of them. Our rigorous financial management combined with the financial assistance received allows us to do so and I sincerely hope that all elected officials adhere to my proposal,” she said.

Hunters beware!

Local News

Dimitris Ilias

October 14, 2020

The Director of Public Health for the Laurentians urges hunters to practice caution

The Department of Public Health for the Laurentians reminds everyone that hunting is not prohibited in the region in spite of the protective measures required due to COVID-19. Hunters are nevertheless urged to practice caution and good judgement.
The Regional Director of Public Health, Dr. Éric Goyer, asks that hunters comply with health guidelines to reduce the risk of contamination. Using simple precautions, individuals can practice big game hunting and avoid spreading the virus.
The following guidelines have been conveyed to the region’s municipalities to heighten awareness among hunters planning to travel to MRCs in the Laurentians:
Stay home if you experience COVID-19 symptoms;
Travel with family members, otherwise drive in separate vehicles. If carpooling, wear face-coverings.
Wash your hands often with soap and water or with an alcohol-based disinfectant;
Maintain 2-metre physical distancing from others at all times. If using blinds, make sure they allow for physical distancing. For extra protection, be sure to disinfect blinds beforehand.
Wear face-coverings in any situation that does not allow for adequate physical distancing.
Finally, the health authorities invite hunters to limit physical contact by registering their catch online at mffp.gouv.qc.ca rather than in person to limit physical contacts.