Agglo tax hikes could cost Westmount 7.5% more. See p. 5. … · 2019. 5. 29. · “The BAPE...

Budgets from Y2K to 2010: Forced fusion, fights and fiscal hikes

WESTMOUNT INDEPENDENTWeekly. Vol. 4 No. 1b January 12-13, 2009We are Westmount

By Laureen Sweeney

The house at 20 Aberdeen cannot bedemolished to create a garden for thehome next door because of its Category IIheritage rating and social value to the com-munity.

This was the decisionreached by Westmount’sDemolition Committeeon December 21, com-mittee chair Patrick Martin said last week.The committee took into account thehome’s past and potential role as part ofthe fabric of the community.

“Families have been living in that

house since the 1930s and it can have arole to play in society in accommodatingfamilies in the future,” Martin said.

“We have to think carefully before tear-ing something down. Its heritage ratingpresented a fundamental factor.”

It was also important to maintain arange of “accessiblehousing,” he added.“The fact that it isvalued at $1.5 mil-

lion indicates the value society places onit. So it’s a valuable asset.”

The house was purchased last July byScott Jones, who lives withhis family in the larger

By Laureen Sweeney

Westmount’s $21.8-million demergerclaim against Montreal hit a legal setbackwhen Quebec Superior Court ruled De-cember 15 the case should not be heard bythe court because it was political in nature.

“If we can’t settle these things amongelected officials, it seems to me the only re-course is the courts,” Mayor Peter Trenttold the Independent last week.

He expected the city would launch anappeal by the January 14 deadline to pre-serve its legal options. Future strategiescould then be pursued.

“We’re only talking about the first skir-mish in what will probably be a long battleif we proceed,” said city director generalDuncan Campbell.

The recent judgment, he said, granted amotion for dismissal filedby the city of Montreal and continued on p. 8continued on p. 21

See our listings p.10

Béatrice Baudinet

Pam Davidson McLernon

Martha Tsadilas

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St.AmbroiseCanada’s truly authentic

Pale Ale.

Ruminations by George Bowser p. 14

Comin’ Up p. 14

Westmount may appeal ‘skirmish’ in demerger case

Court won’t hear city’s$22-million claim

Aberdeen demo denied

Westmount goes to the anti-merger rally downtown December 10, 2000. See p. 5.Photo: Laureen Sweeney

Westmount Page p. 15

Agglo tax hikes could cost Westmount 7.5% more. See p. 5.

34 busloads of Westmounters join rally in 2000

Council agenda: Cedarpermit refusal, see p. 22.

2 – WESTMOUNT INDEPENDENT – January 12-13, 2010

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Westmount is working with neigh-bouring cities and boroughs to pressurethe Quebec government to change itsplans for the Turcot interchange recon-struction.

Council wants something that consid-ers public transit, not one that bringsmore cars into the city, CouncillorTheodora Samiotis, who is responsible forthe dossier, told the Independent last week.

“The BAPE report echoed many of ourconcerns for the section of the Ville Mariethrough Westmount. At the Decembergeneral committee meeting, council de-cided to pressure the government to makea plan that reflects the needs of the 21st

century,” she said.This coincided with an invitation from

the city of Montreal to be part of a two-daymeeting with Ministry of Transport offi-cials to discuss the future of the autoroute.It was attended by director general Dun-can Campbell and Urban Planning direc-tor Joanne Poirier.

A third meeting is being scheduled forelected officials.

“We will present a strong voice to Que-bec City,” Samiotis added. “First we wantto get the government working on the cor-rect type of replacement project. Then wewill ensure that it is carried out with theminimum of disruption.” DW

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The Café Java U at 4914 Sherbrookewill re-open Tuesday, January 12 after aneight-month hiatus.

The café has undergone a change inownership and extensive renovations.New owner Anthony Musto says that the

decor has been redesigned from theground up, with everything from the fur-niture to the floors.

Musto has owned other Java Us overthe past few years in downtown and OldMontreal locations.

Java ‘2.U’?

By Laureen Sweeney

Many Westmount residents have be-come familiar with thesmiling face and helpfulspontaneity of permits clerkMark Bibeau at city hall.

Now, staff who workedwith him daily and thosewho knew him are mourn-ing the loss of a man whoselife was devoted to his work,his passion for music, andcaring for his mother whohad recently pre-deceasedhim.

Bibeau was discoveredJanuary 5 in his apartmentin Westmount after hefailed to turn up for workthat day, after the holidays.When attempts to reachhim proved unsuccessful,

colleagues sent a public safety officer tohis home.

“He was such a pleasant person,” saidUrban Planning directorJoanne Poirier. “We willmiss him dearly.” Bibeauhad worked for her de-partment for 22 of his al-most 30 years with thecity.

He had a knack formaking people feel spe-cial. “I’m all yours,” hewould say, and then givethe visitor his full atten-tion. “He was always ingood humour,” Poirierpointed out.

She described him as“an excellent writer andan exceptional musician.Music was his raison

d’être. He was the organist

WESTMOUNT INDEPENDENT – January 12-13, 2010 – 3

Remembering permits clerk Mark Bibeau

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at St. Andrew’s United Church in Lachine.He attended music camps in the summer,played the piano and even the clavichord,an early stringed instrument.”

Human Resources director Alan Ku-laga, who had worked with Bibeau at the

municipal court, also recalled the glint inhis eye when he spoke about his music.“Mark was special in many ways. He wasalways ready with a hello and a big smile.”

Funeral arrangements had not been an-nounced at press time Monday.


We are Westmount.

WESTMOUNTINDEPENDENT

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Publisher and editor: David PriceDeputy editor: Kristin McNeillChief reporter: Laureen SweeneyProofreader: Stella Mindorff

Letters & Comments:We welcome your letters, but reserve the rightto choose and edit them.Please check your letter carefully.We may be unable to make subsequentlysubmitted changes. If you do makeamendments, please “redline” them instead ofresending the whole letter. Please email anyletter and comments [email protected].

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Too much editorI cannot be the only reader of the Inde-

pendent to have noted the editor’s pen-chant for adding notes, correcting andotherwise qualifying letters to the editor.The December 15 edition had no fewerthan three such insertions, one of whichwas as long as the letter it was contradict-ing! This has the effect, albeit unintended,of invalidating the opinions expressedsince the editor, like the teacher, alwayshas the last word.

An editor already has discretion in theselection of letters for publication andweeds out any that are defamatory or pro-fane. The role of the Letters to the Editorsection of any newspaper is to afford read-ers the opportunity to freely comment andeven criticize events and reports, withoutthe expectation that they will necessarilybe engaged in an argument with the edi-tor. Although letters are addressed “to theeditor,” this is in fact just a formality, tosignal the desire of the writer to enter theopinion forum. Nonetheless, there is a rea-son it’s not called “Letters to, and from,the editor.”

Editorial staff at the Globe and Mail andThe Gazette, as at most other newspapers,rarely weigh in on any issue by tackingcomments onto reader’s letters. Instead,they employ the traditional tool that isavailable to them exclusively – the editorial– in cases where they wish to express an

opinion.By constantly responding on behalf of

the city and individual councillors when-ever the administration is challenged, theIndependent risks both alienating its read-ers and appearing to be the mouthpiecefor the city. That is not the job of the editorof a newspaper.

Mavis Young, Melville Ave.Ed.’s note: Ah the irony: I must respond

to a letter complaining about my notes –with a note!

I only weigh in with an Editor’s Note ifI think there is a factual issue within a let-ter or if there is a need for response (likehere). When a letter contains only an opin-ion on one of the issues of day, you will notfind one.

When writers mix new facts in withtheir opinions, we do our best to check thenew information, not spread any falsefacts and correct anything we know to bewrong. To do otherwise would be a dis-service to our readers and undermine thewhole rationale for newspapers, namely toreport news, not fiction.

I don’t think it helps anyone – reader,protagonist or antagonist – if we let awriter fulminate against some situationthat doesn’t in fact exist. All that would dois raise the temperature needlessly and en-courage people to waste energy.

In the three recent examples of Editor’sNotes, I corrected what I thought were in-correct assertions about higher municipal

Letters to the Editortaxes, the lack of a rationale for the winterclosure of the bike path and the city’s rolein approving a proposed house on CedarAve.

Inevitably, most writers will be criticalabout something, often municipal policy,so the corrections we publish may appearto favour the city administration or coun-cil. But I am just as quick to point our er-rors in “pro-city” letters.

In the case at hand, even though I cor-rected a fact here or there, I did not opineon each writer’s underlying issue. Evenwith the corrected facts, there is a case tobe made that the city spends too muchmoney, should keep the bike path open allyear or should, in the end, deny the at-tempted house-builder’s request for a per-mit.

Can anyone guess what my opinion ison these underlying substantive matters?

I am getting used to being accused ofall sorts of bias, including mutually exclu-sive allegations, such as here. If I am thecity’s “mouthpiece,” why did I stand byour version of the facts – in the very sameissue – regarding park patrols (“Hearingback: Public Security and parks,” p. 4) andnot acquiesce to the director general’s in-terpretation?

I think council, administration and res-idents can rest assured that there is noagenda here. Leaving aside our one or twocolumnists (who are there to express opin-ions of their own), we are just trying to getthe facts right. After that, it is up to resi-dents to make their case to the relevant de-cision-makers, and vice versa. One thingis certain, though: if they choose to do soin our pages, they are most welcome.

This biker says no to winter path

First, let me state that I am an ardentrecreational bicycle rider.

What I understand from city councilmeetings and personal encounters is thata certain few (and I mean a few) are de-manding that Westmount should keep itsbike path open and maintained through-out the winter.

Under present circumstances this isimpractical. As it stands, de MaisonneuveBlvd. is a very narrow thoroughfare be-tween Claremont and Greene. Duringwarmer months, with the bike path on thesouth side and parking on the north side,very little space is available for motor pas-sage. For example, when leaving thegarage, I have noticed that safety postshave been struck and, occasionally, aparked car is dented.

Add to all this excitement the numer-

ous driveways along the street.Regardless, some cyclists feel that they

have an unquestioned entitlement to hav-ing the bike path maintained during thewinter no matter what the costs and in-conveniences are to their fellow residents.

Unlike motorists, cyclists are not re-quired to: purchase licenses, own liabilityinsurance, pay for parking, pay taxes forthe construction and upkeep of the allot-ted paths.

Parking costs for motorists are steep;thus many make the sacrifice of usingpublic transportation. Year-round cyclistscan do likewise and use public transit.

Stan Grossman, de Maisonneuve Blvd.

Dog days of winterIt’s great to have a local paper that re-

flects what’s happening in our commu-nity. Kudos to David Price and his team.

I’d like to mention the dog runs onLansdowne and at Murray Hill park. ThePublic Works department has put up thewinter fencing to protect our dogs. Thankyou.

Until we finalize plans for the arenaproject and surrounding area, perhaps thecity could leave the temporary fencing upall year as many of our dogs are very goodat jumping the fence.

Merylyn Wilk, Sherbrooke St.

The Door: A symbol offlawed judgment

A recent front page report in the WallStreet Journal of December 26, 2009 head-lined “As Slump Hits Home, Cities Down-size their Ambitions”.

Unfortunately for the citizens of West-mount the previous city council must havebeen in “la-la land” while the economy wasin recession because they spent $70,000on a new hi-tech oak back door for cityhall. The “boondoggle” here is notwhether the door works or not but the ir-responsibility of spending $70,000 of tax-payers’ money on a back door – recessionor not.

This type of lack of respect for the tax-payers’ money goes hand-in-hand with thecostly synthetic turf fiasco (cost still un-known) and the $905,000 iron-gated andsecluded Academy Rd. soccer fields alongwith the $1.3 million spent on architec-tural plans for a “Mega Ice Palace” photo-op dream.

Sadly all of the above is in addition to arecent comment attributed to Mayor Trentthat the citizens of Westmount can expecta tax hike for 2010 in the range of 10–12percent.

By Laureen Sweeney

Ten years ago, the signs said it all:“Hands off my city.”

Five years ago, advocates made it quiteclear: “Take your city back.”

The forced Montreal mergers and even-tual demergers have become the story ofthe decade in Westmount.

Now, as Westmount prepares to revealits 2010 budget on January 18, the story ofthe decade continues into a new one astaxpayers pay the price through debt accu-mulated in their name by Montreal andsoaring contributions to the agglomera-tion council.

“So far, we haven’t had any breakdownof the dollar figures for this year’s in-creases,” said Mayor Peter Trent last weekimmediately after a meeting with othersuburban mayors on the agglo budget cri-sis.

“We’re hoping we can shame Montrealinto reducing the tax bite when they tablethe agglo budget January 14 – but don’thold your breath.”

Nevertheless, hefty hikes are expected,

and Trent has already been told that West-mount will shoulder an increase of 11.9percent in its contribution to island-wideservices and others to be passed on to thesuburbs in the agglomeration budget.

All other things being equal, the nearly12-percent rise in West-mount’s share could trans-


Trent: How long can you go on raising taxes?

Paying for merger fiasco

The late Abbott and Costello wouldhave asked “Who’s On First?” but unfor-tunately what happened is not a comedyroutine. The citizens have been financiallyhurt at a time when they were most vul-nerable and they have a right to be out-raged. The serious financial blunders ofthe Marks council will stay with them fora long, long time. The Trent council cando better. The Westmount taxpayers de-serve better.

Larry Klepper, St. Catherine St.

Parkview’s antennae not appreciated

Last summer, the members of theParkview Tenants’ Association found out –almost after completion – that CromwellInc. had given authorization to Videotronto install five relay antennae on the roof ofits building at 4501 Sherbrooke St. W. forthe transmission of cellular telephony.

Our members were upset at havingbeen deceived, but also concerned aboutthe impact of the radiations on theirhealth. A review of the voluminous litera-ture available has confirmed that the juryis still out on this topic, but prudence issuggested by many.

Before entering into a contract with

Videotron, Cromwell should have consid-ered that its building is located in a com-munity-sensitive area, with a park acrossthe street and four schools within a fewhundred meters. Obviously, Cromwell didnot live up to its motto: “The pleasure ofliving with complete peace of mind.”

We were sorry to find out that the pro-ponent of such an installation does notneed a permit from the city of Westmount.We hope that our recent intervention willconvince city hall to adopt a by-law similarto the one enacted by the city of Torontoand other municipalities. We are wellaware that Industry Canada is still in com-mand via the exceptions in CPC-2-0-03,but at least the population would find outbeforehand.

It is our opinion that Industry Canadacaters to the cellular telephony industry,rather than taking into account the well-being of citizens. There is a need for theupdating of its regulations to reflect theprinciple stated in their introduction: “In-dustry Canada believes that it is importantthat antennae be deployed in a mannerthat considers the local surroundings.”Health Canada also needs to update SC-6in line with the international standards.

Pierre Patenaude, Sherbrooke St.

Demerger results on referendum night, June 20, 2004: Councillor Cynthia Lulham, Peter Trent. andKarin Marks (then borough mayor). Photo: Laureen Sweeney

On the West Island, now Premier Jean Charest adds his voice as Opposition Leader to those ofWestmounters and others attending the first anti-merger rally. Photo: Laureen Sweeney

Letters cont’d.

continued on p. 17

“Alarming increases” in agglomera-tion costs were attributed Monday to“runaway spending” by the city of Mon-treal. The allegations were made in apress release from the Association ofMontreal Suburban Municipalities ofwhich Westmount mayor Peter Trent ispresident.

Examples included budget increasesbetween 2006 and 2009 exceeding 5 per-cent inflation. Cited were fire protectionup 15 percent, police at 19 percent andmass transit, 16 percent. Details for 2010will be revealed in the Montreal budgetto be unveiled this Wednesday and theagglo budget the day after.

Agglo hikes ‘alarming’

June 30, 2004

November 19, 2000

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Open Hou

se

MacDougall” (as the firm wasthen known).

After school at Roslyn andLCC, and “a cup of coffee atMcGill,” Harrison headed downthe 401 in 1960 to spend muchof his career in Toronto. Therise of Toronto, according tohim, preceded FLQ terrorismand the election of the PQ.“There was a [coordinated] planto create Toronto into a jugger-naut,” and the physical and spir-itual proximity of Bay Street tothe provincial legislature atQueen’s Park helped. TheToronto Stock Exchange’s earlyembrace of mining and petro-leum stocks was also a big fac-tor.

The traffic down the 401 wasnot one way, though: Harrisoncame back to Montreal in 1988to head up 3 Macs (until 2000),which now has branches inQuebec City, Toronto, Kingston and Lon-don, Ontario.

In an era of consolidation and compe-tition from discount brokerages, mutualfunds and a plethora of other entities,

Investment firm MacDougall, Mac-Dougall & MacTier (better known as “3Macs”) is headquartered in downtownMontreal, but it would be hard to find astreet in Westmount without a residentlinked to the firm as a client, employee orowner.

And the firm’s history has just beenwritten by Westmounter Michael Harrisonand former Westmounter James Ferrabee.

Harrison visited the Independent’s of-fices on January 7 to explain the project.He “had a ball writing it,” including deal-

ing with an editor for the first time in hislife. “I’m a bond trader. What the hell do Iknow [about writing a book]?”

The book, Staying Connected, is thestory of the firm, the MacDougall familyand the Montreal business community. Itspublication was intended to celebrate thefirm’s 150th anniversary, but researchshowed that it was founded in 1848 and sois over 160 years old.

In writing the book, Harrison, a formerCEO of the company, also enjoyed findingparallels between current macroeconomicevents and the ups and downs of the NorthAmerican markets of the last century. “Ithas all happened before. It is very inter-esting to reread Liar’s Poker today.” The1990 tell-all Wall Street memoir dealt withthe origins of mortgage-backed bonds,which figured prominently in the financialcrisis of 2008 and 2009.

More locally, the book follows the riseof Toronto and decline of Montreal as fi-nancial and business centres – a phenom-enon that Harrison lived personally.

Growing up in Westmount, he remem-bers a time when mothers told their sonsthree things: “Always bank at the Bank ofMontreal, always travel on CP (not CN)and always deal with MacDougall and


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A TIMELY MESSAGE TO ALL POTENTIAL VENDORSThe next few months promise to be very busy. As long as interest ratesremain low, we expect the strong demand to continue, forecasting a greatspring market. I cannot emphasize enough that those of you contemplatinga change should but your homes on the market A.S.A.P. The typical springscenario is that the well-priced homes that come on the market in Januaryand February sell fast and at higher prices than houses that are listed onlyin April and May. So don’t wait for better weather or the nice garden, etc.just pick up the phone and call me for and up-to-date market analysis.Whether you are buying or selling in 2010, I will work hard to help realizeyour dreams. Please call me if I can be of help to you or to any of yourfamily and friends.The first step to selling begins with a call.(514) 935-4524I will be standing by your every step of the way.

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what’s the secret to the firm’s continuedindependence and success? “The Mac-Dougall family tradition is one of integrityand service,” says Harrison. “That really iswhat it amounts to. And those traditionsremain today.”


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was not based on arguments of the case it-self. These deal with alleged illegal appro-priations, over which both cities disagreeand which contributed to Westmount’s$40-million debt.

The case is one of several before thecourt in which Westmount and Montrealare claiming from each other.

In Montreal’s $2.4-million claimagainst Westmount, however, it has al-ready withheld the amount of its claimfrom regular payments it makes to West-mount in areas such as garbage rebates,Campbell said.

Not withholding agglo taxes

Westmount, on the other hand, had notwithheld agglomeration payments fromMontreal, he pointed out. The city wasplaced under trusteeship some 20 yearsago in the time of Mayor May Cutler whenit withheld its share of costs to the Mon-treal Urban Community over alleged taxa-tion irregularities.

Westmount’s claim against Montreal isbased on an amount from the TransitionCommittee’s accounting firm at the time

of the January 2006 demerger. Details con-tinue to appear as supplementary notes inthe city’s annual audited financial results.

A sum of $16.2 million relates to Mon-treal’s financing policy for capital worksprojects for which the city contends West-mount taxpayers should not have beentaxed during the merger period. The re-maining $5.6 million includes a numberof items such as surpluses.

Defending taxpayers’ rights

In announcing the Westmount claim inAugust 2007, then mayor Karin Markssaid the city’s legal counsel contended theclaim was in “full compliance with boththe text and spirit of the various pieces ofdemerger legislation and related decreesenacted by the provincial government.”The council, she said, “has an obligationto defend the legitimate rights of its tax-payers.”

Director general Campbell, who hadnot joined Westmount at the time, said hedid not know why the claim had notstarted out before the Quebec MunicipalCommission. This is the route sometimestaken by Westmount in financial dis-agreements with Montreal.

As your elected federal representative,I divide my working time between Ottawaand Montreal. Under normal circum-stances, it’s roughly a 50/50 split: abouthalf the year sitting in the house of com-mons and the other half in the riding.Everyday I spend in Ottawa is extremelyimportant. I am your paid representativein parliament and I have important dutiesto perform on your behalf, on behalf of myparty and on behalf of all Canadians.

I have been given the role of Liberalcritic for Industry, Science and Technol-ogy. This means not only asking questionsin Question Period but also sitting on theStanding Committee on Industry, whichlistens to witnesses, prepares special re-ports and most importantly approves gov-ernment legislation.

For legislation to be adopted or for com-mittee hearings to take place, such as theone on Afghan detainees, committees

must be sitting and this only happenswhen parliament is sitting. When parlia-ment is prorogued, parliament shutsdown and no committee work can takeplace.

Stephen Harper has prorogued parlia-ment until March 3. It was supposed to re-convene on January 25. His argument isthat he needs to “recalibrate” the govern-ment agenda as he prepares a budget forMarch 4. This decision demonstrates hisutter contempt for the institution of par-liament. Mr. Harper is effectively sayingthat the work of parliament is not reallyimportant and doesn’t need to proceed. Inreality, parliament can easily resume itswork on January 25 while Mr. Harper si-multaneously does his “recalibration.”

Prorogation, while legal, normally oc-curs when government has more or lessexhausted its legislative agenda and wantsto make a fresh start. In this case, however,more than half the bills it was proposing toadopt (36) have not yet been passed andwill die on the Order Paper. Some of theselaws have been repeatedly delayed, not bythe Opposition as Mr. Harper contends,but by his own manoeuvres; first when hecalled an election in September 2008 (de-spite his promise to wait four years), sec-


Harper’s prorogation interrupts work, shows contemptOur Man inOttawaMarc Garneau, MPfor Westmount-VilleMarie

Final sustainability plan nearWestmount’s sustainable development

priorities compiled by the previous councilare expected to form the nucleus of the2010 activities. The actual plan is due to beunveiled in February, Councillor TheodoraSamiotis said during the December coun-cil meeting.

“Departments are already working onthe issues that emerged last fall,” Samio-tis, who oversees SD issues, commentedthis week.

“With more now known about thebudget, I met last week with director gen-eral Duncan Campbell and sustainable de-velopment coordinator Joshua Wolfe to geta clear idea of how we can move forward.

“I had already met the community lifeand environment committees of theHealthy City Project (HCP). During themonth I’ll be discussing the plan with theHCP steering committee and the generalcommittee of council.

“We’re not going to nickel-and-dimewhat are very far-reaching ideas,” sheadded.

“However, a lot could be done withoutnecessarily launching new projects – forexample the need to get better results fromthe existing compost collection program.Much also depends on changing personalhabits, of course.” DW

ondly when he prorogued parliament inDecember 2008 (fearing that he would bedefeated) and thirdly when he proroguedagain last month. Each time, parliament isprorogued, government legislation mustbe reintroduced and this causes seriousdelays. More than that, it is disrespectfulto the people of Canada, almost two thirdsof which did not vote for the Conservativeparty.

Mr. Harper has relentlessly accused the

Opposition of delaying his legislation deal-ing with criminal justice and other mat-ters. Why then has he chosen to prorogueparliament? He has done so because hewants to change the channel. He wants totake the spotlight off issues such as theAfghan detainees and Canada’s weak com-mitments on the environment. He wantsto avoid his duty to be accountable toCanadians. My party, and hopefully Cana-dians, will not let him get away with it.

Cities sue each othercontinued from p.1


KATIE’S TO-DO LIST:

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Thirty years after Sally Hooffand Aline Gubbay co-wrote andpublished Montreal’s Little Moun-tain, a Portrait of Westmount, SallyHooff made a surprise visit on De-cember 17 to renew her friendshipwith Doreen Lindsay, president ofthe Westmount Historical Associ-ation (WHA) and to see the officeand archives located in the base-ment level of the Westmount Pub-lic Library.

“Hooff was thrilled to see theextent of our historical materialand enlarged space since she hadworked here,” Lindsay said.

Hooff noted that all first, sec-ond and third editions of Mon-treal’s Little Mountain were on theshelves. The book has been out ofprint for many years but is avail-able for reading for WHA mem-bers. There are also copies in theWestmount Library.

Hooff moved many years agofrom Abbott Ave. to Prince Ed-ward Island where she continuesto live.


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By Erin Stropes

Eight teenagers from Nicaragua are vis-iting Montreal as part of an exchange or-ganized by the Westmount,Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and NicaraguaYMCAs. The trip is a follow-up to the visiteight Montreal students took to Nicaragualast January.

The Nicaraguan teenagers arrived De-cember 30 and will be in Montreal until

January 14. They are living with local fam-ilies and doing volunteer work as well asseeing the sights in Montreal and aroundthe province.

The Nicaraguan group has never visitedMontreal in the winter, and José LuisCortez Quezada, president of theNicaragua YMCA, said in Spanish that theicy conditions have hit home “how Cana-dians really live.”

“You can’t believe [what Canada is re-ally like] until you see it,” said NicaraguanRoy Moncada in Spanish. He is enjoyingthe ambience of friendliness and safety,but is amazed by how hard Canadianswork to maintain their standard of living.

Montreal student Xavier GirardLachaîne says that his experiences inNicaragua made him more socially con-scious.

“It was stunning to see the poverty andthe living conditions in some of the smalltowns,” Girard explained. “It’s so impor-tant to take care of what we have here.”

The exchange is in its eighth year, witheach group now having made four trips.The YMCA of Nicaragua has had a part-nership with the Westmount andHochelaga-Maisonneuve YMCAs since1993.

Westmount Y hosts Nicaraguan teens

Top left, José Luis Cortez Quezada, president of the Nicaragua YMCA, and to his right in the back row Gary White, director of the Westmount YMCA, with the local and Nicaraguan teenagers who areparticipating in the exchange.

Hooff visits her old ‘hood and WHA’s digs

Sally Hooff


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Shaar Hashomayim welcomes showbiz starWestmount’s Congregation Shaar

Hashomayim welcomed guests early thiswinter for the Feast of the Nations gala ho-nouring Tina and Stan Leibner, Chai LifeAward recipients.

The head table shone, literally, with aglowing gold tablecloth and matching nap-kins, topped with tall vases of huge, puffy,white hydrangeas. Two long buffet tablesserved a feast of food, enjoyed by the cock-tail-clad crowd. The night sparkled inmore ways than one. Not only were manyladies wearing bits of bling (real!) but daz-zling diamonds were auctioned by wittyWestmounter Aaron Rand. Preciouspieces from DelMar and S.P. Diament at-tracted keen collectors.

Rabbi Abraham Cohen, director ofChabad Seminary of Canada, welcomedeveryone. Guests left the dining area tohear showbiz star Dudu Fisher, whowowed the crowd with his medley ofsongs. The son of a Holocaust survivor,Fisher has performed for former presidentBill Clinton, and Britain’s royal family, aswell as appearing with renowned orches-

Social Notes from Westmountand Beyond

Veronica Redgrave

If you are interested in sponsoring this page, kindly contact Arleen Candiotti at 514.223.3567.

tras including the Israeli Philharmonic.The final part of the exciting eve was

the sumptuous dessert table, which wasenjoyed by all, as guests chatted over cof-fee before gathering their valet-parked ve-hicles. (As always, Bob Perras’ parkingteam whisked cars back and forth withease.)

Guests included Westmounters Rose-mary and Mel Hoppenheim, Lori andStephen Shiller, and Steve Gross. Alsonoted were Derek and Richard Stern, San-dra and Steven Mintz, and Jack and Mau-reen Dym. Moneys raised went to the Stanand Tina Leibner Scholarship Fund at theChaya Mushka Chabad Seminary ofCanada.

Tina Baer-Leibner and Stan Leibner withWestmounter Vivian Billick.

Westmount store owners Honey and StewartDiament.

Westmounters Linda Smith and Aaron Randflank entertainer DuDu Fisher and RabbiAbraham Cohen.

NEWS YOU CAN USEImmobilier McGuigan Pepin Inc. proudly welcomesaffiliated real estate agent, Antony Kovic, to their teamand Westmount offices. Antony is American born,Montreal bred and internationally experienced. AnEngineer by profession, combined with many years ofArchitectural/Interior design & upscale renovation/Construction Management experience. As a seasonedWestmount & Montreal resident, Antony has theknowledge, skill, eye and passion for identifying thebest Real Estate. Ready to help his clients succeed inacquiring their future dream property.You can reach Antony on his cell phone at 514-894-6198

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Westmount city council holds swayover many important things such as win-dows and doors, garbage pick-up, and whogets to use Victoria Hall. It does not haveany jurisdiction over federal firearms leg-islation, which is created by parliamentand administered here by the ChiefFirearms Officer. Councillors may haveviews on matters beyond their control, butthey weren’t elected to pronounce uponthem. (See “Cutler, council take aim at gunregistry critics,” December 15, p. 4.)

If we are not behind the wheel of a ve-hicle, we Canadians are generally pleasant,tolerant, law-abiding people. To most ofus, “the right to bear arms” means we getto wear a short-sleeved shirt. There aresome Canadians who enjoy the variouskinds of target shooting or hunting, andthey are no different from the rest.

Target shooting and hunting are not

crimes, and target-shooters and huntersare not criminals. People who do thesethings know from personal experiencethat Canada now has very strict controls onthe sale and ownership of guns and am-munition.

Very few of the people who call forstricter firearms controls know what thecurrent laws require. I won’t give a de-tailed account here because it would bevery long, and it would amount to a guide.The process is intentionally labyrinthineand obscure.

In the same way, any soldier in thearmed forces of the Commonwealth canapply to join the Special Air Service, butfirst he or she has to find out where andwhen the course takes place. That conun-drum eliminates a large number of un-suitable applicants right at the start.

Quebec has some of the strictest con-trols on gun ownership, and the processincludes a series of applications, back-ground checks, courses and exams thatcan take as long as two years to complete,depending on who you are, where you live,and why you want to own a gun.

None of this matters to those who callfor stricter controls, because what they re-ally want is a total ban, and they will be sat-

The right to bare arms

RuminationsGeorge Bowser

Thursday, January 14• The Gallery at Victoria Hall exhibits thework of Bruce Roberts until February 6.• Cells for Life free information session oncord blood stem cells at Bloom Maternité,4937B Sherbrooke St., 7 pm. Reserve:514.739.9993 or for info: www.cellsfor-life.com• Nathalie Cooke and Ariel Buckley give anillustrated talk on CuiZine, an online jour-nal that explores food in Canada. AtwaterLibrary’s lunchtime series, 12:30 pm. Info:[email protected] or514.935.7344.

Monday, January 18• The monthly lecture series of theWomen’s Canadian Club of Montrealpresents Peter Leuprecht on “The Unfin-ished Symphony of Human Rights” at TheUnitarian Church (5035 de Maisonneuve),12:30 pm. Cost: $10. Info: Carolyn Roper,514.932.4005.• The Montreal Camera Club present “Lifeand Times of the Loons” with Mark La-chovsky, 7:30 pm at The Westmount ParkUnited Church, 4695 de MaisonneuveBlvd. West (corner Lansdowne, rear en-trance.) Guests welcome with donation.

Thursday, January 21The Westmount Municipal Associationhosts a discussion on the latest develop-ments around the Turcot complex. Profes-sor Pierre Gauthier and urban plannerJason Prince will address questions, at theWestmount Public Library, 7 to 9 pm. Info:Maureen Kiely, 514.933.2474 or [email protected].

• The Westmount Mini-Centre of theCummings Centre presents the first of a 6session course on international security byProf. Marvin Hershorn, Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, 395 Elm Ave. Info or toregister: 514.342.1234, ext. 7201.

Sunday, January 24VivaVoce chamber choir presents “Spot-light on Poetry,” mostly “a cappella” set-tings of French poetry. Redpath Hall (3461McTavish St.), 7:30 pm. Cost: $30; regular;$25, seniors; $10, students. Tickets:514.398.4547 or online at: www.admission.com. Info: www.vivavoce-montreal.com

Tuesday, January 26• Audition for the Harmonia Westmountwomen’s choir. Contact choir directorFredericka Petit-Homme at 514.762.0216or e-mail [email protected]• The Philatelic Club of Montreal presentsTom Burpee on “The Fifteen Finest Cana-dian Stamps Sold at Auction in 2009”.Westmount Room of the Westmount Pub-lic Library, 7 pm, free admission. Allstamp collectors welcome. Info:514.735.3941.

Wednesday, January 27Marianopolis College’s CentennialSpeaker Series presents HEC MontrealGeneral Secretary and marketing profes-sor Jacques Nantel on “Is MarketingGoing Astray?” 4873 Westmount Ave., 7pm. Free and open to the public. Info:514.931.8792, ext. 204.

Comin’ Up

isfied with nothing less.Those who do know the laws, and own

guns, are unlikely to step forward andidentify themselves. Common sense dic-tates that you do not advertise the fact thatyou own a gun. Therefore any debate onthis issue is going to be one-sided.

I looked up the 2008 crime statistics forStation 12, which includes Westmount.There were 8 offences involving firearms.There was a total of 4,308 offences of var-ious types recorded by the police that hadnothing to do with firearms, of which 275were cases of assault, 111 were robberies,

and 338 were instances of mischief whichprobably include the few acts of graffitivandalism where police were able to catchsomeone. There were 28 sexual assaults.

Based on these figures, we might dobetter to encourage council to pass resolu-tions banning crowbars, spray paint andpenises.

Beware of those who like to call for con-trols and prohibitions, particularly whenthey disguise it as something that’s “forthe good of society.” The next thing theytry to ban might be something you like.It’s happened before.

Gallery at Victoria Hall – Bruce Roberts:painting. Exhibit: Jan. 14 to Feb. 6. 4626Sherbrooke St., 514.989.5226.

McClure Gallery / Visual Arts Centre – IanShatilla: “Defeating Victory”. Exhibitcontinues to Jan. 30. 350 Victoria Ave.,

514.488.9558.Parisian Laundry – Rick Leong: “I Am Na-

ture” and David Armstrong Six: ”TheDry Salvages”. Exhibit: Jan. 14 to Feb.20. 3550 St. Antoine St., 514.989.1056.

January at the Art Galleries


HÔTEL DE VILLEPrésentation du budget 2010 Le lundi 25 janvier 2010 à 20 hLe conseil municipal présentera le budget de la Villede Westmount pour l'exercice financier 2010 ainsi quele programme triennal d'immobilisations pour lesexercices financiers 2010, 2011 et 2012 lors d’uneséance extraordinaire qui aura lieu le lundi 25 janvierà 20 h à l’hôtel de ville.

TRAVAUX PUBLICS DéneigementWestmount demande votre collaboration pour assurerl'entretien sécuritaire de nos rues et trottoirs en hiver.Il est interdit d'entasser la neige retirée des entréesprivées sur les voies et trottoirs publics. On peutseulement l’ajouter aux bancs de neige existants le jourdu déneigement.

Cueillette des sapins de NoëlParticipez à la cueillette des sapins de Noël en plaçantvotre arbre sur votre terrain à l’arrière du trottoir lesjours de semaine jusqu’à la fin du mois. Assurez-vousde dépouiller l’arbre de TOUTE décoration et emballage(aucun sac de plastique). Info : 514 989-5311.

Déchets électroniquesL’élimination responsable et sécuritaire est en place àWestmount. Un dépôt permanent, situé aux ateliersmunicipaux de la rue Bethune, est ouvert de 7 h à 21 h,sept jours par semaine.

ÉVÉNEMENTS COMMUNAUTAIRESLa galerie du Victoria HallLa galerie du Victoria Hall est fière de présenter lesœuvres de Bruce Roberts du 14 janvier au 6 février.Info : 514 989-5521.

BIBLIOTHÈQUEConférences de 14 heuresGrandmothers of Africa and Canada: The Stephen Lewis FoundationVenez-vous joindre à Nina Minde, Jan McConnell etThérèse Bourque pour une présentation au sujet des

millions d'enfants orphelins du sida en Afrique le 13 janvier à 14 h. Ce sera également l'occasion d'enapprendre plus à propos de la campagneGrandmothers to Grandmothers. Info : 514 989-5386.

Club d’échecs et de ScrabbleAimez-vous jouer aux échecs et/ou au Scrabble? Laprochaine rencontre du club aura lieu le vendredi 22 janvier dans une ambiance amicale. Nous sommestoujours à la recherche de nouveaux joueurs. Info : 514 989-5386.

SPORTS ET LOISIRSCartes d’accès -installations sportives 2010Les cartes d'accès pour l'année 2010 sont maintenanten vente au bureau des Sports et loisirs à l'Aréna deWestmount. Veuillez noter qu'une carte d'accès valideest requise pour les périodes de patinage libre et toutepartie de hockey improvisée à l'Aréna.

CITY HALLPresentation of the 2010 Budget Monday, January 25, 2010 at 8 p.m.City Council will unveil the budget of the City ofWestmount for the fiscal year 2010, as well as thecapital works programme 2010, 2011, and 2012, to thepublic during a special meeting on Monday, January 25at 8 p.m. at Westmount City Hall.

PUBLIC WORKS Snow Removal Westmount relies on your cooperation to help keep ourstreets and sidewalks safe during the winter. Snow fromprivate driveways and walkways must NOT be placedon public sidewalks, lanes or streets. During snowloading, snow may be added to the existing snowbanksprior to removal.

Christmas Tree CollectionChristmas tree collection continues through the end ofthe month. Make sure your tree gets composted byplacing it right behind the sidewalk at the front of yourproperty at anytime. You must remove ALL decorationsand wrapping (no plastic bags). Info: 514 989-5311.

Electronic WasteSafe and responsible disposal is available inWestmount. A permanent depot is open at the PublicWorks Yard on Bethune Street from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.,seven days a week.

COMMUNITY EVENTSThe Gallery at Victoria HallThe Gallery at Victoria Hall is pleased to present theworks of Bruce Roberts from January 14 until February 6.Info: 514 989-5521.

LIBRARY2 O’Clock SeriesGrandmothers of Africa and Canada: The Stephen Lewis FoundationPlease join Nina Minde, Jan McConnell and ThérèseBourque for this presentation about the plight ofmillions of AIDS orphans in Africa and to learn more

about the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaignon January 13 at 2 p.m. Info: 514 989-5386.

Chess and Scrabble ClubDo you enjoy playing chess and/or Scrabble? Ourgames club will meet on Friday, January 22 at 2 p.m.Drop by for a friendly game as we look forward tomeeting new players. Info: 514 989-5386.

SPORTS & RECREATION2010 Facility Membership CardsSports Facility Membership Cards for the 2010calendar year are now for sale at the Sports andRecreation office at the Westmount Arena. Please notethat a valid Sports Facility Membership Card isrequired for general skating and pick-up hockey at theWestmount Arena.

DATES À RETENIR

Le 13 janvier – 14 h Conférences de 14 heuresGrandmothers of Africa and CanadaBibliothèque

Du 14 janvier au 6 févrierExposition : Oeuvres de Bruce RobertsGalerie du Victoria Hall

Le 18 janvier – 18 h 30Club de lecture françaiseBibliothèque

Le 19 janvier – 19 hClub de lecture anglaiseBibliothèque

Le 22 janvier – 14 hClub d’échecs et de jeux de sociétéBibliothèque

Le 25 janvier – 20 hSéance spéciale du conseilPrésentation du budget 2010Hôtel de ville

Westmount vous informe...Westmount vous informe...

Westmount Page

www.westmount.orginfo : 514 989-5200

Vol. 4/01Publié par Westmount Published by Westmount

DATEBOOK

January 13 – 2 p.m.2 O’Clock SeriesGrandmothers of Africa and CanadaLibrary

January 14 to February 6Exhibition: The Works of Bruce RobertsThe Gallery at Victoria Hall

January 18 – 6:30 p.m.French Book ClubLibrary

January 19 – 7 p.m.English Book ClubLibrary

January 22 – 2 p.m.Chess and Scrabble ClubLibrary

January 25 – 8 p.m.Special Council MeetingPresentation of the 2010 BudgetCity Hall

Westmount, à votre portée. Pour toute question ou commentaire, veuillez nous contacter : www.westmount.orgWestmount at your fingertips. Contact us with any comment or question: [email protected]


This January marks the beginning ofCanada’s eighth year in Afghanistan. Butwith the recent death of four soldiers anda journalist, citizens are wondering ifCanadian efforts – and sacrifice – havemade a difference: Has the quality of lifeimproved for the average Afghan citizen?

To answer that question, the humani-tarian agency Oxfam interviewed over 700Afghan citizens – men and women – in 14provinces. Their report, issued in mid-No-vember, was revealing.

Impact of post-2001 intervention

The Afghan people have been exposedto war over the past three decades. For thisstudy, Oxfam asked respondents to com-pare their current conditions with those ofthe Taliban regime, the Russian occupa-tion and the civil war era. The result: 38percent named the Communist era as theworst period; 22 percent, the civil war; and33 percent, the Taliban regime. Only threepercent indicated that the post-2001 periodwas the worst.

That is not to say that the present con-flict has not affected civilians. The 2001US air raids caused millions to flee torefugee camps in Iran and Pakistan, andduring the NATO airstrikes between Jan-uary 2008 and June 2009, 750 Afghanswere killed. Also the Taliban mode of war-fare – suicide bombers, IEDs, and retribu-tion – has killed many. In 2008 alone,anti-government forces on average exe-cuted, every four days, three individualssuspected of cooperating with the govern-ment or NATO forces.

But there is progress. Two-thirds of thelandmines – responsible for killing andmaiming many – have been cleared. Andin the current conflict, only two percent ofcitizens have reported property damage.Since 1978, a total of 43 percent had prop-erty damage, 71 percent of which occurred

during the Soviet and Taliban eras. How-ever, the uncertainty and trauma of war istaking a toll.

One girl spoke of her fear that the Tal-iban will return and end her schooling.Another recounts the terror of night raids:“Someone reported that we had Taliban inour home so the international forces at-tacked our home at night. They killed myfather, my sister and my mother and theytook my brother away ... When the peopledemonstrated and told them that we areinnocent people, all they said was that itwas an accident.”

Oxfam recommendations

According to Oxfam, internationalforces can “do more to protect civilians, in-cluding tightening restrictions on the useof force.” This includes limiting airstrikes,night raids and the “execution of housesearches that are aggressive and abusive.”The agency also asks NATO forces to ac-count for human rights violations and pro-vide “mechanisms of redress.”

Since 1978, less than one percent of cit-izens have received an apology or com-pensation for harm caused by conflict.According to the Campaign for InnocentVictims of Conflict (CIVIC), apologies orother forms of redress were “positively re-ceived and led to a sense of closure.”

Moreover, Oxfam calls on the interna-tional community to pressure the Afghangovernment to stop corruption and pa-tronage, reform the police and the judici-ary, and recommit to a truth andreconciliation process. So a question is: DoAfghans consider the international forcesresponsible for the conflict?

Some (18 percent) think that NATOpresence is a factor, but a similar number(17 percent) blame the international forcesfor not doing enough. Almost half (48 per-cent) consider government ineffectivenessand corruption to be a factor in the con-flict, while 34 percent blame the Talibanand, 18 percent, Al-Qaeda.

Going forward

The Oxfam report, by providing con-text, indicates that Canadian and NATOforces have indeed improved life for many.But the agency asks the international com-munity to do more to ensure a stable andjust society.

Hopefully these recommendations willbe considered as Canada chooses a newrole in Afghanistan.

Heather Black is a Westmountcommunication designer. Contact her at:

[email protected]

The Afghan mission: Going forward in 2010

At SecondGlanceHeather Black

Westmounter Catherine McKenzie andher publisher, HarperCollins, will launchher first book, Spin, on January 14 at 6 pmat the downtown Indigo (1500 McGill Col-lege).

The novel, which McKenzie describes

as “a fun read,” is about a journalist whogoes undercover at a rehab facility to getthe scoop about a troubled celebrity.

McKenzie is a litigator at Westmount-based Irving Mitchell Kalichman. She isthe wife of the Independent’s publisher.

McKenzie launches new novel

Electronic Independentsavailable

Enjoy the Indie at supper timeon Tuesdays!

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This Christmas I watched my daugh-ter’s attention span for each gift she re-ceived get shorter and shorter, as her pileof gifts got bigger. It left me feeling prettymuch the way I felt on January 1: slightlyashamed, a tad nauseous, and determinednot to let it happen again (and that is astory for another time).

There is a shop on Sherbrooke with thewords “Give more, ask for less” in the win-dow. At first glance it sounds hip, charita-ble and generous, but the message is clear:give to show love, buy to celebrate, spendto show you care. Therein lies my nausea.

Because the best gifts I received thisyear were not stuff – they were the turkey Ienjoyed but didn’t have to cook, the lookon my sister-in-law’s face when sheopened her gift from my mother (a pursemade of burgundy fur that very likely fea-tured in Pretty Woman during Julia’shooker stage), and the look on mybrother’s face when he discovered thatsomeone had given him a half-opened bagof Cheetos (it turns out they fell into hisChristmas bag by mistake).

I propose a revolution, the kind thatwill one day make excessive buying as po-litically incorrect as watching someonethrow their litter on the street. I’m tired offighting off excess, of sending emails beg-ging grandparents, friends, and even myhousekeeper not to buy my daughter andme any gifts for Xmas, or at least to com-bine all their goodwill into one or twosmall items as opposed to 18.

Some presents we buy are presents weknow will be enjoyed, and that’s a won-derful feeling. What I have a problem withis buying out of duty, a duty that we passonto the recipient who must either pre-tend to like the gift, or feels a duty to buyyou something in return, so as not to ap-pear cheap.

The spirit of Christmas is becoming a

transaction.You may suspect that I’m motivated by

the fact that my 6-year-old received the lat-est iPod for Christmas, and that I’m bitter(I mean concerned) because: a) It took meover 30 years to get my first iPod and b)hers makes mine look vintage (and not ina good way)

But it’s more than that. Every parent Iknow complains that Christmas has be-come increasingly…un-merry. I suspectthat some of this is linked to the agony andthe ecstasy that is being in the company ofour relatives under four feet of snow, but ifyou’re as tired of buying your Christmasspirit as I am, I propose:• No more buying for people we barelyknow. These are the occasions that BodyShop gift baskets were created for. Ifyou’re tempted to buy one, you don’t knowthis person well enough to buy them any-thing in the first place.• No more panicky purchases for peoplewe know too well, who have everythingand would prefer not to receive more. Mygrandmother is a perfect example: I hadno idea what to get her for Christmas, sothis woman who practically brought meup received hand cream and socks (bothof which she forgot when she left).

So how about instead of “Give more,ask for less” we switch to “Give moretime/peace/kindness, ask for lesssoap/socks/bad jewelry.”

C’mon people, this is a new decade,why not try something different?

Talkin’ About a Revolution…(or Christmas Wish)

ParenthoodUncensoredSophie Tarnowska

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late into a tax hike as high as 7.5 percent ifall the agglo increase has to be absorbedby taxpayers, Trent explained.

“The issue is just how long can you goon raising costs higher than the rate of in-flation?”

Ten years ago, the city’s debt stood atsome $11 million, much of which wasabout to be paid off. By the end of 2009, itwas $38 million, fuelled mostly by the fu-sion experience with Montreal.

Tellingly, Westmount’s 2000 financialresults showed the city at that time con-tributed just 36 percent of its budget to is-land-wide services (excluding fire andcourt) through the former Montreal UrbanCommunity. Adding in the fire and courtcosts to compare to today’s agglomerationcouncil reality, the percentage climbs toabout 44 percent of the 2000 budget, orsome $30 million in today’s dollars.

By the end of 2009, however, West-mount was sending some $40 million (50percent of its $80 million budget) to theagglomeration council – some $10 millionmore in constant dollars.

One major difference between then

and now is exemplified by the cost of is-land-wide fire services, Trent said. “Then,we were paying the true cost of these serv-ices because we operated them ourselves.Now we’re over-paying based on our prop-erty evaluation.”

There are many other calculations andadjustments that can be made to arrive ata more complete analysis of increasedcosts following demerger, he notes.

In 2000 (when Trent was also mayor),the city reported that “in the past decade,as a result of tight-fisted financial man-agement, the city has managed to cut localspending by 18 percent after inflation.After implementation of the pay-as-you-gopolicy for capital works projects, spendingwas cut by 11 percent in constant dollars.”

Just how high the tax increases will gofor 2010 will be known with next week’stabling of the new budget.

New budgetcontinued from p.5

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By Jessica Ghersi

Babies can ruin everything. Your figure.Your waistline. And, if you’re an old dog,your life. If you don’t believe me and canspeak canine, ask Nikita. She’s a 10-year-old shepherd/dobie mix up for adoptionwith adorably big ears that are perma-nently upright.

Nikita has been queen of the castlesince she was a baby, but now a new onehas taken over the throne. And this one ishuman and smells really good. Nikita can’tcompete with that; she loves sniffing toomuch. Nikita has been kept away fromhim since he started crawling, and shegrowls when she sees that squawky littlething moving around the carpet. Of courseshe does: she’s confused and scared.

She’s been evaluated and has not a sin-gle ounce of aggression; she’s just dealingwith something new and strange.

So now, at her ripe old age, Nikita’slooking for a new place to call home.Preferably one that’s baby-less. No offense,kids. It’s not going to be easy since mostpeople looking for dogs want a cute littlepuppy and instantly overlook the advan-tages of having an older dog.

If you’re such a person, let me offer afew selling points on older dogs. For one,they require less time and attention than apuppy, so you can totally ignore themwhen Jeopardy is on. They also won’t chewyour Manolo Blahniks (especially if youdon’t own any). And lastly, they’re proba-bly already spayed or neutered. Plus, imag-ine all the karma points you’ll rack up by

adopting an old dog.Nikita perhaps?If you’re interested, please know that

she does have a bit of arthritis, mostly inher hips and back legs, but she’s doingjust fine. To find out how to adopt Nikita,please contact Susan Newman at514.569.2228 or visit www.underdog-club.org.

In with the old

UnderdogFern Breslaw

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Nikita

Over the past half-year I have been writ-ing about how the choices that we makeevery day about what we eat and how weexercise ultimately affect our state of well-ness. These daily decisions, when groupedtogether, can be characterized as ourlifestyle. Do we sleep enough, eat fruitsand vegetables every day, enjoy our freetime that we spend with friends and fam-ily? Or, are we sleep-deprived, eating toomuch junk foods or skipping meals alto-gether, and can’t find the time to relax?

My belief has always been that thelifestyle that we choose does indeed deter-mine our state of health and our chancesof living a long life full of zest and joy.

In a recent edition of the Proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences, re-searchers from the University of Michiganreported some very counterintuitive find-ings: They looked at death rates during theGreat Depression, the worst economicslump of the 20th century. From the stockmarket crash of 1929 through the early1930s, economic activity fell sharply, drop-ping 14 percent in 1932 alone.

Black and white images from the era ofbread lines and migrant farmers make iteasy to assume that economic miserywould have affected public health. Butwhen the researchers looked at mortalityrates among men, women and childrenfrom 1920 to 1940, they found death ratesdeclined during years of falling economicactivity and rose when times were better.

And so it is with no surprise to the re-

searchers that the same conclusions havealready been drawn during the recentworldwide recession: When the economygets sick, people get healthier. What’sgoing on? How is this possible?

It seems that people adopt smarterlifestyles in recessions. People have lessmoney to spend on alcohol and cigarettes.And less economic activity means peopleare working less, or not at all. Thus, theyhave more free time to go to the gym, oreven for a walk. Exercise leads to weightloss, which in turn cuts down on the inci-dence of many maladies, particularly car-diovascular diseases. There’s more timefor sleep, which improves health. Andwith less money to spend, people driveless, which reduces pollution. Recent stud-ies have linked particulate matter fromcars and trucks and carbon monoxide withheart attacks and strokes.

A University of North Carolina studyhas found that a one-percentage-point risein the unemployment rate reduces thedeath rate by 0.5 percent. Those are US re-sults, but other studies show the same ef-fect in the 23 OECD countries inaggregate.

The recent downturn in dead people isa reminder that the number one culprit forsickness and disease is lifestyle.

So, why wait for an economic downturnto become healthier? These statistics andstudies support my very own enduring be-lief that the choices we make in how welive our lives determine our own health.

I am often asked for my opinion fromfriends on which foods are healthier, orwhich exercises give the quickest results,or how to lose weight and keep it off per-manently. It is apparent that old habits aredifficult to break and new behaviours arenot easy to integrate intoour daily routine. Ostensi-

HealthRound-upBarry Nashen

Lifestyle and health go hand in hand

continued on p. 22


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By Heather Black

Last spring, the Visual Art Centre re-leased Dr. Sean Murphy’s excellent treatiseDare to Draw. I spoke recently with the dis-tinguished ophthalmologist and West-mounter, who is a source of inspiration forall who pick up pencil or brush.

A sense of place

Dare to Draw is full of delicate linedrawings, many with watercolour washes.Part adventures in art, part travelogue, thebook features sketches of familiar scenes,like the Westmount Public Library or themain office of the Bank of Montreal.

Other scenes are of more exotic climes:Istanbul, Portugal or Mexico. Full of intri-cate lines that suggest familiarity as wellas complexity, sketching is Murphy’smode of “experiencing a place,” of linger-ing long enough to see what is there. In“Church Dei Miracoli, Venice,” an inter-esting perspective is intensified by spotcolours.

Others like the watercolour “Workersand Ship” are more stylized or graphic –the repetition of workers and ship funnelscreating rhythm and rhyme. As Murphypoint outs, it is what each artist “adds tothe scene.”

Drawn to expression

Although Murphy was not encouragedto pursue art as a pastime or profession,his mother introduced him as a child togreat art on museum visits. When askedwhat artists inspired him, he repliedHenry Moore.

That influence can be seen throughoutthe book. A shading exercise of Moore’ssculpture is carried over to his rendition ofanimal bones given to him by a farmer.

In the spirit of adventure, “flyingbones” appear in several fanciful draw-ings. One is found in a Renaissance port;while another is viewed through a barred

window. For Murphy, drawing is “such apleasure.” And it shows!

Learn to draw

Murphy’s message is that “anyone canbe taught to draw.” While searching for anactivity to explore in retirement, he startedlessons at the Visual Art Centre. He dab-bled in painting, but it was only after tak-ing a few drawing lessons that he washooked.

He also considers doodles to be an artform. And indeed, his swirling lines anddabs are art. One entitled “Closing Cere-monies, Salt Lake City Olympics” consistsof rhythmic multiple lines – a techniqueused by Lucian Freud. In another, “At theCirque du Soleil” the thick-thin brush-strokes recalls those of Raoul Dufy.

His advice to budding artists is first“learn to draw” and then experiment. Herecommends taking a few lessons to mas-ter basic skills, as well as to enjoy “a senseof community.” He also suggests sketch-ing art in museums or on location withfriends.

Art adventures

Murphy concludes: “If I can encourageone person to draw, I’ll be happy.” AndDare to Draw – with personal anecdotesand art adventures – does just that.

Dare to Draw • La passion du dessin isavailable at the Visual Art Centre or at se-lect museums.

In conversation: Sean Murphy

A drawing of Westmount Public Library by Sean Murphy, from his book Dare to Draw.

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Among the new arrivals at the West-mount Public Library singled out by staff:

Adult readingA Dangerous Liaison by Carole Sey-

mour-Jones – Recently discovered lettersform the basis of this new biography of Si-mone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre,revealing the darker side of their passion-ate and tempestuous love affair.

The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham bySelina Hastings – Through access toMaugham’s extensive private correspon-dence, Hastings delivers a detailed exami-nation of the private life, loves and secretfacets of one of the world’s greatest writ-ers.

Adult French – For history buffsNapoléon mon aïeul, cet inconnu by

Charles Napoléon – Written by a descen-dant of Napoleon, this book has been de-scribed as easy to read and a fresh take onthe emperor’s life.

La saga des francs-maçons by Marie-France Etchegoin, Frédéric Lenoir – Acompanion read to the new Dan Brownnovel, it gives an historical overview ofFreemasonry and a chapter that helps thereader decode Le symbole perdu.

Books for children – Learn about…Panda Kindergarten by Joanne Ryder –

This book is a fascinating look at sixteenpanda cubs living at the Wolong NatureReserve in China. Under the watchful eyeof the scientists, the pandas are raised to-gether to learn the skills they will need fortheir eventual release into the wild.

Les techniques artistiques by ClaudioMerlo – With step-by-step instructions,children will learn about different art tech-niques, including drawing painting,sculpting and engraving. Thirty creativeactivities are included.

DVDsJulie & Julia – Julie Powell is a frustrated

insurance worker who wants to be a writer.Trying to find a challenge in her life, shedecides to cook her way through JuliaChild’s Mastering the Art of French Cookingin one year, and to blog about it. As Juliebegins to find her groove as a cook, andher voice as a writer, the project takes on alife of its own.

The End of the Line – In a single humanlifetime, overfishing has inflicted a crisison the oceans greater than any yet causedby pollution. This documentary takes ajourney around the world to explore thecontroversial aspects of the fishing indus-try, and to reveal the extent of the damageinflicted in order to satisfy consumers’ ap-petite for fish.

Magazines – New subscriptionsBon Appétit Magazine – This magazine

explores regional American cuisine as wellas travel destinations and gourmet de-lights from around the world. Eachmonthly issue features recipes, articles onwine and spirits, menus and entertainingideas.

Essential Kitchen, Bathroom, BedroomMagazine – This U.K. publication is dedi-cated to offering everything there is toknow about the very best in luxurykitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.

Le Must alimentaire: le magazine pourtout savoir sur votre alimentation – A Que-bec foodies’ magazine featuring localrestaurants, chefs, recipes, regionalcuisines and products.

Reference – New electronic resourceLibrary members now have free access

to the Consumer Reports Magazine website.Search for reviews and ratings on con-sumer products and services. Access isavailable through the library website atwww.westlib.org. Click on the link for “Re-search and Reference” and submenu linkfor “Databases”.

On the shelves

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house to the north at 26 Aberdeen. His re-quest for a demolition permit was heardby the committee December 8 (see storyDecember 15, p. 4).

Architect Bruce Anderson, who pre-sented the case at the hearing, told the In-dependent that “it’s my understanding Mr.Jones will appeal the decision within thetime period.” Appeals are heard by citycouncil.

Anderson’s plans for landscaping theproperty after demolition had met with ap-proval from the city’s Planning AdvisoryCommittee (PAC). This architectural re-view group of consultants, however, hadadvised against destroying the housebased on heritage and aesthetic grounds.

During the hearing, the 1932 housewas described as representing the “simplestyle” of the Depression period and fittingwell with the streetscape. It was reportedto be in good condition. Its demolitionwould go against “the spirit of sustainable

design.”Martin said he and the other two mem-

bers of the Demolition Committee (coun-cillors Kathleen Duncan and TheodoraSamiotis) had independently visited thesite to physically assess the situation.

The demolition decision generated aflurry of news articles and opinion piecesin other media over the recent holiday pe-riod, even though the ruling had not beenannounced.

Issues raised during the hearing hadincluded potential tax loss to the city aswell as sustainability: reuse of an existinghouse versus creation of more greenspace, which could be built on in the fu-ture.

Arguments favouring its demolition in-cluded difficult garage access, its blockingof windows on the south side of 26 Ab-erdeen, and how the property had origi-nally been part of the garden belonging to18 Aberdeen, the house directly to thesouth.


Shop Westmount!

As you might remember from my pre-vious columns, my shitzu Suyeung is asenior dog, 16 years old now. She canbarely walk because of arthritis but has anincredible spirit and a healthy appetite.

She still has an avid interest in guard-ing the front door from themailman and anyone whodares to ring the bell. Andonce in a while, on sunnydays, she surprises me bystanding on the front walk-way, lifting her head to thesky and barking vigorouslywith the chorus of neigh-bourhood dogs.

So, having a senior dogwith a great spirit bringsme to this 9 Lives columnabout a senior cat with agreat spirit: Jasmine. Sheis a strikingly beautiful do-mestic longhair tortie, atrue glamour cat at the ageof 15! She urgently needs anew family, by February 1

actually. She is elegant, active, playful, andaffectionate. Jasmine is a very healthy in-door cat, spayed and not declawed.

If you would like to know more aboutJasmine, please call Gerdy’s Rescue andAdoptions at 514.203.9180 or [email protected].

Wishing you a wonderful year, filledwith the most important things in life:health and compassion.

Your neighbour,Lyzanne

Artwork by Laura S. Cohendet

Feb. 1 deadline home needed for this senior but spirited cat

9 LivesLyzanne

Jasmine

Demo ruling to be appealedcontinued from p.1

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It was a busy holiday season for theagents and staff of local real estate brokerMcGuigan Pepin. In November, they cele-brated 15 years as an independent firm.On December 15, they held a more sub-

dued affair to inaugurate their new, St.Catherine St. office (at Kensington), andused the occasion (and space) for a show-ing of work by local artist Susan Pepler.

Real estate and art meet

From left, real estate broker Joan McGuigan and artist Susan Pepler with one of her paintings.

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