NEW! COUNCIL communiqué nouvea CONSEIL Chaque mois, voyez le bulletin du Conseil de Montréal-Ouest au milieu de l’ Informer. Look for MW Town Council du newsletter in the middle of The Informer – every month! Montreal West Viewspaper communiqué u! February 2014, Vol. 42, No. 1 Le Monde des petits enfants : photo: Maurice Krystal un paradis pour vos petits anges Georges Saroukhan, Ryan and Isabelle L’Oeufrier: EGGceptional early morning breakfast on Westminster by Maurice Krystal The commercial section of Westminster is constantly evolving. A restaurant closes and is quickly reborn. L’Oeufrier is a chain of restaurants serving breakfast and brunch only. The franchise on Westminster is the province’s 10th. Georges Saroukhan, the franchise owner, is a distinguished looking middle-aged gentleman of Lebanese extraction. Like his father before him, Georges was a jeweler. Because of the long civil war, he left Beirut in 1975 and moved to Dubai. After working for 15 years in a number of Persian Gulf states, he moved to California; only one year later, he decided to move his family to Montreal. Unfortunately he found he was over qualified for work in the jewelry field and ended up working for LaSalle College Group. Georges became purchasing and building manager for the group, a school that specializes in fashion, arts and design as well as hotel management and culinary arts. continued on page 11 INDEX Community Centre....16, 17 CRA ................................ 3 Environmentally yours .... 10 Guides ..............................13 Horticultural Society .......... 3 In memoriam ..................4, 5 Letters ................................ 6 Libraries ....................13, 14 News from the pews....14-15 Réunion du Conseil ...... 19 Rotary .............................. 8 Schools .................... 10-11 Scouts ............................12 Town Council Report ........ 18 Par un après-midi de janvier humide et gris, je me suis offert de doux moments remplis de joie de vivre en visitant la garderie « Le Monde des petits enfants ». À mon arrivée, durant l’heure du repos, une ambiance feutrée et chaleureuse régnait sur les lieux impeccables de propreté, parfaitement aménagés pour y recevoir de petits enfants en toute sécurité. Pendant que deux éducatrices travaillaient discrètement aux préparatifs des activités à venir, ma sympathique voisine Heidi Saber m’a présenté son entreprise, le cœur rempli de fierté. Heidi est une éducatrice passionnée qui œuvre au service de notre communauté depuis plus de quatre ans. Née en Iran, elle y a d’abord effectué des études universitaires en traduction anglaise, mais a ensuite choisi d’orienter sa carrière vers ce qui a toujours fait vibrer son cœur. Ayant développé un grand intérêt pour la psychologie enfantine dès son adolescence, alors qu’elle passait ses temps libres à veiller sur les tout-petits de son entourage, Heidi s’est tournée vers la profession d’éducatrice. Poussée par sa curiosité envers les méthodes éducatives préconisées au Québec, la jeune femme a décidé du même coup de quitter sa famille et son pays natal pour s’installer à Montréal et s’inscrire au baccalauréat en études sur l’enfance à l’Université Concordia. Tout au long de ce parcours universitaire, Heidi a enrichi son expérience en effectuant des stages en milieu de garde. Une fois son baccalauréat complété, elle a obtenu un poste dans un grand CPE de Saint-Laurent et y a relevé de nombreux défis. Quelques années plus tard, au moment de choisir une garderie pour son fils Daniel, Heidi a réalisé un rêve, celui de fonder sa propre entreprise. Mettant à contribution les talents de rénovateur de son conjoint, Heidi a aménagé les locaux de sa garderie afin de les rendre pratiques, attrayants continuation à la page 16 2 Informerly Yours Celebrating a marriage 10 Westminster North Montreal West, Quebec H4X 1Y9 The Informer’s role is to provide MoWesters with information about their Town and its citizens in order to foster the small-town, close-knit atmosphere that makes Montreal West a special place in which to live. ISSN: 084741X EXECUTIVE BOARD Jeannette Brooker - Chair Rick Lavell - Treasurer Jane Williams - Secretary Heather Baylis Véronique Belzil-Boucher René Boucher Jeanne Ragbir Congratulations to Eric Zimanyi, formerly of Wolseley N, on his marriage to Christina Stock. Eric and Christina were married in a small ceremony two years ago while they were both studying for their PhDs in Chemistry at MIT. Now that they’ve graduated, this was the celebration to share their joy with extended family and friends. Parents Karen and Patrick and siblings Lisa and Kevin joined in the fun. So did the Feeney family of Wolseley N. (Eric’s aunt, uncle and cousins). Christina’s family came in from California. The celebration was in Burlington, VT on October 6. The happy couple reside in Boston. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Heather Baylis 489-7022 LAYOUT DESIGNER Julia Ross julia@ross.ca AD MANAGER Heather Baylis, 489-7022 montrealwestinformer@gmail.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Rhonda Schwartz 482-0227 RATES Camera-ready art: 1/6 page – $45 1/12 page – $25 Professional card: $125/year Classifieds: 25-50 words – $10 25 words or less – $6 TASK FORCE Axel Brinck René Boucher Lise McVey Maryl Murphy Jeanne Ragbir Lydia Shuster Rose Marie Smith Randi Weitzner and those we omitted inadvertently Congratulations! The Josephs of Brock North and Wolfsteins of Roxton Crecent were united with the Quinns of Washington, D.C. in a fairy-tale wedding that took place in Jerusalem on October 8. Left to right are Brian Joseph, best man and brother of the groom, mother Annette Wolfstein-Joseph, bride Alexandra Quinn, bridegroom Noah Joseph and father David Joseph. Guests included grandmother Rose Wolfstein of Roxton Crescent and Uncles William and Edward Wolfstein and family who also grew up on Roxton Crescent. The happy couple have made a lovely home in Jerusalem. The Informer Is published nine times a year (usually) on the last weekend the month except June, July and December. Out-of-town subscriptions: $15 per year. Typesetting by Informer staff, printing by King Press. Extra copies available at Town Hall and both libraries. Funded, in part, by the Town of Montreal West. Articles are printed in the language(s) submitted. NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE February 12 ART ETC. Floral Café, November 2013. As usual, a “happy gang” serving Jay Garland’s wonderful squash soup, sandwiches, quiches and homemade desserts. A tradition in our Town. 3 Mosses: ancient plants for contemporary gardens Bialik High School supports Little Red Playhouse Inspired by the power of the creative arts and a passion for giving back to their community, the students at Bialik High School in Côte SaintLuc, Quebec are supporting the Little Red Playhouse with a silent art auction! The auction will showcase artwork created by students, alumni, local artists and members of the community and will welcome members of the public to bid on pieces of artwork during the event on March 19 at Bialik High School. All proceeds from the auction will be graciously donated in support of the Art Expression program at the Little Red Playhouse. Any and all types of artwork (prints, drawings, paintings etc.) are welcome for donation to the auction and will be accepted up until March 18. We welcome you to take this opportunity to showcase your artwork while also supporting an important community cause. Stay tuned for flyers communicating more detailed information about the auction that will be distributed closer to the event. If you would like to donate or have any questions about the project, please contact rachel.bialikauction2013@gmail.com, or jazminetufford@gmail.com, the main contact for the event at the Little Red Playhouse. Dr. Mark Santaguida, O.D. docteur en optométrie / optometrist • examen de la vue • lunettes • verres de contact • consultation laser • eye exams • glasses • contact lenses • laser consultation 514 481- 4791 43a av. Westminster Ave. N. Mtl West,QC H4X 1Y8 Paul Zammit likes them. Suzanne Campeau likes them, but despite their unique charm, mosses are only marginally used in North American gardens. Yet, horticultural interest for these plants is growing, not only for the subdued tranquility and patina of time they add to gardens, but also because mosses have qualities which make them allies to modern gardeners. The Horticultural Society’s next speaker, Suzanne Campeau, will explain how mosses differ from other plants, how they fit current gardening trends and she will show examples of projects realized in Quebec using nursery-grown carpets of mosses. Ms. Campeau, a biologist by training, has been working with mosses for the last 20 years applying her expertise and passion for mosses to the development of new products and techniques that use these remarkable plants. The presentation takes place on Monday, February 17, 7:30 pm at the Town Hall. Everyone is welcome, gardeners and armchair gardeners alike. Happy New Year from the CRA. Here is a brief update on what is new and exciting in 2014! Learn to skate! Starting January 26, we will begin a learn to skate program on Sundays from 2:30-3:30 at the arena. For children ages 3½ and up, cost $100. Gym-Tastic Our 10-week winter session is here and we are excited to introduce an updated program with new equipment, fun theme days, equipment circuits, songs, games and so much more. Gym-Tastic is for children ages 3½ to 10. Cost is $120 per session for one day a week, but did you know you can now register for two days a week?! Send your little ones to swing, stretch and sing two days a week for just an additional $60. Register now! Soccer skills clinic This program will be taught at the Concordia Stinger Dome by former MLS Impact player Greg Sutton, current head coach of the men’s Concordia soccer team. Each session is two hours (9-11) and focuses on skills and game strategies. For ages 4-17, Sundays, February 16, 23 and March 2; cost: $60. Places limited! Suggestions/feedback? We thank all of our participants for supporting the programs we offer. We are always happy to assist people with any difficulties they may be experiencing within our programs, but also encourage suggestions and feedback. You may contact our Program Manager, Samantha Mitra, during office hours, by phone (485-8598) or by email (infocra@mtlwestcra.ca). Ce n’est qu’un aurevoir to Linda Wishart A celebration took place in mid-January to acknowledge Linda Wishart’s retirement from the Children’s Library. Among those who gathered at the MW United Church included Bob her husband, her family, colleagues, teachers, the Mayor and Town councillors, members of the library board and retired former librarians. Although there was a profusion of praise from many, Linda hastened to give thanks to all those who had come to her rescue in times of trouble. Wisely she compared them to a flock of geese whose leader could count on to take over the leadership when the going got tough. Fortunately for all those little MoWest tikes, Linda will still be reading them stories in her own animated way every Thursday. 4 In memoriam Friedrich (Fred) Karl von Bruemmer by Rene Bruemmer [This passage is a shortened version of the eulogy given at the funeral of Fred Bruemmer at St. Philip’s Church.] He was born Friedrich Karl von Bruemmer in Latvia, a member of what he described as an “odd tribe” of Baltic Germans who settled on the western edges of Russia around the year 1200 and established the Baltic states that would become Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The family spent the school year in Riga, but the summers in the country where my father thrived. He had two dreams – to become a naturalist-biologist and to travel. WWII destroyed those hopes. My father’s family fled from Latvia to Poland where they would flee again, only to be caught. My father and his sister Hella were forced to help dig a mass grave, into which their murdered parents were deposited. Dad and Hella were sent to separate slave labour camps. My father was 15 years old. Of 2,000 inmates there when he arrived, only 200 were alive two years later. Survival became his raison d’être. I learned about that part of his life only in 2005 when he wrote, at age 75, Survival. It won the Mavis Gallant Prize for non-fiction book of the year from the Quebec Writer’s Federation. In 1950, my father emigrated to Canada, first working in a gold mine in northern Ontario. For holiday, he would head north to the isolated Indian villages on James Bay, lured by the lakes and forests and lonely wilderness. Later, he became a freelance photographer, a useful profession for someone who didn’t speak English well. What followed was seven years of restless wan- dering in search of adventures, freelancing photos and stories first in Canada, then Europe and the Midddle East. He had little money, but a glorious time, and amassed many stories to tell. Then he met my mother, Maud, and fell in love. Mom, born in Indonesia, ended up in a Japanese prison of war camp, along with Dad’s sister Heddy, and that is how my parents came together. Mom was a strong woman, and they had a strong marriage. Marriage would not tame my father’s roaming spirit. He was, he told me recently, “pacing like a caged tiger” when he told his new wife his life plan. He would work full time for two years as a journalist and then quit to pursue his dream to make it as a freelance writer and photographer. He did just that. They were poor at first and dad wandered about, freelancing stories on things that interested him, but with no real focus. Then a magazine sent him north to Baffin Island to write a story on the Inuit. He found, “an ancient culture in disarray and on the verge of vanishing. Change had come to the North with devastating speed and abruptness.” He also found a breed of people who had learned to survive in perhaps the harshest environment on earth, but which was also inhabited by pockets of similarly hardy wildlife and flora and fauna, that fulfilled my father’s naturalist yearnings. He began living six months of the year with the Inuit, tagging along on their traditional Arctic hunts, sleeping in their tents and igloos, studying their animals and cataloguing their vanishing way of life in an effort to preserve it. As he wrote, “I loved the Arctic, its rug- • PRESCRIPTION SERVICES • FREE DELIVERY • PHOTO PROCESSING • GREETING CARDS & STAMPS • NEW PET HEALTH SECTION ged beauty, its haunting loneliness, its infinite space. It has the vastness of the sea, the grandeur of a Bach fugue.” He also felt a deep kinship with its people, who shared similarly tragic circumstances. So would begin my father’s Arctic odyssey, 30 years splitting his life between there and Montreal. The Inuit called him Amarok, the lone wolf, because of the long solo walks he would take on the tundra, a name he liked. He wrote his first book in 1969, The Long Hunt, about a 2,000-kilometer dog-team trip he took with Inuit hunters on Ellesmere Island. A few years later, came Seasons of the Eskimo and, in 1974, the Arctic which was described as “the most comprehensive single book on its subject matter ever presented” – which was a great satisfaction to my father, who had never finished high school because of the war and learned to speak proper English only in his 20s. In total he would write 25 books on the Arctic and its flora, fauna and wildlife, as well as over a thousand magazine articles. In my father’s humble way, his work made him, in the words of Maclean’s magazine and writer Ernest Hillen “slowly, and without fanfare, one of the least known world-famous men in Canada” and also “the explorer poet of the last frontier.” He would be awarded the Order of Canada in 1983. In his last year and a half, cancer and chemotherapy made his world smaller and he, and we, hoped for a bit more time. But as his body grew weaker his brain remained strong and his memory disconcertingly sharp, and we would spend our evenings gathered around his bed, listening to the many, many stories that were testimony to a full existence. “Thank you, my love,” my mother said to him, for giving us such a beautiful life. On the fridge, written in the shaky hand of his last days, was a note to his wife of 50 years: “You are my love story.” The Informer staff offer sincere condolences on the loss of a very special man to Maud, his sons Aurel (Johanne Dupuis) and René (Angela Corinthios), his granddaughters Sarah-Maud, Renée-Jade and KiraAnne and grandsons Matthew and Owen. In memoriam Roni Simco Gerstel by Rabbi Julia Appel [This passage is a shortened version of the eulogy given at Roni’s funeral.] The Talmud tells the story of a gentile who comes to Rabbi Hillel with the intention of offending him. He asks Rabbi Hillel to teach him the whole Torah while standing on one leg. Instead of throwing him out of the study house, Rabbi Hillel tells him, “That which is hateful to you, do not unto another: This is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary — go and study.” Roni Simco Gerstel lived this simple, but sometimes difficult to follow, maxim and she taught it to her children, her friends and her family. She had an amazing ability to relate to people, no matter who they were, to dan l’chaf zechut, to judge them favorably from the outset. Nothing could disqualify someone from receiving her true respect and good treatment. When Montreal synagogues took on the project of helping acclimate Argentinian immigrants to their new home, Roni volunteered. But she also invited them for seders and dinners and even met one of her closest friends Gabriella that way. Roni was very involved with L’Abri en Ville, not just serving as a board member but truly making friends with the residents of this group home for adults living with mental illness, learning about their lives, having them over to the house. Over 30 years ago, Roni and David bought their rugged home in Vermont. Roni loved that house and from the start, she worked with David to build and tend it. She recently taught herself Italian, so that on her visits to Italy she could converse with the little old lady shopkeepers in town. And after recovering from her last stroke four years ago, Roni decided to explore Prague by herself. It was a test for her, to see how much she could still do on her own. This pushing herself, always seeking to improve herself, and others, motivated her throughout her life. She worked hard to achieve her positions of responsibility at L’Oreal, eventually becoming the highest ranking woman the company had ever had. Just as she never wanted to be limited due to being a woman, she wished that for others: she always encouraged Michael and Lauren to keep growing, to keep learning. She gave divrei torah at Dorshei Emet, and Rabbi Ron always asked her to give one when he was away. In the last few years, Roni did not let retirement keep her idle: in her spare time, she became a French language guide at the Chateau de Ramzay museum, studying the whole collection and passing the exam to serve. Most of all, Roni was devoted to her family and loved ones. Born in Montreal to parents Moses and Sophie Simco, Roni grew up with her three brothers Stephen, Bob, and Chuck. She met her husband David in the McGill library, where he would come to read when on break from his work. David says she said yes to his request for a date just so that he would leave her alone. They got married, and Michael and Lauren were born. Roni was the kind of mom that tucked Michael and Lauren in at night, without fail. She made the best birthday cards and long rhyming poems. Later, she supported the kids on all their travels, even when she might have wished they stay home – she wanted them to explore the world. She celebrated her family – Bob and Helen, Stephen and Liela, Chuck and Pam, Sol, Peter and Mary, and, the newest addition, her daughter in law Lauren. Her love was fierce. Just two months ago, Roni saved her beloved dog Teva’s life. He fell into the icy lake in Vermont. Lauren reports that Roni kicked off her shoes and leapt into the icy water to save him. She said she had no choice – she couldn’t live with herself if she had to watch him die. Roni always jumped right in during her life. She lived life to the fullest. She never turned down an opportunity to learn something new, to better herself, to explore a new part of the world or the human condition. She judged people favorably, and lived Rabbi Hillel’s maxim, to treat others as you would want to be treated. She will be missed. May her memory be for a blessing. Don’t forget your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day! 5 Your West trealShop n o M wer Flo Westminster Florist 514-369-6888 Why choose just anyone, when you can move with THE MOVER INC Since 1932 "THE RIGHT MOVE AT THE RIGHT PRICE" When personal service seems like history, you’ll be pleased with Meldrum’s genuine concern. We’ll make a helpful house call ...right away. • CANADA • UNITED STATES • STORAGE • LOCAL • OVERSEAS Proud member of 481-1122 6645 SHERBROOKE ST. W. 6 Letters High taxes: a budget committee can help Two things were evident during the recent election campaign: 1) many Town residents appeared exasperated by the high level of our taxes, and 2) nearly all candidates were in favour of greater transparency and increased participation by citizens. Town expenses (excluding the Agglom) increased by 46.1% from 2006 to 2012; cumulative inflation was only 13.9%. Infrastructure renewal has resulted in a ballooning of debt charges which grew by 93.8% between 2006 and 2012, and constituted 21.6% of our Town expenses in 2012. Notable increases have occurred in other expense categories. Consider two houses both having 2013 valuations of $644,000 with one house located in Montreal West and the other on Connaught Ave. The MoWest house would pay around $9,645.08 in combined municipal and water tax. The Connaught house would pay only $6,108.98 or $3,536.10 less. The MoWest house pays 57.9% more than the Connaught house. [For your own residence, multiply your 2013 valuation by the NDG mill rate of 0.009486 (formally 0.9486$/ 100$). Compare the result to the sum of your 2013 MoWest tax bill plus water tax.] Is a 57.9% “surcharge” for living in Montreal West reasonable? The Town has a very small tax base to support operations, and the shortage of unused land prevents it from being increased by development. This leaves only two ways of reducing taxes: reduce expenses or increase revenues. Increasing revenue (of which 84% were municipal taxes in 2012) has proved difficult. This leaves reducing expenses. One of the greatest challenges facing the Town is infrastructure spending. According to Mayor Masella, only 20% of infrastructure renewal has been completed. The remaining 80%, if completed in the next few years, would easily quadruple our infrastructure-related debt charges. Incoming treasurer, Colleen Feeney, has promised to look at the debt, amongst other items, and put together a view over a longer horizon. However, it’s difficult to imagine that, at current cost levels, the remainder of the infrastructure work can be completed in the near future. FAMILY LAW The Town is apparently considering “zero-based” budgeting. Traditional budgets start by taking last year’s budget as a fixed baseline, and then considers only the changes for the coming year. With zero-based budgeting, every item in the budget must be approved, and not only the changes. In this way the entire budget is under continual review, and we’re not stuck with past mistakes. In view of the variety of interests and priorities of the different demographics within the Town, shouldn’t as many residents as possible become familiar with the potential trade-offs in the budget so that hard decisions down the line can be intelligently discussed, and perhaps prioritized if no other solutions become available? With this in mind, I made an intervention at the November Council meeting related to the debt, and proposed that a budget committee be established, and volunteered to be part of it. As reported in the December issue of The Informer “Councillor Feeney appeared to warmly receive this request”. The idea was that MoWest has a large pool of talented, experienced, and interested people from which to draw volunteers to do the research and analysis that our overburdened Council has little time for. The committee would also act as an information conduit between the mceavocats.com tel. 514.866.4666 fax 514.866.4667 ANITA CONIDARIS Consultation in Decorating and the ideal colour palette for your home Paul Kenton 70 Brock North Chiropractor EN DROIT DE LA FAMILL E ATTORNEYS MEDIATORS MEDIA T O R S CO COACHES A CHE S Sincerely, Dr. Michael J. Wexel SSOLUTIONS OLUTIONS AVOCATS AV OC A T S MÉDIATEURS MÉDIA TE U R S COACHS CO A CH S community and the Council and promote a better understanding of the budget and priorities in information sessions. In addition, it would report, and make non-binding recommendations, to Council. Unfortunately, Council representatives have declined to endorse such a committee thus far. Councillor Interestingly, Elizabeth Ulin (in charge of Recreation, Culture, and the Environment) has formed a committee for young families so that they might express their concerns. And Mayor Masella has initiated monthly “Coffee-withthe-Mayor” mornings. Is the endorsement and formation of a Budget Committee during a period of such financial challenges any less important than a committee for young families, or giving feedback to the Mayor over coffee? If you similarly feel that a budget committee for our town is appropriate, please make your opinion known at meetings, in letters, or directly to Council members. Anyone reading this letter who might be interested in examining the Town budget more closely should contact me at : paulbudget@hotmail.com. Design d’intérieur 44 Easton Ave. Montreal West 485-4639 Neck Pain Headaches & Migraines Stiffness Sports Related Injuries Wellness & Preventative Care Low Back Pain Muscle Pain Numbness & Tingling Nutritional Counseling CSST & SAAQ 773-7246 18 Westminster N., Suite 110 Call For An Appointment Today So You Can Feel Better Tomorrow. 7 Dear MoWest residents, Last February, my little sister Jasmine and I did a penny drive for Free the Children’s We Create Change campaign and we asked residents to help us. We filled 40 RBC bags of pennies, collecting over 100,000 pennies and raising over $1000 for children in Africa. When deposited at an RBC branch, each bag provided clean water for one child in Africa for life. So many residents helped us! It was lots of fun coming home from school every day and finding Ziploc bags of pennies in our front door mail slot. For those of you who don’t know Free the Children, it is an amazing Canadian organization started by brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger in Toronto in 1995. Craig and Marc started this organization as teenagers, believing that children have the power to change the world and that all children, boys and girls, have the right to go to school. They have built over 650 schools in developing countries so far and 2014 is Free the Children’s Year of Education! buys a brick and 500 bricks will build a whole school! Anyone can help and get boxes from freethechildren.com/we-createchange/ or by calling Free the Children at 878-3733. It is a great project to do at school and get everyone involved! We want to do this coin drive in February because Valentine’s Day is about showing those you love how much you care, but I think if we want to practise compassion (and get away from the commercial aspect of Valentines anyway!), we should extend this caring to the rest of the world too. Beyond the coins Free the Children’s favourite expression is “Be the Change”, Providing clean water and schools with loose change! Sofia and Jasmine Coin drive This year we would like to continue the tradition and do a COIN DRIVE! Free the Children’s We Create Change campaign is now providing cardboard boxes in the shape of a school instead of penny bags. Once the box is full, children roll the coins and deposit them at any RBC branch. Every $20 from Mahatma Ghandi who said we should be the change we want to see in the world. I love this expression and I want to be the change, so my family and I are volunteering with Free the Children this summer in Aravalli, India to build a school that looks just like the little cardboard boxes we will fill with coins. I want to see with my own eyes the schools that my coins are helping to build! If you want to join us on our trip, ask your parents to book a volunteer trip with us at metowe.com/volunteer-travel/family-volunteer-adventure/india/! So please help us and drop off your loose change or coins you have been collecting over the years for a great cause! You can drop them off at our house, 14 Brock North in or at Dr. Drummond and Dr. Seminara’s office (during office hours) at 12 Brock North, just above Sherbrooke. My Papou (granddad) has built a box that we have bolted to our front balcony and we will empty it every day over the next month. Or you can drop the coins off in our front door mail slot if you prefer or at the RBC branch on Westminster directly in the little cardboard box. We will roll the coins and deposit them in Free the Children’s RBC bank account at the end of every week! Happy coin-collecting! Sofia Gadbois 14 Brock North JANE F. LEE, B.Sc., D.D.S. Chirurgien Dentiste - Dental Surgeon 63 WESTMINSTER N MONTREAL WEST H4X 1Y8 Honesty Integrity Hardworking Enthusiastic Please entrust me with the purchase / sale of your property 369-0255 Avanti West End Domestic Help, Experienced Nurses, Babysitters, Cleaning Ladies and Companions 514-482-3631 8 Rotary Club Community Banking The task of introducing our speaker, Chastity Teixeira, manager of the BMO branch on Westminster and her friend from Nesbitt Burns Catherine Lach was given to Johnny and Pietro, rival bankers from the Royal Bank down the street. They were cordial as Chastity will be only company listed on the Toronto or New York Stock Exchange that has continuously paid out dividends. Garbage Bowl 2014 The 65th edition of the Garbage Bowl was held at Davies Park on New Year’s Day. It was a pick-up tag football game held between the Northern Combines and the Southern Bombers as usual. The conditions were more than treacherous. The field was coated with several centimeters of ice and the traction was more or less non-existent. The game saw all sorts of wipeouts and when all was said and done, the Northern Combines had slipped into the end zone for 30 points to South’s 6. Congratulation to all who keep this MoWest tradition alive. Rotary luncheon speakers for February 6: Chastity Teixeira asked to introduce them when it is their turn to promote their bank. Chastity first explained that her last name was Portuguese and no she is not related to the baseball player for the Yankees so she can not get tickets. She has worked at BMO for 17 years and has spent the last three as manager at the Westminster branch, a small one with eight employees. Her philosophy is keep it simple and get to know clients. Know the market, know the community and know the culture. She tries to give back to the community (Meals-OnWheels, Canada Day and Lobsterfest); BMO has a site on the internet just for giving. The branch has been part of the MoWest community for over 100 years so they have financed a few homes in the area over the years. And Big Banks Rotarian Ramesh was supposed to thank our speaker, but instead gave us a little talk on Big Banks saying that Canadian banks made $29.2 billion last year or $75 million a day. You can profit from banks by investing like he did and you to can retire by age 50. You do not have to work hard just work smart. He is getting $2.60 in dividends a year for a stock he paid a little over $4 for. He ended his talk by saying that BMO has been paying dividends since 1878 and is the Philippe Labreque, Peak Financial Services 13: Ronald Gallant, MW Curling Club 20: Helen Birbilas, residential insurance 27: Hon Kathleen Weil, MNA We are hoping to have a good turn out to listen to Kathleen. For this speaker we will require reservations; this can be done by email at doug@westendpiano.com. We have room for 30 guests. Our doors are open to the public if you’d like to join us to sit in on one of our presentations. Presentations are usually 20-30 minutes after lunch starting at 1:10 pm. Should you like to join us for an excellent catered lunch the cost is $20 and we sit down to dine at 12:30 pm. Hope you’ll come and join us soon. from Doug Yeats Members of HMS Victory Chapter will be celebrating 70 years of the chapter’s founding at the Annual General Meeting on February 11. The meeting will take place at the Community Centre from 2-4 pm. Any one interested in what we do and what we would like to do is welcome to come. We are a national women’s charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals, through education support, community service and citizenship programs. From planting a tree near the Cenotaph and presenting a wreath there near November 11, to packing “ditty bags” for women arriving at shelters, to supporting a small school in Labrador, we have great ideas and need more members to help us achieve them “filling in the gaps” as Helen Reid used to say. We will have reports of our doings and give a count of the amazing number of volunteer hours given by our members in 2013. from Janet King 9 13th annual Steve and Rob Michelin Memorial Hockey Tournament We were back one year later, with not as much snow on the ground (Mother Nature wouldn’t dare challenge us with a snow storm two years in a row), but even more fire in the belly, ready to play for pride and the coveted championship beer mugs in the 13th annual Steve and Rob Michelin Memorial Hockey Tournament. In the Tournament’s lead-off game, the Richter Lightning built an early 4 to 2 lead on goals by Gerry McDonagh, father and son duo Sheldon and Justin Itzkowitz and Hillel Matthews. The Sharks fought back on a pair of goals by Christophe Lavoie and the dynamic brother combination Tim and Cam Maag and game ended tied at 4. The second game between the Multibag Wild and the Momentis Rangers also ended in a tie. Steve Sanner and Yuri Buharovich, on a spectacular end to end rush, scored for the Wild while smooth skating Ed Piro and volatile superstar Adriano Vissa answered for the Rangers. The third game was close for a while, tied at 2 until late in the game, but Funkin Flyers pulled away for a 7 to 2 victory over the Rempart Bruins. Matt Bishara recorded the hat trick for the Flyers while Pat Cronin added a pair. The Wild won their second game squeaking by the Sharks 3 to 1 with an empty netter to seal the deal. Superstar Zack Brezinski scored the Wild’s first two goals. The Lightning scored early and hung on to beat the Flyers 3 to 2 while in Game Six, the Rangers build a big early lead and then survived a ferocious comeback by the short-handed but dogged Bruins to win 6 to 4. Game Seven had Championship implications. All the Lightning had to do was beat the Wild to clinch the title. Yossi Matthews scored first to give the Lightning the lead. Amanda Santache then tied it up for the Wild. Hillel Matthews scored on a bullet slap shot to send the Lightning into the third period with the lead but the younger Wild fought back. Evan McCurdy scored to tie it at 2 and Steve Sanner scored to give the Wild the victory. Game Eight was just for fun although it may not have been that much fun for the Bruins who were on the wrong end of a 10 to 2 shellacking at the hands of the Sharks. Game Nine also had Championship implications. A victory over the Flyers was all that stood between the Rangers and the title. If the Flyers could win or tie, the Championship would go to the Wild. Adriano Vissa and Davide Degano scored for the Rangers but were matched by two goals from the Flyers’ Matt Emery. It was a tight battle. Neither team ready to give an inch. That’s when Trevor Drummond took control. His first goal on a breakaway gave the Rangers the lead. The second on a sure-handed redirect made it a 4 to 2 game. Chris Rasytinis scored to make it interesting but Davide’s second of the game iced the victory for the Rangers. Once again, the Steve and Rob Michelin Memorial Hockey Tournament was a great success. We mix youngsters and oldsters and the result is great hockey, great sportsmanship and great fun. This year we raised more than $12,000 pushing our 13-year total more than $400,000. Thanks to everyone who make this such a great event including Mike Barrett and the arena crew, our referees Patrick Samborsky, Brian Shatsky, Jeremy Noreau and Ralph Bigue and, in particular, Chris Kearney for his tremendous leadership. Without him, the tournament couldn’t happen. from Andy Michelin DR. HEATHER FOX B.S ., D.D.S. C Dentist 16 Westminster N. #315 Tel: 487-4577 Fax: 487-8376 Dr. Michael J. Wexel Chiropractor / Chiropracticien Tel: 773-7246 E-mail: drmjwexel@videotron.ca 18 Westminster N., Suite 110 Montreal West, QC H4X 1Y8 10 Edinburgh School École des Amis-du-Monde Une école belle comme un cœur! Visite à l’école de cirque de Verdun Happy New Year! We hope this holiday season was filled with health, warmth and prosperity. A few things to keep in mind when in and around the school: With the snow, comes ice! Although the weather has been beautiful it makes walking around the school treacherous at times so please be careful. To all of our volunteers, please keep in mind that Montreal West has a four-hour parking limit. Many of our teachers and staff have been ticketed! Giving back to the community Before the holidays the students of Edinburgh were very busy giving back to the community and working hard to support various causes. In support of the Philippine community and to help with relief efforts from Typhoon Haiyan, the children planned several activities. Mme Genèvieve’s class held a bake sale on November 26. Children were asked to bring in a loonie and were given the time to shop around for a tasty treat for a great cause! On Thursday November 28, the Student Leadership Committee (SLC) under the guidance of Ms. Pina, held a “Jeans Day”. In order to participate children were asked to bring in a loonie in exchange for wearing their jeans to school. All of the proceeds were to benefit the Canadian Red Cross. The federal government matched any contributions made at that time. The kindergarten and Cycle 1 students collected various toiletries for a local women’s shelter. Cycle two and three students collected non-perishable food items, toiletries and toys for CTV’s Spirit of Giving Campaign. Thank you to everyone who donated, participated, organized and executed all of these wonderful activities. The Musicanto Choir’s winter session is under way. After a very successful holiday concert last December, we are excited to move into our new repertoire. For this session, we will be singing songs in English, French and Italian. Aside from our weekly practices we will be going to choir camp in March and have begun planning our visit to Ottawa at the end of April. The season will be capped off with a concert at the MW United Church in May. Founded by Johanne Poirier-Ledoux in 2012, the Musicanto Choir is for all children from 8 to 16 years old. The choir’s repertoire is multilingual and consists of popular pieces, notably from French and Quebec singer-songwriters, as well as excerpts from musicals and songs from such genres as country, rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm & blues and gospel. If your children would like to participate, we would love to have them. Check out our website for details: www.musicanto.ca. C’était une journée très excitante ! Nous avons participé aux différentes activités récréatives pour nous divertir tout en nous initiant aux techniques de base en art du cirque. Premièrement, à notre arrivée, on nous a affecté des moniteurs pour nous guider tout au long des activités. Ensuite, on a fait plein d’acrobaties: trampoline, trapèze et équilibrisme sur les balles et les planches. On a aussi fait de la jonglerie avec des cerceaux, des bâtonsfleurs, des foulards et nous avons même fait tourner des assiettes chinoises. Ça prend vraiment beaucoup de temps pour apprendre à les faire tourner ! Après ces activités, nous avons fait une course à obstacles. C’était très excitant! Et pour finir, on nous a fait essayer de l’acrobatie sur tapis. Nous étions tous affamés à la fin des activités ! Merci pour cette merveilleuse journée! Par Stefan Georghita Les secrets des bandes dessinées Le 3e cycle a eu un invité spécial, le bédéiste Stéphan Archambault. Il nous a montré comment dessiner des personnages de BD. Dans ma classe, nous ferons un projet d’écriture et il faudra créer notre propre BD. J’ai beaucoup aimé cette activité, car j’avais vraiment besoin d’une nouvelle source d’inspiration pour dessiner et pour créer mes productions écrites. Stéphan Archambault nous a donné des trucs pour écrire notre texte dans les phylactères de bande dessinée sans jamais manquer de place. Pour ceux qui ne le savaient pas déjà, un phylactère est un mot plus riche pour désigner… une bulle! Par Auréliane Fréchette Février, mois de l’amitié Un événement extraordinaire arrive le 14 février : la fête de Saint-Valentin! Enfin nous pourrons donner nos cartes d’amitié à nos amis. Ca sera aussi la fête de M. Marc de notre école, on pourra lui souhaiter un bon anniversaire. La fête la plus romantique prend son origine à l’époque de l’empereur Claudius qui interdit à ses soldats de se marier. Malgré son interdiction, un prêtre nommé Valentin continue de marier les couples amoureux en secret. Pour cela, il est exécuté par l’empereur le 14 février de l’an 268. Deux siècles plus tard, le pape Délasse annonce le 14 février comme le jour de SaintValentin, patron des amoureux. Durant cette journée on peut sentir le parfum des fleurs partout. N’oubliez pas de faire une carte pour ceux que vous aimez : vos amis, vos parents et vos proches. Invitez vos amis de la classe et célébrez ensemble. Car l’amour a plusieurs formes et il faut le garder dans nos cœurs pour toujours! Par Mariya Georgieva et Anna Redkina Dans ma classe, j’ai une très bonne amie. Elle s’appelle Mariya. Pour la St-Valentin, je lui souhaite beaucoup de plaisir. Sa fête est le 14 février, le jour de l’amour. Je lui souhaite aussi une bonne fête! Par Gabrielle Murray Pour moi, l’amitié, c’est tout. Avoir une amie pour jouer, l’aimer, être gentille, compter sur elle, remonter le moral quand tu es triste, t’aider… Par Hannah Lee Poy-Paxman Article produit avec la collaboration de Nathalie Grégoire, Petrina Lee Poy et Brigitte Rivard. Dessin par Saadiya Hasan. 11 L’Oeufrier: continued from page 1 Before finally selecting the premises, he walked up and down the street to get a feel for the place. While there are a number of restaurants in the area, he realized none really specialized in a breakfast/brunch menu. He liked the village atmosphere of the area and he also knew the place was for sale. The restaurant seats 64 people and there are plans to construct a terrace that could accommodate another dozen or so during the summer. The decor is clean, light and airy, with daily specials written in chalk on a large blackboard spanning one wall. Specials for students are also being planned. Helping out is son, Ryan, who is a second year Concordia student who always had a passion for cooking and the restaurant acquisition is the perfect opportunity to hone his cooking skills. He claims to be completely self-taught but most likely the love for cooking came from his mother, Isabelle, a stayat-home mother who raised three children. When they were all in school she worked in the fashion and textile industry. Still, cooking was her first love. She felt guilty if she didn’t cook several meals a day for her family. There are two other children in the family, Lauren, who is a Projects and Customer Relations Director for Kruger Wine and Spirits and Lou, who is an electrician for TS Electric. The new restaurant will be a place where Isabelle will be able to apply her creative culinary skills by integrating traditional Lebanese dishes into the weekday lunch menu. Cooking and a love of food run deep in the family’s bloodstream. L’Oeufrier 49 Westminster N. Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 5:30 am - 3 pm Saturday: 6 am - 3 pm Sunday: 7 am - 3 pm Tel. No.: 507-1700 Visit us on the web http://www.bonder.com/ LIBRAIRIE BONDER INC. BONDER BOOKSTORE INC. 52 Westminster Avenue N. Montreal West, Quebec H4X 1Z2 Tel: (514) 484-7131 Fax: (514) 484-3745 E-mail: bonder@bonder.com CALL FOR ANY BOOK IN PRINT Elizabeth Ballantyne School Gold medal robotics The EBS Robotics Program has restarted for the 2013-2014 school year. There are 24 kids divided into two groups. Cycle 2 meets on Monday afternoons and Cycle 3, on Friday afternoons. Originally, the program was available only for Cycle 3, but was recently extended to include Cycle 2. The increased demand for the program was partially due to the popularity of a talent show performance in spring 2012 where a student used a refurbished remote control car to perform tricks. Robotics is run by science teacher, Alison Lydynia. Miss Alison explained that one of the biggest challenges for the group is keeping track of the pieces from the Lego NXT Robotics kits. “Every year we start from scratch and think about sorting the parts in a new way.” To further complicate things, the students are allowed to mix and match parts from several different kits. Miss Alison’s robotics group is enthusiastically supported by recently graduated alumni. Alumnus and current Marionapolis student, Steven Dahdah returns every week to assist the group. He said, “It is important to maintain balance when helping the students in problem solving.” He explained that when group members ask him a question, he assists them by posing questions back which will help them to find their own answers. The atmosphere in Room 11 where the group meets is intense as the students are very engaged in their work. Cycle 2 student, Qasim Mughal says that he loves to play with Lego and the skills he learns in robotics help him to build computers with his father. The group will compete at the RoboJunior 2014 in April at John Rennie High School. They are preparing for four events; Search and Rescue, 2 on 2 Soccer, Dance and The Beatles (a pentathlon with a variety of challenges). Miss Alison says that “EBS is very good at 2 on 2 Soccer and has won a gold medal in that event two years in a row.” The group is looking forward to continuing on in their success. from Caroline Dick-Semergian Preparation for Search and Rescue at RoboJunior 2013 Groupe Sutton Centre-Ouest Inc. 514-575-2419 mwilson@sutton.com Mary Wilson Courtier immobilier résidentiel 12 MW Scout Group Cubs The cubs had a fun and busy fall. They learned all about different types of pollution and did an experiment to simulate cleaning bird feathers after an oil spill. They planted bean seeds and built bird feeders and rain gauges. Fall camp was October 26 weekend at Camp Jackson Dodds. The Cubs did some star gazing on Friday night and were all so excited to be there that they got to bed very late! Imagine their surprise to wake up Saturday morning to 4 cm of wet snow. Despite the wet weather, they still had a great time. They even managed to get fires going to cook lunch after a hike to the falls; no easy task with snow covered ground and wet wood! They also participated in the Halloween theme put on by the staff at Camp Tamaracouta, where they carved pumpkins and visited a really spooky haunted house. They had a good time working on their Astronomy badge, learning about constellations and making star finders. There was a good balance of planned activities and time to run and explore. Many thanks to Hawkeye (Bob King) and Rainbow (Karen Johnstone) for making sure everyone was well fed all weekend. In December they finished up program work and made Christmas cards for a local seniors’ residence. www.mwsg.ca They ended the year with a bowling party; two of the Cubs got much higher scores than the leaders. Everyone had a great time! Afterwards they had snacks and received their Black Stars (The Natural World) for program work done during the year. Back after a three-week break they’re hard at work on their Tawny Star (Creative Expression). They’ll be learning to break codes, make skits and work on a lot of craft projects. They are eager to join in the group winter camp at Camp Tamaracouta in early February. This year there’s an Olympic theme which is always a lot of fun. Stay tuned to next month’s Informer for the highlights. well. Despite the temperatures clocking in at 20 below, and our food insta-freezing upon contact with the cold air, we managed to have a great weekend. One may think that one freezing, snowy camp is enough for us, but our adventurous spirit is leading us to another winter camp on the weekend of February 7, which is the winter Olympics weekend at Tamaracouta. The winter Olympics camp is a weekend of winter activities that happens every four years, just like the real Olympics. This is the first time most, if not all, of us will be at the camp for it. Tune in to next month’s Informer to see if we adventurous Scouts survived our second winter camp of the year.... from Darzee (Lee-Ann Simpson) from Isaac Million-Lovett, 4th-year scout Scouts The year is now well under way in the MWSG. We have resumed our weekly meetings, discussing and participating in various activities to earn a large and important badge. Before the winter break, we went to a fall camp, as we do every year. However, this year we didn’t quite get what our past years had offered. Usually, we go when the weather is not terribly cold – and never snowy! – but this year there was about a foot of snow on the ground. This made it much harder to carry our personal gear and, because we cooked outside, the kitchen gear as Jonathan Halliday, Liam Massey, Alex Halin and Mathew Patterson-Cormier at Scouts' fall camp at Tamaracouta Rovers A Rover Crew has been formed, for young men and women ages 18-26, doing joint activities with the Venturer Company, youth ages 14-17. The outdoors is an essential part of the program along with helping their local community. Developing an active, healthy lifestyle is the primary goal. As you will remember, early January was COLD… well, the gang travelled to Mount Sainte-Anne, the weekend of January 2-5, enjoying the slopes of Le Massif and SainteAnne, along with the luge run at Le Massif at minus 30 + wind chill (ah, to be young again)… a GREAT weekend was had by all! Sports nights are organized, challenging other groups such as Strathmore in Dorval and the Granny Grunts on the South Shore… a great opportunity to burn off some energy and teamwork! Support was provided to the junior sections, assisting with the food drive in October and work day at the Quebec Council camp… Tamaracouta Scout Reserve (a few of our guys work on staff in the summer, as lifeguards and maintenance). Winter camp is next on the agenda and planning for the annual Loblaw’s BBQ fundraiser, along with work day this spring and of course the annual fertilizer drive… good thing these young folks have lots of energy, to assist with the deliveries! For information on joining these senior sections, call or email Rusty at 966-0881, jwiersma@scouts.ca. Alexandre Kelemen, B.A. Econ. Financial Security Advisor DR. SUSAN MCDONALD Dentist • Dentiste 1800 McGill College, Suite 1100 Office: 514-931-4242 ext. 2323 Cell: 514-572-9470 alexandre.Kelemen@f55f.com A division of London Life Insurance Company 73 WESTMINSTER N. MONTREAL WEST H4X 1Y8 curtaincall.montreal@gmail.com 486-4411 13 Guiding Christmas gifts galore and more The service projects accomplished by the Sparks, Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders before Christmas were very impressive. The almost $200 in loose change collected in our community included 7,200 pennies, all neatly rolled for the bank, and bought “five wonderful turkeys and all the potatoes” for the United Church’s Christmas day turkey dinner delivery. The girls enjoyed counting, weighing and rolling all those coins that then needed to be taken by wagon to the Royal Bank The Sparks and Brownies put together a pretty gift bag to be delivered with Mealson-Wheels. Lettie James wrote, “Your cut out snowflake is beautiful and I will keep it always. We hung your stained glass cookie on our little Christmas tree. I hope that you enjoyed making them as much as we en- joyed receiving them.” Lettie was once upon a time (for three months) a secretary to Lady Baden-Powell whose birthday and that of her husband Lord B.P. who founded Scouting, is celebrated around the world on February 22. Lettie and Cliff’s children are all involved in Scouting and Guiding as adult leaders, carrying on a great tradition of community service. The Guides collected non-perishable food for the NDG Food Bank, delivered toiletries to Auberge Transition and did some fascinating crafts. Pathfinders are having a great time, with most of them working very hard to raise funds towards their trip to Our Chalet, the Girl Guide World Centre in Switzerland, this summer. from Janet King 45 Westminster South 481-7441 Hours Monday - Thursday 10 - 12, 2 - 4, 7 - 9 Fiction Albom, Mitch Baldacci, David Catton, Eleanor Clancy, Tom Lawson, Mary Roberts, Nora Simison, Graeme The First Phone Call King and Maxwell The Luminaries Command Authority Road Ends Dark Witch The Rosie Project Mysteries Adler-Olsen, Jussi The Purity of Vengeance Fossum, Karin Eva’s Eye Holt, Anne Death of the Demon La Plante, Lynda Backlash Marklund, Liza Last Will Non-fiction France, Gavin Empire Antarctica Guiliano, Mireille French Women Don’t Get Facelifts Kerman, Piper Orange is the New Black Leon, Donna My Venice Stanton, Brandon Humans of New York DVDs Mildred Pierce, The Indian Doctor series 2, 56 up, Side Effects Catherine Gardner Real estate broker Courtier immobilier Baking up fresh to order gourmet cupcakes and specialty cakes. We deliver our products directly to you! CakePops - Dessert Tables Candy Bars Groupe Sutton Centre-Ouest Inc. 514-793-5608 cgardner@sutton.com Themed "Decorate Your Own Cupcakes" birthday parties. Corporate Events - Fundraisers - Daycares Les Cupcakes Emmagination www.mtlcupcakes.com 514.792.3662 14 News from the Pews Hours / Heures Monday - Thursday / lundi - jeudi : 9 h 00 - 12 h 00; 13 h 30 - 18 h 00 Friday / vendredi : 9 h 00 - 12 h 00; 13 h 30 - 17 h 00 Saturday / samedi : 13 h 00 - 16 h 00 Happy New Year! We are now in full swing at the library. Our Mother Goose, Tales for Tots, and Story Sparklers programs began in January and are going strong. Lego Club Session 2 will begin on February 6 and run to the 27th. Please call the library to register. We will be running a Valentine’s Day themed story time in February. Please refer to our Facebook page to find out all the details closer to the 14th or you are welcome to give us a call! We also have lots of Valentine’s Day and Groundhog Day books out and ready to be borrowed. Keep your eyes open for all the new DVDs and audio books we have recently acquired. Theopiste (Theo) Hondzoglou bur.: (514) 483-5800 fax: (514) 483-2699 mobile: (514) 898-3821 hondzoglout@sutton.com Groupe Sutton – Centre-Ouest Inc. 5800, avenue Monkland Montreal, QC, H4A 1G1 St. Ignatius of Loyola St. Philip’s At St. Ignatius of Loyola, we are blessed to have eight young people from NET ministries working with us. As a result we are trying to focus in on activities and programs aimed at families and young people. We have a new youth group called “Lifeline” for boys and girls in grades 5 and 6 as well as our “Almighties” youth group for teens. They both meet on alternate Thursdays from 7 to 9 pm with the next “Almighties” meeting on February 5. These are wonderful opportunities for young people to come together to share in fun and meet new friends. Please feel free to come on by the parish hall, or for more information please call the NET team at 581-7614. We are also beginning an ALPHA series for young adults ages 18-25; ALPHA offers a chance for people to come together and tackle the big questions – is there more to life than this and, if so, what is it? The group will meet every second Saturday. We haven’t forgotten you parents either; in March we will begin a five-week course on parenting teenagers. Parents are the main influence on your teenagers’ future. Meeting their deepest needs, setting healthy boundaries, helping to develop their emotional health and teaching them how to make good choices takes skill and dedication. Discovering you are not alone in the challenges you face and picking up ideas from other parents can make a huge difference. The Parenting Teenagers course, while based on Christian principles, is relevant and helpful for any parent with or without a Christian faith or church background. For more information please call Carol Eaton-Jensen at 481-9124 or take a look at our website www.st-ignatius.ca/blog/. Thank you to all who came out and supported the NDG Food Depot’s annual food drive. Many hands made light work and despite a volume of donations that was almost double last year, it was all efficiently sorted and packed. On December 7, a large group of members met to talk about our property and mission. A strong desire was expressed to use our property as a community asset: for events like the food drive, for fellowship and community gatherings. In the months to come we will be exploring those options. On your agenda On Sunday, February 9 we will bring some warmth to winter with a pot-luck lunch immediately following the 10 am Eucharist. No reservations are needed, please come and bring some food to share. Saturday, February 22 at 7 pm St. Philip’s Anglican Church will present a dramatic reading of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood. This is a non-flattering, but heartwarming work in which you are sure to see yourself in one or two of the roles. Admission is a non-perishable food item for the NDG Food Depot. Coffee and desserts will be provided. For the winter, the Tuesday evening Eucharist has moved from the chapel to the Guild Room. We celebrate the liturgy in the round, using a form from the Iona Community, with a group discussion of the scripture passage of the day. We start at 7:30 pm; enter by the door on Connaught Ave. Lent comes late this year. Ash Wednesday is March 5, and we will have our usual Ash Wednesday Eucharist at 7:30 pm. 15 News from the Pews MW United Awhile ago now, but worth saying... Picture this: A lady living alone, who received a Christmas Day dinner in 2012, called to ask if this year (2013) she could receive three more. She knew three other people in the same building who were alone for Christmas. While she couldn’t prepare a meal for them all, she could set a nice table if we provided the turkey and trimmings. How lovely is that? Again this year, many of you came together to provide and deliver over 240 Christmas dinners. It is 25 years since the Foster and Lang families first began providing such meals to perhaps a dozen of Joan’s home care clients. Clearly good things bear repeating. Thanks to all who helped in whatever way. Speaking of bearing repeating It has been suggested that mention be made of the accessibility of our church building. Did you know that the doors on Westminster and Ballantyne have buttons to open them? An elevator located nearest the Ballantyne door, goes to four levels. An accessible washroom is on the lower level. Headsets for use in the sanctuary are available from the ushers at services, as are cushions should the pews be uncomfortable. And don’t forget our family friendly area in the west transept that allows more flexibility for parents with wee ones. We take all these things for granted, but those who haven’t been inside recently might like to know. Next Labyrinth Walk Tuesday, February 25 will be an evening Labyrinth Walk between 7 and 9 pm. A “meditation in motion,” some say, Labyrinths are designed to move you towards clarity or peace – or at the very least – a temporary calm. Sound like a good idea? Drop in during the evening and try it for yourself. Socks or slippers are needed for walking, but otherwise, no particular preparation or experience is required. Used world-wide for many millennia, the Labyrinth is open to all. Sunday Worship and Sunday school are still at 10 am. Call us at 482-3210 or visit www.mwuc.org. We’d love to see you. from Susan Upham MW Presbyterian Happy New Year! We look forward to welcoming you to many of our upcoming events. Looking back Our celebration of the Advent and Christmas seasons included inspirational services and glorious music. We thank Dr. Dale Woods, Interim Moderator, Sampson Afoakwah, Student Minister, and Ben Kwong, Organist and Choir Director, for their excellent leadership. Thanks, too, to our faithful and talented choir and extended choir members. On Friday, December 13 our evening of Christmas music, directed by Ben Kwong, was enjoyed by all. Thank you, Ben. Welcome back We welcome back our Student Minister, Sampson who was on a short-term mission trip in Cuba in January. Our thanks to David Sturtevant, Student Minister, for leading two Sunday services in Sampson’s absence. Baptism Liam Werner Tilley, infant son of Sean Tilley and his wife Tanya Schudel, was Donna Nicholson 481-3406 baptized on Sunday, December 15, by Dr. John Simms. Liam is the grandson of Lana Tilley and Werner and Christa Schudel. Looking ahead Our newly formed Church Guild is planning to organize many activities and events over the coming months. Of course, some of the old favourites will still take place. Card party! This popular event will be held on Friday, February 21 at 1 pm. A light luncheon will be served. Tickets will soon be available: $10 each. So make up your tables and come along. Contact the church office 484-7913, Zipper Scriver (486-07420) or Janet Dimock (484-2783). Opera da Camera Our organist, Ben Kwong is the Director of Opera da Camera. Plan to attend its 2014 production of Massenet’s Cendrillon. Showings are February 21, 22 or 28 at 7:30 pm at Theatre Rialto, 5719 ave du Parc. Tickets may be obtained by phone at 7707773 or by email at info@theatrerialto.ca Bible study Bible Study will resume on Wednesday, January 22 at 7 pm. 160 Ballantyne N. entrance. All are welcome. Please call Mildred at 484-7913 for further information. Sunday school All children are most welcome to participate and enjoy a special time that will enrich their lives. For more information please contact Jennet Atem at 438-993-6473. Sunday services and Sunday school are held weekly at 10 am. A social hour follows – a time to meet new and old friends and neighbours. All are welcome. from Janet Dimock 35 years ++ Let my Experience Work for You Serving the Montreal West area in the buying and selling of homes. For an informal rendez-vous, please call. 481-3406 16 MW 50+ Club Outings and events for February 5 Movie matinée: Jayne Mansfield’s Car (2012) 14 Valentine’s tea party 19 Diners’ Club: La Coupole 25 Bridge: new teams are welcome 27 Grevin Wax Museum March 11 Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum 12 Movie: Last Vegas (2013) 14 St. Patrick’s luncheon 18 Soup’s on: Constellations, speaker Bruno Stenson 25 Bridge: new teams are welcome New York City: April 27 - May 1 Shaw Festival: August 25 - 28 For more information on 50+ activities and special events or any suggestions for speakers or entertainment, please call: Tammy Loftus 484-1610 Foot clinics February 12 & 26 March 12 & 26 Fees for services: $40 for the first visit and $35 for subsequent visits by appointment only 484-6186 Le Monde des petits enfants continuation de la page 1 les locaux de sa garderie afin de les rendre pratiques, attrayants et sécuritaires pour sa jeune clientèle. Grâce à cette initiative, elle a pu connaître le grand bonheur d’éduquer son fils unique dans le respect de ses propres valeurs tout en lui offrant la compagnie d’autres enfants. Ce beau petit milieu de garde rempli de douceur a grandi au fil des ans, mais conserve une dimension humaine très appréciée de la clientèle. Il demeure aussi un lieu d’apprentissage stimulant pour les tout-petits, tout au long de leur développement. Le petit monde d’Heidi Soucieuse d’offrir un environnement éducatif de très haute qualité aux enfants et des défis intéressants à ses collègues éducatrices, Heidi travaille sans relâche pour dénicher des thèmes qui captent l’intérêt des bambins au fil des semaines. Les murs de la garderie sont tapissés de magnifiques projets qui témoignent des apprentissages effectués autour des thèmes visités par les enfants. Aux petites discussions de groupes sur les thèmes s’ajoutent de nombreuses activités de dessin et de bricolage toutes plus créatives les unes que les autres. Il y a aussi des moments pour chanter, pour s’initier à la musique et pour entendre de petits spectacles de musique classique offerts occasionnellement aux enfants par des amis musiciens. La motricité globale des bambins est également stimulée à travers divers exercices ludiques. Évidemment, les périodes de jeux libres font le bonheur de tous et j’ai pu constater qu’un grand respect règne entre les enfants, ce qui reflète bien les valeurs enseignées par leurs éducatrices. Le charmant petit groupe sort chaque jour pour explorer les parcs de MontréalOuest ou le petit espace-jeu à l’extérieur de la garderie. Il assiste régulièrement aux lectures de contes à notre bibliothèque municipale. Lorsque la température est invitante et que les conditions sont favorables, il arrive même que les enfants sortent une deuxième fois pour profiter au maximum des bons moments en plein air. Heidi aimerait ajouter quelques sorties éducatives à son programme, déjà fort riche, afin de permettre aux aînés du groupe de connaître d’autres belles expériences. Comme une saine alimentation est essentielle à leur bien-être, des repas équilibrés et appétissants sont préparés sur place et servis généreusement aux petits bambins qui n’hésitent pas à en redemander, avec politesse et grand sourire! La garderie offre un environnement multiâge à la fois stimulant et sécurisant pour les enfants, dont plusieurs ont la chance de côtoyer leur frère ou leur sœur. Pour perme- ttre à chacun d’atteindre son plein potentiel de développement, les petits de moins de dix-huit mois sont installés dans une pièce spécialement adaptée à leurs besoins. Les plus grands, dont l’âge peut aller jusqu’à cinq ans, bénéficient d’une salle de jeu spacieuse et fort accueillante. Pour l’aider à veiller sur ses chers petits anges, Heidi s’est adjoint trois éducatrices expérimentées nommées Raha, Safoua et Sara. Cette belle équipe qui a à cœur le développement des enfants assure en permanence une douce présence auprès d’eux. Si vous rencontrez ces petits anges dans les rues de notre ville, offrez-leur votre plus beau sourire, ils vous le rendront assurément. Ainsi, vous pourrez vous vanter d’avoir déjà contemplé l’un des plus beaux trésors de Montréal-Ouest! Le Monde des petits enfants Heidi Saber, directrice 16, Milner (angle Strathearn Nord) 690-6703 Article rédigé avec la collaboration de Brigitte Rivard. 17 Community Centre Extra pounds? Do you want to lose those unwanted pounds put on during the holiday season? Then, sign up for one of the many fitness programs offered at the Town Hall and Community Centre. There is sure to be one that fits your fitness level and needs. Call the Community Centre at 484-6186. Space still available in: Stretch Monday: 8:30 am Tuesday and/or Thursday: 6:15 pm Fitness drumming/mini tramp/dance fit Wednesday: 6:45 pm Yogalates Monday and/or Wednesday: 7:05 pm Eccentrics Wednesday: 7:30 pm Vinyasa Yoga Saturday: 9:45 am Zumba Saturday: 10:45 am TRX Suspension Training Monday: 6:30 am Stephen Coull B. Comm. Courtier en Assurances de Dommages Broker in Damage Insurance 68 Westminster Ave. N. 514-481-1134 www.rccoull.com March Break Madness Summer employment March 3-7 (5- to 12-year-olds) You may submit a cover letter and résumé at the John A. Simms Community Centre, 8 Westminster Ave S. Fax: 485-8596 or via email ckearney@montreal-west.ca to the attention of Christopher Kearney. Early bird prices until: February 7 Full week: $190 resident $200 non-resident Daily fee: $50 resident $60 non-resident After February 7 Full week: $205 resident $215 non-resident Daily fee: $55 resident $65 non-resident • Monday: Funtropolis, theme: Hawaiian day • Tuesday: tubing at Mont-Avila. • Wednesday: cabane à sucre • Thursday: Aquadome and bowling • Friday: pizza making, movie and Captain Catalyst Call for more infomation: 484-6186. • Pool Lifeguards • Wading Pool Attendants • Day Camp Counsellors • Community Centre Animators • Pool Cashier • Day Camp Specialist (arts & crafts, cooking, dance, drama, karate, music, pottery, sports, tennis, etc.) March Break Hockey Camp Prepare for your playoff run or polish your skills! MoWest Hockey Director Eric Rayment and his Hockey Montreal coaches will be offering a March Break program at the Legion Rink, March 3-7. A full day hockey program with three hours on ice focusing on skill development and fun. Daily on ice includes: one hour of power skating, one hour of puck skills and a one hour game. The rest of the day will be filled with fun off-ice activities. For more info, please contact Eric at 969-5595 or eric@hockeymontreal.com. Family Snow Day Hodgson Field Sunday, February 9 Free activities include: Horse-drawn wagon rides from 12-3 pm Outdoor skating and activities 12-3 pm (weather permitting) Face Painting 1-3pm Followed by Alan Greenberg Magic Show 3:15 at the Town Hall Call for more info: 484-6186. Individual coaching in all academic areas Canadian History Study French Skills English Mathematics Science Step up to PDec. The Homework Program smart way to address the school year! Consultants: Birdie Goodman and Elaine Wisenthal-Milech :HVWPLQVWHU1RUWK0RQWUHDO:HVW4&+;< SGHFRQVXOWDQWV#YLGHRWURQFD www.pdec.ca 18 Town Council Meeting: December by Carol Foster As usual, the December meeting of Council was preceded by a presentation of the Town’s estimated budget for 2014. The Mayor began his report by explaining that this budget cannot be adopted until the agglomeration’s budget is finalized, which will hopefully happen in January 2014. Ten residents, most of whom were not Council regulars, attended the first “Coffee with the Mayor” gathering. The Mayor expressed his pleasure with the wide-ranging discussions and apologized for the displacement of an exercise class scheduled for the same venue. The replacement of the windows and doors in the Town Hall is being postponed as the Town has to issue a new call for tenders after the original contractor had to withdraw due to administrative delays by the City of Montreal that was acting as grant program manager for the Island. Because Town employees are being disturbed by the noise from exercise classes held on the second floor, the assembly hall floor will be redone and insulation added. FOR THE BEST SERVICE IN TOWN POUR LE MEILLEUR SERVICE EN VILLE N.D.G. & Montreal West Real Estate Agency Agence immobilière Councillor Feeney summarized the development of the budget for 2014. She pointed out that final figures are not available since only 65% is under the Town’s control and the remainder is determined by the agglomeration’s decisions. However, she expects to maintain the primary goals of no increases in operational expenses, no cuts in services and no increases in taxes exceeding the cost-of-living index. At the same time, the budget planning is being challenged by a significant decrease in the PST reimbursement from the Province, a two per cent increase in contractual obligations and an expected increase in the agglomeration bill. Final budget figures will be published as soon as they are available. Councillor Torres was absent so her report was read by the Mayor. She is still getting adjusted to her portfolio and has experienced eight water-main breaks but has also watched the Christmas decorations go up. Councillor Tasker-Brown explained the new “Code Red” automated emergency call system which has already been used to notify residents affected by the water main breaks. All residents are urged to provide their contact information to the database for this system to ensure its success. Dog licences and parking permits are due for renewal and thefts from cars have caused an increase in the Town’s crime statistics for 2013. Councillor Ulin thanked all those involved in helping make Santa’s Breakfast a huge success. The air quality in the Arena continues to be good, hockey boards are up in Hodgson’s Field and camp and pool position applications are now available on the web. Dates for the organic waste pickup during the winter months can also be found on the web. The Mayor and the Councillors all concluded their remarks by wishing everyone happy holidays. Notices of Motion for several bylaws including the growing of marijuana in the Town, zoning regulations specifying the number of daycares permissible in an area and an updated Code of Ethics for elected officials were all announced by the Mayor. Question period RICK ISABELLE DAVID LAVELL PAPINEAU DOUBT . . Real Estate Brokers . Courtiers immobiliers office: 514 483-5800 www.rickandisabelle.com 1-800-260-1445 Winter weather, which inevitably causes problems in the Town, was on some residents’ minds. Contractors who ignore snowclearing regulations, parking during the Town’s snow removal procedures and the use of salt versus gravel on icy sidewalks were all topics discussed. Renegade contractors and parking during snow removal fall under Public Security’s mandate while the debate over which abrasives to use on slippery surfaces had proponents on several sides of the issue. Salt is damaging to the environment but it does the most efficient job. Gravel does not dissolve, washes into the sewers and takes up considerable storage space. Councillor Ulin stated a preference for the use of a combination of the two. A resident noted that the Town’s election procedures are confusing and wondered if there aren’t other ways to cast votes other than by seats. The Mayor explained that it is the province that sets the electoral procedures and they vary according to the size of the municipality. Several problems originally discussed at previous Council meetings raised their heads once again. The parking problem for residents around Edinburgh School still has not been resolved satisfactorily although, according to the Mayor, the teachers are making an effort. He promised that negotiations will continue. A resident on Brock North who had complained to Council about the tree roots causing damage to her house is now unhappy because she received a ticket for damaging the tree which is on Town property. The Mayor agreed to look into the situation once more information is available. And, finally, the Brynmor resident who had originally expressed a concern about the installation of the pumping station by Gaz Métro was now very disappointed because the promised aesthetics and noise reduction on the site have not materialized. In spite of Gaz Métro’s assurances, the cover for the pump looks like a “large garbage container,” there is no landscaping, it is still very noisy and consequently property values are being affected. The Mayor appreciated the feedback and will take these complaints back to Gaz Métro. The meeting was adjourned with Council finishing another year’s worth of work. 19 Réunion du Conseil : décembre par Carol Foster traduction par René Boucher Selon la tradition, la présentation du budget estimé de la Ville a précédé la réunion de décembre du Conseil. Le maire a amorcé son rapport en expliquant que le budget ne peut être adopté tant que le budget de l’agglomération ne sera pas arrêté, avec un peu de chance, en janvier 2014. Dix résidants dont la plupart n’étaient pas des habitués du Conseil ont participé au premier « Café avec le maire ». Ce dernier s’est dit heureux des nombreux sujets discutés et s’est excusé d’avoir déplacé une séance d’exercices prévue au même endroit. Le remplacement des portes et fenêtres de l’hôtel de ville est retardé; la Ville fera un nouvel appel d’offres puisque l’entrepreneur choisi a dû se désister en raison de délais administratifs à la ville de Montréal agissant comme gestionnaire du programme de subventions pour l’Île. Parce que le bruit des classes d’exercices tenues à l’étage gêne le personnel de la Ville, le plancher de la grande salle sera refait avec l’ajout de matériau insonorisant. La conseillère Feeney a résumé le développement du budget pour 2014. Elle a souligné que les chiffres finaux ne sont pas connus puisque seuls 65 % relèvent de la Ville, le reste étant déterminé par les décisions de l’agglomération. Cependant, elle garde le cap sur les objectifs primaires de ne pas augmenter les dépenses de fonctionnement, ne pas couper les services et ne pas augmenter les taxes au-delà de l’indice du coût de la vie. Parallèlement, la planification budgétaire fait face à une réduction importante des remboursements de TPS par la Province, à une augmentation de deux pour cent de ses obligations contractuelles et une augmentation prévue du compte de l’agglomération. Les chiffres définitifs du budget seront publiés dès que disponible. En l’absence de la conseillère Torres, le maire a lu son rapport. Elle est toujours en mode apprentissage de son portefeuille et a connu huit bris de canalisations principales en plus de voir monter les décorations de Noël. La conseillère Tasker-Brown a expliqué le nouveau système automatisé d’appels d’urgence « Code Red » qui a déjà servi à aviser les résidants touchés par les bris d’aqueduc. Elle exhorte tous les citoyens à fournir leurs coordonnées à la banque de données du système pour assurer sa réussite. Les permis pour chiens doivent être renouvelés et les vols dans des véhicules ont causé une hausse des statistiques d’activité criminelle en 2013. La conseillère Ulin a remercié tous ceux et celles qui ont contribué au grand succès du Déjeuner avec le père Noël. La qualité de l’air de l’aréna se maintient, les bandes pour le hockey sont installées au parc Hodgson et on trouve maintenant les formulaires de candidature pour les postes à la piscine et au camp de jour sur le Web. Le maire et les conseillères ont tous conclu leurs remarques par des souhaits de joyeuses fêtes. Le maire a ensuite annoncé des avis de motion pour des règlements sur la culture de marijuana dans la ville, sur le zonage limitant le nombre de garderies permises dans un secteur et une mise à jour du Code d’éthique pour les élus. Période de questions Le temps hivernal qui inévitablement occasionne des problèmes dans la ville préoccupait certains résidants. Les entrepreneurs qui font fi des règlements sur le déneigement, le stationnement pendant les travaux de la Ville pour l’enlèvement de la neige et l’utilisation de sel plutôt que de gravillons sur les trottoirs glissants ont tous fait l’objet de discussion. Les déneigeurs rebelles et le stationnement pendant l’enlèvement de la neige relèvent du mandat de la Sécurité publique. Le débat concernant les abrasifs à utiliser sur les surfaces glissantes avait des partisans de chaque côté. Le sel est dommageable pour l’environnement, mais serait plus efficace. Le gravier ne se dissout pas, se retrouve dans les égouts et nécessite un grand espace de stockage. La conseillère Ulin s’est déclarée partisane d’une combinaison des deux. Un citoyen a fait remarquer que les procédures électorales de la Ville portent à confusion et a demandé s’il y aurait des façons de voter autres que pour chaque siège. Le maire a expliqué que la Province édicte les procédures électorales lesquelles varient en fonction de la taille de la municipalité. De nombreux sujets discutés lors de réunions précédentes du Conseil ont de nouveau fait surface. La question du stationnement pour les résidants avoisinant l’école Edinburgh n’est toujours pas résolue de façon satisfaisante quoique, selon le maire, les enseignants feraient des efforts. Il a promis que les négociations se poursuivront. Une résidante de Brock Nord qui s’était plainte au Conseil au sujet des racines d’arbres qui causaient des dommages à sa maison est malheureuse maintenant, ayant reçu un constat d’infraction pour dommages à l’arbre situé sur l’emprise municipale. Le maire examinera la situation lorsqu’il aura de plus amples renseignements. Finalement, le résidant de l’avenue Brynmor qui, à l’origine, se préoccupait de l’installation de la station de pompage de Gaz Métro se dit maintenant très déçu parce que l’esthétique et la réduction du bruit promises ne se concrétisent pas. Malgré les assurances de Gaz Métro, le couvercle de la pompe ressemble à un « gros conteneur à ordures », il n’y a pas d’aménagement paysager, le bruit est toujours présent et conséquemment la valeur des propriétés souffre. Le maire a reçu ces commentaires et transmettra les plaintes à Gaz Métro. Sur ce, la séance était levée, concluant une autre année de travaux du Conseil. Palmtop / laptop specialists since 1986 Wireless Pentium-M notebooks $299+ Virus removal and repairs Richard Eckerlin President 37 Westminster Ave. N. 438-938-6240 We environmentally recycle old and broken laptop/notebook computers. 20 Classifieds FOR RENT, weekly or monthly: charming water-front cottage in secluded domaine near Morin Heights, 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms, with 25 km of cross-country skiing trails. For information: 486-0702 or 978-3968. FOR RENT: modern apartment in old hill town of Sarnano, Le Marche, one of central Italy’s most beautiful villages. Two bedrooms, full kitchen, living and dining rooms, large bathroom, central heating. Close by restaurants, stores, great hiking paths, museums, fabulous views. See apartment on www.vrbo.com search Sarnano, Italy. David: 484-5543. TUTORING: retired EBS French teacher will tutor students of all levels. $35 per hour. 486-0702. C O M IN G E VE N T S Please call the Editor: Heather at 489-7022 e-mail: montrealwestinformer@gmail.com Next deadline: February 12 FEB Sun The NDG Senior Citizens’ Council is looking for reliable volunteers for our various programs. Volunteers are the cornerstone of NDGSCC. We engage volunteers in roles that are meaningful to them and compatible with the needs of the organization. Boomer Café 2 Sun 9 9 Tue 11 Fri Volunteers needed! 14 Mon 17 Fri 21 Sat 22 Sun 23 Mon 24 Tue 25 MAR Wed 5 Sat 22 Founding assembly of a new electoral district association and general meeting of members for the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce/Westmount/ MoWest for the election of a new executive and new board of directors. Lower Canada College (4090 Royal Ave). 4 pm. Further information: mcgrawdesiree@gmail.com. Pot-luck lunch. St. Philip’s. 11:30 am. Family Snow Day. Hodgson Field. noon-3 pm. Annual General Meeting of HMS Victory Chapter IODE. Community Centre. All welcome. 2 pm. 24th annual Science Fair. Royal West Academy. Free admission. Public viewing hours: 1-2:30 pm and 6:30-8 pm. Coffee with the Mayor. Town Hall. 7:30 am. MW Horticultural Society presents Suzanne Campeau on mosses: Ancient Plants for Contemporary Gardens. Town Hall. Everyone welcome; nonmembers, $5. 7:30 pm. Card Party. MW Presbyterian. 160 Ballantyne N. entrance. Light luncheon. Info and tickets ($10): 484-7913, Janet Dimock 484-2783 or Zipper Scriver 486-0742. 1 pm. Coffee-house, free will offering for NDG Food Depot. St. Philip’s. 7:30 pm. Annual Vestry Meeting. St. Philip’s. 11:30 am. Town Council Meeting. Town Hall. 8 pm. Evening Labyrinth Walk, Wadsworth Hall. MW United. Socks or slippers. 7-9 pm. For individuals aged 50-65, Mondays from 11 am to 3 pm. Looking for help for meal preparation and clean up. Ash Wednesday Service. St. Philip’s. 7:30 pm. Pub night sponsored by the CRA to to benefit the sports programs. More details to come, but you don’t want to miss this! Music, dancing and guaranteed fun! Appointments are required and sign up begins on February 14. Please call the NDG Senior Citizens’ Council at 487-1311. We are able to do relatively simple forms for the current year only. The clinic will be held from Monday, March 17 to Thursday, March 20 at MW United. Day Away program For seniors 65 plus, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 2 pm. Cooks, exercise teachers, drivers, helpers and activity helpers. Action transport Monday to Friday 9 am to 3 pm. Volunteers with vehicles to drive and/or accompany seniors to medical appointments. Receptionist Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12:30 pm. To help answer the phones and take messages. Tax clinic volunteers The NDG Senior Citizens’ Council is holding its annual income tax clinic for low-income seniors (55+) who are residents of MoWest and NDG. We are looking for volunteers to complete simple tax forms. Training will be provided. The free clinic will be held during the day from Monday, March 17 to Thursday, March 20. We require people to complete the forms at other flexible times. Please contact Yvonne Chamberlin at 487-1311 if you are interested in volunteering. Free tax clinic for low-income seniors (55+)
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