WESTMOUNT INDEPENDENT January 27-28, 2009 We are Westmount Vol. 3 No. 1d Residents shocked by 7-year Steele marks 30 years rebuild of Ville Marie highway as a milkman By Laureen Sweeney concern over the impact of noise and air pollution, and the uncertain future of Plans to lower the Ville Marie Express- Westmount’s long-proposed sound bar- way onto embankments from Greene Ave. rier. west to the Turcot Interchange drew fiery They also suggested the project missed responses when unveiled by Transport an opportunity to incorporate new tech- Quebec at a public meeting January 19 at nology and to integrate it with some form Victoria Hall. of rapid mass transit that would focus on The work is projected to start at the end moving people rather than cars. How of 2009 and continue day and night, 12 would it be an improvement over what months of the year for up to seven years. was built 40 years ago? Its timeframe coincides with construction “Seven years is an enormous amount of of the MUHC superhospital. time,” Mayor Karin Marks declared of the Residents, many appearing shocked at construction timeline. “What will be the the duration of the $1.5 billion plan, voiced impact on health?” Inside No easy answers Suggesting there were no easy answers, What’s in Store By Carola Price p. 11 she said Westmount would participate in On the Shelves p. 12 upcoming BAPE environmental hearings and urged citizens to do likewise. If the Jeff Steele, with his wife Ginette, is marking his 30th anniversary this year as a milkman in Winter Carnival line-up p. 12 Westmount. For 16 years before acquiring his own route in 1979, he worked as a milkman’s helper, plan should be approved, a starting at age 6. The story of Jeff and Ginette is on p. 15. Letters to the Editor p. 4 private partner would then continued on p. 6 Winter carnival features new events Danielle & Claude Boulay Affiliated Real Estate Agents By Laureen Sweeney shack, how about taking a voyage to outer space as part of the family night party? Or A figure skating show and a Termite reliving the burlesque razzle-dazzle of the hockey tournament are among new events Prohibition era at a Speakeasy Casino and innovations at Westmount’s Winter night? 514-592-4636 514-249-1500 Carnival taking place from Thursday The “Frosty Fun” activities kick off through Saturday, February 5 to 7. Thursday, February 5 at 6:30 pm at Murray “We’re trying to involve the younger Park with a bonfire, hot chocolate and lots 1361, avenue Greene Westmount Brian and Vivian Grant children this year,” said Dave Lapointe, of sliding as part of Toboggan Night. In- are proud to be associated with Westmount Sports and Recreation admin- flated inner tires will be provided by the Profusion Realty Inc istrator. Sports and Recreation department, but it’s and Along with the traditional toboggan recommended that sliders ® 935-3337 Christie’s Great Estates night, horse-drawn sleigh rides and sugar bring helmets. continued on p.2 Chartered Real Estate Broker Your Independent Choice in Wealth Management For further information on our financial services, visit our website 150 years Proudly celebrating 150 years of client trust and service (1858-2008) 2 – WESTMOUNT INDEPENDENT – January 27-28, 2009 YMCA, Rotary support Nicaraguan youth centre A YMCA youth centre has just opened Agency) and others. in Santa Lucía, Nicaragua. It was made Westmount YMCA executive director possible by funding from the Westmount Gary White spent January 6 to 13 in the YMCA, the Rotary Club of Westmount, Central American country on a “partner three individual Westmounters, CIDA (the monitoring visit,” as required by CIDA, a Canadian International Development Canadian government agency that often matches funds applied by the Y to Nicaraguan projects. Nicaragua “There is not a lot of money there, but there is a whole lot of hope, inspiration ‘Fast Facts’ and dedication,” an excited and some- • Nicaragua is the largest, and also the times emotional White told the Independ- poorest, country in Central America, ent. with a population of 5.3 million. The Santa Lucía centre is a modest of- • One of every three children has some fice without sports facilities, but it serves degree of chronic malnutrition and as a headquarters for volunteers and as a nine percent suffer from severe mal- location for board games and classes. nutrition. Approximately $8,000 was needed to • Adolescent pregnancies account for get it off the ground. Some funds raised at one of every four births nationally. the same time went to scholarships to help • Only 29 percent of children complete local youth volunteers with post-secondary studies. The US$40-per-month stipends primary schooling. From left, second: Carlos Amodar Moraga (secretary general of the Nicaraguan ACJ), third: Debbie • More than 167,000 children and ado- are enough to be a significant help in Dore (vice president of the Rotary Club of Westmount), fourth: Gary White (director the Westmount lescents are involved with child Nicaragua, where 80 percent of the popu- YMCA), sixth: Sheila Laursen (director of International Programs of YMCAs of Quebec) and ninth: labour. lation lives on less than US$2 a day and al- Santos Martinez Flores (mayor of Santa Lucía). • Nicaragua has the lowest homicide most half the population lives on less than US$1 a day. Canadian branch. Youth volunteers from In partnerships with the Ys of other rate in Central America. the Y give local schools what are often countries, the ACJ also runs land bank Source: YMCA. As a result, the Y’s mandate in Nicar- agua is very different from that of the their only extracurricular programs by and heifer programs. Both aim to em- supervising soccer games and giving sex- power Nicaraguans by giving them own- education classes. Y centres teach basic ership of productive assets. The money skills like baking to people without home lent for the acquisition of land, and any cooking facilities. calves produced by the heifers, return to Space Odyssey new Friday This is White’s second visit in as many the Y to sustain the programs. years. The Westmount, Hochelaga-Mai- White is obviously proud of the Y’s night event at Winter Carnival sonneuve and Cobourg, Ontario Ys are Nicaraguan work and happy to travel partnered with the Nicaraguan Asociación there, but there is a downside to moving Cristiana de Jóvenes (ACJ), as the Y move- so quickly from a society where people do continued from p.1 location of the old-fashioned sleigh rides ment is known in that country. The con- so much with so little to one of great rela- The same night, the deck will be dealt and sugar shack with taffy pull to the nection between Nicaragua and the tive affluence. at Victoria Hall where Casino Night beck- north soccer-football field parallel to Westmount Y goes back to the early “It is hard to be back,” said White. ons adults only to take a chance at roulette, Melville Ave. These Saturday daylong ac- 1990s. Blackjack, poker “and more.” To partici- tivities used to take place on the playing pate in the spirit of the “speakeasy,” party- fields across from Westmount Park goers are encouraged to dress in keeping School. with the theme – the era of the 1920s. Meanwhile on Saturday, the string of Westmounter Shauna Feldman will be events at the arena starts off at 10 am with one of the Team Burlesque performers. face painting and the new Termite hockey Both the Casino Night and Space tournament for girls and boys aged 6 and Odyssey require tickets and are being co- 7. This is followed by the figure skating ordinated by committees of volunteers. show at 11:15. “This is our first winter car- These are chaired by Jochen Esquiolant nival show,” says sports coordinator Ani- (Casino Night), and Helen Campbell and tra Bostock. “The girls (aged 7 to 14) are Doug Leahey (Space Odyssey) – all for the incredibly excited.” It’s also the first cos- Community Events Advisory Committee. tumed show in some 20 years since those Friday, February 6, will be party night produced by Beverly Adams. for the entire family – a carnival Space A free hotdog lunch at noon continues Odyssey – that replaces the traditional until 1:30 at the same time as a running cruise theme. “We’ve been everywhere in program of general skating, a puck shoot- the world,” said Claude Danis, of the pre- ing contest for all ages, races and games vious themed cruises. “Now we’re going on ice, a tug of war and family skating even further away on the spaceship West- from 2:30 to 9:45 pm. mount of the Stars.” A full listing of times can be found on Another change this year will be the re- p. 12 and at www.westmount.org. Debbie Dore and Gary White in front of the new Santa Lucía youth centre. WESTMOUNT INDEPENDENT – January 27-28, 2009 – 3 Volunteers plan Champagne Gala Selwyn basketball tournament for Alzheimer’s honours Colin No Among the volunteers organizing the event, from left, Hera Bell, Ursula Kobel, Marina Cutler, Sonia Besner, Mary Vanaselja and Geneviève Charette. A new fundraiser to benefit The Alz- Cutler explained Ottawa was the city of heimer Society of Canada has been spear- choice to host the event because of a sup- headed by Westmounter Marina Cutler. portive social network there and because The inaugural Champagne Memories it is the country’s capital city, but many Gala has been planned in conjunction Montrealers plan to attend.