NEWS & ANALYSIS Gary Carter Field launch SALE caps off triumphant CSL Canada Day SIDEWALK By Joel Goldenberg greater guy in the business. When Gary The Suburban Carter passed away, that day, I called the mayor and said Carter had a connection in The emotional highlight of Côte St. Luc's our community and I would like to name a From July 4 to 15 very-well attended Canada Day event Sunday field after him. The mayor said he was 100 at Trudeau Park was the inauguration of the percent behind me, so is council, and here park's main baseball field - Trudeau 1 - in for- we are doing it.” mer Expos player Gary Carter's name, with Former Expo Warren Cromartie said he is the design of the sign prominently featuring still emotional when he thinks of Carter. his player number 8. “It's kind of surreal that he's not here any- Carter, known for his constant good cheer, more,” he added. “I'm glad to see Côte St. died this past February after a battle with Luc is honouring him. Gary Carter was the SOPHIA cancer. The launch was streamed live on the best catcher in baseball. I'm here to continue city's website. The sign will go up later this the legacy.” summer. Cromartie, who through the Montreal Sidewalk Shopanista Mayor Anthony Housefather said that as Baseball Project is trying to bring profession- Likes to look around, part of his city's support for the return of pro- al baseball back to the city, had the crowd find and save! fessional baseball to Montreal, and his cheering when he asked them if that's what encouragement that residents support those they also want. who play at the Trudeau Park field - McGill “I'm on a little journey, but I'm going to and Concordia Universities, and local leagues need everybody here as part of the journey. - Côte St. Luc “wanted to do something very Some of the kids here never saw an Expos special for the late, great Gary Carter. game.” “Many of you remember the great days of Elias, famous for his Grand Slam Baseball the Expos, and Gary Carter was almost School, said Carter was “always willing to always the first person out there giving his give of his time, freely. time to the community,” the mayor added. “I “His passing was very hard for a lot of us remember as a very little kid how ready Gary who knew him well to really accept that a Carter always was to sign autographs and guy at 57 left us much too early,” Elias added. how ready he was at his home in Kirkland to “He left a legacy here.” go out and invite the kids in his neighbour- The Carter launch also featured a music hood to meet him. video, put together by Annakin Slayd and “He also has some great links to Côte St. including the original song Kid and tributes Luc - in his last year when he came back to by Carter's former teammates and manager play with the Expos in 1992, Gary Carter Jim Fanning. actually lived in Côte St. Luc and throughout Côte St. Luc's Canada Day was also high- his career with the Expos, he always came to lighted by spectacular fireworks, musical Johnny Elias's baseball school at Kirwan performances by Vintage Wine and the disco Park, and always taught kids in this commu- revival group Airport 77, and a citizenship nity to play baseball. He was always someone ceremony presided over by congenial citizen- with a heart; he cared about people and was ship judge Gilles Duguay, who swore in 36 always smiling.” new citizens from 19 countries. On hand for Housefather credited Councillor Mike the ceremony and Canada Day in general Cohen with leading the effort to rename the were all members of Côte St. Luc council, field. Senator Judith Seidman, Marc Leiter repre- “I, like many people, was a big Montreal senting Mount Royal MP Irwin Cotler and Expos fan and I was very fortunate to know D'Arcy McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman. The Gary Carter,” Cohen said. “There wasn't a MC was radio personality Dan Laxer.n Lavoir Lavoir Patricia Victoria 5320 Patricia Ave., N.D.G. (corner Chester) 5950 Victoria Ave. LOOK NO FURTHER FOR ALL YOUR LAUNDRY NEEDS! We have heavy-duty large 65 lb. capacity washing machines to accommodate •␣Comforters • Drapes • Pillows • Duvets DROP OFF SERVICE SUMMER SPECIAL OFFER All customers who use our giant 65 lb. washers will get a FREE XL, zippered, clear, breathable storage bag. One free bag for each large wash done! So next Fall you won’t have to guess which black garbage bag your winter coats are in! (Available at Patricia store only) You can even leave your laundry to be washed, dried, & folded by our staff Montreal’s Largest Laundromat • THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012 JULY • THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, 8