COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS SERVING THE AREA FROM KANESATAKE TO ROSEMERE Volume 13 Issue 6 2,500 COPIES December/January 2013 15th Edition Santa Claus Relax Pee Wee PARADE Tournament , Dec. 2, Dec. 8-16, p. 21 p. 25 14th Edition Ringuette Tournament Jan. 6-13, p. 25 Habit for Humanity presents Lions Club 9th annual bookfair 2nd house, p. 4 p. 16-17 Community Connections Page 2 December/January 2013 helping to weaken the City’s finan- spect the city’s character, as well as cial position. our objective to ensure the City’s In order to ensure the City’s sustain- sustainability. ability, new revenues must be gen- By promoting responsible urban Message from erated and this must be accompa- development based on the princi- nied by the redevelopment of cer- ples of sustainable development, The Mayor tain sectors. To do this, it is essen- our vision for Deux-Montagnes over tial that our urban plan be changed. the next 15 years is of a healthy city, Greetings one and all, This will allow us to control our de- green and welcoming to 20,000 new On October 3, the City of Deux- velopment according to our needs inhabitants, with a better distribu- Montagnes held a citizen’s informa- while respecting the new standards tion of the tax base for our citizens, tion session on the future of our imposed by the government. Modi- a greater presence of local busi- city. This evening meeting was a fying our urban plan means framing nesses, restaurants and offices on follow-up to the public meeting that and structuring the sectors to de- our main roads, better access to our took place on June 12, on the pro- velop and redevelop them, in accor- waterways and pedestrian paths, posed regulation amending the ur- dance with our objectives. It also and dynamic and revitalized key ban plan. The October meeting was means establishing densification areas, offering public places where therefore, an opportunity to re- thresholds, ensuring the protection neighbourhood life is rich and ap- spond to questions and comments of our parks and green spaces, and preciated. raised during the last few weeks that we retain the city’s image and regarding this plan. its particular character. If the future of our city interests The City of Deux-Montagnes was After analysis, we have identified you, please consult the October 3rd shaped at the end of the 20th century a dozen projects that would create presentation and the related docu- on the bedroom community model, more than $204 million in new ments on the City’s website at which means that today, 85% of tax property values and annually gener- www.ville.deux-montagnes.qc.ca revenues come from the residential ate more than $2 million in new sector. Real estate development property taxes. The completion of Sincerely, reached maturity in the early 2000s these projects would meet the devel- Marc Lauzon opment guidelines of the City; re- library opening hours or through interlibrary loan. Seated on one of the benches is Susan Dubuc Campbell For more information, contact the library at (450) 473-2702. A Gift for Public Library Week: Large Print and Audio Books Collection Enriched by a Grant from the Deux- Montagnes Lions Club Deux-Montagnes, October 23, Mayor Lauzon, Johanne Chaput, Martin and Betty Table of Contents Hensen, Dave Byers, President Linda Hogue and 2012 – The Deux-Montagnes Arthur Glover Public Library has received a Message from the Mayor 2 $1,500 grant from the Deux- Montagnes Lions Club on the Lions Den 6 occasion of Public Library Week, Memorial Donation School Matters 11 to enrich its collection of large print and audio books. The Dubuc Family have donated Church Mouse 14-15 Since 1980, the Lions Club has three memorial park benches to Sue Chef 23 contributed to these collections the city of Deux-Montagnes in that are mainly intended for honour of Doris, Annie Dubuc PANDA/CESAME 18-19 people with visual impairments, and Elizabeth O’Farrell Dubuc. Ron’s Corner 21 in both French and English. They are prominently situated on Through this annual funding, Oka Road. The City Council was Letter to the Editor 31 library members enjoy a good very supportive of this effort and 4Korners 10 variety of books for all tastes. hopes for other citizens to do the These collections are available same. Sports Rap 25-26 free of charge to members during A look at Rosemère 22 Birthday’s, etc 30 Community Connections Page 3 December/January 2013 LTMHS’ 4th an- their banners and gave out their the 2012 Colour Clash was the black nual Colour best team cheer. Points were team, led by a great group of senior Clash By Lillian Sirgent Lake of Two Moun- tains High School held its fourth annual Colour Clash activities day on Tuesday, Septem- ber 25. The students were divided into eight different teams, each with a colour, and participated in many students. LTMHS leadership stu- fun games such as fruit Olympics, dents took charge for the day and messy marshmallow, human tic tac toe, awarded for winning games, par- ran all the activities for the students. and more in the morning. In the af- ticipation, and team spirit. There was much fun had by all and ternoon, a boy and a girl from each All day long, students could be we hope to see this wonderful event team dressed up as the opposite heard in the hallways cheering for continue at LTMHS for many more gender and put on a hilarious fash- their teams and encouraging each years to come. ion show. As well, teams showcased other to play. The winning team of New Team of VPs at for five years before becoming a VP attention away from her family. She at Mother Theresa Junior and said that the support she has to give RHS Laurier Senior in Laval. He is re- for adjusting to high school By Gordon Wetmore sponsible for the Secondary 2 stu- “ultimately goes a lot more for the dents and has the dossiers for the moms than the students,” a situa- Principal Scott Traylen of soccer concentration option courses, tion that she understands. Rosemere High School found him- the Work Oriented Training Path The importance of family is a self with three new vice principals program, and the IPLC contained value that runs strong in all three this year who quickly forged what classes. About his fellow VPs, he VPs. Mr. Jakalian voiced their atti- he called a dynamic team. said they discovered their like tude: “We are replaceable at work. Most senior is Gail Spillane, who mindedness very quickly. “We hit We are not replaceable at home.” served previously as vice principal the ground running,” he said, and They also were adamant that their at Laurier Senior in Laval and for constantly bounce ideas off each jobs were hugely facilitated by the non- the last two years at Lake of Two other. He has bachelor degrees in teaching staff, especially secretaries Mountains High School. She and psychology (Concordia University) Cindy Bourgain, Maria Warner, Donna the other two vice-principals have and education (University of Ot- Lioumbas, and France Mimeau, school jelled together very well, she said. tawa) and a Masters in Educational organization technician Debbie Adams Ms. Spillane is the “go to” person Psychology (McGill). and administration manager Suzanne for academics and discipline for the Tina Miscio, whose dossier is the Desilets. Helpful, understanding, will- Secondary 3s and 4s. She said that Secondary 1s and Individualized ing to go beyond the call of duty and she has an open door policy for staff Education Plans, knows that her never shying away from work was how and students. “It’s my job to help foremost responsibility is aiding the they were described. both succeed.” In addition to her school’s youngest students in the Masters Degree in Educational transition from elementary to life in Leadership from McGill University a school where 80 percent of the (where she is currently working on 1500 students are older teenagers. a second M.Ed.), she is a certified “I have to be the mommy here,” she Cisco Academy computer instructor said, and it is a role she welcomes. and handles the technology dossier With a Bachelor of Education among the administrators. RHS has (Elementary) and a Masters in Edu- 27 Smart Boards and extensive wire- cational Leadership from McGill, The VP team at Rosemere High School less areas, and she credits the RHS she has been a vice-principal at teachers for embracing the latest Pinewood and McCaig elementary Principal Traylen, who has the dossier technologies and the students for schools and at Laval Junior High. for the Secondary 5s as well as the en- responding. The teachers do an She taught at the elementary tire school in general, said that he feels “awesome” job at extra-curricular level for more than 10 years, begin- fortunate to have three experienced vice activities, she said, and the RHS stu- ning at a remote Cree village more -principals who bring a refreshing and dents/parents/staff are a great com- than 11 hours by car from Montreal. important outlook to RHS. They in turn munity. For a brief time she served as princi- are quick to acknowledge his leadership For Sarmen Jakalian, coming to pal before asking to return to vice- in creating a milieu in which teamwork RHS is a happy reunion of sorts. He principal status. The principal’s job, flourishes. taught senior English at the school she said, took too much time and Community Connections Page 4 December/January 2013 Habitat for Humanity Region of Deux- tres, Tilmar International, Gerald Paquette Entrepreneur Électriciens et Associes, Must Communications, Les Re- Montagnes House vêtements BAC S, Givre climatisation, M.