In early 1995, I developed a communications proposal for my then-boss David Dingwall, who was the federal minister of Public Works. It involved a series of initiatives his department, Canada Post and the Royal Canadian Mint could take in advance of the Quebec referendum, expected that autumn. It was not dissimilar to a strategy employed by Ottawa prior to the 1980 referendum, with advertisements for prudent alcohol consumption...
Have we lost our moral compass? It seems as though every day, I hear another story of someone doing something to someone that is pretty despicable, with little regard for the consequences or repercussions of their actions. Sure, we all hear the absolutely horrible stories in the news that leave us shaking our heads. But I’m talking about the little day-to-day things that people seem to do without...
Letter to the editor I am shocked and angry like many of us to the see what a complete incompetent mess this CAQ government has made of Quebec ever since it took power. They definitely will not be re-elected, but to see them continue to dismantle our province with such incompetence seems to verge on criminality. We, the taxpayers, not only pay these idiots, but we are paying...
Editorial Why is it that some years you find yourself more excited about Christmas than others? The ebb and flow of the enthusiasm for the holiday sways. One year, the yuletide period is filled with anticipation and a lightness of spirit, while other years, the festivities are weighed down in dread, an almost mournful sadness. The reason for this, I have come to believe, stems from the reflective...
Paul-Henri Sylvain was in an induced coma for two weeks, after suffering burns to 25 per cent of his body and damage to his lungs, trachea and larynx. A month ago today, while her father was in a coma and fighting for his life at the CHUM burn unit, little Eva Laurence Sylvain told The 1510 West that she had one wish: to see her father again. “I...
For the second year in a row, homeowners in Dorval will see a less-than-1-per-cent increase in their property taxes, according to figures included in the city’s $189.8-million budget for 2026 approved earlier this month. The new budget, which was adopted on Monday, Dec. 15, will see taxes rise a slight 0.9 per cent. “This demonstrates, once again, our competence and ability to ensure rigorous management of every dollar...
Residents of Pierrefonds-Roxboro will see their tax bill for local borough services go up by 6 per cent in 2026, according to the borough’s $39.98-million budget for 2026 adopted last month. This means the owners of an average single-family home valued at $625,200 will pay $24.83 more in local taxes next year compared to 2025, or an average of $441 in local taxes. This is in addition to...
Ste. Anne de Bellevue council will begin webcasting its public meetings starting next month following a resolution passed Dec. 15.The council for the demerged suburb awarded a one-year contract to COOP de Solidarité WebTV for $19,315 to provide the service, which will include providing videorecordings and live feeds of 12 regular sessions of council and two additional meetings if needed. Each session will cost roughly $1,380. “The previous...
The West Island’s Grand Parc de l’Ouest — touted as the largest urban park in Canada when it was announced in 2019 — is under threat, according to a grassroots environmental watchdog group, and it is raising the alarm. The threat is the prospect of a housing development moving forward on land in Pierrefonds-Roxboro that is still owned by developers, according to a spokesperson for Sauvons l’Anse à...
Macdonald Campus milk has string of honours If you’re wondering why Santa Claus won’t be drinking your milk while delivering toys to your house this Christmas, that’s because he’s probably in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, enjoying some of the finest milk in Canada.It’s also because McGill University’s Macdonald Campus Farm in Ste. Anne — which manages the only dairy herd on the island of Montreal — has once...
Damage done to health network With the implementation of Bill 2 paused until March and much of its punitive measures scrapped, the head of the Montreal doctors’ association hopes the past two months will serve as a warning the next time the Quebec government considers making drastic changes to the health system without consulting physicians. “What I can say is that I really hope that Quebec has learned...
Like every gardener, I’ve spent a lot of time cleaning up lately, especially the wild plants that breeze in helter-skelter all summer and grow, well, like weeds. I took down great stalks of dill, unplanted by me but absolutely delicious, and the feathery remnants of all the cilantro that took up residence this year. And then there were the ends of the blood red poppies from June, another...
