Opening Comments by Mayor Peter J. Malouf - Regular Meeting of Tuesday, February 18, 2025

" Good evening fellow residents, thank you for braving the elements and joining us tonight.

This month, I'm going to start by talking about the Beth-El synagogue redevelopment project.

Redevelopment of Beth-El, 1000 Lucerne

In December, the council gave notice of motion to amend the urban plan to change the land use at 1000 Lucerne from institutional to residential. This was to allow redevelopment of the site by building a new 3 and 4-storey residential building of similar height to the tallest central part of the synagogue. A statutory public consultation session was held in early January.

The final stage of this by-law amendment was not carried out in January, to give council members more time to answer residents' questions. A detailed FAQ page has therefore been posted on the Town's website, with a view to adopting the motion this month. 

However, the Town received a letter from the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications in early February, informing us that a proposal for classification of the synagogue under the Cultural Heritage Act had been received. So, after reflection and discussion among council members, it was agreed not to proceed this evening with the adoption of the by-law to change the site's designation from institutional to residential. The file has been put on hold to give council members time to better assess the impact of this proposed classification. A decision will be taken at a later date. A resolution to this effect will be adopted this evening.

New Community and Sports Centre

The tendering process is moving advancing as planned, and we received proposals on February 12, from the development consortiums approved by the Town. These proposals are now being analyzed by our professionals and as prescribed by law. A meeting will be held with each one in the coming weeks. The consortiums will then have until the end of march to submit their final proposals. We therefore plan to award the contract at the April council meeting. We are very satisfied with the interest shown in our project and are more confident than ever to see it finally being realized.

Russell and Montgomerry Footbridges

Our plans to refurbish the two footbridges are finally underway. Following an agreement with REM, the latter will carry out the work on behalf of the Town. This makes the work less complicated and more efficient, since there's no need for coordination between the various authorities. Site mobilization will take place this week, and work will start thereafter, finishing in July. Obviously, the two footbridges will be inaccessible during the work. Public security will be present in the Town Center to assist with the crossing of school children.

Snow removal

In closing, I'd like to talk about snow removal. First of all, I'd like to thank our blue-collar employees, foremen and all those who work on our snow-clearing operations.

To put these extremely heavy snowfalls into context, it's worth noting that:

Precipitation

Thursday February 13 34 cm

Sunday February 16 and Monday February 17 40 cm

Total snowfall: 74.2 cm

35% of an average winter's total snowfall in this short period (annual average 216 cm). The Town has 97 km of roads and 179 km of sidewalks. In order to have the most impact and clear as quickly as possible, we have modified our methods of clearing to take into account the enormous quantity of snow to be cleared. Please note that the law provides for maximum work hours and legislated rest periods and this to ensure the safety of all on the road.

We still have teams on the road, but they are sometimes small teams. We do our utmost to provide the expected service, but it's not easy. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

I would also like to underline the excellent work of our public safety team. Visible and present during this period of heavy snowfall, they provided invaluable assistance to stranded residents, which was praised by many residents.

Thank you for listening tonight."

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