Opening Comments by Mayor Peter J. Malouf - Regular Meeting of Tuesday, December 17, 2024

" Thank you for joining us this evening.

On this last council meeting of the year, I'd like to thank you all for your e-mails, comments, suggestions and participation in the democratic life of Mount Royal. Obviously, we don't always agree and we cannot always please everyone. However, rest assured that we hear you, and my colleagues around the table and the administration are working hard to meet your expectations.

We will continue to work hard and, despite our differences on some topics and approaches to situations, will strive to best respond to your needs. I'd like to take this opportunity to mention that we also welcome positive e-mails and comments.

A summary of the past month is as follows:

Council Committees

In response to your comments and requests, council members have had several discussions with management about the formation and establishment of council committees. We have agreed to set up a Sustainable Development and Climate Change Committee. Details of its composition and mandate are on tonight's agenda. At this point, the council believes that establishing a single committee is the most effective approach. For other topics where resident feedback can help guide the direction the council wishes to take, we are considering organizing a series of focus groups.

UdeM Sculpture

The negotiations for the sculpture have progressed smoothly, and we anticipate having it installed at the foot of the University of Montreal pedestrian walkway by the spring of 2025.

Town Center traffic lights

With the work on the town center REM completed and Canora and Laird now open to vehicular traffic, the traffic lights have been restored to their previous settings. However, the controllers are no longer as efficient, and traffic is no longer as it used to be. We therefore realize that improvements are needed to increase traffic flow. So, this evening, we will be amending our ITP to include a project for the installation of intelligent traffic lights in the town center.

As the first step in improving traffic management the installation of Intelligent Traffic Lights at the Town Center, this will not only enhance the flow of traffic but also improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, as the lights will adapt to changing traffic conditions throughout the day and evening.

Christmas market

Last Sunday, our first Christmas market was held here at Schofield Hall. We had almost 1000 visitors.

It was a huge success. Therefore we plan to make this a new tradition for years to come.

Zero Tolerence 

I would like to remind everyone that we have a zero-tolerance policy towards violence. Our employees are expected to show courtesy and respect to each other, and especially to our residents. We expect the same from our residents. It's understandable that sometimes you're unhappy with a decision, an account or a ticket, but respect and courtesy must always come first.

30-40 Roosevelt

For those interested, the Town of Mount Royal is currently in the planning and design phase for the future 30-40 Roosevelt building, which will replace the current 10-20 Roosevelt. This new structure will house a new fire station (#74) and municipal administrative offices, including Public Security, Urban Planning, and Engineering departments.

Information is available on our website, in the Major Projects section.

Good news

For the second year in a row, The Globe and Mail has released its rankings of the most liveable cities in Canada, and I am proud to announce that TMR has once again been ranked first as the most liveable city in the Province of Quebec.

To my fellow council members, thank you for your work and dedication to the community; I wish you all health and happiness this Holiday season.

To the excellent and dedicated administration and staff working day in and day out in the service of our residents, I extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy, healthy Holidays.

Enjoy this special time with family and friends!

Thank you once again for spending your evening with us. I wish you all a happy holiday season, good health, happiness and success for the coming year."