On Monday, June 17  the Gurmans realized a bit of  a dream when a brand new member of their growing yogurt chain opened at that very mall, know officially knownas the Quartier. Located on The Avenue, a street Mayor Anthony Housefather hopes to develop into “the Monkland Avenue of Côte Saint-Luc,”  Yeh! Yogurt and Café (www.yehyogurt.com) is taking North America by storm.

As the Gurmans explain, The Mall/Quartier decision was a bit of an emotional move. Over the years this shopping centre has been carved in half, making way for a housing development.  “My mother is a Mall walker,” Jon noted. “She said there are not a lot of people in the Mall. I said ‘Mom, we are going to bring people back to the Mall. That Mall is going to be hopping.’ I think it already is."

During a business trip to California in 2007, Marvin came across a frozen yogurt store that really impressed him. About a year later, while walking with his daughter down trendy St. Laurent Boulevard, they stopped in at the then only Yeh!Yogurt and Café. Boasting a self-serve format of different frozen yogurt flavors, over 40 toppings and an attractive interior layout, Marvin was beyond impressed. Six months later he and his brother became equal partners with the company’s founders.

“It really started out as a hobby for us,” said Jon.

The hobby quickly turned into a labour of love. After purchasing the remaining shares in the company last December, the Gurmans began to embark upon their plan to expand the brand across the globe. “We call ourselves ‘the Starbucks of the yogurt business’ said Jon. “Most yogurt places look like ice cream shops. That is not the case with us.”

The Yeh! Quartier Cavendish Mall location is being managed by the very capable Heidi Chenoy. This is a niced sized venue with access from the street and inside the plaza. There is now more than just yogurt. You can purchase smoothies, crepes, premium coffee, iced coffee and waffle cones or bowls to put your yogurt in.

Although the Côte Saint-Luc store is not under rabbinic supervision, all of the ingredients available are kosher. That has already resulted in a heavy presence of orthodox students from local Jewish day schools.

Marvin Gurman and his mother Zelda presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony. Jon was away on business, but his wife  Joanne and daughter Raquel were on hand as were    members of Côte Saint-Luc city council Ruth Kovac, Steven Erdelyi, Sam Goldbloom, Mitchell Brownstein, Allan J. Levine and myself, City Manager Tanya Abramovitch, Associate City Manager Nadia  Di Furria, Parks and Recreation Director David Taveroff and managers Harold Cammy and Alvin Fishman, Director of Public Affairs Darryl Levine, Director of Public Safety Jordy Reichson, longtime Mall managing partner Roy Salomon, Michael Wolfe from the company that manages the property, Quarter/Mall manager Lina Roti, developer Joe Levine, CSL Men’s Club president Sidney Margles and Howard Liebman from the Office of Liberal MP Irwin Cotler. Jack Wiltzer, the president of JCorp, was there as was Yeh! Managing Director Craig Stein, franchise supervisor Mitchell Simon and many others. The place was hopping and as Councillor Kovac said in her remarks,  this is just the kind of place we had envisioned to breath life on to the new Avenue.

Yeh! Yogurt is the proud sponsor of the July 9, 2013 CSL Golf Classic at Meadowbrook. Registration is now underway at the Parks and Recreation Department.

 “Out motto is ‘You go, you get!’” the brothers state. “It is more than just a brand; it is a life concept that leads to realizing your full human potential. We want people to empower themselves to reach their goals and make a difference in the world.”

 
JCorp’s History

The history of JCorp dates back to 1929, when Myer Gurman arrived in Canada from Europe with little money and big dreams. He soon opened a small business producing caps. In 1952, his son, Jack, joined the company with the intention of bringing the best quality goods to the Canadian market. In 1978, brothers Jon and Marvin joined the company with the goal of becoming a major player in the industry. Before long they transformed their grandfather’s cap business into an international apparel powerhouse.

After quickly developing a keen eye for fashion trends and an awareness of their customers’ needs, the Gurman twins became very adept at developing private label programs for retail customers. Among their present-day retail partners are Walmart, JC Penney, Sears and  TJ Maxx. Some of the brands and licences include Bugle Boy, PNB Nation by Nick Cannon, Old River, Gurilla Biscuit, Hollywood Era  jean brand , and celebrity endorsements by Ashley Tisdale and Pauly D.  They are also the manufacturers of MMA Elite, a UFC sponsored clothing line.

JCorp employs 90 people at their headquarters on Gince Street in the Montreal borough of St. Laurent. They moved to this location in 2004, giving a complete facelift to what was once the Rockland Tennis Club.

To learn more about Gurmans, their brands and licenses, log on to  www.jcorp.ca and www.yehyogurt.com.

Thanks to Parks and Recreation Director David Taveroff, 41 year veteran of that team Harold "Kid" Cammy and their staff, Public Safety Director Jordy Reichson, Public Affairs and Communications Director Darryl Levine and Councillor Ruth Kovac for their significant contributions to our committee work.

Over the years we have honoured our volunteers at gala dinners and brunches.  This new format was an unqualified success, with more than 200 people attending. It was my second time seeing the Dramatic Society's version of Fiddler and I loved every moment of it. When we presented our various awards, two of our councillors, Mitchell Brownstein and Sam Goldbloom, joined the mayor and the rest of council on stage in costume. Mitch plays Lazar Wolf while Sam portays the Innkeeper. Mayor Anthony Housefather has a cameo as a priest, with Taveroff as his understudy.

Councillor Dida Berku had a surprise at the reception, presenting Mayor Housefather with a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Here is a list of the 2013 award winners.

Community Services Award

Recognizes a volunteer couple for exceptional contribution to the community special events programs;


Louise Ferland and Sam Pinsky have been an integral part of Côte Saint-Luc activities for more than thirty years. Louise served the residents during her thirty year career as a manager responsible for various Parks and Recreation programs such as Figure Skating, Learn to Skate, the Ski Club, etc. Once her career was over, she continued in a volunteer capacity working on various special events such as Canada Day, Maisons Fleuries and the ever so popular annual Winter Carnival Valentine Dance. Meanwhile, Sam started his volunteer career more than three decades ago, in sports, volunteering in various hockey and baseball programs. More recently, Sam has been a driving force with Louise  volunteering at our annual special events programs.

William E Kesler Memorial Trophy

Recognizes a volunteer for their exceptional contribution to the Parks and Recreation special events programs;

Ron Yarin is a fixture around the sports facilities in Côte Saint-Luc. He has been involved in a volunteer capacity since the late 1970’s and continues to serve the community year ‘round. Ron works diligently with both youth and adult sports leagues, volunteers in the vCOP program, and has excelled in our special events programs such as the annual Carnival Dance and the Garage Sale.

Royal Canadian Legion Brigadier Frederick Kisch, Branch # 97 Award,

Recognizes the Youth Volunteer of the Year , a “leader of tomorrow”, for outstanding efforts in making a difference in Cote Saint-Luc through volunteer activities.

Ariel Sterlin is an outstanding example of young leadership in her community.  She is a talented dancer and actor with years of training and experience behind her that belie her youth.  She has trained in Ballet and Jazz throughout her life and is also trained in gymnastics.  Using her gifts to give back to the community, Ariel voluntarily taught both ballet and gymnastics to children throughout her high school career.  Last summer, unable to participate as a performer in the Côte Saint-Luc Dramatic Society’s (CSLDS) production of Office Hours, Ariel volunteered countless hours as the production’s stage manager, a very demanding job with a massive amount of responsibility.  This year, Ariel has managed to continue a high standard of education at CEGEP while starring as the titular roll of Hamlette in the Dawson Theatre Collective’s production of the same name, as well as working with the CSLDS once more, this time as Assistant Choreographer and playing the role of Bielke, Tevye’s youngest daughter.  She is a joy to work with, a credit to her community and we are positive has a very bright future ahead of her.

Socio-Cultural Award

Recognizes a volunteer for their exceptional contribution to the City’s socio-cultural programs;

Gayle Cohen is recognized in volunteering her time and efforts to the library’s Bright Lights Film Club program. Gayle has been most instrumental to the program’s success since its beginning in 2009. She brings to it not only a passionate regard for film but also a formal degree in its study having earned a BFA in Film Studies from Concordia University. In doing so she has selected provocative, innovative and challenging films; provided extensive, thoroughly-researched, pre-screening introductions to educate, contextualize and elucidate such work (often unfamiliar to the program’s attendees); before leading lively group discussions after the viewing of each film. Many doubted the viability of such a unique program but Gayle has not only proven them wrong but engendered a spiritual, intellectual and artistic richness by which the citizens of Cote Saint Luc have greatly prospered.

Special Recognition Award

Frank Levine, President of the Royal Canadian Legion, Brigadier Frederick Kisch Branch #97, has been serving the Legion for several years. Frank leads the organization in the annual poppy sale program which this past year raised over $35,000.00. All funds are distributed to various hospitals and charities throughout Montreal. Frank is a central figure in organizing the VE Day Recognition Ceremony every May in Côte Saint-Luc and the November 11th Remembrance Day parade for the YM-YWHA.  Special recognition goes out to Frank for his tireless effort and contribution to the successful endeavours and good work of the Royal Canadian Legion Brigadier Frederick Kisch Branch # 97.

Hazel Lipes Award

Recognizes a volunteer for their exceptional contribution to the Community Services Programs.

Shelley Schecter (above with me)  is the inspiration behind the Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee, responsible for its Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt Program. She has dedicated her life towards animal welfare and as the founder of Educhat, she is called upon by individuals across the province for assistance in rescuing homeless cats. Without Shelley's leadership, our volunteer committee would not have the tremendous success rate it has attained in the three years since its formation.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Joseph Raie has dedicated much of his life to the Côte Saint-Luc Minor Sports programs. He presided over our Minor Hockey Association and at the present time oversees the Youth Hockey League and the Senior Softball League. Despite some health setbacks, Joe never let this stand in his way.

Ambassador of the Year

My latest District 2 meeting took palce on June 3, 2013 at City Hall and I am pleased to say the room was full.  Among my special guests were Mayor Anthony Housefather, Police Commander Sylvain Bissonnette,  Manager of Engineering Mohammed Ali and Howard Liebman, the chief of staff for Mount Royal Liberal MP Irwin Cotler.

I was pleased to honour Archie Kwiatt, the dedicated crossing guard at the super busy intersection of Cavendish and Kildare.  While we presented him with a certificate of merit, Mr. Liebman also came forward with a beautiful certificate of his own from MP Cotler. It was a fitting tribute to a man who makes our pedestrians feel safe. I will soon be accompanying Archie on some of his shifts, something I have done in the past, to gain a better perspective of our traffic issues there.

Mayor Housefather spoke passionately about the PQ government's Bill 14, legislation aimed at toughening up our language laws and how the municipalities have waged a successful battle so far to preserve the bilingual status of communities like Côte Saint-Luc. He also put into perspective rezoning measures that were taken to allow for a very small commercial establishment on Marc Chagall Avenue between Beth Chabad and the Snow Dump. He indicated that  there will soon be a call for offers and the highest bidder would be given the opportunity to buy the land. What someone can build is restricted. This could be a pharmacy or a bakery for instance plus professional offices on the second floor. We already had  a public consultation meeting, explaining to Marc Chagall Avenue residents that we will be grassing over the land between the new townhouses and the Bellagio, with the hope of eventually relocating Isadore Goldberg Park (now located between the Sir Walter Scott/Kildare Road apartment buildings) there. We opened a register at City Hall for the rezoning and nobody signed in against it. We will now wait to see how the bidding process goes. This should begin in late summer. The mayor also spoke in very positive terms about the new housing development and his hopes that the newly dubbed "The Avenue" will ultimately become our version of NDG's Monkland Avenue.

I introduced Commander Bissonnette, who told us that he has now headed Police Station 9 for six  years. This is interesting considering that his arrival on the scene coincided with a plan by the Montreal Police to close the station down. "I was supposed to be here for four to six months and then the station would close," he recalled.

"But we saved it," the mayor intervened.

The Commander was pleased to report that criminal activity is down in the district, which also includes Hampstead and Montreal West. His station pays a lot of attention to traffic infractions at key intersections like Cavendish and Kildare.

I announced that Hydro-Québec will be undertaking major work on Merrimac and Rembrandt in 2014. The snow dump has been cut down in size and vehicle infractions involving Bialik parents are dramatically down thanks to the cooperation of school officials and Commander Bissonnette's team. The tennis courts at Rembrand Park will be refurbished in the fall and new lighting installed.

When I opened the floor to questions, there were a flood of them related to Cavendish and Kildare. The mayor did note that this council has undertaken a series of measures to try and improve the situation, This includes the synchronization of  lights and the double left turn on Cavendish and Fleet, the double left turn on Kildare turning on to Cavendish, different wait times at that same spot depending upon the time of day and a decision to retain the services of a crossing guard at our own expense.There were some good suggestions about how to improve pedestrian safety and Mr. Ali took note of all of them.

I very much enjoy holding these Town Hall style meetings. The next municipal election is on November 3 and I raring to go to seek my third mandate. For me, though, preparations for that vote began the day after the last one - in 2009. 

A big thanks to Phil Matlin for playing piano as people entered the room.

Here is a video of Phil and Archie.

It is a fitting tribute to this city's greatest professional baseball player. We formally named the field in his honour last July 1, some six months after The Kid passed away. As you can see, this is not the kind of signage which takes moments to put up. A lot of  planning and care went into it. Bravo again.

In the near future some of the former Expos greats will be in town for a benefit softball game and autograph session organized by the ALS Society. This was supposed to occur on June 26, 2013. However, that was postponed in order to come up with an even more elaborate event.

The  production features professional actors Sam Stein as Tevye and Kalie Rae as Golde.

“Our community theatre has taken another step forward by recruiting professional actors in our two lead rolls,” said Councillor Brownstein, who is responsible for the Côte Saint-Luc Dramatic Society and a long-time community theatre actor. “I think people are going to be amazed by how good community theatre can be.”

Fiddler on the Roof runs from May 23 to June 9, 2013, at 5785 Parkhaven Ave. The production is directed by the brilliant  Anisa Cameron.

Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. The show is set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. The original Broadway production of the show opened in 1964. The story centres on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his family and Jewish religious traditions while outside influences encroach upon their lives. He must cope both with the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters—each one's choice of husband moves further away from the customs of his faith—and with the edict of the Tsar that evicts the Jews from their village.

Sam Stein is absolutely magnificent as Tevye. Ditto for Rae as Golde. Others who shine among the very large cast are Michelle Sasson as Tzeitel, Moriel Shahin as Hodel, Einav Ne'eman as Chava, Daniel Harroch as Motel, Kenny Stein as Perchik and Hannah Sheffren as Yente. We must also mention Grade 4 JPPS student Aidan Catriel as the Fiddler.

Councillor Brownstein and his brother Herb (a Dollard councillor) turn in fine performances as Lazar Wolf the butcher and the Rabbi respectively.  Councillor Sam Goldbloom stands tall as the innkeeper. Hampstead Councillor Michael Goldwax, who by day is the executive director of Le Waldorf in CSL, is part of the cast while Mayor Anthony Housefather and Hampstead Councillor and mayoral candidate Bonnie Feigenbaum have cameo roles, as does CSL's Director of Parks and Recreation  David Taveroff.

And hats off to several of my District 2 constituents in the cast: the father and son team of Steve and Jesse Stein,  Mike Rappaport,  Cheryl Everett-Rajchgot and Seymour David. Dr. Jerrold Rappaport, a noted general practioner, serves as videographer and assistant to the director.

Brownstein has built up a very healthy organization, bringing in multiple corporate sponsors. The program book has a healthy supply of advertisements. And if you think Fiddler is a success, wait until next year's planned collaboration with the Black Theatre Workshop unfolds with the presentation of Hairspray.

The special preview show included a VIP reception, attended by many dignitaries and guests.

I will be back to see this show in June when we hold a special presentation in honour of our volunteers.

Tickets are available online at CSLDramaticSociety.com. Those without a computer can purchase tickets in person at the Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre (5794 Parkhaven Ave.), Parks and Recreation office (7500 Mackle Rd.), or the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library (5851 Cavendish Blvd.).
 

We are proud to note that we successfully requested to McDonald`s that its drive-through signs be bilingual.

Presently, our community has one food court McDonald`s at the Quartier Cavendish Mall. For many years, folks with a Big Mac fix were able to fill that need at a location on Côte Saint-Luc Road and Walkley. Technically, that was situated in N.D.G.

Personally, I do not go to McDonald`s that often. However, when I am between meetings I often lament that the closest drive-throughs to CSL are a Wendy`s on Decarie and a McDonald`son  St. Jacques.

The shopping centre came to us many months ago with their wish for a zoning change to allow for a fast food restaurant with a drive-through. I hoped for a Wendy`s-Tim Horton combo or a Harvey`s. We studied the proposal and made several recommendations. I expect the   Golden Arches to be warmly welcomed here.

Well before I even knew the movie 42 was coming out, I had proposed to  my colleagues on Côte Saint-Luc City Council that we honour Jackie Robinson in our 2013 Human Rights Walkway Ceremony during Canada Day festivities. We will indeed be doing so. However, as prelude to this event, I felt it was vitally important that we incorporate  an educational component. My co-chair, Councillor Allan J. Levine, agreed. As a former school teacher of 35 years, mostly at Wagar High School, Allan knows that the story of Jackie Robinson needs to be in the classroom.

So I got to  work on a lecture, which we ended up holding on May 10 at City Hall. My good friend Jack Jedwab, the executive director of the Association of Canadian Studies and a Robinson historian agreed to join us. I timed the event specifically to coincide with a visit to town by former Expos star Warren Cromartie, now head of the Montreal Baseball Project. And then there was Kirmit Kitman. For many years my late father Larry would tell me stories about Kitman, an American who came here to play for the old Montreal Royals. From the pressbox we'd see Kitman in his box seats behind the Expos dugout. "He played with Jackie Robinson," Larry would say.

I tracked Kitman down and a 90 years of age he is still as sharp as can be. He also agreed to join the panel. It was now time to pick the students and I wanted cross-section from the public sector and the Jewish day school system. From the English Montreal School Board, representatives from Merton, Hampstead, Elizabeth Ballantyne and Coronation attended. They were joined by pupils from Hebrew Academy, United Talmud Torahs, Herzliah and Bialik's baseball team. Some members of the public attended, making for a packed house of some 200 people. I am pictured above with Jedwab, Cromartie, Kitman and some students.

This was a one hour living history lesson. Jedwab has always been interested in the Robinson story and organized many events about the trailblazing  sports icon. Immediately, Jedwab made such a powerful point. How could a country like the United States, which had fought the Nazis in Europe, practice racial segregation in their own land? As the son of a concentration camp survivor, Jedwab said he was motivated to speak about Robinson.

Kitman played two years for the Royals. He spent one entire training camp in Daytona Beach getting to know Robinson and seeing for himself the type of disturbing racism which existed. Cromartie was literally brought to tears after hearing Kitman's words. "If it was not for Jackie Robinson, there would be no athlete of colour playing any sport," he declared.

Mayor Anthony Housefather gave a stirring account of just what Robinson's debut in the majors did for blacks in sports while Councillor Levine later lashed out at our Quebec government for its own brand of targeting minorities, specifically proposed language legislation Bill 14.

I was thoroughly inspired by our lecture and so were the students and educators in the audience. It was why I asked my wife to join me at the theatre the following day to see 42. This is a film every student should see and when it comes out on DVD I will make such a push at the EMSB. Ideally, Black History Month 2014, would represent an excellent opportunity.

Cromatie, by the way, will be back here this summer giving a four week baseball school at our own Trudeau Park, with an additional two weeks added at another park in Ahuntsic. At our lecture, kids expressed a lot of interest in attending. Here is the flyer.

John Kenney of the  Montreal Gazette did this terrific video of the event:

Check out there menu on their website.

In recent years they have been profiled in The Montreal Gazette, on CTV News and most recently on Today's Entrepreneurs, a fantastic radio show broadcast Monday evenings at 7 p.m. on CJAD. Dan Delmar and Josh Miller host the program, which is sponsored by the accounting firm Fuller Landau and produced by their marketing and communications manager  Stephanie Darwish.

Personally I am a huge fan of their chicken schnitzel, chicken burgers and Chinese food. But now there is a new creation. Good, old fashioned salmon patties.  I brought home my first order last week and they were absolutely out of this world!

If you did not hear the show, click on the direct link below. If you experience any difficulty accessing the mp3, then right click on the link and then click Open in a New Window:

Csl_koshercjad_04_22_2013

I was pleased to join Mayor Anthony Housefather and Côte des Neiges - NDG Borough Mayor Lionel Perez for the formal opening ceremonies, hosted by Rabbi David Cohen from the Chabad Lubavitch Organization.  As I arrived so did a bus full of men dressed as clowns. They filed into the parking lot of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park and began a celebratory dance. Rabbi Cohen welcomed three young children on stage to say some prayers. The parade then continued, leading to a big festival in the central part of the park featuring games, jugglers, horse rides, a petting zoo and much more.

Bravo to all involved!



Here is an excellent preview by my good friend Menachem Posner.

Côte Saint-Luc city council has given a second reading to a proposed zoning change for the portion of snow dump land on Marc Chagall Avenue. On April 7, we held a mandatory public question period and some people came out, asking us what type of project we expect for this land.

As Mayor Anthony Housefather explained, the city recently conducted an evaluation of this land located right at the corner of Kildare Road next door to Beth Chabad.  It was determined that we do not have any practical use for it. Putting it up for sale, with a very clear set of zoning guidelines, would bring in some valuable revenue and perhaps add something worthwhile to this growing neighbourhood.

The next step is to approve the final resolution approving the zoning for commercial use. Soon after there will be a call for offers, in which case council will either accept the highest bidder (as long as it meets the criteria set out) or decide to hold off on permitting any development there at the present time.

As the councillor for the area, I have agreed to the zoning change. However, I have no idea what type of proposals we may receive. I worked very hard a number of years ago to have zoning changed across the street on Marc Chagall from commercial to residential. There was a very real possibility that a strip shopping centre would be built there.  Nobody wanted that. This new proposal calls for a very small building, which would have a tenant on the lower level and some offices (possibly medical) on the second floor.

I will wait to see what proposals we receive and if the winning bid is in the interest of local residents, only then will I support it. For example, we will not allow a sit down restaurant, but a convenience store or bakery is permitted under the by-law. A pharmacy is also a possibility.
Some residents have expressed concern about parking on Marc Chagall and the new Beth Chabad. Well we have met with the latter group and discussed options for them to build a new parking lot. We will see how that progresses.

As for a new park on Marc Chagall, we wish to eventually relocate Isadore Goldberg Park, which is squeezed between a few apartment buildings on Sir Walter Scott Avenue, on the lot next to the new town house condominiums. What we need to do is put this in one of our upcoming Capital Works budgets. In the interim, we have asked our Public Works Department to sod the vacant land and perhaps even install some park benches. There is debris from the construction which we have asked the developers to remove.

Well Dawn is a dog owner and resides on Sir Walter Scott Avenue, a block of apartment buildings, where it seems folks are not picking up the waste of their canines.

"I just moved into an apartment building on Sir Walter Scott," says Dawn. " All along the street and along the path to Cavendish, there is dog poop everywhere on the grass. Some of it is clearly old  as it’s white already  and lest you think the mess is due to spring thaw and lazy winter dog walkers, let me assure you that some of it is fresh. It’s clearly being left there by various dog owners, because some of it is obviously from large dogs and some from quite small pups -- you can tell.

"I have a dog and always, always, always pick up his poop. When I lived in a single-family home with a fenced-in yard -- which was only used by my dog -- even then I picked up his poop. It’s not just an issue of laziness,  it’s an issue of bacteria. Whether my dog is stepping in it or whether I’m stepping in it, it’s vile. It’s vile and it’s  everywhere. I can’t walk five feet without seeing a pile. It’s that  bad.

As usual, the sanctuary at the TBDJ was filled to capacity. Quebec Liberal MNA for D'Arcy McGee Lawrence Bergman was accompanied by his party's new leader, Philippe Couillard (pictured above). Mount Royal Liberal MP Irwin Cotler and Montreal Mayor Michael Applebaum were there, as was Projet Montréal leader Richard Bergeron and several members of council.  Other municipal politicians, including yours truly, were on hand as well

This year’s theme, 1943, the Year of Uprisings, honoured the courage of the many thousands of men and women who stood up against deportation and mass murder, risking their lives to initiate uprisings in ghettos (Warsaw, Bialystok, Lvov and others) and death camps (Treblinka and Sobibor, and others). Despite these acts of bravery, 1943 was a year of mass deportation and vast destruction of Jewish communities.

Six Montreal Holocaust survivors lit memorial candles, symbolizing the six million Jews murdered during World War II. They shared their memories of 1943 through short video testimonies.Jacob Lev (picture at the left)  broke down as he watched video testimony  about his life in the Warsaw Ghetto, how he smuggled food for his family as a young boy and about his life in a labour camp. Child survivor Yehudi Lindeman described how he was saved by his mother and other rescuers from deportation, living in hiding until liberation by Canadian soldiers.Leon Calderon shared the story of his deportation to Auschwitz-Birkenau from his native Salonika and how he was forced to clean up the Warsaw ghetto, with 100 Greek camp inmates, after the uprising.Musia Schwartz talked about her survival in Warsaw under a false identity as a Christian maid. Fela Ross described her life in the Lodz ghetto until her deportation to Auschwitz, from there to slave labour in Hamburg and finally to Bergen-Belsen where she was liberated.Baruch Spiegel, the last Montreal survivor involved in the Warsaw ghetto uprising, shared his memories of the fighters and his involvement in the uprising. He was  represented by his daughter, Mindy Spiegel, who lit the memorial candle on his behalf.

Joel Lion, the Consul General of Israel, spoke about his late grandfather who died in the Sobibor death camp."It is our duty to make sure that Jews will never be killed again because they are Jewish," he remarked. "The antisemitic beast is still alive."

It was a powerful experience to be part of. We are fortunate to have many survivors still with us, willing and able to tell their stories. At the conclusion of the evening all Holocaust survivors present were asked to rise. The numbers have dropped naturally over the years, but there was still a strong presence. Then the second generation were asked to rise and the numbers increased dramatically.

The Bialik High School Choir and soprano Sharon Azrieli Perez provided music and song.

This video really explains the situation as Bill 14 impacts upon bilingual municipalities magnificently.

Babe was my neighbour growing up. I last saw him in September at my father Larry's  funeral. The day before he came to the house to talk to my mom and I, with tears in his eyes. How ironic it was that he and Larry should pass away during the same time period  - friends for 50 years.

Babe was the youngest of 10 children, raised in Verdun. Four of the siblings did not marry and they decided to buy a house together on Wentworth Avenue.  Babe was a mechanic while Bob, Kay and Jen had office jobs.  When their mom fell ill, it was decided to move her into the house. A family meeting took place and  Babe agreed to give up his career and become the caregiver and homemaker. So besides taking care of the mom, he did the groceries, made the meals and did the laundry without any complaints. Babe was also a master handyman. He made the garage his workshop. When mom passed on, my brother, sister and I were still very young, The family decided to maintain the arrangement and Babe continued to handle the  basic duties of the house. Even though he was more than 30 years our senior, he actually became part of our network of friends.

There was nothing Babe would not do for us. When something went wrong in the house, my dad would shout loudly "Call Babe!" Sure enough Babe would race across the street and fix the problem.

In the glory days of Blue Bonnets Raceway, Babe and my dad shared a passion for the horses.  Babe would go there several days a week, sometimes with my dad, but always with some wagers from Larry. He had a whole circle of friends at the track and they would always convene at the Decarie McDonald's afterwards.

My brother Chuck and I were fortunate as youngsters. Larry covered the home games of the Montreal Canadiens for the United Press International wire service. He also worked at radio station CKVL. In those days he had access to season tickets. Every Saturday night  home game he promised that one of us could go. We were too young to go alone, so Babe became our companion. The games started at 8 p.m. and like clockwork we'd all pile into Babe's car at 6:30 p.m., park near the entrance to Westmount Square and walk through the tunnel. Babe always had some candy in his pocket for us before the game and bought us a hotdog, chips and drink at the first intermission. Since my dad did dressingroom interviews after each game, we would wait for him at Alexis Nihon Plaza at the Dairy Queen where Babe would buy me a delicious hot fudge Sundae and a coffee milkshake to take home to mom.

Our friends used to like getting lifts home from Babe. He had an incredible sense if humour and was a bit of a daredevil behind the wheel. One night  when we came home from a game Babe got out of the car to talk to my mom. His late Saturday night ritual was to head to one of his siblings in Verdun to watch TV. Well on this night Chuck, who was probably no more than nine, came out of the house and crawled into the backseat. Babe took off to Verdun and when he was almost half way there Chuck bounced up and screamed "Boo!" While Babe was  in a slight state of shock, he maintained control of the car, turned around and returned Chuckie home.

As we got older, Chuck and I were given the go ahead to sit together at the games. But every now and then one of us would agree to bring Babe, for he was more than a babysitter, but a friend. His commentaries on the game were hilarious and he would make up songs to the organ music and sing them out loud. He became familiar with the ushers, the vendors and a guy named Dutchie who stood near our seats yelling "Go Habs Go!" through a megaphone.

We lived right next to Kirwan Park. In the winter we'd meet our friends for pickup hockey and in the summer we did the same for baseball.  Babe was one of the boys and always came out to play with us. He was actually quite a skilled hockey player and often told us how he grew up in Verdun with coaching legend Scotty Bowman.  With absolutely no equipment, he insisted on playing goalie. Nobody could get a puck by him.

Except for the winter, when he'd be visible shovelling, working the snowblower or installing Christmas lights, Babe was always outside on his front lawn feeding the squirrels. "Hello Suzy," he would always say to the first of many to arrive in his midst.

For many years the 161 bus actually stopped and rested directly in front of our houses. Passengers were literally on Babe's front steps. The drivers all enjoyed, of course, stopping their vehicles to chat with him.  Fortunately the stop was moved just around the corner at one time and this was when Babe truly became the neighbourhood greeter. Everyone going in and out of the park got to know him. Cars passing by would always honk as he leaned on his rake or lawnmower. There was no repair job too difficult for him. He'd climb the roof if necessary.

As the years went by,  Bob, Kate and Jen passed away. His niece Priscilla, known to many as the super waitress from the Snowon Deli, Delly Boys and Pumperniks, moved in.  We had grown up seeing a lot of Priscilla's two wonderful sons, Gregory and Tony Dyson. I saw each of them at the funeral for the first time in what is probably decades. They were like sons to Babe and the emotion in Gregory's voice as he read the eulogy made that clear.

Tom Savage was there as well. For years Tom was a scout for the NHL's Winnipeg Jets. He actually knew Babe from the Kahnawake golf course. No, Babe was not a golfer, but through his close friend Kenny he was a regular visitor and of course a Mr. Fixit.

Babe Learie touched so many lives. He was a truly good person whom I was lucky to know. When my mom moved to an apartment a few months ago, I thought to myself that the one connection we had all lost was to Babe. He was not on email and did not have a cell phone. I made a promise to myself that I would make some regular visits or call him just to stay in touch. I loved to hear his favorite sayings like, "Things go better with coke," or "She's bananas." To my sister Lisa, Babe was like an uncle  and she thoroughly enjoyed his company as well.

Several weeks ago mom learned that Babe had been hospitalized. We had hoped for the best. Unfortunately that was not to be. I only hope that he runs into Larry up there and the two of them can talk about old times.

Rest in Peace Babe. There will never be another person like you.

It has been a few years now since half of “the Mall” was demolished to make room for an attractive housing development which continues to take shape. I have learned that the extraordinarily popular Yeh! Yogurt    will set up shop in the Quartier in June.  I spent many a night at their Monkland Avenue location last summer and  I just love the self-serve frozen yogurt concept. What makes it particularly appetizing is the fact as customers we serve ourselves, choosing from a wide variety of flavors, toppings, and sauces. Yeh! Has amazing flavors of the highest quality non-fat frozen yogurt, over 40 toppings, ranging from fresh fruits to dried toppings like cranberries, organic raisins, flax seed, to candy, cereals and chocolates.  

The company was founded in  2008 by Jean-Daniel Nadeau and Grace Yeh. Twin brothers and mega-successful businessmen Jon and Marvin Gurman bought into the business a few years ago and last December acquired all of the remaining shares. Their vision will see this brand expand to new heights for sure. Oh yes, the Gurmans grew up in  Côte Saint-Luc and their mom still lives in the community. This makes the whole deal doubly sweet.

"We signed the lease a few weeks ago, we finalized designs this week and signage is going up next week," Adam Coape-Arnold, JCorp's marketing and brand manager shared with me. "We will be located on the Avenue, a prime location facing the new condos to  Kildare and with a door also entering the Mall. We will bring back Cavendish as a destination for all ages to enjoy frozen yogurt in a cool setting with kosher ingredients!"

Yeh! now has a presence in Toronto, Nova Scotia and the United States. There is no question the Gurmans are now thinking internationally. ust as their clothing company, J Corp, has thrived, so will Yeh!

 “ We are prepared to execute our strategic plan,” the Gurmans state. “We will aggressively grow the chain in the next three years. We have a great brand with a proven record of success."

Yeh! will indeed give the Quartier/Mall a nice shot in the arm. It will be a great place to go after the movies and could keep a lot of youngsters hanging out in the community. Do any Mall trivia buffs remember Barton's?

The ageless Joe King, 89 years young and among the most active seniors  I know, addressed our Côte Saint-Luc Senior Men`s Club this week. I asked him to provide a summary of his address.

The so-called “Main”—in essence, a Jewish ghetto transplanted from eastern Europe to downtown Montreal—was a largely bilingual (English and Yiddish) six- block wide swath of territory bisected by The Main—St. Lawrence Boulevard.

It was a strange, even foreign enclave, largely populated by colourfully-clad immigrants scrambling to make a living, as best they could, in this challenging new city.  To the west of The Main was the predominantly English world, to the east, the Francophones.

Life was a struggle for newcomers, even when they found work.  The biggest employer was the garment industry, where the working language often was Yiddish.   Even the foreman knew how to swear in Yiddish.  Newcomers would descend from vessels on the waterfront, be greeted by friends or family---walk up to what is now Chinatown—spend the night sleeping on the floor. (There were no guest rooms—or elevators—in the tenements.)  The next morning, with luck and connections, they would go to work in a factory.

For Montrealers, the most important Jew was Isaac Singer—but he never visited the city.  What he did was invent the popular Singer sewing machine—made a mint—and spent much of it on 19 wives.  The last one served as the model for the Lady with the Lamp in the Statue of Liberty.

 Jews dominated the manufacturing of clothing --in Montreal, Toronto, New York.  Even during the depths of the Great Depression, in 1931, 83% of the  Jewish work force were employed in manufacturing.

Many young people went to work at age ten or eleven—selling newspapers or peddling.  One of the companies supplying them was Ogilvy’s—today a ritzy department store, but then advertising in Yiddish!

(For a few years, Yiddish was an official language in Montreal thanks to Mayor Mederic Martin)

   Harry Hirschman had a great impact on the community.  In 1903, he gave the community its first Library—in the living room of his apartment.  The librarian was his wife—handling their few books and pamphlets after she returned home from work. 

In 1922, Hirschman was one of three Canadians who journeyed to the Ukraine where more than 100,000 Jewish children had been orphaned.  His team managed to rescue and find homes, mostly in Montreal, for 163.  He returned home one day and introduced one of the orphans to his astonished wife.  “This is our daughter,” he said.  The daughter, in later years known as Mrs. Arnold (Feiga) Fisher, became chair of the women’s division of Combined Jewish Appeal and lived into her nineties.

Stores of the twenties reflected the meagre living circumstances of the time.  Virtually nothing was thrown away. Used clothing was hung outside the shops.  Barrows could be rented for 25 cents a day and they sold everything from vegetables and fruit to used shoes. Hermann Reitmann—who founded the Reitmann chain of stores—started out like that. 

The scavenger for saleable items was the peddler with horse and wagon, making endless rounds crying out “any rags?”  Often the horses were old nags, treated with great kindness, but only months away from a glue factory.  During the bitter winters (much colder and longer than today), layers of old blankets and used overcoats adorned both horse and master.

The horse was also the family pet—the only one the family could afford.  It was a treat for younger children to be lifted onto the back of a bony old horse while father or grandfather fed the patient animal.  

In 1922, the Protestant School Board breathed a collective sigh of relief.  They opened the Baron Byng High School on St. Urbain Street—smack in the middle of a significant proportion of Montreal’s Jews.  Never comfortable with having Jews in its schools, the Protestant leaders cheerfully assured each other that they had established a Jewish educational ghetto, as it were, and the Jews would be sidelined.

It didn’t work out that way.  Instead, each year, Baron Byng High topped the lists of educational achievements.

The School’s alumni became a large segment of Canada’s who’s who—poets, politicians, authors, artists, business leaders.

One roughneck tamed in the system was Izzie Lazarovitch (who was ultimately expelled ) whose life changed forever when an English teacher named Saunders read to his class from Tennyson:

    “Sink me the ship, master gunner

     Sink her, split her in twain

     Fall into the hands of God

     Not into the hands of Spain”

At that moment, Izzie Lazarovitch was transformed into Irving Layton, one of Canada’s greatest poets.

Graduate Simon Reisman won international acclaim as the man who conceived of and negotiated the Free Trade Agreement—overpowering his American opposite number with his fierce determination.  (Once, it is claimed, Simon became so angry that he snubbed out his cigar on an 18^th century desk).  Reisman earned his high school tuition fees dishing out ice cream sodas.

Gerald Weiner became a cabinet minister.  Carl Goldenberg and Yoine Goldstein became senators.

(As a student, Goldenberg once encountered Prime Minister MacKenzie King in Ottawa and immediately advised the P-M on how he could do a better job.  Impressed, MacKenzie King invited Carl to have dinner with him.  “We just received lobsters from Prince Edward Island.”  “Thank you, but no.  They are not kosher.”)

Sydney Shulemsohn became a highly-decorated pilot, using his twin-engined Beaufighter to cannonade and rocket German warships and merchant vessels.  His leadership was so impressive that he was assigned to teach his attack techniques to scores of other pilots and led massive aerial attacks on Nazi targets.

Herbert Marx became Quebec’s Justice Minister and later a Judge. Phil Gold washed bottles in a brewery to pay for his tuition and discovered an important marker for cancer.  Gerald Weiner became Canada’s multiculturalism minister.  Mordechai Richler became a major literary figure.

Despite their achievements, the Jewish community faced widespread anti-Semitism.  One of the leading figures was McGill University’s Dean of Arts, Professor MacKay, who insisted that Jews would have to have higher scores before being admitted, on a limited basis, to the university.

In a way, it was poetic justice when McGill University—during the depression—found it financially impossible to continue operating its School of Social Work.  But two people came to the rescue—Gerald and Marjorie Bronfman—came to the rescue with a $50,000 gift.

Pet overpopulation is at a crisis level in Quebec. Currently there  are approximately 380,000 dogs and cats in Montreal, of which 30,000 are not spayed or neutered.

I am glad to see the City of Montreal backing this campaign. Needless to say, the small team of volunteers at the CSLCC continue to do our part.  Over the past three years, thanks in large part to our partner Shelley Schecter of Educhat, we have had countless number of cats trapped and either spayed or neutered. This is serious business, as the only way to reduce the homeless cat population is to prevent these kitties from reproducing. We have a great deal of work to do. There is absolutely no excuse for someone who has an outdoor cat in particular not to have the animal sterilized.

If you fall into this category, visit the Côte St. Luc Hospital for Animals on Baily Road next to the Famous Delly Boys Plaza.  You can also go to the local SPCA. “We have a vet working full-time, six days a week just doing spay/neuter surgeries,” said the SPCA’s Alanna Devine. “For cats we're still fighting an uphill battle. Our euthanasia rate is about 30 per cent.”