Bar owners still held liable for fake ID

by Matthew Brett and Andrea Richer

ST. LAZARE ­ The methods used by liquor licencees to bar under-18s have been brought into question following the 21-day suspension of Bar chez Maurice's liquor licence.
The suspension was ordered by Quebec's Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux after a police raid last March netted 32 underage found-ins, 28 of them girls. A week later, Hudson's Chateau du lac was raided and one minor was found by police.
Chateau bar manager Peter Thompson suspects the minor used an elaborate fake ID to enter the bar and he's preparing for the challenge.
"I believe it's possible to be diligent in your carding, educate your doormen -show them the fake ones-and that's what my guys are doing," Thompson said.
The Chat accepts only medicare cards and drivers licences, but even then, fakes are common and difficult to distinguish from official identification cards.
"People have really good fake driver's licences," Thompson said. "They're actually very good. They look just like driver's licences."
If a minor gets carded by police once inside the bar, they generally show their legal ID or say they have none, since showing false identification to a police officer is a criminal offence.
"The bar gets screwed either way," Thompson said.
First-time infractions start at around $250 and can land the bar owner in court or with a temporary closure.
The Chat has even installed a metal barrier to prevent minors from climbing over the patio to sneak into the bar on a busy night. Four doormen overlook the entrance to the bar on Friday, a busy night for the younger crowd.
Annie's Bar & Restaurant in Ste. Anne de Bellevue serves all ages until 8 p.m. Underage patrons are only permitted to enter the bar to use the washrooms.
Ten doormen are placed throughout the bar on a Thursday night, a popular party night for students from John Abbott College.
"We've never got caught with any minors...There's no sneaking in or anything," said Annie's co-owner, Steven Bracken.
"It is a fight with minors, if there was a window in the toilet they would enter from the toilets," Chez Maurice owner Richard Chartrand said. "There are those who let their friends in through the security doors. I have to put doorman there...it's a constant struggle."
By the time Chez Maurice reopens, Chartrand will have installed a program and equipment which will allow his employees to photograph both the carded patron and the identification offered as proof of age. The program is designed to prove an underage patron used fake ID to gain admission, but the Régie des alcools told Chartrand he would still be liable even if the ID is proven to have been false.

LBPSB not looking for perfection: Olivenstein

by Andrea Richer

ST. LAZARE - The Lester B. Pearson School Board is back on the hunt for a suitable site for a new English elementary school following the board's failure to convince the town of St. Lazare to accept the project on Du Domaine and St. Angélique, commissioner Daniel Olivenstein said Friday.
Olivenstein said he understands the people of St. Lazare want to maintain a certain lifestyle but warned that if their population keeps growing, soon enough it will be their kids who will have to be bused to outside schools.
Addressing the claim that the board was being too picky in its criteria for a new site, Olivenstein said commissioners are not looking for a perfect piece of land, merely an acceptable one.
"I think in many cases, the people who are suggesting those lands know in advance that they are not going to be acceptable to us,"?said Olivenstein, hinting that mayors were offering sites just so they wouldn't be blamed for not offering anything.
But Olivenstein does not want the blame game to continue between between the school board and municipalities.
"It's been a very frustrating...blame goes all the way back and forth, as far as I'm concerned it's neither here nor there," said Olivenstein.
The board will continue to negotiate with any town in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, he added.
"We're looking for an acceptable piece of land in a place that has reasonable access to services, water, electricity, reasonable access for transportation and so far no one has been able to offer that piece of land," said Olivenstein. He said he has trouble believing that piece of land doesn't exist.
The provincial government has already guaranteed the board $8.4 million for a state-of-the-art elementary school that would be one of the most energy-efficient in the province. "We're building a building that the people in this region will be proud of," said Olivenstein.
Its 19 classrooms ­ three for pre-schoolers ­ will provide sufficient space for between 400 and 450 students, more than enough to ease the chronic overcrowding at other Lester B. Pearson School Board elementary schools in Vaudreuil-Dorion, St. Lazare and Pincourt.
The provincial government will be putting up the lion's share of the $8.4 million estimated cost, with the Lester B. Pearson School Board contributing roughly $160,000 it gets from Hydro Quebec and other enery-efficiency programs. The remaining half-million will come from tax rebates.
In the meantime, the school board is exploring the possibility of having Grade 5 and 6 students continue their studies at the Westwood Jr. campus in St. Lazare.
"The only other solution is for the school board and the local towns to be working together,"?said Olivenstein.
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In response to false and misleading reporting in local newpapers and a letter from LBPSB Chairman Marcus Tabachnick claiming that our reporting had gone too far in stating the school board had accepted the piece of land offered by Lorraine Baron Inc., Olivenstein confirmed that the Lester B. Pearson school board had, in fact, accepted the site.
"We were offered a piece of land, we accepted it and the town of St. Lazare...said the local people would not accept it," said Olivenstein.

$45,000 St. Lazare break-in

Roughly $45,000 worth of money and jewelry was stolen from a home in St. Lazare between June 20 and June 26, according to this week's Sûreté du Québec report.
St. Lazare residents have also been reporting youth stealing their lawn ornaments. One resident reported seeing four young boys running off in a black vehicle with her 50-60 pound ornamental deer.
$1,000 worth of sports equipment was stolen from an Ile Perrot shed and a bicycle worth $1,100 was taken from a St. Zotique home. A schoolbag was stolen in a Pointe-des-Cascades parking lot, and thieves left with $450 worth of contents. A rock was thrown in a Rigaud shop window and $50 worth of cash was stolen. The SQ reported 37 road accidents last week, including six causing injuries. Four drivers were arrested for driving while impaired.
· · ·
A man in his 50's died two weeks ago in a motorcycle accident on highway 540, according to last week's police report. Police say the driver lost control of his vehicle and hit the side-wall. Sûreté du Quebec investigators closed this section of the highway for several hours.
The week of June 13, the SQ reported 19 accidents, three causing injuries. Four drivers were arrested for drunk driving. A break-in was reported in an unlocked Ile. Perrot residence and the suspect left with $500 worth of goods. On June 19, a fire in a vehicle caused damages to a nearby home in St. Clet, with total losses estimated at $10,000.

Anger brewing after Ste. Anne fire consult

STE. ANNE DE BELLEVUE - Residents and property owners affected by the June 17 five-alarm blaze that wiped out a section of the town met with town officials last Thursday during a heated information session.
Ste. Anne mayor Bill Tierney said the town shouldered the blame for the fire during Thursday evening's consultation because representatives of the Service d'Incendie de Montreal didn't show.
Counter to initial opinion that firefighters simply did not show up, Service d'Incendie administrative division chief, Aimé Charette, said it is procedure not to disclose detailed information immediately following a fire.
"There's a legal delay we have to observe before we divulge any information concerning fires," said Charette.
The goal of the information session was to discuss the fire, issues in the fire's wake and future plans for the site, which include a block of three-storey condos. During the session, some 50 to 60 residents questioned everything from the history of the site to the firefighters' handling of the blaze.
Police are currently investigating the cause of the fire which began in the century-old lumberyard at 27 rue Ste-Anne. The structure at the corner of Montée Ste. Marie had been listed as a potential fire risk.
The fire began just after midnight on June 17, destroying four buildings and damaging adjacent properties with estimated damages in excess of $2 million. Some 50 fire trucks and 150 firefighters tackled the five-alarm blaze, receiving the first dispatch call at 12:15 a.m. and battling the fire until 8:35 Wednesday morning.
Mayor Tierney said following the meeting that the city struggles with the fire department over prevention and coordination of activites.
"Our relationship with the firemen has been very difficult," Tierney said.
Charette has only been two weeks on the job and is busy making links with all towns served within his administrative region.
"We've always communicated with the different boroughs," Charette said.
Tierney said the town and Richard Ho, the owner of the lumberyard, were close to agreement on a project for the site.
"Richard was on the point of making a proposal to put in a whole bunch of three-storey condominiums, which would have fitted inside the zoning law," he said last week. "We were probably a year from demolishing the sheds anyway.
"Our urban planner actually suggested the density, the layout, the disposition...he's made all sorts of suggestions to them, and I think the most recent thing is they're looking at it and maybe running with it...It's just too bad that we had this bloody catastrophic fire in the meantime."

by Andrea Richer

ST. LAZARE - The Aéroports de Montréal confirmed suspicions of some residents last week that air traffic was increasing in the area.
Construction at Pierre Elliott Trudeau requires the airport authority to close runways at certain times over the course of the summer, and air traffic has consequently been rerouted in closer proximity to eastern Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
Air traffic patterns have changed, increasing circulation around the two remaining runways.
Runway 06L-24R will be closed until July 17. Then, runway 10-28 will be closed from July 20 to September 18 and runway 06R-24L from September 21 to October 30.
Changing wind patterns have affected aircraft routes over the past few weeks in addition to the runway closures, airport spokesperson Anne Marcotte said last week.
"We had a lot of winds from the north-east. This is also a factor that can change the corridors a little," Marcotte said."These factors may cause more flying over areas which are normally less overflown."

VAUDREUIL-SOULANGES - The MRC has adopted a resolution to pressure Transport Quebec to plant trees in the vicinity of highways exits and access to highways, including Highways 20, 40, 540 and 30 in Vaudreuil-Soulanges. The project aims at using trees as windbreakers and sound barriers.
Claude Pilon, mayor of Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, was the instigator of this project, but declined to speak with the Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette about the plan. Transport Quebec will participate in the realization of the plan.
The project clearly stems from the MRC's politique de l'arbre et des boisés (PAB), which was officially launched in Nov., 2008. The PAB, a 52 page document, details a set of 25 proposals to protect the rapidly dwindling woodlands that remain in Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
The document also outlines the necessity of re-linking fragmented woodlands, and offers proposals to protect vegetation along streams. Native tree species will be selected for planting along the highways in accordance with the PAB.

Early election interest cool in Hudson

HUDSON - In contrast to the electoral freeforall shaping up in neighbouring St. Lazare, there's growing concern among Hudson council regulars at the list of vacancies for the Nov. 1 election.
Mayor Elizabeth Corker will be stepping down after 16 years of service, as will councillors David Morton, Gordon Drewett and Thomas Birch. Of the current council, only Madeleine Hodgson and Robert Parkinson have expressed their intent to seek re-election.
Former mayor Michael Elliott has told people who ask he's giving thought to putting a slate together, but to date, councillor Michel Gaudette is the only declared mayoral candidate. Three residents ­ Germain Laporte, Diane Piacente and Larry Gray ­ have voiced interest in running for council but none have filed nomination papers.
"There's a lot of talk out there...it's pretty early to be throwing your name in the ring," Corker said.
Laporte, who lost to Parkinson in District 1 last election, may run again in District 2. Laporte garnered 40 percent of the vote in 2005, losing to Parkinson, an independent candidate who lives in the district. The former federal civil servant is from District 1, and felt his location may have affected the result.
"I will not be running for mayor," Laporte said. "As my dad used to say, you have to walk before you run."
He wants to avoid the hostile campaigning atmosphere taking shape in St. Lazare.
"I don't intend to play those games," Laporte said. "I want to go there and be constructive and not just spin my wheels."
Madeleine Hodgson will run again, making her the longest serving councilor if reelected, with three full terms and a partial mandate under her belt. Hodgson joined Corker's slate a year after its 1993 formation when she defeated candidate George White.
"I know a lot of the members are leaving, but it would be nice if I could stay," Hodgson said. "There's a few names out there, but nothing's for sure yet."
Diane Piacente, a new arrival to the town and its political scene, has appeared at several recent council meetings and is emerging as one of the more dynamic new candidates in the running. Hodgson has been showing Piacente the ropes with the understanding Piacente will not run against her.
Piacente and her husband built a new house in Hudson's west end after moving here.
"There needs to be an infusion of new young families," Piacente said Friday. She predicts the town's investment on new and revamped infrastructure will hit Hudson's large proportion of older fixed-income residents hard. Encouraging younger families to move to Hudson with more affordable housing will revive the town and spread the tax burden.
"There's no housing for them here," Piacente said. She also wants "a little more openness at city hall," citing the Birch Hill/Whitlock feud as an example of what needs to change.
Parkinson plans to seek reelection in District 2 after serving one full term. Like Piacente, Parkinson grew interested in municipal politics shortly after arriving in Hudson. He has served on the municipal environment committee, and continues to sit on the permits and demolition committee.
During his time on the environment committee, he put "a little more bite into the tree bylaw...pretty important in terms of protecting green spaces."
The town also needs a consistent voice for Hudson's downtown revitalization project, he said.
The downtown revitalization project "needs to be championed in order to continue to move forward. It's not something that can happen overnight. It requires a vision, and requires a strategy," Parkinson said.
Hudson resident Larry Gray may run for councillor, having spoken with the mayor to learn what the job entails.
"I haven't gotten beyond the pondering point," Gray said early this June. "I'll see who's running. If there's a pile of people who are more up to the job than me, I don't know if I'd bother."
Council will also miss the familiar face of District 3 councillor David Morton, who sent a letter to the Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette last week stating his plans to step down.
"I have found that the position takes more time than I had ever anticipated, especially the preparation and the work on the many committees that I have sat on," Morton wrote. We need younger, qualified citizens to run for office.
"Everybody's either playing their hand close to their vest, or else they're coming out indirectly. I can't speak for anybody else," Morton said in an interview prior to declaring his intentions.
Corker had some words of advice for potential mayoral and council candidates.
"They have to be prepared for the job to occupy the majority of their time," Corker said.
"Some weeks can be quiet, but on any given day, be prepared to be there...It's always a surprise at council meetings. It's a life full of surprises.
"It's very demanding, and for anyone who's thinking about running for mayor, be prepared to put in long hours...for little money, but you don't do it for that."

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HUDSON - A petition is circulating to allow residents to park on the turning circle near the eastern entrance to the Sandy Beach Nature Park following the town's recent installation of no-parking signs on Beach Road.
"I've gone to the beach every day for years," said Hudson artist Daniel Gautier. "It's become inaccessibleit's the parking that's ridiculous."
Gautier picks his 84-year-old mother up from Manoir Cavagnal and drives down to the beach with her. She cannot walk the distance from the nearest parking station at the Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre, so Gautier and his mother park illegally near the beachfront.
No-parking signs were installed by the town two weeks ago to keep the area clear for emergency vehicles, mayor Elizabeth Corker confirmed Friday.
"We were reacting to Sandy Beach becoming so popular that people were parking anywhere and everywhere," Corker said. "It's obviously becoming a popular place not only for Hudson residents, but also for people who don't live here."
At one point last summer, the only family living on Royalview, the road at the far end of Beach, couldn't access their house because of the cars parked on both sides of the road. The legal issues are further complicated by the fact that, while Royalview is a public road, Beach is still considered private because the town refuses to accept it from developer Nicanco until infrastructure work has been completed.
"The problem is lifting parking signs on at least one side [of the road]," Gautier said.
Hudson's Community Patrol has been instructed to give out parking tickets for infractions, so the only option now open to Gautier is a quick drop-off at the Sandy Beach roundabout then a long walk down from the Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre parking lot.
"We're open to suggestions if somebody can come up with something," Corker said. "There may be a modification for residents only [but] if we put a resident's only sign, people are going to ignore it anyway."
Plans for Phase 3 of the Sandy Beach Nature Park include a welcome centre and large public parking area next to the Hudson Marina on Halcro, with a footbridge across the Viviry to connect up with the existing trail network to the east.
Work has already begun on the parking area and reconstruction of the marina seawall is scheduled to begin as early as next week, but the footbridge and parking area won't be completed until next year at the earliest.
In the meantime, the town may consider creating some handicapped parking spaces closer to the beach, the mayor said.
Last Friday, cars were illegally parked on both sides of the road near the beach entrance. A Community Patrol vehicle passed by but did not issue any tickets.
"It's amazing where people will park," Corker said Friday.

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Treatment plant start delayed until August

HUDSON - The new sewage treatmant plant won't be on stream until the middle of August at the earliest, mayor Elizabeth Corker said Tuesday.
"They had hoped to have it up and running before the construction holiday, but that's not going to happen," she said. "They're still testing and calibrating everything - the pumping stations, the reactors...it all takes time."
The good news is that the work on upper Cameron is ahead of schedule, with the contractor looking at laying a first coat of asphalt prior to the construction break in mid-July.
Meanwhile, projects hinging on completion of the sewage plant are slowly getting underway. Backers of the new continuing-care seniors' campus on Côte St. Charles say funding to build the roughly 150 units has been approved. Restaurant owner Scott Geiring has applied for a demolition permit for the former Christmas shop at 83 Cameron to clear the way for a new Carambola. Both the new regional palliative care centre and the Westwood Senior High School annex are well underway, the palliative centre to open this time next year and Westwood in September. -JD

Whitlock's new nine leaves
pesticide levels unknown

HUDSON - Whitlock Golf & Country Club will not be able to reduce its pesticide-use levels because of a new nine-hole circuit opened last season that leaves the club uncertain of its future pesticide-use levels.
A copy of Whitlock's pesticide reduction plan was obtained by the Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette from town hall early last week. The March 23 report, compiled by certified agronomist Christian Prud'homme, is required by law to be submitted to the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks.
The reduction plan details specific chemical products applied at Whitlock between 2006 and 2009, also listing the core chemical components of the products. Fungicide, herbicide and insecticide levels are documented by the volume and acreage applied.
The report also includes a summary of pesticide reduction results from the three previous years. Louis Simard, a member of a pesticide reduction coalition and former agronomist at Whitlock, had suggested a 15 percent reduction in pesticide use in the 2006 report. No reduction was observed in 2006 or 2007.
Pesticide use increased in 2008 because of Whitlock's new nine holes. A particular strain of bentgrass was used to develop the new nine, and bentgrass is more sensitive and may require more pesticides as the new nine develops.
The report outlines pesticide reduction objectives between 2009 and 2011, but average use for insecticides, rodenticides and growth regulators are likely to increase because of the new nine. The projected level of fungicide use remains uncertain because of the new nine.
"We did make reductions in most areas on the existing course...but we're still trying to feel out what the new nine's going to do to us," Whitlock superintendant Mike Bailey said. "We haven't identified where our normal levels of use will be on the new nine."
The report leaves a 15 percent window for fungicide-use increases or decreases, depending on climatic conditions and the health of the new nine.
Prud'homme, who serves as an agronomist for dozens of clubs across the province, said Whitlock is a moderate chemical user compared to other clubs.
"For the number of holes that there are, they really are not a big users of pesticides," he said.
The regional Ministry of Sustainable Development approved Whitlock's pesticide reduction plan in April and sent the report to Quebec City for incorporation into a final provincial report.
Whitlock's report was also submitted to Hudson's town hall in April, and the municipal environment committee sat down with the town's golf courses two weeks ago to review clubs' chemical use levels.
"The likelihood of us making further cuts on the existing 18 is small," Bailey said. "On the greens, I honestly don't think we're going to make huge headway. It's on the fairways and the large-usage areas that big changes are going to be made."
Whitlock's new nine also face common problems of high sand content in the soil, causing diseases to take hold on the grass more easily. Around 70 percent of Whitlock's pesticide applications are conducted in the fall to winterize the course as the season comes to an end.
Less abrasive chemicals are coming onto the market, and Whitlock is conducting studies of its own to reduce their chemical use, but pesticide reductions in the next three years will be difficult to achieve for the club.
"It's very hard to identify real reductions. They're transient-you reduce it now, but you can't guarantee it's reduced in the future. The attempt is always there, but it's not guaranteed," Bailey said.

Citizens wrangle over St. Lazare water hookup

by Matthew Brett

ST. LAZARE - A housing developer is deadlocked with residents on Cote St. Charles on how to rectify illegal water connections that have supplied two homes with water for over 30 years.
Two houses on Cote St. Charles are connected to the municipal water network from access points in their backyards, but the water-line illegally passes right through developer Renato Cervini's property.
Cervini sent the residents a legal notice on Dec., 2008, giving them 60 days to remove their water line from his property following reception of the letter. Cervini has allowed them to exeede the 60 day notice, and is currently waiting for signatures so when he does prepare to develop the property, residents will have to remove the water line.
The stalemate has left some Cote St. Charles residents with the prospect of splitting a costly bill for a new water line or installing private wells on their properties.
"Either I dig a well, or I pay through the nose for city water," resident Regine de Blick said last Thursday. "Either solution is not good for me."
Cervini, meanwhile, is left unable to develop his property. "I'm not pressuring anybody, but the problem has to be fixed," Cervini said. "For them, they want to do nothing...but it's not fair like that either."
Cervini and the affected residents on Cote St. Charles met with mayor Paul Carzoli, District 6 councillor Chico Levy and public works director Ghislain Castonguay for the first time last Monday to discuss options available to rectify the problem.
Councillor Levy had sharp words for the town, claiming the mayor wanted to hide details of the situation from him. Levy insists he was not invited to an initial meeting that was called off by the residents because their councillor was not in attendance.
The mayor insists that Levy was invited to the meeting by Castonguay.
During the meeting, Castonguay presented options for Cervini and the affected residents. The costs of a new water line could be split eight ways between residents on the east and west side of Cote St. Charles for a total cost of between $120 and $130,000; the same cost could also be split based on road frontage or total square footage.
"It's up to the owners to decide if they want to have another connection done somewhere else," mayor Paul Carzoli said.
Cervini feels the residents should install private wells, while de Blick reluctantly belives the square foot option would be the best route. Affected parties are meeting with the town again in Sept. in an attempt to resolve the situation.
"We'll provide them with possible solutions, and then it will be up to the owners to decide what they want to do," Carzoli said Friday.
The whole problem would not exist had the original property owners insured a servitude for the water line, which was constructed in 1978.
"They did not get any servitudes, and that was something they should have got at that time in order to insure that nobody else would be able to do anything," Carzoli said. "Now Mr. Cervini said there's no servitude, we have to rectify the situation."
De Blick obtained a signed letter from Bernard Charlebois, mayor of St. Lazare from 1975 to 1987, confirming that the town authorized the Chevrier's to connect to the municipal water network in 1978. Residents at the time incurred the costs and were responsible for the work, Charlebois' letter states.
One of the Chevriers owned Cervini's current land, but passed away while finalizing its sale. His widow did not insure a servitude for the water line was created when the land was finally sold.
De Blick feels she should have been informed of the water connection when she moved into her home in 2005. The previous occupants of her home did not know of the problem either, yet Cervini certainly knew of the problem in 2004.
"The whole situation's just unfair," de Blick said. "I'm four years here and I get stuck with the fact that I have to build a well, so I'm not happy."

Penney: Hudson sand filling not solution

HUDSON - Professional gardener June Penney says municipalities should pass bylaws limiting the use of sand as backfill.
Known throughout the region for her uncompromising approach to healthy, chemical-free gardens and her enthusiastic Penney Gardens crews, June worries too many homeowners let contractors use sand to fill their property, resulting in less nutrients and bad long-term results.
"It looks great when they move in, but two, three years down the road they have to redo their entire lawn," Penney says. "Sand just eats up your topsoil and ends up killing anything growing there."
She thinks towns should at least monitor what contractors are doing in terms of landscaping around private properties.
"They [contractors] take away all the good stuff, they do the excavation, dig the hole for the foundation, and then they bring in sand to fill because it costs nothing."
Town engineer Trail Grubert doesn't see a role for the town in policing topsoil.
"What you want to fill your property with is really your business," said Grubert. "You could fill your property with topsoil but the cost is going to be so high that nobody is going to do it."
Penney says there's no point putting good earth on top of the sand because the sand will filter back up into the good soil.
"The best thing is to take out a good ten to twelve inches and put a fabric on the bottom that will allow water to drain through, so the sand can't come back," said Penney. "Don't let the sand come back up through.
"Sand doesn't hold nutrients and sand also allows nutrients to just flow through. It doesn't retain the water," said Penney. "What happens two, three years down the road is that the lawns are dying."
Penney says people who are building new homes should be on the alert, and suggests homeowners insist the good soil remains. "Don't let them haul that away, it's all good stuff...you need to put down soil that's going to hold nutrients."

Raquette well saga nearing end

RIGAUD - A 30-year history of foul water, low pressure and unscheduled breakdowns appears near an end as the long-awaited replacements to the Raquette well near completion. The wells, reservoir and filtration complex were originally scheduled for completion in November 2008, but have been plagued by delays and contract wrangling since inception.
The most recent setback came when Rigaud's municipal council clashed with project development firm LBCD over the rescheduled completion date. LBCD proposed that finishing touches on the well would be completed by May 20, but council struggled to push the date forward three weeks.
The town has also proposed a loan of $29,650 plus taxes for additional costs related to the delay to be paid to the LBCD firm for the period ending February 27, 2009 and an extra $47,050 for the period ending May 20.
"We don't really have a choice [but] to accept the additional fees, it [the delays] isn't their fault, it is not their responsibility," said Rigaud mayor Real Brazeau in an interview earlier this year. One reason for the delays was that the soil tests were dated and did not represent the conditions discovered during excavation.
"We've been waiting for a long time. There were all sorts of delays, but work is going well now. We hope things will be finalized soon," he said.
Testing on the new system was scheduled to begin at the end of May, according to Brazeau. The wells serve much of downtown Rigaud and some 50 households in Hudson's west end.

3-1-1 non-emergency
service launched

by Andrea Richer

VAUDREUIL-DORION - The Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC launched Quebec's first 3-1-1 phone service last Thursday in an attempt to alleviate congestion on emergency phone lines.
As of July 1, residents can dial a single phone number (3-1-1) to have access to municipal services requiring intervention other than the police, fire and ambulance services.
The service will be available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Residents will be encouraged to contact the 3-1-1 line for such non-emergency municipal problems as broken waterlines and potholes.
The Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC, like other regions in Quebec, noticed congestion problems on the 9-1-1 emergency phone line caused by a high proportion of non-urgent calls. The new 3-1-1 service is projected to reduce the number of non-urgent calls placed to 9-1-1 by as much as 50 percent.
The project will cost approximately $100,000 per year for all municipalities of the MRC, said Yves Bergeron, MRC director of administrative services.
"To effectively manage the demands of its citizens, the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC now has a tool for managing calls more effectively," said Réal Brazeau, mayor of Rigaud and chairman of the 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 monitoring committee. "The establishment of a centre for non-urgent calls reaffirms the commitment of the MRC to improve the quality of services offered to its citizens."
MRC prefect Gilles Farand said the 3-1-1 service will simplify the delivery of municipal services for the 23 municipalities of the MRC.
"We are very proud to be the first MRC in Quebec to offer this service to citizens and, in continuity with the will of the elected representatives of the MRC, to improve services to citizens by simplifying access," said Farand.

HUDSON - During one of last week's heavy downpours, a driver lost control of her car on Main Road in Como and ended up in the deep ditch, with the front end wedged against a hydro pole.
"She was climbing out of the car just as I came around the corner," recounts the first passerby, who pulled the woman into her car and covered her up. "She was clearly in a rapidly advancing state of shock...her wrist was swelling rapidly."
The samaritan called 911 and told the dispatcher she was on Chemin de l'Anse, forgetting it becomes Main Road at the Hudson town line. "Chemin de l'Anse in Rigaud?" asked the dispatcher. 'No, just east of the ferry!" Two Sûreté de Québec cruisers were there within minutes, closely followed by the ambulance.
Some Vaudreil-Soulanges emergency service providers say the efficiency of the new 911 dispatch system makes it hard to believe the dispatcher co-ordinating operations is sitting in St-Georges-de-Beauce, at the other end of the province.
Others wonder whether a regional central would do better than maps and GPS when it comes to local knowledge.
The Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC signed a contract with the Centrale d'appels d'urgence Chaudière-Appalaches (CAUCA) three months ago for police and fire dispatch services. During the discussions among the 23 MRC mayors, several expressed doubts that a remote service could offer the same degree of local knowledge as a regionally based dispatch system.
CAUCA's boosters pointed to the organization's reliability record since it was created in 1994. CAUCA's biggest asset is that it serves most Quebec municipalities, thus has the critical mass to ensure bilingual staffing around the clock and the technical infrastructure to guarantee service even in the event of emergencies.
A regional dispatch service is no guarantee of quality, according to a March 31, 2009 Quebec Superior Court civil lawsuit launched by insurer Promutuel Vaudreuil against both the former Régie intermunicipale de police de la Seigneurie and Lombard Insurance.
The insurer sought nearly $597,000 in damages from the co-defendents on the basis that the dispatcher's lack of training and proper equipment resulted in a 14-minute delay before St. Lazare firefighters could get water to a Dec. 15, 2000 house fire at 1598 du Bordelais.
Instead of suffering relatively inexpensive fire damage, the house was gutted. The plaintiff attributed the delay in response to a technical glitch in the call system computer the dispatcher was never trained to handle.
In his ruling, Judge William Fraiberg said the defence had shown the fire had reached the flashover stage long before firefighters could have been there, had there been no delay. He rejected the plaintiff's demands.
Nevertheless, the case was a wakeup call for the MRC's public security committee when they began looking for a dispatch service to replace a 911 response provider in Bromont which had been hired in 2004.
Hudson fire chief Peter Milot said CAUCA is working relatively well. "There are still a couple of bugs to work out, to sort of get to know each other and all that. It's not perfect, but we're working towards it," Milot said.
The big difference between the former 911 dispatcher and CAUCA is the new centre's ability to handle cases with multiple departments involved, a common occurrence in our region, given the weather patterns, said Milot.
"We did have issues with Bromont in that respect," he noted. "But when you have a windstorm or major thunderstorm that affects a large region, which will affect multiple departments, that's where I think the proof will be in the pudding as far as this central is concerned."

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Towns grapple with summer vandals

ST. LAZARE - Elected representatives and police are attempting to curb the annual spike in vandalism when schools close for summer and teens are left to their own devices.
Vandalism is on the rise this year, with 2009 figures provided by the SQ already exceeding the total number of cases reported in 2007-08, and seven months remaining in the year.
The Sûreté du Québec is currently investigating a case of arson in St. Lazare. Three teenagers were arrested after setting fire to a motor home at around 4 a.m. nearly two weeks ago.
"We'll see if there will be charges against them. The investigation is on-going," said SQ Lieutenant Francis Olivier.
This most recent case of arson is just one of several incidents in the area. Elected representatives are at a loss for how to effectively tackle the problem.
"It's frustrating for all of us, it just doesn't cease, and it's getting worse," Pincourt mayor Michel Kandyba said two weeks ago. "Why is it that a minority of kids are creating havoc?"
Pincourt invested in a private public security company last summer to deal with what Kandyba calls street gangs. Neighbouring municipalities also collaborate with the SQ on programs to keep the kids active, but vandalism continues unabated.
"We need to find a way to understand these kids and their interests," Kandyba said. "We need to see things in a different perspective."
Pincourt is in the developmental stages of a new program to pinpoint the underlying source of what leads teenagers to become violent and destructive. Kandyba is hopeful that once a clear source is identified, a solution is possible.
"We definitely have to find the source, and then we'll really be able to work," Kandyba said.
Certain off-island parks are clear problem areas, and the SQ occasionally dispatches undercover police to investigate. "If needed, they make arrests," Olivier said.
Both towns and the SQ make clear they are not in the business of parenting.
"It's not the SQ's job to educate the parents....a lot of it is the parents' responsibility," Oliver said.
An annual report of activities released by the SQ in June documents the number of crimes and acts of vandalism committed against private property: 581 such acts were reported in 2005-06, jumping to 676 in 2006-07, falling back to 521 in the 2007-08 figures and most recent figures climbing to 594 in 2008-09 already.

Heat quells CACPS

The Citizens Action Committee on Public Security (CACPS) stayed on the safe side by canceling their traffic calming campaign on June 25 for fear of extreme heat and a potential thunderstorm. The campaign was to take place at the corner of Ste. Angelique and St. Charles. The St. Lazare CACPS chapter is planning to reschedule the campaign in the coming weeks.

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Novelist remembers Hudson

If you're curious about what Hudson and St. Lazare were like back in the 80s, the thread running through former area resident Natasha Bookalam Gordon's autobiographical Waiting for the Third Act is about a woman's love for horses versus her husband's love for golf.
Gordon discusses at length her love for horses; her adventures will surely appeal to anybody who shares her passion. She writes:?"Living in Hudson made me fall even more in love with horses than I would ever have thought possible."
Meanwhile, her husband Norman Bookalam spent his time at Whitlock Golf and Country Club and making friends in the community.
The 200-plus pages cover moments from her childhood to her third marriage and although I wish she would have provided more detail about her relationships, I?enjoyed reading about her time here. The memoir gave nice insight into the kind of town Hudson was in the 80s.
All in all, Natasha Bookalam Gordon's memoir is a light read about a woman's struggles and passions. Her book is currently on sale at A temps Perdu.

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Floral Art exhibition July 4

Three of the area's well-known floral arrangers will have their work on exhibit at À Temps Perdu in Hudson starting July 4.
"Last year we showed in an art gallery. It was so much fun," said Elaine Steinberg. "The public response was wonderful-a full house-and some people who came into the gallery had never been there before. One night, while sitting around having coffee at À Temps Perdu I thought: why not exhibit here this year."
Kathryn Lamb underscores her work with a Marc Chagall quote: "I am a child who is getting on."
"This would be me this year" said Lamb. "But recognizing and cultivating a desire to play is my personal fountain of youth.
June Kendall's assemblage of collectibles titled: Long Long Ago is both the container of her story line and her arrangement. Using objects from the attic, so to speak, she designs a classical display using flowers.
Elaine's work is always intentionally trendy. This year her work reflects an accumulation of projects realized at a performing art centre along and collaborative works-both realized and in progress - with Hudson landscape architect Brian Grubert. Steinberg titles her work: Floral Props: Staging À Temps Perdu 2009.
Meet the artists: July 4 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Exhibition July 4-10; Open daily except Monday, 76 Cameron.

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St. Lazare Western Festival
begins today

ST. LAZARE - The third annual St. Lazare Western Festival starts today with high-speed entertainment and activities for horse enthusiasts and weekend revelers alike.
Taking place from Thursday to Sunday, the Western Festival includes dances, races, wagon tours and pony rides. Horses and their riders will be competing over three days in a competition that requires immense skill and agility.
On Friday, inflatable games will be available for kids and Café Momesso will host a show in the evening. José and Trigger, two particularly talented horses, will show off their talents by sitting at a table, talking with their feline friends and taking a stroll with a dog.
"They do a lot of things that other horses can't necessarily do," said event organizer Manon Bissonnette.
Several Horse Ball teams will also be squaring off. Somewhat like volleyball, teams of five are required to score against their opponents. Very popular in France, this is said to be the first event of its kind in Quebec.
Bissonnette said this is the first year where Western and English styles will be mixed together in one event.
"English is English and Western is Western, but I don't think its like that...I really want something different," she said.
On Saturday, the Gymkhana really begins. Wagon tours and pony rides will continue throughout the weekend, and any proceeds raised from the event go to the Hudson/St. Lazare Soccer Club.
"When the show finishes outside, we all go the community centre," Bissonnette said. Country dancing and a party will carry on into the night.
"They get out and say it's really fun. If they talk about it for weeks and weeks, then the event was sufficient."

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Legion News

Dinner was superb last Friday. Thanks to Rollie and Sheila, Barbie, Doug and Georgia Jesty, Milly Beliveau, Marge Connery and hopefully no one was forgotten. The musician turned out in above season numbers and put on a show that had everyone up dancing. The next dinner is on Friday July 10 and steak is being served. Please reserve ASAP at 450-458-4882.
Don't forget the Canada Day festivities. Go enjoy yourselves.
Lest We Forget