Flu-shot school busing begins this week

by Nathalie Blais

VAUDREUIL-DORION - Beginning this week, some 20,000 elementary and high school students will be bused to the region's only H1N1 vaccination clinic in a controversial move the regional health and social services agency insists is the most efficient way to give as many flu shots as possible in the shortest time.
Vaccination centres will be closed to the general public between noon and 4 p.m. for the next two weeks, starting Wednesday, Nov. 18. During those hours, only students will be receiving the H1N1 flu shots.
To minimize the risks inherent in transporting thousands of students outside regular transport hours, the CSSS de Vaudreuil-Soulanges Monday announced a list of precautions, including banning traffic from bus loading and unloading zones and a greater number of volunteers and staff on hand.
Also Monday, the l'Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de la Montérégie announced that effective immediately, all youths aged five to 19 should get vaccinated, either through their schools or by accompanying their parents. The regional CSSS will continue to vaccinate according to its previous priority sequence as of 4 p.m. weekdays and from 9-5 weekends. Vouchers will continue to be available as of 6 a.m.
The decision to bring the students to the vaccine rather than vice versa puzzles Lester B. Pearson School Board chairman Marcus Tabachnick.
"I am perplexed as to why we are not bringing the vaccinations to the schools," Tabachnick told us last week. "Our concerns for safety of the students are many: the number of buses and number of trips, the number of students on and off the buses, creating boarding safe zones at the vaccination centres.
"Schools offer a more controlled environment," Tabachnick added. "No public centre is as safe as a school."
Many parents agree, citing the recent Oct. 22 vaccination blitz at area schools, during which CLSC staff administered shots for chicken pox and hepatitis to everyone and vaccine for the human papilloma virus to girls.
The decision by the ASSS to mobilize students is being undertaken to ensure better coverage of the vaccination in school-age children, said CSSS de Vaudreuil-Soulanges spokesperson Sophie Boucher.
As well, the vaccination centres already have an established protocol for dealing with adverse reactions to the vaccine.
"The crucial period is the 20 minutes following the vaccination, allergic reaction being the greatest risk," says Dr. Jocelyne Sauvé, director of public health for the Montérégie. "Students will remain on site for those 20 minutes, after which they will be permitted to go."
Tabachnick admits there is currently no protocol for dealing with adverse reactions within the schools but he still believes the most efficient way of administering the shots would be to set up a clinic in a centrally located school, which would then be responsible for administering the vaccine to students in nearby schools.
"If we had six months to get full coverage of the 180,000 students to be vaccinated in 10 days time, the situation would be very different," counters Dr. Sauvé. "We cannot expect to deploy the number of nurses it would take to each of the 400 schools to set up clinics and expect to get the coverage [we need]."
Soulanges MNA Lucie Charlebois defended the busing of students to the region's only flu-shot clinic. "Yes, it's exceptional, but this influenza pandemic is also exceptional," she said Friday.
Another question weighing heavily on the minds of school boards is the cost. As it stands, the boards have to absorb the cost of the additional busing. An average school trip on a bus transporting 50-60 students will cost $200-$300, so with 25,000 students, the LBPSB is looking at another $100,000.
Tabachnick is pushing back, urging the government to take responsibility.
"LBPSB adopted a resolution last month sent to various government ministries and other school boards requesting financial aid," he noted. "We've already spent an estimated $100,000 on H1N1-related items ­ six-month inventories of cleaning supplies, soap, hand towels...There are also costs involved in substitutions needed to replace teachers attending H1N1-related meetings."

Watershed council seeking public input

by Jim Duff

VAUDREUIL-DORION - According to the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Protocol, the task of cleaning up the world's great rivers can't proceed until we clean up their watersheds - the millions of rivers, creeks and streams that discharge into them.
In Quebec, that translated into a 1992 water policy that identified 33 watersheds requiring intervention. In March, 2009, the Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks ministry added seven new watershed regions, including Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
As a result, the Centre local de développement (CLD) Vaudreuil-Soulanges received $22,500 in seed money to create a Conseil du bassin versant de la région de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, a Vaudreuil-Soulanges watershed council to draft a water management master plan and create a permanent participatory governance process to ensure its application.
The CLD has named a provisional council that will explain the process at an information meeting next Thursday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m., at the St. Clêt Community Centre, 4 du Moulin.
Two weeks later, on Dec. 10, same time, same place, the founding meeting will elect the 18-member board, split equally among municipalities, the business sector and the community. Once the watershed council is created, it will be able to draw on $125,000 earmarked by the provincial government.
The new council faces a daunting challenge. The Rigaud, Raquette, Delisle and Beaudette rivers drain a huge agricultural region, with all the problems associated with fertilizer, pesticide and farm waste runoff. More than 80 percent of their volume originates in Ontario.
The Rouge, Quinchien, Chamberry, Viviry and dozens of smaller creeks and unnamed watercourses drain an increasingly urbanized region in eastern Vaudreuil-Soulanges, with septic-tank overflow, industrial waste and parking-lot hydrocarbons running unchecked into the Ottawa and St. Lawrence every time it rains.
The new organization will have no regulatory powers, provisional president Gabriel Meunier emphasized at a briefing session at CLD headquarters last week. "We're not a pressure group, but a sensitization and concertation organism," said the retired water engineer, now a committed environmentalist.
Using the example of a nine-hole golf course at the headwaters of the Viviry, Meunier said the goal is to help everyone realize that everything is interrelated - golf courses should not be using pesiticides near watercourses that feed municipal water supplies, even if they're in separate municipalities.
For more info or to confirm your presence at the information session, contact the CLD at 450-424-2262, ext. 221 or e-mail cpepin@cldvs.com.

MRC okays controversial beaver trapping

by Jim Duff and Matthew Brett

ST. LAZARE - As Regine de Blick recalls, it took the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC five years to take action against a Côte St. Charles landowner diverting a stream so that he could drain wetland for future development.
Yet it took them less than a week to assign a trapper to trap the beavers and destroy a beaver dam blocking the stream.
MRC spokeswoman Elise Phoenix confirmed last month that they had been asked to clear out the dams since the MRC has jurisdiction over watercourses and a responsibility to keep them running to prevent flooding. The beavers will be killed, since relocating them would simply transfer the problem somewhere else, she added.
De Blick's property fronts on Côte St. Charles, but backs on a parcel of land belonging to developer Renato Cervini. Cervini is currently embroiled in a three-way court battle with the MRC and the Town of St. Lazare. He's being accused of having illegally redirected Rodrigue Creek into a drainage ditch running through the centre of his land.
Neighbours claim Cervini is using the ditch to drain wetlands to the east of Côte St. Charles cited in the 2007 Genivar audit.
De Blick says she and her neighbours were upset when they learned the MRC had contacted René Chevrier, the owner of the land where the dam is situated, to ask him if they could go on his land to trap the beavers.
"The beavers are trying to undo the damage to the wetland done in 2004 when the waterway was moved and dug out much deeper than originally [planned]. Is it not amazing how nature finds a way to repair itself, after man's attempts to destroy it?"
De Blick said St. Lazare's urban planner, Annie Levesque, had assured her that no development would take place in the area as long as there was still land for development in the town's urban perimeter, but De Blick was unconvinced.
"It's amazing that the MRC can react so quickly to this when it has taken them five years to look into the illegal work that was done here to begin with," she said.

St. Lazare: Kary establishes new priorities

by Jim Duff

ST. LAZARE - Mayor Pierre Kary and his new council must be thinking of that old adage 'when you're up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to think about draining the swamp' following this month's municipal election.
Kary was unable to attend last night's first post-election council meeting (pro-mayor Nathalie Richard chaired the meeting), but insiders say he's moving quickly with his vision for the municipality, including stricter controls on development and adoption of a clear municipal conservation plan.
St. Lazare, he noted prior to the election, has "the distinction of being one of only a handful of municipalities across the province to exclude itself from a well-researched plan."
At the same time, the new council has to draft and adopt the 2010 budget, master the files inherited from the previous administration, and establish a working relationship with town manager Lucie Gendron and her staff.
"This is a frantic period," Kary commented by e-mail last week. "We are working hard on the 2010 budget which must be finalized in an incredibly short period of time and must reflect the new direction of the new council.
"The first council meeting will only deal with issues that cannot be delayed," he added. "Although the direction of the new council will be reflected in a couple of items on the agenda, the December 1 council meeting will reflect more of the priorities of the new council."
A year ago, Kary spoke of the need for more openness and citizen input at council meetings, possibly with book-end question periods as in Vaudreuil-Dorion and Hudson.
This week, council took their first step in that direction - the posting of a provisional agenda on the town website 24 hours prior to last night's meeting.
Many developers expect a showdown with the new administration sooner rather than later. The last week of the campaign, Kary criticized the outgoing council's claims they were powerless to control the extent and the location of development, accusing them of intentionally not introducing regulations with respect to the environment and development.
"The law on municipal competencies clearly gives municipalities the right and responsibility to regulate on issues of urban planning and the environment," Kary said. "Political will has been absent...The priorities have not been on preserving green spaces, but rather on allowing unregulated suburbanization."
Developer Ivor McLeod, the man behind Saddlebrook and subsequent developments, had a warning: "It's a must that municipalities create a climate where business can flourish. The main employer in St. Lazare is residential construction."
St. Lazare, McLeod added, is home to carpenters, bricklayers and many other skilled artisans who specialize in residential construction. "We risk losing those skills if we put a halt to residential development."
McLeod and Aloes Investments co-owner Michael Laventure are sitting on 62 properties in Lots 272-273 between Pine Ridge and du Domaine. It's an area the equestrian community has already said it doesn't want developed - the reason why the new English elementary school isn't going there.
In the urban perimeter alone, developers are sitting on enough land for an estimated 300 homes. While most are small-scale developments, several await municipal resolutions petitioning Quebec's Agricultural Lands Protection Commission to dezone the parcels.
It would be naive to think development can be stopped,?says Kary. "However, it must be done in a sensible and structured manner with total transparency with respect to residents."
Kary points out that the 2007 Genivar wetland audit has already identified the green areas that are truly worth preserving within the urban perimeter and is committed to continuing the mapping throughout the nearly 7,000 hectares.
"Once mapping is completed, we must commit the necessary finances to preserving targeted areas of conservation. Developers cannot continue to be expected to be charitable since their priorities are their own. Preserving our quality of life requires that the municipality take responsibility."
Environmental and urban planning legislation involving conservation is a progressive concept in line with the modern community that his administration seeks to create, said Kary. "Change will come and and it will be significant, but it will be done responsibly."

Hudson: TPAC deals with apartment applications

by Jim Duff

HUDSON - A proposal to build a two-storey apartment building on Lower Maple was unanimously rejected by the Town Planning Advisory Committee at their October meeting.
"The architectural appearance and building volume...are completely out of context with the neighbourhood," the TPAC minutes state.
However, the same developer's proposal for a second apartment building to the rear of 542 Main was unanimously recommended to council, provided certain changes are made to soften the visual impact of the building.
Meanwhile, the owner of a property on Cameron is reportedly assembling a land package with the aim of building an apartment building next to the Hudson Post Office.
"We'll be getting more of these proposals, now that the new sewage treatment system is on stream," said mayor Michael Elliott.
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The architectural appearance of the proposed new Carambola Café on Cameron Avenue was also unanimously recommended after urban planning manager Nathalie Lavoie confirmed the written parking agreement with St. Thomas Aquinas Church exceeds the minimum requirement by one space. The developer will be required to ensure handicapped access and provide detailed landscaping plans showing tree size and species, signage (including directional signage for parking), lighting, and hardscaping (including material for the pathway to the parking).
· · ·
TPAC chairman Frank Royle and Dennis Gobeil have been replaced on the committee by Marcus Owen and André Bourassa. "Frank and Dennis were the two senior members of the TPAC...it was time for new blood," Elliott said as he thanked both for their input over the years.
Dave Croydon, Brian Grubert, Suzie Aird, Dianne Laheurte, Rob Gale and Joyce Galliker stay on. Councillor Rob Spencer has been named chairman, with fellow councillors Madeleine Hodgson and Tim Snow representing the town on the planning advisory body.
The Demolition Permit Committee will consist of Madeleine Hodgson, Diane Piacente and Rob Spencer.
The outgoing TPAC recommended that its successors continue to press for the acquisition of land to complete the east-west nature trail corridor and plan for the establishment of an agricultural zone.
As well, it urged the new council and committee to make light pollution a priority by seeking input from Luna-tics Astronomy Club president Pierre Tournay to come up with recommendations as soon as possible.
As for downtown core revitalization, the TPAC recommended "better coordination between all the groups involved, perhaps by having one or two key people as members of all the groups."

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VALLEYFIELD - A Quebec Court judge has ruled that L'Île Perrot teenager Brandon Pardi will stand trial for the Oct. 31, 2007 death of three-year-old Bianca Leduc. Pardi, free on bail since the accident, will be back in court Jan. 25 to set a trial date.
Judge Marie-Chantal Doucet's ruling ended a day-long preliminary hearing Monday which heard testimony from the 20-year-old Pardi and his 19-year-old buddy, who can't be identified because he was 17 at the time of the crash. Pardi, who turned 18 that day, fought unsuccessfully all the way to the Supreme Court for the right to be tried as a juvenile.
Pardi had only a learner's permit when he took his birthday present, a standard-shift Volkswagen, for a drive. He was following his friend when he lost control, sideswiped the other vehicle and drove into the yard where Bianca and her daycare provider were hanging Halloween decorations.

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by Jim Duff

VAUDREUIL-DORION - With near-term promises of additional trains fading like winter daylight for Hudson and Rigaud residents, Metropolitan Transportation Agency president Joël Gauthier is making a long-promised appearance to discuss the service currently being offered.
The briefing and consultation takes place next Monday, Nov. 23 at the Opti-centre St-Jean-Baptiste, 145 Harwood Blvd. in Dorion, beginning at 7 p.m.
The session was scheduled to keep a promise Gauthier made last winter to disgruntled riders, some of whom went so far as to file a class-action lawsuit. According to AMT spokesperson Martine Rouette, users will be updated on what the AMT is doing to improve service and given the opportunity to voice their opinions. There will also be a question period.
The major issue for rail commuters is the AMT's deteriorating on-time record. Although last winter's delays and cancellations set a new low for dependability, ridership on the Rigaud-Montreal and Vaudreuil-Montreal service continues to decline, with riders complaining they can no longer depend on the train. Lower gas prices, the H1N1 scare and alternative modes of transportation such as the CIT La Presqu'ile's A40 Express buses have all drawn ridership away from the AMT.
Meanwhile, 10 major modernization projects to improve punctuality will reportedly cost nearly $1 billion, more than twice their original estimate, according to the AMT's 2010-2012 improvement plan made public Monday.
More trains to and from Rigaud and Hudson can't happen until the AMT buys and rebuilds the Rigaud-Dorion rail line - an estimated $10 million investment. The cost of reconstruction alone is $3.5 million, with 75 percent of the cost covered by the Ministère du Transport.
According to Gauthier, the AMT has to acquire the line from CP to add more trains because CP crews must work to union rules, making adding trains prohibitively expensive.
The single most important project is the addition of maintenance centres in Lachine and Pointe St. Charles to service and maintain the new locomotives and cars expected from Bombardier any day now. Originally estimated at $123 million in the spring of 2008, the costs have been estimated as high as $355 million.

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Omni Centre hosts Intercultural Week closing gala

PINCOURT - The temperature may have been unseasonably warm outside, but inside the Omni Centre it was sizzling hot, as people of all cultures danced the salsa together to the tunes of the Cuban trio "Caliente Son".
More than 180 people showed up to take part in the many activities throughout the day. The lucky children who attended had their choice of face painting, soccer, and even a circus workshop! For everyone there was eating, dancing, draws for prizes from local merchants and lots of fun.
The activities officially began at 12:15, with Pincourt's new mayor Yvan Cardinal greeting the crowd in eight languages, which was met with a hearty round of applause. This was Cardinal's first appearance in his official capacity since the Nov. 1 municipal election.
His wife Francine baked a traditional Quebecois dish ­ pouding chomeur ­ to contribute to the sumptuous buffet, which consisted of platters of different foods from many cultures and countries, including Peru, Argentina, Senegal, Venezuela, Paraguay, Mexico and Iran, to name just a few. Lineups were long, but they moved fast, as everyone was hungry and everything looked and smelled great!
Sunday's event capped off a week of celebrating multiculturalism in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region. All events were organized by director Eric Bardet and coordinator Denise Stilmann of Sphere Multiculturelle, which offers services in French, English and Spanish, welcoming new arrivals to the area, promoting integration activities such as Intercultural Week, and informing newcomers of the many local services available.
Organizers of this year's event decided to invite only those from the
Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC since the objective was to attract more people from the immediate area. Participants wore labels with their names, country of origin and the city where they live, which helped many connect with others who live near them.
Prizes were provided by the many sponsors and included six gift certificates from Dr. Lepage Chiropratique at St. Lazare, 10 gift certificates from Restaurant Le Spot at Les Coteaux, one gift certificate form Flora Passion at St. Lazare, one dance workshop or one Spanish workshop at La Librairie El libro espagnol at Vaudreuil-Dorion, one gift certificate form Le Petit Atelier du Boulevard at St. Lazare, one toy and one gift certificate from La Ribouldingue in Vaudreuil-Dorion, one basket of different things from Pensée pour vous in Vaudreuil-Dorion, five gift certificates from ND Bijouterie Nilufar Design (from Iran).

Tabachnick:
Nothing new on new school

ST. LAZARE - Two weeks after the municipal election that swept Pierre Kary and four of his six candidates into power, the location of a new English elementary school is still unresolved.
LBPSB chairman Marcus Tabachnick expects a response from the municipality after their next caucus meeting Nov. 24. "The new council has requested information that we have provided...we are in communication with each other." he said last week. "I don't know if the choice has been narrowed down or if there are more choices on the table."
The pressure to find a site is heightened by Vaudreuil-Dorion's refusal to extend permission for the portable classrooms at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School beyond July 15, 2011.
"[Mayor] Guy Pilon and the city of Vaudreuil-Dorion have been very supportive but it seems the school board committed to the new school being in the St. Lazare area long ago," said Roch Gamache, former chair of the PETES governing board.
Gamache, who would prefer to see the new school closer to Vaudreuil and Ile Perrot, wonders at the wisdom of placing all the LBPSB's eggs in one basket. "Vaudreuil is basically saying why should we let you have the portables if you are not willing to collaborate with us?" said Gamache.
"A property near Westwood Junior ­ never officially identified ­ was a done deal before the election," Gamache added. "What has happened since then, I don't know."
A source close to Paul Carzoli said the former mayor identified a site just west of Westwood Junior a week before his last municipal council meeting. Asked point-blank about the deal during his last council meeting, Carzoli denied it. - NB

Changes aim to improve French instruction

by Nathalie Blais

Ten years ago, when Quebec received permission from the federal government to replace region-based school boards with language-based boards, the new English boards inherited a hodgepodge of programs, styles and classes teaching French in English schools. What emerged were three different models: French Immersion, Bilingual, and English. The English program died through attrition, leaving Early Immersion (85/15 French/English up to Grade 3, then 53/47) and Bilingual (50/50 French/ English).
The time has come to reassess the decisions made nearly a decade ago, says Daniel Olivenstein, LBPSB's off-island school commissioner.
"The end goal is to improve our educational system and produce students who can live and work in both languages. There may be no need for change," Olivenstein said Monday.
The LBPSB says the impetus for change is coming from parents concerned that the current level of French instruction isn't sufficient to ensure their kids are truly bilingual.
Olivenstein says the amount of French instruction varies from one secondary school to the next. "Parents want choice and in general they seem to want to increase if not the quantity, then the quality of French being taught in our schools."
On the other hand, some parents may prefer bilingual programs if they do not have the skills to help a child with advanced French homework. "We don't have a preconceived notion of what is right here. Our minds are completely open," said Olivenstein.
LBPSB?chairman Marcus Tabachnick insists the decision to review current programs has nothing to do with off-island overcrowding even though Mount Pleasant is the only off-island elementary with a bilingual program running below capacity.
Overpopulation in off-island English schools is a complex situation and language is just one of the factors, says Mount Pleasant governing board member Chris Buddle, who has three children attending the school.
"Zoning, overpopulation of immersion programs in area schools, busing kids to off-island locations...these are all much bigger issues," said Buddle. "Parents want the best education for their children, and in Quebec that means being bilingual. There is a perception among parents that early immersion is beneficial. If it is a priority for parents and it will increase our enrolment then it's the right thing to do."
Roch Gamache, former chair of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School governing board, cites a 2006 survey of parents who expressed preference for early immersion over bilingual programs.
Gamache believes a universal program should be the long-term goal.
"We are heading there, but it is not in the short term. A universal program presents challenges from a pedagogical standpoint with evaluations and work force aspects like unions."
The research indicates students achieve a level of proficiency in French depending on the exposure they get in school. McGill psychology professor Dr. Fred Genesee, a specialist in early childhood bilingualism, conducted a study several years ago for what was then known as the Lakeshore School Board, now LBPSB.
"In that evaluation, we found that students in immersion programs extended to Grade 4 ­ that is, all instruction from K-3 in French and only 30 to 45 minutes of English per day from Grades 4 to 6 ­ actually scored better on a number of English language tests than students in all-English programs. There is quite a bit of research that enriched forms of bilingual education result in net gains or advantages for students," Genesee's study found.
"If one were to go for a total immersion program only, then the school board needs to provide resources to help train teachers in immersion to work effectively with a broad range of students. They need to provide support services for special needs students (which is not always the case now), and so on. In other words, this kind of change [requires] other changes in the system."

Patient load dropping at flu-only clinic

VAUDREUIL-DORION - The regional flu-only clinic at 401-4 Harwood opened its doors last Thursday in an effort to relieve some of the overcrowding at ERs and doctors'
offices in the MRC.
"On its first day, the clinic saw 60 people and reported no emergencies," said Vaudreuil-Soulanges CSSS spokesperson Sophie Boucher. Including the weekend, the total number of patients seen was estimated at 250, but the average daily patient load has begun to drop off.
"Everyone has been seen the same day," Boucher added. She could not confirm the number of Tamiflu prescriptions issued, but said the majority of cases were sent home or given a prescription for an antibiotic for infections unrelated to the flu virus.
(Please note that antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections, not viral infections. The inappropriate use of antibiotics helps promote antibiotic resistance, so trust your doctor if you're told that you or your child does not need an antibiotic.)
All medical clinics in the MRC are referring suspected flu patients to the flu clinic, with only Rigaud opting to treat people on site. Priority is given to patients with fever and/or respiratory difficulties, children seven months to two years of age, elderly patients, pregnant women, and people with a history of chronic illness.
Those suffering from an emergency situation are urged to go straight to an emergency room at the nearest hospital.
Opening hours for the flu clinic are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. The number to call for further inquiries is 1-877-644-4545.

Would Ekomini have averted
Wall St. meltdown?

by Lorelei Reid

HUDSON - Cam Gentile believes toys should be educational, so he's come up with Ekomini, an interactive money-management game for kids.
Ekomini is a financial literacy platform that teaches kids, aged five to 12, the fundamentals of managing money.
Through games and interactive story-telling, kids learn the basics of managing their money, including saving (setting goals), spending (learning to buy), sharing (giving to causes they believe in), as well as investing and earning interest.
As children learn the meaning of money they also discover how important it is to donate to causes they believe in. There are various charities featured on the Ekomini website that children can choose from.
The toy itself is an interactive piggy bank, with the ability to read all coins dropped into it. It also has a small chip inside to keep track of funds. Upon connecting it to your computer and connecting to the website, the piggy bank syncs with your computer and provides a balance.
One is immediately connected to Ekominiville, a small interactive town with buildings to visit and characters to meet. There are challenging activities that kids can play throughout the town. One game provides a number ­ for example, $1.96 ­ and the child has to choose how many toonies, loonies, quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies will have to go in to create that number.
The game also encourages kids to help out around the house or do extra chores to receive a small sum of money to go towards their piggy bank.
Parents can closely monitor what is done with the child's money. There are many different settings parents control, one of them allowing them to select how much of the child's money will be spent, invested and shared using a pie chart.
For example, the child's overall budget can be set to 70% spending, 20% investing, and 10% sharing. If the child wants to buy a T-shirt for $10, they must have $14.30 in their account. This is because $1.43 will be shared, $2.86 will be saved, and the remaining $10 will go towards the purchase.
The game is a fun way to help teach kids financial responsibility and independence, since saving money gives them a sense of freedom, recognition and responsibility.
The game is now available at both A Temps Perdu in Hudson, as well as the St-Lazare IGA. It will also be available at various superstores.

A Remembrance Day to remember

by Sam Fleury annd Lindsay Peets

The charter buses have been rolling in and out of Westwood Senior these past few days as students take part in a wide range of special events.
Last Wednesday, Grade 10 History and Citizenship students spent the day hobnobbing with royalty in Ottawa along with thousands of others as the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall paid the capital a visit for Remembrance Day. Below, a special report from Sam Fleury and Lindsay Peets.
This past Tuesday, some 300 off-island high school students were among the hundreds of Lester B. Pearson School Board students attending Tuesday's Career and Education Fair at Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School.
There, they were able to learn first-hand from the nearly 70 presenters about various career choices while exploring the educational pathways required to achieve these goals.
On hand were universities, colleges, vocational schools and organizations like Katimavik and Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi as well as the Canadian Armed Forces.

Last Wednesday, Nov. 11, the Secondary IV students of Westwood Senior High School went to Ottawa for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony. From the singing of our national anthem to the 21-gun salute, it was an incredibly moving and life-changing experience. With dignitaries such as the Governor-General of Canada, Prime Minister Steven Harper, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, it was, without a doubt, a day to remember.
As the students climbed onto their coaches Wednesday morning, they knew they were in for a powerful and moving event. The ceremony started at 10:57 with the singing of O Canada, followed by the playing of the Last Post. At 11 o' clock, there were two minutes of silence. After the ceremony two students from Westwood, Lindsay Peets and Sam Fleury, were chosen to lay a wreath as representatives of the school.
After lunch, the students went to the Canadian War Museum, where they learned many fascinating aspects of Canadian military history. Veterans were also available to answer questions.
The outing had a powerful impact on many of the students. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness this ceremony first-hand. Students went home with an enriched perspective of our nation's history and the impact it has on today's society. The trip to Ottawa is one that Westwood hopes to continue for many years to come.

Westwood launches new website

The site to bookmark in your browser favourites is http://westwood.lbpsb.qc.ca. Newly designed for a warmer look and surfing ease, Westwood's new site offers expanded information: notices to parents, school rules, staff websites, Governing Board members, Home & School membership, athletics, and the library, to name a sampling. More importantly, Westwood's new website is a work in progress with new material being added as events occur. Both principals, Alana Quinn-Leroux at Senior and Hans Bulow at Junior, recognize that the website has to reflect school life and culture, which are never static. Please note that earlier versions of Westwood's websites still reside on the Internet despite best efforts to have them removed. So if you lose Westwood's address, it's easiest to find them through the Lester B. Pearson School Board site.

St. Lazare: Hydro substation tests begin

by Nathalie Blais

ST. LAZARE - Close to 800 residents of the sectors surrounding the new Hydro-Quebec substation off Bédard spent the weekend waiting for an anticipated power outage.
Last week, 782 households and 12 businesses were notified that their power would be cut for 10 hours to allow final hook-up and calibration of the $30 million facility, due to come on line early next year.
Because of the heavy rain forecast for Saturday afternoon, Hydro said Friday it might have to delay the blackout until Sunday or later.
Irate residents wondered why Hydro couldn't do the work on a weekday, when fewer people are at home, but Hydro said it had no choice if it is to meet a January start-up deadline.
"This phase of the project required the meeting of 22 teams from various sectors to come together," Hydro-Quebec spokeswoman Hélène Lacroix told the Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette last week.
"Each of the teams has other commitments and projects during the regular work week. The weekend was the only time possible for the teams to come together."
The substation was originally scheduled for completion this month to meet the growing demand for electricity in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC. Essentially, the facility is a massive step-down transformer, converting 120 kV power from the regional power corridor to the 25 kV used in neighbourhood power lines. It is required to meet the surging demand for electricity in St. Lazare, Hudson and Vaudreuil-Dorion.
With an estimated cost of $29.7 million, the project began in October of 2008 once the Quebec Agricultural Lands Protection Commission had okayed the rezoning of farmland between Chemin Sainte-Elizabeth and the subdivision to the north. While the entrance road will be closed to vehicles, plans indicate that equestrians, cyclists and pedestrians will have the right of passage.
Lacroix says construction should be completed by December and the new facility on-line by early next year. All inquiries or complaints related to the project can be directed to Info Project: 1-877-653-1139.

Thieves
saving for Christmas

Three people, two of them minors, have been arrested in connection with a series of thefts from vehicles throughout Vaudreuil-Soulanges over the past two months. More arrests are expected, according to the Sûreté du Québec.
Burglars were busy as well, breaking into an Ile Perrot home and stealing a $2,200 computer and causing $200 damage to a door.
In Vaudreuil-Dorion, thieves made their way through a window, stealing a computer worth $750.
The SQ reports making 10 drunk-driving arrests over the past week, signalling an early start to the holiday season. Revellers are reminded that the services of Nez Rouge will be available for 11 of the busiest evenings during the holiday period - Dec. 4-5, Dec. 11-12, Dec. 17-19, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day as well as New Year's Eve. To reserve, call 450-424-2011.

Hudson begins holiday countdown

HUDSON - There may be no snow on the ground yet, but it's already that time for everyone to start thinking of decorating for the annual Twelve Days of Christmas holiday season.
The Festival of Lights countdown begins Friday evening, Nov. 27, at the Town Hall, 481 Main. The event starts at 6 p.m. and will feature community choirs, guests and residents singing Christmas carols by candlelight, with all candles sold benefitting our Le Pont-Bridging food local food bank. Non-perishable food items are also being collected.
Horse-drawn wagon rides and the many store specials will also be part of this magical evening. A pony carousel ride will be added to the Hudson IGA Poirier & Fils Christmas Petting Zoo and the first 125 kids will receive a Christmas chocolate calendar & an IGA activity booklet. Many stores and businesses will offer you special holiday deals.
Hudson's annual Christmas Craft Fair will take place Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 28 and 29, at the Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre, 394 Main. Doors will open at 10 a.m., offering visitors an opportunity to get a jump-start on holiday shopping. Exhibitors offer a variety of tempting handmade crafts. In addition, there will also be a raffle table, with proceeds going to equipment for the Hudson Recreation Department's nursery and playschool.
Our Twelve Days of Christmas holiday season activities will include activities such as the Blessing of the Animals & Adoption Day organized by Wags & Whiskers pet services, the Santa Claus 'Olympic Christmas' Parade, the Hudson Olympic Torch Relay, the Hudson Legion Holiday Season Farmers Markets, and the Breakfast with Santa activity. A flyer is available at the Hudson Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre, our local post offices and IGA Poirier & Fils.
We encourage everyone to participate to the popular Hudson Village 'Shop Local and Win' event once again this year, organized by Hudson Core Marketing Group and running from Nov. 23 to Dec. 23.
Interested in joining our annual Santa Claus Parade or the Hudson Lights Competition? Call Jean Chevalier at the Hudson Parks & Recreation Department at 450-458-6699.

Hudson's Twelve Days of Christmas

Le festival des lumières
Friday, Nov. 27, 6:00 ­ 8:00 pm
Hudson Town Hall, 481 Main

Christmas Craft Fair
Saturday, Nov. 28 & Sunday, Nov. 29, 10:00 am ­ 4:00 pm
Stephen F. Shaar Communty Centre

Hudson Senior Travel Annual General Meeting & Social
Friday, Dec. 4, 2:00 pm ­ 4:00 pm
Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre

Blessing of the Animals
& Adoption Day
Saturday, Dec. 5, 11:00 am ­ 4:00 pm
Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre

Hudson Legion Holiday Season
Farmers Market
Saturday, Dec. 5, 11:00 am ­ 4:00 pm
Hudson Legion Branch 115, 56 Beach

Santa Claus Parade
"An Olympic Christmas"
Sunday, Dec. 6, 1:00 pm ­ 4 :00 pm
Au Cur du Village, Main Road
Hudson Olympic Torch Relay
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 4:00 pm ­ 5:00 pm
Hudson Town Hall

Generations Christmas Tea
and Carolling Social
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 3:00 pm ­ 5:00 pm
Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre

Hudson Legion Holiday Season
Farmers Market
Saturday, Dec. 12, 11:00 am ­ 4:00 pm
Hudson Legion Branch 115

Breakfast with Santa
Sunday. Dec. 13, 9:00 am ­ 12:00 pm
Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre

Annual Hudson Lights Competition
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 6:00 pm

Hudson Legion Farmers Market
Saturday, Dec. 19, 11:00 am ­ 4:00 pm
Hudson Legion Branch 115

Christmas Charity Fitness Class
Monday, Dec. 21, 9:00 am ­ 10:30 am
Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre

Hudson Community Craft Fair
Nov. 28­29

The Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre will be hosting the annual Hudson Community Craft Fair on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 28-29. Doors will open at 10 a.m. both days and run until 4 p.m. Visitors will have an opportunity to get a jump-start on holiday shopping, with exhibitors offering a variety of tempting hand-made crafts such as painted boxes, soaps and bath products, baked products, handcrafted holiday accents, jewellery, pet supplies, warm cozy pyjamas, homemade jellies and jams, art work created from recycled materials, stained glass articles, custom pens, Celtic crosses and so much more! There will also be refreshments sold to benefit the Hudson Nursery and Playschool programs. In addition, there will also be an extensive raffle table, with proceeds going to materials and equipment for the two schools. So gather up your friends and family, and stop by 394 Main to rekindle your Christmas Spirit.

New SAAQ service counter

BluesVille Express CD launch party
Nov. 21

RIGAUD - Hungry for some Chicago-style swingin', jumpin' blues, a good meal and a great table-thumping setting? St. Lazare's Craig Miller and his BluesVille Express sidemen will be serving up their jump-blues originals at a dinner concert and CD album release party at the Sucrerie de la Montagne next Saturday, Nov. 21.
The band's new CD, That's The Stuff, captures a full year's worth of passion-powered live shows, professionally recorded at some of the region's best music venues, including the Sucrerie's Great Lodge.
"The best recording acoustics we experienced were at Sucrerie de la Montagne," said Miller, "and the concert turned into a spontaneous dance fest. After dinner, everyone had so much fun and almost everyone asked about a copy of the album."
The new CD delivers several originals penned by Miller, including an infectious, recession-inspired, jump-blues anthem, whimsically titled, My Take Home Pay Won't Take Me Home, as well as the title track, That's The Stuff, written about Chicago's legendary musical nightlife back in 1977 when Craig led the travelling Full Swing Ahead band with Bob Egan, Blue Rodeo's pedal steel guitarist since the 90s.
"We all had a blast last year with the big audience dancing and carrying on, but our 600 pound Mass of Brass horn section mostly just can't wait for dinner!" quips the Chicago-raised harmonica player and lead vocalist for the seven-piece blues band.
BluesVille Express comprises some incredible musicians and world travellers, including sidemen with other Montreal-area musical luminaries. St. Lazare-based drummer Dave Devine is widely recognized as one of the very best in Montreal, and his list of performance credits reads like a 'Who's Who' of Canadian recording artists and musical legends! Bass guitarist Carl Rufh of Ormstown regularly appears with stellar guitarist Jimmy James, a 2009 Lys Blues Society Lifetime Achievement Award winner. The Mass of Brass saxophone duo of Rico Royale Berniker and Van Doren Murphy have both been broadcast on Montreal's 91.9 Planète Jazz. NDG guitarist James Loon has been heard on radio broadcasts across Canada, with BluesVille Express and his former band, Memphis Soul Stew. And South Shore keyboardist Danny Bossa's incredible flying fingers have brought him into occasional contact with the jealous husbands of beautiful, swooning single women!
Tickets cost $25 and include the Sucrerie de la Montagne dinner and concert. Concert-only tickets cost $15.
Find out more at www.bluesvilleexpress.com.

St. Mary's Moms & Tots: A family's gift

by Jill Chard

Georgia, Allan and Mark Jared have been giving a valuable gift to moms and caregivers in Hudson and surrounding communities: their time. For the past four years they have been running the St. Mary's Moms & Tots group every Tuesday between 9:30 and 11. The kids are free to run around (or crawl) and play with the numerous toys and books provided. Meanwhile, moms get to sip coffee, shoot the breeze and enjoy watching their little ones have fun. "It's an opportunity for my son to interact with others and for me to exchange ideas and info with other moms," says Genevieve, a newcomer to St. Mary's. Joanne, who brings her two granddaughters, adds, "I love seeing my grandkids interact with other children and learn basic skills like sharing and playing in a group, which is necessary before they go to school."
While Moms & Tots is important for the little ones, it is equally important for moms and caregivers. Véronique, the mother of two boys, has been coming since the beginning, "It saved my sanity. You know you have a place to go where mom and baby are both happy.
"I've met great people here," says Adele, "tapped into some of the greatest people in the community."
Everyone at Moms & Tots seems to agree that the group's success is mostly because of Georgia, Allan and Mark. They create a warm, friendly environment and lend a sympathetic ear that has a big impact. As Alison, who has returned with her new baby, says, "Their generous spirit is contagious and is an example of how to live in a community, how to give and receive just because we can."
St. Mary's Moms & Tots welcomes all caregivers (not just moms) and their children. The group meets at St. Mary's Parish Hall and is a free playgroup thanks to the generous donation of the hall rental and coffee by St. Mary's Church and, of course, Georgia, Allan and Mark's time.

Rod's latest book a blast

Well-known Hudson historian Rod L. Hodgson has completed his third book this year, his 10th on local history. Entitled Steam, Fire, Ice & TNT!, this latest work is a republication of a 1991 book called Historic Hudson Part II. This time he has added a chapter written by another local historian and writer, Martin Hofton, on the 1917 explosion at the Dragon munitions plant. Martin helped Rod in a previous book entitled Historical Industries of Hudson and Area, written a couple of years ago.
The book is now at the local publisher, Clò Communications. Rod hopes to have the book out by Christmas for distribution at the Hudson Historical Society's Museum at 541 Main Road and at May's Studio. Both places currently sell all of the books available from the Hudson Historical Society as well as Rod's three personal publications: Defenders of the Flag, A Frontier Adventure and Les Auberges de Hudson - The Inns of Hudson.

St. James and St. Mary's
welcomes new rector

by Michael Legg

HUDSON - For the first time in its combined 160-year history, St. James's and St. Mary's churches in Hudson are welcoming a female minister as their new rector.
The reverend Eleanor M. Caruana was appointed to the post by The Right Reverend Barry B. Clarke, Bishop of Montreal, on October 15. She will be formally inducted as rector in a grand age-old ceremony conducted by the Bishop and assisted by several clergy of the diocese on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at St. James's Church, 642 Main Road, Hudson at 7:30 p.m.
The entire community is being invited to attend this colourful and historic ceremony.
In order to accommodate the large numbers expected, a live feed will be provided in the adjoining church hall so that no aspect of the pageantry of the ceremony will be missed.
A reception will follow. No reservations are required, but those planning to attend are advised to arrive in good time.
Rev. Caruana comes from the Diocese of Huron where she has been in charge of various parishes, most recently as Honorary Assistant Priest at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in London, Ontario. Since June 2007, she has been the Diocese of Huron's Gift Planning and Stewardship Consultant. She has served on several diocesan committees and task forces as well as being active as board or committee member for several community organizations.
Ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Huron in May 2001, Ms. Caruana, in her secular life, was active mostly as barrister and solicitor in London, focusing her work on real estate, estate and poverty law and created a mobile practice to meet a niche market ­ shut-ins, elderly, disenfranchised. She holds a Master of Divinity degree with Distinction from Huron University College as well as a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario.

WOOT welcomes Bob Sirois

Out of Hand at Whitlock