10. The groundbreaking of the Dorval metro station has coincided with the ribbon cutting ceremony of the much-anticipated completion of Dorval Circle. Thanks to the Charbonneau commission, gangsterism charges were laid against oodles of public officials and private contractors. After allocation of convicted felons’ garnished assets, the total cost for the Dorval Circle and the metro station: $0. According to new Mayor Robert Charleboix, there is even enough money to extend the PET airport into Roxboro.

9. West Islander Pauline Marois – sounds awful doesn’t it? – following mutiny attempts by her militant caucus, has retreated to her castle in Ile Bizard, declaring the town a monarchy with her as queen. Local citizens will from now on be called vassals. Let the siege begin.

8. Beaconsfield sound barrier issue solved: Local council has passed a resolution that everyone driving by the industry-impoverished nook is obliged to turn off their engines and push their cars past the community limits. This will speed up Highway 20 rush hour traffic as it will be faster than the present stand-stills.

7. In celebration of the fact that the total age of the West Island’ s mayors exceeds seven digits, they will all sit for a group photo to be called “The Fathers of West Island Confederation”.

6. Tired of watching cheap chains dislodge each other? (eg. Woolworth and Kmart and Zellers to Walmart and Target.) Bell Media (bored with their own monopoly) have announced the purchase of Target, Walmart and Dollarama. Every mall will now have the same store: Tarmartarama.

5. Recognizing the epidemic of skunks in the WI, the towns have agreed to support a skunk prison. All polecats will be rounded up and shipped to a facility in Ile Perrot. It will be surrounded by a moat filled with tomato juice.

4. Lachine and Lasalle have the right idea: The river side of Lakeshore Blvd should be clear for bikes and pedestrians. All waterside houses in Dorval, Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield and Baie D’Urfe will be bought by the province and turned into green space.

3. The Struggling Humpty Dumpty Snack Foods Inc. facility on Norman St. north of Highway 20 has been bought by Bobby Orr. The Bruins’ old Number 4 was upset that his community centre skating rink in Parry Sound was slated to become a medical marijuana gro-op. This “grass plant” will now be moved into Dumpty’s old “joint”.

2. Coincidental merger of headlines in Ste.Anne: Former mayor Bill Tierney has been reelected, the Rex Theatre has reopened, and the post office is now part of the farmers’ market (open from 9 to 2 only in the summer). No word yet on whether parking meters are coming back.

1.Pointe Claire, the WI town very short on stories, has decided to enforce limits on the sizes of residential houses. Beaconsfield, in an attempt to outdo its exemplary neighbor, has tabled a bylaw to restrict the size of residents to below 5 foot 10 to save on ceiling space. The resulting controversy has resulted in taller residents pulling up stakes and moving to Laval and starting their own community of dysfunctional law-makers. Their first demand: Sound barriers around each home.

As the snow swirled around my frozen Ste-Anne garden, it sounded really good. I would be spending four days speaking French, catching up with their lives since I left the town hall and escaping the wickedly long Montreal winter.

Of course, who knew then that come time to leave at the end of April, Montreal would be in the middle of Stanley Cup playoffs and the weather would have taken a serious turn toward summer. We crossed the border on our way to Plattsburg airport in blinding sunshine. And, yes, I did feel a bit like a tax-evader taking Spirit airlines to Myrtle Beach. But, in our culture, can you argue with the price? And the Americans know how to exploit their opportunities: The airport and flight experiences were modestly priced and well-managed. The packaging of accommodations and golf was generous and ample.

In Myrtle Beach, we stayed in a hotel condominium high up over the iconic beach itself. From our balcony we could watch beach walkers and exercisers wandering the magnificent sandy expanse in fleeces and coats. The weather was much cooler than back home in Montreal. We lost the first golfing day to thunder and rain. In fact, we managed to play five holes in what became progressively heavy rain. We even ignored the warnings of a course marshal who drove by telling us we would be responsible if struck by lightning. We were four crazy Quebecers desperate enough to risk electrocution for this first experience of spring and summer on these golf plains of green parklands pocked with sodden bunkers.

It was so wet one of my clubs actually left my grip and flew 50 yards. Someone joked that it was my best shot of the day.

And back in Montreal, children were going to school in summer clothes.

Now one of the pleasures of a winter escape is the pleasure of escaping from win-ter. It is a lot less satisfying if the weather is better in Canada than in South Carolina. And when we got back four days later, it was 25 degrees and we had missed the spring that only lasted four days this year. All the leaves had burst into life and we were using air-conditioning in the van. Everyone was wearing shorts. People were playing tennis in front of my house with no shirts.

In so many ways our climate can trick us. Before you turn off because I was on a golfing holiday, let me confess I am not a golfer. The fact that golf was a point of friction between my parents and that my father died on a course did seriously compromise my interest in the game, it’s true. As a result, I married a very tolerant wife and put 35 years into rugby instead. However, I have become a golf watcher – even my wife, a total golf abstainer, got really excited by the 2012 version of the Ryder Cup and we both watched the playoff holes at this year’s U.S. Open.

Which brings me to Golfing in the Garden: A History of Senneville Links and Braeside Golf Club, a 30-page text by an old chemistry colleague from my John Abbott days, Gordon Erskine, who in his retirement life has been president of this historical little golf course.

Anyone who’s skied the Morgan Arboretum will know the golf course. There is a path in the woods where you can branch off and ski across the course. You can even catch your breath in the shelter of the verandas of the clubhouse and dream about summer. I was once invited to play a round with the mayors of three other small towns (Maria Tutino of Baie-d’Urfé, Campbell Stuart of Montreal West and George McLeish, the veteran mayor of Senneville) and although we didn’t win any awards for our golf, we certainly enjoyed each other’s company in such a beautiful setting.

The club is the result of a green vision, a dream of the founding families of Senne-ville (Morgan, Angus, Clouston and Forget with major input from the sons of Sir John Abbott whose name was given to our CEGEP).

It’s summertime and they’re still playing golf in Senneville, 112 years later.

billtierney@videotron.ca

Bill Tierney is the former mayor of Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue and a retired teacher at John Abbott College.

If you drive by the site, you will see that the exterior is almost completely finished. If you take the train to work, you will have seen up close the beautiful coloured panels that grace the structure on the north side.

What you don’t see is what is happening on the inside.

The colours on the outside will be reflected on the inside, to help wayfinding.

The Children’s colours are red and yellow, the Royal Vic is blue and green and the Cancer Centre is terra cotta.

Work is being done from the bottom to the top, so the lower levels are more advanced. Walls are up and painting has begun in some areas. The emergency department is one of the most advanced.

Work on the Centre for Innovative Medicine, or CIM, on the fourth floor is also underway. The CIM is dedicated to clinical research and is a first in Canada.

An atrium between Pavilions A and B of the new Children’s allows for plenty of natural light. The galleria, or “main street,” which links all of the pavilions, will offer retail space, with places to grab a bite or a coffee and buy a book or a gift for a patient, or to pick up medication.

The underground parking structure in the front of the building and the staff parking structure on the south side are both almost complete. Soon, roads around the campus will be paved.

But more important than the modern buildings and high-tech equipment is the spirit and dedication of the people who work there and of the community which supports the hospital.

This was obvious at the annual Awards of Excellence Celebration which took place at the hospital last week, hosted by the very community-minded Pfizer.

As awards were presented to staff members who had been nominated for excellence by their peers, I was struck by the depth of emotion which was demonstrated by the winners and how each and every one of them spoke about how the award was a reflection of the work of their team.

This spirit will be obvious once again on May 30, when the 10th edition of the Caring for Kids Radiothon takes place on CHOM, CJAD and Virgin Radio, and patients and families share their stories of strength and courage and their gratitude for the caring individuals who help them through the most difficult of times.

Thank you to those who dedicate their lives to helping sick children and all those who support them.

They are what make the Children’s, old or new, the very special place it is.

Suzanne Korf is a professional fundraiser who has worked for non-profit organizations for more than 25 years. She is a director of development for The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. She is a mother of two and a resident of Pointe-Claire since 1991.

Here are the nominees.

Retail service:

Ok Kids, a children’s wear company with stores throughout Quebec, including branches in St. Laurent and LaSalle.

RE/MAX Royal (Jordan) Inc., a real estate agency with offices in Pointe Claire, Beaconsfield, Hudson, Vaudreuil, Île-Perrot and St. Lazare.

The Learning Tree, a private daycare and preschool in Dollard des Ormeaux.

Distribution:

Aérospatiale ThyssenKrupp. The business in Ste. Anne de Bellevue specializes in optimizing the procurement and delivery of raw materials.

Journey Freight International, a Kirkland-based shipping company.

Société Industrielle Jason (Canada) Ltée. The Dorval company sells wholesale rubber and plastic hose and tubing.

Manufacturing:

Apollo Microwaves Ltd. The Dorval company specializes in microwave systems.

Elimetal Inc. The company in St. Laurent is a machine parts supplier with clients in the aerospace industry and the military.

Lovepac, in St. Laurent, sells packing boxes of all shapes and sizes.

High Technology & Innovation:

Compresseurs Québec. The company, with headquarters in St. Laurent, supplies and services air-compressors.

Global Vision Inc., in Ste. Geneviève, supplies automated proof-reading systems.

Systèmes d’Énergie Reonac Inc., in Pointe Claire, specializes in eco-friendly induction lighting and energy systems.

Export:

BellatRx Inc., in Pointe Claire, offers streamlined packaging solutions.

Global Vision Inc., Ste-Genevieve-based supplier of automated proof-reading systems.

Railtech Ltd., in Baie d’Urfé, supplies manufactured products to the architectural and transit industries.

Human Resources:

Entreprises Importfab, in Pointe Claire, specializes in the manufacture and packaging of liquids and semi-solids.

Marriott Aéroport Montréal, a hotel in Dorval.

Yacoub Elite Search is a talent agency.

TD Canada Trust Partage-Action Community Service Award:

Action jeunesse de l’Ouest-de-l’île (AJOI), in Ste. Geneviève, is an outreach organization working with youth at risk.

Leave Out Violence (LOVE), is a violence-prevention organization that works with young people to change attitudes about violent behaviour.

Omega community Resources, in Dorval, is an out-reach organization that helps adults who are dealing with mental-health issues.

Small Business (five employees or less):

1-800-GOT-JUNK? – West Island is a junk-removal service that also serves Vaudreuil-Soulange and Laval.

Clinique PsySanté is a holistic clinic in Dollard des Ormeaux.

Garage Oufitters, with administrative offices in St. Laurent, provides garage-organizational systems.

Business to Business Services:

1-800-GOT-JUNK?

Courtiers d’Affaires Sunbelt W.I. Inc., in Dorval, is a business broker.

Les Services KD, in Dollard des Ormeaux, is an assembly and packaging business.

Société Industrielle Jason (Canada) Ltée. See above.

Sustainable Development:

Recyc-Matelas Inc., in Pointe Claire, recycles mattresses.

Systèmes d’Énergie Reonac Inc., in Pointe Claire, is an electrical supplies wholesaler.

CFER Riverdale, in Pierrefonds, recycles electronic components. The staff is made up of students from Riverdale High School.

 For information, call 514-697-4228 or visit www.wimcc.ca.

“As soon as CN told us they wanted to unload this line, we saw that as good news,” transport chief executive Nicolas Girard said in an interview.

Girard said negotiations began a few weeks ago and he hopes to have a deal in place before the end of the year.

Deux-Montagnes is the AMT’s busiest route. The 30-kilometre, 12-station line carried 7.9 million passengers last year, 45 per cent of the AMT’s total ridership.

“If we can own railway lines and be masters in our own house, it gives us more flexibility and allows us to improve service for customers,” Girard said.

It would also help the AMT cut costs, he added.

The AMT pays CN to use the tracks for commuter trains, but must leave room for CN freight trains.

Under the AMT-CN agreement, freight trains can use the line within two time windows — between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., and between 8:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., said Stéphane Lapierre, AMT vice-president of operations.

The AMT and CN are discussing how the possible sale of the line would affect freight trains, he added.

Owning the tracks would make it easier for the AMT to add departures and reduce the chances of commuter trains being delayed by freight trains, Girard said.

“If we become owners of the line, the transport of passengers will have precedence and priority,” he said.

Toronto’s GO Transit commuter-train service is using a similar strategy. Over the past two years, that Ontario authority has spent at least $363 million buying segments of railway lines from CN.

Girard would not disclose CN’s asking price for Deux-Montagnes.

“CN wants to sell and we want to buy, now we have to agree on a price,” he said.

In the shorter term, the AMT has bad news for Deux-Montagnes users who have long complained about crowded rush-hour trains.

Last month, it said it expected to start introducing higher-capacity double-decker trains on the line this fall.

That plan has been postponed until “the first half of 2014,” Lapierre said.

That extra time will allow the AMT to rearrange its train-car fleet amid growing demand and the addition of departures on some lines.

Across the five commuter train lines, ridership is soaring, rising 13 per cent over the past two years. That has left the AMT struggling to meet demand and ensure there are enough train cars for each line.

Before it can add the double-deckers, the AMT said other steps have to be taken. The authority is completing studies to see if it can add two cars to Deux Montagnes trains, which normally feature 10 cars each.

The AMT is also refurbishing old cars to be used on the Candiac line and will soon start experimenting with shorter trains on some lines. It is also mulling the purchase of more double-deckers.

ariga@montrealgazette.com

Twitter: andyriga

The ramp from Highway 20 eastbound at 32nd Ave. that links up to Highway 13 north will be closed for repairs starting May 20 until the end of September. Transport Quebec recommends those who wish to access Highway 13 northbound take Highway 520 (Côte de Liesse) instead.

Also, work on portions of 32nd Ave. both northbound and southbound under the overpass of Highway 20 will mean closing one of two lanes. Additionally, one lane out of two for Exit 60 off Highway 20 westbound at 32nd Ave. will be closed. This work will also extend into September.

For more information, go to quebec511.info.

But officials with the town have called in the SQ to probe what is, for now, being called “a misappropriation of funds.” It still is not known who within the SQ, whether it will be its financial crimes unit or the now infamous permanent anticorruption squad, or UPAC, that will lead the investigation.

Regardless of who does the snooping, the question is: Once they walk through the front door, how many rooms will they look through? And that will be interesting.

So far there is little information being made public. The case was flagged by officials at Hudson town hall last week. At that time, Mayor Michael Elliott explained that the town had recently reissued 2012 T4 slips to its 36 employees after it was discovered that errors had been made with deductions at source.

In an interview with the Off-Island Gazette, Elliott explained the town had been in contact with Revenue Quebec and the Canada Revenue Service to plead on the employees’ behalf to mitigate their exposure to fines and interest that they could possibly face. This would indicate that the tax departments did not receive their due.

But on Monday, the story changed. No longer is it the town’s opinion that what had happened was merely “administrative errors.” It is now believed, based on information the council received last week, that “sums of money had been misappropriated.”

So who did it? Who profited? What did they do, exactly? How did they do it? Who was duped? Who knew about it? And how long has it been going on?

And the big question: Is this the only misappropriation of funds? In this era of the Charbonneau Commission, I think taxpayers have the right to ask that question. So when the investigators walk through the front door of Hudson town hall, they should look into all the rooms. I am not saying they will or won’t find anything of interest. But the taxpayers are entitled to know that by the time they leave all the corners of every room will have been inspected.

It won’t be a pleasant experience. But such is the situation and the times we are in.

I look forward to hearing your comments. Add your thoughts by clicking on the “comment” button below.

Brenda O’Farrell

When it comes to gardening, I am sure there are some unwritten rules that one should follow.  Maybe these are widespread; maybe they are your own.  My thumbs are far from green but I would like to hone my gardening skills with your help.

Let’s start with the grass.  Indeed, the grass often seems greener on the other side.  I know the days of “Chemlawn” are long gone and with that our standard of what a lawn should look like.   It used to be a crime to have dandelions on one’s lawn.  Now, it’s a given.  I know we cannot use any chemicals (and that’s a good thing)… but if anyone can share their tips of eco-friendly ways of minimizing dandelions, I would be so happy.  (and please don’t tell me to use one of these tools that looks like a jumping stick!)  (Not sure what these are? Click here:  http://www.google.ca/search?q=jumping+stick&rlz=1W1ADFA_enCA341&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ptqSUZjEKMnY0QG8joHoCQ&ved=0CDUQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=617

Onto the lawn now… it is so bumpy you could easily sprain your ankle walking in my backyard.  I don’t have the budget to re-sod it all, what can be done?

Walking towards my cedars now.  Ouch.  They look malnourished, scrawny, bending over at the top…. Clearly, they’ve seen better days.  I heard that shrimp compost can be helpful.  Does this really work?  Oh, and I guess I should rake the ½ foot thick blanket of dried leaves nestled at the base of the cedars before applying this?  Is the dry stuff better than the liquid product that can be missed with the water from the hose?

Speaking of those leaves.  They are everywhere!  I take it they should all be picked up in the fall… I guess I missed a couple (!).  I just bought a leaf blower.  It worked pretty well I must say.   It was fun for the first 5 minutes, after that it got really heavy.  Maybe I’ll give it another try this weekend.

It is after all THE gardening weekend here in Quebec.  What about you?  Do you plan on gardening this weekend?  Can you share a few good tips or proven rules about gardening?  I could sure use them.  And let’s hope that Mother Nature cooperates and shines on us while we attempt to beautify our surroundings.

Have a great long Victoria Day weekend.

From the start of the meeting, three patrol officers from Montreal Police Station 1 kept watch from the back of the council chamber as about 30 residents sat during proceedings, including a 45-minute question period tackling subjects ranging from unwanted cellphone installations, the nuisance of leaf blowers, home break-ins to the declining level of police services in relation to the rising amount of taxes paid.

Mayor David Pollock was also asked about the two patrol officers in the room, who were decked out in bulletproof vests.

“A couple of months ago it got a bit unruly here and we asked for their presence,” Pollock told residents.

“As I have spoken about the last several years, quite frankly, I’m saddened by the conduct in this hall at various times. We’ve had behaviour that is unacceptable.”

Pollock added the police presence during council meetings will continue for an undetermined period.

Although he didn’t pinpoint a particular incident that sparked the city’s request for police presence, the mayor had threatened to have former mayoral candidate Hela Labene ejected during the March 25 meeting after a heated exchange with councillor Karin Essen on whether the councillor still resided in the city and if she should remain on council.

At the time, the mayor called on a municipal public security officer, normally in attendance at each meeting, to eject Labene when she refused step down from the microphone during question period.

While Labene, at the time, challenged the mayor to call the police on her, she finally returned to her seat and remained for the entirety of the meeting.

In March, Pollock pleaded with residents to be more respectful.

Labene, meanwhile, was in attendance Monday and asked a councillor a question about spending on special security provisions without any incident or a warning issued by the mayor.

Essen was absent Monday. The mayor said it was not because Essen had resigned.

No arrests were made or tickets issued during the March meeting.

The city is advising residents that new summer watering restrictions are in force as of today until Sept. 1. Mondays are completely off-limits for watering. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8 to 11 p.m., residents with odd civic numbers can water their lawns and gardens. Homeowners with even civic addresses are allowed to water on Wednesday and Friday nights. Weekend nights are open until the end of June. Watering is prohibited Saturdays and Sundays in July and August. Filling a pool can be done once a year and only between midnight and 6 a.m.

A minimum fine of $100 can be levied for infractions. For new lawns or work that requires cleaning a driveway with water, residents must obtain a temporary permit.

Other West Island municipalities, such as Beaconsfield, Kirkland and Pointe-Claire, don’t have such strict rules prohibiting watering in the summer, though they do preach conservation, like the use of rain barrels.

Meanwhile, some municipalities, like Dorval, Kirkland, Dollard and Pincourt, offer a green-line service to answer questions about the environment or to offer their residents horticultural tips.

Dorval is hosting its Environment and Gardening Day on Saturday in the arena parking lot at 450 Dawson Ave. As well, Dorval is hosting a free forum on environmental issues next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Sarto Desnoyers Community Centre, 1335 Lakeshore Dr.

Dollard’s green-line can be reached at 514-684-3114, Dorval’s at 514-206-6574, Kirkland’s at 514-630-2748 and Pincourt’s at 514-453-4980. For other details or bits of green information, check your local municipality’s website.