ST. LAZARE
Trail-use bylaw undemocratic: Kary

May 2011 trail map: Blue for mixed use, pink for equestrian.

by JIM DUFF

ST. LAZARE — A bylaw revision banning cyclists from equestrian trails throughout the municipality won’t sabotage efforts to draft a master trail plan, says mayor Pierre Kary.
Bylaw 874 revises a number of municipal regulations, including who can ride where. It was expected to be adopted at the tail end of an evening of budget-related council meetings after we went to press last night.
Four councillors, led by Blueberry Forest resident Jean-Claude Gauthier, had indicated at the last meeting they would vote for the ban.
Kary said discussions will continue with an outside consultant on the development of a master trail-use plan incorporating horse and walking trails into a public trail network. At the same time, he and Parks and Recreation director Louis Paquin are working on a plan to extend and link the town’s 15 kilometres of bike trails. Other discussions at the MRC level include St. Lazare’s ATV and snowmobile trails, both of which also use La Pinière, the town’s 315-hectare conservation area.
Kary hopes to bring all three discussions to a common working table prior to a Feb. 22 public consultation where a master trail-use plan will be presented to residents and organizations.
He criticized councillors for attempting to pre-empt the process. “The way this has been handled has been a disfavour to the equestrian community,” said Kary. “The equestrian community has been unnecessarily highlighted in this process because council members did not allow this democratic process to follow its course.”
Anything that can be done, can be undone, he added.“We should participate in the democratic process of public consultation before cementing our opinions...To be intransigent and inflexible at this stage of the process is to close our ears and minds to citizens.”
Gauthier, a member of the Club Équestre Les Forestiers, had chaired the trail-network working table until Kary took over. Their mandate was to meet with any association with a stake in a future trail network to locate trails, determine their use, their access and the type of footing based on the intended use. None of those meetings have taken place, Kary said.
According to the trail-use consulting contract, one of the mandates was to assurer la compatibilité des activités prévues dans les sentiers (la randonnée équestre, la randonnée pédestre, le ski de fond, le vélo, l’interprétation de la nature, etc.)
Ban would apply everywhere
If adopted, Bylaw 874 would ban cyclists from equestrian trails throughout the municipality, not just in La Pinière, says District 1 councillor Nathalie Richard.
“It will apply to many of the trails our kids use to stay out of traffic,” Richard said Friday. “This should be a societal debate, not something rushed through.”
One of the changes proposed would outlaw bikes on equestrian/pedestrian trails. It would also ban horses from cycling/pedestrian trails — except to get to other trails.
The town’s latest trail map, dated May 2011, shows the extent to which the ban will affect cyclists throughout the municipality, not just in La Pinière. Bikes will be barred from Trail 60A, between Sandmere and Symphonie, Trail 64 between Place du Recital and Dynastie and Chemin St-Louis as well as from Trail 50, between du Ravin and the start of 60.

HUDSON
2012: Firehall angst and zoning paralysis

Hudson town works yard with house in background. Welcome to the never-ending construction site. (Gazette, Jim Duff)


by JIM DUFF



HUDSON — Hopes of having more new homes connecting to the municipal sewer system in 2012 don’t appear to be much more than that.
George Ellerbeck, who is proposing a 73-home development accessed by 193 Main, is asking the town for a number of concessions before a draft rezoning bylaw is presented to council. The most significant demand is that the town increase the number of residents eligible to sign a register or vote in a referendum on the bylaw, which would permit multi-family dwellings and homes on lots smaller than the currently zoned 30,000 square feet.
The town planning advisory committee and council have agreed in principle to the Ellerbeck’s subdivision proposal, but given the relatively small number of eligible voters living in contiguous zones and the level of local opposition, it appeared likely it would not be approved.
Although the zoning bylaw has reportedly been drafted, a public meeting tentatively scheduled for this fall never took place.
Ellerbeck is asking the town to revise the list of contiguous zones to include the 85 hectares of agriculturally zoned land he’s giving the town as part of the deal.
He also wants the town to commit to a maximum of 36 semi-detached units and withdrawal of a condition that would not allow any driveways onto Main, which he insists would enclave several lots.
• • •
Residents of the neighbourhoods backing on the expanded public works yard are wondering what happened to promises they’d be consulted. The town cut a bunch of trees to make room for a new parking and storage area along the property line at the back of Maple and town vehicles are using Maple to access the yard. Residents claim they were promised that neither would happen without consultation.
The town’s position is that everything is being done in anticipation of the architectural and engineering drawings for a new firehall in the southeast corner of the town’s property. Plans supposedly will be made public in February, when the town goes to sell citizens on the loan bylaw for the new firehall and revamped public works complex. The original estimate was $3.5 million.
Town sources say half the large sand and gravel sheds will be demolished to make way for the firehall, which will extend almost to Maple.
As they watch the busywork in their back yards, residents had two questions: Why not move the never-ending construction site to the lot next to the sewage treatment plant and why is the town allowed to cut trees without a permit when the rest of us get whacked with massive fines for cutting giant weeds?
Reasons why not range from “the environment ministry says no” to “we’re saving it for something else.” As for the trees, the town doesn’t need a permit.
Parting shot: Yes, you did see Ladder 402 backing into the old firehall. It’s back while one of the others is off for repairs. Council has to decide whether to sell it now, while it’s in great condition, or pay to store it. Word has it the firefighters are pretty grumpy about losing their ladder, but they’ll settle for a smaller version that will fit narrow Hudson streets.

Empty space next to sewage treatment plant. Reasons why it can’t be used for storage change from person to person. (Gazette, Jim Duff)

Rigaud: No problem with shared trails, says mayor

L’Escapade is used by thousands of skiers each winter. The trails aren’t wide enough for horses and skiers, says resident. (Gazette, Jim Duff)

by JIM DUFF

RIGAUD — There’s never been a problem between skiers and horses using the L’Escapade trail network since the municipality adopted a shared-use bylaw in November 2008, says mayor Réal Brazeau.
The mayor was responding to a letter of complaint from de la Forest resident Cindy Pillitteri after new signage was posted on La Foulée du Cerf, the steep three-kilometre trail linking the parking lot on Chemin de la Mairie with Chemin St-Georges.
The signs were posted at the request of councillor Martine Paquette, one of a small group of Mountain Ranches equestrians who want access to the Club Équestre les Forestiers trail network on the southern side of Rigaud mountain.
Pillitteri says the trail isn’t wide enough to permit safe shared use, given that much of it is on a densely forested hillside. She plans to circulate a petition against the shared use of the ski trail network and says she’ll contact as many ski shops and outing clubs as she can to let people know of the risk.
Brazeau said the only change has been the posting of the signs, since L’Escapade was designed as a mixed-use trail. “It is the responsibility of the municipality to ensure the safety of its users by updating trail signage and by hiring patrollers,” he said in his letter.
Richard Senécal, Quebec co-ordinator of the Trans-Canada Trail, said the national network made the arbitrary decision to permit equestrian and cross-country skiing on the same trails — but only if they’re wide enough so that the two groups of users can safely co-exist side by side. “The horses aren’t using the cross-country trails,” he stressed.
There’s no policy, he said, but a common goal to have as many non-motorized users as possible sharing a trail. “The trails are clearly marked so that skiers know which side is reserved for cross-country and riders know where they’re supposed to go.”
More and more, these shared trails are being used by horse and sleigh combinations, rather than saddleback. They’re a good 15 feet wide, Senecal added.

‘Cautious’ budget draws fire from citizens

The installation of this new polyethylene waterline is part of a $10.6 million dollar project to increase the capacity of the town’s water supply to meet its growing demand. (Gazette, Jim Duff)

by JULES-PIERRE MALARTRE


VAUDREUIL-DORION — Mayor Guy Pilon and council presented the 2012 budget to an unusually packed meeting room on December 13. The municipality's elected officials called the budget “cautious”, but the average 3.7 percent tax increase came under fire from residents.
The council zipped through the agenda with its customary efficiency in less than 30 minutes, including a brief outline of the new budget and a percentage breakdown of the principal cost centres. The attendees took over an hour to ask questions, the answers being received with lukewarm satisfaction by some attendees.
The budget is up from $50.2 million in 2011 to $55.2 million and will concentrate on infrastructure projects and service to the residents.
Most of the increase is attributable to the municipality's contributions to external agencies, including the Metropolitan Transportation Agency, CIT La Presqu’ile, Montreal Metropolitan Community and the Sûreté du Québec. The accumulated increases of the co-payments to these agencies amount to 8.5%, according to the city council. On the other hand, the municipality's budget is increased overall by 5.5%.
The $400,000 increase from the SQ was not well received by some of the attendees. On some occasions during earlier sessions of the council in 2011, residents complained about rampant speeding on residential roads and the lack of a police presence on the streets.
“I am appalled that our elected officials have no control over those costs,” an attendee commented regarding the escalating costs of services provided by external agencies. When discussing the Sûreté du Québec, Pilon agreed that the municipality might be overcharged. “The government is telling us that we are being overcharged for services offered by the SQ to make up for the poorer regions across the province, which is offensive,” he said. Although roughly a third of the city’s contribution is returned in the form of a rebate at year’s end, taxpayers end up footing the bill.
The tax increase is evaluated at $0.0372 per $100 of property evaluation. “Two cents out of those 3.7 cents is an amount we have no control over,” Pilon noted, referring to the cumulative co-payments for policing, public transit and two levels of regional government. For a home with an estimated value of $236,000, the 2012 tax increase amounts to $88.
“Our pensions do not increase at the same rate,” one attendee commented bitterly. “The increase does not reflect the actual inflation, which is around 3.2%,” said another.
The increase is reasonable in view of the growth and expectations of residents, Pilon countered, noting that Vaudreuil-Dorion’s tax bills are the lowest in the region and compare favourably with that of the Greater Montreal Area. Most of that is due to the commercial and residential sectors, which represent over 25 percent of the city’s tax revenues.
The infrastructure projects slated for 2012 include rehabilitation work for the aqueduct network, the storm sewer network and pedestrian walkways among others; repairs to the Alstonvale culvert; and additional projects including upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant and the installation of an additional water intake line to improve the municipality's drinking water production capabilities.
Despite the important number of imposing infrastructure projects quoted as part of the budget, the lion's share of the budget goes toward transportation (18.4%). Drinking water, sewage treatment, garbage disposal, gets 16.0% of that budget. Development, urbanism and zoning round up the areas where some of the proposed projects fit in with 4.2 %.
Another 13.5% goes towards payment of the debt. Added to financing fees (8.2%), debt and financing corner nearly a quarter of the total budget. General administration accounts for 10.2% of the overall budget.
Other attendees also questioned the need for tax increases given the projected revenues coming with the expected growth. New residents should mean more revenues according to two attendees who then questioned the need for such an increase in taxes. Pilon answered that more residents meant more services. "It means more roads, more boardwalks, more snow removal, and those cost something. We are satisfied that we are seeing additional revenues, but they come with additional services," Pilon added.
"Your financial statements do not reflect reality. I can't wait to see the 2011 statements. Your revenues exceed what is in the budget. You do not need to take more (taxes)," a resident challenged.
In 2008, greater than expected revenues generated by growth meant a no-increase in residents' taxes, according to the financial report deposited by the municipality. The $4.7 million surplus was added to $8.5 million for 2006, and a reserve fund of $3.4 million, of which $3.1 million was added to the 2007 budget.
Another attendee questioned the average increase over the years. “You have been in this position for seven years now, can you tell me what the average tax increase has been over that time?” Pilon did not have those numbers on hand, but one attendee evaluated it at over 20%.
The amount charged for water supply to Vaudreuil sur le Lac was also questioned. "I find this strange," one attendee commented. "We are providing them some services at a very good price. I wonder if there is a way to obtain more revenues from that end." Pilon answered that the municipality was working hard to clarify that situation.

MTQ suspends work on
3rd Ave. crossing lights

TERRASSE-VAUDREUIL — Work has been suspended until spring on the traffic lights on two approaches to the level crossing at 3rd Ave.
The lights, on the Highway 20 off-ramp and Cardinal-Léger, were part of a Canadian Transport Safety Board recommendation to make the crossing safer until a long-promised underpass is built.
The traffic lights are an attempt to ensure that vehicles using the crossing aren’t stuck on either of the two sets of tracks or the no-man’s land in between.
“This decision was taken following the lack of availability of signallers from one of the partners in the project,” said a release from the provincial transport ministry. “The work is being done in partnership with Transport Canada, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific.”
The MTQ release didn’t specify which of the partners wasn’t living up to its side of the agreement.
The traffic lights remain extremely unpopular among a majority of residents because they increase the wait time, especially during the morning and evening rush hours, but there have been a sufficient number of incidents involving vehicles, including school buses, to justify the temporary solution.
Residents say the lights will only give the MTQ an excuse to delay the promised overpass. Work will resume after the spring thaw is finished at the end of May.

Mount Pleasant annual sock drive

Mount Pleasant School’s Student Council, under the direction of their teachers: Jane Malone, Elana Agulnik and Arsène Dylan-Klein, set an objective of 630 pairs of socks to donate to the Welcome Hall Mission. They surpassed their goal and have donated 819 pairs thanks to the generosity of the Mount Pleasant Community!

Hudson Lights competition winners announced

by JEAN CHEVALIER

The Town of Hudson was fascinating with its glittering and sparkling lights last Wednesday evening, Dec. 14, as the Hudson Light Competition judging was taking place. We could feel the Christmas spirit everywhere in town created by the thousands of bright lights.
Derek Halbert, Judith Harvey and Gisèle Lapalme from the Hudson Artists Association were the designated judges for this year’s competition. Organized by the Parks & Recreation Department, the contest had a higher participation rate in the residential category this year. We also noticed a remarkable decorating effort in the commercial category this year in the centre of town. Our local businesses are always automatically registered in this annual competition.
Both residential and commercial first place winners will receive a painting done by members of the Hudson Artists Association. Second and third places of both categories will receive an official Town of Hudson certificate. A certificate is also awarded to the Best and most beautifully decorated tree in Hudson
According to Derek Halbert, after many hours of debate among the judges, the Best and most beautiful tree of the year is awarded to the Thunem residence, located at 270 Main Road for “the stately blue-blue spruce, simply elegant!”
Our judges were impressed with the first place winner in the residential category. It was awarded to the Beaulieu residence located at 20 Hawthorn. Judges were inspired by the wrap-around Victorian deck and a complete continuation of tasteful Christmas décor. Congratulations!
The second place went to the De Sevigné residence, located at 364 Woodcroft, where judges “simply loved the country charm.” Third place went to the Tanguay residence, 89 Hazelwood, for “it’s cute warmth.”
In the commercial category, the first place winner was Pierre Auto Body, located at 466 Main. According to Derek Halbert “the choice was nearly unanimous and in spite of itself, the building was decorated with taste and oozed a nostalgic feeling that too few of us can remember. Well done.”
Second place is awarded to the JCOR Building (DPJL and Tutti Gourmet), located at 409 Main, for “a lovely charming Victorian maze exhibiting some tasteful décor mixed with a variety of inflatable cartoon caracters.” Third place went to the St. Thomas Aquinas Church Presbytery located at 413 Main, for “its warm glow effect.”
The judges, in conclusion would like to underline that judging the Hudson Lights Competition is increasingly challenging and that the whole of Hudson exhibits the spirit of a small town with a big heart. Take note that this year’s winners will be receiving their prizes on Monday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m., at the Town of Hudson council meeting which will be taking place at the Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre. Congratulations to all the winners and participants. Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Katinka's story:
How I came to shoot someone every day

Katinka Rubin Michaud with a photographic mosaic of some of her portraits taken as part of her Portrait a Day photo project. Katinka takes a new portrait each and every day of the year in an ongoing portrayal of the people she encounters. She posts the portrait daily on her blog at www.kayanphoto.com/blog (Photo by Yannick Michaud)

On a New Year’s Day brunch on January 1, 2008 I shook hands with my neighbour and friend, Chris Buddle, on a pledge to take a photo a day for the next 12 months.
I was looking for a personal project that would make me take more photos so I loved this challenging New Year’s resolution. I am a trained photographer from Dawson College, but with a young child, I was still struggling to find enough time for photography at a personal level and as a business. I always felt that life would get in the way of my photography. I also wanted to prove that you can find images anywhere, often in your own backyard. We ended the 366 photo project with a photo show in 2009.
For 2009, I decided to take a weekly portrait, but I didn’t manage to keep it going for very long.
For 2010, I knew that I work best with strict rules and and renewed my pledge to take a photo a day. I posted my photos on Facebook and enjoyed the huge amount of feedback they generated.
For 2011, I continued to take a photo a day and post it on Facebook. I have always enjoyed meeting people and taking portraits, so I decided in mid-January that my daily photos were more about the people I meet.
On February 17, 2011, I photographed Jian Ghomeshi from the CBC radio program Q. He liked his portrait and my photo project and asked if my project was public so he could tweet about it. That evening, I decided to post my daily photos on my blog.
An average of 200 people visit the blog daily.
As we head into 2012, I am planning to keep on taking a Portrait a Day. I just love it. It’s an amazing way to interact with people of all ages, walks of life, family, strangers and friends. I love asking strangers if I can photograph them – if they say no thank you, it’s no big deal.
I always try to get permission to use the photos and try to email a copy to the person as a thank you.
For the 2012 Street Fair, I am planning to display 12 large panoramic prints with all the portraits showcasing our community.
This is the artist’s statement that I submitted in applying for a grant from the
Conseil régionale des élus for the
Vallée -du-Haut-Saint-Laurent, the greater region that Vaudreuil-Soulanges county is part of. I will know in two months if I am accepted.
Every single day of the year, I take a portrait of someone I have encountered that day. Through this commitment, I have embarked upon a fascinating journey wherein the camera provides endless possibilities for me to interact with a wide diversity of people.
I approach strangers, friends or family members of all ages for my daily portraits. This produces an ongoing photographic exploration of who my subjects are – and, in a fascinating recursive process, an exploration of who I am. I have discovered that portraying people in my community is also a portrayal of my own life as a long-time resident of a small village in rural Quebec.
I am constantly looking for the next great photo. Every portrait becomes a quest for the perfect lighting, camera angle and composition so that I can depict, in a fresh and interesting way, the people I interact with each day. The photographs are presented without artifice or manipulation. I aim to approach people in an honest way and I want the final photos to have a sense of authenticity.
I am hoping my work will provide viewers with a window into my life in a small rural community – a life that traverses the four seasons and is measured by a portrait a day.
Here is a bit of personal information.
I was born and raised in Denmark with my Danish mom. I didn’t know my British father, but knew that he was a photographer and photography teacher at Dawson College in Montreal. I was very fortunate that my father, who had only met me a couple of times, agreed to sponsor me. As soon as my immigration application came through in 1993, I moved to Montreal to follow in my father’s footsteps and study photography at Dawson College.
I met my husband at Dawson College and we moved to Denmark in 1996 - the year that we graduated from Dawson College. After seven years in Denmark, we moved back to Canada and right here in Hudson.
Today, my father is very important person in my life and my children’s lives. He is also extremely helpful and talented with everything regarding my photography business. We often meet for hours to finalize things on my website or work on some of my many photo-related projects.

HVT launches Comedy Fest fundraisera

Joey Elias will headline the Jan. 28 gala.

by JIM DUFF


HUDSON — How to liven up an otherwise dull winter and raise money for the best little performing arts centre west of downtown Montreal? The Hudson Village Theatre is planning a Winter Comedy Festival Jan. 26-28, featuring a line-up of Montreal comics, celebrity emcees and a programme ranging from family entertainment to X-rated late night shows.
The fest begins with a Thursday night show featuring Joey Elias and his comedy school alumni. Friday is the Relationship Show at 7:30 p.m., followed by the 10:30 Down and Dirty Show (and a late-late show repeat if ticket sales warrant). Saturday is the gala, featuring a solid hour of Joey Elias and plenty of comedic relief from the warmup acts — and maybe another late show. Tickets range from $15 to $40 for the VIP passes, which include a post-show reception with the talent. Local restaurants are being approached in the hope they’ll agree to dinner-and-ducats package deals.
Organizer Liz Corker says Montreal’s comedic brain trust took a jaunt out to Hudson to check out the 148-seat playhouse in the old CP railway station and raved about it. “It’s all coming together very fast,” Corker said Friday. “We’ve got the town behind it...there’s going to be a big banner going across the street in early January.”
They would have had it a month later, but Lorne Elliott has the theatre for two nights the last weekend in February.
What about the ShiverFest Comedy Nite, you ask? It’s been rescheduled as part of the St. Patrick’s weekend warmup. Lorne Elliott has a two-night run coming up just after the Comedy Fest, so organizers figured they’d relive the traffic jam.
What with the closing of West Island clubs like Bourbon Street West and Babbaloo’s, there’s no venue for comedy, so everyone’s hoping the three-night festival might lead to bigger and better things, maybe to coincide with artistic director Heather Markgraf’s summer season.
The comedy fest will be the first in a line-up of special events as the HVT celebrates its 20th season next year. Or maybe the second, since Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this year’s Christmas Panto, runs on into the New Year.
Tickets available at the Hudson Village Theatre and Cunningham’s Pub.

Light show must go on

Angel Johnson moved her light show to St. Lazare in 2007 after neighbours complained to the town. (Gazette, Nick Mayes)

by JIM DUFF

ST. LAZARE — Anyone wondering whether moving can make a difference in your life should drop by the Johnson house at 2622 Yearling.
This Christmas marks Angel Johnson’s sixth annual sound and light show in aid of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The 25,000 lights are synchronized by computer to the music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, IMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem (a tribute to teens), the Coca-Cola Christmas song, and Music Box Dancer. The show begins at dusk and continues until 8 p.m, 10 p.m. on weekends. On Christmas Eve, it will run until midnight.
And both her new neighbours love it. “The difference is that I can work with them,” says Johnson.
It’s a far cry from the first three years when they lived off Harwood in Vaudreuil-Dorion. Neighbours complained to the municipality because the show allegedly generated too much traffic and they were ordered to stop.
So they moved the show to her in-laws’ house on Equestrian. “It was a kind of a pain in the middle of the night when there was a computer malfunction and I’d have to drive up to St. Lazare to take care of it.”
That, and the welcome they got, convinced them to move to Saddlebrook. “It was definitely part of our decision in buying a house,” says Johnson.
It takes her the month of November to assemble the components and try out new things she’s found on the web, like this year’s vertical pole of light and the spiral Christmas tree. Once everything’s connected to the control module, she orchestrates the the entire display to the beat of the music, turning lights on and off to within a fifth of a second.
Johnson, who insists she’s not much of a tekkie, has an easy explanation why she’s still using incandescent lights. “The LEDs don’t warm up fast enough in our winter to give the effects I want.”
Why would a hyper-busy mom of kids, eight, six and four, put all that work into a song and light show? “Our kids love it,” she says. “For us, it’s really the start of Christmas.”
Drop by, have a look for yourself and and leave a donation.

Christmas in Hudson
in a bygone era


by WILLIAM (BIFF) HAWKE


Bygone era? Well, not too long ago; some of us old gaffers who lived there in the early to mid-fifties – the era I’m writing about– will still remember. After all, we’re only in our mid- to late-sixties. In fact, since I started contributing my stories on the ‘Old Hudson’, a few childhood friends and I have re-established contact.
This time I’m writing about my memories of the Christmas Holiday season. I don’t know if the youngsters of today are still enjoying some of the pleasures that we kids experienced during the Christmas Season over 55 years ago. One was Christmas Carolling. A bunch of us friends from Grades 5 or 6 would go door-to-door singing carols on one of the nights leading up to Christmas. Sometimes families would invite us inside for hot chocolate along the route. Others would give us money that we’d donate to the church. When finished, we go into the house of one of the kids for Christmas cake and refreshments.
The kids in my family had Hudson sewn up in terms of paper delivery; all four of us had paper routes. John had a morning paper route; Honey, Peter and I delivered the evening paper in various neighbourhoods of Hudson. Collecting was a chore that we didn’t like, because it was normally done on a Saturday and it took a long time. Christmas time, however, was different due the prospects of getting healthy tips. Most tips were in the range of $1, but I remember the dear souls – two kindly old gals – who owned and operated the Hudson Gift Shop off Main Road not far from Habib’s store. They’d give me an envelope with a card inside saying, “To a nice paperboy”. They’d also include a shiny new 50 cent piece. I only wish I still possessed them today; there were three years worth!
Another pleasure was the sleigh rides. Back then they didn’t use salt on the roadways; only sand. So the streets in the neighbourhoods were covered with a two-inch layer of snow & ice. This allowed the big sleighs, drawn by two horses, to transit with relative ease. The sleighs had the driver up front on a bench and a large farm wagon type back with enough room to accommodate about twenty youngsters amongst the hay.
Another memory that comes up is Christmas shopping. A few nights before the big day, my Mom and Dad would give the four of us $10 each, which was supposed to be enough to buy gifts for each of our siblings and also for our parents (how much would you need today!?). Then we’d all pile into our ’53 Meteor and drive to the Dorval Plaza, where they’d cut us loose and tell us to meet back at the car in two hours. Most of us accomplished the task and had a bit left over for a Coke or two at one of the restaurants.
The preceding represents some of my memories of ‘Hudson in a Bygone Era.’ Merry Christmas.
Biff Hawke (william.hawke@gmail.com) has resided in New Delhi, India for the last 15 years.

St. Lazare
Horse trails ‘no place for bikes’

by JIM DUFF


ST. LAZARE — The Club Équestre Les Forestiers is staying out of the latest council power struggle even though riders have a lot at stake in the outcome, says CEF president Yves Venditti.
“We didn’t know this bylaw was coming up,” he insisted. “But for us, this is a matter of survival...you can’t put horses and mountain bikes on eight-foot trails.”
Allowing cyclists to share an equestrian trail means that trail is closed to horses, Venditti added. “If you want to make it a bike path, call it a bike path, but don’t pretend it’s still an equestrian trail.”
The Trans-Canada Trail strongly discourages cyclists and equestrians from sharing trails in its network, says Quebec trail co-ordinator Richard Senecal.
“It’s difficult to integrate cycling and equestrian activities,” says Senecal. The difficulty in integrating the two activities has led to greater development of cycling south of the St. Lawrence and more riding to the north. “...we don’t recommend this type of mixed use [but] I know of no regulations anywhere that either permit or outlaw shared usage.”
CEF vice-president Linda Glasgow and her husband are both mountain bikers, but she, too, warns against opening La Pinière to mountain bikers, let alone families out for a ride with the kids.
“I can’t see anybody, even with a mountain bike, wanting to go on these trails,” she said. “They’re rugged, there’s debris...I think this debate has gotten out of hand for lack of definitions.”
Even if there was a dedicated cycling trail in La Pinière, cyclists don’t police themselves the way the riders and hiking groups have done, she said. “Rogue cyclists looking for a challenge will create new trails to give themselves more of a thrill,” she predicted.
“I would be very afraid as an equestrian, riding there knowing there’s mountain biking,” Glasgow continued. “Our existence [as a club] depends on the security of those trails.”
Senecal agrees.“The problem with mountain biking on shared trails is the speed of the bike is a lot greater than that of the horse. When the cyclist goes to pass a horse, he could provoke a reaction in a horse that isn’t accustomed.”
The CEF’s main concern as it approaches the trail-use discussion tables is that La Pinière isn’t large enough to accommodate every group that wants its own dedicated trails. “It’s not that big an area,” says Glasgow.
Senecal says he’s seen ATVs and snowmobiles using the same trails as horses in other areas where mixed uses prevailed. “I don’t encourage that at all and we don’t recognize that,” he said.

Pincourt optimistic offer on
Sportsplex will be accepted

by JIM DUFF


PINCOURT – Mayor Yvan Cardinal has his fingers crossed for an early Christmas present — news that bailiff Claude Girard has accepted the town’s $3.25 million offer for the half-finished Pincourt Sportsplex and the land it sits on.
A Dec. 23 response is expected, Cardinal told last week’s monthly council meeting.
“We’re optimistic,” Cardinal said last week. “It’s an unconditional offer.”
The Town of Pincourt already owns the land, so once the town gains possession of the boarded-up building and the site, it can start negotiating its sale to potential private partners who will finish and begin operating the arena. “The position of the Town of Pincourt is not to own or manage it,” Cardinal added.
That non-ownership policy was why the town reached an arm’s-length agreement with an amateur sports association almost 10 years ago to build an arena that could be converted into a community centre. Costs escalated beyond what was budgeted and the non-profit declared bankruptcy. The contractor, Cogerex, the Banque Nationale and some 18 subcontractors sued the town and one another while the building sat there and hockey parents had to find ice time elsewhere.
The case went to court in 2009. That November, Quebec Superior Court judge Lise Matteau handed down a verdict that found against the municipality and its supposed arms-length relationship with the non-profit association. She also ordered the facility sold at a sheriff’s auction. However, as the town made clear last week, the bailiff failed to find a buyer with the appeal hanging over the property.
The Town of Pincourt took the Matteau judgment to appeal, which had the effect of suspending the execution of the judgment against it. It also adopted a $3.65 million loan bylaw to buy the building. The town’s strategy — sell the complex to a private partner, then use the proceeds of the sale to pay the damages awarded to the contractor, subtrades and the bank.
An unencumbered sale will allow the purchaser to borrow the money needed to finish the complex, since Pincourt and neighbouring municipalities have passed resolutions committing to purchase blocks of ice time on behalf of their hockey and figure skating associations.
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An agreement with other Île Perrot municipalities to share the costs of recreational facilities on the island has come under fire. Last week’s Terrasse Vaudreuil council meeting saw a heated debate about the municipality assessment under the Régie intermunicipale des équipments en loisir de l’Île Perrot, It’s now $9,000 a year, but it will hit $25,000 once the arena and other facilities are built.

That was Then

Horse and sleigh was used to get around in winter before the need to drive everywhere at summertime speeds dictated ploughs, salt and sand. The shot was taken in front of Ben’s Restaurant in 1942 with Jean Bonnard, Marge Proctor, Bette Milton and Bob Hodgson. The sleigh belonged to Milton Robinson of Como. The horse’s name was DOT! (Photo courtesy of Rod L. Hodgson)