COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Community Connections · and Karen Burrell December/January 2016 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 3 Let’s start off with some small house-hold repairs that can mess

Volume 16 / Issue 6 2,500 COPIES December /January 2016

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

SERVING THE AREA FROM KANEHSATÀ:KE TO ROSEMÈRE

Community Connections

©Paul Goyetche

46th Annual Santa ClausParade, p. 5

Deux-Montagnes ProvincialPee-Wee Hockey TournamentDec. 10 to 20, p. 29

17th Annual Deux-MontagnesRinguette Tournament,Jan. 4 to 10, p. 2012th Annual DM Lions’ Club Book Fair, p. 21Kanehsatà:ke Girl Kicks for Gold Medal,p. 23

Message from theMayor

December /January 2016COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 2

Dear citizens,

Already November marksour mid-term as an electedcouncil. Many changes haveoccurred since the election.We often talk about the im-provement of the financialsituation of our city, but it isalso important to talk aboutthe improvement of all as-

pects concerning citizen’s daily use of services.These improvements would not be possible without agreat team of employees that with tight budgets offerquality services to the population.

I would also like to talk about a great team of councillors;

District 1- Manon Robitaille attends seniors’ Office del’habitation de la MRC. She ensures the well-being of sen-iors and will in 2016 work on getting Deux-Montagnesrecognized as a friendly city to seniors.District 2- Karine Gauthier, president of the urban com-mittee, is looking over redevelopment projects to ensurethat they harmonize with existing buildings of thecity. Our construction permits have more than doubledin the past year.District 3- Micheline Groulx Stable has at heart the well-being of all citizens and her involvement is in all aspectsof the social climate in our community. It is her main goalto make Deux-Montagnes a lively city. The Deux-Montagnes en fête is one of many ideas Micheline had tobring the community together by organising an eventthat will become an annual happening.District 4- Frederic Bertiaume is in charge of human re-sources.District 5- Michel Mendes is in charge of public worksand the circulation committee. Also member of the CITLpublic transport for the city. And also very involved in the Canada Day celebrations. Michel always has ideasto improve the quality of services offered to all citizens.District 6- Margaret Lavallée is in charge of sports andleisure. Her involvement has an important role in the im-provement of our facilities. All sport chalets will be im-proved and the soccer association will have their newhome. Sports and leisure makes this community strong.

As you can see, this is a résumé of their daily actionsand I cannot ask for a better team to be at the service of allthe Deux-Montagnes community.

Best wishes to all for the upcoming holidays!

Deux-Montagnes HonorsEight Volunteers

At the city council meeting on November 12 the Mayorand councillors held a cermony to honor eight citizensfor their volunteer work in the community.

Left to right Karine Gauthier, Micheline Groulx Stabile,Mayor Denis Martin, Manon Robitaille, Michel Mendesand Margaret Lavallee

Manon Robitaille joins“Deux-Montanges Autrement”

Table of ContentsMessage from the MayorAround the HouseGreen CornerLion‘s DenA Look at RosemereChurch SnoopParavie4KornersSue ChefRon‘s CornerSports Rap OpinionAnnouncements...

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Left to right Frederic Bertiame, Karine Gauthier, MichelineGroulx Stabile, Serge Comptois, Johanne Hebert, GertrudeDore, Betty Hensen, Viviane Monahan Dorion, MelanieHutchison, Patty Weddle,Christian Pineault, Denis Mar-tin, Michel Mendes, Margie Lavallee, Manon Robitaille

©Paul Goyetche

©Paul Goyetche

Around the House with Paul and Karen By Paul Beattyand Karen Burrell

December/January 2016 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 3

Let’s start off with some small house-hold repairs that can mess with theholidays! Nothing like a running toi-let to annoy you! It can be an easy fixso let’s start with lifting off the tank’slid. If water is overflowing into thevertical tube, you’ll need to lower thewater level in the tank. To do so, sim-ply bend the arm on the float down-ward or, in newer models, squeeze theadjustment clips and slide the floatdown. If the water level isn’t the prob-lem, add a little food coloring to thetank and wait about 20 minutes. Achange in colour in the toilet bowlmeans the flapper — a rubber dia-phragm at the bottom of the tank — isleaking and needs to be replaced. Turnoff the water supply behind the toiletand pop out the flapper with yourhands. Take it to a hardware store orjust snap a picture with your cellphone and ask for a replacement. Thenew one should pop back in the sameway.

For a dent in the wall, (at our house

it’s from the doorknob) just wedge awad of newspaper into the dent, leav-ing about a 1/4 inch gap between thepaper and the rim of the hole. Use aputty knife to fill the gap with jointcompound (available at any hard-ware store), then smooth it with theblade. Let the compound dry for 24hours, then paint over the spot. If thejoint compound creates a slightlyraised surface, rub it down with afine-grain sandpaper (Depending onlocation and color, you may need torepaint the whole wall.

Let’s get ready for your guests inthe living room. Reduce clutter ontabletops. Put away some photos tomake room for glasses when guestsvisit. Buy an essential-oil based roomspray to quickly refresh the air justbefore guests arrive. Display yourholiday cards. Clip them to a ribbonclothesline along the mantel, or juststand them up on the sofa table. Inthe dining room, display a pillar can-dle on top of a bed of cranberries or

chestnuts inside a hurricane lantern.Duplicate or triplicate as desired.Decorate the table with edibles suchas a bowl of nuts with a decorativenutcracker or bevy of clementine’s.

Make sure your music system isgood to go for any type of holiday get-together, from impromptu drinks toall-night parties. Have your CD col-lection at the ready, as well as youriPod or laptop playlists. In the kitchen,get a jump-start on New Year’s reso-lutions by clearing out your kitchenjunk drawer. Purge your fridge. Makesure you’re stocked up on napkins andpaper towels. Check your fire extin-guisher.

Let’s head over to the bathroom.Spice, berry blends and evergreenscents are always a great idea in thebathroom.

Keep extra towels out duringparties,and finally, when the holidaysare over, breathe and relax. You madeit through!

December/January 2016COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 4

The Green CornerBy Sara [email protected]

Winter Gardening!So it’s December. The leaves of the fallare long gone, as are the last of the fallcrops. Gardening year round in ourclimate does present its difficulties,but having fresh home grown pro-duce is possible, even in the winter!In this article I will share with yousome of the crops you can grow in-doors, on your windowsills through-out the winter. I will also share withyou some of the amazing resources Iuse for information.

As for winter gardening, I have of-ten referred to Eliot Coleman (theGodfather of intensive organic gar-dening) and his book The Winter Har-vest Handbook. Another great find is TheYear Round Vegetable Gardener by NikiJabbour and Joseph De Sciose.

These two books have a bigger fo-cus on outdoor gardening throughoutthe season through the use of either agreenhouse, low tunnels, row cover,heavy mulch (ex: straw) or a coldframe. If you have any of the above,then you will be able to grow thatmuch more throughout the year.

If you don’t have any of the above,there is still lots of yummy stuff youcan simply plant in the house. IndoorGardening by Sarah Devis providesyou with 50 plants you are able togrow all year round indoors. PeterBurke also has a book entitled YearRound Indoor Salad Gardening. Both ofthese are great resources for yearround indoor growing.

Now, you won’t be growing cucum-bers or peppers indoors throughoutthe winter (unless you want to jackup your electricity bill). What you caneasily grow indoors will not be as var-ied, but it is still just as delicious. Inthe winter, you can easily continuegrowing sprouts, microgreens, saladmixes and herbs. All of these takeonly a few weeks to grow, and youcan harvest from the same batch mul-tiple times.Sprouts - Sprouts, such as alfalfasprouts, are very nutritious and thequickest and easiest to grow. You canbuy a sprout grower kit or simply use

a jar or petri dish of sorts. Put a tea-spoon of seeds in the grower, water ittwice daily, and in 3-5 days you willhave fresh sprouts!

Microgreens - You can buy seed pack-ets in stores or online. Reuse a plasticsalad container or seed flat. Add pot-ting soil, sprinkle the seeds all over,cover with a bit more soil, water andplace in a sunny window. In 14-21days you will have fresh microgreens!

Wheatgrass - You can buy a kit forwheatgrass as well or simply plantthe seeds in an old salad tub or seed-ling flat. Wheatgrass can be used insalads, or you can juice it. Plus it is agreat alkalizer (much of our diet to-day is acidic) so it can help us keep ahealthy pH.

Herbs and Lettuce Mixes - Herbs andlettuce mixes can be placed in pots orseedling flats (they do not need to bevery deep) and can be harvested regu-larly.

Location - The best place to ensurethat your indoor veggies get about 5-6 hours of light each day during thewinter is to place them in a south fac-ing window. It’s best to place them ina warm area as well (not just sunny)that is safe from drafts. Buying in-door lights will definitely help ensurethey get enough light but it is not ab-solutely necessary.

Potting - Do not use garden soil foryour indoor pots. Potting soil is thebest for proper aeration. Also, usepots with holes in the bottom to al-low for proper irrigation. Potting soiland pots with holes will help ensurethat the roots don’t rot.Fertilizing and Watering - Fertilizeris more often needed for indoor grow-ing, as watering tends to wash outimportant nutrients from the pots.You can add compost to your pots oruse time release fertilizer pellets,which can last 6-8 weeks. Overwatering and under wateringare the most common causes of in-

door plant death, so don’t water on aschedule. Feel the soil. Allow it to goslightly dry to the touch betweenwaterings and remember: the drierthe air, the more the plants will needto be watered.

You can buy seeds onjohnnyseeds.com and, if you wouldlike any other information,motherearthnews.com is my onestop source for all gardening infor-mation.

I loved your article. It just told mesomething I already knew. Theyoung of today have the chance tobecome the greatest generation of all.

May I suggest a community clearup day? Where we go and lead byexample to the kids. See sisters,brothers and fathers getting downand cleaning up could strengthen thefamily and the community as well. Ihave picked up off the streets, andaround the lake as well. Some thingsI have found and picked up includea three man rubber boat buried inthe sand. It took me a half hour to getit out. I know cups from Tim Horton’swill go back into the ground, but thelids won’t.

The saddest thing of all that I foundwas a gaiter snake drowned on pur-pose in the lake in a wine bottle.

At 53 with a bad ankle, I was get-ting disgusted with the world I see.You have given me so much hope. Atrue angel you must be. Keep up thegood work.

Sincerely, an awe inspired old fart,Roy Macdonald.

TO Sara Nicholsonfrom Roy Macdonald.

December /January 2016 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 5

Should you like to share a situationthat worries you,please do nothesitate to contactme.

Benoit CharetteMember for Deux-MontagnesT e m p o r a r yCommittee ChairSecond OppositionGroup critic forC a n a d i a nintergovernmentalaffairs

Second Opposition Group critic foraccess to informationSecond Opposition Group critic for thereform of democratic institutionsSecond Opposition Group critic for theLaurentides region

477, 25th AvenueSuite 230Saint-Eustache, QC J7P 4Y1Telephone: 450 623-4963Facebook : Charette.Coalition

The endless polarisation surrounding theissue of sovereignty is dividing the popu-lation. Meanwhile, Quebec is idling. Wemust break this deadlock and break thisgloominess.

On November 8, the Leader of the SecondOpposition Group in the National Assem-bly, Mr. François Legault, presented a newproject based on a progressive and prag-matic approach, focusing on achievingconcrete results. I had the privilege of be-ing mandated to help in developing a vi-sion, that of an ambitious Quebec withinCanada. We must stop dividing ourselves!

This vision rests on firm convictions: thatof a Quebec that has the means to affirmand protect its identity, providing itselfwith an ambitious economic plan, and isable to fund its programs without hav-

ing to rely on federal equalization. Ourproject is that of a strong Quebec that takesits rightful place in Canada. A confident,enterprising and forward-looking Que-bec.

We must have the courage to make realchanges. A reform of our democratic in-stitutions to make them more representa-tive, transparent and effective, will be in-troduced to the population.

The tradition lives on in Deux-Montagnes as the city has started toprepare the 46th parade honouringSanta Claus.

This year, the big departure will beon Sunday, December 6 at 1:00 p.m.and the theme is “The Animals’ Pa-rade.”.

More than ever the participation ofthe community organizations is re-quested to preserve the non commer-cial character of the event, a key ele-ment that distinguishes the Deux-Montagnes parade as the most im-portant one in Quebec. The Deux-Montagnes parade has always

showcased the community and themany volunteer organizations whileoffering a show that pleases all thechildren from everywhere.

The committee, whose involve-ment started with the first parade in1970, wishes a record attendance ofmore than 20,000 people added to the800 participants that will be on thefloats or marching with the parade.

Everything you always wanted toknow on the Parade is now availableon the web at www.paradedm.ca. Theweb site, which contains all the in-formation for the sponsors and par-ticipants, is also kid friendly. We can

find music and games. All of this in avirtual environment that inspires themagic of Christmas.The toy collection

Instigated in 2002, the toy collectionall along the Parade is getting moreand more popular. The Optimist Clubof Deux-Montagnes has taken chargefor the last four years. The distribu-tion of the toys, new and used, is doneby the AGAPE organization. They willbe able to improve the Christmas bas-kets intended for the families withyoung children. Some of the toys willbe given to Joujou Récup-r from St-Eustache to be refreshed.

46th Annual Santa Claus ParadeDec. 6-13:00 pm (NEW ROUTE)

(NEW ROUTE)

December / January 2016COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 6

By Gordon [email protected]

School Matters

Holidays with the little ones! By Catherine ThériaultDecember is already at ourdoors, bringing many feelings

in everybody’s heart. From excitement to worries, the holidayseason can be a puzzle with children. For all of you parents, excited or worried about what yourholidays are going to look like, don’t forget that this is supposedto be a celebration time. Think about quality family time. Spend-ing a day in your pajamas, watching movies, baking cookiesand drinking hot chocolate is a good and cheap way to cel-ebrate holidays with your family. Break the routine just enough. If your child needs his nap toavoid being grumpy all night long, don’t miss the nap; but if, forexample, your child is usually not allowed to play video gameson week days, it won’t change all his routine to allow him toplay on a quiet week day amongst all the busy days going toparties and visiting friends. This being said, you have the right to choose your holidaybattles and let go of others. Allow yourself to relax. Nobodywill blame you if you let the laundry and dishes go for one day.Instead, take some time to read a book, call a friend, cook, or gofor a walk, whatever makes you happy. Your children won’t beupset if you don’t spend all of your free time with them duringthe holidays.

Teachers, student supervisors, classroom technicians, anda friendly dog on the picket lines to protest the QuebecGovernment’s proposals for changed classroom condi-tions, wages and benefits.

The title of this column, “School Mat-ters,” emphasizes that educating ourchildren matters, to their future andours. The Government of Quebec’soriginal contract “offers” to our edu-cators were the worst that I have seenin my 51 years in classrooms. They would have been ruinousto learning conditions and were insultingly disrespectful toteachers and dedicated support staff. However, at press timethere were new proposals from both sides, so I will save de-tailed comments until the February issue. Meantime, whenyou drive by educators on picket lines like these, honk yoursupport. They’re fighting for your kids’ futures.

Listen to yourself. Going around with children can bring a lotof comments and advice from family members and friends. Ofcourse, these people usually do it with good intentions, but itstill can upset or annoy you. You are the parent, so you have theright to do what you think is best. If you decide to refuse aninvitation for a friend’s dinner because your children are tootired from the previous days, don’t feel bad for saying no. Thesame goes with the way you deal with your routine for holi-days. You have the right to decide which rules you want to keepand the ones you don’t mind putting aside for a few days. Save some days to stay at home. Holidays often are packedwith parties and family activities. However, it is a good idea tosave some days where you won’t have any outside demands;just staying at home, deciding in the morning how you’re goingto spend the day. Holidays are meant to be relaxing, after all.Otherwise chances are that you will go back to work moretired than two weeks before. So this holiday season, sitback and relax, you’ll enjoy it! The C.E.S.A.M.E. team sends you their best wishes forthe holiday season. Don’t forget to call us to register yourchild for our next stimulation session, starting January11, 2016. We’re looking forward to meeting you. C.E.S.A.M.E. Deux-Montagnes, 328 Grande-Côte, St-Eustache (450-623-5677)


New Administration at McCaigUnited in Enthusiasm

As the new principal at McCaig Elementary in Rosemére,one of the first challenges for Richard Mason was to finda vice-principal to replace Jennifer Vaughan, promotedin August to interim principal at Jules Verne Elementaryin Duvernay.

With 12 years’ experience as an administrator in SirWilfrid Laurier schools, the last six at Laval Junior HighSchool, he told the Community Connections he had been im-pressed by the McCaig teachers, staff and parents andthe quality of its physical facilities. He wanted a viceprincipal who would share his enthusiasm because “Idon’t do things half-heartedly,” he said.

He got his wish in Melissa Rioux, named to her firststint as a vice principal. A French second language teacherwho had taught at Souvenir, Pierre Elliott Trudeau andHillcrest elementary schools, she said that the opportu-nity to move into administration was a huge step thatcame earlier than she expected.

“It was always an intention of mine. Teaching andadministration, this is my life. I’m still here for the kids. Iwanted a career that would allow me to make a hugeimpact on young minds.”

Mr. Mason said that in addition to having skilled andenergetic teachers and support staff, McCaig has an ex-cellent building and outdoor spaces. He already had plansfor creating games areas for the asphalted play sectionand additional soccer nets and other facilities to exploitthe “extraordinary” green space.

By Gordon Wetmore

Both Mr. Mason and Ms. Rioux proudly pointed to thecommitment by staff and students, who raised more than$10 000 to combat cancer through the Terry Fox Run un-der the leadership of teacher Kristin Crowdis.

Mr. Mason said that after 27 years teaching and ad-ministration, he planned to commit the last six years ofhis career to McCaig. “When people know that – can seethat you are committed – it is easier to achieve long rangeplans and objectives,” he said. “My intention is to ride offinto the sunset having finished at McCaig.”

As for Ms. Rioux’s feelings about this development inher career, she said, “It’s going great! We don’t stop for aminute. The education world is filled with surprises. Ilearn something new every day.”

Melissa Rioux and Richard Mason

Mountainview’s New Principal:Experienced, Proactive

In principal Irene Agosto’s office you willfind yourself surrounded by small stuffedanimals and multiple posters bearing af-firmative messages. Almost hidden are

the degrees and certificates of qualifications in special edu-cation, educational technology, reading instruction and ad-ministration.

Entering her 38th year in education, the new principal ofDeux-Montagnes’ Mountainview Elementary spent the first11 years working with children with autism, behaviouraldisorders and mental challenges at the Douglas Hospital inVerdun. “That definitely prepared me for regular school,”she said in an interview with the Community Connections inearly October.

Then came 15 years teaching special education and regu-lar classes at Woodland Elementary in Verdun followed bya move to Riverdale High School in Pierrefonds as a resourceteacher.

In the midst of all this, she completed her Masters of Edu-cational Administration because, “I felt I had more to offer.”

After four years as vice principal at Howard S. Billingssecondary in Chateauguay, she saw an opening for a princi-pal in Laval, applied, and served five years at the helm of

By Gordon WetmoreGenesis Elementary.

Describing herself as “proactive rather than reactive,”Ms. Agosto said that she prefers to look at things positivelyand to encourage children to grow toward becoming mas-ters of their own destiny. She intends, she said, to continuethe “Mountainview Cares” policies of inclusion and accept-ance, as well as its uses of technology in learning.

As for the stuffed animals, they help create a reassuringatmosphere for children that come into her office, she said.

December/ January 2016COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 8

Entertainer with a MessageBy Gordon Wetmore

Children’s performer, singer and song-writer Gerry Mitchell brought two ofhis entertaining educational shows to

Mountainview Elementary School in Deux-MontagnesFriday, October 2. “One Voice” aimed at the 4s, 5s and 6smixed his songs, interactions with the children and sim-ple visuals. The boys and girls clapped and swayed to “BTrue 2 U”, “The Positive Twist”, and “Power Up, PowerDown” and shot their hands up when he asked for inputfrom them. They picked up on his message that manysmall changes will make a huge cumulative difference topromote respect and reduce bullying, to speak for thosewho cannot speak for themselves, and to care for the en-vironment. He left them with the message from environ-mentalist Dr. David Suzuki: “You are the generation wehave been waiting for.”

Despite the seriousness of his themes, Mr. Mitchell wasnever preachy. His voice was gentle, his energy high, andhis interactions with the children both respectful andplayful.

His show for the younger grades had nutritional and

health messages delivered with songs and imagination.On his website, gerrymitchell.com, he said he believesthat music and song are vital parts of childhood. “I singevery day and I encourage children to do the same.”

At Lake of Two Mountains HighSchool and 6759 other schools acrossCanada, nearly a million students

cast their ballots in a mock election exercise just beforethe federal election Monday, October 19. At LTMHS, theSecondary 3, 4, and 5 students voted at lunch on the 15th,a Thursday.

Called Student Vote, the exercise was conducted byCIVIX in conjunction with Elections Canada. Accordingto its website (www.civix.ca), CIVIX is a registered non-partisan, national charity building the skills and habitsof citizenship among young Canadians.

Because voter turnout in Canada has declined for dec-ades, particularly among young people, and studies showthat habits of voting and non-voting persist over time,CIVIX believes that by practicing the habits of informedand engaged citizenship, students will be more inclinedand prepared to participate in democracy after theygraduate from high school.

LTMHS history and geography teacher DonaldLachance said that all members of the social studies de-partment participated in preparing the students, includ-ing training volunteers to work at the polling booths forthe grade levels. Students in lower levels helped set upthe tables and ballot boxes for the exercise.

Results of the school voting were announced Tuesday,the day after the election. Liberal party candidate LindaLapointe came first with 54.8%, the New Democratic Partyrepresentative and incumbent, Laurin Liu, placed secondwith 29%, and Conservative Eric Gauthier, 7.6%. Felix

Student Vote: Results Mirror National,Local Returns By Gordon Wetmore

Pinal, BQ, and Alex Ware, Green Party, each got 4%. Inde-pendent Luis Quinteros received no votes.

Sixty-seven percent of eligible students voted. In thefederal election, 68 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.In the Mille Isles riding, Ms. Lapointe won, Ms. Liu wassecond, Mr. Pinal, third, and Mr. Gauthier fourth. Mr.Ware and Mr. Quintaros were far behind.

The national student vote was very similar to the fed-eral election results, with the Liberals winning, the Con-servatives second and the NDP third.

Children’s entertainer and songwriter Gerry Mitchell get-ting his positive messages across to the boys and girls ofMountainview Elementary

At Lake of Two Mountains High, students line upto vote in a mock federal election October 15.

December/ January 2016 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 9

LTMHS News

Representatives from the student council, teachers,support staff, spiritual advisor and administration atLake of Two Mountains High School wore the oranget-shirts to proclaim the school is united in support ofthe surviving victims of the residential school sys-tem and that “Every Child Matters”.

“Every child matters.” On the morning of September 29, stu-dents at Lake of Two Mountains High School (LTMHS) readthose three words over and over, written across the chest ofevery teacher and staff member.

Without exception, every school representative wore iden-tical orange shirts displaying that powerful phrase. Althoughit could have been revealed to be nothing more than an awk-ward coincidence, students were convinced there was more toit than that. So, students started asking the big question: “Whythe flashy shirts?”

The answer flowed through the school, as one person sharedinformation with another, like hundreds of neurons transmit-ting messages. Soon everyone had an answer, but seemed to bejust as confused. Regardless of who they asked, all studentsreceived the same response: “We’re raising awareness aboutresidential schools.”

Starting around 1880, residential schools were governmentfunded religious institutions created with the intention of as-similating Native American children into European culture.While the thought of school might already have you cringing,that was not the worst of it. Children who attended these resi-dential schools dealt with regular abuse and mistreatment fromthe officials. Hundreds of stories have been told of traumaticexperiences in residential schools, one such being the very storywhich sparked the movement known as “Orange Shirt Day”.

In 1973, at the age of six, Phyllis Webstad, a young girl, startedattending the Mission school for the first time. She had no ideawhat to expect and was incredibly excited. It all felt so fresh toher. Despite coming from a family with little money, Phyllis’grandmother even managed to buy her a new outfit for school:a bright orange shirt, which Phyllis adored. When she arrivedat her new school, however, she was stripped of her shirt andother belongings, and never saw any of them again. In honour

LTMHS Shows Its True Color: OrangeBy Bailey Habberfield Smith,LTMHS Correspondent

of Phyllis and all the other children who were forced to attendthese awful schools, September 30 was named Orange ShirtDay.

According to LTMHS principal Alan Simoneau, NativeAmerican rights is an important issue for students of this school.During the previous school year, several LTMHS students madeoral presentations with the goal of informing their peers aboutthe struggles many aboriginal people have faced and continueto face today. That is why, with the help of Justine Dansereau,the school’s spiritual animator, Mr. Simoneau encouraged teach-ers and staff alike to help raise awareness of residential schoolsand honour their survivors by participating in Orange ShirtDay.

In conclusion, the staff and teachers succeeded in what theyset out to do: inform the student population about residentialschools and stand up for aboriginal rights. As the movementnow known as Orange Shirt Day continues to grow, LTMHSwill be proud to have been a part of such an important event.

The Community’s Connection’s LTMHS correspondent, Mr.Habberfield Smith is also the Student Council Co-President.This is his first article for our publication.

One of those extra services educators give to students is theBreakfast Club at Lake of Two Mountains High School. Chieforganizer and reading specialist Laurie King said that access tothe free toast, muffins, juices and other serve yourself items atmorning recess was initiated because some students wouldn’tget breakfast otherwise. Open to everyone, the Club is verypopular and may even have led to a reduction in incidents ofbullying. However, the popularity means that financial re-sources are strained to the breaking point. Anyone wishing tohelp with donations of money or consumables can contact Ms.King at [email protected] or (450)612-7830.

LTM Breakfast Club:

December/ January 2016COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 10

Remembrance Day this year marked 97 years since theArmistice that ended The First World War was signedon the 11th hour of the 11th month of 1918. Poet RobertService, renowned for his poems about the Klondike GoldRush, served as an ambulance driver in France andwrote Rhymes of a Red Cross Man about his experiences.Maybe his most poignant words were in the forward: You took the things that once were men,

And sped them through that zone of hateTo where the dripping surgeons wait;And wonder, too, if in God’s sightWar ever, ever can be right.

WW1 was to be “the war that ends all wars.” Sadly, weknow only too well that it was not. Let us honour thefallen of that conflict and all the others since, and workto achieve their ultimate goal, peace. (With thanks to Elizabeth Parr for lending me a copy of Rhymesthat has been in her family since 1921.)

Lest We ForgetBy Gordon Wetmore

On the weekend of the 7th & 8th of November, The RoyalCanadian Legion Branch 185 held its 69th Annual Remem-brance ceremonies. Many attended the different events heldover the weekend. As usual, the 107 Navy League and 785Kiwanis Air Cadets participated in the ceremonies. We hadthe pleasure of welcoming Warrant Officer Ken Downton(Ret.) as our guest speaker. He kept our crowd entertainedwith his wonderful presentation.

Remembrance Day. 2015

Korean War veterans Cal Atkin (Royal Canadian Navyaboard HMCS Huron and Athabasca), fifth from right,and Neil MacDonald (Canadian Army, Queen’s OwnRifles)fourth from right, were honoured guests along withpiper Matthew Curiale at the Lake of Two Mountains HighSchool’s annual Remembrance Day ceremony. With themare members of the student council, singers, musicians,and readers of tributes and the traditional “In FlandersFields.” In his address, Mr. MacDonald told the assem-bled students that the line “Take up our quarrel with thefoe” did not necessarily mean to join in armed combat. Italso means standing up against unfairness and injustices,such as bullying.

Nov. 11 at LTM:

Ms. Yollande Boudreau also joined usin representing the Silver CrossMothers. To all who attended or par-ticipated in our ceremonies, we thankyou. We thank you for keeping re-membrance strong in our commu-nity, we thank you for honouring allthe men and women who made theultimate sacrifice for our country andour freedom. May we never forget.

By Melanie Huthison

Maison des jeunesde Deux-Montagnes

The Maison des jeunes of Deux-Montagnes is a non profit or-ganisation that was founded in 1991.We are located at Central Park on 13th Avenue next to the pool.Our mission consists of offering an environment fitting to ateen’s image and providing activities, listening services, sup-port and intervention enabling the youth to better evolve inour society’s present context. We are open five 5 days per week and our schedule variesaccording to the season.At la Maison des jeunes you will find a pool table, an Internetroom, a living room with a TV, DVD, Xbox One and a PlayStation. We also have a baby Fooze table and we can use thesoccer field when there are no games.We offer year long activities such as an outing to La Ronde, asummer camp, a winter camp during spring break, horse rid-ing, and much more.Services are offered in both languages, English and French.To become a member of la Maison des jeunes, a teen has to bebetween 11 years 9 months and 18 years old.Drugs and alcohol are strictly forbidden at la Maison des jeunesand during all outings. Being under the influence or in posses-sion of any drugs or alcohol would result in immediate expul-sion.Our staff is there to listen, help and make sure that all teens aresafe. Contact us at (450) 491-3958.A membership costs $2.00 per year, and it gives the teens somerebates on our activities. We only ask teens to participate in ourfund raising activities and to respect our few rules and regula-tions. Self-respect, as well as the respect for others, personnel,volunteers, materials used and the environment are our big-gest rules.

©Paul Goyetche

©Margie Lavallee


DATE Conference Speaker DetailsJanuary 28, 2016 Current Information on Audrey Duguay,

ADHD Medication Pharmacist

February 25, 2016

For Parents/Adults/ProfessionalsAt times, medication is part of a doctor’s recom-mendation in treating ADHD. Audrey Duguay,Pharmacist, provides a clear, up-to-date and easyto understand presentation that answers manyquestions for parents, adults and professionalswho are looking for more information on this topic.

Howto Deal WithOppositional Defi-ant Behaviours

Peter Gantous,M.A., ClinicalPsychologist

For Parents/ProfessionalsIs your child often angry, has frequent tantrumsor constantly defies rules set by adults? Maybeyour child has a diagnosis of oppositional defiantdisorder (ODD). This conference will present use-ful information to parents and professionals thatcan help promote pro-social compliance and de-crease disruptive behaviours.

READING DETECTIVES – Winter 2016Intended for children who are completing Grade 3 or 4 andwho need to improve their reading level, the program pro-motes literacy and social skills in a fun and interactive way!* Improves social skills and gives a sense of belonging within agroup* Increases motivation to read through a fun and accepting en-vironment

* Builds confidence and self-esteem with a positive teachingapproach* Improves reading levelRegistration evening date to come. Consult our Web Site:www.pandablso.caFor more information, call Mrs. Marie-Josée Trudel at 514 713-5353 or contact her by email: [email protected]

WHAT IF IT WAS NOT A MATTER OF WILL...?

It is possible that you or someone you know has ADHD...PANDA BLSO, a resource to help anyone who is seekinginformation and support on Attention Deficit with or without Hyperactivity. Don’t miss our next events at 4 Korners Family Resource Center, 1906, Oka Road, Deux-Montagnes (from 7:00 to9:00 p.m.). No reservation required. Yearly membership card $5 individual; $7 family.

The Lions’ Den –By Nancy Ryder

We wish to thank all the people who donatedand bought books at the Lions’ Book fair. It wasa great success as a result of your participation.

(See article on p. 21.)Keep your eyes open for our famous fruit cakes and cookies.

Remember they make nice gifts for friends and family mem-bers.

Make sure to keep your calendar open for January 30, 2016for our annual Winter Carnival. Come and have a fun daywith the family at no cost.

As always, the Deux-Montagnes Lions Club appreciates yourcontinued support and hopes to see you all in the New Year.


Do you know about Info-Santé: 8-1-1?As the season begins to change and the treesshow their colors, we know that the flu andcommon cold period is just around the corner.

Next we will be complaining about the overcrowded healthsystem. Before rushing to the doctor, remember to call 8-1-1 forInfo-Santé service.

Info-Santé is the bilingual, province-wide telephone help linefor answers to health questions. Since 2008 it has been accessiblethrough a simple three-digit number, 811, which immediatelyprovides the option to “Press 9” for service in English. If youhave a non-urgent health question, your first thought shouldbe to call Info-Santé. Health care professionals are on duty 24hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your calls. Even thoughthere is a single number for the whole province, questions of alocal nature are transferred to someone familiar with theresources available in that area. While illness cannot bediagnosed over the phone, lots of concerns can be addressedand responded to with authority. Do you want to learn aboutthe risks of immunization? About the symptoms of commonillnesses? About how to protect yourself from infectiousdiseases? Info-Santé can provide you with answers to theseand many other questions.

The network is a fully integrated web of services designed tohelp you maintain your health and well-being, both physicaland mental. Too often, we complain that we are unable to find adoctor and resort to over-use of the emergency department ofthe hospital. While there is a recognized doctor shortage in

By Kim NymarkQuebec and elsewhere in Canada, there are many ways to accessthe help we need. Although knowing that this is a widespreadproblem doesn’t help us in our search for a doctor, it shouldperhaps encourage us to look for alternatives in non-urgentsituations so that the doctors we do have can concentrate onthe truly pressing medical needs of patients.

The overburdened system requires a complete “re-engineering” which is actually underway, at least in somerespects. One of these is the Info-Santé line. By encouragingpeople to ask questions and to get referrals to the agencies andservices that they need, when they need them, the pressure onthe family practitioner and emergency services is reduced. Thiswill allow services to be more available in the circumstanceswhen they are genuinely required, such as accidents and suddenevents like heart attacks and strokes. The health professionalsat the other end of the telephone line can guide you throughdealing with fevers, simple infections, or other daily healthconcerns and also tell you when a visit to a doctor or the hospitalis really necessary.

Don’t hesitate to try out the Info-Santé line by calling 811,pressing 9 for service in English, and asking your questions. Ifyour phone does not allow you to dial 811, dial: 514-521-2100.You are likely to be pleasantly surprised by the courtesy andefficiency of the person on the other end of the line.

([email protected] for the English Communities Committee of theCISSS des Laurentides and 4 Korners Family Resource Center: 1-888-974-3940 or 819-324-4000 ext. 4330)

Communication That Waters the Flowers

Fletcher Peacock had simple advice for communication thatworks to make situations better rather than worse. “If whatyou’re doing works, keep doing it. If what you’re doing doesn’twork, stop doing it.”

In other words, “Water theflowers, not the weeds.”

The author, speaker andconsultant presented a number oftechniques for “solution focusedcommunications” to caregivers atthe 4 Korners Family ResourceCenter in Deux-Montagnes,September 16.

He cited the example of a parentwho yelled at a child who did notdo as told. “Does that work?” Mr.Peacock asked. “No.” “What doyou do then?” “Yell louder.”

Frequently eliciting anecdotesand comments from his listeners,he encouraged awareness thateverything a person does is an effort

to fulfill a need. Citing philosopher Deepak Chopra, he said thatthe best way to influence another person is to “change myperception of the other person.”

Good communicators understand that reality is subjective,

By Gordon Wetmore

and that “what works for me” doesn’t necessarily work for theother person.

Some words encourage the production of endorphins andpositivity; others can be toxic. He used the word “but” as anexample. If a person says, “I like what you have done but I seesome things that need fixing,“ then the “but” invalidates thepositive opening. Change the “but” to an “and” and the tonebecomes inclusive and validating. “It’s simple and not obvious,”he said.

He identified three types of people that the communicatormay be dealing with: A person who does not even recognizethere is a problem; a person with a problem but not ready orable to take action (he or she will often say “yes, but …”); and aperson who is ready and willing to act. For the first two, thecommunicator will have to remember that each “client” willhave a unique way of co-operating and to speak “indirectly tothe unconscious mind.”

Communicators would be wise to remember that they donot have the truth; that there are no problems, “onlyopportunities,” no failures “only learnings,” and not just onesolution but thousands.

Versions of his book Water the Flowers Not the Weeds have beenpublished in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Swedish,Japanese and Thai. It is available in English at Amazon.ca. Mr.Peacock has been a consultant to businesses, education, healthand governments.

Fletcher Peacock, author,

speaker and communications

consultant symbolically

“waters the flowers”

(A L‘Appui sponsored workshop)


On Wednesday, October 21, we attendeda conference on Alzheimer’s Disease at the4 Korners Family Resource Center inDeux-Montagnes. Patrick Lavigne fromthe Société Alzheimer des Laurentidesgave us three hours of exciting, scary andhelpful information about this form of de-mentia and how to cope with it. The con-ference was sponsored by L’Appui desLaurentides.

Alzheimer’s Disease: Essential InformationBy Carol Wetmore

Patrick Lavigne of the Société Alzheimerdes Laurentides

Alzheimer’s is the most common form ofdementia, and as we have an aging popu-lation we will unfortunately experiencethis disease more often in our families,loved ones, and ourselves. Fifty percentof the population over 65 will have someform of dementia. This means a huge needfor caregivers, most of whom are familymembers and unpaid.

There are 10 warning signs for Alzhe-imer’s, but it is a complicated process forgetting a diagnosis – mostly by eliminat-ing other causes for the changes we noticein ourselves and loved ones.

1. Memory loss: forgetting more thanusual and not remembering later; not re-taining what was told to us a few mo-ments ago.

2. Difficulty performing familiar tasksor completing ones already started, likemaking a meal or playing a game.

3. Problems with language; not findingthe right word or forgetting simplewords, making someone difficult to un-derstand.

4. Disorientation in time or space; get-ting lost on one’s own street, not knowingthe time of day.

5. Impaired judgement: a person maynot attend to a medical problem, not rec-ognize how serious anything is, or wearinappropriate clothing for the season.

6. Problems with abstract thinkingsuch as balancing a cheque book or doingsimple calculations; not knowing what

numbers are or what they mean.7. Misplacing things in inappropriate

places, such as the iron in the freezer orfalse teeth in the sugar bowl.

8. Changes in mood or behaviour, sud-den strong shifts from calm to tears oranger for no apparent reason.

9. Changes in personality: becomingconfused, suspicious or withdrawn.

10. Loss of initiative: becoming verypassive and apathetic; needing frequentcues and prompts to do simple things likegetting dressed.

Mr. Lavigne said that if you notice thesesigns in a loved one, take him or her to adoctor who can make an evaluation, dofurther tests and start treatment. The ear-lier you start treatment, the better affectit will have to slow down the process andmaintain a good quality of life.

Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brainand is progressive. For unknown reasons,brain cell neurons develop tangles insideand clumps of amyloid protein outside.This interferes with most cognitive func-tions and the brain actually shrinks.

This is the scary part. As your lovedones lose autonomy they will becomefrightened and confused and will requiremuch patience. At the beginning they willbe in denial that anything is wrong. Thisdisease takes a huge toll on the caregiversas they see the person they love becomesomeone who behaves like a frightenedyoung child or a very abusive, angry, dif-ficult adult whom they don’t recognizeanymore. Also, Alzheimer’s is not alwaysa disease of old age. Unfortunately, it canshow up early, and it can progress quicklyin some people and slowly in others.

We were told that no matter how muchunderstanding and cognitive abilities theyhave lost, they retain all their emotionsand sensitivity. This means they will un-derstand the tone of your voice and yourgentle touch even if they don’t understandwhat you are askingthem to do. Theywill also sometimesreact violently to anaggressive tone, orwith tears and fears.They are still adults,he said, so remem-ber to treat themwith respect, even ifthey have to learnsimple behaviours

again. At one point Alzheimer suffererscan no longer be left alone and placementin a care facility has to be considered.

Unfortunately, there’s no cure yet butmuch research is going on all over theworld. There are at least three medica-tions to help with symptoms and slowdown the advance.

Mr. Lavigne advised caregivers to re-spect their limits and ask for help forthemselves before they break-down.Help can be counselling and emotionalsupport; also physical, a respite fromlooking after the patient a few hours aday. For caregivers, there are supportgroups such as at the 4 Korners and atthe CLSC. Pamphlets on Alzheimer’s areavailable at 4 Korners and from theSocieté Alzheimer des Laurentides,which is also available for advice andsupport. He said that families need toplan for the future and have powers ofattorney arranged.

In the audience were several caregiverswith family members suffering from de-mentia. We heard from them the realityof the difficulties they face. Physical andemotional support was badly needed,and everyone was encouraged to seekhelp from medical and social services, andto have a place of escape to get their ownlife back for a while.

An expert on caring for Alzheimer’spatients, Mr. Lavigne told the group thatboth his parents died of the disease, hisfather going fairly quickly but his motherlasting 15 years. He described how frus-trating and heartbreaking it often was,such as the times when his mother didnot recognize him or his sister. Yet a lov-ing connection remained. “The heart,”he said, “is never affected by Alzheim-er’s.” With warmth and humour, he gavean information-packed three hour pres-entation. We were all very grateful.


The second instalment of “Here Comes the Future” showcases two writers at very different stages in their lives. The first, Robin DellaCorte, is a LTMHS and Dawson College graduate who is about to get her degree in journalism from Concordia University. As a newscollector, presenter and explainer, she will be someone who soon will help create our understanding of the world. The second has justbegun Grade 10 at Rosemere High. Elizabeth Hua, one of twin sisters who are our RHS correspondents, raises a fresh perspective on somethings we all assumed should be eliminated.

Here Comes the Future!

I think it’s important to note that successdoes not just happen. It doesn’t happenovernight and it surely doesn’t comewithout failures along the way. Thoughmy experiences may vary from those ofothers, one thing I know is a fact: you cre-ate opportunities through hard work andpersistence.

The last time I wrote for the CommunityConnections, I was 17 and graduating fromLake of Two Mountains High School. Itwas the first time I ever had anythingpublished and it meant a lot to me. I knewas young as 10 that I wanted to be a writer,and by the time I was 14 I’d narrowed mywriting dreams specifically to being ajournalist. That same year, I made sure totry to write for as many publications as Icould to start building my portfolio forgoing on to study journalism in univer-sity. I also managed to write for theschool’s yearbook and fashion showmagazine.

That fall, I was accepted into DawsonCollege’s literature program. Knowingafter two years there I would apply toConcordia University’s journalism pro-gram, I immediately got involved withthe college’s weekly newspaper. After con-tributing regularly, I became a senior staffwriter and reported on important cam-pus stories. The paper was my firsthands-on experience as a journalist: re-porting on different events weekly, sched-uling interviews, working with other re-porters and editors, and copy editing withvarious editors. I absolutely loved it! Eve-rything about the job appealed to me. Iwas fascinated with interviewing peopleand hearing their stories. I was alwayseager to start new stories, and I would getexcited to see my name in the byline - itwas as if my work had come to life whenI saw a completed piece in the paper.

Before applying to the journalism pro-gram, though, I felt discouraged and ex-tremely doubtful. The program is veryhard to get into, as they only let in 60 stu-dents yearly, very low compared to otherprograms. We also had to take an Englishexam that lasted three hours and wasvery difficult even for students whose

Success Does Not Just Happen By Robin Della Cortemother-tongue is English. Nonetheless, Iwanted it badly. Getting into the programwould give me more of the opportunitiesI wanted in this field. With joy, I found outI was one of those few students acceptedfor the fall of 2012. I felt like my dreamswere coming together. I knew what mypurpose was; I felt that this was truly Iwhat was meant to do.

When I started university, as in college,I read the student newspaper right awayto see how I could become part of it. Withinthe first three weeks, I contributed my firstarticle and applied for the position of as-sistant news editor - and got the job.

As the assistant news editor in my firstyear at Concordia, I covered importantcampus stories and student politics, andit was great. Once again, I was in a news-room environment. Every week we woulddecide what stories to cover and whomto interview. Then we’d write the stories,copy edit and put the paper together. I hadthis routine memorized.

Just before I finished my first year, I knewI wanted to start freelancing to other thanstudent publications. I really wanted totry to get my name out there and build astronger portfolio. Even though I was hesi-tant because I was only in first year, I de-cided to apply to community newspapersto see if anyone was hiring interns. Theeditor of The Suburban Newspaper, an Eng-lish weekly serving the West Island, Lavaland Montreal, saw my portfolio andresume and told me to come in to one oftheir weekly editorial meetings to discusspossible opportunities. After, I was givena freelancing job with the Laval section.The job was very consuming; I wouldsometimes take on five articles a week ontop of my school work at Concordia.Nonetheless, I loved it, and it reassuredme that this was what I wanted to do.

After spending a year at The SuburbanNewspaper, I moved on to other internshipsthat contributed to my portfolio and ex-perience. One six months’ internship wasat a bridal fashion publication called El-egant Wedding Magazine as a copy editorand writer. Although it was in a differentarea of journalism, I loved the experience

it gave me.M a g a z i n ewriting wasa l w a y ssomethingthat caughtmy atten-tion.

This pastsummer, Ihad thegreat oppor-tunity to in-tern at CTV News Channel in Toronto. I wasa chase producer, essentially the one to“chase” down guests for the day’s broad-cast, schedule interviews, do pre-inter-views and write scripts for the anchors. Itfelt like a dream, everything I wanted. Thequotation, “Find something you love do-ing, and you’ll never have to work a dayin your life” precisely describes how I felt.It never truly seemed like work but feltnatural, something I wanted to be doing.While in Toronto, I had opportunities toreport on international and nationalnews, so that I always felt an adrenalinerush coming to work. I never knew whatI would be assigned.

Three years have already gone by andI will receive my Bachelors Degree in Jour-nalism from Concordia at the end of thisyear. I feel privileged to have had thechance to work with and be taught bysome incredible journalists. I also feelthankful to have had the chance to workand intern at all those places because everysingle one helped me grow and learn moreabout myself.

Surely, we all have different careerpaths, and they all take turns, twists, hitbumps and maybe sometimes come to acomplete stop. However, we always havethe control to decide what these momentsin our lives will make of us. As one of myjournalism teachers told me, and I willnever forget: “Now is the time to do eve-rything you’ve ever wanted.”

December / January 2016 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 15

Here comes the future! Cont’d from p. 14

The seven deadly sins bolster imper-fection. Wrath, greed, sloth, pride,lust, envy, and gluttony are reignedby temptation and mortal flaw. Toacquire and behold all this world hasto offer… is that not the ultimate ob-jective? People are rarely satisfied, al-ways wanting more - always need-ing more - to be beguiled into content-ment. An unseemly and villainous af-fliction, avarice devours the mind. Butdesire is not demonizing; character isdefined by action, and only throughaction is life truly expressed.

Essential to the future and presentunder countless guises, education isnot synonymous with academics. Tolearn, the mind must be open to theinexplicable, and the heart must bewilling to embrace possibility. Senti-mental attachment must not be dis-carded, purpose must not be lost, andnegativity must not be scorned, for theseven sins, though detrimental, illus-trate man’s greatest desires, aspira-tions, and mortality. Without greed,powers would topple and progresswould be stemmed. Without pride,honour would be worthless. Withoutsloth, imagination would be tamed byceaseless mundane activity. Without

an absurd, fu-tile mission.So, let peoplesin, let peoplebask in dark-ness and bit-ter truths. Letthem plungeinto the black-ened sea of raw emotion to feel guiltand pleasure and need. And then taketheir hands and teach them to swim.Showing how to solve, rather than thesolution; thus is the role of education.

Error is Imperative By Elizabeth Hua,RHS Correspondent

lust, knowledge and prowess wouldbe lost. Without envy, initiative andimprovement would not be sought.And without gluttony, Eve would nothave eaten the apple.

Curiosity is an asset empowered byits finest reward: discovery. Peoplecrave knowledge, and spinning falsi-ties does nothing to satiate their lust.Truth and purpose are vague and un-substantiated, yet they provide thebasis of both religion and profession.In every subject matter and course ofstudy, fundamental beliefs stem fromcraving – craving for explanation, forreason, for assurance. Therefore, eth-nicity, values, and culture are irrel-evant. So long as pursuit is favoured,so long as questions are asked and in-novation is treasured, wisdom willcontinue to ripen and mature. And, atthe end of life, once satisfaction is morepresent than not, cu-riosity will finallyknow respite.

Humanity is eas-ily incited, and with-out this incitement,all would be lost.Mastering the sins is

1908 Chemin D’OkaDeux-Montagnes Qc. J75 1N4

LUNETTERIE F. FARHAT

Lionel Pascal


At a meeting with representa-tives from the citizens groupÉquité santé Basses-Laurentides (ESBL), Ministryof Health and Social Services(MSSS) officials acknowledgedthat the underfunding of healthservices here is unacceptablebut offered no solution.

The meeting took place inQuebec City in mid-October.

Compared to funding in allthe other regions in Quebec,the Laurentians are in theworst position with a deficitof $ 68.6 million for 2014-2015.The deficit is calculated by es-tablishing what the regionneeds compared with the ac-tual funding for the year. Tomake matters worse, Healthcare Minister Dr. Gaetan

Barrette has announced budget cuts for the Laurentiansof $22 million next year.

“The MSSS admitted that our situation is precarious,”

Health Officials: Situation ‘Precarious’ But No ActionESBL Press Release

said Duncan Hart Cameron, spokesperson for ESBL. “Dur-ing our meeting, we were in agreement on many points,namely that the inequitable funding is unacceptable andthat it needs to be rectified. They also agreed, fundamen-tally, with our proposition that more money needs to bedistributed to the regions in greatest need. However, theydid not commit to taking concrete action in any way.”

Mr. Cameron noted that the budget system that theMSSS uses already contains mechanisms designed to re-duce the funding inequities between the regions. How-ever, the money transferred via these mechanisms is sosmall that underfunded regions like the Laurentians justfall further and further behind.

“It is simply unfair,” added Elizabeth Saccà, anotherspokesperson for the group. “Each year, the Laurentiansfinds itself at the bottom of the heap. Yet the Ministryforces people to stay in their respective regions for manyservices such as mental health. If they are going tounderfund us, they should at least allow us to gain accessto services elsewhere. This has to change!”

A non-partisan group, the ESBL is continuing its cam-paign to increase health care funding in the Laurentians.If you would like to help, you can contact us by email [email protected] or visit our website at www.equitesantebasseslaurentides.org..

Developing a shared vision for quality of lifeand health in Deux-Montagnes

By Elizabeth J. Saccà

It was more like a party with 35 friends and new acquaint-ances than a work session, but we got a lot of work done.Hosts of Tous Complices pour notre communauté hadoutfitted Salle Annette Savoie at the Deux-Montagnes Li-brary with colourful centre pieces, refreshments and plentyof Post-Its including 22 by 22-inch ones – larger than I hadever seen.

Photo from Facebook:Tous complices pour notre communauté

Team members brainstorm a shared visionfor the future of Deux-Montagnes

Our purpose on the evening of November 5 was to re-view the findings of a survey of 800 residents and generatenew ideas to improve the quality of life and health for ourfutures here in the MRC of Deux-Montagnes. While the scopewas the entire MRC, that is seven towns along the river andlake from St-Eustache through Saint-Placide, this sessionwas for the residents of Deux-Montagnes.

TVBL, the cable and web television of the LowerLaurentians http://www.tvbl.ca/, recorded much of the ses-sion and interviewed willing participants.

Through the survey, residents had reported their high-est satisfaction is with access to bicycle paths and greenspaces, while residents’ low satisfaction is with public trans-port and employment assistance. Their lowest satisfactionis with health care services.

How can we help improve the quality of life and healthin our community?

In the session, we discussed and summarized what ourtown has and what is missing, and we generated ideas onwhat we would like to see in the future.

We know that working together fosters good health andquality of life. That evening a new team of 35 of us laid im-portant groundwork: a shared vision of the future for ourlives in Deux-Montagnes.

For details on Tous Complices see http://www.tous-complices.com/. Interesting survey results are posted athttp://goo.gl/YQ9OhK.

ESBL spokespeopleElizabeth Saccà andDuncan Hart Cameronat Quebec City.


Recently we attended the press-conference of The Routedes Gerbes d’Angelica, at which occasion they showedoff their Christmas decorations and lighting, an amazingspectacle. The gardens are lit up with 70,000 + Christmaslights, which illuminate the artistic original Christmasdecorations throughout the gardens. It was a virtual feastfor the eyes.

The boutique in the gardens is open from November14 till December 20. The items sold are one of a kind, andmany are handmade. There is a large variety of jams,marmalades, mustards, dressings and oils with Angel-ica herbs as a base.

A wonderful way to getinto the Christmas spirit. By Betty & Martin Hensen

In addition, delicious homemade goodies, specialtybreads, herbal teas and Christmas decorations are avail-able at reasonable prices. The gingerbread village and thestaff’s costumes are a pleasure to behold.

The gardens are open evenings on Dec. 5, 12 and 19until 9:00 pm. Therefore this would be the best time toenjoy the light spectacle. Santa and the Ice Fairy are onthe premises daily.

The Ice Fairy is beau-tifully dressed in a selfmade ornately de-signed cloak. She re-sides in an open chapelin the woods, all lit up,with a backdrop that isawe inspiring.

This is a great outingfor the whole family.Your children andgrandchildren willthoroughly enjoy theexperience and admis-sion is free for the holi-day season. The gar-dens are a 30 minute ride and located at 6015 rang Saint-Vincent, Mirabel. Tel: 450-258-1648. The gardens arewheelchair accessible. For more information visit thewebsite at www.gerbesdangelica.com.

Display in the Boutique

Santa and Mrs. Claus infront of the chapel

Hallowe’en marks the end of October and thebeginning of the Christmas craft fair season.Quick out of the gate – maybe the first – was theWomen’s Time Out Craft fair on Hallowe’en it-self.

WTO Craft Fair:

©France Laliberté

©Carol Wetmore

©France Laliberté

©France Laliberté


A Look at Rosemere By Marge McCordMany copies of Community Connectionsare brought to Rosemere and placedat the Town Hall, Rosemere Library,all the churches, Memorial Commu-nity Centre, the Horizon Club, trainstation, etc. Be sure to pick up yourcopy. It is free and comes out everytwo months. If you know someonewho no longer lives in Rosemere itmight be a nice gesture to send them asubscription as a gift. In the paperthere is a form you can fill out and thecost is very low. Our thanks go to EricPainter, the Church Snoop, who deliv-ers the paper to us. People working onthe paper are all volunteers.

The last month of the year has ar-rived – December and is one of the busi-est, with Christmas shopping, wrap-ping, decorating the house, baking andmore. If you are hosting the Christ-mas dinner, you are planning themeal. Some people hang stockings es-pecially with younger children andleave a special snack for Santa Claus.Oh, what fun! At the end of Decemberwe celebrate New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31and sing Auld Lang Syne. Some peo-ple make New Year’s Resolutions butoften these go by the wayside. Have avery Merry Christmas and a happy,healthy New Year!

Has your family ever had a familyreunion? This fall , our own RosemarieDeVillers organized one for her fam-ily. Born and brought up in NewBrunswick, Rosemarie left and wentto Ontario to work in retailing. Oth-ers in her family went off to differentlocations in Canada, British Columbia,Alberta, Quebec, and the USA.Rosemarie met her husband Bill inOntario and after marriage came to livein Quebec. The family reunion wentvery well and she was able to put peo-

ple up with the kindness of friends intheir homes. A good friend in Lorrainehosted an evening for the gang serv-ing wine, food and entertainment.Rosemarie had a similar evening ather place. They had a wonderful time.

Read recently that the poem “InFlanders Fields” is 100 years old. Itwas written by John McCrae. In Aprilof this year the Royal Canadian Mintreleased a commemorative silver cointo mark the poem’s anniversary. Stat-ues of McCrae were unveiled in Ot-tawa and Guelph and his childhoodhome was reopened as a museum.McCrae studied Medicine at McGilland went overseas during World WarI. He was appointed consulting phy-sician to the British armies in France.

A lady teacher in New York cameup with the idea that the poppyshould be used as a symbol of the waryears and of the men and women whofought, in remembrance of them. Shebought some real poppies and distrib-uted them to wear on November 11,Armistice Day. A lady working withthis teacher took the idea back to hernative France and got war widowsand orphans to work making artifi-cial poppies to raise funds for devas-tated areas. This practice spread tothe United States, Canada, Australia,New Zealand and disabled veteranswere being employed to make the pop-pies.

Each Remembrance Day volun-teers in more than 120 countries dis-tribute the scarlet emblem McCraemade famous. In Canada, thousandsof poppy sellers take to the streetsevery year, raising millions of dollars.Rosemere had its Annual MemorialDay service held in early Novemberin the Rosemere

Memorial Church.A large enthusiastic group of guests

attended the opening of the art exhi-bition. “Outdoor painters of yester-day and today” on July 31 in theAlphonse Desjardins Room in theMont Tremblant City Hall. The showwas available for viewing till August23, bringing together the works of Ca-nadian masters and 12 contemporaryartists, who are continuing the tradi-tion of outdoor landscape painting.This magnificent setting served as asubject for Canadian artists MauriceCullen, Robert Pilot and EdwinHolgate. The exhibition was part ofthe centennial celebration festivities ofLac Tremblant Nord. It was worthyof the major art galleries, said MichelNormandeau, organizer and outdoorartist. They painted the same subjectsalthough the trees have grown taller.

One of the major contributors inmaking the show possible was EricKlinkhoff of Galerie Eric Klinkhoff inMontreal on Sherbrooke Street, West.He extended the life of the exhibitionby bringing it to Montreal this pastfall to the Montreal Museum of FineArts. Our own Sue Quarles, talentedartist, one of the contemporary artists,long-time resident of Tremblant ex-hibited her work and we are veryproud to have her as one of our Rose-mere residents.

Household tip: When makingscrambled eggs, for three eggs, use ¼teaspoon baking soda, no more no less,that you beat. You will get big fluffycurds, when scrambling eggs. Thesame applies when making omelettes.Don’t add salt since the soda adds aslightly salty taste.


Terry Fox was a determined young man who was diagnosedwith bone cancer at the age of 18. After having his right legamputated, he was inspired by other cancer patients, many ofthem children, to run across the nation in his Marathon of Hopeto raise funds for cancer research. Unfortunately, cancer wasfound in his lungs just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and hepassed away at the age of 22. Since then, people around theworld have pursued Terry’s legacy and donated more than$650 million in his name.

Teachers and other staff members at two of the Sir WilfridLaurier board’s schools in Rosemere elected not to let contractdisputes with the Quebec government interfere with the greatergood of the Terry Fox Run. The result was nearly $11 000 raisedfor the cancer fighting charity.

McCaig Elementary led the way with $10 600. Chief organ-izer Kristin Crowdis said the September 24 run through theneighbourhood streets was the culmination of “cross curricu-lar, whole school activity.” A one-time a student at McCaigherself, Ms. Crowdis is in her eighth year as a teacher there andis very proud of the school’s participation in Terry Fox Runs

Educators Put Dispute Aside for Terry Fox RunsBy RHS Correspondents Elizabeth and Jennifer HuaAdditional material from Gordon Wetmore

over the years. Since 1992,she said, McCaig runs havebrought in more than $250000 “not counting thisyear.”

Rosemere High’s annual Terry Fox Run took place Friday,October 2, and raised $4 300. Students were called to the audi-torium during their first and second period classes to receive anankle bracelet imbedded with a chip to record their time formarking purposes.

Along the designated routes, teachers, staff, and police di-rected traffic and urged breathless adolescents to the finish line.After an energized award ceremony for the six fastest boys andgirls at each grade level, students were dismissed for an earlylunch and an afternoon of spirited activities.

Student Council handled the afternoon’s activities. Karaoke,trivia, a treasure hunt, football toss and tug-of-war kept peopleoccupied as a talented band played through the afternoon. Thebarbecue was a big success, thanks to generous donations andenthusiastic student participation.

Elizabeth Jennifer

In 2012, Mrs. Germain Artiss, an incredible woman with morethan 50 years of teaching experience, introduced the HomestayVolunteer Teachers Organisation (HVTO) to the students andstaff of Rosemere High School.

A non-profit, non-governmental organization founded bySim Piseth, the HVTO provides Cambodian communities withthe necessary means for education, accessible drinking waterand improved living conditions. Sponsorship programs offerstudents there the highest opportunities for success, self-sustainability and escape from the vicious circle of poverty.Moreover, development projects stimulate a higher employ-ment rate among the local people.

At RHS, funding the clean water project has become a school-wide effort. Used books sales and exciting raffles are held dur-ing lunch hours and at community events, and the annual Read-A-Thon encourages student contribution with subsequent aca-demic benefits. Over the past three years, our school has proudlydonated over $10 000 toward the construction of 54 water wellsin a Cambodian village. Our goal is to build a total of 135 pumpsin order to provide clean water for the entire community.

The Cambodian Water Project By RHS Correspondents Elizabeth and Jennifer HuaSince Mrs. Artiss’ recent retirement, Ms. Enrica Vani, an ERC

teacher at Rosemere High School, has taken the reins. With 81pumps to go, this year’s first book sale took place Thursday,October 22, during the evening of the school’s Open House. At $1for any soft-cover and $2 for hard-covers, the fundraiser offereda bargain of benefits. Like Mr. Piseth, our aim lies in “reducingpoverty and increasing wisdom.” (We believe like him that“education is the answer.”)


A Canadian Odyssey, Step TwoWe (Brian Knudsen and Rosemary Dzus) are recent arrivals inDeux-Montagnes. We are here because in late 2012, we decidedit was time to have an extended adventure and see more ofCanada. We have found that this was a life-affirming decision!

Up until that point, we had lived most (Brian) or all (me) ofour lives in Manitoba. We wanted to know what it would belike to actually live in other parts of Canada, instead of justwondering what it might be like as we passed through beauti-ful and interesting places on our vacations. So we set out tospend one full year in each of five locations in Canada. Afterdivesting ourselves of many material possessions and puttingthe house on the market (amazing how many hours andmonths of work can be summed up in a few words!), we headedoff in the spring of 2014 to our first destination, the AnnapolisValley in Nova Scotia.

We had a grand time on the EastCoast, made many friends, and gotto know some fine, out of the wayplaces. I loved the valley, and thefact that everything we needed wasso close at hand – I could walk to alocal farm, if I wanted to, to buy meatand vegetables. The ocean was close,and so was the seafood, and therewere many, many farm marketswhere we’d actually meet the peo-ple who were growing our food.Looking down the valley, we couldsee the blossoming abundance overthe full growing season. Being a foodlover and long-time gardener, I loved

that part of our stay in Nova Scotia. Deux-Montagnes is our second stop, and we are thrilled to

find that, again, we are making good friends and enjoying thewealth of locally grown food. In other ways, though, it is a verydifferent kind of Canadian experience, especially for me, as it’salmost the first time I have ever lived in a city, certainly in sucha large urbanized area as greater Montreal and its environs.Right in Deux-Montagnes, the tiny, out of the way streets, withtheir houses that probably used to be cottages, are truly charm-ing. The mix of renovated cottages, larger, more recent homesand apartment buildings is a refreshing change from the typi-cal suburban landscape of mile after mile of identical housesand apartment blocks. The bike paths, enabling us to get any-where throughout the complex of islands in the St. Lawrence,are wonderful, and we have made good use of them. Navigat-ing the complexities of the train/metro/bus network is morechallenging, but less and less so the more often we use them.

Outside of keeping busy exploring our new world, Brianand I are involved in lots of activities. I am an artist, and havereturned to that first love after a wide-ranging career whichincluded industrial photography, NGO management, work-shop planning, environmental education, and chicken eviscera-tion.

You might be wondering what I’ve learned from our experi-ence so far, and there are definitely a couple of things that springto mind. One is that people everywhere are different but yet thesame. Everyone has the same concerns, for our health and well-being, for our neighbourhoods and our children, and we may

By Rosemary Dzusoften wonder about the same unanswerable universal ques-tions.

Another thing I have learned is that you probably have alot more “stuff” than you think you do, and it takes a lot moreenergy and time than you think it will to sort through it, andmake decisions about what is really important. For me, overthe next few years, this will be an ongoing discipline!

Right now, I find I have accumulated a number of art pieceswhich I would be pleased to sell before we move on to our nextlocation, in the interests of lessening the load in the cargo trailer(which we use to move all our worldly possessions).

Prairie Smoke Portrait of Brian

Here are a few samples of my work,and my contact information:[email protected] or 514-867-0415. Portraiture is a genre thatcontinues to interest me. If you wouldlike to have your portrait done, let meknow!

Rosemary and Brianwhale watching in NS

By Andrea David,Tournament Organizer

17th annual Deux-MontagnesRinguette Tournament

With great pleasure, we offer our exciting17th annualringuette tournament from January 4 through 10, 2016, atthe Olympia Arena in Deux-Montagnes. Players look forward to our tournament because of theambiance and hospitality our hard working committeedelivers year after year. New for 2016 is a draw to win aweek at La Releve ringuette camp! Players will receive par-ticipation gifts and healthy snacks and have the chance toget their team logo painted on their faces. For the finals,“lucky” players (or players of the game) will be awardedbrand new ringuette sticks sponsored by Sports aux Pucesin St-Eustache. A prize table at the entrance of the arenawill have a multitude of interesting gifts to win. For the past two years, the National Ringuette Leaguehas played a season game during the tournament. This year,Lac St-Louis Adrenaline will play Rive-Sud Revolution at2:00 pm on Saturday, January 9, following the goalie com-petition at 1:00 pm. It is worth coming to watch the NRLgame because it is a fast-paced and exciting four periods.You can win at a game of ring toss between the second andthird periods too! We invite everyone to come out, especially for the goaliecompetition and the NRL game. The arena will be full andbuzzing and a good time will be had by all!


12th Annual Deux-Montagnes LionsClub Book Fair – a labour of love toserve the communityBy Margaret Fung-A-Ling

On the weekend of October 17-18, hundreds of readingfans, both local and from as far away as Ontario, the East-ern Townships and Laurentians, made their annual con-vergence on the Veterans Hall 141 Grand Moulin in Deux-Montagnes, enticed by a sea of close to 35,000 books – allcategorized. Handicapped individuals and parents withstrollers were given first access at the “pre-sale” on Octo-ber 16.

Now in its 12th year, the Deux-Montagnes Lions ClubBook Fair has become a beloved local event; a social occa-sion to acquire reading material for the winter, and to raisefunds to serve the community. Funds raised enable theDeux-Montagnes Lions to purchase equipment like wheel-chairs, walkers and canes for loan to handicapped mem-bers of the community (without charge), help the visuallyimpaired with a $1,500 donation each year to the locallibrary for large print books, support a variety of localand regional charitable organizations and help the needyin our community.

A labour of love for Deux-Montagnes Lions and a teamof over 25 volunteers, the book fair is a culmination of a10-month effort, from January to October, of collecting,

categorizing and boxing thousands of donated books inboth English and French.

The book fair idea first came to Betty and Martin Hensento offer affordable books to the community and raise fundsfor the Deux-Montagnes Lions. They started collecting do-nations in their basement and then working as a teamwith Dave Byers and Heather Brown, managed to assem-ble 4,000 books. The first fair was organized in 2002.Within a few years, a larger storage place was neededwhich lead to the City of Deux-Montagnes offering spacein the Maison des Citoyens as a collecting area.

The fair has grown to be the second largest, categorized,used-book fair in Quebec - the largest is the McGill Uni-versity Book Sale. Martin Hensen explained that what dis-tinguished the Lions Fair was its affordability; prices wereintentionally kept low over the years (hardcovers for $1.50,pocket books for $0.50 and childrens books for $0.25) toensure accessibility for as many “reading fans” as possi-ble.

Betty and Martin Hensen confirmed this will be theirlast year as the fair’s organizational leads. After taking onthis challenging but rewarding role since 2002, they felt itwas time to hand over the reins. At a recent general meet-ing of the Deux-Montagnes Lions Club, it was decided thatNancy Rupnik, a long time book fair volunteer, will takeover the organizational lead.

Book donations for the 2016 book fair will be acceptedstarting in January at the Maison Des Citoyens, 202 HenriDunant, Deux-Montagnes, Monday-Friday, 10-11:30 amand 2-4 pm. Please call Mr. Ouellet at 450-473-7450 to en-sure someone is there to receive your donation.

Contacts for the Deux-Montagnes Lions Club:Lion Martin Hensen: 450 473-1932Lion Dave Byers: 514 602-7054

Original organizers Betty and MartinHensen with Nancy Rupnik

By Dr. Martin Scutt


For more information about a foot problem or to takean appointment, please call our Rosemere office at (450)979 0303 or Laval at (450) 937-5055.

Thank you for your trust.

Dr. Martin Scutt, podiatrist and clinicial teacher atUQTR.BSc. Cornell University (1992), New York Collegeof Podiatric Medicine (1996)St . Barnabas Hospital, New York (surgical residency)

Minimum incision surgery (MIS) is common practice fora broad range of surgeries today. In traditional surgeries,a surgeon was required to make a large incision in orderto perform the surgery. With MIS, the performing sur-geon is required to make one or more small incisions ofusually less than a half inch. The surgeon then uses spe-cific instruments and state of the art video equipment toperform the surgery through a small opening. The advantages of MIS are numerous including higheraccuracy rate, quicker healing times, less postoperativepain or discomfort, less injury to the tissue, decreasedrisk of post operative infections, quicker return to normalactivities and/or work and less scarring. When employ-ing the correct equipment during MIS, whether it be anarthroscope used by an orthopedist in a hospital or afluoroscope used by a podiatrist in a private clinic, themargin of error is signficantly low! At the Clinique Podiatrique Rive Nord in Rosemere, Dr.Martin Scutt, podiatrist, the vast majority of proceduresare performed via an incision of less than 1 cm in length.Regardless of whether it is to correct a large bunion in anadvanced stage, a neuroma or a small corn between thetoes, this procedure can be employed using a small inci-sion to permanently correct the malformation. Patientsare commonly most impressed with the absence or lowlevel of postoperative pain and their significantly reducedrecovery times. In order to determine if minimum incision surgery is anappropriate treatment plan, a patient requires an initialconsultation which includes a comprehensive examina-tion and digital x-rays. The results of the examinationand x-rays determine what procedure is most appropri-

Minimum Incision Foot Surgery : Explained

ate, since hundreds of surgical procedures for the footexist. During this consultation, the podiatrist is also ableto determine relative recovery times or time requiredaway from work, whether crutches are necessary, andwhat to expect during and after the procedure. Subse-quent to the initial surgical consultation, blood tests maybe necessary before performing the surgery itself in thesurgical room situated at the Rosemere clinic. Followingsurgery, all postoperative care and appointments are pro-vided by the podiatrist performing the surgery, Dr Mar-tin Scutt, in order to enhance and promote the healingprocess. If you suffer from painful bunions, corns, hammertoes orany type of foot pain, please do not hesitate to call us formore information. Foot pain is never normal and shouldbe evaluated by a reputable podiatrist. Our clinics havebeen built on honesty and integrity. Our team of experi-enced podiatrists (including colleagues Dr. DarrellBevacqua and Dr. Marc Antoine Dion) have an excellentreputation for providing quality care with a reasonablefee schedule. We are a hard working team devoted to pro-viding care to a wide range of patients. Our greatest com-pliment is the distance patients will often travel to con-sult us, based on our reputation in the medical commu-nity and our accessibility. Our services and treatmentoptions include biomechanical examinations, custom,quality orthotics, surgery (ingrown toenails, bunions,hammertoes, flat foot or Hyprocure, corns, Morton’s neu-roma), laser therapy for fungal nails, MBS therapy forpain and other foot conditions; plantar fasciitis and heelpain assessment, digital x-rays, plantar warts and muchmore!.


Kanehsatà:ke Mohawk Wynonna Cross kicked in the win-ning goal to win soccer gold in the first ever World Indig-enous Games held in Brazil from October 23 — November1!

Wynonna and her fellow teammates consisting of Na-tives from Kahnawá:ke , Akwesasne, and Vancouver, BC,won gold on Friday, October 30, after the final game againsta Brazilian team ended in a tie and went to a shootout.

Wynonna was the final kicker. As she walked out onto tothe field to take the last kick that would determine the out-come, the entire stadium booed her. She said she was verynervous but did as she was trained to do. She placed thatball in the far corner at a high speed.

Kanehsatà:ke Girl Kicks for Gold Medal Story and photos by Jennie Cross

Football seasonhas come to aclose, and Iwould like toshare with youthe story of a re-markable groupof players. TheU15 Lions justconcluded their2015 seasonwith a hardfought loss in thefinals on No-

vember 1. While the loss itself was disappointing, the road tothe finals was a memorable one. U15 is a division that comprises players that are 12 to 14years old. This is a challenging age group from a registrationstandpoint, as many young players from the civic programschoose to continue their football careers in the school leagues.This problem is particularly acute in our region, as thePolyvalant Deux Montagnes Centurions have an establishedprogram that attracts many of our civic players. We began the season in June with 21 registered players, in-cluding seven that had never played before. To put that in per-spective, most high school football teams usually have 40 play-ers. There were some early season grumblings that the Lionsshould be dissolved, and the players redistributed to otherteams. However, the core group of coaches knew the veteranplayers that we had, and felt that we could field a competitiveteam. We knew that it would mean many of our players would

A Pride of (Football) Lions By Ryan Kennedy, Head Coachplay offense and defense. We felt that these players could pullit off. Luckily for us the league decided to let us give it a try. Every football season brings its share of injuries, so we strug-gled through training camp with 17 to 20 players at most prac-tices. We did get some relief when our manager, PatriciaDoganieri, did some much appreciated recruiting within thecommunity. This helped boost our player count to 25. Our veteran players were well supplemented by our newrecruits. Unlike some other sports, players with good athleticskills can become impact players in their first year. We werefortunate that a number of our new recruits did so. I think wesurprised many when we stormed out of the gates and ran upa 7-1 regular season record, securing first place overall. We comfortably won our first playoff game, but ran into awell-prepared Rosemère Lynx team in the finals. While the players and the coaching staff were understand-ably disappointed, there were many positives to reflect upon.We went from a team that was almost dissolved to regularseason champions and runner up finalists. We had a great groupof parents and players that developed both friendships and adeep belief in each other. I think that our players lived a footballexperience that was unique, as some of them played up to fourpositions. Their development and understanding of the gameprogressed immensely. I feel both honored and privileged to have coached the Lionsthis year. I am already looking forward to the 2016 season. GoLions Go!

(Registration for the 2016 football season begins in January.Watch for municipal notifications of times and places to signup.)

The overachieving 2015 U15 football Lionsand their coaches and manager

The team after receiving medals

This sport is a team effort. It is amazing that they madeit all the way. After travelling more than 24 hours to getthere and meeting their team mates from Vancouver, thegirls played together for the first time. The chemistrywas great and they did what they had to do to win. Theyplayed with their hearts and minds.

Not only did the team achieve a dream of winning agold medal, they also met Indigenous peoples from 22other countries. They are coming out of these games withmore knowledge and respect for other cultures and tra-ditions from around the world.

As for Wynonna,everyone is so proud ofher and her accomplish-ments. She has achievedone of her dreams andwill continue to pursuemore. Next year she willplay in Cuba for the Na-tive National team.The games took place inPalmas, Brazil, and in-volved 2,000 partici-pants from 23 countries. Wynonna with a friend’s son

Message from the Church Snoop


The Church MouseThe Church MouseThe Church MouseThe Church MouseThe Church Mouseby Eric Painter

Church Snoop cont’d p. 25

Christ Church United214-14 Avenue, Deux Montagneswww.christchurchunited.com

All SaintsChurch

248-18th Ave. DeuxMontagnes Telephone:

450-473-9541

Christ‘s MassIf it weren’t for Christ, there would beno Christ’s mass. There would be nopresents. It would be just anotherworking day. I would like to start on apositive note, but I found myself dis-couraged listening to the radio sta-tions. There is everything regardingsnow, sleigh rides, including evenFrosty. One thing there isn‘t in any ofthe Christmas carols is anything per-taining to Christ‘s birth. This may notseem like such a big thing, but it hasgrown over the years. If we want tobe sure of true Christmas music, itsbeautiful stories of the nativity, itseems like we must listen to PaulReid—whose old fashioned versionshelp keep the true story of Christmas,the greatest gift of all, alive.

A few years ago, my wife men-tioned her concern to two eminentclergymen, who simply laughed.Yetfrom that day, there seems to be a con-centrated effort to take out all the car-ols, pertaining to the true Christmas ,with perhaps the exception of Christ-mas day. It seems to be from when westarted on happy holidays, Season’sgreetings, anything but Merry Christ-mas, to appease other religions.

I hope this doesn‘t seem like adowner; it isn‘t meant to be. Perhapswe could suggest that people let themedia know how pleased and grate-ful we are when they do play the trueChristmas carols.

Now, I can end on the truly uplift-ing note of true gratitude for all thewonderful people who work so hardfor us all year. Each year we identifythem by name and church. There isno way to express enough thanks tothese very dedicated contacts, andhere they are in alphabetical order.Lillian Bonneville St. James AnglicnBeverly Cordell All Saints AnglicanCarmela Farina Holy CrossLynne Fougere Holy FamilySusan Gabriel Kanasatake UnitedPastor Fred Greenwood Peoples’ChurchCarol Kirkpatrick Rosemere UnitedDiane Pratt Christ Church UnitedJohn Thevenot Church of GodWe pray that God will bless them and

their families as they celebrate God’sgreatest gift to us all his son JesusChrist. With thanks, and great bless-ings to you all, Merry Christmas.God bless, Eric.

As of this writing,we have just ex-perienced the au-tumn time shift inwhich we movedour clocks back

one hour on Sunday, November 1.The seasons are changing and ourbeautiful fall has given way to dull,dreary, rainy days and cold nights.Canadians are eagerly waiting to seewhat changes a new government willbring to our lives. We are changingday by day, and some of us are begin-ning to really notice those changes aswe age. However, there is One whonever changes, and his name is JesusChrist. Hebrews 13:8 in the Bible saysthis “Jesus Christ is the same yester-day, today, and forever.” This is ourslogan and our watchword at theChurch of God. Please come and joinus for our services on Sunday eve-nings at 6:30 pm. A cordial welcomeawaits you there.

CHURCH OF GOD815 Rockland St.

450-491-6873Pastors John and Arlene Thévenot(450) 491-6873

Worship Sundayat 11:45 am eve-ryone is wel-come. .“Out to Lunch”for all residents

of the area. Come and join us for afree lunch at Christ Church everyTuesday at 12:30 pm until 1:15 pm N.B. Children must be accompaniedby an adult. All donations will begreatly appreciated. Volunteers wel-come. For more info please contactChrist Church 450-473-4784 or StellaCox 450 623-5192EVENTS:

Dec. 6 First Sunday Lunch andSanta Claus ParadeDec. 18 Friday fun with dominoes.Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Service 7:00pm

Sunday services 10:30 am Dec. 5th /Jan 2nd Food for Body andSoul” monthly breakfast 9:30 am –church hallDec. 15 Ecumenical Service of Les-sons and Carols to benefit Agape DeuxMontagnes, 7:00 pmDec. 24 7:00 pm: Christmas EveFamily Service – worship, music andfun for all ages. 11:00 pm: TraditionalCandlelight ServiceDec. 17/Jan 28 Holy Communionservice at Les Cascades 10:30 am

In our world today, there is such anenormous hunger for meaning andpurpose, for comfort and consolation,for forgiveness and reconciliation, forrestoration and healing.

Jesus of Nazareth, born our Saviourin Bethlehem, came to save us fromourselves, from our sin, from our hope-lessness and despair. He came to tellus that we are loved eternally, that wecan have a new beginning and make afresh start.

I invite you again this Christmas tojoin us at any of our services to cel-ebrate the birth of Jesus, where to-gether we can discover our ultimatemeaning and purpose on the way oflove, on the road to eternal life, ourultimate destiny.Wishing you all a Merry Christmas.Reverend David

All Saints, Deux-Montagnes andSaint James, Rosemere

Recently renovated rental space(kitchen and hall) available for groupmeetings and activities Rental Coor-dinator Jerry East [email protected]


The Church MouseThe Church MouseThe Church MouseThe Church MouseThe Church MouseCont’d from p. 24

St. James Anglican Church328 Pine St. Rosemere, QC

Tel: [email protected]’S CHURCH

370 5th Ave, Deux Montagnes

ROSEMERE MEMORIALCHURCH

200 Grande Cote, Rosemere

Sunday service’sand Sundayschool 11:00 amBible Study:Thursday’s at 7:30pm

The Best Gift:If you were to describe the most memo-rable Christmas gift you have receivedto date, what adjectives would best sumup how special that gift was. Perhapswords such as fun, necessary, beautiful,loving, lasting, inspiring, timely, orcrazy- sick come to mind, (for you oldtimers the statement “crazy sick” doesn’tonly mean, ‘insanely not feeling well ‘but can also mean- “over the top superduper fantastic”). When I think of themost valued gift that God sent to theworld, (of humanity) the Bible itself de-scribes how precious, and loving, andeternal it truly is “For God so loved theworld that He gave His one and only Son(Jesus Christ) that whoever believes inHim should not perish but have eternallife”, (John 3:16). There is one more phrasethat makes this gift so special to me , “mySaviour”, I trust you share that samedescription of God’s gift.Christmas Eve service 7 pmEnjoy a blessed Christmas season.

450- 472-4105

Dec 13, 11:30 am, we will celebrate ourAdvent Communion with the Rev.Helen Hlairas, conducting the serv-ice. Dec 20, the Rosemere MemorialChurchwill be presenting their ChristmasCantata, at 11:30 am Dec 24, 7:30 pm, there will be a Christ-mas Eve service. There will be no service Dec 27.

Please join us forthe following Decand Jan events Dec 13 - 4:00 pm -Carols & Lessons

by Candlelight. Ecumenical Service. Read-ings in different languages. Festive refresh-ments will follow service.Please bring a gift of non-perishable goodsfor the less fortunate in our community. Dec 16 - Drop in Centre from 10:00 am to2:00 pm will close for the Christmas &New Year Holidays Dec 24 9:00 pm - Christmas Eve Service 0fLight. Events in January have yet to be finalized. Notices will be posted.St. James has space for rent for your par-ties, meetings and special events. Pleasegive us a call at 450-621-6466 for furtherinformation regarding rates and avail-ability. St. James Anglican Church Rosemere,thanks you for your support throughoutthis past year and wishes you all a mostblessed Christmas and a Happy andHealthy 2016.Grace and Peace to you all.

Weekday Masses:W e d n e s d a y ;Thursday & Fri-day 9:00 amWeekend Masses:

Saturday at 5:50 pm. & Sunday at11:00 amADVENT: 2015MASS OF RECONCILIATION: Sun-day, November 29, 11:00 am (FirstSunday of Advent)FEAST OF THE INCARNATION –CHRISTMASCHILDRENS’ MASS -THURS-DAY, Dec. 24, TBAMASS WITH SENIOR CHOIR -THURSDAY, Dec. 24, TBAMASS OF CHRISTMAS DAY - FRI-DAY, Dec. 25, TBAFEAST OF HOLY FAMILY - SUN-

HOLY FAMILY PARISH1001 Ch. d’Oka, DEUX -MONTAGNES,

Tel. 450-473-2163E-Mail: [email protected]: www.holy-family-dm.ca

Parish Priest: Father Stephen DiraviamDEACON: Wayne Riddell

DAY, Dec. 27, 11:00 amFollowed by Wine & CheeseMASS OF ANTICIPATION -THURS-DAY Dec. 31. TBASOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLYMOTHER OF GOD (HOLY DAY OF OBLI-GATION) - FRIDAY, JAN. 1, 2016AT TBACONFESSIONS – Saturdays at 5:15 pmand Sundays at 10:15 am during adventCWL Progressive Whist, Sat, Jan. 23 2:00pmA Christmas blessing for You:With Gods will and blessings,May you reach new goals of life,May you reach your destination,And be successful in all your endeavors,Stay blessed this Christmas!Merry Christmas!

Ste. Francoise Cabrini Church,210 Rue de L’Eglise, Rosemere

HOLY CROSS PARISHROSEMERE

Parish Centre: 555 Lefrancois,450-621-2150 Fax: 450-621-9080www.holycrossrosemere.com

Sunday services9:00 am at Ste.F r a n c o i s eCabriniDec 1 to the Dec

15: Food Drive by the Holy Cross Par-ish Youth GroupChristmas mass schedules: St.Francoise Cabrini Church, Dec 24 5:00pm Early Mass (Youth Choir)St. Francoise Cabrini Church, Dec24 8:00 pm Late Mass (Adult Choir)Christmas day Dec25: Mass will beheld at Holy Cross Parish Center, at10:00 amDec 26: THERE WILL BE NO SATUR-DAY MASSRegular Sunday Mass schedule: Dec27 at 9:00 am St. Francoise CabriniNew Year’s Day Jan 1: Mass will beheld at Holy Cross Parish Center: at10:00 amJan 2: THERE WILL BE NO SATUR-DAY MASSRegular Sunday Mass schedule: Jan3, 2016 at 9:00 am St FrancoiseCabriniMass schedules may change; contactthe office at 450-621-2150Merry Christmas and Happy andProsperous New Year 2016!

By Ron Kesseler


BRILLIANT IDEA…butit’s for US!…Hello folks, as you know we just gotover electing a new Prime Minister.Whether or not he was your choice, itwas nice to hear that a lot of peopletook the voting process seriously andgot out to vote.

That being said, I can get down tomy monthly pet peeve!

Did any of you hear some idioticsuggestion on the radio around thefirst of November that pay tollsshould be put on every bridge andtunnel in and around the Montrealregion. SAY WHAT?

These morons state that the moneywill go directly to bring down the costof mass transit as well as pay for theinfrastructure modifications fromwhich…WE the people… will benefit!

I felt myself getting hot under thecollar again…the bead of sweat justforming on my brow. It was anger,folks, downright anger! Do they takeus all to be complete BAFOONS?Come on, please tell me I’m not theonly one that gets ticked when theyfind ways to rip us off for more moneyand attempt to make us feel goodabout it!

Well, I guess that the price we al-ready pay in deduction taxes, salestaxes, municipal taxes, provincialtaxes, federal taxes, petroleum taxes,license plate increases, drivers permitincreases, etc., just doesn’t cut the costof our privilege to drive on roads inour province which are in such greatshape.

Come on, once again mismanage-ment of funds is going to cost us in thelong run. The money that we weretold that was going to improve theroads and infrastructure and makethem “safe” has gone WHERE?

We don’t have to go very far to see

how we the public are not consideredwhen “safety” is concerned. In DeuxMontagnes they have built newcondos on Oka Road and this causedthe asphalt opposite 7th Avenue tobe dug up. But no, why should theyrepair even temporarily the surfacewith stone or black top. Instead, justput up three orange dummy conesand have the east bound traffic headinto oncoming traffic to avoid the 3inch deep hole that’s large enough fortwo more condos!

Have any of you driven downPapineau, or any other north southartery of Montreal. It’s disgusting.There is construction everywhereadding at least 25-50% more time toyour itinerary, notto mention the dam-ages on your vehicle.

So where did allthe money we havebeen charged overthe years go? Surelynot to the restruc-turing of our roadsor infrastructures aswas intended.

Some of you mayremember I men-tioned the serviceroads on Highway40 heading to autoroute 13 over 18months ago. Well,even though therehave been numer-ous accidents, anddamage caused tovehicles because ofits dilapidated con-dition, it STILL hasnot been repaired.

Every once in a while you will see aroad sign posted stating “your dol-lars at work- $7,000,000, invested forYOU.”Well, I don’t know about you,but for $7,000,000, it seems to me itshould be done right the first time sowe don’t have to see it redone in fiveyears at a similar cost (like the autoroute 15 North).

So sure, suggest we pay more tolls,suggest we pay more for our plates,suggest we pay pay, pay pay, afterall, it’s for US!

These are my thoughts, what areyours?

Ron Kesseler

Sue Chef December /January 2016 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 27

Hi again! This dinner isone of my favorites, andas it is on the priceyside, I serve this for spe-cial occasions. Duringthe holiday season, din-ner for New Year’s Eveis the big decision. Thisyear I will be going withthis!!

MenuFried Scallops with Seafood SauceLobster Fettuccine in Cream SauceGrilled Fillet Mignon with MushroomsBlueberry Crumble with WhippedCream (Serves 4)

Fried Scallops with Seafood Sauce1 lb Scallops, washed, gristle flapremoved ¼ cup MilkFlour, enough to lightly coat the scal-lops ¼ cup Peanut oil2 tbsp Butter ½ Lemon, juice ofSalt and pepper to taste, seafood sauce,.Lettuce leaves, washed and dried. Place the cleaned scallops in a bowlwith the milk. Let rest for a few min-utes. Place some flour in a bowl andadd salt and pepper. Mix well. Drainthe scallops and add to the flour. Tossto coat evenly. Place coated scallops ina sieve and gently shake to remove ex-cess flour. Lay the scallops out on apiece of wax paper. Ensure that the scal-lops don’t touch each other. Heat ½ ofthe oil and 1 tbsp of butter over highheat in a large frying pan. When thebutter and oil are quite hot add half ofthe scallops. Shake and toss the pan sothe scallops cook evenly until they aregolden brown on all sides. Remove

with a slotted spoon and place scallopson a hot plate. Add remaining oil andbutter, fry up the remaining scallops thesame way. Place a lettuce leaf on eachplate, arrange fried scallops on top, driz-zle with a little lemon juice and a largedollop of seafood sauce in the center.Garnish with lemon wedges and pars-ley. Serve right away!

Lobster Fettuccine in Cream Sauce 16 oz. Lobster meat, cooked andchopped into bite sized pieces1 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshlygrated6 tbsp Butter, melted ½ cup 10% cream (add a little moreif needed) ¼ cup White wine, dry2 tbsp Parsley, washed, dried andchopped Fettuccine, cooked until tender (or toyour preference) Salt and pepper to taste Heat the butter in a large frying pan.Add the chopped lobster and re-heaton medium until lobster is hot. Carefulnot to overcook, as the lobster will be-come tough. Remove lobster from panand deglaze the pan with the whitewine over a low heat. Increase the heatto medium, then add the hot cookedfettuccine and lobster, mix well. Addthe 10% cream, stir, then add theParmesan cheese. Mix well. Whenheated through sprinkle with parsley,salt and pepper. Serve right away.

Grilled Fillet Mignon with Mushrooms4 F illet Mignon½ tsp Oregano, Thyme, Basil and Rose-mary (dried) ¼ cup Vegetable oil1 cup Mushrooms, wiped clean andsliced ¼ cup Butter2 tbsp Parsley

Salt and pepper to taste Mix all the dried spices together. Addthe oil. Mix well. Pour mixture oversteaks and marinate in fridge for at least2 hours. Remove from fridge and letstand at room temperature for 15 min-utes before grilling. Grill over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes per sidefor medium rare. Let cooked steak restbefore slicing. At this point, place but-ter in a large frying pan and heat untilfoamy. Add the sliced mushrooms andcook over medium heat, stirring often,until done to your liking.

Slice steak crosswise, on an angle, intothin strips. Arrange on plate nicelyalongside the pasta. Top steak withmushrooms and sprinkle with parsley.

Blueberry Crumble with WhippedCream 1 pint Blueberries, rinsed 1 tbsp Lemon juice ¼ tsp Cinnamon ¼ tsp Allspice ½ cup Butter 1 cup Flour 1 cup Sugar 1 cup Whipping Cream, whipped Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the blueberries in a baking dishand drizzle lemon juice over top. Sprin-kle with the spices.

Cut the butter into the flour with apastry cutter. Cut until the mixture re-sembles coarse oatmeal. Stir in sugar.Spread the mixture over the blueber-ries and bake for about 45 minutes orjust until top is nicely crisp and golden.Serve hot or cold with a large dollop ofwhipped cream on top of each.

Happy Holidays As always, I hope you enjoy! Sue Sanders

ByDale Hammond


In previous articles I discussed the meritsof exercise and how to stay strong and fitto keep your independence. In this articleI would like to address an issue that refersto what you are doing the rest of the timewhen not exercising. The sedentary life itmay sound nice being able to relax anddo nothing. Sitting usually feels good af-ter a long walk or long shift. Too much ofit may put you at risk of dying.Short bouts of sitting can allow the bodyto rejuvenate. Prolonged periods can hurtyour body and your mind. Sitting curvesyour spine, slouching puts a strain onyour spinal cord and prevents your lungsfrom getting enough space to expand. Youwill then have less oxygen distributedthroughout your body and brain. You willhave a decrease in circulation when notmoving.Being sedentary refers to having very lit-tle movement such as when sitting or ly-ing down. It is measured by metabolicequivalents (METS) and is based on theamount of oxygen a person consumes. Anequivalent of 1.5 METS is classified as be-ing sedentary. One MET equivalent is 3.5millilitres of oxygen per kilogram ofweight per minute. A person who staysat 1.5 METS is at risk of being unable tokeep his or her independence. Should theybecome ill, they may not have enough en-ergy to perform the activities of daily liv-ing.By cleaning your house you can use 3.0METS, taking stairs 2 METS, walking at 3mph is 3.3 METS, gardening 4.4 METS, andswimming slowly is 4.5 METS. These aresome examples of exercise intensities.Moderate intensity is equal to 4 METS.We probably have all heard the sayingthat “being sedentary is the new smok-ing.” This saying was coined by Dr. JamesLevine, co-director of the Mayo-Clinic andinventor of the treadmill desk. He has alsopublished several books and papers onbeing sedentary. Dr. Levine and manyother researchers studying the effects of asedentary lifestyle have come to the con-clusion that sitting is worse for you thansmoking. In fact, Dr. Levine summed thisup in two sentences. ”Sitting is more dan-gerous than smoking, kills more peoplethan HIV and is more treacherous thanparachuting.” We are sitting ourselves todeath. (Article: the active times.com)Sitting is bad for our health. Canadians

The Sedentary Life, Is it Killing Us ?on average are sedentary 68% of their wak-ing hours. Only 15% of Canadian adultsget the 150 minutes of exercise they needto stay healthy, but those who do are stillat risk if the balance of hours post exerciseare spent sitting.

There is increasing evidence that sug-gests we need to move around as much aswe need to exercise. Former director ofNASA life sciences and godmother of sed-entary studies Joan Vernikos suggests thesingle best exercise to get “bang for thebuck” (her words) is to stand up fre-quently. This is about challenging yourbody against gravity. This will help in-crease circulation and regulate blood pres-sure. With movement comes increasedenergy. Perhaps walk around the housetake the stairs a couple of times duringcommercials. My favorite is to stand upand sit down several times in a row (vari-ation of squats). This will help strengthenthe legs as well as increase circulation.Make up some small chores to be per-formed in the evening, folding clothes,cleaning out a drawer. Do anything thatwill help you to increase your movements.Dr. Levine suggests getting up 10 minutesevery hour.

Sedentary behavior increases manyhealth risks, including diabetes (increasedinsulin resistance and blood glucose lev-els). This may promote cancer cell growth,an increased risk of heart disease, meta-bolic syndrome, and other cancers.

There is also some research that linksoccupational sitting to uterine cancer andendometrial cancer, but evidence is stilllimited and more research is needed. Mak-ing time for short breaks of 2-3 minutescan be beneficial and affect cell processes.There is also an economic impact, accord-ing to the conference board of Canada. Sim-ply getting 10 percent of Canadians withsuboptimal levels ofphysical activity tomove more and re-duce sedentarybehavior now, therates of majorchronic conditionswould be reducedsubstantially. Ca-nadians would livelonger and healthierlives, and gross do-mestic product

would increase by a cumulative $7.5 bil-lion by 2040. Along with a boost to theeconomy, there would be a cumulativereduction of $2.6 billion in health carespending on hypertension, diabetes, heartdisease and cancer, from 2015 to 2040.Avoiding a sedentary life is critically im-portant, especially when it comes to thereduction of mortality risk. According toThe Conference Board of Canada(POHEM-PA) people who sit all day havea 30% higher chance of mortality com-pared to the rest of the population. As aresult, they can extend their lives by 3.8years (Statistics Canada 2013) with in-creased activity.

Another survey by (Statistics Canada,2013) showed Canadians spend as muchas 10 waking hours sitting at a desk,watching TV, on computers, or just beingsedentary. A growing body of researchindicates it is not only important to bephysically active 150 minutes a week togain health benefits, but it’s also impor-tant to limit waking hours in a sedentarystate ( Katzmarzyk, 2010). Sometimes it’sthe little things that we do in life that makethe difference.

Everyone can move, so be active andget moving for your health. While doingthe research for this article and writing it,I realized I have been sitting far too long. Ithink I will go for a walk or maybe a bikeride. Since this is the article before Christ-mas. I would like to wish everyone in allmy classes and all of our readers a veryhappy and healthy New Year.

Older Adult Exercise Classes (50 & Up)take place at The Heritage Social Club threetimes per week.For more info call: Dale Hammond 450-473-5985 New Registration in January(8 week session) Space is limited: Please call now.

Dale HammondCertifié Can-Fit-ProCertified Can-Fit-ProSpécialste en conditionementphysique pour les ainésSpécialiste en entrainement personnel

Older Adult Fitness Specialist - Personal TrainerSpecialist

Tel.: 450-473-5985 / 514-213-6796courriel/email: [email protected]


Sports Rap: My OpinionBy Bobby Fordham, Sports Editor

[email protected]

On Saturday, Oct 24, at the Olympia Arena in Deux-Montagnes,the Outaouais AA Ringuette team took on the home LaurentideAA squad. It was a very entertaining game dominated byaggressive physical play. Outaouais received seven penaltieswhile Laurentide had only four. Late in the first period, a playerfrom each team received game misconducts. The intensity levelwas extremely high as both teams competed vigorously. Thescore was tied early in the last period until Laurentide scoredon a power play and prevailed 3-2 in a very entertaining game.

Entertaining Ringuette Game On cable channels TSN and Sportsnet, based out of Toronto, thereporters/broadcasters doing the scores and highlights alwaysconcentrate on the greater Toronto area teams. TSN is TheSports Network, not the Toronto Sports Network, but theyinsist on leaving out Quebec teams. When they do cover us, we are last or forgotten. For example,they will highlight the Maple Leafs repeatedly when theCanadiens, who are playing so well, get mentioned last. BobMackenzie just the other day said the St. Louis Blues were thebest team in the west and “Montreal is 6-0.” Why not sayMontreal Canadiens are the best team in the east? Obviouslyhe is not a Canadiens supporter but a Toronto backer. He lookslike Jay Leno plus 50 pounds. RDS, the French affiliate of TSN, reports on all Canadian sportsteams, not just Quebec’s. Toronto has not won a Stanley Cupsince 1967. Montreal has been in 12 cup finals and won 10 ofthem: 1968-69-71-73-76-77-78-79-86 and ‘93. We here inMontreal supported the Blue Jays. We didn’t have to, but wedid because we love baseball and supported the Toronto team. Come on, Toronto TSN and Sportsnet, be fair and get with thePROGRAM! My Opinion - what’s [email protected]

Sports Rap: My View

In 2Mo we have two organizations that organize many eventsthat financial support our veterans. Those two organizationsare the Legion Branch 185 and the Heritage Social Club. I just hope that they continue to do their great organizing andmaintain the very good effort so as to focus on supporting ourgreat veterans. Everyone will benefit, hats off to the Legion andHeritage Cluc, (my view/opinion.)

By Bobby Fordham, Sports [email protected]

Armada Sails into Olympia

On Saturday, November 14, at Deux-Montagnes’ Olympia arena, the Blainville/Boisbriand Armada from the Quebec MajorJunior Hockey League put on a clinic high-lighting numerous drills in front of approxi-

mately 200 fans.A Deux-Montagnes

Ringuette team and a localhockey team also skatedwith the Armada for 15minutes.

Deux-Montagnes mayorDenis Martin, councilorMargie Lavallée and direc-tor for recreational services Roch Langelier the co-ordinator ofthis event , took part in the opening ceremonies.

The Armada is in the west division of the QMJHL. Its headcoach and general manager is Joel Bouchard. The team‘s topscorer is Philippe Sanche with 23 points, and goalie SamuelMontembault has been chosen for the Canada‘s national junior

hockey team, a great ac-complishment.

The overall record for theArmada since 2011 is 272wins, 163 loses and76 ties.Well done, team, and goodluck.

By Bobby Fordham, Sports Editor2015 Lac des Deux-MontagnesProvincial Pee-Wee HockeyTournament Dec. 10 to 20

It seems like yesterday the Olympia Arena was shaken to itsfoundation with the roar of minor hockey fans and team sup-porters gathered for the 2014 Lac des Deux-Montagnes Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. Surprisingly, a year has passed andthe Lac des Deux-Montagnes Minor Hockey Association is onceagain preparing for another action packed event.

With a total of 42 teams competing across five different di-visions and playing their utmost to represent with pride theirhometowns, this year’s tournament will be an event to beenjoyed.

From the drop of the puck at the first game on December 10to the presentation of the “BB” Champions banner on Decem-ber 20, there will be many opportunities to encourage the ath-letes and support a local community event.We look forward to seeing you there!!For more information, please visit the AHMLDM website.

By Andrew BrownPhotos By Jonathan Leggitt

Announcements,Birthdays and Memorials December /January 2016COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 30

Birthdays.

HeritageUp Coming Events

Memorial Oct/Nov.

Brandon Green, Dec. 1Janet Turner, Dec. 2Elizabeth Sacca, Dec. 6Cathy Rickert, Dec. 10Elaine V. Brown, Dec. 14David R.A. Brown, Dec. 16Doreen Draycott, Dec. 20Orane Green, Dec. 22 Zackary Green , Dec. 14Cheryl Smith, Dec. 25Tess Moscato,Dec 29Frank Glover, Dec. 31Rebecca Glover-Therrien, Dec. 31Betty Hensen, Jan. 2Machaela Mason, Jan. 4Angelo Kennedy Marricco, Jan. 4Wayne Davis, Jan. 4Amory Benk, Jan. 5Jean-Guy Levesque, Jan. 10James Kennedy, Jan. 11Geoff Bliss, Jan. 11Pierrette (Pat) Rauzon, Jan. 14 Claire Gravel, Jan. 16Nancy Tibbins, Jan. 22Samantha Stabile. Jan 22Mathias Benk, Jan. 24

Dave Byers and Heather M, BrownJan 11Arthur and Pat Glover, Jan 31

Anne MayeJacques “Bo LegaultGladys Sundborg,Cathy McCannSonny Gleeson,Ellen Ray McAllisterGeorge ClarksonJohn Defosses,Donald B. CooperEddy EwensonNorma Painter, Jan. 7

Anniversaries:

Children’s Christmas partywill be held Dec. 5 at theLegion. Party runs from 1:00pm to 4:00 pm. Ages arefrom newborn to 10 years.

All Children must be registered in orderto receive a gift. See the bartender on dutyfor registration. Cutoff date for

Legion Branch185 Events

registration is Dec. 1. This event isopen to everyone.

The President’s levy will beJanuary 1st starting at 1pm. Thiswill be open house.

We will be holding our annualHonors and Awards dinner Jan.16.

More information to follow orcall the Legion at 450 472-6530

Branch elections will be heldon February 21- 2:00 pm.

For all the Habs fans! Come ondown to watch your favoritehockey team on our big screen TV!Every Canadians’ game theLegion will be having open house!Membership dues are due by theDec. 31.

December 2015:Karaoke: Fri. Dec, 4 and 18Crib Tournament:Sun Dec, 6 – Cost: $6.00Darts: Mon Dec, 7 - 14-@7:30 pmChristmas Luncheon:Wed Dec, 9 – Cost: $10.00Forever Young ‘Christmas Carol’:Dec. 11 -12-13Fri. Dec,11–Evening viewingSat. Dec,12–Evening viewingSun. Dec, 13 – Matinee viewingBingo:Wed. Dec,18 - Cost: $6.50-@ 12:30 pm. Bingo starts @ 1:00pm.New Year’s Eve Gala:Thur. Dec, 31–Cost: $30 @ 6:00 pmSupper served @ 6:30 pm

January 2016:Darts: Mon. Jan, 4–11–18–25 @6:00 pmKaraoke: Fri. Jan, 8 and 22 @6:30 pmCrib Tournament:Sun, Jan. 10 - Cost: $6.00 @ 12:00pmRegistration @12:30pm.Tournament starts @ 1:00 pmMonthly Luncheon:Wed. Jan, 13Cost: $10.00 Doors open @ 11:30amBingo:Wed. Jan. 20 - Cost: $6.50Doors open @ 12:30 pm – Bingostarts @ 1:00 pm

The Deux-Montagnes Cultural Association(ACDM) will hold its annual Christmas MarketSaturday, December 12, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm,and Sunday, December 13, from 10:00 am to 4:00pm, at The Little Yellow School House, 1304 OkaRoad, the Association’s president, Michéle Boulard,announced. Inscriptions for the Association’s manystimulating courses will begin at The Little YellowSchool House Friday, December 18, between 6:00pm and 8:00 pm and continue Saturday, December19, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. More details aboutthe offerings can be found atwww.lapetiteecolejaune.com.

ACDM: Christmas Market andCourse Inscriptions

By Glenda Esguerra, Paravie,Personal Fitness Specialist


SENDSubscription to:Community ConnectionsP.O. Box 11002Pharmacie Uniprix2801 boul. desPromenadesSte-Marthe-sur-le-lac, QCJON 1P0

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Advertising rates Community Connectionsrates effective January 2015 until further notice.

For further information please contact: MartinHensen 450-473-1932 or Dave Byers at 514-602-7054. Ads can be forwarded [email protected] to [email protected] contact us to ensure that we have spacefor your valuable ad.

No of issues 1+2 3+4 5+6Size cost per issueBusiness card $60.00 $55.00 $50.001/8 of a page $85.00 $80.00 $75.001/4 of a page $150.00 $140.00 $135.001/2 of a page $225.00 $210.00 $200.00 Page $425.00 $410.00 $400.001" banner $115.00 $105.00 $100.002" banner $165.00 $155.00 $150.003"banner $225.00 $210.00 $200.00

I bet you started out with good inten-tions: downloading fitness aps, cuttingout certain foods, calorie counting,buying exercise-videos and supple-ments. You bring your gear to the gymand you jump on the machines doingyour regular routine, or you go jog-ging, put in your mileage, sweat it out,and feel good. Then an injury happens,you slow down, or you quit prema-turely!

This is far too common. You have tocommit long term to your fitness jour-ney. If you invest your time to get fit,you must put MORE effort into assur-ing yourself that you will MAKE

Is your fitness programworking for you?

EVERY MOVEMENT COUNT. If youdon’t challenge yourself, there will beno change.

Make sure you sign on for a bal-anced exercise routine: cardiovascu-lar training, strength training andflexibility routine. If you have notraining as a personal trainer, hire one.You need to learn the proper tech-niques, how to breathe, lifting, pull-ing, your tempo, all very important toexecuting a move without increasingyour risk of injury.

Are you doing the warm up in thebeginning and the cool down at theend of your program? Both are essen-

tial to loweringyour risk of in-jury as well asdecreasing theperiod of exces-sive soreness.Your warm upshould includedynamic movesto get oxygen andblood pumpingto your muscles.The cool downon the other hand

will flush the lactic acid build up outof your muscles.

The last point I’d like to draw yourattention to is feeding your body forthe activities it does. Surprisinglyenough, some of you are still notfueling your body well. If you don’tgive your body the right energy foryour workouts, it may start to breakdown muscle rather than fat. Avoidthis by eating a meal that always in-cludes carbohydrates, proteins, fruitsand vegetables for fiber and vitaminseven before working out. After theworkout, you must eat a lean protein,and a good source of carbohydrates.

Time to get serious! If you areputting in the time, and you are in-vesting money, don’t make these mis-takes.

If you have any questions to ask me,please don’t hesitate to call me. If youneed a personalized workout, nutri-tional evaluation or a fitness assess-ment, please contact me.

We can schedule a consultation:[email protected], facebook, or514-512-5600.

* PARAVIE has moved to a new loca-tion:1400, chemin d’Oka, Deux-Montagnes,J7R1M6,Please call for our new fitness pro-

grams.

: December 1 to December 31

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Community Connections · and Karen Burrell December/January 2016 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Page 3 Let’s start off with some small house-hold repairs that can mess

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