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To All Procrastinators
The lack of snow may have made you forget about the impending snow and if you have forgotten to get a snow removal contract you might want to consider Loyal Enterprises. Glen Hilliker is one of the owners and he is proud of his town and servicing it accordingly. So if you are one of those who haven't yet thought about snow or optimistically think that somehow the snow will miss your driveway this winter checkout their web site. Here is the link: http://deneigementloyal.com

The Olympic Flame - Coming Soon (December 10)
From the Deux-Montagnes Website: For those of you who don’t know it yet, Deux-Montagnes have the pleasure of announcing very good news. It has the honour of having been chosen as one of the relay cities for the Olympic Flame by the Organizing Committee of the 2010 Vancouver Games. What pride and joy to welcome the flame here, on Thursday, December 10, 2009, during its long 45,000-km journey. Come to assist as this moment will be unique !

From 9:30 to 10 am, the Olympic Flame will be travelling along Oka Road, from 27th Avenue to 3rd Avenue. A halt is scheduled in front of City Hall for the relay exchange. Children, students, parents, teachers, merchants, members of associations and citizens are invited to come encourage the flame bearer, at this stop, or anywhere else along its Deux-Montagnes itinerary, to celebrate this event with your usual enthusiasm!

A Gift Idea Just In Time For Christmas
Many of my readers know ex-2mo'er Dominic Zagari. He and his wife Tammy have settled in Winnipeg for quite a while now. In 2006, their 7 year old son Zac was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. They suddenly faced many challenges and one of those is getting Zac to wear Medic Alert jewelry that was outdated and uncomfortable and it "made Zac feel that he stood out in a negative way". Looking for alternatives proved fruitless, so the Zagari's decided to make their own line of affordable jewelry. Read the entire story here. The short story is that they have started a website where you can order these alternate means of communicating your medical condition. Check out their website: www.silverliningjewels.ca. Good luck in your new venture Dom and Tammy.

Christmas Basket Drive - This Sunday November 29th
The Deux-Montagnes Guignol�(food & money drive) is Sunday, November 29. Andre Ouellet from AGAPE says they are in great need for food for the Christmas food baskets and for volunteers to collect door-to-door on Sunday.
Please contact AGAPE at (450) 473-7450 (450) 473-7450 to volunteer for this event. If you are unable to go, please bring in non-perishable food items or money to donate to the drive, a representative from All Saints church will bring the donations to AGAPE at 1:45pm Nov. 29.
Here are some examples of non-perishable food/other items:
Canned foods and vegetables, Canned fruit, rice, macaroni and spaghetti, Dried beans and peas, Canned fish or meat, vacuum-packed foods, Macaroni & cheese, Canned Soup, Canned Milk, Infant cereal and jar food, Diapers etc...
Thank you for supporting your local charity this Christmas.

Golf Trip Pictures
I have posted some pictures from our week in the D.R. The weather was very hot but being on the coast of the ocean could not be beat. I have also posted this picture just to discourage anyone out there that has reached a certain age (and girth) from wearing a Speedo bathing suit. Don't worry, it's no one you know. This golf trip was the last vacation that I will ever have from work. Don't feel too bad for me though as I was offered an early retirement from work. My last day at work is December 23rd and I will officially stop working at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve as I am somewhat on call for work in case of a disaster. If any of you have read my Road to 50 rants above, I recently added Chapter Four which explains my early road to retirement. Click on the 50 road sign above if you are interested.

Sorry for the Lack Of Updates
I was away with the gang of 8 for a golf trip in the Dominican Republic. I had very limited internet access and unable to update my website. I will soon post a picture album with photos of one of the most picturesque golf courses in the world, Campo de Golf Playa Grande. I will also post the golf scores which were not good for me as I was distracted by the scenery. Stay tuned.

Holy Family's Father Lowe Passes Away Suddenly
OBITUARY Fr. DONELL (MACDONELL) BERNARD LOWE August 14, 1944 - November 14, 2009 (Pastor, Holy Family Parish, Deux-Montagnes, Quebec) Suddenly on November 14, 2009 at Holy Family Parish, Deux Montagnes, Quebec. Loving son of the late Martin and Catherine (Macdonell) Lowe of Grenville Quebec. Loving brother of Patricia MacDonald (Ian), Leo Lowe (Lana Conway), Grant Lowe (Jane Gallichan), Helen Lowe, Ruth Munk (Hector) and Austin Lowe (deceased 2002). Sadly missed by his nieces and nephews: Scott, Tonya, and Tyson MacDonald, Spencer and Caitlin Gallichan-Lowe, Naomi and Aaron Munk, and Lissa Lowe. Sadly missed by his family, as well as his dear parish family at Holy Family. Raised in Grenville, Quebec, helping out at Lowe's General Store, he attended St. Patrick's College, obtaining his B.A., and later an M.A. in Theology from St. Paul's University. Donell was ordained as a priest June 19, 1971. He later completed degrees in Canon Law and in Civil Law and worked with the Marriage Tribunal of the Diocese of Montreal. He was alive in his priesthood and in his love of the People of God, especially at Holy Family where he served as Pastor since 1988. He was eager to share with passion his love of great books, thinkers, saints, and sports. Friends will be received at Holy Family Parish, 1001 Oka Road, Deux-Montagnes, Quebec on Thursday, November 19, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Family Parish, Deux-Montagnes on Friday, November 20, 2009 at 2 p.m. Rite of Committal at Grenville Catholic Cemetery, Grenville, Quebec on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Development and Peace, 1425 Rene-Levesque Blvd West, 3rd Floor Montreal, QC, J7R 1L9, www.devp.org Click here to view or sign his guest book.
Published in the Montreal Gazette from 11/18/2009 - 11/19/2009

Joanne Van Tienen
Passed away on November 5, 2009. Beloved mother of Kristina. Cherished daughter of Peter Sr. and Olive Van Tienen. Loving companion of Van Sayers. She will be missed by her brothers and sisters: Gerry, Peter, Michelle (Chris), Paul, Kenneth, Scott, Pete, Susan and many relatives and friends. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Complexe Funeraire Regional Guay Inc., 146 St-Louis, St-Eustache. Funeral service will be held at Holy Family Church on Thursday, November 12 at 11 a.m. Family will receive your condolences at the church from 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated. Montreal Gazette 10/10/2009

Photo Safari 2 Reveal
You may remember a few months ago when we had a little photo safari of St-Eustache Street. Kevin D. had mentioned that he wanted to have a few people go out and shoot pictures and pick their best 10. Then at a 'reveal', we would pick the best from each person. At that time, we planned to have a second one. The subject this time was anything on Riviere Nord or Sud in St-Eustache. Five of us participated in this one and last Sunday was the reveal. If you are interested, the photos are posted here. Now we are all set for PS3. The subject this time is a little 'easier' or looser anyway. It is Winter. Anything that can be deemed a winter picture. The reveal will be at the beginning of the spring at a date to be determined. If you are are interested in joining Photo Safari 3, let me know. PS1 photos are still available here.

Marc Lauzon Re-elected as Two Mountains Mayor in Very Close Race
In what was probably the closest elections ever seen in Two Mountains Marc Lauzon squeaked in by 68 votes. 3 of 6 councilors also made it. The only real shoe in was Mario St-Charles who won 652 to 405. The rest of the ridings were close. These are final results however we were told that were not official yet as there may be recounts in the close ridings. The counting went slower than anticipated as the polls results were coming in slowly. The mayoral lead went back and forth and no one ever held more than 52% of the votes. Congratulations to Marc Lauzon and his 3 councilors, Suzette Bigras and Tom Whitton and to the 3 councilors for the Landry team who won, James McAllister, Guillaume Bouvrette and Nathalie Chayer.

Two Mountains' Mayoral Race - Click here for all the results Revised
Lauzon 3180 Votes 50.5%	Landry 3112 Votes 49.5%

SOMD's Final Touch Football Game To Be In Two Mountains The SOMD Touch Football boys will be playing their season closer in Two-Mountains for the first time in a few years. Traditionally, the final game of the season has been held in Montreal but this year has been a little different on many counts. Injuries, weather, retirement and other obligations have all contributed to a year of less than stellar attendance. This is the 45th year of existence for the 'more we get together gang' with 2 of its original players still battling it out every fall Saturday. This has also been the shortest season on record with only 7 games prior to the Grey Cup. The reality is that a few people will come out of the woodwork since we have acquired the right to play on the new Field Turf field at the PDM. The teams that are usually formed a week in advance will probably be picked just before game time. The temperature looks promising as we are expecting a high of 14 Celsius however showers are on the radar. Nevertheless, the game promises to be a good one and since we are playing locally for the first time in years, we expect to break our attendance record for a Grey Cup. That record crowd was estimated at around 12 people, 6 of which were injured players. In the past, we have played at Molson Stadium, Fletcher's Field, Forbes Field, Universite de Montreal, Loyola, Ash Park and countless others but the condition of this Two-Mountain field will rival all the previous venues. Come and help break the attendance record as admission is free. We have the field from 1:30 to 4:00, so the 'action' should start around 2pm.Click on the SOMD Link at the left for Results

Municipal Elections Sunday November 1st
As you might know, all municipalities in the province of Quebec are having elections this year. This was a result of aligning all the cities so that there would only be municipal elections every 4 years instead of being scattered across different years. There is currently a very heated race between the 2 parties in Two-Mountains. Current Mayor Marc Lauzon is vying for a second term while Robert Landry, a newcomer into Two Mountains politics is trying to oust the current administration. The current mayor's platform is based on the many accomplishments of his 4 year tenure while his opponent has been attacking financial matters of the last four years' administration. For a little town such as ours, it hasn't been a pretty fight. Since most of you out there reading this represent the English community, don't take it for granted that 'your' guy will be getting in. Get out there and vote as the English vote will be the deciding factor. If you don't vote, don't complain.

High-tech Surveillance Camera Installed For Residents of the Manoir Grand-Moulin and the Cascades

PRESS RELEASE Deux-Montagnes, October 9, 2009 – Ville de Deux-Montagnes council members, residents and administrators of the Cascades and Manoir Grand-Moulin gathered under rainy skies to admire the all-new surveillance camera recently installed at the corner of Croissant du Grand-Moulin and the pier.
This high-tech camera was set up to stop vandalism in the pier area and to ensure the safety of Manoir and Cascades residents.
This remote monitoring system is permanently connected to a central facility. It includes two cameras with high resolution zoom and 360-degree rotation. It also comes with a loudspeaker that allows the operator at the centre to make a voice intervention, whether to confront vandals or communicate with individuals spotted at the scene. Moreover, a red strobe light that the operator can activate when necessary will act as a deterrent in many situations. The lighting system can be used without disturbing people’s sleep in this residential area.
This fine-tuned system helps the operator track the slightest movement or abnormal situation from a distance and over a broad area. When a situation develops, the operator will carry out a series of procedures with the appropriate parties: police, firefighters, superintendent, institution administrators or any other identified respondent.
“Residents of the Manoir and Cascades are well protected with such a system, and so is city property,” said Mayor Marc Lauzon. “It is our duty, as an administration, to look after the well-being of the community and the security of its residents and facilities,” he added. Residents returned home with a greater sense of security…

Only 215 Days to LTMHS 2010 Reunion
A message from the LTMHS 2010 Reunion Planning Committee
The much-anticipated event is now just over six months away. Planning has been underway for some time. Hotel and banquet arrangements have been finalized, entertainment has been arranged, the Friday night 'Meet 'n Greet' plans are underway, details concerning the Sunday Brunch in Two Mountains are being finalized, a tour of the old 14th Avenue School is in the works, contracts for Reunion souvenirs and memorabilia are being completed - in a nutshell, we are way ahead of schedule as most things are "ready to go"! However, there is one area that is lagging a bit!
One of the reasons for "starting early" on event planning, was to prevent a "last minute" rush as happened in 2005. Numbers this time will be larger than 2005 and any hesitation to reserve attendance or hotel bookings will create unnecessary difficulty for your Reunion Planning Committee who are all unpaid volunteers. What we DO NOT NEED is a last-minute receipt of hundreds of reservation requests and payments. This would also be unfair to those graduates from 1983 and on who are temporarily excluded due to anticipated numbers and capacity limitations. At some point, based on reservation numbers, a final decision will have to be made as to which graduation years will be invited to attend - presently up to 1982 inclusive.
So, we are asking that if you have made a decision to attend but have not yet made and paid for your reservation and have not made a hotel booking (if planning to stay at the Sheraton Laval,) then please do so as soon as possible. Early reservation not only helps create a smooth handling flow for your committee, it also allows us to "pay the bills" on a timely basis - and an event of this magnitude does cost a lot of money as you can well imagine. This is shaping up to be a really memorable 'party'.
So please help us out and make your reservations as soon as possible. The website link is on the left of this page.

Free Kitties
Many of my regular readers have heard about Sargent Starr who runs a audio/video studio in Two Mountains. It looks like he and his better half have had kittens. The problem is that they have to give them away. They are super cute and they even come with a video. If you visit their website (Pledius.org), you will be tempted to take one. I am sure they will go fast, so hurry.

Stephen A. Scully 1930 - 2009
Passed away suddenly but peacefully in Deux-Montagnes on Tuesday October 6, 2009 in his eightieth year. Lovingly remembered by his wife of almost 53 years, Gertrude. Cherished by his daughter Myrna (Paul) and son Stephen(Lucie). He was also the very proud grandfather of Stephen and Patrick. Predeceased by his brother Norman and sister-in-law Denyse. He is survived by his brothers Arnold (Marielle), Paul (Jeannine) and Tom (Irene), as well as many nephews and nieces. He was admired and respected by many friends and members of the fellowship. Always soft-spoken, Guy, as his grandsons affectionately called him, was always ready to lend a helping hand and was a pillar of strength to many. He will be dearly missed by all.

Condolences will be received at the Guay Funeral Home at 146 St-Louis Street in St-Eustache. Visitations will be on Wednesday October 14th from 14:00 to 16:00 and from 19:00 to 21:00 and will continue at 10:00 on Thursday October 15th. A service led by Pastor Fred Greenwood will be held at the funeral home at 11:00 on Thursday the 15th and will followed by a small reception for family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated. To view the obituary online click here. Click here to view or sign the guestbook.

Montreal Google Street View Includes 2mo
Many of you have taken a look at the street view function in Google Maps. If you haven't, it's quite impressive. What's more impressive is that last Wednesday, the entire Montreal area was included AND it includes every street in Two Mountains. The pictures are as clear as ever so for you people that haven't visited 2mo for a while, you can take a virtual tour of your old neighborhood. The Google machine passed this way in May and drove down every street, you might even recognize some people working on their yards. I will make it easy for you by including some links. City hall - Train Station - Grand Moulin Station - Tartan Pub - Legion - Heritage Club - Who's the guy on the right?

Opening of the Multi-sport Park Training Circuit at PDM
On Wednesday, September 30, the 1 kilometre training track was officially opened at the 'Campus'. The track along with its 10 workout stations can now be accessed by the entire community. The project completes phase two of the polyvalente Deux-Montagnes Park which complements phase one's field turf football field. The track is the first of this kind of installation in Quebec and the project was suggested by Murray Mattson after seeing a similar setup in Florida. The exercise stations are designed to use the weight of the user as resistance to avoid the use of weights or springs.
If you saw last week's ladder truck pictures, the track was visible in a few shots. For more details of the inauguration click here.

The 26th Annual Happy Gang Golf Tournament
63 people or 21 teams of brave golfers set out on Sunday September 27 to compete in Ron Kesseler's Annual Golf Event. The weather forecasts looked very grim, which kept a few of the more 'feeble' players away, but in the end, the rain held off and the competition went on. It was a tight race for 1st place as 2 teams came in at -7 and three finished one behind at -6 to claim money for the 5 top places. A shoot-out from 100 yards was held to determine the finishing order and the winner was the team of Paul Goyetche, Bernie Goyetche and Stan Rose, the result of a shot by Stan to within 4 feet of the flag. Second place went to Jamie McKeown, Matt Durant and Danny Kesseler. The highlight shot of the shoot-out was hit by Gary Nixon who clinched third place for his team by putting the ball within an inch of the hole from the 100 yard stick.
The shot of the tournament was the 80 yard hole out for eagle on hole 13 by Mike McCarthy as he used his new Vokey wedge to draw the ball back into the hole. Although the weather was not very conducive for pictures, there a few posted here as well as some video of the shoot-out.
Thanks to Ron for organizing the event and see you all again next year on 26th of September for the 27th edition. Weather wimps need not apply.

Local Support Group Helps To Deal with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
In case you are not aware, there is local organization called Panda that has been addressing issues around ADD and Hyperactivity, known as ADHD. Panda also deals with Adult ADHD which affects 1 in 25 adults in Canada. Here is the link to their website in case you can't read more of the this article. Panda is an acronym for Parents Apt at Negotiating Deficits of Attention. Although originally set up in 1993 at a local French school, all their services are available in English since 1997. The Coordinator of Anglophone services is Lisa Agombar and she can be reached at (514) 713-5353 (514) 713-5353 .

2mo Water Tower Gets Extreme Makeover and Flying High Over 2mo
I am a little late in reporting this, but the eyesore that was the water tower has returned to its previous splendour as you can see on my opening screen. Thanks to Nancy (Snell), who lives near the shadow of the tower, she took a before and after shot of the work. The water tower had deteriorated in the past decade and was a subject of debate on whether is should have been torn down. Thankfully it was saved and is now acting as the proud beacon that can be seen from miles around. In the background picture, you can see what looks like a Cooper's hawk perched on high on the newly painted structure.
Speaking of high, my better half went out on a mission on Wednesday afternoon. Many public safety forces including the the Two Mountains Firefighters, RCMP, Border Control and more were displaying their equipment and services to the students of the PDM (the Campus). Our friend Murray was up there and he called Myrna to see if she was UP to the challenge of taking pictures. After most of the activity with the students was finished, Myrna got the chance to climb the big ladder truck. Under the supervision of lieutenant Bobby Slovick, she made her way to the top to take some pictures of the grounds below. It was a great experience and not one for anyone afraid of heights. Check out the album on my Phanfare. Thanks to Bob for this fantastic opportunity.

Our Golf Game with Ken Connors of The Q
On Sunday September 13, Danny Klimas invited me and Mike McKeown to join him in a game he had purchased in a charity auction for the Generations Foundation. The game was at Quatre Domaines Number 2 course and we played with Ken Connors of The Q (92.5). Ken talked to Donna the next day on air. You can check out the video by clicking here or going to the Latest Golf on top to see the scorecard and the pictures and on air comments.

First Gym Opens in Two Mountains
Two Mountains is now home to a full fledged training center called Gym Tropic. The gym opened on Saturday and although some of the renovations are not quite finished, all the equipment is set up and ready for use. The address is 1640 Oka Road and it is very big as it uses all the space that used to be the video club and the Jun'eau water store that moved across the street. The gym is opened from 6am to midnight on weekdays as well as 8am to 7pm on weekends 365 days a year, so there is no excuse for missing a session. When everything is complete, which should be soon, there will be a hairdresser and massage therapy. One unique feature is a cardio room complete with a home theatre where you can train while watching a show or a movie. Of course there are full shower facilities in case you need to go out to celebrate your fitness routine. There are special prices for students and people over 50 as well as daytime specials for all those people I see in Two Mountains when I have a day off. Also, if you sign up for a year, they will include a full evaluation and design a personal tailored program that can be modified 4 times during the year as you progress and get fitter. If you want an information session you can drop in or call 450-598-3326 450-598-3326 to arrange a time. When I went there on Tuesday night, Patrick one of the co-owners was quite busy at the health bar answering lot of questions and taking on new subscribers. If you want to see some pictures of the equipment click here. For their information flyer, click here.

Ye Olde Orchard Pub Wins 2nd Annual Legion Branch 185 Softball Tournament
On Saturday September 12th, 6 teams fought for the title in the 2nd annual fundraiser for the St-Anne's Hospital Recreational Fund. It was a close one as 4 of the 6 teams had a 2 and 1 record and the winner was decided by run differential. In the end, Ye Olde Orchard came out on top edgeing out, Verdun Branch 4, Morin-Heights Branch 171 and hosts Branch 185. The final amount raised will be calculated shortly but will certainly top last year $3000 as the great weather kept the canteen going string all day as well as the $800 raised in the half and half and the raffle. As special thanks to Mike Neville who worked many hours to get this thing going as well as the several volunteers who made the day special for everyone. For pictures, click here.

Want A Good Laugh?
You don't have to go to far if you live in 2 mo. Two Mountains resident JP Bonnet is the Comedy Broker. Not only is he a great stand up comic that has performed across Canada and is often heard on XM radio, he organizes comedy shows for 'fun' raisers (that's my joke) or any other kind of event. He's been doing this since 1990 and worked a lot with the late great Ernie Butler, his mentor. If you ever need to put on a show, JP can tailor it to your needs and budget. His website is thecomedybroker.ca that you will find in my favorites link page. Speaking of my favorites page, someone else visited the unclaimed property link on my favorites and found over $1000 that they got back from the Revenu Quebec curator. Money and Laughs, what else do you want? OK, Health and fast internet access.

Mrs. Nancy Sawler
Nancy Sawler passed away September 1st at the age of 62. She sadly leaves behind her two daughters, Julie-Lynn (Simon Dussault) and Sylvie Leigh (Guy Amat), her two grandchildren, Justin and Florence, her life companion Ren�all� the father of her daughters, Gilles Tessier (Lucie Pag� her brother and sisters, George, Anna and Roxie, her nephews and nieces as well as other family and friends. The family will receive condolences Saturday September 12 between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Goyer Funeral Home 147 Blvd. Arthur Sauv�n St-Eustache.

Happy Gang Golf Tournament Looking for New Recruits
The 26th annual Happy Gang Golf Tournament (a/k/a The Ron Kesseler Fall Classic) will be held at the Deux-Montagnes Golf Course on Sunday September 27th. The format is a 3-man Vegas (scramble) as 'sixsomes' set out to win cash prizes but mostly have fun. If you are interested in entering either a 3 man team or you like to join and be assigned to a team, please call Ron at 514 654-2831 514 654-2831 or send him an e-mail at ronk@2mopaul.com. The price is a $30 green fee plus $30 that will be collected to redistribute among the lowest scores and also drawn at random. To see pictures of last year's action, click here. Please respond before Wednesday September 9th as the golf course needs to be reserved.