December 2009 - March 2010

Two Mountains Holds Annual Blood Drive
The 2 Mountains annual blood donor clinic, organized jointly by the City and Héma-Quebec. Citizens will be encouraged to donate blood on March 24, four days after the official arrival of spring. It will be held at the Legion, 141 Grand-Moulin Road in Deux-Montagnes, between 1:15 and 7:30 p.m.
The likelihood that a person will need at least one blood transfusion in the course of a lifetime is 60%. To thank donors for their community spirit, City will plant this Spring a tree, symbol of vitality, just as blood can be for those who need it.
“Our goal this year is 100 donors. I am confident that we will easily reach it thanks to our civic-minded citizens. Come in large numbers and celebrate spring with us,” said the Mayor, Marc Lauzon. He concluded by thanking all the volunteers and employees who put their heart and soul into this effort.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Click here for the Pictures
Happy Paddy's day to all the Irish and the pretend Irish. Also happy 50th to Gary Macmillan, 65th to Robert Raymond and 70th to Bart Philpott of Bay Verte Newfoundland. Most parades were already held last Sunday except the big one in New City that is always held on the 17th. If you want to know where and when parades are held worldwide, you can try this website: www.st-patricks-day.com. If you're in the mood for a retro dance with 60's to 80's live music, check out the Heritage club this Saturday (March 20).   

Squidjigger Pictures, Happy 50th Gary Mac and Female Freedom?
OK, I will make it quick. Click here for pictures of Squidjigger at the Tartan and a couple of Gary Macmillan's 'surprise' 50th at the Farsa. You won't recognize the guy in the first two pictures. That guy was also having his 40th surprise party in the room next door but we surprised him by greeting him as he walked in. The look on his face when he didn't know anybody in the room was priceless.
Also, I obviously have to much time on my hands because I was searching for a picture on Google Images and stumbled on a site that will give you women out there the freedom you have wanted for years (or not). It is an actual Canadian product based on the 604 (Vancouver) phone number. Click here for the site femalefreedom.ca.

The Squidjigger Tradition Lives On at the Tartan Pub
David, Peter and Jes, the trio that forms the band Squidjigger, are about to descend on Two Mountains once again in what has become a St-Patrick's time tradition. They will be fiddling, strumming and beating their way back into the Tartan Pub on Saturday March 13 at 9 o'clock. The Tartan has been part of their Annual Green Tour for the last few years and it's always been a great time. Their style is unique and fun so make it a date. Check out their website at www.squidjigger.ca.

10th Annual Drive For The Cure Golf Tournament
Spring has been in the air for quite a while now, so it's time to think about the upcoming golf season. This year on Tuesday June 20th, Dan Klimas will be hosting his 10th edition of this Cancer research charity event. Once again it will take place at the beautiful Fontainebleau Golf Club which should be in top shape as the following week it is hosting a large Champions (Senior) PGA tour event. Although May 1st is the registration deadline, the spots are given out on a first come first served basis, so it is recommended to book soon to avoid disappointment. Last year, over $25,000 was raised for the cause, so let's make this anniversary year a bigger success. For all the details and forms on playing or sponsoring the event, please click here.

The 2 Mountains Restaurant
I have had a couple of people ask me about the welcome picture on my site. The picture is from the late 60's or early 70's. The restaurant was on Oka Road and 8th avenue where the the Asian restaurant is now. It was renovated in the 70's and Tom the shoemaker moved from the side of the building to the basement where the Karaoke bar is now. For people my age, Tom would sharpen our skates before heading to Olympia park. He ended up moving from the basement to his own shop by the Holy Family church (Thanks Louis). The 2 Mountains restaurant closed in the late 1970's (maybe early 80's) if my memory serves me correctly. I remember hanging out there while in high school as it had booths where you could sit for a while. According to Guy F., before the renovation, the 2 Mountains was a regular stop for people leaving the Luna (now Constantin). A small pizza back then would cost $1.24.
If anyone has any more details or stories about the restaurant, drop me an e-mail and I will include them here.
While on the subject of 2 mo history, A few months ago, I posted something about Henri Dunant street which was named after the founder of the Red Cross. I got a message that confirmed that this street was called Caron before it was renamed to its current name (probably in the 50's). Thanks Guy for the info.

We are back!
Many of you may have noticed a little slow down in updates to my site. Once again, it was due to a natural slowdown in 2 mo activity but also because I limited access to the internet and was having a hard time remotely updating. I should be OK for a while now but because of my retirement on January 1st, we had been planning a big trip to celebrate. That we did and we are back. One of the reasons we went away was to avoid the winter which it doesn't look like we did. There is no more snow than when we left. Maybe it was waiting for us to come back but please don't blame us if winter starts now. Anyway, I did keep a journal of our trip and it is available if you click on the earth in 2mopaul.com above. There are also lots of pictures and more videos to come. I will catch up to to update this site in the next few days (or weeks).  

A Message from LTMHS 2010 Reunion Planning Committee
Dear LTM graduate,
If you plan to attend the May 2010 Reunion but have not yet registered and paid, we're asking you to PLEASE do it now!
A deluge of last minute registrations will cause huge processing difficulties for your committee and we really need to know how many are coming to properly plan the event! A large number of alumni have indicated that they plan to attend but still have not registered. We encourage them to do so before it is too late. On March 15th registration invitations will be extended to the post 1982 grads.
To those who have already registered, many thanks and we look forward to seeing you at the Reunion. Get in contact with others you’d like to see there and let them know to register now! Spread the word!
Don't miss out, don’t be disappointed – PLEASE REGISTER NOW – let your Graduation Year know you’ll be there. This will also prompt other classmates to register! The link is on the left.

Sad News - Clarence Potter 1918-2010 (February 5, 2010)

Clary Potter, long time Two Mountains resident passed away today at the age of 91. He had been hospitalized in the last little while. Sincere condolences to the family. Obituary from Montreal Gazette:

POTTER, Clarence 1918 - 2010 Passed away February 5, 2010. In his ninety-second year. Husband of the late Marjorie Hughes, father of Diane and Ronnie, grandfather of Carrie (Phil), Jessie, great grandfather of Aiden, Ethan and Kaitlyn. Predeceased by his brothers Earl and Harold. He will be dearly missed by his sisters Angela Ryan and Anita Stanley and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be on Tuesday, February 9 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m., with Legion service at 8 p.m. at Complexe Funeraire Regional Guay, Reseau Dignite, 146, St-Louis, St-Eustache. There will be a prayer gathering on Wednesday February 10 at 11 a.m. at the parlour and visitation will be as of 10 a.m. The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at the Royal Victoria and St-Eustache hospitals for their caring and special thanks to Kathleen, Rona and Euphemia. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Quebec Cancer Society or the Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated. To sign or view his guest book, please click here.

4Korners Activities Gears Up Their Winter Programs
A Message from Sandy of 4Korners....
My name is Sandra - aka, Sandy, and I am the new Community Liaison for 4korners and as such will be going out into the community of Two Mountains to find out what programs are viable for our English speaking citizens, and which ones we are missing that we can utilize here. |There are a few new programs that we are offering at 4korners that we feel there is a need for in the community.
One is our new Brainwaves Tutoring program for children in grades 5 and 6. We see there is a need for the children as they transition into highschool, the program offers free tutoring for average or below income children by qualified professionals, in any subject needed.
Chatter Box is a nurturing environment for young mothers of preschoolers, where they get together and share information, and enjoy many guest speakers with an array of topics related to child rearing and family issues.
We have a Creative Writing workshop for adults 16 and over. The course is given by a certified creative writer and copywriter. Tuesday evenings from 7:30-8:30 starts January 19th cost is $40.
Tai Chi program for all ages to promote overall health and total body harmony while developing strength and cardio in a relaxing environment.
uesdays 1:00pm-2:00pm starts January 19th 2010.
Part-time daycare service is also available on Mondays from 9:30-1:30pm. Please call to reserve your spot. Cost per hour is $5-1 child, $6-2 children and $7-3 children.
We are always looking for volunteers, if you are interested please call us and we will be happy to set you up in the area that best suits you. We are specifically looking for teachers, people to help make our reassurance calls to our seniors that benefit from an extra sense of security while maintaining their independance, and for many other programs that are offered at 4korners.
For more info, 4Korners has their own website that can be reached here-->  www.4kornerscenter.org

Not much going on in Two Mountains
Since January is a slow month for 2mo, I am taking a little break from updating the website as you may have noticed. Just a reminder that the LTMHS reunion is scheduled for the long weekend in May. Just a note for people around 2 mo, there will probably be a bus not sanctioned by the reunion from a certain pub in Two Mountains. More details will be here at the beginning of March. For now, the reunion committee needs you to buy your tickets in advance, so stop the procrastination. The link is on the left.

Two Funds Raisers This Weekend
Firstly on Saturday (Jan 9th) between 10am and noon the Girl Guides will be collecting bottles and cans on January 9th from 10:00 until 12:00. These funds will help the girls go to camps and help with activities. They will be going door to door throughout Two Mountains, so please keep your bottles and cans after the holidays for them to pick up. If they did not reach your street, we will be happy to pass by your home, just give us a call at 514 710 8391.
On Sunday (Jan 10th) a book sale will be held at the 4Korners. Administered by Brittany Wright and Jessica Paquette, this book sale will help two girls complete an entrepreneurship class and all the proceeds will be given to the Breast Cancer Foundation. 10:00am until 5:00pm.

Birds and a Bunny (Update)
As you noticed on my first screen, I like birds. This year, instead of putting my bird feeders in my backyard, I decided to put them right in front of the living room window as we spend more time there. Also, the squirrels were eating my back deck when the feeders were there. A couple of night ago around 11:00pm I found another creature that seems to like bird seed. A rabbit (or hare as I don't know the difference) sat digging in the snow under the feeder for over one hour. I have seen rabbit around early in the morning but never at midnight. He gave me enough time to take some pictures and with only the street light they came out ok. I put together a montage of the birds on the feeder and you will see the new visitor in the bottom left corner. Click here to see it. You can download it if you want or even set it as your background by right clicking on the picture. If you like birds, you may like this slide show I put together from the feeder to Hawaii. UPDATE - Saturday we got a couple of visits from a Pileated Woodpecker. Pictures are included in the slide show as well as the wallpaper.

Beginning of a Decade - Not
Like the H1N1 pandemic, the Y2K bug and some of the global warming predictions, the media tends to 'enhance' the truth to shock and, in turn, enhance readership. Wasn't it Yogi Bera who said the decade isn't over until a year ends with a 1? Jesus wasn't born in year 0. There was no year 0, Like any child he was 0 for 364 days (because year 1 was not a leap year - lol). So all media that has been doing decade countdowns and best of's, you are a year early.
We are not starting a new decade until next year, although maybe I should start it this year since things are going to change a lot for me. Like not going to work tomorrow. It's finally sinking in that today (Sunday) is just another day and I don't really have to go to bed early tonight. It's a great feeling.
On another subject, my calendar of events is light for January. Other than the Heritage Club this Friday (Karaoke) and Saturday (Western Night), it looks like 2 mo's gone to sleep. I realize that the end of the decade may have worn people out, but let's get things moving folks. I am hearing that the seeds of trying to revive the famous Tri-Dance for the end of February are been planted. Not sure if you can still buy a wineskin (younger folks, ask your parents what that is) but I am sure we can figure out another mode of transportation for our favorite libation. So far though, it looks like Two Mountains has become a hyber nation. So if you know of any activity that is going on in the next month, make sure to give me the details and I will gladly post it in the calendar. 

WDNL Mixed Dart Night
The tradition continues as the Wednesday Night Dart League will have its between Christmas and New Year Mixed Dart night. This year it falls on a Wednesday again and will take place on December 30th and start at 7:00ish. Everyone is welcome. Of course, it takes place at the Tartan Pub.
Congrats to winners Terry and Gail and runners up Brian and Becky. Click here for a few pictures.  

The Day Has Arrived!

As you can see from the pictures above, today was special day in my life. For those not familiar with the story, our company announced a voluntary retirement package for anyone that was 52.5 years old as of June 30, 2009. The above sequence of pictures show me signing the papers to accept the offer in July (which meant a departure date anywhere from August 2009 to December 2010). In my office in December, the 'release' papers were signed to officialize my December 31 2009 departure. On the top right, minutes before my countdown timer hit zero. When Nicole gave this timer almost 5 years ago, I think it had over 2000 days left on it. It was hidden from many people in a cabinet for most of that time but it surfaced on October 8th when I was informed of my 'real' departure date. This was my last day at the office, however technically I am on call for any disaster. I drop the ball when the ball drops in Time Square. It's been a ride and I hope the next ride is a long one. WhooHoo!

A Message From Ken and Berniece Ramsay

Our Time Has Come!
Berniece and I would like to say goodbye to all our friends in and around our little town who we cannot get around to see in the next few days. We are leaving Two Mountains on the 27th of December and moving east to Nova Scotia . We brought up our 3 boys here and would recommend it to anyone as this is a great town to live in, but alas, our grandchildren are calling us. Thanks to everyone in this community that have crossed our paths.
Goodbye and good luck, Ken and Berniece! You have been involved with many things in our town and we will miss you dearly. If you would like to send Ken and Berniece your wishes, I have set up an e-mail address for them.
kenberniece@2mopaul.com. if clicking on this link does not work, copy and paste this kenberniece@2mopaul.com in your address field.

Click here for Pictures of Garold's Surprise Birthday Party

Use the LTHC Link on Left for Pictures

Tiger Goes 5th in Sonny's Golf Pool and 7th In Gary's
SInce the news about Tiger has come out, there has been a lot of discussion not the least is whether he should be part of the annual golf pools. The Andrew's pool was drawn before the Tiger's run with the iron, so the number one pick was already done. In both other pools, there was a vote to see if he should be part of the proceedings. In my opinion, Tiger will be taking at least a year leave of absence from the tour, so he's not a good bet. Tiger has deceived all of his fans with a life that has proven to be a complete lie, so for him to face his fans not to speak of the ABT fans (Anyone But Tiger) people out there, will take him a while. As much as he wants to beat golf records (and taking a stab at Wilt Chamberlain's), coming back on the tour will be very difficult for him. Al that to say is that instead of going first in the golf pool drafts, a few teams have gambled their first round picks on Tiger. I would not have. To see the draw in both drafts as well as pictures of the proceedings, click here.

4Korners Offers H1N1 Vaccination Clinic
If you or anyone you know have not yet been vaccinated against H1N1, 4 Korners will operate a clinic on Wednesday, December 16, between 12 noon and 2 pm. There will be 5 nurses from the CLSC on hand, so the whole process should move quite quickly. In case you didn't know, 4 Korners is now situated at 1906 Oka Road (which is on one of the 4 corners of 20th and Oka).

Olympic Torch Passes Through Two Mountains
The precision timing didn't go off as planned but as the flame was a few minutes late but that just added to the anticipation. It was a historic day in Two Mountains as the Olympic Torch whisked it way down Oka road. Just after the relay on 14th a big gust of wind blew it out but it was quickly relit from the backup flame in the truck. It was a beautiful but windy day as you will see in the pictures. Yesterday fell  5cms of snow that made for a natural barricade for the people lining the streets. All the schools were out to cheer the flame and sing O Canada as it passed. Thanks to the organizing committee for including our city us in the relay. Click here for picture and a 3 minute video. Russell Hughes has posted a video on YouTube as the torch was followed from Caf�ola to the city hall. You see the 3 exchanges as well as the torch going out right after the first exchange. Click here for that video.

Pictures and a Video of the Santa Claus Parade

Two Mountains Calendar Contest
This year, I submitted 3 pictures to the City for the theme the 4 seasons of Two Mountains. One of my pictures was chosen for the month of March. You see below an excerpt from the Dec/Jan edition of the Express that announced the 12 winners. The picture in the middle is mine and you can click on it to see it bigger. I guess getting up for a sunrise on a chilly March morning after a freezing rain was worth it. Congratulations to the 11 other winners.

Santa Claus and the Olympic Torch
Two different subjects - Two Different days - First the 40th Annual Two Mountains Santa Claus parade will start at the corner of 20th and Oka Road at 1:00pm on Sunday December 6th. I believe it then goes north on 15th avenue to Henri Dunant and across to 9th avenue then to St Agapit Church. Don't forget that the Optimist Club float will be collecting new and used toys for the less fortunate. The reason that the name Henri Dunant is a link above is that I don't think many people know who this person is. I am not sure why a street in Two Mountains was named after him as he died 99 years ago but nevertheless he was probably a great man. Click on the link to find out who he was and anyone knows why we named one of our streets after him, drop me an e-mail with the explanation. Parade pictures should be posted by late afternoon on Sunday.
The Olympic Torch will be in Two Mountains 4 days after that and here are the up-to-date details. The timing of the passing of the torch is very precise as it is on a tight schedule and on December 10th it has to end up in Old Montreal for big celebration. If you can't see it in Two Mountains, I will have pictures posted on my website by the afternoon so you can see what you missed. I deemed it a worthy enough day to use up one of my last days of vacation. Here are the details: (an Interactive map is available here)
The route is simple (as shown below) as the torch is arriving from Ste-Marthe-sur-le-lac. It will travel along Oka road with a 2 to 3 minute stop at city hall for pictures at 9:54am. The Mayor and his counsel will be on hand as well as Dani� Sauvageau, coach of the Canadian Women's Hockey who won gold at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Children from the local schools will be onlookers from the IGA parking lot.   

 Leave Tiger and Elin Alone - OK, one more shot here.

Click here for Grey Cup Celebration Pictures

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