Archive August 2021 - December 2022
Click here for a video of a past tournament.
It's Official. LTMHS Class of 73, 50 Year Reunion is ON!
The feedback so far has been great and it was decided to go forward with the milestone reunion. June 23rd and 24th has been chosen with other details to follow. Due to capacity limitations at the chosen venue, the Heritage Social Club, for now we are restricting attendance to the class of 73. After April 1st, we may have limited space to accommodate our neighbours from the Class of 72 and 74. If you are interested in attending and receiving updates through emails, please send an email to ltm73@2mopaul.com. You can also check the official website of the reunion at anytime using the link on the left of the page. Looking forward to seeing everyone again. Click the image on the right for a teaser video.
Santa Claus Parade Video
I was commissioned by the
city to take video of their first attempt at
putting on the Santa Claus parade after 51 years of it being run by a slew of
volunteers. It was different this year as our last-standing Santa wasn't there
to greet us. Nevertheless, it was a success as many people turned out with the
weather cooperating. The video is on the City's YouTube channel.
Click here to view
it.
Donna
Gautreau - January 29, 1939 – December 7, 2022
It is with great sadness, we announce the passing of Donna Gautreau Nelson on
Wednesday, December 7 at 1 p.m., after recently suffering multiple strokes. She
was a fighter to the end. Mother of Vicky and Terry (Michael), brothers Jerry
(Cheryl), Monty and Joseph (Karen) and her sisters Marilyn and Sharon, as well
as many nieces and nephews and many, many dear friends.
She was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, moved to Montreal in the late fifties
and then enjoyed her retirement life in Two Mountains in the eighties.
Donna kept very active throughout her life but thrived in her retirement years.
She was involved with the Catholic Women's League, Women's Time-out, Crown
Jewels, Laval Teacher's Union, the Destin Florida gang, Sélection Deux Montagnes,
Petanque, Beanball baseball, walking group, French class (yes at 82 she decided
to learn French) . She helped friends with their tablets, loved her Sunday
picnics, BBQs and sitting by the fire with friends with a “few good bottles of
wine”.
Funeral services will be held at: Guay Funeral Homes, 146 Rue Saint-Louis,
Saint-Eustache, QC, on Thursday, December 15, from 1 PM to 3 PM. A ceremony will
be held at 3PM in the chapel.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the charity of your choice.
Click here for her online obituary.
Deux-Montagnes Santa Claus Parade
The
City
of Deux-Montagnes is pleased to announce that the Santa Claus parade will take
place in its streets on Sunday, December 4. The procession will set off at 1
p.m. on 20th Avenue towards Oka Road.
Young and old alike are invited to attend this enchanting event, marking the
start of the holiday season. Children’s eyes will sparkle at the sight of
magnificent allegorical floats, emergency vehicles, mascots and magical
characters. Everyone will be amazed by the public entertainers, the performances
of many community organizations and by other surprises along the way! The
enchantment will be at its peak when Santa Claus, accompanied by Mrs. Claus,
passes by before they return to the North Pole.
THE ROUTE
- Santa will take 20th Avenue and Oka Road to Grand-Moulin.
TOY COLLECTION
-The organization La Libellule will collect used toys (still in good condition)
during the parade with their identified truck. Plush and stuffed
animals are not accepted. It’s a good
time to donate the toys your children no longer play with. They’ll make other
kids happy for the holidays! A drop-off point is also accessible under the
gazebo near the town hall.
LETTERS TO SANTA
- Canada Post will take part in the parade and will pick up the children’s
letters and send them to the North Pole. Children are invited to prepare their
wish letter and bring it on December 4!
GUIGNOLÉE – FOOD DRIVE
- Starting at 1 p.m. and during the parade, the Dépannage Saint-Agapit
organization will collect non-perishable food under the gazebo near City Hall
(803, chemin d’Oka).
Halina
Jancewicz (née Staszewska) - 1928 - 2022
In Deux-Montagnes, on November 24, 2022, at the
age of 94, passed away Mrs. Halina Staszewska, wife of the late Albert Jancewicz.
Predeceased by her late daughters Elizabeth and the late Marie (Aldo), she is
survived by her children Josée (Louis), Irena (Danny), Annette (Alain) and Janek
(Ruby), her eleven grandchildren, her eight great-grandchildren, nephews and
nieces, as well as other relatives and friends.
The family will receive your condolences on Sunday, December 4 from 11 a.m. to 2
p.m. at:
Goyer Funeral Complex Ltd.
147, boul. Arthur Sauve, Saint-Eustache 450-473-5934
A liturgy of the word will be celebrated this same Sunday at 2 p.m. in the
chapel of the complex.
Click here to view her online obituary.
Marcelline
(Marcey) Gardner (Patterson) - 1934 - 2022
Marcelline (Marcey) Gardner
(Patterson), born on January 16, 1934 passed away peacefully on November 23rd at
88 years old after a long struggle with kidney disease.
She leaves to mourn her 3 children Michael (Angie), Debbie (Randy) and Lynne
(Rick). Her brothers Louis, Billy (Geraldine) and her sister Annette (Don). Her
grandchildren Tammy (Todd), Julie (Tony), Dave (Kayla), Jeff, Amanda (Eric),
Steven (Rose) and Brandon (Emilie) and her great grandchildren Evelyn, Mikhiel &
Jade along with many nieces and nephews.
Marcey was an entrepreneur owning and operating three woman's clothing
boutiques. She loved cooking. She loved to paint, she also loved gardening. Her
favourite song was Unforgettable. She had a contagious laugh and was always
welcoming. She will be sadly missed.
The family will receive condolences at Les Salons Funéraires Guay, 146 Rue
St-Louis in St-Eustache on Monday, November 28th, 2022 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The ceremony will be held the same day at 7 p.m. in the
funeral home chapel.
The ceremony will also be available via
this link.
Please
click here to view her online obituary.
In lieu of flowers, donation to the Kidney Foundation would be appreciated.
The
Food Basket Drive in Deux-Montagnes - A Matter of the Heart
As in the past two years, there will be no door-to-door food drive this year. However, there will be a Food Drive with drop-off point on November 19, 2022 at the Maison des Citoyens, as well as at the Olympia Arena on 20th Avenue, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., where you will then be able to bring your food and your cash donations. If it is impossible for you to come on November 19, you can bring non-perishable food to the Deux-Montagnes library and to the citizens' center during their opening hours.
The Christmas baskets will be made up of non-perishable food and gift cards, we ask our donors to give us donations of cash, non-perishable food and grocery gift cards. Note that all the funds collected are entirely used to help families and less fortunate single people in Deux-Montagnes. Dépannage St-Agapit appeals to your generosity. Let's remember that people from our community, adults and children, rely on our generosity to have a good holiday season.
You can visit their website here to make a donation. For all donations $10 or above we can issue a tax receipt.
John
Alexander Cowan - September 23, 1945 – November 5, 2022
John Cowan, (77) passed away peacefully on November 5th, 2022, surrounded by his family. John spent much of his life in Two Mountains, Québec, a place he truly loved. He worked as a tinsmith for many years and enjoyed woodworking, golfing and travelling. He was a strong, kind, loving, and supportive father. He will be dearly missed by all that knew him and always remembered.
John was predeceased by his beloved wife, Sue. He is survived by his children (Teresa, Lorraine and Gary), his grandchildren (Rio, Ciara, Sinéad and Yvi), his great grand-children (Lachlan and Arwen) and his girlfriend, Grace.
A visitation for John will be held on Friday, November 11, 2022 from 1 - 2 p.m. at the Thompson Funeral Home, 530 Industrial Parkway South, Aurora, ON L4G6W8, followed by a Celebration of Life at 2 p.m. with a reception to follow. Please dress in whatever colour you feel comfortable wearing. in lieu of flowers, contributions in John's memory may be made to Heart and Stroke Foundation, www.heartandstroke.ca
Fond memories and expressions
of sympathy may be shared
here for the Cowan family.
Brenda
Dunne - December 19, 1955 - October 12, 2022
With heavy hearts, we announce the peaceful
passing of Brenda at the age of 66, on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, due to
complications arising from cancer. She is lovingly remembered by her husband,
Arne Alfheim, her siblings Tom (Lia), twin sister, Debbie (Barry), Jim and John,
and their families. She was a devoted aunt, sister-in-law, cousin, friend and
niece to Aunt Gertrude. Predeceased by her parents, John Dunne and Kathleen
McDonough.
Cremation has been entrusted to F. Aubry & Fils Funeral Home in Hudson.
Respecting Brenda's wishes, we will hold a celebration of life so that we may all come together, comfort each other, share some stories and all the joy of Brenda's life, which is her legacy to us. This will be held on November 5, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the reception hall of St. James Anglican Church, 642 Rue Main, Hudson, QC J0P 1J0.
To view her online obituary, please click here.
While On the Subject of LTM....Possible 50 Year Reunion for the Class of 73
Yes. You read correctly. We are putting feelers out to see if there is interest in holding a 50 year anniversary reunion. Of course, it won't be the smashing success of the 25-year 1998 reunion and probably a little tamer. Check out the save the date video here. If you are interested in being on the mailing list, please send an email to ltm73@2mopaul.com. Once we get a substantial mailing list, we will send out a questionnaire to get the 'lay of the land'.
This
Year's LTM Bursaries Go To ....
On Friday October 21st, LTMHS, my alma mater, held its graduation ceremonies for the class of 2022. After a COVID hiatus, I once again was able to award two bursaries to worthy recipients. The $500 bursary for Visual Arts and Multi-Media was given to Anouk Doe while the 2mopaul.com Music $250 bursary went to Antonio Maraventano.
Since its inception in 2013, the $500 prize has been awarded 8 times. The Music bursary was created in 2016 as fundraising for the initial bursary was going so well. This purse has been given out 6 times including a $500 music prize last year awarded after the official graduation ceremonies.
I am no longer fundraising for these awards but there is still enough money in the coffers for another few years. If you would like to see past recipients, there is a permanent link on the top right of this page and a tally of the funds raised and given out.
In case you are wondering how
this all started, in 2013 there was a night held for me at the Heritage Club.
Someone had the idea to start a scholarship fund on my behalf. $730 was raised
that evening. Through the years, people kept giving money and some things I
could auction off to raise more funds. In the end, over $8,000 was raised and to
date $5,750 has been awarded.
New
Clubs and a Hole in One
On Friday September 23rd, I was playing golf with new clubs that I had received on Thursday. I played Thursday afternoon with them and I liked them. On Fridays, I play in a small group of 20 to 24 players. Fridays are also crossover days so half of the golfers start on the 10th hole. That was the case for us, so when I got to the 17th hole (our 8th hole), it was quite windy. Normally, I would have clubbed down to compensate for the head wind but my new clubs seemed to be hitting the ball further. I used my 6 iron, to carry the ball over the bunkers and the ball bounced once and rolled close to the hole. I stopped looking at it before it disappeared being content that I had made it to the green. My playing partner said it had gone in but I wasn't convinced until I went to look for it in the hole.
It was my 3rd Hole-In-One. The first one was at Glendale in 1998 but I couldn't really brag about it since I was playing in the morning before coming in late for work. I had one last year on the 13th hole at Rosemere but I was playing with 3 member I didn't really know and it started to rain on the 15th hole and they all stopped playing.
Part of our membership includes hole-in-one insurance as the tradition that a golfer who aces a hole must pay the round at the bar after his round. At our club, the insurance covers drinks for your foursome and other people in the bar. They were happy that I got my hole-in-one.
50th + 2 - St-Pierre D'Oka
Reunion This Weekend (Friday September 16 - To Sunday September 18)
Former students of St. Pierre D’Oka 1970 are reuniting, after a two year lapse due to COVID, to reconnect after over a half century and celebrate the successes and accomplishments of our friends and classmates. Unique was the location, turbulent were the times, bilingualism was encouraged, cultures were merged, music was like no other in time. We were there, we’re back.
There is still a chance to join in the festivities which will be happening at the Heritage Social Club at 503 Cedar Avenue in Two-Mountains on Friday and Saturday.
If you need more information, you can contact the Saint-Pierre D'Oka High School Reunion committee at 250-608-1090.
Pierre Laparé - 1941-2022
From Deux-Montagnes, on August 14, 2022, at the
age of 81, passed away Mr. Pierre Laparé, former municipal councillor of
Deux-Montagnes and husband of Mrs. Suzanne Laberge.
Besides his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Chantal (Alain) and France
(Michel), his 2 grandchildren, Tania (Simon) and Kevin (Kariane), as well as his
2 great-grandchildren, Jayden and Eliam, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law,
sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces and other relatives and friends.
Well, there it is! My journey here is over! I have joined those I love and
will wait for those I love! Thanks for sharing my journey!
The family will receive your condolences on Saturday, September 3rd from 10 a.m.
to 12 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at: Goyer Funeral Complex, 147 boul.
Arthur Sauve, Saint-Eustache. A service will be celebrated at 5 p.m. in the
chapel of the complex.
Your expressions of sympathy can translate into donations to Maison Sercan in Saint-Eustache.
Click here for a link to his obituary. Click here for an article in the French local paper of when he retired in 2020 after 62 years of barbering.
38th Annual Happy Gang Golf Tournament At A New Venue
Since the closure of the Deux-Montagnes golf course, Glendale Golf Club has
hosted the annual Happy Gang Tournament. The revival of golf (due to COVID), has
increased membership at Glendale to the point that we are no longer welcome as a
large group on a Sunday. Fortunately, we have been welcomed at the Oka Golf
Course for a 10am shotgun on
Sunday September 18th, 2022.
This course is in fantastic shape and we will have it to ourselves, so there
won't be any members following us, complaining about slow play. The price this
year is $60 which includes golf, cart and a $20 prize 'pot'. This is a limited
number of carts at Oka so the carts will be prioritized for those with health
issues. If you would like to walk, the 9 hole course is an easy stroll and you
will save $15 from the entry fee.
Everyone is welcome and the format is as always 3 person best ball
(Vegas/Scramble), 2 teams per hole. You can make your own team of 3 or if you
are looking for a team, Ron can make the arrangements. It's a 10am shotgun but
you are asked to arrive between 9:00 and 9:30. All the money from the $20 'pot' will be returned to the players with the majority given
out in a random draw so any team can be a big winner.
There is a maximum of 72 players so hurry up and register
by contacting Ron at this email ronk@2mopaul.com.
Forever Young Theatre Needs You!!!
If you are looking to cultivate a new passion while having fun, why not consider Senior Theatre? It's an activity that exercises both body and mind, promotes creativity and encourages camaraderie. Even if you've never set foot on a stage before, there is a place for you.
The Forever Young Theatre Group is looking for actors, singers, technicians and playwrights to perform one-act plays and sing-along musicals. What is Senior Theatre? In Senior Theatre, people over 55 perform, direct or work backstage, using material that reflects their experiences of being older. Participants bring a love of the art form.
Rehearsals are on Mondays from 9:00 to 12:00, starting on Aug. 29th, at the Heritage Social Club, 503 Cedar Ave. Deux-Montagnes. For more information, contact Heather Tremblay at 450-472-8927 or heathertremblay12@gmail.com. Click here for all the info.
Forever Young Theatre turned 10 years old during the Pandemic. Here is a short recap of the shows they performed during those 10 years.
Christine Frances Simpson 1935 - 2022
It is with profound sadness
that we say goodbye to our mother, Christine Frances (McHugh) Simpson of
Antigonish on July 14th, age 86. Born in Montreal, she was a daughter of the
late Francis and Ann (Hurst) McHugh. Christine was the ultimate Mom,
Mother-in-law, and Grammy. She was always interested in everything to do with
her family and loved getting everyone together for birthdays and holidays; she
made sure all these occasions were so very special for everyone for many years.
Christine lived in Two-Mountains from 1945 to 1977 and made banking her career
choice. She worked for BMO in Montreal until moving to Guysborough where she
worked for RBC there and then in Halifax until she retired in 1995. In
retirement, she and her husband Mervyn spent many fun filled years at their
place in Florida. They loved travelling all around the US in their camper and
enjoyed an exciting trip of a lifetime to Alaska. Christine is sadly missed by
her husband, Mervyn; sons, Rick (Marilyn), Steve (Ann) and Mike (Karen); her
grandchildren, Matthew, Victoria, and Izak; and great grandchild Aislyn.
She was predeceased by her only sibling, Joyce Ann McHugh. The family would like
to extend appreciation to the caring doctors and nurses at St. Martha’s Hospital
and the staff at the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home. Cremation has taken place; a
private family celebration of life will take place at a later date.
Here is a link to here online obituary where you send a condolence.
Let Me Have A Wordle With You
The Wordle craze is still going as today's Wordle is the 388th since its
inception. If you don't know
what
Wordle is then stop reading this unless you want to find out. If you are
familiar with the game Mastermind, Wordle is that game but instead of coloured
pegs, it uses a five letter word that you have to guess. A Welsh software
engineer, Josh Wardle, invented the game. If you want the whole story about how
it came along and how the New York Times bought it from its developer for a 7
figure undisclosed amount here is the
Wikipedia link.
There have been many clones of the game, some offering unlimited play and more
than 5 letter words, but the beauty of the original Wordle is that there is only
one word a day, so as addictive as it can be, the most time you should spend on
it is 5 minutes.
There are a lot of strategies on the best first word to use but I find that starting with the same word every day is boring and it takes some of the game play away. I try to use a different word every day to start. Today I got lucky for the 10th time and guessed the word in 2 tries but as you can see in the graphic, I mostly guess in 4 tries. I have missed completely 3 times, hence my 98% win percentage. Since late April, I have also tried to take screen shots of my attempts. I have them posted in an album that is online at this link. Spoiler Alert! Today's word (July 12th) is there so don't look unless you've already played. Although, I said I try to use a different starting word every day, I see that I have used to same word a few times. For example, for some strange reason have used the word TOWER 3 times with not much success. If you do start playing this daily habit, I have a suggestion. In the settings (the gear thing on the top right), choose Hard Mode. This will prevent you from not using a letter you already know is in the solution. That way you won't waste an attempt. If you do get addicted to this game, don't blame me for wasting 5 minutes of your day. Oh yes, here is the link to game. Wordle.
Our Electric Vehicle After 2
Years and 30,000 Kilometres
In June 2020, we entered the world of the fully electric
automobile. I had done a little bit of research into electric vehicles but I
seemed to do a lot more after buying our 2020 Nissan Leaf (SL Plus edition).
Back then, only 3 months into the pandemic, gas was barely $1 a litre, so the
incentive to go electric wasn't really a factor in our purchase. From the first
drive, I was sold on the technology. Now, 2 years later, I have plans to retire
our my (ICE) Toyota Camry (ICE - Internal Combustion Engine) and have ordered a
second EV back in February to be delivered some time in 2023.
Technically, the Leaf is my spouse's car, but anytime we go out, it's our first choice. On Monday, I had to fill up my Camry as you can see in the picture on the right. I fit 54.6 litres in my 55 litre tank for a whopping $110. It hurt, but the last time I had put gas in the car was November 19th, almost 8 months earlier. The only time we use the gas car is when we need two cars at the same time and my hockey equipment is forbidden in the Leaf.
There are a lot of articles, many backed by the gas and oil industry that put doubt in the advantage of driving full electric vehicles. They mention overloading the electric grid a lot. That is not a problem in Quebec and with our low electricity rates, running an EV is almost a no brainer if you can afford the initial cost of purchase. For 30k kms, our Leaf has used around 5450 kilowatt hours. Since 99% of charging is done at home (except for 2 roads trips) that translates to about $654 at our current 12¢ per kw. Had we done that distance in the Camry which is pretty good on gas would currently cost us around $4200. That is calculated at $2 a litre but if we ever get back to $1.25/litre that would still be $2600. Of course, saving $1500 a year doesn't pay the extra cost of buying an EV but driving right by gas stations displaying at $2.25/litre is priceless. Also if you are into the environment, those 30,000 electric kilometres have saved the air from 6000 kilograms of CO2 emissions. I am not sure what that means but it can't be a bad thing. I can't wait to get my own EV instead of 'borrowing' the Leaf. Someone else can't wait for me to get my own.
Two Mountains' Canada Day
Celebration Sets Attendance Record
According to popular opinion, a record number of people
turned up for last Friday's Canada Day event. The music was excellent. The
fireworks were great. The weather was perfect. There was a lot of activities for
every age from bouncy houses, to escape game, to Horseshoe Tournament to bingo
and much more. The food and beverages was also good even if the wait was a bit
long. The train rides were as popular as usual and this year, along with the
usual races for the kids, there was an obstacle course race that was also
popular. Many people also enjoyed the vintage car exhibition that was on display
on the 15th avenue field. All in all it was a great day and a relief from being
caged in for the past 2 years.
This year, there was no parade from the Legion to Central Park, so all activity was at the park. Albert Allen, long time volunteer for many Two-Mountains organizations was honorary president of the day. A video will be available shortly but for now there are pictures at this link along with pictures of past Canada Days. Video below.
The
Drive For the Cure Raises Record Amount
The 21st edition of the Dan Klimas' Drive For the Cure was another success at the Rosemère Fontainebleau golf club on Tuesday June 28th. All proceeds of the tournament go to Cancer research at the MUHC Foundation. This year, a record amount was raised. From its grass roots beginnings in 1999, this golf event has raised over 1 million dollars for the cause. To find out how much this year's total, click on the video on the right. To find out more about this event, there is a link to an informative video at the end of this short summary.
St-Pierre D'Oka Reunion Class of 1970 Reunion Finally Happening
After a 2 year delay due to the pandemic, the reunion is on and is open to a little more people than the class of 1970. The reunion is happening on the weekend of September 16th to 18th, 2022. Take a look at the video below for more information.
Meals On Wheels Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary
On Thursday June 16th at the Vieux Duluth in St-Eustache, a lunch was held to mark a major milestone for Meals On Wheels 'Deux-Montagnes chapter'. For the last 50 years, volunteers have cooked and delivered countless meals to people in need. In a typical year, the group prepares over 2000 meals, delivered twice weekly except during the summer break. This is made possible with the commitment of a host of people performing various activities. The coordinated effort involves 20 cooks, 30 drivers/runners and 5 admin people. Teamwork at its best.
Approximately 30 customers order balanced and healthy meals priced at $5.00, a cost that the organization is trying to maintain despite current food prices. If you are interested in becoming a member of this dynamic group, just drop me an email at paul@2mopaul.com and I will send your coordinates to the proper channel.
Congratulations and thank you for your valuable contribution to our community. Click here for pictures of the lunch.
Michael
Irish - September 19, 1955 - May 20, 2022
Former Two-Mountains resident, Michael Irish passed away on May 20th, 2022.
You might remember Michael as a great hardball pitcher. The picture to the right appeared in the Victory in September 1971, a month before Michael's 16th birthday in the intercity Midget league.
He leaves in mourning his sister Patricia and his brothers Graham, Brian and Danny.
Michael was the son the Bill and Shirley Irish. Bill Irish was a major force in the Lake Youth Sports Association (LYSA) that organized minor league sports for years in Two-Mountains in the 50's to the 70's.
Rest in Peace, Michael
Agapé Garage Sale
Agapé is having a garage sale
on Saturday June 11th 2022 from 9.30am to 3.00pm. The sale is in the parking lot
of the Community Centre at 202 Henri Dunant.
Table rental 25.00. The proceeds will go to help the needy of Deux-Montagnes
Renting A Car? - Beware
Anyone who has rented a car lately has probably noticed quite a steep increase
in the price of renting a car. For example, I searched for a car rental in P.E.I.
for 5 days in July. The price for a regular full-size car was over $1,800 NOT
including coverage or an extra driver. That price didn't make sense so we
decided that we would drive there. It would be easier to get the golf bags there
instead of checking them on the flight. I didn't want to put too much mileage on
my car since I will be selling it whenever I get a car that I ordered in
February (that I may receive in April of 2023 but that's another story).
So we decided to rent a car from Laval, the same place we rented for our Texas
road trip. A month ago, I reserved the car and got a confirmed price of $390.29
which included $72 for a second driver. This was for 6 days since the drive
there and back would add an extra day. We decided not to rent a car as someone
in our group said we could use his car. So today, I went to the Avis site and
cancelled my reservation. To my surprise, the price had changed and I had not
been advised. The price now was a whopping $954.69 for the exact same
reservation. I didn't think that they could do this and I won't put up a fight
since it is now cancelled. Just a word of warning; if you think you have locked
in a price on a future car rental check it again to make sure the price hasn't
almost tripled.
A
Guy Lafleur Story
A common thread of people that have met the late Habs legend Guy Lafleur is the fact that he would always take time to talk to his fans. He would never hesitate to sign autographs or have his picture taken with anyone that asked. Below is a story from Bob Hodge (and Albert Allen) who met Guy in 2017, a day they will never forget.
Albert and I had the pleasure of attending a Montreal Canadiens alumni game in Quebec City back in 2017 and spent a couple of hours with Guy. We spoke with him on the train there and back as well as in the station. After the game (he was the coach that day), he was a little hungry so we shared a bag of chips and we talked about many different things including some of his so-so business deals over his career. We found him to be a true ambassador and a down-to-earth gentleman. We thanked him for the many thrilling moments and memories he had given us over the years.
This is one of many encounters that countless people have shared with Guy Lafleur. On the ice he was bigger than life. Off the ice, he was just a normal guy with a heart of gold and always gave time to his appreciative fans.
Our Ailing and Failing Health Care System (their new motto: Heal thyself!)
Long story, short (except for the hospital part): On Monday, I decided that the Christmas lights in the apple tree we due to come down. The step ladder fell over, I grabbed a tree branch and came down gingerly...except for a slight tear in my left index finger. Amazingly, the bleeding was minimal but the tear in the skin looked like it would require 2 or 3 stitches which was confirmed in triage at the St-Eustache hospital. For chronological purposes, this happened around 11:30am. So I drove to the hospital thinking this could be resolved in a timely manner. When I got to the emergency (around 12:15) there was only a handful people there. I took a number, and was registered within minutes. Within another few minutes, they called my name to go to triage. In case you are not familiar with this procedure, you are lucky to have never gone to an emergency room and have never watched M*A*S*H. Skip to the next paragraph if you do not need the mansplaining of triage. Triage is from the French word for sorting. Someone with some kind of medical background, does a quick check-up of your ailment then depending on how serious your case is, they will assign you a priority number from 1 to 5. 5 being the least urgent. I recommend you ask what number they have assigned you. If they say 5, go home, take a Tylenol and rest. By the time you would see a doctor, you will have caught something worse from someone in the waiting room.
Anyway my triage nurse was very nice, confirmed that my cut should be stitched and bandaged me up and told me that it could be a while. Knowing that she assigned me as a priority 4, she knew it would take a while so she even tried to book a 6pm appointment at a Mirabel clinic. The problem was that they only take patients that have their family doctor registered there. So my only option was to wait there and wait is what I did. As I sat there, seeing my phone battery going down and hearing my earbud batteries die, the waiting room was filling up to capacity. By 5pm, (4 hours after triage) I still had not been seen, so I told them that I was leaving. The woman at registration desk said that I should stick it out because I was close to been processed. Then there was a code blue in ER and more people were coming into waiting room. By 7pm, I still wasn't being called and when I went to ask why I hadn't been called yet, the same woman told me to go out to have supper and to take my time because there were now priority 2's in front of me.
On my way to the restaurant across the street, I when into the pharmacy to see if maybe they had a non stitching solution to closing a cut. The pharmacist suggested that I go to Hawkesbury as their Emergency department was very efficient and her sister had gone there for something and she was in and out in a flash. I had already considered that earlier in the afternoon knowing how long it could take here. So that was now the plan after wasting away for 7 hours in the waiting room. I called home, and told my wonderful wife that I was off to Hawkesbury to test out the OHIP system. Since I hadn't had lunch or supper, she prepared an on the road snack and she accompanied me on my quest to get healed. Fortunately, the electric car had plenty of juice so we arrived at the ER around 8:40pm even with the GPS taking us to the back of the hospital instead of the entrance. The HGH (Hawkesbury General Hospital) is quite impressive for a small town but it does serve a large area including disgruntle Quebecers since it accepts the RAMQ card without hassle.
Here, however, is when the story doesn't get any better. What is nice about the ER at Hawkesbury is that the waiting room can be seen from the metered parking area. What wasn't nice that night was that it looked full. I registered with the nice lady behind the glass which took way less time than St-Eustache since you don't have to take a number just to register. She did tell me that it wasn't looking good too get seen fast but set me up for triage. I waited for triage since I had not seen my cut since it was bandaged over 8 hours earlier and I wanted them to see it and maybe they would say it didn't require stitches. It was getting close to the 12 hour window for stitching anyway. The only problem, is that two 'real' emergency cases were being processed, so after over 30 minutes of waiting for triage at this hospital, I had had enough. I withdrew from there and went to a Shopper's Drug Mart nearby for get bandages that act like stitches. Of course, the pharmacist there would tell us that because of supply chain issues they had none left but he did offer solutions (which included a saline solution). According to Google, there was a Wal-Mart Super Store nearby closing in 20 minutes. They had a better selection of bandages but by this time it didn't really matter as my wound was healed. Not really, but by the time we got home, almost 12 hours after the initial incident, I was bandaged up and all is well...except for our health-care system.
As an aside, thankfully, the last time I had to use the services of the St-Eustache hospital was about 25 years ago. We were having a few beers at the Patriotes Brasserie after our touch football on a Saturday. I was shucking Oysters and stabbed my hand with the rusty oyster knife (same hand, middle finger). I put down my beer, went to the ER. They put in 3 stitches. Gave me a Tetanus shot. I was back in the brasserie with my beer still cold on the table where I had left it. Doesn't say much for me, but some people didn't even know I had left. Those were the days...
Peter
Svendsen August 12, 1946 – April 14, 2022
Peter passed away on
Thursday, April 14th, 2022. Loving husband of Aileen Green for over 40 years.
Proud father of Vicki and Bob (Liz). Stepfather to Steven (Caroline) and Brian
(Kathy). Opa to Alexandra, Lauren, Scott, Connor, Carly, Katarina, Natasha,
Christina, Thomas, Christian, Elizabeth, Victoria and Brooke and great
grandfather to Ariana.
Predeceased by his brother and sister, David and Susan. Uncle to Stephane,
Jamie, Lisa, David and Michael.
He was a long-time resident of Deux-Montagnes, running Canada Day in the
community for many years. He was talented and had many hobbies, he was an
excellent bowler, dart and poker player, and he enjoyed making wine. He was
patient and always helpful.
A ‘Celebration of Life’ will be held on Saturday, May 14th, 2022, from 1:00pm -
5:00pm at Holy Family Hall, 1001 Oka Road, Deux-Montagnes, Quebec.
For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, Peter would hope that you will put
forward a random act of kindness.
Click here to view his online obituary.
L.T.H.C. Closes Out Its 50th Season
The Laval Teachers' Hockey League was first established in 1973 when a few teachers, mostly from Laval Catholic High School used some free ice time to get out and play some pick up hockey. Since many of those teachers were from the Two-Mountains area, as time went on, more local people joined in. One of the original players, Ron Fitzmorris, (under arrow), is still playing and is in charge of getting replacement players when needed. On Monday April 11th, we played our last Monday game of the season at the Olympia Arena. Traditionally, for our final game of Monday hockey, we invite players that have filled in throughout the year which is why there are more than our regular 22 players in the picture. The game was followed by a few beverages and pizza. The 2022-23 season will start again on Monday September 12th. We play from 2:30pm to 4:00pm.
The LTHC also plays Fridays from 5pm to 6pm at the renovated private arena (Complexe Sportif AP formerly Patinoire Deux-Montagnes). That season ends on April 29th. If you are old and interested in joining us for some friendly competition on the ice, we can make room for your talents. There is a permanent to 'league' on the left side of this page.
Joan (MacLean) Shapcott 1949 - 2022
It is with heavy hearts we share the passing of Joan Marie Shapcott, at age 73,
passing away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on April 11, 2022,
due to long and heroic 2½ year battle with
cancer.
Joan is survived by her loving husband George Shapcott of 52 years and their two
children, Sharon Shapcott (Jean-Paul) and Kevin Shapcott (Cristina) and grandson
to Connor Shapcott.
Loving daughter to Deanie and the late Jack MacLean, sister to Donna Mundey
(late Lorne) Jackie Lavelle (Pierre), Rick MacLean and late Ron MacLean,
daughter-in-law to the late John and Celia Shapcott, brother-in-law Murray
Shapcott (Gail) and sister-in-law Annie Shapcott (Peter).
She was born in St John, New Brunswick on April 6th and grew up in the town of
Deux-Montagnes, QC, where she met her future husband, George. They would
eventually move to Ontario and where they raised their family in Georgetown, ON
for 30+ years. Joan was dedicated mother, her children always came first, she
was an avid golfer & curler at North Halton Golf & Country Club. Joan & George
would soon retire in beautiful Huntsville, ON and enjoyed being snowbirds where
they spent their winter months in St. Simons Island, Georgia. She enjoyed the
warmer temperatures, golfing, and spending time with her American friends.
Joan loved her family more than anything and always preached "family first ".
She was always the facilitator of every family gathering which is why her
nickname is “The General”. She will be remembered for her love of her family and
her famous lasagna.
Joan loved to play golf, curl, knit and play Mahjong with her friends and spend
quality time with her grandson Connor. She was a person that when you meet her,
she was very easy to like and welcomed others into her life with ease. Joan will
be dearly missed and never forgotten. Forever in our hearts. She is our angel
now.
We welcome all to help us celebrate Joan at a Celebration of Life set to take
place on May 21st, 2022, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. This will take place at the
Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 232) at 21 Veterans Way Huntsville, ON, P1H 1P4.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Princess Margaret Cancer
Foundation at https://thepmcf.ca/
Click here to view her online obituary.
Jerzy
(Jurek) Koronkiewicz - 1957-2022
It is with sadness that we announce the death of Mr. Jerzy Koronkiewicz, on Wednesday March 30, 2022, at the age of 64.
Husband of the late Catherine Troughton, he is survived by his
son Gabriel (Anaïs), his partner Anna (and his son David), his brother Jozef,
his sisters Ewa (Franciszek) and Krystyna (Marek), his nephews and nieces, his
cousins, as well as many other relatives and friends.
The family will receive condolences on Thursday, April 14, 2022, from 11 a.m.,
at: Guay Funeral Homes, 146 St. Louis Street, Saint-Eustache, QC
A funeral mass will be held the same day at 2 p.m. at Holy Family Parish Church in Deux-Montagnes.
Click here to view his online obituary.
Revolutionary
Home Brewing Process
April 1, 2022, If you have ever tried to brew your own beer at
home, you are probably familiar with what can go wrong. Guinness and Nespresso
have come to the rescue with a revolutionary process where, using regular tap
water, you can brew a 10 ounce glass of Guinness stout in 2 minutes using your
existing Nespresso coffee machine and specially manufactured Guinness pods. A
combination of fast reacting barley and hops produces a smooth alcoholic brew
that can be enjoyed without the need for bottling, capping and aging. Currently
only 'stout' pods are available but they are working on Lager, Pilsner and I.P.A.
versions of their beers.
This new process will certainly change the face of home brewing and at less than $2 per pod, even your local pub could use this method to deliver fresh, on-tap beverages instead of having to store large kegs of beer in their refrigerators. Check out this video of the ad of this GuinNesspresso venture.
Heritage Social Club Back In Operation
HSC is is now open for business and so are some of its
activities. If the government keep its current restrictions at a status quo or
reduced, April with see a resurrection of some of its activities. The club is
open from Thursday to Sunday. Call 450 473-5429 for hours.
Upcoming activities in April include:
April 8th - Friday Night KARAOKE - 8pm
April 13th Wednesday LUNCH – noon -
Tickets $10.00 to be purchased in advance.
Call Norma 450-472-7023 or Hall 450-473-5429
April 20th Wednesday BINGO – 1pm -
Doors open at 12:00pm (you are welcome to bring a box lunch while preparing for
your Bingo game)
April 30th Saturday CRIBBAGE – 1pm. -
Doors open at 12:30pm
The club is open to guest but membership is encouraged to keep
the club in a healthy position especially after the pandemic. Membership is only
$25 a year. The club is situared at 503, rue Cedar, Deux-Montagnes,
Deux-Montagnes Lions Club 2022 Giant Annual Book Sale
The Lions Club has started to collect books for their
2022 book fair. Books can be dropped off at the Maison des Citoyens on Henri
Dunant, on the west side of the library, every Monday-Wednesday and Friday
morning from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. they accept all books in good condition, with
the exception of Encyclopaedias and National Geographic magazines.
The giant sale will be held on October 14th-15th and 16th. The
location will be the Veterans Hall, 141 Grand Moulin, Deux-Montagnes.
On Friday October 14th the sale will be open only to mobility challenged
individuals, users of canes, walkers and wheelchairs. The sale will also be open
to caretakers with children in strollers and baby carriages. The sale will be
from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on that date. On Saturday October 15th they will be open to
the general public from 9:00am to 5:00 pm. On Sunday October 16th they will be
open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Prices will be as follows: Pocket books $ 1.00. Hard covers and large soft
covers $2.00
Children’s books will be 3 for a $1.00
There will also be a collection of special books with prices as marked.
For information please call Nancy Rupnik at 450-473-0298 or Martin and Betty
Hensen at 450-473-1932.
No More Falling Back
We may have changed our clocks to Daylight Saving Time
for one last time. Yesterday, the U.S. senate unanimously passed a bill to make
DST permanent. The country that still uses pennies and one dollar bills (I will
explain later) had finally come to their senses and will get rid of a practice
that has proven to affect our lives in negative ways other than figuring out how
to change the time on the microwave. Canada will have no choice but to follow
this and Quebec and Ontario had already discussed it and said that they would do
it as soon as New York would decide to do it. Even though the senate has passed
it, it might have to through other legislation but it likely to pass unless some
conspiracy theorists come up with deep state reason to protest against it. So if
all goes well, the planned November 6th falling back will not occur.
It has been proven that the change in hour disrupts our lives (and our pets lives) enough to increase accidents during the rush hours after the time change. There are also proponents of a theory that crime decreases because of lighter evenings. This maybe be a little hard to prove but it might delay crime by a hour and let the 'criminals' sleep in an extra hour. In the end, this a good thing that maybe should be adopted by the entire planet although it has been stopped or never even existed in many places around the world.
On the pennies topic, it looks like the lowly copper will finally be phased out in the US. The U.S. mint will make its last batch on April 1 2023 (no joke). This will have the same conspiracy theorists rant about inflation as they will state that all prices will rise by being rounded up to the nickel. In Canada, we round up or down to the closest nickel and it works fine. And why are Americans so against their own version of the loonie, the Susan B, Anthony dollar coin? Most countries in the world have eliminated low denomination paper bills as their life spans are limited while coins are virtually indestructible. The only reason that has been 'thrown' around of why the George Washington paper bill has not been discontinued is to save the lives of pole dancers around the nation. Paper money (in Canada anyway) is one of the only things that has increased its life expectancy in the last 2 years. Because of COVID, many retailers weren't accepting cash and our own spending habits changed since we weren't allowed anywhere.
With Venmo, Interac , Apple Pay and credit cards et al, cash itself is losing its appeal. Except for the monthly poker game and the odd golf bet, cash may go the way of the penny. Also, establishments that only take cash will definitely be a target for zealous tax auditors. And isn't Crypto going to get rid of all that. Oh don't get me started!.
Is Travel Back in our Lives?
With the COVID-19 restrictions easing people are starting to travel
again. We usually do at least one big trip a year but obviously the last 2 years
have affected our wanderlust. That hiatus all came to an end in February. We
finally got to get on a plane and then on a ship for a cruise through the
Caribbean. Many of our ports of call had mask mandates and the ship itself
required double vaccination and proof of a negative test. We had never been on a
that large of a ship but at 65% of the 3000 its people capacity it was a nice
way to get introduced to 'Big Boat' cruising. The upgrade to a suite made it all that more
pleasant. This was actually our 4th time on a 'cruise' but a river cruise with
245 passengers and the Galapagos with 95 fellow passengers were both a long way
from a floating skyscraper. In the end we had a great time and captured a lot of it with pictures
and perhaps a video may be in the works.
Click here is you are interested in seeing some of those pictures.
Jim and Paul's Excellent Adventure (December 2021)
Last December, we were lucky enough to have access to tickets for
an NFL game. The game was December 12 in Houston. My pal Jim said that he was
going to go, by car. I was originally supposed to fly there but on a whim and
after a couple of brewskis, I told him that I would tag along and make a road
trip out of it. On Sunday December 5th, right after the Santa Claus parade that
I was filming, we were on the road with our rental car. Because of the late
departure, we weren't planning to get very far on the first day but getting
across the border was our main objective. I get up a blog of our adventure which
can be reached at this link or at the
above Our Trips icon. In the end we travelled 8000 kilometres and visited over a
dozen cities and travelled through 16 states and 2 provinces. We were lucky to
miss the devastating tornadoes that carved through Kentucky only 2 days after we
passed. We made it to Houston in plenty of time and but had a couple of hitches
on the way back. It was during the Omicron crave and the weekend before
Christmas, so getting a COVID test to get back in the country was next to
impossible. In the end, our fortnight adventure was fun and a little tough on
the brain cells. A 30 minute feature film, a collage of short videos and
pictures, is now showing at the link in the picture below.
Deborah
Teresa Barnabei November 21, 1953 ~ February 3, 2022
A loving mother, artist and friend, Deborah Teresa Barnabei unexpectedly died on February 3, 2022 In Maple Ridge British Columbia at the age of 68. Her celebration of life will take place on April 17 starting at 1PM in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia.
Debbie was born November 21, 1953 in Toronto Ontario, to Elaine and Curtis MacDonald. She is survived by her children Santino Barnabei and Angela Barnabei, her siblings Michael, Janet, Sandra, Kimberly and Stephen. She will be deeply missed by her best friend Diane and boyfriend Alfred. She is pre-deceased by her husband of 39 years Dino Barnabei, they were happily married until his passing on August 5, 2015.
Her daughter paid this tribute to her:
Every time you saw her, you were greeted with a smile, You were all her favourite person, and you felt it by a mile, Her great big Aunt deb doo hugs made you know that you were loved, and you’d swear she was an angel that was sent from up above, When her green and sparkly eyes were fixed on you, you really felt your worth.
Her quirky sense of humour and her toes wrapped in the earth, Her cooking, her wit, her spunk and her lovely hippie way I could go on and on forever, there’s just so much to say.
But one thing is for sure, There will never be another And that’s why I will forever be blessed that you were my momma, my mother.
She will be deeply missed by all those who had the great
privilege of knowing her.
Click here to view her online obituary.
Two-Mountains
'Carnival' Saturday February 5th - Olympia Park
Deux-Montagnes, January 26, 2022 – The City of Deux-Montagnes is
pleased to invite the public to the very first edition of L’HIVERNALE, which
will be held on Saturday, February 5, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., at parc
Olympia. This new family event is an invitation to play outside and enjoy the
many joys of winter!
On the beautifully illuminated site, several activities will be offered: skating
to the sound of music (DJ on site!), labyrinth and snow forts, sliding, hot
chocolate, Sapré Charles Foodtruck ($), campfire and much more! Details of the
program can be found here.
A video of the preparation and of Olympia park can be found by clicking on the image on the left.
Derek Robert Fenn - January 25 1958 - January 21, 2022
Passed away peacefully in Lachine at the age of 63.
Predeceased by his parents, John William Fenn and Lucille Mae MacLean.
He will be sadly missed by his siblings Bill (Anne), Wayne (Brenda), Marian
(Alain), Ken, Graham, and Alison (Chris)
His absence is also being felt by his many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Special thank you to the 6th Floor staff for their care of Derek at Centre
D'Hebergement de Lachine.
Due to current circumstances, a funeral will be held at a later date.
Click here to view his online obituary.
If You Can Read This You Are a Genius
I hate Facebook!. Ok, I like 10% of Facebook and the other 90% is complete garbage. Please excuse me but I need to rant about the many things I don't like about FB. First of all, how about those posts that ask you to copy and paste a long text and post it to your own page and comment 'done' on the original. If you are my age, and you probably are if you are reading this, this crap is exactly like the old chain letters that we used to get in the office. Remember the ones that told you to make 10 photocopies and if you didn't pass them along you would have bad luck. Conspiracy theory: 90% of those chain letters were initiated by Xerox and/or paper companies. If you are a bit younger, just before Facebook came along, there were emails that would basically do the same thing. Now the chain letter has 'evolved' to FB. Sorry if you are offended, if you ever ask me to copy and paste one of your posts (which are really not your posts in the first place) and post it on my wall it's not gonna happen. Just like the chain letters that I used to ignore and throw away along with the hex they were casting, I am not copying anything from you. I may share your post if it was actually written by you but that is as far as I will go. The fact that all of these posts actually say Copy and Paste, don't share should tell that someone just wants more 'instances' of the post on Facebook. This is a good little article on the subject here that explains it way better than I can.
My second beef is not unique to Facebook and revolves around Clickbait. If you don't know what Clickbait is Merriam-Webster describes it as: something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest. Sometimes it's a picture with the words 'you'll never believe what so and so looks like now' or 'The secrets that Costco doesn't want you to know'. We've all fallen for it, yes including me. Sometimes it's just a bunch of pictures that make you scroll forever to see the one you finally want to see. Usually those web pages are full of Clickbait themselves. It's no wonder that many fall into finally clicking the one that will install malware or ransomware on your computer. There is a lot of Clickbait on Facebook but the one that is not as obvious really making you click anywhere. It's making you comment on a post. Posts like my headline or there are no dog breeds with the letter O in them. These kinds of posts are there to make you comment. The ones that really get me is the picture full of the number 8 and one 0 and it says if you can find the 0, you are a genius. Imagine how many geniuses there are in the world. Anyone who has 'read' a Where's Waldo? book is a genius. There is a thing called Like-Farming that is really well explained in a USA Today article from 2016. You can read this article here (not Clickbait) I think I have wasted enough of your time and mine, so click away.
Update: I just got clickbaited. I saw a link for a quiz that I though was interesting. It said to test my knowledge because most people don't get more than 15 questions right out of 20. The answers were fairly easy so I only got one wrong but I know I answered more than 20 so I was never getting the score out of 20. This would go on forever and the web pages were designed that if you knew the answer fast enough and clicked it something would appear on top of the answer and you would go to an unwanted advertisement. I am making a promise to myself to no longer fall for Clickbait. Name a fish without the letter A in it, bet you can't. (My last example of stupid Clickbait).
Malcolm Stewart-Bourgoyne (1951-2022)
Captain
Malcolm Stewart-Burgoyne of Medicine Hat, passed away after a long illness on
Friday, January 7, 2022, at the age of 70 years. Malcolm had a great sense of
humour, and enjoyed playing the guitar and entertaining others. He was a Captain
in the Canadian Armed Forces specializing in transportation and was a
peacekeeper. He had active duty in Cypress. After his military career, he worked
in real estate and the hospitality industry.
Malcolm is survived by his daughter, Sascha Stewart-Burgoyne of
Medicine Hat; the mother of his child, Darlene Gizen of Medicine Hat; his
mother, June Stewart-Burgoyne of Calgary; siblings, James Stewart-Burgoyne of
Sudbury; Valerie Emond of Glennifer Lake, Alberta; Pauline (Randy) Ross of
Calgary, and Veronica (Richard) Saretsky of Emma Lake, Saskatchewan as well as
many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He was
predeceased by his father, Joseph and his sister, Roxsane. Malcolm will be sadly
missed by all his friends and family. His family sends a heartfelt thanks to the
staff of The Good Samaritan’s - long term care facility in Medicine Hat, for
their care and kindness.
A Celebration of Malcolm’s life will be held in the summer.
Click here to view his online obituary
REM Construction Progress After One Year
On December 31, 2020 the last commuter train pulled in to the Deux-Montagnes station. As weird as celebrating the entrance of the new year as it was in 2021, who knew how much weirder it would be celebrating it this year with Quebec's 10pm curfew. Anyway if you need a little reminiscing of the last run of the train, you can click here to watch the video. Exactly one year ago, the work started on the new REM line. It's at least a 3 year project and it will be a miracle if we see the REM running in Two-Mountains in the planned fall of 2024. The line from the old Val Royal/Bois Franc station to Two-Mountains will be the second to last leg to be in operation just before the link to the airport. The work on the line itself is causing quite a bit of disruption as the boulevard du lac crossing was closed for 7 months and Oka road will remain closed at the crossing until July 2022. The city itself is getting a major facelift as the government imposed densification applies to two perimeters around our 2 future stations. Having two stations in Two-Mountains is both a God send and a curse. It's great having two places to board the train however it makes two 1 kilometre radius zone around the stations that require a certain amount of people residing per hectare. The city is struggling with the zoning but it has opted to allow 'highrise' units only in certain areas of the city as to not completely alter the flavour of the town.
With the increase of tele-commuting due to COVID one wonders if the REM is overkill. Many people will continue working from home at least on a part-time basis so studies of commuter traffic taken pre-COVID have surely been skewed somewhat. Regardless, the REM project was conceived on the vision of 50 years and didn't really take into consideration the impact on closing down our commuter line for at least 3 years.
Windows
11 - Yes or no?
If you're reading this from a Windows based computer you may have gotten a prompt to upgrade to Windows 11 if you are currently using Windows 10 and Microsoft has deemed that your computer can upgrade to the new Version of Windows. My suggestion to you is WAIT!. I have 3 Windows based computers that I actively use. A tower, where I do most of my intensive computing. A new laptop that I use when travelling (which is not often anymore) and an all-in-one in the kitchen for searching and checking e-mails and 'lite' work. All 3 of my computers have been deemed by Microsoft to be Windows 11 'ready'.
I read up a bit on the new operating system and it's not getting rave reviews but I hadn't seen any horror stories. I was curious to see how it looked and felt so I decided that the kitchen computer would be the guinea pig for me to get accustomed to the new look. So a couple of days ago, I decided to let the upgrade happen. It's quite a long process and it looked like it worked fairly well. So as I signed on to the new version I noticed quite a change. The start menu is completely different and since I have been on Windows 10 for more than 5 years now I was quite used to the large 'tiles' to start programs. The new start menu is just a bunch of small icons much like Windows 7. That's a big change but the show stopper was that my PC would go into sleep mode within a few seconds to a minute. After a few attempts, I had just enough time to start a recovery to return to Windows 10. That also took quite a while but I won't try Windows 11 again until well after Christmas. Bottom line, unless your PC is delivered with Windows 11, I would stay on 10 for a while.
This
Year's Food Drive Is Virtual Once Again
Unlike previous years without COVID, the food drive (or Guignolée) of Dépannage St-Agapit is once again going virtual this year. This means they won't be going door to door throughout the city to collect non-perishable items and donations. If you want to donate items, you can still drop off non-perishables at the Maison des Citoyens or at the Library at 202 Henri-Dunant.
Financial donations can be made through their website by clicking here. This year, the distribution of Christmas baskets will be on Saturday December 18.
The website has all the information including how to register to obtain food baskets. You can also call 450 473 7450 to get any additional information or to volunteer to organize and/or distribute the baskets.
All
is Set for the 51st Edition of the Two-Mountains Santa Claus Parade But Your
Help Is Needed
After skipping a year due to COVID, the 51st edition of one of the oldest Santa Claus parades in the country is scheduled for Sunday the 5th of December at 1:00pm. It's been a rough year for the organizing committee as many usual sponsors have reduced their contribution to the parade and fundraising has been difficult. I spoke to Santa and was amazed by the cost putting on this show is getting prohibitive. If you think you can help out with a small (or large) donation, there is a Gofundme page set up that can be accessed from the parade site at this link: paradedm.ca or directly at this link: Gofundme Santa
This year, the parade will once again take its old route as Oka road will be blocked for the construction of the REM overpass as of the end of November until the summer. Our parade is now known all over the world as a video I posted on the 2016 parade is now only 7,000 views short of 4 million. It is still a mystery to me as I usually get only 1,000 views for most video I post on my YouTube channel 2mopaul. Maybe this year's parade will be another viral hit.
Two
Mountains Centennial Videos
As
I mentioned a few months ago, I was commissioned by the city to put together a
few videos to mark their 100th anniversary. The original plan was to produce 10
to 12 short 'capsules' of different subjects. The capsules were to be only 2 to
3 minutes long but soon found out that I had too much content to edit them down
that short. In the end, there are 11 videos that range from 2½ to 10 minutes
depending on the subject. These videos are on a dedicated YouTube channel that
was created for the city.
To access this channel, you can use this link. A couple of them have French narration but are subtitled in English. Most don't need translation.
Ross
Watkins Memorial - Saturday October 30th
A celebration of life for Ross 'Rusty' Watkins,
will be held on October 30th, 2021 at Les Salons Funeraires Guay in
Saint-Eustache. It will be held from 2-5 pm with a small ceremony from 3:00
until 3:45 followed by a light meal and more drinks. Everyone is welcome to come
by, have a drink, and share memories.
There are restrictions in place. A maximum of 50 guests must be in the room at a
time. But people may come and go as they please (except when the food is being
served from roughly 3:45-4:15). A proof of vaccination will not be required as
the capacity is limited to 50.
Click here to view his online obituary on the Guay
Happy Gang Golf Gets Record Turnout
On a beautiful day,
Sunday September 19th, a new record was established in the 37th Annual Happy
Gang Golf Tournament organized by Ron Kesseler. 81 golfers, all double
vaccinated as per event regulations, took on the 18 holes of Glendale's
Ancestral golf course. It was a long outing, as the 13½ 'sixsomes' made their
way around the course in over 6 hours. Even at this pace it was a pleasant day
as the weather could not have been better. Three threesomes came in at a
respectable 6 under par and split the 3 first prizes equally. Following that
presentation, 7 more 3 threesomes were awarded their prizes through a random
draw. Thanks to Ron Kesseler for organizing the event for the 37th time. If you
click on the picture above, there is a video with some pictures of the event
along with a near collision of a golf ball with my drone flying over the 15th
tee.
A
Serendipitous Encounter Because of an Electric Car
As you may know we have an electric vehicle (a Nissan Leaf). I had a golf
tournament near Ottawa and I wanted to test if I could make it there and back
without have to stop for a charge. The way to get the most out of an EV is to
not travel at an excessive speed and the more times you stop, the more your
braking system recharges the battery. Therefore unlike ICE vehicles (Internal
Combustion Engine), you burn more 'fuel' on the highway with an EV, so staying
off the beaten path actually gets you further. In the end, I made the round trip
of just under 300kms with 8% battery left when I got home. I could have have
more reserve but the allure of taking highway 50 at 110km/h was too strong. I
really enjoyed the ride both there and back, but when I drove through the little
hamlet of Bourget, the double steeples of the Sacred Heart Church beckoned my
attention as I drove past them. Almost always having my trusty DJI Mini 2 drone
at my side, I decided to stop and fly around those spires. Due the the perfect
time of day, the result was amazing if I do say so myself. The fall colours are
just starting, but the light of the setting sun bathed the area with a wonderful
glow. It worth a look, even if you are not of religiously inclined. Just click
on the picture on the right.
Lions
Club Book Fair Coming Soon Extended Hours For COVID
The Lions Club book fair will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 2nd and 3rd, 2021 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
As usual we will have a pre sale for individuals with mobility issues, i.e. needing assistance from wheelchairs, walkers and canes. Caretakers with babies in strollers are also very welcome on Friday October 1 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm..
The location of the sale will be the Veterans Hall 141 Grand Moulin, Deux-Montagnes. Que J7R-3C8.
We are keeping the prices reasonable so that everybody can enjoy this sale.
Pocket books will be 75 cents. Hard covers or large soft covers $ 2.00 and children’s books will be 3 for $ 1.00. There will also be a section with, collectables, with prices as marked.. DVD's and CD's will also be on sale at that time.
We do accept books for this sale. Books can be dropped of at the Maison des Citoyens, 202 Henri Dunant on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30 to 11:30. All books in good condition will be accepted , with the exception of Magazines and encyclopaedias.
Renate
and Gordon Attenborough Celebrate Major Milestone
Gord and Renate Attenborough, who have been living in Two-Mountains since 1976,
are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday September 4th.
Over the years they have been involved in and volunteered in various community activities, events, and local committees.
Your family and friends wish you a wonderful day to mark this occasion.
Billboards' number one song of the week of September 4th, 1971 was Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey by Paul & Linda McCartney. Not a great dance tune but you can give it a whirl.
Happy Gang Tournament Returns In September
UPDATE: Since this is an 'event', the golf course will require proof of double vaccination. They will be scanning all participants. Please let Ron know if you will not meet this requirement as it will be strictly enforced after the September 15th hard deadline. Sorry for the inconvenience but that's the way it is.
After a one year absence due to COVID, the Ron Kesseler's Happy Gang Tournament
is back on in full force as the 37th annual event will be held on
Sunday September 19, 2021.
Again it will be at Glendale Golf Club and the cost is $65.00 Cart & Golf
included, a price increase of $10 from 2 years ago as golf has gotten more
popular.
Everyone is welcome and the format is as always 3 person best ball
(Vegas/Scramble), 2 teams per hole. You can make your own team of 3 or if you
are looking for a team, Ron can make the arrangements. It's a 10am shotgun but
you are asked to arrive between 8:30 and 9:30. There is also a $20 a player
'pot' and all the money will be returned to the players with the majority given
out in a random draw so any team can be big winners.
To register please contact Ron by sending an
email to ronk@2mopaul.com.
August 18th, 2021 - A Day (and
night) to Remember
The organizing
committee for our city's centennial hit it out of the park on Wednesday with two
events to mark the day of our 100th anniversary. Let me mention that COVID
restrictions put a huge damper on the original plans for to celebrate our
milestone. The planned parade was converted to a mobile show featuring 'Les Fils
du Diable', the Sons of the the Devil. The convoy winded its way through the
streets of Two-Mountains. There were 2 flatbed trailers, one with the 3 piece
band and the other carrying the mayor, Denis Martin, and his six councillors.
Actually, the councillors were rarely aboard as they were handing out flags and
100th anniversary water bottles. The 3 hour tour started at 6pm and ended back
at the municipal library in the dark.
Now for part 2 of the event, a musical pyrotechnic extravaganza. It was a 23
minute fireworks display set to music at Central Park. It was non stop action
that could have rivalled the La Ronde fireworks evenings. Again due to COVID,
admission to the site was on a free reservation basis to limit the crowd and
allow distancing, so not as many people could have attended it but you could
probably see it from other 'illegal' vantage points. The music did however add
to the spectacular visuals. Kudos to everyone at the city who worked on the
planning of the event.
If you read the Facebook post about the goings on, you might have a different
view of the events of Wednesday night. First of all, how could the city plan
these things on a weeknight. Didn't our founding fathers realize on that
Thursday August 18 in 1921 that the 100th anniversary would fall on a Wednesday.
Couldn't they have waited until Saturday to sign those official papers that set
us free from the firm grip of the St-Eustache 'seigneurs' August 20th 2021
would have been a much better time to have a party. And why was I made aware
that this was our city's 100th year? Was it because we forgot to put a banner
under the rock you have been using for shelter? Oh, and why not do the fireworks
earlier as my kids and dogs are sleeping at 10pm, especially on a weeknight? Why
not during the day when no one is sleeping? Somebody on Facebook wondered why
couldn't they have done smaller fireworks but in every park in Two-Mountains so
that more people could see them. I've got a better idea for the next 100th
birthday. The city should hand out one firework (if there is even a singular
form of that word) to each household and have them launch it from their lawn at
the same time. That way, everyone would see them. That would work except that in
100 years, there will be people that haven't had the chips (anti-chippers)
implanted in their brains and won't fire their missiles at the appropriate time.
Anyway, if you did miss the action, I have made a video of both events for the
city's centennial YouTube channel. It's not public yet, but as a regular visitor
of my website
here is the unlisted
link to that video.
Don't tell them I sent you. Shhhh!
Two-Mountains' 100th Anniversary Videos
As you may have seen on my Facebook post, the city has commissioned me to
produce some videos for the 100th anniversary that is coming up on August 18,
2021. Currently there are 7 video 'capsules' and a teaser that are on a special
YouTube channel just for the 100th anniversary. That channel can be reached by
clicking here. Link is now working.
In case you didn't know,
there will be a 20 minute fireworks display on the 18th in Central park. All the
info about the celebration planned for the 18th is
at this link.
Canada
Day celebrations were subdued this year as much reflection must be done
regarding our history and the residential school treatment of native peoples.
The planned community ride was cancelled and a sombre moment to remember was
held on the grounds of Veteran's Hall. The event was recorded and then broadcast
on YouTube in the evening. Due to the pandemic, Canada Day was marked virtually
for the second year in row with an hour long YouTube compilation of songs and a
tribute
video by local group Skyline Drive. The first video of the noon time homage can
be accessed here and
the second where you are surely to see many people you recognize can be accessed
through this link.
Stan Rose Open Horseshoe Tournament
Although Canada Day activities were mostly held virtually, the annual horseshoe tournament in memory of Stan Rose was held in Central Park. Tournament organizer Les Boyd was happy with the turnout as a few dozen participants competed for the honour. In the end, the team of Rollie Fiset and Steve Schoenthaler defeated Shawn McCarten and Paul Goyetche in a hard fought final game to claim bragging rights for the year.
