Archives from December 2014 to April 2015

Archives from December 2014 to April 2015

8th Annual Bowling Party for Mon Chez-Moi
Message from Ethel Stevens for Mon Chez-Moi: We are having our 8th annual bowling party to raise money for Mon Chez-Moi on Saturday June 20th 2015 at 6:00PM. Click here for the contact details. Mon Chez-Moi is is a NEW CONCEPT in permanent housing and care for intellectually challenged adults and much more. Click here to visit their website.
If you would like to participate please organize a team of 6 players, collect $13.00 from each player, and get back to me by June 1st 2015 with the money and the names of your team players. I need this information so I can reserve the number of lanes needed to accommodate everyone.
If you would like to participate and do not have a team please contact me an I will put you on a team.
The cost of shoe rental is $2.00 to be paid to the bowling alley.
Thank you all for your continued support.

A 'Retirement Party' For Tracy and Yvon
On Friday April 17th, Pub Deux-Montagnes had a special evening. Not only the Habs take game 2 of the quarterfinals, but the owner's of the Two Mo Pub had an official last evening under their ownership. Yes, as of tomorrow (Sunday April 19), they will no longer own and manage our local pub at the corner of Oka road and 20th. It was a bittersweet moment indeed as the couple, will now only be customers instead of organizing special events such as Super Bowl and Golf tournaments and the very popular Pub Star Karaoke contest of last spring. I have not met the new owners, but they are a mother and son duo from St-Colomban and Ste-Marthe. The good news is that Amy and Sydney will continue to serve at the pub, so many people may not even noticed the change after imbibing in a few libations. Good luck to the new owners. All the best to Tracy and Yvon with whom we have had such a great time during the reign for the last 3 years.

Simon Goyetche Receives Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award

11 year old, Simon Goyetche, grade 6 student at St. Jude Elementary in Two Mountains was one of 12 young people from Quebec to receive this prestigious award. The awards, presented on March 23rd, have been given out since 1985 to highlight exceptional efforts in volunteering to help others and building “a smarter and more caring nation.”

Simon was inspired by a YouTube pep talk and created Sock’tober, asking schoolmates for donations of socks for the homeless.
He collected just over 300 pairs of socks and gave them to Dans la Rue. "There are people who are less fortunate than us, and in the harsh winters that we have here they need protection.”

The article Quebec students who are changing the world appeared in the Senior Times with pictures and stories of many of the young people honoured at these awards. Click here for that article.

Telephone Scammers on the Rise
This week was a banner week in unsolicited phone calls. In 2 days, we had 7 calls from one number that just said press 1 and it would hang up. Then we got a call from a 555 number (from India) that said I had a problem with my computer. I usually just hang up but this time I thought I would waste their time instead of mine. I went along with them and I recorded the last 5 minutes of our conversation. It's actually pretty funny and if you ever want to know what happens if you don't hang up on these scammers, just take a look at my video by clicking here. I captioned it, so they you can understand what they are saying.

Lions Club Blood Donor Drive
The Deux-Montagnes Lions Club, in association with Hema-Quebec, is holding its annual blood on Tuesday April 7th. It starts at 1:00pm at the Veterans Hall at 141 Grand-Moulin. Come and give the gift of life.

The Lions also have 2 upcoming events. On Saturday, May 2nd, also at the Veterans Hall, is a Corn Beef and Cabbage Supper at 6:30. The cost is $15. For tickets, please contact Lorraine at 450-472-0070.

The Annual Garage sale will be held on Saturday May 30th. If you want to donate anything to be sold, please contact Art at 450-473-2503 or Don at 438-937-9317. You can also rent a table and sell your own item. The cost is $10 and you can phone Nancy or Owen at 450-974-4167 to reserve a table. The garage sale will be held at the Lions Den at 111 13th avenue in Two Mountains.

Brigitte Eholzer-O’Hara R.I.P.
From the Wilson's Funeral Chapel Website

It is with broken hearts that our family announces that Brigitte passed away suddenly on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at Red Deer Hospital at the age of 64. Left to cherish her memory is Patrick, her devoted husband of 43 years, and her loving children and grandchildren: Timothy and Krystell O'Hara of Fort McMurray: Kimberley and David Heinemann, Piper, Lucas and Kaitlin of Winnipeg; Serena and Joseph Pfisterer, Brooke and Jazden of Blackfalds. She will also be missed by her parents, Alfred and Katharina, her sisters and brother, Anita, Roswitha, and Alfred, her nieces and nephews and their families, and also by her many friends.

A celebration of Brigitte's life will be held at 11 am on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at Wilson's Funeral Chapel, 6120 Highway 2A, Lacombe, Alberta. Click here to view her online obituary.

Forever Young Theatre Presents Moments To Remember

On Saturday April 11th at 2:00pm, The Forever Young Theatre Group will be presenting Moments To Remember at the Heritage Social Club. It's a walk down memory lane through our seniors' stories and musical memories. Tickets are $10 and proceeds will go to the Heritage Club. For details, please click here.
The Forever Young Cast is also preparing their big spring show, 100 Years of Broadway, which will be shown for one night only at the Holy Family Parish Hall. It's set for Saturday May 30th and will include a catered dinner by Jacqueline's Cuisine. More information to come but tickets will be on sale at the Moments to Remember show.

Quebec Changing 'Bring Your Own' Restaurant Rules
I left this in for people that did not visit on April 1st.
I guess it was a matter of time before the Quebec government would find a new way to squeeze the public for more money. One of the few perks of living in Quebec is the popularity of Bring Your Own Wine restaurants. Under pressure from the SAQ, the proposed change to be implemented in the next few days would mean that unless you have purchased a wine from an SAQ outlet bearing a special stamp, a restaurateur would not allow you to consume that particular wine in their establishment. This means that homemade wines and wines bought in other provinces would have to bear a stamp that would be available to consumers at $2 a piece at SAQ outlets and some retailers. SAQ spokeperson, Yvan Desidées, stated that this was partly brought on by people crossing the Ontario border to take advantage of the lower wine prices there. Only wine is being targeted at this time but the program may expand to other BYO beverages such as beer and coolers.
The stamp, pictured on the right, will have a special backing making it impossible to use on more that one bottle and will be available in single form or in bulk format (rolls of 25). A restaurant owner may purchase these stamps and resell them to his customers at cost price if a client comes in without the proper labelling. This measure should be in full force by mid-April. There has been a grassroots resistance to this new form of taxation and a few online petitions have started to show up on different sites. The website at this link in particular seems to be the most active and might even be successful in stopping this foolish government program. I strongly recommend that everyone visit the link and add their name in protest.

Laval West Arena's New Name

Sylvain Lépine's Project Finally Comes to Fruition
It started 10 years ago. Sylvain Lépine (pictured above with his wife Manon) thought that the local arena minutes away from where Hartland Monahan grew up should be named after the only Laval West to have made the NHL. He made it a personal mission that the city needed to bestow this honour to Hartsey. On Sunday, March 29th, it all came to true. The entire Monahan family as well as many supporters came out to see the ceremony and share a few stories. The display case (pictured on the left) was unveiled. It contains a Washington Capitals that Hartland wore as well as the skates he wore with his first NHL team, the California Golden Seals. Laval Mayor Demers was on hand to open the ceremony. Hartland addressed the crowd with his wife Linda Geoffrion translating. Hartland and Linda have been living in Atlanta for almost 30 years now, so it was good to see them back 'home'. Click here for pictures from the day that eventually wound up at La Reserve, the restaurant that replaced the 'Barrels'.

A Message From Karen LeBlanc and The Snakes Team
We would like to let Two Mountains know about our efforts to raise money for a cause and raise awareness for those suffering from Crohn's and Colitis.
Many people suffer from Crohn's and Colitis or IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease), however not many people like to talk about it. We are participating in the Gutsy Walk on June 7th, 2015 to help find a cure and help raise awareness.
Our family is touched by a boy who was diagnosed with Crohn's at the age of 8 and now at 15 is still trying to manage his treatments and to cope and deal with the daily trials and tribulations. To donate to the cause, please use this link.
We are also holding events to raise money for the cause. They include a Spaghetti Supper with the live band Late Night Therapy on April 25th and a bowling night on May 23rd. Click here for all the info for the events.

Laval West Arena To Be Named the Hartland Monahan Arena

On Sunday March 29th, the hockey arena at 6200 Arthur-Sauvé (near Dagenais) will get a name change in honour of Hartland (Hartsey) Monahan. There will be official speeches starting at 10:15 at the arena. The unveiling of the commemorative plaque will be done at 2:00pm. There will also be a informal gathering with beverages at La Reserve (formerly the Barrels) at 2:30. Hartland will on hand to greet people and sign autographs.
Hartland, from Laval West, was selected by the California Golden Seals in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft, but only played one game before he was traded to the New York Rangers. During an Intra-League Draft in 1975, he was claimed by the Washington Capitals, where he played for two seasons. Monahan was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1977, and was dealt again during the 1977–78 season to the Los Angeles Kings. He was then claimed by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft, and was traded soon after to the St. Louis Blues, where he played until he retired following the 1980–81 NHL season. He has started his road to the NHL playing two years for the Montreal Junior Canadiens. He now lives in Atlanta but he will be here to celebrate this great honour.
His lifetime NHL stats are 61 goals and 80 assists in 334 games.

Click here for the Facebook page that was started by Sylvain Lépine who was a major force in getting the city to honour the native Laval West boy who made the big league.

A Few Blasts From the Past
Firstly, I received an e-mail from ex-Two Mountain Resident, Lorne White who left 2mo in 1964 and is now living in Kelowna B.C. He stumbled upon my site and sent me a couple of pictures. One is of a hockey team from the early 60's that played at May's Field. For you people, younger than 60, you might not know that before Olympia Park, the outdoor rinks were on Oka road where the IGA parking now stands. Click here to view those pictures.

Secondly, I was talking to Heritage Club president, Steve Fiset this weekend and mentioned that I had been to the Bonaventure Hilton for an event. As we were there a bit early, we decided to have 1 drink at the bar before heading in. We sat at the bar and I ordered a regular martini and my wife ordered a small glass of Pinot Grigio. The wine was a Beringer Pinot Grigio that sells for $12.50 a bottle at the SAQ. ($9.95 at LCBO but that's another story. I assume it was the $12.50 bottle but it could have been the California Collection bottle which is $18.95. Not matter, when I asked for the bill, I was a little shocked to see a total of $29.50 and then I added the tip of $4.50 for $34. Coincidently, I had paid that amount to fill my car with gas except that I didn't get peanuts with the fill up.

When Steve heard about that, he remembered he had a 1963 menu from the Salle Bonaventure in the Queen Elizabeth. Salle Bonaventure was renamed when the Bonaventure Hotel across the street was opened in 1967. That $34 dollars I spent, could have bought anything on the menu plus 10 Irish Coffees. I have posted that menu here. Steve also gave me a picture from 1949, of his mother and her friends at a restaurant called 'Au Lutin Qui Bouffe' which means At the Gnome That Eats (a lot). I did some research on it, and it was on the Plateau on St-Gregroire. It seems that everyone that went there would feed a piglet while another person would hold it tail. That picture is also in the link. Thanks Lorne and Steve for the memorabilia.

Click Here For Heritage Club Irish Gala Pictures - Featuring the Moran Academy Dancers and Squidjigger

Beware of the Pharmacy Super Special
I thought I had survived the winter without getting a cold or flu but yesterday I had a sore throat and today I am in full cold mode. It only a minor thing but while I was at our local pharmacy to pick up my prescription I noticed a couple of items, including a cold medicine that I like, that was marked down to half price. 100 tablets of Tylenol Cold tablets for a pittance of their usual price. Too good to be true I wondered? 100 tablets for less money than buying 25 tablets of the exact same product. Well is was too good to be true, the expiry date on the product, April 2015. I don't think that this particular cold that I contracted will last 50 days. So even at the deep discounted price, unless I am selling drugs on the side, this would not have been a good buy. After noticing the discount, I saw another discounted product, Myoflex, also at half price and lo and behold, an expiry of, you guessed it, April 2015.
Then I started to look at other products there were not necessarily on sale but many with expiry dates in 2015. Obviously, our little corner pharmacy has a little bit of trouble with inventory turnaround. In the end, I left with nothing except my prescription because I knew I could get expired drugs from my own cupboards. So here is the catch 22 of the over the counter (OTC) drug market.
First of all, I am not a big believer of the best before date. I have consumed milk that has expired days and weeks before and survived. I am still popping Orville Redenbacher popcorn that has a best before before date in 2011 after foolishly taking advantage of a Costco double pack. I don't believe that most OTC drugs are suddenly ineffective once they reach their expiry date. Even 3 year expired Neo-Citran is better than nothing unless of course it has to be 'decrystalized' with a hammer. The catch 22 I am talking about is that drug manufacturers, (also true in the food industry), want you to throw away unused expired products so that you buy more. What is the real shelf life of a Contact-C tablet that has been hermitically sealed in it's individual compartment on a blister pack? I am sure that most tablets in an airtight blister pack should last for 5 years, especially if they have been kept in a 'cool dry place'. With short best before dates, when you buy a 'value pack' of 100 pills, you are bound to throw away some if you respect that date.
Next time you are in a pharmacy, use the same method you use for milk, grab the back packages and check the expiry date and beware of the price slashing. I almost got slashed today. Gesundheit!

St Paddy's Day With a Surprise
March 17th was celebrated in the usual way at Emma and Mike Fitzmorris' house near Vankleek Hill, Ontario. The entertainment was grand and the weather was almost cooperated although it hovered around 0°C which made it a mostly indoor event. The sun finally showed up after a short parade in the brisk air. Other than the entertainment, one of the day's highlight was Jessica Macdonald showing up from Florida to surprise her mother, Lynn. Click on the picture on the left to see Lynn's reaction. Click here to see pictures of the festivities.
The other highlight of the day was doing the drive back from Vankleek Hill in 50 minutes as the Oka ice bridge was still open and in great shape. The ice is so thick this year, even on the shore, that they are planning to stay open until March 28. I believe this would be a record by many days.

Heritage Social Club Irish Gala Featuring Squidjigger
On Friday March 20th, the HSC will be holding its Irish Gala that will feature the band Squidjigger with an opening act from the Moran Academy of Irish Dancers. Doors open at 7pm, with the dancers at 8pm and Squidjigger will start at 9pm. The Montreal/Calgary trio have been entertaining the Two-Mountains crowd for almost 10 years now. Tickets for the show are $15 and must be bought in advance. Drop by the Heritage to buy your tickets. Click here for the HSC website

4 Korners Presents A Conference for Caregivers
My Loved one can't make decisions for himself anymore. Now What?` Is a one hour information session aimed at caregivers that will be held on Wednesday March 18 from 10:30 to 11:30am at the 4Korners (at 20th and Oka road). Everyone is welcome. Registration can be made at the from desk of 4 Korners by email or calling 450-974-3940. Click here for full info and here for the 4 Korners website.

Back From A Cool Vacation
In early January, when it was even too cold to venture outside, I got on the WestJet website and just happen to catch a seat sale. Only $750 for 2 return tickets to Orlando, so I accidentally clicked on confirm because I was shivering so much. Seventeen days in the warmth of the gulf coast of Florida in February. It seems like the click of my mouse was also connected to the bank of Canada as in the next three days, the dollar plunged in concert with the weather. Regardless, we are just back from our trip where we visited family and friends. As you may have seen by my opening screen, that picture was taken on our second day in Florida at Universal Studios. I am going into the famous Moe's Tavern of Springfield, home of the Simpsons, for a Duff Beer. We had a great time in Florida but when we left, the overnight lows were in 30's everywhere in Florida, even Miami.
As I am receiving my post vacation credit card bills, I am left to wonder what is more painful. Going out in wind chills of minus 35 here or getting a credit card charge that was $300US while in Florida and seeing it appear as $381CAD when it comes to paying it. If you are interested in seeing our trip journal and pictures, this is the link. All our trips since 2006 are documented using the Our Trips link on top of this page.

RDM 50^thHigh School Reunion
It's called RDM 2017. Planning has begun for the big party to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the graduating class of 1967 at Régionale Deux-Montagnes (the Campus). Fifty years makes it harder to find people so they are reaching out to anyone who can help. There is a website and a Facebook page for more information and registration. The site will help gather contact information and keep you informed. Click here for their website and here for the Facebook page. The link to the website can be found on the menu bar on the left (just above the Pub Deux-Montagnes logo).

Softball Registration March 7 and 14
The DMSA (Deux-Montagnes Softball Association) is holding their registration for the 2015 season at Olympia Park on March 7th and 14th between 10am and 2pm. There are junior league as well as adult leagues to choose from. Click here for the registration poster or here to go to DMSA website that is currently being upgraded.

Snow Golf at Legion Branch 185 on Saturday February 28
The Legion is reviving an old tradition on Saturday as it will once again hold its Snow Golf Day and Pot Luck Dinner. The rules are simple bring one club (a 5 iron is probably a good choice), get on the river and give the course a shot at your best score. Bring some food for a pot luck dinner and enjoy the day. Click here for the Legion Facebook page.

New Health Program at 4 Korners
Starting in March, 4Korners is offering fitness sessions for individuals that are 50 and over regardless of their fitness level. The program is called Viactive. The multi-fitness program called Viactive will include Zumba, dance and gentle stretching. Places are limited, so call 450 974 3940 to register or for more info. Click here for a poster of the program.

Busy Little Beavers Bilingual Preschool Open House
Busy Little Beavers Bilingual Preschool for children 2½ to 5 -5 is having an open house on Monday and Tuesday February 23 and 24 between from 10am to 2pm. The preschool has been in operation for 8 years now and offer 2 full days a week or 2 half days. They are located at 248 18th ave (All Saints Church basement) 514-703-5128 for more info.

Heritage Spaghetti and Karaoke - Friday February 20 - 6:30
The Heritage Social Club is having a fundraiser for the roof on Friday February 20, The cost is $8. Click here for the poster. On Saturday (Feb 21), they are having a cribbage tournament . Click here for details.

Two Mountain's Jenna Robinson on United Irish Society's Queen court for 2015
Montreal's U.I.S. voted for the queen and her court for the upcoming St Patrick's day festivities. Jenna Robinson of Two Mountains was chosen as one of the Princesses under the rule of Queen Carly Meredith. Congrats to all the ladies. Photo for the United Irish Societies' Facebook page.

Musician Garry Anthony of Two Mountains recently reacquired the rights to the CD Gipsy Road which was originally recorded many years ago in a local studio. In a TV court battle on a French network show called 'L'Arbitre', he won his case against the studio owner that was not relinquishing the rights to the CD. Garry has now reverted to the crowdfunding internet site indiegogo to try and raise $2000 to be able to make 500 copies of the CD. After the airing of the show that featured a clip from a video Garry had made of the title track, he has had many requests to get a copy of the CD.

City Hands Out Grants to the Community Groups
On Monday February 9th, the city awarded many grants to various community groups. The cheques were handed out at the Community Centre by Mayor Denis Martin and his councillors. The picture below was taken at the ceremony.

Smoked Meat Dinner At The Legion Branch 185
On Saturday February 7th, everyone is invited for a smoked meat dinner. The cost of a delicious Quebec Smoked Meat sandwich is just $5.00. The smoked meat will be served at 6pm and you can stay to cheer on the Habs against the New Jersey Devils at 7pm. See you there.....
Also, the Legion will be hosting a Snow Golf tournament on Saturday February 28. More details to follow.....

Score For the Cure Raises $3600 for Royal Victoria Hospital Foundation
Despite a very cold day, 8 teams and their fans bravely attended the ball hockey tournament. The ice was in perfect shape and the players seemed to be warm enough to put on a good show. With the team entry fees, the raffles and the donations accepted for food, $3600 was collected for charity. Click here for a few pictures.

It was the same cold day at Olympia Park where the Lions held their annual Carnival. Many people braved the deep freeze and came out to enjoy the fresh air and free food. Click here for a few pictures of the carnival.

Hopefully, Valentine's Will Be Poutine Its Place.
Most of you must have heard about the the manager of the Two-Mountains Valentine's Hot Dog 'publicly' reprimanding one of her employees for speaking English to another employee. After the events of Paris and the free speech issues that arose from it, which rock did this woman crawl from. If you haven't heard about it, it made the CTV News and you can watch the video and read the article here before reading on. This is not the first incident of the kind to happen in Two-Mountains but if you are a Facebook user you probably heard about the other one. The employee in question, who is perfectly bilingual, was humiliated by the handwritten sign for all staff to see. She was upset and left work. The following day, the manager called her home and told her to return her uniform. The owner of the fast food franchise was away on vacation, so I imagine the female manager felt a little empowered to take on the added responsibility of 'controlling' the environment. Until this manager loses her job, I certainly will not be a customer of this particular establishment. To their credit, the vice president of the chain, Francis Robin immediately apologized for the behaviour of this rogue manager. He said "The posting of that note was the decision of one person and does not reflect our company’s values in any way."

Once again, people who have left the province and those who are currently on their way out have yet another reason to be happy to be going away from the narrow mindedness of the hardcore Quebecois. Unfortunately, with the new PKP mania (Pierre Karl Péladeau) going around, things aren't going to get any better. The 'silver spooned' billionaire is guaranteed to be leader of the PQ and has enough money to hire hundreds of hypnotists to promote the nirvana of an isolated French kingdom. The one using Canadian currency and the Canadian Armed Forces. I could go and on about PKP and the minds of the people who cannot speak a second language and try to restrict others from expressing themselves in whatever language they want.

One thing to remember about my views on this subject is that my mother tongue is French. I only learned to speak English when I arrived in Two Mountains, over 50 years ago when my parents had to foresight to switch me to English school so I could speak to everyone around instead of shying away from what was then half of the population of Two-Mountains. I became fluent in both languages although my written French is probably still at a grade 3 level. The fact that I could converse with anyone opened many doors for me, especially in my career. Doors that are now closing for unilingual English people in Quebec. The only regret that I have about being bilingual is that I stopped at 2 languages. Other than ordering dos cervezas por favor, my Spanish is limited to asking where the baños are after I drink them. Spanish is the second most popular mother tongue. Not after English, which is third, but after the one billion people who speak Mandarin. French is a distant 18th in the world with 74 million who parlez vous. That is less than 1.12% of the planet. PKP and his 'militants*' (*means activist or crusader in French) want to paint their 'country' in the corner of the world and make sure that they stay 'unilingually' French, so that they will stick around 'la belle nation' for the long ride into oblivion. There are still some very positive things about staying in Quebec, unfortunately when events like poutine-gate happen, le gazon est plus vert en Ontario, ou Alberta, ou C.B. ou meme a Fort Ladadale.

Score for the Cure Ball Hockey Tournament
On Saturday January 31st, the annual ball hockey tournament will be held. Once again this year there will be 8 teams competing in two divisions. A total of 16 scheduled games with the first starting at 8:30am. If time and energy permits, a 17th game will be held around 5:00pm matching the winner of each division in a bragging rights game. The location is the Klimas Ice Complex at 254 Regent street in Two Mountains. All profits from the team entry fees, sale of food and beverages and raffles tickets will go towards the Drive for the Cure cancer fund. The Drive for the cure Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday June 25th this year at the Fontainebleau Golf Club. More on that in the near future.

St Jude Elementary School Open House
On Wednesday, January 28th, St Jude will hosting their annual open house from 6pm to 8pm. Registration also starts on that day. St Jude's program includes the use of laptops and tablets in the classroom in what they call BYOD, Bring Your Own Devices. Part of their success is attributed to the use of technology and also more French teaching time.

For details and appointments, you can call 450 621 7805 or visit their website at www.stjude.schoolqc.ca or click here for the open house poster.

Montreal Featured in Comic Strip
Cartoonist Stephan Pastis from San Francisco visited Montreal last October to watch a Canadiens/Bruins game and and was very impressed with the city. So much he said he wanted to move here except when he found out about the winter weather. He did, however, use Montreal in 2 strips (today's and Wednesday's) to show his appreciation for the city. His comic strip appears in more than 750 newspapers worldwide with over 17 million readers. To see the entire Gazette article that appeared in the Saturday Gazette, please click here.

Lions Club Carnival - Saturday January 31
Once again the Lions Club Annual Winter Carnival will be held at the Olympia park on January 31, 2015. This annual winter celebration, sponsored by the City of Deux-Montagnes has become a favourite with the population.
Activities depend very much on the weather on that day, but generally there will be broomball games, sledding, horse drawn sleigh rides, skating ,face painting, golf in the snow, all accompanied by the Lions serving Maple taffy on snow, Hot Dogs, Chilli, soup, coffee and tea, juices ,etc. All are at no charge.
The activities will start at 12:00, with the opening of the Carnival by the City Mayor and councillors.
Please come and enjoy yourselves, be a kid for the day, and show your support for the Lions club.
For information please call Lion Dave Byers at 514-602-7054. Click here for the poster.

While on the subject of the Lions Club, The October 2015 Annual Book Fair is already in preparation. Here is a message from the Lions Club:
We are starting to get our sorting premises ready for the book fair, and we are looking once again for your donation of your used books in whatever language.
We accept all books in good condition with the exception of encyclopaedias and National Geographic magazines.
Books may be dropped off Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. and from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Maison des Citoyens, 202 Henri-Dunant. This location is besides the library on the West side.
Please call at 450-473-7450 to ensure that someone will be there to receive your books.

Isabel Dore (Toman) 1920 - 2015
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our loving mother at St.Eustache Hospital on January 11th. Beloved wife of the late Walter Dore. Loving mother of Geraldine (Joe Waldron), John (Lynn), Wally (Lyn), Carole (James King), Patrick (Gertrude), Bill (Hazel), Frank (Sandy), the late Kenneth (Kathleen), Michael, Brian (Sandy), Kathleen (Stephen Sweetman), Isabel (Michel Passarelli), Margaret (Bernie Hottot), Julianne (Jim Lunn) and her 49 grandchildren and 72+ great grandchildren. Also survived by her sisters, brother and sister in laws and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mom was truly a loving and generous person who touched the lives of many. Her spirit and strong faith will continue to be an inspiration to all of those who mourn her loss. May she now rest in peace. Visitation services will be held at Guay Funeral home, 146 rue St.Louis, St.Eustache, QC on January 15th and 16th from 2 to 5 pm and 7 to 9 pm. Funeral service at Holy Family Parish, Deux Montages on Saturday January 17th at 11 am.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Holy Family Parish. To view her online obituary and guest book, please click here.

Much Confusion Over Recycling Pickup in Two Mo.
Ok, the new municipal calendar had the zones mixed up on their recycle dates. To avoid confusion, they will follow the new schedule as posted in the new calendar. As an exception, today January 12 they will be picking up all 4 zones as many people have their recycling bins out in all zones. Starting next Monday (January 19), pickup will be in sectors 1 and 2 and the following week (January 26) will sectors 3 and 4. If you are not sure which zone you are in, click here or look on the back of the calendar. To visit the city website, the link is permanently posted at the top of this page under 2mo site.

Laurin Liu Now Official Milles-Iles NDP Candidate for the Next Federal Election
On Saturday January 10th, Laurin Liu was officially nominated to represent the New Democratic Party in the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles riding. She was joined by several other NDP candidates from as far as Trois-Rivieres that were showing their support. Over 100 people attended the announcement that was held at the Maison des Citoyens in St-Eustache. The atmosphere was very upbeat and the New Democrats are ready for the long fight until the October 2015 federal elections.
Ms. Liu has been very active in the current government. She is active in the fight against postal cuts and the elimination of home delivery as well as speaking out against excessive bank penalties from mortgage prepayment. She also has tabled in the Intern Protection Act to protect all unpaid interns under federal jurisdiction. Click here to visit her website or here for her Facebook page.

Dorothy Edith Beauchamp (Keery, née Fenn)
From the Barker Funeral Home Website: Peacefully at Almonte Country Haven, (Almonte, ON) on Wednesday, December 31, 2014, in her 92nd year.

Formerly of Deux-Montagnes, predeceased by her husbands George McDowall Keery and Blake William Beauchamp, daughter Mary, son-in-law Al Niven and brothers Fred and John (Jack) Fenn). Dorothy is survived by her daughters Maureen and Barbara Keery, her grandchildren Cindy (Steve) Hall, Andrew (Christy) Niven, Kimberly (Jeff) Baseggio, Tracy (Tim) Robertson and Michael (Jessica) Smith. Dorothy was blessed with 12 great-grandchildren.

Dorothy was also blessed with Blake's 9 grown children. She is predeceased by Blake Jr., Mary-Ellen (Jutras), and granddaughter Kim. Dorothy is survived by Donna (John Ohlson), Barry (Hilda), Barbara, Diane (Marie), Colleen (John Holland), Wayne (Debbie), Ross (Judy) and Brian (Carole), 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Dorothy had a great respect for nature, and was an avid gardener and animal lover. She had a great sense of humour and loved to listen to music and dance, but most of all she loved her family. She will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her.

A memorial for Dorothy will be held at the Alan R. Barker Funeral Home, 19 McArthur Avenue, Carleton Place, on Saturday January 17, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to LAWS in Smiths Falls, St. James Parish in Carleton Place or a charity of choice. View her online obituary and guest book, please click here.

Cold Weather, Birds, and an Anniversary
As you may have noticed by my lack of posting articles, there's not much happening around that is really exciting enough to post. Other than New Year's greetings, even Facebook posters seem to be hard up to find anything interesting to write about. As a first topic, I will revert to the weather. At one point last week, various weather website's long term forecasts were predicting lows of up to -30°C (or -22°F) for this week. Although those predictions have gone up a couple of degrees, the wind chill will easily make it feel like -35°C. Some of you reading this from warmer climes are smiling from ear to ear now knowing that your migration to the south was well worth the investment.

For people that cannot afford the luxury of migration, it means bundling up and waiting for the heating bills to show up to boil their blood. For birds however, the lazier versions that have decided not to be snowbirds, they are actually snow birds. A few years ago, one of my former bosses who had been relieved of his corporate duties around this time of year was amazed that birds were even around in the winter. In his lack of a job, he finally had time to slow down and take long walks where he was astonished that he could see and hear birds even in the bitter cold.

As you saw by my opening picture, there are some birds that seem to thrive at this time of year. For sure, insects are not part of their diets therefore the backyard feeder (or front yard in our case) becomes an integral part of survival. Not all birds however are as well adapted to the frigid weather. Ten years ago, the Carolina Wren pictured above on our feeder would never fly this far north, even in the summer. Although it is still a rare sighting, this wren and his mate seem to be trying to stay around for the winter. The problem is that they are not used to long bouts of cold and may not survive this cold spell. I have posted a few pictures of the wren and some other birds that have been hanging around our feeder this winter. You can see those by clicking here. If you have a bird feeder, it is very important to keep it filled during these times. Many people I have spoken to around these parts are very frustrated that their feeders are attracting more squirrels than birds. That was one of our main problems until this year. As you will see in one of the pictures, I made a baffle out of a stove pipe and have only seen one squirrel on the feeders since. That squirrel, had jumped from our roof to land on the top of the wood holding the feeders. He hasn't attempted again. I still have a dozen squirrels hanging around at the base of the feeder as many birds knock some seeds down looking for the perfect one. If the Carolina Wrens survive this mass of cold air, I will let you know. Update, they did!

Oh yeah, the Anniversary. the domain name 2mopaul.com turns 10 years old this March. Although my original site on geocities started in 1998 during our 25th high school reunion, it was only in 2005 that I first registered the web address 2mopaul.com. I may have an online party to celebrate the event. Stay tuned...

On Friday December 19th, the Laval Teachers Hockey Club held their annual Christmas party. It happened to coincide with an Ugly Christmas sweater contest being held at the pub. The highlight of the evening was the return of lead singer Stacey and lead guitarist Gary Hill in a rejuvenation of their 4 piece band. Before his move to Toronto 6 years ago, Gary was one of the young'uns playing hockey with us. He managed to lace them up for our 5 ' o'clock game only a couple of hours before the band started but he fought off the fatigue with some wild lick on the guitar. Stacey was in fine vocal form for what was three sets of fantastic entertainment. The LTHC had managed to turn back the calendar a few years to get back to our party times. A repeat performance may be in the works as everyone was blown away by the Kindred Spirits and other spirits of the evening. Entertainment and ugly sweaters, what else could you ask for? To see of pictures of the action, Click here.

Deux-Montagnes, December 8, 2014 – The Municipal Library of Deux-Montagnes has received a grant of $1,500 offered by the Lions Club of Two Mountains to enrich its collection of large print books and audio books.

Since 1980, the Lions Club contributes to these collections in French and English mainly for people with visual handicap. Through this annual financial aid, the Library members have a good variety of books of all kinds. These collections are available to the subscribers during the opening hours of the Library or through interlibrary loan. For more information, contact the Municipal Library of Deux-Montagnes at 450 473-2702. The director of the library is Pascale Dupuis and she can be reached at extension 223.

In the past 34 years, the Lions club has donated well over $40,000 to the municipal library. Helping the visually impaired is one of the four services that Lions Club International provide across the world.

Laurin Liu's Christmas Party
Laurin Liu, our member of parliament, held a Christmas party on Saturday December 13 at the bowling complex on Industrial Blvd. in St-Eustache. Many people were there to take part in the activities. There were some prizes and gifts for the kids along with 4 lanes open for everyone to test their bowling skills.

Firefighter Road Block For Christmas Basket Funds
On Saturday December 13th, our Deux-Montagnes/Ste-Marthe-sur-le-lac fire department set up a roadblock on Blvd. des Promenades to raise funds for our community Christmas baskets to be handed out next Saturday. As darkness fell at the intersection, the final bucket of money came into the firestation. The final tally was $10,160 that will be split in two. One half is going to Dépannage St Agapit (Agapé) for Two-Mountains residents and the other half will be distributed by the Knights of Columbus in Ste-Marthe. Thanks to all who donated and to the fireman who spent the day collecting for a great cause.

Lions Club Donates $350 to The Paul Goyetche Visual Arts Bursary
It was a great week for the LTM bursary fund as it grew by $550 this week. The major portion of that amount ($350) was donated by the Deux-Montagnes Lions Club on Tuesday December 9th in recognition for the video I put together for their 40th anniversary on November 1st. The 27 minute presentation included messages from some dignitaries as well as Lions. It also included a lot of pictures from the last 40 years of Lions activity. Their generous contribution to my bursary is making it possible to continue to support a graduate from LTM who has chosen to continue their education in the visual arts and multimedia field.
Another $50 was added to the fund this week as Tom Whitton, donated his winnings from the Lions ½ & ½ draw on the same evening. Tom was also a Lions' guest at their annual Christmas dinner as he was being thanked for his work with the Lions, especially the great job he did animating the 40th anniversary gala. The other $150 added to the fund comes from my winning the ½ & ½ draw at the Heritage Raise the Roof spaghetti supper on December 5th. Since the bursary's originated at the Heritage Social Club, I felt it was a fitting gesture. To see more about the bursary, use the LTM link on the top right.
If you would like to see a short excerpt from the Lions video presentation, you can click here. While this 2 minute version contains generic music, the original production contains a lot of music. The first song that I chose for the production reached number 1 on the Billboard charts in November 1974, the same month that the then Milles-Iles Lions Club received their official charter. That song was I Can Help by Billy Swan. Quite an appropriate song as the Lions Club have been helping our community for 40 years.

Barbara Walsh (nee Gleeson) 1937 - 2014
After a lengthy illness, Barbara sadly passed away in Deux-Montagnes on November 15, 2014 at the age of 77. Survived by her loving husband of 47 years, Kenneth Walsh. Barbara will be sadly missed by her sister Elaine and brother Donald. Predeceased by her brother Ronald (Sonny). She will also be missed by sisters-in-law Claire and Verna, nieces, nephews and friends. A Celebration of Barbara's Life will be held in the spring. Date and location to be published at a later date. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Salon Funeraire Guay.
To view her online obituary, please click here.

Sunny But Brisk Day For Santa Claus Parade
The sun was shining brightly for the 45th edition of the annual Santa Claus parade but the temperature never made it into the single negative digits. Even at -10°C (14°F), it actually didn't feel as cold as some warmer years. This year's parade was a lot louder than last year's 'noise' restricted parade with many bands and floats turning up the volume a bit. Apparently some 'grinches' had complained to the city that some of the earlier versions of the parade were too loud. I guess some people need their 1pm naps. Anyway, this year's parade was back to its previous self and everyone was pleased. I have posted around 100 pictures in an album and I will put together a video in the next few days so that you can judge the 'noise' level for yourselves. Click here for the the pictures and Click here for the VIDEO.