Mayor Housefather joins me for a visit to Kildare Towers

Mayor Anthony Housefather and I held a very successful Town Hall-type meeting at Kildare Towers, a large apartment building on Honore de Balzac off of Kellert Avenue near an entrance to the Quartier Cavendish. There are 164 units in this building. I visit there often and hear from many of the residents. Helen Wolfe in particular is wonderful at keeping me up to date on issues of concern

The mayor and I are greeted by owner Howard Szalavetz and residents.

Howard Szalavetz is the owner of the building, well liked by residents and an absolutely fantastic landlord for me to deal with. I wish to thank Howard for helping to promote our visit. When  we arrived there were chairs set up in the lobby  and refreshments. Their wonderful manager Barry introduced me to my youngest constituent, his four month old grandson. More than 40 people were on hand. I told them how much I have always appreciated the support I received from this building. When I first ran for office in 2005 and won with 92 percent of the vote, more than 50 percent of the residents of Kildare Towers turned out at the polls.

What would an election campaign be like without the mayor kissing babies?

I encouraged residents who are connected to the internet to email me whenever they wish or to call if questions arise.  Mayor Housefather provided me with a very nice compliment, stating that I am a  very devoted councillor when it comes to my constituents. I thanked him for the kind words. He spoke out against the PQ government's proposed new Charter of Quebec Values and provided an up date on an important meeting he attended that afternoon with Canadian Pacific Railway about safety in our yards. He expressed pride at how our community is growing; that the beautiful new homes at Centrepoint in the Quartier Cavendish have attracted many young families who might have otherwise chosen Hampstead or Westmount to live. "It is completely sold out," he said.

 

I love animals and this dog was well behaved during the entire meeting.

Besides a 21 unit town house project on Marc Chagall Avenue, which also sold all of its units and opened a year ago, we now have a new town house/highrise project set for Parkhaven Avenue where the Griffith McConnell used to operate. This too will bring in more young families.  Our two year old Aquatic and Community Centre up the street is turning out to be an incentive for young families to settle here.

Residents of Kildare Towers have had to adjust due to the Quartier Cavendish development. No longer can they enter the complex via the old Eaton entrance for that part of the center was demolished. I shared the sentiments of the mayor, who noted that our new street called The Avenue already has the popular Yeh! Yogurt and Café and could one day become the Monkland Avenue of Côte Saint-Luc.

We listened to many concerns raised dealing with parking, cars driving through red lights, sidewalk repairs needed, garbage cans missing and even a request for us to contact CIneplex to see if they could provide some French movies at the cinema.  Everything was duly noted and we will work on the issues raised. This was two hours well spent at a building where residents do not generally come and go. We thank them for their time and interest.