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Must see Peter Trent's Open Letter to Mayor Bourque March 28, 2001

CLASSIC VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

MODERN VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

2001

Wed 8/15/01
MUNICIPAL POLITICIANS FORCED OUT OF WORK BY MERGERS COULD GET RETIREMENT FUND The Quebec government has a 86.3 million dollar surplus in its retirement fund for municipal politicians.
montreal.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/08/13/010813municipl

14/Aug/2001 Mega-Montreal’s Transition Committee is deluding itself -- Tremblay and citizens, too!
pages.infinit.net/westweb/mont-Mayor-GeraldTremblay.htm

Thu 8/9/01 8:00 PM MONTREAL JEWS FIGHT TO KEEP RIDING
People in Montreal's Jewish community are worried that proposed changes to Quebec's electoral map will rob Jews of their voice in the National Assembly.
montreal.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/08/08/darcy010808

Westmount has gained a strong voice in municipal issues at the national level with the recent election of city councillor Margaret Lefebvre to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) national board of directors.

Mon 8/6/01 Suburbs' loss isn't city's gain By: HENRY AUBIN
So far, almost all the debate over the one-island-one-city merger has focused on the problems in store for suburbanites. The problems that might await residents of the existing city of Montreal are receiving only minor attention.
The big beneficiary of this lack of critical analysis is Mayor Bourque, the merger's chief local advocate. As last week's SOM poll for The cbc and Global Television attests, the mayor enjoys huge popularity inside the city, where two out of three respondents prefer him to Gerald Tremblay in the November election for megacity mayor. Approval of Bourque corresponds to public sentiment on the merger: the poll suggests a resounding 56 per cent of residents of the existing city of Montreal favour the megacity (as distinct from 25 per cent of suburbanites).

Thu 8/2/01 Charest's vow to undo mergers not believed
Most Montreal Island residents would vote for the Liberal Party if a provincial election were held now, a new poll indicates.
Fifty-four 54 per cent of people responding to a cbc-Global Television SOM poll said they would vote for the Liberals, compared with 24.8 per cent for the Parti Quebecois. The Action Democratique party would receive the support of 13.8 per cent of voters, while 6.7 per cent said they are undecided.

Thu 8/2/01 6:57 AM Signs of the times By: DARREN BECKER
The town of Hampstead has put its name on all street signs to ensure its identity won't be wiped out when it disappears from the map.
Hampstead's signs are just one way suburbs are thumbing their noses at Quebec for forcing them to merge with the city of Montreal on Jan. 1.

August 1, 2001 Boosts for anti-merger fight
Despite little activity during July, the public view across the island is still firmly against the Landry-Bourque forced merger plan. A poll to be published in The cbc tomorrow (August 2) will show that a majority of all-islanders want the legal fight to continue. Also, despite his decision not to run for any mega-city position, anti-merger leader Peter Trent has 22% support without even campaigning! The court line-up for next month's appeal now has only three drop-outs.

1. SOM poll: Made for Global TV and The cbc, it shows that 58% of residents across the island feel the court fight against the forced merger law should continue; only 36% wanted to stop it.

2. Cities speak: Last week, Dollard-des-Ormeaux councillors over-ruled pessimistic mayor Ed Janiszewski and joined the appeal against the ruling of Judge Lagacé on the forced merger law. This brings to 15 of the original 18 merger fighters continuing through the first appeal process. Outremont is the outstanding drop-out.

3. Tremblay improves: The cbc poll places Pierre Bourque's lead in the race for mega-mayor at 41%, but Gérald Tremblay has moved up to a challenging 37%. (During the month Tremblay picked up the support of Michel Prescott and the MCM; most suburban mayors joined his slate or support it, although his de-merger position remains unclear).

4. Trent options: The SOM pollsters also asked a hypothetical question about support for Peter Trent if he were to change his mind and run: 22% for Trent v Tremblay's 25%.

5. Foisted: Trent, who began July by announcing we would not run for any mega-city position but concentrate of the anti-merger fight, said he viewed the poll as further support for his position and opposition to the law which had been "foisted on us in an undemocratic way."

6. Tremblay warned: Trent also said that the vote was a warning to Tremblay that he should align himself more clearly with the de-merger forces.
Source: CKO 940 News.

---

Mon 7/30/01 Mergers could be undone By: HENRY AUBIN
The Montreal media's chief cheerleader for forced municipal mergers, La Presse, recently blasted Jean Charest. It said the Liberal leader is giving "false hope" to opponents of mergers by saying that, if he becomes premier, he would allow their communities to "de-merge."
The newspaper was responding to a recent resolution by Saint-Bruno's city council that calls on Charest, if he gains power, to make good on his promise last fall to restore autonomy to those towns whose residents express such a will in referendums. The Saint-Bruno ploy has inspired mayors of numerous other towns on the South Shore and Montreal Island to say their councils might enact similar exhortations to Charest to deliver.

Sat 7/28/01 Gray playing 'race card' in N.D.G., Searle says By: DARREN BECKER
Accusations of racism are flying in Notre Dame de Grace among megacity councillor candidates. But it's the white candidate who is accusing his black opponent of using his skin colour to drum up voter support in Loyola ward.

Wed 7/25/01 6:18 AM Lame-duck councils won't sit idle By: DARREN BECKER The cbc
Several defiant Montreal suburbs plan to keep their municipal councils operating even after their territories disappear into an island-wide megacity in January.
"Who's going to stop us?" asked Cote St. Luc councillor Dida Berku.

Monday 23 July 2001 Global scorn for mergers grows
International moves provide ammunition for appeal of Bill 170 ruling
by HENRY AUBIN Many people assume that nothing can keep Quebec's Bill 170 from imposing municipal mergers on Montreal Island, the South Shore and three other parts of the province. They see the appeal of last month's court ruling, in which the Quebec Superior Court upheld the law, as a futile gesture.

7/21/01 8:00 PM ALLIANCE QUEBEC HEAD GOES INTO CITY POLITICS The head of Alliance Quebec, Anthony Housefather, says he's quitting the English-rights lobby group so he'll have a free hand to run for municipal office.
montreal.cbc.ca/

7/11/01 Richard McConomy to run for Bourque in Westmount
By Janice Scrim Team Bourque/Vision Montreal has announced that lawyer Richard J. McConomy will be running in Westmount in the Nov. 4 megacity election.
McConomy, (57), is a resident of Cedar Avenue in Montreal who has spent 24 years as a general and private practice lawyer and mediator.
Founder of the law firm McConomy & Associates, McConomy was educated at Loyola and McGill University. He is a member of the Quebec and Canadian Bar Associations and, among other things, was a member of the committee of Equivalency in Civil and Commercial Mediation until last year. He has also held positions such as the first counselor of the Bar of Montreal, vice-chair of the Committee on Mediation of the Quebec Bar and was secretary of the Liaison Committee of the Superior Court of Montreal.
He has been a professor and lecturer at McGill University in the Social Work faculty, and has conducted various international symposiums and conferences.
McConomy is married to the Hon. Madame Justice Pierrette Sévigny, and they have one daughter, Elisabeth.
[Comments heard in his city include Quisling, & collaboator and these from what use to be his friends.]

7/11/01 City decides to 'compromise' with Transition Committee By Martin C. Barry
In order to protect citizens and employees from prosecution for not complying with Bill 170, the City of Westmount has decided to abandon part of its boycott of the Montreal Transition Committee.

7/11/01 Megacity election could get complicated By Martin C. Barry Westmount residents could be facing some tough choices this fall in Montreal's first island-wide municipal election.

Wed 7/11/01 10:41 PMAs expected, Pierre Bourque will not have a resident to represent Westmount on the mega-city council. But Bourque came close: his candidate, lawyer Richard McConomy, is a former resident with links to the city.
Candidate: Richard McConomy is a downtown lawyer, former batonnier of the Montreal bar and was head of both Centraide Montreal and Centraide Canada. He now lives in Montreal, but spent most of his life in Westmount. McConomy has been active in both federal and provincial Liberal politics but this is his first involvement in municipal politics. He said he had "always been interested in the island-wide bigger picture."
Opponent: Bourque's announcement means that the one Westmount mega-council seat will be contested. Westmounter Karin Marks is running as the representative of the present city council.

Special council - July 9, 2001 Bill 29 impacts
Bill 29, which was pushed through the National Assembly as it closed for the summer recess, gave the transition agents powers to requisition municipal personnel and information. Previously the agents had only requested help and Westmount had not given any. Though now forced to comply, council had to avoid prejudicing its court case against the government. This special meeting was called to formally set a series of guidelines for council and staff in dealing with the agents. Normal business also found a place - tenders were approved for renting the forthcoming season's snow blowers.
1. Transition law: Guidelines were approved within the principles of protecting the safety and security of citizens as well as not exposing employees to legal action. Publicly available documents would be supplied (not if they are part of the contestation). Staff could attend transition meetings but only as observers, not participants.
2. Resolution: The council resolution will be available later in both French and English on and .

Wed 7/11/01 DATE SET FOR MERGER APPEAL Quebec's Court of Appeal has set September 4 as the day it will hear the challenge to Quebec's merger legislation. So far 14 of the 19 municipalities which took part in the original trial, have signed on for the appeal. The municipalities argue that the government's Bill 170 is unconstitutional.

Wed 7/11/01 8:00 PM MEGACITY OFFERING TO BUY OUT STAFF The transition committee for the new, merged city of Montreal is offering buyouts to management staff. The committee is trying to avoid a surplus of staff once Montreal is merged with the suburbs.
The program targets 1,700 employees. Only those employed as management for more than a year will be eligible. Montreal police and fire officials are not eligible.

11/Jul/2001 MEGA-ELECTION PLANS SET The transition committee in charge of the merger on the island of Montreal is promising a big publicity campaign to make sure voters know what's going on with this November's election. The committee released details today about how the election will work. montreal.cbc.ca6

11/Jul/2001 7:50 Reverse mergers, town tells Charest By: IRWIN BLOCK
Saint-Bruno has become the first of what merger foes hope will be several municipalities to adopt resolutions urging Quebec Liberal leader Jean Charest to break up the new megacities if he wins power. The South Shore city of 24,500 passed a unanimous resolution yesterday calling on Charest to restore the autonomy of municipalities whOWN it back should he become premier.

Wed 7/11/01 6:57 AM Megacity offering buyouts By: DARREN BECKER
The new Montreal megacity is offering buyouts to management staff so it won't be left with managers who have nothing to do once the merged entity is in place Jan. 1.
The severance-pay program targets 1,700 of the megacity's future 22,000 employees.

Tue 7/10/01 6:58 AM Merger begets merger The decision by the United Island of Montreal (UIM) party and the Montreal Citizens Movement (MCM) to join forces is no more surprising than were the poll results published last weekend that both parties deny sparked the move.
In a survey conducted for La Presse by the SOM polling firm between June 29 and July 5 - a period that includes the controversial Superior Court decision upholding Quebec's municipal-merger law - 529 Montreal Island residents were asked whom they would support as mayor of a merged Montreal in the Nov. 4 megacity election. Mayor Pierre Bourque led the survey with 35.3 per cent of decided support, Gerald Tremblay of the UIM followed with 16.6 per cent, while Michel Prescott of the MCM polled but 8.7 per cent, suggesting that even a merged opposition would remain a full 10 percentage points behind Bourque. The Montreal mayor even outdistanced his would-be rivals in the suburbs, where he was chosen by 28.7 per cent of voters, nearly seven percentage points ahead of Mr. Tremblay and almost 20 percentage points ahead of Mr. Prescott.

Mon 7/9/01 8:00 PM MEGA-ELECTION PLANS SET The transition committee in charge of the merger on the island of Montreal is promising a big publicity campaign to make sure voters know what's going on with this November's election. The committee released details today about how the election will work. montreal.cbc.ca/

Sat 7/7/01 8:28 AM Megacity election needs megavotes By: DARREN BECKER
Montreal Island residents will have many choices to make during the first megacity election - up to five candidates for some voters.
The Montreal megacity transition committee unveiled the electoral map for the Nov. 4 election yesterday amid accusations that the provincial government's municipal restructuring plans will leave residents in the dark come voting day.

Fri 7/6/01 8:00 PMNEW CHALLENGE TO MONTREAL MEGA-CITY Montreal's bid to transform itself into a mega-city has run into another legal battle. montreal.cbc.ca

Fri 7/6/01 8:00 PM 'PRESIDENT' BERNARD LANDRY? Quebec Premier Bernard Landry says a sovereign Quebec would adopt a presidential system similar to the American or French models. montreal.cbc.ca Trent won't run for mega mayor's job

MONTREAL - The mayor of the Montreal suburb of Westmount says he won't run for any elected office in the megacity election set for this fall. Peter Trent says he wants to devote all his energy to the court fight against the island-wide merger plan.

Mickey Mouse has a better chance of beating Bourque - Trent

Plan B

But for the first time, Trent acknowledged publically that the merger might go ahead. If that happens, he says he's got another plan. Westmount city council has chosen three sitting councillors to run in the election. Trent says they'll fight against the megacity from within.

Trent says Westmount residents will likely vote for Gérald Tremblay over current mayor Pierre Bourque. At the same time, Trent says it shouldn't be hard to beat Bourque. He says if Mickey Mouse were to run against Bourque, Westmounters would choose Mickey Mouse.

Fri 7/6/01 7:28 AM Landry: solo Quebec would have president By: NICOLAS VAN PRAET
Premier Bernard Landry wants an independent Quebec to have a U.S.-style president. "When we resolve our 'national question,' what we should have is a presidential system, resembling what's done in the United States and in France," Landry said.

NEW CHALLENGE TO MONTREAL MEGA-CITY Montreal's bid to transform itself into a mega-city has run into another legal battle. A total of 24 suburban communities had complained the mega-city plan violates their constitutional rights by jeopardizing English services in predominantly anglophone municipalities.
A lawyer for some of the suburban communities says the plan means francophones keep their government while anglophones lose theirs.
The province argues the merger will save taxpayers' money and streamline services.

Thu 7/5/01 8:28 AM Trent vows all-out battle By: DARREN BECKER
Westmount Mayor Peter Trent is following his conscience and launching a full-time legal battle against the provincial government's city merger legislation.
He said yesterday he will not run as a candidate in the Montreal megacity election on Nov. 4 because he vehemently opposes the legislation, which he says is undemocratic.

05/18/2001 -Let's Break Up The Big Cities [his speech] Following the uproar surrounding the planned municipal mergers in Quebec, the MEI wanted to make its own contribution to the debate by offering a platform to an expert whose point of view has not yet been heard. If Quebec does not wish to find itself going against the flow, it cannot afford to ignore the lessons learned by its neighbors following their own experience with municipal mergers. During an MEI conference, Mr. Howard Husock, Director of case studies in public policy and management at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, presented the current American trends in municipal administration. www.iedm.org/library/discourshusock_en.html

Council of July 3, 2001 Part 1 - Merger Update Councillor Lefebvre's election to the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) was supported; she replaces a pro-merger candidate (1.3). Response to requests from the government's transition agents were again delayed (1.4).

Timing: Mayor Trent said that city lawyers thought the case might be heard as soon as the end of August with a verdict coming down in September (that is before the election for the mega-city). In any case, the lapsed time would be much less than the "years" predicted by some other mayors as reason not to fight the law.

Cost: It was not expected that there would be anything approaching the cost of the first round. Most of the work had been done while preparing for the first case, Trent explained.

Judgement: The complete text of the response of Judge Legacé to the forced merger fight was deposited with the documents for the meeting. (All are available of the library. There is also a link to the electronic version through the city's web site

Battle expands: Councillor Margaret Lefebvre's election to the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities was seen as taking the forced merger fight to new levels. At the FCM's annual meeting in Banff last month, she and veteran Saint Laurent councillor Maurice Cohen replaced two pro-merger candidates on the board. Lefebvre will also be a member of the Quebec executive. She will have the opportunity to influence national level policy-making and intends to seek greater recognition for government at the local level, a subject being increasingly discussed in political circles.

Mon 7/2/01 8:00 PM MAYORS TO APPEAL MERGER LAW DECISION
The mayor of Westmount on the island of Montreal says his municipality and most of the others that have failed to stop mergers in court will appeal the case.
montreal.cbc.ca/

Sat 6/30/01 8:58 AM Taking on Mayor Bourque
The legal verdict is in on Bill 170, but the jury's still out on Montreal mayoral candidate Gerald Tremblay. Now that the merger law has been upheld in court, it's incumbent on Mr. Tremblay to spell out just how he would help island suburbs preserve their autonomy as districts in a new megacity.
So far, he represents the only serious challenge to Mayor Bourque's centralizing vision of the city. How strange then that this intelligent and apparently experienced political candidate has spent the past four months of the most crucial municipal election campaign in the city's history doing such a poor job getting onto the public's radar screen.

Fri 6/29/01 1:52 PM MAYORS TO APPEAL MERGER LAW DECISION The mayor of Westmount on the island of Montreal says his municipality and most of the others that have failed to stop mergers in court will appeal the case. montreal.cbc.ca/

28/Jun/2001 We Lost! sort of

Fight 2 starts

In his ruling this morning, Judge Maurice Lagacé found no case had been made to overturn the forced merger law. Amazingly, he found that the law would not discriminate against anglophones. Within three hours the municipalities' many lawyers had unanimously recommended that there were cases for appeal and a majority of the fighting mayors had agreed to continue the court case.

1. Among the judge's points:
   1.
   1. No case: The merger opponents had not made a case to overturn the law on language, constitutional grounds or any other. 1.
   2. Government criticized:
      • Why had the merger been brought in such a rush, without real consultation?
      • Why was it done without time to consult people?
      • Why had time not been made to reassure anglophones?
      • Why, without immediate need, introduce an emotional and unnecessary debate on a question as sensitive as language?
      • The new language legislation seemed only to fuel the debate without advancing the cause of municipal restructuring.
      • The first sentence in the law -- that Montreal was to be a French city -- was legally completely useless.
      • He understood the fears of anglophones but his ruling had to be based on the law.
      1.
   3. . Real world?: The judge also said that Montreal gave good services in English.
   4. . Response: By 1 p.m., the contesting mayors had met with their lawyers and had been told by all of them that there were grounds to appeal the ruling. Their spokesman, Peter Trent, said that more than half the cities were expected to join the appeal. "The government has to understand that we are still opposed to undemocratic, forced mergers, which a majority of Quebecers are against," he added.
   5. . Appeal cost: Senneville's George McLeish said that had the judge found against the mergers, then all the municipalities would have been involved in the cost of defending the verdict. So it was appropriate to continue. Additionally, the government had indicated that any municipal surpluses were to be handed over to Montreal so funds for local use would be lost anyway.
   6. . Pierre Bourque phoned from Romania, his latest foreign trip, to say that anglophones would do "just-fine" in the mega-city. (This is same Pierre Bourque who said "We won't have any problems with the unions." Ask the fire-fighters!)

      27/Jun/2001 Merging in secret By: HENRY AUBIN
      The vice-chairman of the transition committee overseeing the creation of mega-Montreal wrote a letter to the editor which The cbc published last Friday. The vice-chairman, Patrick Kenniff, wrote, "I would like to correct certain statements made by Henry Aubin in his June 18 column," which dealt with the transition committee.
      Ordinarily, I think it's sound practice to give complainants the last word and to avoid volleying back. In this case, however, Kenniff's letter offers a fine opportunity to look more closely at the transition committee. Despite its formidable mandate, its operations remain little known and secretive.

      26/Jun/2001 1. Judge speaks: The next stage in the fight against the forced merger law will be on Thursday morning (June 28) at 10 a.m. Judge Maurice Lagacé will give his decision on the case brought by 18 municipalities and associated citizens to overturn Bill 170.

      2. Next step: Both government and the challenging municipalities indicated at the time of the hearings last month that they would appeal an adverse verdict.

      3. Impacts: Among those affected by the outcome will be the transition committee, currently thwarted by the opposition cities; municipal employees who are worried about their jobs, better or otherwise; those itching to join Gérald Tremblay and Verdun's Georges Bossé in seeking mega-city elected glory.

      4. Also impacted: The 700,000 people in the island's smaller cities (and as many again in the South Shore, Outaouais and around Quebec City) whose life-styles will be diminished or even destroyed if the forced mergers are implemented.

      Mon 6/25/01 6:58 AM PQ finds a scapegoat - again By: TOMMY SCHNURMACHER
      Some people still don't get it. Former Parti Quebecois premier Jacques Parizeau singled out "money and ethnic votes" in his infamous referendum-night speech. Plus ca change. This time it's Parti Quebecois minister Louise Harel singling out a scapegoat.
      When Liberal municipal affairs critic Roch Cholette talked about citizens losing control over zoning in their own cities, Forced Mergers Minister Harel didn't bat an eyelash. She didn't even bother to deny it.

      Peter F. Trent

      22/Jun/2001 PQ brass gang up on Westmount By: NICOLAS VAN PRAET
      Premier Bernard Landry says Westmount Mayor Peter Trent is "Quebec-bashing." One day after Municipal Affairs Minister Louise Harel told the legislature that Westmounters are engaged in an "ethnic project" to protect their "anglo-British character" by fighting forced municipal mergers, Landry said Trent was attacking Quebec.

      'Stench' remark raises stink By: LISA YEUNG
      Westmount residents didn't take kindly to Municipal Affairs Minister Louise Harel's charge that their city has "the old foul stench of colonialism."
      Harel made the comment on Wednesday in the National Assembly after Liberal municipal-affairs critic Roch Cholette accused her of trying to hide the fact that citizens will lose control over zoning in their cities if the mergers go through. [this is a none event and worth as much as the woman who made it! DTN]

      Megacity good for ethnics, Harel says By: CATHERINE SOLYOM
      The new Montreal will be more representative of the city's ethnic minorities, Municipal Affairs Minister Louise Harel said yesterday, announcing the creation of an independent council for intercultural relations as part of the megacity's charter.
      "We have to take this opportunity to make a bigger place for the cultural communities at the decision-making table and ensure that the diverse reality of Montreal is reflected in our city's managers," Harel said.

      Trent predicts no megacity election By Martin C. Barry
      As the groundwork commences for Montreal Island's first election in November, Mayor Peter Trent is making a prediction: it will never take place.

      Welcome to cosmopolitan Westmount By: BILL BROWNSTEIN
      No question, there was a certain aroma. Yes, it was the sweet smell of shish taouk and kafta kabobs sizzling on the barbecues. Also wafting through the air was a hint of garlic from the tahini spread as well as from the pasta salad.
      But absolutely no "old, foul stench of colonialism" could be discerned. Sorry to disappoint you, Madame Harel.

      Mergers and 'ethnic towns' By: The cbc It might be argued that the Parti Quebecois has, over the past 30 years, become cynical, power-obsessed and ideologically bankrupt. But even if that is so, there is no denying that some of its traditions have withstood the test of time. One of those has been to blame les autres whenever the party was in a fix it couldn't think its way out of.
      Need a handy local cliche in order to help get a fledgling separatist party off the ground? If you're Rene Levesque, you come up with "white Rhodesians"in Westmount. Miffed that you lost a sovereignty referendum yet again? Ex-premier Jacques Parizeau had his scapegoats neatly lined up: "money and ethnic votes." [it must be a very slow news day DTN]

      Cracks in merger support By: HENRY AUBIN
      C -c-c-crack. Until now, Quebec Municipal Affairs Minister Louise Harel's merger drive has drawn support from two pillars of the Montreal community. One is the majority-language media: during the crucial period of the megacity law's enactment last fall, La Presse, Le Devoir and l'Actualite, among others, showered the initiative with editorial endorsements. The other pillar also has been valuable to Harel: the city's business establishment.
      But now a sudden crack is forming in one of these towers of support.

      21/Jun/2001 16:48 Empty struggle:
      

      No November 4 election, Trent forecasts

      Gerald Tremblay desperately attempts to give substance to his campaign for mega-mayor. City councillors, worried at losing their fiefdoms, consider whether to back him or the other would-be mega-mayor, Pierre Bourque. Increasingly, councillors are realizing that to run as an independent would be the best way. These are among the themes emerging from the island's local weeklies and summarized below. Meantime, Peter Trent is one leader who refuses to join them; there will be no election in November, he says.

      1. Trent: "November 4 will another autumn day. There won't be an election. We're going to stop this thing. We'll beat it in court or by whatever means are necessary. For those planning an election - I hope to make all their efforts in vain."

      2. Law case: Trent does not expect the legal position to clear before September or October.

      3. Independent: Errol Johnson, Dollard-de-Ormeaux councillor, will try to retain his title by running as an independent. Also considering running is Maurice Séguin, a Dollard council veteran with 19 years' service; if he runs it will also be as an independent.

      4. No mega-city: Anti-merger mayors should run as independents as they have no interest in building a mega-city, said Michael Labelle, 12 years on Pierrefonds council. He may run as an independent, but likes the idea of a West island party.

      5. Tierney's decision: Some weeks ago St-Anne-de-Bellevue mayor Bill Tierney said that if the legal challenge was not resolved in time he would run as an independent with the election acting as a referendum on the forced merger.

      6. Danyluk too: MUC executive chair Vera Danyluk searches for her role in the mega-city. Her latest position is to run only as part of a coalition of independents. "Municipal parties serve the people whOWN to be elected and not the citizens," she told the cbc.

      7. Citizens' view: The anti-merger action group DemocraCité (not the political party), is formulating a similar policy. "We want the end of Bill 170, but if the challenges are not successful before November 4, then we would support independents," said president Raymond Proulx. "It would be best for democracy and that's what is being trampled on by the government and by municipal parties in Montreal and elsewhere."

      8. Split: Six (of 10) councillors attended an information meeting to form an anti-merger committee in Pierrefonds. Organiser Jonathan Summers was criticized by Mayor Marcel Morin for announcing the councillors' participation. Morin was in favour of the merger, claimed Summers. Councillor Alan Pickard said that it had been proved "a thousand times" that mergers were not a good idea. The mayor said he would reveal his position next month.

      9. Boundaries: Few mayors responded to an invitation to see the transition committee unveil its maps. Montreal was represented only by Pierre Bourque, said Councillor Michael Applebaum. The meeting was held in secret, claimed Councillor Marvin Rotrand. "It undermines the credibility of the process." Only supporters of the mega-city were invited, added Applebaum. "There should have been a proper public consultation."

      Footnote for Minister Harel (who, despite her municipal portfolio, is one of the government's greatest foreign travellers): The new mayor of Paris this month persuaded the French government to introduce legislation giving more powers to the 20 arrondissements. Included would be the transfer of all local infrastructures, as well as the means to finance and build new ones

      Thu 6/21/01 7:28 AM 'Ethnic project' at work: Harel By: NICOLAS VAN PRAET
      Municipal Affairs Minister Louise Harel charged yesterday that Westmounters are trying to save what she called the "old, foul stench of colonialism."
      In opposing municipal mergers, Westmounters are engaging in an "ethnic project" to protect their "anglo-British character," the minister said.
      

      
      Westmount Mayor Peter Trent appears in fighting form at yesterday's press conference where he and Cote St. Luc Mayor Robert Libman reacted to the Superior Court judgment upholding Bill 170.
      
      Friday 29 June 2001 Beaten in Round 1, suburbs vow rematch
      DARREN BECKER Defeated but defiant, the mayors of Montreal suburbs pledged to continue their fight to keep their towns and cities from being merged into a megacity.

      Wed 6/20/01 Island slated to lose 3 ridings By: KEVIN DOUGHERTY
      A proposal to redraw the provincial electoral map would reduce the number of provincial seats on the island of Montreal to 27 from 30, merging six ridings with significant anglophone and allophone populations - all held by the Liberals - into three.
      Jacques Chagnon, Liberal MNA for Westmount-Saint-Louis, said yesterday he finds it "a bit suspicious" that six Liberal ridings would be merged into three and called it "completely unacceptable" that Montreal Island's representation in the National Assembly would fall to 27 seats.

      June 20, 2001 Urban myth? The Wall Street Journal reports
      Minister Harel doesn't want to learn from history. Her mergers will save money she says, as her colleagues elsewhere once predicted. The majority of Quebec's population does not believe her, according to a recent survey. Now there is more cold water from the heart of America's financial community - a long, detailed report on municipal mergers in the Wall Street Journal, the world's leading business newspaper. Here are some of the highlights:

      • 1. Halifax (the first of the recently forced merged cities)
        • 1.1 Verdict: "If it was done for dollar reasons, then amalgamation didn't work" - mega-mayor Peter Kelly.
        • 1.2. Taxes up: since the 1996 merger, taxes in the outlying area have grown an average of 17%.
        • 1.3 Savings: Initial estimate, $10 million; current estimate, zero.
        • 1.4 Transition costs: Initial estimate, $11 million; cost so far, $24 million.
        • 1.5 Satisfaction: Mega-Halifax citizens now opposed to amalgamations, 66%.
        • 1.6 Reasons: Costs of harmonization, consultants, cancelling leases, downsizing work forces. "No one gets laid off in an amalgamation - they get bought out" - mega-Halifax city spokesman.
      • 2. Toronto:
        • 2.1 Savings: Estimated, $350 million; actual, $136 million (Partly covered by $200 million government loan.).
        • 2.2 Result: Current budget shortfall, $305 million, made up by service cuts and a property tax increase of 5%.
      • 3. Ottawa (in progress):
        • 3.1 Savings: Anticipated savings "reduced by a third."
        • 3.2 Transition costs: More than "tripled since the original estimates."
        • 3.3 Verdict: "It's shocking" - mega-mayor Bob Chiarelli.
      • 4. U.S. situation: mergers have not caught on in the U.S. "because of fears of the same problems now afflicting Canada."

      Source: Wall Street Journal, May 23, 2001. Reporter: Joel Baglole. (Forwarded by Jane Martin).

      Tuesday, June 19, 2001 Merger messes are myth: Harel By: DARREN BECKER
      Fears that a Montreal megacity will be a financial nightmare for residents are just an urban legend, Municipal Affairs Minister Louise Harel says. While Toronto is facing high tax increases because of a $305-million budget deficit this year, Harel said yesterday that the megacity project in Ontario has been a success, with savings of more than $130 million.

      'Don't touch my city' By: LIANNE ELLIOTT The cbc
      Montreal West is not just a town, it's a community. And last night the community came out in full force, with residents forming a human chain around their town hall to protest against forced mergers.
      "This is our town. Our community. We don't want to see it go," said Muriel, 78, who has lived in Montreal West, on the westend of the island of Montreal, since she was 4 years old. She declined to give her last name.

      Tue 6/12/01 7:28 AM 75 per cent oppose mergers, poll says It's more than language: Trent By: DARREN BECKER
      More than 75 per cent of Quebecers surveyed in a poll say the provincial government is unjustified in proceeding with forced municipal mergers. A total of 77.2 per cent of respondents indicated that the Quebec government has no mandate to proceed with its merger legislation - Bill 170.

      Fri 6/8/01 8:00 PM SUBURBS WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR SERVICES IN FUTURE The head of the transition committee for the island of Montreal says if people in some suburbs want to keep the services they have now, they're going to have to pay for them. montreal.cbc.ca/

      Sun 6/3/01 8:00 PM Merger in hands of the court MONTREAL - It's now up to Superior Court Justice, Maurice Lagace, to decide the future of Montreal's municipal merger plan.
      Legal arguments wrapped up yesterday. The mayor of Westmount, Peter Trent, says he's confident his city will not be merged with the city of Montreal. Trent says arguments against the merger were much more convincing.
      "I suspect we're in much better shape. And, I think it augurs extremely well for us to avoid having to have an election on November the 4th," Trent says.
      A judgment in the court case is expected in two to four weeks. Whoever loses is expected to appeal.

      Tue 6/19/01 PROVINCE TAKES TOWNS TO COURT The province is taking Senneville and Baie d'Urfé to court for the money they had in their budget surpluses.
      montreal.cbc.ca/

      News: cbc.ca/search/
      

      Peter F. Trent

      
      
      The Latest Story
      "The man behind the mayor"
      By Jan Kaluza

      And his March 13, 2001 Letter
      to Fellow Citizen:

      Fusions Forcées - Forced Mergers
      As members of a democratic society, we the undersigned categorically reject the forced mergers of our municipalities by the Government of Quebec, without consultation and over our objections.

      
      Click to View Current Signatures last seen over 12,000 signors

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      Peter F. Trent

      11 February, 2001 cbc EDITORIAL MUNICIPAL MERGERS:! by Mayor Peter F. Trent ..People who braved the cold to participate in the massive anti-merger rally held last Dec. 10 must be scratching their heads these days. The air then was thick with diatribes against the injustice of Bill 170, with declarations of war against its architects. As speaker after speaker split the ears of the crowd, the citizens in turn pledged their unconditional support for the mayors in carrying on with their battle against a forced merger of all the Montreal Island cities.
      Exactly two months later, some of these same leaders have shucked off their battledress. They're in a party mood; or, more precisely, they want a party of the political variety.

      Radio 88.5 FM Live Latest Radio Newscast En Français

      Feb 1 2001 MAYOR TO GET POLICE ESCORT It looks as if Mayor Bourque will be accompanied by police for the rest of his campaign to win support on the Island of Montreal. montreal.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/view?/news/2001/02/01/bourque010201

      6/Jan/2001 Build from the grass roots
      One of the key things in mega-Montreal's first election, to be held in November, is the math. The new council will have 72 seats, 39 of which are in the current city of Montreal. The other 33 would represent the existing suburbs. At this point, then, the suburbs stand to be the clear underdogs in terms of political power. This initial election will be an extremely important one. One big issue will likely be the need to decentralize power and give as much responsibility over services to boroughs as is legally possible, so as to safeguard the services' quality and maintain community identity. Another major issue will be democracy - the need for the council to consult conscientiously with citizens. Return WILLIAM STEINBERG

      notes for March Feb Jan 2001

      click here for Mrrch Feb Jan Notes or click here for December Notes or November Notes archives

      Peter Trent & Karan Marks

      8/Dec/2000 Both ´Phones Take Megaphone Against a Megacity
      By JAMES BROOKE
      Nationalists believe they are on the verge of exacting revenge on the anglophone enclave of Westmount, Quebec. The provincial assembly plans to approve a bill that would forcibly merge Westmount into a Montreal megacity. Ny Times www.nytimes.com/2000/12/08/world/08QUEB.html

      March 2000

      click here for Jan Feb Mar Notes archives

      December 2000

      click here for December Notes archives

      November 2000

      click here for November Notes archives

      Peter F. Trent

      938 February 23 issues of Amalgamation with Westmount Mayor Peter F. Trent on Quebec's nefarious Down-loading & mega-city debate Yvette Biondi "One Island One City" ..Healthcare and Clarity Bill ..David Casgrain 'heritage' Victoria Avenue home by Wayne Larsen

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