What's New

inauguration trottoir sidewalk 18se2017September 15, 2017 - A new sidewalk containing recycled glass was constructed on the west side of Neveu Avenue, from Beaconsfield Boulevard to Lakeshore Road, to address the concerns of parents and Saint-Rémi elementary school regarding student safety around the school's approach. 

 
This eco-friendly sidewalk is composed of a mixture of concrete that replaces 20% of the cement powder by the addition of Verrox cement; this mixture has the same properties as conventional concrete. The cost is roughly the same, while its employment allows for the reuse of glass, a material which is found in large quantities in peoples' recycling bins.
 
"Sustainable development is based on a long-term vision. From this perspective, we are constantly on the lookout for innovative technologies that allow for the reuse of recyclable materials. This innovative project is not only an environmental choice, but is also based on the quality of the product, its durability and the reuse of recyclable materials", says Mayor Georges Bourelle. 
 
The new layout has improved the traffic flow by prioritizing the safety of the students in the vicinity of the school while considering the need for parking spaces for the parents of the students and the school staff. Trees will also be planted along the street in the coming weeks.
 
"On behalf of the Council, I welcome the outcome highlighting the expertise and innovation in the field of civil engineering to meet the needs of our community. For the start of this school year, I would like to remind all road users to be cautious, particularly in school zones", concludes Mr. Bourelle.
 

 

st james park

Monday, September 25 
 
Council Chamber, City Hall, 303 Beaconsfield Blvd.
 
Open House from 13:30 to 16:00
 
Town Hall Meeting at 19:00
 
 
 
To provide comments, please email to plandirecteur2017masterplan@beaconsfield.ca
 
 
 
The Parks Master Plan is intended to be used as a decision-making tool in order to help set priorities for investments in city parks over the next 5 to 10 years.
 
Following an analysis of data, priorities for action will be established taking into consideration criteria such as the current state of facilities, the demand for certain specific activities, the equitable distribution of investments across different parts of the City, the space available within the municipality, and the complementarity between proposed projects. The projects put forward are proposals for new or improved facilities, not the regular maintenance of existing parks.

 

tree canada subvention 11se2017

September 11, 2017 – The City of Beaconsfield is pleased to announce that Tree Canada and its partners, U-Haul and TELUS, have offered a $28,000 donation to the municipality to help fight emerald ash borer, a pernicious ash tree killer. This financial assistance is open to all Beaconsfield residents who have applied for treatment for their ash trees in 2017. 
 
As part of Tree Canada’s program called Operation ReLeaf – EAB Project, this grant subsidizes 25% of the cost of a treatment per property. For example, the average diameter of treated ash trees this year was 52 cm, for which the average subsidy is about $50 per tree. With the support of this program, 664 ash trees were treated on 292 private properties in 2017, an increase of 22% compared to 2016.
 
 "Thanks to the contribution of Tree Canada and its partners, U-Haul and TELUS, the City of Beaconsfield is taking another step to implement its strategy of managing the emerald ash borer over its territory. We are proud to count on the support of these three partners to facilitate our community's efforts to preserve the urban forest and safeguard the canopy", said Mayor Georges Bourelle.
 
“Since the 1996 Saguenay Floods, Tree Canada has stood with Canada’s communities to protect and replant trees after the damage brought on by floods, fires and insects. We are proud to stand here with the City of Beaconsfield in its progressive campaign to minimize the destruction of the Emerald Ash Borer on public and private land and wish to thank our amazing partners, TELUS and U-Haul who share our commitment to help the people of Beaconsfield”, said Michael Rosen, President of Tree Canada.
 
 
tree canada subvention 2 11se2017About Operation ReLeaf:
Operation ReLeaf programs have helped communities to recover from natural disasters and pests for more than 20 years. From floods and forest fires to beetles and tornadoes, when Canada’s landscapes and cities face threats from the elements, Tree Canada is there to support the recovery process.
 
 
About Tree Canada:
Tree Canada is a non-profit charity dedicated to improving the lives of Canadians by planting and nurturing trees. Since 1992, we’ve planted more than 80 million trees, greened more than 580 schoolyards, helped restore places hit by natural disasters and brought together urban forestry experts greening cities all across Canada. Get involved or learn more about us at treecanada.ca
 

 

elm bike pathAugust 30, 2017 – Elected officials of Montréal, Mr. Aref Salem, executive committee member in charge of transportation and Mr. Marc-André Gadoury, in charge of the cycling dossier, accompanied by Mr. Georges Bourelle, mayor of Beaconsfield, inaugurated today a two-way section that extends by 2.3 km the Elm Avenue bike path in the City of Beaconsfield. 

 
This new cycling development, which falls under the responsibility of the Montréal urban agglomeration, is located on the south side of Elm Avenue, between Montrose Street and Brown Owl Lane. A 0.2 metre border separates cyclists from car traffic. The new asphalted corridor thus ensures a continuity of the bike path which begins at Woodland Avenue, near the Beaurepaire train station, to Brown Owl Lane, near the Beaconsfield train station – two stations that serve the Vaudreuil-Hudson commuter train service. The development of this new section also includes the redevelopment of the pedestrian overpass at Highway 20, connecting the area south of the highway and more specifically, Beaconsfield High School. 
 
“Incorporating this new section of bike path on Elm Avenue will encourage Beaconsfield residents to use their bikes to get to the train station or school in full comfort and security. This achievement is also part of the goal of encouraging the use of public and active transportation and of Montréal’s Vision zero strategy to increase the physical safety of the most vulnerable users in urban areas,” said Mr. Aref Salem.
 
“The Montréal urban agglomeration is continuing to develop the cycling network while offering cyclists optimal, attractive and competitive travel conditions, whether for useful purposes or for leisure. We can say mission accomplished for the western part of Beaconsfield as the new development of Elm Avenue will allow many residents of this area to have fast and safe access to one of the intermodal stations in their city,” added Mr. Marc-André Gadoury.
 
" First, I would like to thank Mr. Aref Salem, member of the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal and responsible for transportation, for his invaluable collaboration on this project. The new bike path is more suited to the needs of cyclists in our region. Now, we have a safe east–west cycling corridor on the north side of Beaconsfield for students, train commuters, recreational riders and families," concluded Mayor Georges Bourelle.
 
The 2017-2019 three-year capital works program provides for an annual investment of $15 million for the development and upgrading of the Montréal urban agglomeration cycling network. The 2.3 km extension of the Elm Avenue bike path was completed at a cost of $ 1.6 million. Its completion is part of the objective of adding 50 km of bike paths to the Montréal network for the current year.
 
 
Source: Office of the mayor and executive committee, Ville de Montréal

 

Notice to residents of the cities served by the water plant (Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield, Baie d'Urfé, Kirkland, Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Lachine)

Residents have recently noticed a certain earthy taste in the drinking water. This occasional situation is unfortunately experienced during the summer and fall and is due to the presence of algae in the river. 
 
Algae is at its peak in August and September, as the water is warmer at that time. Algae are removed well by the drinking water treatment process at the treatment plants; however, there are some types of algae that release a molecule causing the water to have an earthy taste. The employees at the plants are currently in the process of rapidly optimizing the treatment chain in order to eliminate this taste, which may linger in the system a while, however, during the time it takes to renew the water circulating there. 
 
This situation is not a health hazard in any way. 
 

August 23, 2017 – Beaconsfield residents have become leaders in waste management on the island of Montreal, according to statistics released by the Agglomeration of the Island of Montreal for 2016. 

Beaconsfield is an example to follow, both in terms of recycling and organic materials as well as garbage sent to landfill. For these categories, the City has come first out of the 33 municipalities and boroughs that were assessed.
 
“For the second year running, Beaconsfield residents have performed exceptionally well. It confirms the relevance of the municipal administration’s significant shift in sustainable development to reach the government targets and increase services for our citizens, while simultaneously reducing costs,” exclaimed Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle.
 
This achievement is even more praiseworthy given that the community of Beaconsfield has gone from second-to-last place, namely the citizens producing the most waste per person on the island, to those that produce the least in three years!
 
“These results should be taken in context—over the last few years all the cities have had to make the efforts to improve their waste management.  Residents and the City did better to reach the top of the table, both out of respect for the environment and to benefit current and future generations,” adds Mayor Bourelle.
 
The Agglomeration of Montreal’s waste management profile for 2016 shows that the City of Beaconsfield sent the least garbage to landfill per capita and had the highest recycling rates for organic and recyclable materials.
 
Garbage has been reduced by 51% in three years and government targets have been exceeded both for organic materials (66% compared to the target of 60%) and recyclable materials (78% for the target of 70%).
 
“I’m all the prouder as we achieved the recycling rate of organic materials without having to implement a food waste collection (brown bin), which would have incurred significant costs,” added Mayor Bourelle.
 
“Thanks to our collective undertaking, we have succeeded in reaching an overall rate of 69% for the recycling of waste material, which exceeds both our own objectives and those set by the Quebec government. By working together, we can do more, do better, with less expense, to protect the environment and improve our quality of life. I am proud of us all and I would like to thank you,” concluded the mayor of Beaconsfield.
 

 

August 10, 2017 – The City of Beaconsfield welcomes the decision rendered by the Superior Court confirming that the City acted properly and in accordance with the rules and laws in protecting Angell Woods and its rare forests and rich wetlands.

 
“For years, we have been working very hard to ensure the preservation of Angell Woods, and despite all the challenges, financial and legal issues involved, this decision confirms that our actions were always taken while demonstrating respect for all and for the rights of all affected parties as well as for the benefit of the community at large,” responded Mayor Georges Bourelle to the decision of Judge Johanne Mainville rendered public on August 7.
 
Yale Properties Limited, one of two major land owners of Angell Woods, had filed a motion in Superior Court against the City and the Association for the Protection of Angell Woods (APAW) in order to invalidate the steps taken by the City for the protection of Angell Woods, by accusing the latter of collusion, bad faith and abuse of power. All allegations were dismissed by the Court following a 10-day trial held last March at the Montréal courthouse.
 
In addition to confirming that all actions and decisions taken by the City over the years had been initiated for the common good and in accordance with all rules, the Court states that “... the protection of the environment is a public matter, an important social issue and even a fundamental Canadian value and that it is legitimate for a City Council to take that protection into serious consideration.”
 
The judge, however, issued a single injunction against APAW for enabling and encouraging its members to use Yale’s private property as a public space. APAW must cease doing that and, moreover, must post on its website the pages 42 and 43 as well as Annex A of the judgment confirming that the rights of the private property must be respected. 
 
The judge acknowledges that the City has tried to reduce the pressure to which Angell Woods is exposed due to usage, notably by creating a dog park, and that it must post on its website the pages 42 and 43 as well as Annex A of the judgment so as to remind citizens that the land owned by Yale Properties Limited in Angell Woods is private property and not a public space.
 
As requested by the Court, the City publishes the two identified pages of the judgment as well as Annex A of the decision.
 
Consult pages 42 and 43 (PDF) - Please note that this English version is not an official translation of the original document.
 
 

 

July 20, 2017 – The Mayor of Beaconsfield, Georges Bourelle, and the members of the City Council, have mobilized all necessary resources over the past year to ensure the health and safety of the users of municipal public pools.
 
“The safety of everyone is our priority in the management of the public swimming pools, as it is for the volunteers who, with merits, assume the management of the facilities and the vitality of the activities that take place there," specified the Mayor.
 
To this end, a complete audit of the pools was carried out over the past year in close collaboration with the volunteer administrators of three public outdoor pool organizations in Beaconsfield in order to ensure the quality and safety of the public facilities. The pools at the Lord Reading Yacht Club and the Recreation Centre, as municipal facilities, also underwent a similar review, resulting in the implementation of necessary corrections.
 
Working closely with the Lifesaving Society of Québec – Québec's foremost authority for safety and aquatic regulations – and numerous professionals with structural, legal and insurance expertise, these works and procedures were undertaken with the specific goal of maintaining all sport activities in the municipal facilities, including the use of the diving boards.
 
"This is how we recently received the approval to allow shallow dives from the ledge of the swimming pools during competitions and training sessions," adds Mayor Bourelle.
 
The new safety requirements imposed by the Government of Québec with regard to private and public pools, especially the safety measures concerning the diving boards, no longer permit their use in municipal pools under the current conditions.
 
The administrators of the pools and the City have tried everything to allow their use, looking with specialists into repositioning the boards above the basins, as well as examining the possibility of excavating the basins, or raising the side walls to increase and thus reach the required depths.
 
All possible solutions examined by the experts - architects as well as legal advisors – lead to the same conclusions: the pools have to be rebuilt in order to allow the use of diving boards. The new government standards prohibit any modifications. For each community pool, the costs are so expensive that it would make more sense to build new ones, at a price of about three million dollars each.
 
In this context, it has been agreed with the administrators of each swimming pool association to prohibit the use of diving boards in order to guarantee the safety of pool users and to respect the civil liabilities of the concerned parties.
 
In addition to evaluating the pool facilities, the City also organized a training session for pool administrators in collaboration with the Lifesaving Society. Participants were given an overview of the industry’s best practices in terms of operation, maintenance, safety, responsibilities, legal obligations and insurance coverage.
 
"Our public pools are a significant asset in our community. The involvement and dedication of the volunteers who assume their management is very important to us and we are very grateful to them. Just like ourselves, they act to ensure the health and safety of the citizens", concludes the Mayor of Beaconsfield.
 
 

conf 5jl2017July 5, 2017—The governments of Canada and Quebec are safeguarding public health and helping protect the province's waterways by investing in projects to ensure that water and wastewater systems in the province are up to date and efficient. These investments will also help create jobs and grow the economy.

Francis Scarpaleggia, Member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Louis, and Geoffrey Kelley, Member of the National Assembly for Jacques-Cartier and Minister Responsible for Native Affairs, today announced that the governments of Canada and Quebec are each investing more than $4.1 million for major water infrastructure projects in Beaconsfield. This financial support comes from the New Building Canada Fund, Small Communities Fund–Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component. The Town of Beaconsfield is also investing more than $4.1 million to bring the total government and municipal investment to more than $12.3 million.

This financial support is going toward the renewal of Beaconsfield’s infrastructure to ensure the distribution of high-quality drinking water for residents and the proper disposal of wastewater.

Click here to read the full version of the news release (PDF)

elus comite heros 19jn2017 wbJune 19, 2017 - The City of Beaconsfield commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge by planting two Vimy oak trees in Heroes Park on Shore Road. This battle took place on April 9, 1917 during the First World War. It is commonly recognized as a turning point in Canadian history, as four Canadian divisions fought for the first time as a unified combat force.
 
“These oak trees represent a memory, but also represent life. They represent the memory of the Battle of Vimy, which deeply impacted our country, and they also recognize a special connection between France and Canada. And of course, there’s the environmental aspect of planting trees,” said Mayor Georges Bourelle. 
 
Heroes Park is home to a community cenotaph commemorating the 100th anniversary of the First World War and honouring men and women in uniform who served in times of war and peace, as well as all police officers, firefighters, paramedics and first responders who have served our community.
 
History – Vimy Oaks
After the Battle of Vimy Ridge was won, Leslie Miller, born in 1889 in Milliken, ON, looked around for a souvenir on the Ridge, which was completely devoid of structures or vegetation due to shell fire but he did find a half buried oak tree. He gathered up a handful of acorns. Those acorns were subsequently planted by him on farmland which is now home to the Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church. He called his farm the ‘Vimy Oaks Farm’. Today, several of the original oaks survive. However, there are no original oaks on the Vimy Ridge site.
The Vimy Oaks Team is working, in partnership with the Vimy Foundation, to repatriate these Vimy Oaks of Scarborough-Agincourt back to Vimy, France, to help preserve Canada’s WWI legacy through the creation of a living memorial, planted in France for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. To learn more, visit vimyfoundation.ca .
 

June 13, 2017 - In the coming days, the City of Beaconsfield will launch a pilot project to test a new ecological method for fighting the emerald ash borer infestation. The project includes a focus on and validation of techniques to diffuse a fungus that is an entomopathogen for the emerald ash borer and kills the insect within a few days. 
 
This Lindgren funnel trap was developed by researchers from the INRS, GDG Environnement and Natural Resources Canada and is comprised of several sliding funnels to lead the emerald ash borers into a special chamber containing spores of a fungus that is a pathogen for the insect. Once the borer is infected, it spreads the fungus spores to other borers during mating. This fungus grows rapidly within the emerald ash borer’s body, killing it within the first five days after contamination.  
 
The pilot project entails the installation of 15 traps in the Angell Woods public area owned by the City of Montreal and the City of Beaconsfield. They will only be installed in ash trees at the top of the canopy, and will contain two substances to specifically attract adult male and female emerald ash borers during their active flying phase.  The particular isolate of the Beauveria bassiana fungus used by the researchers from the Canadian Forest Services of Natural Resources Canada contains enzymes that are specifically pathogenic to the emerald ash borer.
 
“This method of ecological control works with the Stratégie métropolitaine de lutte contre l'agrile du frêne and is among a variety of currently-recommended strategies. Our participation in this pilot project demonstrates our City’s commitment and enthusiasm in the fight against the emerald ash borer. It also shows our willingness to improve the urban forest’s resilience,” said Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle.
 
North America’s ecosystem has few threats to the emerald ash borer, giving it the opportunity to spread effectively and quickly. This new technology could add a major obstacle to the insect’s ability to multiply, and combined with other treatment and management tools, could help slow its progression.
 

Additional information

Information sheet - Natural Resources Canada (PDF)

Press release - INRS (PDF)

Beaconsfield Council censures Councillor Pierre Demers and asks the Commission municipale du Québec to take action

 
April 25, 2017 - Last night, the Beaconsfield Municipal Council took the exceptional step of passing a resolution to censure Councillor Pierre Demers and asking the Commission municipale du Québec to take action against him. Mr. Demers is being censured for his attempt to testify in a lawsuit in favour of Yale Properties Ltd., to the detriment of the interests of the City and its residents, thereby breaching the Code of Ethics and Good Conduct for Elected Municipal Officers.
 
“This behaviour is serious. Councillor Demers acted against the interests of Beaconsfield and its residents. In this situation, Council members have an obligation and responsibility as public administrators to formally censure such derogatory conduct and submit it to the appropriate public authority,” explained Mayor Georges Bourelle and all other elected councillors, namely, David Pelletier, Karen Messier, Wade Staddon, Roger Moss and Peggy Alexopoulos by adopting the motion of censure.
 
Councillor Pierre Demers went to the Montreal Court House on March 16, 2017, met with the lawyer representing Yale Properties Ltd., which is the company that is suing the City, and offered to testify for this firm against the interests of the City. He did this without advising the City solicitor and in the context of long, costly legal proceedings that began in 2010.
 
However, four elected officers were already officially involved as witnesses at the trial, namely, two former councillors, one current councillor and the Mayor.
 
“It is important to respect the obligations of a public administrator. The Code of Ethics governing the conduct of elected officers is very clear. We must be vigilant and discerning with respect to the interests of the City. We must act with integrity, prudence, loyalty, fairness and confidentiality. When Mr. Demers offered on his own initiative to testify for a company that has been involved in a seven-year lawsuit against the City, he acted in a way that is contrary to all the fundamental principles that govern our actions,” explained the Mayor and the five other municipal councillors. 
 
By acting in this manner, Mr. Demers breached numerous sections of the Code of Ethics and Good Conduct for Elected Municipal Officers, which was adopted on February 24, 2014. In particular, he contravened the sections on integrity, prudence in pursuing the public interest, loyalty towards the municipality and the values of honour related to the duties of elected representatives, and to certain sections governing conflicts of interest and the use or communication of confidential information.
 
The motion of censure was unanimously adopted, with the exception of Mr. Demers himself. To avoid being judge and jury, the Municipal Council asked that the case be submitted to the Commission municipale du Québec for investigation and penalty.
 
 

March 23, 2017 - Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle is pleased and proud to announce that Beaconsfield’s residents have won Réseau Environnement’s 2017 Distinction Jacques Gaudreau award for their outstanding management of waste materials in 2016.
 
“I am all the more proud that our performance, all together, was achieved by adhering to a global approach to sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations,” said Mayor Bourelle when the award was presented to the City yesterday as part of the Réseau Environnement’s Environmental Forum and International Environment Technologies Trade Show, held in Montreal.
 
Director General Patrice Boileau proudly received the award on behalf of the City. He emphasized that "the realization of this project has been made possible through various partners and, above all, through the exceptional contribution of City staff, specialists dedicated to its implementation and committed to providing improved services to Beaconsfield residents".
 
The twelve Americana Awards are designed to recognize excellence and Quebec expertise in the field of environment. The City won the award ex aequo with EBI Environment. The City of Beaconsfield was recognized for the successful implementation of a waste collection system with an incentive tariff structure, while the private corporation EBI Environment was rewarded for the use of state-of-the-art technologies to improve the quality of plastic and glass materials recovered.
 
“For us, in Beaconsfield, it is even more remarkable because just three years ago, we were amongst the island’s worse polluters, and we are now leading the pack with the best because we have changed our habits and implemented new practices that reduced the quantity of waste going to a landfill by half,” says Mayor Bourelle.
 
Réseau Environnement is a coalition of more than 2,700 members, 350 businesses, 250 municipalities and 20 government and public sector organizations. Its mission is to promote environmental best practices and innovation focused on sustainable development, technological and scientific advancement, promotion of expertise and support of environmental activities.
 
Mayor Bourelle said that all the actions taken over the last three years have enabled the City to do better and do more by using new technologies without increasing costs for citizens.
 
“The result of our joint actions allowed us to significantly increase the volume of value-added materials recovered. This award is a beautiful public recognition of the innovative and beneficial actions for the environment undertaken by our community,” concluded the mayor of Beaconsfield.

banniere chien en 

Given the current situation involving the issue of dangerous dogs, the City wishes to remind residents that By-law BEAC-099 regarding animal welfare includes several provisions regarding the care and control of a dog in Beaconsfield.

This By-law aims to raise awareness of dog guardians and ensure the safety of the public as well as that of the animal. It also provides that all dogs must be licensed and wear a tag issued by the City at all times.

No dog without a leash will be tolerated on public property
At all times, dogs must be leashed on public property, including all parks and green spaces in the City of Beaconsfield. For private properties, the guardian must at all times have control of the dog in order to prevent the animal from leaving the property.

Dangerous dogs
In cases of dogs which have caused damage to others, the City requires that the dog be muzzled on public property. To ensure the safety of residents, the By-law allows, in some cases, that a dog be placed in the pound and even be euthanized.

Compliance
In collaboration with the SPVM, an awareness campaign is underway to ensure that citizens comply with By-law BEAC-099 on animal welfare. Fines will be issued to those who do not comply with provisions of the By-law.

For all provisions concerning dogs, please consult  By-law BEAC-099 (PDF)

 

An innovative initiative that reaffirms the City’s leadership in waste management

Building on its forward-thinking approach to waste management, the City of Beaconsfield enthusiastically announces a new pilot project that aims to audit its collection of recyclable materials. The one-year project, which is planned for deployment by the end of June, is in line with the Waste Reduction Strategy adopted by the City in 2014.

Since January 2016, the smart collection system based on the incentive tariff approach has delivered results that continue to impress. Sustained involvement by citizens led to a 35% reduction in the waste sent to landfill sites between 2013 and 2015, and in the first four months of 2016, Beaconsfield had realized a further 26% decrease compared to the same period last year. The average household bin collection rate was below 50% for the first quarter, or the equivalent of once every two weeks. This performance speaks volumes about the community’s commitment and leadership, an obvious point of pride for the City.

Improving the management of recyclable materials
Today, the City of Beaconsfield wants to take this progress a step further. Because the contamination of recyclable materials by waste is a major risk factor, the City wishes to ensure the compliance and acceptability of materials sent to the recycling facility. Specifically, the project aims to measure:

  • how often the blue bins are put out for collection;
  • the level of contamination of recycled materials;
  • the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) produced by the collection truck in relation to its use;
  • the potential savings available when the recycling collection contract comes up for renewal.

The City wishes to emphasize it has no plans of instituting an incentive tariff to citizens for the blue bin collection.

“This exercise will enable us to identify the types of recyclables collected in order to ensure that the items thrown into the blue bin are recyclable materials and not waste. With this project, the City wants to confirm that its residents have indeed improved their household routines since the implementation of the smart collection. It is vital that the recyclable materials sent to the recycling facility are in compliance and do not exceed the acceptable level of contamination. We also want to assess the GHG emissions associated
with the automated collection in order to establish the City’s GHG inventory,” said Georges Bourelle, Mayor of Beaconsfield.

“We are sincerely focused on making the best possible environmental management choices in the years ahead,” he added. “The City of Beaconsfield is well on its way to setting the standard in this area, and the close collaboration of our citizens is showing that it is possible to work together to minimize our impact on the environment.”

The pilot project, which is priced at $103,000, will be carried out at a cost of approximately $10,000, thanks to the invaluable support of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund, Éco Entreprises Québec, NRJ Environnement and Lateral Innovations.

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Muted citizen response regarding utility and financing

November 20, 2015 – Beaconsfield residents are cautious in their assessment of the utility and financing methods of a sound wall along the south side of Highway 20, despite the exceptional proposal made by the Provincial Minister of Transport Robert Poëti for its implementation.

This was revealed by a survey of 600 adult Beaconsfield residents conducted by Léger Marketing from October 16 to 23, 2015; the results were weighted according to sex, age, owner or tenant status and district of residence. Such research reflects an overall position of citizens regarding the project’s relevance and financing methods. The results can be expected to be accurate to within 4% if repeated again 19 out of 20 times.

“We have conducted this survey to become fully aware of the overall position of our residents on this project. The results confirm the caution with which we have handled this matter from the beginning”, explains Mayor Georges Bourelle.

According to the pollster’s analysis, the survey results show that “the majority of the citizens seem unconvinced of the sound wall’s necessity […], because they have doubts regarding its efficiency and appearance or disapprove of the costs related to the implementation of the project.

“This first level of consultation allows us to take stock of the stakes to be considered before deciding whether to accept the Minister’s proposal. We will now address the financing and consultation methods to ensure that the decision will be made with total transparency as part of a democratic exercise which will respect all parties concerned”, adds the Mayor.

Transport Minister Robert Poëti recently offered to bear 75% instead of 50% of the project costs. Despite this exceptional proposal, Beaconsfield’s part would still amount to five million dollars.

The survey results demonstrate that the noise problems caused by the highway affect a very slight majority of respondents in the three districts closest to Highway 20, whereas the respondents in the three other districts declare to be hardly or not affected.

The two main reasons given by those opposed to the project are the costs (53%) and the fact that they are not directly affected by the noise generated by highway traffic (46%).

This trend is even more pronounced when considering the cost issue. The most impacted districts favour a general cost-sharing solution, while those less or not impacted believe that the costs should be covered by the affected owners.

Click here to consult the survey and its results (PDF)

 

The City of Beaconsfield has implemented an automated call system called CodeRed to provide the means to reach citizens in an emergency. It is an efficient call system that can reach a large number of people in a very short time and can be deployed in a specific area, even a street if, for example, a broken water main were to force interruption of the water supply. In other cases, authorities could use it to announce an environmental accident, a gas leak or other emergency. The message could include information on procedures to be followed.

Is your phone number confidential, have you only a cell phone or have you moved in the last month?
The CodeRed database system contains numbers of landlines in our territory. In case of an emergency, citizens are called at home, on their cell, or at both numbers. If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called. The CodeRed automated call system gives individuals and businesses the ability to add their own telephone or cellular numbers directly to the system's database. This can be done by visiting the City's website and clicking CodeRed.

Caller ID

When you see 866 419-5000 displayed, you will know the call is from the City. If you would like to hear the last message delivered to your phone, simply dial the number back.

This project complements other procedures already established as part of the City's emergency plan to improve efficiency during emergency situations.