Ste. Anne’s Maison Robillard restoration

Maison Robillard restoration in Ste. Anne’s to be completed by early fall

John Jantak

The Journal

The end of summer or beginning of autumn is the tentative time frame being set for the opening of the restored Maison Robillard historic building which will serve as a chalet to welcome visitors to the L’Anse-à-l’Orme nature reserve in the north sector of Sainte-Anne-deBellevue.

Mayor Paola Hawa made the announcement during the Monday evening council meeting March 15 in response to a question that was submitted by a resident before the start of the session asking how long it will take to have a new roof built and restore the exterior masonry work to what’s left of the remaining exterior structure.

Plans and specifications

A more precise time frame for when the project will be completed will be determined when the city receives the final plans and specifications for the restoration project which will include planning for the project, design, evaluating the cost and determining what can and can’t be done, said Hawa.

“This is what we have to do when we go to tender before the actual work is done,” Hawa told The Journal. “It’s a phase we do for almost every type of engineering contract and this is where we are with the Maison Robillard.”

While the exterior masonry work will be salvaged and restored, the inside will be completely revamped.

“The interior is not going to be the way it was,” said Hawa. “The old interior was two storeys. The new one will be just one storey. This is one way where we tried to cut costs. There’s a possibility of putting in a second storey add-on later. That’s the plan for now.”

Historic heritage site

The Maison Robillard, also formerly known as the Braerob Farmhouse, is a historic heritage site located on Chemin Sainte-Marie. The interior structure and roof were destroyed by a fire in 2012. The building has sat abandoned since then until the city recently decided to restore and preserve the remaining structure.

“It was open to the rain and snow and it deteriorated to the point where it couldn’t be salvaged,” said Hawa. “It’s a real shame because if we had access four years ago we could have preserved most of it. I’m happy we’re following through on this plan to restore it and so are the residents.”

Nature reserve entrance point

Once the restoration work is completed, the Maison Robillard will be the new official entrance point and welcoming centre for visitors to the L’Anse a l’Orme nature reserve. With its location close to the new REM terminus in Sainte-Annede-Bellevue-North, the restored farmhouse is expected to draw visitors from across the Island of Montreal and other outlying areas.

“People will be able to get information and maps about the woodlands and learn about the animals that live there and cyclists will be able to ride their bikes on the various trails,” said Hawa.

THE JOURNAL FILE PHOTO/JOHN JANTAK

Following a fire in 2012, the historic Maison Robillard in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue fell into a state of disrepair after sitting abandoned.

THE JOURNAL FILE PHOTO/JOHN JANTAK

Pictured here in its heyday, the Maison Robillard – also known as the Braerob Farmhouse – will be restored as the welcoming point and official entrance for the planned L’Anse a l’Orme nature reserve.

Île-Perrot

Continued from page 3

“But the residents, we don’t want this project – is that clear enough? We sent a petition to the mayor and councillors, and we don’t want it. At this hour, close this meeting, and understand that we do not want it. Period.” When invited to explain why he was opposed to the project, Seay went on, “I have been living in Île-Perrot for 50 years. I was the Directing Manager of the Île-Perrot Caisse Populaire for 27 years. When I retired, I told my wife we would settle down. We elected to come live in ‘Les Jardins de l’anse,’ a nice quiet area where we can see the sun rise in the morning while having breakfast. If that is not enough (of an answer), I’m sorry – you don’t live on Île-Perrot.” Saey added it was not only a question of the view, as Tadros suggested in response to Saey’s comment. “Les Jardins de l’anse” is a haven of peace and tranquility with a beautiful environment, nice neighbours.” Other residents chimed in in support of Saey’s statement.

Abrupt ending

The meeting ended following a short pause. Tadros came back to announce that the workshops would be rescheduled. One resident expressed reservations about the workshop format, stating he did not want to take part in a focus group. Tadros said he was open to incorporate modifications into the process. The date of April 12 was suggested, but will have to be confirmed.

“Can the mayor be present at the next meeting so we can ask him questions?” a resident asked. “It is inconceivable that the mayor is not there,” another resident said. Séguin was on camera during the meeting but did not speak. Tadros once again stated this was not a political or partisan process. The discussions then came to an abrupt close.

“Mr. Tadros just flushed everybody,” one resident said, which served as concluding remark for the meeting.

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Gratitude

We have a gratitude problem.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean always. We do collectively try to promote being grateful here and there, whether it’s on a few holidays throughout the year or at other times when we make a point to reflect on positive things. That’s great. And on the flip side, it isn’t necessarily bad to let ourselves feel frustration in a healthy way when our current circumstances leave something to be desired.

Still, I think the scales are out of balance. We spend so much time today soaked in negativity. It’s always about the grind toward achieving more, getting more, never settling, all that jazz. The grass is always greener on the other side.

We’re very caught up in what we don’t have. Jobs, wealth, material possessions, or accomplishments we haven’t yet achieved… It’s important to have motivations that keep us going. But if we’re too preoccupied with the bad in our lives and what we’re lacking, we can’t fully recognize the good.

I’m grateful for what I am lucky enough to have, but I often have to remind myself to be appreciative. Some examples are easier to keep in mind than others. The biggest things. Food and water, people who love and support me, a home.

And then there are some that sneak up on me. For instance, sometimes I forget that people really do read what I write, but comments have reached me here and there from readers. I’m grateful that people not only take the time to read my column but also to let me know when a particular piece has resonated with them - shout-out and many thanks to Jean and Sylvia!

Actively practicing gratitude can decrease stress, increase happiness and satisfaction, build our self-esteem, and even improve parts of our life as important as our sleep habits and our relationships.

Putting more effort into appreciating what we have can mean keeping a personal gratitude journal, expressing our thanks to others, or even just being mindful throughout our day and doing what we can to take in the positives in our lives as they happen.

It’s easy to forget what we have when constantly focusing on what we don’t. And it doesn’t have to be either or. Acknowledging the positives doesn’t mean ignoring or forgetting what we want to improve and change. We don’t have to settle for things as they are, but we can savour good things in the moment and not take anything for granted.

There will always be more to have, more to do, more to experience. The journey toward building our ideal lives is a long one, but it will be a happier journey for everybody if we prioritize cherishing what we have now above what we may have someday.

The grass on the other side may forever look the greenest of all the greens. Let’s focus a little more on appreciating just how green our own grass really is.

Much of the land protected as a flood zone

The letter from council says that it has negotiated and the town will own or control 72 per cent of the land at Sandy Beach. It estimates a cost of $10,000,000 to Hudson taxpayers for acquiring the remaining area, and underscores the difficulty of getting the share from the CMM when the fund for Blue-Green Corridors is shared between 82 municipalities.

Says Gray, “A lot of the land was protected when the province re-drew the ZIS (Special Intervention Zone) line following the two recent floods. But we’re talking about protecting the entire area.” He said the group’s focus is on purchasing the land to prevent a major influx of new housing and new traffic from disrupting the sensitive ecosystem. “The $10 million is a worst-case scenario; there are many, many options out there for finding the money. There are tax breaks, there’s a ton of funding from private conservation groups, there are private donations, there’s the option of the town generating revenue by renting kayaks or charging for parking. You just have to be willing to try to find a way.”

Willing to try

“This mayor and council were widely perceived as running pro-environment at the last election, but now the Sandy Beach development is still a go. All we’re asking them to do is make the application so we can see what our options are,” says Gray. The group has met with the mayor and with two council members, and their feeling is that if enough citizens make it clear that protecting Sandy Beach is worth the effort, they may be able to convince council to make the application and see what funding can be had. “We’re not looking for a fight. We’re a positive group and we’re just looking for a solution. We’ll have a table set up next week at the Que de Bonnes Choses/IGA plaza to help people see exactly what’s at stake, and how we can help.”

This is an election year, and the group wants as many people as possible to send messages to their local councillor (or to the mayor for District 3 which is currently vacant) asking that Hudson apply for the CMM funding. Says Gray, “We want to send a clear message that it’s worth the effort to save Sandy Beach before it’s changed forever.”

Letters

Continued from page 4

Dear Editor,

Things are getting back to normal after COVID and one of those things is the idiot drivers who pass school buses with flashing lights. This week my grandson had a near miss while crossing Côte Saint-Charles to enter the school bus, when a black SUV with the driver drinking his coffee, passed the school bus with flashing lights. The deterrent to not offend should be increased from $200 to $300 and the loss of nine demerit points, as numerous school bus drivers see these types of motorists every day. Some American states have $1,000 fines and suspended permit for one year but without deterrents some drivers will continue to pass school buses with flashing lights when they are stopped to pick up or drop off children. The government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to protect us from COVID – they need to spend a bit more to ensure children getting on and off school buses are made safer. Here is a suggestion – Install ‘dash cams’ on every one of the 15,000 school buses in Quebec, and if a school bus driver reports a car passed his bus while stopped with lights flashing, it can be sent to the Sûreté du Québec. This would also act as a deterrent as every driver would know that if they pass a stopped school bus with the lights flashing, it would be recorded on a ‘dash cam’ and that appropriate penalties will be coming. Fifteen thousand school buses x $100 per dash cam and installation= $1.5 million. A small price to pay for more security and protection for the school children of Quebec.

Alan Nicol

Saint-Lazare

Pick it up!

Dear Editor,

We have lived in Hudson for 23 years and have had a dog almost the whole time. Our newest is almost nine months old and my wife and I have gotten into the habit of having long walks in the morning. We have both been retired for about four years and are now getting to know all the trails in the area. So here’s the point of this letter.

To all the dog owners who do not pick up after your dogs and those that do but leave the bag on the side of the trail, (what’s the point of that?) you should be ashamed of yourselves.

You are an embarrassment to all the responsible dog owners. I am asking you to pick up after your pet. We are so fortunate to live in this area and have the beautiful trails that we do. Please do your part in keeping them pristine

Jeff Fieldsend

Hudson

The Journal welcomes reader feedback and invites citizen letters on topics of interest to themselves and their communities. Send your letters to editor@yourlocaljournal.ca. Letters should be 400 words or less and may be edited for clarity. Letters should be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Anonymous and unsigned letters will not be printed.