PHOTO BY JOHN JANTAK Pincourt is continuing its trend of ensuring it doesn’t seize houses for non-payment of property taxes. Mayor Yvan Cardinal said the town always works with homeowners undergoing financial stress to find alternative solutions to make sure property taxes are paid. No house seizures for non-payment of taxes Pincourt residents will enjoy an unexpected Christmas gift this year – property taxes will rise only 1.3 per cent for 2019 – less than the current annual

PHOTO BY JAMES ARMSTRONG Five fire departments from the region responded to help the Saint-Lazare firefighters who were called out at 1:30 p.m. to battle a blaze that destroyed a home at 3800 chemin Saint Angélique on Wednesday, December 12. “So far, we don’t know the cause of the fire. When we arrived, flames were coming out of the windows at the back of the house,” said Saint Lazare Fire Chief Daniel Boyer. “We made an interior attack but had to retreat because of a flash o

PHOTOS BY JAMES ARMSTRONG Hudson resident and former member of council Natalie Best took issue with the proposed pay raise for the mayor and council. Hudson Mayor Jamie Nicholls and council members unanimously approved By-law 716-2018 giving themselves a retroactive pay increase despite protests from several citizens including a former town councillor, Natalie Best. “Would you like to tell us exactly what the percentage of increase is from your current salary?” asked Best. Th

PHOTO BY JAMES ARMSTRONG Residents from the du Fief area initiated a town-wide petition that was presented to council by Rachel Solyom. A group of Saint-Lazare residents headed by Rachel Solyom presented a petition to town council during the question period of the council meeting on Tuesday, December 11. Solyom described how signatures on the petition, published in French and English, were garnered online and through a door-to-door campaign in the town. The petition was speci

PHOTO BY JOHN JANTAK Vaudreuil-Dorion Treasurer and Director of Finance Marco Pilon presented the city’s 2019 budget during a special council session at city hall of Monday, December 10. Over 40 people attended the session including municipal blue and white collar union members from the Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP) who wore Santa Claus hats. Pilon lashes out at SCFP union reps Vaudreuil-Dorion homeowners will receive an average property tax increase of 1.9

PHOTO COURTESY DAN RASSI The Westwood Senior Band performed at the Quebec English School Board Association (QESBA) meeting on Friday, November 30 at Château Vaudreuil. The students who play in the band at Westwood Junior and Senior High Schools are earning prestigious recognition for their musical acumen having earned two awards in international competitions since 2017. Steve Dubinsky, the Music Director at Westwood Junior in Saint-Lazare and Westwood Senior in Hudson, and Da

PHOTO BY JESSICA KING The Grade 6 students of Hudson’s Mount Pleasant Elementary School worked together to plan, create, and sell objects in order to raise funds for the Fire Department’s Christmas Basket Drive. (Back, left to right): Sebastian Nowik, Lawrence Stachlewski, Griffin Riddell, Jack Guilbault, Thomas Royal, Easton Malone, Firefighter Dawn Croydon, Alexander Brazolot, and Katherine Koberstien. (Middle, left to right): Alexander Aguirre-Freud, Luke Norby, Chloe Clou

PHOTO BY KEITH FORD The Hudson Christmas Bird Count is looking for field observers and feeder counters to help out in the annual event to monitor bird populations across North America. On December 22, birders from all over the Montreal area will descend upon Hudson to count birds. Bird Studies Canada and our partners at the National Audubon Society in the United States; rely on data from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) database to monitor bird populations across North America.

Artisans for Animals - An Artisan Fair to benefit Animatch Dog Adoption takes placed Saturday, December 8 fom 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cedar Park United Church, 204 Lakeview Avenue in Pointe-Claire. Over 30 juried artisans will be displaying their handmade goods just in time for your holiday shopping. Lunch will be available. Shop local and support animal rescue!