M IKA DO J APANESE C UISINE Sushi Bar ? Catering SINCE 1963 Happy Holidays and A Healthy & Prosperous 2010 to all our customers & friends www.mikadomontreal.com 5515 Monkland (514) 369-3659 ? 399 Laurier St. West (514) 279-4809 CITY EDITION For all your decorating needs POPOFF: CHRISTMAS AND FREEDOM, PAGE 13 Happy Holidays From the management and staff of HUNTER DOUGLAS Showcase Dealer Custom Closets For Any Budget 8250 Devonshire Rd. Ville Mont-Royal 514.733.6468 www.verti-kal.com DECEMBER 23, 2009 Q U E B E C ? S L A R G E S T E N G L I S H W E E K L Y N E W S P A P E R NEWS & ANALYSIS The new faces of CDN/NDG council Susan Clarke, Peter McQueen and Lionel Perez. ? Page 3 ARTS... ETCETERA Maimonides wins with Battle of the Bands The idea of holding a Battle of the Bands fundraising event had been brewing in Freddie Naimer?s mind for quite some time. ? Page 15 ARTS... ETCETERA Festive flicks The world?s greatest detective returns in this reimagining of Arthur Conan Doyle?s legendary c ...

2 ? THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009 P0HOTOS KEVIN WOODHOUSE / THE SUBURBAN Before the destruction, the donations Business partners give motel's items to charity Motel Raphael, located at 7455 Blvd. Ste-Anne-de- Bellevue right off St. Jacques had been vacant and boarded up for months and the partners who recently purchased the building donated motel's furniture, bedding and electronic ware from the 75 rooms to various Montreal charity organizations. By Kevin Woodhouse The Suburban The Motel Raphael, that had been boarded up and vacant, has been purchased three weeks ago by three partners who plan to convert the property into commercial development. "It had been closed for months," said Lorne Miller, who along with partners Jack Levee and Steven Miller, have had the structure razed. But before the old motel was reduced to rubble, the partners, who purchased the motel this past December 4th, donated the building's furniture, bedding, microwaves and televisions to various commun ...

PHOTO: DAN DELMAR NEWS AND ANALYSIS The new faces of CDN/NDG council Clarke to serve up close and personal By Dan Delmar The Suburban Fresh off last month?s election victory in the Loyola district of Côte des Neiges-NDG, councillor Susan Clarke is pledging to take regular strolls with residents to hear them out. Clarke told The Suburban that she will organize Saturday morning walks with district residents beginning in the new year. ?At least every other weekend,? Clarke said she will choose a block and invite citizens to exchange ideas with her. ?We?ll take a walk up the street and discuss issues, address concerns and talk about future planning.? The new Union Montreal recruit defeated independent candidate and former councillor Jeremy Searle by a margin of four percentage points. With just over one month on the job, she said she is enjoying her position and hasn?t encountered any major hurdles just yet. ?It?s great. I?m having a ball. I?ve mostly been learning a lot,? said Clarke, who ...

4 ? THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009 It has been an eventful 2009. As we head towards a new year, lets take our look back at some of the headliners who have graced the pages of this paper and others. Politics Down in Flames: St. Laurent Cartierville MP Stéphane Dion went from leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, possible Prime Minister of a coalition government to the Invisible Man after Michael Ignatief assumed the helm... Political scandals spelled the end of Benoit Labonté?s career and any attempt by Frank Zampino to one day return to the municipal scene? Mayor Gérald Tremblay won a third successive mandate? Former CTV reporter and news director Bob Benedetti was a high profile and visible rookie mayor of Beaconsfield for four years. But he was defeated by Councillor David Pollock. David Sternthal lost a nasty campaign in Hampstead to incumbent Mayor William Steinberg? The Action Democratique de Québec (ADQ) took a year to elect a new leader, Gilles Taillon, to replace M ...

Get our best lease payments with $0 DOWN on select 2010?s. 2010 SONATA GL NOW FROM $17,999 (2010 Accent GL 3-door model shown)* LEASE OFFER $309 PER MO./60 MOS.? $0 DOWN PAYMENT 2010 SANTA FE GL 2.4L FROM $25,999 PURCHASE FINANCING OFFER $ 300 PER MO./72 MOS. 1 3.35% PURCHASE FINANCING $0 DOWN PAYMENT 2010 SANTA FE AVAILABLE FEATURES: New 2.4L I4 fuel effi cient engine New available 275 HP 3.5L V6 Standard Bluetooth ® handsfree mobile phone interface A distinctive new style Available 6 speed automatic transmission Standard 17? alloy wheels Electronic Stability Control & Traction Control System ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) Air Conditioning 6 airbags AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 6-speaker audio system OR $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT DELIVERY & DESTINATION INCLUDED. LEASE OFFER $337 PER MO./60 MOS.? $0 DOWN PAYMENT OR PURCHASE FINANCING OFFER $ 408 PER MO./72 MOS. 1 1.90% PURCHASE FINANCING $0 DOWN PAYMENT $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT DELIVERY & DESTINATION INCLUDED. 100 boul. Montpellier (coin Mé ...

6 ? THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009 CHOOSE YOUR DEC BEGIN AS SOON AS JANUARY TOURISM MANAGEMENT EDUCATION TECHNIQUES - Early Childhood Education - Special Care Counselling SOCIAL SCIENCES - Global Vision - International Studies HOTEL & RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT - Hotel Management - Food Service Management - Professional Cooking (DEP) Day or evening classes in French or English Financial assistance available (Loans & Bursaries) DOORCRASHER SATURDA Y and SUNDAY Available to the first 50 customers. Boulevard Décarie Avenue Coolbrook Avenue Clanranald Save 30 % off already-reduced clearance priced major appliances Save 20 % off already-reduced clearance priced mattresses Rue Vézina DÉCARIE SQUARE 6900, DÉCARIE BLVD., CÔTE SAINT-LUC, PQ. (514)731-6118 MON. - WED.: 9:30 A.M. - 9:00 P.M. THURS. & FRI.: 9:30 A.M. - 9:00 P.M. SATURDAY : 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. SUNDAY: 10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. - Transportation Logistics - Business Management - Insurance and Financial Advisory Services - Accoun ...

NEWS & ANALYSIS McQUEEN Cont?d from page 3 going to want to discuss things that are partisan. If the situation were reversed, I?m sure I?d be asking for the same thing.? McQueen, it seems, will choose his battles wisely and will make transparency an ongoing theme during his mandate. ?I have to fight the battles I have a chance of winning. And I will,? he said. ?They don?t give enough information to citizens. It needs to open up.? As the district?s councillor, McQueen was relieved to learn that he now has the right to attend the closed-door Comité consultatif d'urbanisme (CCU) meetings which map out the borough?s urban development plans. Chaired by mayor Michael Applebaum, the in camera CCU meetings have been one of the more controversial topics for debate in the borough. Former Loyola councillor Warren Allmand, who also served as Canada?s Solicitor General, was fiercely opposed to the closed-door meetings. During McQueen?s first borough council meeting last week, he quickly proposed th ...

8 ? THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009 ...

NEWS & ANALYSIS Nuns? Island new Maynard Ferguson park By P.A.Sévigny The Suburban During a recent Verdun borough council meeting, Mayor Claude Trudel told APRIDS (Association des Propriétaires et Résidents de l?Île Des Soeurs) President Pierre Jobin work would soon begin on the borough?s new park located near the posh Pointe du Sud district on Nuns? Island. City jazz fans will be pleased to know the borough intends to name its new park after the world famous jazz musician, Maynard Ferguson, who was born and raised in Verdun. While the borough originally planned to build the park a ecade ago, it took almost ten years before the island?s ongoing residential development could provide the proper opportunity for the work to begin on the central city?s longpromised $1.2 million infrastructure investment. Trudel also made a point of telling Jobin the city would use its You?ve tried the rest, now try the best! By popular demand our exclusive ?Build your own box? event continues 2 people $ 30. ...

10 ? THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009 REPOSSESSION Lasalle Wate rfront! Location, location, location ! 1,020 sq.feet, hardwood floors, 2 bathrooms, garage, gas fireplace, many storage spaces, 2 balconies. Eternal happiness has an address : 9861 Lasalle Blvd ! $274,900. $ 339,000 Lasalle 3 bedroom Cottage with large rooms, new windows, garage, finished basement. Beautiful quiet area near library and services. Landscaped lot. Finished basement. Carole Couturier Affiliated Real Estate Agent 514-235-0552 Claire St-Laurent Chartered Real Estate Agent 514-978-1495 Il nous fait plaisir de souhaiter de très Joyeuses Fêtes à tous! It is our pleasure to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday. Robert Cardinal Chartered Real Estate Agent 514-773-9557 SOLD $ SOLD 346,500 $ 346,500 Lasalle Well kept duplex with 3.5 bachelor in excellent location. Near park, school, bus, shopping centres. Roof?00 10 yrs warranty, Dining area opened to living room by French doors, hardwood floors,2-cars garage $3 ...