Hello, I’m Yasmine Hassan and you’re watching NDG Cote de Neige community news.
Here’s a look at what’s happening in your neighbourhood.
City housing concerns are coming to the forefront
And later we’ll have a peek into a community radio station.
Here’s Celeste Lee.


01 Mould Story
Families in Côte-des-Neiges might be exposing their children to a greater risk than they imagined.
Mold is a big problem in the borough, and many families are experiencing serious health issues from living in less-than-ideal conditions.
Amie Watson went to see the extent of the problem.

CLIP: 157 Mold.mov
IN: Mold in CU. Amie’s voice.
OUT: Amie’s stand up.
RUNS: 01:57


02 Housing Protest
Tenants often wait up to two years for complaints to be processed at the Housing Commission, but for landlords the average is six weeks.
A coalition of community groups across Montreal have been organising protests to raise awareness.
They say that the Housing Commission is not doing enough to protect tenants’ rights, especially for lower-income families who simply can’t afford to wait that long.

CLIP: 41 Protest.mov
IN: Protest in the street.
OUT: Interview with Manuel Johnson.
RUNS: 00:41



03 Blue Bonnet Q&A
The city of Montreal was supposed to build 5000 homes including low-income housing on the site of the old Hippodrome in Cote-des-Neiges.
But thanks to an oversight on the part of the municipal and provincial governments, it’s not clear if the deal will go ahead as planned.
Reporter Amie Watson joins us live in studio.

Amie, why is there a standstill with the development plan for the site?

Well, Celeste, Quebec bought the Blue Bonnett site two years ago.

At that time, the province agreed to transfer the land to the City of Montreal, who planned to start building homes by 2017.

But it turns out that that deal was never signed.
So now the city has the chance to renegotiate that deal.

And that’s worrying some community organizations who think the city might decide to not include social housing in the new plans.

The government would make more money from a condo or commercial development.

City Councillor Peter McQueen says that he could see the site becoming a private or mixed-private development that could be tacky and suburban.
Anchor: What does that mean for Cote-des-Neiges residents?

According to a representative from the CDN Community Development Corporation, the neighbourhood has huge numbers of people with housing issues.

More than 4000 households spend 80% of their income or more on housing.
And there’s not a lot of new affordable housing being developed in the area.

So it means that people hoping to move into social housing on the Blue Bonnet site won’t get that financial relief anytime soon.

Anchor: How likely is it that ground will be broken on the site by the 2017 deadline?

For now, city representatives are saying they’ll stick to the original deal.
But with current delays and no new deal on the horizon, CDN residents aren’t optimistic. Celeste.

Anchor: Thanks, Amie

04 Animals Story
People walking by Girouard Park in NDG in late October may have noticed a peculiar Halloween party happening.
The gathering of costumed pugs is not alone in a phenomenon of people coming together around their four-legged friends.
Sara King-Abadi has more.


05 Expos

If you’ve been wanting to take someone out to the ballgame in Montreal again, you just might get your wish.

The New York Daily News reported in October that Tampa Rays owner Stuart Sternberg had spoken with Wall Street associates about relocating to Montreal.

The move would be a dream come true for Montrealers who have been holding out hope for a new team since the Expos moved to Washington in 2004.

Dave Kaufman is the organizer of ExposNation, which ran the Second Annual Pitch and Catch Rally in NDG’s Loyola Park:

[CLIP]

And there are definitely some spirited fans who would be happy about a return:

[CLIP]

So while there is still no team in Montreal, it seems like the Tampa Bay Rays are giving fans like these ones something to talk about.

06 Electric Car Charging Stations

The Borough of NDG is opening two new electric car charging stations but some people are questioning whether two is enough.
[Clip]



07 Filipino Radio
Did you know that Cote-des-Neiges is home to the province’s only Filipino Radio Station?
Canadian Pinoy Radio Montreal is a volunteer-run internet radio station.
It plays a mix of Filipino traditional music and pop music for listeners in Canada and around the world.




08 Silent Film
With box office numbers dwindling and more people subscribing to Netflix, one movie club has found a way to get viewers out of their homes.
And they’re not even playing blockbusters.
Justin Taus has more.



09 Tree Parasite
The Emerald Ash Borer is a beetle that poses a threat to trees in NDG.
The parasite has been in the city for four years now.
And Professor Daniel Kneeshaw told Concordia News that it’s responsible for over 1,000 trees in Montreal being cut down.
So far, NDG has not been hit hard.
But NDG is home to some of the largest Ash trees in the city.
So according to Kneeshaw, the borough needs to take preventative measures now.
He suggests that NDG should treat larger Ash trees with Treeazine to prevent infestation.
The chemical is used on pets to ward off fleas and ticks.
But in Quebec, it has not yet been approved for trees.




10 NDG Food Depot
NDG’s Food Depot is still looking for a new location.
The organization is having a hard time finding an adequate building because there is little space available in the borough.
The Depot’s aim is to give low-income residents access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables.
So the Depot’s Director of Development says that the location has to be close to one of three areas of NDG labeled as a food deserts.
These areas have high numbers of low-income households.
The depot’s director says that increased rents and gentrification caused by the construction of the super hospital are partially to blame for the greater demand of the Depot’s services.











Celeste:
Recapping some of our stories, housing issues have been escalating in the city and members of Montreal’s Filpino community are finding connections through sound.
I’m Celeste Lee.

Yasmine:
And I’m Yasmine Hassan.
This has been NDG Cote de Neige Community News