2 • THE EAST END SUBURBAN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2008 QUEBEC’S LARGEST ENGLISH WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1963

INSIDE

Local artist has a flair for details — Page 10 Cougars shine despite loss — Page 14 Editorial & Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14 DEADLINES Commercial advertising (by Friday at 3 p.m.) Classified advertising (by Monday at 1 p.m.) Commercial: 514-484-1107 Classifieds: 514-484-3525 Publisher: Michael Sochaczevski Associate Publisher: Sari Medicoff Sales Manager: David Solomon National Sales Director: David Broadman Production Manager: Karen L. Cross Classified Manager: Charmaine Worrell Comptroller: Vivian Lignac Credit Manager: Carol Balinsky CONTACT US via email: Letters: . . . . . . . . . .editor@thesuburban.com Entertainment: . . . . . .entertainment@thesuburban.com Items of interest: . . .anthony@thesuburban.com Sports: . . . . . . . . . . . .sports@thesuburban.com Community Events: .calendar@thesuburban.com Advertising material: . .production@thesuburban.com Editor-in-chief: Beryl Wajsman (editor@thesuburban.com) Editorial Coordinator: Anthony Bonaparte (anthony@thesuburban.com) Sports Coordinator: Mark Lidbetter (sports@thesuburban.com) Editorial Staff: Dan Delmar, Susanne Evans, Julia Gerke, Joel Goldenberg, P.A. Sévigny, Kevin Woodhouse, Linda Zlatkin Editorial Contributors: Maria I. Anelli, Sam Bick, Ricky Blue, Anthony Branco, Irene Chwalkowski, Mike Cohen, Ian Howarth, David Lisbona, Megan Martin, Bernard Mendelman, Daniel W.K. Rafuse, Lisa K. Savage, Jeremy Searle Photographers: Martin Chamberland, Rob Taussig, Andrew Soong By P.A. Sévigny The Suburban Lisette Lapointe, the MNA for Montreal’s north-end Crémazie district, will have to fight hard if she wants to keep her seat among the opposition in Quebec’s National Assembly. In the 2007 election, she beat Michèle Lamquin-Éthier, her Liberal opponent, by only 363 votes and last week, the city’s north-end Liberal machine served notice it wants to yank the seat back from under the PQ. Last week, during a cold wet evening, Martin Cossette, a bright young lawyer who works out of Montreal’s well-connected Fasken-Martineau office, was declared to be Jean Charest’s new candidate for the Crémazie district. A clutch of Liberal heavyweights, including former cabinet ministers Monique Jérome- Forget and Christine St. Pierre took time out of their busy campaign schedules to come see the young lawyer launch his own campaign. Other Liberal candidates for the island’s north shore districts were also happy to help Cossette push the PQ off and out of the island’s north shore. Tony Tomassi, Liberal MNA for Lafontaine district was seen talking to FTQ construction secretary -treasurer Edward Brandone while Marc Savard, the Liberal party’s candidate for the La Prairie district, was seen having a quiet chat with east-end R.D.P. city councillor Joe Magri. Federal Liberals were well represented by former Liberal MP Eleni Bakopanos who looked like she was planning her re-match against her nemesis, Bloc MP Maria Mourani when she was seen talking to top-notch Liberal organizer Marc Fortin. After Jérome-Forget took a few minutes to thank the crowd for coming out in such weather, she told them to pay attention to Cossette because she thinks he will soon take his place along the cutting edge of Quebec’s new wave of young

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Liberals go all out to win Crémazie

7575 Trans-Canada Highway, Suite 105, St. Laurent, QC H4T 1V6 (514) 484-1107 (Fax) 484-9616 suburban@thesuburban.com www.thesuburban.com Some images and graphics Copyright 2006 Michael Publishing and its licensors. All rights reserved. Pictured from left to right: Sandra Brandone, Edward Brandone, Monique Jerome Forget, Martin Cossette, Tony Tomassi and Lisa Accurso. politicians. After describing Charest’s long experience in both federal and provincial politics, she said he would be recognized as one of Canada’s great politicians because he always uses the best available talent to build his networks and his political team. “Remember,” she said. “Jean Charest always hand-picks the people he wants on his team and the next liberal majority starts here,” she said. “It starts in Crémazie, it starts in Montreal.” Cossette’s short speech was a lively, personal statement made all the more so by his two year-old daughter Lawrence who, as her father gave the first speech of his political career, played with a colouring book near his feet by the podium. With an eye on the Crémazie district’s local issues, he said three priorities would dominate this campaign. “The economy is the pressing issue,” he said. “Jean Charest’s Liberals have already reduced the tax load imposed on ordinary people but there’s a lot left to be done.” Economic initiatives include raising the minimum wage by $1 by 2010, keeping jobs by investing in infrastructure (the new north shore bridge) and green industries while forging new partnerships with both France and Ontario who both require solutions for their own ailing economic infrastructure. Many believe Cossette’s background in commercial law and the communications sector should serve him well as Charest wants to stimulate Montreal’s growing communications sector. Local security was also an issue because he feels last summer’s riot in Montreal North was a warning as to what happens when community institutions fall apart. While his daughter kept running around the podium, Cossette finished his speech by telling his audience why he wished to be the Crémazie district’s next MNA in Quebec’s National Assembly. “I want to help build a community where people can be happy and raise their families in peace.” ■ ROB TAUSSIG / THE SUBURBAN

Arson suspected