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 recently completed a type of ?city council 101? course, where newly elected officials are taught about the municipal government?s powers and

McQueen, lone opposition councillor in CDN/NDG, promises patience, vigilance

By P.A. Sévigny and Dan Delmar The Suburban Nearly two months after his election night victory, rookie NDG councillor Peter McQueen says he?s comfortable in his new small, windowless office at Côte des Neiges-NDG borough hall, far removed from the five other council members. Project Montreal?s McQueen knows the next four years are going to require a lot of hard work and a maximum of cooperation to get things done in NDG, which is why he?s taking the office situation in stride, telling The Suburban in an indepth interview that the most important thing is to be able to have access to the borough?s civil servants and any information when needed. So far so good, he said. ?They don?t want me near the rest of the councillors and I understand that,? said McQueen, who was relegated to the eighth floor, while the rest of the council keeps their seventh floor digs at 5160 Decarie Blvd. ?It?s off a back corridor?I understand their point-of-view. They?re

Perez loves his new post

By Dan Delmar The Suburban ?We?ve hit the ground running,? says an enthusiastic Lionel Perez, days before hitting the two-month mark as city councillor for the Darlington district. Filling the shoes of long-time councillor Saulie Zajdel, the excitement in Perez?s voice is still apparent as he tries to learn as much about the inner workings of Côte des Neiges-NDG as possible, while solving as many problems as he can along the way. ?Only a few days after the election, we got into working with the borough on the budget process,? he said. Like Peter McQueen of NDG and Susan Clarke of Loyola, Perez also had to take ?city council 101,? a course where he learned the ins and outs of municipal administration. ?It?s been a very good experience,? he added. ?I?ve had the chance to read and learn?I?m feeling very comfortable in this role.? Perez said his one-on-one encounters with citizens have been eye-opening, rewarding experiences. ?The part that has been most satisfying is meeting with all the residents and starting the process of helping with their requests. There you get some tangible results and you feel appreciated.? Road safety remains a common See CLARKE, page 7 See McQUEEN, page 7 See PEREZ, page 7 PHOTO: ALAN HUSTAK PHOTO: DAN DELMAR

ERRATUM

CHEZ PAPA ERNIE?S GALA

In our ad of December 16 the price of the additional show on January 3 should have read $10.00 admission charge.

We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

The Board of Trustees of MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL MONTREAL extend their sympathy to the family of the late

Albert Coronel, Z?L

?May the family be spared further sorrow?

THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009 ? 3

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