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Best Wishes for the New Year

MKS MKZ BRING A 2010 LINCOLN INTO YOUR FAMILY.

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Food

?For The Soul?

514-850-0000 www.restaurantellada.com MKZ

POINTE CLAIRE

Barbara Wyroda Call us at Chartered Real Estate Broker514-829-6603 MKT Best deal on the market! Great location! Mls MT8210502

THE MANAGEMENT & STAFF OF THE SUBURBAN WISH EVERYONE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Pawel Grosz

DECEMBER 30, 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

Generations Foundation impacted by H1N1, economic ?flus? Al-Ubaidi a force in NDG St. Léonard?s Roundtable

? Page 2 Recently recognized by the YMCA for her community work in NDG, Halal Al- Ubaidi says helping those most in need is often fulfilling and sometimes a tireless, never-ending struggle. ? Page 9 It?s by no means round, and there is certainly more than one. The Table Ronde de St. Léonard is more than just a table. ? Page 12

?In the end it?s all about hope?

?People are angry,? said Maison du Partage food bank director Madeleine Daoust. ? Page 13

In dire straits

So you get off the plane. No money, no family, and you can?t speak the language. What do you do? ? Page 17

EDITORIAL

Daring to care

At this time of year many of us tend to think all?s right with the world. We believe the advertising, the gimmicks and the statistics. The reality is there is much wrong. There is much pain. It is a reality that is a wake-up call, particularly after the funny-money games of the greedy masters of the universe caused the greatest economic dislocation since the depression. One bright spot is that more and more people are getting involved. More and more organizations are springing up to do the necessary work that governments can?t or won?t. But for most, the fleeting moments in these weeks when we decide to become more generous and giving, not only with money but with our time, rarely carry over into the rest of the year. Thankfully there are many individuals who sacrifice time, talent and treasure to try and make things right. As we have for the past two years, in the Gentle the Condition and Pay It Forward editions, we dedicate this year-end issue to them. We do this in the hope of raising consciousness and conscience. In the hope too that we will all resolve that when we see suffering we will try and heal it; when we see injustice we will try to cure it and when we see want we will try and meet it. Mike Cohen gives a snapshot of some of the better known activists in his column. He rightly calls them people who ?live to give.? But in the stories in these pages you will meet lesser known ?everyday? heroes. Heroes who understand that though we have no obligation to bring all ills to an end, we have the obligation to begin their end. And what ills we have. We could start with the numbers. They are important, but nobody lives on the averages as Mark Twain said. Behind the numbers are people. Real people with real hurt. So let us start with the faces. The faces of the vulnerable, poor and hungry. Hallmarked by eyes filled with fear and confusion, they have almost become an identifiable visible minority. The faces of pain. From the assembly line workers who lost their jobs to China and have no alternative, to the small business owner forced to close because of tight credit and high taxes, to the See CONSCIENCE, page 10 By Kevin Woodhouse The Suburban

FOR MORE SUBURBAN COVERAGE, INCLUDING PAST EDITIONS, VISIT WWW.THESUBURBAN.COM

?Massive change in lifestyle? affects holiday season for Earl Jones victims

Despite hardships, friendships are born

For the almost 200 victims of the Earl Jones ponzi scheme, this will be their first Christmas under their current circumstances. And while their bank balances are different than a year ago, the spirit of Christmas remains for many of the victims. Ann Davidson of the West Island Community Resource Centre (WICRC) has been front and centre in helping the victims ever since the story broke last July. She told The Suburban that a private Christmas party was held a little while ago and that ?it was a wonderful celebration. Out of the despair, some great new friendships have sprung from this. Joey Davis, spokesperson for the Earl Jones Victims Committee, said that there are different reactions from the victims as some are greeting the holidays with great See JONES, page 3

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