Old News

Five Years Ago

April 3, 2003

MONTREAL FOLLOWS WESTMOUNT: "A proposed City of Montreal bylaw to control the use of pesticides across the island has gained the support of some Westmounters who say it compares favourably with legislation originally in place here. Westmount's existing bylaw and the new city-wide one are 'not that far off' from one another, although 'there are some differences,' said borough councillor John de Castell, who said he was surprised the Centre City would get around to a piece of pesticide legislation so soon. 'A pesticide bylaw in its draft state so early in the game, frankly, only a year after merger, is something that could have been shelved for a lot longer than that and probably would have been, had some people had their way,' he said."

Fifteen Years Ago

April 1, 1993

LIBRARY CONSULTANTS: "The $7.5 million building project for the Westmount Public Library is threatened by design flaws, lack of professional direction and negative attitudes, warn librarians consulted by the city last week. The project needs a clearer library mission statement by decision-makers and a new steering committee that will not act as a barrier between the librarians and the architect, they said. The committee, they found, had a 'pie-in-the-sky approach' rather than basing designs on sound library principles and found it 'bizarre' none of its members are librarians. Four of the five are council members."

Twenty Years Ago

March 31, 1988

READY TO RENT: "The tower has risen from the ashes, shining and new. Rebuilding of the fire-razed office tower at Alexis Nihon Plaza, a $50-million undertaking, is near completion. Its first occupant, the Hungarian consulate, is slated to move in May 31, leaving only two months for workers to complete the interior. Bruce Vineberg, project vice-president for Alexis Nihon Corp. and a Westmount resident, told the Examiner Friday that the consulate will occupy space on the 12th floor of the building and other tenants will follow soon after. One of these he identified as a 'large insurance company.'"

Thirty Years Ago

March 30, 1978

NEW METRO STATION: "Construction of the Vendome metro station, just to the west of Westmount on de Maisonneuve Boulevard, will begin within the next month, officials at the Metropolitan Transit Bureau have revealed, and there is a good chance the station will be completed within two years and open at that time. The station will have concrete walls, black and brown granite surfacing on the floors and specially finished exterior walls. Large skylights angled at 60 degrees are planned for the ceiling to provide maximum natural light to the station, at times reaching all the way to the tracks. The station will have only one entrance for the time being, according to transit bureau officials."