Old News

Five Years Ago

January 10, 2002

DEMERGER COMMITTEE: "A committee of current and former elected officials from Westmount will be holding their first public meeting later this month to consider ways the borough can be made more autonomous within the new megacity. Last December, as Westmount city council was winding down its activity before the merger with the City of Montreal came into place Jan. 1, former mayor Peter Trent announced that a committee working towards de-merging Westmount from the megacity would begin sitting in the new year. According to Tom Thompson, whose term as a Westmount councillor was cut short by two years by the merger, the committee, whose first meeting at Westmount city hall takes place Jan. 23 at 8 p.m., will be composed of the three elected representatives who now sit on the borough council, as well as the six ‘de-elected’ representatives, including Trent, who are former members of Westmount city council."



Ten Years Ago

January 9, 1997

NEW COP SHOP: “Police services in Westmount are about to undergo a radical change. By the end of January, Montreal Urban Community Police Station 23, which serves Westmount and St. Henri, will cease to exist. In its place will be a smaller, community police station serving Westmount and the eastern portion of NDG as far as Decarie Boulevard. It’s all part of an island-wide effort to bring the MUC police force closer to the people. ‘The purpose is not to save money, although it should and we hope it does, but what we want to do is to reduce the number of (senior) officers and increase the number of constables on the street,’ Station 23 director Robert Picard said.�



Fifteen Years Ago

January 9, 1992

ACADEMY ROAD BLAZE: “An overheated extension cord burned into the floor of a top storey apartment living room at 50 Academy road New Year’s night, starting a fire that caused heavy damage to two units and the roof, fire investigators said. No one was home in the apartment, allowing the fire to burn up to 60 minutes before being detected about 8:44 p.m., said Lieut Inspector Barry Coates. Tenants fled the smokey building when the alarm was pulled. Many were sheltered in the nearby arena. It was brought under control within an hour without reported injury.�



Twenty Years Ago

January 8, 1987

GARAGE TO RELOCATE: “One of the last automotive service outlets in Westmount is being uprooted this month to make way for a proposed $7-million luxury senior citizens’ residence. The lot containing the Timmins-Campbell Petro-Canada station on St Catherine street and three adjacent buildings on Hillside avenue is expected to be sold officially to Fairway Construction developers tomorrow, according to Brian Timmins, who has rented the building on behalf of owner A.L. Berlin for a number of years.�