Thursday 20 March 2014

Politicians, Mayors and City Councillors endorse Anthony Housefather for candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada

On Friday, March 14, 2014 Anthony Housefather held a press conference to officially announce his candidacy for Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party of Canada for the riding of Mount Royal. All eight Councillors for the City of Cote Saint Luc including myself, Mike Cohen, Steven Erdelyi, Alan Levine, Dida Berku, Glenn Nashen, Ruth Kovac and Sam Goldbloom showed our support for Anthony's candidacy.
Anthony Housefather Mitchell Brownstein
Also present or sending a letter of endorsement were Lawrence Bergman, Member of the National Assembly for D’Arcy McGee, Philippe Roy, Mayor of Town of Mount Royal, Peter Trent, Mayor of Westmount, Benny Masella, Mayor of Montreal West, Bill Steinberg, Mayor of Hampstead, Jack Edery, Warren Budning, Leon Elfassy, Michael Goldwax, and Karen Zajdman, Councillors for the Town of Hampstead, Elizabeth Ulin, Councillor for the Town of Montreal West, Syd Wise, Angela Mancini and Marvin Helfenbaum, Commissioners for the English Montreal School Board.
Peter Trent Philippe Roy  Sid Wise

I have known Anthony for more than the twenty years he has served as a City Councillor and Mayor. At the age of twenty-four he was first elected as a City Councillor for the City of Hampstead and not only did he serve his residents well, but he was a leader and an inspiration for many Mayors and Councillors to take stands on issues of Canadian Unity.  It was thanks to his involvement in a unity initiative that I presented, in November of 1996, the first of many Canadian Unity Resolutions in Cote Saint Luc.
Canadian Unity Initiative 1996

When Anthony was a City Councillor for the Borough  of Hampstead, Cote Saint Luc, Montreal West during the merger years and the Liberal Charest government gave municipalities the right to hold referendums on demerger, he stood by his promise to fight for demerger and I was honored to serve with him and Councillors Glenn Nashen and Ruth Kovac as co-chairs of the Cote Saint Luc Demerger Committee. He was also a member of the Hampstead Demerger Committee and a leader for all suburban municipalities during the demerger effort.
Anthony was elected as Mayor of Cote Saint Luc in 2005 and this is his third term in office. His accomplishments include the building of an Aquatic and Community Centre, saving our Emergency Medical Services, keeping Police Station 9 in Cote Saint Luc, spearheading environmental initiatives including composting and urban agriculture, and creating new programming in competitive swimming and theatre with the Cote Saint Luc Dramatic Society, to name but a few.  The Cavendish Mall redevelopment project as well as the townhouse projects that are being built in the city are a testament to the many young families that continue to move to Cote Saint Luc thanks to his leadership.

Anthony is a team builder and leader by example.  He participates in our programs including the masters swim team  and the dramatic society.  He won seven medals at this past summers Macabia games. Anthony not only inspires each Councillor to pursue our passions, but when we disagree he finds solutions and builds consensus that results in our ability to move forward and contribute in a positive way to our community.

Based on his twenty years of political experience, his extensive business experience as Vice-President of a multi-national corporation, Dialogic and his reputation of integrity and a defender of minority rights, Anthony is a star candidate for the Liberal party of Canada and will serve our country well.





Monday 10 March 2014

Interfaith Celebration against Bill 60, Quebec's Charter of Values

Canadians for Coexistence presents "Interfaith Celebration" Sunday March 9, 2014

Reverend Darryl Gray, Ron Silverstone, President & Rabbi  Alan Bright, Shaare Zedek congregation, Bishop Thomas Dowd, Iman Azeddine Hmimssa, Hindu Priest Ramnaraine P. Tiwari Balbahadur,   Norman Simon, Mayor Anthony Housefather, Father John Walsh

On Sunday, March 9th I had the pleasure of attending an interfaith event opposing Bill 60, Quebec's Charter of Values.

Anthony Housefather wearing a kippah adorned with fleur de lys symbols, spoke of the inherent dangers of Bill 60, stating that the law would place the French language above freedom of expression, that the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms would be amended to place secularism above freedom of religion and that municipalities, and boards will have to pass a resolution within one year that they accept the values of Bill 60.  He emphatically stated that Cote Saint Luc will never pass such a resolution and that we would challenge the law vigorously before the courts.

Rabbi Lisa Grushcow, of the Temple Emanuel stated that everyone, whether religious or not has had moments in their lives where they have felt a connection to and received comfort from religion and that we must never allow the State to interfere with this most important freedom.

Bishop Thomas Dowd, auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Montreal, stated that this law provides a license for people to show intolerance and hate.

Iman Zijad Delic, Iman of South Nepean Muslim Community, came from Bosnia and then lived in Croatia, immigrated to Canada in 1995 after studying the benefits of immigration to the United States, Canada and Australia and chose Canada as the most open of countries.  He expressed how this law is the opposite of openness in so many ways and must be stopped.

Hindu Priest Pamnaraine P. Tiwari Balbahadur, of the Hindu Devotional Society, stated that not only is Bill 60 unconstitutional but it is wrong and sinful.  He further pointed out that the Federal soccer association recently ruled that turbans, kippahs and hijabs are allowed to be worn when playing socer and that if we can play together we can live together.

Darryl Grey stated that this law is reminiscent of the struggle for equality in the Black community. We are living in serious and dangerous times when we speak of justice and need security outside the place of worship where we congregate. He continued by stating that if government can tell us what to wear and how to wear it then we live in very serious times. He went on to say that just because a law is legal doesn't make it right and made reference to Hitler's laws and the segregation laws. He closed by saying that our leaders will not let us go. They will not let us leave Quebec as they will speak up on our behalf and insure that we all go to the polls to vote on April 7th

Rabbi Bright, of the Shaare Zedek congregation, stated that if you walk for just a few minutes in any major cosmopolitan city, you meet more people of different backgrounds than an 18th century anthropologist would meet in a lifetime.  He went on to point out that is the beauty of today's society. He closed by saying that we who had gathered there this day, must be a group a people who assembled for a certain purpose in order to create a team of builders to teach those who fear the stranger to love the stranger.

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