City Councillor Marvin Rotrand

It was a pleasure to attend last night's Asian Forum. I applaud the community leaders who are building bridges between diverse Asian ethnicities and working to call out anti-Asian racism. The future of Montreal's Chinatown was one of the topics of discussion. The consensus is that a proposed massive development threatens the uniqueness and cachet of Chinatown. Please take note of this National Assembly petition launched by several Chinatown based organizations that calls for ...the Government of Quebec to designate Chinatown as a heritage neighbourhood. That would afford greater protection to the culture and history of this unique neighbourhood. Developers recently purchased much of the western portion of Chinatown. They are proposing a massive condo project which would irrevocably alter the character of Chinatown. Almost every organization active in Chinatown is opposed to this condo redevelopment. If you would like to sign the petition, use the link below. I am supporting the groups which have launched the petition. https://www.assnat.qc.ca//petiti/Petition-9077/index.html The Gazette article last Tuesday provides some context: https://montrealgazette.com//developer-seeks-social-accept

Clinics where people 45 years of age and older can get the AstraZeneca vaccine will be in place as of April 21 (you must be 45 years of age or older at the time of vaccination).(Our part of town Bill Durnan Arena) https://santemontreal.qc.ca//coronavirus-cov/vaccination/

Yesterday David Birnbaum MNA-député D’Arcy McGee at the National Assembly and I joined the Executive Board and volunteers of the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Montreal (SVGAM) in disaster relief for St. Vincent. This photo pictures SVGAM President Alfred Dear, Public Relations Officer Nicole John with Mr. Birnbaum and myself. An eruption of the La Soufriere volcano has caused 60% of the island to have to be evacuated. Tens of thousands of persons have been relo...cated to neighbouring countries including Grenada, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda. Industry, agriculture and transport are all affected. Vincentians in Montreal have been collecting non-perishable goods to ship home and fundraising has begun for food relief. Please consider helping St. Vincent. You can make a donation payable to the St. Vincent and Grenadines Association of Montreal which can be mailed to: St. Vincent and Grenadines Association PO BOX 396 Snowdon Station Montreal, Quebec H3X 3T3 Hier, le député de D'Arcy McGee, à l'Assemblée nationale, et moi-même nous sommes joints au conseil d'administration et aux bénévoles de l'Association Saint-Vincent-et-Grenadines de Montréal (ASVG) pour venir en aide aux sinistrés de Saint-Vincent. Cette photo montre le président du SVGAM, Alfred Dear, la responsable des relations publiques, Nicole John, M. Birnbaum et moi-même. L'éruption du volcan La Soufrière a entraîné l'évacuation de 60% de l'île. Des dizaines de milliers de personnes ont été relogées dans les pays voisins, dont la Grenade, la Barbade et Antigua-et-Barbuda. L'industrie, l'agriculture et les transports sont tous touchés. Les Vincentiens de Montréal ont collecté des denrées non périssables pour les envoyer chez eux et des collectes de fonds ont commencé pour l'aide alimentaire. Veuillez envisager d'aider Saint-Vincent. Vous pouvez faire un don à l'ordre de l'Association Saint-Vincent-et-Grenadines de Montréal et l'envoyer à l'adresse suivante : Association de Saint-Vincent-et-Grenadines PO BOX 396 Station Snowdon Montréal, Québec H3X 3T3

Montreal council expected to ratify Elie Wiesel park name April 19: Rotrand By Joel Goldenberg The Suburban Apr 14, 2021 Updated Apr 16, 2021 0 Facebook Twitter... Email Montreal council expected to ratify Elie Wiesel place name April 19: Rotrand Holocaust survivor, activist, author and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel Facebook Twitter Email Print Save The Montreal executive committee has recommended that the city council approve at their April 19 meeting the naming of a new park in Côte des Neiges-NDG after Holocaust survivor, activist, author and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, Snowdon councillor Marvin Rotrand announced Wednesday. The park is located east of Décarie and north of Vezina at the new Westbury residential, hotel and commercial development in Snowdon, and is in close proximity to Jewish community institutions. Rotrand, in a letter to constituents, pointed out that his motion to name a landmark after Wiesel by July 2, 2021, the fifth anniversary of his death, was unanimously adopted in 2019. "The debate highlighted the exemplary life of Elie Wiesel and recognized the importance of his work in fighting hate and building tolerance and cooperation between peoples," Rotrand wrote. "The debate was a solemn and heartfelt moment at city council. The horror of the Holocaust was recalled, as was Elie Wiesel’s appeal to humanity that it is our duty to speak up when human life and dignity is threatened. Six councillors seconded this motion. They joined me in speaking of Elie Wiesel’s life as a writer, an academic, an advocate for human rights and brotherhood and as a proud Jew." In October 2019, the Place Name Committee of the Service de l'Urbanisme et de la Mobilité "approved a proposal that the park to be constructed in the Westbury project "Yet up to today (April 14), there was no further news. But this morning the Executive Committee agreed to recommend to city council at its April 19 meeting that the place name Elie Wiesel finally be attributed to this new park in Snowdon. The additional city council resolution to be considered next week is required to officially attribute Elie Wiesel’s name to this new park." The councillor pointed out he recently wrote to Mayor Valérie Plante recommending the park be named for Wiesel before July. "It seems to have worked." https://www.thesuburban.com//article_c51695fa-050b-5c1f-92

Yesterday David Birnbaum MNA-député D’Arcy McGee at the National Assembly and I joined the Executive Board and volunteers of the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Montreal (SVGAM) in disaster relief for St. Vincent. This photo pictures SVGAM President Alfred Dear, Public Relations Officer Nicole John with Mr. Birnbaum and myself. An eruption of the La Soufriere volcano has caused 60% of the island to have to be evacuated. Tens of thousands of persons have been relo...cated to neighbouring countries including Grenada, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda. Industry, agriculture and transport are all affected. Vincentians in Montreal have been collecting non-perishable goods to ship home and fundraising has begun for food relief. Please consider helping St. Vincent. You can make a donation payable to the St. Vincent and Grenadines Association of Montreal which can be mailed to: St. Vincent and Grenadines Association PO BOX 396 Snowdon Station Montreal, Quebec H3X 3T3 Hier, le député de D'Arcy McGee, à l'Assemblée nationale, et moi-même nous sommes joints au conseil d'administration et aux bénévoles de l'Association Saint-Vincent-et-Grenadines de Montréal (ASVG) pour venir en aide aux sinistrés de Saint-Vincent. Cette photo montre le président du SVGAM, Alfred Dear, la responsable des relations publiques, Nicole John, M. Birnbaum et moi-même. L'éruption du volcan La Soufrière a entraîné l'évacuation de 60% de l'île. Des dizaines de milliers de personnes ont été relogées dans les pays voisins, dont la Grenade, la Barbade et Antigua-et-Barbuda. L'industrie, l'agriculture et les transports sont tous touchés. Les Vincentiens de Montréal ont collecté des denrées non périssables pour les envoyer chez eux et des collectes de fonds ont commencé pour l'aide alimentaire. Veuillez envisager d'aider Saint-Vincent. Vous pouvez faire un don à l'ordre de l'Association Saint-Vincent-et-Grenadines de Montréal et l'envoyer à l'adresse suivante : Association de Saint-Vincent-et-Grenadines PO BOX 396 Station Snowdon Montréal, Québec H3X 3T3

Hello Everyone, Yesterday over 50 organizations representing religious and racial minorities again endorsed my motion calling for resources for the Montreal police department's hate crime module. When I raised this at Council last month, Mayor Plante's party blocked adoption by using its majority to steer the motion for "study" at a Council Commission. A month later the Commission has not met and no report back to Council is likely until after November's election.... Meanwhile cities like New York, Toronto and Vancouver are beefing up resources. They have so many successful measures that we could easily emulate now that you have to wonder why the current Montreal administration won't work with everyone in City Council to address real problems of anti-Asian racism, attacks on Jews, Muslims, Blacks, First Nations and the LGBT community. There is clearly an urgent need now - not in a year. At the behest of civil society, I have resubmitted the motion. It will be debated April 20. I sincerely hope that there will be an openness from the majority party to work toward more resources and easily applicable best practices that can make a big difference quickly. Last night's Global TV report describes the situation well: https://globalnews.ca//community-groups-call-on-montreal-/

Community groups call on Montreal to strengthen police hate crimes unit Sidhartha Banerjee The Canadian Press Staff...Continue reading

Hi Everyone, . The attached photo of Jean Dore who was Mayor from 1986 to 1994 comes from those days. when I tweeted the photo last week, that it would begin an attack on me by Valerie Plante's Projet Montreal party as an "old white guy" who should leave to make way for diversity....Continue reading

Une motion réclame plus de personnes racisées aux élections municipales https://journalmetro.com//une-motion-reclame-plus-de-pers/

Please take note of this communique issued by the Black Coalition of Quebec denouncing that Montreal police are checking the immigration status of persons they stop. This causes persons without papers to avoid police even when they require help. In most jurisdictions police avoid doing the work of border services.... In the United States many cities have adopted directives preventing their police departments from acting as agents of the Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agency. I asked about this in Council on Monday. The City administration answered that it recognized the problem. It said it was working with the police department to assure that calls to Immigration would not be made only to check the immigration status of an individual it stops. However, it did not commit to prevent the practice as the Black Coalition and the Ligue des Droits et Libertés has demanded. The City is seeking a secure way for persons without papers who need police services to get them without fear that their names will be passed on. The answers given me were somewhat reassuring but far from a solution.

Anti-Asian racism continues to raise its ugly head in Montreal. Please take note of this piece by independent journalist Diamond Yao: Agression mortelle au Dépanneur de Lille: une communauté soudée dans le deuil ...Continue reading

Hello Everyone, I have sent the attached letter to the City suggesting that the closure of police station 11 was unwise. I was motivated to write after the Montreal Gazette publicized the mugging of Peter Gillich last week. A few minutes after I sent this, another NDG resident wrote me to indicate that the Shell service station at Cavendish and Somerled was held up last week, the first time that has ever happened.... These incidents may or may not portend an increase in crime but they do speak to a heightened sense of insecurity. Last month at City Council I argued that the closing of station 11 would negatively impact the neighbourhood and proposed that a police substation be opened. Unfortunately, Mayor Valérie Plante's party would not go for it. What was adopted was a four-month study of whether the closing of the station created needs that merit a substation being opened. What we are seeing on the ground already gives us the proof we require which is why my letter to Ms. Filato asks for a far quicker resolution. We are not seeing much concern from the local Councillors who belong to the Plante administration. Thus, I have decided to make myself available to NDG residents who feel no one is speaking for them at City Council on this important issue. Best, Marvin Rotrand

Community leaders get behind city council motion pushing for more visible minority candidates Matt Grillo CTV News Montreal Videojournalist @MGrilloCTV Contact... MONTREAL -- Leaders of Montreal's visible minority communities are rallying behind a city council motion calling on municipal parties to commit to running more people of colour. The motion, which will presented by Snowdon city councillor Marvin Rotrand at the next city council meeting, calls on the parties to commit that a third of their candidates in next year's election will be people of colour. "One person in three in the City of Montreal is not white," said Ramon Vincent of the Filipino Association of Montreal and Suburbs. "One person in three is of another race, yet our city council does not reflect our population." "The responsibilities of the parties is to reflect and respond to the needs of the community," said Kemba Mitchell of the West Island Black Community Association. "How can you understand them when you're not a visible minority?" If it's adopted, the parties wouldn't as easily be able to get away with lip service or with general promises to make it happen. The motion asks them "to consider amending their bylaws to ensure that one-third of city council candidates be persons of colour and persons of Indigenous origin." "I don't want to see the practices of of the past where visible minorities are plugged into losing districts at the last moment so the leader can say 'My team is reflective of Montreal,'" said Rotrand. ONE-THIRD OF MONTREALERS ARE VISIBLE MINORITIES Two previous motions, in 2013 and 2016, were both passed but both put the goal in more general language, with the parties promising to make a serious effort. In the two subsequent elections, there wasn't much change, Rotrand said in a news release, saying "visible minorities remain shockingly underrepresented on municipal and borough councils." The new motion explains where it came up with the one-third number: 35 per cent of people in Montreal are visible minorities, according to Statistics Canada. Yet only six out of 104 city and borough councillors are people of colour right now, including four out of the 65 members of municipal council. That adds up to a proportion of just 5.8 per cent, a "disappointing" result after the two previous motions, says the new motion. It also asks municipal parties to find candidates of colour "winnable seats" and to make sure that the city's elections office works hard to inform people from various cultural communities about how to run for office, whether with a party or as independents. https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/community-leaders-get-behind-ci

Last week our former English Montreal School Board Commissioner Ellie Israel was sworn in for a new term. She will again represent Snowdon and Cote-des-Neiges and I am looking forward to working with her. The courts have prevented the Government of Quebec from abolishing the English language school boards recognizing our community's constitutionally protected rights to elect our own school boards. I have always enjoyed working with Commissioner Israel and appreciate her constant availability to residents. Congratulations Ellie on your election!

Des élus montréalais réclament l’option du vote postal https://www.24heures.ca//des-elus-montrealais-reclament-lo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Quebec National Assembly Votes Motion to Demand Exoneration of Louis Riel...Continue reading

1 year from municipal election, Montreal community groups promote visible minorities in politics Montreal is one of the most multi-cultural and multi-racial cities in Canada, with one in three residents identifying as a visible minority. Community groups, however, say the diverse makeup is not represented in municipal politics....Continue reading

Today's Gazette carried this story about a young man who was mugged near a police station that the City administration has decided to close permanently: Mugging victim wishes that police Station 11 still existed in N.D.G McGill student had to wander the neighbourhood for several minutes before finding a business that was open and could phone police for him....Continue reading

Hello Everyone, Allow me to inform you that yesterday that the National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion presented by Alexandre Leduc, seconded by David Birnbaum, Martin Ouellet and Guy Ouellet calling on the Government of Canada to exonerate Louis Riel, The text reads as follows:... Que l’Assemblée nationale commémore la pendaison de Louis Riel ayant eu lieu il y a 135 ans, soit le 16 novembre 1885; Qu’elle se souvienne que la pendaison de Louis Riel a créé un ralliement national de solidarité avec le peuple Métis; Que l’Assemblée nationale demande au gouvernement fédéral d’innocenter Louis Riel dans les plus brefs délais. This coming Monday will represent the 135th anniversary of the execution of Louis Riel. Metis groups from across Canada have banded together to ask the Government to right the injustice of the hanging of Louis Riel. An exoneration they note would facilitate reconciliation. Please note that on behalf of this campaign, I have inscribed a motion on Monday's Montreal City Council agenda in support of the Metis' demand. It bears number 65:06 of our agenda. The campaign and this motion have garnered national media coverage and I count on your support to follow on the lead of the National Assembly. The Metis note that nearly 60,000 persons gathered on the Champs de Mars here in Montreal on November 22, 1885 to protest the execution of Louis Riel and to demand that the rights of the Metis be respected. The organizers of the campaign count on Montreal to speak in solidarity with them. I am hoping that the Government of Canada will support this campaign. Last year Prime Minister Trudeau exonerated Cree Chief Poundmaker who was convicted during the Resistance of 1885. This exoneration and that made by the Government in 2018 for the six Chilcotin war chief hanged in 1864 for defencing their traditional lands can be a model for the exoneration of Louis Riel. I trust Montreal will follow the National Assembly's lead and that other cities across Canada will be inspired by our motion. I urge the Government of Canada to hear the Metis people and to act rapidly.

Thanks to every one at Plengke. I appreciated your hospitality and the great products you offer.

Greetings to the Caribbean Communities in Montreal

Below is the link to my interview yesterday with CJAD's Elias Makos in regard to why the upcoming major construction of an underground STM facility next to Snowdon station is a headache but vital for the future of the metro: T AROUND THE CITY FASTER, WOULD YOU BE FOR IT? https://www.iheartradio.ca//in-transit-if-a-new-constructi

Dear Friend, We are approaching the October 6 online information session for the STM's proposed $500 million project to build an underground garage / metro car maintenance centre adjacent the Snowdon metro extending to the west side of Decarie Boulevard. That session will lead to an October 13 online meeting in which answers will be provided to questions raised October 6 or received up to October 8. ... Interested parties will have up to October 22 to send in written comment or leave oral comments. Those will be discussed at a final online meeting on October 27. It is important to participate. The project will have evident impact on the neighbourhood but will allow the STM to service the Blue Line extension while providing more service on the Orange Line. HERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT AND THE UPCOMING MEETINGS: http://www.stm.info//public-co/northwest-attachment-centre TO PARTICIPATE YOU NEED TO PRE-REGISTER (Mandatory). YOU WILL RECEIVE A LINK FROM THE STM THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO ATTEND THE ONLINE MEETINGS. PLEASE PRE-REGISTER VIA THIS LINK: https://formulaire.stm.info//nac-inforegistrat/entries/new I urge you to join us even if you do not have a question as this is clearly the largest project in Snowdon in decades. Please note that documentation in English is available on demand and that the presentation will be made in English as well as French. Best, Marvin Rotrand City Councillor - Snowdon

There was an important debate last week at Montreal City Council about privacy and democratic rights. We noted that powerful new technologies available to law enforcement have advanced far more quickly than the laws that provide us protection. The Councillors fear that this rapid evolution of invasive technologies can erode our Charter rights and indeed threaten the core democratic values that Canadians cherish and which define us as a people. At its September 22 session City... Council unanimously adopted my motion entitled Motion visant à promouvoir la transparence ainsi qu’à protéger le droit à la protection des renseignements personnels et les libertés civiles par rapport à l’utilisation des technologies de surveillance par le Service de police de Montréal You'll find copy of the final version that was voted below which differs slightly from the original. However, I am satisfied that a statement of significant national importance was made by City Council and that a large step was accomplished in promoting civilian oversight of evolving surveillance technologies that can threaten our democratic and privacy rights.

English Montreal School Board- election November 1, 2020 It's important that we protect our constitutional rights. The courts have ruled that the Government of Quebec cannot abolish English School Boards as it has tried to do via Bill 40. The Quebec English School Board Association has tried to obtain a delay until next year as it is only 5 weeks to election day. The Government has refused the request insisting the election go ahead. Some suggest that is because they do not w...Continue reading

Yesterday Montreal Council adopted a motion I authored but which had input from both Ensemble Montreal and Projet Montreal via discussions with Councillors Abdelhaq Sari and Rosannie Filato. The motion expresses Council's concerns that increasing powerful invasive surveillance technologies such as facila recognition, automatic license plate readers and IMSI Catchers, devices better known as Stingrays, that allow police to register cell phone numbers and apparently record conv...ersartions, all threaten our civil liberties and private lives. Council asked for federal and provincial legislation so that laws can catch up with technological advances, placed reporting obligations on our police department and stressed the need for the development of parameters that respect the Charter of Rights and make those guidelines known to the public. I will be posting the official copy of the motion when I receive it from the City Clerk in a few days. However the link below from La Presse's report gives a good summary of the many points discussed by the Councillors. It was an important moment in the life of the Council as a consensus formed that the elected officials need to do more to assure civilian oversight and that assuring citizens that our fundamental democratic right are being protected. Pas de reconnaissance faciale par les policiers sans l’accord des élus https://www.lapresse.ca//pas-de-reconnaissance-faciale-par C

Technologies de surveillance: le SPVM est à surveiller By Lucmane Vieuxaccess_time9 heures agochat_bubble_outlineLeave a comment Le conseil municipal de Montréal doit se pencher le mardi 22 septembre 2020 sur la motion déposée le 24 août dernier par le conseiller indépendant de l’arrondissement Côte-des-neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (district Snowdon), Marvin Rotrand, relative à l’utilisation des technologies de surveillance par le Service de police de Montréal....Continue reading

Montreal should restrict police use of facial recognition technology: councillor By Jacob Serebrin The Canadian Press Posted September 18, 2020 6:19 pm Updated September 18, 2020 6:20 pm...Continue reading

SPVM: L’utilisation des technologies de surveillance débattue au conseil municipal Capture d'écran, SPVM Des élus montréalais demanderont lundi au conseil municipal de réglementer l’utilisation des technologies de surveillance par les policiers de Montréal. Ces élus souhaitent que le Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) obtienne l'approbation du conseil municipal pour acheter, louer, déployer ou utiliser toute technologie de surveillance reposant sur des technolo...gies de reconnaissance faciale [ou] des technologies de lecture automatique de plaques d’immatriculation, peut-on lire dans la motion qui sera déposée Celle-ci exige aussi qu'un rapport soit rédigé tous les ans, dès 2022 pour l'année civile 2021, et demande à ce que la Ville adopte une règlementation stricte si les policiers utilisent de telles technologies et tienne une consultation publique sur la question. Le conseiller indépendant Marvin Rotrand, qui proposera la motion conjointement avec le porte-parole d'Ensemble Montréal en matière de sécurité publique, Abdelhaq Sari, a souligné que la ville de New York possède un règlement similaire. Transparence Rappelons que les élus municipaux ont dû patienter six mois pour obtenir une réponse du SPVM à une simple question sur l'utilisation de technologies de reconnaissance faciale qui se répondait par oui ou par non. En novembre 2019, le SPVM avait refusé de dire aux élus s’il employait ou non des logiciels de reconnaissance faciale, afin de ne pas dévoiler ses techniques d’enquête. Le SPVM ne possède pas et n’utilise pas de technologie de reconnaissance faciale, avait répondu en juin dernier le directeur du SPVM, Sylvain Caron. Ce dernier ajoutait que le SPVM n’exclut toutefois pas, dans des situations particulières et exceptionnelles, de recourir aux services d’une tierce partie possédant ce type de technologie pour faire avancer une enquête d’envergure. Le président de la Ligue des Noirs du Québec, Gabriel Bazin, a fortement réagi à ce manque de transparence et soutient la motion. Quand il y a une organisation comme le SPVM qui agit d’une façon non transparente et qui ne respecte pas les élus et que les élus doivent faire appel à la Commission d’accès à l’information, la Ligue des noirs du Québec a de la misère avec ça et on n’accepte pas ça, a-t-il dit vendredi. M. Bazin est aussi craintif quant à l’utilisation de ces technologies pour les personnes non blanches, car il a été démontré que les personnes noires et asiatiques peuvent être plus sujettes à des fausses identifications. Ça n’a jamais été arrangé, mentionne-t-il. En utilisant ce système-là, on se retrouve, si jamais c’est utilisé, à faire en sorte d’instaurer une discrimination systémique visant les personnes de couleur, a-t-il estimé.La motion sera débattue lundi lors de la prochaine réunion du conseil municipal. https://www.tvanouvelles.ca//spvm-lutilisation-des-technol

Unbelievable.. my friends as taxpayers your pockets must be unlimited. The STM will despite a drop in ridership of 75% spend $2 billion of your dollars to add 300 buses to its fleet and build new garages to park and maintan them. Incidentally Montreal has among the highest municipal taxes in Canada - and that's now before thee expenditires a portion of which ordinary citizens will defray. And, hey if you are a tenant, tax increases lead to rent increases: STM sticks to plan f...Continue reading