Opening Comments by Mayor Peter J. Malouf - Regular Meeting of Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Good evening, and thank you for joining us, whether you are here in person or following the meeting virtually.

ROADWORKS

I’ll start with some good news about our infrastructure. A contract has been awarded to Les Entrepreneurs Bucaro Inc. to repair Côte-de-Liesse Road, between Manella and Rockland, as well as the northern and southern ends of Rockland Road.

Work will begin shortly and will be carried out largely overnight to reduce the impact on daytime traffic. We know construction can be disruptive, particularly for residents living close to the work, and we appreciate your patience as these necessary improvements move forward.

Residents in the affected areas will be notified in advance of the schedule and expected impacts. We will do everything we can to minimize inconvenience while carrying out the work efficiently and safely.

NEW ROOSEVELT AVENUE BUILDINGS

Last week, members of Council and I had our first official site visits of both the new Sports and Community Centre and the new fire station and municipal administrative offices. We came away genuinely impressed by the progress, the quality of the work and the attention to detail.

In both buildings, the spaces are bright, functional, and spacious. We are now beginning to see very clearly what these projects will bring to our community.

The Community and Sports Centre, in particular, will be a gathering place for residents of all ages - children, families, adults and seniors. Both projects are investments not only for today's residents, but for future generations of Townies as well.

I would also like to thank the teams working on these two projects. Their professionalism is clearly reflected in the progress and quality of their work.

VISION AND MISSION

Recently, council members and the directors of all our municipal departments spent two days working together, with the assistance of a facilitator, to reflect on our long-term vision and mission.    

It gave us the opportunity to step away from our day-to-day responsibilities and focus together on where we want Town of Mount Royal to be in the years ahead - and on how Council and our administration can work together to get there.

These two days were extremely productive. They fostered a genuine spirit of teamwork and collaboration among our elected officials and administrative directors, while also allowing us to better define our shared goals.

That shared direction will help make our Town even stronger and provide a model for how we plan, make decisions and work together for the future of our beautiful Garden City.

This is only the first step in developing a strategic plan that is scheduled to be presented and adopted in the first quarter of 2027.

FALL FAIR

Last Saturday, we were delighted to welcome more than 2,000 people to our annual Fall Fair—and this time, Mother Nature was truly on our side.

It was wonderful to see so many families and residents enjoying the park and the activities together. The antique car exhibition was once again a favourite and added a special touch to an already beautiful day.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our Recreation Department, as well as to all the employees and partners who helped organize this wonderful day. It is moments like these, when we come together, that bring our community to life.

TERRY FOX RUN

The Terry Fox Run was another inspiring community event, bringing together approximately 400 participants and raising about $40,000 for cancer research.

Beyond the numbers, it’s always the spirit of solidarity that makes the biggest impression. Thank you to the participants, volunteers, organizers, and everyone who helped keep Terry Fox’s dream alive.

STM BUS ROUTE 119

At our last meeting, several residents—including seniors in our community—shared their concerns with us regarding the changes to the route of Bus 119. As mayor, I contacted the president of the STM directly to ensure that these concerns were heard.

The STM has advised me that it does not plan to change the route in the short term. It says the revised route saves REM passengers about four minutes and has allowed weekend frequency on the 119 to improve from every 45 minutes to every 30 minutes.

However, the STM has committed to reassessing the situation over the longer term, taking into account our Town’s development, ridership data, and, above all, feedback from our residents. We will therefore continue to monitor this issue closely.

RECOGNITION FOR THE TOWN

I’ll conclude with some news we can be particularly proud of. Tonight, the City, through its engineering team, will receive the “Engaging Municipality” award from the Association of Municipal Engineers of Quebec for our Resilient Properties Program.

This recognition highlights municipal leadership and the exemplary involvement of engineering teams. It recognizes a public administration that is collaborative, innovative and committed to placing the quality of services at the heart of its work.

This award belongs first and foremost to the women and men in our administration who developed and advanced this program. I congratulate and thank our entire team—and especially our Engineering Department—for their hard work, innovation, and commitment to our residents.

It is a meaningful recognition of work that is helping our Town become more resilient and better prepared for the challenges ahead.

We will now proceed with the regular Council agenda. Thank you, and have a pleasant evening.