PRÉVENTION CDN-NDG6767 CH. DE LA CÔTE-DES-NEIGES #598,MONTRÉAL, QC,

H3S 2T6514.736.2732

FAX: 514.736.2734

5319 AVE. NOTRE-DAME-DE-GRÂCE,MONTRÉAL, QC

H4A 1L2514.736.2732

FAX: 514.736.2734

E-MAIL:info@preventioncdnndg.or

gecoquartier@gmail.com

VISIT US ON THE WEB:

Website: www.preventioncdnndg.org

Facebook: Prevention CDN/NDG

Twitter: @preventioncdnndg

Volume 11 , September 2018Nexus CDN/NDGNexus CDN/NDG

In this edition:

Éco-quartiernews

-Heat islands-Tips for com-

posting-Green alleys-Ragweed

Bike safety forstudents

Park animators

Interviews

Safe return to school!School Bus TravelResearch conducted by TransportCanada shows that school bus travel isone of the safest methods of trans-portation. It is 16 times safer than travel-ling in a family car perpassenger/kilometre of travel. Al-though school buses have an excellentsafety record, mishaps can happen.These mishaps can include instanceswhere children are injured while ridingon the bus. It is more common how-ever, for injuries to be sustained onceoutside the bus, including being hit bytheir own school bus or other vehicles.

Every driver must remember that whenapproaching a stopped school bus (ona non-divided road) that has its over-head red signal-lights flashing and sidestop sign out, must stop before reach-ing the bus and must not proceed untilthe bus moves or the overhead red sig-nal-lights have stopped flashing.

Here are some safety tips to share withchildren to ensure safe travel:

Getting to and on the school bus:1. Arrive at the bus stop at least fiveminutes before the scheduled pick uptime. Children should never run afterthe school bus to try to catch it. If youmiss the bus, go back home or if youare at school, report to a teacher.2. Stay on the sidewalk, well away fromthe roadway and stay back until thebus has come to a full stop and thedoor opens.3. If your child needs to cross the street,teach them to look to the left, then tothe right, and to the left once more be-fore crossing the street.4. Use the handrail when boarding orexiting the bus.

Riding on the school bus:5. Take a seat as quickly as possible,put belongings under the seat and stayseated.6. Never stick anything out of the win-dow, including arms or heads.7. Save food for snack time at school oruntil you get home.8.Wait until the school bus comes to acomplete stop before getting off.

After riding on the school bus:9.When getting off the bus: take twolarge steps away from bus. If you mustwalk in front of the bus, walk ahead atleast three metres (10 giant steps).10. The driver must be able to see youand will give a signal when it is safe tocross. Cross in a single file.11. If a child drops something near orunder the school bus, they shouldnever attempt to retrieve it without thedriver’s permission.

Travel by CarParents and guardians must respecttheir child’s school safety measures fordropping off and picking up their chil-dren at school. Every effort must bemade to avoid collision and injury byrefraining to create hazardous situa-tions of traffic congestion and unsafedriving practices within the schoolzone. Respect posted speed limits, anddesignated drop-off and pick-upareas.

Travel by BicycleTo ride a bicycle to and from school,children must be mature enough (mini-mum 9 – 12 years old), and must haveenough experience. The rider shouldbe able to scan ahead and check be-hind without swerving.To ensure safe cycling, young cyclists must:• Wear a properly-fitted helmet, andContinued on page 6

Page 2 of 8 Nexus CDN/NDG6575 SomerledSuite 206514-486-2727Heat Islands

In the first days of July, an intenseheat wave hit Quebec. On July 2,Montreal recorded a historic heatrecord of 36.6°C. The heat wavenot only affected Quebec; seve-ral records were broken in the Uni-ted States, Europe and the MiddleEast, Scotland, Ireland and Arme-nia.Unfortunately, the number ofdeaths caused by heat will onlycontinue to increase. Accordingto a recent study, 30% of theworld’s population is exposed tolife-threatening extreme heatwaves that can last more than 20days a year. If greenhouse gasemissions continue to increase,75% of the world's population willbe at risk of heat death by 2100.The deadly heat waves are morecommon than we think andwreak havoc on more than 60 re-gions in the world each year.(https://www.nationalgeogra-phic.fr/environnement/).

In urban areas, the temperaturecan reach several degrees higher(up to 10 degrees difference)than in rural areas. This phenome-non is known as the ‘heat islandeffect’. In general, we can distin-guish three categories of heat is-lands:1) The first category is heat on thesoil surface;2) The second is the heat of theurban canopy, that is to say theair between the ground and thetreetops. Usually, this happens atnight when the ground releasesthe solar energy absorbed duringthe day; 3) Finally, the third category is thatof the urban boundary layer. Thislayer of air is located above theurban canopy.

There are many factors that

cause heat islands, both humanand natural. The lack of plant ca-nopy, non-reflective mineraliza-tion (like asphalt), materials thatabsorb solar energy, etc. are allcauses of heat islands. In addition,industrial activities, transportationand air conditioning are exam-ples of human-caused causesthat influence the presence ofheat islands. City morphology canalso affect heat islands, depen-ding on the height of buildingsand the presence of automobiles.(https://www.inspq.qc.ca/pdf/pu-blications/988_MesuresIlotsCha-leur.pdf).

In Montreal, there has been an in-crease in heat islands for severalyears due to densification and mi-neralization that are reducinggreen spaces. This also reducesthe availability of cool spaces inthe city.

Heat islands have several conse-quences, both in terms of the en-vironment and human health. Atthe environmental level, heat is-lands contribute to the develop-ment of smog and reduce indoorair quality, which can promotemold, bacterial multiplication, aswell as the release of toxic subs-tances from construction mate-rials. Moreover, during periods ofintense heat, the demand forenergy and water is higher, whichhas a significant impact on the

environment. In addition, heat is-lands can have serious repercus-sions on the health of thepopulation, even leading todeath. Part of the population ismore vulnerable to heat, forexample seniors, small children,isolated people, etc. The heatcan cause weakness and discom-fort, heatstroke and even worsenthe condition of people with chro-nic illness.

To avoid heat islands, many solu-tions are available to us. Not sur-prisingly, by greening publicspaces and mineralized areas,one can prevent heat islandswhile enjoying environmental be-nefits for the city. White or greenroofs, green walls, green parkinglots, etc. are some examples tolimit paved surfaces that favorheat islands. Another solution is tobetter manage water in the city,to use it for a second use ratherthan sending it directly into the se-wers. Installing fountains can re-fresh the environment, in additionto creating a pleasant space forthe population.Climate change disrupts the en-tire planet, especially with ex-treme heat waves becomingmore deadly and more frequent.In the city, the temperature canbe much higher than in ruralareas because of heat islands.This can have several environ-mental and human health im-pacts. Fortunately, severalsolutions exist and in Montreal, se-veral initiatives have emerged.The green alleys are a goodexample of a greening projectwith resident involvement.

- Audrey-Anne Lamarche (GreenPatrol)

Free Compost!When: Saturday, October 6th.Where: Park NDG (from 10am-noon)Looking for the ideal way to addnutrients to your garden or house-plants? Forget synthetic products, com-post (or humus) is the answer!The city has transformed it’s green

waste into fantastic compost overthe course of the year. Now it’sready to be added in order to im-prove the quality of your soil.Please bring your own container(30L Max / address).

Your garden will reward you! Proofof residence is required.

Page 3 of 8 Nexus CDN/NDG6575 SomerledSuite 206514-486-2727Tips for Curbside Composting: reducing odours

Despite the fact that most NDGershave had their brown food wastebins for years, some residents arestill not participating in the collec-tion. They might be intimidated bythe idea of sorting their foodscraps. The truth is, the food wastecollection only changes the binused to dispose of waste — notthe waste itself. In other words, allthose food scraps and soiledpaper bits were still at the curbbefore the program rolled out;they were just in garbage bagsinstead of a brown bin.I live in an apartment buildingwith more than 9 units, and thus itis not served by the food wastecollection program. I see all of theproblems that residents complainabout, except in my building, thebad smells, the maggots and thegarbage juice are in the garbagebins. If you don’t make a little ef-fort, any container used will facethe same problems.I see that there are a few greatadvantages to diverting yourfood from the garbage with thefood waste program:You can freeze your food wasteleftovers. Most of us only have alittle bit of food waste to put out

each week, and thus the littlebeige pails that the borough distri-buted can easily fit inside a free-zer. When you freeze your foodwaste, there are no smells, no fliesand no garbage juice.

Here are some tips for reducingodours when participating in thefood waste collection:1) Seal it. The CDN-NDG boroughprovided all participating house-holds with a designated kitchenpail for food scraps. Keep the lidtightly closed at all times to pre-vent odors and nuisance pests likefruit flies;2) Bag it. While it is not required touse bags, using perfumed com-postable bags will reduce odours.You can also wrap your food innewspaper, which should also re-duce the smell;3) Freeze it. Nothing can stinkwhen it is frozen. If you can’t fit allof your food waste inside the free-zer, consider freezing meat anddairy scraps as they are often thesmelliest;4) Sprinkle it. If your kitchen pail orbrown bin smells, clean it oftenand sprinkle a bit of baking sodainside to neutralize the smell;

5) Get smart about storage. Storeyour brown bin in a cool, dryplace, and keep it out of directsunlight. Ensure that the lid islocked and you shouldn’t haveproblems with flies, rodents andother pests;6) Keep it clean. Rince yourbrown bin with warm water and abiodegradable detergent aftereach use to deter pests and neu-tralize odors;7) Treat the lid. If you notice fliesor other critters around your com-post, smear the brown bin’s lidwith Vicks Vap-O-Rub®, citronella,WD-40, or tea tree essential oils(which are natural insect repel-lents) or add moth balls (known todeter rodents and other animals);8) Curb it. While it might seem likea good idea to wait until yourbrown bin is full before setting itout for pick-up, that can give in-sects and other pests more timeto breed. Place your bin on thecurb before each pick-up, even ifit is not full.http://earth911.com/food/com-post-curbside-without-smells-flies-pests/

- Nikki Schiebel

What is really belongs in the food waste collection (compost)?Eco-quartier staff are often asked:What is really belongs in the foodwaste collection? The answer: itsnot just food! There is a little bit ofother waste that can be includedin the brown bin and compostedas well. For some, soiled card-board and paper might be ob-vious to include in the bin but thelimits of this "other" category re-mains unclear to many. Here is areminder to help you sort throughcomposting, recycling or gar-bage.

Accepted in food waste collec-tion (in bold, non-edible material):• Food scraps• spoiled Fruits and vegetables• Nuts and shells• Spices and herbs• Meat with bones and fat• Fish with bones• Seafood • Eggs and eggshells• Pasta, pain and grain products

• Desserts and sweets• Solid dairy products (cheese,butter and yogurt)• Tea, herbal tea or coffee withpaper bags or filters• Tissues (Kleenex)

• Paper towels / napkins / table-cloths• Contaminated cardboard foodpackages• Paper plates• Cold wood ash• Hair, feathers and animal hair

Please be careful, recyclablessuch as cardboard and papercannot be recycled if they aresoiled and / or contain food (ie, apizza box is normally too greasy torecycle but can be composted).

Here are some things that maynot be included in the collection:• Liquids (soup, milk, juice, coffee,etc.)• Diapers and hygienic products• Fabrics, wood, cork, wax, hotashes, cigarette butts• Chewing gum• Litter and animal excrement

Garden waste(collected separa-tely on Wednesdays):• Dead plants and leaves, tree orgrass clippings, wood chips

By Audrey-Anne et Léa (summergreen patrol)

Page 4 of 8 Nexus CDN/NDG6575 SomerledSuite 206514-486-2727Green Alleys in NDG: Yours for the Taking

In recent years, green alleys inMontreal have been covered byboth local and internationalmedia sources. Our green alleysare highly touted by the New YorkTimes as “neighborhood hubs”(Freehill-Maye, October 27, 2016).

Locally, reports show that they“benefit communities and the en-vironment” (Lowrie, April 23, 2018)and are considered a “green,ecological and vibrant spaceswhere residents gather to chat,play or party” by international re-porting (Taylor, July 26, 2018).There are over 350 alleys withinthe 19 boroughs of Montreal (Tay-lor, 2018) and they are attractinga lot of attention. However, someboroughs have little to no greenalleys while others have plenty.

Over 80 green alleys can befound in the Rosemont Petite-Pa-trie borough while only eight arefound in the Cote-Des-NeigesNotre-Dame-de-Grace borough.To be clear, neither of these num-bers are bad! The Rosemontgreen alleys are successful andplentiful due to the pedestriancentric urban geography. The bo-rough has gotten behind the

green alley projects with a verygenerous budget!In CDN-NDG, there are fewergreen alleys than in Rosemont,partly because there has beenless promotion, as well as a smal-ler budget. Residents still seem tobe discovering the project, and

each year there are at least oneor two new alleys that apply forfunding. There are many alleys inCDN-NDG that could potentiallyparticipate in the green alley pro-gram. The program requires bo-rough residents to spearhead theproject in their neighborhoods butunfortunately, participation hasbeen lacking.

The Eco-quartier is always onstandby, ready to assist residentsthrough the process of turningtheir dirty, underutilized alleys into

a space they can beautify andenjoy. Understandably, the pro-gram is not for everyone. Greenalleys require dedicated residentsto volunteer their time and workinto making a public space moreattractive for themselves and theirneighbors. The alleys already esta-blished in the borough are suc-cessful and have become hometo garage sales, block parties,and seed exchanges. Despitetheir success, they have the po-tential to have an even greaterimpact on the borough and its re-sidents. More green alleys canlead to more active communitymembers collaborating on activi-ties and events that extendbeyond the green alleys.

Together, Eco-quartier NDG andthe active community membersof the borough can create moreunique green alleys that havebrought the program so much re-cognition. These alleys are publicspaces but in many ways they areyours for the taking! Opportunityand a great green alley await.

By Nicholas Rimanelli (GreenAlley Summer Agent)

Where is food waste going?With the new food waste collec-tion program in full swing, resi-dents often ask us where thecollected food scraps are beingsent. Currently, the table scraps thatMontrealers put in their brown binsare being sent to Saint-Thomas inthe Lanaudière region. The foodscraps received are placed in ahuge pile and eventually becomecompost. Unfortunately, all of that transpor-tation causes greenhouse gases.

The original plan with the foodwaste collection was to keep andtreat the table scraps on the is-land of Montreal, but the factories

that will treat the food waste werenot built in time.

The City of Montreal expects thefirst new biomethanization centerto be open and ready to receivefood scraps within the next 3years. That will greatly reduce thegreenhouse gases created bytransportation, as well as the me-thane gas that is created whenfood is put in landfill.

- Nikki Schiebel

Éco-quartier NDG hasbeen working with the re-sidents of Connaught toclean-up an unofficialdumping ground behindthe Muslim School. If youwould like to get involvedin helping us transformthe area, please contactus atecoquartier@gmail.com.

During themonth ofJuly, Bill Royaccompaniedthe C-Vert youthdumpster diving so thatthey couldfind materialsfor theirsculpture.

Page 5 of 8 Nexus CDN/NDG6575 SomerledSuite 206514-486-2727Did you know we’re pulling out ragweed?

With summer in full swing, rag-weed can now be spotted inmany public areas (parks, schoolgrounds, hospital grounds, etc).This little plant is responsible for atleast 15% of Montrealer’s seasonalallergies! The good news for NDGers is thatthe CDN-NDG borough passed aby-law at the June Council mee-ting to release funds to hire rag-weed pickers. The Eco-quartiershired extra employees that havebeen out identifying and collec-ting ragweed on public spaces.After they remove the ragweed, ahole is left behind in the soil, and if

nothing was put there, more rag-weed pollen might land there. Ins-tead of letting that happen, the

staff sprinkle grass seeds in theempty space and have to findcreative ways to water the seeds

from park water fountains! Unfortunately, ragweed is omni-present, and it might even be onyour lawn. If you see ragweed onyour property (or on public pro-perty), please pull it out before itflowers. The Eco-quartier NDGneighborhood is inviting all our ci-tizens to tear up these weeds -send us a photo of you with thegrass, and you could see your pic-ture on our website!Please send all photos by emailto: ecoquartier@gmail.com

- Nikki Schiebel

Summer Camp AnimatorMy name is Vivaik and I am 17years of age. I was born and rai-sed in Montreal. My family has al-ways been very respectful ofnature and the environment. Thissummer, I joined Éco-quartierNDG as a summer employee.

My job was to animate ecologicalactivities in NDG summer camps:trees in the city, the importance ofrecycling, wasting water, the 3Rs,vermicomposting and worms, etc.I think that the best way to sensi-tize people about respecting theplanet is to teach children. By tea-ching them, children will grow ac-customed to an eco-friendlylifestyle, but most importantly willtalk about it with their parents. Ianimated 12 workshops in camps

and found that most childrenwere all very eager to hear what Ihad to say and were alreadyaware of the basic fundamentalsin being eco-friendly: reducing,reusing, recycling, composting,

not to throwtrash in a parketc.

Another part ofmy job was togo see busi-nesses in the dis-trict of Loyolaand Notre-

Dame-de-Grâce and ask the ow-ners if they have enoughrecycling bins for their needs, ifthey know how to get rid of toxicwaste and to review what is recy-

clable with them. Every year,there are many contaminantsthat are thrown in the recyclingbin because many employees inbusinesses do not take the time toverify if the item they want tothrow in the recycling bin, is infact recyclable. Many throw Zi-ploc, Saran rap, soiled cardboardand do not rinse containers be-fore throwing them in the greenbin. My business rounds help re-mind owners what is recyclable,which they then remind their em-ployees. All in all, this helps the en-vironment by improving theefficiency of the recycling systemin our borough.

By Vivaik Malik (summer em-ployee)

On Saturday, September 15th2018 (12-2pm), the Éco-quartierNDG will host a perennial plantexchange in Somerled Park (atthe Eco-quartier NDG in case ofrain - 6575 Somerled, suite 206). AllMontreal residents are invited tobring a perennial in order to ex-change it with one from the bank.It is a great opportunity to in-crease your garden’s variety ofperennials as well as meet otherpeople who are passionate aboutgardening.

Perennial plants provide nume-rous benefits. In addition to thefact that they don’t have to be

replanted every year (reducestransport, containers, etc), these

plants often have deep, extensiveroot systems which can hold soilto prevent erosion. They also cap-ture dissolved nitrogen before itcan contaminate the ground andsurface water, outcompeteweeds (reducing the need forherbicides), and help to mitigateglobal warming by carbon se-questration.

The Éco-quartier NDG welcomesthose looking to freshen up theirgardens, as well as those simplylooking for tips to get their gar-dens started. Register now at eco-quartier@gmail.com or call (514)486-2727.

Perennial Plant exchange: 14th edition

Page 6 of 8 Nexus CDN/NDGCycliste Averti

At Prevention CDN—NDG wework with many different partnersand organizations. This year wasour third year working with VéloQC for a program called “CyclisteAverti”. We were happy to an-nounce that this year we becamerepresentatives of the program inCôte-des-Neiges and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

This program aims to aid studentsin grades 5 and 6 becomeconfident, independentand most importantly safecyclists. We offer this pro-gram to elementaryschools throughout CDN-NDG and in the last schoolyear we ran the programin two schools: SimonneMonet (Côte-des-Neiges)and Étoile Filante (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce).

The Cycliste Averti pro-gram is sorted into four dif-ferent components. Atheoretical componentwhich takes place with theteacher for approximately 6 hoursand is evaluated with a writtenexam.

There is also a practical compo-nent which lasts approximately sixhours and takes place with thephysical education teacher. This

component allows the students todevelop their biking abilitiesthrough activities and exercises ina closed environment. This com-ponent will also be evaluated byfollowing a short circuit to de-monstrate the students’ capabilityto come on the group outing withus.

The third component is the groupouting where we step in to lead a

3 to 5 km circuit in the neighbo-rhood which allows the studentsto practice what they have learntin class in a real life setting.

The final component is an indivi-dual practical exam. Each stu-dent is accompanied by a

trained adult to ensure their safetyand to evaluate their indepen-dent biking ability. Once all ofthese components are comple-ted we provide each student witha personal report card to let themand their parents know if they area beginner, an intermediate or anadvanced cyclist.

As of September 2018 this pro-gram will also be offered in English

and we will start reachingout to schools in the bo-roughs in the fall. If you be-lieve this program wouldbe beneficial at yourchild’s school or if youwork in a school whereyou’d like to see this pro-gram implemented writeus an email to: conseilller-tandemcdnndg@gmail.com with the fullname, email and phonenumber of a contact per-son at that school.

Thank you to our amazingvolunteers Nazmus and

Anne, we could not have run theprogram without them! If youwould like to volunteer for this pro-gram next year let us know atconseilllertandemcdnndg@gmail.com

- Jessica Rouillier

have clothes that are suited forcycling (e.g. their pants tuckedin).• Have their bikes fitted properlyand in good working order. Thebike should have a regular main-tenance check-up and shouldhave a bell. It is also a good ideato have a safety flag.• Know and obey all traffic rules,signs and signals. They must signalturns and stops. Ride in a straightline in the same direction as trafficand stop at every stop sign.• Be predictable to other roadusers by riding with the traffic usu-ally on the right hand side of theroadway.• Never ride in the dark. If anolder child must ride in the dark,make sure that reflective clothingand night-accessories (e.g. reflec-tors and lights) are used.

Walking to schoolMany children use roadways tomake their way to and fromschool. Parents and guardiansmust review road safety rules withtheir children and the importanceof not accepting rides or any invi-tations from strangers. It is best towalk with a buddy and keep fo-cused on getting straight home.

To keep safe on roads, childrenpedestrians must:• Find a safe and direct route toschool with the help of their par-ents. Hazards should be identified(train tracks, busy intersections,etc.) and a designated route withsafety rules should be established.• Stay on sidewalks wheneverpossible. If there is no sidewalk,use the left side of the road facingtraffic.

• Cross streets only at crosswalksand learn to look to the left, theright and then left again beforeproceeding, even at intersectionswith pedestrian walk signs.• Wait until traffic comes to a stopbefore crossing. Make sure driverssee you before you cross.

Prevention is the key to safety.With education and awareness,all children should be able to getsafely to school and home again.Take the time to share these valu-able rules and tips with your chil-dren.

These safety tips were preparedby Public Safety Canada in col-laboration with the CanadaSafety Council. You can also con-tact us for more info at info@pre-ventioncdnndg.orgor 514-736-2732.

from page 1

Page 7 of 8 Nexus CDN/NDGAn animated summer in Côte-des-Neiges parks

Summers in Montreal are special.The arrival of the sun and the heatis followed by a festive feeling.The children finish school, familiesplan outings and the teenagersgo outside to enjoy the nice wea-ther.

In Côte-Des-Neiges, our team ofanimators followed that rhythmand went from park to park tooffer activities to the youth of theneighbourhood. Since the begin-ning of the summer, we’ve beenin Van Horne, Mackenzie-King, DeLa Savane, Jean-Brillant, Kent andNelson-Mandela parks, wherewe’ve had the chance to meet alot of enthusiastic teenagers.Some may believe that teenagersare always on their phone, butthey will change their belief whenthey see the energy with which ateenager runs after a soccer ballor is absorbed in a basketballgame. Other teens prefer activi-ties that require less physicalenergy, so we offer them a variety

of games such as werewolf orcard games, which they happilyjoin. Our activities create an op-portunity for the teens to socializeand meet new people, like theteens that go to Chalet Kent.

Throughout the summer, we alsowent to youth community centersto talk with teenagers and get toknow them. We also organisedactivities in those centres such as

improvisation and mural, whichhad a lot of success. Teenagerswere able to take part in our acti-vities freely, without any preju-dice, and explore their creativity.In the end, teenagers only need alittle thumb up to foster their moti-vation to take part in activities be-fore they fly on their own!

Si Ming, Ricky, Tara, Téo, Bethany,André and Mattia

Interview with Wurood - new Outreach worker for seniorsNEXUS: Hello Wurood! You've juststarted your new role in our orga-nization. Welcome to our lovelyteam! Can you tell us more aboutyour professional backgroundand what brought you to apply atPrevention CDN—NDG as anOutreach worker for seniors inCôte-des-Neiges? WUROOD: Oddly enough, be-fore studying social work at acollege level, I had completeda bachelor’s degree in photo-graphy at Concordia Univer-sity. Working with differentnon-profit organizations as aphotographer, it becameclear to me that what I trulywanted to do in life was helppeople. Since then, I’ve mainlyworked with the homeless po-pulation, both at women’sand men’s shelters in Montreal.What attracted me the mostabout working here at Preven-tion CDN-NDG as an outreachworker for seniors is the possibi-lity of really making a diffe-rence in the neighbourhood Igrew up in, especially for a popu-lation that is so often pushed tothe side.

NEXUS:What interests you themost about working in this specificposition?WUROOD: Although I’ve neverdone outreach work on a profes-sional level before, I am someone

who has always liked talking topeople in parks, on public transitand really anywhere! I also findthat I get approached by stran-

gers a lot just generally speaking. Ithoroughly enjoy meeting newpeople and having heart-to-heartconversations that I might not hadotherwise. It’s that aspect of thejob that drew me in as I feel like

outreach work is somethingI’ve always done naturally. Ialso like that I get to meet allthe different organizations thatmake this neighbourhoodwhat it is. We are all in this to-gether!

NEXUS:What excites you mostabout your new position? Andwhat is the biggest challengeyou face?WUROOD: Although I’ve al-ways lived in Cote-Des-Neiges/NDG, I’ve never reallytaken the time to explore theneighbourhood in depth. I lookforward to not only getting toknow the people of the bo-rough, but also understandinghow things work in this part oftown. I’m interested in knowing

where people like to eat forexample, or what activities in thecommunity bring people toge-Continued on page 8

Page 8 of 8 Nexus CDN/NDGInterview with Lysiane

NEXUS: Hello! You have been withus for some time now. Can you tellus more about your career andwhat led you to apply for Préven-tion CDN-NDG and more specifi-cally at Éco-quartier?LYSIANE: Hello! It has now beenthree years since I joined the Pre-vention CDN-NDG team, and Iam always delighted to be part ofit. I already had professional andvolunteer experience in non-profitorganizations, and I wantedto continue in that direction.Among other things, I had ashort-term contract as a sensi-tization officer at the Éco-quartier Rosemont - La PetitePatrie for the food waste col-lection. I became familiar withthe Éco-quartier program andwith the challenges of thefood waste collection. Havingloved the experience, I waslooking for a similar but per-manent position.

NEXUS:What made you applyfor this particular job?LYSIANE:When I came acrossthe announcement of the vo-lunteer coordinator position atthe Éco-quartier NDG, I jum-ped at the opportunity. Thisjob is a winning combinationfor me: a grassroots commu-nity organization, an environ-mental mandate, and managinga volunteer program. Bingo.

NEXUS: What do you like mostabout your work? And what is thebiggest challenge for you?LYSIANE: Volunteering is often anindispensable player in the missionof Non Profit Organizations

(NPOs), who are often very limitedin their resources. There are diffe-rent reasons why people chooseto volunteer, and all are valid, butI greatly admire the dedicationand generosity of the people whogive their time and energy tocauses that are important tothem. These people inspire me,and I enjoy meeting with them re-gularly.

Providing an inspiring volunteerexperience while meeting theneeds of the Éco-quartier NDG isa daily challenge. People whowant to get involved in the envi-ronment come to me becausethey are concerned by global is-sues such as climate change, pol-lution, etc and they want to act

on it. The Éco-quartier NDG is agrassroots organization and wework locally. Volunteer tasks in-clude data entry, or the deliveryof courtesy tickets to improve thefood waste collection, for ins-tance. These tasks are importantand contribute directly or indi-rectly to these major issues, butthey are not as concrete as, say,planting trees. Reminding volun-teers of the importance of what

they do is essential to theircommitment.

NEXUS:What are your interestsand hobbies outside of work?LYSIANE: I try to stay activeand spend a lot of time in na-ture, hiking.

NEXUS:What could you teachus about yourself that peopledo not know?LYSIANE: I spent so many hoursplaying League of Legendsthat I do not dare count them.

NEXUS: A question of para-mount importance ... do youlike cats?LYSIANE: I love cats. Especiallywhen they are neutered, andkept indoors (or on a leashoutside).

NEXUS: How can peoplecontact you?LYSIANE: You can reach me bycalling the Éco-quartier NDG at514-486-2727 or by email at bene-voles.econdg@gmail.com. Aboveall, do not hesitate!

ther. Côte-Des-Neiges is a very di-verse and energy-filled neighbou-rhood. Getting my name outthere is going to be a challengeas I feel there are so many basesto cover and people to meet, butI’m not too worried!

NEXUS:What are your interestsand hobbies outside of work?WUROOD: I love to craft! Whetherit’s painting, drawing, collage,you name it! I also enjoy takingpictures and scrapbooking. Ioften offer friends homemadethings as gifts such as candles,

soaps, broaches, fridge magnets,plushies, and keychains and ofcourse framed artwork. I’ve re-cently made my own journal, so-wing in the pages myself, andhaven’t been prouder!

NEXUS:What can you tell us tohelp people know you better?WUROOD: Here are some randomfacts about me:1) I love birds! Lovebirds are myfavourite. They make my heartmelt.2) My favourite colour is yellow.3) I was given the opportunity toexpose some artwork at the Mon-

treal Museum of Fine Arts in 2016.That was pretty cool.4) I’m currently taking guitar les-sons and my pinky keeps cram-ping.5) I love avocado, but I’m also al-lergic to avocado.

NEXUS: How can people contactyou?WUROOD: Either by phone at 514-588-2317 or by email at aines-cdnseniors@gmail.com.

from page 7