On Jan 10, I received an envelope from Access to Information (Parc Jean Drapeau). I was curious to see how Montreal charities and non-profits that raise funds for worthy causes are treated, compared to how Montreal treats Velo Quebec.
In 2010 Velo Quebec received a minimum of $972,000 from Montreal and the STM in terms of funding and support. Velo QC paid nothing to stage their events upon public property.
Here is a partial list of what charities paid to Montreal in order to stage their events on public property in 2010:
Foundation of the SPVM Employees $23,739, MS Society $21,097,
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society $10,034, Make A Wish Foundation $13,322, Arthritis Society $6,953, Procure (prostate cancer) $7,907, Crohns and Colitis Foundation $2,906….
The Esprit Triathlon, a non-profit event that raises funds for the Montreal Children’s Hospital $19,337, Dragon Boat Festival where some raise funds for breast cancer research $45,000.
On Jan 11, I attended the St. Laurent council meeting. I asked the mayor to justify the above and asked what he intended to do.
He replied; “Velo Quebec promotes a healthy lifestyle”.
Click here and see page 12 for The Suburban’s super story on the topic.
In response, I explained that the Marathon de Montreal promotes a healthy lifestyle, had 30,000 participate in their event, attempted unlike Velo QC to raise funds for a worthy cause, BUT they had to pay $19,682.
Does anyone aside from myself see anything at all wrong with this?
Why does Montreal continually treat Velo Quebec as if it were a “god”, while at the same time treat charities and other non profits, as if they were garbage?
When Mayor Tremblay tried to change the name of Park Avenue to Avenue Robert Bourassa, there was a major outcry. Recently Michael Applebaum and Marvin Rotrand started a petition that was eventually signed by several thousands (including myself) in order to memorialize the late Mordecai Richler, who incidentally twice refused the honour of being invested into the Order of Canada.
Where is the outcry regarding Montreal’s holier than thou treatment of Velo Quebec?
On the day of the last election, Mayor Tremblay’s party used Velo QC headquarters as a call centre. Tremblay’s local candidate for mayor was Michel Labrecque. Labrecque was defeated and then nominated by Tremblay as Chairman of the STM.
And what did a long time municipal politician have to say? “Labrecque is Tremblay’s prodigal son, and Tremblay is grooming him to be Montreal’s next mayor.” Labrecque is also the founder of Velo Quebec and its past-President.
And what did Executive Committee members Monique Worth, Manon Barbe, Mary Deros, Alan de Sousa, and Michael Applebaum, have to say about the situation? As I do not wish to embarrass them in public, I will say nothing, but that should definitely not stop their constituents from asking them for what they have to say!
