Photo: Martin C. Barry
Noisy revelry on the Chemin du Vieux Moulin caused these two
ladies to complain to Two Mountains town council.

The Town of Two Mountains increased its accumulated operating surplus from $641,000 in 2007 to $1,177,000 at the end of 2008, according to an independent auditor who presented the final version of a financial report to town council last week. Tabling the summary, Claude Th�oret of the accounting firm Raymond Chabot, said Two Mountains still needs to be careful with its finances, because "there could be reversals over the coming years. I think it will be necessary to be prudent when using that sum."

Ringette subsidy dispute
While the money picture was welcome news, especially to Mayor Marc Lauzon who is seeking re-election in November, it did little to attenuate the anger of one resident in particular, who complained during question period about fundraising methods used by the Ringette Association of Deux-Montagnes, which is subsidized by the town. Alan Meindersma had initially raised the issue in town council last November.
At that time, he complained that even though Two Mountains gives the association a grant of at least $16,0000 annually for its activities, ringette players are still obliged to sell raffle tickets to raise additional money, or pay an extra $100 each. Based on a per-player subsidy of $341.31 and 59 players in the association, Meindersma estimated it has been receiving more than $20,0000 annually rather than the smaller amount.

Not a city decision
"There must be rules how the subsidies are given," he said in a statement he handed to the media during the meeting. "This is our tax payers� money and this money isn�t going to the children. Also there shouldn�t be any obligations for selling raffle tickets door to door. It should be done voluntarily to make it fun for the children." While Lauzon said he had spoken with the ringette association�s president, Meindersma claimed the mayor hadn�t bothered to answer him personally since last November. "It�s not a city decision, it�s an association decision," Lauzon said of the policy for selling raffle tickets door to door. "In Deux-Montagnes we do what we have to do and we are entitled to give that kind of money to the association of ringette."

Trouble on Grand Moulin
Two residents living on the Chemin du Grand Moulin complained about people who gather at all hours on the waterfront, carrying on, making noise and sometimes consuming alcohol. "We find that we�re putting up with a lot on Chemin du Grand Moulin," one said.
"It�s not so much that there�s a lack of police presence, it�s that there isn�t any at all. None at all. We are forced to call often. Because of the boat ramp, people are often in the streets. Youths are partying late into the night. People come to tan and there�s loud music. We are forced to call the police but they don�t come." The mayor said it was the first time he�d heard of such a problem on Chemin du Grand Moulin.

More police presence
"There�s no doubt that we have problems in all the parks of the city," he said, adding that the police had assigned extra officers this summer to patrol all Two Mountains�s parks. "Of course, because of the activity involving boats, there�s more activity there." Lauzon noted that the town has inaugurated a new system for boat launch users, requiring them to obtain a municipal permit, which must be displayed when using the boat launch.