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The October 6, 2026 Pointe-Claire City Council meeting opened with an update from Mayor John Belvedere regarding the city’s new home evaluation service provided in partnership with Écohabitation, as part of its newly implemented Financial Assistance Program for Stormwater Management. The service is intended to help residents identify their homes’ vulnerabilities and plan improvements to make them more resilient.

Councillor Bruno Tremblay of District 6 addressed the issue of dangerous street crossings occurring near the Fairview REM station, urging residents to use the designated crossing and obey traffic signals. The city is following up with the appropriate security and transportation services.

Question period

Parents of children at the L’Académie des Petites Mains daycare voiced concern about a possible interruption in service when the daycare closes to make way for the development. They hoped the city would help find a suitable nearby location for the daycare.

A resident of Pendennis Ave. wanted to know what the Engineering Department had determined about a blockage in a stormwater drain discovered on the street in August 2026. Also on the subject of flooding, another resident asked about the status of work on the Terra-Cotta sponge park, which had suddenly stopped in August.

Several residents raised concerns about Public Works, asking snow-clearing crews to take greater care during the winter, particularly to avoid blocking driveways or piling snow on corner properties. Another resident reported inconsistencies in branch collection.

Environmental concerns

In addition to questioning the need for the potential felling of 18 mature trees at 429 Saint-Louis Ave., including one city tree, Save Fairview Forest spokesperson Geneviève Lussier asked if the city could look into applying for provincial funding to protect natural areas such as Fairview Forest. To date, the Government of Quebec has raised $310 million from developers to compensate for the destruction of wetlands.

Lussier explained that the initiative had since expanded beyond its original mandate of wetland creation and restoration to include the acquisition of natural areas containing wetlands. She asked the city to explore its options for preserving “part of our natural heritage.”

A question from CALODI about building inspections

Ryan Simonyik, the director of the West Island Tenant’s Action Committee (CALODI), an organization that defends tenants’ rights, asked council for clarification of By-law PC-2715, also known as the Règlement sur la salubrité des logements. He described it as a “by-law that is supposed to dictate minimum sanitary conditions in housing and rentals, touching on issues like mould, heating, and hot water, among other things.” The by-law, adopted in December 2005, was amended in 2012, when several maintenance-related provisions were removed.

Simonyik expressed frustration that the by-law could not be found on Pointe-Claire’s website or through an internet search. He said he learned that By-law PC-2715 was still in effect only after an access-to-information request was submitted. Despite meeting with city officials in February 2026, he said he had received no follow-up. Simonyik also reported approaching officials from Pointe-Claire’s Inspection and Public Security Department with an excerpt from the by-law and requesting action, only to be told that he would have to seek intervention through the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL).

Costly renovations and retrofits

A resident whose living room fireplace is the focal point of his home asked whether there were any plans to offer grants or compensation to homeowners who would need to retrofit or replace their existing wood stoves or fireplaces to comply with the draft by-law governing wood-burning appliances and solid-fuel-burning fireplaces. He said that replacing his three-sided, glass-enclosed fireplace would cost $27,000, excluding any ventilation upgrades or reconstruction of the surrounding area.

By-law on wood-burning appliances moves forward

The city gave notice of motion and tabled a draft by-law governing the use of wood-burning appliances and solid-fuel-burning fireplaces. The proposed by-law would prohibit the use of such appliances during smog warnings, as well as the use of appliances that do not meet specified certification standards established by the CSA Group (Canadian Standards Association), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or other recognized equivalent bodies.

Among the proposed requirements, any new auxiliary heating appliance or fireplace using solid fuel would be limited to emissions of no more than 2.5 grams of fine particles per hour. A certificate of conformity would have to be filed with the city’s Planning Department within 30 days of the installation of new equipment. A 24-month transition period would apply to appliances installed before the provincial regulation comes into force. Appliances that do not meet the applicable requirements would be prohibited.

A 60-day period will be provided for reviewing and amending the draft by-law.

A unanimous decision for 2 Bowling Green Ave.

Residents of Julien and Drayton Avenues opposed a proposal to subdivide the property at 2 Bowling Green Ave. and create an entrance on Julien Ave. They argued that the proposal could affect safety and drainage and would not comply with frontage requirements or the city’s by-laws protecting the recognized heritage character of the area and property.

Council unanimously rejected all plans, exemptions, and approvals related to the property at 2 Bowling Green Ave.

Hotel project stalls

Council unanimously approved a minor exemption from the subdivision requirements for the property at the northwest corner of Saint-Jean and Brunswick boulevards, currently home to Moe’s and Scarolie’s restaurants.

The site planning and architectural integration plans for the proposed hotel were refused by council in a 5–3 vote, despite a conditional use for the project having been approved at the April 7, 2026, council meeting. Councillors Kelly Thorstad-Cullen of District 3, Cynthia Homan of District 5 and Eric Stork of District 7 voted in favour of the plans, while the other five councillors voted against them.

Councillor Andrew Swidzinski of District 4 said his opposition was not to the hotel project itself but to what he described as the “procedural and policy and legal issues that I have with the application of our interim control by-law in this situation.”