Ex-school hot NDG topic

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by Kristian Gravenor

An attempt to court the lower NDG Italian vote in an area where an elementary school was closed this spring has lit up the battle for the Décarie district. The fight has Vision Montreal incumbent Sonya Biddle (who is married to Bourque advisor Allan Patrick) taking on Marcel Tremblay (brother of mayoral hopeful Gérald). At a recent meeting at which Tremblay wooed the important Italian vote, supporter Michele Ciampini, who led the fight to keep the school open, told the 250 present that "I did everything possible to save the local school, John XXIII." This claim was immediately challenged by opponent Guiliano D'Andrea, who accused Ciampini of abandoning the case rather than raising a mere $250 to keep the legal battle alive and the school open. "After I said that, about four people came up to me, saying had they known this, they would have donated $1,000 each just to keep the court battle alive," says D'Andrea, who opposes the Tremblays because ex-English Montreal School Board axeman George Vathilakis is on their slate.

Marcel Tremblay's attempts to win Décarie, an area seen as having much upside in the shadow of the future superhospital, have led him to promise to reunite lower NDG via level crossings over the rail tracks. He has also offered space for kids and the local Italian community inside the old John XXIII school. Unfortunately, it appears that the onetime elementary school's new landlord, the Shadd Academy, is uninterested in sharing.