B’nai Brith Canada breaks ground on Chateau B’nai Brith residence

It may have been chilly outside on the morning of November 28, but at a special ceremony held just behind the Cote St. Luc Shopping Centre on Cote St. Luc Road, the warmth of the community spirit was in the air, as the ground was officially broken to launch the construction of Chateau B’nai Brith, a 126-unit seniors residence that will cater to the needs of seniors who don’t have the financial means to support their day-to-day living.

Construction of the seven-storey structure is scheduled to begin almost immediately, with a projected completion date of the late summer of 2017.

“This is a big moment for us. Chateau B’nai Brith will be a model of what an affordable apartment home should be like, which will serve those seniors who fall between the cracks by providing a safe, comfortable home with latest in technological and environmental considerations,” said Ted Greenfield, President of B’nai Brith Residences. He also noted that the Chateau B’nai Brith, along with the nearby B’nai Brith House, which was built more than a decade ago, continues the vision of the late Gerry Weinstein, a prominent local philanthropist and former National President of B’nai Brith Canada, who wanted to provide a safety net for the community’s growing senior population, who now make up 35% of the population of Montreal.

Noam Schnitzer, Chateau B’nai Brith’s Project Manager, briefly addressed the building’s specifications to the gathering that was made up of media, representatives from all three levels of government and B’nai Brith Canada VIPs. “This will be more than social housing. This residence will change the game and set new standards for this type of development,” he said. “It will contain brighter lighting, taller ceilings and larger windows, and will require low maintenance. Chateau B’nai Brith will continue the organization’s obligation to address the grater need for more affordable housing by offering this relevant, functioning residence for our senior community.”

“This is more than just an apartment building. Chateau B’nai Brith is a continuation of our commitment to help the senior Jewish community become a more socially dynamic group of people, so that they can come together as a community under one roof,” said Marc Bissell from the Bissell Family Foundation, which has committed $1 million towards the project.

Also present at the ground breaking ceremony were Lynn Weinstein, wife of the late Gerry Weinstein; B’nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn; D’Arcy McGee MNA David Birnbaum; Bonnie Feigenbaum, Chief of Staff for Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather; Cote St. Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein; Hampstead Mayor William Steinberg; former B’nai Brith Canada National President, and Honourary President for Life Eric Bissell; Harvey Levine Director of B’nai Brith Canada – Quebec Region; and comedian Andre-Philippe Gagnon, who has performed at several B’nai Brith Canada gala fundraisers across the country, and has committed himself to headline  future fundraisers for the organization.

By: Stuart Nulman – totimes.ca