MRMA Celebrates 75th Year

As one of the oldest citizens’ groups in the Montreal area, the Mount Royal Municipal Association (MRMA) will celebrate its 75th anniversary next month with a big party. Besides current members, the invitees will include former directors, event sponsors, as well as local, provincial, and federal elected officials, or at least their respective representatives.

“We’ve always been affirmative of the idea of bettering the Town,” stated MRMA president Lew Greenberg in explaining why the local group has lasted so long. It was founded only 19 years after TMR’s founding in 1913.

“During all those years, the MRMA has been involved in many decisions and fights that have had a direct impact on residents’ quality of life”, added director Farid Tannous who initiated the idea of a celebration and heads its organizing committee. In its early years, it was often composed of 800 to 1,000 members which meant that it represented about one-fourth of the local populace.

Starting as the Citizens’ Association of Town of Mount Royal, it changed its name several years later to the Property Owners’ Association before adopting its current name in 1972. Its main mandates have always been to represent those who own or rent property, advocate municipal transparency, and to preserve and improve services without unnecessary or frivolous expense.

Recently, the MRMA views itself as a monitor of the Council ─that is composed only of members of Mayor Vera Danyluk’s Action Mont-Royal─ and strongly opposes the cultural centre project.

Directors of the local citizens’ group have often gone on to serve on Council such as long-time mayor Reginald Dawson and councillors Jack McConnell, Victor Podd, Neil Jones, John Miller, Gilles St-Cyr, Georges Badeaux, and Nick Stephens. Upon being elected, they must give up their MRMA membership.

A few have gone even higher such as William Tetley, who, after he served as councillor for three years, was a West End MNA for several years and a Cabinet minister for a few years. Same for Daniel Johnson who later became a MNA and Liberal premier. Other distinguished directors include Luke Bertrand, serving for 40 years, Isabel Schofield who was a member of all three of the group’s incarnations, and long-time member Eleanor Côté.

With an auction, the event will also serve as a fund-raiser for the MRMA that will replenish its annual $1,200 insurance policy for several years. It protects its directors against any private firm that may feel aggrieved by its opposition to its project.

Items include either a Guy Lafleur or Jean Béliveau hockey jersey, two box seats in the Canadiens’ president loge for any game this season, and a beautiful golf bag. The evening will be topped off with a giant birthday cake.

With many young double-income families moving in and seniors moving away in recent years, it has seen a decline in membership. Treasurer Kathy Elie dispelled the notion that new members must attend Council meetings upon joining up. “They join up and directors go for them.”

Greenberg encouraged many people to become members because “the more people involved, the more powerful voice we have.”