Laval city council, April meeting

As they do each first Monday of each month, members of Laval city council gathered at City Hall last April 4 to inform the population of current and future projects and to take questions about them from the citizenry.

Open mike for residents
Question period, when any citizen can address council in order to get answers to their questions, took place in almost complete calm compared to previous meetings. Claude Boivin, a resident of the district of Saint-Martin, came forward to ask for the reasons why the urban planning department has been taking its time in granting a permit for a daycare facility.
Alexandre Duplessis, the city councillor for Boivin’s area, pointed out that the project is currently under study in view of a concern by the urban planning committee that the implementation of such an establishment could cause parking problems. “We know the sector well and there is not a lot of parking,” he said. “There is a question as to where the employees will park, and whether arrivals and departures will aggravate circulation. The committee is meeting this week and you will have the answer in the coming day.”
François Lagarde, who asked in February if Laval was considering the possibility of introducing a First Responder program to provide support for the ambulance service and had been answered no, came back just as determined. He probed council to find out if it was feasible to equip public and recreation services buildings with automated defibrillators and to give the personnel there CPR training.
“Our services are currently at work on that and we should have an answer within a reasonably short time and we should be able to tell the population,” replied Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt.

Political opposition’s turn
The leaders of the two Laval political parties that oppose the Vaillancourt administration were also at the meeting and inquired about some of the issues that have been concerning residents.
David de Cotis, president of the Mouvement lavallois, asked a question in the name of Louise Lafleur, who for the past two years has seen her property buried in snow by the city’s snow blowing operations and has been complaining to the city administration. “She’s been asking, that the snow be blown equally on both sides, in accordance with the regulations, and not just on her side,” said de Cotis. “What can the city do for her?” Councillor Yvon Martineau, responsible for her district, stated: “As I told her, it will melt.”
De Cotis then read out an e-mail that was sent to him, and that mentions that certain not-for-profit organizations in Laval, financed by the city, have been not only promoting the parti PRO des Lavallois, but also encouraging the sale of the party’s membership cards. Among other groups, the organization La Relance apparently offered free meals at a sugar shack during an activity held for members who bought a Parti PRO card for $2.
Similarly, Robert Bordeleau, leader of the Parti au service des citoyens, said he had been able to get a confirmation from La Relance, and questioned the mayor about the ethics and morality of such a practice. “We are very happy that our members take part in activities that are more social than political,” replied the mayor. “Never did our party ask any organization to promote our party and it is not part of our overall policies.”
Interviewed after the council meeting, Bordeleau added: “I personally contacted La Relance, where a volunteer confirmed that not only was it suggested to sell the membership cards, but that it was systematically encouraged by the director. And in fact, I was told that meal tickets had been given to those who bought a card or who made a donation to the Parti PRO.”
Bordeleau also asked for details about the new owners of the Commodore marina in Pont-Viau and the negotiations relating to renovations and building planned there. “You say that the negotiations aren’t finished, yet on the Aldo Construction Internet site, docks can already be reserved and a picture of the future project can be seen,” Bordeleau added. “What are you negotiating?”
“In the beginning, the promoter didn’t want to maintain the marina,” answered the mayor. “Laval being an island, it seemed to us imperative that these facilities remain in place. What Mr. Bordeleau is saying is reassuring, as it tells me the promoter plans to maintain the place. The permits haven’t yet been issued, but our requests, I can see, will be met and I am very happy about it.”

Tempos a done deal
The modification of a bylaw concerning temporary car shelters (Tempos) was passed. Laval residents will henceforth have until April 15 to take down their shelters, and will be able to put up the superstructure as early as Oct. 15. However, it will not be possible to put on the canvas until Nov. 1. This change followed numerous requests made by residents who found the Nov. 15 date too late in view of cold weather, making installation of the shelters difficult, and April 1 too early, since the posts are often still frozen in the ground or the snow.

Saint-Elzéar could become Léon-Gaumont
It was recommended to the council that it should change the name of Saint-Elzéar Blvd. west of Curé-Labelle Blvd. If the change is made, that section of the street will be given the name Léon-Gaumont, who was a French industrialist and inventor who was one of the pioneers of cinematography and founder of the Gaumont film production company.

Coming projects
The date of the next public consultation meeting, where citizens are invited to ask questions on several rezoning projects, has been announced as April 28.
A project in Chomedey on the edge of Curé-Labelle Blvd. will be up for examination, as well as others between Marie-Antoinette St. and the Rivière des Prairies, Notre-Dame Blvd. and Hennessy Blvd. and St-Charles Ave. and Lévesque Blvd. West. This PPU project (Projet particulier d’Urbanisme) would allow the City of Laval to better harmonize construction projects in the area.

New this spring
A pilot project currently underway in Laval involves street sweepers which empty sideways. The machines which clean the streets are said to be more efficient than those currently in use by the city, since it isn’t necessary to bring them back to the public works depot to empty them of what they picked up off the street. “This technology should allow us to increase productivity significantly,” said Basile Angelopoulos, the city councillor for Chomedey and vice-president of the executive-committee.