Mayor Stéphane Boyer pledged during the June 3 meeting of Laval city council to take whatever action was necessary to prevent the demolition of an early 20th century heritage house located on du Mont-Royal Street in the city’s Vieux Sainte-Rose neighbourhood.
A petition was started by Sainte-Rose city councillor Flavia Alexandra Novac opposing the redevelopment of the house and land – dating from as early as 1911 and vacant since last November – into a rental project with as many as two dozen individual units.
While maintaining that Laval has made great strides in recent years to safeguard the heritage homes and properties on its territory, Boyer said he agreed with the residents that there was something not right about the situation involving 133 du Mont-Royal St.
On a bright Saturday afternoon in Laval, while many were out running errands or soaking up the sun, a group of about 15 people had other plans.
Gathered outside the Le Berger Blanc facility, the city-contracted animal shelter and control service, they protested what they described as systemic failings in the city’s animal adoption services.
Many were longtime pet owners, holding handwritten signs that read “Cages too small,” “Adoption fees too high,” and “Lack of transparency.”
The June 7 protest marked a continuation of long-standing public concern over Le Berger Blanc’s operations. The shelter, which operates as a for-profit company, had previously been the subject of investigative reporting, including a 2011 exposé by Radio-Canada that alleged inhumane euthanasia practices.
Residents of Harvard Avenue in Chomedey were expressing frustration over what they described as minimal cleanup efforts from the City of Laval, despite the area being densely populated with mature trees that shed heavily.
up at the front of his house on June 18,
2025. (Photo: Municipal councillor, Aglaia
Revelakis)
While the buildup of leaves was most visible in the spring and fall, locals said 2025 had been especially troublesome. Many residents had taken it upon themselves to manually clean the debris each day, citing a lack of effective municipal response.
“Every single day, we’re out with blowers and shovels,” said Harvard Avenue resident Christos Kouloukis. “We try to clean the street ourselves, but the service is zero.”
With an eye on maximizing all sectors of economic activity using every means available, the City of Laval announced its entry into a strategic partnership with Ivado, Canada’s largest consortium for Artificial Intelligence research, training and development.
Beginning last fall, specialized training would be made available to managers and employees at businesses in Laval through the agreement reached by the city’s economic development arm, Laval économique, with Ivado.
“We are clearly determined to make our city the go-to reference for businesses that hope to accelerate their digital transformation,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
