Officials with the city announced last week that from Oct. 6-9, Laval will be playing host to an art work, Museum of the Moon, created by British artist Luke Jerram, above the Centre de la nature in Duvernay.
The scaled reproduction of Earth’s Moon is seven metres in diameter and was created based on images recorded by NASA of the entire surface of the Moon. Each centimeter of the work’s surface represents 5 kilometres of the Moon’s surface.
“It is with pride that we are offering free of charge to all residents of Laval a chance to come and contemplate this large-dimension work which to date has been viewed more than 300 times in 30 or so countries, having attracted more than 20 million visitors throughout the world,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
“In becoming the host for this work of international stature, Laval shows once again its commitment to supporting the development of important cultural events,” he added.
In addition to providing a venue for viewing Jerram’s creation, the Centre de la nature will be hosting some other related activities, including some sponsored by the Cosmodôme, by local amateur astronomers, visual artists, as well as guided walks on themes involving science and culture.
Laval continues efforts to thwart ‘heat islands’ with trees
In an effort to reduce the impact of climate change while helping to reduce ambient temperatures during the summer in Laval, the city recently announced a new program through which residents will be able to acquire up to 10 free trees from the municipality to plant on their own land.
In addition to providing the trees, the city says in a statement that it is also offering a subsidy up to $200 per tree to residents as well as commercial or industrial property owners to cover up to 50 per cent of the costs of planting and soil demineralization.
From now to the end of 2025, the city hopes to see 15,000 new trees planted on private lands, be they residential, commercial or industrial. This will be in addition to 15,000 trees the city plans to plant on public lands during the same period.
“The time is now for action and we are supporting unequivocally the City of Laval’s bold effort aimed at combating heat islands through greening,” says Quebec Environment and Climate Change Minister Benoit Charette.
“Trees are the best tools available to fight against climate change,” adds Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “Not only do they help negate temperature increases, but they also have a direct influence on air quality, while also beautifying our territory and contributing to the health and quality of life of the entire community.”
Laval allots a municipal lot to be developed for social housing
The City of Laval announced on Sept. 18 that it is setting aside a lot it owns on des Laurentides Blvd. in Pont-Viau for a non-profit organization to use for the development of social and affordable housing for intellectually- and moderately physically-handicapped adults, including some people with autism.
The building eventually to be erected on the site will have 20 or so 3 ½ room units, as well as larger community spaces favourable to the development of a community-based and autonomous lifestyle for the residents.
“By making this land available, the city hopes to encourage the development of a residential project of superior quality focused on the particular needs of the future residents,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
He said the announcement was largely the result of a fiscal strategy adopted by his administration earlier this year to make up for a lack of housing units currently in Laval. The property in question was purchased by the city in 2022 for the express purpose of creating more affordable and social housing. The non-profit community group Place Joie de vivre will be signing a 70-year lease and finalizing its financing for the project in the near future.
