Saint-Vincent heritage preservationists say Maison Giasson’s future is threatened
Prior to the start of the June 3 meeting of Laval city council, the mayor and councillors observed a minute of silence for the ten women who died due to acts of domestic violence in Quebec since the beginning of 2026.
As council speaker Cecilia Macedo noted, the province reached the annual average number of “femicides” in just a few months.
“This number reminds us of the grave nature of the violence that women can be exposed to,” she said. “By honoring the memory of the victims, we are loudly and strongly reaffirming our willingness to see these violent acts come to an end.
“Women are not objects and belong to no one, they are free and thanks for respecting this,” she added.
Congrats to Montréal Victoire
In his opening remarks, Mayor Stéphane Boyer noted that the Montreal Victoire women’s hockey team’s recent victory in the Professional Women’s Hockey League championship will provide encouragement to youths to become more involved in sports. He congratulated the team (who play their homes games at Place Bell) for winning the PWHL’s Walter Cup.
“So obviously, this is something to celebrate,” said Boyer. “But beyond the celebration, for me it’s also something very symbolic for our youths and our girls, for whom there has often been too little or no room at all in sports – especially hockey.
“So, this is a model for our youths to follow. And we often see that when a professional team does well, it’s not unusual that the following year there is an increase in registrations in our sports associations.”
In a summary of the work the city has done to clean up the territory after a long winter, the mayor revealed that more than 70 per cent of the painted traffic median lines and strips on boulevards and streets all over Laval had been completed as of last week.
Mayor reports on spring cleaning
As well, he said mechanical sweepers had also gone over three-quarters of the city’s territory and will pass over them once more in the coming weeks to make sure the work is done properly. In addition, according to the mayor, more than 90 per cent of Laval’s parks and green spaces had been cleaned of post-winter debris.
Boyer also revealed that cameras positioned on public works trucks are helping to identify potholes, leading to a significant reduction in the number of complaints about potholes received from residents.
During a period of the meeting for councillors to table reports and documents, Action Laval city councillor for Saint-François Isabelle Piché presented her report on the closing of the mini-farm at the Centre de la nature, which was the focus of a more than 20,000-signature petition, as well as a survey and consultation meeting organized by Piché.
With the Fête nationale du Québec nearly upon us, Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis pointed out that a celebration will be taking place June 24 at the Paroisse Saint-Martin from 11 am until 6 pm with a range of activities, including folk dancers.
Heritage property threatened
A group of residents from the city’s Saint-Vincent-de-Paul district, who turned up at the June council meeting to ask questions about the fate of the Maison Giasson, a heritage property on Bellevue Ave. which they claim is in danger, never got a chance to speak, after failing to register in time for the council meeting.
In spite of this, the city councillor for Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Annick Senghor, tabled a petition with 32 signatures demanding action on the property’s future. Built around 1945, the Maison Giasson, which faces out towards the Rivière des Prairies, appears on a City of Laval list of heritage properties. It was the home of Dr. Carl Giasson, who died in 2016.
While not allowed to speak during the question period, Denise Fortin, a spokesperson for the residents, provided The Laval News with a list of the issues they had hoped to raise with Councillor Senghor and Mayor Boyer during the meeting.
Among them: the protection of mature trees in the neighbourhood near the building; monitoring and follow-up of permits issued for work carried out at 467 Bellevue Avenue; strengthening the city’s Architectural Integration and Implementation Plan (AIP) at the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul village core.
Other issues: Whether the City of Laval is ensuring that the restoration plans for 467 Bellevue Ave. respect the original Queen Ann style of the house and the surrounding built environment; and what requirements or recommendations has the city made to guarantee harmonious integration and the enhancement of the existing heritage.
Residents demand restoration
In a declaration demanding the restoration of the 467 Bellevue property that the residents issued in April, they stated, “We, the residents of the Bord-de-l’eau sector in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, wish to express our profound indignation at the near-total destruction of the green space located at 467 Bellevue Avenue.
“This space, which we considered the ‘lungs’ of our neighbourhood, was cut down with a chainsaw by the landowner. Despite our efforts with the City of Laval to emphasize the importance of this area for our health, our environment and the quality of life of our neighbourhood, 95 per cent of this precious wooded space has been cleared, within the limits permitted by municipal regulations.
“We consider this act a serious attack on our already fragile environment. This intervention has not only harmed local biodiversity but also our collective well-being. At a time when the City of Laval is investing in tree planting and the protection of its natural areas, it is unthinkable to accept such a loss in the heart of our community.”
The residents are demanding: That the City of Laval take responsibility and purchase the land at 467 Bellevue Avenue; that it restore the house and plant a forest there to commemorate the heritage and history of the neighbourhood; and that the city regulate the construction of new homes along the waterfront, “homes that blend well into the neighbourhood,” the residents stated.
