Police were called around 1:00 a.m. on May 7 for a vehicle traveling at excessive speed on the Highway 15 northbound service road near the de la Concorde Blvd. sector in Laval.
The driver received a $1,693 fine and 18 demerit points. “The intervention also led to the individual’s arrest for possession of a prohibited weapon and other firearms charges,” the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said in a press release.
The firearm was seized by the police and the man was released with conditions to be observed, and his driver’s license was suspended. The SQ said it wishes to remind everyone that speed is one of the leading causes of fatal collisions in Quebec.
Man who drove bus into Sainte-Rose daycare seeks to overturn high-risk status
A man found not criminally responsible for driving an STL bus into a Sainte-Rose daycare more than three years ago, killing two children and injuring six others, is appealing to have his “high-risk accused” designation revoked.
Pierre Ny St-Amand was designated a high-risk accused in March following a ruling by Superior Court Justice Éric Downs. His lawyers are challenging the designation, arguing it is inhumane and discriminatory.
They are also challenging whether the high-risk accused classification system in the Criminal Code is constitutional. The designation allows for stricter detention conditions for individuals found not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder.
The Crown can seek the designation in cases where an individual is considered at high risk of violence, or where the offence is deemed so brutal that it suggests an ongoing risk to public safety.
The Superior Court upheld St-Amand’s designation, citing both the “brutal” nature of the 2023 offence in Laval and a “marked likelihood” of his reoffending.
St-Amand has been held at the Institut national de psychiatrie légale Philippe-Pinel since the February 2023 incident. His release would require approval from the Commission d’examen des troubles mentaux.
Bike shop fire on des Laurentides Blvd.
An e-bikes shop located on des Laurentides Blvd. in Laval had a close call on Friday May 8 when an overcharged or malfunctioning bicycle battery suddenly caught fire.
The 9-1-1 emergency operator was called around 5:38 p.m. to the store, located just south of de la Concorde Blvd. in Laval-des-Rapides.
Upon arrival at 5:41 p.m., firefighters safely evacuated the premises and quickly extinguished the threatening blaze, minimizing damage as much as possible.
In recent years, e-bike batteries have proven to be a hazardous source of rogue fires, with many outbreaks reported in cities all over the world. Some fire officials blame imported poor quality batteries.
Recent Laval fires
MAY 9 | 05:19 // Building fire on Rue des Patriotes in the Sainte-Rose sector. Unoccupied residential building. Visible flames. Total engulfment of the building. The Code was 10-07, intervention necessary.
In this incident, a former artists’ studio in a garden was razed by a suspicious fire in the early morning of Saturday May 9.
It was 5:19 a.m. when 9-1-1 was alerted to this incident near the Rivière des Mille Îles and the artists’ residence located on des Patriotes Blvd., close to the Berge des Baigneurs in Sainte-Rose.
When the first Laval Fire Dept. personnel arrived at 5:25 a.m., the building that once served as a studio for a prominent visual artist was completely engulfed in flames.
The building had been vacant for a long time, awaiting demolition following the floods of 2017 and 2019, so no evacuation was necessary by the 22 requested firefighters.
Due to the widespread fire and significant structural damage, firefighter teams quickly determined that the total loss was estimated at approximately $75,000.
However, no one was injured during the operation, which ended at 6:06 a.m. Due to the highly suspicious nature of the fire, the Laval Police will be handling an investigation.
MAY 10 | 09:14 // Building fire on 7th Street in the Chomedey sector. Residential building. Visible flames at the garage level. The Code was 10-07, intervention required. One person was injured in the fire.
APRIL 28 | 12:15 // Building fire on Chevillon Street in the Chomedey sector. Residential building. Visible smoke coming from the garage. The Code was 10-07, intervention required.
APRIL 27 | 21:39 // Building fire on Maurice-Gauvin Street in the Chomedey sector. Residential building. Visible flames in the garage spreading to the building The Code was 10-07, intervention necessary.
