The City of Laval and its unionized police officers signed a new collective agreement last week, leading Mayor Stéphane Boyer to declare himself highly satisfied by the outcome.
The agreement was ratified by 78 per cent of the police brotherhood’s members. It includes a provision to transfer some administrative duties to civilian staff, resulting in lower costs for the city.
The new agreement includes an overall 22.2 per cent salary increase over five years. It will also provide for the deployment of police cadets to manage traffic, representing another cost-saving measure.
“What we were looking for was greater efficiency and more officers on the streets,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer, adding that the agreement allows the city to achieve that. “We’re really pleased with the outcome, and I think it’s going to be a win-win, both for the officers and for the public.”
“The new contract offers working conditions that reflect the growing responsibilities of our officers, who work in a complex environment and are facing an evolving and increasingly sophisticated criminal landscape,” said union president Sylvain Tardif. The agreement is in effect retroactively from Jan. 1, 2024 until Dec. 31, 2028.
Laval Firemen’s Footrace takes in a record $100,000 in donations
For its 13th annual run, the Laval Firemen’s Footrace (Course des pompiers) on Sunday June 1 had a record number of enrolled participants. Nearly 12,000 runners of both sexes and of all ages took part in the event, which drew 2,800 more people than last year.
The participants raised $102,000 for the Fondation des pompiers du Québec. The sum was expected to grow in the following days as additional donations came in.
William Simon took first place in the marathon in the men’s category with an impressive time of 2 hours, 39 minutes and 55 seconds. For the second year, Florence Thibodeau was the first woman to cross the finish line after 3 hours, 4 minutes and 56 seconds.
In the half-marathon, Victor Boisvert finished in 1 hour, 13 minutes and 53 seconds, while Joëlle White finished in 1 hour, 25 minutes and four seconds. (It was the second consecutive win for Joëlle White in her category.) The event also included 10, 5, 2.5 and 1-kilometre segments.
Laval scales up efforts to recuperate funds through BIEL agency
The City of Laval’s Bureau de l’intégrité et de l’éthique de Laval (BIEL) recently released an overview report of its activities for the year 2024, maintaining that progress was made to render the city’s administration more transparent, while also preventing corrupt practices from taking root.
Pierre Brochet, director of the Laval Police Dept. which is mandated to run the BIEL, said the agency was called upon more than ever to offer advice and make recommendations to city employees dealing with issues involving ethical dilemmas
“In 2024, the BIEL’s integrity was solicited more than ever,” he said. “The increase in requests, notices and recommendations bears witness to the importance of the role it plays in ethics and integrity for the members of the City of Laval’s staff.
“This enduring culture of integrity makes the BIEL something to look up to in this regard,” added Brochet. “On several occasions, it was invited to share its expertise with the academic milieu as well as other organizations internationally. This goes beyond our borders, reflecting the excellence of our practices and our leadership in matters of organization integrity.”
According to the 2024 report, the BIEL carried out several integrity audits last year involving sub-contractors of services to the municipality, including five investigations currently still underway. Thirteen interventions were made with respect to seven municipal infrastructure projects.
In addition to its investigative work, the BIEL also continued efforts last year to recuperate funds believed to have been misappropriated to sub-contractors in past years. According to the BIEL’s report, the city reclaimed $1.7 million in 2024, bringing the total to $60 million. As well, three civil suits remain underway, representing $17 million in funds which might potentially also be recuperated.
