Pursuing a policy of preserving Laval’s rich heritage of open spaces and greenery, the city recently acquired 5.3 additional hectares of wooded territory in the de l’Équerre Woods, located in the district of Sainte-Rose.
The purchase was made with financial support provided by the provincial government and the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM).
“Here we are taking yet another step to preserve our urban forests, which is part of the goals in the conservation plan for the natural areas of the City of Laval,” said Deputy Mayor Stéphane Boyer who is vice-president of the executive-committee.
“That’s more than five additional hectares being added to the 36 we have already acquired since 2014 for the de l’Équerre woods. We will be increasing the size of the territory the city has in protected areas.
“At the same time, this opens the door to other types of activities for improving the natural areas without making too much impact,” added Boyer. “There are pedestrian, nature and bicycle trails, as well cross-country-ski and snowshoe trails.”
According to the city, the two purchased lots, measuring 53,060.8 m2, have a great deal of biodiversity. On them, one can find many different species of trees, as well as many wetlands. The city says it spent $2.5 million on the purchase, including $1.4 million coming from the CMM and Quebec, and $1.1 million from the City of Laval.
Laval allots $1.42 million for anti-social exclusion, anti-poverty
The city has announced that 10 local projects aimed at helping to reduce poverty and curtail social exclusion have been retained to receive a total of $1,423,000 in funding from Laval.
In a statement issued by the city last week, officials said part of the sum is coming from the Fonds Place-du-Souvenir de la Ville de Laval, a fund set up with sums refunded from contractors who were found to have overcharged Laval in the past.
The provincial government is also contributing, and the CISSS de Laval is involved in the project.
“The struggle against poverty and social exclusion is an important issue for our government,” said Quebec Minister of Work, Employment and Social Solidarity Jean Boulet.
“That is why I am proud to provide support for these 10 projects in the Laval region, which are sure to improve living conditions for people in Laval.”
“Thanks to the unwavering support of our partners and the organizations who work among isolated persons, families and vulnerable young people from Laval, we are making this important investment which is essential to the well-being of our community,” said Laval city councillor Nicholas Borne, who sits on the executive-committee with responsibility for social development.
“This is an important step towards meeting objectives set out in our regional policy for social development.”
“Thanks to this financial support, we can be sure that concrete and relevant efforts against poverty and social exclusion are being made for the benefit of those who are most vulnerable,” said CISSS de Laval CEO and president Christian Gagné.
The following organizations and groups in Laval will be receiving subsidies from the allotted funds for the listed projects:
- Bluff Productions: Les Maux-Dits
- Youth Consultation Bureau: Collective gathering space 18-25 years
- Family Help and Assistance Bureau, Place St-Martin: Implementation of Avenir de femmes (phases I and II)
- Diapason-Jeunesse: L’expression qui nous lie
- GRT Réseau 2000+: Let’s Talk Community Housing in Laval
- Habitations l’Envolée de Laval: General assistance for persons in healthy eating habits
- Maison de quartier Vimont: Youth inclusion
- Maison des enfants le Dauphin de Laval: Confidences à un Dauphin 2.0
- Alternative Youth Measures of Laval: Projet SAJ Laval
- Relais communautaire de Laval: Un habit pour un ami
