It’s to be hoped you didn’t become overly alarmed if you happened to have heard one of several high-pitched emergency sirens that went off throughout the day last Wednesday in various parts of Laval. It was part of an emergency preparedness exercise undertaken by the city in the eventuality of something more serious.
Sirens located at five Laval businesses and industries were being tested in accordance with the City of Laval’s By-law L-12933. The businesses in question all have some element of potentially hazardous activity in their operations and were taking part in the tests to be ready for the real thing.
“The introduction of emergency sirens is something new on Laval’s territory,” said city councillor and executive-committee member Sandra Desmeules, who is responsible for public safety issues.
She said the goal of the test, which was the first of its kind to be conducted in Laval, was to prepare residents for emergencies. Another of the objectives was to see that residents become familiar with the sound of the sirens so as to recognize them in the future if there is a real emergency.
The sirens, which were programmed to go off one at a time from 9 am to 3 pm, are located at MAPEI Canada chemicals (2900 Av Francis-Hughes), Dyne-A-Pak packaging (3375 Av Francis-Hughes), Supérieur Propane (111 Rue de la Station), Gaz Propane Monin (555 Montée Saint-François), and Produits alimentaires Viau (6625 Rue Ernest-Cormier).
Each siren produced a loud horn sound, rising and falling gradually, for exactly three minutes. They were designed to be heard within a geographic area surrounding the industrial locations.
Were the sirens going off for a real emergency involving the accidental release of toxic or hazardous gases, residents normally would seek shelter inside the nearest building. They would then close all doors and windows and shut down ventilation systems, seal windows and doors with adhesive tape, move away from windows, and follow the instructions of public safety officials.
On the day of the practice exercise, teams from Civil Security, the Laval Police and the Laval Fire Dept. were on hand near the businesses where the sirens are located to answer residents’ questions.
Laval to transform Saint-Martin Blvd. into a safer, greener urban axis
Officials with the City of Laval announced last week that they reached an agreement with the federal government for $10 million in federal funding to improve and transform a 13-kilometre stretch of Saint-Martin Blvd. into a safer route for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
The work, for which the City of Laval will be paying $29 million of the total $39 million cost, will include the planting of 525 trees and the installation of 15,000 square metres of plant and shrub embankments.
The vegetation is expected to help absorb up to 2,500 cubic metres of heavy rainfall, thus keeping it out of storm sewers during severe storms.
The work is also expected to include improved security on sidewalks and bicycle paths. Climate change is one of the factors being taken into consideration, as well as the overall improvement of the quality of life.
“In transforming this major axis, we are not only beautifying the area,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “We are also creating a more secure living environment while faced with climate change.”
He said the extensive vegetation and the new trees will be able to contain the equivalent of an Olympic pool of rainwater during heavy rain storms, taking pressure off the sewer system.
“By encouraging active mobility, the safety of users and the greening of living spaces, we are building more inclusive, dynamic and resilient cities while facing today’s environmental and urban challenges,” said federal public services minister Jean-Yves Duclos.
Contracts for the work were awarded at the March 12 Laval city council meeting, and the work will begin in May, with completion scheduled for sometime in 2026.
The city will be taking special traffic measures along Saint-Martin Blvd. while the work is underway to limit the impact on traffic.
Merchants and businesses located along the route will be informed by the city of special measures to minimize the impact the work has on them.
