The members of the City of Laval’s executive-committee were busy making decisions on a range of issues during public meetings held on Aug. 11 and Aug. 25.
As part of a community planting program, the City of Laval has for several years been offering free trees to groups in Laval who ask.
In order to accelerate the planting of these trees and to be proactive towards these groups, the executive-committee approved a mandate to CANOPÉE, an organization that will be planting 2,000 trees in Laval this year and next year.
The tree plantings will be taking place on lands belonging to municipal and public groups. The trees will be paid for by the city.
Renovations to historic house
The Maison André-Benjamin-Papineau, located at 5475 Saint-Martin Blvd. West in western Chomedey, is classified as a heritage building by the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications, as is an annex building next to it.
Both buildings are currently considered to be structurally unstable due to flooding in the basement, mould and other damage.
In order to restore the historic buildings, the executive-committee members adopted By-law L-12572, decreeing a loan of $4,705,000.
The sum will allow phase one of a work program to begin, which will consist of renovating, restoring and enlarging the main house, while also renovating a café located in the adjacent building.
The city says the work will make the buildings universally accessible to disabled persons, while preserving an important piece of heritage architecture in Laval.
Laval’s public libraries will be open for longer hours
Beginning Sept. 13, branches of the City of Laval’s library network will become accessible seven days a week, meaning there will be 55 additional hours per week to visit the library.
As well, says the city, 65 free activities (in-person and online) will be offered as part of the library system’s fall programming.
“With these additional opening hours, we are keeping our pledge with regards to accessibility to activity spaces in our libraries,” said Stéphane Boyer, deputy mayor and vice-president of the executive-committee.
“The Covid confinement measures were a splendid occasion to maximize the digitalization that we carried out in our libraries and that is becoming an essential tool in this context,” he added.
“With the new website, the YouTube network, the abolition of late fees, and now the addition of more hours, we are pursuing these efforts.”
Boyer said the administration also plans to expand the opening hours of The Studio, and the media lab for digital creation at the Multicultural library this autumn.
Beginning Sept. 25, the public libraries will be offering a range of programs and activities free of charge. Among them:
- Seven conferences and workshops given by Agence Science-Presse;
- A dozen youth activities, including Story Time;
- Special activities during Public Libraries Week, from Oct. 16 – 23;
- The 3rd annual Festival NUM (registration starting Oct. 15);
Registrations are being accepted beginning Sept. 15 at noon.
