Three athletes from Laval honored during Mérite sportif lavallois
Three outstanding athletes from Laval were honored recently by city officials during the 63rd Mérite sportif lavallois awards gala.
Covid restrictions
Laval city councillor for Laval-Les Îles Nicholas Borne welcomed the winner of the bourse Alexandre-Despatie, Laurie St-Georges, as well as winners of the Prix Pierre-Marchand, Kiana Dufour and Ève Rajotte.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent cancellation of several sports competitions over the past two years, this year’s Mérite sportif lavallois awards were presented to athletes who distinguished themselves over the last few months only.
Honoring accomplishment
“In spite of the pandemic, it seemed imperative for the city to emphasize the sports accomplishments of our athletes from Laval since sports started up again,” said Borne. “Laurie, Kiana and Ève distinguished themselves this year with their sports performancesand the remarkable perseverance. They are models for all young people in Laval, whether on the personal or sporting level, and we feel very proud to honor them on the occastion of the Mérite sportif lavallois.”
Bourse Alexandre-Despatie
Laurie St-Georges’ sport is curling, for which her excellence saw her being presented with the Bourse Alexandre-Despatie. Worth $2,500, it honours athletes judged to be elite who have performed nationally or internationally. The curling capitain led her team during the Scotties Women’s Canadian Championship in Calgary in February 2021.
Prix Pierre-Marchand Two of these awards were given out. Kiana Dufour, who plays soccer, received one, while Ève Rajotte, who is a figure skater, received the other. Dufour plays the sport despite some serious health issues, from which she has undergone treatment in recent years and from which she continues to recover. Rajotte, on the other hand, has serious problems with her vision. She developed her proficiency in her chosen sport despite the limitation.
STL bus drivers stage one-day strikes again on Dec. 18-19
Public transit users in Laval will have to seek out alternate modes of transportation on Dec. 18 and 19 when bus drivers with the Société de transport de Laval (STL) say they will be going out on strike.
As a result, there will be no public transit available in Laval on those days, which are a Saturday and Sunday.
The STL drivers’ union maintains that an agreement has still not been reached at the bargaining table with their employer.
The president of the FTQ-affiliated union, Patrick Lafleur, maintains that management isn’t making sufficient efforts to ensure quality public transport. He says that STL bus drivers will come out the worse for it if they accept the transit agency’s current wage offer.
The union is criticizing the STL for being closed to suggestions, despite several concessions the transit authrority has made.
The dispute also concerns the maintenance of bus routes where demand is insufficient, as well as scheduling of bus service. The union received a strike mandate from 99 per cent of its membership last January. The STL claims that its overall offer tabled with the union is fair and comparable what was agreed upon with the company’s other unions.
