The City of Laval announced last week that it is allotting $200,000 in funding towards a regional project that will see new recreational facilities developed on the Rivière des Mille Îles with an eye towards attracting more tourists to Laval.
The first phases of the project, which are expected to be completed by 2025, will see a network of electric shuttle buses, bikes, canoes and kayaks put into place in various areas along the river.
The project, which is being led by the non-profit Éco-Nature group, is expected to help promote knowledge of nature along the Rivière des Mille Îles, as well the history of the area.
In all, up to seven stations along the river are expected to be set up, all with welcoming pavilions providing services, and they will be linked by pedestrian and bike paths.
The riverside areas along the Rivière des Mille Îles that are expected to be part of the project are the Berge aux Quatre-Vents in Laval-Ouest, the Berge des Baigneurs in Sainte-Rose, and the plage Idéale/plage Jacques-Cartier.
Improvements are also expected to be made at the Berge du Garrot to facilitate access to docks.
The total cost is expected to be $600,000 in all, although the Quebec government and the Montreal Metropolitan Community are also putting in $400,000 through the CMM’s Trame verte et bleue du Grand Montréal program.
In addition to the City of Laval, several other communities established on the banks of the Rivière des Mille Îles are also improving their public frontage along the river. Hundreds of species of birds make their habitat along the river, as do many other animals including amphibians, fish and reptiles.
“This is one of the Trame verte et bleue’s spotlighted projects as announced last spring, and of which the city is especially proud,” says Laval Deputy Mayor Stéphane Boyer, who is vice-president of the executive-committee. “My colleagues and I are anxious to see this project get off the ground.”
Laval adopts universal accessibility policy
The City of Laval has decided to adopt a policy of making all its facilities universally accessible to all persons regardless of their limitations.
The policy is meant to encourage the greatest number of Laval residents to go freely about the city, take part in its democracy and access all facilities and buildings without encumbrances.
“It is our ambition to make Laval into a city that is more inclusive, welcoming and community-minded,” says Deputy Mayor and executive-committee vice-president Stéphane Boyer.
“The actions coming from this policy and a declaration we made will allow the city to pursue the development of its expertise in order to turn words into actions and encourage the full participation of the entirety of the population without exception.”
The new policy comes after extensive consultations were conducted by the city on accessibility issues.
Around 50 individuals greatly involved as leaders in this domain took part in the consultations.
The new policy will be implemented through the adoption by city council of an action plan, allowing the gradual adoption of the orientations and goals.
City adopts new policy for integration of public art
The City of Laval wants to integrate art into public places and within municipal buildings in a more organized way. For this reason, it recently adopted a new policy to meet this goal.
As part of the policy, 1.75 per cent of costs for renovations, construction and refurbishments at municipal buildings must be allotted for the inclusion of public art.
In this way, the city will be able to acquire new works of art for public places to add to the 53 art works now in the city’s collection of public art.
“Since 1961, buildings erected with a subsidy from the Quebec government must include a work of public art equivalent to 1 per cent of the construction budget,” says Mayor Marc Demers.
“This requirement does not exist for investments made in municipal buildings, which is why the city is adopting this even more ambitious policy.”
