Leaf buildup on Harvard Avenue raises concerns among residents

MATTHEW DALDALIAN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
matt.newsfirst@gmail.com

Residents of Harvard Avenue in Chomedey have expressed frustration over what they describe as minimal cleanup efforts from the City of Laval, despite the area being densely populated with mature trees that shed heavily.

While the buildup of leaves is most visible in the spring and fall, locals say this year has been especially troublesome. Many residents now take it upon themselves to manually clean the debris each day, citing a lack of effective municipal response.

Cleaning the street

“Every single day, we’re out with blowers and shovels,” said Harvard Avenue resident Christos Kouloukis. “We try to clean the street ourselves, but the service is zero.” Kouloukis is not alone.

His neighbour, real estate broker George Plessas, said that while newly installed electronic no-parking signs are meant to signal when mechanical brooms will pass, he hasn’t seen the cleaners show up. “The signs light up, we move our cars, but no one ever comes to clean the street,” he said.

Municipal councillor Aglaia Revelakis speaking with Harvard Avenue resident George Plessas on the state of the street on June 18, 2025. (Photo: Matthew Daldalian, Newsfirst Multimedia)

“We all end up coming out in the evenings with our own hoses just to keep the front of our homes clean.” The issue isn’t confined to Harvard Avenue. According to Chomedy municipal councillor Aglaia Revelakis, similar complaints are coming in from across the Chomedy district and even from neighbouring areas.

She’s also recently received a call from a resident near a surrounding street who reported that the street cleaner had not passed despite repeated calls to 311. “There are side streets where it’s already mid-June, and the broom hasn’t passed yet,” said Revelakis. “That’s unacceptable because it affects the city’s image. If visitors see dirty streets, that reflects poorly on us.”

New signs

She explained that the city has attempted to modernize its approach with new digital signage, designed to inform residents when they must move their vehicles for street cleaning. However, she claimed that the rollout has not gone smoothly. In some cases, signs were activated but ignored. In others, residents informed her the lights never turned on at all.

“People don’t know what to do when the signs are flashing,” she said. “The city may need to go around with pamphlets explaining the system, because the brooms can’t do their job if cars are parked on both sides.”

Panagiotis Gomatos cleaning leaves built up at the front of his house on June 18, 2025. (Photo: Municipal councillor, Aglaia Revelakis)

The situation has also stirred concerns about flooding. Residents have informed Ms. Revelakis that they are particularly anxious after the August 2024 storms that caused basement flooding throughout the area. Many fear that leaf buildup could lead to clogged storm drains during heavy rainfall.

“I didn’t used to do this before retirement,” said Panagiotis Gomatos, who was cleaning leaves with a small broom outside his home. Gomatos is a retiree living in Chomedy. “Now I do it because I’m scared. If the sewer doesn’t take the water, and then you get torrential rainfall, it’ll just come down the driveway.” He added that he couldn’t imagine how people who work full-time would manage to clean regularly.

The city’s response

The city of Laval says it is aware of the complaints. In a written response, city spokesperson Carolanne L. Gagnon acknowledged the accumulation of plant matter in certain areas, particularly on Harvard Avenue and 92nd Avenue.

However, she stressed that there was “no risk to the proper functioning of the catch basins” at those locations. According to the city, the accumulation is tied to the particular tree species along those roads, which shed more debris during certain times of the year.

Laval said these streets will be cleaned soon as part of its spring mechanical broom schedule, and added that residential roads are swept three to four times annually, depending on seasonal conditions. The city also encouraged residents to use brown bins or paper bags for leaf disposal, and to contact 311 for urgent cases.

“In the event of an urgent situation, residents can contact 311 so the issue can be quickly evaluated by our teams,” Gagnon wrote. Still, some residents say it’s not enough. They argue that recurring problems with both the physical cleaning and the updated signage system need to be addressed more directly. For now, many continue to sweep, shovel, and hose down their streets—waiting for the city to catch up.