Laval plans to carry out similar renewals at parks and facilities all over the city
There was something new and exciting last week at Pie-X Park in Chomedey. Elected officials from the City of Laval were on hand to mark the official completion of several new facilities in the park following several years of redevelopment.
Among them are a swimming pool, a wading pool and splash pads (with universal access), a new chalet, a skate ramp and teen area, a synthetic soccer field, a refrigerated ice rink (winter use), a basketball and pickleball court (summer), children’s game modules (with universal access), new playground equipment and table tennis platforms.
Cost split between city and Quebec
As well, it will be possible to borrow sports equipment at no charge for activities including pickleball, soccer, hockey, skating, table tennis and basketball. In all, the overall cost of the project was more than $20 million, split between the City of Laval and the provincial government. As the work comes to an end, the facilities will be fully opened gradually beginning on June 29.
According to the city, the work is part of a major redevelopment not only in the Chomedey neighbourhood, but also planned in other districts of Laval to breathe renewal into them. Among other things, the refrigerated outdoor rink (inaugurated in March during spring break) is the first of its kind in Laval.
“Over the course of the coming years, we want to invest more to renovate what already exists,” Mayor Stéphane Boyer said last week in an address prior to an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the park.
Renewing disadvantaged areas
While noting that a good number of Laval’s facilities were built during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, he said the city hopes to continue the redevelopment process started in Pie-X Park, beginning in some of Laval’s more disadvantaged neighborhoods.
“For me, it’s important to be able to offer a quality of life to our citizens in general,” said Boyer. “But even more so to our youths who may sometimes live in conditions that are difficult.”
In an interview with The Laval News, the mayor said “it was important for us to carry off a good project in this neighborhood that has big needs.” But at the same time, he acknowledged that two years ago some residents living in the area had raised objections about certain aspects of the redevelopment.
A group of up to 400 residents signed a petition opposing a significant part of the plan. They wanted the city to at least postpone the project so that some of the impact could be reconsidered. Up to 16 residents received legal notices the year before from the city, advising them to vacate 12-foot spaces on their property next to several fenced pedestrian walkways leading from the street into the park.
City claimed right to property
Additional notices were sent to the residents, informing them that land survey posts were going to be installed to establish the exact property limits. Fences and hedges belonging to property owners, but encroaching on municipal property, would also have to be demolished, according to the notices.
The city claimed it needed to enlarge the walkways in order to make them more secure and accessible for the population in general, but especially for those who may be physically-challenged or who suffer from limited mobility.
In so doing, the city expected to enlarge the walkways (which varied in width from 6 to 10 feet) to 30 feet, while enhancing the grounds with additional lawn and trees.
In addition to these claims, the city served notice that it was placing a “reserve” status on several houses located near the north and south entrances to Pie-X Park as an option for an eventual purchase in order to possibly add space in the park. This was done under a revised provincial law (“Right of pre-emption”) for municipalities.
City overlooked problem
Mayor Boyer told The Laval News last week that the issue dated back decades when some property owners had unwittingly encroached on land that legally belonged to the city with fences, trees, driveways and hedges – although the city overlooked it.
“And so, when we decided to do Pie-X Park, we decided to use all the lands which were available to us to make access wider, and this unfortunately came with changes for those residents,” he said. He said the city met with the residents and negotiated flexibly. “And I believe today everybody is happy with the outcome,” he added.
