The Sûreté du Québec is also involved in the investigation.
From May 11 to 14, officers from the Integrated Child Pornography Unit (EILP-J) overseen by the Sûreté du Québec, involving the Montreal Police, the Quebec City Police, the Laval Police, the Longueuil Agglomeration Police and the Gatineau Police, conducted a large-scale operation.
More than 160 police officers were mobilized and a total of 23 men, aged 26 to 73, were arrested.
All appeared in court on charges of possession, distribution and access to files containing child sexual abuse and exploitation material and seven of them remain in custody.
Computer equipment was seized for analysis during 25 searches.
Throughout the project, no fewer than 4 million child pornography files were seized.
In total, four victims have been identified,” according to the SQ.
“This week’s operation is the result of significant collaboration and coordination,” said Lieut. Katherine Guimond, head of the online child sexual exploitation investigations division at the Sûreté du Québec.
“This joint approach by the various police forces strengthens efforts to combat the online sexual exploitation of children across the province,” she added.
Police were called around 1:00 a.m. on May 7 for a vehicle traveling at excessive speed on the Highway 15 northbound service road near the de la Concorde Blvd. sector in Laval.
The driver received a $1,693 fine and 18 demerit points. “The intervention also led to the individual’s arrest for possession of a prohibited weapon and other firearms charges,” the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said in a press release.
The firearm was seized by the police and the man was released with conditions to be observed, and his driver’s license was suspended. The SQ said it wishes to remind everyone that speed is one of the leading causes of fatal collisions in Quebec.
Man who drove bus into Sainte-Rose daycare seeks to overturn high-risk status
A man found not criminally responsible for driving an STL bus into a Sainte-Rose daycare more than three years ago, killing two children and injuring six others, is appealing to have his “high-risk accused” designation revoked.
Former STL driver Pierre Ny St-Amand was behind the wheel of the bus that rammed the Garderie éducative de Sainte-Rose. (Photo: Facebook)
Pierre Ny St-Amand was designated a high-risk accused in March following a ruling by Superior Court Justice Éric Downs. His lawyers are challenging the designation, arguing it is inhumane and discriminatory.
They are also challenging whether the high-risk accused classification system in the Criminal Code is constitutional. The designation allows for stricter detention conditions for individuals found not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder.
The Crown can seek the designation in cases where an individual is considered at high risk of violence, or where the offence is deemed so brutal that it suggests an ongoing risk to public safety.
The Superior Court upheld St-Amand’s designation, citing both the “brutal” nature of the 2023 offence in Laval and a “marked likelihood” of his reoffending.
St-Amand has been held at the Institut national de psychiatrie légale Philippe-Pinel since the February 2023 incident. His release would require approval from the Commission d’examen des troubles mentaux.
Bike shop fire on des Laurentides Blvd.
An e-bikes shop located on des Laurentides Blvd. in Laval had a close call on Friday May 8 when an overcharged or malfunctioning bicycle battery suddenly caught fire.
The 9-1-1 emergency operator was called around 5:38 p.m. to the store, located just south of de la Concorde Blvd. in Laval-des-Rapides.
Upon arrival at 5:41 p.m., firefighters safely evacuated the premises and quickly extinguished the threatening blaze, minimizing damage as much as possible.
In recent years, e-bike batteries have proven to be a hazardous source of rogue fires, with many outbreaks reported in cities all over the world. Some fire officials blame imported poor quality batteries.
Recent Laval fires
MAY 9 | 05:19 // Building fire on Rue des Patriotes in the Sainte-Rose sector. Unoccupied residential building. Visible flames. Total engulfment of the building. The Code was 10-07, intervention necessary.
In this incident, a former artists’ studio in a garden was razed by a suspicious fire in the early morning of Saturday May 9.
It was 5:19 a.m. when 9-1-1 was alerted to this incident near the Rivière des Mille Îles and the artists’ residence located on des Patriotes Blvd., close to the Berge des Baigneurs in Sainte-Rose.
When the first Laval Fire Dept. personnel arrived at 5:25 a.m., the building that once served as a studio for a prominent visual artist was completely engulfed in flames.
The building had been vacant for a long time, awaiting demolition following the floods of 2017 and 2019, so no evacuation was necessary by the 22 requested firefighters.
Due to the widespread fire and significant structural damage, firefighter teams quickly determined that the total loss was estimated at approximately $75,000.
Chevillon St. fire in Chomedey.
However, no one was injured during the operation, which ended at 6:06 a.m. Due to the highly suspicious nature of the fire, the Laval Police will be handling an investigation.
MAY 10 | 09:14 // Building fire on 7th Street in the Chomedey sector. Residential building. Visible flames at the garage level. The Code was 10-07, intervention required. One person was injured in the fire.
APRIL 28 | 12:15 // Building fire on Chevillon Street in the Chomedey sector. Residential building. Visible smoke coming from the garage. The Code was 10-07, intervention required.
APRIL 27 | 21:39 // Building fire on Maurice-Gauvin Street in the Chomedey sector. Residential building. Visible flames in the garage spreading to the building The Code was 10-07, intervention necessary.
Ongoing growth at Canada’s leading third-party alarm monitoring wholesaler
In the highly competitive domain of security and intrusion detection services, Lanvac Group’s representatives were back at the annual Security Canada East trade show at the Laval Sheraton last month promoting new products and offerings from the Montreal-based firm.
The company, Canada’s leading third-party wholesaler of alarm monitoring, monitors alarm systems for burglary, fire and medical emergencies, and has a sister company, NBG Telecom, which sells alarm products to Lanvac dealers or to any other alarm services retailer for that matter.
The company’s most recently-established division is FindMyAlarm.com.
At past Security Canada East gatherings, Lanvac had announced new undertakings, such as the Lanvac.Mobi web app for Lanvac clients to run system tests, check for signal history, request reports and even create or modify new or existing customer accounts.
From the left, Lanvac and NBG Telecom representatives Jake Bosse, Victor Dubar, Yianni Fokas and Michel Labelle at the Security Canada East trade show at the Laval Sheraton last month. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)
Enhanced safety for seniors
For last few years, NBG was distributing the Libris 2 Personal Emergency Response Communicator (now superseded by the Libris Aura) from Numera exclusively in Canada. For vulnerable seniors and other at-risk persons, it came to be regarded as a comprehensive mobile safety and wellness solution that featured fall detection, GPS location, 4G/LTE support and a 48-hour battery.
Worn around the neck or on a belt, a button activates a medical event alarm which goes to the Lanvac central monitoring station, and a two-way voice call is automatically placed to a human operator at Lanvac. Along with the alarm signal, the user’s GPS coordinates are also automatically sent to central.
New this year, according to Stephanos Georgoudes, a member of a family who have been deeply committed to Lanvac for decades, Lanvac has opened a second alarm monitoring station, located in Montreal North, to serve the island of Montreal.
ULC-certified monitoring
“We’re the only alarm monitoring company in Canada that has two ULC-listed monitoring stations,” Georgoudes said, referring to UL Solutions Canada which is mandated to issue reliability certifications after testing facilities and equipment.
Lanvac’s stations are redundant, serving as back-up in case one or more fails, while the company has additional stations, including one in Toronto. As well, Lanvac’s monitoring stations are located within buildings the company owns, adding a strong element of security to their operations.
This year, Lanvac is promoting an updated two-way voice medical monitoring pendant, the Libris Aura, which improves on the aforementioned Libris 2 which had been around for more than a decade.
“It’s smaller, the battery’s life is a lot longer,” said Georgoudes, noting that in addition to distributing the Libris Aura, Lanvac also provides full monitoring, while each unit transmits GPS location coordinates in the event of an emergency.
FindMyAlarm.com
In the meantime, Lanvac Group’s FindMyAlarm.com (also another recent addition) is tailored to the needs of end-users, so they can locate local alarm companies should they ever feel a need to compare and switch to another firm.
Although FindMyAlarm.com was designed to promote alarm companies dealing with retail customers, the web portal holds the potential to build a bridge between retail clients and the Lanvac name.
“We created FindMyAlarm.com so that they can find a company closer to them that can serve them better,” Georgoudes explained. “And, of course, those companies are connected with Lanvac.”
With Security Canada conventions also taking place in western and central Canada this year, the gatherings are always a time for security experts from across the country to focus on building and renewing relationships with hundreds of professionals deeply involved in Canada’s security services industry.
Deep roots in Montreal
Lanvac was founded by brothers John and Bill Georgoudes. Raised in Montreal’s Park Extension district – which was at one time home for most of the city’s Greeks – they turned their initially small burglar alarm business into a national contender.
Lanvac’s first monitoring station was in Parc Extension, in the basement of a building at the corner of Durocher and Jean Talon. Bill got his elementary education at Barclay School on Wiseman Ave., while John attended Strathcona Academy in Outremont.
Bill received his secondary education at the former William Hingston High School, which has since become the area’s most important community centre. John attended another legendary secondary school, Baron Byng High School, which became famous internationally after Canadian novelist Mordecai Richler wrote about it in his narrative fiction.
A spokesman for the City of Laval ombudsman’s office is dismissing a suggestion that a positive satisfaction survey published recently by the office – raising its profile and image – was released just as the Boyer administration is carrying out or contemplating budget cuts.
The ombudsman released the results of the survey conducted by Léger Marketing among 505 Laval residents “to measure awareness of the office and the public’s expectations of it,” the office said in a statement last week.
Nathalie Blais, the City of Laval’s ombudswoman. (Photo: Courtesy City of Laval)
Support strong, survey says
According to the municipal agency, which serves as an arm’s length liaison between municipal departments and city council to resolve citizen complaints, the results suggest that while awareness remains limited, support for the ombudsman’s role is particularly strong.
Established in its current form in 2013, Laval’s ombudsman’s office describes itself as an impartial, confidential and free service offered to citizens who believe their municipal rights have been violated or are likely to be.
The ombudsman can intervene on their behalf, at the request of an individual or group of individuals, or at the request of the executive-committee or city council. According to the findings in the survey, only 30 per cent of respondents were aware of the ombudsman’s existence before the survey.
However, once the ombudsman’s role was explained, support by respondents increased, with 88 per cent saying they believed a municipal ombudsman’s office was important, and 84 per cent saying they would be willing to use it if they had a problem.
A need to communicate
The survey suggested that for the ombudsman’s office, the main obstacle was not opposition to the role, but a lack of information. It also indicated that a significant proportion of the City of Laval’s population didn’t know how to contact the ombudsman or didn’t fully understand the scope of the role.
In a statement, the ombudsman’s office said “the findings confirm the need to intensify efforts in terms of visibility, institutional education and accessibility,” while adding that the results also show a high level of trust in the principles underpinning the office’s mission.
According to the results, between 92 and 97 per cent of the survey’s respondents associated the ombudsman with values of fairness, transparency and impartiality.
Furthermore, the respondents said they wanted the ombudsman to contribute to improving the communication of decisions, to explain the rationale behind them and to strengthen administrative accountability.
“This perception confirms the legitimacy of this independent body within the democratic process and the Laval municipal ecosystem,” the ombudsman’s office said in its statement.
Support should continue
They said the results indicated that between 95 and 98 per cent of respondents believed the city must fully support the ombudsman, provide the office with the necessary resources and give the office the tools needed to carry out its mission.
“Such a high level of support is exceptional,” the office continued in its statement. “It reflects a clear expectation: that of being able to rely on a credible and independent counterweight in the relationship between the municipal administration and the public.”
“This survey sends us a clear message: the public recognizes the importance of an independent office to listen to them, support them and contribute to equitable solutions,” ombudsman office head Nathalie Blais said in the statement.
“It also underscores our responsibility to raise awareness of our role so that every citizen knows that there is recourse when a situation seems hopeless,” she added.
Results to serve as guidance
She said the results of the survey will guide the ombudsman office’s future actions, particularly in the areas of communication, accessibility and organizational development.
“The objective remains the same: to raise awareness of the ombudsman’s role, strengthen public trust and continue to offer an impartial, rigorous and accessible service to the residents of Laval.”
Since tabling the City of Laval’s 2026 budget last December, the Boyer administration has been visibly seeking ways to trim expenses.
“The preparation of the 2026 budget was marked by a particularly challenging financial context,” the city said in a press release issued last year. “The impact of high inflation, which continues to put pressure on the costs of services and contracts, is particularly noteworthy.”
The cuts included the recent and unpopular closing of the mini-zoo/animal farm at the Centre de la nature, which had been in operation for more than 50 years.
No major spending planned
Leading up to its re-election in November, the Boyer administration also pledged to follow a path of relative austerity over the next four years, while saying no costly major projects comparable to Place Bell or the Aquatic Complex were planned.
Last Monday, ombudsman’s office spokesperson Pierre Tessier told The Laval News that the survey was commissioned and carried out in November and December last year, before the Boyer administration began speaking about budget cuts.
“It was always the intention by the ombudsman to know and measure the pulse,” he said. “Because even though we never doubted the public’s awareness of the role of the ombudsman, we wanted to have actual numbers to be positioned in a few years time to see whether our message was getting out there and bearing fruit.”
After being publicly scolded for violating the National Assembly’s code of ethics by using her riding office to try and help elect Pablo Rodriguez as leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, independent Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier apologized to her fellow MNAs in the National Assembly this past week, saying she takes responsibility for ethical breaches.
Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier. (Laval News file photo: Martin C. Barry)
This was a few days after an interview with The Laval News in which she said she would contest the ruling, while also saying she would not resign her seat.
In a scathing report, Quebec ethics commissioner Ariane Mignolet ruled that Lakhoyan Olivier, formerly a member of the Liberal caucus, violated rules by trying to impede Mignolet’s investigation. She recommended Lakhoyan Olivier be fined $8,000.
In the report tabled in the National Assembly, Mignolet said Lakhoyan Olivier violated Article 36 of the MNAs’ code of ethics, which stipulates that resources put at the disposal of MNAs to serve ridings are not to be used for partisan purposes.
In the midst of all this, there were calls by some in the National Assembly for Lakhoyan Olivier to resign her seat.
‘I am elected’
“I am elected by the people, and I’m continuing working for the people, and there are four months left, and I will continue representing my people,” she said in a phone interview last Monday afternoon as we were approaching deadline.
In her report, Mignolet stated, “The evidence shows that the riding office and salaries of personnel were used for partisan reasons between the months of April and June 2025 and two additional moments of the campaign,”.
“The office thus became the headquarters of partisan activities connected to the party riding association and members of the staff were mobilized,” she said.
“This use was in itself sufficiently significant to constitute a violation, but also of great importance was that this was permitted and encouraged by the actions and statements of the MNA.”
Mignolet’s report maintains that Lakhoyan Olivier took actions, after the investigation had opened, which effectively impeded the ethics commissioner’s work.
“The evidence reveals the MNA discussed the investigation on several occasions with members of her staff to convince them of the value of her version of the facts and to dictate eventual responses to the commissioner’s questions,” said Mignolet.
Lakhoyan Olivier was suspended from the PLQ caucus more than five months ago, after Mignolet first opened the investigation.
PLQ inquiry absolved her
In response to allegations of alleged vote-related cash payments and incriminating text messages allegedly exchanged by Pablo Rodriguez’s supporters during the leadership campaign, the PLQ conducted its own investigation, which absolved Lakhoyan Olivier or her associates of having been the source of the text messages.
The investigation, led by retired Quebec Superior Court judge Jacques Fournier, concluded that the text messages were fabricated and manipulated, and that the analysis and electronic evidence clearly show that they did not originate from Lakhoyan Olivier’s devices or those of her associates.
Despite this, in a statement issued last week, PLQ leader Charles Milliard, said Lakhoyan Olivier would not be readmitted to caucus and will not be allowed to run again as a candidate for the Quebec Liberals in the fall election.
Charles Milliard (second from left), leader of the Quebec Liberal Party. (Laval News file photo: Martin C. Barry)
“The facts presented are serious and of concern,” said Milliard. “This is why I advised Mme. Sona Lakhoyan Olivier that we will support the report (from the commissioner).
“As a result, it is out of the question to revoke the decision made: the MNA will remain excluded from the caucus,” he continued. “The actions taken are incompatible with the values and standards we are imposing. It is tolerance zero. She will thus not be a candidate for the party in the coming elections.”
Will she run again?
In a previous interview, Lakhoyan Olivier stated she would only run in the upcoming provincial elections if the Quebec Liberals took her back into the caucus and that she would probably not seek re-election as an independent.
Last Monday, she said, “Right now I’m taking it day by day,” without elaborating on whether she intends to run again. But she left no doubt that she felt betrayed by the party she first served as a volunteer then as an official.
“I’m a member of the Liberal party since a young age, and for me to be treated this way,” she said. “They didn’t even listen to me, didn’t even talk to me. I’m insulted. This is how you take care of your family? As soon as there is a problem, they throw them out of the plane.”
Chomedey, which has been a Quebec Liberal bastion as long as anyone can remember, has seen its sitting Liberal MNA excluded from the PLQ caucus more than once in recent times.
Former Liberal MNA Guy Ouellette was expelled from the Quebec Liberal caucus in 2018 after it was alleged he had leaked classified information to the Coalition Avenir Québec. Ouellette sat as in independent until the end of his last term in 2022.
Ouellette received an official apology after he lodged a lawsuit alleging libel and damage to his reputation.
Council hears complaints about garbage pickup changes and dirty streets
Laval executive-committee vice-president Ray Khalil, who was substituting during the May city council for Mayor Stéphane Boyer who was away in Toronto for an economic conference, opened the meeting by drawing attention to a campaign launched recently advising Quebec’s principal political parties of the priorities Laval hopes will be taken seriously before the provincial elections in October.
Laval executive-committee vice-president Ray Khalil faced many questions about the city’s new garbage pickup schedule during the May city council meeting. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, The Laval News)
“The campaign aims to concentrate on three dossiers, being the expansion of Cité de la Santé Hospital, the enlargement of our CEGEP Montmorency and the extension of our Orange Line,” Khalil said, referring to the Metro public transit system which has three stations in Laval now.
The campaign, being conducted by the City of Laval in conjunction with a coalition of local stakeholding community groups, includes an online petition which can be found at https://www.jesignepourlaval.com.
Stakeholders backing city
The stakeholders include Cadillac Fairview, Cégep Montmorency, Chamber of commerce and industry of Laval (CCIL), Cominar, Comité des usagers du CISSS de Laval, Conseil des médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens du CISSS de Laval (CMDP), Corporation du développement communautaire de Laval (CDC), Fondation Cité de la Santé and Société de transport de Laval.
“Laval is growing rapidly, but its services are not keeping pace,” states an English-language message posted on the coalition’s website, while noting that “for a third consecutive year, the Laval region ranks 17th out of 17 in terms of government investment per capita.”
As a result, they maintain, students are being turned away from CEGEP, access to healthcare is becoming more difficult, and transportation across the territory is increasingly challenging.
St. Nicholas Orthodox Church’s 50th
During a portion of the meeting reserved for city councillors’ statements, Chomedey councillor Aglaia Revelakis noted that on May 23 Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church will be marking the 50th anniversary of its founding. Saint Nicholas Church was the first Greek Orthodox congregation to be created in Laval.
During the public question period, George Kaoumi, a resident of McNamara Blvd. in city councillor Seta Topouzian’s Renaud-Coursol district, voiced a complaint that’s probably heard quite often from Laval residents in the spring.
“Our street is always dirty,” Kaoumi said, maintaining that the motorized street sweeper hadn’t been by on the street yet this year, and that it passed by only three times last year.
“The filth in front of our house is the accumulation from last year until this year,” he continued. “It’s disgusting, I hate my house and the City of Laval because of this. On the other hand, in Montreal the sweeper passes once every week and does this on a regular basis.”
Lyne Carry of Laval’s Saint-Bruno district said she and other residents want the city to build a multisports complex as one of its next major undertakings. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, The Laval News)
Fewer garbage collection days
Among other things, Kaoumi questioned the city’s decision to pick up garbage from residences just once every two weeks, instead of once a week as it was previously. “This will in fact create a climate that favours the spread of insects and parasites, as well as foul odors,” he added.
Responding, Topouzian maintained that the city has had 18 to 20 motorized sweepers cleaning streets throughout Laval following the end of winter. “More than 40 per cent of routes have already been cleaned,” she said during last week’s council meeting.
“Now I understand that your street hasn’t been done yet,” she continued. “So, I am making a note of this. We are going to make sure that somebody will pass by to clean it. That’s a certainty, don’t make too much of it. This is part of my responsibilities and it will be my pleasure to take care of it quickly.”
More waste disposal complaints
More complaints followed about Laval’s updated waste collection system. Salim Masri, a manager with Plan A, a provider in Laval of premium residential and commercial rental spaces, complained about the city’s failure to pick up items of bulky waste left outside at least one of the company’s buildings.
He also complained about an insufficient number of garbage containers provided by the city to deal with waste from a Plan A apartment building with 110 units, while adding that garbage pickup every two weeks is inadequate to deal with the building’s enormous volume of waste.
“We have had no choice but to rent an extra container,” said Masri. “It’s us who are paying for the rental of the container and it’s also us who are paying for the pickup.” Several residents also e-mailed in questions, comments and complaints about the new garbage pickup method.
City councillor for Pont-Viau Christine Poirier. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, The Laval News)
Khalil responded that most cities in Quebec that have done like Laval by steering away from garbage pickup while emphasizing recycling have in fact managed to lower the amount of garbage they send to landfill. “So, whether we like it or not, we have to try encourage good habits, while forcing it a little bit,” said Khalil.
Multisports complex wanted
Also during question period, Lyne Carry of Saint-Bruno district said that she and others in the community had decided to form a committee for the purpose of encouraging the city to build a multisports complex where track and field, triathlon, tae kwon do, table tennis and judo could all be practiced.
“We are ready to furnish our expertise to make sure that what would be built would meet norms and would be profitable,” she said, adding that other sports associations could also join the project. City councillor for Pont-Viau Christine Poirier, who is responsible for dossiers concerning local services on the executive-committee, said the city has no plans currently for a multisports complex.
“In the current budgetary context, together with our willingness to increasingly invest in the maintenance of our existing infrastructure, we are not launching many new projects in the coming years,” said Poirier.
Still, opposition party’s public consultation draws only a few Laval residents
While Mayor Stéphane Boyer’s administration appears to have decided once and for all to close the mini-zoo at Laval’s Centre de la nature, the Action Laval opposition is holding onto a faint hope the decision can be reversed and the facility, popular with children and parents, can be reopened with improvements.
Although initially scheduled to be closed in June, the city went ahead early and shut the hobby farm for domesticated animals in March, replacing some of the activities with a travelling petting zoo that will be operated by a sub-contractor at certain times of the year.
However, the closing of the mini-zoo sparked a strong grassroots reaction, with an online petition opposing the move being launched and circulated by Dennis Fiévèt with support from Action Laval, and eventually exceeding 20,000 signatures.
Frédéric Mayer, Action Laval’s assistant director of the opposition cabinet, is seen here speaking during their public consultation on the future of the mini-zoo at the Centre de la nature on April 30 at the Pavillon du Bois Papineau in Duvernay. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
Run-down mini-zoo building
Despite this, the city stood by its decision, noting that the mini-zoo building was outdated and worn out, with reconstruction costs estimated at $15 to $20 million. The building itself had an immediate need for a new roof, with a cost for that alone being $325,000..
Although a public protest in February at the Centre de la nature against the closing, organized by Action Laval city councillor for Saint-François Isabelle Piché, drew up to 100 supporters, a public consultation held by Piché on April 30 at the Pavillon du Bois Papineau in Duvernay suggests that overall public interest in the issue may have gone down since.
Out of a dozen or so people on hand for the unveiling of the results of an Action Laval survey of residents on the mini-zoo issue, around half were Action Laval officials or volunteers.
Boyer’s majority on city council
In an interview with The Laval News, Piché said that she “didn’t want to let down those 20,000 people,” especially after the Boyer administration declined to accept a formal suggestion she made in city council that the city hold its own public consultation on the future of the animal shelter.
Action Laval city councillor for Saint-François Isabelle Piché Piché said she “didn’t want to let down those 20,000 people” who signed the petition asking the City of Laval not to close the mini-farm at the Centre de la nature. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
“For me, it’s important to listen to them and hear what they have to say,” said Piché. The mayor’s party, the Mouvement lavallois, holds an overwhelming majority on the City of Laval’s 22-seat municipal council.
In a broader sense, Action Laval sees the administration’s decision to close the mini-farm as an example of the Mouvement lavallois’s tendency to focus on big projects like Place Bell and the Aquatic Complex, while neglecting smaller more local projects in Laval’s neighbourhoods, the impending demolition of the Richard Trottier Arena in Fabreville being a possible example.
This leaves the four opposition councillors, with Action Laval and the Parti Laval. with little other choice but to vote against policies they disagree with – without being able to do much to change or stop things.
‘A hope of changing,’ says Piché
“We have maybe the ability to change people’s minds and make them realize that a mistake is being made, or maybe we can get the mayor to reflect on turning it around,” added Piché. “There’s always a hope of changing things around.”
According to some of the survey’s results, the mini-zoo, which had been operating for around 55 years, was receiving an estimated 180,000 individual visits per year before closing.
Some of the suggestions respondents made to reopen the facility and make it sustainable again included charging an admission fee, donations from local businesses and private donors, obtaining government subsidies, hosting events that charge fees, selling locally-sourced agricultural products or items, and co-sponsoring projects in conjunction with schools, colleges or universities.
Building’s uncertain future
In the meantime, no one, including Action Laval, is quite certain what the city plans to do with the building that was sheltering the animals. For some, this is seen as a positive indicator that city officials (who can change their minds as circumstances evolve) may decide to do something with the building other than demolishing it – as some fear the city may eventually do.
What the survey respondents suggested instead is a renovation of the building (rather than a demolition) to create something smaller and easier to manage, while introducing a different mix of animals, and carrying out a transformation into a resource that would serve more of an educational purpose.
The current issue of the Laval News, volume 34-10, published on May 13th, 2026. Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports. (Click on the image to read the paper.)
The Quebec Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility says that reconstruction work on a section of Autoroute 13 southbound, between Dagenais Boulevard West and Highway 440 in Laval, will begin on May 18, leading to some partial and complete highway and access ramp closures.
According to the ministry, traffic flow will continue in the area, but lanes will be diverted and their number reduced.
The work, which will continue until the end of September, is being done to improve safety and driving comfort on the busy highway, says the ministry.
Regarding the complete and extended closure of the A-13 southbound between Sainte-Rose Boulevard and Highway 440, traffic will be diverted onto the two-lane service road (the start date of this to be announced shortly, says the ministry.)
During the morning rush hour, an additional lane will be available on the opposite side of the autoroute, providing a third southbound lane.
Additional information:
Partial overnight closures of Highway 13 in both directions;
Partial or complete overnight closure of the Highway 13 southbound service road;
Complete overnight closures of the Dagenais Boulevard West on-ramps;
The speed limit may be reduced on the highway to 70 km/h southbound and 90 km/h northbound, as well as to 60 km/h on the southbound service road.
During complete closures, detours will be marked with temporary signage, and congestion is expected.
The Department recommends that motorists traveling in the area allow extra time to reach their destination.
The work may be postponed, extended or cancelled due to adverse weather conditions or operational constraints.
Before heading out, it is recommended that motorists consult Québec 511, a practical tool for planning trips.
Project UNIS discussed at press conference in Montreal on April 30 2026. Courtesy picture Sûreté du Québec.
Police forces unite
Police services across Quebec have launched a coordinated strategy to combat violence and extortion targeting businesses, as authorities warn the phenomenon is growing and evolving in Laval and the greater Montreal area.
The initiative, known as Project UNIS, joins the Sûreté du Québec, Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, Service de police de Laval and Service de police de l’agglomération de Longueuil in a joint effort to reduce extortion directed at merchants.
Announced April 30, the project is meant to strengthen police presence, improve intelligence sharing and encourage business owners to report incidents, whether anonymously or not.
“No business should operate under threat,” said Benoit Dubé, deputy director general of the Sûreté du Québec, in a statement to the press. “Behind every targeted establishment, there are entrepreneurs, families and employees. Their safety remains at the heart of our commitment.”
Laval seeing sustained increase
In Laval, police say the issue has intensified over the past year, with a noticeable increase in extortion cases and a shift in how criminal groups operate.
The Service de police de Laval reports a “marked and persistent increase” in extortion-related activity according to Julie Marois, officer from the Public Affairs Squad, along with a diversification of the methods used to pressure victims.
Where arson attacks were previously more common, police say suspects are now more likely to rely on threats and intimidation to exert control.
Authorities also note that no single sector of the city is more affected than others. Businesses across a wide range of industries have been targeted, including retail stores, car dealerships, construction companies, restaurants and bars.
“The businesses targeted are generally profitable,” Officer Marois said in a written response.
The scope of the problem remains difficult to quantify, in part because many cases go unreported. Police say official data reflects only incidents that are reported and recorded, suggesting the real number of cases may be higher.
A coordinated provincial response
Project UNIS is designed to move beyond isolated investigations and create a province-wide approach to tackling the issue.
The strategy focuses on several key elements: encouraging reporting, strengthening police visibility, supporting businesses with prevention tools and improving the collection and sharing of intelligence.
Police say intelligence gathering plays a central role in identifying criminal networks and detecting patterns across different regions.
“UNIS allows for better coordination between police forces, which avoids working in silos,” said Renée Labonne, team leader of the Sûreté du Québec’s Distribution and Media Relations Department to The Laval News. “Information circulates more quickly; crimes are detected earlier and investigations become more effective.”
The project also aims to target not only those carrying out acts of intimidation, but also the individuals and groups orchestrating them.
Increased presence in Laval
For Laval, the initiative translates into a more visible and proactive police presence across the city.
Officers from multiple units, including prevention, intelligence, criminal investigations and patrol, are being mobilized as part of the effort.
Police say they will conduct visits to businesses in the coming weeks, meeting directly with owners and employees to discuss concerns, identify vulnerabilities and offer advice on security measures.
“All licensed establishments, restaurants and businesses that are facing or could face intimidation, extortion or violence will be visited,” Marois said.
Authorities say these visits are intended to build trust and encourage reporting, which remains a key challenge.
Breaking the silence
Police acknowledge that fear of retaliation often prevents business owners from coming forward.
They stress that merchants who have paid money under pressure are considered victims, not offenders, and are encouraged to report incidents.
“Each piece of information can make a difference in an investigation,” Marois said.
The initiative also plans to reassure business owners that they are not alone.
“We understand the fear some merchants are living,” Labonne said in a statement. “No one should have to fear for their safety simply for trying to earn a living.”
Greater Montreal at the centre
While cases have been reported across Quebec, police say the phenomenon is particularly concentrated in the greater Montreal area.
Restaurants and bars remain among the most frequently targeted businesses, though authorities emphasize that any type of business can be affected.
The evolving nature of the threat has also made it more difficult to detect.
Officers of the Groupe d’intervention tactique (GTI). courtesy photo Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal.
Methods used by criminal groups range from verbal threats and repeated visits to break-ins, financial pressure, arson and gunfire.
In some cases, so-called “protection offers” are made, with businesses pressured to pay in exchange for avoiding further harm.
Looking ahead
Police say the success of Project UNIS will depend on improved collaboration between forces and stronger relationships with the business community.
By combining intelligence, increasing visibility and encouraging reporting, authorities hope to better understand the scope of the problem and disrupt criminal networks operating across municipal boundaries.
The initiative will be rolled out over the coming months, with ongoing visits to businesses and the distribution of prevention tools.
For Laval merchants, the fight against extortion requires both enforcement and cooperation.
As Project UNIS takes shape, authorities say their goal is not only to respond to incidents, but to prevent them and restore a sense of security for business owners across the region.
