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CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques says he ‘never came back from space’

Martin C. Barry
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CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques says he ‘never came back from space’

Tells Montreal planetarium audience lunar tourism is coming, but not telescopes on the moon

What was the most startling thing Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques ever saw while on a mission?

For Saint-Jacques, who served as a flight engineer on the International Space Station in 2018 and 2019, the most striking recollection was the first time he saw Earth from space.

“Your mind is not ready for that,” he told a gathering of children and parents on May 7 during a presentation on Canada’s role in lunar exploration at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium during its AstroFest.

Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques told an audience of children and parents at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in Montreal on May 7 that Canada will be playing an important role in upcoming international space ventures involving travel to the Moon and someday perhaps also to Mars. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Stunned by earth view

“You think you are, because you see it on posters all the time. But the blue of the atmosphere, in the middle of the darkness the pure blackness of space. It really took me like, I don’t know, two weeks maybe for my mind to accept that I was looking at the whole world.”

Although Saint-Jacques has a professional background in medicine and engineering, he said something in the back of his mind kept kicking in to give him doubts that what he was seeing was real.

“It must be in some studio, I don’t know where this is, it doesn’t make sense, this cannot be, this cannot be true,” he recalled thinking half-seriously, while imagining that some special effects wizardry had been used to deceive him.

“I knew, because I was an engineer, what I was looking at. But it took weeks before it could sink in. That was very odd. And now, that sight: When I close my eyes that’s what I see.

CSA Astronaut David Saint-Jacques went on a mission to the International Space Station (pictured) in 2018 and 2019. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

A sight he can’t forget

“It cannot leave me and I know that I’m still there. You know, I never came back from space. Guess what? We are in space. Are we in Montreal? In Quebec? In Canada? In North America? On Earth? We’re in space. All of the above. Space is around us.”

According to a biography from the CSA, David Saint-Jacques was born on Jan. 6, 1970, in Quebec City and raised in Saint-Lambert on Montreal’s South Shore. He is married and has three children and is a lifelong mountaineer, cyclist, skier, rower and avid sailor.

Saint-Jacques was selected in May 2009 by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and moved to Houston, Texas to be one of 14 members of the 20th NASA astronaut class.

Extensive space experience

In May 2016, the Canadian government announced that Saint-Jacques had been assigned to Expedition 58/59. From August 2016 to December 2018, he trained in Canada, Russia, the United States, Europe and Japan, where he honed his skills and knowledge on the ISS, the Soyuz spacecraft, and a variety of mission-specific tasks.

On December 3 2018, he flew to the International Space Station for a 204-day mission, the longest Canadian space mission to date. Between December 3, 2018, and June 24, 2019, he circled the globe 3,264 times and covered a distance of 139,096,495 kilometres.

‘It cannot leave me and I know that I’m still there,’ Saint-Jacques says about the impact that being in space had on him

During his mission, Saint-Jacques conducted Canadian and international science experiments and technology demonstrations, and supported critical operations and maintenance activities. He became the fourth CSA astronaut to conduct a spacewalk and the first CSA astronaut to use Canadarm2 to catch a visiting spacecraft.

Lunar tourism coming

Among other things that came up during Saint-Jacques’ planetarium presentation on the role Canada will be playing in future space missions was the question of whether “lunar tourism” could soon become a viable thing.

“I mean, people will go see the moon up close, yes,” said Saint-Jacques, answering a question from a web-connected participant who was in Calgary.

CSA Astronaut David Saint-Jacques’ presentation was part of the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium’s recent Astrofest event.

“Live on the moon? I don’t know about that. I think it will be a kind of a very austere place for while, like our base in Antarctica. We’ve been there for decades in Antarctica. And some people go over there – as tourists you can go there. But that’s another step. But there will be tourists going near the moon. I think that will happen pretty soon.”

Telescopes on the moon

Another interesting question that came up was why celestial observation telescopes have never been set up on the moon, in spite of six NASA lunar missions which succeeded in landing astronauts on the moon. According to Saint-Jacques, there were plans at one point to station telescopes on the moon.

However, “it’s just not a very good place to put telescopes,” he added. “You’d think it’s good because there’s no atmosphere, so there’s no shimmering. But it’s like one solid rock that’s constantly vibrating because it’s being hit by meteorites, so there’s like a hum.

It’s like standing next to a highway,” he continued. “And because of that, there’s always a layer of dust floating everywhere. So, it’s not a good place to put telescopes for that reason. But you could have telescopes in orbit around the moon.”

Mayor Boyer cheers for the Laval Rocket, following a great season

Martin C. Barry
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Mayor Boyer cheers for the Laval Rocket, following a great season

AHL hockey club made it all the way to the playoffs this year

While things may change quickly in the world of minor league pro hockey, that wasn’t stopping Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer last week from cheering on the Laval Rocket, as the local hockey club navigated its way through the American Hockey League’s playoffs, leading towards the conclusion of the 2022 season.

The Rocket fell to the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday last week at Place Bell. Still, Mayor Boyer was doing all he could to encourage the home team, which came a long way this the 2017-18 season when the club finished last overall in the AHL.

Elated at team’s performance

After undergoing vast improvement since then, this year the Rocket made it into the playoffs for the first time – which apparently left Mayor Boyer feeling quite justifiably elated, as he related in social media posts – including this one on May 12 on his Facebook page:

“Tonight our team plays its first game in Laval, after two games played in Syracuse. Series is tied 1-1 I’m counting on you to be loud and give them the energy they need to leave with a beautiful victory at home!”

The mayor also praised the leadership the Laval Rocket received from head coach Jean-François Houle.

Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer, right, praised the Laval Rocket’s head coach, Jean-François Houle, for his ability to motivate the team all the way to AHL playoffs during this year’s hockey season.

Lanvac Surveillance has room for growth, with its new NBG Telecom division

Martin C. Barry
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Lanvac Surveillance has room for growth, with its new NBG Telecom division

Canada’s largest alarm monitoring wholesaler sees SpaceX’s Starlink as future of the internet

Canada’s largest alarm monitoring wholesaler has branched out into the sale of components to alarm service providers, while also advocating for what the company believes is the wave of the future – wireless satellite internet.

Lanvac Surveillance was among the nearly 70 security services companies from across eastern Canada that took part on April 20 in the Security Canada East trade show at the Laval Sheraton.

From the left, Lanvac senior management members Nick Georgoudes, Jerry Korogiannis, Jake Bosse and Stephanos Georgoudes were on hand at the 2022 Security Canada trade show on April 20 at the Laval Sheraton, where they had the opportunity to meet security industry professionals in person for the first time since the onset of the pandemic more than two years ago. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Back after Covid

This was the first Security Canada show to be held live and in-person since the onset of the Covid pandemic more than two years ago.

With Security Canada conventions also taking place in western and central Canada, the time was ripe to focus on building and renewing relationships with thousands of professionals deeply involved in Canada’s security services sector.

Canada-wide monitoring

Although providing infrastructure for Canada’s fire and intrusion alarm industries is Lanvac’s main interest, other forms of surveillance are growing. Still, Lanvac’s main business remains the wholesaling of alarm monitoring, and it provides service to more than 2,500 alarm companies across Canada.

“We don’t necessarily install the alarm system, we simply monitor it across Canada,” said Stephanos Georgoudes, Lanvac Surveillance’s communications and technology manager. He is one of several members of the Georgoudes family who are involved with Lanvac.

New NBG Telecom spin-off

He noted that the company has multiple central stations across Canada, and increasingly in remote locations internationally, providing services in this country’s two official languages.

As part of a diversification effort launched more than two years ago, Lanvac spun off a new commercial entity, NBG Telecom, which sells alarm equipment to consumer alarm services companies who are Lanvac customers.

Nearly 70 security industry professionals from eastern Canada gathered for the 2022 Security Canada trade show at the Laval Sheraton on April 20. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

“If you are a Lanvac dealer, you get the opportunity to have discounts and the equipment is sold by NBG Telecom,” said Georgoudes, noting that Lanvac is able to offer better deals by using Lanvac’s client base as leverage to get equipment manufacturer discounts.

Now connected to ‘Starlink’

In addition to its new division, Lanvac recently received authorization from global business magnate Elon Musk’s SpaceX aerospace to activate all Lanvac central monitoring stations with wireless satellite internet, for the eventuality that conventional fiber optic internet networks should fail.

“Let’s say Bell goes down, Videotron goes down, if for whatever the reason the internet providers locally crash, you can be sure that Lanvac’s central stations will still have internet because of SpaceX’s Starlink dish,” said Georgoudes.

He said SpaceX Starlink technology has managed to overcome a long-time drawback of satellite service – transmission latency, also known as “lag” – after placing thousands of satellites into low earth orbit to ensure continuous coverage.

‘SpaceX’ the disrupter

Calling SpaceX Starlink the wave of the future for business- or home-based internet, Georgoudes said, “This disconnects your dependence on local internet providers.” He speculated that the looming mass-market arrival of Starlink will probably force hardwired fiber-optic services like Bell and Videotron to drop their prices.

Raised in Montreal’s Park Extension district – which was at one time home for most of the city’s Greeks – brothers John and Bill Georgoudes, turned a small burglar alarm company they founded around 35 years ago into Lanvac.

A family business

Lanvac’s first monitoring station was in Montreal’s Park Extension neighbourhood, 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, which was made famous by novelist Mordecai Richler.

Alouettes offer pointers to Laval Senior Academy Panthers and students

Martin C. Barry
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Alouettes offer pointers to Laval Senior Academy Panthers and students

Christophe Normand and Geno Lewis emphasize education and mental health

Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Eugene Lewis was up at 6 am for a vigorous physical workout on Monday last week as he prepared for a busy day, which included meeting high school students at Laval Senior Academy that morning.

Accompanied by Als fullback Christophe Normand, the two gave the students – including members of the Panthers football team – pointers on some of the basic principles the Alouettes share with LSA, such as pride, respect, discipline and hard work.

He walks the talk

“Geno,” as fans and friends call the 6-foot 1-inch 208-pound No. 87, is known as a hard worker who consistently follows through to match actions to his words.

Als wide receiver Eugene ‘Geno’ Lewis shares some laughs with Laval Senior Academy football team members during his presentation at LSA on May 9. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

In college, the Philadelphia, Penn.-raised Lewis played for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 2012 to 2015. He transferred to play for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2016. He played in 51 games, starting 19 during his college career, catching 122 passes for 1,569 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Even though he had a quiet start with the Als beginning in 2017, playing only two games while catching seven passes, in 2018 (his first full season with the team), Lewis led the Alouettes’ receivers with 827-yard wins and four touchdowns, in addition to two games with wins of 100 yards or more.

Speaking from the heart

During the following two seasons, the 29-year-old became one of the Als’ starting wide receivers, playing in all 36 regular season games, while catching a combined 116 passes for 1,960 yards and nine touchdowns to his credit, leading to his being named a CFL All-Star for the first time in his career.

‘When it comes to grades and to education, it’s key, man, it’s huge,’ says Als wide receiver Geno Lewis

Montreal Alouettes fullback Christophe Normand shared some pointers with the Laval Senior Academy students on how to excel as a student and an athlete, whether in school and on the playing field. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Speaking from the heart during his talk, Lewis, who has an impressive academic background including a degree in psychology and a soon-to-be-completed PhD, emphasized to the students, and especially the members of the Panthers football team, the importance of completing their education.

“When it comes to grades and to education, it’s key, man, it’s huge,” he said. “A lot of people don’t understand that when you get that education, when you get that paper, they can’t take that away from you.

Education ‘key,’ says Lewis

“With football and sports, a lot of that stuff can be taken away from you because you’re working for somebody else. But when you get some education and you get some degrees, no matter what you can always go anywhere, it’s got your name on it.”

Christophe Normand has been with the Alouettes since February 2019 when he signed as a free agent with the team. He had signed with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2018, after being drafted 33rd overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League’s 2015 draft.

The Bromont, Quebec native was a leader on special teams with the Eskimos during the 2018 season, where he made seven special teams tackles, while helping the offensive line protect quarterback Mike Reilly, and also catching three passes for 21 yards.

Geno Lewis sits back with LSA students to view some highlights of his recent plays during the Alouettes stopover on May 9 at the Souvenir Blvd. high school. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Mental health’s importance

In 57-career games in the CFL, the 27-year-old former player for the Université Laval Rouge et Or made 15 special teams tackles, on top of making 13 catches for 74 yards and rushing the ball 11 times for gains of 86 yards.

For his part, Christophe spoke about the growing importance for young students and athletes of mental health issues, and the need to pay as much attention to emotional or psychological problems as to physical pains and injuries.

“Having a physical pain is easy to talk about,” he said. “But talking is harder – way harder. You need to be proactive: Find a buddy, find someone who needs to talk, ask them if they’re okay.”

Action Laval resurrects its ‘Centre de foire’ idea

Martin C. Barry
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Action Laval resurrects its ‘Centre de foire’ idea

After first floating the notion of a large convention centre project in Laval in the municipal elections last November, two elected members of the Action Laval opposition party have apparently not given up on the idea.

An architectural rendering of the Centre de foire proposed by Action Laval before the municipal elections last November.

Action Laval city councillors David De Cotis (Saint-Bruno) and Paolo Galati (Saint-Vincent-de-Paul) touched base recently with Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry president/CEO Caroline De Guire to promote their concept for the Centre de foire.

Former Action Laval mayoralty candidate Sophie Trottier had unveiled preliminary plans and sketches for the proposed convention centre around two months before election day.

While some observers, such as Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer later dismissed the multimillion-dollar project as too extravagant to be feasible, and voters weren’t swayed enough to elect an Action Laval administration, Galati and De Cotis seem to feel it’s an idea that still has legs.

In a recent press release, they say the Centre de foire project holds the possibility of generating a significant number of business opportunities in Laval as well as throughout the Montreal region and across the province.

“For the moment, the entire region is losing because there is no international calibre convention centre in Montreal,” says De Cotis, maintaining that the Palais des Congrès in Montreal isn’t a true international convention centre and hasn’t enough room in its present location to become one.

He says the Carré Laval sector here would be the perfect location for such an undertaking and that the City of Laval should leap at the opportunity as it is going through its long-term “Repensons Laval” urban planning consultation.

Galati and De Cotis claim that major trade shows and conventions today are increasingly going to Toronto and New York City, while Quebec is losing out.

“Laval could make this space available to Quebec’s overall business community,” said Galati, pointing out that local businesses including hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, as well as providers of equipment and services, would benefit most.

Laval Firemen’s festival returns on June 4-5

Thousands attended three-day community event, mainly at the Centropolis held June 2 & 3.
A long line of old and classic fire trucks arrives at the Centropolis along Pierre Péladeau Ave. for the 2018 Laval Firemen’s Festival.

Following a two-year absence, the City of Laval’s firefighters are feeling especially enthusiastic lately as they prepare to hold their first Firemen’s Festival and footrace on June 4-5 at the Centropolis. It would be the first time since the beginning of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

A big tradition will be resuming on the morning of Saturday June 4 when the parade of vintage fire trucks – some from other regions of Quebec and even from the U.S. – makes its way through Laval, ending at the Centropolis.

The Centropolis is the place where you’ll want to be that day when the firefighters offer a range of fun and interesting activities for the whole family, including demonstrations in firefighting techniques, information kiosks and even firehall cooking.

On Sunday June 5 it’ll be time for the Course des pompiers, with funds raised going towards the Fondation des pompiers du Québec for burn victims. More than 5, 000 walkers and runners will be participating, from beginners to experts.

City to celebrate Fête nationale on June 24

And also, after several years of scaling back the size of the celebration because of the Covid pandemic, the City of Laval is preparing to get back to normal this June 24 when it stages Fête nationale 2022 at the Centre de la nature.

Beginning at 8:30 pm that evening, a good number of renowned Québécois performers will be taking to the stage, including FouKi, High Klassified, Hubert Lenoir, Isabelle Boulay, Klô Pelgag, Les Louanges, Lisa Leblanc, Patrice Michaud, Samian and Sarahmée.

Laval celebrates the ‘Fête nationale’ on June 24

“What a joy it is this year to be able to rediscover our fête nationale at the Centre de la nature,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “More and more, the Fête nationale in Laval is a poorly-guarded secret, attracting tens of thousands of people from everywhere in Quebec.”

After two years when there were virtually no Fête nationale celebrations in Laval, the time has come to celebrate, says Laval city councillor for L’Orée-des-Bois Yannick Langlois, who is responsible for overseeing the city’s Fête nationale celebrations.

While the concert starts at 8:30 pm, the site will be open beginning at 5:30 pm. Food will be available from mobile kitchen trucks, and at the end of the evening there will be a large fireworks display. A shuttle bus service will be available to bring those travelling by public transit from the Montmorency Metro station to the Centre de la nature at the beginning and at the end of the evening.

Trucking’s ‘heroes of the highway’ wage a valiant fight against human trafficking

Martin C. Barry
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Trucking’s ‘heroes of the highway’ wage a valiant fight against human trafficking

Canadian trucking firm Day & Ross renews $100K commitment to train drivers

Day & Ross, one of Canada’s oldest and largest trucking companies, has decided to extend a partnership with a non-profit organization that provides training to truck drivers so they know how to identify and combat human trafficking.

As those who have occasion to travel the trans-Canada highway system may be aware, Day & Ross’ trucks are a constant presence along the long ribbons of highways and autoroutes throughout the country.

Warning signs

“Truckers are the eyes and ears of our nation’s highways and are in a unique position to make a difference,” says Day & Ross COO Doug Tingley.

As this places Day & Ross’s drivers in a position to be the eyes and ears on Canada’s highways, the Hartland NB-based company believes that by training its drivers on what to watch for and by seeing the warning signs, they could be in a position to provide badly-needed assistance to those in need when it becomes a necessity.

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people are bought and sold for forced labour or sex work. Although the problem is often overlooked, experts report that it is actually happening in Canada every day.

Victims of human trafficking are often targeted at truck stops and on highways. Day & Ross says that with the help of the non-profit Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), reports from drivers have led to both arrests and victim recoveries across North America.

$100k donation to cause

For the second year in a row, Day & Ross is donating $100,000 to sponsor the organization. The sponsorship will not only be providing TAT with the funds to help educate drivers on identifying human trafficking scenarios, but will also allow them to harness the power of a large trucking fleet for an excellent cause.

The two organizations are working in tandem to provide the training, resources and information the truckers will need to report suspicious activity. For the first time ever, the TAT mobile exhibit is coming to Canada and to the Day & Ross main terminal hub to help educate their employees.

Featuring a theatre station and actual artifacts from trafficking cases, the TAT mobile exhibit helps tell the stories of victims and showcases the important role drivers play in combating human trafficking. All Day & Ross employees and drivers across Canada and the US will have access to the online TAT training.

Many victims are minors

Human trafficking has become a concern around the globe, and Canada is no exception. The U.S.-based National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) reports that in the last five years, more than 41 per cent of the cases truckers have reported to them involved victims who are minors.

According to Statistics Canada, “there are various forms of human trafficking, including trafficking for forced labour, for the purpose of exploitative begging or for organ removal; however, trafficking for sexual exploitation is the most detected.” Day & Ross says its teams are trained to identify and report these incidents.

Trying to make a difference

“Truckers are the eyes and ears of our nation’s highways and are in a unique position to make a difference,” says Doug Tingley, Day & Ross’s Chief Operating Officer in Canada.

Day & Ross says its drivers are in an excellent position to spot and report suspected human trafficking because of their constant presence on the autoroutes, highways and roads. (Photo: Courtesy of trucknews.com)

“With our drivers travelling from coast to coast, they’re able to make a difference in every province and every town along their route. To date, there are over 1.2 million truckers trained by Truckers Against Trafficking, making a significant difference in the fight against human trafficking.”

Began hauling potatoes

With more than 8,000 employees, drivers and owner operators across Canada and the US today, Day & Ross got its start in 1950 by hauling potatoes out of New Brunswick. Today, the company’s key services include Less Than Truckload (LTL) and Full Truckload (FTL), as well as cross-border transportation, logistics, dedicated fleets, and residential delivery.

The company offers a diversified portfolio of freight and delivery solutions to top companies across North America. For more than a decade, Day & Ross has also been consistently recognized as one of Canada’s best managed companies and has been named a top company for women to work for in the transportation sector for the past four years.

#NewsMatters: The National Assembly Report

Laval News Contributor
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#NewsMatters: The National Assembly Report
With Raquel Fletcher in Quebec City

For those still holding out hope that Quebec will not adopt Bill 96, time is running out

Thousands of people took to the streets last Saturday in protest of the government’s controversial reform of the French language charter. For those still holding out hope that Quebec will not adopt Bill 96, time is running out.

The National Assembly adopted final amendments to the bill Thursday, including the hotly-contested modification to increase the number of French classes English CEGEP students must complete. Final speeches began with two impassioned allocutions that illustrate the very stark schism that exists between Quebecers with very different points of view on this matter. French Language Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette was first to rise in the Blue Room: “Mr. Speaker, I think rarely have I ever been so proud to stand in this house to express myself in my language, in our common language, French. It is not an accident of history or some sort of miracle that it’s possible today to debate in French in this space. It is rather the fruit of the tireless effort of a determined nation.”

Quebec City correspondent for QCNA Raquel Fletcher.

This nation defied expectations as well as political, economic, legal and demographic threats to the preservation of its language, he continued. He thanked the tenacity, audacity and patience of his ancestors, a united people who systematically fought against assimilation.

“Quebec is what it is today,” the minister said emphatically. “Because, in 1837 and 1838, the women and men who came before us knew how to re-establish the status of French in places of power. It is also because, years later, others made real the ideals of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s to bestow upon Quebec a modern state, a French state.”

For the Coalition Avenir Quebec, the government is writing the next chapters of history with Bill 96. According to the minister, this reform is a modern iteration of Bill 101, adopted in 1977, and will ensure a balance between the collective rights of the Quebec nation and the rights and freedoms of the individual. The “legislative mechanisms” in the bill, the minister said, alluding to, among other things, the use of the notwithstanding clause, allows for the “justified, legitimate and necessary” protection of the French language.

At least, that is one way to look at it. The Liberal Party has decided to vote against Bill 96. Following Jolin-Barrette’s final speech, Liberal house leader André Fortin began his own by explaining why he did not see eye to eye with the minister.

“I love the French language,” he started. “It’s my mother tongue. It’s the language my mother taught me, that which her mother taught her. It’s the language my grandfather learned when he immigrated to Canada after a difficult childhood during a war … in Indonesia.”

Fortin stressed that his grandfather chose to learn French and was not forced to learn the language because the government denied him access to services in another language. The reference alludes to an article in Bill 96 which would deny access to services in English for immigrants who have resided in Quebec longer than six months, just one of the aspects of the reform the Liberal Party sees as heavy-handedness on the part of the government.

“He learnt it,” Fortin continued, “because he fell in love with a young girl from Masham. He learned the French language out of love. (And) he learned it out of respect for his neighbours, for his friends, and so he could be fully involved in the lives of his children.”

According to Fortin, Bill 96 would not foster this kind of love for French because it is too divisive. “I’m against this bill because it creates two classes of Quebeckers: historic anglophones and everybody else. I’m against this bill because it does not foster unity,” Fortin said in English.

He continued by saying it denies rights to certain Quebeckers, both anglophones and francophones. The law, if adopted as is, would allow searches to be conducted of businesses without warrants.

It would also complicate access to higher education. Fortin told the National Assembly that he, himself, chose to study at the University of Ottawa, where he completed his first year of studies in French, while improving his English to the point he could take a full course load in English by his third year.

“That only increased my pride in being Quebecois,” he said, adding that francophones who go to St. Lawrence, Heritage or Marianopolis, do not set foot in an “assimilation machine.”

“They make the choice to go there to improve their English, like a lot of my colleagues have,” he said, calling out CAQ MNA’s who also studied at English post-secondary institutions in order to improve their English. Fortin continued to speak to other concerns about how the new law would impact new immigrants, First Nations and small businesses, but the Liberal MNA was cut short because of time. Final speeches and the ultimate adoption of Bill 96 is expected to happen the week of May 23rd when the National Assembly reconvenes following the Victoria Day long weekend.

Elected officials join students for ‘Next GEN’ Assembly of Leaders

Martin C. Barry
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Elected officials join students for ‘Next GEN’ Assembly of Leaders

SWLSB and EMSB team up to help form the next generation of leaders

Secondary school student leaders from the Laval, North Shore, Laurentian and Montreal regions were joined remotely by local federal and provincial elected officials at John F. Kennedy High School in Montreal on April 28 for the first annual Next GEN Assembly of Leaders.

The students participating in the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board’s Secondary Student Leadership Certificate program were from Laval Junior Academy and Laval Senior Academy in Laval, from Lake of Two Mountains High School in Deux-Montagnes and from Ste. Agathe Academy in the Laurentians.

Building connections

The English Montreal School Board students were all from John F. Kennedy High School in the Montreal borough of Villeray/St-Michel/Parc Extension.

According to Daniel Johnson, a spiritual animator with the SWLSB, who worked with Rocco Speranza, his counterpart at the English Montreal School Board to organize the event, the idea was simple: Connect young people with Canadian and Quebec leaders to discuss issues facing the country and province.

“We wanted the students to work in diverse groups on complex issues,” Johnson said in an interview with Newsfirst Multimedia, adding that the event is believed to have been the first of its kind across Canada.

From the left, Next GEN program facilitator Vicky Kaliotzakis, student participant Angelo Varuzza and student participant Alejandro Gutierrez. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Learning from the leaders

He said the students’ objective was to learn from their Senator, Member of Parliament or Member of the National Assembly and offer solutions to issues that their politicians relayed to them. Johnson said the student leaders worked hard as they were confronted with ideas and problems that they had never had the opportunity to explore before.

“It’s ideal for our students to see government leadership in the process, even though the voice of the students is also important,” said Speranza. “For the youths to be able to work with the government leaders who make decisions about things like education or health was a good thing for them to see how the process works and that their voices are valued.”

Heard from MNAs and MPs

From the Senate of Canada, Senator Tony Loffreda spoke to the students remotely about the Senate Inquiry on Immigration.

Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis (who is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport) spoke on Transportation issues. Alfred-Pellan MP Angelo Iacono spoke about High Frequency Rail service. Saint-Laurent MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos talked about the Notion of Gender Based Violence. And Saint-Léonard–Saint-Michel MP Patricia Lattanzio addressed the Gun Violence issue.

Among the members of the Quebec National Assembly, Viau MNA Frantz Benjamin talked about Education. Mille-Îles MNA Francine Charbonneau talked about Bill 9 (a piece of legislation that proposes replacing Quebec’s National Student Ombudsman).

Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette talked about issues involving end-of-life care. Nina Segalowitz, an elder and leader within the Montreal Indigenous community, delivered the keynote address. She also spent time working with the student leaders as they grappled with the topic of gender-based violence.

Interacting with leaders

By the end of the day, the students were ready to deliver their feedback and they formulated ideas and responses directly to the political leaders. “Through interactions like these, we can build more compassionate communities and a better country for all,” Johnson said, estimating the valuable lessons in leadership the students learned during the day.

The students taking part in the Next GEN Assembly of Leaders got a chance to interact and speak virtually with MPs and MNAs from Laval and the greater Montreal region.

He said the conference was unlike any other concept ever applied to develop leadership skills in students. “Because the students are working directly with the politicians on real issues and offering real solutions, this is something that usually isn’t done at this type of conference. This is tactile work where students have a voice and they have a seat at the table.”

‘Young but not powerless’

Several students we spoke to said they were already inclined to take on student leadership challenges, such as participating on student council or taking part in organized sports. But the Next GEN Assembly of Leaders was yet another option to develop their leadership skills, they said. “We are young but we are not powerless,” said Kassylia Bourque of Lake of Two Mountains High School.

Alejandro Gutierrez, a grade eight student at Laval Junior Academy, said he came away impressed by Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis’ message. “She was amazing and had a lot of things to say,” he said, noting that she seemed very knowledgeable of her dossiers.

Laval News Volume 30-15

Laval News Staff
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Laval News Volume 30-15

The current issue of the Laval News, volume 30-15, published on May 18th, 2022.
Covering Laval local news, politics, sports, and our new section Mature Life.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

Front page of the Laval News.
Front page of the Laval News, May 18th, 2022 issue.

Laval’s police, fire responders driven to their limits in recent weeks

Martin C. Barry
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Laval’s police, fire responders driven to their limits in recent weeks

It could be easily be an understatement to say that over the past two weeks or so, officers with the Laval Police Dept. as well as firefighters with the Laval Fire Dept. have been worked off their feet responding to an exceptionally large number of gun-related criminal incidents and fire calls.

What follows here is a summary taking into account a good number of these incidents and calls.

One arrest, two cars seized in crackdown on gun violence

At least one person was arrested and two vehicles were confiscated in Laval on Thursday May 12 when officers from the Laval Police Dept. executed searches related to recent episodes of gun violence. 

Police sent out notices of the actions taken shortly after 11 a.m. The Laval region has been undergoing a particularly violent period lately, with several shootings reported over the past few weeks.

The 25-year-old suspect in this particular case was said to be potentially linked to recent violence in the city, said police.

28-year-old man shot to death in Chomedey

A 28-year-old man was shot and killed early Sunday morning May 8 in the Chomedey sector of Laval. Three other people were also injured in the shooting which took place on Curé Labelle Blvd.

Police were called around 1 a.m. after a car was shot at while five occupants were inside. A 28-year-old man who was in the car succumbed to his injuries after medical technicians tried several times to revive him, said a Laval Police Dept. spokesperson.

Two other people suffered minor injuries, but were not hit by gunshots. The occupants of the car were not known to the police, the police spokesperson said.

Fire destroys house on des Châtelets in Chomedey

The house on des Châtelets St. that went up in flames. (Photo: Courtesy of Association des Pompiers de Laval)

A residence in Chomedey was decimated by a fire on the evening of Thursday May 12.

The scene on des Châtelets St. on the late afternoon of May 12.

Around 4:25 pm, Laval Fire Dept. firefighters were notified of the blaze on des Châtelets St. According to reports, it was neighbours, concerned by the sight of black smoke coming from the residence, who called 9-1-1.

According to an LFD spokesperson, firefighters saw thick smoke upon their arrival, but soon discovered that no one was home. A preliminary estimate of fire damage to the building suggested it was a complete write-off.

The cause remained unknown at deadline. Around forty firefighters were called out to deal with the blaze. They were forced to deal with unseasonably warm heat on the day of the fire.

Man in hospital after drive-by shooting in Laval

Laval police were investigating after a shooting on the afternoon of Tuesday May 10 in a residential neighbourhood of Chomedey.

According to a Laval Police Dept. spokesperson, a 9-1-1 call was received, reporting gunshots on Normandin St. just after 1 p.m.

When officers arrived, they located a 33-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was rushed to hospital, but there was no fear of his losing his life.

The police said the perpetrators were in a vehicle when they fired shots towards the victim, after which they fled. Police had no immediate description of the vehicle, and as of last week no arrests were made.

According to the LPD, the victim was known to the police and he was expected to meet with the investigators as soon as his health status would allow it.

Three homes destroyed by fire on Dansereau St.

Three side-by-side residences on Dansereau St. in Chomedey were gutted by fire during the early morning hours of Sunday May 8. In all, six residents were forced out of their homes by the conflagration.

One of the houses on Dansereau St. in Chomedey destroyed by fire. (Photo: Courtesy of Association des Pompiers de Laval)

The blaze started around 2 am in the first house. The heat from that fire was so extreme that it caused flames to spread to a second house and then to a third.

Fire destroys multi-unit residence on Lévesque Blvd.

A residential building on Lévesque Blvd. West near 87th Ave. in Chomedey was destroyed by fire on Saturday May 7, leaving up to 20 people homeless.

Firefighters responded to the blaze around 4:50 am. The flames spread fast, necessitating a second and third alarm and additional firefighters.

There were no injuries, although one resident was attended to briefly by paramedics after complaining of smoke intoxication symptoms.

Gosselin St. blaze destroys two-storey house

On May 2, Laval firefighters battled a blaze where flames shot through the roof, eventually destroying a residential dwelling.

The Laval Fire Dept. was alerted to the two-storey building fire on Gosselin St. in the Chomedey sector around 12:30 p.m.

Although the firefighters were able to quell the blaze, it was not before the building was destroyed.

Streets closed off or temporarily affected by the concentration of firefighting trucks and equipment included Gonthier St., Gendreau St. and Louis-Payette Ave.

LPD to hold Fraud Prevention Day on May 21

Come meet LPD officers and learn how to protect against fraud on Fraud Prevention Day May 21.

The Laval Police Dept. is inviting residents to come out to LPD headquarters at 2911 Chomedey Blvd. to take part in their annual Fraud Prevention Day, where advice will be offered in a wide range of measures to protect yourself and loved ones against fraud.

Experts with the LPD will have information on the types of fraud which have become common these days, including online phishing, fake e-mails, identity theft and fraudulent phone solicitation.

At the same time, it will be an opportunity to bring quantities of personal documents, bills and other papers containing sensitive information to be shred in industrial-size shredding machines the LPD will have on hand for that purpose.

There’s no better way to protect yourself from having information like credit card or social insurance numbers stolen by criminals.

At the same time, officers will be on hand to provide guided tours of key pieces of equipment the LPD sometimes uses in the field, including its Mobile Command Centre.

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