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Greeks show pride at Friday evening gala for Independence Day

Laval News Contributor
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Greeks show pride at Friday evening gala for Independence Day

Hellene of the year 2022 was Montreal physician Dr. George Tsoukas

Hundreds of patriotic Greek Montrealers converged on the Hellenic Community Centre in Montreal’s Côte des Neiges district on the evening of Friday March 25 to take part in the annual Greek Independence Day gala.

For Greeks around the world, March 25, 1821 marked the beginning of the revolutionary fight that ended 400 years of Ottoman rule. Following a protracted war in which Greek patriots received support from Russia, Britain and France, Greece finally received recognition from the world as an independent nation in 1832. Due to COVID-19 restrictions the last time the festivities took place was back in 2019.

Many notable guests

The 2022 Hellene of the Year was Dr. Lila Amiralli of the McGill University Department of Child Psychiatry, seen here with Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal president Andreas Crilis.

Among the dignitaries seated at the head table were Greek Consul General in Montreal Michalis Gavriilidis, Saint-Laurent Liberal MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Park Extension city councillor Mary Deros, Bordeaux-Cartierville city councillor Effie Giannou, Laval-Les Îles Liberal MP Fayçal El-Khoury and Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis. Also seated at the head table were Sainte-Rose MNA and parliamentary secretary Christopher Skeete, Laval city councillors Aglaia Revelakis and Vassilios Karydogiannis (representing Mayor Stephane Boyer), Saint-Laurent Borough Mayor Alan DeSousa and Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal president Andy Crilis.

2022 Hellene of the Year

The 2022 Hellene of the Year (chosen by a nominating committee that included Bishop Iakovos and Dr. Lila Amiralli of the McGill University Department of Child Psychiatry), was Hellenic Community Fundraiser committee president and well-known Montreal physician Dr. George Tsoukas.

President Andy Crilis speech

Better have an hour of free life than forty years of slavery and prison. -“I have sown a rich seed; The hour is coming when my country will reap its’ glorious fruits” !!, Dear friends…, Feraios did not live to witness Greece’s independence, but his words echoed…, reaching Greece with the hope and the optimism which the Greeks were about to live. We must be proud!, we must remain true!, first to ourselves!, then our faith and to our Greek roots, because surely if our forefathers managed to hold dear these sentiments for over 400 years!, we too can pass them along to future generations for many years to come.

Children’s poetry and singing A choir of children from Montreal-area Greek schools demonstrated their proficiency in the Greek language while performing Hellenic folk songs and reciting works of Greek poetry. The national anthems of Greece and Canada were sung by students from École Socrates-Démosthène.

Laval officials commemorate Greek Independence Day

Martin C. Barry
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Laval officials commemorate Greek Independence Day

A celebration of Hellenic freedom, and a brief respite from the pandemic

Elected officials from the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government gathered at the war cenotaph near Laval city hall on Saturday March 26 to pay respects alongside residents of Hellenic ancestry to the early 19th century Greeks who valiantly fought so that the modern-day Greek Republic would be independent.

Honoring the patriots

On March 25, 1821 in what was then Ottoman-dominated Greece, Bishop Germanos of the metropolis of Patras blessed a Greek flag and proclaimed an uprising by the Greeks against the occupying Ottomans. The event marked the beginning of the Greek Revolution, which continued until 1832 when the Republic of Greece was proclaimed and was recognized by the world’s major nations.

To honour those who gave their lives so that Greece would be free, Greeks from Laval and from all over the Montreal region go each year to the cenotaph outside Laval city hall to deposit commemorative wreaths and to spend a moment in silent contemplation. In the Montreal region, Laval has the highest concentration of residents of Greek heritage.

Dignitaries pay respects

Among those depositing commemorative wreaths this year were a representative from the Consulate General for Greece in Montreal, Liberal MPs Fayçal El-Khoury, Annie Koutrakis and Emmanuela Lambropoulos, Laval-area MNAs Guy Ouellette, Christopher Skeete and Saul Polo, Laval city councillors Aglaia Revelakis, Vasilios Karidogiannis and Ray Khalil, and Montreal city councillor for Park Extension Mary Deros.

As well, wreaths were left by Hellenic Community of Quebec president John Theodosopoulos, Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal president Andy Crilis and Greek Canadian armed forces veterans.

From the left, Saint-Laurent MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis and Laval-Les Îles MP Fayçal El-Khoury prepare to deposit a commemorative wreath at the base of the City of Laval’s war cenotaph during a Greek Independence Day memorial in Laval on March 26. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

This year’s Greek Independence Day commemorations, including the Greek Independence Day parade in Park Extension, were spread out as usual over three days in Laval and in Montreal. They were of special significance this year since they were cancelled over the past two years because of sanitary restrictions made necessary by the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘Back to normal’

“It’s very good to be back,” said Dennis Marinos, president of the HCGM’s Laval regional chapter. “Thank God the pandemic is over, at least temporarily, and we’re able to attend events like these to celebrate our Independence Day, and to be able to have our parade as we usually do under normal circumstances. Back to normal.”

“There couldn’t be a better day to celebrate the freedom of Greece, while getting things back to normal,” said John Theodosopoulos. “Today, we can see that we are freer than every from this Covid prison than we have been for the past two years.”

From the left, Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete, Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette and Laval-des-Rapides MNA Saul Polo were among the dignitaries who paid their respects during the March 26 Greek Independence Day ceremony near Laval city hall. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Celebrating freedom

For Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis, it was the first time since first being elected in 2019 that she was able to celebrate in person with members of the community. “This really feels like a celebration of freedom,” said Koutrakis. “I think everybody is feeling very proud and happy to be able to this in person again.”

Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette said Greek Independence Day has always been personally meaningful for him, because some of the celebrations were on the same date he was first elected 15 years ago. “My constituency is home to the largest Greek community in the province, so this has always been really important,” said Ouellette.

#NewsMatters: The National Assembly Report

Laval News Contributor
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#NewsMatters: The National Assembly Report

By Raquel Fletcher

Sixth wave of pandemic runs rampant in National Assembly

A sixth wave of COVID-19 is running rampant in the National Assembly, as it is in the larger population.

Quebec City correspondent Raquel Fletcher has been struggling lately with Covid.

Both the premier and deputy premier tested positive last week, as well as eight other MNAs, National Assembly employees and even members of the press tribune like myself. I am writing this column with a fever and a runny nose. Despite being triple vaccinated, a rapid test confirmed I have also contracted the virus.

After managing to avoid getting COVID-19 for the last two years, learning to “live with the virus” has been a rough lesson. Not just for me. I know families who self-isolated during the holidays, only to be going through the whole process again as other members test positive now. Some people seem to pull through with minor symptoms, described as a “bad cold,” while people like me have been sick in bed for days. Other friends, still healthy, tell me their stress levels have spiked as they prepare for what now seems the inevitable, stocking up on Kleenex and chicken noodle soup. The economy may have re-opened, but the pandemic is still interrupting our lives.

Uptick in cases expected

The uptick in cases is in part, to be expected, after Quebec relaxed most of its public health restrictions earlier this month. The explosion of new cases has led to an increase in hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care, but nothing like what we have seen during past waves. For this reason, the health minister maintains that public health measures will not be reintroduced.

“It’s true we’re concerned about the increase in the cases and hospitalizations, but, at the same time, I’ll remind you that it was foreseen,” health minister Christian Dubé told reporters last Thursday. “What changes things a little bit – but again, I repeat, it was foreseen – is the rapid increase of the BA.2 variant in proportion to Omicron, which has in the last several days, exceeded 50 per cent.”

Dubé insisted he is not concerned about hospital capacity, even in the regions, where this latest variant seems to be hitting the hardest. What this wave does seem to threaten is what many reporters have pointed out this past week: the National Assembly’s ability to pass important legislation before the end of the session because committee work is being held up due to the absence of so many MNAs.

$8.9 billion health care overhaul

This includes several pieces of legislation concerning health care, as well as the minister’s $8.9 billion plan to overhaul the health care system. Last Tuesday, Dubé announced the highly anticipated action plan, which includes major investments in home care, limiting mandatory overtime for nurses, improving access to data and the introduction of a single portal that will allow patients who don’t have their own family doctor to book an appointment with a GP.

The 50-point plan, which is supposed to be in place by 2025, has been heavily criticized by health care professionals and opposition parties for not being costed, nor specific about targets.

“The fact is, they (the CAQ government) have not fulfilled their promise of 2018 and now they are trying, with a new slogan, with some new catchy lines, some marketing plan to make us believe that now, eureka! They have found the solution,” said Québec Solidaire MNA Vincent Marissal.

One million Quebecers do not have a family doctor, up from 400,000 before the pandemic. The Liberal opposition says the plan does not actually address this main issue.

“The plan should be about having one person able to take care of you,” said Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade. “That one person knows your file, knows your history… and they can ensure a follow-up. And for chronic problems, this is really fundamental.”

Quebecers deserve health care that works

Many Quebec commentators have pointed out that the population remains cynical about the province’s ability to deliver on its promise to rebuild the health care system. Maybe I am just talking as someone who has not left my bed in a week, but after all we’ve been through these last two years, I’d say we can’t give up now. Quebecers deserve a functional health care system that puts patients first. They need to demand the government make that happen. The pandemic tested all our limits. It claimed thousands of lives. It brought our health network to the brink of collapse. It brought our health providers to the brink of exhaustion. It will all have been for nothing if we don’t become stronger as a result.

Inflation in Canada is 15%, not 5.7%

Robert Vairo
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Inflation in Canada is 15%, not 5.7%

Like many of you, I enjoy my espresso coffee, and it would be very difficult for me to switch to tea, as some of you are doing.

Newsfirst Multimedia political columnist Robert Vairo suggests the real rate of inflation in Canada is as high as 15%, and not 7.5% as authorities claim.

But on a recent shopping trip to my favourite Italian grocery store (or what use to be my favourite), the price of my espresso was jacked up. Are you sitting down? The same pack increased by 60%. I honestly believed it to be a mistake. I contacted management and yes indeed, the supplier had increased their price. This resulted in the store itself is experiencing escalating costs, and all these spiraling expenses were simply passed on to the consumer.

We are told inflation is up to 5.7%. Who actually believes that? From gas to coffee, I have not seen any item on any shelf in any store up by a mere 5.7%. Accountants deal with and are mostly buried in numbers, so I would have to consider them experts in this area. When a forensic accountant told me the real inflation in Canada is at least 15%, that seemed much more realistic. We are told the principal reason for this outrageous escalation in the price of goods is due to the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. Yes, partly. It’s true that 25% of world wheat exports and 16% of corn exports come from the two countries combined. At this time, the exports of those commodities have virtually come to a halt. There is no denying that. But also keep in mind the pandemic caused manufacturers to cut back on production and reduce, if not eliminate inventory. There is a shortage of people who want to work five days a week. A major factor lies in Ottawa and Washington’s blow to the oil and gas industry. Drillers and transporters were cut off at the knees in Canada and the US by shutting down proposed pipelines, and any potential infrastructure that would have eliminated today’s unrealistic ballistic price at the pumps. This was a colossal error committed by the green left movement, and we are paying for it.

In addition, there has recently been Canadian government spending the likes of which no generation has ever seen. So many were seeing their bank accounts swell by government deposits far exceeding what they normally earned. So all these factors have led to historically high prices. And then the needless Russian war happened. It reduced raw materials to the world, and disrupted oil and gas distribution in Europe, where they are now paying four times more to heat with natural gas. It is an understatement to say that these have not been the best three years of our lives.

These unconscionable increases in price are not only about supply chain factors, higher wages, and other pandemic related issues. These soaring prices are also about price gouging and corporate greed. The stock market is where the real numbers surface. No corporation is suffering. In fact, many are brazenly boasting to shareholders that they are increasing prices, simply because they can.

In Canada, only some media and Conservatives inside and outside the House of Commons are shining a light on these outrageous prices, with leadership contestants Poilievre, Charest, and interim leader Candice Bergen leading the charge. In the US, some Congressmen have introduced the COVID–19 Price Gouging Prevention Act. It would give the Federal Trade Commission the ability to “seek civil penalties from companies that raise prices to unconscionably excessive levels”. Although it’s uncertain as to who is listening, or what results these actions could bring, but at least there are some courageous politicians making the effort to bring awareness to this unaffordable consumer dilemma.

NOTES

The Russians are not so far away. They are at our border in the Arctic. Canada had better prepare for incursion if not assimilation of our Arctic property. And they are just a few miles from Alaska, the US border. Russia has already planted its flag at the North Pole.

If Québec refuses to allow a Canadian gas pipeline through its territory, willing Manitoba, the center of Canada is perhaps a better alternative and quicker route to Europe and Indo-Asia. Churchill, Manitoba is the solution to export our energy. It sits on Hudson Bay and according to Conservative Peter McKay, has the “potential to be a gateway to world markets.” Unfortunately, it’s not going to happen with the NDP in power in Canada, and the likes of Enviro Minister Steven Guilbeault who “rather than unify and invest in Canada, spends time virtue signalling.”

How is it that while our allies are desperate, in fact rationing energy, the Canadian government is acting totally disconnected by using climate change to hobble if not destroy our number one industry, energy. It’s a gift to Russia, Venezuela and the rest of the oil producing dictatorial nations. And it also means that more countries will increase the burning of the real polluter, coal. Eliminating fossil fuels is not an automatic entry to the green world.

Leger survey says Canadians overwhelmingly want vandals to leave John A. McDonald statues alone. No one learns from history by cancelling it.

That’s what I’m Thinking

Robert Vairo

robert@newfirst.ca

Fraser Institute says Quebec families earning $100K or more pay highest taxes

Martin C. Barry
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Fraser Institute says Quebec families earning $100K or more pay highest taxes

National think tank critical of taxation rates here and in Canada’s Atlantic provinces

According to findings in a new study conducted by the Fraser Institute, Quebec and eastern Canada have the highest personal income tax rates nationwide on individuals and households that earn $100,000 or more a year.

High earners in Western Canada

The report found that authorities in Western Canada, by contrast, tax high income earners at lower rates and have higher numbers of those earners.

“There is clearly an east-west divide in Canada, with Quebec and Atlantic Canada having the highest income tax rates on high-income earners, and the lowest share of high-income tax filers,” said Alex Whalen, policy analyst at the Vancouver-based think tank, who co-authored the report.

Few $100K earners here

The study found that couples with no children, couples with one child, and couples with two children in Quebec had higher personal income rates than anywhere else in Canada. Single people in Quebec who made more than $100,000 had the second highest personal income tax rate nationwide after Prince Edward Island.

Crucially, of the 10 Canadian provinces, Quebec had the seventh lowest percentage of tax filers who earned $100,000 or more a year in income, and again, the Atlantic provinces also were at the bottom of the pack for share of tax filers who earned more than $100,000.

Few high-income earners

“The situation in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces is clear – the jurisdictions in Canada with the highest personal income tax rates on high-income earners also have the lowest share of high-income earners nationwide,” said Whalen.

“Given that high income earners are often entrepreneurs, job creators, or other high performers, policymakers in Quebec and eastern Canada should consider personal income tax reform in order to make their tax regimes competitive with the rest of the country.”

Only Quebec was higher

Some patterns and themes emerged in the report. Among other things, Quebec applies the highest effective personal income-tax rates in Canada, closely followed by Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

In the report, titled ‘High Tax Rates on Top Earners in Atlantic Canada and Quebec,’ the authors said that when looking at couples with one child and income over $100,000, Newfoundland & Labrador stood out as the Atlantic province with the highest rate, at 25.4 per cent. Only Quebec was higher at 26.5 per cent.

Atlantic Canada taxes

In their conclusion, the authors wrote, “The data presented show that the four Atlantic Canadian provinces generally impose higher effective personal income-tax rates than the Canadian average across various high-income thresholds and across various family types, including unattached individuals, couples with no children, couples with one child, and couples with two children.

‘There is clearly an east-west divide in Canada, with Quebec and Atlantic Canada having the highest income tax rates on high-income earners’

“In other words, Atlantic Canada’s personal income-tax burden is consistently above average for Canadians earning high incomes. The region also generally has, along with Quebec, the lowest share of Canadians earning above $100,000 compared to Central and, particularly, Western Canada.”

City bets ‘Hi-tech’ will be crucial to Laval’s post-pandemic recovery

Martin C. Barry
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City bets ‘Hi-tech’ will be crucial to Laval’s post-pandemic recovery

‘Innovation and tech sectors are key,’ deputy mayor Ray Khalil tells Forum IN!

The City of Laval is wagering a portion of its current economic development budget that “hi-tech” will help propel the city’s commercial/industrial business base upward to new heights during the post-Covid pandemic recovery period.

To that end, Laval’s economic development partner, LavalInnov (a non-profit that works on the region’s behalf), held the Forum IN! last week at the Grand Hôtel Times Laval, a recently-opened accommodation venue that is in itself a promising sign that the city’s economic recovery is indeed underway.

While Mayor Stéphane Boyer was scheduled to kick off the morning event with an opening address, he was forced to bow out as he was in isolation while recovering from a bout of Covid.

Relaunching the economy

However, Ray Khalil, city councillor for Sainte-Dorothée and a senior member of the executive-committee, did say a few words to the more than 100 entrepreneurs and business people.

“In Laval we have our team for economic development, called Laval Économique, who are very present and active in helping the region’s businesses, the company owners, to excel in what they do,” Khalil, speaking as deputy-mayor, said in an interview with the Laval News.

“When the pandemic started, we had a forum which gathered together around 300 individuals who are involved in Laval’s economic development to work on what might be the best measures we could put in place,” Khalil added.

A speaker addresses the crowd of more than 100 business owners and entrepreneurs during LavalInnov’s Forum IN! last week.

The road to recovery

“And right before that, we had actually put out a post-pandemic recovery plan, and in that plan were different factors. And then we met with everybody to put in place what we and the community thought would be the best actions we could take to recover after the pandemic.”

According to Khalil, the city set aside around $20 million in total shortly after the dramatic onset of the Covid pandemic, with a view to getting an early start towards offsetting the economic damage that was sure to follow.

Pandemic won’t go away

At that time, before he was elected mayor, Stéphane Boyer oversaw economic development as vice-president of the executive-committee, and he has continued to focus on restoring the city’s economy, in spite of the pandemic’s stubborn refusal to disappear.

“So, now we’re at the point where, you know what, we’re putting everything into place while accompanying businesses and people,” said Khalil.

‘We’re putting everything into place while accompanying businesses and people’

“There’s going to be a lot of projects, as we have previously said, to help them out. And the idea is first to help our local businesses. Second, to be at the forefront of the post-pandemic recovery. And thirdly, also to attract more businesses to come and install themselves in Laval.”

The City of Laval’s deputy mayor, Sainte-Dorothée city councillor Ray Khalil, opened LavalInnov’s Forum IN! last week at the Grand Hôtel Times Laval at the Laval Centropolis. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Adapting to new reality

Khalil said the emphasis on hi-tech is meant as an encouragement for businesses to adapt themselves to the latest innovations in order to maximize their ability to compete in an ever-broadening market that increasingly is international.

“It’s technology that can bring companies to a whole new level,” he continued. “We are always trying to cultivate many different sectors of our economy. But in reality, the innovation and tech sectors are key and a priority in order to move forward during the post-pandemic recovery.”

PLQ leader Dominique Anglade was greatly influenced by her parents

Martin C. Barry
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PLQ leader Dominique Anglade was greatly influenced by her parents

‘In our home, there was always a lot of talk about politics’

Quebec Liberal Party leader Dominique Anglade, who will be steering the PLQ into the next provincial election in early October, says her life at home with her parents prepared her well for politics.

“At home, there was constant talk of politics, because my father was in politics, my grandfather did politics, my great-grandfather did politics,” she told Newsfirst Multimedia in a recent interview at the downtown Montreal offices of the National Assembly’s official opposition.

Family fled Haiti

Anglade’s father, Georges Anglade, was a founding faculty member of UQAM, who was forced to flee Haiti in the last 1960s because of the political oppression he experienced there.

Born in Montreal in 1974, Anglade has led the PLQ since May 2020. Her mother, Mireille Neptune, was an economist as well as devoted adherent to feminist principles.

Dominique Anglade will be leading the Quebec Liberal Party into its first provincial election since she became its leader in May 2020. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Before immigrating to Canada in 1969, Georges Anglade was imprisoned in Haiti by the dictatorial government of the Duvalier family, and was also exiled twice as a result of his political views.

A political environment

“In our home, there was always a lot of talk about politics, because my father was into politics, my grandfather also did politics, and my great-grandfather was into politics,” said Anglade. And since her mother was involved with women’s groups, “I was immersed in an environment that was highly political,” she added.

Although Dominique Anglade was at one time a member, a candidate and even president of the Coalition Avenir Québec which currently governs the province, she maintains today that she decided to break away permanently from the CAQ when she realized it didn’t reflect her own values.

No to politics of division

“I don’t believe in the politics of division,” she said. “I am not for this anglophones versus the francophones type of thing, the immigrants versus other immigrants, those who are vaccinated versus those who aren’t vaccinated. I am personally fed up with this whole politics of division.

“What we need is to get together, to unite, to have a real social project, to have a true vision for a collective future, regardless of our origins, regardless of where we come from. For me, this is really something that inspires me into what we are doing everyday.”

Ouellette won’t run with PLQ

Responding to questions, Anglade confirmed that Chomedey Independent MNA Guy Ouellette, who sat as a Liberal in the National Assembly from 2007 until shortly after the last provincial election in 2018 when he was ejected from the PLQ caucus, will not be running for the Quebec Liberals in the October 2022 election. “It’s not part of our plans,” she said.

Considering that the sheer number of political parties running in the 2022 provincial election is expected to be exceptional, Anglade was asked how she thought this might split the vote for the PLQ, which traditionally derives a significant amount of support from anglophone and minority community voters.

Coping with divided vote

Among the parties that could be running would be a new but as yet unnamed political entity to be formed by supporters of the Task Force on Linguistic Policy, which has serious objections to the CAQ government’s Bill 96 language law revision, as well as the federal government’s Bill C-32 to overhaul the Official Languages Act.

‘I don’t believe in the politics of division’

“I think you have to earn the trust of every single citizen,” Anglade said. “I am a democrat and we live in a democracy. But we have to earn the trust of every single person. I really hope that they see that the alternative to the CAQ is the Liberal Party, in terms of standing up for everything that’s right for the English-speaking community.”

The politics of division

In the last provincial election, virtually the only area of Quebec where the Liberals maintained a stronghold was in Laval and greater Montreal, with the CAQ government capturing seats predominantly in the province’s rural regions. But at the same time, critics have pointed out that the CAQ government has been systematically neglecting metropolitan Montreal since it came to power four years ago.

“When you’re talking about the politics of division, it’s clear there’s a division between the urban centres and the rural,” said Anglade. “But you know, there are other people outside of Montreal who are also fed up and who see the level of division. This is also part of our message.”

Taking a dip at -30 ºC to keep Laval’s H2O taps flowing

Martin C. Barry
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Taking a dip at -30 ºC to keep Laval’s H2O taps flowing

Divers cleared ‘frazil’ ice at city’s Pont-Viau drinking water intake

The City of Laval’s public affairs department released a series of photos on World Water Day last month, detailing a challenging scuba diving operation undertaken in January when a water intake on the Rivière des Prairies had to be cleared of crystalized “frazil” ice to keep Laval’s drinking water supply flowing.

It’s worth noting that the temperature on the day of the operation at the Pont-Viau water treatment station was – 30 degrees Celsius – making it all the more dramatic.

The frazil ice menace

According to several sources, including the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering and the Cold Region Technical Digest, frazil ice is notorious for blocking water intakes, as ice crystals can accumulate and build up on a piece of protective equipment known as the intake trash rack.

January and February were exceptionally cold and led to conditions conducive to the formation of frazil

The trash rack prevents water-borne debris (such as logs, boats, animals or waterweed) from entering the water intake at the pumping station. However, at a certain point the frazil ice begins to adhere to objects in the water, and can actually damage trash racks.

A winter-time first

While the City of Laval’s water management department undertakes an inspection of all water intakes at least once a year, this was the first time an operation of this sort was conducted in mid-winter beneath freezing cold river waters and flowing ice.

The diving company hired for the job, SMM Service, sent a team that included an assigned diver, a backup diver if needed, and two support personnel.

Hours of submerged work

The equipment that was used to deal with the blockage problem included an ice axe and a pneumatic hammer, the latter being specially-adapted for underwater use. The operation lasted up to six hours, including preparation time.

Although the formation of frazil ice is considered to be rare in the Rivière des Prairies and the Rivière des Mille Îles – both of which are used by the city for drinking water intakes – the months of January and February this past winter were exceptionally cold and led to conditions conducive to the formation of frazil.

Jean Charest launches Conservative Party leadership bid in Laval

Martin C. Barry
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Jean Charest launches Conservative Party leadership bid in Laval

Former Quebec Premier pledges to unite a ‘seriously divided’ country

If oratorical skill and powers of persuasion hold the key to winning the race for the Conservative Party of Canada’s leadership, then Jean Charest may well be correct when he states he’ll be the Tories’ next leader when the decision is made in September.

Bid to lead the CPC

Charest’s talent as a podium speaker, as well as his uncanny ability to massage the senses of supporters and media into believing, were on full display last week when he was at the Château Royal in Laval to announce to Quebecers his bid for the CPC leadership.

More than 500 supporters cheered Charest, who served as Premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012 while leading the Quebec Liberal Party, and who also served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998.

Jean Charest says only he can unite the Conservative Party and lead them to forming a government. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Wants to heal division

“I am returning because Canada is seriously divided,” said Charest, who served as vice-president of the “No” committee during the campaign leading up to the 1995 provincial referendum on Quebec sovereignty, and whose current leadership campaign is using the slogan “Built to Win.”

Former Quebec Liberal Premier Jean Charest is seeking the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

“If there is a big distinction to be made between us and the other political parties in the federal parliament – the federal Liberals, the NDP, the Bloc – if there’s a major difference it’s that Canada’s Conservatives know how to make Canadian federalism work, we know how to respect the province’s responsibilities and we know how to make federalism operate to realize major projects for Canada,” he added.

Charest’s pitch to Alberta

Charest said that if he had chosen to recently launch his bid for the CPC leadership in Alberta, it was because he wanted to emphasize the challenges and ordeals that the people of the western province have been subjected to in recent years, while being largely ignored by the Trudeau government.

“I went to Alberta to give them the following message: I want to be the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada so that you may return into the Canadian fold with honor and enthusiasm, so that we can all be at the same table.”

Charest with his spouse autograph a T-shirt for an admiring supporter during his CPC leadership bid launch at the Château Royal on March 24. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Charest argued that, with his extensive knowledge and previous experience in politics, he is in a much better position than anyone to map out strategy for a nation-wide campaign to elect a Conservative government with him as Prime Minister.

Chief rival is Poilievre

“Now, there’s something about which I know a thing or two,” he said, referring to election campaigns. “Because, friends, speaking of election campaigns, I’ve done a few and I’ve won some. And I have more election campaigns to win.”

‘I am returning because Canada is seriously divided’

While former Conservative cabinet minister Pierre Poilievre is still believed to have a significant lead in the intentions of the Tory membership who will be electing their new leader on Sept. 10, Charest made no specific mention of his chief rival, although he alluded to the hard-right style of politics that Poilievre favours.

“The Conservative Party of Canada is going to have a very important choice: Either we go down the road of American politics, or we choose a leader that will bring us together,” he said. “It is the condition by which we can win. If the Conservative Party of Canada is not able to unite, we will not unite Canadians behind us. And we need a national party.

Conservative Party of Canada leadership hopeful Jean Charest is seen here at the Château Royal in Chomedey on March 24 with his wife Michèle Dionne. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Eye on winning Montreal seats

“What are Canadians telling us now? They look at the Trudeau government and they say, ‘You [the CPC] are the answer. You’re the national alternative to the Liberals. Get your act together. Get yourself organized. Please be the national party that we want you to be. Live up to your ambitions.’”

Charest maintained that not only would he succeed in uniting the Conservative Party of Canada, but “for those of us here in Quebec, let me share a secret with you: Not only will I lead it into an election campaign, but I will elect members of Parliament on the island of Montreal. I will bring to the table Members of Parliament from every single province in the country.”

Unity and leadership

In his closing remarks, Charest made the following pledge: “I know the road to victory. I have taken this road before. I know the way, so that we Conservatives here in Quebec but also everywhere in Canada may at last govern this country, build it, see it grow, and allow it to take its well-deserved place in the world.

“This journey can be summed up in a few words: strong leadership and unity. I am the leader who will unite the Conservative Party of Canada and I am he who will give the Conservative Party of Canada a national government.”

Laval News Volume 30-12

Laval News Staff
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Laval News Volume 30-12

The current issue of the Laval News volume 30-12 published April 6th, 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, April 6th, 2022 issue.
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