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LPD leads car theft ring crackdown, with five suspects arrested

Martin C. Barry
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LPD leads car theft ring crackdown, with five suspects arrested

The Laval Police Department said last Monday that it made five arrests on March 16 and executed two search warrants in conjunction with a criminal network specializing in stolen vehicles.

The investigation, mounted under the name “Project Gardon,” was led by the LPD’s general crimes unit, with support from the Montreal Police, the Sûreté du Québec, the Trois Rivières Police, the Terrebonne Police, the Canada Border Services Agency at the Port of Montreal, the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Toronto Police Service.

The five suspects arrested by Laval Police in conjunction with a car theft operation.

According to the LPD, a wave of vehicle thefts started in May 2021. The suspects used various means to steal vehicles, which included targeting cars parked at shopping centres, and installing GPS vehicle trackers under cars, which would then be stolen later from private driveways at night.

The targeted vehicles included Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, Dodge Ram and Ford Series F. Out of 30 stolen car dossiers, six were in Laval. Other car thefts were committed in cities throughout Quebec and Ontario. The value of the stolen vehicles, which were clandestinely exported, was around $2 million.

After the five suspects were questioned by the police, they were arraigned at the Palais de Justice in Laval. Two of the suspects are: Jean-Guy Lebeau, 39, Dave Milliard, 40, and both remain detained. Also arrested were Kevin Lafontaine, 33, and Jean Tellier, 44, although both were released on bail with conditions to follow. As well, Joel Simon Campusano, 29, was arrested for possession of narcotics, but was released on bail with conditions.

Suspect and SQ officers rescued from half-frozen Mille Îles River

Three Sûreté du Québec police officers who were chasing after a driver just north of Laval last Saturday night were pulled safely from the Mille Îles River after they tried to rescue the fleeing suspect who had jumped off the Vachon Bridge on Autoroute 13 into the half-frozen river.

The 27-year-old suspect fled after his vehicle was stopped around 11 p.m. by police for a violation of the Highway Safety Code. However, he soon found himself with SQ officers on his tail.

Although the fleeing driver got as far Route 335 in Laval and was heading towards Autoroute 19, he decided to change direction, taking Autoroute 440 West, then the A-13 north along the Vachon Bridge, where the SQ deployed a nail obstacle on the roadway to puncture his tires and bring his vehicle to a stop.

When the vehicle finally did stop on the Laval side of the bridge, the driver got out, ran along the bridge deck towards the edge of the river, and jumped. When the three SQ officers proceeded to the river’s edge to try and retrieve him, the half-frozen ice broke under their weight and they went into the water.

Firefighters from Laval and from the North Shore assisted in the rescue and the suspect and three officers were pulled out safely.

The suspect was reported to be suffering from hypothermia and was being treated in hospital, with a court arraignment pending when his condition improves.

The three officers did not suffer hypothermia and did not require hospitalization.

Two suspects arrested for violent, gun-related incidents

Officers with the Laval Police and Montreal Police have arrested two male suspects believed to be responsible for a series of armed incidents committed between Feb. 22 and March 3 while they were in a stolen car.

The suspects, Matisse Brière-Duval and Akeem François, both 19 years of age, were arraigned at the Montreal courthouse on March 11 on charges of illegal firearms possession, pointing a firearm, armed robbery and dealing in stolen goods.

It is alleged that on Feb. 22 around 9:35 pm, one of the suspects pointed a gun towards the driver of a car parked in front of a restaurant in the Montreal borough of Rivière-des-Praires–Pointe-aux-Trembles. The driver was ordered to get out of his vehicle and leave the keys behind. The suspect fled in the vehicle with a second suspect.

On March 3 just after midnight, five gunshots were fired towards a residence on 24th Ave. near Crémazie Blvd. East in Montreal’s Villeray sector.

The shots were fired by an individual described by witnesses as having been seated in the back seat of an SUV fitting the description of the one stolen on Feb. 22. No one was injured in this gunfire incident.

Finally on March 10, investigators, with support from a police tactical intervention team, proceeded with the arrest of the two suspects. According to the police, one of the suspects, Akeem François, was in possession of a loaded firearm at the time of his arrest.

SQ runs command post in Laval for quad-murder investigation

The Sûreté du Québec set up a mobile command post on des Laurentides Blvd. last week as part of an investigation into four homicides in the Montreal region over the past two years, including one committed in Laval.

Besides the two homicides in Laval, related murders were also committed in Longueuil, and Kanesatake (Oka) in 2020 and 2021.

According to the SQ, Sacha Nelson César was shot while leaving his residence on de la Fabrique St. in Laval on Dec. 1, 2020. He was known to police for drug trafficking. Two suspects were seen by witnesses.

A second victim who was shot and killed in Laval, Nitchell LaPaix, was found dead on Aug. 17, 2021 near the corner of Tourangeau and St-Luc streets. He was known to police as being active with street gangs. Anyone with information about these incidents is invited to contact the SQ’s Centaure hotline at 1-833-888-ARME (2763).

Guy Ouellette: Fifteen years and counting …

Martin C. Barry
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Guy Ouellette: Fifteen years and counting …

Former SQ officer aspires to win a sixth term in October provincial elections

In October 2007 when Guy Ouellette was first elected to the Quebec National Assembly as the Liberal member for Chomedey, there may have been those who believed only calm seas would lie ahead for an MNA in this long-time PLQ stronghold.

And indeed, while the sailing was initially smooth for Ouellette, the waters turned suddenly very turbulent around a decade later.

That was around a year or so before the provincial elections that saw Premier François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec government raised to power.

It was also in 2017 that Ouellette was arrested by Quebec’s Unité permanente anti-corruption (UPAC) police force – even though he was never charged and has been fully exonerated since then.

Big shoes to fill

Ouellette had big shoes to fill when Tom Mulcair, who had been Chomedey’s Liberal MNA since 1994 and a Minister of the Environment is Premier Jean Charest’s cabinet, decided not to run again in the 2007 Quebec general election.

In an interview earlier this week with The Laval News, Ouellette, a former Sûreté du Québec investigator, said that having spent virtually all his professional life in police work, he had no real idea of what awaited him in the realm of politics.

“Frankly, arriving in politics, first I didn’t know what politics was all about,” he said. “Police and politics are not two things that normally go together. But being in public service for 32 years as a police officer, for me it was a normal step going into politics.

“And I tried to figure at the beginning to apply the same recipe: helping people, serving them, hearing them, trying to get their file to the government to make things change. And especially in Laval, because Laval as a whole is an island and you need to work together. So, I put in a lot of effort to make sure that with my other colleagues we would speak as one in Laval.”

Team work essential, he says

If there is one lesson Ouellette said he learned in the 15 years he’s been office, it’s that the region’s six MNAs need to work closely together in order to ensure that Laval – the third largest municipality in Quebec – receives everything it deserves from the provincial government.

“We saw over the years, a couple of times when there were different governments, that when you split your forces in Laval or elsewhere, the result is totally different,” he said.

Pointing out that since 1981, when the provincial electoral district of Chomedey was created from parts of the Fabre and Laval ridings, Chomedey has had just three MNAs, Ouellette noted they were all Liberal, while adding he hoped to add four more years to his record following this October’s provincial election.

“It was always in my mind to take part in the 2022 election,” he continued, while acknowledging that the UPAC affair briefly upset his electoral plans.

Wins his first term in office

Leading up to his first electoral win on March 26, 2007, Ouellette expressed his desire to help get kids off the street by improving the existing sports infrastructures, such as arenas, and committed himself to the creation of a new soccer field in Chomedey.

During that year’s campaign, his 38 years of experience in public safety would come in handy when it came to improving the safety of Laval’s streets. “I will put my years of experience at work for the Chomedey population to have a safe environment for the people,” he said at the time.

“The mood at Liberal candidate Guy Ouellette’s campaign headquarters on election night was mixed,” we wrote in our election night coverage that year. “Early in the evening there were a few nerves, yet a sense of confidence that in the Chomedey riding, at least, Liberal rouge would prevail.”

As we pointed out, the real story, as expected that evening, was the makeup of the next provincial government as a whole. By this time the local vote, projected from a web page onto the screen, showed Ouellette with a comfortable lead of 62 per cent as he was declared elected by TVA within an hour of poll closings.

His second victory in Chomedey

On the eve of his second term win in the December 2008 election, Ouellette was focusing his campaign on the economy, as well as programs aimed at getting youth off the street and into sports and activities to empower them.

The construction of a sports complex for residents of Laval was in the early stages of development. “The center will have activities and indoor sports that will keep young people busy and active,” he said. The economy was also a major issue the PLQ was addressing on the campaign trail.

“The economy is really important because Chomedey is the third poorest riding in terms of income in the province,” added Ouellette. “Citizens are concerned about their incomes and I need to reassure them.” The main message the PLQ wanted to send out to Quebecers was that a majority government was the key to combating the looming economic crisis.

“There are some clouds coming up in the next couple of months and with a minority government, there are three hands on the wheel. I think if people don’t want an election every 18 months, vote for a majority government and it will be finished for four years. Choose the party with the best leader, the best team and the best plan. The answer to all three is the Liberals,” stated Ouellette.

A third election win

At Guy Ouellette’s campaign headquarters as he was running for a third term on Sept. 4 2012, the ambience seemed more of a family gathering than a group of political strategists who had come together at campaign’s end for an inventory of the results.

This was the election when the Parti Québécois was able to stage a brief return to power, since being turfed from office by Jean Charest’s Liberals in 2003.

“This is just one battle tonight – we haven’t lost the fight – tonight is tonight but tomorrow is another day,” Ouellette told supporters after his victory was confirmed.

Acknowledging that the province would now be governed by a minority PQ government, he added, “It’s far from over – follow what’s going to happen – we aren’t off to another election yet. The next few days promise to be very, very interesting.”

Ouellette thanked his wife and children who were all present, while also expressing his thanks to those from the Chomedey Greek and Armenian communities who supported him.

“We have the largest Greek community in Chomedey, and it was very important for me to know that I had the support of the Greek and the Armenian communities,” he said.

Ouellette finished with more than 57 per cent support, compared to the Coalition Avenir Québec’s 19.24 per cent and the PQ’s 16.79 per cent. Ouellette became the Laval Liberals’ senior MNA.

Wins his fourth election

As the polls closed on the night of April 7, 2014 when Ouellette won his fourth term in office, the PLQ won all six seats in the Laval region. Ouellette, who as Laval’s senior Liberal was now chairman of the Laval PLQ caucus, was surrounded by supporters of all ages and varied ethnic backgrounds at his campaign headquarters.

“It took teamwork to win six ridings,” he told supporters. “I thank you all, Greek and Armenian communities, Portuguese, Arabic, French Canadian and many others. We are all Quebecers here.”

Ouellette spoke of the future with confidence. “We had two priorities. The first was to win a majority government. The second was to take all six ridings in Laval. We achieved those two objectives tonight. Going forward, we have confidence in Philippe Couillard. He is an extraordinary guy. I believe in my boss.”

Ouellette wins a fifth term

A feeling of victory filled the air at Ouellette’s Notre Dame Blvd. campaign headquarters on provincial election night Oct. 1, 2018 – even though it also rang hollow.

Although Ouellette himself easily won a fifth term as had been expected, the Quebec Liberal Party’s losses most everywhere else in Quebec were historic in their proportion. After election night, events turned in such a way that Ouellette was no longer a Liberal and would be representing the people of Chomedey as an independent member of the National Assembly.

The PLQ managed to capture four of Laval’s five other ridings, the exception being Fabre where incumbent Liberal Jean Habel was defeated by the Coalition Avenir Québec’s Christopher Skeete.

Only a few days before the election, Ouellette was embroiled in a controversy when Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault maintained that Ouellette had previously leaked confidential information to the CAQ regarding contracts awarded by the Liberal government.

Guy Ouellette is seen here at his campaign headquarters on election night in 2018. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Ouellette had been briefly placed under arrest in October 2017 by UPAC, which was conducting an investigation of leaked documents and information from within its own ranks. At the time, the National Assembly’s speaker issued a statement expressing solidarity with Ouellette and denouncing UPAC’s actions as a threat to the work done by all MNAs.

“Being in politics isn’t always easy,” Ouellette said in an address to his supporters on that election night. “You have to be willing to follow through on your convictions, you have to be up to the same level as your integrity. It’s not everyone who understands this and it’s not everyone who accepts it. But I have never made any compromises in terms of rigour and this integrity to defend the citizens of Chomedey while continuing to serve you.”

Despite the dismal results for the Liberals across the province, Ouellette said, “It won’t change my determination to serve and to serve each and every citizen of Chomedey.

“We didn’t get the results across the province that might have been wished for tonight,” he continued. “But for the citizens of Chomedey, starting tomorrow we’ll be in a position to continue the work we do and that was started by [former MNAs] Mr. Mulcair and Mrs. Bacon and the late Jean-Noël Lavoie.”

Call for candidates for youth theatre mentorship program

Martin C. Barry
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Call for candidates for youth theatre mentorship program

The City of Laval is inviting young playwrights as well as stage producers and directors between the ages of 18 – 35 to submit candidacies for a youth theatre public mentorship program by an April 15 deadline.

The finalist will receive mentorship and guidance in all of the steps necessary for a staged production of a theatrical work created by the winner.

The public will then have the opportunity to attend a staging of the completed production in the summer of 2023 at Laval’s Centre de la Nature, as well as during the summer of 2024 when the production tours parks around Laval.

A rehearsal for a production made possible through the City of Laval’s theatre mentorship program. (Photo : Sandrick Mathurin)

“It is with great pride that the city has been supporting this program since 2010 and that it acts as a major partner in the promotion of emerging creative talents,” says Sainte-Rose city councillor Flavia Alexandra Novac, who is responsible for culture dossiers on city council.

Empowering artists

“Through this support, we are empowering artists on their way to becoming professionals to create a work for young members of the public, while they benefit from professional expertise and artistic support from a team of mentors. This is a helpful push forward for our future performing artist.”

As part of the program, the partner organization, Théâtre Harpagon, will be supervising the mentorship side, as well as the production and staging of the show, in conjunction with the city which will be providing support. The City of Laval also sponsors a mentorship program for creators of theatrical content for pre-school children (2 – 6 years). Some of the theatrical works produced as a result of that program will be touring Laval’s parks over the coming summer.

Laval residents are paying taxes again and again, claims Action Laval

In a statement issued on March 18, Action Laval city councillors Achille Cifelli (Val-des-Arbres) and David De Cotis (Saint-Bruno) said they felt deeply disappointed at Mayor Stéphane Boyer’s apparent determination to find new ways to make Laval’s taxpayers pay even more.

“During a presentation by the municipal administration, Action Laval’s municipal councillors learned to their surprise that the administration had undertaken a restructuring,” they said. “The announced goal was to free up $200 million to allow the city to invest in its infrastructures.”

According to the two councillors, the mayor revealed in a recent interview that he wants to find new sources to be able to come up with this $200 million.

“The taxes on business parking, taxes on new construction and taxes on other sources he may come up with, in the end who will be paying them?” Cifelli asked. “Regardless of the tax implemented, in the end it is the same people who pay them: the citizens. It’s really saying something about somebody’s naiveté to claim that businesses will be making up the cost of these taxes.”

Action Laval says the mayor is planning on increasing the budget 20 per cent in four years, without cutting services or the number of employees. They maintain that to this end, “he wants to use the power of taxation conferred on him by the law which aims to expand municipal autonomy. By following this logic, the conclusion is simple: The citizens will pay 20 per cent more in four years, on top of inflation.” “I think that the mayor and Laval’s residents are not living in the same reality,” said De Cotis. “Does he understand the meaning of what he had said? Is he capable of understanding what it means to find 20 per cent more in the pockets of the residents?”

Refunds possible after door and window dealer’s bankruptcy

Martin C. Barry
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Refunds possible after door and window dealer’s bankruptcy

Atis Portes et Fenêtres did business under several company names

The Quebec Consumer Affairs Office is advising the public that they may be entitled to a refund on claims following the closure of a business which sold doors and windows under several company names and which has now declared bankruptcy.

Atis Portes et Fenêtres (Atis S.E.C.) had a head office located at 2225 des Entreprises Blvd. in Terrebonne. Other company names under which it also did business included Laflamme Portes et Fenêtres, Vimat Portes et Fenêtres, Solarcan (MC), Vitrerie Lévis, Groupe Astral, Groupe Racine, Vitrotec, Fenestration Pro-Tech et Portes and Fenêtres J.M. Ferron.

Declared bankruptcy

As required by Quebec’s consumer protection laws, the company had a permit as an itinerant, or transient, business and had made a sizeable deposit with the consumer protection office as part of the agreement. The office says that following the company’s bankruptcy, the deposit may now be used to indemnify consumers who had claims pending against the company.

Consumers who signed an itinerant sales contract with Atis Portes et Fenêtres and who believe they may have grounds for a claim from the dealer are invited to consult the Quebec Consumer Protection Office’s website, under the link Indemnisation. There they will find documentation needed to make a request for indemnisation.

Special permit needed

According to Quebec’s consumer protection laws, an itinerant or transient business owner is one who tries to conclude or concludes a contract with a consumer, other than at his place of business. As such, business owners of this type must have a special permit from the consumer protection office.

The permit and the deposit the business owner must make are required in order to ensure financial protection to consumers in case the business owner fails to honor the contract, goes bankrupt or closes the business.

#NewsMatters: The National Assembly Report

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

Opposition parties cry foul over government’s plan to maintain discretionary powers over health care during election period

When MNAs returned to the National Assembly last week after a two-week recess, the mood was much different than it was after the return to work after the Christmas holidays.

For the first time in two years, all 125 elected officials were able to sit together in the Blue Room. Businesses are once again open, the vaccine passport is no longer required, mask mandates will soon be lifted and spring is in the air. It almost feels like a return to normal… almost.

COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations have fallen nationally, but countries in Europe and Asia have seen an uptick since the beginning of the month. The World Health Organization has reported an 8 per cent increase in case numbers globally.

Health Minister Christian Dubé explained the uptick in cases overseas is why he has tabled a bill to lift the public health state of emergency but maintain some discretionary powers until the end of the year.

“We need to be ready because the virus is still there,” he told reporters.

Exceptional powers

The government has renewed the state of emergency more than 100 times since it was first declared under the province’s Public Health Act in March 2020. It gives Quebec exceptional powers, notably the ability to sign contracts without the requirement that they first go to tender.

Opposition parties, which have been calling for an end to “governing by decree” for months, say the new bill is just the government’s way of trying to maintain special powers.

The health minister “can basically decide anything he wants, especially during an election period. So that is definitely a benefit to the CAQ, not a benefit to Quebecers,” said Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade.

Dubé staunchly refuted this claim and said he will offer a technical briefing to the opposition parties because, he maintained they do not understand the bill. To reporters, he explained discretionary powers are needed to allow the government to act quickly in the event of a potential sixth wave this fall.

Mass vaccination site

As an example, he said Montreal’s convention centre, the Palais des congrès, is rented until September for use as a mass vaccination site. “We don’t want to end up with no Palais des congrès in the middle of (another wave) of the pandemic, or in the middle of a vaccination period.”

He explained that if the new bill is passed, the government would have the right to extend the rental agreement, but only until the end of the year.

During question period, Premier François Legault explained that the new bill greatly reduces the government’s ability to enact emergency health measures. “Under the health emergency order, the government had the right to put in place a vaccine passport. With the bill that has just been tabled, we can no longer do that. Same thing for curfews. Same thing for school closures. Same thing for all the measures, except one. One remains in place and that’s masks in public transportation.”

Despite the tension between the government and the opposition parties, Dubé continues to seek their collaboration, not just on this bill, but on his upcoming and highly anticipated proposal to “rebuild” the health care system. It has not yet been tabled.

It’s an ambitious venture as only 10 weeks remain in the spring session before parties embark on the campaign trail. Chances are high the plan to overhaul health care will become a major item in the fall election.

Sanctions needed on Russian-owned Canadian real estate

Robert Vairo
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Sanctions needed on Russian-owned Canadian real estate

There are more severe forms of sanctions that could be imposed on Vladimir Putin and his influential billionaire buddies.

Newsfirst Multimedia political columnist Robert Vairo.

The punishment imposed by the US and the rest of the west against some Russians certainly squeezes important people, but as The Guardian points out, sanctions would be more effective by also striking Russia’s much thicker layer of multi-millionaires, said to number over 20 thousand. They include those with upwards of 10 million dollars in assets, most of which are in real estate and other holdings in Canada and the United States. They consist of the “social layer of multimillionaires upon which the regime relies.” There is even advertising in Russian publications “Canada is the best place to invest to form a shell company”- Financial Post. These rich Russians love Canada, a country that almost welcomes laundered money. And tax dodgers, “including Russian oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin, know Canada is weak on financial crime.” A French blogger suggests “a centralised register” of owners of foreign assets, as was proposed in Canada to track Chinese who hide their cash in Canada. Seizing those Russian owned hotels, office and apartment buildings in Laval, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, would place a lot more immediate pressure on Putin.

It was embarassing to hear our Prime Minister tell the foreign press that even though Canada is rich in natural resources and produces the cleanest and most environment-friendly oil and gas in the world, sorry, we can’t help Europe, much less Ukraine in this time of need. But some day we may be able to export hydrogen. Really? Next door there is an American president who is led by the far-left green movement, I dare say socialist group, headed by Senator Bernie Sanders. It defies logic, especially at this time, to see Hollywood types continue their vicious attacks on Canadian natural resources. They are the same gang of hypocritical activists, the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Jane Fonda. This time they have petitioned RBC to stop “supporting and funding genocide.” How can these good actors but apparently not so intelligent people, not understand the definition of the word genocide? Especially at a time when Russia is waging a true genocide of Ukrainians. Do they not recognize that this monster Putin is waging war on Ukrainians, while at the same time holding European countries hostage by supplying, when he wants, pipelines of oil and natural gas? Why not try to shut down their massive American coal industry, the third largest polluter in the world? It is much greater a threat than Canada, that has the most environment conscious energy industry on the globe, with a near complete phase out of coal. In fact, the US is the third largest polluter by maintaining its billowing coal mine smoke stacks. China leads the pack, producing 60% of its energy powered by coal, and India is a close second. Canada produces a mere 1.6% of all carbon gases in the world, and that includes our Oil Sands industry. What environmental benefit is there to keep our resources in the ground and no longer build the infrastructure to get them out of our land-locked quagmire? Particularly when other nations continue to pollute our earth with indiscriminate mining and production of oil and gas? We have allowed these enviro activists to fail our allies, and fail Canadians.

The latest trip to Europe by the PM and the ‘Canadian delegation’ included a group of ministers and their aides, jets, and photographers. It did not amount to much other than photo ops and small talk with some European leaders. There was a $50 million dollar donation to the Ukrainian cause, but as former defence Minister Peter Mackay pointed out recently, there are tons of armaments collecting dust in storage. These were purchased by the previous government for the war in Afghanistan, and could be most useful to Ukrainian forces at this time. More virtuous posturing by our PM who was accused of being the master of not answering questions by the foreign press with examples like “We are taking the matter very seriously and we will continue to take the matter seriously.” Isn’t it time we have an adult leading this country?

Notes

Twenty thousand volunteers have gone to the Ukraine to help fight the Russian butchers, such as this Canadian soldier from the Royal Canadian 22nd Regiment, one of the most feared marksmen in the world. “It’s like a firefighter that hears the alarm”. The sniper goes by the name of “Wali.” The 40-year-old left his wife and baby son (Canadian location undisclosed) packed his bags and went to Ukraine. He served in Afghanistan where he earned his reputation with killer shots, taking out Taliban more than two miles away. Go get ‘em “Wali” and please take care.

Canadians have left to help the homeless of war and the injured, including this Prince George BC nurse, 45-year-old Christy Woods a former firearms officer. Signing the waiver that read “you may be injured or killed,” she wrote, “put me where you need me.”

God bless you Christy.

That’s What I’m Thinking

Robert Vairo

robert@newsfirst.ca

Ottawa says pre-arrival Covid testing for travellers to end on April 1

Martin C. Barry
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Ottawa says pre-arrival Covid testing for travellers to end on April 1

Feds to consider further easing of measures, says Health Minister Duclos

Starting on April 1, the federal government will be eliminating pre-arrival testing for COVID-19 for fully-vaccinated travellers on the last day before their vacations end.

The change in regulations was announced in Ottawa last week by Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, with input from Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra and Minister of Tourism Randy Boissonnault.

Rules enforced until then

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has announced that on April 1 Ottawa is eliminating pre-arrival testing for COVID-19 for fully-vaccinated travellers on the last day before their vacations end.

According to a statement issued on March 17 by the Ministry of Health, effective April 1 at 12:01 am, fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to provide a pre-entry COVID-19 test result to enter Canada by air, land or water.

However, fully vaccinated travellers seeking to arrive in Canada before April 1 must still have a valid pre-entry test. It should also be noted that travellers arriving to Canada from any country, who qualify as fully vaccinated, may need to take a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival if selected for mandatory random testing.

No change for unvaccinated

Travellers selected for mandatory random testing are not required to quarantine while awaiting their test result. For partially or unvaccinated travelers who are currently allowed to travel to Canada, pre-entry testing requirements are not changing.

“Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, decreasing hospitalizations and growing domestic availability of treatments for COVID-19,” Duclos said during a webcast.

“As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, we will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders-and when to adjust those measures-to keep the people in Canada safe,” he added.

Test still required for some

Unless otherwise exempt, all travellers five years of age or older who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted type of pre-entry COVID-19 test result in accordance with the following criteria:

  • A valid, negative antigen test, administered or observed by an accredited lab or testing provider, taken outside of Canada no more than one day before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or
  • A valid negative molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or
  • A previous positive molecular test taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry. The government pointed out that positive antigen test results will not be accepted.

Cautious and calibrated

All travellers five years of age or older who don’t qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted type of pre-entry COVID-19 test

All travellers continue to be required to submit their mandatory information in ArriveCAN (the free mobile app or through the website) before their arrival in Canada. Regardless of their vaccination status, travellers who arrive without completing their ArriveCAN submission may have to test on arrival and quarantine for 14 days. Travellers taking a cruise or a plane must submit their information in ArriveCAN within 72 hours before boarding.

“Decreasing COVID-19 case counts, coupled with Canada’s high vaccination rates and strict vaccination requirements for travel, have set the stage for the next steps in our government’s cautious and calibrated approach to safely easing the measures at our border,” said Transport Minister Alghabra.

System recovering

“Lifting the pre-entry testing requirements for travellers to Canada will make it easier for Canadians to safely take advantage of emerging opportunities for personal and business travel, as Canada’s transportation system recovers from the pandemic,” he stated.

Minister of Tourism Boissonnault said that after a challenging two years, virtually all participants in the Canadian economy, including the tourism sector, are looking for a rebound and renewed growth. “We in government have been listening to the concerns of tourism businesses across the country,” he said.

“We are confident that, thanks to all that Canadians have done to protect one another, we can now take the next step forward and remove testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada. The economy, workers and tourism business owners will benefit from this next step in opening Canada up once again to the world.”

Quebec bets on automation to help boost productivity at MEP Technologies

Martin C. Barry
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Quebec bets on automation to help boost productivity at MEP Technologies

But company’s CEO won’t necessarily count on China, should global war disrupt sourcing

Regardless of the current state of the world and the looming prospect of a global war disrupting key supply chains to major nations like China, Laval-based MEP Technologies’ CEO Armand Afilalo says that come what may, he knows already what he might need to do to find alternative sources of materials.

On the MEP website, the company says that in order to meet customers’ needs, they offer both domestic and offshore capabilities with an international outsourcing program.

Sources in Far East

As such, MEP has developed strategic partnerships with Far East manufacturers to source components and assemblies in China. Still, Afilalo suggested last week that in business, few things are written in stone when it comes to competing in an increasingly challenging economic environment.

Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete (far left) is seen here with MEP Technologies CEO Armand Afilalo (centre), and with officials from Investissement Québec and the company. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

“I wasn’t born yesterday,” he said during a press conference organized by Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete to announce a $1.3 million package of loans by Quebec to help finance MEP’s $1.65 million plan to upgrade automation at its production plant, while creating 30 jobs simultaneously.

Disrupted global trade

The month-long war between Russia and Ukraine has been on a lot of business owners’ minds lately, especially as China has taken an ambiguous stance, refusing to condemn Russia’s actions, while contributing to fears the conflict could escalate into a global confrontation that could interrupt the normal channels of commerce.

‘My wish is for this team to have continuing growth thanks to this investment which is focused on innovation and automation,’ says Skeete

“I have never wanted to depend on anything,” said Afilalo, suggesting he always likes to be ready for any eventuality. While noting that the company has benefited greatly from being able to source materials relatively cheaply in China, he added, “If we have to move, it’s easy for us to do what we’re doing there over here.”

Electromechanical integration

MEP Technologies is considered to be an important player in the metal manufacturing and electromechanical integration industry in Quebec, in Canada and elsewhere in the world. At its facilities on Peugeot St. in Laval’s industrial park, MEP’s team of specialized engineers and project management experts serve a client list that includes many from the high technology and medical sectors.

“Firmly rooted for more than 60 years in the riding of Sainte-Rose, MEP Technologies is a major contributor to the vitality of the regional economy, as well as a contributor to the growing expertise of our manufacturing sector,” said Skeete.

Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete said MEP Technologies “is a major contributor” to the vitality of Laval’s regional economy. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Continued growth, says Skeete

“So, my wish is for this team to have continuing growth thanks to this investment which is focused on innovation and automation. Allow me to say just how much I am proud to have you in my riding, how proud we are to have you in Laval and how proud we are to have you in Quebec. Thank you for choosing Quebec, please continue to choose Quebec, but mostly keep up the good work which is important.”

Founded in 1960, the company has cultivated a special niche in the manufacturing and assembling of sometimes complex electro-mechanical machinery, which are also favoured by players in the fields of communications and semi-conductor production. Besides its facility in Laval, MEP has three other highly-automated plants.

MEP’s specialized expertise

“While pursuing its digital transformation and emphasizing the automation of its equipment, MEP Technologies is giving itself the means to increase its production capacity in order to be able to answer the growing demand for its specialized expertise,” Guy Leblanc, CEO of Investissement Québec which helped facilitate the loans, said in a statement.

“Our team based in Laval has all the tools to answer to the needs of entrepreneurs who, like Mr. Afilalo, would like to encourage their growth while staying competitive.”

Laval News Volume 30-11

Laval News Staff
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Laval News Volume 30-11

The current issue of the Laval News, volume 30-11, published on March 23rd, 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, March 23rd, 2022 issue.

SQ seizes $1 million in drugs after A-13 seat belt stop

Martin C. Barry
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SQ seizes $1 million in drugs after A-13 seat belt stop

A 27-year-old man who was stopped by police while driving along Autoroute 13 last week because he was not wearing his seat belt ended up being arrested when more than $1 million worth of street drugs were found in his rented Toyota Camry.

The driver, identified as Brandon Iannelli, was stopped by an officer in an SQ patrol car who had set out initially to give him a ticket for not wearing the seat belt.

However, things took a turn for the worse when Iannelli identified himself to the officer, using the name of his brother, because his driver’s license had been suspended.

After doing a radio check, the SQ officer began to suspect something wasn’t right, and so called for backup so that Iannelli could be safely arrested as an identity theft suspect.

A short time later, as Iannelli’s vehicle was being searched, SQ officers uncovered a large stash of dope, consisting of 200,000 tablets of methamphetamine, a kilo of crack and 200 grams of contraband cannabis.

As well, they found more than $13,000 in cash, and a set of brass knuckles, which are classified as a prohibited weapon in Canada with possession being a criminal offence.

The $1 million-plus estimated value of the seized drugs is based on a value of $5 per tablet for the methamphetamines, while a kilo of crack is worth approximately $15,000 on the street.

Iannelli was arraigned in court last week through a video link-up to the Palais de Justice in Laval. He faces charges of identify theft, trafficking in narcotics, possession of property obtained by criminal means, and possession of a prohibited weapon.

He was expected back in court for a preliminary inquiry and a bail hearing. According to the Journal de Montréal, this was not Brandon Iannelli’s first encounter with the law.

The Montreal daily says he has previously been charged with identity theft, interfering with police, drug possession and breaking court-imposed bail conditions.

The Francophone tabloid also maintains he is well-known to law enforcement officials as a drug dealer who has links to organized crime.

Recent Laval Fire Dept. calls:

9:50 PM · Mar 4

(Photos: Courtesy of Association des Pompiers de Laval)

Major accident on Autoroute 19 in Laval’s Auteuil sector. The A-19 was closed between Saint-Saëns St. East and Dagenais Blvd. East, South and North. Emergency services were called in.

Some recent LFD staff promotions:

Promotion to the post of investigative inspector in the LFD’s Prevention Division. The Association des pompiers de Laval recently congratulated Fanny Pelletier who has been promoted to this post as of March 7.

Fanny Pelletier
Charles Gauthier

Promotion to the rank of Lieutenant-inspector in the LFD’s Prevention Division. The Association des pompiers de Laval also recently congratulated Charles Gauthier who has been promoted to this post as of March 7. The Laval News joins the APL in congratulating these two employees following their promotions.

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