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Laval’s Liberal MPs were split over Bloc’s ‘Quebec Nation’ motion

Martin C. Barry
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Laval’s Liberal MPs were split over Bloc’s ‘Quebec Nation’ motion

While El-Khoury and Robillard voted in favour, Iacono and Koutrakis abstained

In the House of Commons in Ottawa on June 16, following the tabling of a Bloc Québécois motion on the Quebec government’s Bill 96 declaring Quebec a French-speaking nation, the Laval region’s four Liberal MPs were split in how they voted.

While two voted in favour and were among the 281 MPs from all parties supporting the motion of approval for Bill 96, two other Members of Parliament from Laval were among the 29 Liberal MPs from Quebec who chose to abstain.

Curious voting pattern

Although many political analysts didn’t fully understand the rationale for the voting pattern more than a week later, electoral considerations in Quebec where there are large numbers of anglophone voters in some ridings have been suggested as the underlying reason, since voters could be heading to the polls by this fall.

The motion tabled by the Bloc Québécois, Amendment to Section 45 of the Constitution and Quebec, a French-speaking Nation, was as follows:

“That the House agree that Section 45 of the Constitution Act, 1982, grants Quebec and the provinces exclusive jurisdiction to amend their respective constitutions and acknowledge the will of Quebec to enshrine in its constitution that Quebecers form a nation, that French is the only official language of Quebec and that it is also the common language of the Quebec nation.”

What the Bloc said

If there remains any doubt as to the Bloc Québécois’s ultimate overall intentions, here are some of Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet’s own words.

“Although it has been 30 years since the Bloc Québécois was created, there are still people in the nation next door who think they need to rewrite their own laws to enshrine French, and only French, as Quebec’s official language,” he said. “This is because, 30 years later, there is still that much to be done, not to mention gaining independence.”

The Laval News invited the region’s four Liberal MPs to explain why they voted as they did or abstained from voting. By our deadline last Sunday, only Alfred-Pellan MP Angelo Iacono (who abstained) had responded.

Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis (who also abstained) did not respond to our invitation. Laval-Les Îles MP Fayçal El-Khoury and Marc-Aurèle-Fortin MP Yves Robillard (both of whom voted in favour) also did not respond.

Why Iacono abstained

Here is what Alfred-Pellan MP Angelo Iacono said about his decision. “I firmly believe that all of Canada should be bilingual,” he said.

“I firmly believe that the French language is a must in Quebec. It is a nation and all that.” Iacono said he feared that with Quebec now poised to declare itself unilingually-French, the other provinces are liable to do the same – but with the English language.

“There could be a reverse reaction,” said Iacono. “This is why I opted to abstain. Also, I had many constituents calling me up with their concerns.”

Laval News Volume 29-20

Costa Hovris
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Laval News Volume 29-20

The current issue of the Laval News volume 29-20 published June 30th, 2021.
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.
https://lavalnews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/TLN-29-20-WEB.pdfFront page of the Laval News, June 30th, 2021 issue.

CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée was unprepared for COVID-19, witnesses tell inquiry

Laval News Contributor
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CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée was unprepared for COVID-19, witnesses tell inquiry

Long-term care facility had the highest death toll, with 100 fatalities during first wave

CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée, the Quebec long-term care home most impacted by COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic last year, was missing senior staff, most of whom had come down with the virus, a Quebec coroner’s inquest into the situation at the CHSLD heard while receiving testimony last week.

Death toll: 100

Christian Gagné, CEO of the CISSS de Laval, confirmed to the inquiry that a death toll of 100 made CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée the worst-hit long term care home in the province.

Gagné said a lack of managers during the crisis made the situation worse, even though replacement staff was found to make up for workers who fell sick or quit.

He said that before the pandemic hit in March last year, the residence was down nearly a quarter of its usual staff, and that eventually nearly two-thirds were missing because they were sick.

Testing difficult

Testing for COVID-19 was difficult at the beginning. “Initially, there was only the national laboratory in Winnipeg that could confirm a case,” said Dr. Jean-Pierre Trépanier, the public health director for the Laval region. Although a few more labs eventually began analyzing tests, the delay for results was several days.

On April 3 last year, CISSS de Laval took the step of having all residents at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée tested for Covid, which revealed the extent of the outbreak, although there was little that could be done, said Dr. Trépanier.

Asymptomatic spread

On March 25 last year, the first patient with COVID-19 at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée was confirmed, and within a week of that date the virus had spread asymptomatically to many others, which was a little-known phenomenon during that early stage of the pandemic. Dr. Trépanier said there were almost no health ministry guidelines then on how to react in such a crisis.

Also during last week’s hearings, Dr. Trépanier said CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée was in the midst of a vast program to digitize medical records which were on paper. He said the digitization process taking place at the same time as the onset of the pandemic made the crisis all the more difficult to deal with.

A mistaken assumption

Apart from the 100 fatalities from Covid, a total of 211 residents became infected at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée, while 173 staff tested positive for the coronavirus. According to Trépanier, the long-term care residence’s pandemic response plan hadn’t been updated since 2006.

He said the fact the provincial government had mistakenly assumed that hospitals, rather than long-term care homes, would be the epicentre of infections worsened the situation at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée.

Trépanier said his team realized at one point in March and April last year that they would need a lot more personal protective equipment (PPE) to deal with the rapid spread of infections, but there was an acute shortage of these.

The provincial government had mistakenly assumed that hospitals, rather than long-term care homes, would be the epicentre of the pandemic

He said management and staff at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée were unprepared for what happened because information from higher public health authorities was sketchy and the nature of COVID-19 was mostly unknown at the beginning of the pandemic.

LPD investigated deaths

Also last week, Sgt.-Det. Jules Briand of the Laval Police Department testified about an investigation he undertook in October last year into the 100 Covid deaths during the first wave at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée.

Among the issues he uncovered were a lack of staff and equipment, and improvised measures made necessary because there were few resources.

He said he also found that the CHSLD had hired staff who were not regulars, and that as a result infection was allowed to spread indiscriminately.

However, he and fellow investigators concluded that no criminal charges were warranted because of the overwhelming circumstances.

Mafia murder trial hears about arms cache near Autoroute 13

Martin C. Barry
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Mafia murder trial hears about arms cache near Autoroute 13

According to testimony presented during the ongoing first-degree murder and conspiracy trial in Montreal of a man and woman accused of acting as a “cleanup” team for the mafia following a murder in the Montérégie, a massive cache of weapons was discovered in 2016 in a warehouse in Laval located on the edge of Autoroute 13.

A raid was conducted by the Sûreté du Québec on the warehouse over a period of two days, an SQ officer testified at the trial of Marie-Josée Viau and Guy Dion at the Gouin Blvd. courthouse which is often used for gangsterism-related cases.

The officer said the cache included pump-action rifles, sawed-off or not, as well as automatic and semi-automatic rifles, silencers, sighting scopes and 200 boxes of munitions of various caliber.

While the exact purpose of the raid wasn’t explained to the jury, it was understood to be related to the murder of brothers Vincenzo and Giussepe Falduto in June 2016 at the rural residence of the accused in Saint-Jude near Saint-Hyacinthe.

The prosecution in the case contended that the two brothers were tricked into turning up at the couple’s property by a hired mafia killer in order to slay them in the garage. According to the allegations, Viau and Dion were instructed to keep a watch while the murder was being carried out, after which they were responsible for burning the bodies in a fire set up outdoors.

The crown contends that the couple dumped the ashes into a river, as well as a firearm used for the murder and the victims’ vehicle. According to the testimony, police investigators were in the dark as to the identity of the suspect for three years, that is until he gave himself up and confessed.

This in turn led police to execute a search warrant at the home of the Dion and Viau in 2019, which was a month after the arms cache was discovered. In as much as a search for the remains of the victims was fruitless, the investigators did manage to come up with a handwritten list of weapons and other materials.

The list included the name of a type of firearm that is rarely seen, which also turned out to be among the weapons seized at the Laval warehouse near Autoroute 13. However, the investigators weren’t able to determine whether one of the seized firearms was used to kill the Falduto brothers. An expert is expected to testify at the ongoing trial.

According to testimony also presented during the trial, the day the SQ raided the farm property in Saint Jude in October 2019 saw a large convoy of police vehicles turning up at the suspects’ home to arrest them, to conduct forensic investigation at the site and to extensively photograph the area.

The man who actually killed the brothers decided to become an informant in 2019 and provided police with details on how he killed the brothers. The prosecutor said the informant told investigators that Dion and Viau helped by incinerating the bodies on their property and by dumping the ashes in a small river that runs across Salvail St. S. in front of their home. The jury was also told that wood and gasoline were used to burn the bodies.

Two drivers suffer injuries in three-car collision on A-440

A three-vehicle collision on Autoroute 440 near the intersection with Autoroute 15 around 1 pm on June 18 illustrated why the intersection is still regarded as one of the most dangerous in Quebec, even though the transport ministry is working on a permanent solution.

While the exact cause of the accident isn’t known, two of the drivers suffered minor injuries that were serious enough to warrant being transported to hospital by Urgences-Santé.

A detachment of 13 Laval Fire Department firefighters responded to the scene to rescue one of the drivers who was trapped inside a vehicle.

Another driver managed to get out of her vehicle without assistance, but was immediately taken under care by ambulance attendants. The third driver wasn’t seriously injured and did not require intense attention from paramedics.

Vermin infestation in two Chomedey homes remains unabated

Renata Isopo
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Vermin infestation in two Chomedey homes remains unabated

Colony of rats refuses to abandon a couple of sinking ships

After exactly one year (June 23, 2020-2021) of infestation, conditions have worsened for rat spawning in Vicki Zannis’s home in Chomedey, now also crawling with cockroaches Throughout the breeding season, a single female can give birth to up to 500 rodents. “Why isn’t anyone taking this seriously? Being for a year is a big setback,” Zannis complains, adding that the rat infestation has cost her $5000 in legal fees have, so far.

Mrs. Zannis says there’s no way to catch the numerous rats in her property. “We have traps inside, and put bait outside,” she explains. “But that only covers part of the mice there.”

“In bed at night you can hear them running around the room. You hear the sounds as they walk on pillows, affecting people’s sleep, threatening nervous breakdowns. They eat food from kitchen shelves, their stools proliferate everywhere.

Traps kill mice, but residents still have to deal with the stench. “There’s the smell of live mice, but there are also rotting smells. It’s just horrible. It’s consuming me.

Normally, one would think that if you have problems with rats or mice coming from someone else’s property, the local authority (City Hall) would take action using its power and authority.

Intervention needed

“Surely, the city has legal powers to deal with infestations in homes like mine, vermin invasions coming from neighbouring houses. For example, where an infestation is harmful to your health or is a nuisance, it becomes a statutory nuisance. Where there’s a statutory nuisance, the local authority may be able to force the neighbor/landlord to deal with the problem.” This hasn’t happened; I haven’t received any assistance or any follow-up calls after my numerous pleas for help,” Zannis told The Laval News.

According to Mrs. Zannis, her neighbor Mrs. Verna Peters has been trying to clean up her home but hasn’t been getting any responses from City Hall since it was condemned from entry. The Curator must help Peters come back to a clean environment but that’s not happening. Worse, Mrs. Zannis’s legal firm Bertrand Laurent Larouche has not received any replies from City Hall.

Why hasn’t the Nuisance Law been applied in Zannis’s case?

Although difficult to navigate, Québec’s Law of Nuisance can be easily invoked, each case is judged on its own merits. Basic guiding principles, as found in current Québec and Canada law, can be used to illuminate the way for others. Private nuisance would apply to this case, according to definition.

“If the infestation is a risk to health or safety, it could be deemed hazardous under the Nuisance Law. Local authorities have obligations and powers to take action to deal with properties that have certain hazards. Why hasn’t this happened? Why have I been abandoned?” Zannis stated in despair.

No debate at city council

At the May 2021 Laval City Council meeting, Vimont councillor Michel Poissant, brought the Zannis-Peters humanitarian, vermin problem up during Business Arising period, but no debate was deemed permissible, with no comment or reaction ensuing. “It’s under the carpet at City Hall,” Mr. Poissant, who has taken quite an extensive and active role in attempting to help resolve the crisis, told TLN.

The Curator Public is managing Mrs. Peters’ assets. “I don’t know where that file is now,” Mr. Poissant admitted. He questions if the Curator has full power of attorney and, unfortunately, why no one is raising a red flag. City Hall will use the excuse that it’s out of their hands.”

Reaction from the opposition

David de Cotis, City Councillor for SaintBruno, stated in a phone interview that this situation is ludicrous even though it has become a civil case. He is surprised and concerned that knowing of the situation, He voiced, to The Laval News, (TLN) his disappointment that the Private Nuisance/Québec Nuisance Law hasn’t been applied. “I hold the mayor and his team responsible. There’s no aid, no direction – just creating more anxiety and stress while millions are spent on all sorts of consultation.This a matter of respect on humanitarian grounds. You can’t just close your eyes and pretend it doesn’t exist”, councillor De Cotis concluded.

Aglaia Revelakis, City Councillor for Chomedey District, in which Mrs. Zannis resides, contacted TLN to “clarify” that the City confirmed to her that they can’t do anything and that the issue has nothing to do with them. It’s between the neighbours, and it’s up to the Curator to resolve the issue. Mrs. Revelakis was asked if the Law of Nuisance was considered in this case. Apparently taken by surprise, the councillor responded, “NO”. Saying that she was appalled, she affirmed that the law should have been used to intervene to resolve this case. She expressed vexation, and was adamant about immediately contacting City Hall to discuss the lack of application of the Nuisance Law which makes good sense. “Why not use this law to protect people instead of causing agony?

Interim Mayor Response

On Friday June 18, our paper received the following response from Stéphane Boyer, Deputy Mayor and Vice-President of the Executive Committee.

“I can confirm that city officials are aware of the private conflict between these two neighbours over the presence of field mice in the building they share. This is indeed a particularly sad situation, but it is not the municipal administration that can help at this stage, as this is a private dispute.

We have carried out diligent checks in relation to your questions on the Nuisance Act. Unfortunately, the Legal Service confirms to us that there are no articles or levers that would allow the municipal ad-ministration to act.

In addition, the City of Laval cannot override a Quebec institution (the Curateur public du Québec). Obviously, Mayor Demers and the members of his administration are not above the law, even if this situation is regrettable. For the time being, the situation is therefore in the hands of the Curateur pub-lic du Québec.

This is a damning situation. It is certain that no one – no one – wants to live in such conditions. I am assured that all city employees have gone to the end of what they could do and that the situation is in the hands of the Curateur public, an authority of the Government of Quebec. While waiting for their return, the City’s hands are tied.”

Late-breaking solution surfaces

On a positive front of mixed blessings, although TLN’s calls to the Public Curator, Sophie Comtois, received no response, Mrs. Comtois did communicate directly with Mrs. Zannis and her lawyer via email, informing them that Mrs. Peters’ home and that of her son will be decluttered and cleaned shortly, but with no specific timeline. Rodent treatment was completed in March; a request for a follow-up for rodents has been made. The premises will also be inspected for cockroaches and other pest infestations. In the meantime, Mrs. Zannis still has to keep company with crawling scurrying rodents in her own house, as the problem persists, in the likelihood that the Peters home is not yet clear of its rodents. Mrs. Zannis told TLN that she’s feeling positive as a result of the email and the numerous follow-up calls resulting from two reports published by The Laval News in recent months.

Laval businesses win at provincial level Défi OSEntreprendre

Laval News Contributor
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Laval businesses win at provincial level Défi OSEntreprendre

Businesses based in the City of Laval did well at the 23rd annual Gala des Grands Prix Desjardins hosted by Défi OSEntreprendre on June 9. Of the 2,000 entries in the entrepreneurial competition, two businesses from Laval stood out.

Ana-Maria Avram Dumaresq of AMAD.

Ana-Maria Avram Dumaresq, of AMAD, a consultancy in global payments, won first place in the Services to Businesses category. And Kym Bélisle, of Centre Physi-K, took second place in the Services to Individuals category.

“I congratulate all the participants, and especially our entrepreneurs from Laval who were able to carve themselves a spot in the finale of the Défi OSEntreprendre,” said Laval’s deputy mayor and executive-committee vice-president Stéphane Boyer.

Kym Bélisle, of Centre Physi-K.

Boyer is impressed

“Not only were these women able to start their businesses during an especially challenging year, but they also deserve to be remembered for placing in two categories that have proven to be popular year after year. We can certainly draw inspiration from their daring and their audacity in continuing to surpass us while innovating on our territory.”

‘We can certainly draw inspiration from their daring and their audacity in continuing to surpass us while innovating on our territory,’ Deputy Mayor Stéphane Boyer said of the two winners

The Défi OSEntreprendre is a Quebec-based entrepreneurial movement that encourages thousands of participating entrepreneurs through its annual awards and its initiatives to stimulate the creation of new businesses.

The movement is present on a local, regional and provincial scale. More than 350 people are directly involved with Défi OSEntreprendre in 17 regions across the province.

Laval executive-committee awards subsidies to local non-profit groups

Martin C. Barry
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Laval executive-committee awards subsidies to local non-profit groups

During meetings held by the City of Laval’s executive-committee on June 9 and June 16, the members made decisions to award subsidies to three non-profit Laval organizations, while at the same time hiring a public works contractor to create a special multipurpose roadway near the Marina Venise in Sainte-Rose to be used by public safety crews during emergencies if needed.

Subsidies to groups

The executive-committee members voted to award $15,000 in subsidies to three Laval non-profits: The Fondation Droit au talent, the Société Alzheimer Laval and the Fondation Maxime-Letendre. The sums will be used by each of the groups to help organize promotional events.

The executive-committee says that sums raised by the Fondation Droit au talent through virtual concert, Segments de l’espoir, will be used to purchase new musical instruments or to pay for specialized teaching time for the students.

Promotional events

Funds raised during the Société Alzheimer Laval’s virtual Marche pour l’Alzheimer, which was in virtual mode, will help furnish respite services to give a break to caregivers from time to time. And funds raised by the Fondation Maxime-Letendre’s Marche de Laval de chez toi, also in virtual mode, will help bring assistance to persons afflicted by cancer and who are receiving treatment at the Centre intégré de cancérologie de Laval.

The executive-committee says the future pathway, to be located between Saint Paul St. and des Terrasses Ave. north of the Canadian Pacific rail line, will become indispensable for residents who live in the Marina Venise sector.

Emergency pathway

According to the committee, the pathway will be equipped with a comprehensive lighting system and will serve as an emergency link for ambulances and firefighters in the event there is a rail accident or a level crossing incident in the area of Jacques Cartier and de Venise streets.

The committee says the route will be an additional measure of safety for local residents, who would otherwise find themselves enclaved during an emergency intervention without it. The executive-committee approved a disbursement of $823,000 to the firm Lavallée & Frères to carry out the work to create the special route.

Executive-committee members The City of Laval’s executive-committee meets each week to make decisions on a variety of issues.

The executive-committee includes the following people: Mayor Marc Demers, vice-president Stéphane Boyer (also councillor for Duvernay–Pont-Viau) councillors Sandra Desmeules (Concorde–Bois-de-Boulogne), Ray Khalil (Sainte-Dorothée), Virginie Dufour (Sainte-Rose) and associate members Nicholas Borne (Laval-les-Îles) and Aline Dib (Saint-Martin).

Laval’s public libraries offer ‘virtual’ programs this summer

From June 28 to Sept. 5, the City of Laval’s public library system will be hosting more than 30 online activities over YouTube and Zoom (subscription required) as part of the library’s summer program of activities.

The program is set to include original content produced by talented performing artists and musicians, as well as interesting topic presenters.

Lots to do this summer

In one category, “Vivre” [‘Living’], the programming includes an up-close encounter with author and rapper Biz, conferences on literary topics, reading clubs, a special meeting on sports and fitness with former Olympic diver Sylvia Bernier, and a presentation on outdoor and forest walking trails.

Retired Olympic diver Sylvie Bernier is among the celebrities scheduled to give “virtual” online presentations this summer as part of the Laval public library system’s summer activities.

Another segment on “Techno” is aimed at 7 to 12-year-olds and includes workshops on topics such as light, electricity, video games and computer coding. In a “Youth” theme, the libraries are inviting children to view video capsules dealing with literary works for kids read out aloud.

TD Summer Reading

Summer is also the time for kids 12 of age and less to take part in the TD Summer Reading Club, which has proven to be an enormous success at Laval’s public libraries in past years.

All you need to do is register at a local library branch and pick up a kit. There’s also a digital version for live online participation.

The city’s libraries recently won a municipal services award for its efforts to deploy new programming in an entirely “virtual” form.

The Plume d’or was awarded during the annual Plumes d’excellence de l’Association des communicateurs municipaux du Québec (ACMQ). Information on these and other programs is available at the City of Laval public libraries website: https://biblio.laval.ca/

Laval has forgotten small businesses, says Notre Dame Blvd. children’s wear retailer

Martin C. Barry
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Laval has forgotten small businesses, says Notre Dame Blvd. children’s wear retailer

Repeated excavation of street is destroying us, says owner of Oneiro II boutique

Does the City of Laval care as much for the small store and business owners, who make up a significant portion of the tax base in the municipality, as it does for the big commercial players who do business in the city?

That’s a question Notre Dame Blvd. store owner Jane Moraitis is asking herself, after the city went and tore up her stretch of street several times in recent years, blocking customers’ access to the parking area of her children’s and baby wear boutique.

Failing small businesses

Moraitis is not alone in her assertion that by repeatedly disrupting traffic flow through long and protracted street repairs and upgrades, the city fails to live up to its responsibilities towards small businesses. The Laval News has found in its news files at least two similar instances.

Moraitis’s story goes like this. One recent morning, when the whole area west of 80th Ave. and Notre Dame was completely blocked off to local businesses, she says she saw a huge public works truck parked in front of her boutique blocking the entire parking.

Not again…

“They had dug up the sewers again,” she said, “which had already been repaired twice last year and, once more, no one had access to our business from any direction. Our customers being pregnant, with newborn, young children, or all of the above, had to walk to our boutique in order to pick up or place their orders for their baptisms or other events.”

After asking one of the workers politely if they could at least move their truck a bit, she says he started yelling that Notre-Dame was completely blocked, pointing towards the Val-Martin project. Either way, he said, no one could enter.

“The Val-Martin project being so far away from our business, I asked why the side streets were also blocked,” she said. “He then started getting aggravated, repeating that the whole area is blocked and started swearing in all the French words he could think of. To which, I objected strongly.”

‘Got out of hand’

Moraitis said that as nothing could stop the worker, he continued yelling obscenities, while saying she should leave him alone to do his job. “It got out of hand and, when I asked him why they are fixing the sewers here again, when it was already dug up twice in the last two years,” she said, adding that he yelled back that it was a 40-year-old problem under the street, as he continued to swear and curse.

“As the worker yelled and cursed at me, confirming that the whole area is blocked completely and customers will have no access to our businesses anyway,” she continued, “it didn’t help our frustration when, after a few minutes of seeing that we’re taking pictures, they moved their truck and finally freed 80th Ave., giving access to our customers.”

City’s ‘big projects’

Moraitis maintains that had it not been for the huge projects of Val-Martin and now the Récréathèque, “no one at the city would have given us the time of day,” she said.

“They went and blocked the whole area. They should have planned a bit better considering the businesses that are in the area. For example, they could have left open 80th Ave. and the side-streets, which would not affect their project at all. There’s no planning for us businesses. It’s like they don’t care about us.”

‘They should have planned a bit better considering the businesses that are in the area’

Moraitis’s story isn’t at all new. As reported by the Laval News in its June 28, 2017 issue, Christine Stergiou, who operates the Eggsquis breakfast restaurant on Daniel Johnson Blvd, had already been waiting at least two years for the City of Laval to complete road work along a stretch between Saint Martin and Souvenir boulevards.

Businesses forgotten, owners said

She and other merchants, including a number of restaurant owners, were waiting for the City of Laval to complete an extensive program of expansion and enhancements along their stretch of Daniel Johnson Blvd. between Saint Martin and Souvenir boulevards.

Several other Daniel Johnson Blvd. business owners came forth with similar complaints – including a 30 per cent drop in customer traffic that some blamed on the city’s slowness – as well as its seeming disregard for the well-being of Laval’s small and medium-size businesses.

Montreal Canadiens on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup

George Guzmas
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Montreal Canadiens on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup

Many Montréal Canadiens fans – including me – believe that what the team has experienced this year has a lot in common with the years of 1986 and 1993, when unexpectedly Montreal won the Stanley Cup to the surprise of many.  In both Stanley Cups, the Canadiens, other than their will to win the Cup, were able to depend on their goalie Patrick Roy. This would not have been the first time that the Montreal team won The Stanley Cup due to the acrobatics of their goalie.

DRYDEN: THE YOUNG GOALIE WITH 6 CUPS

I think most fans remember the cups won by the young goalkeeper Ken Dryden. on March20, 1971, Dryden replaced injured veteran goalie Rogie Vachon. He played so well that he clinched the spot from Vachon as Montreal’s starting goaltender for the playoffs.  That year the rookie Dryden astonished the fans, his coach, his teammates and his opponents with his stellar performance and amazing stops, helping the Habs to win the 1971 Stanley Cup. In addition to being the best goalie and most indispensable player on the team, Dryden added five other Stanley Cups to his career in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979.

THE CUP OF 1986

May 24, 1986, 35 years ago, coached by Jean Perron, the Canadiens won their 23rd Stanley Cup.

However, during the 1985-1986 season nothing was hinting that Montreal had any chance to win the cup. To the surprise of all before the beginning of that season, Jacques Lemaire announced his resignation. He believed that his right-hand man, assistant coach Jean Perron, could succeed him. That trust was not felt by everyone; the sportswriters of the time, through their articles, questioned Perron’s ability to lead behind the bench.

At the same time the team’s veterans, like Bob Gainey and Larry Robinson, were slow to accept him, and some players even asked for his replacement – a few weeks before the playoffs began.

The Canadiens’ start to the season was disastrous and the very large number of rookies on the team, numbering eight, had difficulties.

Young and experienced players formed two camps. This was known throughout the group. Details of that season were mentioned occasionally in interviews by veteran player Mario Tremblay such as the frantic music the young players played in the locker room “breaking the nerves” of the rest of the players.

Fortunately, though, the team enjoyed the successes of forwards Mats Naslund, Kjell Dahlin and Bobby Smith who have were having a wonderful season.

However, around mid-March 1986, the group experienced its worst period.

There were six games left to end the regular season when rookie Claude Lemieux was called up from the minor team of the American Hockey League. “I was then given the opportunity to prove myself worthy,” the retired Lemieux said recently in a radio interview.

That same season, team goalie Steve Penney was injured. Then coach Jean Perron decided to give the net to 20-year-old rookie Patrick Roy as did his predecessor in 1971 trusting Ken Dryden in nets.

Even though many – especially the sportswriters – were against making Roy the starting goalie, Perron’s decision was wise. Suddenly the atmosphere changed drastically among players – veterans and the twelve youngsters. Bonding together and leaving their differences aside, they played the hardest to accumulate wins. With the net minding of rookie Roy, they managed to participate in the playoffs with only 87 points.

During the playoffs, chemistry developed, where veterans and young players left their differences to reach the top and win the playoffs.

Averaging in GA 1.93 in the 1986 playoffs, Roy fully deserved the Conn Smythe Trophy as the team’s most valuable player for his team, like his predecessor Ken Dryden in 1971. Patrick Roy also won the Stanley Cup, as well as Conn Smythe in 1993 with the Montreal team and in 1996 and 2001 with the Colorado team.

THE 1993 CUP: JUNE 9, 1993

In 1993, the Montreal Canadiens were again the last team the experts would see as Stanley Cup winners.

But then towards the end of that season things changed. They played very hard to participate once again in the playoffs. Still hockey writers believed that they would lose in the first round. To everyone’s surprise, they continued to fight hard, winning 11 consecutive games. They defeated the Quebec Nordiques, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders and Los Angeles Kings to win the cup on June 9, 1993.

Ten of the 11 victories included an unprecedented 10-win record wind in overtime – where Patrick Roy prevailed once again thanks to his perseverance, agility and amazing saves.

MANY SIMILARITIES THIS YEAR

They are many similarities this year with the years – 1986 and 1993 – when Montreal won the cup. Like 1986, team coach Dominique Ducharme was assistant to coach Claude Julien as Perron was Lemaire’s assistant. Lemaire resigned. Julien when the other one was fired on February 24, 2021. The Canadiens as then, managed to make it in the playoffs round. Again, the odds were against them and all believed they would be losing the first round facing a much stronger team; Toronto Maple Leafs. On the contrary they managed to beat Toronto three games in a row, while losing in the first four games three games to one. In the second round they annihilated the opposing Jets team with four straight wins to face in the third round – the semifinals, the Golden Knights of Las Vegas.

This year’s team is reminiscent of the’86 team where rookies played with experienced veterans, who had won many Stanley cups for their former teams. The young players want to prove they deserve the trust of their coach and management to play, and the veterans want to prove to their former teams that their experience and perseverance plays an important role in a team that believes in them to help them win the cup.

We witnessed that last Wednesday night 16/6 in Montreal’s 3-2 victory over Las Vegas, where the return of defensive player Jeff Petry played an important role even though he played with two broken fingers and both eyes inflamed! The harmony between the recruits and the veterans brought results. One such example was the pass given by veteran Petry to the young Caufield, who bluffed that he was going to shoot and instead passed the puck to veteran Tyler Toffoli who scored Montreal’s second goal. The other major similarity is that goalie Carey Price plays an important role, stopping opposing teams’ scorers in the first two rounds and now with Vegas. He plays with full conviction, like his predecessors who won the previous cups for Montreal’s Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy. There is a French saying, “Jamais deux sans trois”. Now if you add the jersey numbers of Dryden #29, Roy #33 and Price #31, your sum is … 93!

Ottawa and Quebec help revive Laval’s on again/off again Aquatics Complex project

Martin C. Barry
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Ottawa and Quebec help revive Laval’s on again/off again Aquatics Complex project

Federal and provincial governments donate $20 million for $61.1 million undertaking

The City of Laval’s on again/off again aquatics complex project, an initiative that was mothballed three years ago after cost bids came in too steep, was dramatically revived last week with the announcement that Ottawa and Quebec will be contributing a combined $20 million to get the $61.1 million project back on track.

Quebec Premier, François Legault and federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna were among the high-ranking elected officials on hand to announce $20 million in financial assistance to help build the future project, located on a tract of land on Terry Fox Ave. in downtown Laval next to the Cosmodôme.

Ottawa/Quebec investment

Under terms of a Canada/Quebec agreement, the federal government is investing $10 million under its Community Cultural and Recreational Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, while Quebec is also investing $10 million under its Recreational and Sports Infrastructure Financial Assistance Program.

The City of Laval launched the architectural competition for the aquatic complex in 2016, after years of speculation on what Laval’s next big project would be after the construction of the Place Bell multipurpose arena. When finally announced in January 2017, the cost of the aquatic complex was pegged at $61.1 million and the city hoped to complete it by 2020.

Postponed after high bids

However, in 2018 the city’s executive-committee announced that a call for tenders for the construction of the superstructure, building envelope and other aspects of the building were cancelled because the lowest of three bids came in 46 per cent higher than the city budgeted.

At that time, measures were taken to protect the foundations which were already in place in view of the approaching winter season. Laval city council spent more than $710,000 to pay for the application of a waterproofing membrane on the concrete. The city said this waterproofing work would have been necessary anyway as part of the regular construction process.

Another delay last year

By February 2020 when it had long become apparent the aquatics complex project was still far from getting underway, the city announced yet another delay: the cancellation of the contract with the architectural firm that was mandated to produce the initial plans.

‘I am proud to participate in this project, which will improve accessibility to quality sports facilities for families in Laval,’ said Premier François Legault

According to the city, the contract with the architectural and design consortium was cancelled because of what the city referred to as “the impossibility of the consortium to respect its contractual obligations.”

Of course, that was then. With the city’s renewed vision, the new indoor aquatic complex will include three swimming pools, technical facilities, meeting spaces, utility areas (change rooms, washrooms, etc.), circulation spaces and other recreational areas (multipurpose rooms).

Legault all for sports

“I am proud to participate in this project, which will improve accessibility to quality sports facilities for families in Laval,” said Premier Legault. “Sport is good for your health and good for your morale. It is also a way for our young people to motivate themselves, to dream. We empower our youth and athletes to be active and play the sport they love.”

“Today’s announcement perfectly illustrates our vision for our community: modern, high-quality local services,” said Mayor Marc Demers. “The citizens and organizations of Laval have long demanded a quality infrastructure to bathe and train our athletes. I sincerely thank the governments of Justin Trudeau and François Legault for their invaluable support in carrying out this project dear to Laval residents.”

Time for recovery: McKenna

“The pandemic has made us realize how important recreational and sports facilities are to staying active and being in contact with one another,” said Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna. “Since it is a time for recovery, this is an opportune moment to invest in infrastructure that encourages physical activity and makes us more resilient in the long term.”

“I am thrilled about this $20 million in federal-provincial funding, which will provide Laval residents with a high-tech sports facility, contribute to quality of life and enhance the city’s reputation,” said Annie Koutrakis, MP for Vimy. “Who knows how many future athletes will take their first dive or swim their first laps at the complex, to one day represent us proudly at the national or international level?”

Opposition reaction

The official opposition at Laval city hall, the Parti Laval, issued a statement last week about these latest developments in the saga of the aquatic complex.

The foundations for the future Laval Aquatics Complex have stood idle since the city postponed or cancelled development because of skyrocketing costs and other issues.

“We are always happy to know that the government is ready to invest in projects that are expected by the Laval population and that meet their needs,” said Parti Laval leader Michel Trottier. “Unfortunately, this is not the case here. The aquatic complex is a bottomless pit that has been stagnating for five years, it is not the government’s cheque that will change anything.

Comes too late, says Trottier

“The financial assistance from the Quebec and Canadian governments comes too late,” he continued. “If the Demers-Boyer administration had done its homework, we would have asked for this amount and obtained it more than 5 years ago.

“It is not when everything is going wrong, when the ship is sinking, that we should cry for help. Even worse, the Demers-Boyer team does not learn from its mistakes.

By putting all its eggs in one basket, it is once again depriving the Laval population of infrastructure projects that could have been built in the neighbourhoods.”

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