Home Blog Page 16

Laval warned motorists: snow removal ops underway

With a cleanup underway last week for the Laval region’s most recent snowfall, the city’s public works department was advising residents to heed special parking rules during snow removal operations, while also exercising caution when heavy equipment was in use on Laval’s many streets and roadways.

In an updated statement issued last Monday, the city said salt and abrasives continued to be spread on all streets and sidewalks, while snow removal is also taking place on sidewalks.

Work proceeds, unless more snow

In the meantime, snow blowing operations were taking place last Monday morning and were expected to finish Monday night, unless interrupted by more snow falls. In that case, a day off would be granted to personnel in accordance with provincial Law 430, which could affect the progress of the snow removal operations.

In all of this, where to park? As snow removal ops can last several days, the best solution, according to the city, is to find out if any operations are underway or planned and where to park, using the city’s Info-Parking app (available on your cell phone on Google Play and the App Store).

The city also advises that priority should be given to parking restrictions posted on orange temporary signsor signs planted in the snow. The restrictions indicated on these signs should take precedence over those posted on permanent signs.

Dynamic parking signs

Over the last two winters, the City of Laval has been rolling out a new dynamic parking signage with illuminated solar-powered signs indicating the parking periods, in order to comply with maintenance requirements.

The new signage is in service in Laval’s most densely populated areas, which are Pont-Viau, Laval-des-Rapides, and Chomedey.

The way it works: Parking is prohibited on the side of the street where the illuminated sign is flashing. Periods when parking is prohibited: according to the period indicated, which in general is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., including weekends.

The signs are switched on several hours before the restriction comes into force to give residents time to move their vehicles. When the sign is switched off, no maintenance operations are in progress and parking is permitted on the side of the street where the sign is switched off.

Tips to ease snow removal ops

  • Place your recycling bins correctly. Place the bins on your property, not in the street.
  • Clear snow from your property wisely. Don’t throw snow into the street or onto sidewalks.
  • Install your car shelter correctly. Maintain a minimum distance of 60 cm (2 ft) from the sidewalk or curb. Or leave 1.2 m (4 ft) from the street if you don’t have a sidewalk.
  • Keep fire hydrants clear. Make sure you don’t bury fire hydrants under snow when clearing snow from your property. This is a matter of safety for everyone. If you hire a snow removal company, inform them of the importance of keeping fire hydrants and Metro blue hydrants clear.
  • Keep your emergency exits clear. Make sure all exits from your home are free of snow and ice. In an emergency, you must be able to evacuate quickly. If you own a multi-unit residential building, you are responsible for clearing snow from all your tenants’ exits.
  • Adapt your driving. Equip your vehicle with winter tires between December 1 and March 15, as required by law.
  • Reduce your speed and increase your braking distance in winter conditions. Be patient and courteous to snowplow operators who are working for your safety.

Action Laval steps up pressure on city not to close Centre de la nature mini-farm

Petition asking Mayor Boyer to reverse decision now has more than 20,000 signatures

More than 100 supporters of a petition urging the Boyer administration not to shut the mini-farm at the Centre de la nature in Duvernay held a gathering outside the facility last Saturday, while preparing to make their voices loudly heard at the monthly city council meeting on Tuesday.

Action Laval city councillor for Saint-François Isabelle Piché (seen here outside the mini-farm at the Centre de la nature during last Saturday’s demo) has been helping to spearhead efforts to get the city to reverse its decision to close the facility by this June. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

Major reaction to closure

The planned gradual closure of the petting zoo at the Centre de la nature, which is scheduled for June, has sparked a strong grassroots reaction, with a petition that now exceeds 20,000 signatures.

The city is standing by its decision, noting the facilities are outdated and worn out, and the reconstruction costs are estimated to be between $15 and $20 million. The building itself has an immediate need for a new roof, with an estimated cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Denis Fiévèt, initiator of the petition, and Isabelle Piché, Saint-François city councillor for Action Laval, have been spearheading efforts to rally the support of residents from all over Laval, in the hopes of saving the small but cherished mini-farm which houses a range of domestic animals, including sheep, geese, chickens and donkeys.

Fond memories of the farm

Their goal is to put pressure on Mayor Stéphane Boyer and the councillors who hold the majority of council seats to vote in favour of an Action Laval proposal to hold a public consultation on the matter. Among the residents of Laval who turned up in spite of the debilitating cold last Saturday was Yvan Paquette.

A retiree from Sainte-Rose where he has lived and raised a family since 1980, he said he had fond memories of bringing his children to the farm. He said he wanted to make sure his grandchildren would also be able to benefit from the same experience.

Some of the farm animals housed at the Centre de la nature’s mini-farm. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

“We came here when they were younger and now they are 35 and 40 years old and coming with their kids to see the farm,” Paquette said regarding his children. “I want to make sure they continue to have the opportunity to do this.”

“The presence of all these people today clearly demonstrates how important the Centre de la nature farm is to the residents of Laval, and how much they feel the mayor isn’t listening to them,” Piché said in a statement issued by Action Laval.

‘Citizens must be involved’

“It’s worth remembering that the mayor announced the decision to close this iconic Laval attraction behind closed doors last December, without consulting citizens beforehand,” she added. “No to the closure of the Centre de la nature farm. We believe citizens must be involved in the farm’s future.”

As one of two opposition parties in Laval city council, Action Laval has long been critical of the Mouvement lavallois administration’s noted tendency to promote costly major projects, like the central library in Laval’s downtown core.

Action Laval alleges the administration is neglecting smaller and more local projects and sees the closure of the mini-farm as an example. “We think this is mismanagement of funds,” Piché said in an interview with The Laval News.

Laval News Volume 34-03

0

The current issue of the Laval News, volume 34-03, published on February 4th, 2026.
Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

New simulation lab at SWLSB’s CDC Pont‑Viau prepares health care students with safe, real‑life training

Officials from the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board were on hand at the SWLSB’s CDC Pont‑Viau vocational training centre on Thursday January 29 for the official launch of a new Simulation Mannequin Laboratory, which is expected to enhance training for health care students.

The new lab is equipped with four state-of-the-art simulation mannequins representing every stage of life: an adult, a senior, a child and a newborn.

Responding like real patients, the high-tech mannequins can breathe, speak, show vital signs and react to care, allowing students to practice real‑life medical situations in a safe and controlled environment.

According to the SWLSB, students in health programs such as the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Personal Support Worker will now be able to practice essential skills including taking vital signs, starting IVs, drawing blood and responding to simulated medical situations without any risk to real patients.

Beyond hands-on practice, the simulation lab will also help students develop critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Through the cutting-edge technology, the students will be encouraged to ask questions, try solutions and learn from their mistakes, supporting a culture of psychological safety while building confidence before entering real medical settings.

“This new lab aligns with our Commitment-to-Success Plan by strengthening learning environments that support student success,” said James Di Sano, chairperson of the SWLSB.

“It reflects the dedication of the CDC Pont‑Viau team and their focus on preparing students for meaningful careers in health care,” he continued.

“On behalf of the Council of Commissioners, I thank everyone who contributed to this important project,” said Di Sano.

From the left, Heather Halman, CDC-Pont-Viau director and director of adult services, James Di Sano, SWLSB chairperson, Barbara Barrasso, commissioner, Selena Mell, SWLSB interim director general, and Noemi Onofre de Lima, commissioner.

According to the SWLSB, a total investment of more than $175,000 in the project will benefit approximately 80 vocational training students every year.

The project was funded through a grant from Quebec’s Ministère de l’Éducation, with additional support from the Canada‑Québec Agreement between the federal government and the province.

“With this new lab, CDC Pont‑Viau continues to modernize vocational training and provide students with meaningful, hands‑on learning experiences that prepare them for real careers in health care,” said the SWLSB.

LPD participating in Polar Bear Challenge in February

The Laval Police say they will be proudly participating once again in the Polar Bear Challenge, which will be held on Saturday February 21 at Riverain de Lachine Park in the Borough of Lachine in Montreal.

Organized by the Quebec Special Olympics, all funds raised from the challenge will go to Course au flambeau des agents de la paix. Several policemen will take on the exciting challenge of jumping into the icy waters of the Saint Lawrence River for a good cause.

Laval Rocket fan death forces match to an early conclusion

A game between the Laval Rocket and the Manitoba Moose last Saturday at Laval’s Place Bell ended abruptly and under unusual circumstances when a member of the audience fell ill and required immediate medical attention.

According to the Montreal daily news portal La Presse, the victim, 75-year-old Michel Pelletier resided in Saint-Sauveur, but a few years ago he decided to move to Laval in order to be closer to his favorite team.

Last Saturday afternoon, he went to Place Bell to watch the game between the Laval Rocket and the Manitoba Moose. He had a ticket right behind Rocket goaltender Jacob Fowler, who had just been sent down to the pro developmental AHL’s Rocket after a stint with the Habs in the NHL.

According to reports, Fowler realized there was a problem in the stands and asked for the game to be stopped, a minute and 12 seconds before the end. The game was abandoned due to a medical emergency involving the fan in the stands.

After assessing the situation, a decision was made to stop the game, confirming a 3-0 loss for Laval. Beyond the score, attention quickly shifted to the medical situation that led to the game’s cancellation. Rocket management decided the priority was the health and safety of the fan involved.

Baby girl dies of injuries after multi-vehicle crash in Laval

A five-month-old baby girl, one of nine people injured in a multi-vehicle crash in Laval in early January, has died of her injuries, the Laval Police have confirmed.

The death came 10 days after the girl’s six-year-old sister died of injuries sustained in the January 5 car crash involving four vehicles, raising the final tally from the incident to two dead and seven injured.

The accident occurred around 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5 when a driver travelling north on Route 335 in Laval lost control about one kilometre north of Dagenais Blvd., then struck three other cars travelling on the road’s north and southbound lanes.

The crash remains under investigation. A 40-year-old man was taken in for questioning a day after the crash and then released after signing a promise to appear in court.

Laval man charged in death of Quebec City woman

A 43-year-old man from Laval is facing a criminal charge of causing bodily harm to another person in Quebec City after police recovered the body of a woman from the St. Lawrence River near a wharf at the Port of Quebec.

Sûreté du Québec divers located the body of a woman last week, tentatively identified as Susana Rocha Cruz. She was reported missing on January 12 after last being seen on January 7.

According to media reports, Rocha Cruz, of Mexican origin, worked as a housekeeper in the hotel industry in the city of Quebec. The Service de Police de la Ville de Québec confirmed that the suspect and the missing woman knew each other. It was unclear whether additional charges would be laid against the suspect, identified by police as Abraham Gonzales Leon.

December brought water infra improvements, as REM station grew busy

Residents on certain streets in Laval’s Fabreville and Chomedey districts could expect an upgrade in the quality of their drinking water, as well as more efficient flow of storm and wastewater in their sewers, thanks to a more than $26 million grant announced by the Quebec Municipal Affairs Ministry.

As reported in our December 3 issue, Minister of Municipal Affairs Geneviève Guilbault and Minister responsible for the Laval region Christopher Skeete were in Laval in late November to announce that $26,074,021 had been granted by the CAQ government to the city for the water and sewer infrastructure work.

Under the plan, a total of 13,520 metres of drinking water, stormwater and wastewater pipes would be replaced on dozens of streets in various neighbourhoods of Laval. The investment would allow for the replacement of aging pipes in several areas where outages and emergency interventions are becoming increasingly common.

As reported in our December 3 issue, the spectre of U.S. president Donald Trump’s disruptive economic policies loomed ominously during a one-day conference on the Laval region’s economic prospects held in November by Laval économique, the City of Laval’s development arm.

Quebec Municipal Affairs Minister Geneviève Guilbault (fourth from left) is seen here with Mayor Stéphane Boyer, Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete and members of the city’s executive-committee and municipal council at city hall on November 28 following the $26 million announcement. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

More than 300 export experts, visionary entrepreneurs and economic and political decision-makers accepted the agency’s invitation to gather for a day of strategic discussions. Mayor Stéphane Boyer called the Trump administration’s actions since the Republican president took office last year a “wake-up call for Canada,” while noting that for the longest time, the U.S. was the country’s most important trading partner.

In December, the REM’s new Sainte-Dorothée station was quickly proving essential to Laval commuters, with packed park-and-ride lots and steady afternoon ridership suggesting the service had taken hold just weeks after launch.

Luis Canon, an internet technician who lived nearby, said the REM fit naturally into his routine. “It’s amazing. It’s convenient,” he said. Canon takes the train roughly four times a week, often at peak hours. He said the new system was a welcome return after years of replacement buses.

Laval’s new REM station.

Following a renewed crime wave in Laval involving the extortion and intimidation of local businesses, Mayor Stéphane Boyer told a meeting of Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry stakeholders that he was hoping Prime Minister Mark Carney would amend the criminal code so that Laval and other cities could better defend their businesses and residents.

“The criminal code must be revised, because at this moment youths are being used by these people without severe penalties,” said Boyer. “As with prostitution where women are being exploited, there should also be sentences which are exemplary to be as effective as possible.”

Year in Review November: Boyer re-elected Laval’s mayor, new REM station opened

0

Stéphane Boyer won a second term as mayor of Laval, as Mouvement lavallois – Équipe Stéphane Boyer tightened its grip on city hall by taking 17 of 22 council seats in the elections.

Boyer took 58.87 per cent of the vote (58,013 ballots), well ahead of Parti Laval leader Claude Larochelle at 21.75 per cent (21,432 votes) and Action Laval’s Frédéric Mayer at 19.37 per cent (19,091).

“I’m very proud. I’m proud of the citizens for their renewed confidence in me. I’m proud of my team,” Boyer said in an interview with The Laval News on election night.

He said his immediate priorities would be reinvesting in aging neighbourhood streets and pressing the Quebec government for more funding for health, education and homelessness services in Laval ahead of the 2026 provincial election.

After twelve years representing Chomedey, Aglaia Revelakis held onto her council seat, but by the narrowest margin of her political career. Revelakis, running as an independent, edged out Action Laval’s Costa Deeb by just 38 votes, winning 34.36 per cent of the vote (1,143 ballots) to Deeb’s 33.21 per cent (1,105).

It marked a sharp drop from her commanding 52.19 per cent victory in 2021, when she carried Laval’s 14th district by more than 900 votes for Action Laval. Despite the lower margin, Revelakis said her team’s success showed that her personal connection to her district still mattered in Laval politics.

More than 850 supporters of Pink in the City set a new attendance record when they turned up for the Magic of Hope fundraising gala held in October and reported in our November 5 issue.

“It’s a great evening – it’s inspiring,” Pink in the City co-founder Denise Vourtzoumis told The Laval News. “We’re doing something really great here all together,” she said.

After years of anticipation, the Sainte-Dorothée station of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) was officially inaugurated, marking a transformative moment for mobility in Laval and the Greater Montréal area.

The station is part of the new Deux-Montagnes line, a 50-kilometre extension that triples the REM’s coverage and connects Laval directly to downtown Montréal.

“This station is a symbol of progress for Laval,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “It will make life easier for thousands of residents, reduce congestion, and help us meet our climate goals.”

Canadian Forces personnel, including soldiers from the Royal 22nd Regiment’s Fourth Bataillon, as well as Air, Sea and Army Cadets and members of the Royal Canadian Legion, joined dignitaries who paid their respects on November 9 during a Remembrance Day commemoration held at the Laval War Cenotaph on Chomedey Boulevard.

In October, Laval’s voters prepared to elect a new council and mayor

With less than a month before the City of Laval’s municipal elections, The Laval News conducted a series of “person in the street” interviews to see just how many voters in Laval seemed to know who was running for city council and for mayor.

“No, I don’t know anything about it,” said Natan Sadi, a younger voter interviewed near the Montmorency metro station. Some voters, like Fadi Al-Dib, were more attuned to the race.

He immediately named incumbent mayor Stéphane Boyer when asked who’s running. “I think he’s the one who’s going to win, because his team, up to now… he’s done so many good projects,” he said.

In the meantime, Quebec’s Chief Electoral Officer Jean-François Blanchet made a special decision to allow municipalities to deliver election-related documents by means other than direct delivery to voters during the 2025 municipal elections.

He said the decision was necessary given a labour disruption to postal services. “Postal services are a key element of the electoral process,” Blanchet said in a statement issued by his office.

A series of missing cats in a Laval neighbourhood near the Armand-Frappier woods prompted concern among residents over the previous summer. Several owners reported their whiskered companions disappearing within weeks of one another, with coyotes suspected to be the culprits.

In July, a stormy night marked the last time Agnes Por, who operates a home daycare and works as an educator, saw her cat. Her cat, Gabi, was used to going outside and always came home, but this time he didn’t.

Multiple vehicles from the Laval Police and Urgences-Santé were on the scene at the Starbucks coffee franchise on Autoroute 440 at the corner of 100th Avenue, responding to gunshots fired and one resulting death.

Public safety officials were speculating that the victim’s violent death might mark the opening salvo of an extended war between factions in organized crime.

Federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson met with industry leaders in Quebec’s Saguenay region recently to announce subsidies for mining, which is expected to play a key role in the Carney government’s Build Canada program.

In an exclusive interview with The Laval News, federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson explained the Carney government’s new ‘Build Canada’ initiative.

The Liberal government hoped to kickstart the country’s economy by attracting $500 billion in five years for private investment in major nationwide projects.

“We need to retool, we need to reorganize,” Hodgson said. “And the Build Canada Act and the Major Projects Office are a critical part of the retooling of our economy.”

Two familiar rivals for the Laval mayor’s chair, incumbent Stéphane Boyer (Mouvement lavallois) and opposition Claude Larochelle (Parti Laval), traded ideas and a few jabs at a tightly run community debate that stayed laser-focused on bread-and-butter issues.

TLN’s Year in Review continued

September brought ‘smart retail’ and municipal election campaigning

As announced in our September 10 issue, members of the City of Laval’s executive-committee signed a letter of intent stating the city’s interest in purchasing a Sainte-Rose golf course for the purpose of redeveloping it into a public park.

According to a release issued by the city, the undertaking was being done in conjunction with the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), which is a regional government authority with a mandate to eventually conserve 30 per cent of the greater Montreal area’s overall territory for a network of regional parks.

From the left, Mille-Îles PLQ MNA Virginie Dufour, Chomedey Liberal MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier and Quebec Liberal MNA for Bourassa-Sauvé Madwa-Nika Cadet were briefed by teachers’ union officials on the impact from the Legault government’s cuts to education budgets. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

The city turned a big-box parking lot into a three-week experiment in ‘smart’ retail it says could help bring life back to its main streets. The pop-up, branded ‘Lab Achetons plus ici’ (“Buy More Here”), was running until late September and put automation front and centre: self-scanning on smartphones, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) checkout to ring up a basket in one pass, and wired inventory systems.

In a meeting between Laval region teachers’ union reps and three Quebec Liberal Party MNAs, including two from Laval, the union contended there had been a noteworthy drop in the number of university students working to become teachers because of the CAQ government’s failure to address worsening workplace conditions in public education.

Senior officials with the Syndicat de l’enseignement de la région de Laval met at union headquarters in Pont-Viau with Quebec Liberal MNA Madwa-Nika Cadet, the PLQ’s official critic for education and employment, as well as Chomedey PLQ MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier and Mille-Îles PLQ MNA Virginie Dufour.

Unlike several mayoralty candidates who were seeking re-election in Quebec’s third-largest city over the past few decades, incumbent Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer was not dangling the prospect of flashy new projects – like Place Bell or the Aquatic Complex, as his predecessors did – when he was campaigning before the November 2 election day.

In spite of claims by opposition critics, incumbent Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer maintained that his administration struck a balance between major projects, such as development of the city’s downtown, and smaller ones in neighbourhoods scattered all over Île Jésus. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

In a wide-ranging pre-election interview with The Laval News, Boyer said he had no major electoral promises to make, but was concentrating rather on smaller and more local things impacting the city’s neighbourhoods.

“The opposition always wants to do wedge politics, while telling people that they are forgotten in their neighbourhoods,” said Boyer, accusing the opposition of spreading disinformation.

A new municipal community centre in one of Laval’s more disadvantaged neighbourhoods was officially declared open by the city as well as community activists who had long urged Laval to move forward with the project.

The Centre communautaire Simonne-Monet-Chartrand is located on Notre-Dame Blvd. on the boundary that separates the city’s Chomedey and l’Abord-à-Plouffe neighbourhoods.

2025 Year in Review: Stranded Air Canada passengers and celebrating Laval’s 60th in August

In August last year, the Task Force on Linguistic Policy, one of several interest groups challenging Quebec’s Bill 21, received word they would be permitted to intervene in the Supreme Court of Canada in the Bill 21 case involving the English Montreal School Board and the Quebec government.

Along with many other interveners, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Quebec Community Groups Network and the attorneys general of six Canadian provinces, the Task Force would be present at the Supreme Court hearing on Bill 21,

“The reason that we’re doing this is we want the Notwithstanding Clause to be properly defined,” Task Force president Andrew Caddell said in an interview with The Laval News.

Bill 21 (‘An act respecting the laicity of the State’) was passed in 2019 by Premier François Legault’s CAQ government. It most notably prohibited the wearing of religious symbols by public employees in positions of authority.

For those who might have missed it, the City of Laval celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2025. Among other things, officials with the city marked the occasion on August 6 with something especially meaningful and sure to be continued by future generations: the awarding of the first Order of the City of Laval Medals.

“The recipients of the Order of the City of Laval embody, each in their own way, the values of pride, excellence and solidarity that define our city,” Mayor Stéphane Boyer said during a ceremony held at Espace Montmorency in the heart of Laval’s rapidly-growing downtown sector.

An accomplished painter in addition to her musical talents, several of Quebec singer Shirley Théroux’s art works were featured in a special segment of the 2025 Symposium de Sainte-Rose. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

The city chose seven deserving City of Laval residents from a range of professional backgrounds to be the first recipients. The city held a range of activities over the course of the year to keep the celebration going, including performance events, neighbourhood parties, library events, outdoor theatre, cooking musical performances and culinary happenings.

Our August 13 issue featured coverage of the Corporation Rose-Art 29th annual Symposium de Sainte-Rose. From July 24 to 27, appreciators of quality sculpture and art from all over Quebec, as well as Ontario and other parts of eastern Canada, had gathered in Laval’s historic Vieux Sainte Rose for the event, which has come to be recognized as one of Quebec’s leading and most prestigious outdoor art shows.

Air Canada passengers were left scrambling after more than 10,000 of the airline’s flight attendants took to the picket line. The strike, which lasted from Aug. 16 to 19, grounded flights at the peak of the summer travel season and affected nearly half a million people worldwide.

“I can’t even explain the emotional rollercoaster that we went through,” said Laval resident Rosy Trimboli after the uncertainty turned her family’s first trip to Europe into a drawn-out ordeal. “It’s been hell to say the least,” she said.

Weather

Laval
broken clouds
27.9 ° C
28.5 °
27.2 °
70%
1.8m/s
52%
Sat
29 °
Sun
29 °
Mon
27 °
Tue
27 °
Wed
24 °