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Outbreak of COVID-19 shuts Hillcrest Academy in Chomedey

Martin C. Barry
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Outbreak of COVID-19 shuts Hillcrest Academy in Chomedey

Officials at Hillcrest Academy in Chomedey and at the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board have decided to shut the elementary school for an indefinite time after 16 active cases of COVID-19 were detected, with nine classes affected in all.

“We decided to do this for the safety of the students and staff as well as for the community,” SWLSB chairman Paolo Galati told Global News on Tuesday, citing health and safety concerns as the reason for the decision.

“We don’t know when the school will reopen yet,” Galati added, leaving open the possibility the school will stay closed at least until the end of this week.

In the meantime, Hillcrest Academy parents have been notified by e-mail.

LPD raid on Curé Labelle gambling den nets $40,000 in fines for breaking COVID rules

Martin C. Barry
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LPD raid on Curé Labelle gambling den nets $40,000 in fines for breaking COVID rules

More than two dozen people who were caught during a raid on a Curé Labelle Blvd. gambling hall last Sunday by the Laval Police will be paying at least $40,000 in fines after receiving tickets for gathering illegally and breaking COVID-19 sanitary and distancing rules.

Following the sweep, the LPD said it had been tipped off that an all-day and evening blackjack and poker event was going to be held at the strip mall location.

A spokesperson for the force said the LPD was already aware of the event, since it had been well-advertised on social media.

After surveying the layout of the locale Sunday morning after 10 am, and seeing that at least 20 people were present, the LPD obtained a warrant and made their move around mid-afternoon.

In all, 26 people were seen not wearing protective face masks, as required by COVID-19 sanitation rules, while social distancing requirements also weren’t being respected.

Each offender received a ticket for $1,550 (including court costs).

Further charges are pending with Quebec’s Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, depending on whether any of those who were issued tickets were previously ticketed for violating the same rules.

According to the LPD, people living near the mall tipped off the police after seeing an unusually large number of cars parked in the parking lot, when businesses were closed because of the pandemic.

An LPD spokesperson said the locale was already known to police for illicit activities and that officers had visited the premises previously.

Since sponsoring an unlicensed gambling event is a violation of the criminal code, the LPD has opened an investigation and additional charges may be forthcoming.

Laval Police seek Chomedey gas station arson suspects

Martin C. Barry
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Laval Police seek Chomedey gas station arson suspects

The Laval Police Department is asking the public for help to identify two suspects who attempted twice to set fire to a gas station located at 470  Chomedey Blvd. in Chomedey recently.

According to the LPD, on Jan. 26 not long after 5 am, the two suspects were spotted by a security camera set up at the gas station.

In the video, the suspects are seen approaching the station and tossing flammable materials towards the gas pumps, as well as at vehicles parked nearby.

Following this, they are seen breaking a window on the gas station building and tossing in more flammable materials, after which they flee.

The LPD says this was the second such incident at the gas station. On Jan. 9 around 4:45 am, two suspects were also seen attempting to start a fire, although they didn’t succeed.

The LPD said they don’t know if the suspects were the same individuals in both instances.

Anyone with information on either of these incidents is asked to contact the LPD through its Info-Line at (450) 662-INFO (4636), or call 9-1-1. The incident file number is LVL 210126008.

Snowfall Tuesday could dump 20 centimeters of snow on Laval

Martin C. Barry
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Snowfall Tuesday could dump 20 centimeters of snow on Laval

The remnants of a blizzard that has been making its way up the east coast of the U.S. this weekend are expected to still be packing enough power to dump at least 20 centimeters of snow on Laval and the Montreal region on Tuesday.

The storm is expected to start some time during the day Tuesday and continue into the evening.

The wind is expected to be high – around 60 to 80 km/h – causing blowing snow conditions.

Laval Police seek suspect wanted for Jan. 6 Sainte-Dorothée firebombing

Martin C. Barry
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Laval Police seek suspect wanted for Jan. 6 Sainte-Dorothée firebombing

The Laval Police are seeking the public’s help to indentify a suspect seen in a security camera video throwing a molotov cocktail on the night of Jan. 6 at a home on Bord-de-l ‘Eau Rd. in Sainte-Dorothée, causing a fire.

According to the LPD, the suspect broke a window, then hurled the firebomb inside the home where it caused an unspecified amount of damage. Images of the suspect captured by a security camera show him leaving along Bord-de-l‘Eau Rd. towards Samson Blvd.

A video of the suspect in action: https://youtu.be/lv4KFCXu6eE

Any information that could help identify the suspect can be shared with the LPD through their confidential Info-Line at 450 662 INFO (4636), or by calling 9-1-1. The file number is LVL 210106 008.

Early plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer’s discovered with help from Laval-based INRS

Laval News Contributor
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Early plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer’s discovered with help from Laval-based INRS

A Quebec research team supported by the Laval-based Institut national de recherche scientifique (INRS) has discovered two early plasma markers to detect Alzheimer’s disease five years before its onset.

The results of this recent study led by the doctoral student Mohamed Raâfet Ben Khedher and postdoctoral student Mohamed Haddad, and directed by Professor Charles Ramassamy of the INRS, have just been published in the prestigious scientific journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions (TRCI).

The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is usually based on a series of psychometric tests assessing cognitive function, brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Yet, these tests have their limitations.

“The lumbar puncture is invasive, while brain imaging is expensive and not 100% reliable. This complicates regular follow-up,” says Professor Ramassamy.

Moreover, people with the disease are often being diagnosed at a late stage of the disease.

“We need to find more and more early markers so we can act as soon as possible. When the disease is symptomatic, there is little, if any, way back,” he explains.  

The research team took up this challenge by discovering two markers, detectable through a blood test, enabling them to follow the progression of the disease.

These markers are found in plasma extracellular vesicles, pockets that are released by all cells in the body and circulate in the bloodstream.    

The variation of markers

The team focused specifically on the “sporadic” Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of Alzheimer’s. It stems mainly from the presence of the APOE4 susceptibility gene, the E4 variant of the gene coding for apolipoprotein.

Patients with this gene who developed the disease five years later had markers present that varied with the progression of the disease.

The research was carried out by analyzing blood samples collected as part of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA).

The population studied consisted of patients with cognitive problems, but not suffering from dementia, only some of whom developed Alzheimer’s disease.

Professor Ramassamy hopes to analyze a larger population with pre- and post-disease samples. This would allow him to determine the progression of markers after the onset of symptoms.

His research on the markers located in the vesicles, opens up the possibility for studying other diseases, such as vascular dementia.

About the study
The article “Apolipoprotein E4-driven effects on inflammatory and neurotrophic factors in peripheral extracellular vesicles from cognitively impaired not demented participants converted to Alzheimer’s disease” follows a study published in February 2020.

The research was supported by a donation from the Charron family through the Armand-Frappier Foundation, as part of the Louise and André Charron Research Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease, enabling the acquisition of a crucial piece of equipment, the NanoSight NS300.

Five types of digestive cancer have been linked to tobacco use

Martin C. Barry
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Five types of digestive cancer have been linked to tobacco use

Quebec Council for Tobacco and Health observes Tobacco-Free Week

When most people think of the harm to health caused by tobacco smoking, what’s perhaps more likely than anything else to come to mind are breathing-related health problems such as emphysema and lung cancer.

But how many are aware that smoking, as well as secondary smoke, can also cause five different types of cancers affecting the body’s digestive system?

According to the Quebec Council for Tobacco and Health (CQTS), which marked Quebec Tobacco-Free Week recently, tobacco smoking and secondary smoke account for up to 44 per cent of the development of digestive system cancers, including cancers of the liver, rectum, pancreas, stomach and esophagus.

Digestive system cancers

“In Quebec, a significant proportion of digestive system cancers are linked to tobacco smoking,” Annie Papageorgiou, executive-director of the CQTS, said during an online webcast. “These cancers have serious consequences. When you think about it, the risk is high, especially since these cancers can be avoided. We must inform and protect people from the harm done by tobacco.”

Tobacco smoking and secondary smoke account for up to 44 per cent of the development of digestive system cancers

According to the CQTS, one liver cancer in four, one pancreas cancer in five, more than one colorectal cancer n 10, one stomach cancer in five and nearly half the cancers of the esophagus are caused by tobacco smoking.

In addition to this, digestive system cancers are associated with low survival rates. Generally speaking, these types of cancer aren’t detected early enough because symptoms are usually not very apparent.

Quality of life impacted

“Blood in the stool and cancerous masses only appear during late stages of digestive system cancers,” said Dr. Nicolas Benoît, a Montérégie-based gastroenterologist who took part in the webcast. When such cancers don’t prove fatal, they often lead to other consequences that limit living life to the fullest.

For those who’ve smoked for years and don’t think they can quit, the message from the CQTS is that giving up tobacco has long-lasting benefits that safeguard you from digestive system cancers.

Quebec film, TV and stage star Patrice Godin, who was the CQTS’s official spokesperson for the anti-smoking campaign for a second consecutive year, delivered a personal testimonial on his own struggles to quit smoking.

Shortens the lifespan

“On average, smoking reduces a lifespan by 10 years,” he noted. “That’s a lot. That’s why I was looking forward to being back for a second year as spokesperson. There is still so much work to be done to control tobacco abuse in Quebec. It can be through quitting tobacco, helping someone else to stop or raising the awareness of a young person to the importance of not starting to smoke.”

“Effectively under the current circumstances, it is more important than ever to watch out for one’s health,” added Annie Papageorgiou, noting the risks of other types of cancer in conjunction with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Smoking and COVID-19

“Apart from digestive system cancers, tobacco abuse also affects the respiratory system and smokers are at a greater risk of coming down with a more severe form of COVID-19 than non-smokers,” she said.

According to the CQTS, last year in Quebec 17 per cent of the population 12 years of age and older smoked, for a total of 1.2 million persons. That represents more than one person in six. In this respect, Quebec ranks higher than the Canadian average, which stands at 15.8 per cent of Canadians who are smokers.

Want to speak with a specialist to help you quit smoking? Call the I QUIT NOW helpline. It’s free. Telephone support to quit smoking is available from the CQTS at 1-866-527-7383. Monday to Thursday: 8 A.M. to 9 P.M. Friday: 8 A.M. to 8 P.M.

Mayor’s office welcomes Dufour back onto Laval executive-committee

Martin C. Barry
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Mayor’s office welcomes Dufour back onto Laval executive-committee

Council rejects opposition motion that members with election finance issues be suspended

Despite news late last week that councillor and executive-committee member Virginie Dufour is finally being allowed to resume her duties following a recent brush with controversy, opposition council members continue to maintain that Dufour won’t be fully exonerated until a provincial inquiry has been completed.

Mayor Marc Demers’ office issued a statement on Friday last week, saying that Dufour “will remain on the executive-committee of the city” and is back on the committee once again.

After withdrawing from the caucus last November following the public disclosure of a recording on which her election campaign manager appeared to acknowledge the reimbursement of cash donations, Dufour, who represents the district of Sainte-Rose, claimed she was innocent of wrongdoing and asked the Quebec Director General of Elections to investigate.

Donation controversy

In the recording, which was obtained by a francophone Montreal daily and dated from last July, Normand Cusson, who managed at least one of Fournier’s electoral campaigns, was heard speaking with his spouse about serving as a “frontman” for contributions made to Dufour, and how the amounts were reimbursed afterwards.

Citing DGEQ policy, Parti Laval councillor Claude Larochelle noted that the charge against Dufour amounts to electoral fraud and the potential penalty is disqualification from running in elections for five years

Under Canadian and Quebec electoral regulations, serving as a frontman to conceal the contributions of another person or organization is illegal. Penalties ranging up to $20,000 can be imposed on the donor as well as the candidate who refunds a donation.

Illegal financing issues

The issue of illegal campaign fundraising is an especially sensitive one in Laval. Former mayor Gilles Vaillancourt’s Parti PRO des Lavallois was found to have extensively used frontman fundraising tactics. Vaillancourt was convicted of corruption charges and sentenced to six years imprisonment in 2016. As well, six Parti PRO city councillors were censured by the DGEQ for engaging in illegal political financing practices.

On Jan. 13 during the second day of the monthly public city council webcast meeting, executive-committee vice-president Stéphane Boyer (who is currently acting as mayor while Marc Demers takes time off to tend to family issues) noted that virtually all the information regarding Dufour has come through the media.

Allegations ‘serious’: Boyer

While acknowledging during the council meeting that the allegations against Dufour “are serious,” Boyer said he disagreed fundamentally with a resolution tabled by the official opposition Parti Laval. The motion called for council to suspend from committees any city councillor who faces allegations of electoral financial irregularities, and that their committee renumeration also be suspended until the matter is settled.

Boyer suggested that underlying what was heard in the recording was a personal conflict between Fournier’s campaign manager and his wife, who is also heard in the recording, because “he [the campaign manager] was giving a lot of his time to Mme Dufour,” Boyer said.

Electoral disqualification

“I don’t think this is something that it is up to us to deliberate on as a city council,” said Boyer, adding that the DGEQ is mandated to deal with campaign financing irregularities. “There are institutions that are mandated to deal with such situations and that can impose penalties if that becomes necessary.”

Parti Laval opposition councillor for Fabreville Claude Larochelle pointed out that the charge still pending against Dufour with the DGEQ amounts essentially to electoral fraud and that the potential penalty is disqualification from running in elections for five years.

He noted that the resolution tabled by Parti Laval leader Michel Trottier didn’t call for the resignation of Dufour. But Larochelle insisted Dufour should recuse herself for the time being from participating on committees, including some inter-municipal ones on which she represents the City of Laval, for the sake of the city’s reputation.

Winter parking motion defeated

During the same council session, a motion by opposition Action Laval city councillor for Chomedey Aglaia Revelakis, calling on the city to suspend its alternative street parking program during the provincial government’s curfew for COVID-19, was defeated by the administration with support from the Parti Laval.

“I am stunned that our proposal was voted on and rejected forthwith by the party of the mayor and even by Mr. Trottier,” Action Laval leader Sonia Baudelot said afterwards in a statement. “The provincial government is asking us all to stay home to prevent the spread of the virus, and so there are many more cars parked in Laval’s streets than would ordinarily be the case.” Revelakis stated, “We were suggesting a quick and temporary solution to this problem, which hopefully will become only a bad memory. All the same, the administration of Laval has in its hands all the resources necessary to do efficient snow removal, even without alternative parking, just as it is done in other cities in Quebec.”

Saint-François Arena to be renamed in honor of Jacques St-Jean

Martin C. Barry
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Saint-François Arena to be renamed in honor of Jacques St-Jean

Action Laval leader and mayoralty candidate Sonia Baudelot joined St-Bruno city councillor David De Cotis last week in paying homage to former councillor for Saint-François Jacques St-Jean by successfully getting a motion passed in city council to rename the Saint-François Arena in honour of St-Jean.

From the left, Action Laval leader Sonia Baudelot, former Laval city councillor Jacques St-Jean and St-Bruno city councillor David De Cotis are seen here outside the Saint-François Arena, which will soon be called Aréna Jacques-St-Jean.

The resolution was proposed by De Cotis and was passed unanimously. The renamed Jacques-St-Jean Arena recognizes Jacques St-Jean’s accomplishments not only as a longtime Laval city councillor, but also his longstanding devotion to promoting team sports among several generations of young Laval residents.

A well-known guy

“Even before I became involved in politics in Laval, I already knew very well the name of Mr. St-Jean,” said De Cotis. “His devotion to the people of Saint-François, as well as his involvement in the community life of his area, along with his many years of coaching young hockey players, added to his reputation as a builder. It should not be surprising that his citizens placed their confidence in him for so many years.”

‘I accomplished what I did because I believe that participation in municipal life is the best way to improve our society,’ said St-Jean

In addition to being a city councillor from 1989 to 2017, St-Jean also managed a hockey school named after him since 1975. A member of the Quebec Hockey Hall of Fame since 1996, Jacques St-Jean played a key role in training and coaching a good number of professional players, including Mike Bossy. St-Jean was also involved for many years in municipal sports and leisure activities in Laval.

Recognizing achievement

“We could not ignore his important contribution to life in our city,” said Baudelot. “It is citizens such as Mr. St-Jean who make Laval such a wonderful place to live. Underscoring the work he did by naming an arena after him was something that had to be done.”

Said Jacques St-Jean, “I welcome this honour with humility. I accomplished what I did because I believe that participation in municipal life is the best way to improve our society. Preparing youths for the world of tomorrow, while gathering citizens around worthwhile projects, was the best thing I could do.” The name change, from Saint-François Arena to Jacques-St-Jean Arena is expected to take over in the coming weeks.

Laval successfully deals with winter’s second major snowfall

The City of Laval’s public works department claims it had great success recently in cleaning up the snow that fell on Laval’s roads, streets and sidewalks during the second significant snowfall of the 2020-2021 winter season.

2nd big snowfall

According to the city, 25 centimeters of snow accumulated in Laval. The city says that crews were active for a few days afterwards tying up the loose ends and throwing down abrasives to deal with patches of ice.

“Operations are going full-speed,” city councillor for Sainte-Dorothée Ray Khalil, who managers the public works dossiers on city council, said last week.

He maintained that the city had received positive feedback from many residents on the efficiency of this snow removal operation through e-mail, social media and the city’s 3-1-1 phone line.

New snow removal gear

The city recently purchased 18 new sidewalk tractor plows, some of which were put into action during the snowfall. Laval’s snow clearning operations can be followed digitally through the website neige.laval.ca. A special app for iOS and Android can also be downloaded from app sites, and the city operates an interactive map of snow removal operations at appneigelaval.laval.ca.

City of Laval defers tax payments to June 16 and Sept. 15

Given the current economic hardship being faced by many homeowners, City of Laval executive-committee vice-president Stéphane Boyer has announced that the city has decided to defer tax payments – normally due in March and June – to June and September.

According to a statement issued by the city last week, the first payment now will come due on June 16, while the second payment will be due on Sept. 15.

‘We are aware that the pandemic is producing terrible consequences for many families,’ says executive-committee vice-president Stéphane Boyer

“We are aware that the pandemic is producing terrible consequences for many families,” Boyer said in a statement, while adding that a tax freeze announced last fall is also among the measures the city is implementing to take into account the financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support from city

Boyer said the additional help will offer some concrete support “that will allow the people of Laval to benefit from several months of respite in order to better plan their budgets in the context of their situations. We also wanted to offer a helping hand to our business owners who are experiencing cash-flow problems while waiting for the resumption of economic activities.” According to the city, tax bills will be sent out to property owners on Feb. 16. Last year, the two tax payments were also deferred to Sept. 1 2020 at the latest. Additional information on property tax payments to the city can be obtained on the City of Laval’s website: www.laval.ca.

Newsfirst columnist Robert Vairo’s ‘That’s What I’m Thinking’

Robert Vairo
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Newsfirst columnist Robert Vairo’s ‘That’s What I’m Thinking’

A National Emergency Demands Leadership

I watched with envy as some NBC TV affiliate out of Seattle Washington was telecasting a report on how municipal and state governments, and corporations like Starbucks and Microsoft were lending their people to facilitate distribution of 50 thousand vaccines a day. Microsoft will actually set up a drive by location to help health workers inoculate at the rate of five thousand a day. One location, one day, 5 000 arms! I thought wow, all these vaccines and this amazing cooperation from the corporate sector. Excellent public relations, but still, generous of corporate America to step up in time of crisis. But there was more. The reporter then informs the viewer that two thousand pharmacies are set up to administer additional vaccines pouring into the state. What a fantastic logistical set up. And Washington state last week reached another plateau. They’ve moved on to the next round of vaccines for the 65 and over.

What the hell happened to Canada? We don’t know when we’ll be vaccinated, much less where. No need to worry about that this week because we’re not receiving any vaccines, at all.

Less than 2%, about 600 thousand Canadians have received at least the first doze, while the US is close to 15%, Israel had 30% of its population done, and the United Arab Emirates 50% by the end of March.

Why the discrepancy? We have an exemplary health care system, but both of the Trudeau government’s key ministers in this Covid pandemic, have no experience in their roles that is affecting the lives of 38 million Canadians. Health Minister Patty Hajdu was a graphic designer and event organizer before becoming Health Minister. The person responsible for purchasing our vaccines, our life line during this pandemic, Services and Procurement Minister, Anita Anand, with 12 months in politics, was a professor at U of T. Are you still wondering why vaccines are only trickling in by the few thousands for the millions of us? Are you still wondering why many of us have lost faith in this kind of lame authority? This is a national emergency! Where are the heavy weights? Where is the leadership?

It starts at the top. No corporate experience, no business skills, no economic savvy, no background in law, none in science. What do you expect?

The firing, oops, resignation of the Governor General starts with the person who hired her. Justin Trudeau single handedly hired the ex-astronaut to be Canada’s representative. There was a much better way. But he disbanded the nonpartisan committee that provided choices for such a function.

This Prime Minister does not lead, but seems to simply react to how Canadians feel. When we learned vaccines would stop this week from a mere trickle in the last few weeks, Canadians were enraged, and left helpless. Where was our Prime Minister? While other world leaders are constantly in contact with Pfizer, pressuring the pharma giant to speed up delivery, our PM was silent. It took the Premier of Ontario, so often criticized by Trudeau’s minister, to light a fire. “I’d be sticking a ying yang up..” Ford says he doesn’t accept Pfizer’s explanation for delays. “We have a contract. Deliver”.

Five days after the Pfizer announcement, Trudeau finally tweeted he had called Pfizer CEO Dr Albert Bourla. “I have been promised…” We’ve heard that before.

Which brings me to the new American President Joe Biden cancelling our Keystone XL pipeline. This is a blow not only to Alberta. Biden has taken away jobs and income from Canada. Biden paid a debt by penalizing Canada. He promised to appease his left-wing Democrats, at Canada’s expense.

Keystone XL is a politically symbolic pipeline, and it’s hypocritical to stop it. Forbes reports “we track nearly 40 pipelines covering 11,000 miles either being built or in pre-construction development in the U.S.” since 2008 when Trans Canada applied for a permit.

And our Canadian reaction is pathetic. While the US has taken away a chunk of our income our Transport Minister Marc Garneau responds with “I respect their decision”. That’s really sad. Some Premiers were more realistic “a gut punch” and “you don’t do that to a friend”.

On Canada’s west coast, BC ‘s John Horgan promised to make things better if elected with a majority in the snap election last Sept. Since his majority win, Covid infections in BC have increased 667%, sadly, deaths up 393%. (thebreaker.news) Leadership?

And so it goes my friends. Mr. Trudeau may not take the lead but let’s hope he at least reacts to Francois Legault and other Premiers’ demand to close our borders to vacationers, or have snow birds pay their hotel to guarantee their quarantine for two weeks. Beau travail Me Legault!

That’s What I’m Thinking

Robert Vairo

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