Revenu Québec said on Tuesday that a Laval business owner and two transport logistics companies he owns have been fined $143,066.41 after being found guilty of taking part in a scheme to avoid paying provincial taxes.
Thierry Millet, 53, who is listed in the Quebec government business registry as president and chief stakeholder in Cargo Pole Inc. and 9080-5441 Québec Inc., pleaded guilty on July 14 at the Palais de Justice in Montreal to 52 tax evasion-related charges.
According to Revenu Québec, Millet admitted he created a number of corporations with the goal of using them to ask for tax credit refunds.
In a press release, the agency said Cargo Pole Inc. and 9080-5441 Québec Inc. requested refunds on input tax, as well as tax credits on inputs linked to transactions carried out by their principal supplier, Synergies Optimum Inc.
Revenu Québec says this latter company was not remitting to the government the net tax which was due, while Millet was acting in his capacity as the de facto administrator of Synergies Optimum Inc. The tax agency executed a search warrant at his home in Laval on Jan. 22 last year.
Health Canada has issued yet another advisory telling Canadians that some hand sanitizers made with ethanol or denaturants that are not acceptable for use in hand sanitizers may pose health risks.
The federal agency notes that denaturants are added to ethanol to make it unfit for human consumption, and therefore to discourage the unintentional ingestion of hand sanitizers (particularly by children). For more information, including what Canadians should do, visit the online safety alert.
At the same time, Health Canada said Canadians are being advised to refer to another list, this one for hand sanitizers that contain technical-grade ethanol, that are being recalled from the market because they are not compliant with federal regulations and may also pose a risk to health.
Health Canada maintains these lists of hand sanitizers that may pose health risks, so that Canadians can easily identify products they may have purchased and take appropriate action. The agency says people are encouraged to check both lists regularly for updates.
Officials with the CISSS de Laval say that the daily schedule for going in to be tested for COVID-19 infection has been expanded at two diagnostic clinics, where service will now be available from 8 am to 8 pm seven days a week.
One of the clinics is located at the Cartier Arena (100 Montée Major) in Pont-Viau, while a second is at the Pierre Creamer Arena (1160 Pie-X Blvd.) in Chomedey.
While service is available at both clinics without having to make an appointment, appointments can be made ahead of time by calling 1 877 644-4545.
The LPD thinks Alexandre Bernard, 23, may have had other sexual assault victims.
On September 13, 2019 the Laval Police Service (SPL) arrested 23-year-old Alexandre Bernard for sexual assault on a minor and incitement to sexual contact. The accused may have had other victims and the SPL would like to contact them.
Facts: His way of operating and captivating minors is almost always the same. Using social media, he comes into contact with underage girls pretending to be an eighteen-year-old boy. After several written exchanges, he meets them and has sexual relations with them, sometimes forced. In another event on the North Shore, Alexandre Bernard was found guilty of sexual assault with the same Modus Operandi. Regarding the Laval case, the accused returned to court on September 30, 2019.
The serial crime investigation management structure (GECS), coordinated by the Sûreté du Québec, is currently deployed. It is a unified command structure within which the Quebec police services work in partnership to quickly identify crimes committed by predators and to arrest them. This provincial coordination, therefore, makes it possible to pool police resources and aims to better protect victims, and to identify the assailants.
Evidence suggests that other young girls may have been victims of Alexandre Bernard. Anyone who has been a victim of this man is invited to contact the Laval police to file an official complaint on our Info Line 450-662-INFO (4636) or by calling 911, mentioning the file LVL- 190402-074.
Refer to File: 2020-149. Phone: 450-662-5050. medias.police@laval.ca.
The Société de transport de Laval says it wants to inform public transit users that effective August 1, and gradually thereafter, it will begin reinstating front-door boarding on buses, as well as collecting and validating fares.
Making sure buses are safe Starting August 1, most STL buses will be outfitted with a protective shield around the driver area of the vehicle. Made of translucent polycarbonate, the shield will allow for maximum visibility while protecting drivers and passengers.
Fare collection resumes Front-door boarding also means that fare boxes will once again become available to users. Users will therefore be able to validate their fare upon boarding, as usual.
The STL emphasizes that all users are required to have a valid fare on them at all times while using STL buses. One-way fares are also back, payable in cash or via credit card.
In order to foster compliance with public health recommendations and social distancing rules, the transit agency is urging users to purchase their fare in advance at 40 different locations:
August STL monthly passes are on sale as of July 20 at all STL points of sale;
August TRAM passes are already on sale at the metropolitan ticket offices, and as of July 20 at other points of sale.
The STL says it also wishes to remind public transit users that masks are now mandatory on its buses at all times, as well as around the STL’s terminals. The digital display at the front of the bus will run messages reminding users about wearing their mask on board and about the gradual return of front-door boarding.
Health Canada said on Thursday that it has identified two inclined sleeping products sold between 2016 and 2018, now potentially circulating on the second-hand market, that do not meet the safety requirements for bassinets under the federal agency’s Cribs, Cradles and Bassinets Regulations (CCBR).
This is one of the two Baby’s Journey Serta infant napper products that Health Canada has issued an advisory for.
The products involved are:
Baby’s Journey Serta icomfort Premium Infant Napper
Baby’s Journey Serta Perfect Sleeper Deluxe Infant Napper
According to Health Canada, both products’ inclined sleeping surfaces increase the risk of the baby’s head falling forward when asleep, which makes breathing difficult.
Additionally, says the agency, the design of both products has a restraint system used to hold the child in place, which is not permitted under the CCBR, since the presence of cords and loops in an infant’s sleeping environment has the potential to lead to serious injury or death.
Although Health Canada says it is not aware whether these products continue to be sold on the retail market, they may still be in households, handed down to family or friends, or sold through the second-hand market. Given that possibility, Canadians with these products should immediately stop using, disassemble and safely dispose of them in such a way that they cannot be used again, says Health Canada.
Health Canada reminds consumers to prioritize safety when shopping for consumer products, and to use caution when buying second-hand items, particularly those intended for use by children. Under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA), which is administered by Health Canada, everyone has the responsibility to ensure that the products they sell or give away, whether new, used or homemade, meet current Canadian safety requirements.
Health Canada encourages buyers and sellers of second-hand products, particularly products intended for use by children, to stay informed about product recalls and advisories as well as the regulatory requirements of products they sell.
What you should do Health Canada says that consumers and retailers who have these affected products should immediately stop using or selling them, as well as disassemble and safely dispose of the items in such a way that they cannot be used again. The agency points out that it is a violation of the CCPSA to sell or give away these products. If these products were being used for sleep, Health Canada recommends caregivers to find alternative and safe sleeping arrangements.
Unionized employees at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée held a memorial on Wednesday morning for the more than 100 residents at the long-term care home who have died of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic more than four months ago.
CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée has consistently been among the long-term care facilities in Quebec that recorded the highest number of infections and fatalities. With 101 fatalities up to July 14, CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée has had more COVID-19 deaths than any other CHSLD in the province.
In honor of the dead, 101 white flowers were laid on the ground by family, friends and health care workers. Many of the relatives and friends of the deceased never got the opportunity to say goodbye because of the COVID-19 distancing requirements that kept them apart.
The administration at CHSDL Sainte-Dorothée maintains they now have the outbreak under their roof controlled. While up to 200 residents were reported to be infected at the peak of the outbreak, the provincial health ministry said this week that there is only one active case of COVID-19 infection at the CHSLD now.
The City of Laval announced on Wednesday that it is starting an official inventory of historically significant items expected to be found during an archeological excavation being undertaken in Sainte-Rose around Sainte-Rose-de-Lima church and the nearby Berge des Baigneurs, both of which were once part of the centre of the Village of Sainte-Rose.
The excavation and inventory are taking place before the start of work on a new riverside park to be located behind the church in the middle of Vieux Sainte-Rose.
Sainte-Rose-de-Lima church in Vieux Sainte-Rose, behind which archeologists will be undertaking an excavation for historical artefacts soon.
As the work to create the new park would probably damage any historical artefacts lying beneath the ground, the archeological excavation is expected to help preserve them.
“Laval has a rich but little known history,” says city councillor for Sainte-Rose Virginie Dufour who sits on the executive-committee. “By carrying out this inventory, the City of Laval is being proactive in order to document, protect and preserve its heritage. This is an important step to be completed before redoing the Berge des Baigneurs, which is highly appreciated by people in Laval. But this is also an exceptional opportunity to deepen our historical knowledge of the sector.”
The archeological team is expected to sample the ground for a period of around 30 days in order to confirm whether there are significant samples of historically valuable materials and whether they are in a reasonably good state. The ultimate goal, according to the city, is to compile a history of the area’s past through artefacts left behind by First Nations peoples, followed by European settlers who came later.
With ridership rising every week during the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Société de transport de Laval says it wants to remind transit users that complying with public health directives has become paramount – including the mandatory wearing of masks on buses.
For now, the STL, like all public transit authorities, is awaiting specific government directives while advocating for a province-wide application of the rule.
The Société de transport de Laval says it is advocating that all riders wear face masks while on the bus, but that an official ruling from Quebec is still eagerly expected.
“We are asking users to adhere to this requirement,” STL board president Éric Morasse said in a statement on Monday. “It’s about being civic-minded vis-à-vis your fellow transit users. It’s a public health issue, because social distancing is not always feasible on buses. Thus far, we’ve handed out nearly 25,000 reusable masks in Laval, and we will continue distributing more. We expect everyone to cooperate.”
Making sure buses are safe
“Maintaining a safe bus environment relies on teamwork between the STL and transit users,” added STL general director Guy Picard. “Bus occupancy is now at upwards of 50 per cent of our usual numbers, which is quite a jump when you consider ridership was at 14 per cent at the outset of the pandemic. Instituting good health practices and having everyone wear a mask on buses now matters more than ever.”
The STL says that its teams are working tirelessly on rolling out an array of measures that will be in line with transit users’ expectations as they increasingly restart taking the bus. The STL says it is firmly committing to:
Operating buses and bus terminals that are clean and disinfected;
Maintaining transit user awareness regarding the safe practices they need to adopt while commuting;
Providing information to facilitate the decision-making process so users feel they are riding safely.
The STL says it has already implemented numerous measures, including:
Stepping up the cleaning of buses and bus terminals;
Handing out masks;
Raising awareness about the new public transit etiquette rules;
Posting social distancing signs at bus terminals;
Equipping users with tools like one that estimates bus crowdedness;
Tailoring specific measures for paratransit services.
Employee safety
In addition to ensuring transit user safety, the STL says it has also been looking after providing its employees with a proper working environment. All office staff who are able to must continue to work from home. Employees who are required to work within two metres of each other are provided with protective equipment. Work schedules have been adapted to keep the simultaneous usage of common areas, like locker rooms, to a minimum.
The STL says it introduced rear-door boarding and a two-metre buffer zone between riders and the driver, and now the STL is also gradually installing a physical barrier on buses as added protection to shield drivers and riders. Some bus seats at the front will be blocked off to foster adequate distancing. These measures will make it possible to resume front-door boarding on August 1, and at the same time, begin validating fares again.
The Laval Police Department is hoping that anyone who may have witnessed a hit-and-run accident that took place in Pont-Viau around 10 pm on June 11, resulting in serious injury to a motorcyclist, will come forward to help with the investigation.
According to the LPD, a motorcyclist was driving north on des Laurentides Blvd. A grey Dodge Grand Caravan headed in the same direction decided to make a u-turn at the corner of Tourangeau St. and cut off the motorcyclist while doing so.
Although the motorcyclist tried to avoid the other vehicle, he was unable to and the two collided, resulting in serious injuries to the motorcyclist as well as considerable damage to the motorcycle.
According to the police, the driver of the Grand Caravan never stopped and continued south on des Laurentides.
Anyone who witnessed the accident or who has information that could be useful is encouraged to call the LPD’s Info-Line at 450-662-INFO (4636) or 9-1-1. The file number is LVL-200611-077.
