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Fire destroys sheds on des Perron Ave. in rural Auteuil

Martin C. Barry
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Fire destroys sheds on des Perron Ave. in rural Auteuil

Crews from the Laval Fire Dept. faced a challenge during the early morning hours of July 31 when two sheds located on a rural property on des Perron Avenue in Auteuil caught fire.

The problem: in this rural part of Laval, there wasn’t any nearby source of city water the firemen could readily tap into to extinguish the blaze thought to have been started by sparks from a campfire.

As a result, they had to bring in water in tanker trucks.

While a residence located near the sheds was evacuated as a precaution, although it didn’t sustain any damage, the sheds suffered an estimated $60,000 in damages.

Laval man nabbed in Hawkesbury at wheel of stolen vehicle

Martin C. Barry
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Laval man nabbed in Hawkesbury at wheel of stolen vehicle

A 28-year-old male resident of Laval is facing more than a dozen criminal charges after attempting to flee Ontario Provincial Police in Hawkesbury in eastern Ontario while at the wheel of a vehicle that was found to have been stolen.

Frederik Samson was arrested on the morning of July 27 after OPP officers used a device to puncture the tires of the vehicle when he failed to heed an order to stop.

The charges against him include:

  • Theft of a motor vehicle
  • Mischief over $5,000
  • Fleeing from a peace officer
  • Dangerous vehicle operation
  • Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
  • Failure to comply with a release order
  • Four counts of failing to comply with a probation order
  • Possession of a device for the purpose of committing theft
  • Possession of break-in tools
  • Possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose
  • Failing to stop at a red light in a community safety zone
  • Attempting to pass when roadway not clear in approaching traffic in community safety zone
  • Driving wrong way in one way traffic in a community safety zone
  • Driving wrong way on a divided highway in a community safety zone
  • Driving a motor vehicle without a licence

Former Ste-Rose teacher gets house arrest after sexually exploiting teenage girl

Martin C. Barry
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Former Ste-Rose teacher gets house arrest after sexually exploiting teenage girl
École secondaire Curé-Antoine-Labelle in Sainte-Rose.

A 62-year-old former public school teacher from Laval now living in Toronto has been sentenced to 10 months of house arrest followed by 14 months of curfew after being found guilty of sexually exploiting a teenage girl two decades ago.

François Durocher had taught ecology to the complainant, an unnamed 16-year-old girl, at École secondaire Curé-Antoine-Labelle in Sainte-Rose around the beginning of the 2000s.

Around the same time, he was also a grade school teacher at École primaire Villemaire also in Sainte-Rose.

An affair between him and the girl began when they ran into each other after she had dropped out of school.

Former Laval teacher François Durocher. (Photo: Courtesy of Laval Police)

He offered her a place to stay in his home, while making a condition that she would go back to finish her high-school.

According to court testimony, the two had a sexual relationship over a period of several months.

Durocher had reportedly also been previously arrested for alleged sexual improprieties involving another student, although that case was dropped.

In rendering his decision, Quebec Court Judge Alex Dalpé said he took into account that “there was a relationship involving confidence, an abuse of authority.”

In addition to the house arrest and curfew, Durocher’s name will appear in the national sex offenders’ registry for the next 20 years.

Pilot in Victoriaville plane crash ID’d as woman from Laval

Martin C. Barry
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Pilot in Victoriaville plane crash ID’d as woman from Laval

A coroner in Victoriaville has identified a pilot who was killed when her private aircraft crashed near Victoriaville on July 20 as a 23-year-old woman from Laval who was travelling alone at the time.

Mayan Guesmi, who was alone on board, perished when the plane crashed in a field near Victoriaville’s André-Fortin Regional Airport.

After impact, according to a report in local news media La Nouvelle Union, the plane caught fire, requiring the intervention of Victoriaville firefighters.

Victoriaville coroner Pierre Bélisle will be conducting an inquest to determine the causes and circumstances surrounding her death.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) will also be investigating and is expected to release a report in the coming months.

Faulty electric panel ignites blaze on 66th Ave. in Chomedey

Martin C. Barry
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Faulty electric panel ignites blaze on 66th Ave. in Chomedey
(Photo: Courtesy of Association des Pompiers de Laval APL)

A single-story home on 66th Avenue in Chomedey suffered $140,000 in damages last Saturday evening after a fire was triggered by a malfunctioning electrical circuit panel box.

The Laval region’s 9-1-1 service received a call shortly after 10:30 pm as smoke was spotted wafting from the ground floor level as well as from the rooftop.

The Laval Fire Dept. reported they finally had the blaze under control a few minutes after 11:30 pm.

By then, an estimated $100,000 in damage had been done to the home’s structure and an additional $40,000 in damage to furnishings and other interior contents.

Laval man among three facing trafficking charges in Ontario

Martin C. Barry
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Laval man among three facing trafficking charges in Ontario

A 23-year-old man from Laval is one of three suspects facing drug and human trafficking charges after their vehicle was stopped and searched by Ontario Provincial Police at an ONroute rest stop along Highway 401.

The OPP were alerted on Thursday to the presence of the trio, which included a minor, by the regional police force for the area who said they had been tracking the phone of the minor who had been reported missing in Quebec.

The OPP finally located the vehicle in the parking lot of the Highway 401 Kingston ONroute.

The police determined that two of the passengers were victims of human trafficking.

During a search, they found around 500 grams of suspected cocaine, multiple weapons and a little less than $1,500 in Canadian currency.

According to a report published by the online news site QuinteNews, police also seized cell phones, as well as scales and materials associated with drug and human trafficking.

Mathis Bourgeois, 23, of Laval, Joseph-Jean Pevensly, 29, of Longueuil, and a youth from Magog who cannot be identified under Ontario’s Youth Criminal Justice Act were charged.

The charges include:

  • Possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking;
  • Human trafficking;
  • Human trafficking a person under 18;
  • Material benefit from trafficking in persons;
  • Material benefit from trafficking in persons under 18;
  • Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5000.

Additional charges filed against Bourgeois include:

  • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose;
  • Failure to comply with a probation order – two counts;
  • Driving a motor vehicle with liquor readily available;
  • Driving a motor vehicle with cannabis readily available.

Shield of Athena launches new multilingual website

Laval News Contributor
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Shield of Athena launches new multilingual website

Shield of Athena has launched a new multilingual website. It was designed, according to the social services provider, to improve access to critical information, support services and resources for women and families experiencing domestic violence.

Shield of Athena says the new website, www.bouclierdathena.com, was created to provide more accessible and inclusive access to information for both victims of either conjugal or family violence, and the public in multiple languages.

The platform was designed to help people more easily find assistance, learn about available services, and connect with support regardless of linguistic or cultural barriers.

The launch comes at a time of growing concern in 2026 over the rise in femicides and gender-based violence.

Advocacy groups and frontline organizations across Canada report increasing rates of intimate partner violence and violence against women, highlighting an urgent need for accessible support systems and prevention resources.

In response to the crisis, Shield of Athena decided to develop the new website as a centralized, accessible resource hub where women could quickly find information on safety planning, counseling, legal accompaniment, interpretation services, youth and family support programs and community resources.

“By expanding multilingual accessibility online, the Shield of Athena aims to strengthen prevention and outreach efforts, promote equality, and reduce barriers to accessing resources for victims and other vulnerable community members who are facing linguistic barriers,” said Melpa Kamateros, Shield of Athena’s longtime executive-director.

“Through these efforts, we provide knowledge and options to individuals who are often marginalized and underserved within the system,” she added.

Koutrakis announces increase in 2026-2027 Canada Child Benefit payments

Martin C. Barry
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Koutrakis announces increase in 2026-2027 Canada Child Benefit payments

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government says it is lowering costs for families by strengthening the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), a monthly tax-free payment to help families with the costs of raising children.

On Monday at the Laurus Camp located at the JFK school in Laval, Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families, announced that starting this month, the CCB will provide families with up to $8,157 per child under the age of 6 and up to $6,883 per child aged 6 to 17, representing an increase of up to $160 per child under age 6 and up to $135 per child aged 6 to 17 compared to the previous year.

Nationally, the CCB supports about 3.6 million families caring for 6 million children, delivering approximately $30 billion in annual payments.

In Quebec alone, the CCB provides over $6.2 billion in benefits to approximately 892,000 families each year.

“The Canada Child Benefit continues to give families the stability they need to thrive,” Koutrakis said in a statement following the announcement.

“By adjusting payments to keep pace with the cost of living, we are ensuring parents have more money in their pockets for essentials like groceries, clothing, and child care, helping build stronger, more resilient households across the country,” she added.

According to the government, numerous research studies and reports have found that the CCB has had the following impact:

Laval’s firefighters extinguish blaze in Auteuil on de Bohème St.

Martin C. Barry
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0
Laval’s firefighters extinguish blaze in Auteuil on de Bohème St.

A fire that started last Saturday evening in the basement kitchen of a split-level home on de Bohème Street in Laval’s Auteuil district caused an estimated $150,000 in damage.

The firefighters noted immediately upon arriving before 9:35 pm that flames were visible in the basement.

Although the flames were spreading quickly, the firefighters succeeded in extinguishing the blaze before it inflicted more severe damage to the rest of the house.

An inspection to locate the source of the fire revealed it to be a kitchen stove whose touch-sensitive controls had apparently been triggered accidentally, causing some materials in close proximity to catch fire.

Damage to the building was estimated at $100,000 and $50,000 for furnishings and other interior contents.

STL fare drops to $1 on Sunday during smog alert

Martin C. Barry
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STL fare drops to $1 on Sunday during smog alert

On Sunday July 19, Laval Transit Corporation (STL) customers can ride the bus for $1 due to a smog alert issued for the Laval and Montreal regions by Environment Canada.

The special fare will apply all day on the entire STL regular network (buses and shared taxis).

To take advantage of this offer, you should pay on board with cash, credit card or debit card.

Launched in 2008, the STL’s annual smog alert program is unique in Canada.

It aims to promote the use of public transit rather than cars when air quality deteriorates to the point of falling below acceptable standards.

The STL is monitoring Environment Canada’s smog alerts until Labour Day.

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