Laval Fire Dept. personnel spent part of the early morning hours last Tuesday trying to get a handle on a major fire that broke out in a two-story industrial building on Leman Blvd. in the city’s Saint-Vincent-de-Paul district.
It was estimated by the LFD that damage of almost $1.5 million was caused to the building containing an agricultural grow-op business.
They assessed damage to the building itself at $1 million, and an additional $450,000 for property within.
With their proud multicultural roots in so many countries around the globe it would be difficult to list them all here, Parc Exers had not just one, but two celebrations of their adoptive country’s birthday to choose from on July 1, Canada Day.
The larger of the two, sponsored by the National Bangladeshi-Canadian Council (NBCC), took place in Place de la Gare outside Maxi’s on Jean-Talon St. It was the 22nd year the organization staged the celebration for the country’s birthday.
A celebration of nationality
“We are all immigrants,” Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros said in an interview with Nouvelles Parc Extension News, while noting that even she arrived in Canada from another country.
She said Canada Day offers everyone a chance to get out and celebrate the country’s anniversary while getting to know each other.
Monir Hossain, president of the NBCC who coordinates the organization of the group’s Canada Day party each year, had only praise for Canada as a country where he has been able to raise a family while succeeding in business.
Canadian by choice
“I came from a different country, but I always wanted to pay back,” he said. “This is my new nation, my adoptive country. This is where my children grew up, where they were raised. And this now is also their country.”
Niko Karabineris, who was born and raised in Parc Extension but makes his home in Chomedey now, said he continues to spend time here taking care of properties, but never misses an opportunity to return to his home turf each year on Canada Day.
“I’ve been coming here on Canada Day for the celebrations for the past 20 years,” he said. “I’ve lost a few friends along the way, but Mary Deros is still here as always and it’s good to see that. Not too many places in Quebec where you can go to celebrate Canada Day. Bbut Parc Ex is still one of them.”
Another Canada Day party
In the meantime, the Himalaya Seniors of Quebec, in conjunction with the Parc Extension Youth Organization (PEYO) and some other local groups, had organized a Canada Day celebration of their own a few blocks away outside the William Hingston community centre.
While it didn’t draw quite as much attention as the event at Place de la Gare, several local elected officials, including Councillor Deros, Villeray city councillor Martine Musau Muele and François-Perrault councillor Sylvain Ouellet, made a point of meeting and greeting the guests and organizers.
Six people have been charged in connection with a vehicle theft ring that saw stolen cars and SUVs, mostly from Laval, exported out of the country.
The LPD executed several search warrants in June at the climax of an investigation that began a year earlier after a large number of Land Rovers went missing. It is believed that Land Rovers were targeted at parking lots in Laval, the North Shore and in Ontario.
The LPD alleges that GPS tracking devices were placed by the suspects on the targeted vehicles, which would then lead them to the owners’ homes, after which the vehicles were stolen during the night.
After they were stolen, the vehicles would be dropped off at various locations, then moved to a warehouse in Montreal and loaded into shipping containers and exported out of Canada.
The police learned that six people were connected to 20 vehicle thefts, 14 of which took place in Laval. In the end, they were able to recover 18 of the vehicles.
With search warrants, the police were able to find and seize four vehicles, seven phones, brass knuckles, narcotics, $7,305 in Canadian currency, $1,000 in American currency and various other items like jewellery and computers.
Five males between 22 and 31, and a 28-year-old female were taken into custody. All six are facing charges of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and vehicle theft.
Police say that if anyone has useful information, they are asked to contact the LPD at 450-662-4636. The case number is LVL-240718-030.
Photo: The car theft ring suspects. (Photo: Courtesy of Laval Police)
Laval man arrested for alleged sexual offences, after house cleaning request
A Laval man has been arrested as a suspect concerning at least two alleged sexual offences that occurred in Laval between December last year and this past February. Hagop Kachichian, 28, was arrested by the Laval Police on June 25.
The police allege he used the pseudonym Hagop Keshishian on a social media platform to solicit house cleaning services. Offering compensation for travel expenses, he invited victims to his home in Laval.
The LPD alleges that once there, he made inappropriate comments and asked for sexual services in exchange for payment, after which it is alleged he committed sexual assaults.
Kachichian, who was released with conditions, has his next court appearance on September 16. In the meantime, the investigators believe there may be other victims.
Anyone with information is invited to contact the LPD confidentially at 450 662-INFO (4636) or at 911. The file number is LVL-250216-036.
Laval teen gets $1,700 ticket, licence suspended, after going nearly 200 km/h
A Laval teenager is among almost a dozen drivers whose cars were impounded and who are now looking for ways to pay stiff fines after a week-long Sûreté du Québec operation on nearby autoroutes.
In the week leading up to July 1, SQ patrol officers stationed in Laval handed out more than $16,000 in fines for excessive speeding tickets while impounding 11 vehicles.
Over that time, the SQ reported 11 motorists going well beyond the 100 or 70 km/h limits on one of the autoroutes that traverse Laval, with each driver looking at tickets of at least $1,400.
Moving day fire in Laval-des-Rapides
Some tenants who had just moved into a rental flat in Laval-des-Rapides on July 1 came down with more than a case of moving day jitters when their new dwelling caught fire.
The blaze broke out during the early evening in a unit of a duplex located near the corner of Pontmain and Labelle streets in LDR. Four families residing in the two-storey building were forced to flee. One of the families had just moved in when the fire broke out.
While smoke and flames were apparent to Laval Fire Dept. personnel upon their arrival, they were able to contain the damage before the fire spread further.
There were no reported injuries, but the unit where the fire originated sustained the most damage, forcing its occupants to seek temporary lodging.
Mother Nature smiled with warm benevolence onto the grounds outside Holy Cross Church on Souvenir Blvd. in Chomedey for the 2025 Laval Hellenic Summer Festival.
In times like these when the world’s climate has become as unpredictable as the shifting moods of a certain U.S. president, the good weather was a blessing, even though the festival’s organizers took the precaution of erecting an extra tent just in case.
Celebrating culture and values
As it was just a few days to Canada Day, the festival was an occasion, as always, to celebrate the country’s origins and multicultural diversity – although it was primarily a celebration of Hellenic culture and values.
Katerina Hulis, president of the Laval chapter of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, helped lead the committee which organized the festival.
She was especially proud of the efforts put in by volunteers. “It’s always very heartwarming to see everything they do to make this a success every year,” she said.
A Who’s Who of dignitaries
Among the dignitaries who dropped by on the evening of June 28 to enjoy some Hellenic ambience and a piece of Canada Day cake were Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis, Montreal city councillor Mary Deros, Laval city council president Cecilia Macedo and Saint-Bruno city councillor David De Cotis.
Also among the guests were Renaud city councillor Seta Topouzian, Saint-Laurent MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos, L’Abord-à-Plouffe councillor Vasilios Karidogiannis, Saint-Martin councillor Aline Dib, Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier and Mille-Îles MNA Virginie Dufour.
Basile Angelopoulos, the newly-elected president of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, was unable to attend this year’s festival as he was travelling in Greece.
‘A beautiful weekend’
Michael Patsatzis, executive vice-president of the HCGM, said they were pleased with the way this year’s festival was organized and that the weather outlook was favorable.
“We’re very grateful for the strong turnout,” he said, noting that the previous day’s negative weather forecast didn’t impact attendance.
“Our annual celebration is a celebration of Hellenism, of our Greek language, our culture and our heritage, and obviously also our Greek gastronomy,” Patsatzis continued. “It all adds up to a beautiful weekend.”
For four days later this month, hundreds of appreciators of quality sculpture and art from all over Quebec and parts of eastern Canada will gather in Laval’s historic Vieux Sainte Rose for an annual event that many now recognize as one of Quebec’s most esteemed outdoor art shows – the Sainte-Rose Art Symposium.
For the second time, the organizers (the Corporation Rose-Art) have persuaded legendary Quebec singer Shirley Théroux to be the official spokesperson for the 2025 Sainte-Rose Art Symposium.
Art works by Shirley Théroux
Théroux had a string of song hits in Quebec during the 1960s and 1970s and was also a highly popular late-afternoon program host on French-language television. An accomplished painter in addition to her musical talents, Théroux will have several art works featured in a special segment of the show.
“Music and painting are almost the same,” she said in an interview with The Laval News, while comparing the melody of a song to a color with a variety of shades. “A melody is like a wave, with ups and downs,” she said. “And so, a color is almost the same when you’re painting.”
Popular summer gathering
The Sainte-Rose Art Symposium, a popular summertime gathering of artists for decades, is always a guarantee of enjoyment for thousands of satisfied arts patrons who attend. In addition to Mrs. Théroux’s support, the event’s honorary president this year is Member of the National Assembly for Sainte-Rose Christopher Skeete.
This year’s art exhibition will be taking place from Thursday July 24 to Sunday July 27. Those with a discerning taste for fine sculpture and inspiring visual creation will be arriving from all over Quebec, as well as other parts of eastern Canada, for the 29th symposium.
‘A unique occasion’
“Whether you are an amateur of art, a collector or are simply curious, the Sainte-Rose Symposium of painting and art is a unique occasion to discover 80 talented artists and to live an artistic experience in a truly charming setting,” Oprina-Felicia Dolea, the president of the Corporation Rose-Art, said during a recent press conference to announce this year’s symposium.
As always, the symposium will be taking place alongside the Rivière des Mille-Îles in the charming and historic Laval neighbourhood known as Vieux Sainte-Rose. The village is renowned as the birthplace of internationally-acclaimed Québécois painter Marc-Aurèle Fortin. Saint-Rose was also at one time the home of landscape painter Clarence Gagnon. Both influenced generations of artists in Quebec as well as around the world.
Recognized by their peers
After winning a range of awards for excellence over nearly three decades, the symposium’s organizing committee continues to uphold the standards that have established the Sainte-Rose Art Symposium’s reputation for excellence in art circles across eastern Canada.
The organizers have received some significant recognitions for their efforts. In 2019, the Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented them with a Dunamis award for helping to promote tourism in Laval. They were also a finalist for a second Dunamis in 2020 and 2022, as a sustainable organization or enterprise.
More than 20,000 people are expected to attend. Although most are usually from the Laval and greater Montreal regions, the busy vacation season is also known to bring in visitors from Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as well as from the U.S. states of Vermont, New York and New Hampshire.
A charming setting
The Symposium will be taking place along a stretch of the main street in downtown Sainte-Rose, next to La Vieille Caserne (216 Ste-Rose Blvd.), a stone’s throw from Sainte-Rose-de-Lima Church, between Filion and Deslaurier-Hotte streets.
All the events are free. The hours are as follows: Thursday and Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Friday, 11 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Additional information is available on the website www.roseart.ca. E-mail: roseart@videotron.ca. Phone: (450) 625-7925.
The Youth and Parents Agape Association – known to most people in Laval simply as Agape – “had another productive year,” according to its directors, with a consistent number of English-speaking clients receiving a range of social services in 2024-2025.
5,000 served and climbing
“Over the past 12 months, we have provided services, resources, presentations, referrals, emergency food relief and other essential support to over 5,000 individuals,” the non-profit group’s board of directors stated in their latest Report of Activities.
Tabled during Agape’s annual general meeting on June 26, the document offered a comprehensive overview of Agape’s efforts to improve the lives of the underprivileged English-speaking and multicultural communities in Laval between April last year and this past March.
Founded in 1976 by Cliff and Leo Young in a Chomedey church basement, the organization progressed since then from a food and clothing bank to become a corner stone for the provision of a range of social services directed primarily at English-speaking Chomedey and Laval residents.
Drawing city’s attention
While it’s notable that the City of Laval has tended over the years to overlook Agape when determining its budget priorities, among the guests at this year’s AGM were close to a half-dozen elected officials from the city – although it’s perhaps also worth noting: 2025 is a municipal election year.
They included Chomedey independent councillor Aglaia Revelakis, Saint-Martin Mouvement lavallois councillor Aline Dib, L’Abord-à-Plouffe Mouvement lavallois councillor Vasilios Karidogiannis, Sainte-Dorothée Mouvement lavallois councillor Ray Khalil, and Fabreville Parti Laval councillor Claude Larochelle (who is running for mayor).
According to an audited statement prepared by the accounting firm Leuzzi & Associé, Agape’s financial statements for 2024-2025 “present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Organization as at March 31, 2025, and the results of its operations and cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations (ASNPO).”
Ending year with a surplus
The statement indicates that Agape’s revenues in 2025 were nearly $80,000 higher than the year earlier, and that the organization ended the year with a surplus of revenues over expenditures of $31,785. This compares to a loss last year, largely because of high operating costs for the Senior Wellness Centre.
Agape is projecting revenues of $1,170,346 in 2025-2026, the largest portions of which will be from the Quebec government’s Sécrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise ($300,00), the Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux ($206,896), and Health Canada ($142,150).
Among other things, the Quebec government is also expected to contribute an additional $70,000 for the operation of the Senior Wellness Centre.
Rising Anglo jobless
Some significant statistics cited during the meeting: In 2021, there were 20,460 English speakers aged 15+ with income under $20k in the Laval region, where they represent 23.7 per cent of the English-speaking population aged 15 and over.
However, nearly 31 per cent of Laval English-speaking seniors aged 65+ were living with a household income below $20k per year. In 2021, there were 6,575 unemployed English speakers in the Laval region who experienced an unemployment rate of 10.8 per cent.
(In May, Quebec’s unemployment rate was 6.2 per cent, according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec, while it was 7 per cent across Canada in the same period, according to Statistics Canada.)
Growing English population
According to Agape executive-director Kevin McLeod, the size of the potential client base served by Agape has climbed significantly since the last federal census four years ago, when there were 104,525 English speakers said to be living in Laval, compared to around 92,000 when the measurement was taken before then.
Laval’s English-speaking population rose from 21.8 per cent to 24 per cent now. “We can only assume that with the next census that it’ll keep on growing some more,” said McLeod.
Although the annual July 1 moving day has passed, the City of Laval is pledging to continue working with partner organizations to provide support to individuals and families facing difficulties finding a place to live because of housing shortages and untenably high apartment rents.
People living in Laval who are currently searching for a place to live and need help doing so are being encouraged by the city to call the municipal housing help hotline (SARL) at 450 505-6025 or by e-mail: sarl@omhlaval.ca.
This is the fifth year the City of Laval has been supporting the operation of the SARL office, which is under the umbrella of the Office municipal d’habitation de Laval (OMHL), with a subsidy of more than $195,000.
“The summer holiday season, and especially all the moving taking place on July 1, represents every year a moment of precarity for some Laval residents,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
“In conjunction with our partners, we are reactivating a challenged intervention system to accompany the tenants who are in a vulnerable situation. Housing is a responsibility shared between the various levels of government, and our administration is facing up to its responsibilities and its capacities.”
In as much as the summer season is especially critical, the needs for assistance for finding a place to live actually stretch out over the whole year. The city says tenants should realize that they can count on the support of the SARL at all times.
The SARL office is also closely connected with the city’s emergency social services division, which is mandated to intervene on Laval’s territory during crisis situations deemed compromising to the security of individuals and families.
The division is available to provide support for those finding themselves without shelter, by ensuring their well-being and the safety of their belongings. For example, they are mandated to provide shipping containers for family’s belongings. Temporary shelter can also be provided in nearby motels or hotels.
City of Laval says it’s prepared for summer’s heat waves
The city says it was prepared for a heat wave that settled over the Laval region during the recent Fête nationale du Québec holiday, and will be prepared for any heat waves to come.
The city says it is monitoring the weather regularly for heat warnings. As summer is far from over, here are some of the recommendations the city is making in case there are heat waves in the coming weeks and months.
(Photo: Courtesy of City of Laval)
AG’s report to be tabled at July 8 meeting of council
The City of Laval’s auditor general, who examines the city’s consolidated financial statements, will be releasing her latest report during the monthly public city council meeting on Tuesday July 8.
The report, the second to be issued by auditor general France Lessard since beginning her mandate, will contain an audit of the city’s financial statements, an audit of the overall performance of city departments, and a followup report on whether the city followed recommendations made in previous auditor general’s reports.
MATTHEW DALDALIAN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
matt.newsfirst@gmail.com
A day after Quebec’s environment minister slightly relaxed the province’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standard, a prominent think tank says the government isn’t going far enough — and should scrap the 2035 ban on gas-powered vehicles entirely.
The Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) responded forcefully this week to Minister Benoît Charette’s decision to add some hybrid models to the list of vehicles that count toward emissions reduction targets.
Under Quebec’s ZEV mandate, adopted in 2016, automakers must meet escalating quotas for low and zero-emission vehicle sales or face fines. The goal is to reach 100 per cent by 2035, effectively ending the sale of new gas-only cars.
Not meeting target
But MEI policy analyst Gabriel Giguère says the province’s incremental changes are merely a stopgap—and an implicit admission the targets are unachievable. “There’s a lack of appetite of the consumer for EVs,” said Giguère. While sales were up in 2024, numbers dropped significantly in 2025 when provincial subsidies were paused. “People don’t want that much EVs right now.” Giguère believes Quebec’s 2026 sales target— 32.5% of all new cars—already looks out of reach. According to internal government figures cited by Giguère, even the 2030 target of 85% is unlikely to be met. “The government knows it won’t be able to meet its targets,” he said.
Luxury
Giguère argues that Quebec’s ZEV policy has run up against not only economic headwinds but also logistical ones. The cost gap between electric and gas-powered vehicles remains significant, particularly in the popular SUV category. While some of that price difference may be recovered through fuel savings over several years, he noted that not every Quebecer can afford that kind of long-term investment. “Not everybody has that luxury,” he said. In addition, Giguère warned that Quebec’s energy supply is already under strain. “HydroQuébec is not swimming in large surpluses right now. Quite the contrary,” he said. The growing demand from EVs, combined with efforts to electrify commercial and residential infrastructure, could outpace supply and limit future economic development.
Consumer demand
The MEI has previously argued that policies like the ZEV mandate represent an attempt to “impose” technological change from the top down—rather than letting innovation and consumer demand guide the transition.
“If the adoption of electric vehicles is to be sustainable, it has to be based on innovation, not obligation,” Giguère said. “Let the Quebec people decide for themselves what is best for their families.” Polls suggest the MEI’s position may have public support. A survey conducted by MEI last September found that 68% of Quebecers believe banning the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 is “unrealistic.”
Despite the growing skepticism, the mandate remains intact. Asked if he supports any policy alternatives, Giguère emphasized individual choice. “If [a consumer] needs to buy an electric car, there’s no problem. If it’s a conventional car, there’s also no problem,” he said.
“Right now, it’s not the trend. And so the government wants to establish policy that obliges people to buy it. I don’t think it’s the right policy.” The MEI, which describes itself as an independent, pro-market think tank, continues to call on Quebec and Ottawa to abandon fixed EV quotas.
MATTHEW DALDALIAN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
matt.newsfirst@gmail.com
Laval businesses and shoppers are preparing for late nights, but not everyone is sold on the idea. As part of a year-long provincial pilot project, Laval is one of three Quebec cities where retail stores will be able to be open until 8 p.m. on weekends.
The move marks a shift away from Quebec’s longstanding rules that have typically forced stores to close by 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The pilot project is set to begin in late summer, with Laval joining Gatineau and Saint-Georges as test cities for the extended weekend hours.
If successful, the measure could eventually be rolled out province-wide.
Shopping habits
At the Méga Centre Notre-Dame, the heavily-frequented retail complex nestled in the heart of Chomedey, the change is starting to ripple through shop floors and food courts.
“I do feel like there would be more customers,” said Wendy Ramos, manager at Urban Planet. She hadn’t heard any schedule changes approaching, so her team hasn’t started imagining the changes. For many, weekends are when the rush finally slows down—and that’s exactly when the stores shut their doors.
“Sometimes after five, that’s when you kind of start your weekend.” For Ramos, the idea makes personal and professional sense. After clocking out, even she finds herself wanting to browse and buy. “I do feel like it would also be a benefit— give the store extra money,” she added, noting that extended hours could bring a boost without necessarily needing to expand the team.
That optimism is echoed by Fara Iabal, assistant manager at Carter’s OshKosh, who thinks the plan better reflects modern shopping habits. “Everybody has time when they are off,” she said. “They go out and shop during the whole day.”
She pointed out that weekdays are rarely as fruitful, with most customers tied up in work or school. In her view, the pilot project should go even further: shorten weekday hours and prioritize weekends.
Scattered shoppers
But if extended weekend shopping might offer convenience, not everyone is convinced it’ll lead to a boom.
“We already started opening until 9 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays… it’s doing quite decent,” said Youcef Bouri, the head manager of Sports Experts, also located at the Méga Centre. “But it’s not bringing in more people than it was before.” Bouri sees the shift more as a redistribution of foot traffic than a revenue generator.
“Instead of clients coming in at three in the afternoon… they just end up going later after supper,” he explained. For him, the result is the same number of shoppers spread out over longer hours. And that has consequences for staff. “My payroll is going to increase,” Bouri said. “Will staying open until 8 compensate for the amount of staff I’d have to bring in? I’m not convinced.”
He worries that stores like his, located in residential pockets like Sainte-Dorothée, won’t benefit the same way downtown stores with high foot traffic might. “Over here… we’re not getting any more traffic. It’s just scattered.”
Blue laws
Quebec’s store hour laws have long been shaped by tradition. In the 1980s, most shops were closed on Sundays under “blue laws” tied to religious rest.
But as public opinion shifted and border towns lost business to U.S. retailers, Sunday shopping slowly became the norm. That shift sparked debates still relevant today— about worker conditions, small business survival, and whether convenience should come at a cost.
Shoppers’ perspective
For shoppers like Jeet Parmar, the coming change to store hours couldn’t come soon enough. “Especially in the morning we are very busy doing our stuff like cleaning up, laundry, this and that,” she said. By the time people get to the mall, she says the day’s almost gone. “We have a very small window.”
She’d like to see stores open until 7 p.m. at least, and believes the move could also offer more flexible job opportunities. But others, like Richard Labelle, aren’t so sure. “If it’s good for the stores, it’s because they’re going to make more money,” he said. But for employees, he added, it could be harmful.
“A woman who has children—her kids are at home. You don’t want to have to hire a babysitter for longer because of that.” Labelle said he personally doesn’t shop past 5 p.m. and sees no real benefit beyond business profits. The Quebec government, meanwhile, says the pilot is meant to answer a bigger question: whether it still makes sense to regulate shopping hours in a world dominated by 24/7 online retail.
Businesses aren’t required to extend their hours. But if the year-long experiment shows promise, the model could eventually expand across the province.
The current issue of the Laval News, volume 33-14, published on July 9th, 2025.
Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)
