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Quebec market regulator says COVID-19 scams are increasing

Martin C. Barry
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Quebec market regulator says COVID-19 scams are increasing

Economic fears spawn frauds, says Autorité des marchés financiers

The watchdog agency that regulates financial and investment services in Quebec has issued a warning about unfounded forward-looking statements based on COVID-19 speculation involving a British Columbia-based gold mining company.

‘Exaggerated claims’

In a statement issued on April 21, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) said it is urging the public to exercise great caution with regard to the promotion of the activities of Crestview Exploration Inc.

As is often the case with other gold producers, Crestview’s fortunes are viewed as being on the short-term upswing, as buyers flee mainstream stocks and take shelter in gold investments.

According to the AMF, a mailing sent from a “stock analyst and geologist” to residents of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan “makes exaggerated claims about Crestview Exploration, predicting that its stock price will soar as the recession hits,” says the AMF.

Not responsible, says firm

The letter comes in an envelope, without a return address, that says in bold red letters, “CORONAVIRUS AFFECTING MARKETS: READ NOW.”

“The short-term upside potential for investors buying shares of Crestview Exploration today is around 500% while long-term shareholders (12+ months) could see gains exceeding 2,400%,” the letter states.

The AMF points out that Crestview Exploration, which is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, issued a statement on April 8 stating that it was not responsible for the promotion, while further saying that the letter contained “unfounded forward-looking statements.”

‘Baseless projections’

Crestview Exploration strongly urged investors and potential investors to verify any statements, and the source of such statements, contained in buy recommendations they may have received.

The AMF has become aware of scams that allude to potential gains from investments in schemes involving COVID-19

While saying that no cases had been brought to its attention to date, the AMF reminded investors to exercise caution if they received the letter “containing false promises of large profits and baseless projections,” said the AMF.

According to AMF spokesperson Sylvain Théberge, the agency has become aware lately of other investment scams that allude to potential gains from investments in schemes involving COVID-19.

Rise in COVID-19 fraud

The AMF says you should be wary if you’re invited to invest in companies claiming to offer products or services to prevent, detect or treat coronavirus infections (COVID-19), and that fraudsters are taking advantage of current events to lure potential investors with promises of very high returns.

The scams can take different forms, according to the AMF. For example, they may spread false rumors on social media in hopes of causing the values of shares they hold to artificially increase, then sell them to others at a profit. Buyers may realize later that they paid inflated prices for shares that are actually almost worthless.

No such thing as ‘no risk’

Fraudsters might also push potential investors to make snap investments in order to take advantage of “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities. But the AMF reminds investors that there is actually no such thing as a high-yield, no-risk investment.

The agency also warns that fraudsters are known to play on fears caused by current economic conditions to approach potential victims. As such, you may receive unsolicited e-mails or text messages warning about your investments or personal finances. The e-mails or text messages may direct you to click on a link or open an attachment.

Know who you can trust

But, as the AMF notes, the fraudsters’ goal is often to steal your personal information or install malware on your computer or cell phone. If you’re concerned about your investments or current financial situation, they suggest you contact the broker or investment firm you usually deal with.

Have you received what appears to be a legitimate e-mail or text message from a financial institution you do business with? The AMF recommends you don’t take any chances. Instead of clicking on a link or opening an attachment, go straight to the financial institution’s website. If in doubt, give the institution a call to be certain.

Employment fraud

And the AMF says it is hearing more and more lately about fraud involving promises of employment to people impacted by the massive job losses brought about by the COVID-19 crisis. The agency says fraudsters are soliciting job seekers on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Kijiji and Craigslist.While they may seem on the surface to be realistic and come from both known and unknown companies, the truth is that employment offers are often used by fraudsters to steal personal information, while tricking you into wiring them money in cryptocurrency, after which they are nowhere to be found.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Revenu Québec urges essential workers to register early for benefits

Martin C. Barry
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0
Revenu Québec urges essential workers to register early for benefits

Province anticipates 600,000 will apply for COVID-19 work loss compensation

Martin C. Barry

In view of the sheer number of workers displaced by COVID-19 who are expected to apply for government relief, Revenu Québec is asking candidates for an essential workers compensation program to start applying now before the lineup grows long and difficult to manage.

On April 3, the Quebec government announced a new financial assistance program, the Incentive Program to Retain Essential Workers (IPREW), for individuals working essential jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The assistance amount is meant to make up the difference between the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and an eligible worker’s wages.

How much does it pay?

Eligible workers can apply for benefits online beginning on May 19. The program provides $100 for each week of qualifying work beginning March 15, extending for a maximum of 16 weeks. This means that, in addition to their wages, workers can receive a taxable benefit of $400 per month, for a total of $1,600 for the full 16-week period. Payments are made every two weeks starting on May 27.

“If everyone makes their registration on May 19 at the same time, it will be hard for us to provide an adequate service for everyone,” says Revenu Québec spokesperson Martin Croteau. “To be honest, we are concerned there may be major waiting times if everyone turns up at the same time. So we are encouraging people to take the first step now.”

Eligibility conditions

To be eligible under the program, workers must work part-time or full-time in one of the essential service sectors during the program period; receive gross wages of $550 or less per week; have an annual employment income of at least $5,000 for 2020; have a total annual income of no more than $28,600 for 2020; be at least 15 years old when they apply for assistance under the IPREW; and have been resident in Quebec since last December 31, and plan to reside in Quebec throughout 2020.

As well, to receive assistance for a given week covered by the program, workers must not have received amounts under the federal CERB or the temporary aid for workers program for that same week. However, workers are eligible for the program even if their employer receives assistance through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

Register to be eligible

According to Croteau, more than 600,000 full and part-time workers in the province will be eligible to receive assistance from the IPREW program. But first, he pointed out, they must register for an account on the Revenue Québec web site. Registration requires disclosure of the following information: social insurance number, date of birth, and at least one recent notice of income tax assessment over the past five years.

Some individuals who cannot provide a notice of assessment number will still be able to register for My Account by getting a temporary access code by text or automated call.

Avoid delays, do it now

To avoid an overload of calls to client services when the IPREW application period opens on May 19, Revenu Québec invites eligible workers to register for My Account and ensure that their direct deposit banking information is up to date right away. Doing this now will make the application process easier later. Eligible workers will receive their payments quickly. A first payment of up to $1,000 will be made on May 27. Individuals not registered for direct deposit will receive a single lump-sum payment by cheque once the program period ends in July.

Workers in the following essential services are eligible for the IPREW program:

Priority health services and social services
Institutions in the health and social services network, including 811 call centres
Pre-hospital emergency services, including the Corporation d’Urgences santé, first responders, ambulance service operators and healthcare communication centres
Private health consulting room or office, including dentists and optometrists (for emergency services only)
Pharmacies
Intermediate resources and family-type resources
Private seniors’ residences
Individuals, enterprises and organizations providing services to the elderly, to the disabled and to the vulnerable, in particular as part of the direct allocation—service employment paycheque measure
Specialized resources offering accommodation for vulnerable groups and their relatives (domestic violence, vagrancy, cancer, addicts housed in community or private resources, palliative and end-of-life care, the underprivileged, immigrants, the elderly, the mentally ill, mother and child, prenatal and postnatal groups, young people in difficulty and their families, people with an intellectual or physical deficiency or an autism spectrum disorder, victims of crime)
Héma-Québec
Transplant Québec
Canadian Red Cross
Institut national de santé publique du Québec
Wholesalers and manufacturers of medication accredited by the Minister of Health and Social Services (including supply and distribution)
Medical and pharmaceutical laboratories and research centres
Enterprises manufacturing vaccines or by-products to produce vaccines
Suppliers, distributors and co-contractors in the health and social services network
Independent placement agencies in the field of health services and social services
Private IV clinics
Joint procurement groups
Public security services
Police departments and police forces, including emergency call dispatch centres (operated by a municipality or the Sûreté du Québec)
Fire services
Correctional services
Special constables
Highway controllers
Wildlife protection officers
Security agencies
Forest firefighters and all types of professionals providing support for civil security operations
Communication services
Enterprises involved in environmental emergencies
Government services and other priority activities
Childcare workers and support staff for emergency childcare services
Online higher education
Suppliers of goods and services for underprivileged citizens
Food inspection and food quality
Waste collection and residual materials management
Government air services
Suicide prevention centres
Assistance services for victims of domestic violence
Services deemed essential by municipal organizations (administration, public works, etc.)
Food banks
Veterinarian clinics and agronomists
Care for live animals kept in captivity: Production and distribution of medications, vaccines and medical equipment for veterinary medicine Laboratories and animal health research centres Inspection and monitoring of animal health and crops
Courts of justice and administrative tribunals, for matters they deem urgent
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Health and safety guidelines must be clear for the reopening of schools, says QESBA leadership

Martin C. Barry
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0
Health and safety guidelines must be clear for the reopening of schools, says QESBA leadership

The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), transmitted its recommendations to the Government of Québec last week for eventual school reopenings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

QESBA president Dan Lamoureux.


The Chairs of the province’s English-language school boards and their Councils of Commissioners noted that they are still legally responsible for the health and safety of more than 100,000 students and thousands of staff members across Québec. QESBA maintains that the health and safety of these individuals must be the guiding principle in making such significant decisions.


The QESBA urges the government to use recognized national or international guidelines, including clear benchmarking, relating to the current and future situation of the pandemic in order to determine when and under what circumstances Québec schools can be reopened. As an example, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued these types of guidelines in a document entitled Considerations in adjusting public health and social measures in the context of COVID-19.


“The Government of Québec should use these WHO guidelines to determine when and where schools can be reopened. The decision on when to reopen schools must be made using best practices and the most reliable data possible. Given the absolute imperative to protect the
health and safety of students, staff and their families, nothing less will do”, said QESBA president Dan Lamoureux.


In the event that the application of these types of guidelines permit the gradual reopening of schools in some administrative regions this
school year, the QESBA recommends that the following measures be taken:

  • school attendance be voluntary for students;
  • no student in the youth sector should be disadvantaged academically if they remain home or if their school remains closed;
  • adaptations must be made for the adult education sector and for vocational training
  • programs;
  • clear guidelines be issued regarding physical distancing if necessary, and sanitary measures in schools and centres and for school
  • transportation;
  • special attention should be given to vulnerable student or those who are academically at risk based on evaluations already issued.


“The probable timeline of this illness will change the way we do things in the education network for some time to come. We may not
be able, even in the medium term, to return to full class sizes in crowded, bustling schools,” the QESBA said.


“In order to prepare for this eventuality, we as a system must look at developing quality education programs with more robust distance
learning components. Other jurisdictions have already introduced changes in this regard. It is time for us to embrace that change as well,”
concluded the association’s president.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

City of Laval marked Earth Day on April 22

Martin C. Barry
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City of Laval marked Earth Day on April 22

This was the 50th anniversary of environmental celebration

(TLN) Officials with the City of Laval took the opportunity on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this year (April 22) to note the various efforts by the city in the past few years to promote environmental sustainability while increasing its commitment to ecological values.

“Whether it’s through the protection of our natural areas, the fight against climate change, planting of trees or the implementation of new environmental programs, Laval is proud to put the environment at the heart of its priorities, its actions and its strategic vision,” said Laval executive-committee member and city councillor for Sainte-Rose Virginie Dufour, who is responsible for environmental dossiers.

Escalating eco-efforts

She pointed out that since 2011, Laval has managed to increase the tree canopy hanging over its territory to 23.6 per cent. She said the city plans to increase its shrub and tree planting efforts, including many more trees along the edges of the autoroutes.

As well, she noted, the city is escalating efforts to reduce asphalted surfaces throughout Laval in order to help eliminate heat islands which capture and retain large volumes of heat during the hot summer months. Several schools and health institutions in Laval will be benefiting from these efforts through the planting of new trees on their grounds and greening over of paved outdoor spaces.

Kitchen waste expansion

As well, according to Dufour, the City of Laval plans to step up efforts to increase the amount of recyclable organic matter which ends up being repurposed, rather than in landfill. To achieve this aim, the city’s kitchen waste collection will be expanded to residential buildings with eight or more units beginning this fall.

Laval is also a new member of an organization, sponsored by the David Suzuki Foundation, that brings together municipalities which hope to save monarch butterflies from extinction. One of the causes for the decline of the monarch in North America has been the disappearance of a certain plant it would normally feed on. Laval, in step with other municipalities, plans to cultivate this plant in public spaces where it is hoped monarch butterflies will begin to flourish once again.

Electric-heat conversion

The City of Laval is also encouraging home owners on its territory to take advantage of a subsidy being offered by the municipality to convert oil-fired heating systems to electricity. In so doing, residents will to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere, which are believed to be a leading cause of global warming. And in its pursuit of eco-responsibility, the city has also been encouraging Laval residents to use active transportation more often, including bicycling or even just walking to destinations rather than driving the car. Laval has developed an extensive network of bicycling and walking paths throughout its territory, with plans for more in the coming years.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Report says CHSLD Ste-Dorothée acted late against COVID-19

Martin C. Barry
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Report says CHSLD Ste-Dorothée acted late against COVID-19

But situation has improved since outbreak began, says CNESST

Martin C. Barry

A provincial commission that oversees health and safety norms in the workplace says in a report leaked to the media that management at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée was slow to implement special measures at the long-term care facility to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

According to the report, details of which were first made public by the Montreal daily La Presse, an inspector from the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail visited CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée during the first week of April.

Were COVID-positive

The CNESST inspector had been asked to do so by medical staff union officials who were worried about inadequate prevention measures. The CNESST report confirmed that CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée workers who were experiencing symptoms indicative of COVID-19 were still working at least up to April 6.

The CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée on Samson Blvd. in western Laval, where a high number of fatalities from COVID-19 took place following the initial outbreak of the neo-coronavirus more than a month ago.

The report also notes that staff at the CHSLD, who were working simultaneously at other retirement and long-term care establishments, continued to travel back and forth between locations as COVID-19 was actively spreading at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée. This contradicted guidelines established at that point for safeguarding against the spread of COVID-19.

Unprotected tasks

As well, according to La Presse, the report states that nurses were forced to complete some complex high-risk tasks without the benefit of superior quality N95 facial masks, which were unavailable at the time in the CHSLD.

Report says nurses were forced to complete high-risk tasks without benefit of superior N95 masks

The inspector also pointed out that training and availability of information at the establishment were inadequate during the same time period. However, at the same time the CNESST inspector noted that the initially chaotic situation at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée has improved.

Situation improved

Since then, the CISSS de Laval, which oversees CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée, says that it has taken measures to ensure that adequate supplies of protective gear, including N95 masks, are available for all employees, and that the gear is being received up to twice a day at the CHSLD. In the meantime, the Syndicat Des Infirmières, inhalothérapeutes et infirmiers auxilières de Laval (the union representing nurses and nursing assistants at the CHSLD) wants the protective measures implemented at CHSLD Sainte-Dorothée to be made the standard at all other CHSLDs in Laval.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Glycovax Pharma will know in three months if its COVID-19 vaccine works

Martin C. Barry
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Glycovax Pharma will know in three months if its COVID-19 vaccine works

Laval and Montreal-based firm is using research started three years ago

Martin C. Barry

Glycovax Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Montreal with laboratories on Cartier Blvd. in Laval, is actively working on the development of a new vaccine approach to counter COVID-19 – with some important initial findings expected in three months.

Molecular research

According to the company, whose research team is led by Montreal-based organic chemist Dr. René Roy, Glycovax Pharma’s prototype glycoconjugate vaccine is currently in the preclinical phase. If all goes according to plan, Glycovax Pharma anticipates having a vaccine in as little as 12 to 15 months.

Glycovax Pharma scientific director and vice-president for research Dr. René Roy is confident the company is on track to finding a vaccine against COVID-19 within the next 12 to 15 months.

According to initial reports, the company had been working on a molecular research project involving breast cancer for the past three years when they found it had properties which could be used to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 and the coronavirus.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team of researchers and scientists at Glycovax Pharma has analyzed the specific biomarkers of the virus.

Biomarkers in library

The research made it possible to discover that several biomarkers identified on the virus are part of a library of glycoconjugate immunogens developed within the framework of the work of researchers at Glycovax Pharma.

In addition, according to the company, the structures of these carbohydrates are very similar to the structures on which Glycovax Pharma had focused its work since 2017.

The company says this discovery prompted Dr. Roy’s scientific team to test its glycoconjugate vaccine candidates with a view to developing a first prototype of a semi-synthetic vaccine to counter COVID-19. Such a vaccine could, after a successful phase of clinical trials, be manufactured quickly and on a large scale, according to Glycovax Pharma.

‘Disruptive’ strategy, says Roy

“Analysis of the COVID-19 virus has shown us that it has properties that are directly related to the molecules we develop at Glycovax Pharma,” Dr. Roy, scientific director and vice-president of research at the company, said in a press release issued last week.

“This discovery allows us to envision a solution that could be deployed quickly enough to counter this virus. It is a disruptive scientific strategy that we have a duty to explore.”

Vaccines for meningitis

Dr. Roy is considered to be a world expert and a pioneer in glycochemistry. He helped develop two vaccines to fight bacterial infections that cause meningitis in young children. In association with Cuban researchers, he also helped develop the world’s first semi-synthetic vaccine that completely eradicated the disease in Cuba. The vaccine was subsequently administered to more than 65 million children worldwide.

As well as co-founding Glycovax Pharma, Dr. Roy is a professor emeritus at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) and associate professor at the Armand Frappier Institute of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), which is located in Laval. His research and development work since the creation of Glycovax Pharma in 2016 has also produced promising preclinical results on vaccines designed to treat various forms of cancer.

Will know in three months

“In response to this pandemic that is causing death here and around the world, our researchers are fully engaged in this war against COVID-19,” said Dany Valiquette, president of Glycovax Pharma.

“Their research on sugar chemistry has allowed us to develop a semi-synthetic vaccine for the population, whose goal is to prevent and destroy coronavirus in a safe and economical way to be produced on a large scale. Within three months, with the appropriate resources, we will be able to assess the effectiveness of our vaccine and whether it is able to destroy the COVID-19 virus.”

A revolutionary approach

Glycovax Pharma says its team includes scientists who are considered to be among the world’s elite in glycochemistry, glycobiology, immunology and nanotechnology. The company says they have designed a family of therapeutic tools based on glyco-nanomolecules that are revolutionizing the way to treat patients with cancer and other conditions involving bacteria and viruses. An online encyclopedia defines glycobiology as the study of the structure, biosynthesis, and biology of saccharides (sugar chains or glycans) that are widely distributed in nature. Sugars or saccharides are considered to be essential components of all living things and aspects of the various roles they play in biology are researched in various medical, biochemical and biotechnological fields.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Laval bio-science companies involved in COVID-19 research

Martin C. Barry
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Laval bio-science companies involved in COVID-19 research

Cité de la Biotech is home to more than a dozen biotech firms

Martin C. Barry

While research is underway all over the world to find treatments and an eventual vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19, the City of Laval is pointing out that more than a dozen companies located on its territory are actively involved in the global scientific efforts.

“In these difficult times, each of us is called upon to contribute in all ways possible to facing the challenges posed by the pandemic,” said City of Laval executive-committee vice-president Stéphane Boyer who is responsible for economic development dossiers.

A biotech leader

“Laval has been known as a leader in biotechnology for years. Today more than ever, our scientists and entrepreneurs are exceeding themselves in research towards innovative and concrete solutions for safeguarding the health of people from here and elsewhere.”

In all, according to the city, there are 13 businesses located in Laval’s Cité de la Biotech scientific industrial park that stand to make contributions to the research towards eventually finding a solution to COVID-19.

Range of companies

The companies range from long-established multinationals, to much more recent “start-ups.” In the latter category, some are just getting underway under the roof of Laval’s bio-science business “incubator” – the Centre québécois d’innovation en biotechnologie (CQIB).

“We are especially proud that six businesses from our incubator are involved in the struggle against COVID-19,” said CQIB executive-director Perry Niro. “And this thanks to support from the CQIB and the commitment of its employees.”

The research firms

Here is a summary of the 13 bio-science businesses located in Laval that are working on COVID-19-related research:

Seen here from an eagle’s-eye point of view, the City of Laval’s Cité de la Biotech is home to more than a dozen science and research companies doing active work towards finding treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19.

Nexelis is a highly-regarded laboratory with projects funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. According to the city, the company is currently working collaboratively on anti-viral vaccines and treatments.

Corealis Pharma produces oral formulations for antivirals in anticipation of clinical trials for various clients located internationally.

On the cutting edge

Altasciences is pursuing research on behalf of Swiss-based Roivant Sciences (a company founded by U.S. bio-sciences venture entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy). The research is on Gimsilumab, a COVID-19 treatment, which could prevent or slow development of the disease’s severe acute respiratory syndrome. Phase 1 of a clinical study has been completed.

Biodextris has been developing an exclusive technology under license from GlaxoSmithKline for the administration of a nasal vaccine that has shown promise against the coronavirus in pre-clinical trials.

Doing their part

Roche Diagnostics is furnishings scientific instruments and tests for tracking the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Bausch Health (until recent years the most valuable company in Canada) is offering medications as well as other health-related products to international organizations as its contribution to the fight against COVID-19.

‘Laval has been known as a leader in biotechnology for years,’ says executive-committee v.p. Stéphane Boyer

Servier Canada is donating 100,000 facial masks to health professionals at the front line, in conjunction with Innovative Medicines Canada.

ILS Pharma will soon be offering a quick test for detecting the presence of the COVID-19 virus.

A cure for COVID-19

Ovensa is working on medications designed to slow viral infections as well as pulmonary lesions caused by hypoxy (lack of oxygen in tissues), a possible complication from COVID-19.

Oligo Medic and Smart Medicines GMP have adapted their production systems to make disinfectant gel.

Glycovax Pharma is developing technology for inhibitors against the adhesion of bacterias and viruses. And Inixium has decided to orient its research onto molecules that could inhibit viral replication.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

City of Laval keeping watch over spring flood waters

Martin C. Barry
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City of Laval keeping watch over spring flood waters

In order to assure the safety of residents, the City of Laval says it has installed a universally-accessible pedestrian overpass on the Comtois Ave. mini-bridge to maintain a link between the south-east portion of l’Île Verte and the Laval islands in the eventuality spring flooding should cause any car traffic disruptions as was the case in past years.

Laval public works crews set up anti-flood barriers in Sainte-Dorothée.

Floodwatch underway

Although water levels in the Laval-Les Îles area are lower than last year, the City of Laval says it is watching the situation carefully and public works teams stand ready to take action if that is deemed necessary.

The city has taken precautions and installed protective anti-flood barriers along certain streets near the waterfront, including streets in Laval-les-Îles, Souvenir-Labelle, L’Abord-à-Plouffe, Saint-François and l’Orée-des-Bois.

Protecting property

The measures also include caution signs as well as anti-flood concrete blocks. Residents who are in areas where there are significant risks of flooding are asked to take measures on their own now to safeguard their property.

The city also urging those in affected areas to use all the necessary tools available to receive communication alerts, including social media such as Twitter or Facebook, should the waters rise. Registration for alerts can be done on the City of Laval web site.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Canadian Armed Forces send medics to Laval seniors’ residences

Martin C. Barry
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Canadian Armed Forces send medics to Laval seniors’ residences

Villa Val des Arbres one of five CHSLDs being helped with COVID-19

Martin C. Barry

In response to a request from the Quebec government, the Canadian Armed Forces’ Joint Task Force East (JTFE) has dispatched medically-trained military personnel to the Montreal region to assist at nearly a half-dozen long-term care residences struggling with COVID-19 – including a CHSLD in the Laval area.

Answering a need

Following an agreement between the provincial and federal governments, JTFE personnel with medical experience were deployed to assist Quebec’s Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) with the COVID-19 crisis, said a spokesperson for CAF headquarters in Ottawa.

Members of the CAF’s 4 Health Services Group are seen here training at Saint-Jean Garrison south of Montreal in preparation for deployment to the region, including Laval.

The MSSS had identified long-term care centres (CHSLDs) as institutions requiring the most assistance. CHSLD Villa Val des Arbres on Saint-Martin Blvd. East in Laval was among the care centres selected for assistance. The CAF said it worked closely with its government partners to identify priorities and the facilities where the greatest impact could be made, based on capabilities.

Helping civilian teams

Prior to deploying to selected long-term care facilities identified by the MSSS, the CAF’s teams were liaising with the establishments to clearly assess the essential needs. The CAF says this critical planning process will ensure that military personnel subsequently sent to the facilities will effectively meet the support needs of the civilian teams already in place.

Five long-term care centres in the greater Montreal area are at the heart of the efforts in liaison with the on-site civilian teams. The CAF’s deployed intervention teams are composed of up to 130 personnel, including two nurses and 12 medical technicians, all being assisted by support staff.

‘Proud to serve’

The CAF says that as active members in their communities, the military personnel who are deployed “are proud to be able to help the people of Quebec.” They have been assigned in small groups and have been mandated to “rigorously respect the standards and procedures established by the MSSS for the protection of patients, the public, and civilian and military personnel to combat COVID-19,” according to the CAF.

The tasks performed by the military personnel vary according to the needs identified by their civilian partners. Among other things, the military are supporting the civilian health professionals already in place by augmenting the strength of the resources available at each location.

They were in isolation

In order to be ready to answer the call, members of the 2nd Canadian Division/Joint Task Force (East) team were in voluntary isolation since March 13.

‘We are proud that military personnel are helping to fight COVID-19 in the long-term care centres,’ says Brigadier-General Gervais Carpentier, Commander 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force East

“We are proud that military personnel are helping to fight COVID-19 in the long-term care centres following a request from the Government of Quebec that was approved by federal authorities,” Brigadier-General Gervais Carpentier, Commander 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force East, said in a statement.

Ready for challenges

“Our military health care professionals are ready and equipped to meet the challenges ahead,” said Colonel Manon Asselin, Commander of 4 Health Services Group. “They have the knowledge and skills to work in health care settings together with civilian agencies in order to support their fellow citizens during this difficult time.”

Operation LASER is the name of the Canadian Armed Forces’ overall response to the pandemic. It focuses on CAF preservation, the assessment of CAF activities at home and abroad, and the preparation of the CAF to support civil authorities, as requested by the federal government.

JTFE one of six regions

Joint Task Force East (JTFE) is one of six regional forces established by the Canadian Armed Forces across the country. The task forces are located in key locations across Canada, and they conduct CAF operations on a continental scale.

The CAF says that one of the cornerstones of military medicine is the management of infectious diseases in a military environment such as bases, camps, ships and air stations. As such, they add, preventive medicine focuses on the required skill sets to accomplish the task, and all its health professionals are equally well-trained in this area.

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for the Laval News, marty@newsfirst.ca

Laval News Volume 28-09

George Bakoyannis
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Laval News Volume 28-09

The current issue of the Laval News volume 28-09 published April 29th, 2020,
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

Current issue of the Laval News volume 28-09 published April 29th, 2020.
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Weather

Laval
overcast clouds
-11.6 ° C
-10.9 °
-13.7 °
69 %
2.6kmh
100 %
Wed
-1 °
Thu
0 °
Fri
-4 °
Sat
3 °
Sun
-7 °

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