The current issue of the Laval News volume 28-13 published June 24th, 2020.
Covering Laval local news, politics, sports and our new section Mature Life.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)
Laval News Volume 28-13
Fire breaks out at abandoned garage on Curé Labelle Blvd.
The Laval Fire Department has asked the Laval Police to open an investigation into the cause of a fire that broke out and did extensive damage Sunday morning to an abandoned automotive garage located on Curé Labelle Blvd. in Chomedey.
Firefighters received an initial call just after 7:30 am. Upon arriving just a few minutes later, they were able to see that flames appeared to have started on the ground floor of the two-storey building and were beginning to spread.
However, according to the LFD, the blaze didn’t get much beyond that point and the firefighters had everything under control by 8:10 am.
According to the fire department, no one was seen in the immediate vicinity of the burning building and there were no injuries to firefighters.
However, they said it appeared the fire was set on the outside of the building, and it spread inside. The LPD has been asked to investigate as arson is considered to be a possible cause.
Heat wave forces CISSS de Laval to again postpone mobile COVID-19 testing
The CISSS de Laval says it is prolonging its suspension of operations by its mobile COVID-19 testing clinics for another 24 hours because of the ongoing heat wave rolling through the Laval region.
The mobile testing facilities will not be up and operating again until Thursday June 25, says CISSS de Laval spokesperson Judith Goudreau.
Saint-Bruno councillor De Cotis acknowledges work of anonymous couple who cleaned up empty lot
An anonymous couple from the Laval district of Saint-Bruno were publicly thanked on Friday by local city councillor David De Cotis who credited them with cleaning up a vacant lot on de Tolède St. that is owned by the city, but which has been left neglected for a long time.
According to De Cotis, trash and discarded items were accumulating in the lot, until the couple decided to take it upon themselves over the past two years to return time and again to fill bag after bag with garbage until they had effectively turned it into a usable green space or park.
Along the way, added de Cotis, they went through no less than five pairs of work gloves and 300 garbage bags. He suggested that all that would be needed now to complete the park would be a bench or two and maybe a short footpath.
“Laval is fortunate to have citizens such as these to make our city more pleasant,” he said. He said the least the city could do now would be to maintain the lot properly, as should have been the case all along. The Laval News contacted the couple. While saying they didn’t mind having their picture posted online, they added that they preferred to remain anonymous.
CISSS de Laval declares ‘heat wave alert’ as temperature soars
As the temperature in Laval and the Montreal region reached into the low 30s on Friday, officials at the CISSS de Laval declared a heat wave alert and implemented a plan designed to help people cope with the discomfort and potential dangers of soaring heat during the summertime.
The CISSS says it is implementing the following measures at its facilities in Laval:
• CISSS staff are phoning persons living at home who are regarded as vulnerable. Those who cannot be reached will be visited in person.
• The CISSS’s five CHSLDs have taken preliminary precautions to deal with the heat wave.
• New air conditioners and ventilation systems have been activated at the CHSLDs.
• Measures are being taken to: (1) increase hydration in CHSLD residents, and (2) moisten their skin through the application of wet compresses.
The CISSS says certain measures are also being taken to ensure the safety of the general population of Laval during the heat wave:
• The City of Laval has opened six water parks. Pools have also been opened.
• The city has opened some “cooling zones” in municipal buildings with air-conditioning.
The CISSS makes the following suggestions for staying cool and safe during the heat wave:
• Drink a lot of water before you grow thirsty.
• Spend as much time as possible in a cool area of your home.
• Take at least one cooling bath or shower each day, or dampen yourself down with water, even during the night.
• Close the curtains or blinds in your home during the day to keep out heat, and open them at night to let cool air in.
• Avoid beverages with high concentrations of caffeine, sugar or alcohol, as they will dehydrate your body.
• Cut down on physical work.
Laval opens pools and water parks to help cool residents during heat wave
Because of the heat wave that is currently rolling through the Laval and greater Montreal regions, as well as a heat alert issued by Laval’s director of public health, the city says it decided to open six water parks on Thursday, as well as seven swimming pools and three additional water parks starting on Saturday.
However, access to the facilities will be subject to strict sanitary rules because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The city says it has also decided to open special air-conditioned “cooling zones” in select municipal buildings, details of which will be made available at the City of Laval web site: click here.
Access to these aquatic installations is subject to an online registration process, which is expected to be up and running soon. The city says it is insisting on this measure in order to maximize safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
All the same, the city is advising Laval residents to try and limit their outdoor public interactions during the ongoing pandemic, while observing safety precautions for the well-being of all, but especially children, senior citizens and those who are most vulnerable.
The city has announced that the following air-conditioned municipal buildings will be open as of June 20 for those seeking to cool off. Water, tables and chairs will be available, but that the usual COVID-19 sanitary precautions will be observed.
Laval declares a lawn watering ban until June 23
Because of the current heat wave sweeping through the greater Montreal region, the City of Laval has declared a ban on the watering of lawns until midnight on June 23.
According to the city, the ban will be in effect all day and all night during this period everywhere in Laval. The city says the ban is necessary in order to ensure that needs for drinking water and water for firefighting are met.
The city says the ban will not apply to the watering of plants and vegetable gardens, as long as the watering is done with a hose equipped with an automatically opening and closing hand nozzle and it is moderate and in keeping with city regulations.
City offering to pick up old, unused refrigerators
With the July 1 moving day rapidly approaching and with sanitation on everyone’s mind during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Laval is reminding residents that it can pick up old refrigerators and similar household refrigeration units for free to see that they are disposed of safely and in an environmentally-friendly manner.
But first you’ll need an appointment. However, it’s as simple as calling 3-1-1 and saying you have an old refrigerator to be picked up. The unit should be left outside in a pre-determined place on your property, following which a crew from PureSphera, a city sub-contractor specialized in the disposal of fridges, will do the job.
The city reminds residents that refrigerators need to be disposed of by specialists, as they contain refrigerant chemicals and compounds that pollute the environment and contribute to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere while depleting the ozone layer.
More hand sanitizer warnings from Health Canada
Health Canada has issued yet another advisory to Canadians regarding hand sanitizers that may pose health risks.
The warning comes following previous notices issued by the federal agency on other hand sanitizer products.
The latest advisory concerns hand sanitizers made with industrial-grade ethanol, which is not authorized for use in hand sanitizers, and may pose health risks.
This is the latest list of hand sanitizers on Health Canada’s watch.
| Product | Recalling Company | NPN or DIN | Lot Number(s) | Expiry Date | Date Added |
| Biogel | Groupe Savon Olympics, Inc. | 80098684 | 0D991 0D992 0D963 0D964 0E998 0E997 0E994 | April 2022 | July 3, 2020 |
| eSafe | Groupe Enov, Inc. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) | 20-115 20-120 20-121 | April 2021 | July 3, 2020 |
| 20-125 20-126 20-181 | May 2021 | ||||
| Hand Sanitizer Alco-San | Crown Chemical Products, Inc. | Unlicensed (no NPN or DIN on label) | 51420-21 51520-20 | Not printed on the label | July 3, 2020 |
| Healthcare Plus Sanitizing Hand Gel | The Color Group, Division of Canadian Custom Packaging | 80002430 | 024002 024012 024022 021032 024042 024072 024082 024092 024003 | April 2022 | July 3, 2020 |
| Manogel | Constant America | 80098846 | 04291 04292 04293 04295 04301 04321 | March 2022 | July 3, 2020 |
| Sanitagel | Jefo Nutrition, Inc. | 80098567 | 07820R414 08520R414 08720R414 | March 2021 | July 3, 2020 |
| 09020R414 09320R414 | April 2021 |
Health Canada maintains a list of hand sanitizers that may pose health risks, so that Canadians can easily identify products they may have purchased and take appropriate action. Canadians are encouraged to check the list regularly for updates. For more information, including what Canadians should do, visit the online safety alert.
Quebec to harmonize parking fees at hospitals, public health institutions, beginning June 20
Quebec Health and Social Services Minister Danielle McCann has announced that the CAQ government is establishing a standard schedule of parking fees at hospitals and other health care institutions across the province that will make the first two hours free and set a maximum rate ranging from $7 to $10 per day.
The change comes after some hospitals in Quebec, such as the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, began charging up to $25 per day for parking shortly after the MUHC opened its principal site, the Glen Campus, in west-end Montreal in 2015.
The new rates will be applied at all Quebec Health Ministry institutions, including those belonging to the CISSS de Laval, such as the Cité de la Santé hospital and the Laval region’s CHSLDs (long-term care residences).
According to the health ministry, relatives of persons living in CHSLDs will also be offered free parking for two family members. As well, health service users who are regularly going for treatment, such as chemotherapy or dialysis, at a public health institution will be eligible for a preferential parking rate.
The provincial government has allotted $25 million to help the public health care establishments provide the parking at the new rates.
“The cost of parking shouldn’t be a preoccupation when someone wishes to visit or take care of a loved one living at a CHSLD,” McCann said in a statement.
“Thanks to this change, we are eliminating a significant financial barrier, which will help improve social and family bonds between persons residing in CHSLDs and their loved ones.”
