The current issue of the Laval News volume 28-01 published January 8th, 2020, (Laval’s English Newspaper) covers local events such as politics, sports and human-interest stories. It features editorials and other columns. Click on the image to read the paper.
Laval police have arrested six people, including several minors, who they said were connected to drug trafficking at a Chomedey high school.
The arrests happened on Nov. 7, after school administrators warned police of drug sales and consumption among students.
Service de Police de la Ville de Laval (SPVL) raided one home and three vehicles.
Four of the six arrested have been charged: one minor and three people aged 19 or 20. They are facing charges of illegal sale of cannabis to minors, illegal sale of cannabis to people over 18 and possession of cannabis with intent to sell.
SPVL officers seized more than 200 g of cannabis, $2,455 in cash and equipment related to the sale of cannabis, the police force said in a statement on Friday.
They encouraged parents to discuss the effects of drug consumption with their children.
Anyone with information about drug sales in Laval can call police anonymously at 450 662-INFO (4636), or call 911 and mention file number LVL- 191029-054.
Martin C. Barry
Officials from the City of Laval were joined by family members and friends of one of the greatest hockey coaches ever to emerge from Chomedey for a ceremony on Dec. 6 marking the official renaming of the Chomedey Arena in honour of former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Pierre Creamer.
A true son of Chomedey, the 75-year-old Creamer paid his dues while coaching the sport he loved. A specially-designed plaque, created by artist Olivier Gaudette, will now adorn a wall at the renamed arena and feature a short biography of Creamer.
Gradually moving up through the professional ice hockey hierarchy, Pierre Creamer coached the AHL’s Sherbrooke Canadiens (a Montreal Canadiens farm team) during the 1980s, while leading them to a Calder Cup championship.
During his career behind the bench, Creamer also coached the Montreal Juniors (1980-1982) then the Verdun Juniors, both of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Creamer helped lead teams to three President’s Cups while coaching in the QMJHL.
Although brief, the professional summit of Creamer’s career was in 1987-1988 when he coached the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although the team benefited from legendary Pittsburgh centreman Mario Lemieux’s scoring prowess, the Penguins missed the playoffs that year.
Creamer finished his career coaching the Laval Titan of the QMJHL during the 1989-1990 season when he led the team to a league championship. It’s also worth noting that Creamer made enormous coaching contributions to minor league hockey in Laval throughout his career.
“Through this recognition, Laval underlines the significant contribution by Pierre Creamer to the community and his contributions to sports in Laval as a volunteer, administrator and builder, as well as his exceptional career, which focused national and international attention on his city of origin,” the City of Laval said in a statement on the renaming of the arena.
It was not the first time the City of Laval chose to pay homage to Pierre Creamer. He was previously inducted into the Laval Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989, then into the Laval Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Despite his ascent to the highest levels of international sport, Creamer was noted for always remaining closely in touch with the community he came from. For example, he has been a director on the board of the Caisse populaire Saint-Martin, as well as a member of the board of the Fondation du Centre de la nature.
In all, more than 140 people attended the renaming ceremony, including Laval mayor Marc Demers, several city councillors, Pierre Creamer’s son Justin, as well as former New York Islanders right winger Mike Bossy who is Creamer’s brother-in-law and who was coached as a youngster by Creamer.
As Creamer recalled during a short speech, he started out in hockey nearly 60 years ago, in the park where the Chomedey Arena was built, as a local sports monitor on the playing fields.
Justin Creamer said that even though his father received numerous coaching offers that might have required travel and moving, Pierre Creamer turned them down as he wanted to stay close to his family in Chomedey.
Martin C. Barry
Residents from Sainte-Dorothée and other Laval neighbourhoods got the opportunity on Sunday Dec. 7 to take their children to meet Santa Claus, while also donating toys and gifts for needy families to open Christmas morning.
A special place was set up for the jolly old man in red in the middle of the Place Publique public square in the middle of Vieux Sainte-Dorothée.
Children’s books in good condition were accepted as gifts. All the donated gifts would later be donated to community groups in Laval for distribution to the needy.
In addition to meeting Santa, the children were also able to take part in creative arts activities, take a ride in a horse drawn sleigh, or even borrow a book from the City of Laval library as the Bibliomobile unit was there to facilitate withdrawals of books.
As well, members of the Cercle des fermières de Sainte-Dorothée, a more than 100-year-old service club for women that promotes artisan activities, presented handmade teddy bears to many of the children who came by that day.
The day was organized by a committee made up of members of Loisirs Sainte-Dorothée, the Cercle des fermières de Sainte-Dorothée, the Chevaliers de Colomb Sainte-Dorothée, the Société Saint-Vincent-de-Paul de Sainte-Dorothée, the Chœur de Sainte-Dorothée and the Maison des jeunes de Sainte-Dorothée, in conjunction with the City of Laval.
“It’s around ten years we’ve been doing this,” said Pierre Côté, Grand Knight of the Chevaliers de Colomb Sainte-Dorothée. “We gather gifts for needy families. Santa Claus is here to meet everyone and hear what the children would like to receive for Christmas.
“We’re also serving hot chocolate with the Société Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, as well as coffee and sugar pie for those with a sweet tooth,” he added. “And every child receives a little souvenir from Santa Claus.”
Lianne Dufour of Sainte-Dorothée thought the event had been well thought-out by those who organized it. “This is truly an extraordinary event in that it is allowing children to come and give a gift that another child will be able to use. This is teaching them good values,” she said.
On December 15th 2019 Agape Executive Director Kevin McLeod received a generous donation from the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 251 totaling $1300.
McLeod thanked the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 251, The Royal Canadian Air Cadet (100 Laval Squadron) and namely Chris Wheatley, Linda Joosen, Shannon Westlake and David Acco for their fund raising initiatives, assuring them that their donation had come at a very urgent time as they had run out of food towards their annual Christmas Basket / Food Drive campaign.
“There
are more families in need and less donations each year.” said McLeod. “We are
so grateful for their support. Without these kinds of donations and the help of
our local schools, Agape would not be able to continue to serve the
underprivileged families of Laval at Christmas time.”
Renata Isopo
Fruits and vegetables are produced seasonally, but the market requires fresh products throughout the year. Increased consumer year-round demand for fresh produce, force retailers or their representatives to establish buying points for consumers in different areas such as the grand city of Laval. Le Panier Du Fermier, a new online fresh-produce service, owned and operated by Elias Mantis and partners, is the newest kid on the block, having established a buying point, on Laval Island, for the north shore and beyond.
Some retailers contract year-round fresh fruit and vegetable packers in several different production regions to ensure year-round availability every. These packers generally link only in regions with large numbers of growers or importers. Large volumes enable packers to obtain sufficient quantities of individual products at competitive prices.
“To stay competitive, processors must keep unit costs low,” stated Elias, adding that price and quality, drive production. “Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to know what is meant by high quality, and quality judgement often varies from year to year.” Retailers and consumers judge produce quality, including flavor, ripeness, odor, cleanliness, and the presence of insects and foreign material.
With the explosion of on-line purchasing of everything from light bulbs to car parts, the produce industry is also excited about getting into the online consumer boom. Le Panier du Fermier owner Elias Mantis and partners, sell fruits and vegetables through their depot, distributing throughout Fabreville, Chomedey, and Ste-Rose.
“Since this is a high tech city and everyone has internet, this is a great way to sell online in order to provide extended customer services which are picking up like hot cakes,” said Elias. The intriguing Web presentation features farm produce in vivid images that quickly catch the eye. Orders are packed and held in cold storage. Elias told TLN in a telephone interview that his internet sales portal is proving to be successful and growing. “We save consumers serious money. We package fully loaded boxes with only the best and freshest variety of fruits and vegetables at extremely competitive prices. A box that normally sells for $50 is sold for only $30 at Le Panier Du Fermier at all times.”
Shopping convenience is the aim of on-line ordering, according to Elias and his partners, making the experience comfortable, attractive, and cost-efficient compared to stores. Customers choose boxes of goodies, delivery time most convenient, morning, afternoon, or evening. Forms are provided with all the pertinent information.
“Our boxes are bursting with best quality, freshness guaranteed. Each box lasts at least a week, full of seasonal favorites.” Mainly, shopping on our online store avoids unnecessary grocery store purchases, prevents overspending, helps families to budget more effectively. and reduces food waste,” Elias explained.
The service caters to all clientele. Many senior citizens struggle to go out and buy their groceries every week, while others simply have better things to do than spend a day shopping. Le Panier Du Fermier provides for all, including the not so young. The result is a system that is affordable, practical, easy to use, and it makes it possible for seniors to get their grocery without worries, from home, regardless of the weather or state of health.
“Convenience is the driving force behind our goal. Traditional shopping is remarkably inconvenient since it’s time consuming, especially for workers,” said Elias. The problem is especially significant for grocery shopping, since most people must do it fairly often to replace perishable items. Choosing our online produce which is always $30 (a $50 value), with a $5 delivery fee regardless the area, is the easiest way to avoid inconvenience. It’s the best way to save time and money, and mainly there’s no waste which is a loss of money.”
All orders must be placed by Thursday night, include 16 to 20 items, varying week to week. “In fact, consumers can now check us out on Facebook,” said Elias proudly. “We began to sell to family and friends, and then, with Facebook, the business just exploded,” he added.
“Essentially, our online produce delivery service works on pre-orders by going to our page at www.panierdufermier.ca With the community supporting our online purchasing project, we guarantee our customers in Chomedey, Fabreville, Ste-Rose, and beyond fresh quality produce saving time and lots of money,” concluded Elias.
You are what you eat!
A 59-year-old woman has died and two others were taken to hospital after being exposed to carbon monoxide in a Laval, Que. residence.
Police spokesperson Stéphanie Beschara said that Laval authorities were dispatched to a small apartment building at 2:20 p.m. on Friday in the Laval-des-Rapides region.
Two people were taken to hospital and are in stable condition condition. Police could not confirm whether the 59-year-old victim died at the residence or at the hospital.
Authorities say they are unsure how the three people were exposed to the toxic gas.
The case was deemed not criminal and was transferred to the Quebec coroner to investigate.
A man in his 50s has been arrested and faces charges of attempted murder following a fire late Sunday night on Montreal’s north shore.
Laval police say they were called around 9 p.m. to the apartment building on 62nd Avenue near Cartier Boulevard concerning a reported domestic dispute between a couple.
When officers arrived at the scene, police say a fire was also underway in the building. Police are investigating whether the fire was deliberately set but could not confirm if the two incidents are related.
The man and a woman in her 20s were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. They are in a relationship, according to police.
The man is expected to be transported to a detention centre where he will meet with investigators.
The fire department was called to the scene. Residents were forced to leave the building due to the flames.
The Laval Police Service wishes to inform the public that Antoine Laflèche, 74 years old, was found guilty, last October 7, of the charge of indecent assault, at the Court of Quebec of Laval. He has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, 3 years probation and will also be added to the sex offender registry.
Recall of facts :
On June 27, 2018, Antoine Laflèche was arrested for sexual crimes. These crimes were committed in the early 1960s and lasted more than 20 years. At the time of the events, he was part of the religious group, La Mission de l’Esprit-Saint and he used the name Laflèche Trudeau. The victims targeted were mainly young minors gravitating around them.
Anyone who has been a victim of this man is invited to contact us to file an official complaint on our Info Line 450-662-INFO (4636) or by calling 911, mentioning the file LVL- 170406-046
A fire started on the night of December 13-14 on the balcony of an apartment located on the 11th floor of the Quintessence residential tower located at 3720 boulevard Saint-Elzéar, in Chomedey.
The call to 911 took place at 3:53 a.m. 6 units and 19 firefighters arrived on site 7 minutes later. When they arrived, the evacuation was already underway and flames were apparent on the outdoor balcony.
The fire was brought under control at 4:12 a.m. The cause of this is a poor layout of a smoking article.
The damage is estimated at $ 15,000 for the building and $ 3,000 for its contents.
It was dramatic looking, but fortunately, no one was hurt.
A 10-wheel truck caught fire at around 9:40 a.m. Monday morning on Highway 15 in Laval, on the northbound side near the St. Martin exit.
Firefighters arrived and made quick work of the blaze — though traffic heading north on the 15 did slow down for a time.
The current issue of the Laval News volume 27-24 published December 18th, 2019, (Laval’s English Newspaper) covers local events such as politics, sports and human-interest stories. It features editorials and other columns. Click on the image to read the paper.
Renata Isopo
There are shopping extravaganzas and buying sprees of legendary reputation that defy the mind’s eye, but as incredible as it sounds, these experiences would pale when going up against the PopUp2 Shop held this past weekend in downtown Laval.
Conceived, organized and presented to the community by the dynamic duo of Angelia Mantis and Claudia Valiante, the first-ever shopping event of this type on Laval island featured 60 vendors in a classy setting that transformed Laval’s Palace Convention Center into a veritable shopping mall, alas only for the day. But a day of days it was for about 1200 Lavallers who turned up to feast their eyes on anything the shopping heart might desire.
In time for Christmas, the well-balanced inventory included brand clothing for all, exclusive jewelry fit for royalty, seductive footwear, cosmetics, sweets, hand-made huggable animals for tots, natural foods, and more – all of it a delightful expression of festive offerings catching eyes, striking senses, and daring pocketbooks to empty their contents in a gift-gathering adventure second to none.
To describe the ambience as anything less than irresistible would do no justice to the care and nurturing that the organizers invested in this first, of what they announced will be, many future gatherings of this magnitude – unique, theme-oriented mobile malls for Lavallers and beyond.
“When companies like PopUp2 create great shopping experiences, people want to share those experience with others,” Angela Mantis told TLN in an on-sight late-afternoon interview amid the buzz that filled the hall from wall to wall. “Digital marketing facilitates sharing and turns shopping into social activity,” she added, in appreciation of the sizeable turn-out that made the event a resounding success.
“Social media devotees can be influencers for brands. On-line access has opened the floodgates for word of mouth advertising via product reviews. People trust reviews more than they trust what brands themselves are saying,” said Rosy D’Aversa, vendor/creator of hand-made baby clothing, and special occasion arts and crafts, with partner and daughter Amanda.
The Internet has changed the way consumers shop, even for those who do not regularly buy online, now search online prices, product specifications, and availability before heading to malls. Retailers recognize that the internet is transforming the way customers shop, re-shaping savvy shoppers’ habits. More consumers shop from home, unrestricted by store opening times.
“Consumers today rely on others’ opinions for guidance, and they want immediate access to reviews,” said Claudia Valiante. “We have great stores right here today. People love the concept. Everyone is joyfully leaving with lots of bags.”
Several PopUp2 shoppers extolled the virtues of the mobile mall, summing up its advantages as fulfilling the need to see, touch, and handle merchandise as part of the buying experience, as well as enjoying on-the-spot availability, not having to wait for delivery.
“Shopping habits will continue to evolve with technology, and companies will have to continue to adapt to maintain relevance,” said Mrs. Mantis. “This is the raison d’étre for this exceptional shopping event,” first of many more to come for all occasions, added partner Valiante.
Regardless of preferred marketing channel, in PopUp2 these entrepreneurial young women have created a Christmas/holiday idea to add sparkle to holiday strategy. “The vendors aren’t here to compete, they’re here supporting each other,” assured Mrs. Valiante. “In fact, due to overflow response, we had to turn away 40 businesses that wanted to participate.”
Jewelry vendor Georgia Varoutsos said the event effectively promotes brands and retail since the venue is centrally located. “Angelia and Claudia did an incredible job, and I certainly would participate again if opportunity permits.”
Super busy host/DJ Anthony Dagger entertained excited shoppers from opening to closing. “Twelve hundred people reserved, and more kept coming and touring the huge hall checking out purchases. His electrifying voice roused the crowd, generating great excitement with upbeat music. “The shoppers were unstoppable, popping up from all directions.”
The Mantis/Valente partnership thought of everything, including the presence of trauma emergency nurse Melanie Jade who can do tests without prescription. “You never know if there are allergic reactions to a food or candy in these events, that’s why I’m here.”
Nadia Saputo, daughter of entrepreneur Lino Saputo, was present to sell her cook book, In the Kitchen with Nadia.” Known as Chef Mom, Saputo said all proceeds would go to Emma, a child suffering from leukemia, whose family has no income; the proceeds would help the family cover their expenses. The book, at $30, has sold over 2000 copies, 70 at PopUp2.
“Katherine Karambelas jewelry designs earned global presence making its way to some famous and inspiring ladies such as Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, Mitsou Gelinas, Christine Cho, Maria Guzzo, and other celebrities,” Katherine proudly stated. “We were very successful at this PopUp2, busy all day, and, yes, we would do it again.”Donations from gift wrapping were earmarked for the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. The Foundation grants wishes of Canadian children with life-threatening illnesses. Communications coordinator Marie Claude Murray told TLN in a telephone interview that eight volunteers of the Foundation assisted at PopUp2. Children’s Wish is committed to never refusing the wish of eligible children, ages 3 to 17. “We thank the community for giving their support,” stated Mrs. Murray.
(TLN) The City of Laval’s executive-committee took a number of decisions during public meetings held on Nov. 13 and 20, including decisions about the multifunctional sports and cultural centre (Place Bell), the volunteer recognition evening and new infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists over the next three years.
During the Nov. 13 meeting, the executive-committee received a statement of finances from the Cité de la culture et du sport de Laval which oversees Place Bell. According to the executive-committee, there were no irregularities in the report completed by an auditor.
The executive-committee decided to accept a recommendation made by city council that the annual volunteers’ banquet be made a “zero waste” event beginning in the year 2020. As such, the city’s culture, leisure, sports and social development service will be mandated to make this a reality in conjunction with the city’s department of environment and eco-citizenship.
During the executive-committee’s Nov. 20 meeting, the members approved a plan by the city to implement a major plan to add 55 kilometres of new sidewalks, bicycle paths, pedestrian walkways and other infrastructure in Laval over the next three years.
The following streets in Laval have been chosen to be part of the plan: Esther St. (between Foster and Dagenais); Panneton St. (between 9th and 12th); Chomedey Blvd. (between CHSLD de Laval and Saint Elzéar West); Daniel Johnson Blvd. (between Jacques Bureau and Saint Elzéar West); La Périère St. (between Montée du Moulin and Tilly); Déry St. (between Romain and Adrien); Bédard St. (between de Trèves and Saint Elzéar East); De Trèves St. (between Bédard and Capitol); Adrien St. (between Déry and du Moulin); De Tilly St. (between du Moulin and la Périère); and Boisvert St. (between de Trèves and Saint Elzéar).
In order to allow this work to go ahead, the executive-committee agreed to hire the services of FNX-INNOV INC. for a contract worth $69,575.90 before taxes.
(TLN) In the municipal by-election which took place in the district of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin on Nov. 24, Parti Laval leader Michel Trottier succeeded in winning the seat with more than 35 per cent support.
Mouvement lavallois candidate Bruny Surin came second, Action Laval candidate Francine LeBlanc finished third and Progrès Laval candidate Gabriel Vellone was in last place.
“Firstly, I would like to congratulate Michel Trottier for his victory, as well as Bruny Surin and Gabriel Vellone for their campaigns,” said LeBlanc. “It was a very tight fight. I am proud of the positive campaign I made which was in line with my values. I now wish that Mr. Trottier will serve the people of the district with care and that he will be listening to their needs.”
Action Laval interim-leader Archie Cifelli thanked LeBlanc, as well as all the volunteers and team members with Action Laval, for their hard work on the campaign.
“The results are obviously not the ones we were hoping for,” he said. “However, two thirds of the voters rejected the vision of Marc Demers and his followers, and this motivates us to work even harder in order to become the true voice of all people in Laval.
“One thing is certain,” Cifelli continued. “The voters in Marc-Aurèle-Fortin sent a strong message to the mayor, to the effect they no longer want his bad management.” Regarding Trottier, Cifelli added, “We will be watching to make sure he delivers the merchandise and we will continue to vigorously defend the interests of citizens. This is our big priority.”
