(TLN) A fundraiser held for the benefit of the Jeux du
Québec Games
Finals being held in Laval this summer raised $141,900, according to the city.
The amount was beyond expectations.
The event was sponsored by Desjardins Entreprises and
was attended by 600 supporters. The initial had been $100,000. It took place at
the Salle
André-Mathieu at Montmorency College.
Everyone helping
Former
Olympic diver Roseline Filion, who is official spokesperson for the Finals, was
thrilled with the positive response. Mayor Marc Demers underscored the
importance of all players in the community becoming involved with their
support, including businesses.
“To
host the Finals of the Games is an honor and I am extremely proud of it,” he
said. “I am also proud to see that all the efforts made by the organizing
committee and its partners to make our region known. Proud also of all our
citizens who are preparing to warmly welcome people coming from all over
Quebec.”
Champlain Taxi president George Boussios, right, and Champlain Taxi driver Peter Hatzis aren’t happy with the provincial government’s taxi industry, although they say it’s not going to change what they do for a living. Photo: Martin C. Barry
Martin C. Barry
With the effective elimination of any reference to
taxis in the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s Bill 17 which came into effect late last
year, a prediction Champlain Taxi president George Boussios made less than a
year ago has come true.
An accurate
prediction
In an interview with Newsfirst Multimedia in April
2019, the head of Montreal’s largest taxi service maintained that the region’s
traditional taxi industry would cease to exist within three years after the CAQ
government passed its bill to overhaul the taxi industry.
“In the law which came into effect a couple of months
ago, there’s not one mention of the word taxi,” he said last week, noting that
the overhaul now refers to “transport rémunéré” (remunerated
transportation).
As
he pointed out, the province’s new approach basically opens up the sector to
anyone willing to provide consumers with transportation services, the most
notable examples being drivers for Uber and Lyft.
No more taxi permits
Perhaps
the biggest consequence of this is the elimination of the taxi permit system.
Although the remaining taxi drivers will continue to have to pay a relatively
small sum for annual certification, drivers for car sharing services like Uber
and Lyft won’t be subject to this requirement.
More
importantly, the old taxi permits, which at one time were valued in six-figure
sums per car and driver, have been eliminated. The drastic depreciation of their
value, in conjunction with the government’s reluctance to issue decent
compensation, has left many remaining permit holders in hopeless circumstances.
Expropriated at unfair
value
Taxi
industry representatives had asked the government for a total of $1.3 billion
in compensation across the province.
Instead, according to Boussios, “they are expropriating our business at the price
of what we paid 30-40 years ago.”
He
uses this analogy: “Imagine that the government was coming to your home because
they want to build a highway, and your house is worth $500,000, but you bought
at $100,000, and they’re telling you they’re going to give you $100,000. That’s
what’s happening right now. There’s complete chaos.”
According to Boussios, some taxi drivers who are now
in their mid-80s and who originally bought their permits 50 years ago, had been
counting on being able to re-sell their permits at full value in order to pay
for their retirement.
Has to keep
driving at 85
“I have a driver who’s 85 years old who can’t afford
to stop driving,” Boussios said. “He’s working because he thought he would be
retired and re-sell it and live on that. But now he is worth zero.”
As for the future of the traditional taxi industry,
Boussios continued, “Taxi companies may be able to survive if they just change
the way they’ve been working over the last 40 years. Because now the market is
open to anybody who has a car and just a regular license.”
According to Boussios, there is an established
clientele for regular taxi service, although it is an older demographic who
like using the telephone to call for a taxi instead of an app. “That clientele
is slowly getting older,” he said.
Uber draws
younger crowd
“Every year it’s slowly going down. The younger age
group is used to the Ubers of the world, so obviously they’re going to go up
while we go down.” Still, despite the provincial government’s act of faith in
car sharing, Boussios doesn’t see much of a future for Uber and the others.
“There are just too many of drivers and not enough
work to go around,” he said, referring to the number of people who are now
driving for car share services in cities all over the globe.
As to what Uber drivers in Montreal are earning at
this point, Boussios suggested most Uber drivers are taking home around $8 an
hour after their expenses. “I personally think they’re not making any real
money,” he said.
Big
turnover at Uber
“And the actual statistics show that an Uber driver
realizes after about four months that it’s a big scam and they quit. But there
are so many new people coming in that there’s always a turnover.
“It’s manipulation in its highest form with Uber and
Lyft,” he added. “They make it sound like their drivers are partners. You’re
not a partner – you’re paying 25 per cent on every ride.”
Still, George Boussios and Peter Hatzis, one of
several hundred Champlain Taxi drivers, say they’re in it for the long-haul and
have no immediate plans to give up what they love best – providing the highest quality
taxi service to Montreal residents.
The current issue of the Laval News volume 28-03 published February 5th, 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.
Front page of Laval News, Vol. 28-03
February 5, 2020.
Among the guests at the Sarker Family Hope Foundation’s event (Mustaque Sarker second row second from right) were Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis (front row centre seated), Saint-Laurent MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos (far right seated), and Montreal city councillor Mary Deros (back row far right). Photo: Martin C. Barry
Martin C. Barry
The Sarker Family Hope Foundation, whose primary goal
is to create a positive living environment for children who are orphans, abused
or underprivileged in developing countries, raised thousands of dollars on Jan.
26 during the organization’s first fundraising event at the Palace congress
centre in Laval.
Children in
need
The Montreal-based group, founded by Park Extension
accounting services executive Mustaque Sarker, exists to provide shelter, food
and education to abandoned and orphaned children in several countries where
there are serious challenges.
One of the foundation’s first projects aims to build
new orphanages in identified areas of Ghana and Cambodia.
According to information provided during a PowerPoint
presentation at the Jan. 26 event, each of the planned orphanages would shelter
200 children from six to 18 years of age. The foundation hopes to raise up to
$2.2 million to establish and operate the orphanages.
Orphaned by
war
As the event’s MC, George Guzmas of Newsfirst
Multimedia, pointed out while introducing Sarker, warfare is the main reason
there are so many needy orphans in so many areas of the world.
“War is made with weapons,” he said, while noting that
in the space of just one minute, $1 million dollars worth of weapons are sold.
“And, of course, those weapons need wars, they create
wars, and wars create more orphans. The objective of the Sarker Family Hope
Foundation is to be able at least to try to save 400 children from this.”
Accounting services executive Mustaque Sarker decided to launch the Sarker Family Hope Foundation after witnessing the suffering of orphaned children in developing countries. Photo: Martin C. Barry
From humble
beginnings
For his part, Sarker recounted that during his travels
to various parts of the globe, he would see children begging for money and
food. He said this marked the beginning of his efforts to create the Sarker
Family Hope Foundation.
“As a mother who has raised two sons who are 33 and 30
today, I cannot imagine the struggle and adversity that these children face
everyday,” said Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis, who was one of several
Montreal area elected officials who attended the fundraiser.
MP Koutrakis
impressed
“That is why the Sarker Family Hope Foundation is so
essential,” continued Koutrakis. “They will help to provide housing,
educational opportunities and vocational training. This is life changing for
these kids. By learning useful skills, these children will be able to emerge
from poverty and violence to contribute great things to their countries and to
the world.”
Also
among the guests, Saint-Laurent Liberal MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos, said Sarker
and the foundation were to be commended for giving children in Third World
countries a second chance.
MP Lambroupoulos
touched
“Children
who have lost their parents – who are the number one thing that every child
needs in life – they’re giving them a second chance by allowing them to have an
education, by allowing them to have some of the basic necessities of life,”
said Lambropoulos.
The
Sarker Family Hope Foundation is located at 524 Jean Talon St. West, Suite 3,
Montreal, Quebec, H3N 1R5. They can be reached toll-free at (438)795-9691, or
by e-mail at sarkerhopefoundation@gmail.com
From the left, Laval city councillor for Chomedey Aglaia Revelakis, Councillor Aram Elagoz from Renaud and Duvernay-Pont-Viau councillor Stéphane Boyer (all of whom sat on the selection committee) are seen here last week with Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete and Mayor Marc Demers at Laval city hall. Photo: Martin C. Barry
Martin C. Barry
Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete announced at
Laval city hall last week that the provincial government is awarding more than
$2 million in provincial subsidies to nine community development projects to
take place on Laval’s territory over the next two years.
Speaking on behalf of Municipal Affairs Minister Andrée
Laforest, as well as Finance Minister and Minister Responsible for Laval Éric
Girard, Skeete said a total of $2,026,074 is being allotted by
Quebec for the Laval projects.
Program’s
second year
This was the second year the CAQ government allotted
the annual subsidies under its ‘Fonds d’appui au
rayonnement des régions’ (FARR) program,
providing development funding in Quebec’s various regions.
Several Laval city councillors sat on a committee that
ultimately decided which projects and organizations should receive the
subsidies. By far the largest sum, $1.4 million, is going to the City of Laval
for the development of various local cultural projects as well as the
development of related infrastructure for cultural purposes.
Subsidy
recipients
The City of Laval is also receiving the second largest
sum, $162,000, to carry out Phase 2 of a community program to develop
entrepreneurialism in the Laval region. The Cosmodôme
is receiving $150,000 to refurbish its “space
mission” simulator for children and parents, which is a popular attraction
during space camps held at the Cosmodôme.
Other recipients of subsidies are: the Centrale des
artistes ($70,422) for a market study to develop ethnocultural annual events to
be held in various Laval neighbourhoods; Rencontre Théâtre
Ados ($45,000) to help develop new theatrical productions
for teens and children; the Office municipal d’habitation de Laval ($15,000),
to develop a new service and tools to help guide people searching for rental
housing;
“The FARR is an important instrument that allows us to support initiatives which show possibilities for positive results,” Mayor Marc Demers said regarding the subsidies received from Quebec for projects in Laval. Photo: Martin C. Barry
Local
decision-making
As well, Laval en transition is receiving $65,702 to
organize a forum bringing together various groups with ecological interests in
order to raise awareness of environmental issues; and the Réseau
des bois de Laval is getting $45,000 to build a theme pavilion for this group which
promotes the protection and interests of the various forested park lands in
Laval.
“Our government is giving to the elected officials of
Laval the means to develop and sustain promising projects for the region,” said
Skeete. “The projects which were announced today show us the vitality that
exists in Laval today in several areas: community, social, cultural, tourism
and environmental. They will without any doubt raise awareness of our region.”
“The FARR is an important instrument that allows us to
support initiatives which show possibilities for positive results for the whole
community,” said Mayor Marc Demers.
‘A major
investment’
“Thanks to the money that’s been accorded, the
organizations and partners will have the means to take positive measures
through projects that answer to the needs of the population. These projects
bear witness to the energy and creativity that thrive on our territory.
“What’s more, thanks to the agreement reached with the
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Habitation, a total of $2.8 million will be
invested over the course of the next three years as part of the implementation
of the Plan for Cultural Development in the Laval Region. This represents a
major investment that is exactly in keeping with the cultural vision Laval has
taken.”
A citizens’ group that is lobbying the
Montreal airport authority to
cut down aircraft noise has succeeded at least in getting Aéroports
de Montréal’s undivided attention with a smartphone
app, outpacing a rival group that is currently pursuing class-action lawsuits.
Montréal-dB, which publishes the AÉROplainte app, recently
released the initial results of its airplane noise monitoring activities for
2019.
Last year, 519 unique opt-in users of the AÉROplainte app
filed 32,224 airplane noise complaints with Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), according
to Montréal-dB’s data.
Unreported
complaints
While all other airports in Canada report airplane noise
complaints that they receive, Montréal-dB founder Bill Mavridis claims the ADM has been
under-reporting airplane noise complaints since 2013 by following a policy of
only reporting one complaint per person per day.
However, Mavridis added that ADM announced in 2019 that it will start reporting all
airplane noise complaints that it receives. The data has been available since
the beginning of this year and is reported monthly on their indicators page.
Effects
of plain noise
Based on the distribution of complaints by postal codes,
potentially a total of 1,594,171 residents of the Montreal Metropolitan
Community, including Laval, are affected by airplane noise, says Mavridis.
The group plans to publish an annual report by the end of
February that will be distributed to stakeholders in an effort to encourage
effective change at the ADM. According to Mavridis, the report will present
more detailed results and make recommendations for improving Montreal’s
aircraft noise soundscape.
Mavridis said that mapping of Montréal-dB’s complaint data confirms that the problem of
airplane noise is widespread.
Support is
increasing
“This
small change would bring the airplane traffic to the Anjou industrial park area
where, at an altitude of 5,000 ft, planes will project less noise to the ground
and affect fewer residents,” Mavridis said in an interview last week with
Newsfirst Multimedia.
Founded in October 2018 as Montreal Indivisible,
Mavridis changed the name to Montréal-dB in September 2019 when the organization began
receiving several thousand dollars in subsidies from the Borough of
Ahuntsic-Cartierville and from local city councillors.
Montréal-dB founder Bill Mavridis is seen here with components for the new aircraft noise monitoring network he hopes to implement with the help of Montrealers impacted by plane noise above their homes. Photo: Martin C. Barry
Microphone
system coming
In conjunction with the AÉROplainte app, Montréal-dB plans to deploy a network of sophisticated
microphones to monitor airplane noise all over the city, in order to reduce this
to raw data that could be used to formulate scientifically-founded complaints.
A self-employed investment councillor working from
home since 2015, it was around then that Bill Mavridis first began to seriously
notice the amount of aircraft noise being cast down upon his neighbourhood in
otherwise tranquil Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
“I sat down with my son and said this is ridiculous –
the problem is getting worse,” he said. “And if it was bad for me, how bad was
it for the people living right under the flight paths? So I decided this was
something that required some activism to get the point across.”
App
forwards complaints
After examining some of the data the ADM was releasing
on the number of complaints about plane noise it claimed to be receiving,
Mavridis suspected they weren’t telling the whole truth, and so decided to do
something about it. “We needed to find out,” he said. “And we found out by
creating the app.”
Out of his own pocket, he paid an app designer $500 to
handle the task. Once AÉROplainte started to
be downloaded, anyone who wanted to report a plane noise incident could activate
the app and fill out a complaint form which was forwarded to the ADM’s automated
online complaints system.
ADM takes
notice
“All of a sudden the ADM was receiving thousands and
thousands of complaints,” said Mavridis, noting that the app saves a carbon
copy of each complaint in Montréal-dB’s database. So after initially ignoring Montréal-dB,
ADM officials finally agreed to meet and talk with Mavridis a few months after
the app started flooding them with complaints.
The next step for the technically-savvy Bill Mavridis
and Montréal-dB is the impending implementation
of the microphone system. He located a company in California which manufactures
a relatively inexpensive automated airplane noise tracking system.
Want to join the effort?
Mavridis
is currently seeking out residents of Montreal areas impacted by plane noise
who’d be willing to install one of the mics (which interface with a personal
computer) in order to contribute to Montréal-dB’s
growing database of plane noise incident data. This in turn would be used to
motivate the ADM into taking real action.
Montréal-dB isn’t the only citizens advocacy group that has been
pursuing the ADM to do something about the plane noise issue. However, the
other, known as Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau,
has opted to follow another route: legal action. They
currently have class actions pending against the airport authority.
Joseph
Phan, from Laval, did justice to his talent at the 2020 Canadian Tire National
Championships, where he ranked 4th in the senior men’s event. He
finished 1st amongst the Quebec skaters.
His result earned him a spot at the Junior Worlds Championships, which will take place in Tallinn, Estonia, from march 8th to 11th.
Early
years
Phan began learning to skate in 2006. As a
young child, he trained at CPA Asticou in Gatineau, Quebec.[4] In the 2012–2013
season, he was coached by Jocelyne Leduc, Nathalie Martin, and Sylvie Fullum in
Saint-Leonard, Quebec.[4]
The 2013–2014 season was his first as a
member of École Excellence Rosemère, a club led by Yvan Desjardins in Rosemère,
Quebec. After winning the national novice men’s title at the 2014 Canadian
Championships,[6] Phan moved up to the junior level and placed fifth at the
2015 Canadian Championships. Later in 2015, he struggled due to a growth spurt
of five inches.[8] He became the national junior men’s champion at the 2016
Canadian Championships.
2016–2017 season
Competing in September 2016 at his first
Junior Grand Prix (JGP) assignments, Phan placed sixth in Ostrava, Czech
Republic, and fifth in Ljubljana, Slovenia. In December, he won the senior
men’s event, ahead of Bennet Toman, at the Skate Canada Challenge and qualified
to compete on the same level at the 2017 Canadian National Championships in
January. He finished 11th in his senior nationals debut.
2017–2018 season
Phan began his season in August at the 2017
Junior Grand Prix in Brisbane, Australia; he placed second in the short
program, seventh in the free skate, and fourth overall. In September, he won
silver at his next JGP assignment, in Zagreb, Croatia, where he finished second
to Alexei Krasnozhon of the United States. Competing as a senior domestically,
Phan finished first, ahead of Nicolas Nadeau and Nam Nguyen, in December at the
Skate Canada Challenge. The following month, he placed eighth in the short,
fifth in the free, and sixth overall in the senior men’s category at the 2018
Canadian Championships.
2018–2019 season
In August 2018, it was confirmed that Phan
had begun training under coach Brian Orser at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and
Curling Club. At his first JGP assignment in Lithuania he placed fifth in the
short program, but had a very poor free skate, placing ninth overall. Phan said
“Today was really hard for me. When I fell on my second quad toe I lost my
confidence. It was a tough lesson. Now I need to bounce back at the next
event.” Three weeks later in Slovenia, Phan won the bronze medal. Following this, he commented on Instagram
that the transition from training in Montreal to training in Toronto had been
difficult initially, but that he now felt things had improved.
At the 2019 Canadian Championships, Phan
placed sixth in the short program after falling on his opening quadruple toe
loop attempt, though he succeeded in executing his planned combination near the
end of his program on his final jump. In the free skate he was more successful,
landing both of his planned quads, and placed fourth, to finish in fourth place
overall, moving ahead of teammate Conrad Orzel. Phan said “my whole season
wasn’t great, to be honest, and what I did here today really gave my confidence
back.” He was named alongside Stephen Gogolev to compete at the 2019 World
Junior Championships.
Competing at Junior Worlds, Phan set a new
personal best in the short program, despite putting a hand down on his triple
Axel.
After scarcely two months in the saddle, the country’s
new Minister for Middle Class Prosperity wants Canadians to know there’s more
to her cabinet posting than its name, which has drawn a fair amount of derision
from the media since the day of her appointment.
First elected MP for the riding of Ottawa-Vanier in a
2017 by-election, Mona Fortier was given her cabinet position by Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau last fall following the 2019 general election.
Among other things, she has responsibility for fleshing
out one of the key political catchphrases that has become an essential part of
the Liberals’ terminology since Justin Trudeau first took the reins of power in
2015.
Met students at U of M
During a stop in Montreal
last week during her first road trip as a cabinet minister, she addressed and
held a pre-budget consultation with students and fledgling entrepreneurs at the
University of Montreal’s École des hautes études commerciales.
“We have to go back four
years ago when the government was first elected in 2015 and realized it was
important to continue to strengthen the middle-class,” Fortier said in an
interview with Newsfirst Multimedia. “Now we also
know that Canadians are feeling the squeeze of costs and income not rising fast
enough.
Tasked by the PM
“So
the Prime Minister has asked me to look at how we can make sure that we have
sound decisions on quality of life measures, affordability measures, to make
sure that Canadians continue to grow the middle class, but at the same time
they know that they can have access to affordable housing, they can pay their
education or their kids’ education and put money aside to have a secure and
dignified retirement.”
Fortier
is the first female Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier. Prior to being
elected, she worked as the chief director of communications and market development
at Collège La Cité in Ottawa, and managed her own strategic communications
consulting firm.
Seen here at HEC Montréal last on Jan. 13, federal Minister for Middle Class Prosperity Mona Fortier, right, was interviewed before students and entrepreneurs by Manaf Bouchentouf, executive director in charge of business support services for HEC Montréal’s Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Acquisition and Business Families Hub. Photo: Martin C. Barry
Believes in
bilingualism
Fortier
has also served on several non-profit boards of directors, including the
Montfort Hospital, the Ontario Provincial Advisory Committee on Francophone
Affairs and the Shaw Centre.
At
the same time, she has shown herself to be a strong advocate for bilingualism.
Francophones continue to make up a large segment of the population in her home
riding. She is a mother of three, a believer in entrepreneurialism and a University
of Ottawa graduate.
While
a good number of journalists reacting to Fortier’s appointment said they were
mystified as to what practical purpose the new ministry would serve, a mandate
letter issued by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spelled out fairly clearly what
her responsibilities are.
Cross-government
mandate
“You
will develop cross-government approaches to ensure that the prosperity and
quality of life of the middle class are central to government policy-making,”
Trudeau said, suggesting that Fortier will be expected to act as a bridge to
other key federal ministries, even though her status is that of a second minister
within the Department of Finance.
In
Fortier’s own words, “I will be working closely with Finance Minister Morneau
who has to make sure that we continue to have a strong economy. I will support
those initiatives on a cross-governmental basis to make sure that affordability
and quality of life and even financial security are part of our
decision-making.
“We
have to look at cross or pan-governmental programs and policies to make sure
that we engage with my different colleagues around the cabinet table to make
decisions,” she said.
Federal Minister for Middle Class Prosperity Mona Fortier made her first road-trip stop in Montreal last week during a pre-budget consultation. Photo: Martin C. Barry
Building on job
description
When
asked by Newsfirst Multimedia to expand on the Prime Minister’s job description,
Fortier added, “I think the most important thing for me, in addition to
listening to Canadians, is that I will be building that job description by
working with my colleagues and also pressing on making sound decisions so that
we can continue to grow the middle class and strengthen our economy.”
Fortier
was also asked how she reacts to critics who have observed that her ministry
appears limited in scope and its name seems only to reflect a basic precept
from the original Trudeau Liberal agenda, which has degenerated into somewhat
of a cliché.
What Canadians are
living
“I
believe it is a reality that we live across the country,” she said. “And we
have to look at it in a positive way where we’re really looking at what
Canadians are living and feeling, and day-to-day families what they need to
continue to contribute to our economy.
“Let’s
make sure we find the right ways to help people that are maybe having struggles
and that are living in poverty situations,” she continued.
“We
need to find those programs and measures to bring them to be able to join the
middle-class. And for me that’s what’s important. We want all Canadians to
succeed and to prosper. And that’s my objective: to find ways to make sure that
we do that.”
(TLN) The City of Laval has succeeded in obtaining the
highest ranking certification for environmentally-sustainable public buildings.
The municipality won the LEED Gold for the Lausanne Community Centre which was
completed in 2018.
“I am extremely proud of this certification,” Mayor
Marc Demers said on receiving news of the certification. “This is exactly in
line with our strategic vision, which aims to make Laval a city in an urban
setting within nature.
On the
right track
“This demonstrates that we are doing the right thing
where sustainable development is concerned, notably by making buildings that
answer to the highest environmental standards.”
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. As Mayor Demers pointed out, the Laval Fire
Department’s Firehall No. 2 in Chomedey opened in 2016 and obtained LEED Silver
certification.
More LEEDs
awaiting
In the meantime, three other new municipal buildings
in Laval are waiting to be certified LEED Gold. They are the new Exploration
Centre at Parc de la Rivière-des Mille-Îles, the Sainte-Dorothée community
centre and Firehall No. 5 in Saint-François.
The
principal requirements that must be followed to get LEED certification are that
building sites must be managed ecologically, while water, energy, choice of
building materials must also meet ecological compliance norms.
Executive-committee makes decisions at January meeting
Members
of the City of Laval’s executive-committee took several decisions during a
public meeting they held on Jan. 8, including actions involving local water
quality, cultural activities and animal protection.
The
executive-committee recommended to city council that it confirm the renewal of
the City of Laval’s participation in the Industrial Chair for Drinking Water at
the Polytechnique Montréal for five
years from Oct. 2020 to October 2025 at a cost of $500,000.
Water research
The
chair is mandated to produce scientific results recognized by industry, leading
towards improved water treatment methods while minimizing health risks. Other
cities that participate include Montreal, Longueuil, Repentigny and
L’Assomption.
The
executive-committee also approved an agreement between the City of Laval and Théâtre
Harpagon for the implementation of the program Théâtre à ciel ouvert 2020, for
the sum of $119,196.88. This municipal program will be showcasing professional actors
in a theatre production to be staged outdoors during the summertime at the
Centre de la nature.
Berger Blanc contract
The
executive-committee also recommended to city council that it award a new
one-year contract for pet and domestic animal care services to Berger Blanc for
$1,131,354. Following a public call for tender for the contract, only Berger
Blanc answered and met the various criteria. The City of Laval is currently
studying potential measures to deal with pet and animal care issues in-house,
without having to outsource the task.
Finally, the exective-committee recommende to council
to pass a resolution to create a new organization to be known as the Table de
développement agroalimentaire de Laval (TDAL). The
new consultative group, to be overseen by a board, will be mandated to
coordinate and deal with issues involving farming and food production in Laval,
along with the marketing of locally-grown products.
Laval gets
a good deal for disposing of household waste
City to continue reducing its waste stream, says Dufour
(TLN)
At its Jan. 14 public meeting, Laval city council awarded a $54,929,754.65
contract to Complexe Enviro Connexions Ltée, which has a landfill site in
Terrebonne, for the collection and management of recyclable materials. Lasting
five years, the contract will begin in 2021 and end in December 2026.
Taking
into account Laval’s size as a city, the mayor and council maintain the deal is
exceptionally good. Laval will be paying $34.92 per tonne in 2021, and up to
$39.24 in 2026, while the average for other Montreal-area municipalities will
range from $35 to $65 a tonne.
“Our
goal for the coming years is to continue to reduce the volume of waste that
ends up in landfill,” said Councillor Virginie Dufour of Sainte-Rose who is
responsible for environmental dossier while adding that the city expects to
announce a new strategy for recyclables in the coming months.
Laval passes by-laws to
boost electrification of transport
Charging stations will be required at apartment buildings
(TLN)
Laval city council took an important step forward at its January public meeting
towards encouraging sustainable mobility. Two by-laws were passed that will
make it easier than ever for electric car owners to use re-charging stations on
Laval’s territory.
At multi-unit bldgs.
The
measures will place some responsibility on apartment building owners for
providing electric recharging stations at all new multi-unit residential
buildings.
“These new regulations are completely in keeping with
our desire to concretely take part in the struggle against climate change,”
said executive-committee member Virginie Dufour, the city councillor for Sainte-Rose.
Sustainable mobility
“The
obligation to foresee the installation of electric recharging stations at all
new buildings being built is something tangible aimed at improving
accessibility to the different options for sustainability mobility,” she added.
According
to the new rules, all new residential buildings containing from five to 49
units will have to have recharging stations for at least 25 per cent of
available parking spaces. Buildings with 50 or more units will have to have
recharging stations in place for at least 20 per cent of all parking spaces.
Laval Police Director Pierre Brochet presenting Manon Ouellet city’s medal of merit, now the highest ranking woman in the Laval police force.
Renata Isopo
The story of women in law enforcement
continues to evolve as police departments discover and assert that female
officers bring particular abilities to the profession. These advantages include attitudes and
approaches that are less confrontational than those of male officers, a
likelihood of less use of force, and more empathetic strategies and effective skills
in de-escalation of difficult situations such as domestic conflicts. Many such
women have helped shape our law enforcement and citizen protection profession.
Society has replaced autocratic decision-making
with transformational leadership, significantly contributing to greater
presence of women in senior ranks.
According to researchers, women are naturally skilled leaders in this
fashion and more easily bring about effective organizational change wanted and
embraced in police service. Meet one of these amazing women.
On January 14, intelligent, articulate, and
delightfully positive-minded Manon Ouellet was proudly celebrated by Laval
Police Director Pierre Brochet, awarding her the city’s Medal of Merit for
bringing justice and equity to a wide range of issues and having a profound
impact on women in policing. Now the
highest-ranking woman at Laval’s police department, the new Assistant-Director is
the first female officer to be so recognized.
Veteran of 29 years in police work, the
newly-minted deputy-director holds certificates in Criminology and Applied
Police and Security Management. Numerous functions have characterized her
decades of service to the people of Laval – neighborhood patroller, sergeant-
detective, lieutenant-detective, chief inspector, and community intervention
agent.
As Laval’s first Detective-Sergeant
responsible for handling major crimes, Ouellet paved the way for numerous women
in the field. As Laval’s only policewoman to participate in the Kosovo Mission,
she helped formulate and implement programs against conjugal violence, greatly advancing
the cause for protection of women against abusive treatment.
Recently distinguishing herself as Laval’s Civil
Security Division Chief, she played major roles in damage control during and
after the devastating 2019 spring floods, through her dynamic leadership and formidable
involvement.
Perceived, respected, and accepted by peers
and superiors as a focused and determined leader, Manon Ouellet brings passion,
commitment to community, and relentless work ethics to her upgraded
responsibilities as Laval Police’s second-in-command.
The Laval News wishes this pioneer great
success in her new role as Assistant-Director of the Laval Police Department.
