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Refundable can event raises funds for Société St-Vincent de Paul

Martin C. Barry
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Refundable can event raises funds for Société St-Vincent de Paul

Signs of life as people in Laval emerge, while COVID-19 crisis continues

While face masks and distancing measures are something we might all wish to forget eventually, Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis told the Laval News she was feeling optimistic about the future during an outdoor fundraiser held last Saturday in the parking lot of IGA Le Corbusier on Le Corbusier Blvd. in downtown Laval.

A new beginning

The fundraiser was one of the first public gatherings to be held in Laval since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. It was conducted in conjunction with IGA Michaud on de la Concorde Blvd. East.

Guess who? While it’s hard to know for certain who’s behind those masks, it was all for a good and socially-distanced safe cause last Saturday in the parking lot at IGA Le Corbusier when hundreds of people in Laval accepted in invitation to donate the proceeds from their refundable cans and bottles to the Société Saint-Vincent de Paul Saint-Martin. Photo: Martin C. Barry-Newsfirst

In the previous days, the message had gone around on social media and by word of mouth that refundable empty cans and bottles could be brought in and the sums gathered would be donated to the Société Saint-Vincent de Paul Saint-Martin.

Koutrakis was one of several elected officials from Laval, including Laval city councillor Aline Dib, who came out to contribute empties and to lend a hand while at it.

Doing their part

“When my team and I found out that this was happening, we wanted to come and do our part and raise awareness that there are people who have needs through the year – but especially now with the COVID,” she said.

Still, she noted the importance of continuing to follow the current distancing protocols and guidelines in place. “We have to continue to do the right things and make sure we are listening to our scientists and the guidelines that are there,” said Koutrakis.

“Of course, everybody wants to be able to be with their families and to have barbecues and go to the parks. Eventually we’ll get there. But in the meantime, we don’t to risk going back to where we were eight weeks ago and we have to start all over.

‘Do the right thing’

“So I am encouraging everyone to do the right thing, make sure you are washing your hands and wearing your mask when you’re out. Most importantly, when we’re doing all this we’re saving lives and helping our heroes: the doctors, nurses and others who are out there on the frontline who never stop working so that our lives can eventually get back to normal.”

The two IGA franchise owners, Roland Lavallée of IGA Le Corbusier and Pierre Michaud of IGA Michaud et Fils, would be matching the funds gathered from the can and bottle deposit refunds up to $1,000. “This is something we decided to do to give back to the community, which is particularly in need at this time,” Lavallée said.

Laval City-Watch

Martin C. Barry
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Laval City-Watch

Key Laval street intersections to be upgraded for safety

During its most recent meeting on May 20, the City of Laval’s executive-committee gave the go-ahead for a contract to be awarded to a traffic safety consulting firm to conduct a preliminary feasibility study before the development of traffic safety solutions at 14 key intersections throughout Laval – including some in Chomedey and Fabreville.

The members of the City of Laval’s executive-committee.

The executive-committee sent its recommendation to city council to award the contract worth $239,194.71 (all contracts include tax) to SNC-Lavalin for specialized professional engineering services involving traffic and circulation.

Part of agreement

The requested work fulfills a condition the City of Laval had to meet with the provincial transport ministry to improve security at municipal intersections under the ministry’s Plan d’intervention de sécurité routière en milieu municipal (PISRMM).

The following eight intersections are involved: boulevard Lévesque and montée Saint-François; boulevard Saint-Elzéar Ouest and avenue Francis-Hughes; boulevard de la Concorde Ouest and boulevard Laval; boulevard Notre-Dame and avenue Haïfa; boulevard Dagenais Ouest and rue Ovide; avenue de la Renaissance and avenue Marc-Aurèle-Fortin; boulevard de la Concorde and boulevard Cluny; boulevard Notre-Dame and rue Montgolfier.

14 intersections in all

The following six intersections are also involved: boulevard Saint-Martin Ouest and avenue Pierre-Péladeau; boulevard Notre-Dame and 100e Avenue; boulevard Cartier Ouest and avenue Laval; boulevard Dagenais Ouest and boulevard Gabriel; boulevard Saint-Martin Ouest and boulevard Chomedey; boulevard de la Concorde Est and croissant de Callières.

At the same meeting, the executive-committee also recommended to council to award two contracts to Pavages Multipro. The contracts are worth $1,620,783.78 and $1,310,894.66. They concern 15 street blocks located in Auteuil, Souvenir-Labelle, L’Abord-à-Plouffe, Chomedey, Saint-Martin, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, Fabreville and Sainte-Rose.

Repairs and resurfacing

As well, the committee recommended awarding a contract worth $1,393,858.02 to Eurovia Québec Construction. The work involved will take place on 14 street blocks in Saint-François, Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Val-des-Arbres, Auteuil and Laval-les-Îles. The work will include street repair and resurfacing, but subterranean sewers and water pipes won’t be upgraded as the city says they haven’t reached the end of their usefulness. The city expects the street work to last from seven to 12 years.

Finally, the executive-committee gave the go-ahead for a contract to be awarded to Entreprises Miabec for $867.597.90 to extend Gascon St. to Guénard St., including sewers, drains and household water infrastructure, in the district of Saint-François. Additional work for paving, street curbs and street lighting are also part of the work.

Laval restaurants file lawsuit against their insurers

Martin C. Barry
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Laval restaurants file lawsuit against their insurers

Class action launched alleging non-respect of ‘business interruption’ clause

A group of Quebec restaurant owners, including some in Laval, have joined forces to file a class action lawsuit against their insurance companies after the latter refused to honor claims stemming from damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ordered to shut

The COVID-19 pandemic forced bar and restaurant owners across Quebec to shut completely on March 23. This came about following an order issued by the government of Quebec. The effect has led to enormous losses for the restauranteurs and bar owners, however.

“Unfortunately, quite a number of insurers that cover restaurants are refusing to honor their obligations by denying the fact that the impact of this pandemic was an insurable risk,” said lawyer Laurent Debrun of the firm Spiegel Sohmer who is representing three of the claimants.

Three claimants

The claimants are the Bâton rouge and l’Elixor in Laval, as well as 21st Century Foods of Montreal. They are respectively suing insurers Allianz Global Risks, Promutel Assurance and Intact Assurance in Quebec Superior Court.

The Bâton Rouge is among the restaurants that have jumped on board a class action lawsuit against insurers refusing to pay out compensation for businesses losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For their part, the insurers are claiming that the restaurant owners didn’t suffer any physical losses caused by a disaster (such as a fire or flood), but rather are victims of a governmental decree. At least one of the insurance companies replied as such to a claimant, suggesting that compensation should be sought instead from government assistance programs that have been set up.

Claim not among exclusions

On the other hand, their lawyer maintains that the policies held by the restauranteurs were for comprehensive coverage, including all possible risks, except for certain specific exclusions. He pointed out that “interruption of business” is not among the exclusions and that it should be considered a valid claim during a pandemic.

The lawyer is asking for $739,314 for Bâton Rouge, $570,000 for Elixor, and $270,000 for 21st Century Foods. Some other restauranteurs in the province have also come forward to say they too might want to join the class action suit.

Columnist Robert Vairo’s ‘That’s What I’m Thinking’

Robert Vairo
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Columnist Robert Vairo’s ‘That’s What I’m Thinking’

What’s Next?

Robert Vairo

I wonder, and worry about what comes next. We have been shut down and shut out approaching three months and finally some parts of the economy are coming back to life. Some provinces have clearly done better than others in ‘flattening the curve’, but so far very few regions and countries have actually declared the virus ‘dead’.

New Zealand has, so has Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. It will never be dead or completely eradicated. Under control, is a more realistic phrase. There will always be new cases, until there is an effective vaccine. And there is hope. Canada’s Dalhousie University as you know is approved for first clinical trials for the coronavirus vaccine. But it’s in cooperation with a government controlled Chinese firm. Not at all to my liking. The manufacturer is CanSino Biologics Inc., a Chinese vaccine company.

“The intellectual property rights for the vaccine will stay in Chinese hands” according to the Canadian Center for Vaccinology. It may work. If it does, it would be a very proud moment for Canada. Although I’m not sure how many Canadians will want a China made vaccine. How many of us trust authoritarian China today. There’s also US Moderna labs partnering with a Swiss group, and OXFORD U. is with a Montana firm, all in search of THE vaccine. So there is a lot of hope. But hope needs an audacious and robust plan of action.


This has been a horrific shock. After all this suffering, isolation, strained and broken relations, conjugal violence, unemployment, and a world economy on its knees, this had better not happen again, but it might.


Many, including Dr Tony Fauci are predicting a resurgence of the virus this autumn. Developing countries South Africa, and Brazil, combined populations of 270 million, are just starting to see the virus appear. The Canada US border may be reopened too soon. So something like this could happen again in Canada. It may be worse. Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City says “Combined with the usual autumn influenza, the intensity of both.

There are issues we must confront now to prevent it. For example, some scientists are fearful of our over sanitizing. All our attempts against COVID-19 by cleaning, sanitizing, spraying city sidewalks, buses etc. could lead to a super bug resistant to alcohol. Scientists are already talking about diseases whose names even my computer spell check can’t get right. Sanitizers may not work or be as effective the next time.


And then there is drug resistance. Bacteria change and evolve so that a drug we once knew and saved us, can no longer perform miracles.


We can not afford to go through this again. Canada’s money has been spent. An RBC newsletter says we have “no more fire power” if we are hit again. So what’s the solution? The best way to stop a pandemic is to never let it start. We can’t enforce good hygiene in a Wuhan wet market. But we can look at home. This virus exposed Canada’s weak chief physician who is re-active and not pro active, and exposed weak top doctors in Quebec and Ontario. It exposed woeful inadequacies in our health care system, the worst being nursing homes, where our seniors led the number of fatalities across the country. This must not happen again. There is just too much pain.


Is the answer global cooperation? The WHO is racked with politics and can’t be trusted. Neither can the world’s two super powers, the US and China. Canada must first become as self-sufficient as possible in as many areas as possible. Mr. Trudeau, please stop these daily media managed appearances and return to Parliament. We must absolutely develop our own supply chain in health, food, and energy and stop relying on others. This is a health care crisis. We absolutely must focus and spend in our health care system and health care workers.
Remove the layers of crippling health department bureaucracy that prevent provinces like Quebec and Ontario from responding swiftly and effectively.


I’ve been reading a Dr. Jim Yong Kim a British physician and anthropologist with a list of credentials the length of a gurney. He suggests the five-pronged “weapons” we have been using. We all know them by now. Social distancing, contact tracing, testing, isolation, and treatment. Says Dr. Kim, “Do this over and over and you will defeat the virus”. CONTACT TRACING jumped out at me. It has to be done without violating our privacy rights, especially if using a smart phone app. It’s very labour intensive and involves a lot of detective work.

BC got it. It ramped it up early, increased its staff six-fold, and now attributes CONTACT TRACING as one of the main reasons it has been
able to control this virus. We have to be on the offensive for the next enemy. We must do our part. Continue distancing, hand
washing, masks. And our governments must rectify health care, secure our supply chains, reduce layers of bureaucracy. We will then have the confidence as Canadians to attack the next wave, or new virus, quicker and more efficiently, and save precious Canadian lives.


That’s what I’m thinking

Premier Legault meets with Laval Mayor Demers

Martin C. Barry
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Premier Legault meets with Laval Mayor Demers

‘The pandemic hit us with full force and created a humanitarian challenge,’ said Mayor Demers

With Marc Demers – the mayor of one of Quebec’s cities with an especially high concentration of families – seated beside him, Premier François Legault announced in Montreal last week that children’s summer daycamps will be allowed to open in June, as efforts continue to turn the coronavirus crisis into a recovery effort.

Daycamps opening

Quebec Premier François Legault, centre, with Laval mayor Marc Demers to the right, announced last week the re-opening of daycamps as COVID-19 measures are relaxed.

“I know many people are concerned about daycamps for kids,” Legault said during a COVID-19 webcast and press conference held at Place des Arts in downtown Montreal.

“I’m happy to announce that the public health authorities have given us the green light to re-open the daycamps on June 22,” Legault said. “Of course, it will be with distancing rules. But it’s very important for kids to play outside, to play together.”

The announcement was sure to be greeted with great relief in Laval and across the province by the many parents who’ve been diligently caring round the clock for children without a break, because daycares and schools have been closed since mid-March.

Camp monitors needed

While noting that social distancing protocols will be applied in the daycamps, Legault acknowledged that the government is currently facing a challenge recruiting enough monitors to supervise the children, principally because a larger than normal number of monitors will be needed.

Still, Legault warned, “The crisis isn’t over. It’s still hard. There are still many adjustments to be made. Not everything is perfect. I see some who are being critical and I ask you to be patient. We are living through a crisis.”

Answering journalists’ questions on the distancing rules to be enforced in the daycamps, Dr. Horacio Arruda, the director of public health for Quebec, said the emphasis will be on ensuring that groups of children remain small. He said there would be twice as many monitors for the children than would normally be the case.

Reducing the impact

“With more monitors, this will, in my opinion, facilitate the reduction of the impact of transmission in these camps,” Arruda said.

“On the other hand, what needs to be understood is that the coronavirus is circulating, although children get off relatively easy. So it’s not to say that just because some cases turn up in a daycamp that it will be a catastrophe. I would like people to understand that this too will be part of life returning to normal. But we will be keeping a close eye on things.”

Regarding the COVID-19 situation in Laval, which was the Quebec community hardest hit last week by the coronavirus, Legault said he had met that morning with Mayor Demers and they agreed the situation was getting better.

Use face masks, says Legault

“But we must stay vigilant,” said the Premier, advising that wearing a face mask while using public transit is one of the best ways people in general can do their part to keep COVID-19 from spreading.

Concerning the recovery process, Legault said, “We continue to gradually re-open. But if the contagion re-starts, we’ll have to come back to a pause. So nobody wants that and the best way to avoid it is to respect the instructions. To win this battle we must play as a team. I’m counting on you all.”

For his part, Mayor Demers noted that on Monday May 25, the beginning of the end confinement measures would be starting in Laval and the first of a series of businesses that were closed would be re-opening.

“The pandemic hit us with full force and created a humanitarian challenge, a sanitary challenge, and one that is economic,” said Demers.

Recovery underway, says Demers

“In Laval, our solidarity allowed us to create over the past few years a lively, united community, a strong economy and sound finances. I am convinced that this same unity is essential to confront the current pandemic. This will allow us to ensure a full recovery and to succeed with relaunching our economy.”

Demers was also asked by journalists for his explanation as to why the COVID-19 situation in Laval has become so troublesome and with a much higher infection rate.

“Right now I cannot answer that,” he said. “But one thing that my previous job taught me is to make sure that we have less victims as possible from now on, and making sure we are helping everybody who is in trouble. Later on we will be trying to find out why all those things happened.”

Laval News Volume 28-11

George Bakoyannis
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Laval News Volume 28-11

The current issue of the Laval News volume 28-11 published May 27th, 2020,
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

Current issue of the Laval News volume 28-11 published May 27th, 2020.

Laval distributing 250,000 face masks, while reopening municipal installations

Martin C. Barry
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Laval distributing 250,000 face masks, while reopening municipal installations

Beginning this week, the City of Laval is handing out 250,000 protective face masks to some of its most vulnerable residents in an ongoing campaign to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

According to the city, the distribution is being done primarily through community organizations, including food banks and mental health supporters, as well as organizations that assist victims of conjugal violence, the homeless and families living in low rental housing buildings.

The city says special attention is being paid to COVID-19 “hot zones” on Laval’s territory. Earlier this week, the city was coordinating the delivery of 5,000 boxes with 50 masks each to the non-profit organizations. The masks were donated by the provincial government.

On Monday May 25, elected officials and others were out assisting with the STL’s distribution of face masks.

At the same time, the City of Laval is announcing the re-opening of select municipal facilities following the two-month COVID-19 lockdown. As of May 26, dog parks and skateboard parks are once again open, although provincial distancing rules still apply while using these facilities.

Additional information (in French) on the COVID-19 pandemic can be obtained at this web site: pandemie.laval.ca. And a video on the subject by Mayor Marc Demers can be viewed at this web address: https://youtu.be/3AkJqArJRwI

Asphalting work begins June 1 on Autoroute 15 service roads

Martin C. Barry
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Asphalting work begins June 1 on Autoroute 15 service roads

The Quebec Ministry of Transport is advising motorists that, beginning on June 1, asphalting work will be carried out on the service roads of Autoroute 15 between Cartier Blvd. and Autoroute 440 in Laval.

Taking place during the night in order to minimize the impact on traffic, the work will necessitate the complete closure of entrance and exit ramps on the A-15 along this stretch and the service roads. In addition, the service road of Autoroute 440 headed east will be closed, as well as some nearby streets in the City of Laval.

According to Transports Québec, the work will be taking place from June 1 to mid-July. During those times when the service roads and ramps are closed completely, detours will be set up, the ministry said. Unfavorable weather conditions or other operational constraints could postpone the work or cancel it altogether, added the ministry.

Unidentified corpse retrieved from Mille Îles River

Renata Isopo
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Unidentified corpse retrieved from Mille Îles River

Renata Isopo

As reported by the Laval Police Department, the body of a person whose identity has yet to be confirmed was recovered from the Mille Îles River, in the St-Francois sector, at the end of the day on Saturday, May 23rd.  The police were contacted at 18:45.

Two fishermen discovered the floating body in the water and contacted the competent authorities. The Laval police intervened to recover the unrecognizable body. However, the Fire Department was summoned to fish out the body.  Circumstances of the death are questionable.

Despite unsubstantiated information/rumors circulating about the possible identity of the victim, the corpse cannot be confirmed at this time, said Laval police. “The body was too badly damaged. The Coroner’s office will have to carry out the formal identification, “said Lt. Frédéric Jean, of the Ville de Laval Police Service.

Police in Laval and neighboring cities will also be thoroughly investigating, in the coming days, for a link between the discovery and the still-active missing persons files.

STL to begin handing out COVID-19 face masks starting Monday

Martin C. Barry
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STL to begin handing out COVID-19 face masks starting Monday

Effective Monday May 25, the Société de Transport de Laval will start distributing anti-COVID-19 face coverings to users, as part of a concerted operation involving all four Montréal metropolitan area public transit authorities.

Distribution points for the operation, made possible with support from the government of Quebec, will be the Montmorency and Cartier terminals, during peak hours, the STL said in a statement Friday.

Distribution will be by hand, a method approved by public health authorities. Squads of STL employees will be onsite handling the distribution. They will be equipped with visors, masks and gloves. The STL says there will be limited quantities on each distribution day, and the distribution will continue while supplies last.

In total, 15,000 reusable face coverings will be distributed in Laval during this first round, which will span several days. From those quantities, 1,000 face coverings will be sent by mail to paratransit users. The STL says more rounds will be forthcoming in the coming months, depending on how the COVID-19 situation evolves and on supply volumes.

“With this round of distribution and those that will follow, the aim is to foster the use of face coverings by the bus riding community,” said STL president Éric Morasse. “As we’ve seen these past weeks, and will see increasingly as lockdown restrictions ease as of today, social distancing will no longer be possible when using public transit. We must all adapt to this new reality, which we will have to contend with for many months to come.”

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