(TLN) On May 15 and on May 22, the City of Laval’s
executive-committee made a number of recommendations regarding public works, as
well as the granting of subsidies to organizations and groups in Laval.
Electric work contract
Among
other things, the committee advised city council to award a contract to Néolect
inc. for $1,035,374.59 to replace lighting and other electrical work at
Paul-Marcel-Maheu Park.
According
to the city, the lighting equipment at this park have reached the end of their
usefulness, having first been installed during the 1970s.
Groups getting subsidies
At
the same time, the executive-committee granted $573,000 in subsidies for 2019
to the following organizations:
SOCIÉTÉ DES ARTS VISUELS (VERTICALE – CENTRE D’ARTISTES): $40,000
SOCIÉTÉ D’HISTOIRE ET DE GÉNÉALOGIE DE L’ÎLE JÉSUS: $25,000
SOCIÉTÉ LITTÉRAIRE DE LAVAL: $20,000
TÉLÉVISION RÉGIONALE DE LAVAL: $25,000
THÉÂTRE DU P’TIT LOUP (LE): $10,000
THÉÂTRE FÊLÉ: $5,000
THÉÂTRE INCLINÉ: $28,000
THÉATRE TOMBÉ DU CIEL: $5,000
ZEUGMA, COLLECTIF DE FOLKLORE URBAIN: $15,000
[co]motion CORPORATION DE LA SALLE ANDRÉ-MATHIEU: $150,000
ARTS ET SPECTACLES DE LAVAL: $33,000
CENTRE D’ARCHIVES DE LAVAL: $50,000
CHŒUR DE LAVAL: $12,000
CONSEIL RÉGIONAL DE LA CULTURE: $25,000
LA CENTRALE DES ARTISTES: $25,000
LA RENCONTRE THÉÂTRE ADOS: $40,000
LIS AVEC MOI: $25,000
PRODUCTIONS LE P’TIT MONDE (LES): $10,000
RÉSEAU ARTHIST: $30,000
The
executive-committee also asked city council to renew the mandate of Councillor
Sandra El-Helou as a member of the board of Tourisme Laval for two years. Tourisme
Laval is an agency at arm’s length from the city that promotes tourism in the
Laval region.
At
a separate meeting on May 15, the executive-committee made some other
decisions. The committee recommended that the Centre d’interprétation des
biosciences Armand-Frappier (CIBAF) and the Centre d’interprétation de l’eau de
Laval (C.I.EAU) receive subsidies of $150,000 and $70,000 respectively for
2019.
At
the same meeting, the executive-committee recommended granting a subsidy to the
Canadian Red Cross (Quebec and Laval division) for $10,000. This year, the
organization’s honorary president for fundraising is Councillor Sandra Desmeules.
The goal this year is $100,000. And the executive-committee recommended a
subsidy of $6,000 be made to the Fondation de soutien aux arts de Laval for the
coordination of activities concerned with the remittance of bursaries to arts
students in Laval.
From the left, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin city councillor Gilbert Dumas, Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete and Mayor Marc Demers get into the swing of heaving the first soil to start work on the new sound barrier on Guillemette St. – with the old barrier behind them.
Martin C. Barry
Homeowners
who live on a stretch of Guillemette St. alongside Autoroute 15 in Laval’s
Marc-Aurèle-Fortin district won’t have to
put up with the constant roar of highway traffic much longer, following word
that the provincial government and the city have agreed to share the cost of a
new $5.12 million anti-noise wall.
Last week, Laval mayor Marc Demers and Marc-Aurèle-Fortin
city councillor Gilbert Dumas
joined Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete for an official ground turning near
a spot along Guillemette St. where the wall will be going up.
Residents to
benefit
“Those living alongside on Guillemette St. will be
able to celebrate now that this anti-noise screen is going to be re-built,
offering them more comfort while benefiting a large number of residents,”
Skeete said during a ceremony held near the site.
“You know, we can hear the noise of that highway right
now,” added Skeete. “So I think the citizens who live on the side here deserve
a little bit of calm. The quality of life of citizens being a priority of your
government, I am pleased that the screen will be rebuilt and extended 50 metres
south and 20 metres north.
A-15 traffic
increases
“In all, the structure will be 1.1 kilometres long and
will improve the quality of life of the citizens of Sainte-Rose,” he continued.
“The extension of this screen can also be seen in the context of the use of the
Laurentian autoroute which is an essential link and on which traffic hasn’t
ceased growing in recent years. Nearly 150,000 vehicles circulate daily on this
artery. The decision for this made-to-measure solution responds to the needs of
the city and its residents.”
The City of Laval had previously built a wooden sound
barrier covered with vines in the same spot, although it was reported by some
to be not very adequate. Over the years, there was at least one occasion when residents
turned up at Laval city hall to complain about it during a city council
meeting. The new wall will be built of more durable
materials to exacting specifications.
The previous wooden anti-noise wall erected next to the A-15 will be replaced with a new one made of steel and other more durable materials.
Quality to
improve
“The completion of the upgrading and improvement work
of the acoustic screens along the Laurentian Autoroute on Guillemette St. will
improve the quality of life of the citizens in the neighbourhod by providing
them with more tranquility,” Demers said, while noting that the old wall had reached
the end of its usefullness. He said the new wall will be slightly longer and
have better quality.
Demers
praised the CAQ government for responding very quickly and providing the means
for the new sound barrier shortly after the provincial election last fall.
According to the mayor, the work involved should take around six months. He
said the wall’s structure will do the job primarily of deadening the sound from
Autoroute 15, while the green cover will help conceal the fact there is a wall
there.
Solid new construction
Work
on the sound barrier is expected to start around the beginning of June. Whereas
the old wall consisted primarily of plywood with some overgrowth of vegetation
and vines, the new one will built (in accordance with provincial standards and
protocols for highway sound barrier construction) of steel and rock wool.
An
overgrowth of vines will also be applied. While the current wall is 1,150
metres long, the new wall will be 70 metres longer. The City of Laval will be
supervising and carrying out the construction. According to the city, more than
150,000 vehicles per day pass along Autoroute at that particular spot.
(TLN) On June 1 and 2nd, the Centropolis is the place where many Laval residents will want to be for the 13th annual Laval Firemen’s Festival. As always the festival will start at 9:30AM with the ever popular firetruck and fire vehicles, parading from the Mondo garage (19 avenue Munck) in the industrial district till the Centropolis central area, around 10:30AM.
Motorists should consult the streets closures found on
page 11 of The Laval News.
Activities and
shows for all to enjoy
From 9:30 AM to 4PM, various shows and activities
about fire prevention will take place such as the ever-popular smoke-filled
house simulator, a lesson in how to escape a fire, a simulation of a car on
fire, and of course an exhibit of beautiful vintage fire trucks and vehicles.
For the young there’ll be mascots, face makeup, strolling clowns, inflatable
games and shows on stage such as the Kalimba Saturday show and Ari Cui Cui
Sunday show
On Saturday 5PM an open invitation to all to enjoy
musical bands Early Jazz Band and Croche Blanche at the center of Centropolis
terraces.
Firemen relays
Part of the activities is the various relay runs. It
is expected than more than 6000 runners will participate in various relays
throughout the city’s streets of 1, 2, 5, 10, 21,1 or 42,2 km. All those who
finish will receive a medal.
The “tochlight” runs of 2km and 5km will take place
Friday May 31st from the Centre de la nature at 8PM.
This year’s spokesperson and triple Olympic medalist
Marianne St-Gelais as well some of the Laval Rockets team players will
participate in the 5km run.
“The 24 hour Challenge” will start on Saturday at 2PM
and will finish -going on for 24 hours straight- Sunday 2PM.
Eight teams of 10 participants each, will be running
up and down the stairs of a two tower metallic structure of more than 12 meters
high, joined by a 18 meter bridge. All donations received will be given to the
“Fondation des pompiers du Québec pour les grands brûlés”.
Whether its going to be sunny or raining, the Firemen’s Festival will go on.
May 22 – Police are asking for the public’s help to
identify a suspect involved in an armed robbery that took place on February 14
at a Couche-Tard dépanneur in Pont-Viau.
The incident occurred at 6:35 p.m. The suspect entered
the store located at 185 Boul. des Laurentides and headed for the counter. He
took out a plastic bag and demanded the contents of the cash.
The suspect shoved the entire cash-drawer into his
plastic bag and fled through the Couche-Tard’s back door. He jumped into a
dark-coloured vehicle and took off.
Police describe the suspect as a white male, about 40
years old. He is about 1.7 m (5’7”) tall.
At the time of the robbery, the suspect was wearing a
blue coat and a black tuque.
Anyone with information on the suspect’s identity or
location is asked to call the Laval police info-line to speak confidentially
with an officer, at 450-662-INFO (4636), or 911. Mention file LVL 1902141-093.
Body Found in
Burnt SUV
May 21 – Police and firefighters arrived at the scene of
a vehicle on fire shortly after witnesses called 911 at 9:20 p.m. Monday night.
Several people reported seeing an SUV on fire on Boul.
des Mille-Îles near Highway 25. A few of the witnesses stated that the vehicle
was still moving when they saw it.
Once the flames had been extinguished, the body was
discovered inside the vehicle. Police could not immediately confirm the
identity of the victim.
The vehicle was towed away for analysis.
Police consider it a suspicious death and have begun an
investigation.
Laval Bike Cops
Ride Again
May 17 – The Laval police bike squad is on the roll once
again. Comprised of a dozen officers, the bike patrol rolled out on May 17 and
they will be pushing those pedals all summer until September 15, 2019.
Officers on two wheels will patrol Laval’s streets,
parks, bike paths, and public areas. They will also be present during cultural
events, sporting events, and other public gatherings.
The bike patrol will ride during the day and during the
evening, from Wednesday to Sunday, all summer long.
Police Seek Information
on Armed Threat
May 16 – Police are trying to shed some light on an
incident that took place in Duvernay, at about 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 16.
Officers were alerted to the possibility of an armed
assault between two individuals, and raced to the scene.
During the high-risk intervention, several individuals
were intercepted and handcuffed as a precaution, but no arrests were made.
No shots were fired.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to
call the Laval police info-line to speak confidentially with an officer, at
450-662-INFO (4636), or 911.
With the federal government poised to release a
“digital charter” outlining Canada’s plans to deal with hate speech and
misinformation on the Internet, Liberal Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says his
department is near the point of announcing an anti-racism strategy that will
also take abuses committed over the Internet into account.
Heritage Canada’s “anti-racism engagement” was
launched last year with the goal of hearing what Canadians themselves have to
say about racism and discrimination. An interactive digital platform launched
for that purpose focused on issues where racism and discrimination most
directly touch people’s lives, as well as policy areas that overlap with federal
jurisdiction.
‘Racism does exist,’ he
says
Since
then, in-person consultation sessions have been held with community, leaders,
experts, academics and other stakeholders across Canada. According to Rodriguez, his department’s anti-racism
engagement report will confirm, among other things, that there is racism in
Canada and that it is possibly also becoming worse.
“Nobody is saying that Canada is a racist country, but
racism does exist here,” he said in an interview with Newsfirst Multimedia last
week at the federal cabinet’s Montreal offices. “We’ve seen a rise in
anti-Semitism – it’s very clear – a sharp rise. In Islamophobia also. We have
to combat this rise in hate and anti-Semitism and all kinds of different forms
of discrimination online and in the real world.”
Responsibilizing
‘web giants’
“And we, the government, have a role to play at
different levels – including online – making sure that for some of the things
we do we have to responsibilize the web giants,” he added. “They have a
responsibility. There are things on the web that should not be there that
encourage people towards violence and hatred, and that’s unacceptable. So we’ll
be addressing that.”
Rodriguez said the strategy calls for anti-racism
measures to be taken as soon as possible. “We know that fighting racism is not
something that’s short, mid or long-term – you have to do it every day,” he
said. “But you have to start somewhere and you have to start now. And this is
what we’re doing with this strategy, which has different components.”
The Facebooks
of this world
Rodriguez had few specifics as to how the strategy
might directly impact major web service players, although he provided a broad
overview. “We’re talking about the Facebooks of this world, where you can easily
find hate which is online.
“Too often if something bad happens, they are saying
sorry, but the impacts are still there. I think they have to take
responsibility for who they are and what they do. They are making a lot of
money. Fine – happy for them. But that comes with responsibilities.”
In Quebec, the Coalition Avenir Québec
government hopes to pass its controversial Bill 21 banning the use of religious
symbols by public servants into law before the National Assembly breaks for the
summer. While some are suggesting the legislation foments division and
animosity, Newsfirst Multimedia asked Rodriguez how his department could react
should the bill pass.
Monitoring CAQ’s Bill 21
“We’re
following that very closely,” he said, while noting that it is within
provincial jurisdiction. “Is it going to be the same bill at the end of the
process that it is now? I understood that the government was open to changes.”
More
generally, he re-stated the federal Liberal government’s position on Bill 21.
“We consider that a government should not tell a person what to wear or how to
dress,” he said. “Also we think that nobody should have to choose between their
religion and beliefs and having access to a good job.
“With that being said we’re following very closely what’s happening and seeing if there’s changes or not. We are keeping an eye on it, but understanding very well also that it’s happening in another jurisdiction – a provincial level not at our level.”
He had
politics in his blood
Pablo Rodriguez’s introduction to politics came from
his parents who were politically active in their native Argentina during the
1960s. His father, a lawyer, ran for high office while representing political
prisoners who were jailed by the hardline Argentinian régime
at the time.
“He was imprisoned and tortured many, many times,”
said Rodriguez. Bombs were planted at the Rodriguez home shortly before they
came to Canada in 1974, injuring the two parents and three children, while leaving
no doubt it was time for them to leave Argentina.
On arrival in Canada, the family settled in Montreal’s
Park Extension district. While life for them was hard at first, both of his
parents went on to become distinguished scholars. At age 82, his father still
teaches sociology in university.
A University of Sherbrooke business administration
graduate, Rodriguez spent a good part of his early career working in public
affairs and management of international humanitarian projects. During the early
2000s he was vice-president of Oxfam Québec.
A longtime and highly-dedicated supporter of the
Liberal Party of Canada, Pablo Rodriguez was first elected MP for the Montreal
riding of Honoré-Mercier in 2004. He has won every election in the riding since
then, except for a brief hiatus in 2011 when the NDP prevailed during the
party’s sweep of Quebec known as the “Orange Crush.”
Left, Vimy Liberal MP Eva Nassif is seen here with Sandrine Gaudelet, executive-director of Dimension Travail, during their meeting at the organization’s offices in Laval last week.
Martin C. Barry
Last week, Vimy Liberal MP Eva Nassif joined staff of
the Dimension Travail women’s community employment agency on Saint-Martin Blvd.
to mark the positive impact that a $158,604 federal subsidy had over the past
two years on the lives of women who found employment through the centre.
The three-year subsidy was granted by Ottawa under the
Youth Employment Strategy (YES). According to Nassif, improvements
to the Youth Employment Strategy since 2015 have resulted in over 220,000 youths
finding good quality jobs or youths improving their skills.
Creating more jobs
“When
companies in Vimy and across Canada can thrive and grow, they create more
jobs,” Nassif said. She said the government’s new Global Skills Strategy will
give employers a faster and more predictable process for attracting top talent
and new skills to Canada, creating economic growth and more better jobs for
Canadians.
“Our
continued prosperity depends on young Canadians successfully transitioning from
the classroom to the workforce,” Minister of Employment, Workforce Development
and Labour Patty Hajdu (who oversees the subsidy programs) said in a statement.
“Giving Canadian youth a fair chance at success is how we will grow our economy
and strengthen the middle class.”
Summer jobs season
With
the annual summer youth employment period nearly upon us, Nassif noted that
“the summer work experience stream includes the ever-popular Canada Summer Jobs
Program, a program that offers Canadian youths more summer opportunities than
ever before.
“By
working together,” she continued, “we will make a difference for young people
everywhere. Our plan is to give every Canadian a real and fair chance at
success. Supporting youths as they transition into the workforce and giving
them the training they need to succeed is how we will strengthen the
middle-class and build a strong workforce and an economy that everyone has a
part in.”
Vimy Liberal MP Eva Nassif is seen here with Sandrine Gaudelet, executive-director of Dimension Travail and organization staff at the organization’s offices on Saint-Martin Blvd. last week.
Services free
of charge
Sandrine Gaudelet, executive-director of Dimension
Travail, noted that the organization will be celebrating its 20th
anniversary next year. Dimension Travail’s services are offered free of charge
to women living in Laval who are 18 years of age and older.
Among other things, Gaudelet said Ottawa’s subsidy
from the Connexion Compétences
program allowed Dimension Travail to help women aged 16 to 30 years who were in
vulnerable situations to be reintegrated into the workforce over a three month
training period while being remunerated through the program.
85 per cent success
“In
all, the first group of 16 women were able to come to us 30 hours per week
during a period of 10 weeks, and 85 per cent of these women either returned to
the employment market or benefited from this training which enabled them to
subsequently find work,” she said.
“Through
this project, we were truly able to help these women. It was a great success
for us, and even more so for them. It was a program which was very appreciated,
because the support was very intense with a lot of interaction between the
women. We have employment councillors who were able to help them with their
needs.”
Modernizing the program
According
to Nassif, the Liberal government’s budget 2019 proposes to invest $49.5
million to support the ongoing modernization of the YES. This will be in
addition to investments made in budget 2016, 2017 and 2018 in the Youth
Employment Strategy to help youths gain the skills and work they need to find
and maintain good employment.
She
said the YES is currently also being modernized, informed by the
recommendations of the Expert Panel on Youth Employment and extensive
engagement with youth, service delivery organizations and other stakeholders.
The May 22 Council of Commissioners meeting of the Sir
Wilfrid Laurierr School Board (SWLSB) featured potpourri of information ranging
from the 2017-2018 budget report to a summary of accomplishments from the same
year. The sparse audience was also
treated to a detailed account of the board’s strategic priorities, student
achievement data, and more.
Director General (DG) Gaelle Absolonne looked at
academic achievement with new eyes, reflecting on what teaching and learning
looked like in 2017-2018, and speculating on the future. “I’m very happy with
our strategic success plan to ‘engage, achieve, build’ – basing our efforts on a vision for student
learning,” she made public, affirming
that the 85.9 success rate continues to thrive and achieve
accomplishments
“With this percentage, we can say mission almost
accomplished. It demonstrates that students are engaged in authentic meaningful
learning. We have a lot to celebrate, we have the 10th highest average in the
province,” Absolonne specified.
Fred Greschner expresses enthusiasm for
Constru-Plus
Assistant DG Fred Greschner complimented the bilingual
Constru-Plus Vocational Training Center for High Pressure Welding and
Construction. “It’s important to educate
as many students as possible.” Heritage
Canada provided $4 million funding for the St. Eustache center, inaugurated
June 2018 in partnership with Commission Scolaire de la Seigneurie-des-Mille
Iles.
Big dollar budget
The overview of the 2017-2018 budget reflected
allocation of public funds over the school year: lease of copiers, $354 524.54;
lockers, $128 245.93; Rosemere High roof, $1 364 676.58; renovation project
(windows and doors) at Joliette High, $625 999,09; repair of four structures
,$432 891.34 – just a few of incurred
costs.
TLN asked Council why the Aesop Substitution Call
System was not reported. Absolonne stated that it will be presented at the
June 26 meeting. TLN also noted that
QESBA (Quebec English School Board Association) membership fees were not
listed. Maxeen Jolin, Laurier Board Communications Coordinator, told TLN in a
telephone conversation that the budget is an overview. “We did go over every budget line.”
Hope for status quo resonates in chairperson’s report
In his report, Council Chairperson Paolo Galati, noted
that Appelle Quebec has immobilized 16 organizations in an alliance for
preservation of school boards, in view of the Quebec government’s stated
intention to abolish them. Galati was very confident and pleased with the
movement and with the results of the polls taken by Leger and Leger indicating
that Anglophones still favor the status quo, although he did not reveal
specific figures uncovered in the polls.
Commissioners’ remuneration remains uncertain until
amount distributed is published. DG
Absolonne stated that since there is no accurate amount established, the
specifics will come at a later date.
Appointments of personnel
Effective July 1, 2019, The Board’s new Director of
Corporate Affairs/Secretary General is
lawyer Anna Sollazzo. “I’m very happy to have been selected, and look
forward to working and collaborating with the SWLSB staff, “ She said, thanking
everyone present. Current Interim
Secretary-General Stephanie Krenn will move to Director of Human Resources July
1, 2019.
There was a standing moment of silence in honor of
teacher Anthony Boyce and student Chris Tummillo of Laval Senior Academy, who
recently passed away.
From the left, Louis Marineau of Ferme Marineau, Catherine Beaulieu and Donald Beaulieu of Agneaux de Laval, Ray Khalil, member of the executive-committee and responsible for agriculture issues, Mayor Marc Demers, Patra Andrianopoulos and John Rodousakis of Tulipes.ca and Stéphane Lalande of the City of Laval.Photo credit: Martin Alarie
(TLN) Last week, Mayor Marc Demers accompanied by
members of the executive-committee and the city’s economic development team,
took part in the Laval Tulip Festival.
They were greeted by agricultural producers from
Laval, including Saveurs de Laval, Ferme Marineau and Agneaux de Laval. Another
event – Samedis à la ferme (Saturdays at the farm) –
opened the following day, bringing together artists and painters in an event
that continues until June 2.
Laval is the only city in Quebec, and possibly also in
Quebec, that offers the opportunity to handpick tulips. The tulip field
contains 520,000 bulbs in 14 different varieties. At the same time, local farm
products are available for sale. Last year, more than 30,000 people dropped by.
Seen on stage last weekend, teenaged and young adult members of the War Amps CHAMP program help provide support and encouragement to child amputees.
Martin C. Barry
Like a big family brought together for a gathering
filled with love and warmth, more than 100 child amputees, along with moms,
dads, brothers and sisters, met at the Laval Sheraton for two-and-a-half days
last weekend during the War Amps of Quebec’s annual child amputee seminar.
This year’s theme, “Just the Way I Am,” encouraged the
young amputees, who are members of the War Amps “CHAMP” program (Les
Vainqueurs), to embrace their amputation and overcome hurdles on their road to
independence.
There to
learn
The event drew young amputees and their parents from
across the province. They learned about the latest developments in artificial
limbs, how to deal with teasing and staring, as well as how to parent an
amputee child.
It was not the first time the Quebec chapter of the
War Amps chose Laval for the annual child amputee seminar. With children young
and old running freely around a meeting hall at the Laval Sheraton, the
ambiance of the opening welcome session was as relaxed and spontaneous as an
afternoon gathering of friends and family who had known each other for years.
Louis Bourassa, director of the Quebec War Amps CHAMP program, is seen here last weekend at the Sheraton Laval during the opening gathering of their annual child amputee seminar.
Helping young
amputees
“When they come here they feel like they are part of a
big family,” said Louis Bourassa, director of the CHAMP program in Quebec, who
is an amputee himself. Bourassa lost his leg at age four in a lawn-mower
accident near his home in Sherbrooke where he lived at that time. He’s been a
full-time employee at the War Amps Quebec region offices in Montreal since the
early 1990s.
The CHAMP program is organized in a way that
encourages the mentoring of very young amputees by others who are teenagers or
young adults and whose experiences serve as confidence-builders. According to
Bourassa, the program offers something to child amputees that even parents
sometimes can’t give.
A second
family
“My parents were always there for me,” said Bourassa.
“They could love me and provide me with whatever parents can give their
children. But as for understanding what it’s like to live with an amputation?
This is not always so easy for them. That’s why this is my second family here:
people who have been through the same situations and with whom I can share my
experiences.”
A young amputee from Laval, Antoine Eoan of
Sainte-Dorothée, has been
receiving help from the War Amps and the CHAMP program since early childhood.
He was born with a condition that necessitated the amputation of a leg. With
the help of War Amps, he was able to get a scholarship at Concordia University
and is now pursuing film studies leading towards a filmmaking career.
From the left, Alfred-Pellan Liberal MP Angelo Iacono, Alain Turpin, executive-director of the Canadian Deaf Sports Association and Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism Pablo Rodriguez are seen here at Centre Sportif Val-des-Arbres on Saint-Martin Blvd. East on May 22 when they announced a $762,800 subsidy to the CDSA.
Martin C. Barry
Minister
of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism Pablo Rodriguez and Alfred-Pellan
Liberal MP Angelo Iacono have announced a contribution
of $762,800 to the Laval-based Canadian Deaf Sports Association
(CDSA) through the ministry’s Sport Support Program.
Rodriguez
and Iacono made the announcement at the Centre Sportif Val-des-Arbres on
Saint-Martin Blvd. East on May 22 on behalf of the Minister of Science and
Sport Kirsty Duncan. The support is being provided over a two-year period, with
half the funds distributed in 2018–2019, and the remainder in 2019–2020.
Helping deaf athletes
The
CDSA is a pan-Canadian non-profit organization that aims to support the
development of the practice of sport within the deaf community and among deaf
youth, in order to ensure quality Canadian representation at international
competitions. The organization offers opportunities for young Canadians to
enjoy a competitive experience, travel and meet other athletes who share the
same goals.
“Our
government is proud to invest in the Canadian Deaf Sports Association, as it
gives Canadian deaf and hard of hearing athletes an opportunity to participate
in international sport events,” Rodriguez said in a brief speech to a small
gathering of deaf and hearing-impaired athletes.
“Offering
young athletes the chance to perform, no matter their physical ability, is
essential to the development of Canada’s future,” he continued. “We
are proud to promote inclusive sport and help ensure that everyone can grow to
their full potential.”
Access to the podium
“This
is good news for deaf athletes and I think it’s an important step going
forward,” Iacono said in an interview. “It’s part of giving every Canadian
athlete a chance to get to the podium. Offering more opportunities to practice
sport proves to the whole country that sport should have no limits and that
everyone can participate. These athletes demonstrate great perseverance and
deserve Canada’s support and admiration.”
“I
am committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their age, race, gender,
sexual orientation or ability, has the opportunity to participate in sport and
experience all it has to offer,” the Science and Sport Minister said in a
statement. “By supporting the Canadian Deaf Sports Association, our government
is encouraging Canadian deaf and hard of hearing athletes to pursue their
sporting dreams. I am confident that the work being done by the CDSA will make
sport more accessible and welcoming for everyone.”
Sign language interpreters explained proceedings at the press conference to many of those attending the press conference who were deaf or impaired of hearing.
The invisible handicap
Through
sign language interpreters, Alain Turpin, executive-director of the Canadian
Deaf Sports Association, said the association’s members felt greatly encouraged
by the support coming from the federal government.
Describing
deafness as “handicap that isn’t visible,” unlike blindness that is often
identifiable when blind persons are using white canes, Turpin said deaf
athletes often need specially-adapted equipment and facilities when they
practice sports such as competitive swimming or running (where the starter
signal can’t be heard by athletes with impaired hearing.
Support from Sport Canada
The
CDSA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of deaf and hard
of hearing athletes. Through direct financial support, the CDSA helps athletes
take part in international sport events sanctioned by the International
Committee of Sports for the Deaf and the Pan American Sports Committee for the
Deaf.
Sport Canada has
supported the CDSA since 1993 by providing over $5 million in funding
for its activities. The Sport Support Program supports the development of
Canadian athletes and coaches. Funding is provided to eligible organizations
for programming that is aligned with the goals of the Canadian Sport Policy.
