From the left, Jean-Marc Juteau, science commissioner with the City of Laval’s economic development department, André Hubert, City of Laval, Laval city councillor Yannick Langlois, Laval executive-committee vice-president Stéphane Boyer, Mayor Marc Demers, Yvan P. Côté, general manager Dynacare, Scott Hickey, vice-president communication and public affairs Dynacare, and executive-committee member Sandra Desmeules.
(TLN) Mayor Marc Demers, accompanied by several
members of city council and staffers from Laval’s economic development team,
spent some time last week at Dynacare, a diagnostic and medical tracking
company that has branches all over Canada.
Dynacare Laval general manager Yvan Côté
and Scott Hickey from
Headquarters in Brampton, ON gave the mayor and his entourage a tour of
Dynacare’s facilities, including the laboratories and the client service
centre.
Discussions were also held on issues concerning the
business and innovation in the field of sciences in Laval. Dynacare employs
more than 60 people in its Laval lab, as well as at its three testing
facilities.
The company evolved into its current incorporation
partly as a result of its acquisition of Warnex, another company that started
in Laval thanks to the support of the centre québécois
d’innovation en biotechnologie (CQIB), located at the Cité de la Biotech.
(TLN)
The organizing committee for the Fête de quartier de Chomedey is inviting
people of all ages to come out and take part in the 11th annual gathering
which will be taking place on Saturday Aug. 24 at Labelle Park, 799 Loranger
St. in Chomedey beginning at 1 pm.
In
keeping with longstanding tradition, the overall themes at this year’s event
will be accessibility, eco-responsibility and citizen participation. Various
forms of entertainment will be presented during the day, including shows,
children’s activities and workshops.
Activities all day
Many
community groups from Chomedey are currently putting together a schedule of
entertaining activities. A stage will be available on which registered
performers will be able to make presentations. As well, a health booth will
make available free information on health issues, as well as healthy snacks.
The
day will come to an end with a big prize draw, a circus presentation and a
friendly soccer match. Everything will be free. This year, around 1,000 people
are expected.
A citizen initiative
The
Fête de Quartier de Chomedey is a citizen initiative that emerged from the
Chomedey social forum held in 2008. It is led by citizens as well as partner
members of the Comité de Développement Local de Chomedey (CDLC). The committee
is always looking for new members.
The
Fête de Quartier de Chomedey is made possible with support from several key
sponsors, including the Centre Intégré de Santé et Services Sociaux de Laval,
the City of Laval, IGA Extra Gagnon et filles, the Caisse populaire Desjardins
de Chomedey, and Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette.
On
June 20th 2019, Agape Executive Director Kevin McLeod was happy to receive a
cheque from Chomedey MNA Guy Oullette in the amount of $10,000.
This
money goes towards Agape’s 2019-2020 efforts in offering various services to
vulnerable families including Quebec newcomers.
Among
it’s many mandates, projects and services, the non-profit organization offers
over 1,500 food baskets to Laval residents each year along with much furniture,
toy and clothing distribution.
“Thanks
to the ongoing support of people like Mr. Ouellette, Agape can continue to
offer it’s services across Laval.” McLeod said.
Members of the Laval Police Department are seen here with provincial and municipal elected officials as well as Special Olympics supporters during an announcement for the Parcours des Héros held recently at LPD headquarters.
Martin C. Barry
The
Laval Police Department is extending an open invitation to all to come on out
and cheer for the participants who will be taking part in the Parcours des
Héros foot race on Saturday Sept. 7 at the Centre de la Nature for the benefit
of the Special Olympics Quebec.
A fun day for
all
Families, friends and supporters will be gathering
from 8:30 am to 3 pm that day for the 4th edition of the event.
It’ll be a day of fun, games and activities, all free of charge. In addition to
encouraging the athletes during the race, the day is also being held for
families with activities for children and other supporters.
“This is a cause that is close to my heart because it
is a cause that encourages social inclusion,” said Laval Police Chief Pierre
Brochet, announcing the event during a recent press event at Laval Police
headquarters.
A range of
activities
“These are people whose lives are enriched by sport,
and this is really something that can be done for these special athletes who are
filled with love.”
Besides the family and children’s activities, it will
also be possible during event to sit behind the wheel of a police car, while
also learning about the Laval Police Department’s canine squad. As well, there
will be cheerleading shows, including one by an intellectually-challenged
cheerleader. The Laval Rocket is also sending along members of their crew to
provide assistance.
Special Olympics athlete Valérie Gagnon is seen here with mascots for the Laval Police Department and the Laval Rocket hockey team.
Special
Olympics Quebec
Organized by the Laval Police, the Parcours des Héros
is a five-kilometre walking and running event that is
also an opportunity for people who like to do something athletic to mingle with
persons with intellectual disabilities. Teams made up of four persons are
matched with a Special Olympics athlete. The goal isn’t to arrive first at the
finish line, but rather to help one another to surmount the various challenges
encountered along the way.
“The Laval Police Department is proud to support the
Special Olympics movement,” added police chief Brochet. “This race organized by
our officers is held in keeping with our values of respect, team spirit,
integrity and diversity.
$100,000
raised for cause
“For three years now, this event has resulted in more
than $100,000 in funds gathered for the Special Olympics Quebec,” said Brochet.
“This is money that is not only important for these youths, but also raises
awareness by the public of the cause of intellectual disabilities.”
Laval
Police Lieutenant Jean-François Girard, who is coordinating the Parcours des
Héros, said, “As police officers, we have the responsibility
to build inclusive communities. It is very touching to see these youths grown
and be on their own during this activity. The encouragement of citizens who
take part in the race adds to their great sense of pride.”
(TLN) Sonia Baudelot, who is running in Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for the Conservative Party of Canada in the October
federal election, received the support of several influential people during a
fundraiser she held at the Château Royal on July 4.
Among
those at the event who endorsed Baudelot’s candidacy were Senator Pierre-Hughes
Boisvenu, Conservative lieutenant for Quebec Alain Rayes, and movie theatre
entrepreneur Vincent Guzzo of Cinémas Guzzo.
Battle ahead,
she says
Addressing several hundred Conservatives who turned
up, Baudelot reminded them that the election battle was just getting underway.
Known for her involvement in the community and
thorough knowledge of the riding in which she is running, she expressed her
support for those who are in need.
“We must get rid of the government of Mr. Trudeau in
the next election next Oct. 21, in order not to leave behind an astronomical
debt to the next generation,” said Baudelot.
Was it déjà vu? Or, perhaps more ominously, a foreshadowing of something
that stands to become a lot more common in Laval in this era of global warming?
Whatever, there was an eerie sense of having seen it
all before last week when officials from the Quebec government were in Laval
for a public information meeting with property owners who were seriously
impacted by the flooding in April.
Panel
answered questions
After all, the last time this happened was in 2017 and
the drill then was pretty much the same: a panel of bureaucrats facing hundreds
of sometimes irate Laval residents (albeit fewer than last time) at the Château
Royal.
The
residents were addressed in a way they had more or less come to expect of governmental
consultants and employees: responses couched in departmental codes, ciphers and
technospeak, with bureaucrats replying as best they could to traumatized people
who probably would have much preferred hearing plain language.
Towns and
cities affected
According to a summary of the government’s post-flood
plans for establishing new flood zones, 813 of the province’s municipalities
are affected as new zones are set up for zero to 20-year risks as well as all
sectors which suffered flooding this past year and two years ago.
For properties within these zones, there will be no
possibility of constructing or reconstructing a building that has lost more
than half its value, and there will be no expansion of buildings or
outbuildings in such zones. Getting permission to rebuild flood-damaged
properties will depend on whether the cost of reconstruction amounts to 50 per
cent or more of the value of the house.
Municipalities, including the City of Laval, will be
issuing renovation and construction permits within these zones based on
criteria set down in new provincial legislation that was drafted taking into
account the impact of past and potential future flooding.
A panel of five provincial bureaucrats faced more than 400 sometimes irate Laval residents during a consultation on proposed new flood zones held last week at the Château Royal.
Venting their
anger
During a question period, several Laval residents from
areas seriously affected by flooding this spring (including Laval-sur-le-Lac, Île
Verte, Laval-Ouest, Fabreville and Sainte-Rose) expressed
their disillusionment – or in some cases outrage – over the way municipal and
provincial authorities have dealt with the aftermath.
Unhappy with a proposed new flood zone map the
provincial government has developed, Eli Chakieh of Laval-sur-le-Lac said the
chart is designed to cover the entire area. “This is inaccurate,” he said.
“None of the houses in Laval-sur-le-Lac were flooded. I’ve been there for forty
years and I lived through two floods before.
“You are mixing up houses with land,” he continued. “The
land had flooded on the riverside. The houses never flooded. And you’re
amalgamating all the problems for the houses and the land and you’re preventing
the citizens of Laval-sur-le-Lac from doing improvements.”
Improvements
forbidden
Chakieh said that according to the new flood-zone law,
he’s being prevented from installing a new pool in his back yard because it
falls under a definition of prohibited construction. Marc Mongeon, a spokesman
for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Habitation who answered most
questions during the meeting, told him that the government hasn’t finished the
final draft of the legislation and that there will still be time to iron out
details involving those sorts of situations.
Another resident, Rose-Lise Arrelle of Chomedey, complained
that the government’s proposed new flood-zone map includes her property, even
though her street has never been flooded. “We deplore the fact that someone –
we don’t know who – coloured the map red in such a way as to cause a lot of
people concern,” she said. “This is needless anxiety that you are encouraging.
The map does not correspond to our reality.”
Some
officials attended
At the same time, Arrelle noted the absence of
virtually all provincially-elected representatives at the meeting. (A few
members of Laval city council, including Laval-Les Îles
councillor Nicholas Borne, Sainte-Rose councillor Virginie Dufour and Auteuil
councillor Jocelyne Frédéric-Gauthier,
did attend the meeting as observers and interveners.)
Guylaine Riendeau of Fabreville complained about a shortage of information and lack of transparency by officials following this past spring’s floods in Laval.
Guylaine Riendeau of Fabreville complained about a
shortage of information and a lack of transparency regarding the official
response to the floods. Like many of the other residents, she complained of
being subjected to severe flood-zone restrictions in the new chart, even though
her property had never suffered flooding.
July 7 – A four-year-old boy died after being pulled out
of a back yard swimming pool in Ste-Dorothée on Sunday afternoon.
Residents of the house on Des Capucines St. called 911
just before 3 p.m. when they pulled the unconscious boy out of the water.
Police arrived first on the scene and administered CPR
until paramedics arrived and took over.
The boy was rushed to hospital where his death was
confirmed.
According to police, adults were present in the yard at
the time of the drowning although it’s not clear if anyone else was in the
pool. The incident appears to have occurred during a family gathering when
people were both outside and in the home.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding
the drowning.
* There have been 28 drowning deaths in the province so
far this year.
* In 2018, the lives of 56 individuals in Quebec were
claimed by drowning.
Accidental Fire Scorches Allô! Mon Coco
July 5 – Firefighters received a call at 7:18 p.m. about
a fire burning at the breakfast restaurant, Allô! Mon Coco located onBoul.
Samson in Ste-Dorothée.
The first of 6 responding units arrived at the scene 4
minutes later.
Looking through the front glass windows, flames were
observed at the rear of the restaurant, coming from the kitchen area.
Firefighters had the blaze under control by 7:48 p.m.
Early indications suggest that one of the burners on the
stove had inadvertently been left on and
caused the fire.
Damages were limited to the restaurant. Neighbouring
locales were not affected.
The breakfast eatery suffered an estimated $15,000 in
damages to the building, and another $15,000 in damages to the contents.
BEI Investigating
Police after Laval Man’s Death
June 28 – The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) —
an independent investigative unit — is looking
into the death of a Laval man following a police intervention that occurred shortly
after midnight Thursday night.
According to the BEI’s statement, Laval police received a
call regarding a violent family dispute at 12:40 a.m.
The two responding officers arrived at the residence on
35th Avenue and attempted to arrest a 50-year-old man involved in the dispute,
but he refused to cooperate.
They said the man stopped breathing as police tried to
handcuff him.
Officers used a defibrillator but were unsuccessful in
reviving the man. He died at the scene.
The BEI was called in and took over the investigation.
Eight BEI investigators arrived early Friday morning and two forensics
identification experts from the Sûreté du Québec were also called in to join
the investigation.
The BEI’s mandate is to investigate when a civilian death
or injury occurs during a police intervention or while in police custody.
Laval Man Killed
in Tadoussac Ferry Crash Lauded as Hero
June 25 – Quebec provincial police identified the victim
of a crash at the Tadoussac ferry crossing last Monday as Laval resident, Éric
Belec.
According to eyewitnesses, the outcome would likely have
been much worse, if not for Belec’s heroic actions in the seconds preceding the
spectacular collision which claimed his life.
The 40-year-old was at the wheel of an RV when it sped
down a steep hill on Highway 138, just east of the ferry terminal.
The motor home ended up going over the raised loading
ramp, crashing into the back of the ferry that had just begun its 10-minute
journey toward Baie-Sainte-Catherine.
Local residents have long questioned the safety of the
pier, which sits at the bottom of a steep incline.
Belec and his passenger were taken to hospital where he
was later pronounced dead. A 40-year-old woman from Lévis remains in critical
condition.
The Sûreté du Québec said it appears that a mechanical
problem with the RV may be to blame.
Eyewitnesses reported that Belec did everything he could
to avoid hitting numerous pedestrians and other nearby cars as the RV careened
toward the pier and loaded ferry.
Police Treat
Anti-Muslim Message as Hate Crime
June 21 – Laval police opened an investigation after hate
messages were discovered on signs along Highway 15 near Boul. Dagenais.
Two messages were scrawled across signs. The first read:
“Trudeau treason” and the second stated: “Abolish Islam – threatens our country
and our security”
The hate messages were brought to the attention of the
Laval police and were removed the same day.
Forensic identification experts were sent to the site to
collect evidence.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to call the police
info-line and speak confidentially with an officer : 450-662-INFO (4636).
Dignitaries are seen Hellenic Summer Festival at Holy Cross Church during the unveiling of the Canada Day cake on July 1.
Martin C. Barry
Thousands
of people with Hellenic roots from all over Quebec had the opportunity to
return to their cultural origins on Canada Day weekend when the Laval Greek
Orthodox Community held its annual Hellenic Summer Festival at Holy Cross
Church in Chomedey.
A big Greek reunion
The
Laval Hellenic Summer Festival is one of the biggest Greek cultural events that
takes place in Quebec each year. People arrive from many areas of eastern
Canada, eager to meet and greet old friends and members of their extended
families. In Laval there are an estimated 40,000 Greek residents.
Among
the dignitaries who turned up were Laval city councillor for Chomedey Aglaia
Revelakis, Laval-Les Îles Liberal MP Fayçal El-Khoury, Quebec Liberal MNA for
Chomedey Guy Ouellette, Fabre Liberal MNA Monique Sauvé, Action Laval interim-leader
Archie Cifelli, Consul General for Greece in Montreal Michalis Gavriilidis,
Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal president Annie Koutrakis and Former
Laval city councillor Jocelyne Guertin.
There was plenty of Souvlaki from the grill during the Hellenic Summer Festival at Holy Cross Church in Chomedey on July 1.
A very big
community
“The Greeks are the largest cultural community in the
province and they deserve to be,” Ouellette said in an interview with the Laval
News. “This is always such a special day – an event not to be missed,” said
Sauvé. “I am here every year and it is always
a pleasure to be here.”
El-Khoury
was very upbeat about the importance of recognizing Greek heritage on the same
day as Canada celebrates its birthday. “I always advise all my Greek friends to
continue remembering their roots, but also to remember that they are also
Canadians and should contribute to Canada in all its aspects,” he said.
A land of opportunity
Revelakis
recalled that her parents arrived in Canada in the early 1960s, following which
“they worked to develop and establish themselves in Canada. And this is what
Canada is about: Canada is the land of opportunity and it opens doors for many
people including youths. Canada is our home and we are proud to be Canadians.”
Consul General Gavriilidis said, “What a wonder day
this is, and what a wonderful way this is to celebrate Canada’s birthday at a
festival with Greek flavours, colours and taste. I am very happy for this
community and congratulate them for getting this together and wish them many
more such occasions in the future.”
Seen here at the Vieille Caserne in Old Sainte-Rose are Tourism Laval officials, Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete, Corporation Rose-Art president Carole Faucher, Laval city councillor for Sainte-Rose Virginie Dufour and Symposium spokesperson Nico Racicot.
Martin C. Barry
Appreciators of fine sculpture and exquisite art will
be coming from all over Quebec and other parts of eastern Canada to Laval’s
historic Old Sainte-Rose neighbourhood for four days in late July to
participate in the 24th annual Sainte-Rose Art Symposium.
A real crowd pleaser
Each
year, more than 25,000 attend the highly popular event, which is taking place
this year from July 25-28. Many of those attending the Symposium, sponsored by
the Corporation Rose-Art, will be purchasing hundreds of works produced by 90
talented artists expressing themselves in styles ranging from traditional and
impressionistic to modern and abstract.
Actor is
spokesperson
Quebec film and TV actor Nico Racicot will be displaying some of his own art during this year’s Symposium later this month.
The Saint-Rose Art Symposium’s organizing committee
was able to persuade Quebec film and TV actor Nico Racicot to be the event’s
official spokesperson this year.
Born on York St. in Rosemère across the river
from Sainte-Rose, he has acted in English-language TV (Degrassi: The Next
Generation). However, Racicot is perhaps better known in Quebec for his role in
the 2013 French-language film Louis Cyr.
In an interview with The Laval News, Racicot said he
was deeply impressed by the Symposium and its beautiful setting on the edge of
the Rivière des Mille Îles in northern Laval.
Inspired by
the setting
“Just being here – where Marc Aurèle
Fortin grew up and where he got a lot of his inspiration – to me is so
inspiring and such a really nice opportunity to be here as part of the
Symposium,” he said, referring to the famed Quebec landscape painter who was
born in Sainte-Rose.
In addition to being an actor, Racicot is also a
visual artist and some of his works will be displayed in a special location
during the Symposium.
“I do mostly illustration art either with markers or
on my iPad and I started painting not too long ago,” he saud. “So there will be
a showcase showing where I am currently at in my creative journey.”
Skeete
honourary president
Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete (seen here with Symposium coordinator Carole Faucher) says he is delighted to serve as this year’s honourary event president.
Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete has agreed to serve
as honourary president of the Symposium. “It is a privilege to have been chosen,”
he said, noting the hard work done by Symposium volunteers. He also praised the
Symposium organizers for conserving the artistic “soul” of Sainte-Rose where
art continues to flourish.
Since last year’s exhibition, the organizers of the
Sainte-Rose Art Symposium received a significant honour when the Laval Chamber
of Commerce and Industry awarded them a 2019 Dunamis Award in recognition of Sainte-Rose
Art Symposium’s successful efforts to promote tourism in the Laval region.
A draw for
summer tourists
Tourism has indeed been growing by leaps and bounds in
Laval over the past few years, as travellers from all over Canada and the U.S.
discover hidden treasures such as the Symposium de Sainte-Rose.
As always, the Symposium will be taking place in
downtown Sainte-Rose along Sainte-Rose Blvd. next to the Old Firehall (la
Vieille Caserne), near the historic Sainte-Rose-de-Lima church, between Filion
and Deslaurier-Hotte streets. The hours are as follows: Thurs. Jul. 25 and
Friday Jul. 26, 11 am to 8 pm; Sat. July 27, 10 am to 8 pm; and Sun. Jul. 28,
10 am to 5 pm.
Special
venues to view art
While most of the artists and sculptors will be
exhibiting under tents, a few works created by members of the Corporation
Rose-Art can be viewed at the Vieille Caserne as well as at the nearby Centre
d’Art. In addition, a special room has been set aside to display the works of
Nico Racicot.
The organizers have also decided once again this year
to hold a special “Initiation to Painting” event for those wishing to learn how
to develop a budding personal talent for painting into a serious pass-time. All
the activities are free of charge.
The current issue of the Laval News volume 27-14 published July 10th, 2019, (Laval’s English Newspaper) covers local events such as politics, sports and human-interest stories. It features editorials and other columns. Click on the image to read the paper.
Front page of Laval News, Vol. 27-14
July 10, 2019.
