The current issue of the Laval News, volume 33-09, published on April 30th, 2025.
Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)
Laval News Volume 33-09
Angry motorist slams into front entrance doors at Laval Police HQ
An apparently angry man in his late 20s was placed under arrest last Saturday outside Laval Police Dept. headquarters on Chomedey Blvd. after he drove his car into the building’s front entrance doors, causing extensive damage.
Security cameras, which are always plentiful at police stations, captured the moment when the driver rammed the glass front entrance doors at 2911 Chomedey Blvd.
The cameras also recorded the suspect, identified by TVA Nouvelles as Zakaria Sadji, arriving in his car at the police headquarters parking lot, pointing the car directly at the front doors, then driving into them.
Although the police headquarters front doors lead into a spacious reception area, no injuries were reported.
After demolishing the entrance, he reversed, then reportedly waited quietly for police officers to arrive and arrest him.
Sadji was arraigned on Monday at the Palais de Justice de Laval on Saint-Martin Blvd. where he pleaded not guilty to charges of public mischief and dangerous driving.
120 Citizens from Laval and Montreal presented with Lieutenant Governor’s Medals
Quebec Lieutenant Governor Manon Jeannotte presided over two Lieutenant Governor’s Medal presentation ceremonies, held on Saturday, April 26 at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., at École secondaire Saint-Maxime in Laval.
“What you bring to your community goes far beyond the actions you take,” she said during the ceremony. “You inspire a Quebec where everyone can believe in the power of human connection.”
A total of 120 citizens were honoured for their remarkable contribution to Quebec society, receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s Medals in the Youth (111) and Seniors (8) categories as well as the King Charles III coronation Medal (1).
The Lieutenant Governor’s Medals aim to recognize the commitment, determination, and selflessness of citizens from all regions of Quebec who have had, or continue to have, a positive influence within their community or across the province.
There are five categories:
- The Youth Medal
- The Seniors Medal
- The Medal for Exceptional Merit
- The First Nations Medal
- The Inuit Medal
Laval Police arrested four Tuesday in massive anti-drug sweep
The Laval Police were reporting on Tuesday that they arrested four suspects while executing warrants related to illegal drug manufacturing and distribution operations in Laval.
According to the LPD, more than 70 officers conducted raids at seven different addresses in Laval beginning Tuesday morning.
The raids were launched after the LPD received complaints and other information from members of the public.
The suspected operators allegedly were producing and distributing cocaine, crack and psychoactive pills.
The arrested suspects ranged in age from 38 to 51 years.
Police from the City of Longueuil and the Sûreté du Québec provided assistance in executing the warrants.
Judge’s decision expected April 29 in Ste-Rose bus crash
The second of two psychiatrists testified during the trial of Pierre Ny St-Amand that the former STL bus driver was unable to distinguish right from wrong when he drove into the front entrance of a Sainte-Rose daycare in February 2023, killing two children and injuring six others.
Dr. Sylvain Faucher’s testimony at the Palais de Justice de Laval agreed with that of another psychiatrist who previously stated his opinion that St-Amand was unable to form proper judgments because of his state of mind and that a mental disorder rendered him incapable of appreciating the nature of his actions.
Ny St-Amand, 53, is accused of ramming a bus into the Laval daycare, killing a four-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl. Faucher testified that a possible untreated post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from Ny St-Amand’s childhood as an orphan in war-torn Cambodia left him “fragile” to stressors.
The other psychiatrist, Dr. Kim Bédard-Charette, previously said Ny St-Amand was likely experiencing psychosis at the time he drove the bus into the building. Both recommended he should be considered not criminally responsible.
Ny St-Amand was born in Cambodia in 1972, shortly before the Khmer Rouge began a brutal rule that is blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people. Both his parents died as a result of the conflict. He spent time in several refugee camps. In 1982, he was sent to Canada by a humanitarian agency and adopted by a Quebec family.
Five injured in major crash on Louis-Bisson Bridge
A total of 25 vehicles sustained varying degrees of damage after colliding in icy road conditions during the early evening on April 8 on the Louis-Bisson Bridge which connects Montreal and Laval via Autoroute 13.
Five people suffered injuries during the incident in the southbound lanes. Fourteen Laval Fire Dept. personnel responded. In some cases, they had to use special tools to free passengers from cars so heavily-damaged the doors were sealed shut.
Although there were no serious injuries, the five who were hurt suffered minor frontal and back injuries, as well as nervous shock. The A-13 was closed for two hours and the five victims were taken to hospital.
Four hurt in major crash at Saint-Martin and Le Corbusier
A spectacular three-car crash that took place on the evening of Friday April 4 at the busy corner of Saint-Martin Blvd. and Le Corbusier Blvd. sent Laval Police, Urgences-Santé and the Laval Fire Dept. rushing to the scene.
Laval’s 9-1-1 centre received several calls around 9:20 pm.
Four passengers who were aboard the heavily-damaged vehicles suffered serious injuries, including at least one head trauma, while another was treated on the scene for shock. Three of the victims were transported to hospital for more intensive treatment.
Man shot on Cap-Éternité St. in Duvernay
The Laval Police were searching for a suspect after a man was shot on the morning of Sunday April 6 on Cap-Éternité St. in Laval’s Duvernay district.
Spokesperson Laurent Arsenault said a 9-1-1 caller around 8:45 a.m. reported shots.
LPD officers arrived on the scene and found a 49-year-old man with a gunshot wound. He was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Some Montreal media identified the victim as Guido Muzzo, 49, who had previously been charged with a gun-related offence. He is set to be tried in September at the Palais de Justice in Laval.
Ex-Quebec finance minister Leitão running for Liberals in Marc-Aurèle-Fortin
Former Laurentian Bank executive seen as a potential asset on Mark Carney team
Laval’s incumbent Liberal MPs seem to agree about their party’s newest Laval-area candidate.
As far they’re concerned, Carlos Leitão would be an asset to a future Liberal government.
After all, they say, he has a lengthy CV of experience in banking and high-finance, plus he and Liberal leader Mark Carney both helped direct the Bank of Canada at various stages of their careers.
Supporters, family and friends of the former Quebec Liberal finance minister crowded into Leitão’s Autoroute 440 campaign headquarters on Friday evening last week to help launch his bid to win the riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin in the April 28 election.
Former PLQ MNA
Leitão served two terms as the Liberal MNA for the West Island Montreal riding of Robert Baldwin, winning elections in 2014 and 2018, but declining to run again in 2022.
Leitão, 69, was an economist at the Royal Bank of Canada from 1983 to 2003. He was Quebec’s Minister of Finance in Liberal Premier Philippe Couillard’s cabinet. He was also chair of the Quebec treasury council from spring 2016 to early 2017.
He was the chief economist for Laurentian Bank Securities, making a name for himself while tracking economic trends and indicators – at one point ranking as one of the world’s most accurate forecasters, according to Bloomberg financial news services.
They met before
While at Laurentian, Leitão interacted with Mark Carney, who was the Bank of Canada’s governor between 2008 and 2013. In 2023, Leitão was appointed to the Bank of Canada’s board of directors.
Carney reached out to Leitão after winning the Liberals’ leadership contest on March 9, and Leitão agreed to run in Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for the Liberals. Leitão will be running for a seat last held for the Liberals by Yves Robillard, who served three terms since 2015, but decided not run this time.
“Bringing my political experience from the National Assembly, I would like to now represent your voices in Ottawa and advocate for fiscal responsibility and a strong and effective response to U.S. tariffs,” Leitão states on a leaflet his team is currently distributing to potential voters in the riding.
Dealing with the U.S.
In an informal address to the gathering of more than 50, Leitão was quick to get straight to the point as to why he’s running: the U.S. and its punishing tariffs. However, he insisted the Americans will always be neighbors – geographically-speaking at least. “But now the neighbors are a little less reliable,” he said.
Noting that over the past 30 years the economies of Canada, Quebec and the U.S. drew closer than ever before, he said the world we knew before last January “is now behind us and will not be coming back.
“Therefore, we will have to readjust, restructure, redirect the Canadian economy,” he continued. “And I think it’s in that context that I as much as possible will have a role to play to contribute to the dialogue that will be taking place in the federal government for this process of restructuring and reorientation of the economy to diversify our markets.”
Laval MPs agree
The Laval regions’s three Liberal MPs, who were all at the launch, agreed he’s the right man for the job. “I think we’re very lucky to have someone with the caliber and experience of Mr. Leitão as a candidate,” said Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis.
“He played a major role when he was minister of finance of Quebec,” said Laval-Les Îles MP Fayçal El-Khoury. “We welcome everyone who stands to give a facelift to the Liberal party because new blood never hurts,” said Alfred-Pellan MP Angelo Iacono.
Will Marc-Aurèle-Fortin stay Liberal?
While the Liberals have comfortably won Marc-Aurèle-Fortin in every election over the past decade, the NDP scored a single decisive victory there in 2011 during the so-called Orange Crush.
Perhaps more significantly, former Parti Québécois provincial cabinet minister Serge Ménard, running federally for the Bloc Québécois between 2004 and 2008, won three successive elections in Marc-Aurèle-Fortin.
The Bloc was stopped only by the NDP, when the riding’s predominantly francophone voters had seemingly grown tired of Quebec nationalism. Since then, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin’s electoral boundaries (which used to leap over the Rivière des Mille Îles onto more nationalistic North Shore territory) were modified.
The riding is now entirely in Laval, where booming population growth and evolving demographics favor the anglophone and allophone sectors. In an interview with The Laval News on launch night last week, Leitão said he was aware of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin’s short-term history as a Bloc constituency.
However, he said he felt confident that in this election, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin voters would respond to the Liberals’ appeal for unity at a time of economic crisis.
“As I’ve been going door-to-door talking to the people, a number of them have been telling me they don’t usually vote Liberal,” said Leitão. “But this time they will because they feel we need someone like Mark Carney to lead Canada and to face the United States and Donald Trump.”
Vimont MNA presents constituents with National Assembly Medals
‘These three recipients are shining examples,’ says Valérie Schmaltz
Three residents of the provincial riding of Vimont in Laval were presented with National Assembly Medals on April 3 by Coalition Avenir Québec MNA Valérie Schmaltz in recognition of their outstanding and exemplary contributions to the cultural, sporting and entrepreneurial well-being of the community.
“Through the awarding of these medals, the MNA for Vimont expressed her gratitude and pride to these three women, while emphasizing that each medal that was awarded tells a unique story of perseverance, sacrifice and extraordinary accomplishments,” Schmaltz’s office said in a statement.
“These recipients, through their devotion and commitment, embody the very essence of our Vimont-Auteuil community,” they added.
25 years community service
The first of the recipients, Nancy Champagne, has for more than 25 years been involved with the Maison de quartier Vimont, where she devotes herself to helping others. Known for her compassion, she has restored hope and provided comfort to many people in the surrounding community who are in need.
“Thanks to her vision and caring leadership, she instills a positive dynamic at the Maison de quartier Vimont, where listening, cooperation and solidarity are at the centre of each action taken,” says a statement issued by Schmaltz’s office. “Her success depends above all else on team spirit and unity towards a common goal.”
“For me, this a moment that I cherish with an enormous amount of pride and humility,” said Champagne. “I share this medal with those who surrounded me, because I had the chance to grow up in a family with good values. I also had the opportunity to evolve in an environment that allowed to transmit these values.
“I am surrounded by incredible people who push me forward and allow me to become a better person, while also wanting to make a difference each day,” she continued.
“Each morning, I get up with a desire to contribute, whether it’s through my work or in my life as a committed citizen. Today I am a woman who feels happy and fulfilled. I leave with my heart filled with gratitude and with a desire to continue to be involved for many years to come.”
Femmes en Emploi
The second medal recipient, Mirlaine Dorcé-Breton, devotes her knowledge and time to Femmes en Emploi, where she is the chief coordinator. “Sustained by the conviction that collective effort is all-important to build a better future, he embodies a caring leadership,” said Schmaltz’s office.
“More than an accomplished professional, she is a source of inspiration, a catalyst for change and a bridge builder between cultures. She distinguishes herself by her unshakable determination and her constant commitment towards the emancipation of women as well as human development.”
“I feel touched and am profoundly honored to have received this medal,” Dorcé-Breton said. “This means that my work among the citizens has truly been acknowledged, and that is really gratifying. To experience this recognition, to see that the MNA is underlining the work accomplished in the community, is an immense honor for me.”
Working for the vulnerable
The third recipient, Lyne Sylvain, has worked within the Relais familial d’Auteuil for 25 years, devoting herself to the support of vulnerable people. In a variety of roles, she created profound links in the community and made a positive impact on many families.
“Convinced that each individual deserves dignity and respect, she acts as a bridge between generations and as a pillar for those seeking help.
“Her approach, combining rigor and care, has helped numerous families to overcome adversity. As she prepares for retirement, she leaves behind a precious heritage and a community that has been made stronger through her commitment.”
“This is a magic moment, a true recognition of all of the compassion we invested into this,” said Lyne Sylvain. “It’s touching to see that someone is acknowledging our commitment. So, all I can say is that it’s magical.”
Essential values for community
During the ceremony, Schmaltz made a point of drawing attention to the support provided to the medal recipients by their loved ones, their colleagues and family members.
“Volunteerism, mutual assistance, solidarity: these are the essential values for the creation of a society that is strong, just and fair,” she said.
“These three recipients are shining examples. It is with great honor that I present these medals to celebrate and pay homage to extraordinary persons such as Mrs. Champagne, Mrs. Dorcé-Breton and Mrs. Sylvain. I am extremely proud to count them among the pillars of our riding of Vimont.”
City planning water retention basin in Cartier neighborhood
In an overall effort to adapt Laval for climate change with updated and modernized municipal infrastructure, the city has announced major plans to build an underground water retention basin in the Cartier neighborhood.
According to the city, the basin would have a capacity of 15,000 cubic metres (equivalent to six Olympic-size pools), and would be able to better control rainwater overflows into the sewer system during major rainstorms.
The work is set to begin before the end of the spring and will continue into 2027.
“With the climate disturbances that we now know, Laval must equip itself with equipment and infrastructure that is more resilient in order to manage stormwaters while protecting the environment,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
“By limiting the impact of times when there is abundant rain on the sewer network, the creation of this new basin will conserve the quality of water in natural areas in the sector of the baie de Marigot.
“This project proves our commitment to modernizing our infrastructure, while ensuring a better quality of life to all our citizens,” he added. “I thank the Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister for their significant financial contribution and I am very grateful to see this project moving ahead.”
The construction of the $39 million project is being made possible with a $23 million subsidy provided by the Quebec government as part of a municipal infrastructure support program.
“It is essential for us to accompany municipalities in their initiatives, especially those that improve their resilience against climate change,” said Andrée Laforest, Municipal Affairs Minister in the CAQ government.
The basin will be designed to hold excess rain and sewer water until it reaches capacity, after which water will gradually be redirected to Laval’s wastewater treatment plant. In this manner, the amount of wastewater that would normally be spilled directly into the Rivière des Prairies will be reduced.
The area above the new retention basin is slated to be redeveloped into an improved green space and public park. The city says the park work will be done after the basin is completed. It is expected to include new sports field stadium seating, better lighting and a new refreshment stand.
Laval sets aside land for 80 units of affordable and social housing
The city has decided to make a piece of land it owns at 445 des Laurentides Blvd. in Pont-Viau available for free for the construction of an 80-unit social and affordable housing project. The organization Espoir Habitat plans to develop the project there for small families.
“In the space of just a few weeks, we have announced our support for two initiatives that will be contributing to answering the growing needs for affordable housing,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
“Once again, our policy for making municipal property available is facilitating the realization of projects, and enlarging the offer across the territory, while better responding to the needs of Laval’s population. We are pursuing our efforts to develop innovative solutions for housing, while others will be coming soon.”
The decision, approved during the April 2 city council meeting, is a result of a call for project proposals made by the city last December.
Laval associates itself with ENAP to boost efficiency
The city announced earlier this month that it has awarded a mandate to the École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP) to provide strategic counselling to Laval on the optimization of municipal resources with regards to innovation and digitization processes.
The mandate, which is expected to be in place by the end of this spring, will help the city determine its strategic actions. The move comes as the city recently set out to achieve $20 million in savings annually. The city is hoping to find additional savings in its salary base, to improve transparency and reduce delays in providing services, while also seeking ways to drive up revenues.
“Cities are facing strong financial pressures, notably in terms of limited revenues with growing responsibilities,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “To restore balance, I hope that Laval can lead with innovative practices, optimized management of financial resources and its offer of quality municipal services.”
Canada’s voters will choose a banker or a political professional as their next PM
Does a sophisticated banker, with well-established connections in the global realm of high-finance – yet with potential conflicts of interest over his personal investments – make for a good Prime Minister?
Or would Canadians perhaps be better off with a once obscure Parliamentary backbench politician, who had enough raw ambition to become leader of his party, yet embraced far-right political causes while scaling the political ladder?
As we approach Canada’s April 28 election day, these are perhaps the only real choices voters will have. Especially taking into consideration that the NDP could be facing what is already being predicted as an electoral wipeout of historic proportions.
With the sudden and rather abrupt dumping of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in January, followed by the nearly as sudden arrival of Mark Carney, who had been lurking for years in the wings, we are reminded that this is certainly not the first time the Liberals have travelled down this road.
If there is a lesson even before election day, it is perhaps that initial appearances tend to be deceiving – especially in the realm of politics.
When Paul Martin during the early 2000s started stealthily to let the word go around that he might be interested in being eased into the position that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien had no initial intention of vacating, the former finance minister could hardly have suspected that the Liberals would be so weakened they would open the door to a parliamentary defeat and a Conservative government.
Or then there was the case of Michael Ignatieff, establishing that a respected professional (be it a university academic, or a banker for that matter) isn’t necessarily always cut out for politics.
After being drafted by the Liberals, who seemingly expected Ignatieff to duplicate what another intellectual, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, had done to raise the party’s profile into the stratosphere, Ignatieff turned out to be a dud. After three years as leader of the Liberal opposition, the Liberals’ supposed star simply vanished back into the exalted halls of academia.
As for Poilièvre, what he may lack in charisma and cosmopolitan flair, he makes up in sheer brazenness. The kind that led him to embrace the participants in the February 2022 Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa.
They disrupted the national capital’s local economy and drove residents batty. And let’s not forget the heated threats directed by Freedom Convoy participants at MPs as they tried to enter the Parliament buildings. After all, Poilièvre was there among them.
It’s notable that in keeping with what appears to be his obviously opportunistic nature, not a word about the episode is being spoken during the current election (except perhaps for a few fleeting references by the Liberals). Nor does he seem any longer to show much enthusiasm for the underlying far-right.
Like Ignatieff, Carney may have international recognition. But at the same time, he may also know squat about politics. And for whatever it’s worth, the latter talent (which might be compared to a chessmaster’s natural skill) is something you can’t necessarily learn at the University of Oxford.
But ironically, it is something Justin Trudeau understood instinctively. Which is probably why he survived for almost a decade as Prime Minister. Significantly, politics is something Pierre Poilière also instinctively seems to grasp closely, having apprenticed in it since he was a teenageer.
If Carney wins (which many polls are predicting – along with a minority or majority Liberal government), the true test will be whether he has the mettle to persist with courage and conviction against the strong headwinds.
Otherwise, he may simply fade back to where he came from. A place where – like Ignatieff – he feels more comfortable.
– Martin C. Barry –
Mayor Boyer makes city’s wish list known to federal election candidates
Councillors note that April is Autism and Armenian remembrance month
Mayor Stéphane Boyer started off the April city council meeting with a reminder that spring cleaning and pothole repair operations are well underway on Laval’s streets, parks and green spaces, to deal with the usual mess that winter leaves behind.
“It’s going to be continuing over the coming weeks so that we can have a city that’s beautiful, that’s clean as quickly as possible,” he said during the April 1 meeting, while expressing his thanks to City of Laval public works crews for their efforts.
Regarding the federal election which is taking place on April 28, Mayor Boyer said he had the opportunity to meet several of the candidates running for the main political parties and that he informed them of the City of Laval’s priorities, needs and expectations of a new government.
Laval needs Ottawa’s help
He said the city’s business sector is especially in need of help from the federal government “in these hard economic times which are difficult and hazardous,” while adding that an ongoing lack of housing remains a problem, although he said new housing projects, such as the proposed redevelopment of the Saint Vincent de Paul penitentiary, are proceeding positively.
In terms of public transportation, he noted that plans to extend the Montreal Metro system’s Orange Line as well as the REM commuter train line north into Laval remain under study, and that the city is hoping a future federal government will provide additional support to allow Laval’s police to strengthen public security with better tools to conduct crime investigations.
Autism Awareness Month
During a segment of the meeting reserved for new business, Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis and Souvenir-Labelle councillor Sandra El-Helou both noted that April is Autism Awareness Month.
“This month isn’t only for raising awareness, it also represents a rare occasion to celebrate the wealth of experiences and talents of all those in our society,” El-Helou said.
“Each individual who is autistic is a universe entirely, who is filled with dreams and has challenges, passions and strengths,” added El-Helou. “Behind each diagnosis is concealed a living story, involving a family going through highs and lows, filled with hopes and struggles.”
Revelakis pointed out that even in 2025, persons with autism are still subjected to discrimination. “We can do more to help people living with this condition,” she said. “We must make the population more aware by all means.”
Remembering Armenian Genocide
In additional statements, Revelakis and Renaud city councillor Seta Topouzian both pointed out that April 24 will be Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, which is a day to commemorate the 1.5 million Armenians who were killed during the Armenian genocide in 1915.
“As an Armenian descendant of this people who were murdered, this memory is written into my history, carried forth by stories told by my ancestors,” said Topouzian. “Today I say I remember so that remembrances continue so that we never forget.”
Laval-des-Rapides councillor Alexandre Warnet, who deals with sustainable and environmental dossiers on council, noted that April 22 is Earth Day and that the city is staging some special events for the occasion.
For example, volunteer crews will be going around conducting clean-ups along the island’s shores, and ecology-themed workshops will be taking place at municipal library branches.
Speed skater congratulated
Saint-Bruno city councillor David De Cotis took a few moments to pay homage to four-time world champion short-track speed skater Steven Dubois, who was originally from Laval.
Dubois won four gold medals in March at the 2025 world championships in the 500-metre, the 1,000-metre, and two relay medals in the men’s and mixed events. “Born in Laval, Steven Dubois shows that our city is able to produce athletes of world caliber,” said De Cotis.
He said Dubois’s exceptional performance “deserves our recognition and our pride. I send our official congratulations to Mr. Dubois.” De Cotis also congratulated representatives of the Centre régional courte piste Laval (LAV) for their contributions to the speed skating sport’s success.
