Martin C. Barry

In an effort to protect and enhance the heritage architecture on its territory, the City of Laval, in keeping with a trend in other cities in Quebec, has served noticed that it is drafting a new by-law dealing with the demolition of buildings and other structures considered architecturally significant because of their heritage value.

More than 1,400 buildings and structures are targeted by the by-law. Almost all of them are part of pre-inventory of the City of Laval’s heritage architecture that was conducted in 2015 by the firm Patri-Arch. The list includes primary and secondary buildings, roadside crosses, shrines, tombs and a vault.

Heritage protection

The city’s by-law was developed in keeping with elements contained in a provincial law on urban planning, which allows municipalities to have regulations to control the demolition of buildings considered noteworthy – with special emphasis on their heritage value.

“We are very happy that this project is coming together which will certainly help to avoid regrettable demolitions, attesting to our willingness to guarantee the continuation of this collective wealth which is architectural heritage,” said Laval councillor for Sainte-Rose Virginie Dufour, an executive-committee member.

Demolitions suspended

Since the new by-law came into effect on Jan. 31, the issuing of demolition permits has been suspended for buildings eyed by the city for possible preservation based on their heritage value. This suspension will cease to be valid under the following conditions:

If the demolition by-law is not adopted within the two months following the passing of the resolution; If the demolition by-law has not come into effect within the four months following its adoption; When the demolition by-law comes into effect.

Over the past year, a groundbreaking public consultation was conducted by the city among property owners potentially affected. Around 100 heritage buildings were identified. During the consultations, around 30 people took part in four working sessions between April and May 2018.

45 recommendations

The participants came up with around 45 recommendations, which were presented to members of the executive-committee. Some of the recommendations were taken up by the executive-committee, including one that called for additional support for a program to revitalize heritage buildings.

Among the tasks that have already been accomplished: The creation of an inventory of roadside crosses and shrines all over Laval’s territory; The creation of a study on the history and heritage of the Saint-François de Sales sector; The realization of a series of videos on Laval’s heritage and history; The restoration of roadside crosses and shrines in Laval’s public areas.

(TLN) Residents in the eastern half of the City of Laval will be more protected than ever against fire with the opening of a new firehall in the district of Saint-François.

Decentralized plan

In its revised master plan for fire risk coverage 2015-2019, the City of Laval made a commitment to decentralize the Saint-François firehall in order to meet standards which required a minimum of 10 firefighters on the scene of a blaze within 10 minutes of a call, in 90 per cent of cases.

According to the city, this will allow rescue operations to take place more efficiently, while ensuring safe evacuations and minimal losses of property.

Meeting the needs

“The Saint-François firehall was among the investments which were planned for in the revised plan for which an amount of $31 million was allotted to meet the needs of the citizens while taking into account all the risks needing to be covered on our cast territory,” said Mayor Marc Demers.

“I am happy for the citizens of the district of Saint-François and for Councillor Éric Morasse, who since being elected had always supported the construction of this project for the new firehall number 5,” said Sandra Desmeules, who sits on the executive-committee with responsibilities for public security. “This represents an investment of more than $8 million to assure the safety of our citizens.”

New equipment

An improved striking force at the Laval Fire Department will be made possible with new equipment at the Saint-François firehall, including two pumper trucks made for a crew of four firefighters each, and a ladder truck with three firefighters, for a minimum of 11 firefighters at all times.

“Thanks to some new and efficient equipment at the new Saint-François firehall, we will be able to respond for efficiently to the 400 calls and 50 fires per year in this area of Laval,” said René Daigneault, director of the Laval Fire Department.

A portrait of the new firehall

• Location: 7900 Marcel-Villeneuve Ave., Saint-François
• Building seeking LEED Gold certification
• Cost: $8 million
• Duration of work: from September 2017 November 2018

Special details:

• Larger space: the firehall can accommodate 11 firefighters per shift; 
• Geothermal heating system;
• Passive solar wall pre-heats air in the garage;
• Many plumbing fixtures are low water consumption;
• Recharging station for electric vehicles.

Martin C. Barry

Jennifer Maccarone, the Quebec Liberal Party’s official critic for family issues on the National Assembly’s opposition benches, says that even though her party doesn’t disapprove completely of the CAQ government’s plan to make children as young as four attend pre-kindergarten, the PLQ thinks resources would be better used on more pressing educational projects.

PLQ questions plan

Maccarone, former president of the Quebec English School Boards Association and past chairperson of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, was among the guests who attended a press conference held in Laval on Feb. 11 at the Joyeux Bambins children’s daycare in Fabreville by the Conseil québécois des services éducatifs à la petite enfance (CQSEPE) and the Fédération des intervenantes en petite enfance du Québec (FIPEQ-CSQ).

While the Liberals question the government’s plan, the CQSEPE and the FIPEQ-CSQ both want the CAQ government’s plan stopped altogether. “Childcare workers and employers from the sector are agreed in calling for a stop to the development of new kindergartens for all four-year-olds,” CQSEPE director Francine Lessard and FIPEQ-CSQ president Valérie Grenon said in a statement.

Petition by PQ

Although now reduced to 10 seats in the National Assembly, the Parti Québécois is also behind the movement opposing the pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds. A petition launched by PQ MNA for Joliette Véronique Hivon last December is gaining support.

In the meantime, some of the criticism has been directed at the CAQ’s only elected member of the National Assembly from Laval – Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete.

“How can Christopher Skeete endorse the implementation of four-year-olds kindergartens wall-to-wall when this is not the will of fellow citizens,” said the FIPEQ-CSQ’s Valérie Grenon. “We are calling on them to demand investments for our little ones in our public network of children’s daycares.”

Against wall-to-wall plan

In an interview with the Laval News, Maccarone said, “We’re not against the idea of four-year-old pre-k – we’re against the idea of wall-to-wall implementation. We believe in complementarity – in having a complementary system. And we think what we need to do is to take some steps back to evaluate.”

However, at this point the Liberals remain uncertain as to how the CAQ is going to proceed implementing the plan, she added. “We now know that the price tag has gone up from $250 million that they had announced during their electoral campaign, to between $400 and $700 million.” But in the meantime, Maccarone and her PLQ colleagues agree there is considerable opposition to what the CAQ wants to do.

Léger poll backs claims

“We have many stakeholder groups that are saying that this isn’t the solution that we need to put into place today, from teachers to specialists and researchers. And now we’ve added the voice of parents.” She cited a recent survey conducted by the Léger polling firm indicating that just one of every five parents would choose four-year-old pre-k in the education system over the daycare system.

“The minister is saying that this is the best way to early diagnose some children that have potential difficulties. But the reality is that four years old is too late – it has to happen much earlier. And so rather than invest the $400 to $700 million in the school system to get four-year-old pre-k, why not take that money and invest it in the daycare system?

More thinking needed

“Because if we’re talking about having professionals, then we can certainly have those professionals available in alternatives that work. And we know that our schools don’t have enough places. If we’re talking just about the Francophone network especially, they are bursting at the seams.

“Many of our schools require significant investments in infrastructure to improve the quality of the buildings. We also have a shortage of teachers and a shortage of labour in general,” Maccarone added. “What we need to be doing is focusing our attention elsewhere. So it’s not that four-year-old pre-k is a bad idea – it’s just not well thought out.”

Martin C. Barry

When former federal Conservative cabinet minister Maxime Bernier was pondering what would make a good name for his new political party, he as well as supporters had some initial misgivings about “People’s Party of Canada.”

Naming the party

“In the beginning we had a debate about the name of our party,” Bernier recounted to a room full of followers who gathered in Côte des Neiges recently to announce the PPC’s candidate in the upcoming by-election in Outremont.

“People’s Party – that’s communist,” said Bernier, drawing raucous laughter from the crowd, while recalling a typical reaction from PPCers who are located a great deal more to the right on the political scale.

Vet running in Outremont

However, in the end common sense prevailed when it was suggested that the PPC needed an easily identifiable abbreviation so as not to become confused with other parties. The party’s launch event was held to officially announce the candidacy of Canadian Forces veteran James Seale as the PPC’s candidate in the Feb. 25 Outremont by-election.

While Bernier was making his pitch to a largely ethnic crowd in highly multicultural Côte des Neiges, he told them the PPC exists to unite Canadians under a single party banner regardless of their cultural origins.

“If you’re a Canadian of Chinese origin or of Indian origin you’re a Canadian and that’s important,” he said. “There’s no pandering. We won’t speak to you as a Chinese Canadian or a Muslim Canadian. You are Canadian first.”

A different approach

He sought to differentiate the PPC’s approach from most of the other federal parties, including the Liberals and the Conservatives. “They try to please every special interest group or every ethnic community in our country with special programs,” Bernier said.

Referring to Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and “his cult of diversity,” Bernier said Trudeau is “saying that diversity is our strength, and we all know that it is not that. It is what unites us that is our strength. We must celebrate what unites us.”

Currently garnering up to 6 per cent support in Quebec in recent Léger opinion polls, Maxime Bernier is regarded by a rising number of supporters as a dependable politician who is known for speaking his mind. He is said to harbour strong beliefs in personal responsibility and freedom. In his public statements, he expresses these values as well as an unwavering commitment to reducing the size of government.

A fierce competitor

According to an official biography posted on the PPC website, Bernier was born Jan. 18, 1963, in St-Georges-de-Beauce. He is the father of two girls. He is also a dedicated and experienced runner and has participated in a number of marathons. Regarded as a tough and determined competitor, Bernier once ran 106 kilometres across his constituency, completing the run in 13 hours, while raising $165,000 for a Beauce food bank.

He has a long-standing interest in business and during his career worked for several financial and banking institutions before becoming executive vice-president of the Montreal Economic Institute in 2005. Various people from his region encouraged him to enter politics. He took up the challenge and was elected the MP for Beauce on January 23, 2006, with the largest majority outside Alberta. He was appointed to Cabinet on February 6, 2006 as Minister of Industry.

Quit the Tories last year

Under the Conservatives, Bernier also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was re-elected to represent Beauce on October 14, 2008. Re-elected again in May 2011, he was appointed Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism.

Although re-elected another time in November 2015, on Aug. 23, 2018, he left the Conservative Party of Canada to sit as an independent MP and soon announced the launch of the PPC. Since receiving official party recognition in January, Bernier and the PPC have been increasingly perceived as a thorn in the side of the Conservatives.

Highly critical of the CPC

In a statement he issued last August explaining his decision, Bernier stated: “I know that the free-market conservative philosophy has the best solutions to ensure our society is more prosperous, secure, and peaceful. However, my party’s stands on several issues have convinced me that under the current leadership it has all but abandoned its core conservative principles.

“Instead of leading as a principled Conservative and defending the interests of Canada and Canadians, Andrew Scheer is following the Trudeau Liberals,” he continued. “A Conservative party that supports free markets should also advocate the end of corporate welfare … I am now convinced that what we will get if Andrew Scheer becomes prime minister is just a more moderate version of the disastrous Trudeau government.”

Martin C. Barry

Vimy Liberal MP Eva Nassif has announced that a local umbrella group of women’s organizations will receive $295,725 in funding for a 36-month project whose goal will be to remove systemic barriers to employment for vulnerable women in the Laval region.

The Table de concertation de Laval en condition féminine will collaborate with local partners in key employment sectors, service providers and women in Laval, whose lived experience of employment barriers include domestic abuse, poverty, housing, mental and physical health issues.

Goal is a regional model

According to the organization and Nassif, a gender-based analysis will be applied to existing policies to determine common service gaps and barriers in transportation, access to child care, training opportunities, job-matching methods and other job placement issues. New procedures and protocols will be piloted through three community partners to create a model that can be incorporated into practices at the regional level.

“I believe that with this important project, and with the help of key partners, the Table de concertation de Laval en condition féminine will be able to continue this noble mission they’ve chosen, which is to provide a more secure future for women in need, and to fight alongside them so their rights will be recognized,” Nassif said during an announcement made at the Centre communautaire Saint-Joseph last week.

Advancing equality

“I am proud that the Government of Canada is committed to supporting their efforts through the Women’s Program at the Department for Women and Gender Equality,” Nassif continued. “Advancing equality continues to be at the heart of our government decision-making. It’s not just the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do. We know that we when we invest in women we are strengthening the economy for everyone.”

Established in Laval around 30 years ago, the Table de concertation de Laval en condition féminine draws together more than 30 groups and organizations, nearly a dozen of which concern themselves primarily with women’s equality issues.

Needed: quality jobs

“We are all very happy today to be participating in this announcement and to be launching this project that will improve the chances of women to get and obtain jobs, especially quality jobs through which they will be able to improve their economic security while ensuring their financial autonomy as well as their children’s,” said Table de concertation coordinator Marie-Ève Surprenant.

According to Surprenant, financial uncertainty was the most common problem her organization’s initial research discovered among women in Laval who will be benefiting from the program. Health and emotional problems, which tend to accumulate when women are faced with financial problems, also worsen, she added. “When you have these problems, it becomes difficult to hold down a job and ensure one’s economic security,” said Surprenant.

Improving employability

The subsidy will be spent on a program whose goal will be to improve the employability prospects of women facing poverty, homelessness, mental and physical health issues and other types of situations. The Table de concertation’s partner members will be called upon to contribute and take part in the program. The McKinsey Global Institute research organization maintains that women continue to be disproportionately affected by economic insecurity. In 2015, women in Canada earned 87 cents for every dollar earned by men.

The institute estimates that by taking steps to advance equality for women – such as employing more women in technology and boosting women’s participation in the workforce – Canada could add $150 billion to its economy by 2026. The institute also says that women are much more likely to work on a part-time basis, making up 76 per cent of all part-time workers, with 25 per cent of women reporting childcare responsibilities as their reason for working part-time.

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of profiles TLN will be publishing in recognition of outstanding accomplishments of current and former Laval residents in ventures at home and abroad. Today we feature the exceptional strides made by Sophia Trozzo, born and bred in Laval, now coordinating educational and cultural projects of international relevance and multinational importance. Here is Sophia’s story, so far, as told to Renata Isopo

Tell us about your love of writing

In high school I took every writing opportunity, co-editing the yearbook, and taking natural-fit courses like journalism. Journalism class offered a taste of what the trade demanded: non-negotiable tenacity, dedication, critical thinking and great writing. 

I was mentored by Renata Isopo, vibrant educator, consummate journalist, worldly, cultural, and fond of sharing treasures of wisdom and knowledge with students. I greatly admire her unapologetic unconventional philosophy of life. Having a teacher of positive influence at a young age, is a rare gift.  I don’t underestimate how this has continued to shape me throughout adulthood.

High-school journalism led to internship at Courrier Laval, first real insight into how journalists should conduct themselves professionally. I realized a great journalist of integrity requires more than great writing. You need tenacity, attention to detail, and strong ethics.

Editor John Fasciano taught me that essence and substance are central to fair reporting, that I should think deeply about what questions to ask, to understand if I was motivated by prejudice or ignorance or simply to extract truth from facts. I was profoundly struck by his editorial philosophy that it was crucial for journalists to exercise the dual responsibility of “getting the right story and getting the story right.” And that’s a lesson four years of Journalism school tried to teach me over again.  I had learned it at 18.

From Dawson College’s Honours Communication to Concordia Journalism, graduating in 2013 with Philosophy and Political Science minors. Study choices flowed from belief in thoughtful questions and genuine curiosity about the world.

I will always have Paris

At university, I spent a semester in France, studying Human Rights and International Relations at l’Institut d’études politiques de Paris Sciences Po, assisted by a Quebec government bursary for academic excellence.

Subsequently, I became digital project manager for MS Media, while tutoring English and Math at Oxford Learning. Creating a travel website, I published my photography and interviews with some of the world’s most extensively travelled people. At McGill University, I participated in the Women in House Program (2013), shadowing a Member of Parliament in Ottawa for a day,  leading to volunteer work for New Democratic Party MP Rosane Doré Lefebvre, (Alfred-Pellan constituency), doing data entry and French to English translation.

From two summers of teaching English to children in Italy and travelling extensively across the peninsula, I discovered deep passion for roots, moving to Italy for a career in education. Intending to continue teaching, I was offered private-school work in Rome, but declined when the company I had been working for offered full-time recruitment-officer responsibilities at Sanremo headquarters. Four years later, I am still International Recruitment Manager, based on the Italian Riviera. Since 2015, I have recruited 1200 educators from Canada, UK, U.S.A. South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland, for English summer camps in Italy.

It’s rigorous, demanding, fast-paced bilingual work, maintaining communication with international applicants and EDUCO coordinators across Italy. I deploy tutors to 200 summer camps country-wide, as the main point of contact for conflict management and general human resources.

What do you love most about your work?

Sharing love of Italy with hundreds of people in summer programs, many of whom have never been here before, or come with certain stereotypes/expectations in mind, like the idea that only Florence, Venice or Rome are worth exploring. After summers in small towns in the mountains of Brescia, in the Emilia Romagna countryside, or sea-side in Puglia and Calabria, they gain entirely new perspectives.

I’ve had the joy of creating several teachers’ courses, including English literature, based in Oxford, England, performing-arts school visits to Sweden, a Multicultural London tour, and Italian cultural programs for tutors, taking place in the mountain village of Bajardo (Liguria). Since 2015 I have maintained partnerships between EDUCO and UNITED WORLD SCHOOLS (London based Charity), fundraising for their Myanmar schools. 

EDUCO and summer camps

A non-profit organization, EDUCO promotes student-centred learning through theatre/drama. Accredited by Italy’s Ministry of Education, EDUCO was one of the first in Italy to utilize theatre/  drama power within learning frameworks, spending11 years successfully teaching English to Italian children through our touring theatre-in-education company, TEATRINO and ‘Theatre-in-Education Days’ (‘T.I.E. Days’). Annually, 100,000 Italians take part in our English Summer Camps.

EDUCO recruits English-speaking actors, performers, musicians, tutors and trainers from all over the world; our ever-expanding team of collaborators work out of Sanremo, Milan, Naples, Rome and Sicily.

Our summer program, an introductory TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course, promotes performance and play. Recognized by the World TEFL Accreditation Association we’re also accredited the Italian government. Tutors attend a mandatory five-day orientation training course facilitated by our didactic team. Many are qualified teachers in TEFL, or CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults), or pursuing education degrees. We focus on learning language through songs, games and drama-based activities. We assist Italy’s educational system, working with thousands of teachers on how to implement successful language acquisition strategies (games, workshops, songs, drama-based activities) in their classroom.

Assigning tutors to camps – north, south, and the islands (Sicily), EDUCO pays transportation and places students with Italian families who provide room, board, meals, and delicious cultural experiences.

Sacrifice…Why Italy?

La Bella Italia is much more complicated than a romantic summer of gelatos and gondolas. Prolonged time is needed to grasp how deep the problems run. To live here, you have to sacrifice high salaries. Wages are low, even for managers. I can’t complain, I’m much better off than many, but like others, I have to cope with overwhelming bureaucracy.

So why Italy? Because you can hop on a train, any direction, stop at any small town, find poetry. Because “slowness of life” is vital to memory, mental peace, true joy.  Because life is not linear, that you need to confront chaos in order to build order, and because I love a good maze.

The greatest sacrifice is not having family close. With my daughter’s birth, I understood and felt its impact more than ever. With much grace, my family accepted my move to another continent, with my daughter by my side. For this, I am truly grateful.

Martin C. Barry

In spite of assurances by Mayor Marc Demers that changes he is seeking for Laval’s municipal charter won’t lead to abuses by his administration, a group of opposition city councillors is urging Quebec not to allow the changes – even though the government already has for five other large municipalities.

Councillors’ denunciation

In their letter addressed to Quebec Municipal Affairs Minister Andrée Laforest, Laval city councillors David De Cotis (Saint-Bruno), Michel Poissant (Vimont), Isabella Tassoni (Laval-des-Rapides), Aglaia Revelakis (Chomedey), Paolo Galati (Saint-Vincent-de-Paul) and Daniel Hébert (Marigot) said they were “denouncing” Mayor Marc Demers’ attempt to modify two clauses from Laval’s charter.

Although four of the group are disaffected former Mouvement Lavallois members, Revelakis is the sole remaining elected member of Action Laval on city council.

‘Too much power’

“While analysts of municipal politics agree that the present Charter of the City of Laval gives too much power to the executive-committee, the new version which allows the executive-committee to make its own internal rules will go even further,” they said, noting that the City of Laval was placed under trusteeship six years ago as its political and administrative situations spun out of control.

“When the city was placed in trusteeship, the trustees saw that this Charter had allowed Gilles Vaillancourt to act outside the scrutiny of the municipal council. It should be recalled that the executive-committee is presided by the mayor and that the councillors who sit on it are appointed by him. He could thus govern without the Council intervening.

No to additional powers

“It is for all these reasons that we are asking you to take a stand against any modification of the City of Laval’s Charter which would give additional powers to the executive-committee, some of which already caused considerable harm to Laval residents in the past,” added the councillors.

In a statement responding to the letter, Mayor Marc Demers maintained that there appeared to be confusion as to the extent of the impact the requested changes would make.

“At this time, these powers are delegated through the adoption of a by-law by a vote of simple majority,” said Demers. “The proposed modification would be such that this delegation by by-law would require a vote by 2/3 of the members of the municipal council. This would not significantly increase the powers of the executive.”

Other cities have the same

According to the mayor, the change the city wants made to its charter would allow the executive-committee to pass an internal by-law delegating certain powers to senior administrators. At the same time, he noted that some of this power currently exists in the municipal charters for the cities of Montreal, Longueuil, Lévis, Gatineau and Québec.

While pointing out that officials with the City of Laval are currently working on a new version of the municipality’s charter, Demers said that in the meantime city council needs to be able to pass internal by-laws allowing it to delegate certain powers.

In an interview with the Laval News, De Cotis, who publicly split last year from the mayor and the Mouvement Lavallois, said the dissident group’s current demand comes following a refusal by Demers to explain the charter amendments during the last city council meeting.

‘Blank cheque,’ says De Cotis

“He’s asking for a blank cheque, asking the Legault government to approve modifications to the charter that would allow executive-committee members to really pass any by-law they want, and in a sense create their own government within the executive-committee,” claimed De Cotis.

Although De Cotis didn’t know of any administrative abuses committed in the five other cities since they received the powers being sought by Laval, he said the city’s well-documented history of corruption and administrative abuse should serve as enough of a warning to refuse the charter change request.

For her part, Aglaia Revelakis told the Laval News she agreed with the other councillors that Demers was being unreasonable by not disclosing exactly what changes he wanted to make to the city’s charter. “We don’t know what they’re planning to change,” she said. “So why would we vote for something when we don’t even know what we’re going to be voting for?”