The current issue of the Laval News volume 27-11 published May 29th, 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.
(TLN) Reserve a spot in your agenda. Because on June 24 the City of Laval will be staging its own version of celebrations for Quebec’s Fête nationale – which is always one of the largest and most colourful anywhere in the province.
Beginning at sunset at the Centre de la Nature, the stars in the sky will become the stars on stage, with the invited guests including Marie-Mai, Paul Piché, Hubert Lenoir, Patrice Michaud, Loud, Guylaine Tanguay, Breen Leboeuf, Mara Tremblay, Fanny Bloom, King Abid, Ilam, Flavia Nascimento and the 150 Petits Chanteurs de Laval.
Later that night, the show will culminate with fireworks. “Once again, our organizers have outdone themselves and I am certain that our Fête nationale in Laval will once again be seen as one of the best anywhere,” says Mayor Marc Demers.
The big event will take place at 9 pm, although the site will be accessible starting at 6 pm. Street food trucks will be on location to serve those who’ve worked up an appetite. A free shuttle bus will also be available from Metro Montmorency to take event-goers to the Centre de la Nature.
There will be other events taking place on June 24 at the Centre de la Nature, including children’s activities, face painting, inflatable games and other fun things from 10 am to 5 pm. All the events are taking place with the support of other organizations, including the Société nationale du Québec à Laval, Québecor, Rythme FM, the Mouvement national des Québécoises et Québécois, the Government of Québec, the SAQ, the journal Métro, [co]motion and Brasseries Sleeman.
(TLN) Around 275 volunteers and 400 municipal employees (including 350 blue collar workers) took part last weekend in a massive two-day spring cleanup operation held all over Laval following the floods which left damage and debris in various areas of the island.
“I would like to warmly thank all the volunteers and all the municipal employees who came to the assistance of the victims during this big cleanup, without forgetting the STL which furnished shuttles for transportation,” said Mayor Marc Demers.
“Without your support, we would never have been able to accomplish such a task on such short notice. I am certain that just like me, each of the persons affected by the floods is grateful to you for your devotion and cooperation.”
In order to clean up properties affected by the floodwaters, volunteers and employees formed teams that worked over the two days with unparalleled enthusiasm. If anything, it also showed the strong sense of solidarity that exists between people living in Laval.
In all, the volunteers and municipal employees concentrated their efforts on seven zones in Laval that suffered flooding. They recovered 83,000 used sand bags, containing 1,500 tonnes of sand. As well, 425 households were visited and the exteriors of 277 homes were cleaned of debris.
Last weekend’s cleanup operation was the beginning of a regular spring cleanup the City of Laval will also be conducting in the coming weeks. Residents who were unable to take advantage of the assistance offered last weekend will be able to get additional help in the coming weeks from teams continuing to operate in the flooded areas.
Martin C. Barry
Quebec’s CAQ government will eventually take up Ottawa’s $345 million offer to pay for extending Autoroute 19 from Laval northward to the North Shore, says Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete.
But before that happens, Quebec will continue waiting to see updated plans for the long-anticipated highway completion project, adds Skeete.
Skeete was invited by the Laval News – as he was preparing for an announcement in Laval last week – to comment on the CAQ government’s conspicuous absence from a press conference held in Bois-des-Filion on the North Shore recently when the federal government announced its funding offer.
Effectively, the Liberal government in Ottawa has stated its willingness to open its purse in order to release as much as $345 million for Quebec’s CAQ government to spend on the agonizingly long-awaited A-19 project, whose history dates back to the quasi-prehistoric 1970s.
Notably missing at the announcement was François Bonnardel, the CAQ Minister of Transport who is normally expected to be present for major announcements such as that one.
As some observers have suggested, the absence could be framed in the context that relations between the CAQ government and the federal Liberals haven’t been great since Ottawa began voicing concerns over Quebec’s controversial Bill 21 that would curtail the display of religious symbols by public employees and officials.
“It’s not because we’re not committed to the project – we actually are,” Skeete said last week. “We just want to make sure that we have a completed project before we start making announcements.
“I understand the federal colleagues: they have incentives to go a little bit faster – you know, with a looming election,” he added. “For us, it was a question of making sure that all the i’s are dotted, all the t’s are crossed before we start making announcements.”
Over the decades, so many government announcements about the A-19 have been made that most observers have become cynical. Some have also noted that the issue has been tossed back and forth with great political convenience from the PLQ to the PQ – and now the CAQ government.
In the meantime, no one has ever taken a firm resolve to move forward with the project. As recently as last fall when future Premier François Legault was campaigning in Laval for the October provincial election, he pointed out that successive governments made promises about completing the A-19 without ever fulfilling them.
“I think that one of the big demands being heard concerns the 19,” Legault said then, as reported by TLN. “It’s going to be done with us. And it’s going to be done within the parameters they want – with reserved lanes, based on the demands of the mayors from the North Shore. It will be done within a reasonable period of time.”
For his part, Skeete said last week that public cynicism was “one of the reasons why we didn’t want to be there for yet another announcement. It’s nine times the 19 was announced. People don’t want another photo-op. What they want is some crews digging.
“The 19 will go forward,” he insisted. “My estimation is it’s time to get to work. Our plan is to start working on that as soon as we get the updated plans.”
(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.
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.
At the same time, the executive-committee granted $573,000 in subsidies for 2019 to the following organizations:
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.
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.
“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.
“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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Cynthia Abraham
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.
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.
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.
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.
Martin C. Barry
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.
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.”
“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.”
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.
“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.”
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.”
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.
“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.”
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.”
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.
“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.”
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.
