Laval earns five stars for water quality. City scores high in rating at water quality symposium.
(TLN)
Laval residents can now boast that they drink tap water of the highest quality. During a recent symposium on water management held in Sainte-Hyacinthe, the City of Laval’s three drinking water treatment stations received a five-star rating.
“Since the beginning of this rating system, the Sainte Rose station has always obtained the highest distinction,” said Pierre Cullen, director of Laval’s water services, noting that the city’s Chomedey water station also was cited for water quality following renovations in recent years.
A firefighter’s gear lies ready for action on the floor of No. 2 firehall in Chomedey during the City of Laval’s annual open house at the firehalls.
Martin C. Barry
According to conventional wisdom, most kids aspire – at least for a while – to be firefighters one day. For most young children, whether they’re girls or boys, there are few things more exciting than fire engines and firehalls.
Fireman for a day
Once a year when the Laval Fire Department holds its ‘open house,’ the nine firehalls in Laval’s districts are open to the public for a day. That’s when every kid living in Laval gets a chance to make believe they’re a fireman or firewoman.
During this year’s event held on on Saturday Oct. 13 in conjunction with fire prevention week, kids of all ages had the opportunity to get up close to the shiny, bright red ladder and pump trucks parked in firehall garages all over the island.
Seen here with two members of the Laval Fire Department, the Ghantous family had a great time at the Chomedey No. 2 firehall on Sunday Oct. 13.
The real thing
For kids probably more used to playing with scale-models, actually being able to climb behind the wheel of a huge shiny red rig and being able to touch the intricate controls was something they will probably remember for a long time.
From morning to late afternoon, the kids got a chance to learn all about the work of firefighters, to watch and take part in equipment demonstrations, to receive fire prevention advice, and even to climb into a truck and feel what it’s like to do the work of a fireman.
For young and old alike, Laval’s annual open house at the firehalls was an opportunity to learn all about fire safety.
Fun for families
Among the many people who dropped by the Chomedey No. 2 firehall on Souvenir Blvd. were Ziaav Ghantous and his two children: Peter and Alexandra.
“We’re here to support our fire department knowing that they’re always here to serve us,” said Ghantous. “It’s also important to show our kids the importance of the firefighters being there.”
As those attending the open house learned, water rescue is also part of the Laval Fire Department’s responsibilities.
Hôtel de ville de Laval – Laval City Hall. 1 Place du Souvenir, Laval, Québec, Canada.
Integrated Urban Revitalization Initiatives in Laval
The Executive Committee approved the agreement between the City of Laval and Quebec’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy (MAMOT) under the Greater Montreal Metropolitan Initiative and Outreach Fund (FIRM). The agreement concerns the urban development of regions and consolidates the support offered to the integrated urban revitalization (RUI) initiatives proposed for Laval which will be executed from April 1st 2018 to March 31st 2021. On August 10th 2018 the City of Laval received confirmation from MAMOT that it has successfully obtained a grant of $ 742,500 to cover a three-year period from April 1st 2018 to March 31st 2021. This grant added to the financial contribution allotted in the city budgets will expedite the revitalization projects already in progress in Chomedey, Pont-Viau and Place Saint-Martin/Domaine-Renaud.
Relocation of the Armand-Frappier Biosciences Interpretation Center
The members of the executive committee approved the modification of the contribution agreement it had signed with the Department of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism as part of the relocation project for the Armand-Frappier Bioscience Interpretation Center. Almost a year ago, on October 27th 2017, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Honorable Mélanie Joly, announced that she was giving the City of Laval, as part of the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, a contribution of $ 2.7 million for the relocation project of the Armand-Frappier Bioscience Interpretation Center. However Quebec municipalities are required to obtain authorization from the Québec government to enter into a financial contribution agreement with a federal government department. Laval has obtained a decree from MAMOT for this purpose.
Acquisition of lots for conservation purposes at Bois d’Auteuil
The executive committee authorized the acquisition of a 602.5 square meter lot for $ 19,500. This lot, which is surrounded by land owned by the City of Laval, is located west of Val-des-Bois Street and south of Boismou Street in the perimeter of the Bois d’Auteuil woodlands. The executive committee also approved, for conservation purposes, the acquisition of another lot of land for the purchase price of $4,000.This lot of 283.4 square meters is located west of Debussy Street in the district of Auteuil. These acquisitions represent important elements identified in the 2017-2019 Action Plan for the Strategic Acquisition of Natural Environment which targets several lots of high ecological value.
Review of the speed limit on François-Baillairgé Street
Following the installation of a new water park play module in Renaissance Park, the City re-evaluated the speed limit on François-Baillairgé Street. In accordance with the criteria defined in 2011 during the development of the new speed limit of roadways in Laval’s master plan, the executive committee agreed to lower the speed limit to 30 kilometers per hour on François-Baillairgé Street. They also authorized the pruning a tree to improve the visibility of the new speed limit signs.
Transport of snow and ice with operator
The Executive Committee agreed to recommend that City Council awards Contract SP-29541 to the 28 bidders which complied with the provisions in the contract of services required for Snow and Ice Transport Service including both the trucks, equipment and the human resources needed to operate them. Since the service needs depend on the amount of winter precipitation received the financial payments will be determined by the amount of snow and ice collected. Therefore payment to the suppliers will be made as the services are provided and billed by the operators according to the rates of the Transportation Ministry of Québec. The contract is valid for the three winter seasons 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 and will expire after the third year unless terminated prematurely in accordance with the other provisions included in the service agreements.
In addition, the awarding of the SP-29541 contract did not deliver the total number of trucks required for the complete snow removal needs of the City therefore the administration issued a new call for tenders, SP-29582, in order to add more vehicles to its snow removal and transportation fleet.
Inventory Management Policy
The executive committee approved the awarding of a contract of $ 87,210.84 (taxes included) to the enterprise 9153-4693 Québec Inc. for professional services which will target the development of a municipal inventory management policy. The City of Laval wants to adopt such a policy to follow to ensure efficient and economical management of its supplies and equipment. Improved inventory management is achieved by strengthening the reliability of information gathered and managed regarding actual stock quantities. Remember that the implementation of this policy is also part of the recommendations of the Auditor General of Laval, in her latest report.
Acquisition in the Bois d’Auteuil
The Executive Committee has agreed to acquire lots 1 175 861 and 1 175 864 from the cadaster of Québec for the sum of $ 27,500. The combined lots have a total area of 2 289.6 square meters and were purchased for the purpose of conservation of woodlands in the Boise d’ Auteuil. The woodlands are located southeast of the junction of the streets of Bungalows and Bida in Laval’s Auteuil district. They are located within the Bois d’Auteuil special ecological development zone (ZAEP) and are part of the implementation of the 2017-2019 Action Plan for the Natural Environment Acquisition Strategy.
Autumn Leaf collection
The City of Laval recovers the dead leaves for distribution to farmers in the region, who compost them and make fertilizer. There are two ways to participate in this recovery. Leaves can be gathered in paper bags and left for curb side pickup or can be transported to one of several municipal voluntary deposit sites. If you already have organic waste collection, you can also put your leaves in your brown bin so they can be composted.
The collection of dead leaves at residences will take place from October 15th to November 16th 2018. Dead leaf collection now takes place on the same day as the collection of organic matter, or the second working day after normal garbage collection if you do not have the brown bin yet.
On the day of collection place the leaves in paper bags or in your brown bin by the side of the road before 7:00 am. Do not include branches or other organic wastes. Note that maple leaves with tarry spot disease are now accepted in the municipal collection. Pumpkins and straw bales are also accepted, both for home collection and voluntary drop-off locations.
Also it is important to note that it is strictly forbidden to push dead leaves in the street, under penalty of a fine (bylaw L-12084).
Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre coordinator Patricia Gavin, Agape executive-director Kevin McLeod and Agape social worker Ian Williams are seen here in a Wellness Centre meeting room.
Martin C. Barry
Since opening in May this year, the Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre has expanded its contacts with senior citizens in Laval who are breaking out of their isolation while benefiting from the centre’s growing list of programs and referral services.
A range of activities
Located on the third floor at 3860 Notre Dame Blvd. in Chomedey just east of Curé Labelle Blvd., the Wellness Centre has an elevator and there is a large parking lot on the side and behind the building. The centre also has the support of the CISSS de Laval.
With the Wellness Centre, Laval’s English-speaking and multicultural seniors can now participate in presentations on health, learn about the resources available to seniors who prefer to be served in English, take part in special activities, or receive referrals for their social service needs.
Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre meeting.
Central location in Chomedey
The Wellness Centre is also a place where seniors can go for health conferences, cognitive activities (board and card games), organized bus trips, computer or tablet courses and meetings with other members of Laval’s English-speaking community.
“We’re trying to focus on getting seniors out of their isolation,” said Agape executive-director Kevin McLeod. “It’s an issue across Quebec. It’s also an issue for us in Laval. According to the most recent Canadian census statistics in 2016, there’s nearly 20,000 English-speaking seniors 55 years of age and over in Laval now and we’re offering services for these people.”
Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre meeting.
Inspired by the CHSSN
Launched with a $140,000 two-year grant received from the provincial government’s Québec ami des aînés program, the Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre was largely inspired by a model developed by the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN), which supports English-speaking communities in Quebec in their efforts to redress health status inequalities.
According to McLeod, in the six months the Wellness Centre has been open, they’ve been able to contact 300 seniors as well as other partner organizations to spread the word.
“There’s a need for services for English-speaking seniors in Laval,” he said, citing the findings of a statistical presentation Agape made. “It’s proven that there’s not enough services for them and this is why the Wellness Centre is here.”
Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre meeting.
Health benefits for seniors
According to Ian Williams, Agape’s staff social worker, research has shown that access by Anglophone seniors to English-language health and social services is an important health determinant.
“We want seniors to come here and have access to what’s available out there,” he said. “And just by the fact of getting out of isolation, out of their homes to come here, is a health benefit on its own.”
For McLeod, starting the Wellness Centre has been an opportunity to see English-speaking senior citizens from Laval emerge from their isolation, often following life-changing events. “We have seen seniors – recent widows and widowers – who’ve come to the Wellness Centre and they’re using it quite frequently,” he said. “For us this is a sign of success.”
Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre meeting.
Supported by government grant
Agape staff, volunteers and supporters are currently hoping that the provincial or federal governments will decide to extend funding for the Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre, as well as other wellness centres across Quebec.
“What we’d like to see, especially with the new government coming in, is for them to sustain these wellness centres,” McLeod said, while adding that this would allow the Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre to continue operating beyond its two-year mandate without having to charge any additional fees.
“When you’re looking at keeping seniors out of hospitals, keeping them well, taking them out of isolation, I think that’s a responsibility that falls on government,” he added.
Keeping seniors healthy
“The centre is actually serving a public health need,” said Williams. “If this could keep seniors healthier and happier, the chances of them being sustained at home, as opposed to being in a long-term care residence, is much more feasible.”
The lineup of weekly activities this fall at the Wellness Centre includes iPad courses on Fridays (10:30 am to noon, Nov. 2-16-23 and Dec. 7). Then there are the Karaoke Fridays from 1 to 4 pm. Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 4 pm it’s time for Coffee Sweets and Chat.
Some upcoming health presentations include a video conference on bladder health on Wednesday Nov. 14, and a session on Nov. 30 for seniors, families and friends on bullying and senior abuse. The Agape English-Speaking Senior Wellness Centre can be reached by phone at (450) 934-1122.
The current issue of the Laval News volume 26-20 published October 24, 2018, (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.26-20 October 24, 2018.
Sep 29 – Police are asking for the public’s help to identify a suspect alleged to have made death threats to a pair of volunteers putting up electoral signs on August 30 in Chomedey.
The incident occurred at 4:30 p.m. near the intersection of boulevards Souvenir and l’Avenir. Two volunteers for the CAQ team were putting up and repairing posters for their political party representatives when the suspect walked by and told them not to bother fixing the sign since he would come back later and tear it down.
The death threat was allegedly uttered when one of the volunteers pulled out their phone and took the man’s picture. In response, the suspect used his own cell phone to photograph the license plate on the volunteer’s vehicle and declared, “Your life is over. I know where you live. I’m coming, I have contacts. You’re going to die.”
Suspect Who Made Death Threats
The suspect is described as a white male between the age of 45 and 55. He is approximately 1.73 m (5’8”) tall and weighs about 75 kg (165 lbs).
At the time of the incident, he was wearing a red Miller High Life cap, black pants, a jean jacket, and red sneakers.
Anyone with information about the suspect’s identity can relate it confidentially to Laval police by calling 450-662-INFO (4636) or 911, and mentioning file LVL 180830 060.
Fourth Homicide in Laval
Sep 26 – Laval police are investigating the fourth homicide to occur on the island this year.
Police responded after shots were fired on Boul. Levesque E, last Tuesday night around 8 p.m.
The victim, 46-year-old Sebastien Vena, had been shot once while he was standing outside Fusion restaurant, and a second time as he retreated back inside. Vena later succumbed to his wounds and died in hospital.
The file was handed over to the Sûreté du Québec when it was established that Vena had ties to organized crime, specifically the Hells Angels.
Laval Police questioned witnesses and secured the scene. They remained at the site working alongside SQ investigators. Authorities have no leads on any suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Laval police via their Info-Line at 450-662-INFO (4636) or the SQ at 1 800 659-4264.
Laval Police Bike Patrol Conclude 17th Season
Laval Police Bike Patrol Conclude 17th Season
Oct 2 – The Laval Police bike brigade was established in 2001. In 2018 they were out on their bikes from May 17 to September 15, patrolling Laval’s many green spaces.
During their 17th season, Laval’s officers on bikes attended to 5820 interventions in all. They responded to more than 200 calls and handed out 1250 tickets.
Over the summer the cycling coppers made 308 arrests, including 207 arrests for drug-related offenses.
They also participated in more than 80 cultural events and festivals over the course of their season, such as Laval’s annual FireFighters Festival, fête de la famille, Lebanese and Armenian festival, as well as numerous community festivals.
The City of Laval and its firefighters held a province-wide Fire Prevention Week from Oct. 7 – 13.
(TLN)
The City of Laval and its firefighters held a province-wide Fire Prevention Week Oct. 7 – 13. This year’s theme, “It’s in the kitchen that it happens,” illustrates the fact that nearly a third of all the fires that break out in buildings in Quebec start in the kitchen area.
On the last day of the week-long campaign (Saturday Oct. 13) from 10 am to 4 pm, Laval’s nine firehalls held open door events where everyone was welcomed. Families were invited to come out to their neighbourhood firehall to take part in activities and to learn first-hand about firefighting operations from those for whom firefighting is a life calling and a job.
“I am especially pleased to invite all citizens of Laval to visit their local firehall where they can become familiar with all the different rules to follow for security,” says Laval city councillor for Concorde-Bois-de-Boulogne Sandra Desmeules who is responsible for public safety on the executive-committee.
Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis advised residents of her district to be careful before feeding stray cats or dogs because the city will regard them as the owners if they do.
Martin C. Barry
Who takes responsibility for stray cats in Chomedey? What’s being done about traffic and speeding on some of the district’s streets? And what changes are in store for the City of Laval’s alternate-side street parking regulations? These were some of the issues that came up during a district meeting held by city councillor Aglaia Revelakis at Centre de Sablon on Sept. 26.
‘Tempo’ shelter changes
Before dealing with the issues, Revelakis informed the 25 or so people attending that Laval city council made some changes to the “tempo” car shelter by-law recently and now residents are allowed to put up the protective winter-time structures beginning on Oct. 15 until April 30.
The previous rule prevented the shelters from being erected before November. The new regulations add 15 days at the beginning of the shelter period and 15 days in the spring before the period ends. While structure and tarpaulin can also now be erected simultaneously, a rule that remains obliges tempo owners to maintain a two-foot distance from the sidewalk so that snow ploughs don’t encounter obstructions during the winter.
Tom Mouhteros (right) of Clarendon Ave. in Chomedey is seen here during the district meeting with Nick Furfaro (left) and Constantine Milonopoulos in the background.
Parking consultation
Revelakis said a consultation on the alternate parking issue will be taking place at 7 pm on Wednesday Oct. 24 at the Centre communautaire Saint-Joseph on Pie-X Blvd. near the corner of Souvenir Blvd. The meeting will be for residents of four districts: Chomedey, Abord-à-Plouffe, Saint-Martin and Souvenir-Labelle.
Under the current rules, cars are forbidden from parking on certain sides of streets so that street cleaning or snow removal operations can take place. Revelakis said any changes made to the alternate parking rules following the consultation will only take effect next year.
Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis held her Sept. 26 district meeting at Centre du Sablon.
Street repair complications
Tom Mouhteros noted that street reconstruction projects on Clarendon Ave. that began this past summer are still underway, while the existing alternate parking rules were set to kick in Oct. 1. “The street is getting done, it’s not even done yet, and people from Clarendon are coming all the way down and parking,” he said, maintaining that he didn’t expect the street work to be completed on time.
Mouhteros also complained that Clarendon, which runs parallel at one point to Autoroute 13, has become a shortcut for drivers from outside the immediate area. “If anything goes wrong, everybody’s on Clarendon – and believe me it’s become a highway,” he said.
New dog and cat regulations
Revelakis pointed out that beginning in January 2019, it will be mandatory for all dogs and cats in Laval to be “microchipped” with a miniature implant that contains information identifying the owner. She also revealed that according to the City of Laval’s latest animal control regulations, anyone who feeds a stray cat or dog will be regarded as its owner. “The city could go after you and request that you go get a permit for these stray cats or dogs,” she said.
“If the city is expecting all this from us for stray cats, shouldn’t they also have responsibility if I call that there are lots of stray cats in my area and they should send somebody to deal with them? The city can’t have it both ways,” said Nick Furfaro. “Don’t feed them,” Revelakis responded.
Stray cats on Clarendon
“There are so many cats on Clarendon it’s unbelievable,” said Mouhteros, noting that when he recently found an injured cat he called Berger Blanc which is mandated to deal with stray animals by the city. While insisting that he loves animals, he said the overpopulation of cats in Chomedey “is getting ridiculous. I’m not putting in a garden next year. They’ve eaten half my garden – the cats, the squirrels.”
Anna Georgopoulos, who lives on a crescent along Notre Dame Blvd. near Elizabeth Blvd., asked Revelakis for a speed bump to be installed on her street. Revelakis said the city on the verge of a campaign to install a good number more speed bumps. “We are for the speed bumps,” said Georgopoulos. “Because first and foremost there’s a lot of children in that crescent.”
Seen here surrounded by staff, supporters and volunteers, Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette was easily re-elected to the National Assembly on Oct. 1.
Martin C. Barry
A feeling of victory filled the air at the Notre Dame Blvd. campaign headquarters of incumbent Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette on provincial election night last Oct. 1 – even though it also rang hollow.
Changing events
Although Ouellette himself easily won re-election as expected, the Quebec Liberal Party’s losses most everywhere else in Quebec were historic in their proportion. Since election night, events turned in such a way that Ouellette is no longer a Liberal and will be representing the people of Chomedey as an independent member of the National Assembly.
By 9:30 pm on the evening of the election, it still wasn’t clear how the PLQ did in Laval’s five other ridings, although they managed in the end to win four, with the exception being Fabre where incumbent Liberal Jean Habel was defeated by the Coalition Avenir Québec’s Christopher Skeete.
Ouellette, who was first elected Chomedey’s MNA in 2007, won his fifth term in the Oct. 1 provincial election.
A fifth term as MNA
First elected in 2007, this was the fifth time Ouellette won a mandate to serve Chomedey. Only a few days before the election, the former Sûreté du Québec investigator was embroiled in a controversy when Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault maintained that Ouellette had previously leaked confidential information to the CAQ regarding contracts awarded by the Liberal government.
Ouellette was briefly placed under arrest in October last year by the Unité permanente anticorruption which was conducting an investigation of leaked documents and information from within UPAC. At the time, the National Assembly’s speaker issued a statement expressing solidarity with Ouellette and denouncing UPAC’s actions as a threat to the work done by all MNAs.
A feeling of victory filled the air at the Notre Dame Blvd. campaign headquarters of incumbent Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette on provincial election night last Oct. 1 – even though it also rang hollow.
No longer a Liberal
Ouellette refused to talk about the alleged information leaks with journalists on election night, saying that the matter was the subject of litigation and he could not comment for that reason. In the days after the Oct. 1 election, Ouellette was expelled from the Liberal caucus by interim-PLQ leader Pierre Arcand.
“Being in politics isn’t always easy,” Ouellette said in an address to his supporters on election night. “You have to be willing to follow through on your convictions, you have to be up to the same level as your integrity. It’s not everyone who understands this and it’s not everyone who accepts it. But I have never made any compromises in terms of rigour and this integrity to defend the citizens of Chomedey while continuing to serve you.”
A feeling of victory filled the air at the Notre Dame Blvd. campaign headquarters of incumbent Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette on provincial election night last Oct. 1 – even though it also rang hollow.
Determined to keep serving
Despite the dismal results for the Liberals across the province, Ouellette said “it won’t change my determination to serve and to serve each and every citizen of Chomedey.” He thanked the many volunteers who helped with the Liberal campaign in Chomedey, while congratulating all the MNAs across Quebec who were elected to the National Assembly regardless of political affiliation.
“We didn’t get the results across the province that might have been wished for tonight,” he added. “But for the citizens of Chomedey, starting tomorrow we’ll be in a position to continue the work we do and that was started by [former MNAs] Mr. Mulcair and Mrs. Bacon and the late Jean-Noël Lavoie.”
A feeling of victory filled the air at the Notre Dame Blvd. campaign headquarters of incumbent Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette on provincial election night last Oct. 1 – even though it also rang hollow.
Longtime volunteer retires
The 2018 Chomedey provincial election campaign was the last that longtime local political organizer and volunteer Claudette Lessard was participating in. After helping the Ouellette team in a total of five elections, and helping organize Liberal campaigns in the federal riding of Laval-Les Îles before then, Lessard let it be known on election night that she felt it was about time she retired.
“I’m 78 years old now and I think I have given just about everything possible,” she said in an interview with the Laval News. Asked for her impressions of the election, she replied, “It was a very difficult one. There was a lot of mud-slinging from one side to the other. It’s just not like it used to be back in 2007 with Guy. It was a lot easier then.”
A feeling of victory filled the air at the Notre Dame Blvd. campaign headquarters of incumbent Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette on provincial election night last Oct. 1 – even though it also rang hollow.A feeling of victory filled the air at the Notre Dame Blvd. campaign headquarters of incumbent Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette on provincial election night last Oct. 1 – even though it also rang hollow.
Hôtel de ville de Laval – Laval City Hall. 1 Place du Souvenir, Laval, Québec, Canada.
Alternative parking regulations delayed one month
The executive committee has decided to delay the application of the alternative parking regulations that normally take effect as of October 1st 2018 by one month. This applies to all sectors in Laval. These parking regulations will be enforced as of November 1st 2018. However, the parking prohibitions involving bus stop zones, fire hydrants as well priority lanes for emergency vehicles, spaces for handicapped persons and intersections remain in force at all times.
Acquisition of lots for conservation purposes at Bois de l’Équerre
The executive committee has forwarded a recommendation for municipal council to authorize the acquisition by agreement or by expropriation, of several lots with a total surface area of 79,391.1 square meters which are necessary for the conservation of the woodlands known as Bois de l’Équerre. Also the proposal includes the demand for a permanent servitude within an area of 2,347.1 square meters required for the installation, maintenance and upkeep of an underground municipal water main.
Collection and transport of organic matter
The executive committee has asked city council to award Enviro Connexions a contract in the amount of $12,256,049.86 for Lot 1 and $ 8,434,153.24 for Lot 2 for the collection, transportation and management of organic matter waste in Laval for the next five years. The conditions inherent in this contract represent a potential savings of up to $3 million over the five year term of the contract for municipal coffers based on projected quantities of organic wastes to be managed.
Waste collection bins
The members of the executive committee recommended that city council award Management USD Inc. a contract of $ 774,507.24 for the maintenance, repair and replacement of rolling garbage bins including delivery costs. The duration of this contract is four years. The Environment and Eco-Citizenship Department had put in place a procedure to monitor the organic waste management interventions in Laval and to monitor the inventory of parts and bins. This information has made it possible to provide a more detailed call for tenders and guidelines for the contract to be executed under more favorable conditions, in terms of both quality and quantity. This contract also includes storage of bins and inventory.
Access to Bois de Sainte-Dorothée and future Mont-Laval Park
The members of the executive committee approved the transfer of a lot from its parks and green space bank in exchange of an assignment of a lot as a contribution for park purposes which will allow the future development of the Mont-Laval Park in the Sainte-Dorothée district subdivision permit application PL-2016-165. The exchange will also make it possible to provide access to the Bois de Sainte-Dorothée.
Revision of signage around Souvenir Elementary School
The executive committee authorized the modification and installation of revised parking and road traffic signs on Bertin Street and Souvenir Road near Souvenir Elementary School in the Chomedey District. All of the proposed changes around elementary schools are intended to well demarcate drop off and loading zones of students at primary schools as well as to ensure that the speed limits for the school zones is clearly identified. New signs will be installed in addition to replacing missing or damaged existing panels.
Parking prohibited on the rue des Châteaux
In order to increase the visibility of the drivers who navigate Châteaux Street and to facilitate traffic entry onto this street, the executive committee has agreed to introduce new parking restrictions and their appropriate parking signs. The new regulations will prohibit parking iun front of the residences numbered 3300, 3310 and 3320 on rue des Châteaux in the Souvenir-Labelle district.
Ecologically combatting concrete heat islands
The executive committee authorized the Public Works Department to work in collaboration with its Department of the Environment and Eco-Citizenship committee to submit a pilot project and request for financial assistance application of $929,075 to the Government of Québec as part of the Climat municipalities – Phase 2 program. The pilot project involves an ecological restoration of motorway overpasses/bridge exchanges designed to mitigate and reduce the effects of urban heat islands (UHI) found along major roadway networks.
Have you ever walked by a city park or bank of trees and noticed the distinctive feeling of cooler air? The elevated temperature in concrete urban development areas as compared to rural, less developed areas is referred to as the urban heat island effect.
The funding will be used for the ecological restoration of three expressway viaducts and will not only mitigate the heating island effects but will also help reduce the water runoff that needs to be managed by municipal sewer infrastructures. The social innovation of the project lies in the redefinition of an urban landscape consistent with an environmentally friendly and sustainable urban development in nature.
Fire Prevention Week
Fire prevention week takes place in October of each year. It is celebrated everywhere in Quebec. In Laval from October 7th to 13th firefighters will take advantage of this thematic week to promote fire safety behaviors that residents can adopt daily.
As part of the closing activity for Fire Prevention Week all nine Laval Fire Stations will open their doors to the public on October 13th. For more information on Fire Prevention Week activities and fire station open houses visit Laval’s Department of Public Safety’s website. Also firefighters would like to remind residents that this week is a good time to test household smoke detectors and ensure the replacement of new batteries.
Laval’s Seniors Week
Laval’s Seniors Week of 2018 will take place from October 10th to 21st 2018. Organized by the City of Laval with the collaboration of various community organizations, the Laval Seniors week programming aims to stimulate exchanges between seniors and all other generations. The planning committee has organized more than sixty activities for seniors and includes: musical shows, theater, symposia, workshops and conferences.
While most activities are free some require a reservation or the purchase of tickets. The complete program of the 2018 Laval Seniors Week can be found online at the city internet portal or at the local municipal sports and recreation centers (BMLs).
